London in the time of Jack the Ripper is a paranoid place. Anxieties are high for most. The cops are on high alert, doing their best to protect potential victims -- patrolling the streets at all hours, walking people home, attempting to work out the puzzle of the Ripper's identity. Among the fearful is Helen … Continue reading Man in the Attic (1954)
Greg Morella (Gilbert Roland), like many casino-running men of his time, has decided to move his operation to the water to avoid the law. Anchoring his ship, Sylvania, three miles off the coast, Morella assures his operation is safe from the clutches of the police. Aboard the ship one particular evening is Jim Carver (Wayne … Continue reading Gambling on the High Seas (1940)
**WARNING: This post will contain some spoilers for both the novella Double Indemnity and its film adaptation. I'm sure most of you have at least seen the adaptation, but in the event that you haven't, or have seen the film but would like to keep the book shrouded in mystery, read with caution! Double Indemnity … Continue reading TMP Reads: Double Indemnity by James M. Cain
I never hear anyone talk about the remake of Out of the Past, probably because Out of the Past is practically sacred territory among classic film buffs. The 1947 noir is a film that I, personally, adore. Everything about it is great: the photography, the dialogue, the performances, the drama, the chemistry! It's a well-made film … Continue reading Remaking the Classics: Out of the Past (1947) and Against All Odds (1984)
A nun is giving a tour of Arlington Cemetery when a child asks her why Lt. Richard Perry (Robert Taylor), whose headstone they pass, is not listed in the guidebook. The nun gives a generic response about how surely he performed some "unusual service" for the country. The child may never know the answer, but … Continue reading This Is My Affair (1937)
Welcome to this week's installment of FilmStruck Friday! Every Friday here on TMP (with the exception of the first Friday of the month), I feature a review of a movie from the TCM and Criterion streaming service, FilmStruck. Today, a 1961 crime drama starring Cliff Robertson. Happy viewing! Fourteen-year-old Tolly Devlin has an experience no … Continue reading FilmStruck Friday: Underworld, U.S.A. (1961)
Welcome to this week’s edition of FilmStruck Friday! Every Friday here on TMP, with the exception of the first Friday of the month (which is reserved for “Favorite things about…”), we’ll be taking a look at a film available through the TCM and Criterion Collection streaming service. Today, a crazy Fritz Lang crime drama starring Dana Andrews. … Continue reading FilmStruck Friday: Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (1956)
Autopia Court offers a quiet, secluded place for motorists passing through California's desert lands to stop for a rest, but it's no fancy resort. The place is run by Mae (Ann Revere), whose son Bobby (Casey Johnson), sister Annie (Gale Storm), and parents (Emma Dunn and George Watts) also live at the camp. Though they … Continue reading One Crowded Night (1940)
Gregory Fitzgerald (Steve Forrest) and Tony Lugacetti (Robert Christopher) are headed from New York to France, where they plan to study in Montmartre and become priests. Tony is seen off at the airport by his large family. Gregory is seen off by his priest, Father Cunningham (Joseph Tomelty). Gregory tells Father Cunningham that he has doubts and … Continue reading Bedevilled (1955)
Phillipe (Bobby Henrey) is an innocent but slightly mischievous young man. His father is a French ambassador, and his mother has been away from home for many years, hospitalized. Phillippe barely remembers her, in fact. With both of his parents being distant absentees, Phillipe spends much of his time with Baines (Ralph Richardson), the family … Continue reading The Fallen Idol (1948)
