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Reviews
My Geisha (1962)
A great personal discovery
I was reading a Wikipedia article on "yelllowface" in the movies. There was.a long list of examples of the practice, but I was frustrated that My Geisha wasn't listed. I kept reading and found it in a secondary list, probably because the audience is aware of the movie's premise--a great example of the extended use of dramatic irony. I saw it when I was 14; I was already a fan of Shirley MacLaine and was surprised that this comedy had some dramatic depth to it. Some of the location photography is stunning, and it was my first introduction to Puccini's music. Well, I haven't seen it since and probably never will just so I don't have to watch Bob Cummings reprising his "ladies man" routine, which was pretty funny on his tv show but lays a huge egg here. Yves Montand is always a pleasure, as is Edward G. Robinson, playing light for a change. Shirley is pretty good as well. My one bit of praise is for the "revelation scene," which makes a clever use of film technology to wake up the inattentive M. Montand. I think I saw it twice, mainly for the music. If you're an opera fan, you should see.the 1995 film version of Madame Butterfly, which I rate as one of the top five filmed operas.
Red Sky at Morning (1971)
Remembered.
When you're in your 70s and can remember details about a movie that you saw 50 years ago, it does say something about the quality of the film. I don't think I'd care to watch it again--I'd probably be disappointed--but I'll never forget the look on Richard Thomas's face after he trips and falls into . . . No, I won't do a spoiler. Thomas has always been a fine actor even though his post-Waltons' career has been spotty. Desi Arnaz, Jr., is very fine, and it's a shame that his personal problems ran his career off the rails. And Catherine Burns? Two classic film roles and she was pretty much done with her film career, though she did continue as a writer. This odd little movie deserves a better reception and wider audience than it got. I can't verify its availability on dvd, but I suspect it would still hold up well with younger audiences. Back in the day, you'd had a lot of trouble finding a movie that took teenagers seriously. The enveloping action of World War II is both distant and present. A good comparison with an older movie might mention The Human Comedy, with Mickey Rooney doing a serious role while still being thought of as a "chikd star."
H.M.S. Defiant (1962)
Odd coincidence
I'd never seen this one before and came across it looking for Alec Guiness movies. I found it enjoyable and historically accurate. What's curious is that Peter Ustinov's film version of Melville's Billy Budd was released the same year. Both stories are set against the background of the Napoleonic wars and the Nore and Spithead mutinies. Also, both feature truly evil antagonists, Dirk Bogarde in the former and Robert Ryan in the latter. Of the two films, I rank Billy Budd higher; it tells a story with some depth, and the acting is superb. Terence Stamp made an impressive debut as the ill-fated Billy.
The Dick Cavett Show: Lily Tomlin/Chad Everett/W.H. Auden/Bonnie Koloc (1972)
Two poets for the price you want to pay
Other than Lily Tomlin walking off while Chad Everette talks about his "favorite possession," his wife, this also includes Char reading one of his poems and trying to make literary talk with Auden: "Do you watch a lot of television?" "Nevah." "Then where do you get ideas from?"
Auden was about to move to Oxford, where he said he'd be "looked in on." If he collapsed in his incredibly shabby NY apartment no one would have been able to find him in all that legendary mess. However, his residence at Oxford didn't last very long after he was burgled by a "nice young gardener" he'd given access to his cottage.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel: A Jewish Girl Walks Into the Apollo... (2019)
A letdown
The show needs to give Miriam just enough success to hold the center for the other characters. Still, the main problem with season 3 was that her routines weren't very sharp; she seemed limited opening for Shy. Anyway, I cringed at her Apollo routine and say the fall coming. And I liked Suzie finally telling off Sophie. It's a little hard to guess what's coming next