Reviews

Show Boat (1936) Irene Dunne, Allan Jones, Charles Winniger, Paul Robeson, Helen Morgan. Awful version of the play. Dunne is okay but what's with that shufflin' dance she does. And the black-face part of the show is disturbing and bad. Morgan may be famous for her rendition of "My Bill" but it is staged and acted better by Ava Gardner in the '51 version. And what is that warble in Jones voice. Sounds like he can not hold a note. Howard Keel is a much more dashing Ravenal. And sings better too. Of course, Kathryn Grayson is more age appropriate as Nolie. Childlike in the beginning, she is wonderful in "Make Believe" with Keel. Robeson is fine as Joe, but I heard him many times on radio when I was growing up singing "Old Man River" so it was a treat to see how it was filmed in this version. And this one does age the characters as in the original play, which is fine. But I like the '51 version much more, and the final scene with Ava blowing a kiss to the Show Boat and Nolie always has me in tears. This one has a fade out with Gay and Nolie together again at the theater watching their daughter - all grown up and a stage success. Not nearly as affecting, at least to me. 5/10

House On 56th Street (1933) Kay Francis, Ricardo Cortez, Gene Raymond, Margaret Lindsey. Kay is a 1905 showgirl (Peggy} on Broadway and lover to Lyndon Fiske. She also has young Monte Van Tyle{Raymond) wanting to marry her. So she does. He builds her a mansion - the title address. Hubby is taken to war and Peggy has a baby girl And then Monte is killed, so Fiske pounces and says he needs her back, he is ill, etc. She says no. He takes out a gun. Badabing. In a struggle, he is shot and killed. Peggy is arrested, tried and given 20 years. House goes, baby goes to mother-in-law, and 20 years pass. We see Kay released and given a new start by an inheritance from her mother-in-law. From dowdy, gray haired convict, to glamorous widow sailing on a luxury ship and meeting up with crooked gambling man, Cortez. Eventually teaming up, they make lots of money and end up at the 56th St address, now the biggest gambling house/speakeasy in NYC. Well, now we have the set up for daughter and her beau, threatened by gambling problems. Suffice to say, Kay suffers but her daughter cries a lot as she sails off into the sunset with her young man, thanks to Ma. Kay wears a different gown in almost every scene in the speakeasy. Gorgeous. 8/10

Confession (1937) Kay Francis, Basil Rathbone, Ian Hunter. Kay as a fallen woman, being tried for the murder of the man (Rathbone) who caused her to lose her husband and baby daughter. One of Kays best performances in a remake of a German film. The trial and Kay telling her story about losing her daughter and killing the man who caused her downfall when she sees him with the girl, sways the Judge and jury and at the end she is sentenced to time served plus two years. Rathbone is suitably charming and despicable at once. Ian Hunter is fine in a small role as the warrior who comes home without an arm and discovers his wife has been unfaithful. One of Kays best roles. She wears her usual great wardrobe and her walk down the long prison hall, all shadows and dust in the air, is one of the great endings for a woman's film. 8/10

Little Lord Fauntleroy (1936) Freddie Bartholomew, C. Aubrey Smith, Delores Costello, Guy Kibbee. Made from an 1880's novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, this is a loving, sweet story of a fatherless boy and his mother and how they come into their own. The grandfather is gruff and unforgiving of his son for marrying a foreigner and going off to America. But all is put right by the sweet grandson, who loves his father's "dearest" as he calls his mother. Called back to England to take his rightful place at the manor, little Lord Fauntleroy is the pride and joy of everyone on the estate in short order. A wonderful film to this day for all who have a heart and are willing to go along with a world of make believe. 8/10

Encore: Alice Adams (1935) Katheryn Hepburn, Fred MacMurray, Fred Stone, Ann Shoemaker, Hattie McDaniel. Marvelous story from the book by Booth Tarkington, of a small town girl who is trying to keep up appearances among her former friends, as her family sinks farther into poverty. One of her 'friends' invites her to the party of the season, at the mansion of her former girlfriends family, and she has to wear a 2 year old out-of-season gown. And go with her reluctant brother as her escort. There she meets a wealthy young man who dances with her and she is smitten. From this set up of the social order in this town, we have scenes of the home life of the Adams family. When the beau comes calling, Alice won't ask him in; she is too embarrassed about her home. Finally, he challenges her to meet the rest of her family; and her Mom keeps wanting her to have him for dinner. So she does. In a scene that is so funny it is heartbreaking, on the hottest night of the year; serving hot food when they are all melting; and melting aspic and ice cream, it is a disaster. Alice tells Arthur she knows he just wants to get away from this place. With a side story of her father and his problems and why the family has lost its' middle class existence, the film winds down to a happy ending when Arthur comes back and he and Alice make up. The book has a harsher end for Alice, but this is Hollywood. Good film anyway, with scenes that break your heart if you have ever been embarrassed by who you are, or by so-called friends. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0026056/

The Sisters (1938) Bette Davis, Errol Flynn, Anita Louise. Jane Bryan, Henri Travers, Buelah Bondi. A wonderful "Matinee' Ladies" film. I was a young girl and would come home from school and there would be my Mom and a friend or two talking about the movie they had seen that afternoon at the downtown movie palace where a Bette or Loretta or any of the other "women-who-suffer" latest film was playing. This one has small town in Montana women, finding the men who will become their partners in life. Bette picks bounder Errol, who she sticks by through thick and thin, even the San Francisco earthquake. Bette suffers the most, but it is the sister who stays in Montana who finally brings them all back together, to help her solve a scandal involving a local femme fa tale who is after the youngest sister's banker husband. The episodic film has major time shifts bookended by the Presidential elections and large celebration balls. The final one with Taft beating Teddy Roosevelt has a lovely shot of each of the women coming from different parts of the ballroom as the camera follows each to the center where they meet and as the celebration goes on, they stand with their arms around each others waist, as the camera tracks back and up. They are highlighted in a glow, and it is just a very moving, lovely end to the film. All three actresses have never been filmed more beautifully. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0030755/

Machine Gun Preacher (2011) Gerard Butler, Michele Monagham, Souleymane Sy Savane. How can a story be propaganda if you make a film about what the person themselves has put on paper? Sam Childers wrote a book about what he did and now everyone is saying, in effect - "no you didn't. We know better. It was this way. You are a jerk and don't know what you're talking about!" I think people don't WANT it to be true, because that makes them feel superior.

But Sam thinks he did what he wrote. I have watched it twice and taken some notes. Remember - it is HIStory and we, the viewers, can't change facts to suit our preferences.

The films prologue sets the theme. It's 2003 and the atrocities in Sudan are unbelievable. Then we jump to what Sam's life was in 2003. Drugs, robberies, prison, etc. It is HIS story from then on and he pulls no punches in how bad and lost he was.

He was rescued by his wife Lynn and the church. Because he knows what it feels like to finally walk into a place of worship and feel so alone, he decides to build a storefront that says "come as you are - we need you." Which is the Christian message. Not propaganda. Sam is successful in getting things going. He has a construction business and his church and is inspired to go to Africa to help build a school. It is the changing point for him. He is compelled to go back again and again to do something for the youngsters living in Hell.

He finally realizes that no matter how "good" the missionaries are, the Kona army will keep burning down everything, kidnapping children, killing their parents, and worse, until stopped. The 'government' has no help for those out in the bush country. So he grabs a gun and takes a truck and the mission guards and goes to get what kids he can and bring them back to safety. And they do have to kill some of Kona's thugs.

And he doesn't sugar-coat how the other missionary communities feel about him or visa-versa. The young woman says to him "you are a mercenary." But he only knows he is rescuing some of the children. That's it for him And it is HIS story. It's his P-O-V. I can't fault him for that.

The cast are good. Gerard Butler is especially good in the beginning scenes showing the bad-boy biker persona. The same qualities that made Sam an addict make him successful in other pursuits. Singleness of purpose, and a laser-beam on what he wants to do. And of course, Butler is fine in the action scenes. Looked real to me.

Michele is good as his no-nonsense wife. She loves him but stands up for herself. Michael Shannon as Sams buddy, doesn't get much to do. The actors in the Africa segment are all good, but Savane is a strong presence. Madeline Carroll, as daughter Paige, is sweet and normal. Wants some attention from her Dad.

The film was engrossing to me. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1586752/