Daily Archives: September 16, 2017

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

Posted on September 16, 2017 | 4 comments

The Man Who Shot Liberty ValanceDirected by John Ford
Written by James Warner Beliah and Willis Goldbeck from a story by Dorothy M. Johnson
1962/USA
Paramount Pictures/John Ford Productions
Repeat viewing/Netflix rental
One of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die

[box]Jason Tully: Nothing’s too good for the man who shot Liberty Valance.[/box]

John Ford delivers another classic Western late in his illustrious career.

The story is framed by the visit of Senator Rance Stoddard (James Stewart) and wife Hallie (Vera Miles) to Shinbone for the funeral of their old friend Tom Doniphon (John Wayne).  The Senator is big news wherever he goes and the local newspaper editor demands to know why he is in town.  So begins the story in flashback starting when Rance arrived in town, a law book in his hand, many years ago.

Before Rance even arrived, he was robbed, humiliated and left for dead by the outlaw Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin).  He is nursed back to health by Hallie and her family.  He vows to see Liberty jailed.  Tom informs him that a gun is the only effective way of dealing with this very bad man.

The rest of the movie follows the love triangle between Rance, Tom and Hallie and the conflict between Rance and Liberty.  With Andy Devine as a cowardly marshall, Edmund O’Brien as the former newspaper editor, Lee Van Cleef as Liberty’s sidekick, and a host of Ford regulars.

When two giants like Wayne and Stewart occupy the same screen, you’re bound to get something at least interesting.  Ford makes the movie also meaningful and beautiful.

This one is more intimate than Ford’s other Westerns and I missed the director’s classic desert vistas.  It explores the fact v. legend motif first introduced in  (1948).  The acting is all first-rate.  I’d be interested in knowing why the song and its music were not used in the film.  Recommended.

Edith Head was nominated for an Oscar for Best Costume Design, Black-and-White.

The missing theme song, sung by Gene Pitney and set to stills from the film

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Posted in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, 1962

The Awful Dr. Orlof (1962)

Posted on September 16, 2017 | Leave a comment

The Awful Dr. Orlof (Gritos en la noche)
Directed by Jesus Franco
Written by Jesus Franco
1962/Spain/France
Hispamer Films/Leo Lax Production/Ydex Eurocine
First viewing/Netflix rental

[box] I feel that cinema should be like a box of surprises, like a magic box. And in that world, anything is allowed to enter, as long as it’s always treated with a spirit of “Pop!”. Not in the spirit of “Now you understand the problems of society in 1947”. No, I don’t give a shit about that. I think cinema should be like magic, a surprise, that’s all. That’s why, to conclude, I love movies . . . and stories. – Jesus “Jess” Franco[/box]

Though the version I watched left a lot to be desired, there was a much to like about this take on the Eyes Without a Face plotline.

The movie is set at the turn of the last century.  As it begins, we see a blind, scarred zombie-like figure murder a woman in her bedroom and take the body away.  Segue to the police force and we find out there has been a string of missing women.  At first, it was assumed they had run off with men but now it is surely murder.  Soon after, we learn that the blind man is the faithful servant of a doctor who is trying to restore his daughter’s lost beauty.

Naturally, the police inspector assigned to the case has a fiancee who is the spitting image of the doctor’s daughter.  She is eager to help and does the most stupid things imaginable.

Although it is no match for the film it ripped off, there is some really beautiful camerawork in this film.  The horror parts are enjoyably lurid but there is some comic relief that brings the movie down a notch.  This was one of Franco’s first films.  I’m interested in seeing a few of the other 202 films he directed.

Unfortunately, the DVD contained only a dubbed and a French-language version of the film.  I had to watch the dubbed version since there were no subtitles .  Between the poor sound quality and the lack of a match between the dialogue and the lips, I had a hard time understanding the English and it made the acting seem really wooden.  The dissonant score was also an irritant.

Trailer

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Posted in 1962