Battle of Britain (1969) Review

An all-star cast fills in-between beautiful scenes of aerial combat in this recounting of the famous World War II battle over Great Britain’s skies. While the fictional characters are nothing to write home about, the real drama comes from the unfolding nightmare that really did happen. Glorious cinematography will make you want to see it on a big screen – the bigger the better. UPDATED August 2014 for a full rewrite, Blu-ray details, and HD screen captures.

From August 12 to October of 1940, a fierce bombing campaign by Germany took place in preparation for an eventual amphibious invasion of Great Britain. Badly outnumbered and riven by arguments over strategy, the British very nearly lost this critical battle during the early stages of the Second World War. Any attempt to portray this complicated history was bound to be flawed in one way or another, so it was perhaps too big a story to tell in one movie.

Three main focuses are interweaved throughout: the factual RAF Fighter Command struggle to form an effective strategy (based on book The Narrow Margin), depictions of the air war itself, and drama around fictional fighter pilots.  Most of the focus is on the second and features the best aerial footage I’ve seen in any movie not named The Blue Max. With the noted James Bond film series director Guy Hamilton helming the movie, great action was guaranteed.

The Bobo (1967) Review

Famous comedian Peter Sellers anchors an excellent cast in this inconsequential yet highly enjoyable comedy about a penniless bullfighter tasked with seducing a beautiful gold digger. Gently charming humor, well written characters, and note perfect performances highlight this little known gem from the great comedian’s career. It also illustrates just why one should never trust a singing matador.

Ah, the 1960s. Though there was much going on in that decade, one defining characteristic of the era is all but forgotten today. That would be the airy and sometimes witty comedies from Europe that graced the silver screen like effervescent bubbles floating through the air. Often they were international productions filmed in Italy or England and featured actors from all over. These films were whimsically entertaining in a way that simply isn’t seen in today’s more vicious and crude culture.

Being old enough to have grown up with reruns of the genre on television, I grew rather fond of them during my childhood. But even then they were fading away so recountings of certain movies were told to me by my late mother and half brothers. One they kept regaling me about was The Bobo which turned out to be very obscure. In fact, I didn’t get to see it until the late 1990s on a cable movie channel.

Fortunately for me, the film was just as funny as they claimed.

Forbidden Planet (1956) Review

A smart, literate script that derived much of its plot form Shakespeare's The Tempest propels this film from what could of been an expensive B-movie into a true top tier movie. Featuring a flying saucer, a robot, a mad scientist, and an alien monster it sounds like kid’s dream. Oh it is that, alright, but good acting and cutting edge effects made this science fiction film a true classic. UPDATED December 2013 with a full rewrite, HD screen captures, and Blu-ray details.

Younger people have frown up in an era dominated by special effect, but this wasn’t the case in the past. Once upon a time, there was no such thing as computer generated effects, or CG. Special effects were done in laborious, painstaking ways, with wires, matte paintings, and miniatures. Of late, there has been a renaissance in using the old methods, combining them with CG. But amazingly, there were genuinely well done special effects in the past (though kids today will laugh at some of them) with certain films being milestones in the art.

MGM’s Forbidden Planet is one such film, but the expensive effects were only part of the reason this bold experiment is considered one of the greatest science fiction films of all time. The introduction of Robby the Robot (who cost an astounding 100,000 1956 dollars) definitely contributed, as did Anne Francis' short dresses (an actual plot point). But the main ingredient stirred into the mix was that the director and actors took the story seriously.

The African Queen (1951) Review

Take two aging stars worried about their careers and one dangerously close to being blacklisted director, stir in a splash of Technicolor, then add location shooting in Africa. What does this recipe make? One of the most unlikely films to ever grace many a list of greatest movies.

Star Humphrey Bogart reunites with director John Huston with Katherine Hepburn onboard for a wonderfully adult romance about two losers trying to sink a German boat in WWI Africa. Spectacular scenery, great acting, and fantastic writing make for a highly entertaining experience that has easily withstood the test of time.

Adapted from a novel by C.S. Forester of Horatio Hornblower fame, this gem of a film starts out in somewhat unconventional fashion. The name of the movie appears with a very important caption under it, “Color by TECHNICOLOR.” We’re used to color today, but in 1951 most movies were still in black and white making this a big deal.

So watching the credits go by while moving through exotic jungle trees with equally rare animal noises in the background had to be quite a thrill to theater goers. I know it got my attention as a little kid and I grew up with color. An air of promise fills the screen, promise that you are about to see an adventure straight out of National Geographic Magazine.

But does it live up to those expectations? Read on to find out.

Monkey Business (1931) Review

What do you do when you’ve had two smash hit movies adapted from Broadway plays? In the Marx Brothers’ case, they headed West for their first Hollywood film. The result is a movie that is very different from the previous two while cranking the insanity to eleven on a scale of one to ten. A wafer thin plot usually sinks a movie, but the Marx Brothers manage to stay afloat in this truly madcap comedy set on an ocean liner.

A mere four years after the revolutionary The Jazz Singer ushered in sound for movies, Monkey Business showed just how important the new technology was for comedy. There is no way the Marx Brothers would have been a success on the silver screen without hearing the machine gun patter of Groucho, the puns of Chico, or the harp playing of Harpo. Zeppo was always going to be along for the ride and could have been mute.

 

The movie begins with a creative way to present the credits: they roll on screen pasted on barrels. If you look closely, you can see that the photos were cut out and varnished on. So why barrels?

I’m tempted to say, “Why not?”

But there is a reason for them…

Animal Crackers (1930) Review

Following up their other Broadway hit turned motion picture, the Marx Brothers once again hit pay dirt at the box office with their second film. But a skimpy plot serves only to bridge one silly gag after another with plenty of songs thrown in for good measure. While not as good as their first film, there are plenty of laughs to be found.

After the success of The Cocoanuts transitioning from stage to screen in 1929, Paramount was eager to repeat the formula especially since Animal Crackers was already running on Broadway. Victor Heerman was brought on board to direct with the hopes he would be able to keep the wild brothers under control.

All that did was lead to another clash between Groucho and a director. What resulted was essentially a stage production put on camera with little directorial creativity. Fortunately, the Marx Brothers were more than able to carry the film despite that large handicap.

The movie begins with a display of a newspaper after the credits end. To make sure we ignorant savages understand what is being presented, close up shots of pertinent information are shown. From that we are meant to glean, the setup involves an explorer, Captain Geoffrey T. (for Edgar) Spaulding, and a famous painting arriving at a wealthy socialite’s estate. Mrs. Rittenhouse (Margaret Dumont) is a widow of some means. Which means Groucho will be soon hitting on her.

Since this was an early talkie, we are subjected treated to the sight of the butler singing as he instructs the staff on how to handle the guests. It goes on far too long before seguing to Roscoe Chandler (Louis Sorin) arriving with his prize painting by Beaugard. Don’t bother searching, the painter and painting are fictional. I suspect people searching for them on the Net would have amused the Marx Brothers a great deal.

Movie Illiteracy

Hello to the few who read this blog!

This will be a short post while I continue writing a longer one which has brought a question to mind: Does anyone under 50 have any familiarity with classic movies these days?

I ask this because I will often mention a movie to someone below forty and get a blank look. These are not obscure movies and include:

• Lawrence of Arabia
• Doctor Zhivago
• Bridge Over the River Kwai
• Zulu
• Casablanca
• The Maltese Falcon
• Gone with the Wind
• Citizen Kane

And many more I could list. Hollywood is in a downturn and has been for some time, mainly due to the dreck they insist on putting out. The latest fad it to watch HBO or Showtime for original series rather than theatrical releases due to the supposed superior quality. I've sampled those series and am unimpressed, to put it lightly.

Since I am not film illiterate and something of a buff, it would be considered my problem, not theirs by the consumers of current film and television. But I wonder if they would have a different attitude if they were versed in classic films of yesteryear?

Godzilla, King of the Monsters (1956) Review

While Gojira was a serious film about the horrors of nuclear tests, Godzilla, King of the Monsters turned the Japanese original into a mere monster movie of the type so common during the 1950s. It isn’t without its charms, however. The spectacle of the title monster trashing Tokyo is complete and the human suffering that causes is still there to elevate this slightly beyond a normal B-movie. UPDATED August 2012 with better screencaps and expanded snark, err… text.

From the comprehensive booklet included in the 50th anniversary DVD release, we find how the American version came to be. Harold Ross and Richard Kay brought the film to America on the cheap to take advantage of the explosion in B-movies.  Described as “Hollywood bottom-feeders,” they had one problem with the movie – all the Japanese in it.  At the time, hatred of the Japanese was still strong ten years after World War II and a movie starring “Japs” couldn’t make money.

The solution was to shoot new material starring an American actor and splice it in.  About 20 minutes of the 80 minute movie would consist of the new scenes and insertions, heavily diluting the original story.  But that didn’t matter because audiences would be going to see the “King of Monsters” not the story. The result raked in $2 million and turned a tidy profit while making fans of Godzilla such as Gomer Pyle.

Now on to the review starring Raymond Burr and his pipe!

The Americanized version starts with the sound of explosive footfalls and the new title appears over the sea. In a jarring shift, the first scene of the movie is the devastated ruins of Tokyo in miniature.  A voice over narration by Raymond Burr begins while he makes his first appearance pinned under rubble.  After failing to free himself, he passes out.  Not an auspicious debut for the hero of the movie.

Gojira (Godzilla 1954) Review

In 1954, Gojira hit Japanese theaters and was a sensation that eventually spread world wide. For those who don’t know, Gojira is the original Japanese Godzilla movie that started the series. This first film is a serious movie, unlike nearly all the ones that followed. In 2004, Toho Studios decided to restore and remaster the epic for its 50th anniversary DVD release. So now that I have my hands on it, does it live up to its reputation as a classic? UPDATED:  August 2012 with expanded text and better screen captures.

As a kid, I grew up with the later Godzilla movies and it was not until I was a teenager that I saw the heavily recut American version of the film starring Raymond Burr. It turned out to be a pleasant surprise, being a darker and more serious story than I had expected. Once the Internet age dawned, I found out that it paled in comparison to the Japanese film it originated from, but there was no way to see it.

Years went by and then rumors of a New York City showing of the original movie for the 50th anniversary of Gojira got my attention. Hopes of a DVD release turned into reality thanks to ClassicMedia, but it ended up being out of my price range. Time went by and a sale at a Target in Indiana landed the very nice deluxe release in my hands. This review applies to it and to the discs in The Godzilla Collection also put out by the same folks.

The movie starts with a strident and bombastic theme by Akira Futabe that fits the tension that permeates the entire production. After the credits roll, an idyllic scene of a merchant ship’s crew relaxing on deck seems very serene.  A bright flash of light draws their attention to a strange glowing mass in the water. Another flash and the ship explodes into flames. The distress call of the Kingo Maru results in the Eiko Maru being sent to find it, whereupon it promptly sails into a glowing circle of water and explodes like the first ship.

The Cocoanuts (1929) Review

This wildly inconsistent movie catapulted the Marx Brothers to fame on the eve of the Great Depression and heralded a new form of utterly insane humor. Long before Monty Python or even the Goon Show, the Marx Brothers brought savage wit, inspired lunacy, and irreverence toward all authority to the big screen. Over eighty years later,  are they still funny?

The Marx Brothers burst onto the scene and achieved stardom quickly, or so it probably seemed to the American people of the 1930’s. Instead, the Marx family had spent many years traveling and performing while grooming their sons for success on the Vaudeville circuit. Sons of immigrants, they were part of a Jewish invasion of American humor, much like the British invasion of pop thirty years later.

The Cocoanuts was their first film and an adaptation of a smash hit on Broadway, not to mention anywhere else they toured with it. Fast talking, absurd sight gags, and a mocking hostility toward authority were their trademarks and Americans ate it up. Yet superstardom would not have been possible for them except for that great innovation in cinemas: sound. The timing was perfect for Groucho’s quips and Chico’s flimflamming to hit the big screen. Then there was Harpo’s mute horn honking and harp playing to add to the madness. Oh yeah, there was Zeppo to play straight man, if anybody noticed him at all.

Dracula (1931 Spanish Version) Review

Filmed simultaneously as the famous English language version, the Spanish Dracula is now regarded as being technically superior. Using the same shooting script and sets, but with a different director and cast, it offers a fascinating contrast in approaches. While the English version got all the fame, this is the better movie by far.

 

As the talkies took over the movie industry, demand for native language films grew in Mexico, Central, and South America. This was a sizeable market and filming Spanish language versions alongside the English version was one way to capitalize on the opportunity with dubbing being the other. People wanted to hear their native language and, better yet, see people speaking it on screen.

Universal Pictures decided to film a Spanish version of Dracula at the same time as Tod Browning’s production. Paul Kohner, the former successor to Carl Laemmle who was shoved out of his position running Universal to make room for Junior, was assigned to produce it using the same script and sets. He hired George Melford to direct and the two decided they would one up the other production in every way they could.

During the day, Browning’s version filmed on the sets and by night Melford’s used them. Even the same chalk marks for positions on set were used by the actors. Since the same shooting script was used, I will refer you to my earlier review of Dracula for the plot points. Instead, the focus will be on the differences between the films and why I believe this version to be superior.

First off, the babe factor is a big reason. Yes, that is sexist, but it is also accurate. Even the girl wearing glasses is very attractive and, more importantly, gets more of a chance to act. All the actors benefit from the better direction and pacing of this version, but the women really got a better deal. Perhaps Browning wasn’t good with handling actresses.

Take the bookworm above. In the English version, she is only briefly seen and heard. But here her role is expanded, first by having her comically fall on Renfield (Pablo Alvarez Rubio) repeatedly in the bouncing coach and then by increasing her dialogue. Note that he is not as effete as Dwight Frye’s interpretation and does not seem to mind this happening. She is also shown taking something of an interest in him and later gets a little scene for herself.

Dracula (1931) Review

What better way to celebrate Halloween than with the most famous blood sucker of them all? Supernatural horror films gained acceptance and big box office in America when Bela Legosi donned the cape of Count Dracula. Beset by production problems and an unknown actor in the main part, it was an amazing achievement in its time. Has this horror classic withstood the test of time?

When Carl Laemmle, Jr. was put in charge of Universal Pictures by his father, one of the first things he did was put into motion his plans to revamp the horror movie genre for talkies. Since Dracula was already a very successful Broadway and touring play, it was the ideal subject for introducing the supernatural into horror movies. Prior to it, horror was consisted of the psychological or deformed humans types, with nothing “spooky” allowed. It was thought that American audiences would reject such silliness.

I think we all know how that theory panned out.

Hiring the famous director of Lon Chaney’s incredibly popular silent films, Tod Browning, would insure success because it would be easy to get Chaney to play the part. But “The Man of 10oo Faces” died of lung cancer in 1930 and the studio looked at a lot of actors for the part. Oddly, the star of the smash Broadway play, Bela Legosi, was not considered for the part. In fact, he had to make a desperate concession on salary to get the role he was already famous for and this was only after everyone else passed on it.

Please park your modern day sensibilities and travel back to the more innocent era of the Great Depression to witness a movie that shocked and thrilled the American public.

Frankenstein (1931) Review

Halloween fun goes Universal with a review of James Whale’s subversive masterpiece that frightened audiences and packed the theaters. Return with me to a more innocent time when gore did not exist in movies, television was a science fiction idea, and scared kids still hid behind movie theater seats. Warning: This will be a monster of a review!

1931 was the year that made horror movies popular and proved they could compete for the pennies of Depression era movie goers. Early in the year, Dracula had come out and caused a sensation with its gothic atmosphere featuring an exotic supernatural villain. Known as a B movie studio, Universal Pictures finally had their chance to move up to the big leagues and they had to strike while the iron was hot.

So another adaptation of a classic horror novel was the logical next step. Having bought the rights to Peggy Webling’s stage play interpretation of Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein, the studio moved ahead at full steam.

The movie begins with a quaint rarity: a warning to the audience. Delivered by Edward Van Sloan, the actor portraying Doctor Waldman, it was added after a test screening in California shocked its audience. In this exceptionally jaded era of lost innocence, the concept of people actually have to be warned about content is alien. But this was a more civilized time and not only were children sheltered, many adults were.

So please watch this movie with that in mind.

The opening credits set an uneasy and creepy mood, with strange and unholy eyes being the focus behind the letters presented on screen. To modern eyes, it looks psychedelic, but it would have been nightmarish—even delirious to the eyes of the time.

The Big Sleep (1946 & 1945 versions) Review

Bogey and Bacall. At one point those two names were enough to pack movie theaters and this movie shows why. Filled with an ever twisting plot of blackmail and murder, it was the chemistry between these two that made this movie a true noir classic. But what about the earlier unreleased version shown to soldiers overseas? Read on to find out.

With The Maltese Falcon being a huge hit, Warner Brothers wanted to repeat the success of that private eye picture. The country was still embroiled in World War II and the civilians at home wanted distractions from the war.  Also, the popularity of private eye stories were at their zenith.

The legendary directory Howard Hawkes was put in charge of adapting Raymond Chandler’s novel, The Big Sleep. Having Humphrey Bogart play another P.I. was considered a sure thing and the hot starlet of the moment at Warner’s was Lauren Bacall. The fact they were having an illicit affair begun on the set of To Have and Have Not guaranteed there would be on screen chemistry. Hollywood is nothing if not mercenary in the quest for money.

Two versions of the film exist, the 1945 one shown to the troops and the 1946 re-edited one with different scenes. The latter was done at the behest of Bacall’s agent who was in something of a panic over her negative reviews for Confidential Agent. Desperate to salvage her career in a dog eat dog business (and insure his continued income), the agent talked Jack Warner into reshooting the picture to play up the actress’s “insolence.”

I’ll be reviewing both, starting with the 1946 final product.

The 1946 Version

The Big Sleep opens with the silhouettes of Bogey and Bacall lighting up cigarettes with the credits then being superimposed on them – starting with their names. They get shown before the movie title and illustrate just how star power mattered back then. I should also note that this movie has more smoking in it than any I can remember. No specific brand placement, but one would swear it was entirely financed by the tobacco industry.

A close up on the door of a ritzy residence starts things rolling as private detective Philip Marlowe has arrived at the Sternwood Mansion for a possible job. Keep an eye open for lots of close ups of letters and signs in this movie, Hawkes seemed to like them a lot.

Bogart inhabits the rumpled life of Marlowe effortlessly and brings a jaded weariness to the character. It takes that kind of cynicism when confronted with the killer legs and aggressive flirtations of young Carmen Sternwood (Martha Vickers). Aggressive as in very physical. She is trouble not even bothering to wait to happen.

Saved by the butler, Marlowe is led in to see his prospective employer, General Sternwood (Charles Waldron). Beset with age related frailties and an inability to drink, he has Marlowe drink for him. Bluntly eloquent about his lack of morals and that of his daughters, he has a problem with a black mailer that needs handling. It seems little Carmen has gotten herself in trouble and owes a considerable amount of money on lost bets. If that is the real story behind it…

Taking the job for $25 a day plus expenses, Marlowe has a couple of names to consider besides that of the blackmailer, Geiger. There had been another blackmail earlier by someone named Joe Brody that had been handled by an old acquaintance of  Marlowe’s, Sean Regan. Oddly enough, Regan is missing much to the dismay of the elderly man.

His oldest daughter, a divorcee named Vivian Rutledge (Lauren Bacall), inserts herself into things by having the butler intercept Marlowe before he leaves. Their meeting leads to classic banter as each fishes for information from the other. But the shamus does find out that Regan was like a son to Sternwood and it piques his curiosity.

Marlowe does what a good private dick should do and that is research. The Hollywood Public Library provides the trivia he needs to pose as a book buyer to investigate Geiger’s rare books shop. The affectation he puts on doesn’t get him far with the pretty and cold Agnes (Sonia Darrin), but it becomes clear that the shop is not what it appears to be.

Across the street is a competing book store, one with a most interesting and unnamed gal running it. Dorothy Malone smolders in her brief scene that always stood out to me. She shows that nice and nerdy is no impediment to being very attractive as they share a mutual flirtation while Marlowe watches the other shop. In a film full of gorgeous gals, she tops them all.

Trailing Geiger leads to his house on Laverne Terrace and soon Marlowe spots a woman arrive then run inside. A check on the car steering wheel registration reveals it is Carmen. Back then, vehicle registrations had to be attached to the steering wheel column and this comes into play more than once as the story unfolds.

Time passes and a tired Marlowe is roused from his boredom by a woman’s scream followed by two gunshots. Before he can do anything, two cars depart in a hurry. The first is a sedan and the second is a station wagon. Why do I mention it? It is a mystery and a lot of clues are being fired at us in shotgun fashion and the theatrical release omits too many explanations.

Breaking inside, the private eye finds an oblivious and mildly giggling Carmen plus one very dead Geiger on the floor. No weapon is present but there is a hidden camera, which was pointed at Carmen’s chair. Another discovery seems to offer the promise of more information, but first things first.

The youngest Sternwood sister is higher than a kite and while never directly explained, it is obvious she has a narcotics problem, probably heroin. Also implied is that she has been posing for dirty pictures. Why else a hidden camera?

Hired to clean up her mess, Marlowe drives her home and instructs the butler that Carmen never left the mansion that night. Vivian is likewise instructed and sparks fly as she argues with Marlowe. Yes, this is a scene inserted to enhance Bacall’s performance and it works well.

Marlowe is now hip deep in the messy situation and while he puts on a brash front, his constant tugging of his ear while puzzled indicates just how confusing the situation really is. It only gets worse after a phone call from his friend, Bernie, at the district attorney's office.

It seems the LAPD have fished a sedan belonging to the Sternwood’s from near a pier – and it has a body in it. Marlowe and Bernie (Regis Toomey) have that casual ease that good friends have and it adds some depth to characters as they discuss what is going on. So who killed Owen Taylor, the chauffeur?

Things keep getting messier as events unfold. Murkier as well, for Mrs. Rutledge is both prying into Marlowe’s case and adding to it when another blackmail attempt is started. It would have been sufficient to have had the normal banter between the now obviously attracted to each other characters, but the phone scene with the two is an absolute delight as they torment a police sergeant on the other end.

Marlowe does seem to have a way with the ladies, as a female cabbie helps him tail a suspect and then gives him her phone number. So far in the film, the gumshoe has had four women hit on him. Not bad for a short guy.

Further trouble enters the picture when Eddie Mars (John Ridgely), a local mobster, finds Marlowe in the company of Carmen at Geiger’s house. Carmen is at her thumb biting best as she is questioned about the murder and you can see the dim cunning of the girl glittering in her eyes. But it is the back and forth between Mars and Marlowe that make the scene terrific fun. It doesn’t hurt he has some interestingly odd henchmen.

One of the best things about The Big Sleep is the witty and intelligent dialogue. I cannot imagine a movie this smart being a hit in the modern day. Too much of the dialogue would go over too many heads.

A lot has happened and the new blackmailer has yet to be be dealt with. When we finally meet Joe Brody (Louis Jean Hedyt), we are in for a treat. His small apartment becomes the set of a small stage play as armed people troop in and out. It is a scene hard to convey as it contains plot exposition, wry character moments, dark comedy, and occasional violence. Just watch the movie to see why it is so entertaining.

The amazing thing is we are only half way through the movie by this point.

Marlowe gets his chance to prove how skillful and dirty an opponent he can be as the chain of events started in Brody’s apartment unfold. Some kind of resolution to the events has been come to, but something is nagging the detective. Where is Sean Regan and what does he have to do with all this?

Why is Mrs. Rutledge so eager for him to consider the case closed? What is her connection to Eddie Mars? The questions mount for Marlowe and he will not leave them alone. The Gordian Knot he has been handed and then told to leave alone will either be solved by him or his own undoing.

The 1945 Version

Filming of the movie was done from late 1944 through early 1945 while the war was still on. In early 1946, reshoots and additional scenes were made, so there was at least a year between shoots. That makes the 1946 film a continuity gaffe hunter’s dream.

The Big Sleep had quite a few changes made to it between the versions. As I wrote before, they were done to protect Bacall’s career and while the two films are basically the same, I think much was lost due to that decision.

Various scenes depicting detective work and plot exposition were cut to add in more Bogey and Bacall byplay. The audiences loved the chemistry and I suppose the scandal involved. During the original filming of the movie, the affair between the two destroyed Bogart’s marriage and by the time the second shoot started he had married his mistress, Bacall. Scandal sells, unfortunately.

In the original cut, Marlowe explores Geiger’s house and disposes evidence that would have shown Carmen was there. In the process of this, he silently discovers that the killer had broken in through the kitchen window. With Carmen in a stupor on the sofa, he goes through things and finds a set of keys that unlocks the desk, which gives him the cypher book. Those were important moments.

Also, there is no Mrs. Rutledge at the Sternwood mansion when Marlowe hauls Carmen there. Those scenes were reshot to add him carrying Carmen in and having sparks fly with Vivian. Watch for some clumsily looped audio during her office visit. Bacall’s lips do not match the dialogue at one point.

Entire performances ended up cut out of the film. District attorney White (Thomas E. Jackson) and Captain Cronjager (James Flavin) were characters in a very good scene that explained much of what had happened regarding the murders. Bernie also shined in this and you could understand Marlowe’s relationship with local law enforcement a lot better. It is top notch stuff and really helped with the flow of the movie.

But there was one scene that definitely needed to be replaced and it is the payoff scene with Mrs. Rutledge. For some baffling reason, it was decided that Bacall looked good in the veil pictured above. She didn’t and it was horribly unflattering. The dialogue also lacked zing and needed work, so the scene was replaced by the much superior restaurant one filled with innuendo.

Thoughts

Howard Hawks’ film is very fast paced, bordering on modern in its 1946 cut. The 1945 is slightly slower but still a roller coaster ride. With a focus on characters and performances over camera work and spectacle, the film feels a bit more grounded than a lot of Hollywood fare. There is a gritty and unflinching attitude on display.

I can’t say the cinematography impressed me. It was competent, I suppose. The scene editing is a tour de force, on the other hand.

The feeling of it being war time is subtle, with a reference to “red points” which were meat ration tokens being the most obvious. Rationing was in full effect at the time and the idea that you couldn’t get whatever you wanted is alien to our modern spoiled times. By the way, the whole red points euphemism for bodies is very clever in my opinion.

Of course the big selling point is the incredible chemistry between Bogart and Bacall. That is what most people will remember about this tautly crafted murder mystery. The chemistry is undeniable, infectious, and often a delight to watch.

But for me, it is the sheer smartness of the story and lines that make me like this movie so very much. Having a very mortal and fallible main character in Marlowe also appeals greatly to me. His wry exasperation at all the guns being pulled on him wonderfully conveys how unusual the circumstances he’s fallen into are. Bogey is one of my favorite actors of all time and I think that is because he always brought a feeling of humanity to his portrayals.

Being made back when there was a morality code for movies actually helped the story, in my opinion. With many things only hinted at rather than explicitly explained, it added to the mystery.

There is a lot to like about this film and along with The Maltese Falcon has to be considered the epitome of private eye films. Highly recommended to all adults.

Technical

While Warner Bros skimped horribly on the cheap mostly cardboard case, the DVD itself is well produced. It is a two sided disc, with each version occupying one side along with all the extras duplicated. Flipping it over reminds me of listening to 33 1/3 albums when I was young and seems appropriate to the era the movie came from.

The video is the standard 4:3 ratio of the original theatrical release and shows nice contrast. While remastered, it is not restored so expect to see scratches from the preserved film.

Audio is monaural, of course. It is nice and clear, which is important given the machine gun delivery of some of the lines. The score comes through well and never overwhelms the dialogue.

The special features include:

A very brief cast and crew rundown which is not even worth glancing at.

A comparison documentary between the two versions, which is well worth checking out.

Behind the scenes trivia which is an absolute hoot. Even the original author, Chandler, didn’t know who killed the chauffeur!

The very clever theatrical trailer may contain the best lead in ever. It is a little gem in its own right.

BEWARE, HERE BE SPOILERS!!!

 

 

 

 

After wrapping up the murders, Marlowe’s determination to find out what happened to Sean Regan gets him in trouble. Even the DA’s office wants him to drop it. But it is an itch he can’t scratch.

Somebody is tailing him, Mars and Mrs. Rutledge are scheming together, and even a beating by goons doesn’t stop the shamus. Unexpected aid from Harry Jones, the guy tailing him, leads things back to Agnes. Her story is made a little more clear in the 1945 version, but she is a very low level gold digger latching on to a new guy in astounding speed.

That poor sucker is Harry, played by Elisha Cook, Jr. You will recognized him from one of his many small parts in film and television over the decades. The little guy has a memorable couple of appearances late in the film and meets a sad end that upsets Marlowe greatly.

Marlowe may not be a bastion of morality, but his growing outrage against Eddie Mars’ doings begins to drive him into reckless behavior. That lands him handcuffed and tied up when he tracks down Eddie’s wife who was supposed to have run off with Regan. Here we see two different versions as the original scene wasn’t satisfactory and was reshot with a new actress.

The 1945 version had the cold looking Pat Clark playing Mona Mars and the scene played out quite differently. Peggy Knudsen replaced her and was a bit more believable as the kind of gal someone would murder over.

I liked the cowardly cunning of the hitman, Canino (Bob Steele), and also how Vivian fooled him when being used as a human shield. The rat died with a deserved look of surprise on his face.

When the final showdown commences, the shaking and rattled Marlowe is a nice touch of realism. He is human and his bravado has vanished with the death of Jones and having to kill Canino. With him putting on an act of being out of control, Mars is fooled into getting tommy gunned by his own men. Brains, not brawn, wins the day and the girl in the end.

A real mystery to me was why the actress playing Agnes, Sonia Darrin, did not get any billing and essentially vanished from Hollywood. Her part was terrific and she made quite an impression. I eventually found a blog post about her that answered some of my questions.