The favorite film: The Letter, a 1940 crime drama directed by William Wyler The cast: Bette Davis as Leslie Crosbie Herbert Marshall as Robert Crosbie James Stephenson as Howard Joyce Frieda Inescort as Dorothy Joyce Gale Sondergaard as Mrs. Hammond The synopsis: Leslie Crosbie has just shot and killed a man, Jeff Hammond. When pressed for details by her husband Robert, she claims that she … Continue reading Favorite things about… The Letter (1940)
Michael Lambert (Glenn Ford) is a truck driver, but he won’t be for long. He’s just crashed his truck into a car. The car’s owner, Jeff Cunningham (Edgar Buchanan), decides to take Michael to court. Michael is saved by an unexpected source, a beautiful barmaid named Paula (Janis Carter) who scrimps together the money to pay his bail. Unfortunately for Michael, Paula’s motive are not … Continue reading Framed (1947)
Mary Coates (Jean Brooks) is moving back in with her parents. Her husband Danny (Kent Smith), a war hero, is in the hospital but will soon be released, and the family thinks their home will be the perfect place for him to recover. When Mary arrives, though, she finds that the war has changed the neighborhood. With everyone either off fighting the war or working … Continue reading Youth Runs Wild (1944)
Penny Green is a quiet English village, home to Mark Sabre (Walter Pidgeon) an idealistic author and publisher not-quite-happily married to Mabel (Angela Lansbury). Mabel is a bit of a town gossip, but she and her family may become the subject of the rumor mill when Nona Tybar (Deborah Kerr), a former flame of Mark’s, returns to town. Mabel is unhappy with the news of … Continue reading If Winter Comes (1947)
Dan Hardesty (George Brent) and Joan Ames (Merle Oberon) are strangers who meet in a bar in Hong Kong. They share one drink and then part ways, never expecting to see one another again. As fate would have it, though, Dan and Joan are about to board the very same ship, headed for San Francisco. After coming aboard, they reunite, excited to get to know … Continue reading ‘Til We Meet Again (1940)
“I should have known that four centuries can’t change a woman’s soul.” Mifanwy Conway (Edana Romney) lives in the countryside with her husband and children. It’s a lovely life, but she’s harboring a secret: a lover, Paul Mangin (Eric Portman). He’s not a current lover, but a man from her past. Still, her family knows nothing of her history with him. He’s quite a notorious … Continue reading Corridor of Mirrors (1948)
RUSSIA – The never never land of steppes, samovars and spies – beards, bears and Borscht – where almost anything can happen – and usually does… Censorship runs rampant in the Soviet Union, but one reporter has managed to sneak out critical articles in code. The articles have no genuine byline, attributed only to “Comrade X.” Of course, it doesn’t take long for these articles … Continue reading Comrade X (1940)
The favorite film: I Walked with a Zombie, a 1943 horror produced by Val Lewton and directed by Jacques Tourneur The synopsis: A Canadian nurse takes a job on a far away island, and upon arriving discovers that her patient is not physically ill, but a “mental case.” After being struck by a terrible fever, the patient’s spinal cord was seriously damaged, leaving her in … Continue reading Favorite things about… I Walked with a Zombie (1943)
Jonah Goodwin (Thomas Mitchell) and Olaf Johnson (John Qualen) are a tailor and a cook, living in Brooklyn. Life isn’t rosy, but the men have one thing that keeps them going: the fishing trips they take together after work. They dream of buying a larger boat, which would allow them to leave their jobs and become professional fishermen. But, they’ve got families to support, so … Continue reading Out of the Fog (1941)
Jennifer “Smitty” Smith (Jane Wyman) is a consumer protection expert, head of the Buyer’s Research Institute. She’s just received news that she’ll be getting an endowment to allow her to continue her research, and decides to celebrate with an afternoon out on her boat. When the boat is capsized by a rising submarine, Smitty insists that the sub’s captain, who calls himself “Davey Jones” (Dennis … Continue reading The Lady Takes a Sailor (1949)
