Macao

They don't have the all-time classics to their names that other film couples did. They weren't Tracy and Hepburn or Bogart and Hepburn or Wayne and O'Hara. But you know what stars Robert Mitchum and Jane Russell had in their two films together? An easy-going, sizzling charm that oozed off the screen. I'm hoping to write reviews for both soon, starting here with 1952's Macao, their second pairing.

Just 40 or so miles from Hong Kong, the city of Macao in the years following World War II has become a den of gambling, corruption, violence and any number of any other vices. One particularly crooked casino owner with his hands in everything, Vince Halloran (Brad Dexter), is especially worried though after he and his men killed an investigating officer from New York. They're playing the waiting game for the officer's replacement...and maybe some more heavy duty reinforcements. Coming ashore from a ship traveling from Hong Kong, all but three passengers are recognized, leading Halloran to believe one of them is the cop. The suspects? A Navy veteran on the run, Nick Cochran (Mitchum), a talkative salesman, Lawrence Trumble (William Bendix), and a nightclub singer looking for a job, Julie Benson (Russell). Who is the right one to target? Just which one is the cop looking to take Halloran in?

If that doesn't sound like the most pointed plot description, well, it ain't. Director Josef von Sternberg (along with some uncredited work from Nicholas Ray) was a silent film director who drifted along a touch when the sound era moved into the film industry. The Wikipedia page for 'Macao' specifically says "When von Sternberg's scenes made no sense dramatically..." so you know he wasn't always interested in a Point A to Point B (or C-through-Z) story to begin with. Production actually wrapped on filming in 1950, and then the finished product sat on the shelf for most of two years. How come? Producer Howard Hughes' track record basically. Decisions didn't have to make a whole lot of sense when your boss is one of the world's richest people. What's the end result then for this shelved, quasi-film noir?

It's good to great early on because of its randomness and general kookiness. It derails some in the last 20 minutes of its 80-minute running time. Let's focus on the positive though. 'Macao' is genuinely fun as everything is laid out and established. It mixes classic film noir with international intrigue with the huge chemistry between Mitchum and Russell with some laughs along the way. Long story short...it is a pleasant, enjoyable movie. It is dark, but not as dark as most film noirs. Some reviews point to that lack of a unified tone as a negative but the helter-skelter tone really worked for me. Should it have? Probably not but something clicks for me. Filmed in black and white with some stock footage of Macao and Hong Kong mixed in with the seedy Hollywood sets for the two cities, Sternberg's film has style and a great visual look.

Blah blah blah with all that film analysis. Let's talk about movie star chemistry!!! Robert Mitchum and Jane Russell are two of my favorites. Mitchum was that perfect tough guy anti-hero who just didn't give a crap. Russell was a solid actress, singer and performer who fit in well with the tough guys when her film roles allowed it. The end result? Two actors who don't look like they're acting. They're just hanging out, having a ton of fun bringing these two characters together. Their chemistry is evident from Scene No. 1 and never lets up. Not remembered as a great role -- and rightfully so -- Mitchum is pretty perfect, laconic and laid back with a checkered past hanging over his head. The same for Russell's Julie, bouncing from city to city looking for work. Oh, and Russell is drop dead gorgeous here. Hughes made her a star by utilizing her....natural talent I'll say. She's beautiful, and she's even given a chance to sing two songs.

The rest of the cast is solid throughout. I especially liked Bendix as Lawrence C. Trumble, fast-talking, looking to blow off some steam traveling salesman. His almost manic delivery pairs well with Mitchum's slower-paced line reads. Dexter is perfectly slimy as Halloran, the black market casino dealer always with an eye on shady deals and easy money. Also look for Thomas Gomez as the corrupt police officer working with Halloran, poorly and under-used Gloria Grahame as Halloran's much-maligned girlfriend, Philip Ahn as Halloran's steely-eyed enforcer, and Vladimir Sokoloff as a mysterious blind man who seems to pop up at the right moment whenever needed. A fun cast with some cool parts.

Now that line before about von Sternberg's lack of dramatic timing, yeah, that comes into play in the last 20 minutes. The cool, couldn't care less style loses all momentum. The finale turns into a big chase scene that doesn't keep the adrenaline flowing unfortunately. The ending itself feels a tad rushed, a disappointing end to an otherwise very enjoyable movie.

Macao (1952): ** 1/2 /****

Detective Story

The police procedural in 2014 is a tried and true formula. It's gotten a genre reboot of sorts thanks to HBO's highly successful True Detective, but there's also been Law and Order, Dragnet, Hawaii Five-O, The Streets of San Francisco and countless others. As familiar as the genre can be, it can be fun to go back and see where things started...all the way back in the 1950s!!! Here's 1951's Detective Story.

It's a warm summer day in New York City and things are going about as normal at the 21st Precinct with its crew of detectives and seemingly never-ending stream of criminals, some petty crooks and others looking at a stiff prison sentence. Among the officers on duty is Detective Jim McCleod (Kirk Douglas), a hard-boiled officer who always gets his man, albeit with some less than legal methods. Now he has to deal with a case from his past, a doctor, Schneider (George Macready), who has built a reputation for all the wrong reasons. In previous run-ins, McCleod has never been able to close the case on the doctor through a variety of coincidences that certainly smell fishy. He's become almost obsessed with sending Schneider to jail no matter the case, no matter by what means he can do it. Will McCleod go too far this time around?

From director William Wyler, 'Detective' is based off a play by Sidney Kingsley. Wyler's film picked up four Oscar nominations but ultimately winning none. I've long tried to track it down, Netflix taunting me with the DVD that never seemed to be available. Well, I win Netflix! I found it on Turner Classic Movie's schedule! And in the end, it was well worth the wait. The stage-based roots pay huge dividends, almost the entire 103-minute running time spent in the 21st Precinct's bullpen and offices. It's busy, claustrophobic and a great backdrop to the ensemble story and long list of characters. It is a simple, straightforward technique that works in pretty effortless fashion. There isn't anything particularly flashy about Wyler's film, but it's realistic, tough and often enough ahead of its time mentality, 'Detective' is an easy recommend.

Just 35 years old at the time, it's crazy to think what Douglas accomplished in his first five years in Hollywood. Talk about a guy who hit the ground running, Douglas having Champion, Out of the Past and Ace in the Hole to his name. Add his performance here as Detective Jim McCleod to an impressive list for a young actor. There are times late where things get a little over-dramatic, but Douglas knows just where to stop where things could be considered a little hammy. McCleod is absolutely dripping with rage and fury, his job tearing him apart, not to mention some inner demons coursing through him. We see he's a good cop, pushing and pushing to catch the crooks, knowing all their tricks, but it's also a job that's pushed him to a state where he is hanging on the verge of absolutely losing his mind. Brimming with intensity, this is quite a performance for Douglas. Surprisingly enough, he wasn't nominated for an Oscar here, two other performances picking up nods.

Rounding out the cast is a solid ensemble starting with Eleanor Parker (picking up a Best Actress nomination) as Mary, McCleod's wife. She's a cop's wife, knowing her husband pushes himself while trying not to involve her too much in the horrors of what he sees. As for the other 21st Precinct detectives, look for William Bendix as McCleod's partner, Lou Brody, with Horace McMahon as Lt. Monahan, and Frank Faylen, Bert Freed, Grandon Rhodes and William Phillips rounding out the crew. Other folks to watch out for, Lee Grant as a first-time pickpocket, observing all that goes on in prison (and picking up an Oscar nomination?!?), a young man (Craig Hill) who robbed $400-plus from his boss but his girlfriend's sister (Cathy O'Donnell) wants to help him, and two crooks (Joseph Wiseman in just his second film, Michael Strong) trying not to turn on each other for their long list of burglaries. It's a cool ensemble, all the different responses from both sides of the law as the day develops.

There are weaknesses, but none are deal-breakers. Wiseman hams it up like his life depended on it. Grant's cute pickpocket comes across as more annoying than anything. It is a tad slow-moving at times. That said? It's a gem of a movie. Ahead of its time in dealing with an abortion doctor (in a 1950s film at that!), the story gets uncomfortable and very real as certain elements of the script come to life. The ending is not so surprisingly downbeat. Pay attention with some quick cues within several other scenes, and you should see where it's going. Well worth a watch. Highly recommended.

Detective Story (1951): *** 1/2 /****

Kill the Umpire

Across preferred sports, favorite teams and athletes, classic games and series, most sports fans can agree on one thing.....officials are brutal. Referees, umpires, call them whatever you want, but fans can always find solace that an official will mess up a call here and there. They're easy targets, aren't they? For the most part and on a percentage basis, they get it right. But what's the fun in that? There aren't many movies out there about umpires, but here we go with 1950's Kill the Umpire.

A former baseball player with a family, Bill Johnson (William Bendix) loves one thing above all else, and it keeps getting him into trouble. Bill loves baseball. He can't get enough of it to the point he keeps losing his job because he bails far too often to go to afternoon ballgames. His wife (Una Merkel) has finally had enough and threatens to leave him unless he really buckles down and commits to keeping a job. Bill's father-in-law, Jonah (Ray Collins), is a former baseball umpire and recommends Bill -- with all his fandom and knowledge of baseball -- trains to become an umpire himself. As a sports fan who hates each and every umpire, Bill bristles at the very thought, but in hopes of keeping his family together, a less than enthused Bill half-heartedly goes along with it.

That is one misleading plot synopsis if there ever was one. Brace yourself, but this 1951 movie from director Lloyd Bacon is a slapstick farce comedy. That in itself isn't a deal-breaker. I love The Three Stooges, Laurel and Hardy and all sorts of physical comedies from the 1930s through the 1950s. What is a deal-breaker is how over the top and ridiculous the slapstick is here. I figured a story titled 'Kill the Umpire' wasn't going to be heavy, dark drama, but the humor here was painful to watch. At one point, Bendix over-inflates his chest protector, gets his cleats stuck in the floor and bounces back and forth like a bouncy ball between the floor and the lockers. Everyone has a good guffaw at that craziness. The best physical humor is just funny, the actors/actresses don't have to try too hard.

Of course, that's not what's going on here. Late in the movie, Bendix's Bill falls out of an ambulance -- it's a long, meandering story -- but manages to catch on to part of a fence the ambulance crashed through and is now dragging behind it. He is able to stand up on the broken fence and basically surfs behind the fleeing ambulance. Seriously, there's no good, rational way to explain how he gets into that troublesome predicament. Just go with me, he's there. Funny is funny when it works, but the on-screen theatrics here were brutal to watch. Too bad because in the more subtle moments, Bendix shows off a low-key comedic timing that still shows how physical comedy can work. I like Bendix a lot, always have, and in small doses here, he's very good. The script is all over the place though, kneecapping him whenever he gets into a rhythm.

In the supporting cast, Collins is pretty good as a straight man to Bendix's Bill. His friendly father-in-law just wants to help out his son-in-law, even if it's something the guy hates to do. Merkel is pretty shrill -- understandably so to be fair -- as Mrs. Johnson with Gloria Henry and Connie Marshall playing the Johnson daughters. Better known as Fred Mertz in I Love Lucy, William Frawley is solid as Jimmy O'Brien, the owner of the umpire school, Tom D'Andrea is Roscoe Snooker, Bill's friend at school, and an uncredited Alan Hale Jr. as a baseball player who comes across Bill's wrath (sort of). Also uncredited are Jeff York and Robert J. Wilke as big-time gamblers trying to bribe Bill.  

There are moments that do work here. Bill at Umpire school provides some really funny laughs, especially when he's trying to get kicked out of the school. His final test at graduation -- with an unfortunate mix-up with eye drops -- is the sort of physical humor that works so well, dubbing him a nickname Bill 'Two-Call' Johnson. Earlier ventures showing Bill absolutely losing his mind at umpires' calls is perfect, the fired-up fan even charging onto the field to argue. I did like it, but it's too goofy for its own good. A disappointing mild review.

Kill the Umpire (1951): **/****

Dangerous Mission

Having produced movies since the 1930s, RKO Pictures had to try different things to keep up with movies from other studios with more money to burn. They had to try something to keep up, giving audiences a reason to come out and see their films. Take 1954's Dangerous Mission, a generally pretty normal noir-ish film that capitalizes on some cool location shooting.

Witness to a mob killing in a night club, Louise Graham (Piper Laurie) is on the run with both mobsters and the police looking for her. She's hidden out in Glacier National Park, starting a job at a souvenir stand at one of several hotels offered to tourists. As the search intensifies -- the mob wanting to kill her, the police wanting to bring her in as a witness -- several newcomers have arrived in the park, including smooth-talking New Yorker Matt Hallett (Victor Mature), an ex-Marine. What are his intentions? Is he "visiting" to protect Louise or to kill her? Looking out for Louise's safety, Park Ranger Joe Parker (William Bendix) starts to investigate the newcomer, but keeps his eye on some others, including amiable photographer Paul Adams (Vincent Price).  Just what is everyone up to?

It doesn't take a nuclear physicist to figure what the appeal for me was in the 1954 RKO movie. The best thing going for director Louis King's film is the location shooting at Glacier National Park. Yes, I know it's not the same park, but I visited Yellowstone National Park with my family, and visually stunning doesn't begin to describe the place. The same goes for Glacier, especially a time capsule-esque look we get here to 1954 Glacier. Yes, indoor sets are clearly back in Hollywood, but we get enough of Mature, Laurie and Co. actually walking around in the park, including in and around Saint Mary Lake (I think, I could be way off). So while the budget was obviously limited and the scale kept on a smaller level, this B-movie makes the attempt to lure audiences in. It's a gimmick, but one that pays off in the end.

As long as we're throwing compliments out here, we might as well continue on. Clocking in at just 75 minutes, 'Dangerous' isn't too interested in deep back stories, any history at all. Here's the story, here's the characters, now deal with it. Of course, there's more to it than that. The opening 40 minutes is a gem because of a couple of key omissions. For one, that would be that no one is properly introduced. We never actually even see Laurie's Louise, just hear her scream upon stumbling into the murder scene. The same for Mature and Price. In a mobster scene, we see a man's arm draped in a chair -- but nothing else -- with orders to find and kill the witness as quickly as possible. Cue Mature driving into the park (packing a gun) and then the hotel where Louise works. Anyone with two working brain cells can no doubt deduce who's who, but it's another cool gimmick that went a long way. It's Clue: The RKO Film Noir Version.

And even in a small scale flick that doesn't hit the 90-minute mark, there's still some solid casting. I've always been a fan of Mature, and he looks to be enjoying himself here. Throw in Price, Laurie, and Bendix, and you've got a good mix. Also look for Betta St. John as Mary, an Indian girl and friend of Louise, Harry Cheshire as Elster, the guffawing, boozing Texan who may know more than he's letting on, and Steve Darrell as Katoonai Tiller, Mary's father who's wanted for murder. Also keep an eye out for Dennis Weaver in a bit part as a Ranger clerk.

While 'Dangerous' does have some surprising positives, there's some familiar negatives to boot. It is only 75 minutes long, but my estimation, there's probably about 45 minutes of actual story (and that might be generous). To flesh things out, we see an avalanche take out a house party, Mature's Matt getting a loose livewire under control. We get lots of goofing around and drinking and smoking, even a sighting of the dreaded love triangle as Matt and Paul battle -- in the goofy sense -- for Louise. Mature, Price and Bendix later have to put out an immense, fast-moving forest fire. It's ridiculous. They laugh and laugh, but at no point does Louise really question what's going on. She's running for her life but decides to keep a very high profile position in Glacier. Maybe......just maybe......one of these guys wants to kill her? I don't know, I could be way off base here.

And to counter balance the actual shooting on location in Glacier, we also some awfully cheap cutaways to indoor sets posing as Glacier. To say they stand out like a sore thumb is an understatement. It's pretty straightforward stuff, but I still liked it. The purpose seems to be entertainment -- however they get it done -- including a reliance on always dressing Piper Laurie in outfits that look like she's one sneeze away from popping out of her dress/shirt/skirt. Subtle it is not, but B-movies weren't meant to be. Not bad if you find a copy.

Dangerous Mission (1954): ** 1/2 /****  

Lifeboat

The timing here was interesting, two completely different types of movies, and I couldn't help but be slightly amused by it. I just recently reviewed Around the World in 80 Days, a huge scale epic that had locations around the world. Then there's this review, an entire movie set on an adrift boat at sea. I love a good epic, but an entire movie contained on one set? That's impressive. The movie is 1944's Lifeboat.

On its way to England during WWII, an Allied supply ship crewed by merchant marines is attacked by a German U-boat and sinks. Aboard a sturdy lifeboat, respected writer Connie Porter (Tallulah Bankhead) rescues Kovac (John Hodiak), a member of the crew from the engine room. Connie tells him that the German U-boat sunk as well in all the chaos. Minutes pass and they begin to pick up other survivors until there is nine of them all told. Among them is a German sailor, Willi (Walter Slezak), who no one is sure what to make of. Should they throw him overboard or keep him as a prisoner? With food and water limited, their decision could directly affect their survival.

Do you need proof that director Alfred Hitchcock was a director far ahead of his time? First off, if you said 'yes,' shame on you. Second, this film should serve as proof....if it was some how needed. Some four years before his 1948 film Rope and 13 years before 12 Angry Men used the formula, Hitchcock films the entire movie on one set, in this case the lifeboat adrift at sea. The entire movie. There are no asides or flashbacks or anything that distracts from the very singular location. This well-made, sturdy boat ends up being a weirdly compelling additional character. By the end of the movie, you feel claustrophobic and alone. Not a lot of directors could pull this premise off successfully, but Hitchcock seems to do it with ease.

Working with an ensemble cast, Hitchcock brings together a group of actors/actresses from all walks of life with more than a few differences in background. Bankhead as Connie gets top billing and delivers a solid performance but is far from sympathetic. Hodiak brings a tough guy edge to his part as Kovac, the former slaughterhouse worker turned sailor and maybe the one thinking the clearest. Slezak ends up being Evil Incarnate as Willi, the German sailor who knows more than he is letting on. Also look for William Bendix as Gus, the lovable sailor wanting to get back to his dancing girlfriend, Mary Anderson as Alice, a young nurse nervous about reaching London, Henry Hull as Rittenhouse, a proud, self-made businessman, Hume Cronyn as Sparks, the radioman who bonds with Alice, Canada Lee as Joe, the black steward, and Heather Angel as Mrs. Higgins, a mother traveling with infant to visit her husband.

What is impressive about the film can also be a weakness depending on your point of view. Hitchcock chooses not to use any gimmicks or tricks in developing a story that clocks in at 97 minutes. There are no marauding sharks circling the boat or patrolling plane overhead. This is an ultra-personal story that is entirely contained within the confines of the boat. Because there is nothing to distract from the task at hand, this is a dialogue-heavy movie. At times, it gets to be a little much. You can only hear so many monologues about the past and how people got here, their beliefs and relationships before things get a little on the slow. When it does work though, it's great. The story gives a window into mob mentality, especially when survival is on the line. Not surprisingly, you react differently to a situation at hand when life and death hangs in the balance.

Setting the survivor story (yeah, alliteration!) during WWII was no doubt a timely one. I can't help but wonder though what the story would have been like in a more existential setting; just survivors on the open sea hoping to make it to land or rescue of some sorts. Yes, the Willi character and his sinister motives are necessary, but that could have been tweaked too. The WWII dynamic is one thing, but a solid, interesting story detours and degenerates some in the finale as a propaganda message is not to subtly blared at us as a viewing audience. Oh, Germans are bad! There was potential for a twisted, darker ending in the closing minute, but the propaganda shuts the door on that possibility. Still, it's an impressive movie, and one that's easily recommended.

Lifeboat (1944): ***/****

Boys' Night Out

Contrary to what more modern/current movies try and tell you, sex comedies don't have to be particularly raunchy to work. Okay, that sounds like a contradiction. American Pie -- already released 13 years ago -- jump-started a trend that had died away more or less through the 1990s, a trend that continued into the 2000s. Now none of this is to say earlier comedies were exempt, but they were a different sort of raunchy...censored raunchy...like 1962's Boys' Night Out.

Hanging out each Thursday night in New York City, four old friends, now all middle aged -- including Fred (James Garner), George (Tony Randall), Doug (Howard Duff) and Howard (Howard Morris) -- are in a bit of a mid-life rut. Somewhat jokingly they talk about renting a plush NYC apartment where they can bring their fictional mistresses to and escape from their everyday life. Well, Fred actually finds an apartment for a very low rent that the four can split for a reasonable rate, even finding a live-in girl, Cathy (Kim Novak), who will stick around for "companionship." The guys think they've got things made, except for Fred who starts to question what they're up to.  None of them have any idea what Cathy has in mind for them.

Sounds kind of ominous, doesn't it? It wasn't intended that way. After all, it is a screwball sex comedy from 1962. Kim Novak isn't exactly going to murder and hack them up now, is she? Finally seeing Novak in more than just Hitchcock's Vertigo recently, I'm fast becoming a huge fan. Her gimmick here is of a sociology student student studying adolescent, sexual behavior in suburban men. When they assume she's some sort of hooker/escort, she takes the bait. None of them actually sleep with her, Novak's Cathy playing them like a fiddle. She gives them each what they want; George to talk, Doug to be a handyman around the house, and Howard to eat to his heart's desire. All problems at home that Cathy easily fixes. These scenes are subtle, underplayed comedy at its best, funny without trying too hard to be funny.

Through some rather major flaws, I'll still be giving this romantic comedy a positive review, most of that being chalked up to the casting. I'm used to Garner in more action-driven stories, but he easily handles the jump to some lighter fare. Working with the very beautiful Novak, he looks right at home in any romantic scenes. And working with Novak, I don't imagine those scenes were too difficult to film. Randall, Duff and Morris (later Ernest T. Bass on The Andy Griffith Show) round out the middle-aged quartet, all bringing different styles and backgrounds to their characters, the wives played by Janet Blair, Patti Page and Anne Jeffreys. Playing Fred's mother, Jessie Royce Landis is very funny in a small part, organizing the wives for some investigating. Oskar Homolka plays Dr. Prokosch, Cathy's professor, William Bendix makes a small but memorable cameo as Slattery, the wise bartender, and Jim Backus is a real estate agent trying to unload his tainted apartment.

Now that we've got all these pleasantries out of the way, let's move on. Not raunchy because 1960s censors wouldn't allow it, 'Boys' still manages to be pretty high up on the "Nasty Meter." First off, Garner's Fred is divorced and the only single one of the bunch. The other three never actually have sex, hook up, even touch Novak's Cathy which is important. Still, they believe that each of the other ones has, they're just too embarrassed to say they're not. Here's the nasty part, for me at least. It's 1962, and the story calls for George, Doug and Howard to "share" Novak, one getting Monday, the other Tuesday and so on. It doesn't bother them that they're passing this girl around? Sloppy seconds, thirds and fourths. Sounds kind of scandalous for a 1962 comedy. Granted, none of them actually do, but come on. They seem far too comfortable with the situation.

And because this is a screwball, romantic/sex comedy, we need an ending....a stupid one. Lots of miscommunication and misunderstanding basically has everyone meeting in Cathy's furnished apartment, fighting it out and screaming, Cathy just trying to explain herself. All the positive momentum (friends sexually sharing a woman aside) is nearly for naught. The last 15 minutes are nearly unbearable to watch. Painfully over the top theatrics, and all could be solved with one quick explanation. What's the fun in that though? We'd never get the awkwardness, Fred turning his back on Cathy even though he loves her. Oops, spoiler alert. My bad. Are you surprised though? The final scene has everyone happy and back together, the wives apparently choosing to forget that their husbands sought out affairs, even if they didn't go through with it. Oh, happy day, it's a 1960s comedy and everything is hunky-dory!

The positive of most of the movie is that for most of 90 minutes, Boys' Night Out is very good. It treads the fine line between stupid and funny, letting the cast have some fun with this screwy situation. This was Garner at the top of his game, Novak is sexy with that smoky voice and effortlessly funny, and the rest of the cast fills out the movie nicely. Yes, the resolution is bad, really bad, but getting there is fun. Too bad the movie couldn't end when Fred and Cathy end up together at a rained out Little League baseball game. Then it'd be a really good, worthwhile movie. As is now, it's still good.

Boys' Night Out <---TCM trailer (1962): ***/****

Guadalcanal Diary

I've watched my fair share of war movies in my years as a movie fan so I found that from time to time I have to remind myself something. Watching a movie now in 2011, I'm obviously going to have a different reaction to a movie than say, an audience member seeing it in 1943.  What was original or unique some 70-plus years ago probably isn't that way now.  That thought kept rolling through my head as I watched 1943's Guadalcanal Diary.

First seen in theaters just ten months since the end of the actual Guadalcanal campaign, 'Diary' at the time must have been an eye-opener for audiences.  As much as a movie in 1943 could, it tried to show what the day-to-day life of a Marine fighting on an enemy-held island was really like.  With an almost documentary feel to the movie, it shows the relationships that develop, the bond having fought and survived combat, the fears and desires of the soldiers who just want to go home.  Anything original in there as pertaining to war movies, specifically WWII movies? Nope, not at all, but in 1943 I bet it was a hit for audiences. Even now, having seen the same formula done repeatedly since, I can still see the appeal.

It's late summer 1942 in the South Pacific and on-board a troop transport is a battalion of Marines waiting to receive their orders. The men wait anxiously and excitedly, wanting to get the fighting going but also scared of what it possibly represents.  Among these men is Capt. Davis (Richard Conte) and his company, a melting pot of Americans serving together to help defeat the Axis powers. Finally the orders come through with an objective, the island of Guadalcanal in the Solomons.  The Marines will hit the beaches first, hoping to drive inland and capture a recently built Japanese airfield.  The beach landing goes smooth, but that will be the easiest part of the campaign.  Waiting for more supplies and reinforcements to arrive, the Marines go to work, clearing the island inch by inch and cave by cave of Japanese defenders.

This is one of the first examples I can think of for a well-worn and familiar war sub-genre, the "unit picture," a story told from the perspective of a squad, platoon, company, battalion and so on.  Here the group is a little smaller, but they mostly manage to rise above their cardboard cutouts of characters.  William Bendix plays Taxi Potts, a Brooklyn native always wondering what's going on back home. Preston Foster is Father Donnelly, the stoic, calm and trustworthy priest, Lloyd Nolan is Sgt. Hook Malone, the reliable and tough platoon sergeant, Anthony Quinn is Suarez, the Latino ladies man, and Richard Jaeckel -- just 17 at the time -- plays Pvt. Chicken Anderson, the youngster of the group. Conte is solid as the company commander, rivals and friends with a fellow commander, Capt. Cross (Roy Roberts). Of the group, Nolan especially stands out as does Jaeckel in his film debut. I also could have sworn I saw John Hodiak briefly, but I can't find info on it anywhere.

From director Lewis Seiler, this is a movie based off a book from war correspondent Richard Tregaskis and his experiences during the Guadalcanal campaign.  Because it is based off what he actually saw, the depiction of the Marines is realistic without too many exaggerations.  Some five months of fighting has to be crammed into a 93-minute movie so some jumps are made but nothing major is cut. My one complaint comes from transitioning Tregaskis' book to the big screen.  In an effort to stay true to his book, a fair share of narration rolls over the movie, moving the story along with some wordy passages that don't always fit.  They're very stiff and reminded me of a pretentious student reading his paper, incredibly proud of how good it is. The narration tries too hard to impress us with its intelligence and depth but never quite gets there.

What separates 'Guadalcanal' from some other WWII movies actually released in the war is the reality of it, the believable nature of the whole thing. Certain scenes ring true because it's easy to believe a soldier doing this action or having this thought.  Before the battle, HQ discusses burial details for the upcoming fight, putting a dark cloud on the horizon right away. It is a quick scene (maybe 15 seconds tops), but in its simplicity and powerful message, it stands out. The night before the Marines hit the beach, Bendix's Taxi is dancing like a Hawaiian hula girl, stopping when he sees Foster's Father Donnelly watching. Donnelly senses the nerves, the fear, the terror in the room and joins Taxi in an Irish dance much to the delight of the rest of the men.

There's more though that keep coming to mind. Baby-faced Jaeckel's Chicken claims to have a girlfriend back home but it's really just his mother. We get a quick glimpse of one of her letters to her son, a perfect little moment as she tells what's going on back home. His response back is equally moving as he tries to comfort his parents, convincing them that he's okay and doing well.  By far though, the best scene has the platoon waiting out a bombing raid in a small, cramped dugout. Bendix's Taxi Potts explains his feelings on prayer, God, and the hell of their situation. Bendix often got typecast as the lovable galoot, but he shows his skill here, delivering an incredible montage about soldiering, dying and hopefully, surviving. It's a powerful moment, one of many in this underrated WWII movie.

Guadalcanal Diary <---trailer (1943): ***/****

The Deep Six

Before he ever became a hero from World War I, Alvin C. York was a conscientious objector, opting on his draft application to put "Yes, don't want to fight" when asked if he wanted to claim an exemption. Of course, he would go on to become an American hero during WWI for his heroic actions when he and a small squad of soldiers captured over 130 German soldiers.  Think about his stance though.  What's so wrong with it? He didn't believe in killing because of his religious beliefs.  This wasn't a man trying to get out of fighting because of any political stance or objection the fighting.  He didn't want to kill his fellow man.

The idea of a conscientious objector is a sticky one because it has to be hard to read a man's true intentions.  Combat and war are a terrifying premise, and most would do anything possible to avoid it.  But regardless of personal or religious beliefs, some men slip through the cracks and make it into combat on a front-line position. That's 1958's The Deep Six, the story of a man raised as a Quaker who outgrew his childhood beliefs as he grew into an adult.  Now when his draft summons arrives in the mail, his beliefs come up again. If it came down to it, could he kill?

A successful advertising artist in Los Angeles, Alec Austen (Alan Ladd), is riding high.  His job pays well, he owns a beautiful seaside home, and he's in love and about to be engaged to his boss, beautiful Susan Cahill (Dianne Foster). When it seems everything is lining up into place, Alec relieves a draft summons for the U.S. Navy because he took an ROTC program in college and is still part of the Naval Reserves.  Raised as a Quaker, he wavers over what to do but ultimately reports for duty where he's assigned to the USS Poe, a destroyer in the Pacific captained by Commander Meredith (James Whitmore). As the Poe sails toward the Japanese and the conflict awaits, Alec begins to question if his childhood beliefs of pacifism are really gone.  When the time comes will he be able to give the order to fire, an order that will almost certainly end in the death of a human being?

Movies about war -- especially in the 1950s -- are a dime a dozen.  Doing the norm and making a flick about combat is fine by me, I love that type of story and own a fair share of those on DVD, but it's always refreshing to see a war story with a fresh spin.  This story is effective because it's hard not to feel for Ladd's Alec character.  It's only natural to be scared about how you'll respond in a situation like he is in regardless of your beliefs or ideologies.  Alec must not only worry about his own concerns, and how he'll respond, but if the choices he makes will end up taking the lives of his crew, the men he bunks and eats with on board the Poe.  Throw in that the crew (including nasty executive officer Keenan Wynn) finds out about his Quakerism and ostracizes him, and you've got a whole bucket of worms.

In a career that was cut short because of his personal demons, Ladd still made his mark on Hollywood.  He always had an easy-going way about him that played on his character's vulnerabilities and made him a likable leading man.  His Alec is quiet and unassuming, a good man pressed into a difficult choice.  He doesn't whine or moan about his predicament, doing his best to deal with it himself.  For the most part, Alec bonds well with his men because he has their best interest at heart.  In helping us to get to know his main character, director Rudolph Mate adds in the subplot with Alec's fiance Susan. Where some movies use this technique and it fails miserably, it works here, and I can't explain why the subplot didn't send me up the wall.  It just works, and it certainly makes Alec more human.  He's worried about marrying Susan because of the very real possibility that he may die at sea, sacrificing his feelings and needs/wants for his concerns on how that event that might not even happen would affect her.

Still, The Deep Six is a war movie, and the heart of the story is Alec and the USS Poe's involvement in the war in the Pacific against the Japanese.  The combat is held to a minimum with an occasional strike by a patrolling Japanese plane and saved for the end when Alec must lead a small patrol onto a Japanese-held island where five downed fliers await rescue.  The finale -- as was the case with much of the movie -- is limited by a smaller budget, but it makes up for any epic battle with the impact the fighting makes.  Filming much of his film at sea, Mate give viewers quite a look at life on a U.S. destroyer, providing some great footage with his cast (not stock footage) on board the ship.  The supporting cast includes JHP favorite Whitmore as the veteran commander, Wynn as the bloodthirsty XO, Efram Zimbalist Jr. as on-ship physician/doctor, Lt. Blanchard, and a scene-stealing William Bendix as Frenchy Shapiro, Alec's close friend and Chief officer.

Reminding me of the somewhat out of place humor in John Ford's Mister Roberts, too much time is spent with the crazy antics of the crew, including a pre-Rat Pack Joey Bishop, Perry Lopez, and voice of Alvin and the Chipmunks Ross Bagdasarian (among other cast members). The humor is unnecessary, and if it is an attempt to lighten the mood, it fails badly.  It's just not funny and takes away from the more interesting aspects of the story.  By no means enough to detract overall from the movie, but worth mentioning.

The Deep Six (1958): ***/****

The Blue Dahlia

Many movies made about the Vietnam War don’t focus in on the actual conflict that went on in Vietnam in the 1960s and 1970s, but instead key in on what happens to the soldiers when they return home, how the war has affected them in ways not previously thought of.  War has an impact on the soldiers involved no matter the conflict or what century it took place, but Vietnam was the first where the public was aware of these issues.  A WWII movie, The Best Years of Our Lives, dealt with this pertaining to World War II veterans returning home.  A film noir released in 1946, The Blue Dahlia, has three main characters returning to the United States, all dealing with the return in their own way.

When I first read about this movie at Turner Classic Movie’s website, I assumed it was related to ‘The Black Dahlia,’ the Hollywood flop from five or six years ago that was forgotten almost as soon as it was released in theaters to critical panning.  Well, other than the use of ‘Dahlia’ in the title, there is no common link.  Blue Dahlia is a solid, well-made film noir about a murder mystery in the Los Angeles club scene where everyone is shady and willing to backstab anyone else for their own gain.  It isn’t held in as high regard as many other noir classics, but it is a very solid entry into a very deep genre of movies in film noir.

Returning to the States after receiving a medical discharge, former Navy pilot John Morrison (Alan Ladd) can’t wait to get home and see his wife, Helen (Doris Dowling).  He finds something else though waiting for him as his wife has adopted a new partying lifestyle, including starting a relationship with slippery club owner, Eddie Harwood (Howard Da Silva). Morrison’s wife has a dark secret she reveals to John, sending him into a fit of rage that even has him thinking about killing her.  Instead, he walks out on her, leaving his past life behind. The next morning though John hears radio reports that his wife has been murdered, and he’s wanted for questioning.  With help from his former Navy buddies (William Bendix and Hugh Beaumont), Morrison goes about proving his innocence and finding his wife’s actual murderer.

The post subplot (soldier condition) is centered around William Bendix’s Buzz character, a tail gunner on Morrison’s bomber in the Pacific.  Along with John and Beaumont’s George, Buzz received a medical discharge after sustaining a serious wound that tore away part of his skull.  He now has a metal plate on the back of his head and is struggling with his readjustment to a more normal life. He freaks out at loud noises and any sort of music playing and has a temper that’s ready to snap at the drop of a hat.  For a movie released in the years since the end of World War II, it’s refreshing to see such honesty in dealing with an issue that would have been affecting thousands of similar-minded soldiers all over the U.S.

As for the main plot with the murder mystery, director George Marshall knows what he’s doing.  First off, if you think Alan Ladd’s character is the guilty party, shame on you.  It’s Shane for goodness sake! He isn’t going to kill his wife!  Several possible suspects are presented ranging from the obvious to the dark horse that most viewers will think did it to the actual murderer.  I thought I had this one figured out, but the joke was on me.  ‘Dahlia’ certainly does its best to keep you guessing, a nice touch amidst the typical noir conventions that viewers have come to expect.

Of the few movies I’ve seen Ladd in other than Shane, I’ve always been a fan of this underrated actor.  He apparently did all sorts of things to take away attention from his lack of height (he was only 5’6), but his on-screen presence makes up for it.  Ladd has this quiet intensity in his characters that give a feel of not knowing quite what the man is capable of.  Here, he is pushed too far by his wife, and even though she is at fault for something horrific in her past, Ladd’s Morrison knows she deserved better than the fate she met.  A worthy leading part for Ladd as he carries the movie.

The supporting cast is not made up entirely of home runs, but for the most part the casting works.  Bendix especially shines as Buzz while Beaumont (later Mr. Cleaver in Leave it to Beaver) isn’t given as much to do. Da Silva is a great villain, a man with his hand in all sorts of shady dealings. Veronica Lake plays a less essential character early on who ends up playing a key role in the murder investigation as it develops.  Ladd and Lake end up in a somewhat forced romantic relationship that ends up wrapping all the separate subplots together nicely in the end.

The Blue Dahlia <---trailer (1946): ** ½ /****

The Young and the Brave

If you watch enough movies, eventually you are going to start seeing the same stories popping up. Hopefully there's some variation with that story, but the basics are usually there. Originally made by director John Ford in 1919 and then remade twice in the next 31 years, including the Ford 1948 version, Three Godfathers set a formula that was duplicated over and over again in westerns but also in comedies like Three Men and a Baby. But the oddest variation of the basic story? 1963's The Young and the Brave where the setting is 1952 in North Korea.

Sounds kind of ridiculous, doesn't it? The story of three men, typically not the cream of society, saving a young child in a perilous situation worked in the western context. I was skeptical of moving that context to the Korean War, but what do I know? The 1963 war movie completely works on any number of levels.

Weeks after their patrol was ambushed, three U.S. soldiers (Rory Calhoun, William Bendix, and Robert Ivers) escape from a North Korean prisoner of war camp. Heading south toward American lines, the trio is helped by a Korean family but a North Korean patrol attacks the family's farm and kills everyone except 7-year old Han (Manuel Padilla Jr.). The little boy not only witnesses the brutal massacre but also sees the fleeing American soldiers and blames them for not helping. Han sets out on his own, coming across a U.S. army dog separated from his owner who he names Lobo (why a North Korean boy would name a dog 'lobo,' the Spanish word for wolf, escapes me).

It's not long before the trio of soldiers crosses paths with Han, and the group travels together toward American lines. Along the way, they pick up another soldier, Estway (Richard Jaeckel), who also escaped but drew the wrath of his fellow prisoners when he collaborated with his North Korean captors. More importantly though, Estway has a rifle and a radio. So this odd group of individuals tries to reach safety as they outrun a North Korean patrol while also dealing with dwindling supplies of food and water.

Clearly shot on a small budget, this movie takes advantage of its simple story of a foursome of American soldiers and a young Korean boy and his dog trying to reach safety. They're not followed by a regiment or a division of North Korean soldiers, it's just a patrol of eight or nine men. The issue doesn't need that many soldiers, just enough to keep up a presence up. As far as the American soldiers are concerned, that patrol is a division. The chase builds up the tension, especially when they reach a seemingly abandoned farmhouse that may have batteries they need for their radio. The action is saved for the finale when Calhoun and Bendix must save little Han from a bare ridge during an artillery barrage. It's an exciting finale full of chaos and explosions that balances out the natural tension of the story perfectly.

What appealed to me going into the movie was the casting. No big stars here, just well-known, recognizable character actors given a chance to step into the spotlight. Calhoun plays Master Sgt. Brent, a rear echelon soldier thrust to the front who finds himself in an unlikely leadership position. Bendix is Sgt. Kane, a role the tough New York actor played countless times during his career, the rough and tumble NCO always ready for a fight. Jaeckel gets one of those roles where you're not quite sure if he's on the up and up, not quite a good guy but also not a bad guy. The revelation of his true colors provides one of the movie's better moments. And in the child actor department, Padilla is surprisingly good as Han, a young boy holding resentment of the men trying to save him. Small supporting parts go to John Agar and Richard Arlen.

If I hadn't known going in, I would have said this movie was made in the 1950s and was released as a not so sublte propaganda flick. The North Koreans, 'Commies' as Kane puts it, are pretty evil here, throwing grenades into houses full of kids, beating Han, any number of typical movie bad guy go-to moves. As for the Three Godfathers angle, Han bonds with the soldiers, especially Bendix's Kane, and hopes to go back to America with him. Is the storyline forced and a little sappy mixed together with some cheesiness? Absolutely, but I bought it hook, line and sinker. Surprisingly enough, it works with credit going to Bendix especially for pulling it off so realistically.

Filmed in black and white, the feel of the movie is pretty dark, very moody and gritty from start to finish. The actors have stubble on their faces, and sweat through their uniforms as they run. It felt like they were actually in the situation whereas many movies have the stars immaculately dressed and looking like they just stepped out of the makeup chair. A low budget war movie that completely surprised me. I loved it all from the story to the casting to the action, and I'm hoping a DVD is somewhere down the line. Until then, look for it on TCM.

The Young and The Brave <----trailer (1963): *** 1/2 /****