Jessie Bourne (Barbara Stanwyck) is alone in her New York apartment one night when she gets an odd phone call. She picks up and greets the caller, only to hear the line go dead as soon as she speaks. Meanwhile, Jessie’s husband Brandon (James Mason) is out having a jolly old time at a night club. He flirts with Rosa Senta (Cyd Charisse), but is … Continue reading East Side, West Side (1949)
Welcome to this week’s edition of FilmStruck Friday, the almost-weekly series in which I share reviews and recommendations of films from the TCM/Criterion streaming service. Today, a fascinating depiction of Los Angeles’ Native American community in the 1960s. Happy viewing! Contrary to the simplistic misconceptions held by many, the lives of native people in the United States are not confined to teepee-living, headdress-wearing, and battle-fighting, … Continue reading FilmStruck Friday: The Exiles (1961)
Jamie Forbes (Steven Marlo) is an oil field worker, working the night shift. He’s had a few drinks and has fallen asleep on the job, radio playing loudly. When his boss, Mr. Kingston (Raymond Guth), finds him and wakes him up, things get violent. Jamie ends up killing Mr. Kingston. (This isn’t really a spoiler – it happens within the first few minutes.) Meanwhile, in … Continue reading The Young Captives (1959)
Sam Tucker (Zachary Scott) is working as a cotton picker when he decides that he wants to make a better future for his family by buying up a bit of land and growing his own crop. Sam, his wife Nona (Betty Field), their two children and Granny Tucker (Beulah Bondi) pack up the jalopy and head to their new home. Upon arrival they find a … Continue reading The Southerner (1945)
Marsha Mitchell (Ginger Rogers) is on her way to a modeling job in New York when she decides to make a short stop in the town of Rock Point where her sister Lucy (Doris Day) lives. The sisters have not seen each other in two years. Marsha is excited to spend time with Lucy and meet her husband Hank (Steve Cochran) for the first time. … Continue reading Storm Warning (1951)
The favorite film: Strangers on a Train, a 1951 crime thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock for Warner Bros. The synopsis: Famed tennis player Guy Haines is on a train when he meets apparent super-fan Bruno Anthony. Odd conversation ensues, and Bruno can’t seem to quit bringing up all of the gossip that’s been surrounding Guy and his love life in the society pages. Bruno proposes … Continue reading Favorite things about… Strangers on a Train
Apple Annie (May Robson) is, quite fittingly, the Times Square apple seller. She has a reputation for being a good luck charm among the likes of Dave the Dude (Warren William) and his merry band of gamblin’ gangsters, and they all love her. Dave the Dude refuses to make a deal without buying an apple from her first, as a good luck charm. Though she … Continue reading Lady For a Day (1933)
Alan Gaskell (Clark Gable) is a tough, monsoon-surviving ship captain. His latest voyage is going from Hong Kong to Singapore – a dangerous route, especially with a shipment of gold hidden on board that pirates will be hungry for. But aside from his work, Gaskell loves to have fun. He drinks, he parties… and he has a sassy lady friend known as China Doll (Jean … Continue reading China Seas (1935)
Bill Williamson (Bill “Bojangles” Robinson) is a successful dancer – so successful that he has landed on the cover of Theatre World magazine. When he sees the magazine, he begins to reminisce, with the film flashing back to his days as a fledgling performer. After returning from World War I, Bill met a beautiful singer named Selina (Lena Horne) at a soldiers’ ball. Through flashbacks, … Continue reading Stormy Weather (1943)
Having the opportunity to travel the world as a reporter can turn a married man into a womanizer – or so is the case for Rickey Mayberry (Dennis Morgan). Though his caring wife, Sue (Merle Oberon), waits for him in the States, Rickey spends his “business” trips flirting with just about every attractive woman he comes in contact with. Rickey often ropes in the ladies, … Continue reading Affectionately Yours (1941)
