Last night we saw an excellent psychological thriller called "My Name is Julia Ross"(1945). Poor Julia (Nina Foch). In need of a job, she applies at an agency for a secretarial position. She's tried all over town, this is the last agency in the want ads. Their receptionist specifies that the client wants someone with no attachments, no relatives or boyfriends "because the last three girls this client had, got distracted by relationships and quit. She wants someone who will stay at least a year". Julia meets all the qualifications, so she is introduced to the client, "Mrs. Hughes" (Dame May Whitty), who wants her to start that night. It's a live-in job.
Julia has fibbed a little about her status. She does have a maybe-boyfriend in her apartment building, "Dennis Bruce" (Roland Varno), but he's a busy guy and hasn't committed to the relationship. Before she leaves, she tells him about her new job and gives him the address, just in case he's interested. "But I'll be working for a year," she tells him. "I have to honor my contract."
Moving in with Mrs. Hughes is a big mistake for Julia, all the way around, because she's about to get drugged and gaslighted by this woman and her adult son "Ralph" (George Macready), who are crazier than a pair of hoot owls. Aided by the phony receptionist, and a male lackey chauffeur, their whole "want ad agency" was a front using a rented office. On Julia's first night, they drug her, burn all her clothes and luggage, totally destroy any identifying papers/ photos/ anything she can use to prove she's Julia Ross, and when she wakes up - two days later! - she has to check the newspaper to know what day it is. They've got her dressed in the monogrammed clothes of Ralph's missing wife Marion. They call her by that name, and it's the old gaslight routine again. When she says, "who are you people? I know you drugged me, what do you want?" they say, "oh come now Marion, you aren't yourself today, you've been ill and we want you to get better". Then they give her more drugged tea to drink. But Julia is quick, and by the second day she knows these people are psychos. Ralph the son is a knife-nut. His mama has to keep taking away his pocket knives because he's always ready to slash something: a curtain, a pillow, a sofa. He's stark raving crazy, and the reason they've hired Julia under false pretenses and hauled her out here, to their mansion by a sea cliff, is because sonny Ralph murdered his wife and tossed her body in the sea. Mama Hughes helped him cover it up, and now they have Julia - who looks enough like Marion to pass - as their patsy. They will try to drive her crazy by gaslighting her until she "committs suicide" by jumping off the cliff into the ocean. Then they will have an alibi for the disappearance of Marion.
But Julia is too smart for them. She keeps trying to escape, through the front gate, then by a secret panel in her room. She even hides in the car of a visiting neighbor couple, only to have Ralph track them down when he notices her missing. Finally, she has a shot at getting free when she fools Ralph into allowing her to mail a letter. I can tell you no more than that, but man, this is a nail-biting flick that will have you on the edge of your seat. It moves fast, too, at 65 minutes, and I mean, c'mon.....Dame May Whitty as a psycho-Mom? She usually played charming, dignified old ladies. Too funny, but scary. On a side note, Dame May was born in 1865, making her one of our earliest actresses, and she was from Liverpool to boot. She didn't begin her film career until she was 72 years old. Nina Foch, with her angelic face, is perfectly cast as Julia, and George Macready is downright spooky as the cuckoo-bird son Ralph. Two Big Thumbs Up for "My Name is Julia Ross." It's highly recommended and the picture is razor sharp. ////
The previous night brought us a Technicolor epic, a biblical Technicolor epic, oh my goodness a biblical Technicolor epic from Cecil B Demille! Are you absolutely not kidding me? We haven't seen one of those for a while, and what more could you ask for, correct? (you are indeed correct sir!) I'm talking about "Samson and Delilah"(1949), which I've seen in the dvd section of the libe for quite some time now. I've been meaning to see it, mainly because I think Demille is a tremendous filmmaker, not just as a director of Spectaculars with Casts of Thousands, but good with actors also. With Victor Mature and Hedley Lamarr (that's Hedy!) in the lead roles, he knocks Samson and Delilah out of the park. You know the story of Samson's hair, and that Delilah cut it, thereby depriving him of his strength. That was all I knew, but the fuller story is that Samson is a hero to the Danite people, who are subjugated to the rule of the Philistines. They don't like Samson but respect him for his strength (strong as 1000 men), and allow him to mingle among them, even to seek out their women, so long as he knows his place. Basically the Philistines want no trouble with Samson, because fighting him only leads to disaster.
He takes advantage of this by fancying "Semadar" (Angela Lansbury), a Philistine debutante. He asks for her hand but her Dad doesn't want trouble with the Philistine prince Ahtur, who also loves Semadar, so he suggests his other daughter to Samson, the viperous Delilah, who bores holes in him with her laser stare. Delilah cannot stand that she is second choice to her sister Semadar, so she arranges for Ahtur to start a rivalry with Samson (whom she craves) and a fight starts. Ahtur has brought an army with him, to defeat Samson (yeah, great idea - not!) and sweet sister Semadar is killed by an errant spear. Now Delilah has no rivals for Samson, and he, deprived of his love Semadar, accepts when Dad again offers him the trampy Delilah. She gives Prince Ahtur the old 23 skidoo and seduces Samson, who falls hard for her because of her (ahem) powers. But when he realises that she's nothing but a harlot, he dumps her and heads back to Dan, his hometown, to look after his mother, who has been robbed and beaten by honchos of Prince Ahtur.
During all this time, multiple examples have been demonstrated of Samson's incredible strength. The Philistine king (George Sanders) knows it's futile to send an army, because Samson will defeat them single handed. And now, he's enraged because Ahtur's men have beaten up his mother. The Philistines are worried. What if he goes on a rampage? It is then that Delilah makes her fateful suggestion: "You've tried armies of men; how about one single woman?" The King, knowing Delilah's seductive power (which is considerable in the person of Hedy Lamarr "that's Hedley!") agrees to give her a chance. She makes a bargain with all of the power brokers in the Philistine court. "If i am successful in discovering the secret of his strength, and neutralizing it, you will each pay me 1000 silver sheckels. If I am unsuccessful, do with me what you will."
She goes to Dan and throws herself at Samson's feet, apologising for past sins and declaring her eternal love for him. But it's only another trick. Using her wiles, she gets Samson to give up his secret, and after she cuts his hair he is weakened. "I am now like any other man." Then Ahtur reappears, and has Samson chained to a grist mill, to turn it forevermore. Against Delilah's wishes, he is also blinded by Ahtur. Now she feels guilty for Samson's plight (imagine that) and, for his final wish, after he prays to God for one last burst of strength, she leads him to the Philistine temple, where he is to be made sport of like the Christians and lions. Once, he killed a lion with his bare hands. Now, sightless, he will be their prey. But Samson, with Delilah's help, makes his way to stand between two columns of the temple, and with the strength of God he pulls it down upon the hecklers and the crowned heads. All die, including Samson and Delilah. If you can find a more tremendous film, have at it. I give it our highest rating, Two Gigantic Thumbs Up. There are more subplots than you can shake a stick at, and our old pal Harry Woods (from 60 minute Westerns) makes an appearance as a member of the King's court. Also shining in a support role is Olive Deering as "Miriam" the Danite girl, who is "milk face plain" in Delilah's words, but who she is jealous of because Samson is loyal to Miriam. Don't miss "Samson and Delilah", it's very highly recommended, but it's only available on Netflix or dvd. ////
That's all I know for the moment. I hope you're enjoying your week. I'm listening to "Nostradamus" by Judas Priest and I send you Tons of Love as always. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
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