The Mask of Dimetrios

 

(1948)
Directed by Jean Negulesco
Written by Frank Gruber from a novel by Eric Ambler
Starring Peter Lorre, Sydney Greenstreet, Zachary Scott, Faye Emerson, Kurt Katch, Steven Geray
IMDB Entry

Sydney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre are the 1940s great teaming. From The Maltese Falcon onward, they could be depended upon to play ne'er-do-wells and criminals.  The Mask of Demetrios is another excellent pairing.

Cornelius Leyden (Peter Lorre) is a mystery writer visiting Istanbul when a local police officer, Colonel Haki (Kurt Katch) tells him about a body recently retrieved from the sea. The body is identified as Dimitrios Makropoulos and Haki talks about the man's criminal exploits and invites Leyden to see the corpse. Intrigued, Leyden goes to track down Demetrios's history, talking to Irana Preveze (Faye Emerson), who recounts her affair with him, where he manipulated her for his own ends as an assassin.

Leyden travels to Sofia to find out more, and finds himself sharing a compartment with Mr. Peters (Sydney Greenstreet), a genial traveling companion. But later, Leyden discovers Peters ransacking his hotel room. Leyden wants something from Dimitrios and, at first thinks Leyden knows him. Eventually, the two join forces, Leyden for the story, Peters for money Dimitrios owes him.

They learn about another of Demetrios's schemes to steal secret plans, which leads to the suicide of the man who Demetrios ropes into the scheme. Eventually, they discover Demetrios faked his death* and that he's just as dangerous as ever.

This is Greenstreet at his best -- jovial, cheerful, and with a touch of the sinister. Lorre is also great as the meek but curious author. Steven Geray is memorable as the man caught in Demetrios's machinations. Zachary Scott, in his first film role, is great playing the charming snake.

The movie reminded me a bit of The Usual Suspects. Demetrios is no Keyser Soze, but is a tamer version of the same type of amoral character.

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*Viewers might expect this. 

Crook's Tour

 

(1940)
Directed by John Baxter
Written by Barbara K. Emery, Max Kester, John Watt
Starring Basil Radford, Naunton Wayne, Greta Gynt
IMDB Entry\

I wouldn't exactly call Basil Radford and Naunton Wayne as comedy team. More like comic relief. They appeared in Hitchcock's The Lady Vanishes as a couple of silly British tourists obsessed with cricket scores over anything else. They were so effective there that the appeared in several films playing the same characters. Crook's Tour is one of these.

Charters (Basil Radford) and Caldicott (Naunton Wayne) are traveling in the the middle east. Eventually, the end up in Baghdad and are mistaken for spies. La Palermo (Greta Gynt), a cafe singer, hands them a record with secret information. When the real spies show up, they go after the two. After some miraculous good luck, they discover the secret and that La Palermo is a double agent for the British. 

The movie never rises above silliness. The spy plot is contrived and the way they get mistaken for the real agents makes little sense for a secret organization. Still, Charters and Caldicott are often funny and, if the jokes are telegraphed, well, it's all par for the course.  

Some of the funnier moments are when they encounter an Arab sheik and discover not only does he speak English, but went to the same UK school as the two.  But, though the sequence is amusing, it has absolutely nothing to do with the plot; everything in it is of no consequence.  Another good scene (with plot implications), is their reaction when a fellow Briton (supposedly) does not follow cricket, as though they can't conceive of the idea.

This was originally a series of radio plays.

They Drive by Night

 

(1938)
Directed by Arthur B. Woods
Written by Paul Gangelin, Derek Twist, screenplay by James Curtis from his novel.
Starring Emlyn Williams, Anna Konstam, Ernest Thesiger
IMDB Entry

No, this isn't the buddy film starring Humphrey Bogart and George Raft, but rather a British film from a couple of years earlier.

They Drive by Night was what one of what was termed a "quota quickies." In order to support the UK film industry, the government passed laws to require a certain amount of films to be made in the UK, with a mostly UK cast and a UK screenwriter. The result were often cheaply made films. many of which never made it across the pond.

In this, Shorty Mathews (Emlyn Williams) has just been released from prison. When he goes to see and old girlfriend of his, he finds her murdered in her rooming house.  Fearing he will be arrested, he leaves London on a bus and gets involve working as a lorry driver.  But after meeting another old girlfriend, Molly O'Neill (Anna Konstam), he decides to return to London to find the killer.  Meanwhile, Walter Hoover (Ernest Thesiger) believes in his innocence. 

The acting is serviceable, and Williams is good as a man falsely accused. There are the hints of Hitchcock, most notably in The Thirty-Nine Steps, but clearly this is not in the same class. It's also not up to the Bogart and Raft American film.

The most familiar name in the cast is Ernest Theisinger, who played Dr. Pretorius in The Bride of Frankenstein. He actually seems to be younger that he appeared there. Fans of Doctor Who might spot William Hartnell as a bus conductor who takes pity on Shorty.

While the film is far from a classic, it's still a nice bit of entertainment.

Murder!

 

(1930)
Directed by Alfred Hithcock
Written by Alfred Hitchcock, Alma Reville, Edward Chapman, from a book by Clemence Dare and Helen Simpson
Starring Herbert Marshall, Norah Baring
IMDB Entry

I'm a big fan of Hitchcock and seen most of his films. Some of his earlier ones are interesting not just for their story, but as a way to see how he developed as a director. Murder! was his third sound film and shows how he was feeling his way as a director.

Diana Baring (Norah Baring) is a member of a theater company, and is found sitting by the body of another actress, Edna Druce, killed by a fireplace poker* lying at the floor. dazed and not knowing what had happened. She is tried for the murder. When the jury deliberates, Sir John Menier (Herberg Marshall) is reluctant to declare  her guilty, but is finally persuaded to condemn her.  Menier, the manager of a theatrical troupe, regrets his change of mind and, while Diana is waiting for the noose, decides to meet her, and feels it unlikely she killed Edna. He starts to investigate, to find evidence of the real murderer.

The story is more a traditional whodunnit than an exercise in suspense. Menier searches out the clues, with some dead ends, until he finds the culprit, but, unusually for this type of film, the killer does not immediately confess when confronted with the evidence.

There also is little suspense, though Hitchcock shows how to do it as he juxtaposes Diana in her cell with the noose that awaits her.**

The acting is serviceable, though very much of its time. 

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*Fireplace pokers are the third leading cause of death in old movies, after guns and strangulation.

**And a noose figures in the final resolution.

Murder by Decree

 

(1979)
Directed by Bob Clark
Screenplay by John Hopkins
Starring Christopher Plummer, James Mason, David Hemmings, Frank Finlay, Anthony Quayle, Donald Sutherland, Genevieve Bujold, John Gielgud
IMDB Entry

Bob Clark directed one genuine movie classic:  A Christmas Story. But before that, he was trying to find his place in Hollywood and he went to a perennial movie character: Sherlock Holmes. The result was Murder by Decree.

We meet Holmes (Christopher Plummer) and Watson (James Mason), who are called in by the police (a tad reluctantly) to solve the Whitechapel murders (i.e., the  Jack the Ripper case). Several prostitutes have been killed and Holmes senses something in it that more than just a madman. The fact that the police have destroyed evidence makes it seem fishy. The key to the case is Annie Crook (Genevieve Bujold) who is very difficult to track down, though Holmes finds her in a mental institution.

The murders turn out to be a plot that has reaches into the highest part of British government.

This has been common grounds for mysteries linking Holmes to the Ripper and some have speculated that one of the princes might actually have been the killer. 

I did find the ending just too much exposition, and, really, there is no reason to murder the victims.* But the cast is stacked with some of the top British actors of the time and it's fun to watch them work. Genevieve Bujold is especially good as Annie, who was caught up in the machinations and driven to madness.

Milestone: This is my 900th post.

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*(highlight to reveal) One of the victims has had a baby from a royal prince, but it wouldn't be the first time someone on the throne had illegitimate children, and it would at most be an embarrassment, not a threat.

The Tattooed Stranger

(1950)
Directed by Edward Montagne
Written by Phillip H. Reisman, Jr.
Starring John Miles, Patricia Barry, Walter Kinsella, Frank Tweddell
IMDB Entry

Once again, I am fighting to keep the definition of "film noir" to be used for any black and white movie to with a crime in it. It's a losing battle, of course, but I'll still point it out. The Tattooed Stranger, though listed as "film noir," is something else entirely: a police procedural.

The film, set in New York City, opens with the discovery of a dead woman in a car, her face destroyed by a shotgun blast. Detective Corrigan (Walter Kinsella), a veteran of the force, is assigned the case, and with a new partner, Tobin (John Miles), a rookie who has a college degree. Corrigan is at first dismissive of the book learning but after they investigate the scene, he quickly begins to see how the book learning can be useful. The victim has no identification; the only mark is a tattoo on her arm. 

There is also some odd-looking grass on her shoes. Tobin goes to a botanist, Dr. Mahan (Patricia Barry) and is mildly surprised that she is a woman. They track down the grass, but it's something not native to New York. 

During the victim's autopsy, someone breaks into the lab and obliterates the tattoo. He is killed running from the police, but the police are convinced he was hired to do it. Tobin and Corrigan visit tattoo parlors to find someone who recognizes it. One does and gives them a name.  He is murdered soon after as the killer covers his tracks.

The movie shows the details of a police investigation and that is where the drama lies. It's not the first police procedural:  He Walked by Night and The Naked City had already shown the genre, but they were in a semi-documentary format. This one doesn't pretend to be a true story, but it's good in the way it shows the painstaking work of investigating a crime.

The film shot many of its outdoor scenes in New York city, so it's interesting to see the landmarks back in the day.

The actors don't really stand out -- their performances are workmanlike but not otherwise notable.  It doesn't help that any personal conflict is resolved quickly: Corrigan accepts Tobin after a few minutes, and though Tobin is surprised that Dr. Mahan is a woman, there is no problem with that. Jack Lord has a few lines as one of the cops.

Scene of the Crime

 

(1949)
Directed by Roy Roland
Written by Charles Schnee (screenplay), John Bartlow Martin (short story)
Starring Van Johnson, Gloria DeHaven, Arleen Dahl, John McIntire, Tom Drake, Norman Lloyd, Jerome Cowan
IMDB Entry

Back in the 30s and 40s, movie studios had personalities. Paramount concentrated on lives of the upper class, while Warner Brothers concentrated on the poor and desperate.  MGM was somewhere in between, usually with classy dramas and musicals. But in the 40s, film noir was selling and MGM decided to try working on that. The result was Scene of the Crime.

Mike Conover (Van Johnson) is a cop and when another cop is murdered, he takes over the case, and when it's found he has $1000 in cash on him, the question arises that the dead cop was dirty. Conover doesn't believe it and with two other detectives, the veteran Fred Piper (John McIntire) and the rookie C.C. Gordon (Tom Drake), he goes into the dark underside of crime.

Conover's investigation leads to Lili (Gloria DeHaven), a lounge singer who is the girlfriend of one of the suspects. His bulldog determination to solve the case does not sit well with his wife Gloria (Arlene Dahl), who gets frustrated at the way the investigation cuts into their time together.

For Van Johnson, this was a deliberate casting against type. He was usually the star of comedies and musicals and this was a more dramatic role. It doesn't work well. He just doesn't have the gravitas to make the role work. It also doesn't help that the dialog tries too hard to be Chandleresque. Only Chandler knew how to do that without sounding silly.

Gloria DeHaven also was playing a different type of role as previously. She had also played in comedies and musicals, but that is good in developing the character who seems sweet -- at first.  I also liked the subplot of Gloria's frustration with her husband always being called away, and that she understands when he tells her he's been meeting with Lili.

Several familiar faces appear among the cast.  Norman Lloyd was a busy actor, producer, and director, still doing roles after he turned 100. He's best known as Dr. Auschlander in St. Elsewhere, but was is a couple of Hitchcock classics.*  Leon Ames is best known as the father in Meet Me In St. Louis. The name Jerome Cowan probably doesn't ring a bell, but played the District Attorney in Miracle on 34th Street.

Chuck Rothman's novel, The Cadaver Princess, is available from chuckrothman.com/the-cadaver-princess

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*Hanging from the Statue of Liberty in Saboteur.

Made for Each Other

(1939)
Directed by John Cromwell
Written by Jo Swerling (screenplay), Rose Franken (story)
Starring James Stewart, Carole Lombard, Charles Coburn, Lucille Watson
IMDB Entry

It's funny, but I don't really think of James Stewart as a romantic lead. Sure, he's had parts that included romance, but I don't think I can recall many where romance came to the fore. Made for Each Other is one.

John Mason (James Stewart) is a rising young attorney in New York, working for judge Doolittle (Charles Coburn) and engaged to her daughter. But one day he meets Jane (Carole Lombard) on a business trip to Boston and returns with the two of them married. He sets up with Jane in an apartment with his mother (Lucille Watson), who is somewhat difficult and demanding. Jane stays at home while John works, but because he decided not to marry Doolittle's daughter, he is no longer the golden boy of the office. Doolittle forces him to skip his honeymoon and doesn't give him his due*. Jane and John have a baby, but Doolittle cuts his salary due to the Depression. The baby catches pneumonia and things become desperate.

It's a well written story. Jo Swerling was a busy screenwriter, with movies like Platinum Blonde, Pennies from Heaven, The Pride of the Yankees, Lifeboat, and Guys and Dolls on  his resume. The funny thing is that the inciting incident -- John and Jane marrying after only knowing each other for one day -- isn't really all that important. While it's referred to, the movie would not change much if they knew each other for months. 

The key sequence has to do with finding a serum to cure the baby's pneumonia and the difficulty of getting it to New York, leading to an ending that seems a bit too glib.

Stewart plays his usual role, and Lombard is fine as his loving wife. Charles Coburn plays his usual curmudgeonly part. Two standouts are Lucille Watson, who plays the mother like a modern-day Karen, putting a lot of pressure on the couple, and  Louise Beavers, who is excellent as Lily, Jane's cook and maid.** 

Beavers is uncredited, but charming throughout. She was a busy actress, usually play servants because that was the only roles that could be given to Black women at the time. She was one of the first Black actresses to play the lead in a sitcom.***

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*There's a lot of George Bailey in the role, where John is put-upon and doesn't get his due. 

**It is interesting that the couple, despite their money problems, can have a servant, though Lily does forego a salary for awhile.

***The  show was Beulah, about a housekeeper. Several actresses took over the title role, including Hattie McDaniel and Ethel Waters, and such names as Butterfly McQueen, Dooley Wilson, and Leslie Uggams in other roles.

Murder is My Beat

 (1955)
Directed by Edgar R. Ulmer
Written by Aubrey Wiseberg (screenplay & story), Martin Field (story)
Starring Paul Langdon, Barbara Payton, Robert Shayne, Tracey Roberts.
IMDB Entry

Film noir has become a catchall term for any movie from the 50s shot in black and white where a crime was central. I find that overly broad, and a movie like Murder is My Beat, though given that description is more anti-noir, though it clearly wants you to think it is.

The movie starts with Police Captain Bert Rawley (Robert Shayne) finding one of his squad, Ray Patrick (Paul Langton) holed up in a hotel room.  Langton explains how he got there, and we see a long flashback.

It starts with a murder. A man is found, his head and hands in a fire, burned beyond recognition. He's identified as Frank Deane and is the boyfriend of singer Eden Lane (Barbara Payton), who has left town. Patrick goes after her and finds her in a small mountain cabin.  She admits to killing Deane; the two spend the night* and Patrick begins to sympathize with her. After she's convicted, he takes her to prison and she spots Deane in a train station.  They jump off the train to investigate.

Flashback over, Patrick begs Rawley to help him to solve the case.  He agrees.

The story is nicely constructed. It is obvious to the modern viewer that the corpse was not Deane, but the identity is a decent twist and the killer is a surprise.

The acting is serviceable. Langton was a busy TV actor during the 60s. Shayne is known for his role of Inspector Henderson in The Adventures of Superman. 

Payton had a sadder career, with alcohol and drug problems, and a messy romantic life. This was her last credited role.

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*Chastely, of course. The Hayes Office still ruled, especially in low-budget films like this one.

The Woman in White

 

(1948)
Directed by Peter Godfrey
Written by Stephen Morehouse Avery, from the novel by Wilkie Collins
Starring Alexis Smith, Sydney Greenstreet, Eleanor Parker, Gig Young, Agnes Morehead, John Emery, John Abbott
IMDB Entry

The Woman in White is one of my favorite novels, a tale of suspense and thrills that is surprisingly modern. It is not surprise that it was made into various movies.

The movie starts out following the book. Walter Hartright (Gig Young) is an artist hired to teach Laura Fairley (Eleanor Parker) at their mansion in Limmeridge House. On the way there, he runs into a mysterious woman wearing white (Eleanor Parker again), who vanished. Hartright is astounded by how much Laura resembles the woman he met on the road. He meets the others of the household, the hypochondriac Frederick, Laura's father (John Abbott); Marian Halcombe, Laura's cousin (Alexis Smith); and their guest, the affable and sinister Count Fosco (Sydney Greenstreet). Later we learn of the dastardly Sir Percival Glyde (John Emery), who is in league with Fosco to marry Laura and gain access to her fortune.

The book is difficult to adapt to the screen. You think at first that it will concentrate on Laura and Walter, but Walter vanishes for half of it, and the narrative focuses on Marian, who ferrets out what Fosco and Glyde are up to and takes action to stop it. Walter finally shows up when things have gone too far, but  she is the one who bails them out.

The movie makes massive changes to the story once the situation is set up. Marian's role is downplayed, the central issue -- the threat posed to Glyde by the woman in white -- is left out, There's also a bit of silliness behind Fosco's plans, and the ending completely contradicts the ending of the novel, giving it a Hollywood ending that is a bit ridiculous. Some of these changes are more logical than in the book, but they come across as too convenient.

Sydney Greenstreet is wonderful as Count Fosco; I wouldn't be surprised if the movie was made as a showcase for him. Alexis Smith is not appropriate to play Marian, since one major point of the book is that she is an unattractive woman.* On the other hand, John Abbott is excellent as Laura's father, a weak man so afraid of straining his nerves that he does nothing.

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*Every dramatization of the story ignores this.

Midnight

(1939)
Directed by Mitchell Leisen
Written by Billy Wilder, Charles Brackett
Starring Claudette Colbert, Don Ameche, John Barrymore, Mary Astor, Francis Lederer
IMDB Entry

Many consider 1939 as the pinnacle year for Hollywood. You had films like Gone with the Wind, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Stagecoach, Ninotchka,  Goodbye Mr. Chips, Wuthering Heights, and, of course, The Wizard of Oz. Other great films just got lost in the shuffle, and one of these was Midnight.

Eve Peabody (Claudette Colbert) wakes up in Paris in a train compartment with no money and wearing only an evening gown. She meets a cab driver Tibor Czerny (Don Ameche) to help her look for work as a singer. With no luck, he lets her stay in his apartment as he completes his shift. But Eve sneaks out and ends up at a concert. When it's discovered she had no invitation, she tries to escape, but is roped into a bridge game with Helene Flammarion (Mary Astor), Jacques Picot (Francis Lederer), and Marcel Renard (Rex O'Malley). She introduces herself as the wife of Hungarian Baron Czerny and stays to keep from being found out.  She loses and when being asked to pay up, she finds money in her once-empty purse. Picot insists on escorting her to her hotel. She tries to bluff and names the Ritz at random and can't shake Picot's attention.

But when she gets to the hotel, she discovers that she indeed has a suite there.  She manages to shake off Picot. The next morning, clothes are delivered. Eve is baffled until Georges Flammarion (John Barrymore) shows up. He explains he knew she wasn't a Baroness, and has been fixing things up for her: putting money in her purse, making the hotel reservation, sending over the clothes and a car. It is not what you might think: Flammarion wants her as a decoy. Picot is a ladies man, and has been seducing Helene Flammarion.  He wants Eve to entice him away from her.

Meanwhile, Tibor goes searching, recruiting the taxi drivers of Paris to look for Eve.

The story is nicely constructed.  Given the constraints of the Hayes Code at the time, it is interesting to see the suggestions of sex in the setup.* The situations do work and the humor doesn't fall flat.

Claudette Colbert is fine in the role ** and Don Ameche shows leading man charm. John Barrymore "the Great Profile" is an avuncular figure, much like his brother Lionel's kindly character in You Can't Take it with You. Of course, Mary Astor reminds you a bit of her role in The Maltese Falcon, but here she is much blander. 

Future gossip queen Hedda Hopper has a small role as the woman running the concert Eve crashes and I was delighted to spot Monty Wooley (The Man Who Came to Dinner) in a small role as a judge.

Wilder was unhappy with some of the changes made by director Mitchell Leisen and pushed to move from screenwriting to directing, with superb results. Leisen was relatively active in film, specializing in romantic comedies.

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*Even further, when Eve wakes up in the hotel room in the morning, she is obviously supposed to be naked (she has no clothes but her cocktail dress), but she remains under blankets to appease the censors. This also may be the orientation of screenwriter Billy Wilder, who grew up in Vienna.

**I can note that her legendary obsession of favoring her left profile can be seen throughout the film. Most everything shows that side of her face more prominently and, while there are a few angles where you get to see her full-faced, absolutely nothing is shot to focus on her right profile. Oddly, most versions of the movie's poster shows it; one would assume she could do nothing about it (or it's just her left side flipped).

Transplant (TV)

(2020-2024)

Created by Joseph Kay
Starring Hamid Haq, Laurence Leboeuf, John Hannah, Ayisah Issa, Jim Watson, Airen Gulamgaus
IMDB Entry

Hospital emergency rooms are a perfect place for drama, and the Canadian series Transplant* is a nice example of the genre.

What sets it apart is the background of the lead doctor. Bashir "Bash" Hamid is a Syrian refugee, a doctor who is trying to establish himself in Toronto. He has no luck until a truck crashes into the restaurant where he has been forced to work. His experience of first aid in a battle zone help him save lives, including that of Dr. Jed Bishop (John Hannah), head of the emergency department at York Memorial Hospital.**  

Bash has to start as a resident, taking on the duties in the ER. He's joined by several other residents. Magalie "Mags" Leblanc pushes herself and can't leave any problem behind. June Curtis (Ayisha Issa) is a surgery resident who keeps to herself. Theo Hunter (Jim Watson) is in pediatrics and is away from his wife and daughters, causing tension. Bash also has to care for his 12-year-old sister Amira (Sirena Gulamgaus) and with issues due to his Syrian connections.

It is the usual ER parade of emergencies, but the characters hold it all together, with compelling stories both inside and outside the hospital. It's certainly not The Pitt, but is an honorable attempt at the genre.

It is currently available on Peacock.

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*Also broadcast on NBC.

**One sign of the quality of writing is that Bash's running into Bishop does not seem contrived.

Madam Bovary

 (1949)
Directed by Vincente Minnelli
Written by Robert Ardrey, from the novel by Gustave Flaubert
Starring Jennifer Jones, Van Heflin, Louis Jourdan, Christopher Kent, James Mason
IMDB Entry

For decades, Hollywood was restricted in subject matter by the Hayes Code, which limited what could be portrayed. This created many problems, but one was that movies about serious or sexual subjects couldn't be made. Madam Bovary was an attempt to make a classic story about a married woman having affairs (definitely taboo under the code) 

The movie begins with a frame tale. Gustave Flaubert (James Mason) is on trial for writing his scandalous book. Facing a hostile courtroom, he explains what the book should not be censored.

Emma Bovary (Jennifer Jones) grew up in a convent, learning about romance from novels. She eventually meets and marries Charles Bovary (Van Heflin), a country doctor, who she thinks will become a renowned physician. Alas, Charles is not above remaining a country doctor and his dullish personality does not satisfy Emma's desire for a life out of romance novels. When the aristocrat Rodophe Boulanger (Louis Jourdain) starts romancing her, she accepts, finding him much more attractive than her husband. But Boulanger eventually and cruelly rejects her and she falls into the arms of poverty-stricken Leon Dupus (Christopher Kent), thinking he can romance her like Boulanger.

It is interesting to note the changes from the novel. The frame tale helps to build sympathy for Emma and they are, of course, discreet about any sexual part of her relationships.* There's also a difference in her downfall. In the book, she goes into debt for her affair with Leon;** here, she does it to remodel the house.

Jennifer Jones was possibly cast as Emma  because her image from her academy-award-winning role in Song of Bernadette, where she played a nun. She's quite good. Van Heflin is also good as Charles, where he manages to be flawed but caring toward his wife. Louis Jourdan is fine as Emma's seducer.

Director Vincente Minnelli*** was usually know for musicals, but handles the drama well.

Two better-known actors show up in small parts.  Gene Lockhart, **** the judge on Miracle on 34th Street has a small role, and Harry "Colonel Potter" Morgan has an even smaller one.

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*When she first goes to Boulanger, we see her clothes on the ground, but nothing else.

**In the book, the ultimate tragedy is not because of how she is treated as a woman (though it is overall a feminist novel as her destruction is due to how men treated her), but because she wanted to have an affair with the poor Leon and tried to live it up like she did with the wealthy Rodophe.

***Yes, Liza's father.

****Yes, June's father.

My Favorite Wife

 (1940)
Directed by Garson Kanin
Written by Bella Spewack, Ben Spewack
Starring Irene Dunne, Cary Grant, Randolph Scott, Gail Patrick, Scotty Beckett, Granville Johnson
IMDB Entry

Irene Dunne may be the most obscure of the big name 30s movie stars. She was one of the best actresses in screwball comedy and was nominated for five Oscars for comedies and for dramas.  But none of her films, though good, were rated as classics and unless you're a big movie buff, you probably haven't heard of her.  My Favorite Wife is considered one of her best.

It is a remake of Tennyson's "Enoch Arden" poem. Nick Arden's (Cary Grant) wife Ellen (Irene Dunne) has been lost in a shipwreck for seven years. He has her declared legally dead in order to marry Bianca Bates (Gail Patrick*). But Ellen shows up on his doorstep.  Her two children don't remember her, but Nick's mother, who is taking care of the kids, does, and tells her the situation. Ellen flies to their honeymoon destination and Nick spots her. He finds out her story and dithers about what to do. Just as he is about to tell Bianca the situation, he is interrupted to learn that Ellen wasn't alone on the island, sharing it with Stephen Burkett (Randolph Scott); the two of them even referred to each other as "Adam and Eve."  Nick becomes jealous when he sees Burkett and discovers he's more fit  and handsome then he is, complicating an already complicated situation.

The story, alas, didn't work well for me because of the contrived way Nick is kept from telling Bianca the truth. Dunne, however, is wonderful. She had a radiant charm and playfulness that few can match.

The performance that also stuck in my mind was that of Gail Patrick as Bianca. Patrick specialized in the slightly snotty woman who was a rival with the lead actress for the attentions of the lead actor, and, of course, never getting him. Her role here is more dramatic than comic as she is hurt and frustrated by Nick leaving her on weak excuses to talk to Ellen. You really feel sorry for  her. Patrick suggested that she and Stephen end up as romantic partners, but the director turned her down.

The movie was produced under the Production Code and it's telling to see that Nick and Bianca never consummate their marriage, probably to avoid outright bigamy or divorce.

Director Garson Kanin was a solid writer (with his wife, Ruth Gordon), responsible for many Tracy/Hepburn films and the play and movie Born Yesterday. This was one of his most most successful.

Sam and Bella Spewack were a successful Broadway writing team, best known for Kiss Me Kate.

Of note was that the movie was revamped after previews showed the second half didn't work. Kanin had the inspiration to bring back the character of Judge Bryson (Granville Bates) to help fix the plot problems. Gail Patrick, a former law student, help with the legal terminology, though the Spewacks were not happy they changed their script.

Of note in the cast was Scotty Beckett, one of my favorite members of the Our Gang comedies.

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*Patrick's biggest role in Hollywood was, as Gail Patrick Jackson, the executive producer of Perry Mason, responsible for casting all the major actors and guiding the show.

Audrey Munson (model)

 (1891-1996)
Wikipedia Page

She's often called America's First Supermodel, back before the term meant someone who modeled dresses.  Very few people would recognize her name today, but Audrey Munson was the inspiration for dozens of sculptures.

She was born in Rochester, NY in 1891 and moved to New York at age seventeen to try her hand at acting. in 1909, she got a bit part in a play, but her career got a boost when Felix Benedict Herzog spotted her on Fifth Avenue and ask her to pose for him. Herzog introduced her to others in the art world and she began to pose for various New York City artists, the best know of which today is Charles Dana Gibson.* She had no objection to posing nude, which created further opportunities.

The Spirit of Life
Saratoga Springs, NY

At least twenty sculptures of her were in New York City at one point. She also posed for statuary at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in 1915.

Her success led to film. In 1915, she appeared in the film Inspiration, notable for her being perhaps the first actress to perform nude in a non-pornographic film. The censors didn't like it, but didn't like the idea of having to censor classical art, so they allowed it -- as long as she didn't move.**

She made three other movies, but her career suddenly cratered. In 1919, a Dr. Walter Wilkens, a stalker who insisted she was in love with him, murdered his wife so they could marry. Munson insisted otherwise, but since she left town to avoid questioning, her reputation went down the drain. Wilkens was convicted and hung himself in prison waiting to get the electric chair.

Munson's career as a model ended with the scandal. She came back with a series of (possibly ghostwritten) articles about her life and participated in various publicity stunts which didn't work out. In 1922, she attempted suicide. Her mother, who had been closely connected to her career, had her committed to a mental asylum in 1931, where she was treated for depression and schizophrenia.  She remained there for over 64 years, dying at age 104, forgotten by everyone.

But her sculptures live on. I've seen The Spirit of Life in Saratoga Springs, not knowing anything about the story behind it.  

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*Creator of the Gibson Girl.

**There was a similar restriction on nudes in Mrs. Henderson Presents.

The Bitter Tea of General Yen

 (1933)
Directed by Frank Capra
Written by Edward Paramore, from a novel by Grace Zaring Stone
Starring Barbara Stanwyck, Nils Asher, Walter Connolly, Toshia Mori, Gavin Gordon
IMDB Entry

Controversy changes with time. What was controversial at one point may be considered innocuous decades later. The Bitter Tea of General Yen  was around long enough to be controversial again.

In the 1920s, during the Chinese Civil War, Megan Davis (Barbara Stanwyck) travels to China to marry Robert Strike (Gavin Gordon). She finds the missionary community has a very stereotyped view of the Chinese.  When a call comes for Strike to rescue some orphans, she comes along. Strike goes to the warlord General Yen (Nils Asher), asking for safe passage. Yen give hims a document calling Strike a fool and which gives the soldiers a good laugh. When they try to save the children, Megan is knocked unconscious and awakens in the General's palace.  

Yen is enamored of Megan, and she begins to develop feelings for him, which she works hard to resist. They discover Megan's maid Mah-Li (Toshia Mori) is a spy, but Megan begs for her life. Yen agrees, but makes her promise to forfeit her life if Meh-Li betrays him again. Of course,  things go badly,  leading to a tragic ending.

The movie opened Radio City Music Hall, but the engagement was cut short as the romance between Yen and Megan incensed racists. Nowadays, of course, it is criticized for casting a white actor as Yen, though is it notable that they did cast Torshi Mori as Meh-Li -- though Mori was Japanese, which in Hollywood at the time was no different from being Chinese. The idea of Megan falling in love with her captor is also problematic these days.

Stanwyck was a major star of pre-code movies and does a good job showing her feelings for Yen despite her major misgivings. Nils Asher was from  Sweden and was  a heartthrob in his time, but has been forgotten. Torshi Mori had a good career in the 30s playing Asian women; her work here was highly praised, though she was not cast in anything of note afterwards. Walter Connolly also stands out as an American merchant who is out to make money from the revolution.

Director Frank Capra went on to direct a long list of classic films, including It Happened One Night, American Madness, and, of course It's a Wonderful Life.

The Purchase Price

 (1932)
Directed by William Wellman
Written by Robert Lord, from a novel by Arthur Stringer
Starring Barbara Stanwyck, George Brent, Lyle Talbot, Hardie Albright, Leila Bennett
IMDB Entry

Most pre-code films that are known today are set in an urban environment. The Purchase Price is different -- set in a farm in North Dakota -- and is a different take on the standard love story.

Joan Gordon (Barbara Stanwyck) is a night club singer in New York, the lover of the gangster Eddie Fields (Lyle Talbot). She wants to end it so she can marry the wealthy Don Leslie (Hardie Albright).  But Leslie's parents forbid it and he breaks it off.  Joan doesn't want to go back to Fields, so flees New York for Montreal. Fields tracks her down. Emily (Leila Bennett), the hotel maid tells her that she has arranged to be a mail order bride in North Dakota, and, to be more attractive, she sends Joan's photo to her prospective husband. Wanting to ditch Fields for good, she pays Emily to take her place. When she reaches the small town of Elk's Crossing, she is met by Jim Gilson (George Brent), who recognizes her from the photo.

On their first night together, Joan kicks Jim out of the bedroom, forcing him to sleep in the bard. He resents this and, despite her many apologies, is cold to her. Over time, she falls in love with Jim, but he is too obstinate to acknowledge it.  And then Leslie tracks Joan down.

Stanwyck had a long career for a female Hollywood star, running from the silent days to the 1980s, winning multiple Emmys. George Brent was a big star at the time, and also had a long career, but things devolved to small roles.

Most interesting to me was Lyle Talbot, whose career was the busiest of the three (340 films). He was a mainstay in 60s TV and his best known film role was in Plan 9 From Outer Space, where he appears in one scene to brief Jeff Trent about the aliens and is clearly the most accomplished actor in the film. I also remember him from a bit in Green Acres, which Lisa asks him what actor he is.*

Director William Wellman became a major director, winning an Oscar as the screenwriter for the original A Star is Born and getting three other nominations.

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*The joke here was that several former actors were being elected to office around that time. When she presses, he says, "Lyle Talbot."

Three Strangers

 

(1946)
Directed by Jean Negulesco
Written by John Huston, Howard Koch
Starring Sydney Greenstreet, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Peter Lorre, Joan Lorring, Peter Whitney, Alan Napier, Robert Shayne, Rosalind Ivan
IMDB Entry

Sydney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre were inextricably linked since they appeared together in The Maltese Falcon. Warner Brothers understood their appeal, and gave them every opportunity to work together. Three Strangers is one opportunity.

Chrystal Shackleford (Geraldine Fitzgerald) sees Jerome Arbutny (Sydney Greenstreet) on the street and invites her up to her apartment. Johnny West (Peter Lorre) is already there, and Chrystal explains her plan to the other two strangers. It is Chinese New Year, and legend has it that the idol of Kwan Yin will grant their wish if the three of them agree on it. It turns out West, a habitual drunkard, has bought a sweepstakes ticket for the Grand National. They agree they will not sell it before the race is won and go their separate ways.

Shackleford is married. Her estranged husband (Alan Napier) returns from Canada, informing her he wants to remarry and wants her to give him a divorce. Shackleford refuses and tries to split up the union.

Arbutny is a lawyer, handling the business affairs for Lady Belladon (Rosalind Ivan), who still believes she talks to her dead husband. When he learns that he has lost all her money in speculative stocks, he is desperate to get it back before the auditors arrive.

Johnny gets lost in the bottle and is involved in a robbery when a cop is murdered by Bertram Fallon (Robert Shayne). Johnny was in an alcoholic blackout but eventually is arrested for the murder. He is cleared just in time for the Grand National -- and the chance at the main prize. But things fall apart.

Greenstreet is great as the crooked lawyer. Lorre portrays a philosophical drunkard to perfection, and Geraldine Fitzgerald excels as someone who turns out to be a femme fatale.

Two actors known for television are Alan Napier (Alfred in Batman) and Robert Shayne (Inspector Henderson in The Adventures of Superman).

The screenplay is by John Huston, who had moved on to be a director at this point. He was in the army, so the director's chair went to Jaen Negulesco, who was a successful, though not a big name director.  Huston originally wrote it as a sequel to The Maltese Falcon, but the rights were not available. Howard Koch co-wrote Casablanca and Orson Welles's radio version of The War of the Worlds. His career was derailed by the blacklist.

The Verdict

 (1946)
Directed by Don Siegel
Written by Peter Milne, based on a novel by Israel Zangwill
Starring Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, Joan Lorring, George Coulouris, Paul Cavanaugh, Morton Lowry
IMDB Entry

No, The Verdict isn't the Paul Newman movie and has no connection with it. But it is an intriguing mystery with two of the best-known character actors of the 40s.

George Grodman (Sydney Greenstreet) is superintendent of police when a man is executed. Grodman put forth a strong case, but after the man is hanged, it turns out that his alibi -- considered fictitious -- was solid. It is too late to change things, and Grodman becomes the fall guy, replaced by John Buckley (George Coulouris), who gloats over Grodman's downfall.

Grodman returns to his home, consoled by his friend Victor Emmric (Peter Lorre) and two neighbors, Clive Russell (Paul Cavanaugh) and Arthur Kendall (Morton Lowry). Kendall and Russell clash over politics and leave angrily.  That night, Kendall is murdered. The door and windows are locked from the inside.* Buckley takes over the case and it leads him to Russell, whose alibi breaks down. But things are much more complicated than that.

It's a relatively subdued performance by Greenstreet, and it's odd to see him with muttonchops, but he still plays it well. Lorre has little to do, but he oozes the same sinister charm he did in all his roles. Colouris is just the right mix of obnoxiousness and overconfidence. 

The solution is a nice, unexpected twist, and the mechanics of the locked room are well thought out.

This was Don Siegel's first full-length film. He later helmed such films as Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Dirty Harry, and a couple of episodes of The Twilight Zone. He's best known as an action director, but The Verdict is more like a cozy mystery.

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*I do like locked room mysteries.

**Best known for playing Walter Parks Thatcher in Citizen Kane -

Lawyer Man

 

(1932)
Directed by William Dieterle
Written by Rian James, James Seymour, Wilson Mizner, from a novel by Max Trell
Starrring William Powell, Joan Blondell, Alan Dienhart, Claire Dodd, David Landau
IMDB Entry

Lawyer Man is a pre-code movie about an honest lawyer who gets in trouble and has to work his way back.

Anton Adam (William Powell) is the lawyer. With this secretary, Olga Michaels (Joan Blondell), he works to represent people in the Lower East Side of New York City. After getting an acquittal for his client, he is asked by hot shot attorney Granville Bentley (Alan Dinehart) to join his firm. Adam has a wandering eye, much to the chagrin of Olga, who is secretly in love with him, of course. Adam is on the up-and-up and refuses to play ball with the political boss John Gilmurray (David Landau). Gilmurry sets him up with Virginia St. Johns, who tricks him into being sued. When the trial ends with a hung jury, Adam loses all respectability and goes back to working in the Lower East Side -- but becomes more ruthless and cruel, taking shady cases*, until he gets a chance for revenge.

Powell was his usual charming self and his obliviousness to Olga's obvious affection is unforced. Joan Blondell is one of the most underrated actresses of the 30s and always a delight.

This was an early Hollywood film by director William Dieterle. He started out in Germany but was called to the US about the time sound came in, and did such classics as A Midsummer Night's Dream with Max Reinhardt, several of the Warner Brothers biopics of  the 30s, and many others, working regularly until the 60s.

Of note is that Wilson Mizner, known as one of the greatest wits in Hollywood, worked on the screenplay (uncredited).

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*One shows him getting the madam of a bordello acquited.

The Nice Guys

(2016)
Directed by Shane Black
Written by Shane Black, Anthony Bagarozzi
Starring Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling, Angourie Rice, Matt Bomer, Margaret Qualley, Kim Basinger
IMDB Entry

People know about parody, but not so much about a pastiche. While a parody mocks its subject, a pastiche appreciates it. An example is Galaxy Quest, a pastiche of the Star Trek franchise. Pastiches are unusual in filmmaking, but one great example is The Nice Guys.

Holland March (Ryan Gosling) is a detective who is hired by a woman to find her niece Misty Mountains, a porn star. Misty died in a car crash, but her aunt insists she seen her alive. Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe) is hired to stop March, breaking his arm to scare him away and meeting March's teen daughter Holly (Angourie Rice). Healy is threatened by some thugs looking for his client Amelia Kuttner (Margaret Qualley). Healy teams up with March to find Kuttner, who as gone missing and fears she might be in danger. They are joined by March's daughter Holly (Angourie Rice), who likes the thrill of the case and even finds some clues to what's going on.

The movie is a buddy comedy/action film that looks like something out of the 70s. Yes, that's when it's set, but they use graphics of the era and the look of TV shows from back then. It also sticks with a 70s-type sexual openness.

Gosling and Crowe make a great team. March is the brains of the  outfit (though he'd not all that smart) while Healy is the muscle. The two have a great rapport and one can easily see this having further sequels if  it  had been a bigger success.

The script is witty and really works as a setup for a TV series. Director Shane Black has written the first two Lethal Weapon movies, as well as Iron Man 3. Unfortunately, he had some flops and has found it  hard to get projects.

Crowe was a major star, though this was during a lull in his career. Gosling kept going strongly, though.

Dept. Q

 

(2025-)
Created by Scott Frank, Chandni Lakhani
Starring Matthew Goode, Chloe Pirrie, Alexej Manvelov, Leah Byrne, Jamie Sives, Katie Dickie
IMDB Entry

Dept. Q  is a UK TV series about a cold case. This is hardly new, but what makes it work and stand out are the characters involved.

Carl Morck (Matthew Goode) is a police detective who is returning to duty after being shot in a botched investigation. Morck barely survived, and his partner James Hardy (Jamie Sives) is paraplegic due to the attack. But it's clear that no one is welcoming Morck back -- and for good reason.  He's sarcastic and arrogant. His boss, Moira Jacobson (Katie Dickie), tells him he is to head a new cold case unit, but it's clear to keep him out of the way -- his offices are in the basement in an old locker room decorated with urinals. 

Morck is joined by Akrim Salim (Alexej Manvelov), a former policeman from Syria who is an civilian employee, not a cop, but who attaches himself to Morck's unit. He goes through the cold cases and finds one about Merritt Lingard (Chloe Pirrie), a prosecutor who vanished four years earlier on a ferry ride. Morck thinks she's dead, but Akrim insists on following up. Soon Morck is drawn into the case and we learn quite early that Merritt is alive and a prisoner.  Rose Dickson (Leah Byrne) is a detective assigned to desk duty after a breakdown, but joins Morck to do more than file papers.

It's not a mystery since we know quite early that Merritt is alive. The story is discovering where she is and who has captured her.

The acting is excellent. Matthew Goode's Morck is much like Gregory House, but more intense and sarcastic and with little sense of humor. Alexej Manvelov portrays Akrim as a fascinating character: quiet, polite, patient on the surface, but ruthless when necessary. Chloe Pirrie is strong as a character that has been broken down by her experiences.

The show is strong stuff. Some of the scenes, especially with Merritt, are intense and may turn off viewers. But the result is great television.

The main mystery is resolved, but a second season is planned.  I'm looking forward to it.

Smash Your Head Against the Wall (Music)

 

(1971)
John Entwistle (vocals, bass, keyboards)
Dave "Cyrano" Langston (guitars)
Jerry Shirley (drums)
Vivian Stanshall, Keith Moon, Neil Innes (percussion)
Wikipedia Page

It can be difficult when, as a member of a rock group, you can't get your songs on record. George Harrison was frustrated by it, and it was something similar for John Entwistle of the Who. He could have one or two songs on the albums. Pete Townsend recognized his ability, especially in creating dark characters and images, but Townsend was the main songwriters and Entwistle's music was not featured. So, in 1971, he did a solo album, Smash Your Head Against the Wall.

Entwistle was an odd songwriter, concentrating on dark and disturbing images. His two songs on Tommy, for instance, are "Cousin Kevin" and "Fiddle About," both describing disturbing events. Smash Your Head Against the Wall is in a similar dark vein. Songs were about bullying, the devil, eternal life, and other dark subjects. It also includes the group's stage opener, "Heaven and Hell," which didn't get a studio recording by the Who until several years after.

Of note to me is the appearance of the primary songwriters of my favorite band, The Bonzo Dog Band: Vivian Stanshall and Neal Innes.

The Best (music)

 (1990)
Members Keith Emerson (keyboards), John Entwistle (Bass), Joe Walsh (guitar), Jeff "Skunk" Baxter (guitar), Simon Phillips (drums), Rick Livingston (vocals)
Wikipedia Page

In the mid-60s, the idea of a "supergroup" began to take form. It was coined to mean a group of rock musicians who had already been successful with other groups and who came together. Cream is probably the first example of this, and the term was probably coined to describe Blind Faith. These usually are short-lived, since the musicians involved end up going off in their own directions. But one lesser known example is the Best.

The name wasn't just bravado. The group consisted of Keith Emerson (the Nice, ELP), John Entwhistle (the Who), Joe Walsh (James Gang, the Eagles), Jeff "Skunk" Baxter (Steely Dan, Doobie Brothers), and Simon Philips (Jeff Beck Group). They added Rick Livingston, a Canadian singer who was not well known on vocals.

The group didn't stay together long, but did a tour of Japan which is available online. They didn't write any new music, but instead performed songs that they written individually, with new solos.  The joy is listening to how they chose to interpret the songs.

The tour was a success, and there was talk of an American tour but it never happened.  It was just to hard to keep together.

Dept. Q (TV)

 (2025)
Created by Scott Frank, based on the novels of Jussi Adler-Olsen
Starring Matthew Goode, Chloe Pirrie, Jamie Sives, Alexej Manvelov, Leah Byrne, Katie Dickie, Tom Bulpett
IMDB Entry

I generally prefer cozy mysteries to dark ones, but something dark is well worth exploring.  Dept. Q is clearly one of those.

DCI Carl Morck (Matthew Goode) has returned to the force after being shot and nearly killed and his commander, Moira Jacobson (Katie Dickie) gives him a special assignment to look up and try to solve cold cases. Morck hates the assignment, but a Syrian refugee and former policeman, Akram Salim (Alaxej Manvelov) starts to help, despite Morck not wanting him. Akram stumbles upon the case of Merritt Lingard (Chloe Pirrie), who vanished off a ferry four years previously. Everyone things she drowned, but she had left her brother William (Tom Bulpett) -- who has aphasia due to a brain injury -- behind. Akram thinks it's more than just a suicide and prods Morck to look into it. Since he has to do something, he looks into the case, expecting to find that Merritt is dead.

Of course, it turns out she isn't and is trapped in a horrific situation. They are soon joined by DC Rose Dickson (Leah Byrne), who suffers from PTSD and wants to do more than just paperwork.

Matthew Goode is superb as Morck. He's super smart, but also sarcastic and insulting to other detectives. In many ways, he reminds me of Dr. Greg House. He carries the show brilliantly. Also excellent is Alexaj Manvelov as Akram, soft spoken, polite, and not one to be trifled with. He could be a star on his own.

The show can be hard to watch, especially where Merritt is involved. But Morcvk, Akram, and Rose are fascinating to watch. It's currently streaming on Netflix.

Secrets We Keep (TV)

 

(2025)
Created by Ingeborg Topsøe
Written by Ingeborg Topsøe, Ina Bruhn, Mads Tafdrup
Starring Marie Bach Hansen, Excel Busano, Danica Curcic, Simon Sears, Lars Ranthe, Lukas Zuperka, Frode Bilde Rønsholt, Donna Levkovski, Sara Fanta Traore 
IMDB Entry

Netflix doesn't limit itself to English language shows and movies and I love to see what's being done in other countries. Secrets We Keep is a Danish production that shows an intriguing mystery with deep characters.

Cecilie (Maie Bach Hansen) and Mike (Simon Sears) are a wealthy Danish couple who have an Filipino au pair Angel (Excel Busano) to take care of their pre-teen son Viggo (Lukas Zuperka). Katarina (Danica Curcic) and Rasmus (Lars Ranthe) are their friends and neighbors, also with a Filipino au pair Ruby (Donna Levkovski). One day, Ruby vanishes and Cecilie becomes upset because the night before Ruby asked to stay with her; Cecilie sent he back. She worries that something bad might have happened to Ruby, and becomes more alarmed when she discovers the box for a pregnancy test near a trash bin where she had spotted Ruby nearby. She takes her concern to the detective Aicha (Sara Fanta Traore), who begins to look into the case. Katarina and Rasmus do act suspiciously, but nothing is clear.

The mystery unfolds slowly. Cecilie keeps wondering what might have happened, but finds little satisfaction or any nead clue.  Aicha is stymied by the Rasmus and Katarina, who use their wealth to put up roadblocks. The mood is dark.

There is excellent acting throughout and the mystery is slowly revealed.  Maie Bach Hansen is excellent at Cecille, the only one with a conscience.

Worth seeing out.

The Cadaver Princess

 (2025)
by Chuck Rothman

My Novel, The Cadaver Princess, has been published.

London, 1831. The city teems with secrets, science, and shadows—and one of those shadows just opened her eyes on an anatomist’s slab.

She says her name is Victoria. She insists she’s a princess. But she’s missing her teeth, wrapped in a burial shroud, and undeniably… dead. Or was.

Thrown together with a streetwise orphan named Pablo, a skeptical doctor, and a tavern keeper with secrets of her own, this strange girl unravels a conspiracy that stretches from the slums of London to the halls of Kensington Palace. Someone is stealing bodies—not just for science, but for power. And someone else is playing a dangerous game with the soul of the British Empire.

Part gothic mystery, part alternate history, The Cadaver Princess is a gripping, witty, and darkly magical tale of resurrection, rebellion, and identity. If Mary Shelley and Terry Pratchett had collaborated on a Victorian version of The Princess Bride, with fewer weddings and more corpses, it might have looked something like this.

“…it is equally clear that vile plots are afoot. The ensuing tale is engrossing and satisfying. Recommended!” — Tom Easton, coauthor of ESPionage: Regime Change and Boondoggle.

Allen Steele agrees: “A dark mélange of fantasy, horror, and history, The Cadaver Princess hooked me on the first page. Like Dickens crossed with Poe, there isn’t anything else quite like it.”

Get it today!

Two Sisters from Boston

 
(1946)
Directed by Henry Koster
Written by Myles Connolly
Starring Kathryn Grayson, June Allyson, Jimmy Durante, Lauritz Melchior, Peter Lawford
IMDB
Entry

I stumbled upon a list of movies that Martin Scorsese thinks everyone should see. It's an eclectic list, but the one that stood out for me --  because it seemed so far from what Scorsese was known for -- was Two Sisters from Boston. So I had to check it out.

The story is set in the early 1900s. The Chandler family, a group of snooty Boston Brahmins, is scandalized to hear their daughter Abagail (Kathryn Grayson) is working as a singer at a saloon on the Bowery in New York (and -- even worse -- showing her legs!). They go to see her. Abagail tells them that she is actually performing at the Metropolitan Opera. The next day.  She gets help from her stage partner Spike (Jimmy Durante), who takes it upon himself to get her onto the stage, which he does by implying that she is the mistress of the opera manager. She sings, but incites the wrath of the company's tenor, Olaf Olstrom (Lauritz Melchior). Her sister Martha (June Allyson) discovers the truth, and goes to the opera manager, but meets with his son Lawrence (Peter Lawford), who believes in Jimmy's rumor and thinks it's  a blackmail attempt. 

The movie is inarguably fun. It plays with the stuffy Bostonian stereotype and the reaction to the rumor about Abagail. It's notable that they can imply that she's the opera manager's mistress, but it's never actually stated, so younger viewers of the time wouldn't catch it. The songs are also quite good and all of them are performed where they would naturally be singing.

Jimmy Durante, of course, plays Jimmy Durante. He has several amusing scenes where he convinces someone that he's a long lost friend so he can help Abagail. Kathryn Grayson was a leading star in MGM musicals of the 40s.  June Allyson* was also busy with musicals of the era. The two women are both overlooked today. 

Director Henry Koster has a long career in Hollywood, helming a lot of musicals. His best-known film these days is probably the classic Jimmy Stewart vehicle, Harvey.

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*Cast as a replacement for Judy Garland

James Bond (comic strip)

 (1958-1977)
Written by Henry Gammidge from the books by Ian Fleming. Art by John McCluskey, Yaroslav Horak
Wikipedia Entry

James Bond is a media phenomenon, the movies being the longest running series in film history. So it's not surprising that it was successful in other media. In 1958, the UK paper Daily Express noticed the success of his novels, and asked to serialize them. Ian Fleming was skeptical, but finally gave the OK.

The strip dramatized Fleming's novels. starting with his first Bond novel, Casino Royal. It was a straight adaptation of the book: Bond is assigned to bankrupt the Russian agent Le Chiffre by winning at Baccarat.

The strips follow the book quite closely.* Ian Fleming was given writer credit, but did little other than sketch out a drawing of what he thought Bond looked like -- which was promptly ignored.

The strip continued to dramatize the books in the order they were written, allowing for some decent continuity. For instance, when Felix Leiter is badly injured in one book, he retains those injuries from then on.

A new writing and art team took over in 1966 and continued adapting books. After Fleming died, they adapted his short stories and then eventually came up with new material.

The strip never made it to the US. 

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*I read a few of them back in the day. The movies quickly stopped using Fleming plots and just grabbed titles.

The Mystery of Mr. E

 

(2023)
Directed by Martyn Tott
Written by Sophie Hannah, Martyn Tott, Annette Armitage (music)
Starring Harry W. Knight, James N. Knight, Kevin Dixon, Martin Spendlove, Martyn Tott, Rachel Dobell. Anna Macleod Franklin, Nicola Wright
IMDB Entry

Finding things to write about here often includes a bit of serendipity. After I finished watching Nando Fodor and the Talking Mongoose, Youtube suggested The Mystery of Mr. E. I've been enjoying a lot of UK cosy mysteries and thought I'd give it a chance.  

But this wasn't just a mystery. It was a musical, and I love musicals.

George and John Danes (James N. Knight and Harry W. Knight) are generalists -- the opposite of specialists (it's explained in the first song) who are called to Idlewyld House, a country house and the home of the late Harriet Landrigan (Nicola Wright). Landrigan was a wildly successful romance novelist who died after falling down stairs. As they're about to go to the British manor, they are approached by the mysterious Mr. E (Kevin Dixon), who introduces himself as the murderer, then leaves. When the Daneses reach Idlewyld, they find that no murder has been committed. The house is run by Harriet's son Peter (Martyn Spendlove) and his wife, the overbearing Clemence (Anna Macleod Franklin), and their son Oscar (Aidan Broderick). There are also three obnoxious houseguests, Swithun Kirk (Martyn Tott), a hammy actor; Irene Coggins (Rachel Dobell), a fan who knows everything about Harriet's books; Max Russell (Judson Vaughan), her publisher; and several others to fill out the requirements of the cozy mystery. 

We find out that Harriet suddenly stopped publishing her novels. She wrote them, bound them secretly, and put them under glass for no one to read. The guests all had reason to want to see them.

Then there's a murder (of course).

This is just another iteration of the cozy mystery form, but the songs add an extra dimension. Sophie Hannah, who wrote the lyrics, is an accomplished poet and mystery writer.* Annette Armatage's music is just right.

As a quibble, the final scene where everyone gathers together and the murderer's true identity is revealed,** goes on too long, and the reason for Harriet's death is pretty tenuous.

But the movie is a lot of fun if you love mysteries and musicals.

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*The Agatha Christie estate has had her write new novels featuring Hercule Poirot. 

**As is the motive for Harriet stopping publication of her books.

Nando Fodor and the Talking Mongoose

 

(2023)
Written and Directed by Adam Sigal
Starring Simon Pegg, Minnie Driver, Christopher Lloyd, Neil Gaiman,* Gary Beadle, Tim Downie, Ruth Connell, Jessica Balmer
IMDB Entry

Nando Fodor and the Talking Mongoose. Sounds like the title for a whimsical children's movie. But it turns out to be a light drama with some interesting elements.  And it's based on a true story.

Nando Fodor (Simon Pegg) is a debunker of psychic phenomena. Fellow skeptic Harry Price (Christopher Lloyd) alerts him to a report of a talking mongoose living on the Isle of Man. Price had looked into it and never saw or heard the creature, but a sample of its fur seems to come from no known animal. Fodor and his assistant Anne (Minnie Driver) go to investigate, where they meet the Irvings, including the daughter Voirrey (Jessica Balmer), who also is a talented ventriloquist. The mongoose, named Gef (voice of Neil Gaiman), is elusive and shy, but most of the people vouch for his existence. except for the Irvings' hired man, Errol (Gary Beadle) who thinks it a fake. Fodor eventually talks to Gef, but is still unsure.

The title may sound like whimsical nonsense, but Nando Fodor was a real person and there were newspaper reports of the story. The film dramatises the incident.

And though the film is billed as a comedy, it's more dramatic and thoughtful that just getting laughs. Fodor's speech at the end is quite insightful.

This is a rather subdued role for Simon Pegg, who underplays Fodor, but still shows some good dramatic chops when they're called for.  I've been a fan of Minnie Driver for a long time and she does not disappoint. Christopher Lloyd also underplays, but still does a good job.

The film never got a wide release, and was mostly shown in the UK, if at all.

One note -- stay until the end of the credits, when the actors trash talk the director. The funniest part of a movie, though I don't think the movie was really trying to be a comedy at all.

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*The movie was made before his issues were publicly known.