Henry Fonda, brings the character he created on stage, to the big screen. It was his first appearance, in a movie, since Fort Apache. Despite the long hiatus, Fonda appears like he never stopped at all. The transition from stage to screen looks seamless. It is a comedy, and both John Ford and Henry Fonda […]

Marilyn Monroe was a huge movie star in 1956. She was an international sex symbol. She worked hard to create this image. It was not enough for her. She took off from making movies for a year, and studied method acting in New York. It gave her the skills needed to make Bus Stop. It

This entry from France, is a different type of horror story. It does have something in common with American horror films. A well meaning, but deranged doctor, thinks his work, is for the greater good. Drs. Jekyll and Frankenstein come to mind. This particular physician’s name is Genessier, (Pierre Brasseur). He is like Jekyll; very

John Ford, accomplished two things with Stagecoach. He created the modern western, and made John Wayne a star. Both were long in coming. Westerns were formulaic. They had a story, but nothing that set them apart. They also had no strong characters. This was changed by the great director. Ford gave John Wayne, his shot

Clark Gable was able to act in anything, and make it better. The Hucksters is an example of that. It is an expose of the radio ad industry. The movie isn’t memorable. It does show the difference between people and their moral compasses. Gable is able to bring out the cast’s strengths, particularly Ava Gardner

Alfred Hitchcock was a British filmmaker. He recently came to Hollywood, and would rightly earn the nickname, The Master of Suspense. Mr. & Mrs. Smith, proves he could step out of his comfort zone. This is a screwball comedy, with the queen of them, Carole Lombard. It also stars Robert Montgomery, who starred in many

It would be easy to dismiss The Last Picture Show. It’s main themes are adultery and adolescent sexual awakening. The main parts of any movie are what keeps it relevant. It has acting, directing and a good script. The story mainly follows the lives of teenagers in a small Texas town. The central characters revolve

What is it that Spencer Tracy and Victor Fleming, have in common? Many might be puzzled. The answer is they were both Hollywood success stories. Tracy won back to back academy awards. They were for Captains Courageous and Boys Town. This achievement stood for over fifty years. It was broken in the nineties, by Tom

Elia Kazan, was a director, who was known for heavy dramatic movies. The list is extensive. They include, Gentleman’s Agreement, A Streetcar Named Desire and On the Waterfront. These films not only were good, but made stars of the actors. One film on Kazan’s resume, is Man on a Tightrope. It is a hard hitting

There are many Alfred Hitchcock films, that build to the climax. To Catch a Thief, doesn’t do that as well as his other films. Its main function is putting Cary Grant and Grace Kelly together. It is one of the best pairings, in a Hitchcock movie. Cary Grant was still a star. Grace Kelly was