Prison Train

Prison Train
1938 - Equity Pictures
Directed by Gordon Wiles



SYNOPSIS

Frankie Terris (Fred Keating) is a major player in the numbers racket. he tells his associate Manny (Alexander Leftwich) he's getting out and giving it all to him. Manny's son gets fresh with Terris's younger sister (Dorothy Comingore) and Frankie attacks him and kills him. Soon he's convicted and on the train to Alcatraz... but not before Manny tries to shoot him. Manny creates an elaborate plan with many men to halt the train to prison and get his revenge on Terris. Frankie Terris is able to fell those plans but not fate.

MY THOUGHTS

There are B-movies that can make the most of their low budget and limited run time for storytelling... and then there's films like Prison Train.
Many tiny studios would crank out serviceable and occassionaly great film noir in the 40's and 50's. This could be considered a dry run for those, but it barely qualifies as serviceable.

The direction at times is very inept. (not on Ed Wood levels, but close) When Manny attempts to shoot Terris, it's shot in such a confusing manner, the viewer has no idea what on earth is going on. It's only until the old newspaper headline cliche tells us what we just saw.
At the end, Terris attacks the steward played by Clarence Muse. At least that's what may have happened. It is also shot poorly.
There are also frequent extreme closups of a frantic-looking Terris while riding in the train which are cast in shadows that were clearly shot elsewhere at a different time. By the fourth or fifth time that the shot is used, it becomes quite laughable.
Also, the prisoners are trapped in their train car, but the door in and out isn't even locked. I'm not sure if this was a sign of more innocent times, where the killers and other prisoners would have class and respect enough for the police not to attempt escape... or just a bad script.

The acting is very stiff, that you would expect from b-movies from the era except Clarence Muse, who is a standout here.

The film is a breath of fresh air in its depiction of African-Americans. Clarence Muse is a steward on the train also working for the villains. He has much more depth than the "yassir, nosir" stereotypes that litter films of the era. The role is actually respectable... and sinister.

I would only recommend this film only if you would want to rip apart an old bad movie a la Mystery Science Theater 3000.

Red River

Red River
1948- United Artists
Directed by Howard Hawks



SYNOPSIS

A man with a dream of building a cattle ranch (John Wayne) and his buddy (Walter Brennan) leave a wagon train bound for California. Heading to Texas, the two encounter a teenage boy who joins them. They cross the Red River and set up shop in Texas.
Cut to 14 years later where the boy has grown up (Montgomery Clift) and has just returned from the civil war. The war has devastated the cattle market in Texas and Wayne's character has decided to drive his now large collection of cattle to Missouri, to greener pastures (sorry.)
Stampedes and bad weather cause problems along the way. Some men quit. When they are brought back. Wayne orders them hanged. This triggers a coup, which leaves Clift in charge and Wayne out. Clift delivers the cattle for a good price... but Wayne is hot on his tail and that leads to an epic confrontation.

MY THOUGHTS

John Wayne give gives a strong performance. He is often belittled for playing essentially the same character in virtually every film he did, and this is no different. But he that role is perfect for this.
Clift gives a solid performance in his screen debut and hints of greater things to come (which did.)
The film is like a character actor greatest hits collection. Walter Brennan, Harry Carey Sr. AND Jr., Noah Beery Jr., Paul Fix, John Ireland all appear.

The 3-strip Technicolor process is similar to "The Adventures of Robin Hood" in that it gives to film a very child's illustrated storybook-like feel, and a sense of timelessness.

The direction of Howard Hawks is excellent as always. He's the man who gave us everything from the original "Scarface" to "The Big Sleep" to "Rio Bravo." His direction here equals those masterpieces.

One of the big screen's most enduring stars, a bevy of great supporting players and one of the best directors in history make this a definite classic.

Fillmore: The Last Days

Fillmore: The Last Days
1972
Directed by Richard T. Heffron



SYNOPSIS

Legendary concert impresario Bill Graham has had enough and decides to shut the doors of the legendary Fillmore West in San Francisco. The final week of shows was captured on film showcasing many of the Bay Area's finest of the era. Santana, the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna (see video above) and the Quicksilver Messenger Service are just a handful of bands that perform. It is as much a concert film as it is a profile of Bill Graham, and the viewer gets to see what his life/ job was like and who he was as a person.

MY THOUGHTS

I'm your typical t-shirt and jeans guy and I have short hair, but at heart, I'm a long haired dirty hippie. This documentary took place a few years before I was even born, but I dug this, man.
Though this is far from the perfectness of concert films like "Monterrey Pop," "Woodstock" and "Gimmie Shelter," but the music in top notch. The film apes the side-by-side image style famously used in "Woodstock" and helps move the film along.

The performances kick off with Cold Blood delivering probably their most known song, a cover of Sam And Dave's 'You Got Me Hummin.'
Hot Tuna was another highlight, as was the Quicksilver Messenger Service. It's a shame classic rock stations don't play more of these groups. Lesser known groups like Lamb and It's A Beautiful Day (performing their only hit 'White Bird') also deliver.
The Grateful Dead deliver one of their most famous songs 'Casey Jones.' The Dead follow that with a rollicking performance of 'Johnny B. Goode.' I've listened to a lot of the Dead's music, but I'm not sure if I ever heard them do anything that uptempo.
The music concluded with 2 songs from Santana, including a cover of Miles Davis' 'In A Silent Way.'

Interspersed between the music throughout is a profile of Graham.
Bill Graham comes across as a very complex and difficult man. I'm not sure if he would have been someone I'd want to know but he's fascinating to watch.
At times, he's a hard-ass. Some of his intense telephone calls are equally hilarious and horrifying, especially (presumably) to the manager of Santana. (It's a shame they didn't get reaction shots from the other side of the phone.)
Other times, like when he's with his son, or telling stories, he seems like a very warm likable person.
I only knew OF the man prior to viewing this, and now I feel I know him and somewhat understand him.
(Graham wound up reopening the Fillmore in the mid 80's and ran it until his death in a helicopter crash in 1991.)

DVD

The images on this recently released DVD from Rhino are very grainy due to the film being shot on 16mm film, so visually it looks on par with "Monterrey Pop" or "Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders Of Mars." It doesn't detract from the film. The film's dual images may be a pain for those with standard-def televisions, but the anamorphic video helps to fill an HD screen nicely

The DVD is missing a supposedly electrifying performance from singer Boz Scaggs that many say was a highlight of the film. It's a shame it wasn't included.
If only this DVD contained gobs of bonus performances like the Criterion Collection's edition of "Monterrey Pop." It's not clear if any extra footage still exists, though the Jefferson Airplane music and Jerry Garcia's rehearsal with New Riders of the Purple Sage are apparently new additions to replace Scaggs.

There are no special features of any kind. This is sad. Not even a trailer or all-text production notes/bios that were common in the early days of DVD.
Hopefully Rhino can revisit this release in a few years and beef it up.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Though not a seminal event in rock history like "Woodstock," Fillmore delivers great music and the story of a fascinating man, and shoud not be missed.




The soundtrack offers even more great music from that week.

The Red Badge of Courage

The Red Badge Of Courage
1951 - MGM
Directed by John Huston



SYNOPSIS

Audie Murphy (The Youth) plays a young soldier fighting for the Union in the Civil War. He heads in his first battle, is terrified, and flees. Upon seeing the sick and wounded after the battle, he comes across a soldier in his regiment who is both physically and mentally scarred from the fight. The older soldier dies and that builds some shame inside The Youth and that sends him back to his comrades. In the next battle, he's Rambo, complete with a red handkerchief on his head, and distinguishes himself, having conquered his fear of death.
SPOILER ALERT: The Union ultimately defeats the Confederates in the war.

MY THOUGHTS

Stephen Crane's classic novel was a short one, and the film was no different. Apparently director John Huston had intended a longer film, but MGM had other plans. The film is only about 70 minutes. I wonder how much better the longer version could have been.

Still with the smaller canvas, Huston delivers one of his best. Like many of MGM's classic literary films like 'David Copperfield' and 'Anna Karenina,' Red Badge doesn't hide its roots. The film opens with a book opening and a narrator telling about Crane before slipping into the narrative, taken directly from the text. It's definitely an old and somewhat dated device that would never be attempted today, but it works here. The narration sheds more light on the inner workings of The Youth that would be nearly impossible with the sparse dialogue.

Real-life World War 2 hero Audie Murphy is excellent. You feel for him as he struggles with fear and want to cheer when he charges with the American flag later in battle. Huston never lets you pity him as he turns yellow, unlike a soldier in 'Saving Private Ryan.'
Overall the casting is very well done, featuring mainly unknowns, many of whom were WW2 vets.
In many war films the characters tend to all look the same in their uniforms and you have problems keeping track of who's who. ('A Walk In the Sun' comes to mind.) In Red Badge, everyone is noticeably different.

The horrors of war are conveyed on screen well. You feel just how excruciatingly long it takes for the soldiers to reload their guns. Their reactions to seeing dead bodies and explosions are very true to life.
The battle cinematography is stunningly shot. Lots of dolly shots as the soldiers charge bring the viewer right into the battle.
After serving as a cameraman/filmmaker in WW2, John Huston knew how to shoot a war, and this one may even be better than the real footage he shot.

Karl Malden 1912-2009

The legendary actor Karl Malden has died. He lived to rip old age of 97. Although they were supporting roles, Malden brought a lot of depth to his most famous roles in "On The Waterfront" and "A Streetcar Named Desire." Last year I saw the film noir "Kiss of Death" and was delighted when he popped up. He was a class act and will definitely be missed.

yahoo news story and bio

Swing Your Lady

Swing Your Lady
1938 - Warner Brothers
Directed by Ray Enright



SYNOPSIS

A wrestling promoter (Humphrey Bogart) takes his sure-to-be-a-star find Joe (Nat Pendleton) to the Ozarks in search of competitors. After a search through several towns Bogie is only able to set up one match. But Joe's competition is a woman! Sadie (Louise Fazenda) is a big girl with an equally big heart... and is the town's blacksmith! The match is called off after Joe falls for Sadie and he refuses to fight. Then Sadie's beau shows up and he's fightin' mad!


MY THOUGHTS

This film clocks in at less than 1:20 but barely has less of a plot than your average 30 minute sitcom. The film is padded with musical performances by the Weaver Brothers. They play mostly novelty hillbilly songs.

Every rural stereotype is on display here (especially in the hoedown musical numbers.) Moonshine jug, fat guy in overalls, scraggly beard and hat... and that's just one of the extras in the film. The hillbilly element is almost as offensive as African-American stereotypes of the era.

There are a few jokes here and there in the weak script but most fall flat.

Bogart seems to enjoy himself in the role, although he would call this his worst film and I agree. It is worse than his turn as a vampire in The Return of Doctor X." Bogie was probably glad to get a break from his endless run of supporting gangster roles and violent death scenes, although the part doesn't showcase his talents at all.
Allen Jenkins and Frank McHugh play Bogie's assistants and are their usual funny selves, but the focus is rarely on them.
The character of Joe is annoying and seems to be a rabbit-less Lenny from Of Mice and Men. Except, he sadly isn't put out of his misery at the end like Lenny.
Sadie is also hard to take. She takes the brunt of the wretched script, delivering most of the painfully bad dialogue ("Well, shuck my corn!")
Out of nowhere towards the end of the film, Ronald Reagan shows up as a sports writer to cover the Joe/Sadie match. He's there for a few scenes than vanishes (hopefully to a better film.)

I would say the most telling testament to the quality of this film is the simple fact that home video has been around for 30 years, and Swing Your Lady has NEVER been released.
This film is for Humphrey Bogart completeists only... and even then, watch at your own risk.

My Friend Flicka

My Friend Flicka
1943 - 20th Century Fox
Directed by Harold Schuster




SYNOPSIS

The progress of young horse enthusiast Ken (Roddy McDowell) is continually discouraging his father (Preston Foster.) Despite causing a stampede, his dad decides Ken should have his own colt. Ken has his heart set on a wild-at-heart colt he names Flicka and proceeds to slowly tame her. In the process, she is seriously injured and develops a bad leg infection and barely clings to life. Ken stays with her and nearly succumbs to the elements. Will he and Flicka get healthy again?

MY THOUGHTS

The film tends to be a little schmaltzy but has a great innocent straightforward tone that would endear it to children, as it was intended. It also no doubt gave excellent escape from the horrors of WW2.
Roddy McDowell continues his great string of performances as a child actor which included 'How Green Was My Valley' and 'Lassie Come Home.' He's one of the best child actors of the early to mid 1940s. He is clearly the star here and is excellent... although how a boy of 2 American parents in an American rural environment would develop an English accent is beyond me. That's one of the few faults. The main other being the performance of the other child, a little girl named Hildy, which comes across as a subpar Shirley Temple-type.
This was an early Technicolor film but its color balance looks more realistic and muted than many others of the era like the 'Adventures of Robin Hood' (1938) or 'Lassie Come Home.'
The camerawork is also excellent and frequently moves in the wide open outdoor fields.

I viewed the film via internet streaming from Netflix and its presentation was excellent. The film is somewhat dated but I believe it would still work for young children and animal lovers of any age.