John Paul Jones Directed by John Farrow Written by John Farrow and Jesse Lasky Jr. from a story by Clements Ripley 1959/Spain Samuel Bronston Productions/Suevia Films P.C. S.A.
First viewing/YouTube
Captain Richard Pearson: Captain, are you surrendering? Do you ask for quarter?
John Paul Jones: No sir! I have not yet begun to fight!
Well, this proved to be an entirely forgettable biopic.
The film tells the story of Revolutionary War naval hero John Paul Jones (Robert Stack) from his humble origins in Scotland to his command at key battles and sojourns at the courts of Louis XV and Catherine the Great (Bette Davis). There are a couple of frustrated romances thrown in for good measure. We see Jones struggle as he is passed over constantly for more influential captains with better pedigrees. With Charles Coburn as Benjamin Franklin and McDonald Carey as Patrick Henry.
Robert Stack just isn’t my idea of the heroic type and the picture sinks or swims on his stolid shoulders.
Odds Against Tomorrow Directed by Robert Wise Written by Abraham Polonsky (fronted by John O. Killens) and Nelson Gidding from a novel by William P. McGivern 1959/USA HarBel Productions
First viewing/YouTube
[box] Earl Slater: I’m off to make my fortune.
Lorry: Aah… what kind of a fortune?
Earl Slater: Just one of those… fortune fortunes.[/box]
I was thrilled to discover a really excellent film noir so late in the cycle.
Dave Burke (Ed Begley) was a 30-year police officer who left a trail of scandal behind him. He is currently living in a run-down apartment with his dog. Dave has big dreams and is looking for the muscle and smarts to make them come true. Unfortunately, he turns to a couple of guys who, while a bit younger, are also at the ends of the their respective ropes.
Earl Slater (Robert Ryan) is a violent ex-con. He is trying to make a new life with Lorry (Shelley Winters). The couple love each other deeply despite the differences in their ages. Lorry brings in enough money to support them both but Earl cannot be happy without money of his own.
Johnny Ingram (Harry Belafonte) is a club singer but seems to spend most of his time at race tracks. He is now $7,500 in debt to a bunch of gangsters. On their last collection attempt he made the mistake of threatening them with a gun and their patience is at an end. The situation is complicated by the fact that Earl is a raging bigot and Johnny is black.
Dave’s foolproof plan involves knocking over a bank at closing time. It seems to be a cinch since the bank is occupied only by one elderly guard and a small group of middle-aged cashiers counting out money for pay packets. We find out all the ways Dave’s plan can go wrong en route to an explosive ending. With Gloria Grahame as a seductive neighbor.
I loved this one! Ryan and Begley are fantastic in their parts. The dialogue is spot on and Wise creates an atmosphere rich with decay and despair. The heist is well done. The only thing I can really fault is the ending which seemed a bit heavy-handed in terms of a “mutually assured destruction” message. Still highly recommended.
I’ve been a classic movie fan for many years. My original mission was to see as many movies as I could get my hands on for every year from 1929 to 1970. I have completed that mission.
I then carried on with my chronological journey and and stopped midway through 1978. You can find my reviews of 1934-1978 films and “Top 10” lists for the 1929-1936 and 1944-77 films I saw here. For the past several months I have circled back to view the pre-Code films that were never reviewed here.
I’m a retired Foreign Service Officer living in Indio, California. When I’m not watching movies, I’m probably traveling, watching birds, knitting, or reading.
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