The Ghost Ship Directed by Mark Robson Written by Donald Henderson Clark from a story by Leo Mittler 1943/USA RKO Radio Pictures
First viewing/Netflix rental
[box] Captain Will Stone: Well, I’ve never felt more sane in my life than I do at this moment… Who’s crazy? You, who defied me and are helpless? Or I, who control your destiny and the destiny of the ‘Altair’ and all the lives on board?[/box]
In this Val Lewton production, instead of ghosts, we get the Boss from Hell. Being trapped with him turns out to be scarier than any ghost could ever be.
After graduating from the training academy, Tom Merriam ships out for the first time as third officer (Russell Wade) on a merchant ship. Captain Will Stone (Richard Dix) welcomes Merriam with open arms and becomes almost a father figure for him. He wants to teach Tom about how to run a ship. The key lesson is the unquestionable authority of the captain. It develops that Stone has a kind of mania for authority. When Tom is forced to question the death of an outspoken shipmate under very suspicious circumstances, the die is cast.
I thought this was even scarier than The Leopard Man. You never know what is going to happen next but can be sure it will be bad. Not only is there the creepy paranoid captain but, after Merriam challenges him, the younger man cannot find a single friend on the crew. I still think Richard Dix can’t act but his detachment from the material and false jocularity was just perfect for a paranoic. A really lame ending comes out of nowhere in the last two or three minutes but by then we have had our thrills. Recommended.
The Leopard Man Directed by Jacques Tourneur
Written by Ardel Wray and Edward Dein from the novel Black Alibi by Cornell Woolrich
1943/USA
RKO Radio Pictures
First viewing/Netflix rental
[box] Charlie How-Come: You don’t get the idea, mister. These cops banging those pans, flashing those lights, they’re gonna scare that poor cat of mine. Cats are funny, mister. They don’t want to hurt you, but if you scare them they go crazy. These cops, they don’t know what they’re doing.[/box]
Val Lewton had to use the titles the studio gave him but he used them to make atmospheric gems about our primal fears, this time the terror of being alone in the dark and with no control over one’s fate.
PR man Jerry Manning (Dennis O’Keefe) is always looking out for his client nightclub performer Ki-Ki Walter.(Jean Brooks). He gets the brilliant idea of borrowing a panther from a travelling carnival. The idea is that Ki-Ki will make a grand entrance with the animal on a leash, thus upstaging the act of her rival, Spanish dancer Clo Clo (Margo). Clo Clo, unfazed, approaches the cat, her castanets clicking. Ki-Ki loses control and the panther escapes into the streets.
The cat promptly starts stalking human prey. Or does it? The search is on.
With no gore and only the slightest hint of blood, this has several legitimate thrills. Val Lewton’s team is so good at creating the sense of impending doom and nighttime terrors that we are primed to jump at the slightest noise or movement. We also get a nice running theme about destiny. The romance is kind of hokey but that is not the point here. Cinematographer Robert De Grosse provided the beautiful low-key lighting. Recommended.
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (Münchhausen) Directed by Josef von Báky Written by Erich Kästner 1943/Germany Universum Film (UFA)
First viewing/Netflix rental
[box] It is always the best policy to speak the truth, unless, of course, you are an exceptionally good liar. — Jerome K. Jerome [/box]
Despite its provenance, this Agfacolor fantasy extravaganza is truly entertaining.
The story is framed by scenes set in the contemporary present in which Hans Albers, who also plays Munchhausen, relates the 18th Century adventures of the celebrated liar and adventurer to some dinner guests.
Baron Munchhausen is a hearty, adventurous type with quite a taste for the ladies and a ready wit. His incredible adventures take him from the battlefields of Prussia, to the court of Catherine the Great where he conquers the Empress’s heart, via cannonball to a sultan’s palace in Turkey, thence to Venice and finally to the moon in a hot air balloon. Along the way, he is granted his wish to remain forever young until he decides he wants to die and a magic ring that allows him one hour of invisibility. With a cast of thousands, including some very beautiful women.
The moon according to Munchhausen
Josef Goebbels actually believed that once the war was over and Germany ruled the world Berlin would be come the new Hollywood. He decided to give UFA an unlimited budget to film the beloved Munchhausen story in celebration of its 25th Anniversary in December 1942. This included granting permission to use a banned, but gifted writer. The movie was also intended to showcase the German Agfacolor process.
The large budget certainly all ended up on the screen. This film looks simply beautiful and has loads of impressive special effects for the time. It is also supremely light and humorous, a piece of enjoyable fluff with very nice performances.
The film came in behind schedule and way over budget, largely due to technical glitches with the Agfa process. UFA was concerned that the film would not recoup its investment but it needn’t have worried. By Spring 1943 when the movie was finally released, the tide of the war had turned and the 6th Army had surrendered at Stalingrad. German audiences attended in droves for some much needed escapism. My information has been gleaned from an introduction by the head of the Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau Foundation, which did the restoration that appears on the Kino DVD.
The Hard Way Directed by Vincent Sherman Written by Daniel Fuchs and Peter Viertel 1943/USA Warner Bros
First viewing/Warner Archive DVD
[box] Ice Cream Parlor Waitress: [Love] Never hits you, does it?
Paul Collins: [Sarcastically] Every other Thursday, Baby.[/box]
This cliche-ridden picture about a woman who claws her sister’s way to the top features a steely performance by Ida Lupino and a touching dramatic turn by Jack Carson.
Helen Chernan (Ida Lupino) has raised her little sister Katherine Blaine (Joan Leslie) in the home she shares with her blue-collar husband in their grimy home town since the girls lost their parents. Katherine is now about to graduate from high school and pining for a white dress. But Mr. Chernan refuses to buy one for her despite the vehement protestations of Helen.
One night on a date, Katie goes to a vaudeville house where she is entranced by the act of comedy song-and-dance men Albert Runkel (Jack Carson) and Paul Collins (Dennis Morgan). Afterwards, she does a little routine of her own for her friends at an ice cream parlor. Albert spots her, tells her she is talented, and falls for her. When she reports this back to Helen, Helen sees her opportunity to get out of hicksville. With a little prodding, Katherine and Albert are married in no time and setting off on the road with the act.
Helen becomes a total “stage mother” type that will stop at nothing to make Katie a star. She plays the men off against each other to get Katie a bigger part in the act. After that, she manages to get Katie a solo spot of her own on Broadway and to separate her from Albert, breaking Albert’s heart in the process. Paul sees through all this and compares Helen to Lady Macbeth. But Helen is secretly in love with him any way.
The rest of the story takes the audience through the heartbreak of Katherine’s glowing success and a love triangle.
My biggest problem with this movie was that I thought both the vaudeville act and Joan Leslie’s singing and dancing were just terrible. This could have been intended I suppose but all indications are that we are meant to think that Katherine is very talented. Dennis Morgan reveals his singing talent out of nowhere at the very end. Otherwise, there are some strong performances in a rather cliched plot. Jack Carson was the standout for me in an uncharacteristically dramatic and poignant role.
Tampopo Directed by Jûzô Itami Written by Jûzô Itami 1985/Japan Itami Productions/New Century Productions
Repeat viewing/My DVD collection
#783 of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
[box] Man in White Suit: I’ll kill you if you make that noise once the movie starts! Understand? And… I also don’t like watch alarms going off.[/box]
In this very funny film, good food is connected to birth, death, sex, work, and pleasure in a mouth-watering way.
The movie is presented in a series of vignettes with a framing sequence and a running story. Â It begins in a cinema where a yakuza in a white suit is sitting with his moll, a sumptuous repast in front of them. Â He says that a movie plays when one is dying and he wants to see that movie. Â This character is our main link between food and sex (with a memorable scene of food foreplay coming up) and food and death and will reappear several times with his girlfriend. Â The film ends with a beautiful shot of an infant breastfeeding to make the circle complete.
The main story concerns the widow Tampopo (Nobuko Miyamoto) who is trying to make a go of her late husband’s ramen restaurant.  Goro (Tsutomo Nagazaki), a truckdriver, and his  buddy come in to get out of the rain.  After defending Tampopo from a drunken admirer, they tell her that her noodles aren’t very good and why.  She begs them to help her and they do.  The three scour the city in search of the very best ramen to emulate, leading to some comical encounters with rival restaurant owners.
In the meantime, there are some hilarious short scenes showing all kinds of people from a salary man to a dying mother preparing and enjoying food. Â I like the one in the photo below where this lady gets pornographic pleasure from sneaking around a gourmet store and fondling the produce. Â I also like the gourmet salary man, the noodle instruction scene, and well everything about this movie.
After some very hard work, Tampopo is ready to launch her new line of ramen. Â She has perfected her craft. Â The only thing missing to make this a Western would be the son shouting “Come back, Goro!” at the end.
This may be the most mouth-watering movie ever made.  You can almost smell the delicious aromas wafting through the screen.  Equally, though, it is about Tampopo’s quest for excellence.  I always leave it feeling as inspired as I do hungry.  Highly recommended.
Sanshiro Sugata (Sugata Sanshirô) Directed by Akira Kurasawa Written by Akira Kurasawa from a novel by Tsuneo Tomita 1943/Japan Tojo Company
First viewing/Hulu Plus
[box] I like unformed characters. This may be because, no matter how old I get, I am still unformed myself. — Akira Kurosawa[/box]
Although 17 minutes of Sanshiro Sugata was cut by Japan’s wartime government and subsequently lost, Kurosawa’s directorial debut contains ample evidence of his budding genius.
It is the late nineteenth century and the traditional jujitsu wrestling is being challenged by the newer judo style. Young Sanshiro Sugata presents himself as a student of a jujitsu master. But when the master and all of his disciples are easily defeated by judo master Yano, Sanshiro drops everything on the spot and follows him. Months pass and Sanshiro becomes strong enough to beat up several people in a street brawl. Disgusted, Yano tells him he knows nothing of life or humanity and dismisses him. Sanshiro throws himself into a canal and stays there all night clutching a pole. Yano still refuses to forgive him. Then Sanshiro looks at a lotus flower, understands its message, and begs forgiveness like a child. The master and student reconcile.
After Sanshiro kills a jujitsu opponent in a challenge match, the Westernized snakelike Higaki asks him for a fight. Sanshiro is prevented from accepting his challenge. He is next scheduled for an exhibition fight with the famous Murai (Takashi Shimura). Murai is getting old and Higaki assures him he cannot win. Murai’s daughter Sayo begins praying for her father. She is glimpsed by Yano and Sanshiro at the temple, both comment on her beautiful and sincere devotion. When Sanshiro gets to know Sayo, he finally finds out her relation to Murai and is left with a moral dilemma. The film concludes with an exquisitely shot fight between Sanshiro and Higaki in a field of tall grass.
The propaganda value of this piece is mainly contained in the match-up between the Victorian-dressed Higaki and the traditional, honorable, and pure Sanshiro but it is not overly blatant. The compositions could only have been done by a master. Already wind is being used to indicate turmoil. I am sure I would have gotten more out of this if I knew more about martial arts and Japanese culture or if the 17 minutes had not been cut. That said, I enjoyed the film quite a lot.
Girl Crazy Directed by Norman Taurog and Busby Berkeley Written by Fred F. Finklehoff from the musical play by Guy Bolton and Jack McGown 1943/USA Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
First viewing/Netflix rental
[box] Henry Lathrop: Well, after approaching the subject from every standpoint very objectively, I think it would be to our mutual advantage if we became engaged.[/box]
This plot has a lot in common with the other Mickey Rooney-Judy Garland vehicles but the Gershwin tunes put this near the top of those movies.
Danny Churchill (Rooney) is a student at Yale but he spends most of his time chasing girls and hitting nightspots. His newspaper editor father has had enough so he sends him to a small boys college out West. This might put a cramp in Danny’s style but on his way from the train station to town he meets cute with the local postmistress Ginger Gray (Garland) and is immediately smitten. Ginger is also the granddaughter of the owner and dean of the school (Guy Kibbee).
Ginger is not impressed with a tenderfoot like Danny. She is too busy being the darling of all the boys at the school. But Danny is nothing if not persistent. His idea to put on a show to save the college clinches the deal. With June Allyson doing a specialty number, Nancy Walker as Ginger’s cousin, and Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra.
With classics like “i Got Rhythm”, “Embraceable You”, “But Not for Me” and “Fascinatin’ Rhythm” performed by this cast, who needs a plot? The dancing is nice too.
Clip – Garland singing one of her most beautiful ballads
Watch on the Rhine Directed by Herman Shumlin Written by Dashiell Hammett and Lillian Hellman from the play by Hellman 1943/USA Warner Bros
Repeat viewing/Netflix rental
[box] Kurt Muller: I do not tell you this story to prove that we are remarkable but to prove that they are not.[/box]
Oscar-winner Paul Lukas is well worth seeing in this tale of German resistance to facism in the years before America entered the war.
Kurt Muller (Lucas) has been a Nazi-fighter since Hitler came to power. He lives in constant danger so takes his wife Sara (Bette Davis) and three children from Mexico back to her family home near Washington. Sara’s father was a Supreme Court justice and the house is extremely comfortable compared to what the family has been used to. Sara’s feisty mother (Lucile Watson) is delighted to see her daughter and meet her grandchildren.
Also staying as houseguests are the Romanian Count de Brancovis (George Colouris) and his much younger wife Marthe (Geraldine Fitzgerald). The count is a frequent guest at the German Embassy and desperate to get the money and a visa to return to Europe. He starts spying on Kurt looking for something to sell. With Beulah Bondi as a French friend of the family.
This is well written anti-facsist propaganda by Lillian Hellman, a noted radical. There are several political speeches but also a number of really touching scenes. The speeches tend to be put into the mouth of Bette Davis (in a rare supporting role) while Lukas is more the practical fighter. He probably won his award for some very moving work near the end of the film. I thought Lucile Watson was pretty great as a humorous old liberal. She lights up the screen whenever she is on it.
Paul Lukas won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in Watch on the Rhine. The film was also nominated in the categories of Best Picture; Best Supporting Actress Watson); and Best Writing, Screenplay.
The Song of Bernadette Directed by Henry King Written by George Seaton based on the novel by Franz Werfel 1943/USA Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
Repeat viewing/Netflix rental
[box] Bernadette: The spring is not for me.[/box]
Jennifer Jones won the Academy Award but the tons of great character actors steal the show in this first-rate production.
This is a somewhat fictionalized account of the life of Bernadette Subirous, a poor and uneducated teenager whose visions of a “beautiful lady” near the village of Lourdes shook all of France. Bernadette’s father (the excellent Roman Bohnen) is a complainer who barely supports his family on odd jobs and the money her mother (Ann Revere) brings in doing laundry. The mother, in particular, is a God-fearing woman. The sickly Bernadette is frequently absent from school and she considers herself to be “stupid”, an opinion which Sister Marie Therese (Gladys Cooper), the nun who is teaching her catechism, shares.
One day, she and two other girls go out to collect firewood. Bernadette is left behind waiting on one side of the river near the city dump due to her asthma. That is when a beautiful lady dressed in white, with a blue girdle, and golden roses on her feet appears to her. Reports of this only cause her parents to forbid her to go back to the site. But Bernadette’s distress finally causes her relatives to join and before long there is a crowd of peasants praying at the site. The town fathers – Imperial Prosecutor Vital Detour (Vincent Price), the Mayor, the Chief of Police (Charles Dingle) and the local doctor (Lee J. Cobb) – and Father Peyramale (Charles Bickford), the dean of the local parish, all believe Bernadette is a fraud. Wary of bad publicity, each man wants somebody else to close the site. When Bernadette visits Father Peyramale to tell him the lady has asked that a chapel be built at the site and pilgrimages organized, he says that if the lady is real she should be able to prove it by making wild roses bloom in February.
The lady does something else. She tells Bernadette to go and eat plants near a spring. But there is no spring. Bernadette starts stuffing leaves into her mouth and washing her hands in the dirt. All present now think she is insane. But just as the crowd reaches the top of the hill, water springs from the ground. The first miraculous healing follows immediately.
The authorities try everything in their power to get Bernadette to recant her story including threatening her with jail and commitment to an insane asylum. Bernadette’s story is unshakeable. Finally, she gains a champion in Father Peyramale. Then the authorities decide the village can cash in on the hordes of people visiting the site. Although Bernadette would like nothing better to marry and have children, she ends up having to go into a convent. Unluckily, Sister Marie Therese is the supervisor of the novices and she is convinced that Bernadette is nothing more than a publicity hog who cannot possibly have seen the Virgin Mary because she “has not suffered”. Bernadette had suffered though and would suffer far more before her life was through. With Linda Darnell (!!) as “the lady”. (We see her only briefly and flooded with light.)
Jennifer Jones plays Bernadette with a simplicity and wide-eyed innocence that suits her character. The real stars are in the outstanding supporting cast who each do themselves proud. The film has an almost neo-realist feeling and is beautifully staged. The filmmakers rather tip their hand on the side of Bernadette’s story but the movie is open enough to the possibility that she could have been deluded that it should be enjoyable even by non-believers. The one weakness is that the film is 2 1/2 hours long. It could have been trimmed by 30 minutes with no harm to the story.
The Song of Bernadette won Academy Awards in the categories of: Best Actress; Best Cinematography, Black-and-White (Arthur C. Miller); Best Art Direction-Interior Decoration, Black-and-White; and Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture. It was nominated for the following awards: Best Picture; Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Bickford); Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Cooper); Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Revere); Best Director; Best Writing, Screenplay; Best Sound, Recording; and Best Film Editing.
The Seventh Victim Directed by Mark Robson Written by Charles O’Neill and DeWitt Bodeen 1943/USA RKO Radio Pictures First viewing/Netflix rental
#171 of !001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
[box] Doctor Louis Judd: One can take either staircase. I prefer the left. The sinister side.[/box]
This beautifully shot film is really more about death than it is about Satan worshippers.
Mary Gibson (Kim Hunter) attends a boarding school courtesy of her big sister Jacqueline (Jean Brooks). As the story starts, she has been asked to leave because her tuition has not been paid for the last sixth months. Mary has not been able to locate Jacqueline. She heads off to the big city to try to find her.
She meets a few men who want to help her, or say they do. They are poet Jason, attorney Gregory Ward (Hugh Beaumont), and psychiatrist Louis Judd (Tom Conway). We learn that Jacqueline has long believed that life is not worth living unless one can end it. Gregory even helped her rig up a noose in a rented room. Before long, we learn that Jacqueline is mixed up with a cabal of very ordinary looking Satan worshippers. They believe she has betrayed them by seeking psychiatric help. Mary is caught up in the web and witnesses some very disturbing goings on.
This film was made under the guidance of auteur producer Val Lewton and it shows in the atmospheric settings and lighting and the emphasis on unseen horror. This time the horror is almost purely psychological. Jacqueline’s death-wish permeates the entire story. The plot could be a straight-forward mystery story if not for the artful way it is shot. But Nicholas Musuraca proves he is a master of low-key lighting once again. I don’t know if it is anything one needs to see before one dies but I enjoyed it.
The DVD I rented included a good commentary and an excellent documentary on Lewton’s career.
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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