This is a very odd movie: brilliant, surreal and idiotic all at the same time. Buster emerges from the subway into a frozen wasteland, tries to rob a saloon, and then shoots the wrong wife. He "hears" the women next door sweeping snow and decides to accost her, once assured the husband is out of sight. Does she loath him, or is oddly attracted to this man who, in the right light, appears almost aristocratic? The scene of Buster appreciating fine music is worth the price of admission. And who is the woman who shoots him? This has remained a mystery for 90 years, but maybe you will be the one to figure it out. Watch this movie.
Reviews
4 Reviews
Murder, My Sweet
(1944)
Dick Powell is a revelation
13 February 2011
Having recently watched several of the 1930s Goldiggers movies, I cannot get over how good Powell is in this movie -- completely unexpected. From sappy (some would say slightly creepy) song-and-dance man with the mooning eyes to hard-boiled gumshoe -- what a contrast! The grittiness is convincing. I love he scene where he stumbles into the girl's apartment after being socked around for 3 days and just asks for "black coffee, eggs, and a scotch and soda". Of course, the girl falls for him -- who can resist a guy who drinks at breakfast? This movie is both dime-novel cheap and a masterpiece. And what a great move by Powell.
Only Angels Have Wings
(1939)
Made me want to become a pilot and learn how to smoke
22 January 2011
This is a great old movie, back in a time when men were men and women were all former showgirls or something. Men flying airplanes, men flying airplanes through obscured mountain passes during violent rainstorms, men dropping nitroglycerin on condors (but just wait, they will get their revenge), men dying, their friends dealing with death the way men should -- with denial and booze. Set in one of those remote, out-of-the-way jungle locales where miraculously everyone crosses paths, kind of like Casablanca but with a lot more rain. The pilot who bailed out and left his mechanic behind to die meets up with the brother of said mechanic, and the brother ain't too happy about it. But through an inevitable turn of events they end up together in a burning plane and have to bail, but one of them can't. What would you do? The pilot's wife is a real looker, Rita something, but our hero is shocked to realize she is the old flame who crushed his heart. Is that really you Judy, Judy, Judy? (yes, this is the movie where Cary Grant never actually says this). There are so many situations that make no sense. The girl from Kansas or Maine or golly geewillikers I'm not sure where spends about 10 minutes getting the cold shoulder from our hero, and then goes on to confide her worries about whether it is right to tie him down. Well, he is Cary Grant, so I guess it is these leaps of sudden commitment aren't too fanciful. When the "Kid" fails his eye test, Cary tells him he is through flying. That's right, there is not a single optician in all of South America.
In short, I loved this movie. Made me want to become a pilot and learn how to smoke. It will have the same effect on you too.
In short, I loved this movie. Made me want to become a pilot and learn how to smoke. It will have the same effect on you too.
A lot of fun, although very dated
13 December 2010
Mr Belvedere's character is a lot of fun to watch, he is the 1940s version of "the most interesting person in the world" - name it, he's not only done it, he invented it. No one should take this character seriously, so I don't follow the comments about being a perfect fit for "today's cellphone generation" (ah yes .. the youth of today are even worse then the last crop).
The main aspect of the film I found "dated" is the idea that being a single mother (Ellen Baker - Shirley Temple) was such a huge scandal -- something that should be covered up, or a source of disgrace. Even given the morals of the time, what would be scandalous about a married women who lost her husband in the war? There must have been many women in this situation. Thank goodness we live in more liberal times.
I also got a little exasperated with the old movie cliché of someone starting to explain their situation only to be cut off -- and then letting this misunderstanding carry the plot for the next half hour. My goodness, half the movies you see use this same tired plot device. Oh well, too late to complain. As I understand it, the writers and most of the characters are long since dead, so they don't care what I think. Except of course Mr. Belvedere who is surely sitting on a mountain somewhere in Tibet surfing the internet (which he invented).
The main aspect of the film I found "dated" is the idea that being a single mother (Ellen Baker - Shirley Temple) was such a huge scandal -- something that should be covered up, or a source of disgrace. Even given the morals of the time, what would be scandalous about a married women who lost her husband in the war? There must have been many women in this situation. Thank goodness we live in more liberal times.
I also got a little exasperated with the old movie cliché of someone starting to explain their situation only to be cut off -- and then letting this misunderstanding carry the plot for the next half hour. My goodness, half the movies you see use this same tired plot device. Oh well, too late to complain. As I understand it, the writers and most of the characters are long since dead, so they don't care what I think. Except of course Mr. Belvedere who is surely sitting on a mountain somewhere in Tibet surfing the internet (which he invented).
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