Robert Ryan and Ida Lupino in "Beware, My Lovely", and "The Light of Western Stars" with Victor Jory and Jo Ann Sayers

Okay, wow. Are you ready for Robert Ryan in "Beware, My Lovely"(1952)? He plays "Howard Wilton", a handyman who is hired by "Helen Gordon" (Ida Lupino) to do some work around her rooming house. It's 1918, we're in a small town at Christmastime. As the movie opens, we see Howard finishing up a previous job. He turns up at Mrs. Gordon's house, just as her only renter is leaving for the holidays. A group of children have also just left. They were at the house for piano lessons. She has a dog named Corky who isn't well-trained. He runs off. She's home alone when Howard arrives.

We already know a little bit about him, and what we know is that he's a psycho. But we don't know just how unhinged he truly is until he starts breaking down mentally in front of Mrs. Gordon as he polishes her floor. Boy, I am here to tell you, Robert Ryan is freakin' scary in this role. He shows a whole range of psychotic mood swings. I've always thought Ryan was a great, underrated actor, and he proves it here, in one of the most unnerving performances you will ever see.

His character traits are laid out early, so there's no suspense as to who he is or what he's done. We know he's crazier than a hoot owl from the get go, but it gets worse and worse as the movie goes along. You just wish he would get the hell out of the house (and so does Ida Lupino), but how do you get him out when he can't remember what he's doing from one minute to the next, and when he doesn't trust anyone, including himself?

There isn't a plot to speak of, other than pitting Howard against Mrs. Gordon, in a battle of madness versus wits. We've seen the formula work brilliantly in movies like "Wait Until Dark". It's extra brilliant here, except that I wish we had some backstory on Ryan's character. He seems to have been rejected for service in World War 1 and is resentful, therefore, of the men who were accepted. Mrs. Gordon's husband was killed in combat in the war, which plays a minor part in the story, but we wish we knew more about why Howard feels the way he does. There's also "Ruth Williams" (Margaret Whiting), a bratty teen who thinks she's the Queen of the Neighborhood. She's Mrs. Gordon's niece, and is at her house to do work, as punishment for "staying out late" the night before. She doesn't like it, and takes it out on Howard Wilton, who she immediately notices is weird and - to her - an ineffectual male. "Scrubbing floors is women's work", she says to belittle him. Though he towers over her, and is ready to snap, she continues to mock him as she heads out the door. She thoroughly dominates him without fear, and it would be nice to have her reintroduced in the movie later on, but it doesn't happen.

Still, even as a two person drama, this is one hell of a scary movie, just because Howard is so unpredictably crazy. Various children come to the door during the period of Mrs. Gordon's torment. They notice something's wrong, but it always comes to naught. Finally a man from the phone company shows up, to inquire about a disconnected line. 

And then the ending blows you away, in a quiet and unexpected manner. While you do wish there was more character development or background for Howard Wilton, this is still big league stuff. Two Huge Thumbs Up, if you can handle it. Send Robert Ryan to the top of the acting class. The picture is razor sharp. ////

The previous night, we saw another Zane Grey Western, "The Light of Western Stars"(1940). "Madeline Hammond" (Jo Ann Sayers) is just off the train to visit her brother "Al" (Russell Hayden), when she's approached by "Gene Stewart" (Victor Jory), a hard drinking ranch hand who's made a bet that he'll marry the next girl who comes to town. Stewart drags Madeline in front of a Mexican preacher. Because she speaks no Spanish, she doesn't realize until it's too late that she's just been in a wedding ceremony. Now she's married to Gene Stewart, and is none too happy about it.

This is a socially conscious Western. Victor Jory, who usually plays a bad guy, is all honor and altruism here as he tries to stop a gun running big shot from selling arms to Mexico. He makes a speech, about how guns are only good for killing people, that would fit in to today's debate over stricter gun laws. He also sticks up for the Mexican people when nobody else in the town gives a hoot if they shoot each other or not. As Madeline gets to know him better, she sees that Gene is a good-hearted man, and she goes on a crusade to cure him of his alcoholism. Once he's well, she buys the ranch he's foreman of, to help him try to stop the gun runners. Jo Ann Sayers is not only an excellent actress, but one of the most beautiful women you will ever see. A character named "Poco" is the sidekick this time, instead of Chito Rafferty. As played by Noah Beery Jr., he's used for sympathy instead of comic relief. It's a very good film, but different from the other Zane Greys in that it has a strong cultural and social message. Victor Jory was a very talented actor, but I don't think he was right for this role, because he's not a romantic lead.

Still, it's a Zane Grey, so it has story to spare. Thus, Two Big Thumbs up. Shot in Newhall and the by-now-familiar Alabama Hills, the picture is good but not razor sharp. ////

Well, how about them Rams? How about the first Super Bowl win in L.A. Rams history? Of course, they won it all in St. Louis with Kurt Warner and the Greatest Show On Turf. That was the greatest Rams team ever, but Matthew Stafford and company are damn good.

Don't worry about Joe Burrow and the Bengals. They'll be back, and they nearly won this game. A lot of folks will cite the bogus holding call on the Cincy linebacker on the Rams final drive (and it was indeed a bogus call), but then, if you argue that it cost the Bengals the game (which is a legit argument, but not proof), you also have to consider the non-call on the face mask grab that should have nullified Cincinnati's touchdown on the first play of the third quarter. Anyway, the Bengals are one hell of a team. They scored 17 straight unanswered points and it looked like the Rams were done for. I am proud of myself for watching the whole game and never once changing the channel or closing my eyes and plugging my ears. I toughed it out, and I'm glad I did. Usually, I can't take the pressure. But I admit, the only reason I was able to watch is because I like the Bengals also. If they were playing anyone but the Rams, I'd be rooting for them to win.

I hope you had a nice Valentine's Day, and have you heard of Dordle? It's two Wordles in one. Google it and give it a try. Or you can try Quordle, which is four Wordles in one, but it's too much trouble if you ask me. You'll be sitting there all day. Also, try Nerdle, a math version of Wordle. It's fun, too.

That's all I know for today. Don't forget to listen to the last four Jim Svejda shows : 91.5 KUSC, 7 to 12pm.

I send you Tons of Love, as always.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):) 

Robert Mitchum and Barbara Hale in "West of the Pecos", and James Warren and Raymond Burr in "Code of the West" (plus Wordle)

How about a Zane Grey Western starring Robert Mitchum? Yes indeed, and he's great as "Pecos Smith" in "West of the Pecos"(1945), playing an independent cowhand riding the range in Texas. The movie begins in Chicago in 1887. Wealthy old "Colonel Lambeth" (Thurston Hall) is warned by his doctor to start getting some exercise or he's looking at an early grave. The doc suggests he get a job doing physical work and says "Try Texas. They do a lot of bricklaying there". The Colonel of course doesn't need a job (he's rich), but his daughter "Rill" (Barbara Hale) wants him to do it for his health. She goes with him, along with their French maid, and on their way, their wagon breaks down. The horses run off, their water barrel spills. They're stuck in the Texas desert all alone.

Well, who should come riding down the dusty trail but Pecos Smith and his pal Chito Rafferty. Chito seems to have a different partner in each of the Zane Grey movies, but this time he's played by Richard Martin, who popularized the character in the Tim Holt series. Pecos and Chito escort the Lambeths to Texas, but once there, Rill finds it hard being a woman in a town full of tough men. After being accosted on the street, she figures it's safer if she poses as a boy. She buys some jeans and boots and a vest and a hat. She tucks her hair up and affects a low voice. When Pecos sees her again, he doesn't recognize her. He assumes she's a "kid" (a teenage boy), and he treats her as such, giving her (him) a kick in the seat of her/his pants. This sets up a gender-bender scenario that takes up the middle of the movie, and acts as the romantic comedy focus of the plot. This was not a typical Western, in that it didn't feature shootouts and showdowns. Instead it was about the relationship confusion between Pecos and Rill as a boy. Chito, of course, falls in love in every movie he's in. This time it's with the Lambeth's maid (Rita Corday).

The bad guy is Harry Woods once again, as "Brad Sawtelle" leader of a group of vigilantes. When the Lambeths arrive in town, he tells them "we don't have police here. we solve our problems ourselves and save the townsfolk money". He's running a protection racket in which he protects the town from his gang. But he robs the stage and kills Pecos's best friend. That was a huge mistake. Now Pecos is out to avenge him. I loved the Pecos Bill stories as a kid, and Mitchum's backstory is based on him. He tells Rill he was "born beneath a covered wagon". That is total Pecos Bill.

"West of the Pecos" is mostly a romantic comedy with traditional Western elements mixed in. It's is all about the possibilities in play when Pecos thinks Rill is a boy. 

Once again shot in the Alabama Hills. Barbara Hale, best known as "Della Street" on Perry Mason, is outstanding as Rill Lambeth. Two Big Thumbs Up for "West of the Pecos". You can't go wrong with the Zane Grey Westerns. The picture is razor sharp. ////

The previous night, yet another Zane Grey. In "Code of the West"(1947), James Warren is back, in the lead Good Guy role of "Bob Wade", homesteader in the small Western town of Ricin (don't ask me why they named it after a poison gas). Chito is his sidekick again, and it's kind of the same deal as in the Tim Holt movies, where Tim had a different character name in each movie, but basically played the same guy, and Chito was always Chito. Anyway, as the movie opens, they're leading a wagon train into town. Bob and Chito are the guardians of Ricin's honest citizens. Both are courageous and quick on the draw. A stagecoach passes them in the desert, carrying "Henry Stockton" (Harry Harvey), his daughter and son. Mr. Stockton comes from back East. He's got 30 grand to invest in a land venture with the town's only bank. Raymond Burr is "Carter", Ricin's rich hotelier. He's also a crooked land baron who is trying to force the homesteaders out. He wants their land so he can make a killing when the railroad comes through. When he hears about Mr. Stockton's plans from the Marshal (Harry Woods), he wants Stockton robbed and killed. He sends his henchmen "Matt Saunders" (Steve Brodie) and "Westcoat" (Phil Warren) to do the job, but they fail because Bob Wade and Chito stop them.

The Stocktons join the wagon train and arrive safely in Ricin. But "Harry Stockton" (Robert Clark), Henry's son, becomes enamored with "Milly" the dance hall gal (Carol Forman). He starts gambling away his allowance, to impress her, but the roulette wheel is rigged in Carter's hotel. Soon sonny boy Stockton is deeply in debt. Meanwhile, Carter has the Marshal shoot and kill an elderly homesteader who has the temerity to complain about being forced off his land. "Quinn", the town doctor (Emmett Lynn) knows Carter's a crook, but no one can prove it because he has Saunders and the Marshall do all his killing.

But finally Carter goes too far. When Mr. Stockton starts buying cattle to open a beef wholesale business, Carter thinks all the land will be taken over for grazing, and the railroad will never come through. so he has Saunders and his henchmen burn down all the homesteads, even Bob Wade and Chito's. Now Wade and Chito are really pee-oed, but they know they still won't be able to convict Carter in a court of law without eyewitness testimony, and no one has ever seen him commit a crime. But this time, Saunders wants to make an escape while the gettin's good. He's secretly married to Milly the dance hall gal. They kidnap Stockton's son and rob him of the rest of his money, then they hold him hostage till they can make their way out of town. Bob Wade and Chito track them down, to rescue Harry Stockton, and also because they need Saunders to testify against Carter in court.

Raymond Burr in his early roles, was one of the most treacherous, evil bad guys in the history of motion pictures. Somebody at IMDB made the comment, "That's why he did Perry Mason, to atone". He's great as the horrible "Carter" the hotel owner, and as an aside, it's interesting that both he and Barbara Hale, who played Rill in "West of the Pecos", wound up together on Perry Mason years later.

Steve Brodie, as always, plays a sociopath. In another aside, when I was about 11, I first saw him in some old movie on TV, and I thought "that's where Brodies must come from". You know what I mean; the sweeping skids you do on your bike. I thought, they must have named them after this actor Steve Brodie. After all, I'd never heard the word, or the name, in any other context. But when I was about 16, I found out from Mad Magazine that "Brodie", as a skid, actually came from another Steve Brodie, a daredevil who jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge. So, doing a Brodie on your bike was equated with jumping off a bridge, but I originally associated it with Steve Brodie, the actor, who always played a bad guy. Either way, it meant something dangerous. If you haven't pulled a Brodie lately, you should do one. But having said all of that, nobody was as bad a Bad Guy as Raymond Burr.

I also Googled Zane Grey just now and read about him on Wiki. He's considered the creme de la creme of Western writers, with the more popular Louis L'amour coming in second. We'll have to see if L'amour has available movies, but for now, the Zane Greys are among the best Westerns we've seen in short format. "Code of the West" had A Ton of Stuff in the script.

RKO seems to use a stock cast in these pictures. Besides James Warren and John Laurenz (who's back as Chito), Harry Woods returns as yet another bad guy (the Marshal), and so does Robert Clarke, who played Ash Preston in "Sunset Pass". Steve Brodie has also been in all three of the Zane Greys we've seen, and Chito has another romance, this time with a senorita who's opening a chili/tamale parlor.

"Code of the West" is some great great stuff, Two Huge Thumbs Up! The Alabama Hills was once again the location, and the director was again William Burke. The picture was razor sharp. ////

Regarding Wordle, I just want to say "please don't cheat". I'm not saying you do (and I'm sure you don't), but I read online that a "perfect Wordle word" has been devised by some algorithmic spoilsport, which causes the game to be easily solved within a guess or two.

They way I see it, if you need a perfect opening word to win at Wordle, you're a dumb bunny to begin with. Wordle, while a lot of fun, is pretty easy. I've played eighteen games and have always gotten the correct word. My average guess is three tries. I've gotten two twos. I got one six (where it said "phew" on the computer generated comment.) I've also had a few fours and fives, but the point is, I've never cheated. What would be the fun in that? it would be like having your Mom or Dad take a test for you. "Oh, I got 100 percent on my test"! No you didn't. So anyway, please don't cheat at Wordle, and I know you don't. I just wish people wouldn't spoil stuff. Just pick an opening word at random, it's much more fun that way.

That's all I know for tonight. The Super Bowl is tomorrow, Go Rams! But if the Bengals win, it's all good as I said before. My parents were from Cincinnati, and you've gotta love Joe "Cool" Burrow. Be sure to watch the game. I send you Tons of Love, as always.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)  

Donald Barry in "Train to Tombstone", and "Sunset Pass" with James Warren, Robert Clarke and Nan Leslie

Last night's movie was "Train to Tombstone"(1950). Now that's how you do a one hour western! An eclectic group of passengers boards a train, which is delayed by a telegraph message. Is there trouble ahead? The conductor thinks so, but he won't reveal any information. The passengers discuss it. They include a spiritualist/alcoholic auntie (Minna Phillips) and her paralyzed niece (Barbara Stanley), a doctor (Tom Neal), a corset salesman (Wally Vernon), a US Marshal (Robert Lowery) and his deputy (Claude Stroud), two tough-talking prostitutes (Judith Allen and Nan Leslie), and a minister (Bill Kennedy). Some think an Indian attack is coming. Others say it's an ambush by train robbers. The conductor and engineer pass out rifles to everyone aboard. "Be prepared to defend yourselves", is all the conductor will say. The journey starts off quietly (except for some hijinx from the corset salesman), and we get to know everyone's story. 

Then suddenly, in the desert, a man is riding hell bent for leather on a horse. He's being chased by another man, and they shoot it out. Then the first man jumps aboard and tells everyone not to worry. "My name's Len Howard (Donald Barry). I'm from Tombstone. That other man was trying to rob me". The conductor finds a Wanted poster for Howard in the luggage car. He has the Marshal arrest him.

But then comes the trouble: it is an attack by Indians. They're on the rampage and the conductor needs all the help he can get. The passengers have rifles, but half are women who have never been in a gunfight. Len Howard talks the Marshal into removing his handcuffs. "I'm an expert shot. You need me if you don't want everyone else to die". He almost single-handedly stands the Indians off. But as it turns out, the Indian attack is not what the telegraph message was warning of. There's a quarter million dollars in gold on the train. The conductor is supposed to keep it a secret, which is why he can't tell anyone about a robbery attempt that's supposed to lie ahead.

Meanwhile, in the downtime, a romance develops between Len Howard and the paralyzed gal. She thinks he's a hero for saving everyone from the Indians, and in truth, he seems like a good guy. Something doesn't square with the details on his Wanted poster. He could've escaped when the Marshal let him shoot, but he didn't. He saved the passengers and was true to his word. Something is afoot with the subplot about the gold. Could one of the passengers turn out to be the robber?  

I kept thinking Tom Neal would be the bad guy, because he often played villains (and he was a bad guy in real life, read his bio). He plays the doctor here, and I thought he would turn out to be the gold robber in disguise. I won't tell you if I was right or wrong. The photography is terrific in this well-produced film. There are many great action shots of the train smoking down the tracks, with white mountains in the background. The mix of characters is entertaining on a number of levels. The corset guy is the right kind of comic relief, subtle, not heavy handed, and then you have Aunt Abby and her communications with the spirit world, and with her bottle of spirits! The prostitutes talk about their plans to open a brothel, while the minister reminds them of the wages of sin. All of this is written and acted with a light touch, but the shootouts are serious business (there are two, both extended). 

"Train to Tombstone" gets Two Huge Thumbs Up. It's a ten on all counts. It's highly recommended, and while the picture is very good, it calls for a Criterion restoration. /////

The previous night, we saw another fantastic Western, "Sunset Pass"(1946), part of the Zane Grey series that was put out by RKO. This one also begins on a train. James Warren stars as "Rocky", a Wells Fargo security agent who is riding the train, along with his sidekick "Chito Rafferty" (John Laurenz), to protect a gold shipment (just like in "Train to Tombstone"). A gang of robbers led by a gunman named "Cinnabar" (Harry Woods) sets up an ambush and and steals it. In the shootout, Rocky is injured. He re-alicecooper-ates at the Ash Preston ranch. While there, he falls for Ashs's sister "Jane" (Nan Leslie again). She knows that Ash (Robert Clarke) was in on the train robbery. The Preston ranch is in debt. This puts Ash at the mercy of Cinnabar and his cohort "Slagel" (Steve Brody), the Wells Fargo bank clerk who helped Cinnabar stage the robbery. 

They hide the stolen loot under a tree outside of town, but another rancher's son sees them and Cinnabar shoots him. When Ash tries to quit the gang, Cinnabar threatens to frame him for the murder. At some point, Ash is gonna have to come clean to Rocky, and own up to his part in the robbery, to clear himself of the murder.

Man, these Zane Grey's are great, if Sunset Pass is an indication. The RKO production values are top notch, with tremendous black and white photography set against the Alabama Hills location. The character of Chito Rafferty originated in the Tim Holt series that we watched a couple years ago (when did we watch it? everything before the pandemic is a blur). The original Chito is funnier than the one in this movie, but John Laurenz isn't bad in the role, and there's a romantic subplot involving him and Jane Greer (famous for "Out of the Past"). She plays a dance hall girl, and both she and Chito sing a few numbers, so there's a musical aspect also.

I'm glad we're mixing in a few Westerns lately. It looks like we've exhausted the supply of available Ann Savage movies, but you never know, she might turn up again, like John Agar or Ron Foster do, just when we think we've lost them. Two Big Thumbs Up for "Sunset Pass". The picture is razor sharp. If you watch it on a double bill with "Train to Tombstone", you'll have a classic Western evening and you'll finish in exactly two hours. ////

That's all I know for tonight. I hope your week is going well, and I send you Tons of Love, as always.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)  

Jack Haley and Ann Savage in "Scared Stiff", and "Fear", with Peter Cookson and Anne Gwynne (plus, the great Jim Svejda is retiring)

Last night, we found another Ann Savage comedy from Pine-Thomas Productions, the folks who brought us "Midnight Manhunt", but unlike that film (a total blast), the yucks were scarce in "Scared Stiff"(1945). Part of it was due to the casting. Jack Haley, famous as The Tin Man, overdoes it as "Larry Elliot" a dumb, third rate reporter who's relegated to covering chess matches while everyone else at his paper is looking for a the scoop on an escaped murderer. When the chess match is cancelled, due to an all out brawl, his editor sends Larry to Grape City in Central California, to cover a festival at a winery. At the train station, he runs into "Sally Warren" (Ann Savage), an antique dealer he's got a crush on. She's heading out to look for acquisitions, but she's getting off at Grape Center, not Grape City. Larry tags along, and ends up in Grape Center by mistake. On the bus, he's playing chess against an Eskimo who lives in Alaska and sends him his moves through the mail. The man sitting next to Larry is dead, murdered with a chess piece. Naturally, Larry becomes the prime suspect. There's an obnoxious kid on board, a twelve year old genius, who - besides being a chess master - is conducting a study on "fear reaction". He follows Larry and Sally to a winery in Grape Center, but it's not the one Larry was sent to. He's in the wrong town. Two weird brothers run the joint, which has a secret room accessible only by a revolving wall. Somehow, the escaped murderer has found his way there. He's after a rare chess set (god knows why) but Sally has already found it at the winery. It belongs to the two weird brothers. The murderer is Barton Maclane, but he doesn't show up until midway through the movie, and then he isn't given much to do. The script is so inept it almost qualifies as bad/good. The real problem is the direction, which lacks energy, and Jack Haley - much as we love him - is just not the right man for the job as the slapstick reporter. I'd say it would be nice "if he only had the heart" for it, but then you'd shoot me.

I really wanted to like "Scared Stiff", and in a way I do, because it means well. I sat through it, but I am easygoing with movies, and you may not be in this case. But because it was so confusing and "stiff"ly directed, it erred on the side of bad/good just enough to make it watchable in my opinion. The Annoying Brat was played by Buddy Swan. Veda Ann Borg plays a blonde bombshell insurance agent. Like MacLane, however, her role doesn't match her talent. She's great in every other movie we've seen her in. Why hire actors like Borg and MacLane, if you're just gonna have them play cardboard characters? There's a creepy old couple who run the inn where everyone stays. You keep waiting for them to be outed as necrophiliacs or other such weirdos, but again, nothing happens. If the director had any talent, he'd have had a winner with this cast, but the guy strikes out. I'm still gonna give it Two Regular Thumbs, just because it's Well Intentioned as I said. And, it has our gal Ann Savage, who tries her best. But if you can make heads or tales of the plot, I congratulate you. The picture is soft and on the grey side.  ////

In "Fear" (1946), our previous night's film, Peter Cookson stars as "Larry Crain", a med student who's just lost his scholarship. He's living in a rooming house, he can't pay his rent, his landlady is hassling him, so he takes a gold watch that was a gift from his father and sells it to a professor, who runs an illicit pawn shop out of his apartment. The professor is a skinflint, and only gives Larry eight bucks for the watch. The money doesn't even cover his back rent, so he treats himself to dinner at a local cafe, and ponders his next move. A girl named "Eileen Stephens" (Anne Gwynne) comes in for a bite to eat. She discovers she has no money in her purse, so Larry pays for her meal. He also overhears the conversation of some classmates, who are talking about the skinflint professor. "One of these days, somebody's gonna knock him off", one guy says. "He keeps all his money in a box". Larry gets the idea to rob him, then all his money problems will be over. He goes to the professor's apartment and conks him on the head with a fireplace poker. The professor dies, but Larry doesn't get away with the money, because just as he's trying all the keys to the strongbox, two other students knock on the professor's door. When he doesn't answer, they worry that something is wrong and alert the building superintendent.

Larry manages to sneak out, by hiding in a room that's being painted.

When the professor is found dead, "Police Captain Burke" (Warren Williams) gets involved. He has a detective bring Larry to the station, but only to reclaim his watch, because the dead professor was running an illegal pawn shop. Slowly but surely, however, Captain Burke turns the screws on Larry by insinuating he committed the murder. Burke does a Columbo on him (or Clodumbo, if you prefer Mad Magazine), where he never comes out and accuses Larry of anything, but the way he words his questions and conversation are right up to the edge of accusation. This drives Larry crazy because of his guilty conscience. In the meantime, he's received a 1000 dollar check for an article he's written for an academic magazine, about how important men should be above the law. This doesn't sit well with Captain Burke, who questions him on his philosophy.

By now, a suspect in the murder is in custody. It's the painter of the empty apartment Larry hid in. He was the only other person who can be proven to have been in the professor's building that night. We know he didn't do it, but for some reason he confesses anyway. Larry is thinking he's gotten away with the murder, and he starts dating Eileen Stephens. He gets more and more arrogant in his personal conduct, until Captain Burke questions him one final time, in the deceased professor's apartment.

"Fear" is based on Dostoyevsky's "Crime and Punishment". I haven't read it, but I'll assume the adaptation is faithful. I thought it was quite well done, except for one twist. I won't tell you what it is, nor when it comes, but you'll know it when you see it. Maybe it's in the book, and if so, I'll let it go. But in the movie, it kind of changes everything that's gone before, and I didn't like it, even though it made for a......well, I shouldn't say. I don't think we've seen Peter Cookson before, but he was very good as the self-centered Larry, who - if he had waited one more day, til his check came - wouldn't be in his current mess.

Two Big Thumbs Up for "Fear". It's in the Hitchcock mold. It's also highly recommended, and the picture is almost razor sharp. ////

That's all for tonight. The big news today - huge news, actually, but sad, is that Jim Svejda has announced his retirement from Classical KUSC. If you've been reading the blog for a while, you've seen me mention Svejda from time to time. I've been listening to his show regularly for 25 years, and there's hardly been a weeknight in all that time when I haven't tuned in for at least a few minutes. The thing is, classical music has been in my life even before The Beatles. Some of the first melodies I can remember hearing were from my Dad's old Scarlatti and Chopin records. He also played piano for a while. So, even before my life was transformed by "I Wanna Hold Your Hand", I already knew things like Bach's Minuet in G major (a famous melody now attributed to Christian Petzold), or Mozart's Piano Sonata #16 K545, another famous one.

During my teens, I didn't listen to classical music (or didn't seek it out), but by the time I was 24, I was putting KUSC on late at night, and then leaving it on at low volume as I slept. I resumed that practice when I was 37, and at a certain point, can't remember exactly when, I never turned the radio off. I mean that almost literally. Inside my Tiny Apartment, I have KUSC playing all the time (at low volume when I'm sleeping or watching movies, etc.) I had it on all the time at Pearl's house, too. One of our treats in the evening was to listen to Jim Svejda after dinner. His familiar theme music began at 7pm on the dot, and I always tried to be there when he signed off at midnight ("on behalf of engineer Steve Seavey, this is Jim Svejda.....good evening"). And as I say, most nights I was listening in between for an hour or two, sometimes for the whole show. As other fans will attest, Jim Sveja has been like a family member or best friend in our lives. He's like Vin Scully; he's always been there. He also happens to be, in my opinion, the greatest DJ who ever lived (yeah, even greater than The Real Don Steele). For certain he's the most knowledgeable about classical music.

I was fortunate to meet Jim, at an in-store appearance by Hilary Hahn, the violinist. As you probably know, I'm a huge HH fan, and when she played a mini-concert at The Apple Store in Santa Monica in 2009, I was there. Jim Svejda was also there, to introduce Hilary, and with him was the son of composer Arnold Schoenberg, who's concerto she had just recorded. I didn't know Jim Svejda was going to be there, and was surprised when I saw him. I had to say something, so I got up and shook his hand. What came out was "thanks for your show, Jim. You make every day a great day". He thanked me, but it was the response of Schoenberg's son that I'll always remember.

"That should be written in stone", he said.

And I agree, so I'll do it now. Imagine a stone tablet, and I have a chisel in my hand. I'm chipping the words I said at The Apple Store, with a slight paraphrase :

"Thanks To Jim Svejda. He Made Every Day A Great Day".

There will never be anyone like him, so be sure to listen while you still can. His last show will be Friday, February 18th, from 7 to Midnight.

I hope you had a nice day, and I send you Tons of Love, as always. 

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Ann Savage, George Zucco and Leo Gorcey in "Midnight Manhunt", and "Bank Alarm" with Conrad Nagel and Eleanor Hunt

We had a blast last night, with another Ann Savage comedy. In "Midnight Manhunt"(1945), the search is on for the corpse of "Joe Wells" (George E. Stone), a jewel thief who gets shot by "Mr. Jelke" (George Zucco) at the beginning of the movie. Jelke steals his diamonds, and the dying Wells stumbles into a nearby wax museum, where he expires. The museum is conveniently devoted to likenesses of dead gangsters, so when the night watchman thinks he's found Wells's body in the lobby, he's quite excited. But then he goes back to double check, and it's gone. That's because ace crime reporter "Sue Gallagher" (Savage), has hidden it in the museum so that she can write a scoop: "Wells Found Dead in Wax Museum!" She'll also collect a five thousand dollar reward. Meanwhile, "Mr. Miggs" (Charles Halton), the museum's elderly owner, finds Wells' corpse among the exhibits (where Sue Gallagher hid it), and wants to turn it in, but his janitor "Clutch Tracy" (Leo Gorcey of Bowery Boys fame) talks him into hiding the body in a freight car to avoid being accused of the murder. The cops think Wells has been dead for years, and don't believe Sue Gallagher's reports. Then Mr. Jelke comes back to dispose of the corpse, and takes Gallagher hostage in the process.

This one's a Poverty Row cheapie, but the players are "all in", so it's hoot. It's basically a case of "where's Wells's body"? set in a macabre wax museum, with Leo Gorcey providing comic relief with his malaprop-laden schtick, and expository dialogue to help the audience through the confusion. Ann Savage is goofy-tough this time around. Her foil is "Pete Willis" (William Gargan), a reporter for a rival paper who wants to break the story too. Savage keeps beating him to the punch, until she's kidnapped by George Zucco. Then of course, Willis has to come to her rescue, setting the stage for romance in the end. If you're a Savage fan (which you should be by now), it's interesting to watch her in this role. She employs a lot of "actressy" mannerisms and reactions that would've endeared her to large audiences, I think, had her career taken off the way it should have. We'll also have to look for more from Leo Gorcey, who's a riot as "Clutch" the janitor. His pairing with Charles Halton as "Miggs" the museum owner is comedic oil and vinegar. Two Big Thumbs Up for "Midnight Manhunt". Enjoy it for what it is, a daffy farce. Get lost in the wax museum and the fun. The picture is a little on the grey side. //// 

In "Bank Alarm"(1937), the previous night's film, Conrad Nagel stars as "Alan O'Connor", an FBI agent hunting down a bank robbery gang in Los Angeles. He's at odds with police chief "Macy" (William L. Thorne), who's arrested Bugs O' Hearn, the guy who pulled the latest job, but Bugs is just an operative, a lackey. O'Connor is after the big fish, the brains behind the gang. When Bugs is shot dead, to keep him from naming names, O'Connor is upset with the Chief, for screwing up his investigation.

Then he goes out to a nightclub with his girlfriend "Bobbie" (Eleanor Hunt). His sister "Kay" (Wilma Francis) tags along. She's asked to dance by the handsome "Jerry Turner" (Frank Milan), a patron. When he excuses himself to use the telephone, we find out that Turner is a member of the bank robbery gang. He reports directly to "Mr. Karlotti" (Wheeler Oakman, great movie star name), the owner of the nightclub. Karlotti wants to move on from banks to bigger jobs. What could be bigger than a bank? A payroll heist, that's what. Hey, I'm just going by what Karlotti says. He knows of a stash of 40 grand that's being held at a post office in Nevada. He sends Jerry Turner and another lout there, to pose as vagrants. The idea is for them to get arrested (because the Sheriff in the town hates vagrants), and then to break into the post office, because it's in the same building as the jail. It's a clever setup and it works. The men steal the money, they are let out of jail the next day with an admonition to leave town. They do this and return to Los Angeles with the 40 thousand dollars.

The trouble for Mr. Karlotti begins when he starts to work with a counterfeiter. The guy creates a perfect looking Fitty Dolla Bill, but by sheer coincidence, he gives it a serial number that is identical to one of the stolen Fitties from the payroll job. Agent O'Connor finds it in the wallet of Jerry Turner, who he already suspects is a criminal. He uses his sister to set him up, and figures whoever engraved the Fitty must be in on the payroll job (although it's a screenwriter's stretch to suggest that the engraver would use the same serial number by accident).

Well, anyhow, by now, Mr. Karlotti is circling the wagons, because he knows the bogus bill has tripped him up. He then has Jerry Turner set up a plan to kidnap O'Connor's sister Kay, to get him to back off the gang. O'Connor's girlfriend Bobbie poses as an intrepid reporter to get close to Mr. Karlotti. She pretends to be sympathetic to his plight as an unjustly persecuted "honest businessman".

Comic relief (if you can call it that) is supplied by Vince Barnett as a perpetually inept photographer. He keeps tripping over his box camera, a few too many times for my liking, hardy-har-har (not!). A little would have gone a long way in this department, however, the overuse of this gag doesn't upend the plot, which is multi-layered and has subthemes to spare. This is one of those 60 minute scripts that has A Ton of Stuff Going On, and it was written by Eleanor Hunt, who plays Bobbie.

I loved "Bank Alarm" (except for Vince Barnett), and I especially enjoyed Frank Milan's performance as Jerry Turner. He does the Snidely Whiplash "arch villain" vocal delivery, like Ralf Harolde the other night in "Framed". According to Wiki, the movie was one in a series of four crime flicks, in which Conrad Nagel and Eleanor Hunt were teamed up as Agent O'Connor and Bobbie. We'll have to look for the other three, as "Bank Alarm" gets Two Big Thumbs Up. It's highly recommended, and the picture is razor sharp. /////

That's all for tonight. I hope you had a nice weekend. I'm batting 100% on Wordle and I send you Tons of Love, as always.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):) 

Peggy Shannon in "Deluge", and "The Dark Horse", starring Phillip Terry and Ann Savage

Last night's movie was "Deluge"(1933), an early disaster film that hold up 90 years later as one of the best in the genre. As the movie opens, scientists are watching a weather front develop over the Atlantic ocean. It's looking bad. They call for all aircraft to land, all ships to return to port, but before the storm hits, an earthquake strikes the West Coast. As an aside, the Long Beach quake - a biggie - was also in 1933. It would be interesting to know if it hit before or after this film was released. At any rate, in the movie, California is plunged into the sea, just like the doomsayers always said would happen. But the quake doesn't end there. It's truly a whopper, and continues to spread across the Midwest, the South, and all the way to the East Coast. There's a sequence about 15 minutes in, where New York is destroyed, and it has to be seen to be appreciated. What the filmmakers accomplished with models is more terrifying than any CGI, as skyscrapers topple one after the other, and a tidal wave submerges the coastline.

Only a handful of survivors are left, and all of man's systems are wiped out. Money is worthless. There are no laws, no law enforcement, no government whatsoever. We're in Walking Dead territory here, minus the zombies. Crime and brutality are rampant. Women are treated like property. "Claire Arlington" (Peggy Shannon), a long distance swimmer, is captured by a beast named "Jepson" (Fred Kohler). She manages to escape his clutches, and is found on an island by "Martin Webster" (Sidney Blackmer), a decent man who is also on his own after losing his wife and two children in the catastrophe. They hole up in Bronson Cave (which stands in for the New York wilderness), but Jepson wants his woman back, and he'll stop at nothing to get her. Although he sees himself as the Shotcaller in this brave new world, he has to negotiate with The Bellamy Gang, a tribe of railroad tramps and convicts who terrorize the countryside. 

Martin and Claire have to use their wits to survive, and have several battles with Jepson. But unbeknownst to them, a budding township of civilized men and women has been organised in the ruins of New York City, and the men have formed a posse to stop The Bellamy Gang. Procreation is a subtheme, because most of the population has been wiped out. All of the women in the ramshackle new town are required to marry and have babies. When Martin and Claire are rescued from Jepson by the posse, they learn that Martin's wife and children aren't dead after all. They're alive and well in the town. But by now, Martin is in love with Claire. They've been through the apocalypse together, and he thought his family was dead. Now that he learns they're alive, he has to deal with being in love with two women. Who will he choose, his wife or Claire? And how can he choose either one, without being unfair to the other?

I didn't like the ending, and that's all I'm going to tell you, though I'm not referring to the choice Martin ultimately makes. I'm talking about what happens after that. Peggy Shannon gives a realistic, pre-Code performance as Claire, whose heart is broken by the discovery of Martin's wife. Shannon's real-life story is tragic as well, she died at only 34 from a heart attack brought on by alcoholism. How sad for such a talented actress. But while the ending is a downer, the movie itself is thrilling, and again, the earthquake sequence is freakin' spooky. It made me a little nervous to watch it, just because we're overdue for the Big One. Well, let's put that out of our minds, shall we? Two Big Thumbs Up for "Deluge", an amazing film that explores the breakdown of society. It calls for a Criterion restoration; the picture is good but slightly damaged. ////

The previous night, we found an Ann Savage comedy! Yes, she can do it all. In "The Dark Horse"(1946), she plays "Mary Burton", secretary for "Honest John Rooney" (Donald MacBride), a political mover-and-shaker who's looking for a candidate to unseat "John Aldrich" (Raymond Largay), a local alderman. "George Kelly" (Phillip Terry) is just back from the war, and staying with his "Aunt Hattie" (Jane Darwell). She asks him to take a book to her church for donation, a biography of George Washington. On the way, he passes a rally for Aldrich. Rooney's man "Willis Trimble" (Allen Jenkins) bumps into him and starts a punchout. In the aftermath, he finds Kelly's book, and thinks of him as the perfect candidate to run against Aldrich, even though he has no political experience. "Think about it", Trimble tells Rooney, "he's a fan of George Washington, which means he cannot tell a lie. What a great promotional gimmick!" They plan to run him as George "Washington" Kelly, but he wants nothing to do with it.

To get George to comply, they send Ann Savage to entice him. The plot is a Frank Capra/Preston Sturges type setup, think "Mr Smith Goes to Washington". The problem is that it's talky and features too much Donald MacBride, who's a ham sandwich as John Rooney. Still, it's fun, and worth watching for Ann Savage, who is excellent at farce and comes across here with crack comic timing. If you're a Savage fan, it's a must see. Otherwise just Two Solid Thumbs up.

Sorry for the short reviews this time. I'm just trying to get caught up. I promise to be more in-depth with the next blog, and I send you Tons of Love, as always.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Evelyn Brent in "Framed" (a great pre-Code flick), and "Prison Break", starring Barton MacLane

Last night we saw a great pre-Code flick, "Framed"(1930), starring Evelyn Brent as "Rose Manning", a nightclub hostess who's out for revenge against the local police chief. Five years earlier, as the movie opens, Rose is being questioned at the station. She's just a schoolgirl, but detectives are giving her the third degree. They're badgering the daylights out of her, wanting info on a robbery pulled by her father's gang. When the chief breaks it to her that her Dad was shot dead, she acusses him of being a murderer, and swears she'll get even one day.

Fast forward five years, and she's now the hostess at "Rose Manning's Casino". Though it's her name on the marquee, the joint is owned by "Chuck Gaines" (Ralf Harolde), a slick hoodlum. Gaines figures he owns Rose, because he's promoting her, but she's sweet on a regular at the club, handsome young "Jimmy Carter" (Regis Toomey). Gaines doesn't like this, and makes plans to put a hit on Carter, but then he finds out that Jimmy is using an assumed name. His real name is MacArthur; he's the police chief's son. Gaines gives this info to Rose, thinking she'll dump him like a hot potato. But Rose has been using Jimmy, to get close to his Dad the police chief. She's gonna kill the old man if it's the last thing she does, because she thinks the cops murdered her father.

The chief, in turn, doen't like Rose, but he dislikes Chuck Gaines a whole lot more. He knows Gaines is responsible for a string of drive-by shootings, to get rid of business rivals. He also knows his son Jimmy visits Gaines' nightclub, to see his girlfriend Rose Manning.

Chief MacArthur tells Gaines he'll shut his club down, if Jimmy ever sets foot in there again. Then he tells Jimmy he's forbidden to see Rose. Jimmy finally stands up to his dad, telling him he'll see Rose if he wants to. "I'm going to marry her and you can't stop me." Rose, meanwhile, is falling in love with him, despite her original plans. She starts to forget about killing the chief, because he's Jimmy's father.

Meanwhile, the Chief does shut down Gaines' nightclub. Then he has his policemen trash it. They bust the place up good, smashing everything in sight. Gaines is furious, and puts a hit on the Chief. He sends out his henchman "Bing" (Maurice Black) to do the job. Bing is supposed to kill Jimmy as well, but he can't find either of the MacArthurs, so he goes to see Rose at her apartment. He's got a crush on her and he's not very smart, so she uses the attraction to frame him. I can't tell you how, or for what. That part you'll see for yourself.

"Framed" has that weird yet wonderful pre-Code style, where the acting is idiosyncratic and non-uniform. Some actors ham it up, others are stilted. There are measured pauses in between the dialogue response, so when an actor says his line, there's a beat before the other actor answers. The pauses aren't long, but they're in place throughout the film and you notice them. I've seen this in pre-Code before, and have wondered if it had anything to do with the transition to sound technology. Ralf Harolde is outstanding as the fingernail-buffing Chuck Gaines. He delivers his lines like a pinstriped Snidely Whiplash. You've gotta love the different acting styles on display. Evelyn Brent, meanwhile, lets loose with go-for-the-throat realism. So does William Holden (not the one you know) as Chief MacArthur. Maurice Black plays "Bing" like a cross between Baby Huey and Oliver Hardy. Two Huge Thumbs up for "Framed" (not as an epic but in the context of pre-Code). The younger stars were all born around 1900, and the character actors were born in the 1880s! I love it when we go that far back. Kudos to Evelyn Brent, who tears up the screen. You have to see this movie! It's highly recommended and the picture is good but slightly damaged. ////

Next, how about a young Barton MacLane, in "Prison Break"(1938)? And not only young, but handsome, too, and (can you believe it?) sensitive! MacLane is "Joaquin Shannon", the captain of a tuna boat. As the movie opens, he and his crew are heading back to port. They've made a good haul, and Shannon is ready to celebrate. He goes to see his girlfriend "Jean Fenderson" (Glenda Farrell). They make plans to marry. Then Shannon goes out to a bar, to celebrate with his first mate "Chris Nelson" (Edmund MacDonald). Nelson is also engaged, to Shannon's sister "Maria" (Constance Moore). But trouble arrives in the form of "Joe Fenderson" (Edward Pawley). He and his father don't approve of Joaquin Shannon, and he's not about to let Shannon marry his sister. Joe starts a fight, from which Shannon walks away. "I don't want trouble with you, Joe, but if you push me, you'll get what's coming". As the situation stands, Shannon has enough to deal with for one evening, because Chris Nelson is drunk, so drunk that he's making a fool of himself. Shannon takes Chris outside for fresh air, but in the bar, a drifter is watching Joe Fenderson.

Joe has pulled out a big wad of cash to pay for his drink. The drifter sees this and follows him out of the bar. He mugs Joe and robs him, but Chris Nelson staggers over. He's so drunk he passes out, and when his brother Joaquin comes looking for him, he thinks it was Chris who mugged Joe Fenderson. Joaquin covers up for Chris, because Chris is engaged to his sister. When the cops arrive, Joaquin tells them he knocked Joe out. Witnesses in the bar saw their earlier confrontation. But then Joe dies, from a fractured skull. Even though Joaquin is innocent, he's tried, convicted and sentenced to one year on a manslaughter charge, all because he made a phony confession.

Once he gets to San Quentin, he pledges to do his time quietly so he can get paroled, but the arrival of a new convict spoils his plans. The new guy is "Big Red Kincaid" (Ward Bond), a career criminal and troublemaker, who is known for causing havoc in prison. Big Red singles Joaquin out, because Joaquin won't go along with his plans to disrupt the prison order. Red organizes strikes, he hides weapons in the factory. Shannon just wants to do his time and leave, but Red keeps implicating him in disciplinary infractions. After two weeks in solitary, Shannon is a broken man. But he redeems himself with the warden when he foils a prison break led by Big Red. He is granted parole for his heroics, and then the plot takes a social agenda turn.

Now, the issue is can Joaquin Shannon go straight? Well, he was a fishing boat captain before he framed himself, and he isn't a criminal, so it should be easy. But no one will give him a job because of his prison record. He looks and looks, but it's hopeless, and all this time, his girlfriend stands by him. Then one day, he runs into a prison acquaintance named Soapy (Paul Hurst). Soapy has a job offer for Shannon, to captain his boat to South America. Shannon thinks the gig sounds fishy, but he really needs the money. He's on the lam now, anyway, having failed to report to his parole officer for two months. But when Soapy is ready to sail, Shannon discovers he's partnered up with Big Red, who's out of prison. The job is a scam. They've hooked Shannon into sailing with them, and now he's involved in more crime.

This is a 180 degree turn from the typical Barton MacLane role. He's usually gruff and irreverent, and we love him that way, but who knew he could play sincere? He's really good here as a stand-up guy who takes the fall to protect his brother. Based on this performance, I think ol' Bart could've had a career as a leading man. Who knows, maybe he didn't want one. According to Wiki, he was a very talented man, who - in addition to being a football star in college - played violin, piano and guitar.

Two Big Thumbs Up for "Prison Break". The script has depth, the acting is excellent, it's more than just another Prison Movie. Like "Framed", it's a must-see. The picture is good but not perfect. ////

That's all for tonight. I'm working hard on my book. I'm reading "On Writing" by Stephen King for tips, and I'm three-fourths of the way through the second draft. Gotta make every sentence perfect. Can't write with abandon like here at the blog, haha. I should be done with the second draft by the end of this month, then (hopefully) one final draft will do it. That will be the Prose Draft, to beautify the language, and change all the "it"s to nouns (or most of 'em, anyway). The whole thing should be done by the end of Summer.

I hope you are having a good week so far. I send you Tons of Love, as always.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)