Trial

The system at its purest should always work. Yes, a pretentious "message" lede that I apologize for, but I've got nothing else. Government, politics and and the right to a fair trial are all ideal in their execution. It's when the human element is added that things get tricky, like 1955's Trial, a solid if somewhat meandering look at not only a courtroom case, but the sinister, sniveling grab for power in the background far from the court.

A law professor at a California university, David Blake (Glenn Ford) is in a jam. He's never actually had a court case so his superiors demand that if he wants to keep his job he must get some actual courtroom experience. Every lawyer and firm in town slams a door in his face except one, that of Barney Castle (Arthur Kennedy) who takes him on for an upcoming controversial murder case. A Mexican teenager, Angel Chavez (Rafael Campos), has been accused of murdering a white teenage girl, and things don't look good. Looking for experience and genuinely believing in the boy's innocence, David takes the case only to discover there's much more to the judicial system than knowing a law book.

What impressed me most about this Mark Robson-directed courtroom drama is that for much of its 105-minute running time, 'Trial' is less than interested in whether or not Angel actually committed the crime. His guilt or innocence is almost secondary. This is a story about the inner-workings of the system, how things get done not by what's right, but by who is able to tweak the system to their advantage. While obviously dealing with different subjects, 'Trial' reminds me in tone of Billy Wilder's Ace in the Hole. Not quite as dark -- especially in the ending here -- it still has a cynical, dark and jaded look at the people involved, at the individual and how simple and easy it is to manipulate the system.

Maybe in 2012, none of this should come as a surprise, but Robson's film is at its most effective in those very moments. When we meet Kennedy's Barney, he seems like a genuinely good guy willing to fight for the underdog and give this inexperienced lawyer a shot. Yeah, not even close. Everything in this world is a selfish, me-first type attitude. Robert Middleton's A.A. 'Fat Stamps, the county sheriff, will say and do anything that helps him get re-elected. Supremacist groups make the possible murder into a race riot, not a simple encounter gone wrong. Barney stirs up the masses wherever he goes, almost making Angel into a martyr before his guilt is decided. He manipulates Angel's mother (Katy Jurado) to embrace her Mexican culture for a sympathetic plea. The actual guilt or innocence steps to the forefront late, but the movie is at its best leading up to that.

Unfortunately a little more than halfway through 'Trial,' a big old curveball is thrown at us as an audience. It's timely for 1955, but overbearing and heavy-handed now. Yes, you guessed it. COMMUNISM!!!!! I won't go into specifics here as to how communism is involved, but there are ulterior motives working all over the place, all of them hamstringing an otherwise very solid courtroom drama. The last 45 minutes are slowed down significantly as communism rears its ugly head. We get it, Red Scare, Stalin, evil Russkies, but it feels overly forced here. On top of that, the ending forces a nice, happy conclusion on us, one that seems far-fetched for the story and out of left field.

Thankfully through all that craziness, the cast is uniformly above average. Chalk up another positive part for Glenn Ford, his David Blake an idealist who believes and has faith in the judicial system. When he sees it for what it really is? He's not naive anymore, just pissed. Like most of his roles, it comes across naturally, a tortured individual weighing all his options. His relationship with Barney's assistant, Abbe (Dorothy McGuire), is a bright spot too. Kennedy does what he does best, sneers and snivels and is generally as slimy as humanly possible. John Hodiak is Armstrong, the district attorney primed for bigger and better things down the road, making the most of a smaller, one-note performance. Along with Jurado and Middleton in supporting parts, Juano Hernandez is a scene-stealer as Judge Motley, an African American judge presiding over the case who must deal with prejudices and assumptions of everyone around him, especially on a racially charged case like this.

I've got mixed emotions about this movie. The parts I did like, I really liked. Ford and a deep cast are very watchable are solid throughout, even the portions of the movie that are too timely for their own good. In the end, the negatives prevent it from reaching its potential. Still a very worthwhile movie to seek out, but it never quite reaches the heights it could and should have.

Trial <---TCM clips (1955): ** 1/2 /****

Swiss Family Robinson

Certain movies stick with you for years. It doesn't matter how old you are, what mood you're in, or how many times you see it. You can revisit that movie, and pick it up like you never missed a beat. A childhood favorite of mine and still one of my favorite's, 1960's Disney's Swiss Family Robinson is a classic in every sense of the word.

Traveling to the colony of New Guinea, the Robinson family is aboard a ship caught up in a storm that wrecks the ship on a reef, the crew abandoning the ship and leaving the family to fend for themselves. Thankfully, an island is within sight, and the Robinsons -- including Father (John Mills), Mother (Dorothy McGuire), and their three sons, Fritz (James MacArthur), Ernst (Tommy Kirk) and Francis (Kevin Corcoran) -- are able to make it their with all the supplies, food and animals left onboard. Not knowing if rescue is coming, they make the most of their island paradise, embracing their new lives. But on this Pacific island full of animals and adventures, trouble awaits too including a pirate band (led by Sessue Hayakawa) who are after something the Robinsons possess.

In the current state and age of Disney with seemingly countless animated movies and generic shows on TV, it's hard to imagine Walt Disney movies of the 1950s and 1960s. Yes, it was a completely different time from now, a more innocent time, and because of that, movies like Swiss Family Robinson have an endearing charm that is hard to explain. It is an adventure, a trip to the exotic and is the definition of good, old-fashioned storytelling that is best accompanied by a big tub of popcorn. Everything from the musical score in all its epic, sweeping qualities (listen HERE, just scroll down) to the casting to the look of the movie adds up. They don't make them like this anymore, simple as that. It's a window to a Disney of the past when high-quality, professionally made and still entertaining feature films were released to adoring audiences.

One of the obvious appeals of 'Swiss' is that any kid who has ever read Robinson Crusoe or has the slightest bit of imagination has at some point wondered how cool it would be to live on a deserted island. Albeit this "deserted" island has plenty of food, water and supplies with lots of animals (elephants, tigers, zebras, ostriches) and adventure waiting around every tree. The coolest thing EVER though is the treehouse the Robinsons build and live in, an idyllic house in the branches that all viewers should want to live in. If you don't, you're lying. Get over it. HERE is the Disney's Magic Kingdom version. Director Ken Annakin shot this movie on the island of Tobago, and it is a stunning visual film. It is the island paradise we all dream of one day living on at some point. The screen is always full of incredible colors -- even the pirates seem fashion conscious -- and is a treat just to look at. To a point, everything else is just gravy.

An underrated facet of this movie's long-term popularity and success is the casting of the Robinson family using some Disney regulars and a few newbies. For starters, I believed this tiny, close-knit group as a family. They look out for each other, they fight, they celebrate holidays, and when needed band together to preserve their island paradise. John Mills and Dorothy McGuire are the quintessential parents, Father and Mother, no first names provided or needed. They just go together, an easy-going, believable chemistry between them. The boys include MacArthur as the athletic but smart Fritz, the intelligent and always trying to prove himself Ernst played by Kirk, and the curious, sometimes annoying Francis played by Corcoran, all three regulars in Disney movies. All five work together seamlessly, and then add in the adorable Janet Munro as Roberta, a teenage girl Fritz and Ernst rescue from pirates while exploring the island.

Growing up watching this movie on a regular basis, a long list of scenes were memorable to me, but none more than the finale when the Robinson family defends their island against a raiding party of pirates. It's the type of adventure where you never really believe they're in danger (would a Disney movie kill this family? I think not), but it doesn't take away from the excitement. Coconut bombs, pirate alarms, a pit filled with a tiger, a collapsing bridge, avalanches of logs and boulders, and booby traps left and right. All pretty ridiculous, and that's the fun. Reality got left behind a long time ago here. It is a great ending, the movie ending on a very positive note.

I could go on for paragraph after paragraph with this movie. Yes, Corcoran's Francis is annoying, but even that can't stop me from loving this movie. It is a gem, a classic, a keeper, whatever you want to call it. Great cast, great story, and one of the most fun, entertaining movies ever. Adventures with that Disney touch at its finest. You can watch it HERE at Youtube, starting with Part 1 of 10.

Swiss Family Robinson <---trailer (1960): ****/****