ewleeds Reviews

Chicago Overcoat (2009)

Chicago Overcoat Review - it Scores 10 on the Richter Scale.

[9/10 · 31 May 2022]

*The Richter scale is: A measure of the strength of earthquakes, developed in 1935 by Charles Francis Richter, the highest figure recorded was 8.6 in 1960, the Chile Earthquake, this film scores 9, meaning severe destruction and loss of life in 2-hours by one very determined guy Frank Vincent, who deserves an Oscar for playing the part of an ageing hit-man. Question answered: "What is a Chicago overcoat", it is a coffin and a lousy title for a great-great film whose subject matter is a glimpse into the life of an aged gangster who presumably survived the Al Capone and Frank Nitti period in Chicago and still on the go, an elderly hit man who carry's out hits on people we know nothing about, one bullet to the chest, one to the head then phone the boss man tomorrow to collect whats owed.

All the other roles are supporting roles, the Police officers, the broads, the inevitable chase and shoot out, but with so many twist's and turns you do not want this film to end. Maybe, a few scenes with illegal activity, hijacking a truck or two, maybe a casino floor wide-shot, or a racetrack, or betting shop might have made this film go down better, but what the hell, it scores 9, and is the best film we have watched for ages. I loved it, if it was produced in 1948 the Cagney and Bogart crime film period the queue for tickets would have stopped Broadway. Frank Vincent is the Stars star of this film, Mr Vincent can now reply if asked: Wasn't you once a big film star can now reply "I am still a big film star, it was the films that got smaller." Thanks Frank, Mr Vincent for putting some great acting on the screen for others to copy and learn from.

Shooter (I) (2007)

The Oscar for the Most Confusing Film of the Year Winner Is:

[4/10 · 3 January 2022]

For the first 25 minutes this film looked a million dollars then it left the cinema, the audience, the script, the plot and everything that matters behind. Mark Walhburg the star was excellent. The other cast members not so great, what their roles where and who was who I did not have a clue. At least 50 people got shot, the target to be kiiled President looked like Robert Stack, who if he was - surely was a far better star than the rest of the cast, Danny Glover could sense he knew this film and his role in it was not going to work and it ended up in the office of the alleged Director of the FBI, with the final shootout containing five dead, bombs being exploded, a crooked Senators house set on fire, needless to say this film needed cut by an hour, and the staff, stars and the storyline reduced by 60%, the story should have stuck with a top ex army sniper out to get his man not to kill a whole army of film extras.

Beyond Tomorrow (1940)

A Great Reminder of Old Hollywood.

[9/10 · 8 December 2021]

My review title tells you what I think about this film, it was great and enjoyable and scored high marks similar to the Wizard of Oz, it was a bad step for Hollywood and mankind when film producers started making films for boys age 11, guns, cops and high speed car chases. You must see this film, great acting and top actors, thank you to all whi made and produced this film and completed it as they wanted it to be.

Crown for Christmas (2015 TV Movie)

Great Script, Great Sets & Camerwark, Poor Casting.

[6/10 · 4 December 2021]

The casting was so poor it ruined this film, three cast members prevented it from getting a 4****-rating these were Dannica McKellar the Star who scores 9*, Parker Douglas 8*, Emma Sutton 8*, the alleged Kings performance was wooden and lifeless. The Major Domo foreign relations advisor was miscast and comically so, the Princess from Luxemburg was good, but her lines and scenes let her down, I have the impression someone on the Production team needed better advice and help, the 3 stars mentioned knew what he was looking for but perhaps failed to step in and make the suggestions or cut-outs this film needed to lift it higher. The script needed more upstairs and downstairs dialogue and treatment with the kitchen staff playing a bigger role that included lots of laughter and fun, the Kings daughter should not have been cast as a brat but the kitchen staffs adopted child, a Mary Pots and Pans who lost her mother and was at home downstairs and with horses and stables.- she was a stable girl, a National Velvet stable girl and rider whose Governess who taught her to ride ended up marrying the King.

Hostage (2005)

You Pay for One Film, and get Eight Story lines Free.

[2/10 · 13 November 2021]

HOSTAGE 2005.

This film was so confusing and the dialogue so mumbled it would qualify as a foreign film. The action took place in a remote LA hillside home which contained every known security device, three men broke in and took the family hostage, we then had the son age 6 crawling all over the house using his sisters phone to secretly keep in touch with the Police outside. Then we had a team of rogue FBI agents turn up wanting a mysterious tape found inside the house given to them, all four agents were shot for bringing the FBI into disrepute. It cost $52 million dollars to make, 53 Million of which was totally wasted. This is one of those strange films no one can understand, or you can fall asleep whilst it is on and not miss much.

The Sun Is Also a Star (2019)

Wonderful Film, Great Film, Well Made and Emotional.

[9/10 · 6 November 2021]

This was a great film, the two stars are heading for stardom, the script writer deserves an Oscar, both lead stars are heading for great careers. I was not enchanted with the flashing lights starry - starry nights stuff. Please ignore this minor criticism - rest assured when it closed you knew you had just seen a long-term year on year future classic. Two powerful performances, three if you count the lawyer, and interesting subject is which of the two stars will be Hollywood Legends for the next 20 years? I will endeavour to watch it again, just to see what I may have missed or not fully appreciated, I give it a Big-9, my highest rating for a film for some years. Watch it, climb aboard the NY subway train for a great journey. Thank you to all concerned in its production, its got MGM distribution which suggested from the outset it was going to be a top scorer for 10 *** it was, thank you. A really great film. Great performances.

Superintelligence (2020)

Hello Earth, Gort Here, "Klaatu Barada Nikto"

[2/10 · 15 October 2021]

This must be the worst film made during the last 10 years, meaning: This film is impossible to understand, the script revolves around the star a middle-aged woman whose home appliances start speaking to her about destroying the Earth. Don't laugh but the conversations between these two are conducted via the fridge, a computer, a tv, an electric hairbrush and a radio, this is when this film needed to be stopped. To walk out.

Predictably, the Army, the FBI, an Army General and the Save the Earth President gets involved. I sat there trying to guess what this pile of rubbish was about and how much it must have cost, and wondered which fool had okayed it. That's how bad this crazy film is - crazy with a capital-C. Avoid.

The Fighting Sullivans (1944)

Fight One, You Fight Us All.

[10/10 · 29 June 2021]

This film sums up the American Nation in one short sentence, it can also refer to the Quiet League of Nations formed between America, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Great Britain. Five nations - Five Brothers. Try and imagine you were a passenger on the Mayflower and you had just stepped ashore, I think I would gather some wood to make a fire, I would spread a blanket on the ground, then make a pot of tea. Tomorrow sure is going to be a busy day.

3000 Miles to Graceland (2001)

After watching this film Elvis went to the bathroom and ........

[6/10 · 21 June 2021]

This is a remarkable film in the sense that some Nutmeg connected to producing it walked away and lost interest in it. Whatever he was suffering from infected everyone else on the crew and they decided to play it for laughs, and maybe that was the best thing to do. There was probably seven scripts and 301 re-writes and total chaos on the sets, the action was so trigger happy that Jesse James, Wes Hardin and Bonnie and Clyde would have complained to the censors if they were around. The stars of the show Russel and Costner looked totally lost, has-beens from yesterdays box office. This film was saved by Courtney Cox and the Kid who played her son. If I was re-writing it I would have made it a film centred on these two - a mother and son film who robbed a casino to raise bail money to get Russell out of jail, Costner could have played the crooked Sherriff who wants a share of the loot but gets his just deserts. The Oscar goes to Courtney Cox, and the Kid mentioned gets the Shirley Temple Prize for Best Performance by an under age juvenile.

My re-write would have saved $30 m dollars in production costs and the weapons and bullets saved could have been used on another two films. Was it a good film, No, Did I enjoy it, Yes, the Golden Snip scissors could have shortened it by 30 minutes and no one would have known. The scenery was great, some of the stunts were hard work, but the script was even harded, 5 stars, 10 stars to Cox.

Boots Malone (1952)

Great Horse Racing film - Great Xmas Day Family Film.

[9/10 · 3 March 2021]

One of the best horse, jockey and racing stable films ever made. An enjoyable Lassie Comes Home film with racehorses instead of dogs. It illustrates with great accuracy the thoroughbred race horse-world with what appears to be authentic been there- done that background talk and which transports the viewer into the somewhat risky world of the small County Fairs travelling race horses trainers, hired on the spot track-jockeys and conscientious track officials. Apart from the star Wm Holden the casting was superb, Holden's acting and city-gent physical-appearance did not fit the horse-trainer role he played. In my view the actor who played the blacksmith role a Mr Basil Ruysdael was by far the best actor for this Boots Malone role (a likeable, friendly and honest horse trainer) Holden should have played the winning horses wealthy upmarket owner with the champion to be boy-jockeys screen mother playing the part of Holden loveable wife and the wannabe -jockey boys mother. This is a 9 star film, and I award a Golden Horse Shoes to all the cast. Johnny Stewart the boy actor/newcomer was exceptional. With very few script changes you have here a Classic Box Office Winner here. Thank you to the producers and the 'gamblers' who financed this 1952 Boys Town with Horses Film. Watch it and shut up and escape the dreaded Covid-19 news for 1-hour 45 minutes, this is a good film, and its made for children everywhere and code-approved!

Flight (I) (2012)

Great Acting, Strange Story, aircraft pilot whose drinking causes a plane crash.

[4/10 · 26 January 2021]

To understand this film you have to imagine you are the Director, you've read the script and allotted to the other cast members what is required of them. And you have to get it across to Denzel Washington he as to portray an airline pilot whose got a conscience and other problems but wants to be a Saint, a man who knows he was responsible for this crash yet flew the plane that crashed like a Top Gun saving 98 passengers lives, he flew it upside down to stabilise it in flight whilst drunk so technically at fault. The star Denzel Washington must look sad, look depressed even suicidal . And that's what this overlong film is about, a suicidal drunk looking for another strong drink who likes to snort nose-candy and occasionally gets mixed up with one or two women who join him on his trips across the USA. He regains his soul in the last 10 minutes of this slow and agonising film to watch and confesses all to a Board of Enquiry. He goes to prison, I was so bored I wish he had gone home and hanged himself. 2 hours 10 minutes of agonising self-examination. One flew over the Cuckoos Nest when they agreed to make and to finance this film. Avoid.

Greed (I) (2019)

Best Avoided, What on Earth was this film about?

[4/10 · 25 January 2021]

To be frank I was so mixed up by this film that it took me ages todecide how to rate it, I thought 3 stars was too low, and give it four in order to reward the producers for the scenery, the harbour scenes, and the amount of expensive work and staging that went into its production. As for the film I have not got a clue what it was about and regret watching it. The title Greed was an odd choice, the subject matter revealed at the very end in the credits lines explained all and explained how it was intended to serve a good social cause reminded us that it was worthy of a more serious production, To be frank I was so mixed up by this film that it took me ages todecide how to rate it, I thought 3 stars was too low, and give it four in order to reward the producers it for the scenery, the harbour scenes, and the amount of expensive work and staging that went into its production. Full stop. As for the film I have not got a clue what it was about, why it was ever made and regret seeing it. The title Greed was an odd choice, the subject matter which was revealed at the very end in the credits explained all and served a good cause was worthy of a more serious production. Ideally, It should have been a Carry On Nero Film, but throughout it ended up as a visit to the asylum wearing a toga and a laurel wreath. Amongst the cast list I have looked for the name of the Indian type young lady actress who had the strongest and best story line but could not find her, maybe because she is in reality she is a European in costume and makeup, whoever she is - she gets awarded 9-stars, the biographer allegedly writing the bio-book gets 4 stars, as for the rest of the cast the better - luck next time rules apply. I watched it out of curiosity and like the Lion in the film got stoned. It should have been a Carry On Nero Film, it ended up as a visit to the asylum wearing a toga and an Laurel Wreath. I have looked for the name of the Indian type lady who had a strong story line to relate but could not find her, maybe because she is in reality a European and in costume and makeup, she gets 9-stars, the biographer writing the book 5 stars, as for the rest of the cast the better - luck next time rules apply.

The Tribe (2018)

An Exceptional Film with a Feel Good Theme. Worth seeing.

[8/10 · 23 January 2021]

The script on this great film needed more work and some pruning. The opening sequence was not only unheard of but wanted scrapped. It ruined this film, take this out and scrap the waiter pouring a drink over a customers head and remove the phony bus accident and you then have a great - great film with wonderful performances. The story line was confusing, contrived and weak. It should have been an once adopted at birth guy down on his luck, who decides to find and meet his unmarried birth-parents who run a supermarket, he joins them in their modest store is a genius at retailing and turns it into a business empire (another Walmart) aided by the star of the film Mirabel Del Paco (the incredible beautiful actress) whose after hours hobby is dancing and runnng a dance group. All this crazy talk about loss of memory, a man in hiding because he fired 300-workers and can dance also wanted scrapping along with the 2 lazy brothers (don't ask), whats left was the basis of a Miracle on 42nd Street with music and dancing. 10 out of 10 to the cast, producers, cameramen and prop-men, this film script needs to be remade and made into a Xmas release film, and have some children in it. I do like this film, and enjoyed it. Tahnk you.

The Promise (II) (2016)

A Great and Wonderful Film, And:

[8/10 · 4 January 2021]

Making a film is a wonderful adventure, the trip of a lifetime for all wanderers and dreamers, but like writing a book, an article, an advertisement or painting an admired painting we eventually learn that all good films disturb us, they re-awaken old memories, hatreds, loves, travels and journeys evidenced by when this film ended I wanted to go to Armenia, I wanted to read more about the forgotten Armenian massacre and to learn more about the star of this film Charlotte Le Bon, I compared her to Ingrid Bergman and imagined with good reason that if she lived and was active in the 1930s David Selzick would have sent for her and made her a star, a huge film star way up there with Bergman, Garbo, De Havilland, Taylor and Deborah Kerr. The subject of this film was harrowing because it did happen, it was a tribal massacre by the Turks - Turkish fools who even today deny and attempt to hide what they did. So let me profess here that this film made me pro-Armenian and not a lover of Turks or the Turkish Govt (Nazis wearing a Fez) and may I say thank you to all the cast, the producers and directors. May you all prosper, this is a great and moving film, thank you. A Limey from England. 04-01-2021.

Sunday's Illness (2018)

MOVE OVER CASABLANCA, YOU'VE GOT COMPETITION.

[10/10 · 26 November 2020]

This film is a milestone in brilliance, filming, casting, scenery and script. The most sobering thought about it is: This is one of the few films that makes Hollywood look 2nd class, a shanty town of trumped up ideas and action. I have always been known to be a good writer, good with ideas but I just got knocked out in round one by this wonderful film. It reduces all your other great films to the land of make believe they came from meaning you can keep all your Maltese Falcons, your How Green was my Valleys, avoid the Sound of Music, that's how great this film is?

Where does it now lie in my personal memory bank, it sits with Casablanca, the Wizard of Oz, Shane, the Shawshank Redemption and My Man Godfrey. The star of the show was undoubtedly the mother, she carried this film up, up and away into stardom. An Italian film, a great Italian film, which scored 200% for the greatest film opening sequence ever. If I had a spare $20 million dollars, I'd study this script, I would steal it, I would copy it, turn it into a Western starring an Alan Ladd character (RIP) and cast the daughter has a gun-fighter seeking to gain peace in the way-out-west world. I am going to watch it again, just to educate myself, just to forget how mediocre I am, and most films are. Thank you to the producers and production crew. Thank you. Signed: A limey from England.

A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014)

A film full of great Oscar Winning Ideas, but no member of the Production Team noticed them ....

[2/10 · 20 September 2020]

This film is a total disaster which for one fleeting moment contains a gem idea for a great future film idea which if developed would be more popular than the James Bond franchise, but having said that one must caution that the script writer/s concerned and all those including the Directors who approved this films story line and screen action must never be trusted to work in the film industry again, they wasted $40 million dollars.

The Director should have stopped this film in mid production and quickly had it rewritten in the style of an old Wild West film with a stronger and more credible story line along the lines of a female gun sharp shooter Sheriff, one Miss 'Kathleen Earp' 'working in a Dodge City mining town. Great performances by Charlize Theron, Sarah Silverman and Alex Borstein, .as for the rest of the cast especially the overweight, sad and tired looking Liam Neeson the least said the better. I enjoyed the views of Monument Valley and the wonderful touristy film shots, it was all craziness and totally out of control.

The Goldfinch (2019)

What on Earth is this Movie about?

[1/10 · 7 July 2020]

The GoldFinch Movie (a better title might have been the Goldfish Movie as the plot swims all over the place) This films sound recording quality is so poor you need to watch the body language and be able to lipread to guess what is happening and being said. The plot of This film centred around a bomb explosion in a world-famous art gallery in New York (how they ever got permission to use their name was poor judgment on their part). You then had seven different stories unfold (this was nine stories too many) One story involved an orphaned boy whose mother had been killed in the explosion, who had been given inside the gallery a valuable oil painting by a dying man laid dying on the art gallery museum floor. or he had stolen it (how a bomb injured man would be able to remove this painting from the wall undamaged by the bomb and hold on to it, during and after the terrorist explosion was never explained - he died without ever explaining how it was done?) In this film we met at least four characters who were never introduced and all eight added nothing to the film or story, there was no art forgery, no artist at work, no wheeling and dealing, a Russian mystery kid showed up as the orphan's sidekick, a shootout in Amsterdam occurred leaving 2 or 3 dead but no Police appeared, then we had a botched suicide, it was awful. What on earth was this Director thinking, I feel sorry for this films investors and none for the cast, Surely they had read the script and noticed the flaws? Avoid, the worst movie of the year,

The Age of Shadows (2016)

This Korean Film Just Pushed Gone With the Wind Away! Toppled it.

[9/10 · 24 October 2019]

If you said to me that a Korean Film can beat 95% of the top films produced in the last 20 years, I would have serious doubts. To explain, I am an Hollywood Worshipper, a Hollywood lover and a picture goer with strong views, likes and dislikes. What we have here is a film that is in the same 'sleeper league; as the ShawShank Redemption, a film with a wonderful story, script, a great cast and one of the best films I have seen for ages. It shown on British TV 23 October 2019, my wife put it on, when she saw it was Korean she lost interest and went to bed, big mistake, I stayed, and was totally hypnotised and absorbed with it, great technical strides have been made in the last 40 years in every department of film production - but in Korea, with a foreign cast, with no familiar names, a film made for adults not 11-year old children, without one car chase, or male film star whose next film is to save the world, or rescue it from Mr Evil Doom, this Korean film Age of Shadows, is one to be fond of, to watch again and again, and in some respects to relive your great film memories sitting in the Empire Cinema, Stockton on Tees, England, when sitting in the Nine-Penny seats watching the African Queen, All About Eve, or the Wizard of Oz, Yes, it is that good. Watch it.

Alive and Kicking (1958)

At last a real film, a Golden Moments in Every Scene Film.

[10/10 · 3 March 2019]

It raining heavy outside, it is a cold day in Northern England, and the central heatings been off, its back on now and we have just had Sunday dinner, we 'clicked on this film' with no great anticipation that it would be any different from all the other car-chase trash or local hero gets his man nonsense you get on tv nowadays. The film opened slowly and did not make much sense, then the story got going and we realised this was going to be worth watching and it was, and how. Of course we knew the reputations of the four main cast members who were all leading British stage actors and actresses, but what on earth where they doing turning up in what appeared to be an Irish film about old ladies turning up on an deserted Irish (read Scottish) island, and from the moment they left the beach in search of a new home only then did this film commence. This should have been an Oscar Winner or honourable mention, I admit the story line assumed we would go along with the running-jokes every minute of the way - improbable plot - and we did. And we enjoyed it. It was a make believe Irish film, based on universally accepted Irish sentiments, and at times looked like another Whisky Galore. So what we have here is Whisky Galore vs Alive and Kicking, and they score either even-stevens, or Alive and Kicking Wins the show by a short-head. The best film seen in this house for many a long dark month. Thank you to the makers, directors and cast, Sybil Thorndike was obviously the star, but Kathleen Harrison was indispensable as the cheeky-chappie who kept the wheels turning with laughters in every scene. Richard Harris did not shine, in fact we did not recognise him, and Stanley Holloway was miscast. This role was ideal for James Hayter (Robin Hoods Friar Tuck)

The Innocents (2016)

This Film Puts Hollywood To Shame, It Captures the Essence Of Great Film Making

[9/10 · 25 June 2018]

Close your eyes and think about the film Wuthering Heights, try to remember Olivier as Heathcliffe, the Yorkshire Moors swept with rain, fog and snow, and the forbidding house whose young master bullied Heathcliffe away and add Cathy's great performance. This film "The Innocents" captures the Spirit of Wuthering Heights in a post wartime Polish Monastery setting, this film portrays the liberation of Poland from the Nazis, who were supplanted by the vodka, vulgar and volva Russians, who raped the Nuns in this monastery causing several to become pregnant and bitterly ashamed of what had occurred, so much so that they shunned outside help, hid behind closed doors and walls, surrounded by the legacy of a wartime Poland ( Polish saying: Lifes bitter lessons I recall, I seem to remember them all) Aid arrives in the form of a French Doctor working locally for the French Red Cross, who solves their pressing problems. The Sound of Music this film ain't, its storyline is more powerful, more moving and another triumph for the French Film industry. A great film, a wonderful moving film, and a lesson in film making to all.

Thousand Pieces of Gold (1990)

The Harrowing life for 19 Century Chinese immigrants to the US. + Minor spoiler.

[10/10 · 21 November 2017]

This film addresses the racial problems that blighted Western Societies some 150 years ago. meaning the exclusion and persecution of minorities by those groups who had the most men, followers, weapons, money and at times an active and aggressive mob mentality. This wonderful film deals with the early trials of the first Chinese settlers to the US and those who followed them and it illustrates several disgraceful real-life situations when seen from a Chinese person viewpoint. To keep production costs down it lacked the to be expected western film scenes containing the all too familiar cowboys and gangsters, fast gun play, cattle herds, busy farriers, a brutal but fair Sheriff, the local Army Fort, townsfolk including women and children, it lacked not having a gold mine or men panhandling for gold in the river scenes (it was alleged to be set in a mining town) but ignoring this it did contain an excellent film land education on slavery, misguided job protectionism, with accurate and well portrayed historical pointers about Chinese immigration to the US. The last time I saw a film similar to this was called Indo-China whose star was Catherine Deneuve. Praise be to all who worked on this wonderful production and great actors they were. Rosalind Chao was the star of this film and deserved an Oscar.

The Chase (1946)

Film Spoilt By Opening With a long Walter Mitty Type Dream Sequence.

[1/10 · 27 June 2017]

This film "The Chase" showed on UK night time TV. The casting looked good which suggested a good film ahead. I instantly fell in love with the French female star Michelle Morgan age 26, tall, blonde, good- looking, a sort of poor man's Ingrid 'Casablanca' Bergman, then I lost the plot. So did the Director, it had at least ten story lines which we learned later was a Walter Mitty type dream sequence involving a nightclub stabbing, two murders one using a savage dog, the Police and a back street chase through Havana which the audience thought was real. After one hour had passed the dream sequence then stopped and the true film commenced which was a nasty psycho-trick on the viewing audience. Others have called this long dream sequence the 'Film-Noir'part of the film. I hope this film experiment is never again repeated.

All the actors tried there very best with a crazy script. Peter Lorre had a bit part well beneath his great talents and well deserved fame, Robert Cummings throughout the film looked as if he had a train to catch, I wish he had, and the great actress star was the elderly faded Russian gypsy type woman who owned the alleged antique shop in Havana (actually a Hollywood film shed) her small cameo role rescued an awful film.

Baby Blue Marine (1976)

Too Many Threads, Great Acting In the Minor Roles (Spoliers)

[4/10 · 22 January 2016]

The opening was okay, the Marine Sergeant Michael Conrad, was convincing, the squad of rookie Marines were not, a wasted 20 opening minutes, I must have blinked because I never saw the star booted out of the Marines and what for was never mentioned. The next major scene was strange beyond belief, this is the bar scene with the guy wearing a full Marines outfit (Richard Gere) and our hero Jan Michael Vincent, wearing an odd looking blue suit carrying no hand luggage but intending to cross the US to 'see the country'. Then outside the same bar Gere the Marine steals Vincent crazy Joe blue suit, with Gere exchanging it for a full Marine Uniform, all crisp and new with hero's medals and combat badges. Explain that to your mother age 68. In this small role Richard Gere looked creepy, I thought he was a male prostitute but have read "he was deserting the Marines". Vincent puts the Marines suit on and looks a million dollars in it, walking away from the bar he passes the alleged hard man in the street who wanted to fight a Marine. Him. And off course Vincent knocks this guy out with a punch only Rocky Marciano could throw. That was one scene that should have been cut. We then have the hitchhiking scenes, the Sheriff Dana Elcar who gave our hero a lift came across as a professional star actor, he was (he should have had an Oscar tattooed on his forehead after this film) so should the 5 leading villagers in this alleged Bidwell Township, including and especially the Norwegian looking guy who had lost his son in WW2, and the bereaved mother at the fairground. In the Bidwell café the film at last then took off with the arrival of Rosie the waitress, Glynnis O'Conner. We then watched the pretend Rosie the waitress family saving this load of %^%$£$ film, apart from her role nothing gelled and nothing was convincing. The star of this film was Glynne O'Conner, and the townsfolk who all went on to having great careers. There wasa guy sneaking about Bruno Kirby, whose role should have been cut. I loved viewing the 3 huge snow capped mountains in the outdoors backdrop (a great set for a Climb every mountain scene with Rosie playing a young Von Trapp singer heading for Nashville, this scenery had shades of Alan Ladds film, Shane here. This film would have worked better with the straight forward simple story of a failed Marine, an honest to God guy who tried hard to join the Marines and failed, a man who was now down on his luck, drifting across America seeking work (Grapes of Wrath echos wantedhere) and a man adopted by the townsfolk. Even the film title was crazy, it should have been "The Cowardly Hero". Barely watchable on a cold wet day in Downtown England.