On New York’s East River sits the convergence of the “haves” and “have nots.” Luxury apartments with picturesque river views stretch several stories high, while just outside of that view sit the tenements. Drina (Sylvia Sidney) is a tenement-dwelling woman, raising her younger brother Tommy (Billy Halop) and hoping she’ll someday get them out of the tenement. She works hard to provide for Tommy and … Continue reading Dead End (1937)
The favorite film: Foreign Correspondent, a 1940 thriller directed by none other than the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock The synopsis: When John Jones is chosen by his editor Mr. Powers to become a foreign correspondent, his first assignment is to cover an event held by Stephen Fisher to honor a Dutch diplomat, Van Meer. When Van Meer evades the event and is soon shot … Continue reading Favorite things about… Foreign Correspondent (1940)
Blacky Gorman (Joel McCrea) and Marje Harris (Ginger Rogers) are young and in love. They’ve been casually dating for a couple of years, and Blacky is finally ready to propose, having found success as a gas station owner. Their future is set. One day, though, Glory Franklyn (Marian Nixon) comes veering into Blacky’s life. She visits his gas station, nearly tearing the place down with … Continue reading Chance at Heaven (1933)
Lorry Evans (Constance Bennett) and Minnie Brown (Pert Kelton) have been released from jail and are boarding a boat for New Orleans. They’re short on money and prospects, but hope they’ll have some luck in the city. When they run into trouble on the boat, Lorry jumps overboard to avoid being arrested again and is pulled from the water by cotton barge skipper Dan (Joel … Continue reading Bed of Roses (1933)
Boyd Emerson (Joel McCrea) and Fraser (Raymond Hatton) are traveling through Alaska by dog sled when they land in the small fishing village of Kalvik. There they meet Cherry Malotte (Evelyn Brent), who is hospitable to them and fills them in on the ruthlessness of the town’s leader, Marsh (Gavin Gordon). Marsh won’t let any outsiders settle in Kalvik… but Boyd and Fraser won’t be … Continue reading The Silver Horde (1930)
It’s a battle between two railroads. The Central Pacific and the Union Pacific are in a race to see which can be the first to reach Ogden, Utah. If the Central Pacific succeeds, bank president Asa Barrows (Henry Kolker) stands to make a whole lot of money… so, naturally, he hires some help to make that outcome a reality. Sid Campeau (Brian Donlevy), a gambler, … Continue reading Union Pacific (1939)
Welcome to the first installment of The Critical Eye, TMP’s non-chronological continuation of the “One Year, One Film” project! These posts will follow the very same format as those bi-weekly “One Year” posts — a brief plot synopsis and review from me, followed by snippets from reviews published around the time of the film’s original release. Today we begin with a Ginger Rogers drama… Primrose … Continue reading The Critical Eye: Primrose Path (1940)
Back in February, you folks may remember that I published two reviews under the theme of “Two films, one tale, one Tyrone” — reviewing 1937’s Love is News and its remake, That Wonderful Urge, both of which star Tyrone Power. I never intended to turn “Two films, one tale” into a series here on the blog, but I just can’t help myself. One sleepy Saturday … Continue reading Two films, one tale: The More the Merrier (1943)
Originally published in Collier’s in 1924, Richard Connell’s “The Most Dangerous Game” (also known as “The Hounds of Zaroff”) is an incredibly chilling and suspenseful story. It begins with a man named Rainsford, traveling on a boat. He’s having a conversation with a fellow traveler about the island they’re passing by — an island cloaked in superstitious rumors. Rainsford hears odd noises that night, leaves … Continue reading Book vs. Film: The Most Dangerous Game
This review was written for TMP’s Barbara Stanwyck Filmography Project. For links to other reviews in this project, visit Listography. Sergeant Hook (Joel McCrea) finds himself and his soldiers in a battle with a band of local Apache and their leader, Nanches (Rodolfo Acosta). After taking an enormous group of Apache as prisoners, Hook realizes that among them is a white woman named Cora (Barbara … Continue reading Trooper Hook (1957)
