On Blu-ray: Sci-fi in Cinemascope, World Without End (1956)

Word Without End (1956) is an essentially unremarkable 50s sci-fi flick made more interesting by a few elements of its production, cast and design. Now available on Blu-ray from Warner Archive, it is a good-looking film that plays it straight, though there are some unavoidably campy aspects to it.

It's the story of a pioneering space crew who become lost in time after completing the first mission to Mars. Finding themselves forced hundreds of years into a bleak future nuclear wasteland, the crew accepts its fate and tries to make the best of the situation. This involves dealing with the one-eyed, hairy mutants that terrorize all who attempt to set foot above ground and the odd population of apparently more civilized people who live below the Earth's surface.

Terrified of the beasts above, the men and children who have sought refuge underground have begun to shrivel away. Not the women though, who are vibrant, healthy, ready for the burlesque stage and very curious about the hearty, muscular crew that has dropped out of the sky. Jealous of these intergalactic hunks, the men are suspicious, even devious, as they resist the efforts of the crew to fight for life above ground.

Though it is essentially a 'B' movie, the production comes off as 'A' level luxurious, thanks to Cinemascope, Technicolor, elegant, if sparse set design and eye-popping costumes. Those last two were designed by the legendary pin-up artist Alberto Vargas, for the only film in which he would ever participate. For that reason, it isn't surprising that the ladies' dresses in this production don't leave a lot to the imagination (you don't get a close look at anyone bending over or even attempting to sit in the barely legal mini-dresses). These severely constructed garments are more than peek-a-boo frocks though; each is a mini masterpiece of structure and design, and starched so stiff that you half expect them to walk away on their own. Even the considerably more bland male characters below ground get to luxuriate in silky, bejeweled jackets and skull caps.

It makes sense that more established star Hugh Marlowe would be in the lead, but in hindsight the casting appears absurd when charming, hunky Rod Taylor, here in a supporting role, is clearly a more appropriate leading man. When Marlowe jumps into a fight scene with a mutant, you can't help but shake your head at the sight of Taylor standing on the sidelines. This was an early role for the always underrated Australian actor and one of the first hints of how magnetic he could be on the big screen. Amusingly enough, he would get the chance to play a lead with many similarities to this one a few years later in Time Machine (1960), where he would also battle barbaric hairy beasts in the future, though they would live below, rather than above ground (the plots were in fact so similar that H.G. Wells' estate sued the producers of World Without End).

While World Without End is never entirely campy, the outlandish costumes, the absurdity of a population of all anemic men and centerfold women and moments like Lisa Montell's highly expressive conversation with a mutant who is screeching at her from a cave do draw the odd giggle. It's not riotous fun, but it's amusing. Fans of Rod Taylor will not want to miss it.

Many thanks to Warner Archive for providing a copy of the film for review. To order, visit The Warner Archive Collection.

Book Review-- Kirk and Anne: Letters of Love, Laughter and a Lifetime in Hollywood

Kirk and Anne: Letters of Love, Laughter and a Lifetime in Hollywood
Kirk and Anne Douglas with Marcia Newberger
TCM/Running Press, 2017

When I received Kirk and Anne: Letters of Love, Laughter and a Lifetime in Hollywood in my media swag bag for TCM Classic Film Festival, I didn't pay the book much mind. I mean that title: it didn't seem like this was going to be the most revealing of books. I've also never been a big fan of Kirk Douglas. His accomplishments in the movies and beyond are impressive, but even for an actor his ego is a bit off-putting. Eventually I decided to give it a look though, because these two have seen a lot and I figured they had to have some interesting stories to share about their years in the industry and as a couple of privilege.

The book alternates between letters, exchanged by the title couple and with people they have known, and their memories, both about the events they reference and the events leading up to them. There is a lot more biography to this than I expected and it is necessary to put all these communications in perspective. To understand Kirk Douglas movie star and Anne Douglas Hollywood matriarch, you need to see him as a young, impoverished Jew in New York City and her as a privileged, but often neglected boarding school student in Europe.

Douglas' massive ego is on full display here, and if you are not a fan, or even if you are, some of his actions will make you want to scream and throw the book across the room. Anne must have been deeply in love, or insane to put up with the insensitive way he treated her in the early years of his courtship. In one passage, Kirk, who has been stringing young Anne along, takes her with him to pick out an engagement ring for his other love, Pier Angeli. Amazingly enough, this was not a deal breaker.

The Democratic Douglases with pal Ronald Reagan in 1987

After years of uncertainty, the pair marry though, and against all odds, the match endures. While the love letters between them can be syrupy to the point of being vomitous, it is clear that they were deeply devoted to each other. In a time where the husband ruled the roost, Anne always found a way to prevail when she sensed her husband was on the wrong track. While Kirk requires loyalty and submissiveness he can't always return, he also seems to understand that his wife is intelligent, driven and needs power and the ability to pursue her own interests.

Because the Douglases have given each other the freedom to live fully, their stories are that much more compelling. Their correspondence and stories are full of interesting tidbits about the movie business, the people who populated it and its social structures and politics. It's encouraging to see how much of their fortune they have donated to causes they hold dear, like the construction of playgrounds for children who would otherwise have unsafe equipment. There were moments here so touching that I was moved to tears.

While the Douglases don't hesitate to admit that things haven't always been perfect between them, and that Kirk's infidelities and self-absorption have played a role in their story, you get the feeling there's another, darker story beneath it all. It's in the way they reveal some things, but nothing terribly deep. The way Kirk asks his son in a letter, "Was I a good father?" as if he knows something went awry. You look at his massive charity works and see the good in it all, but is there a search for redemption here? It isn't likely that question will be answered. 

This is an engrossing, often touching book. It carefully presents exactly what we are meant to see, while hinting at those mysteries throughout.

Many thanks to TCM for providing a copy of the book for review.

Pre-code Double Feature: Ladies of the Jury (1932) and Smart Woman (1931)

This week I watched  Smart Women (1931) and Ladies of the Jury (1932) a pair of pre-codes now available on DVD from Warner Archive.

Smart Woman

In one of the sharp young woman roles she frequented after her her silent cameo girl days, Mary Astor plays devoted wife Nancy Gibson, who learns her husband Donald (Robert Ames) is stepping out on her. Devastated, she decides to use indirect means to win back her man. She invites his paramour Peggy to stay with them for the weekend (Noel Francis, who was always good for stealing a man if Claire Dodd wasn't around), with her equally devious mother (Gladys Gale) in tow. Also on the guest list: Sir Guy Harrington, a much sought-after bachelor who pursued Nancy in vain on a recent cruise. Guy knows Nancy only needs him to make her look desirable, but attends in the hope of changing her mind about him.

It's hard to understand why Nancy wishes to win back her disloyal husband as Ames is neither attractive, witty or charismatic. Sadly this is partly due to the fact that the actor was nearly dead from alcoholism and could not hide the trauma of his personal struggles. However, it's hard to picture how even in better health this unappealing man could have believably won back his betrayed wife.

After getting her blood going with a few sessions of vigorous exercise outside with Sir Guy, Peggy isn't so sure she wants Donald. It's clear that she's not the kind of woman to settle, but in this case, she doesn't seem off the mark.

Though it has its moments, it doesn't add up to much more than blandly pleasant entertainment. Edward Everett Horton manages to slide in a few zingers in a supporting role as Donald's brother-in-law.

The image is watchable, though a little rough around the edges. There are quite a few pops on the soundtrack. There are no special features on the disc.

Ladies of the Jury

In a rare solo leading role (most of her headliners were as the detective Hildegarde Withers), the always reliable character actress Edna Mae Oliver is delightfully silly in this comedy that shows its stage play origins. In a madcap precursor to Twelve Angry Men, the actress is Mrs. Livingston Baldwin Crane, a wealthy juror who takes control of a murder trial when she is initially the sole member to believe in the innocence of a French former showgirl (Jill Esmond) who is accused of murdering her estranged husband. Taking place almost entirely in a courtroom and a jury deliberation room, the film relies heavily on fast-paced dialogue and constant jokes to grab audience interest.

With her long face, snooty voice and broad mannerisms, I would think that for the most part a little Edna Mae goes a long way, but with plenty of quips, characters and twists to keep the action going, she never wears out her welcome here. She somehow manages to be both broad and subtle, playing big with her voice, but also sneaking in extra layers of meaning with a roll of the eyes or a dip of the chin. In addition to being able to speak fluent French with the defendant, she implies that she knows plenty about the sort of life that could lead to a predicament in which the lady on trial finds herself.

In the sort of wealthy matron role that would generally involve a lot of pearl clutching, Crane plays against the type as a woman who enjoys the freedom and privilege her wealth gives her and is appreciative of the more playful, racy elements of life. She's also a straight shooter, whose morals prevent her from hiding behind that privilege. Those morals extend to saving innocent ladies, but not so much to following the law in order to achieve that goal.

The heavily populated supporting cast ranges from wooden to humorous, no one threatening to outshine Oliver, but most of them providing good support, and occasionally a few laughs. By the end of the 64 minute running time, it feels time to move on, but this flick is good fun.

Though it has lots of tiny dirt marks and scratches, the image is watchable and generally good. There are no special features on the disc.

Many thanks to Warner Archive for providing a copies of the films for review. These are Manufacture on Demand (MOD) DVDs. To order, visit The Warner Archive Collection.

A Flicker Alley Blu-ray/DVD Giveaway! Win a Copy of the Early Women Filmmakers Anthology

I am excited to once again participate in a giveaway with Flicker Alley. This time you have the opportunity to win the absolutely amazing Early Women Filmmakers Anthology on DVD/Blu-ray. From the avant garde to the mainstream and including filmmakers from around the world, this is a delightfully diverse release. I am so excited to see these films gathered together in a thoughtfully compiled, six disc collection.

For more about the release and how to enter the giveaway, I'll let the folks from Flicker Alley tell you the rest:

Did you know that more women worked in the film industry during its first two decades than at any time since? Or that a woman created some of the first narrative films ever made? Or that in 1916, the highest-paid director in Hollywood was a woman?

Despite their incredible achievements, many early women filmmakers have been largely written out of film history, their contributions undervalued. On May 9th, Flicker Alley presents Early Women Filmmakers: An International Anthology on Dual-Format Edition Blu-ray/DVD, showcasing the work of 14 of early cinema's most innovative and influential women directors, re-writing and celebrating their rightful place in film history. Read on for your chance to win a copy! 

International in scope, this groundbreaking collection features over 10 hours of material, comprised of 25 films spanning 1902-1943, including many rare titles not widely available until now, from shorts to feature films, live-action to animation, commercial narratives to experimental works. 

Directors include Alice Guy Blaché, Lois Weber, Mabel Normand, Madeline Brandeis, Germaine Dulac, Olga Preobrazhenskaia, Marie-Louise Iribe, Lotte Reiniger, Claire Parker, Mrs. Wallace Reid (Dorothy Davenport), Leni Riefenstahl, Mary Ellen Bute, Dorothy Arzner, and Maya Deren. 

These women were technically and stylistically innovative, pushing the boundaries of narrative, aesthetics, and genre. Going back to the beginning of cinema, this collection makes visible the tremendous directorial contributions women made all around the world. 

Beautifully restored in high definition, Early Women Filmmakers features new scores by Sergei Dreznin, Frederick Hodges, Tamar Muskal, Judith Rosenberg, and Rodney Sauer and the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra. 

Bonus Materials Include: 
Booklet Essay:By film scholar and Women Film Pioneers Project Manager Kate Saccone.
Audio Commentary: For Lois Weber’s The Blotby author, professor, and expert onwomen and early film culture Shelley Stamp, courtesy of Milestone Film and Video.

For a complete list of films included on the set, please visit Flicker Alley. Release Date: May 9, 2017 List Price: $69.95 Order now on sale for $49.95 through May 16th! Watch the trailer: 




One lucky winner will receive a copy of Early Women Filmmakers: An International Anthology on Dual-Format Edition Blu-ray/DVD from Flicker Alley! Giveaway is open to residents of U.S./Canada and ends on May 22, 2017. Enter to win on the form below and please let me know in the comments section why you are excited about this collection!

Entry-Form

Good luck everyone!

Seattle International Film Festival 2017 For the Classic Film Fan: What I Plan to See

I am beyond excited that it is almost time for the 43rd Seattle International Film Festival! This year the event will run from May 18 to June 11. My hometown festival is one of the largest and most diverse in the world with over 400 films, which encompass a rich variety of cultures and perspectives. Even covering a selection of the archival offerings and classic film-related titles on the schedule is going to keep me busy for the next month.

Here are my top picks for SIFF 2017, with showing dates, times and theaters:

Those Redheads From Seattle (1953) in 3D
Tuesday, May 23, 6:30, SIFF Cinema Uptown

Though I was disappointed to miss the screening of this musical during TCM Classic Film Festival, it makes more sense that I would see the restored film in the town where it premiered in 1953. Agnes Moorehead in a 3D film as the mother of a troupe of burlesque performers? Couldn't possibly be a bore.

The Marseille Trilogy:
Marius (1931)
Saturday, May 27, 11:00 am, AMC Pacific Place
Fanny (1932)
Sunday, May 28, 11:00 am, AMC Pacific Place
Cesar (1936)
Monday, May 29, 11:00 am, AMC Pacific Place

I enjoyed watching Satyajit Ray's Apu trilogy last year, so I am especially excited to catch another trilogy, this year a series of films written by playwright Marcel Pagnol. At first I was disappointed that they would not all be played the same day as with the Ray movies, but given the length of the films, that would probably be insanity.

Animal Crackers (1930)
Saturday, May 20, 1:30, SIFF Cinema Egyptian

I don't think I have ever seen a Marx Brothers film on the big screen. Reason enough to catch this at the festival, especially because it is bound to be fun to watch with an appreciative audience.

Cabaret (1972)
Wednesday, May 24, 7:00 pm, SIFF Cinema Egyptian

Drag artist Robbie Jones will perform a "Cabaret-inspired" revue before the screening of this Bob Fosse-directed classic. This is going to be a hot night.

Brainstorm (1983)
Monday, June 5, 6:30 pm, SIFF Cinema Egyptian

I don't usually cover films from as late the 80s, but I thought it important to give a little attention to Natalie Wood's last movie. The themes of technology gone awry seem even more apt today than they did over 30 years ago.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920) with live soundtrack by The Invincible Czars
Thursday, June 8, 7:00 pm, Triple Door

It has been a while since SIFF has used the Triple Door as a venue for a silent film showing. This is going to be a top festival event for fans of classic films.

The Dumb Girl of Portici  (1916)
Saturday, June 3, 11:30 am, SIFF Cinema Uptown

Legendary ballerina Anna Pavlova starring in a film directed by Lois Weber. If that isn't exciting enough, this newly-restored film has been missing for a century.

My Journey Through French Cinema (2016)
Saturday, June 3, 3:00 pm, SIFF Film Center
Friday, June 9, 7:00 pm, SIFF Film Center

I am so curious to see which films and artists director Bertrand Tavernier has chosen to highlight in his survey of classic French cinema. This documentary will have lots of archival footage and appears to cover a wide array of filmmakers. Can't wait.

Love and Duty (1931)
Tuesday, June 6, 6:00 pm, SIFF Cinema Uptown

Ruan Lingyu, the "Greta Garbo of Shanghai", stars in this 2014 restoration of a drama that was thought lost until a print was discovered in the 90s. The fabulous Donald Sosin will be returning to SIFF to provide keyboard accompaniment.

Dawson City: Frozen Time (2016)
Friday, May 19, 6:30 pm, SIFF Film Center
Saturday, May 20, 9:00 pm, SIFF Film Center

Another film that I missed at TCMFF and am delighted to have another opportunity to see. It is a documentary about a stash of nitrate films that was discovered buried in an old swimming pool in a Yukon territory town and the place that those films document.

Finding KUKAN (2016)
Saturday, May 27, 12:00 pm, SIFF Cinema Uptown
Sunday, May 28, 7:00 pm, AMC Pacific Place
Friday, June 2, 4:30 pm, Ark Lodge Cinemas

Ever heard of Li Ling-Ai, un-credited female producer of KUKAN, a documentary that won an Academy Award in 1941? I hadn't before now, but I'm certainly curious to learn more about her.

I will share my thoughts about many of these films over the next month. Please join me, and if you are going to be in Seattle, catch a screening or two and let me know what you think!

Book Review--Magnificent Heel: The Life and Films of Ricardo Cortez

The Magnificent Heel: The Life and Films of Ricardo Cortez
Dan Van Neste
Bear Manor, 2017

Though co-star to Stanwyck, Garbo, Young and Crawford, Ricardo Cortez has never achieved big name recognition in his own right. Classic film fans know him and love him, especially pre-code fanatics, but he is not familiar to the average movie fan. He never made a bonafide classic, but he's been in a lot of well-made films, like the underrated 1931 version of The Maltese Falcon, Midnight Mary (1933) and Wonder Bar (1934). Now in a new biography, Dan Van Neste gives this fascinating, but notoriously private actor and director his due.

I was amused to learn that the famous "Latin" star Cortez was born Jacob Krantz in New York City. For a while he played along with studio bios that gave him Spanish, French or Viennese heritage, but eventually he wanted his public to know that he was proud of his Jewish roots. He set aside his education as a young man to help his family, doing a lot of odd jobs, from physical labor to Wall Street number running, until he became interested in the stage. The movies followed.

Hollywood first recruited Cortez as a replacement for an increasingly troublesome Rudolph Valentino. As the Italian actor was popular among his peers, this made life difficult for Ricardo in his early years as a contract player. He was often the victim of nasty gossip and lies, though enough people came to know him that he eventually had his defenders.

In the first part of his book, Van Neste describes Cortez's turbulent, but essentially busy career, balancing it with insight into the actor's personal life and personality. Though a devoted professional with a sensitive character, he could be cold, cruel and self-absorbed, and the author is fair in his assessment, digging into his motives, but not giving him a pass for bad behavior. Cortez was both adored and reviled on the set, depending on who you talked to, but he never got on the wrong side of a studio executive, which helped keep him working, if not exactly getting the best parts.

Cortez had a pair of uneasy marriages before he found a happy third union, and much is devoted to his first, with actress Alma Ruben, who struggled with morphine addiction. Van Neste deems the actor poor husband material in his early years, though his first marriage in particular did get under his skin. When he finally did find wedded bliss, it was only because he found a mate who would play by his rules.

While he wasn't always a popular man, he wasn't despised either and he was loyal to his family, starting both of his brothers on successful careers in the film industry. The athletic actor also knew how to take care of himself, staying interested in life with hobbies including sports, fashion and finance. When he would experience various lags in his career, he'd take control, filming his own screen test, launching a vaudeville tour or scheduling a series of personal appearances to demonstrate his lasting appeal to audiences and earn more movie work, eventually including a much coveted series of assignments directing 'B' films.

In essence, Cortez was a complex, fascinating character, who for the most part lived life by his own terms. Despite the challenge of researching such a private man, Van Neste provides a great deal of insight into his personal life and character as well as filling in many professional details. While the author laments not having more personal insights from the actor to add to his story, I thought he did a fine job creating a vivid, revealing portrait of Cortez.

The second part of the book provides more detailed information about Cortez' career in film, television and radio. In addition to chronologically listing productions and sharing basic cast and crew details, there are excerpts from reviews and additional tidbits about each production. I thought that was an effective way to share these bits of information without impeding the flow of the main narrative.

I know that this book has been eagerly anticipated by many and I am happy to report that it is an entertaining, informative read that does its subject justice. A must for fans of the actor and pre-code lovers in particular.

Many thanks to Bear Manor for providing a copy of the book for review.

Vitaphone Varieties: Volume Three (1928-29)

Of all the sound-on-disc systems that were created for early talkies, Vitaphone was the only one to find true commercial success. As a result, there are hundreds of musical and comedy shorts that were filmed and recorded using the format. These films are some of the most charming examples of how Hollywood approached the early years of the talkies. Usually running barely more than ten minutes, and presented like a stage performance, they were a showcase for vaudevillian stars who were working in a slowly dying industry, while another was being born in its place. Now in its third volume, Warner Archives has gathered sixteen more Vitaphone shorts on DVD.

My first significant experience with Vitaphone shorts was at the TCM Classic Film Festival in 2016. Attending the festival can be a test of endurance; there's always a point where you begin to feel so exhausted you could just as easily sleep for a day instead of standing in line for another movie. That's where I was the last morning of the event, as I waited to see a program of Vitaphone shorts, presented by Ron Hutchinson of The Vitaphone Project. I knew that the program was a must-see, but I didn't expect to be so thoroughly entertained by the offerings. It was just what I needed to renew my enthusiasm.

As much as classic film is a part of my life, I thought the humor in these shorts, both viewed in the theater and on DVD, might be too corny to reach me, or the early experiments with sound a bit awkward. While there are instances where the shorts are more interesting as historical curiosities, more often than not they work as pure entertainment. These are simple performance pieces, so there was no need for the stars to adapt acting styles to appear realistic in a dramatic performance. All they had to do was grab and keep audience attention, just like they did on the vaudevillian circuit, and that ability often has a timeless appeal.

The films in volume three are essentially an even mix of comedy and musical shorts, with many combining the two. Among the purely musical clips are the dreamy harpists of The Kjerulf's Mayfair Quintette in A Musicale Melange and the more sportily energetic Horace Heidt and His Californians, the most physically active big band I've ever seen. In one of the films shown at TCMFF, Zelda Santley does a series of goofy impressions in Little Miss Everybody, including a pre-film Mae West. Yiddish stage sensation Molly Picon performs a few of her bits in The Celebrated Character Comedienne, another film that showed at the festival, but the humor in this, and the corny down home Jest for Awhile hasn't aged as well as some of the other bits.

Some of the comic pieces are timeless because they are so enjoyably unusual. As a highly theatrical pianist in The Madcap Musician, Herschel Henlere is a dead ringer for John Waters regular David Lochary and even has some of that actor's nutty flair. The Big Paraders is a short review full of charming, high-kicking large people who seem to relish being given a rare chance in the spotlight. Comic team Edison and Gregory make high-pitched music with inner tubes and tire pumps in the ear-splitting The Two College Nuts.

It's a fun collection and an interesting window into a highly experimental period in film history.

Many thanks to Warner Archive for providing a copy of the films for review. This is a Manufacture on Demand (MOD) DVD. To order, visit The Warner Archive Collection.