Classic Movie Reviews

The lady certainly did vanish, but was it all in the mind of Iris Henderson played by Margaret Lockwood or is something sinister afoot? In what has been described as a “comedy thriller” Alfred Hitchcock directs Margaret Lockwood, Michael Redgrave, Paul Lukas, Dame May Whitty and a cast of very interesting supporting characters in the 2nd of our train themed movies. We mention a couple of other mov...

Classified as a “B” movie, The Narrow Margin rises above its “B” label and shines as a great example of film noir from the early 1950s. Directed by Richard Fleischer and starring the “gravel voiced, stoney faced & grizzled looking actor” Charles McGraw, Marie Windsor and Jacqueline White it tells the story of a woman planning to testify against the mob that must be protected against her assassins...

Set in early 1970’s Seattle, McQ tells the story of a police detective out for justice (or revenge) for the killing of his partner. Little does he know that his partner was part of a crime ring. As events unfold we get to see some great old cars, clothes, inappropriate and sexists remarks, and of course Seattle as it looked 40 years ago. Being from Seattle, Bob and I are particularly impressed wit...

The Quiet Man, directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne and Maureen O’hara tells the story of Sean Thornton, returning to Ireland after a tragic accident in the boxing ring. He proceeds to try and get his life together in his ancestral home, ultimately marrying the strong willed and intelligence Mary Kate Danaher, played by Maureen O’hara. The movie ends with a riotous fight scene that goes o...

Gene Miller and Karen Kavner have written for television for over two decades. They sit down with Bob to discuss their debut novel Unraveled: A Novel. Gene and Karen talk about writing for television and the process of writing their novel together. It's a fascinating interview and a fantastic book (if you don't believe me check out the Amazon reviews).

Red River released in 1948 by MGM tells the story of Thomas Dunson and his adopted son Matt Garth as they pull off an epic cattle drive from Texas to Kansas. It’s a story told on a grand scale but the best moments come from the personal interactions between the main characters, Thomas Dunson played by the incomparable John Wayne, Matt Garth played by the mesmerizing Montgomery Clift, Nadine Groot...

We wrap up Vincente Minnelli month with one of his best “Father Of The Bride.” It’s a wonderful story of a father as he experiences the ups and downs of his daughter’s engagement and wedding. A heart warming story with some great comedic scenes powered by the stars of Spencer Tracy, Joan Bennet and Elizabeth Taylor. I personally prefer the later Steve Martin version but I think Bob may prefer this...

“Meet Me In St. Louis” tells the story of the Smith family as they experience the changes in the city leading up the 1904 World’s Fair. There are trials and tribulations but through it all the family sticks together. Starring Judy Garland, Margaret O’Brien, Mary Astor, Leon Ames, Harry Davenport and many others and directed by our “Director of the Month” Vincente Minnelli it a true classic full of...

If you picked any scene in Goodbye Charlie you would likely think that is a well acted, written and directed movie and you would be right. But something gets lost along the way to putting all the pieces together into a whole film. Is it the editing? Maybe too many subplots? Maybe too complex of an interweaving storyline? There’s a delicate balance to strike in making a movie and sometimes even the...

“They Drive By Night” tells the story of two brothers and two women. It’s a story about truck drivers, the men who hire them, the men who work for them, and the women that love them. It’s a story about loss, gain, love and hate. It’s so many different stories and themes that it’s difficult to pin the film down, but it all hangs together thanks to the excellent directing by Raoul Walsh, the screenw...

It doesn’t happen often but every once in a while Bob and I have a very different take on a movie. And it’s a fun discussion when that does happen, which is the case with “Not Wanted” released in 1949, directed primarily by Ida Lupino and starring Sally Forest, Keefe Brasselle, and Leo Penn. It tells the story of a young women who falls in love with an intense moody piano player. She ends up pregn...

Ida Lupino helmed the director’s chair for three days while primary director Nicholas Ray was ill. Ida Lupino is our “Director Of The Month” and she also turns in an excellent performance as a nearly blind woman trying her best to protect her younger brother. Robert Ryan plays Jim Wilson, a city detective at the end of his rope. Jim Wilson’s Captain, played by Ed Begley, sends Jim to a small town...

So opens "The Hitch-hiker" a film directed by our director of the month Ida Lupino. Ida Lupino was a very talented actress, writer, producer, studio owner, and director. Starring Edmond O'Brien, Frank Lovejoy, and William Talman it tells the story of a killer on the run and two men that have the unfortunate luck to cross paths on the way to a fishing trip in Mexico. A tight tense film that foresha...

Filmed simultaneously and released in 1931 the English language and Spanish language versions of “Dracula” are very similar in many ways but very different in other important ways. The English language version stars none other than Bela Legosi in the lead role. The Spanish language version stars Carlos Villarías in the lead role. Bob and I both prefer Bela Legosi’s portrayal, but we differ on whic...

An interplanetary starship arrives on a possible rescue mission to Altair 4 only to be rebuffed by a disembodied voice broadcasting from a 20 square mile area. Commander Adams played by Leslie Nielsen convinces the man, Doctor Morbius played by Walter Pidgeon, that they must land, despite the Doctor’s dire warnings. What unfolds next is a truly epic science fiction story. Directed by Fred McLeod W...

Strange events surround the Thorn’s adopted son Damien. Is he the spawn of hell, or is something else going on? Either way, it’s a heck of a scary ride!

Directed by one of our favorite directors, Robert Wise, “The Haunting” is an excellent haunted house story. Starring Julie Harris, Claire Bloom, Richard Johnson and Russ Tamblyn, it’s equal parts spooky atmosphere and jump-out-of-your-seat scares. Bob remembers seeing it in the theater and I can only imagine how much popcorn would have been spilled, especially in that scene at the top of the ricke...

In the remotest regions of the unexplored Arctic an unknown aircraft crash-lands in the ice. A group of scientists and military men are dispatched to find out what happened. And so begins an epic struggle for the fate of planet Earth. In the remotest regions of the unexplored Arctic an unknown aircraft crash-lands in the ice. A group of scientists and military men are dispatched to find out what h...

Is Nosferatu a monster or a tragic figure cursed to live forever until he falls in love and forgets his most dangerous weakness. In a landmark horror film Max Shreck creates an unforgettable image of terror as the undead nosfertu “Graf Orlok”. Directed by F.W. Murnau, the film has scenes that would be copied for decades to come.

City Lights was a silent film in the era of talkies. Charlie Chaplin believed that people would come to his movies despite the fact that "silent movies were dead" after The Jazz Singer was released. And he was right! It's a great movie. In fact, the closing scene may be one of the best ever filmed!

Prepare yourself for an epic adventure in the tradition of “The Arabian Nights”. Douglas Fairbanks, Snitz Edwards, Charles Belcher, Julanne Johnston, Sôjin Kamiyama and Anna May Wong star in this wonderful story written by Douglas Fairbanks and directed by Raoul Walsh. The story of a simple thief in Bagdad and his quest for meaning and redemption in the name of love for the city’s Princess. He mus...

Metropolis was released in Europe in 1927. It was then drastically cut for the US release and the original version was lost for over 80 years. Then unexpectedly in 2008 a nearly complete 16mm print was discovered in Buenos Aires. That version was intercut with the original US print and digitally restored. In the meantime two other “restorations” were completed, one in 1984 by music titan Giorgio M...

Is it an allegory for how humans treat each other and animals, is it an allegory for the cold war, or is it just a great sci-fi story? Maybe it’s all three at once. In any event, Fantastic Planet released in 1973 is a bit of a cult film but one that deserves a wider audience. It’s just as relevant today as it was in the early 70’s. And the visuals and music are top notch. Very different and strang...

The IMDB summary for this movie is… “The Beatles agree to accompany Captain Fred in his Yellow Submarine and go to Pepperland to free it from the music hating Blue Meanies.” If you had to summarize it into one sentence that’s not too far off the mark. But words really don’t do justice to the film. It has to be experienced firsthand. In fact the best way to watch “Yellow Submarine” is to go in with...

Snow White shook the film industry to its core when it was released in 1937. We can’t under-estimate how huge this movie was when it first came out. It was as big as Star Wars, Indiana Jones or Jurassic Park. The film was dubbed “Disney’s Folly” due to it’s huge budget and the fact that it was a full length feature film, something that had never been attempted before. And Star Wars wasn’t the firs...