Monthly Archives: January 2017

Let No Man Write My Epitaph
Directed by Philip Leacock
Written by Robert Presnell Jr. from a novel by Willard Motley
1960/USA
Columbia Pictures Corporation
First viewing/YouTube

[box] Let no man write my epitaph… When my country takes her place among the nations of the earth, then shall my character be vindicated, then may my epitaph be written. Robert Emmet[/box]

It’s official – I love Burl Ives.   I have mixed feelings about some elements of this solid juvenile delinquent drama.

The story begins in 1950.  Nellie Romano (Shelley Winters) is raising her son Nick in the roughest part of Chicago.  She works as a waitress and has not yet informed her son that his father died in the electric chair or that they were unwed.  She has made a family from a group of friends all of which are suffering from addictions or living lives of petty crime or both.  Chief among them is dipsomaniac “Judge” Bruce Mallory Sullivan (Ives).  At a Christmas celebration, Nellie’s friends vow to protect Nick so that he avoids the fate of his father.

Segue to nine years later.  Nick has grown up to be James Darren.  Nellie encourages him to practice for hours a day to become a concert pianist.  Nick is constantly getting into fights in defense of his mother’s honor.  She now works chatting men up for drinks in a clip joint.  Nellie’s friends all continue to look out for him.

Nick’s explosive temper eventually gets him in trouble with the law.  On the bright side, the Judge introduces him to the lawyer who defended his father and his pretty daughter Barbara (Jean Seberg).  Nick finds love and finally gets an audition for the Conservatory of Music.  Nellie’s life takes a turn for the worse when she meets drug pusher Louie Ramponi (Ricardo Montalban).  Her troubles threaten to drag Nick down with her.  With Ella Fitzgerald as a junkie.

Many moments, particularly the drug parts, feel very cliched but basically this is heartfelt and well-acted.  It has the feel of a TV “problem” drama of the period.  I had not seen Fitzgerald act before and I thought she was convincing.  She also sings a couple of songs which is a plus.

The World of Suzie Wong
Directed by Richard Quine
Written by John Patrick; Adapted by Paul Osborn from a novel by Richard Mason
1960/UK/USA
World Enterprises
First viewing/Amazon Instant

[box] Robert Lomax: If I were a prizefighter, and I kept getting my brains knocked out, I’d be foolish if I didn’t quit.[/box]

Gorgeous color footage of Hong Kong graces a tale of interracial love.

Architect Robert Lomax (William Holden) has always dreamed of being a painter.  At 40, he decides to take a year of his life and see if he can make his dream come true.  His chosen location is Hong Kong.  On one of his first days there, he spots a beautiful Chinese (Nancy Kwan) on the Kowloon ferry.  He sketches her and wants her for his model.  When he strikes up a conversation, she gives him the brush off claiming to come from a rich, proper family.

As soon as Robert checks into his low-rent hotel in Hong Kong’s red light district, he discovers that the woman is actually Suzie Wong, a “bar girl”.  She gives him plenty of sass until the inevitable day when they fall in love.  Drama ensues.

The two main reasons to watch this are the gorgeous footage of Hong Kong and its denizens and the very appealing performance of Nancy Kwan as the heroine.  Holden, of course, is solid and the story, while on the melodramatic side, is interesting.  I would have liked the film even better if it had been at least 20 minutes shorter.

Trailer (color is much more vivid on Amazon)

The Leech Woman
Directed by Edward Dein
Written by David Duncan; Story by Ben Pivar and Francis Rosenwald
1960/USA
Universal International Pictures
First viewing/Netflix rental

[box] Dr. Paul Talbot: Old women always give me the creeps![/box]

Not to be confused with The Wasp Woman …

June Talbot (Colleen Gray) is ten years older than her husband, endocrinologist Dr. Paul Talbot.  The cad’s contemptuous treatment of her has driven June to drink.  When an ancient woman appears claiming to have the secret to long life and rejuvenation, Paul becomes all lovey dovey.  He wants June as a human guinea pig.

The Talbots travel to deepest Africa where they discover the old woman’s secrets.  Unfortunately, the process requires the death of a man.  Or not so unfortunately in June’s case ….

The premise is intriguing and has a nice feminist edge.  No leeches here!  There are some good scenes but in general the movie drags.  There has not been so much use of stock footage of animals since the original Tarzan films.  Worth seeing for aficionados.

Trailer

Swiss Family Robinson
Directed by Ken Annakin
Written by Lowell S. Hawley from a novel by Johann David Wyss
1960/USA
Walt Disney Productions
Repeat viewing?/Netflix rental

[box] Father Robinson: The world is full of nice, ordinary little people who live in nice, ordinary little houses on the ground. But didn’t you ever dream of a house up on a tree top?[/box]

This fun fantasy/adventure is for the whole family.

A Swiss family is shipwrecked en route to colonial New Guinea when its ship is attacked by pirates.  Father (John Mills), Mother (Dorothy Maguire), Fritz (James MacArthur), Ernst and little Francis find refuge in a deserted island.  This island is also a jungle paradise, with plenty to eat and drink.  Exotic animals hail from all four corners of the globe thanks to a freak of geology.

The Robinsons are nothing if not resourceful and soon they have a home in the trees equipped with every convenience.  The only thing missing is a girl to occupy the attention of the growing boys.  Never fear, one soon appears in the form of Roberta (Pamela Munro).  Continuing threats from the pirates keep life lively.  With Sessue Hayakawa as chief pirate.

I honestly don’t know whether I saw this as a child or not.  For sure I visited the Swiss Family Robinson treehouse in Disneyland on multiple occasions and must have seen clips. Anyway, the movie contains many wholesome delights.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2b9MQ7vGL4

Trailer

The Angry Silence
Directed by Guy Green
Written by Bryan Forbes; original treatment for the screen by Richard Gregson and Michael Craig
1960/UK
Beaver Films
First viewing/Amazon Instant

[box] “In the meantime the strike is over, with a remarkably low loss of life. All is quiet, they report, all is quiet.

In the deserted harbour there is yet water that laps against the quays. In the dark and silent forest there is a leaf that falls. Behind the polished panelling the white ant eats away the wood. Nothing is ever quiet, except for fools.” ― Alan Paton, Cry, the Beloved Country[/box]

After 1959’s I’m All Right Jack comes a scathing rather than sardonic look at labor relations in contemporary Britain.

An agitator of unknown origins shows up at an ICBM plant and meets with a local union leader plotting to stir up trouble.  They find a pretext to call the men out on an unauthorized wildcat strike.  Worker Tom Curtis (Richard Attenborough) has just learned he is expecting his third child with wife Anna (Pier Angeli).  Although a union member, Tom feels no compunction about reporting to work in these circumstances.

The organizers aren’t about to take this sitting down.  They have at hand a bunch of bored young hoodlums who like nothing better that violence.  Retaliation begins with attacks on property but soon Curtis’s very life is in danger.  With Oliver Reed in his first credited screen performance as one of the thugs.

This has kind of an On the Waterfront vibe to it though here the villain is not a corrupt union but some undisclosed (presumably Soviet) agents provocateurs.  Attenborough and Angeli are sympathetic and the director keeps the action moving.

The Angry Silence was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Writing, Story and Screenplay – Written Directly for the Screen.

Clip