Last night I found an odd Noir with a dash of science fiction : "Experiment Alcatraz"(1950), which once again uses the device of medical experimentation on prisoners. Boy, that "Man in the Dark" sure came in handy; this is the second time we've referenced it this week! In that film, Edmond O'Brien was offered his freedom if he agreed to undergo a brain operation, to remove his criminal impulse. In "Alcatraz", a doctor experimenting with radium isotopes believes he has a cure for leukemia. He's tested it on monkeys, now he needs human volunteers, so he arranges to use convicts and the same rules apply. If they agree to be irradiated, they'll be paroled, regardless of the results.
But during the followup, while the convicts are resting in their hospital beds (at the Presidio in San Francisco), a murder occurs. One man stabs another with a pair of scissors dropped by a nurse (Joan Dixon). When questioned, the convict (Robert Shayne) claims it was the radiation that made him do it. "Eddie Ganz was my friend", he tells the medical staff. "I would never hurt him".
His story is accepted and he's allowed to go free, as promised. The axe falls instead on the doctor, whose program is cancelled. The nurse is also fired for dropping the scissors. With their careers ruined, they set out to prove that it couldn't have been the radiation that caused Shayne to commit murder. They become suspicious of his story : how good of friends were he and Ganz, anyway? They knew each other in prison, but convict loyalty is fickle, and subject to many factors. One of which is money.
Now that Shayne is out, he's running a high end boutique. Where'd he get the dough for that? The doc asks around and gets clobbered for his trouble. As a last resort, he and Joan Dixon head back to Alcatraz, where they ask the warden to look for anyone who might've known both Shayne and Ganz on the inside. The warden comes back with Frank Cady (who played the fidgety Sam Drucker on "Green Acres"). Cady's a lifer who once worked in the prison shop with the men in question. He backs up Shayne's story, saying he and Ganz were indeed the best of friends. But then the screenwriter steps in, because the film only runs an hour and we've gotta move the plot forward. As the doc and Dixon are about to leave, Cady asks if they'd like to see his postcard collection. Well, that's out of left field, eh? But he seems a lonely old soul, so they humor him as he takes his postcards from his pocket. "They weren't sent to me. I get 'em from the other inmates. They give 'em to me when they're done reading 'em".
Dixon and the doc leaf through the cards, each with a pretty locale on the front. All are addressed to the prisoners. Suddenly, they come to one sent to the dead man : Eddie Ganz. It shows a lakeside cabin on the front, with a message from an "Ethel Ganz", saying she's been enjoying her time there, and looks forward to the day when he can join her. Who is this Ethel Ganz? Eddie's wife? There's no record he was ever married. Looking at the return address, they see it's from Lake Tahoe. A road trip is in order, to locate the cabin and hopefully the mysterious Ethel Ganz. Meanwhile, the doc is constantly on the phone, trying to keep his isotope sample from being destroyed. "The experiment is not at fault"!, he insists.
As I say, this is a strange little noir that somebody went to a lot of trouble to put together, considering the budget couldn't have amounted to much. But that's the thing - there are multiple location scenes, including Alcatraz, the Presidio army hospital, the tony art gallery Shayne runs, and some nightclubs. The black and white photography is as rich and moody as in any Grade A Noir. The actors aren't well known, but turn in quality performances. You've seen Robert Shayne as a Baddie in Westerns and TV cop shows, and Joan Dixon (a Gene Tierney lookalike), is empathetic and resourceful as the nurse. She has a brother who would benefit from the radiation treatment, and is thus highly motivated to prove it's legit, and did not cause Shayne to kill.
There's not a truckload of plot, but it's made up for in all the ways mentioned. This is one of those "see how much stuff you can pack into an hour" movies, except it's done with location changes and oddball scenarios instead of story. It's also got some cool takes inside the hospital's Atomic Radiation Lab, which gives it a sci-fi tinge. For what it is, I thought "Experiment Alcatraz" was great. The print was razor sharp too, so you really can't go wrong. Two Big Thumbs Up, highly recommended. ////
Now let's talk more about Epics. There are the films everyone knows, such as "West Side Story" and "Cleopatra", and then there are the ones - equally magnificent - that seem to have inexplicably faded into the woodwork, like "Quo Vadis". But then, there are others for which the lack of acknowledgement is stupefying. Such is the case with "Becket"(1964), viewed the previous night, and which I'd not only never seen before, but had never even heard of, until it turned up in a search for Richard Burton movies.
After watching it, I'm left wondering "how can this be"? It was nominated for 12 Academy Awards, for crying out loud. And this isn't a case where I can fall on my sword as a cinematic slacker who has neglected to see a legendary movie. That'll work with "Casablanca", but here, it's not just me. In all my years as a film fan, I've never heard anyone, in any article, tv show or movie review or anything, make a mention of "Becket". You'd think it disappeared after those initial accolades from the Academy, and I'd go a step further to suggest it was wiped off the map. Could this be because it champions Faith? Who knows, and perhaps I'm wrong, but it seems like religious movies haven't worn well in Hollywood. They simply aren't PC, Old Chap.
"Becket"'s invisibility is all the more astonishing when the movie ends, and you are left anchored in your chair, blown off the freaking map by what you've just witnessed : not just one, but two of The Greatest Performances in Cinematic History, by Richard Burton as "Thomas Becket" the Archbishop of Canterbury, and Peter F. O'Toole, who knocks "King Henry II of England" so far out of the park that they had to call the game. It's not often you root for an extension of a 2 1/2 hour movie, but when you add in a Story for the Ages, and a supporting turn by John F. Gielgud as the King of France, "Becket" could easily have merited the Four Hour Treatment given to "Cleopatra".
Henry II is a self-centered king, not vainglorious but in need of constant validation. This is provided for him by Thomas Becket, his court administrator on whom Henry relies for emotional and intellectual support. Becket is smarter than Henry, who knows and admits it. He's grateful for Becket's tutelage, and indeed loves Thomas. He tells him so. In turn, Becket is loyal to Henry but that's as far as it goes. When Henry asks, "Do you love me, Thomas"?, Becket replies that he cannot feel love. He is a Saxon, for whom all feelings of the heart have been driven out by the fact he is of a vanquished people. King Henry is a Norman, whose great grandfather was William the Conqueror. The Normans originate from France, and though they've ruled England for a century, they are the hated enemy. By dint of his fate, in being chosen by Henry, Becket has fared much better than his fellow Saxons, most of whom live in abject poverty and are barely literate. But loyalty counts for a lot, when it's as unwavering as Thomas Becket's. He and Henry do everything together; they go falconing, whoring and drinking, and what appears to be a close friendship is enough for Henry, just barely, though he still yearns for Becket's love. For the record, this yearning is played straight, i.e. platonic, though some reviewers see an erotic undercurrent.
All goes well between the two men, but Henry needs money for his army. He wants to go to France to reclaim territory taken by King Louis VII. He appeals to the Archbishop of Canterbury (the highest Christian authority in the land). The church is wealthy and can afford to grant Henry the funding he needs, but the Archbishop won't bend unless he gets a quid pro quo. He wants equal leadership with the King. "There is man's law", he tells Henry, "and then there is God's law. In the matter of rule, both must be honored".
This causes a rift between the throne and the church. Henry knows he needs the Archbishop on his side, but has never been talked down to and won't start now. He stubbornly refuses the Archbishop's offer, but then the problem is solved for him when the old man dies. "I have the perfect solution"!, he tells Becket. "I'm going to make you the new Archbishop of Canterbury".
Becket begs him not to do this, as he foresees it will divide their friendship. He was a church deacon in early life, and will be expected by the Bishops of the Chancellery to side with them in any matter of state.
"Ah, but you've got no faith, Thomas! You've said so yourself", proclaims the King. "I'm just putting you in there as a role player, to ensure we maintain our authority". It's not that Becket feels torn, it's just that he is nonconfrontational and doesn't want to be in the middle of a political struggle. But whatever Henry wants, Henry gets. Becket accepts the title because it is thrust upon him. He is now the Archbishop of Canterbury, expected to rule in Henry's favor on most, if not every, matter.
But then something happens one day, while Becket is performing his duties. He begins to pray, for the first time in years, and he feels God answer him. He is so overwhelmed that he promises to honor God forever after, and to consider all decisions as Prelate through the Spirit of Jesus Christ. His rediscovery of his faith will eventually bring him into conflict with Henry, as Becket is no longer a rubber stamp for his ambitions. Henry's love for Becket becomes a hatred so fierce that it poisons him. He is obsessed with reestablishing Becket's obedience, and when this doesn't work, he exiles him.
The situation deteriorates from there, and though we hold out hope for a reconciliation between the two - one which almost materialises - in the end both mens' stubborn resolve prevents a compromise. This brings about the ending that I remarked will leave you anchored in your seat.
Like "West Side Story", and not in an entirely different way, as both films have similar tragic elements, "Becket" is a tremendous motion picture, once again as great as a movie can get. While I don't understand it's lack of recognition, this should not prevent you from avoiding it. In dictionaries of the future, they should put Burton and O'Toole's photographs next to the description of "acting". There aren't enough Thumbs to rate "Becket", so we'll have to go with the highest we've got : Two Gigantic.
Like "West Side", I urge you not to wait on this one. Watch it tonight. /////
That's all I've got for the moment. Yesterday I got my second Pfizer shot, so I am fully vaxxed. "Two Jabs, Horns Up"!, as Rob Halford would say. My arm is sore, and it feels like I played a little football, but other than that, there've been no aftereffects. So, I'm gonna head out for a hike. Have a great day, I send you Tons of Love as always! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
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