Category Archives: Uncategorized

Considering all that happened to him, Charlie Chaplin felt compelled to make a film about the McCarthy hearings and the turbulent cold-war political dramas of the 1950s. But rather than make a realistic, documentary-style film, Chaplin made a very amusing … Continue reading →

MGM put the great talents of Greer Garson and Ronald Colman together in a 1942 movie called “Random Harvest.”  Colman plays a soldier just back from World War 1 in France, where an explosion has wiped out his memory.  He … Continue reading →

Clark Gable supposedly didn’t get along with Jeannette MacDonald while the two filmed “San Francisco,” the great MGM film from 1936.  Despite their lack of chemistry off the set, their relationship in the film seems believable and effective.  In San … Continue reading →

Jacques Becker’s “Touchez pas au grisbi,” a french-language film from 1954, can be described as a meandering gangster film, with underworld figures more interested in food and romance than material gain.  It features Jean Gabin in a riveting performance as … Continue reading →

Kirk Douglas, Anthony Quinn and Carolyn Jones star in a terrific western called “Last Train to Gun Hill.”  The 1959 movie features Douglas as Matt Morgan, a Marshall who learns that a pair of cowhands from Gun Hill have raped … Continue reading →

There is no need to wonder about the motivation of the lead character in “The Story of Qiu Ju,” a 1992 Chinese language film directed by Yimou Zhang.  Li Gong plays the title character, a pregnant peasant woman seeking justice … Continue reading →

Having Myrna Loy and William Powell in a movie works every time, especially when the script provides an interesting story and hilarious situations.  That’s the case with “Love Crazy,” the 1941 movie directed by Jack Conway and also starring Jack … Continue reading →

The 1938 French film “Le Schpountz,” was released as “Heartbeat” in the USA; however, the English title hardly makes sense since the lead character is referred to as Le Schpountz throughout the film.  A Schpountz is a foolish fellow, perhaps … Continue reading →

It’s always a pleasure to see Errol Flynn performing in a movie.  With Flynn, you can count on adventure, a big story and lots of confident humor.  Although “Kim,’ a 1950 color film, features a boy as the main character, … Continue reading →

Even the lightest of films works better with a good cast, and that’s the case with “Tom Dick and Harry.”  The 1941 film directed by Henry Hathaway stars Ginger Rogers as Janie, a ditsy telephone operator who dreams of marriage … Continue reading →