The Music Man is a musical that celebrates small town life. It really is very staid small town life. That is until the arrival of Professor Harold Hill, (Robert Preston). Hill is a con artist. He is running a new con; selling band uniforms. He is able to convince the residents of River City, Iowa, […]

Clark Gable was a known actor before It Happened One Night. This film gives Gable his enduring image, and shows his acting ability. Clark Gable was playing all kinds of characters, like most struggling actors. He charms and plays the tough bull headed reporter, Peter Warne. This role, not only cements his Hollywood career, but

You never know quite what to expect, with a Bette Davis film. She had a wide range of acting skills. A film like The Old Maid, allows her to go back and forth. She plays Charlotte Lovell, the long suffering cousin of Delia, (Miriam Hopkins). She was always good in these types of films. Charlotte

John Wayne was, at the end of the 1950’s a major movie star. He could have stopped with that. He didn’t. He started the off the following decade, with the release of his passion project; The Alamo. It took awhile to make this spectacle. He put all of his effort and a lot of his

Errol Flynn is best known for playing swashbuckling characters, like Robin Hood. He did step away from those roles, more than a few times. The Dawn Patrol is an example of that. He doesn’t just collect a paycheck for this movie. He shows he can act with anyone. He is also able to do well

It is a difficult thing to make a movie. It is even harder to make a long film, that can keep the audience interested. Wyatt Earp has this problem. It may be a good idea to show an iconic figures’ life with ups and downs. This works sometimes, as is the case, with Lawrence of

Alfred Hitchcock has a unique way of telling a story. He almost gives away the plot of The Man Who Knew Too Much. He does this in the beginning credits of the film; with the orchestra and the crashing of cymbals. This Hitchcock film is greatly enhanced by one of his favorite actors, James Stewart.

For a Few Dollars More, is the second of the western trilogy, starring Clint Eastwood. It is a slicker production than the first. LeeVan Cleef’s presence helps. He works well with Eastwood. He is the well dressed hard looking gunfighter. Clint’s gunman is not dressed for dinner, but is appropriate for the western. Sergio Leone

Strange Interlude is the kind of film, that was regularly cranked out in Hollywood. It is a melodrama. The movie is based on Eugene O’Neil’s play. He also wrote the screenplay. The film is a perfect vehicle for developing acting skills. Clark Gable is still not the actor he would become. Norma Shearer keeps the

Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid keeps Paul Newman a top star. It makes Robert Redford a movie star. It is the crowning achievement of George Roy Hill’s directing career. This film keeps with the gritty feel of the 60’s western. It breaks type a little, by adding a lot of humor. It does stay