Monthly Archives: May 2018

Adventures of Zatoichi (1964)

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Adventures of Zatoichi (Zatoichi sekisho yaburi)
Directed by Kimiyoshi Yasuda
Written by Shozaburo Asai; story by Kan Shimozawa
1964/Japan
Daiei Studios
First viewing/FilmStruck

 

[box] Zatoichi: Such mischief, in broad daylight! Right under the watchful eye of Mister Sunshine. Put the young lady down. I don’t hear an answer. If I’m blind, and you’ve gone mute, this could be difficult. No, no. Don’t move. Move and you’ll find yourself split in two.[/box]

The presence of actor Shintaro Katsu as the blind swordman ensures that each film in the series will be at least enjoyable even as the style and quality of the direction varies.

In this one, blind Ichi shows up in a village to celebrate the New Year.  Vendors in town are feeling the pinch from the tax gouging of an evil magistrate and his gang boss enforcer. Simultaneously, Zatoichi promises to help a young girl locate her father, who was killed at the behest of the boss.  Ichi won’t enjoy a peaceful New Year after all.

The best of these films have an almost Yojimbo-like sense of grim humor.  This one is pretty bleak.  But Shintaro Katsu as the hero never takes himself seriously and is as lovable as always.

Trailer – No subtitles

 

World Without Sun

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World Without Sun (Le monde sans soleil)
Directed by Jacques-Yves Cousteau
1964/France/Italy
C.E.I.A.P./Filmad/etc.
First viewing/YouTube

 

[box] Jacques-Yves Cousteau: Starfish, despite their peaceful appearance, are carnivores specially adapted to eat shellfish. Scallops have many eyes to look out for their dreaded enemy.[/box]

The undersea documentary started with Cousteau.

Legendary oceanographer Jacques-Yves Cousteau  created Continental Shelf Station Two, an early-1960s attempt at underwater living located 10 meters below the surface of the Red Sea. The “aquanauts” had air, food, water, electricity and other life essentials supplied to allow week-long stays at depth.  The documentary also includes many sequences starring deep sea life.

When this was made, Cousteau was exploring a totally unknown frontier.  It is amazing that life can exist under such extreme pressure without sunlight.

World Without Sun won the Academy Award for Best Documentary, Features.

Hold Your Man (1933)

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Hold Your Man
Directed by Sam Wood
Written by Anita Loos and Howard Emmett Rogers from a story by Loos
1933/USA
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
First viewing/FilmStruck

[box] Ruby: Wait a minute. I got two rules I always stick to when I’m out visitin’: keep away from couches – and – stay on your feet.[/box]

When Sassy Jean Harlow meets con artist Clark Gable the sparks fly.

Con artist Eddie Hall (Gable) flees into the unlocked apartment of Ruby Adams (Harlow) to avoid being nabbed by police.  This being 1933, she is taking a bubble bath at the time.  Ruby covers for Eddie when the police come knocking on her door.  The attraction between the two is unmistakable but Ruby is no pushover.

Eventually the two get together.  Ruby is uncomfortable with Eddie’s life style the whole time.  He spends time in jail and when he gets out she agrees to participate in a plan to blackmail a married admirer.  Things go terribly wrong, he takes off, and she ends up in a women’s reformatory.  Can love survive her incarceration?

This has premarital sex and illigetimacy to give it pre-Code credentials but the main draw is the exceptional chemistry of the stars and the non-stop wise cracks and double entendres.  Recommendecd.

 

Fashions of 1934 (1934)

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Fashions of 1934
Directed by William Dieterle
Written by F. Hugh Herbert and Carl Erickson; story by Harry Collins and Warren Duff
1934/USA
First National Pictures (Warner Bros.)
First viewing/Amazon Instant

 

[box] “A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous.” ― Coco Chanel[/box]

Pre-Code heaven.

William Powell plays Sherwood Nash, a con artist.  His latest con involved bootlegging Paris designs and selling them for a song in New York.  He is assisted in this by photographer Snap (Frank McHugh) and dress designer Lynn Mason (Bette Davis).  Lynn has a yen for Sherwood but he is easily distracted.

Eventually, the three move on to Paris to continue their con.  Then they meet up with Joe Ward (Hugh Herbert) an ostrich feather importer.  Sherwood stages a show starring a fake Russian Countess in hopes of starting a fashion trend.  A couple of lavish Busby Berkeley production numbers ensue.

With Powell, Davis, snappy dialogue and gorgeous girls and clothes, what’s not to like?

Oh those ostrich plumes!  And very little else …  Busby Berkeley number

The Gospel According to Saint Matthew (1964)

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The Gospel According to Saint Matthew (Il vangelo secondo Matteo)
Directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini
Written by Pier Paolo Pasolini
1964/Italy/France
Arco Film/Lux Compagnie Cinematographique de France
First viewing/FilmStruck

[box] Christ: Many are called, but few are chosen.[/box]

Pasolini presents a beautiful and bleak vision of the life of a very human Christ.

Though Pasolini is given the writing credit all the spoken dialogue and narration comes directly from the Gospel According to Matthew.  Christ is portrayed as a peasant among the poorest of the poor.  His birth, preaching, miracles, crucifixion and resurrection are all starkly portrayed against the bleakest of landscapes.

The cast is made-up of non-actors.  Jesus is the only one that is really required to do any acting however.  The other characters speak volumes with their haunting faces.  Jesus is a fiery speaker in line with the atheist Pasolini’s contention that he was the world’s greatest revolutionary.  Yet all the supernatural parts of the story, from the virgin birth, through the miracles and resurrection are included as well.  The costuming of the pharisees, etc. took some getting used to for me.  The score is a mix of American Blues and classical music. Recommended.

The Gospel According to St. Matthew was nominated for Academy Awards in the categories of Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Black-and-White; Best Costume Design, Black-and-White; and Best Music, Scoring of Music, Adaptation or Treatment.

Restoration trailer

 

Blonde Crazy (1931)

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Blonde Crazy
Directed by Roy Del Ruth
Written by Kubec Glasmon and John Bright
1931/USA
Warner Bros.
First viewing/Amazon Instant

 

[box] Ann Roberts: He can’t do me any harm. I haven’t any money and I don’t shoot craps.

Peggy: Oh, yeah? Well, maybe you have something else he can use.[/box]

Nobody did snappy dialogue like James Cagney and Joan Blondell.

Bert Harris (Cagney) is a wise-guy bellhop at the leading hotel in a small mid-West town. He sells bootleg hooch on the side.  One day he spots cute blonde Anne Roberts (Blondell) who is applying for a housekeeping job.  He expects to get a tumble from her after he helps her win the position.  But she only slaps his face repeatedly.

They do eventually get to be friendly and she reluctantly agrees to partner with him on some cons.  Initially all goes smoothly but later they get taken by an even bigger crook (Louis Calhern).  They follow him to New York to get revenge.  Meanwhile, Anne is wooed by Joe Reynolds (a very young Ray Milland).  I was not expecting the ending at all!

This has some great pre-Code moments including shots of Blondell in a bathtub and plenty of double entendres.  Cagney and Blondell always perform at 110% and their energy makes for a very enjoyable romp with an abrupt and surprising finale. Recommended.

Indiscreet (1931)

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Indiscreet
Directed by Leo McCarey
Written by Buddy G. DeSylva, Lew Brown, and Ray Henderson
1931/USA
Joseph M. Schenck for Feature Productions
First viewing/Amazon Prime

 

[box] Jim Woodward: Let’s start this New Year’s right.

Geraldine Trent: I am starting it right, with myself.[/box]

As the film begins, Geraldine Trent (Gloria Swanson) is breaking things off with her philandering lover.  Segue to somewhat later and she meets the author of a book called “Obey That Impulse”.  They are kindred spirits and quickly fall in love.  Shortly after they become engaged, Gerry’s kid sister returns from school in Paris with her ex-lover in tow.  How will she warn her sister off the cad without revealing her sordid past?

The usually wonderful McCarey does not achieve the effortless charm of his later comedies in this film.  There is way too much silent style acting, with poses substituting for emotion. The dialogue sometimes also feels stilted and plodding.  Swanson sings a couple of songs in her trilling soprano.  This is highly rated so your mileage may vary.

Montage of clips

 

Seven Up! (1964)

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Seven Up!
Directed by Michael Apted
1964/UK
Granada Television
Repeat viewing/Netflix rental

 

[box] Nicholas Hitchon: If I could change the world, I’d turn it into a diamond.[/box]

Director Michael Apted has made documentaries of the lives of the same English people every seven years for the last six decades.  The beginning was this half-hour TV program.

The premise of the documentary is to cover seven-year olds from all regions and social strata of England – the people that will be 40 in the year 2000.  He sure chose well.

I love this entire series.  It’s fascinating to see how the kids change and stay the same.

56 Up Trailer includes clips from this film

The Locked Door (1929)

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The Locked Door
Directed by George Fitzmaurice
Written by C. Gardner Sullivan from a play by Channing Pollock
1929/USA
George Fitzmaurice Productions/Feature Productions
First viewing/YouTube

 

[box] Frank Devereaux: Oh, I like you in a temper. I want to hold you close, knowing you don’t want to be held.[/box]

Barbara Stanwyck’s first credited movie role was the lead in this clunky early talkie.

Cad Frank Devereaux (Rod LaRoque) lures nice girl Ann Carter out to dine on a floating saloon that stays in international waters.  He has set up a private dining room and locks the door when she rejects his advances.  She is saved only by a police raid on the boat, which has drifted into U.S. waters.

A couple of years later, Ann has married her wealthy boss.  Frank surfaces again to seduce his sister to run away with him.  This time it’s Ann to the rescue …

This melodrama may set the record for most unbelievable ccincidences in the last ten minutes.  Even Stanwyck comes off somewhat stilted.  I lay the blame on early sound technology.

Montage of clips

Only Yesterday (1933)

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Only Yesterday
Directed by John M. Stahl
Written by William Hurlburt, Arthur Richman and George O’Neill from a play by Frederick Lewis Allen
1933/USA
Universal Pictures
First viewing/YouTube

 

Perhaps I’ll get used to this bizarre place called Hollywood, but I doubt it. — Margaret Sullavan

This is an OK melodrama but more of interest as Margaret Sullavan’s screen debut.

Southern belle Mary Lane (Sullavan) has loved Jim Emerson (John Boles) from afar for years.  One fateful night he declares his love and they have what is to be a brief fling.  He is called up to service in WWI the next day.  She is left pregnant.  When he returns he does not even recognize her.  She decides to keep the child a secret.  He marries shortly thereafter.

Ten years later they meet again.  Jim, still oblivious, attempts another seduction …  With Bille Burke as Mary’s free-thinking aunt.

The plot has many similarities to Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948).  It is played for maximum pathos.  Sullavan started out strong and got even better when she had a chance to do comedy.

Montage of clips = beautifully done