gullwing592003's Reviews

Baby Face Nelson (1957)

8/10

7 April 2021

Mickey Rooney was never a comedian even though he could be very funny at times. He could also be very serious & tough. He was quite a versatile actor.

As a kid I grew up watching the Andy Hardy film series & laughed. But I outgrew those movies. When I first saw "Boys Town" (1938) I forgot about Andy Hardy & was more impacted by his more serious & tougher roles.

He played a tough kid in "Hoosier Schoolboy" (1936) he was great as a grease monkey in "Quicksand" (1950). But I've never been more impressed than his portrayal of the notorious celebrated outlaw bank robber Lester Gillis aka Baby Face Nelson the quick tempered trigger happy shoot em up gangster.

It also has an excellent supporting cast of usual suspects like George e. Stone interestingly cast against type as a banker instead of a gangster. Elisha Cook Jr. & Jack Elam & John Hoyt etc. This movie really has the look & feel of a genuine 1930's gangster movie.

Surprisingly he let's the banker live (George E. Stone) & later when he see's 2 kids & draws his Tommy gun & pulls back his gun as the kids don't spot him & walk way.

Carolyn Jones asks Baby Face to lie to her that he wouldn't have killed the 2 kids he answers her by saying he would not have killed them.

Mickey Rooney was perfect for the role as he was short & had a baby face I can't think of anyone else in the role. Mickey Rooney was born to play Baby Face Nelson for Mickey Rooney is Baby Face Nelson.

Highly recommended for any fans of gangster films.

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Dillinger (1945)

7/10

An interesting curiousity... good B movie

4 April 2021

I was surprised to find this movie was produced by the poverty row studio Monogram famous for it's B quickies. Bela Lugosi & the East Side Kids but occasionally produced quality gems like this 1945 film of the famous bank robber & public enemy John Dillinger. But then the major studios were steering clear of gangster films during the war.

Lawrence Tierney made his big splash as the popular Robin Hood folk hero of the depression. The film doesn't really feel like it's set in the 1930's & looks more like a 1940's film noir gangster film set in the time it was made. Lawrence Tierney was quite a bad boy in real life & makes George Raft look almost like a choir boy.

Lawrence Tierney does a good job as Dillinger but portrays him as a cold blooded killer which the real John Dillinger wasn't. He robbed banks & displayed his charismatic charm to the media press & public.

But the cast elevates this movie with the usual suspects like Marc Lawrence & Elisha Cook Jr. & Eduardo Cianelli. This is a good watch but the definitive more factual version was the 1973 movie with Warren Oates he nailed it & was the best John Dillinger.

But Lawrence Tierney is good. I recommend both versions.

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Rope (1948)

10/10

Leopold & Loeb like crime

15 February 2021

Warning: Spoilers

I'll steer away from the movie's innovative experimental real time camera shoot & long continuous takes. And focus on the story & the 3 main characters Brandon Shaw ( John Dall ), Phillip Morgan ( Farley Granger ) & Rupert Cadell ( James Stewart ). Based on the famous Leopold-Loeb murder case in the 1920's.

Brandon & Phillip 2 high class roommates murder a mutual friend David Kentley ( Dick Hogan ) for kicks & think they've pulled off a perfect murder. Brandon gloats with confidence as Phillip is a nervous wreck & goes along with it. They throw a party & invite several guests including David's father Sir Cedric Hardwicke & Janet ( Joan Chandler ).

Brandon decides to use the chest to serve food on instead of the dining table. Enter Rupert Cadell their former housemaster in prep school. His teachings & beliefs in moral concepts of good & evil & right & wrong for the inferior masses & not for the intellectual superiors. Where murder is a crime for many & a privilege for the few.

Brandon justifies their actions on Rupert's concept of superior & inferior beings as carrying out what Rupert merely talked about. Phillip is not thrilled of the idea of Rupert as a guest as he feels he"s the one person to get wise to their crime. The idea of throwing David's body in a chest they later eat off of suggests Brandon wants Rupert to discover the body.

Knowing he's smart enough to figure it out because he assumes Rupert will approve & endorse & accept their murderous crime. Instead much to Brandon's surprise he condemns & criticizes their evil deed.

It took this brutal cold blooded murder to wake Rupert up & change his tune regarding superior & inferior beings ?? Why did it take this extreme reality for Rupert to come to his senses ?? Most people have morals & know the difference of right & wrong.

People talk about killing but they don't actually do it. After Rupert's sermon to Brandon & Phillip he tells them they're going to die for it. Which raises the question of capital punishment.

Does the law or government or anybody have the right to play god ?? And take a human life ?? Some have said James Stewart is miscast but it doesn't matter because James Stewart doesn't need to act. All he has to do is be "James Stewart " & it works. It's been mentioned the 2 men are gay, I didn't see any hint of it they look straight to me.

i start my day watching this as a ritual it's a very good film by Mr. Hitchcock & I recommend it. It's worth watching.

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Executive Action (1973)

8/10

A good conspiracy thriller better than "JFK".

22 January 2021

I never knew about this movie until I read a comment about it on You tube. I was a teen in 1973 & I recall lots but not this movie. I just watched it twice & I may watch it again.

As a conspiracy buff I like any JFK movie that challenges the WC report I never believed it was the whole story & the idea of Lee Harvey Oswald acting alone seems highly improbable & unrealistic. So it had to be a conspiracy & even an inside job.

"Executive Action" is much better & more realistic than Oliver Stone's "JFK" a good movie but he went too far & top heavy on the conspiracies. Executive Action tells a more straight forward to the point story less convoluted about a big business conspiracy involved. However I don't believe it.

I think the only plausible conspiracy was the Mob because they helped in JFK's election & he double crossed them making it difficult for the underworld to thrive & prosper. And also Jack Ruby's association & history with organized crime. He began as a bootlegger for Al Capone. I think it was a mob conspiracy pulling the strings & controlling legitimate forces like the FBI, the police & secret service.

I like that it showed Oswald lookalikes & doubles used & showing his head pasted & superimposed on another person's body of Oswald carrying a rifle & communist newspaper & a pistol. Oswald claimed the photo's were fake & not him. This film clearly shows that but it doesn't show or elaborate on other aspects of Oswald's movements after he left the book depository after the shooting.

But in this film the story is told from the point of view ofthe conspirators & their plot to kill JFK. I think the story needs to be told again but from the point of view of Lee Harvey Oswald which really hasn't been done. And tell the whole story of all the obscure facts & grassy knoll witnesses that were excluded & ignored & cut off & murdered. Including the Oswald doubles.

Regardless if it's believable it's a good watch for the conspiracy club & for anyone that enjoys a good conspiracy thriller to rival the official story. Recommended.

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The Fastest Guitar Alive (1967)

6/10

If Elvis Presley had a match it was Roy Orbison !

10 October 2020

I saw this on TV many moons ago as a teen & I was mesmerized by Roy Orbison's "out of this world" singing voice. I just watched it again last night on You Tube. And I thought he did a good acting job for his first & last movie. It was quite a demanding role for Roy as Johnny Banner I liked when early on his character goes in disguise wearing a white hair wig & beard & a top hat he was deep in his acting & not a sign of Roy Orbison. He had a natural acting ability & had he made more movies he could've emerged as an actor of credible ability.

I read there were plans for Roy to do five pictures but the idea was scrapped as this flick was a flop at the box office. Too bad because this could've began a new career for Roy as the hit records ended after he left Monument. I wasn't surprised one bit Elvis Presley was the first choice & turned it down. It was right up his alley. If any rock n roll artist gave Elvis competition & a run for his money it was the legendary Roy Orbison. He clearly influenced Elvis' operatic singing style in his later period.

I liked the novelty of Roy's guitar which was a gun & of all the songs he sings the best ones I think were "Pistolero". "River" & "Medicine Man" The movie has a plot & story it's an entertaining fun film & must see for Roy Orbison fans.

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Two Against the World (1936)

8/10

Bogart is a ruthless anti-hero 5 years before, more than just a '30's gangster

8 September 2020

Warning: Spoilers

Humphrey Bogart in an early leading role as a ruthless anti-hero in this rare forgotten 1936 movie. This is a rare good movie with Humphrey Bogart in a early leading role as a ruthless ambitious radio programs manager who does whatever is needed to retain it's radio listeners & ratings but when he & his owner boss stage a radio program based on a 20 year old murder case & results in a scandal & suicide of the wife & husband. Bogart questions the morals & ethics of publicizing & sensationalizing the event & feels responsible for the deaths. An early Bogart anti-hero role 5 years before The Maltese Falcon. In one scene where Bogart is drinking predates Casablanca. This is a remake of "Five Star Final" 1931 & is just as good & needs a DVD release. Highly recommended !

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King Kong (1933)

10/10

A Thrilling Innovative Masterpiece

6 March 2018

The depression 1930's saw some of the most innovative & groundbreaking movies that left audiences stunned & blown out of their minds. I can only imagine audiences being shocked out of their skulls at the first sight of King Kong in 1933. The arrival of sound & talkies were a new thing & just a few years earlier films like Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, White Zombie, Island of Lost Souls & Mystery Of The Wax Museum had created a startling sensation to1930's audiences.

And then came this earth shaking monster classic, it is a perfectly done masterpiece, the action & special effects & stop motion animation & storytelling & superb excellent cast & throbbing music score & direction & fast pacing makes this a winner in every aspect. It is exceedingly well done & still holds up today. Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong , Bruce Cabot & Noble Johnson are in top form & give standout performances. King Kong was well received in 1933 & is still watchable today I can't count how many times I've seen it. It's a film that can be viewed over & over. I have this on VHS & I've seen it on the big screen.

This movie is so great it can impress a modern audience it's that good. Still packs a wallop after all these years & decades. It's unbeatable ! ! !

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King Kong (2005)

3/10

The classic 1933 original is still the best

6 March 2018

I saw this remake in 2006 in England & it pays homage by tipping it's hat to the 1933 original even recreating some of the scenes of the original. Such as the natives ritual dance & it's entertaining but the film is overloaded with too much modern embellishments & overdone & overblown special effects which are unnecessary & stupid . I wish modern hollywood would just leave the golden age alone & stop remaking the classics. Once it's been done it's been done so turn the page. How can you top the 1933 original ? The original was a huge enormous box office smash in 1933 & talkies were still new & the horror monster movies were a new experience for audiences. They had never seen anything like it before.

The great depression really triggered & inspired hollywood filmmakers. At a time when movies were at their most creative & innovative & groundbreaking. The original is still the enduring classic that I can always watch & comeback to. But this remake is good to see one time & then you forget it & it'll never be a classic & stand up to the 1933 original. When I saw this remake it only made me want to see the original again so it helps & keeps the original a memorable classic. The original is the only one you need to see it'll never be surpassed.

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The Invisible Ray (1935)

8/10

Quite advanced for 1936

2 January 2018

After "The Black Cat" in 1934 "The Raven" in 1935 the two horror icons Karloff & Lugosi teamed up again in "The Invisible Ray in 1936. Unlike the first two films The Invisible Ray has less horror & is actually an early foray into science fiction 14 years before it became an established popular genre in the 1950's.1936 Audiences must've been blown away at the early scenes of outer space showing the planets & stars predating "Destination Moon" in 1950. It's plot device is the model & set the standard for 1950's Sci-fi which was a bit ahead of it's time. The only other memorable science fiction film from 1936 is "Things To Come" a visionary film that travels 100 years into the "future". The Invisible Ray shows Bela Lugosi (Dracula) & Boris Karloff (Frankenstein) in roles very different & a departure from their signature identification stamps. Karloff is the visionary & somewhat mad scientist that really loses it as he slowly falls apart after exposure to Radium X . Lugosi in complete contrast is the balanced good doctor scientist that develops a counter-active to keep Karloff's radium poisoning in check for a short time as it wears off & he must have regular doses at certain times or he'll quoting Lugosi's line "Crumble to an ash" as only Lugosi can deliver a line. Bela as Dr. Felix Benet is a sharp contrast from Count Dracula his facial hair & beard gives him a radically different look & virtually removes his vampire image. He really shows his range & versatility here & he wasn't just Dracula he was a great actor. He got to show his versatility again in his next teaming with Karloff as the crazed shepard Ygor in "Son Of Frankenstein" in 1939. Lugosi upstages & steals the show from Karloff one of the reasons why Karloff stopped playing the monster.

Boris as D. Janos Rukke was the first of his many mad doctor roles he would play & Bela also did his share of mad genius doctor roles later in the 1940's. The scenes of Karloff glowing in the dark from Radium X is very impressive special effects & still holds up today. The film gets better with age & never gets old & a film I can watch over & over. Bela & Boris were great on their own & even greater together. I have lots of their movies I can't get enough of these two masters of horror. Bela & Boris are the greatest horror kings of all time.

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Too Late for Tears (1949)

10/10

Dangerous female wants the loot at any cost.....even murder

17 December 2017

I found & bought a compilation DVD with 9 movies on 3 discs titled "Classic Film Noir" in 2009 & this is one of the titles & my most favorite one. It has a very good plot & storyline. I never get enough of this film it's classic film noir. It has some twists & surprises. I won't reveal any of the story to those who haven't seen it but I will say that this film has a very good & compelling story that will keep you on the edge of your seat & surprise you in the end. It has an excellent cast with Lizabeth Scott, Dan Duryea & Don DeFore, Kristine Miller & Arthur Kennedy.

I like the storyline about a couple who unexpectedly find a suitcase containing $60,000. This actually happened to me in 1988 I unexpectedly stumbled onto a backpack containing $60,000 in cash in my mothers house (she knew nothing about ) I was visiting her & went into the spare bedroom closet looking for the stuffed toy dog & instead found this $60,000. I smuggled it out of her house as I was leaving to say my good byes & drove back home. As soon as I got home I locked the doors & began counting the money & it took me 3 hours to count it totaling $60,000 I recall the money made my heart race & made me feel powerful but also I was a nervous wreck I kept the money for 2 days & no I didn't keep it as much as I wanted to. I didn't want my mother to find it & I didn't go to the lengths & extremes to keep it like Lizabeth Scott's character did in the movie. So I can relate to this movie because I know what $60,000 in cash looks & feels like. How the couple found the money is a bit farfetched & unrealistic & hard to accept & swallow.. But other than that it's a very good movie & one of the best film noirs of all time.

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Change of Habit (1969)

2/10

A change indeed but forgettable.

30 October 2013

1969 was more than a change of habit but a change of direction for Elvis. Years of formula musicals drained all the interest & passion Elvis had early on. Charro is a decent western showing Elvis the actor but Change Of Habit is a religious drama, social commentary & a musical, the combination doesn't work. It's a good serious attempt but the songs get in the way & don't fit.

Elvis never really sinks his teeth & gets deep into his role & he just skims & glides on the surface. Not for a moment is he convincing as a doctor who has to break into a song because he's Elvis Presley.....what a coincidence. It's a movie that should've never been made. For his last 2 films Charro is the quality movie.

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Love Me Tender (1956)

9/10

Very good & promising debut for Elvis !

25 August 2013

Warning: Spoilers

A well done post civil war western drama set in April 10, 1865 with the Reno Bros. Vance (Richard Egan), Brett (William Campbell) & Ray (James Drury) & Mike Gavin ( Neville Brand) etc. members of General Randall's cavalry brigade. They attack & defeat federal soldiers & by impersonating them they rob a payroll master as the train pulls in they receive the money & get away with $12,250.00 dollars they intend to turn over to General Randall but soon learn of a surrender & the disbanded cavalry brigade & that the war is over.

They decide to keep it as they justify it as spoils of war & not knowing the war is over as they were just carrying out orders by General Randall as they feel they have a right to it. After they divide up the money they go their separate ways back home. Vance (Egan) plans to get married to his sweetheart Cathy (Debra Paget) who's been waiting 4 years but is surprised to find she's already married to his brother who stayed home Clint (Elvis Presley). As the family believed that Vance, Ray & Brett were killed in the war.

This creates an awkward situation for the 3 as Vance decides to leave but is approached by Siringo & Major Kincaid played by Robert Middleton & Bruce Bennett as they intend to recover money that was stolen. The 3 brothers are arrested to be identified. Siringo makes a deal with Vance to return the stolen money in return for freedom but the deal is only good if all the money is recovered.

This creates problems with the other comrades as Gavin (Brand) & the others want to keep their share. After they attack the train to help the Reno Bros. escape Vance forces Gavin & the others at gunpoint to give up the money intending to return the money to Siringo ( Middleton). Mike Gavin starts filling Clint's head with idea's that Vance's only intention is to run off with all the money & Cathy whom they were in love before & during the war. This leads to a confrontation with Clint & Cathy as he is filled with rage & jealousy.

This leads to a showdown with Vance & Clint as Vance (Egan) tells Clint (Presley) he was only intending to return the money & has sent Ray to return the money to Siringo & would still clear out but Clint pressured by Gavin (Brand )& along with Gavin they both shoot Vance only wounding him. As Gavin & the others thinking Vance still has the money try to recover it Clint warns them to get away & as shots are fired Gavin kills Clint.

The role of Clint Reno was offered to Robert Wagner, Jeffrey Hunter & Cameron Mitchell before Elvis got it. This is a good debut for Elvis in a solid western drama with a good story & plot & some twists & surprises. Elvis sings 4 songs which are good but unnecessary but at least the music doesn't overshadow & dominate the movie & get in the way of the story. It has an excellent cast & it's one of Elvis' best acting as he does a good job in a supporting role. Worth watching.

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Follow Me Quietly (1949)

6/10

Not great but different & memorable

3 April 2013

I've been on a film noir fix lately & finding these flicks on You Tube such as Private Hell 36, Crime Of Passion, The Killer Is Loose, Please Murder Me, Raw Deal, Black Angel etc. Most of these I enjoyed & I've watched them once but when I stumbled onto this one yesterday I watched it again today as it was a little more than what I expected. Follow Me Quietly is not really a film noir it's a crime drama & police procedural.

It's a bit experimental & unusual which makes it stand out from the others, the late 40's post war period was a time when filmmakers were trying out new gimmicks such as subjective first person camera like Lady In The Lake (1946) & Dark Passage (1947). The police create a dummy of the killer from what evidence & clues they have which is a little more than the usual routine bulletin description of a suspect.

Sometimes a person can be identified & recognized by the back of their head & ears & the size & shape of their body & physique. Since the police have never seen the killers face the dummy is faceless & startling. The scene where the killer replaces the dummy & sits in William Lundigan's office facing the window with it's back to him is clever but pointless & foolish. What if the detective was smart enough to notice it was really him ? Why would the killer take such a risk ? I think it was just a gimmick & for cinematic effect to satisfy the filmmakers & to give the audience a thrill. The silly trick worked & fooled me I thought it was the faceless dummy.

And when the killers face is revealed he's not what you expect, he's very insecure & nervous & seems incapable of doing anything right. How did he manage to kill 8 victims & get away with it ? The ending is similar to White Heat & this film isn't great but it's fun & interesting, different & memorable & worth watching. I've seen it twice & I may watch it again.

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Kid Galahad (1937)

8/10

Entertaining all star boxing drama !

25 March 2013

This is a very entertaining boxing drama with a superb cast, it has a little bit of everything, gangsters, music, romance, heart & soul & even a morality tale. And of course it has plenty of boxing scenes. It stars Edward G. Robinson as fight manager Nick Donati & Bette Davis as Fluff & Humphrey Bogart as the gangster manager Turkey Morgan & Wayne Morris in the title role as Ward Guisenberry alias Kid Galahad. The director was the great Michael Curtiz & the great cast turn this into a very entertaining movie. There's nothing original here but it doesn't matter because the story is excellent & it's very well done & the pacing is just right & the direction is very strong after all the director was Michael Curtiz. All the main actors & even the supporting players are very good & top notch. Robinson & Bogart are always great together & it's always fun to watch them shoot it out like they previously did in "Bullets Or Ballots" 1936 & later in "Key Largo" in 1948. This was such a great success story that Warner Bros. remade it in 1941 as "The Wagons Roll At Night" with Humphrey Bogart in the Robinson role who runs a traveling circus with Kid Galahad as a lion tamer instead of a boxer & it's almost as good. The story surfaced again in 1962 as a rather cheesy lighthearted musical with Elvis in the title role. Unless you're an Elvis fan avoid this one it's not as good as the original & the 1941 remake. Watch this original & the '41 remake if you're a Robinson & Bogart fan & if you like quality movies. You can't go wrong with the old Warner classics.

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Viva Las Vegas (1964)

1/10

All too typical & formulated stink bomb !

3 March 2013

This is a typical formulated Elvis musical, there is nothing special about it that makes it stand out from the rest of the trash. Ridiculous plot & flimsy story & one stupid situation after another. And enough songs to fill an album & some of the songs are better than the movie itself & that's not a good sign. The best part of the movie is the racing scene at the end with several car crashes but that's expected in a car race. But it comes too late, in the meantime there's too many distracting & intrusively silly & annoying scenes that weighs the film down & gets in the way of the plot & story (if there ever was one).

Aside from a few decent movies Elvis made when he was given solid material to work with like Jailhouse Rock, King Creole, Flaming Star, Wild In The Country & Charro most of his movies were garbage. They are tediously boring & are embarrassing & hard to sit through & a waste of time & a disgrace to Elvis' career. Only Elvis fans will enjoy this poop simply because Elvis is in it.

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Loving You (1957)

5/10

Fun early Elvis persona but not his best as an actor.

3 March 2013

This is a semi-autobiographical & documentary like account of the early Elvis phenomenon & what all the excitement was about when Elvis exploded onto the scene in 1956. It's all here with the controversial hip shaking gyrations. This movie is a showcase of the early Elvis persona on stage rather than his acting. He's not given much to work with since he's essentially playing himself so he doesn't need to do much acting. Aside from the fight scene he mainly shines as a singing entertainer.

Out of the 4 pre-army movies this is my least favorite because his acting is not very good & is overshadowed by the music & the other actors. Lizabeth Scott is the one that really carries the film, her character is very strong & commanding & the driving force that moves the story forward. It's not that Elvis can't act there's just no room to act when he's playing himself.

Elvis's acting was much better in his first movie "Love Me Tender" because he was a supporting player to Richard Egan & Debra Paget & he was stepping into a role. Elvis really started to shine as an actor in his next movie "Jailhouse Rock" & of course "King Creole". This early on Elvis' acting career still looked promising.

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Flaming Star (1960)

10/10

Elvis' greatest acting role in a great western !

24 January 2013

This is an extremely well done, well directed & well acted excellent western about racial hatred & prejudice. The explosive conflict between the white settlers & the native American Indians the Kiowa's. Elvis in a very straight dramatic role plays Pacer Burton the half white half red caught in the middle & torn between his loyalty & allegiance to the 2 races. The story is very serious & compelling & filled with tension & action & graphic violence throughout except for the opening which is lighthearted with the birthday party scene for Pacer's brother Clint (Steve Forrest) as Elvis breaks into the only song he sings in the entire movie.

This movie was originally meant for Marlon Brando & Frank Sinatra to star in as the brothers played by Elvis & Steve Forrest. It has an excellent cast with John McIntire & Dolores Del Rio as the white father & Indian mother. This is NOT a typical Elvis movie & Elvis really rises to the occasion & really delivers the goods as he shows what a great actor he was when he was given the right vehicle to showcase his dramatic acting ability. Movies like "Flaming Star & "Wild In The Country" gave Elvis the type of roles he wanted.

But unfortunately Elvis' acting side was never really promoted & exploited enough to overshadow his "image" as a singing entertainer. We have The Col Tom Parker to thank for that, he knew how to manage Elvis as a singer but not as an actor. Most of his films were just platforms to sell his image & to get his music across.

It's a toss up between "King Creole" & "Flaming Star" but I think Flaming Star is easily Elvis's best movie because he's not playing a singer & bursting into a song every 10 minutes. In "King Creole", "Jailhouse Rock" & "Loving You" & "Roustabout" he portrays singers & the films are used to sell his music as well as displaying his acting talents. But in "Flaming Star" the music completely takes a back seat to his acting to the point where you forget he's a singer. It's a great rare moment watching Elvis step into a deep acting role & not just being "Elvis". Another film that almost matches this is the later western "Charro" another serious movie with no songs at all except for the opening credits. Elvis really should've done more westerns & other dramas & should've kept his singing & acting careers separate. Imagine Elvis in "Thunder Road" with Robert Mitchum. How cool would that've been ? Elvis wanted the role of Joker Jackson in "The Defiant Ones", imagine Elvis as a convict chained to Sidney Poiter ? That would've been explosive ! Elvis could've done so much more as an actor. Watch this movie !!

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Mutiny in the Big House (1939)

6/10

A good solid prison picture.

16 January 2013

Warning: Spoilers

An original story by Martin Mooney based on a true story & a tribute to prison chaplain Father Patrick O'Neil who risked his life to save innocent men in the Canon City Colorado prison riot in October 3rd 1929. In which 7 guards & 5 prison inmates were killed. And was awarded the Carnegie Medal for his extraordinary heroic act. As the heading reads after the opening credits & also states it's a fictionalized story for the movie.

The prison chaplain is Father Joe Collins convincingly portrayed by Charles Bickford. Dennis Moore plays Johnny Gates sent to prison for 14 years for forging a bad check for 10 bucks because of hard times. Father Joe thinks Johnny got a raw deal & is a decent man & doesn't deserve the harsh sentence he received & tries to encourage him not to be corrupted by bad cell mates. He gets put into a cell with the prison big shot Red Manson played by Barton MacLane who specialized in playing bad guys & gangsters & is planning a prison break. Usually in supporting roles but occasionally in leading roles such as "Prison Break" (1938) & "Captain Scarface" (1953). Here he's top billed with Charles Bickford.

This low budget film is quite well done & it's quality is evident & it has a good solid cast giving very effective performances. Prison movies of the 30's showed how grim & harsh & depressing prison life can be like the inmate on death row in his last hour before walking his last mile to be hanged. And there was usually singing inmates like Singing Jim (Richard Austin) who hauntingly sings nonstop. The message is very clear being in prison is hell. Charley Foy is also one of the inmates in charge of the prison show which the warden pulls the plug on for suspecting a break will take place. He gives a great tap dance act with his clicking heels & snapping fingers. The film also shows what happens to old timers like Convict "Dad" Schultz (George Cleveland) that are institutionalized & after being released & returning to the outside world with no direction & nothing to look forward to & cannot adjust to society & become insane & committed to a mental hospital only to want to be sent back to the big house because prison has sadly become his "home".

After the prison show is canceled the audience has no clue as to how the crash out will be staged & where. We are kept in the dark not knowing when & where & how only we know it'll happen. Which was typical in 1930's prison flicks. Leaving the viewer in suspense so when it does go down BANG ! You're in for a ride leading to an explosive climax. Worth watching if you like prison movies. A nice discovery & a hidden treasure !

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Dracula (1931)

6/10

A disappointing classic horror masterpiece.

26 December 2012

I know "Dracula" is the classic iconic horror film that "started it all" & paved the way for all the other great horror classics at Universal. Such as "Frankenstein", "The Mummy" & "The Invisible Man" etc. But the truth is "Dracula" is a disappointing classic. It starts out excellent & strikingly atmospheric & visually creative for the first 30 minutes or so. Renfield's (Dwight Frye) visit to Count Dracula's Castle is amazingly dreamlike, surreal & chilling & scary & at first he's rational & sane as he encounters the vampire. Bela Lugosi is absolutely mesmerizing & chilling as Dracula.

But as soon as the story shifts from Dracula's Castle in Transylvania to London, England the film deteriorates & falls apart & never really recovers from the excellent Transylvanian scenes. It becomes too theatrical & resembles a stage play with too much talking & not enough action. And too much of the film focuses on Renfield now under Dracula's hypnotic control & is reduced to a raving mad lunatic slave. Dwight Frye overacts too much & it gets old fast. The young couple John Harker & Mina (David Manners & Helen Chandler) are very wooden & boring.

Professor Van Helsing (Everett Van Sloan) was a more interesting character who confronts & exposes Dracula. But even he is given too much screen time & there's only fleeting moments of Bela Lugosi. Tod Browning's direction lacks consistency & is uninspiring after the first 30 minutes & shows lack of interest & seems unsure where to go with it or maybe he just didn't care. As soon as the story moves to London the film just didn't seem to have a clear direction & just plods & drags on aimlessly with no conviction. It might've been better if Dracula after being exposed by the Professor returned to his Castle in Transylvania.

And what was Dracula's reason & motive for sailing to London in the first place ? When he already has a Castle in Transylvania it doesn't make any sense at all. Oh that's right he purchased Carfax Abbey in London but why ?? & where would Dracula get the money ?? As soon as Dracula moves to London the film becomes a dull & boring stage play & it struggles a bit to sustain your interest & is hard to sit through. But the first 30 minutes are fantastic !! After that it's downhill & a disappointment but still worth seeing as Bela Lugosi was & is the definitive Dracula. It's just too bad Tod Browning fell asleep when Dracula moved to London.

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Kid Galahad (1962)

5/10

OK remake but might've been better as a non-musical

13 December 2012

Warning: Spoilers

Elvis Presley is an ex- GI penniless & broke looking for work as a mechanic but stumbles onto boxing instead as a way to earn some fast cash. Gig Young is a boxing manager up to his ears in debt with gangsters breathing down his neck & constantly putting the squeeze on him to pay up. Charles Bronson in a very different type of role is his trainer. There's some great dramatic acting from Elvis & Gig Young & Charles Bronson in pain with broken hands & some very realistic fight scenes in the ring.

There's only a few songs which are OK but distracts from the dramatic story which is quite serious. The songs are out of place & don't belong in a boxing tale. After all this is a remake of the 1937 classic Warner Bros. movie with Edward G. Robinson, Bette Davis & Humphrey Bogart who was also in the 1941 remake retitled "The Wagons Roll At Night". Elvis steps into Wayne Morris's shoes in the title role. Elvis is believable & perfect for the role of the boxer but it might've been better if Elvis played it straight with no singing musical scenes like the original version.

Kid Galahad is a serious boxing drama not a musical. But it's still exceptional for an Elvis movie & it's one of his better 60's vehicles & not as formulated like most of the trashy & cheesy musicals he was pumping out like "GI Blues" & "Blue Hawaii" & others not worth mentioning. Another one of his better films is "Follow That Dream" from the same year. Kid Galahad has a storyline & some gritty realism & packs a punch...so to speak. There's some quality in this one & it's worth watching but the original 1937 version is better.

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King Creole (1958)

10/10

Elvis Presley's greatest movie as an actor !

2 December 2012

This is Elvis Presley in 1958 at the peak of his movie career. King Creole is Elvis's greatest movie for good reasons. In addition to the great songs he performs he's also given a very demanding role of the tough rebel singer & fighter Danny Fisher. The superb excellent cast speak for themselves & it was also directed by none other than the great Michael Curtiz who's credentials include The Mystery Of The Wax Museum, Doctor X, Captain Blood, The Adventures Of Robin Hood, Angels With Dirty Faces, Casablanca & Mildred Pierce to name a few. But you get the general idea & to top it off it was Elvis's own favorite of all his films & it's easy to see why... even the critics loved it.

This classic movie has everything going for it & it shows the ability Elvis had as a dramatic actor & it was his dramatic performance that impressed me the most rather than his musical moments. I already know he can sing & perform on stage & I've heard his records. But in the movies I want to see him act. The only way this movie could've been better is if it stuck closer to the book & was a non musical with Elvis as a boxer instead of a singer.

The role of Danny Fisher was originally meant for James Dean & Elvis steps into James Dean's shoes & handles the role extremely well. After King Creole Elvis would "disappear" for 2 years & in 1960 he would return & impress us again in the excellent western Flaming Star in a very serious dramatic role that Marlon Brando turned down. King Creole & Flaming Star were evidence showing Elvis really could act with the best of them !! If you like quality movies by all means watch this classic !! Highly recommended !

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Hard Boiled Mahoney (1947)

1/10

Testing the water & not sure about the Bowery Boys

21 October 2012

I've always been a big fan of Leo Gorcey & Huntz Hall in the Dead End Kids & East Side Kids series since 1976. Along with leader Billy Halop (initially in the Dead End Kids series ) these movies were intense social commentaries laced with comedy but with serious & realistic themes that usually delivered a message that's still relevant & has stood the test of time & has endured through the ages.

The gang were tough juvenile delinquents & street fighting mug's constantly getting into trouble with the law & in & out of reform schools in classic films like "Dead End", "Crime School", "Angels With Dirty Faces", "They Made Me A Criminal" & "Hell's Kitchen" from 1937 to 1939 before the group subdivided & splintered off into the Little Tough Guys for Universal & the East Side Kids for Monogram. There was usually a major star in the Samuel Goldwyn & Warner Bros films like Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney & John Garfield. Leo Gorcey & Huntz Hall were natural & convincing as nasty violent arrogant tough guys with a sense of humor in the Dead End Kids/East Side Kids films.

2 days ago was the first time I watched a few Bowery Boys flicks & judging from what I saw I haven't been missing much with such titles as "Blues Busters", "Crashing Las Vegas", "Ghost Chasers" & "Feuding Fools" & maybe I haven't seen enough of this ludicrous series but from what I have seen I'm not too impressed & it just looks like garbage to me & I can't understand why Leo Gorcey & Huntz Hall would degenerate to this kind of silly nincompoop nonsense & Tom Foolery. I think they deserved much better than this & I thought what a waste of their talents.

The Bowery Boys essentially resemble & look like cheap imitations of Abbott & Costello, Laurel & Hardy, 3 Stooges & Jackie Gleason. They were no longer kids by this point & it was all too obvious that Leo Gorcey & Huntz Hall had shed their tough image & had sold out & were just cashing in & jumping on the "slapstick comedy" bandwagon. It looks forced & contrived seeing Leo Gorcey & Huntz Hall trying too hard to be what they're not. They didn't start out this way & I think they could've chosen a better direction than this. Leo Gorcey & Huntz Hall were more convincing & real as tough guys serious but funny. The Bowery Boys series is not worth buying for my money I like their earlier series & tough image better.

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Roustabout (1964)

5/10

One of Elvis's better musicals with a story & substance.

21 September 2012

It's 1964 & this is a somewhat interesting curiosity seeing Elvis as a free spirited motorcycling singing musician. "Roustabout" shows Elvis kind of reverting back to his 1950's rebel image to a certain point but without the sideburns & duck-tail & with black leather. He's a bit of an angry young man & a hothead like his character in "Jailhouse Rock" & is self centered & unsympathetic & not too likable. But Charlie Rodgers is watered down compared to Vince Everett in "Jailhouse Rock".

It has a good cast with some big legends like Barbara Stanwyck, Leif Erickson & Steve Brodie & they elevate the movie with some memorable performances. This is a formulated musical with an edge & with serious moments so it's not all tongue & cheek & bubblegum like a lot of his '60's musicals were. Leif Erickson as Joe hates Elvis's character for most of the movie until Elvis redeems himself by the end.

There's also Pat Buttram from "Green Acres" as a big shot carnival master who gives Elvis a better offer after Elvis burns his bridges with Joe & Maggie. Other memorable scenes is when Steve Brodie arrogantly never misses the target when he keeps throwing balls dunking Joan Freeman plunging in the water endlessly. And the "Wall of Death" motorcycle show. And of course Elvis sings but his role in this story is a singer & Elvis sings 10 songs. The songs are OK but nothing to write home about.

It's not one of Elvis's best movies but it's not one of his worst either. But it's one of his better formulated musical dramas that has some realism & the characters are believable & down to earth. If you want to see Elvis in quality musicals this one & "Kid Galahad" & "Follow That Dream" are good choices because these films are more realistic & tell a story unlike the rest of the trash he was doing during most of the 1960's.Regardless if you're an Elvis fan or not stay away from most of his '60's cliché musicals they're a waste of time. But Roustabout is watchable even on repeated viewings but it's not worth buying for my money.

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Jailhouse Rock (1957)

8/10

Elvis at his meanest, nastiest & most arrogant !

14 September 2012

It's generally regarded that "King Creole" is considered to be Elvis's best movie of all his films because of it's high production values & a very strong excellent cast & a great storyline. These first 4 pre-army films captured the significance & rebellion & threat of the rebel Elvis & what he represented & how he was seen by the youth & the establishment in the 1950's as a new Marlon Brando & James Dean.

"Jailhouse Rock" captures Elvis at his meanest & nastiest & most arrogant & conceited of his pre-army movies."King Creole's" Danny Fisher was tough & likable but "Jailhouse Rocks" Vince Everett is downright despicable. But it has low production values & a mediocre cast which weakens the film to a certain point. It was obviously a low budget B picture that could've been better if it had a bigger budget & better cast like his other 3 movies "Love Me Tender", "Loving You" & "King Creole".

But it does make up for it with it's great songs & of course the exciting & spectacular "Jailhouse Rock" dance production sequence which was choreographed by Elvis himself & when he sings "Baby I Don't Care" is classic Elvis at his best."Jailhouse Rock" has a good story & Elvis does some good serious acting in this as well. His dramatic scenes are great & intense & this film packs a punch & it does impact you with different emotions from frustration, sympathy, anger, jealousy, resentment, revenge, happiness & humor to redemption.

There is some classic Elvis lines like "Lady I don't know what the hell you're talking about" & "That ain't tactics honey it's just the beast in me". This movie came the closest to what Elvis was really like in real life & he was not the teddy bear everyone thought. Elvis really did get into a lot of fist fights by jealous boyfriends in 1956 & '57. In 1957 Elvis did stand in front of a judge in court for punching a gas station owner in the eye when the owner asked Elvis to clear out while he was signing autographs as he was drawing a huge crowd of fans. The judge threw the case out for not enough evidence to support the charge. Was it art imitating life or the other way around ?? Jailhouse Rock is an all time Elvis Presley classic !! A must see movie & one of Elvis's best !!

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Stay Away, Joe (1968)

1/10

Elvis spins his wheels but goes nowhere except down the toilet !

4 September 2012

I consider myself an Elvis fan but I just watched this movie & I'm not sure I watched anything at all even with Elvis in it. Elvis did have some Cherokee Indian & played a halfbreed Indian once before. But Flaming Star, Wild In The Country, King Creole, Love Me Tender & Charro were better movies showcasing his dramatic acting ability.

This film has no plot, no storyline, no purpose & no script, no character development & has no direction & has no point & says nothing at all. The movie falls flat on it's face & just doesn't work. There's too much hooping & hollering & nonsense which gets tiresome & meaningless with Elvis as a seemingly endless "Good Time Charlie", as if life is just one big party.

The film is like a car spinning it's wheels but goes nowhere, if you haven't seen this you're not missing anything. It's a big toilet stinker, the toilet does play a role in this which is exactly where this film belongs. Even the songs are bad ! When I heard "Dominique" I couldn't believe my ears & I was so disgusted & beside myself. This is a sorry excuse for a film & I think it's Elvis's worst movie. In fact it's the worst movie I've ever seen in my life. I've only seen it once & that's more than enough for me. This one takes the cake !!

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