I love this outfit Ann is wearing...
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
1949: The Year Of Virginia Mayo
Tomorrow is actress Virginia Mayo's birthday. And TCM is honoring her with several of her movies. What makes this day stand out is the number of films they are showing. Eight films. Five of which come from 1949. She actually made six films that year which is truly amazing. Things begin at 6 am EST with Red Light, co-starring George Raft and Raymond Burr. Followed by the Jimmy Cagney classic White Heat at 7:30. Next up is the suspense film Flaxy Martin at 9:30. Followed by the light comedy The Girl From Jones Beach with Ronald Reagan. Always Leave Them Laughing bows at 12:30 co-starring Milton Berle, which wraps up the 1949 portion of Ms. Mayo films. The remaining three films from different years are all musicals including the musical Painting The Clouds With Sunshine from 1951; She's Back On Broadway from 1953 and She's Working Her Working Through College with Ronald Reagan again. So Virginia will be well represented for her birthday tomorrow thanks to TCM.
Classic Stars Match Play #10 - Carole Lombard vs Jean Arthur
Well my favorite actress Carole Lombard returns to match play to take on Jean Arthur, who is appearing for the first time. It was a major oversight on my part that Jean was not a part of my favorite classic actress tournament earlier this year. I'm anxious to see this matchup of these two women who are hailed as screwball comedy queens. Carole who rocked in such films as Twentieth Century, Nothing Sacred, My Man Godfrey and To Be Or Not To Be. While Jean was hilarious in Easy Living, The Devil And Miss Jones, You Can't Take It With You and The More The Merrier. So this should be a great match. The match begins immediately and runs through Sunday 5 pm EST.
Looks like Carole is brushing up on her
Name: Jane Alice Peters
Birth Date: October 6, 1908 (Fort Wayne, Indiana)
Height: 5' 2"
Academy Awards: only one nomination for My Man Godfrey...are you kidding me?
Monties: 4 nominations, 1 win - Best Actress (My Man Godfrey - 1936)
My favorite Carole film: Mr. and Mrs. Smith
Match Play record: 3-1 (beat Ginger Rogers, Marlene Dietrich and Myrna Loy before losing to Irene Dunne 58-43 in the 30's era of the favorite classic actress tournament)
CLASSIC STARS MATCH PLAY
Name: Gladys Georgianna Greene
Birth Date: October 17, 1900 (Plattsburgh, New York)
Height: 5' 3"
Academy Awards: another shocker..only 1 nomination (The More The Merrier)
Monties: 2 nominations, 1 win - Best Actress (You Can't Take It With You - 1937)
Match Play record: 0-0..this is Jean's first match
CAROLE LOMBARD
competition with a little reading
Name: Jane Alice Peters
Birth Date: October 6, 1908 (Fort Wayne, Indiana)
Height: 5' 2"
Academy Awards: only one nomination for My Man Godfrey...are you kidding me?
Monties: 4 nominations, 1 win - Best Actress (My Man Godfrey - 1936)
My favorite Carole film: Mr. and Mrs. Smith
Match Play record: 3-1 (beat Ginger Rogers, Marlene Dietrich and Myrna Loy before losing to Irene Dunne 58-43 in the 30's era of the favorite classic actress tournament)
CLASSIC STARS MATCH PLAY
JEAN ARTHUR
Jean prepares for her match by taking in some minature golf
Name: Gladys Georgianna Greene
Birth Date: October 17, 1900 (Plattsburgh, New York)
Height: 5' 3"
Academy Awards: another shocker..only 1 nomination (The More The Merrier)
Monties: 2 nominations, 1 win - Best Actress (You Can't Take It With You - 1937)
Match Play record: 0-0..this is Jean's first match
For The Ladies...Round 2
Here is another edition of some photos of classic leading men. You see here on All Good Things I try to please everyone. So if I slight you ladies sometimes, it's not on purpose. I hope this makes up for the recent shortage of posts about Hollywood's classic golden boys.
WILLIAM HOLDEN
ERROL FLYNN
ROBERT REDFORD
SIDNEY POITIER
JOEL MCCREA
ROBERT MONTGOMERY
TONY CURTIS
GARY COOPER
and of course
CARY GRANT
Ladies keep an eye out for my next batch of photos with some more golden boys
Be My Guests in 2012
Here is the list of friends who will be my guests on my blog in 2012. Some are bloggers, some are co-workers, and some are friends from Facebook. All should make great guests.
JANUARY - Emily (The Silver Screen Affair)
FEBRUARY - Katherine Theresa
MARCH - Patti (They Don't Make 'Em Like They Use To)
APRIL - Marsha (Flick Chick)
MAY - Lori Kemp
JUNE - Becky (Classic Becky's Brain Food)
JULY - Rachel (The Girl With The White Parasol)
AUGUST - Debbie Street Markowski (Outside My Window)
SEPTEMBER - Jessica Ellen Rowe
OCTOBER - April Hopson
NOVEMBER - Stacia (She Blogged By Night)
Emily's wonderful blog...
JANUARY - Emily (The Silver Screen Affair)
FEBRUARY - Katherine Theresa
MARCH - Patti (They Don't Make 'Em Like They Use To)
APRIL - Marsha (Flick Chick)
MAY - Lori Kemp
JUNE - Becky (Classic Becky's Brain Food)
JULY - Rachel (The Girl With The White Parasol)
AUGUST - Debbie Street Markowski (Outside My Window)
SEPTEMBER - Jessica Ellen Rowe
OCTOBER - April Hopson
NOVEMBER - Stacia (She Blogged By Night)
DECEMBER - Alicia Garbo (British Beauties)
Monday, November 28, 2011
Deborah Kerr in MAJOR BARBARA (1941)
This is Wendy Hiller as Major Barbara, but Deborah co-stars as Jenny Hill
Now Deborah Kerr is not the star of this film. That honor goes to Wendy Hiller as the titular character. She is Major Barbara Undershaft, a young and idealistic woman who joins the Salvation Army much to the dismay of her father who is an armament industrialist. This is a comedy but with social commentary and Hiller is top notch as Barbara. Co-starring Rex Harrison and Robert Morley. For her role, Deborah is cast as Jenny Hill, one of the workers in the Salvation Army. She is quiet and touching in her first film role. Very notable and things would only get better for Ms. Kerr in the oncoming years.
Film: B
Deborah's Performance: B
Happy Birthday Gloria Grahame! (1923 - 1981)
Happy Birthday to Gloria Grahame, who had to be one of the sexiest actresses to ever come out of Hollywood. But let's not forget, this lady could also act. She did win an Oscar for The Bad and the Beautiful, remember. Other known films include It's A Wonderful Life, The Big Heat, In A Lonely Place and Oklahoma!
Fredric March edges past Spencer Tracy 12-11 in a close match play
Fredric March defeated Spencer Tracy 12-11 in a very close and exciting match play. I kind of expected this one to be tight. So March evens his match play record to 1-1 while Spencer falls to 0-2 which is kind of unbelievable. Thanks to everyone who voted and expect a new match within the next few days.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
THE FALL SERIES : Yvonne de Carlo (guest post by Irene)
Yvonne de Carlo:
Isn't this just beautiful?
Monty, I hope that you'll have a safe travel home today!
Have a great Sunday, you all!
Yours
Irene
Saturday, November 26, 2011
THE FALL SERIES : Judy Garland (guest post by Irene)
For Monty is visiting his family - I am posting this picture of Judy Garland for him - and for you..
A very "autumnesque" publicity still for MGM, don't you agree?
Have a great day!
Yours
Irene
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Deborah Kerr in THE CHALK GARDEN (1964)
Deborah is top notch in The Chalk Garden. She plays the strangely named Miss Madrigal, who is hired by an eccentric and wealthy old woman (played by Edith Evans) to take care of her emotional grand-daughter Laurel (played by Hayley Mills). You would think after dealing with the many children of the King of Siam and the creepy events of The Innocents, taking care of one young girl would be no problem for Deborah. But Laurel is quite a handful. She is prone to mischief, lying, arson, and just all around trouble. Miss Madrigal has her work cut out for her and goes about her task with all the skill and grace she can command. Deborah is solid as usual with her performance here, as she could probably play a governess in her sleep. But she manages to bring new angles to this character for her third time around. As she has a secret of her own that Laurel is not expecting from another in the long line of nannies she has had to care for her. The Chalk Garden is a pretty good movie with excellent performances from the entire cast.
Film: B
Deborah's Performance: B
DODGE CITY (1939) is one terrific western
I originally wrote this review for Classic Movie Blog Association's Classic Films of 1939 Blogathon. Well I also used it recently for my friend Irene on our newly created blog Let The Show Begin. After doing that somehow I accidentally erased my post here on All Good Things. So here is back in it's original glory....
This rousing western stars Errol Flynn as ex-soldier, now cattle driver Wade Hatton. Yes, Errol Flynn..he of the swashbuckling films like Robin Hood, Captain Blood, and The Sea Hawk. And before you can say it won't work, Flynn is awesome from the get go. He is perfectly at home in a western with a six gun as he would be in Sherwood Forest flinging arrows. The story has him delivering some cattle to the wild and dangerous town of Dodge City. Along the way he also guides a wagon train through the treacherous countryside. That's where he meets Abbie Irving (played by the lovely De Havilland) and her troublesome brother. Well when her drunk brother causes a stampede and shoots at Wade, Wade shoots back and injures the kid. After that unfortunate incident Abbie has no use for wade. Finally when the wagon train arrives in Dodge City, Wade encounters the local bad guy..Jeff Surrett (played to the evil hilt by Bruce Cabot) who has a habit of killing men who he buys cattle off of and keeping the money for himself. Well Wade reluctantly agrees to become town sheriff after he sees a tragic accident and becomes Surrett's worst enemy. Eventually Abbie comes around and starts liking him too.
Dodge City is a super western, staged with impressive action scenes including a wild saloon bar fight that leaves the place in shambles. The color is extraordinary and the music score is heavenly. Errol Flynn is perfectly cast as Wade as he shows that he won't take any guff from anyone. Olivia is just amazing. Every time I hear her voice, I fall in love with her. She has the most wonderful accent you will ever hear. Also Ann Sheridan, the Oommph Girl is on hand as a saloon singer who gets to belt out a couple of energetic numbers. Plus the banter between Errol and Olivia only solidifies why they were one of the best on screen couples ever. Dodge City is one of the best westerns ever to come out of Old Hollywood and I highly recommend it.
A+
This rousing western stars Errol Flynn as ex-soldier, now cattle driver Wade Hatton. Yes, Errol Flynn..he of the swashbuckling films like Robin Hood, Captain Blood, and The Sea Hawk. And before you can say it won't work, Flynn is awesome from the get go. He is perfectly at home in a western with a six gun as he would be in Sherwood Forest flinging arrows. The story has him delivering some cattle to the wild and dangerous town of Dodge City. Along the way he also guides a wagon train through the treacherous countryside. That's where he meets Abbie Irving (played by the lovely De Havilland) and her troublesome brother. Well when her drunk brother causes a stampede and shoots at Wade, Wade shoots back and injures the kid. After that unfortunate incident Abbie has no use for wade. Finally when the wagon train arrives in Dodge City, Wade encounters the local bad guy..Jeff Surrett (played to the evil hilt by Bruce Cabot) who has a habit of killing men who he buys cattle off of and keeping the money for himself. Well Wade reluctantly agrees to become town sheriff after he sees a tragic accident and becomes Surrett's worst enemy. Eventually Abbie comes around and starts liking him too.
Dodge City is a super western, staged with impressive action scenes including a wild saloon bar fight that leaves the place in shambles. The color is extraordinary and the music score is heavenly. Errol Flynn is perfectly cast as Wade as he shows that he won't take any guff from anyone. Olivia is just amazing. Every time I hear her voice, I fall in love with her. She has the most wonderful accent you will ever hear. Also Ann Sheridan, the Oommph Girl is on hand as a saloon singer who gets to belt out a couple of energetic numbers. Plus the banter between Errol and Olivia only solidifies why they were one of the best on screen couples ever. Dodge City is one of the best westerns ever to come out of Old Hollywood and I highly recommend it.
A+
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
As I will be on the road today traveling to West Virginia to visit family, I wanted to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. There won't be any new posts here until I get back on Sunday. So I wanted to post one more before leaving. A special photo of Ann Sheridan preparing for Thanksgiving. Everyone take care and I will talk to you guys soon.
THE FALL SERIES: Romy Schneider
Romy again..what can I say...she was beautiful! Expect to see her quite a bit on here...
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Classic Stars Match Play # 9 - Fredric March vs Spencer Tracy
Sorry to be running late with a new match play but I've been under the weather these past few days. But I'm getting better and ready with a new match. These two distinguished gentlemen have a lot in common..Fredric and Spencer. Both have won two Best Actor Oscars during their film careers. They both starred in different Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde adaptations. And in the twilight of their careers, they paired up in the film Inherit The Wind. And both hail from the great state of Wisconsin. I know I like both actors and several of their note-worthy films. This might be one of the closest matches ever here on All Good Things. I do not expect a blow-out like the last few matches I have put together. So this match begins immediately and will run through Sunday 7 pm EST. Good luck to both men and Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!
Name: Ernest Frederick McIntyre Bickel
Date of birth: August 31, 1897 (Racine, Wisconsin)
Height: 5' 10"
Academy Awards: 5 nominations, 2 wins: Best Actor - Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931) and
Best Actor - The Best Years Of Our Lives (1946)
Monties: 1 nomination, 0 win so far
My favorite Fredric film: The Best Years of Our Lives
Match play record: 0-1 (lost to Charlie Chaplin in the 30's era of Favorite Classic Actor
Tournament)
CLASSIC STARS MATCH PLAY
Name: Spencer Bonaventure Tracy
Date of Birth: April 5th, 1900 (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
Height: 5' 9"
Academy Awards: 9 nominations, 2 wins: Best Actor - Captains Courageous (1937) and
Best Actor - Boys Town (1938)
Monties: 2 nominations, 0 wins so far
My favorite Spencer film: Libeled Lady
Match Play record: 0-1 (lost to Robert Montgomery in the 40's era of Favorite Classic Actor
Tournament)
FREDRIC MARCH
Name: Ernest Frederick McIntyre Bickel
Date of birth: August 31, 1897 (Racine, Wisconsin)
Height: 5' 10"
Academy Awards: 5 nominations, 2 wins: Best Actor - Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931) and
Best Actor - The Best Years Of Our Lives (1946)
Monties: 1 nomination, 0 win so far
My favorite Fredric film: The Best Years of Our Lives
Match play record: 0-1 (lost to Charlie Chaplin in the 30's era of Favorite Classic Actor
Tournament)
CLASSIC STARS MATCH PLAY
SPENCER TRACY
Name: Spencer Bonaventure Tracy
Date of Birth: April 5th, 1900 (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
Height: 5' 9"
Academy Awards: 9 nominations, 2 wins: Best Actor - Captains Courageous (1937) and
Best Actor - Boys Town (1938)
Monties: 2 nominations, 0 wins so far
My favorite Spencer film: Libeled Lady
Match Play record: 0-1 (lost to Robert Montgomery in the 40's era of Favorite Classic Actor
Tournament)
And look who showed up to root on Spence..none other than Loretta Young!
And looks like Coop is here to support his pal Fredric...
Monday, November 21, 2011
Claudette Colbert defeats Loretta Young 20-7 in match play
Claudette beams after her match play victory
Claudette thrashed Loretta 20-7 to notch her third match play win and now has a 3-1 record. This was Loretta's first match play and is now 0-1. I did expect a much closer match but Claudette's fans came out in big numbers. Expect a new match up within a few days. Thanks to everyone who came by and voted.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Saturday, November 19, 2011
New Sidebar Lists: My Favorite Actors/Actresses
Taking a page from my good friend Patti of They Don't Make 'Em Like They Use To, I have created my favorite actors/actresses lists on my sidebar. I've done posts about my faves before but I thought it would be cool to have the lists on my sidebar as well. And they may change from time to time, but for the most part will remain the same, give or take a few people. So if you're interested, just take a gander to your right to see who my current faves are. Of course my top actor/actress should be no surprise to anyone...
ALL GOOD THINGS in December
Made it through another year as we hit the month of December on All Good Things. I have to say 2011 was a great year for All Good Things, what with all the tournaments and frequent guests stopping by. Meeting new friends. I plan to write all about 2011 in a yearly review in January. But for now let’s talk December. My guest will be Clara from Via Margutta 51, who is a big Audrey Hepburn fan. Which works out great because Audrey is my classic movie goddess for the month. I love it when things work out in such a good way. I will continue with my match play series which seems to be enjoyed by lots of people. I will have at least 4 matches scheduled including one that Ms. Hepburn will be involved in. Also expect some reviews of classic holiday movies such as Holiday Affair and Christmas In Connecticut. Oh and I will do a special post about the top 12 Classic Stars of the year, here on All Good Things. Kind of akin to Entertainment Weekly’s Top 12 Entertainers of The Year. My selections will be based on frequent posts about the chosen 12. So odds are Cary Grant and Carole Lombard will make the cut. And if I have time, I will do another fictional interview with a classic movie icon. The only hint I will give is that it is an actor, who broke out in the 50's with some incredible films and performances that decade. But he got his start in the late 30's. So that will round out the year for me on All Good Things as I get ready for 2012.
Friday, November 18, 2011
THE FALL SERIES: William Powell and Myrna Loy
Bill and Myrna...the fun stars having while making movies....
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Be My Guest - Desiree (Part 3)
Welcome back to Be My Guest with Desiree for the final set of questions. I want to thank Desiree for being my guest for this month as I think we all enjoyed her being here. Let's get to it...
Monty: What is your favorite classic film series?
Desiree: My favorite movie series by far is The Thin Man series. It’s absolutely perfect and hilarious and suspenseful in every single film. I think it is a brilliant series and without it, I would never come to adore William Powell and Myrna Loy as much as I do, since they are forever my favorite onscreen couple. The dialogue is absolutely delicious and it’s a joy all the way through.
Monty: The Thin Man has been the choice for most of my guests including myself. You just can't go wrong with Nick and Nora..and Asta.
Monty: What's your favorite genre?
Desiree: My favorite movie genre has always been comedy. 99 times out of 100, I will want to laugh and not cry. Laughing gets me through hard times and laughing makes me feel so good about life and everything around me. Being happy is the best feeling in the world and laughing at hilarious comedies is one way to make me very happy.
Monty: I can't argue with that choice. I love comedies, especially screwball comedies.
Monty: What classic stars would you have love to met in person?
Desiree: First and foremost, I would have loved to meet Rosalind Russell. She is my favorite actress and a real inspiration to me. She seems to down-to-earth and witty, and would probably be a delight to meet and chat with. I know she was a very talkative, enthusiastic person and I would have loved to meet her and get her autograph. Besides Roz, I would have loved to meet Melvyn Douglas, James Stewart, Myrna Loy, Joan Blondell, Irene Dunne, and William Powell. These are stars that I admire and idolize a great deal and whom do not seem as intimidating to meet.
Monty: All great choices Desiree..I would have imagined Roz would have been awesome to meet.
Monty: And finally, what is your favorite movie character? the one you can identify with the most?
Desiree: This is by far the most difficult question for me, and it took a lot of thinking on my part. My favorite movie character of all time is Mame Dennis from Auntie Mame. I think she is too perfect for words—hilarious, strong-willed, kind, unconventional, but also with some delightful flaws like her naiveté at times. I would love to be like Auntie Mame, but I know I am not. My mom would like to say that I identify the most with Barbara Stanwyck's "Listen Sistah" character in "Ladies They Talk About" but that's just an inside joke. I think the character I identify with the most is Nora Charles from the Thin Man movies. The reason for this is because she is so likeable to me—such a down-to-earth (a quality I really like), strong woman, and funny and kind as well. The banter between her and William Powell is just the best and I know I’d like to have a relationship like that someday. To me, Nora Charles couldn’t possibly be a more likeable or admirable character and I’m sure all women can relate to her as well, even if they are not as witty or as wealthy as her.
Monty: Nora Charles...I can see that. Very cool. And once again thank you Desiree for being my guest
I hope everyone enjoyed this month's chat with Desiree. Next month's guest shall be Clara of Via Margutta 51. See ya then!
Monty: What is your favorite classic film series?
Desiree: My favorite movie series by far is The Thin Man series. It’s absolutely perfect and hilarious and suspenseful in every single film. I think it is a brilliant series and without it, I would never come to adore William Powell and Myrna Loy as much as I do, since they are forever my favorite onscreen couple. The dialogue is absolutely delicious and it’s a joy all the way through.
Monty: The Thin Man has been the choice for most of my guests including myself. You just can't go wrong with Nick and Nora..and Asta.
Monty: What's your favorite genre?
Desiree: My favorite movie genre has always been comedy. 99 times out of 100, I will want to laugh and not cry. Laughing gets me through hard times and laughing makes me feel so good about life and everything around me. Being happy is the best feeling in the world and laughing at hilarious comedies is one way to make me very happy.
Monty: I can't argue with that choice. I love comedies, especially screwball comedies.
Desiree: First and foremost, I would have loved to meet Rosalind Russell. She is my favorite actress and a real inspiration to me. She seems to down-to-earth and witty, and would probably be a delight to meet and chat with. I know she was a very talkative, enthusiastic person and I would have loved to meet her and get her autograph. Besides Roz, I would have loved to meet Melvyn Douglas, James Stewart, Myrna Loy, Joan Blondell, Irene Dunne, and William Powell. These are stars that I admire and idolize a great deal and whom do not seem as intimidating to meet.
Monty: All great choices Desiree..I would have imagined Roz would have been awesome to meet.
Monty: And finally, what is your favorite movie character? the one you can identify with the most?
Desiree: This is by far the most difficult question for me, and it took a lot of thinking on my part. My favorite movie character of all time is Mame Dennis from Auntie Mame. I think she is too perfect for words—hilarious, strong-willed, kind, unconventional, but also with some delightful flaws like her naiveté at times. I would love to be like Auntie Mame, but I know I am not. My mom would like to say that I identify the most with Barbara Stanwyck's "Listen Sistah" character in "Ladies They Talk About" but that's just an inside joke. I think the character I identify with the most is Nora Charles from the Thin Man movies. The reason for this is because she is so likeable to me—such a down-to-earth (a quality I really like), strong woman, and funny and kind as well. The banter between her and William Powell is just the best and I know I’d like to have a relationship like that someday. To me, Nora Charles couldn’t possibly be a more likeable or admirable character and I’m sure all women can relate to her as well, even if they are not as witty or as wealthy as her.
Monty: Nora Charles...I can see that. Very cool. And once again thank you Desiree for being my guest
I hope everyone enjoyed this month's chat with Desiree. Next month's guest shall be Clara of Via Margutta 51. See ya then!
Drama Filled Thursdays (COP DRAMAS)
Another week and another batch of my favorite classic dramas. This time I chose the theme of cop/detective dramas. So let's get started shall we.
Exciting thriller set in LA, about a train station policeman named Lt. Willie Calhoun (super performance by William Holden) chasing down a ruthless kidnapper. The bad guy has taken the blind daughter of a millionaire and holds her for ransom. The kidnapping is seen by the rich man's secretary (a solid Nancy Olson). Calhoun swears that he will find the girl and put the kidnapper down, and everyone believes him because Calhoun is one hell of a cop. A very short film at about 80 minutes long, but it is packed with riveting drama and some terrific action. Holden is top notch as the policeman, this being one of his best performances ever. And Lyle Bettger is memorable as bad guy Joe Beacon, the kind you love to hate. Union Station is one of those little films that not too many people have heard about, much less seen, but it is one terrific movie. One of my personal favorites.
Marge Wrighter: Gonna send that kid home, aren't you, Joe? I mean after we collect?
Joe Beacom: She'll go home...they ever fish her out of the river. Let's have the coffee, huh?
A+
One day in a New York City police precinct where all kinds of people intersect. Kirk Douglas is the tough detective who is dealing with a case involving an abortionist. It also has a shoplifter, two dangerous burglars, and an embezzler. A taut in your face crime drama that features a strong performance by Mr. Douglas and another good one by Eleanor Parker who plays his wife. One of the best of the detective movies from the 1950's. Detective McLeod: "Take a couple of drop dead pills".
A
B+
UNION STATION (1950)
Marge Wrighter: Gonna send that kid home, aren't you, Joe? I mean after we collect?
Joe Beacom: She'll go home...they ever fish her out of the river. Let's have the coffee, huh?
A+
DETECTIVE STORY (1951)
A
BULLITT (1968)
Steve McQueen is San Francisco cop Lt. Frank Bullitt who becomes embroiled in a complicated case involving a witness who was murdered under his protection. The witness was a Chicago mobster who was going to turn evidence against his organization. Making things difficult for Frank is an ambitious congressman named Chalmers (played by Robert Vaughn) who wants to make a name for himself by taking on the mob in this high profile case. Bullitt is definitely a police procedural with scenes of collecting evidence and discussing cases and shaking down informants. But it is an excellent police procedural which benefits from a stellar turn by McQueen. He is so perfect in the role there is no doubt that this is his movie. But he gets outstanding support from Vaughn, Robert Fell, George Sanford Brown, Robert Duvall (as a wily cab driver) and the breath-taking Jacqueline Bissett as Frank's girlfriend. And let's not forget that awesome car chase sequence involving Frank's Shelby mustang and the bad guys Dodge Charger. It is arguably one of the greatest car chases on film ever made. And it's cool seeing McQueen doing most of his own driving. Bullitt is one of my favorite films of all time. It's awesome! Plus it has that cool jazzy music score!
B+
THE BIG HEAT (1953)
Top notch drama centering on dedicated cop Dave Bannion (superb performance by Glenn Ford) who takes on police corruption after a fellow officer commits suicide and his wife is killed. All that happens in the opening 30 minutes btw. Once Bannion figures out what gangster is involved he wants payback. Gritty and violent drama directed by Fritz Lang and co-starring Gloria Grahame and Lee Marvin. This is one excellent film.
B+
IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT (1967)
Awesome cop drama set in a small Mississippi town where a murder has taken place. Police Chief Bill Gillespie (played by Rod Steiger) is a good officer with some racial prejudices. So when Philadelphia detective Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier) is waiting at the train station to leave town, he is actually arrested as a suspect. Once matters are cleared up and Tibb's captain tells him to offer his assistance to the local law in help with the murder, he and the chief begrudgingly work together. Masterful film that is even more impressive when you consider it was made at the time of civil unrest of the 60's. Steiger and Poitier make a potent team and it's great seeing their characters getting past their racial differences to work together to solve this crime. Winner of Best Picture Oscar as well as a Best Actor Oscar for Steiger. And followed by a long tv series in the late 80's thru the mid 90's.
B+