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Reviews
St. Louis Blues (1929)
Bessie's only film appearance
Not a great film in the artistic sense, but it is all we will ever see of Bessie Smith in action, and the music is wonderful. All the more reason to criticize the NAACP's attempt to have all copes destroyed. The found the crapshoot scene demeaning. Fortunately, this attempt at censorship failed.
Years ago, Isabel Washington, who was the first Mrs. Adam Clayton Powell, told me how she came to play opposite Bessie in this 1929 two-reeler. "They wanted my sister, Fredi, who was already in pictures, but she had the flu and recommended me. When I auditioned, they said I was too light, so I told them that I could be dipped. They agreed and I got the part."
Fredi Washington is perhaps best known for her role in the 1934 Universal Pictures film, "Imitation of Life." Having served well to get Adam Clayton Powell elected, Isabel was divorced from him, and he married pianist Hazel Scott.
Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle (1994)
Prolonged Agony
I have admired Dorothy Parker's work for many years and always found her persona to be fascinating. If someone had told me that it was possible to make a boring film about this lady, I would have disagreed. Sad to say, I would have been wrong. Last night I sat through the entire film, waiting—i vain—for are deeming moment. The script was a hopeless muddle, the acting was strenuous, the music went from bland to annoying, and the direction perfectly complemented these flaws. The only thing this wreck of a film has going for it is the costume design.
Dorothy Parker's life deserves a film treatment, but this failed attempt will probably prevent that from happening any time soon, if ever. What a shame!
Chris Albertson
The Poseidon Adventure (2005)
They don't make them worse than this!
I ordered the Blu-Ray release of this, thinking it was the original film, which I liked. I had not heard of a TV "remake" and now I know why. This is undoubtedly among the most embarrassing films I have ever seen. Some films are so bad that they have inherent redeeming value, but this one has absolutely nothing going for it. It is mind-boggling that good actors could read this unprofessional script and still sign on the dotted line!
I won't go into details, for others have done so quite well here. Terrible reviews of a film that is even more terrible.
I will henceforth read carefully before I order a DVD.
Shining Through (1992)
Needed an historical adviser
This was in many ways an enjoyable film, but the many historical inaccuracies and the lack of attention to details is inexcusable. I lived through WWII, but that experience was hardly needed in order to spot this script's many eminently avoidable historical flaws.
Writer/director David Seltzer must bear the blame here. This was not a low budget film, so hiring an historical adviser would surely have been a justifiable added cost. As it is, Shining Through comes close to being as implausible as any Star Trek film. That said, this movie had enough positive aspects to make it worthy of such criticism as I have leveled, but it could so easily have been a film to taken seriously.