TCM TiVo ALERT
For
October
23–October 31
DAVID’S
BEST BETS:
ON
BORROWED TIME (October 27, 8:00 pm): I'm
recommending two films this week starring one of my favorite actors:
Lionel Barrymore. On Borrowed Time is one of
the most emotional and touching films I've ever seen. It's also
one of the most unique films I've ever seen. Like he did in
numerous movies, Barrymore plays a grumpy old
wheelchair-bound man (Gramps) who is raising his grandson,
Pud (played by Bobs Watson; yeah Bobs as in more than one Bob).
Pud's mother and father are killed in a car accident before the
film starts, and his aunt wants to raise him, primarily to get her
hands on the money left to the boy by his parents. But Pud and Gramps
can't stand her, see right through her, and share an
exceptionally close bond. But unlike most movies in
which Barrymore is the grumpy old guy, the plot twist in
1939's On Borrowed Time is one for the ages. Gramps
has an apple tree and the fruit is constantly being stolen so he
makes a wish that anyone who climbs the tree gets stuck up there
until he permits them to come down. Well, Death (masterfully played
by Cedric Hardwicke) comes calling for Gramps and is
tricked into climbing up the tree. Not only can't he take
Gramps, but he can't take anyone else. The aunt thinks Gramps is
crazy and sees this as an opportunity to get him committed and have
Pud – and his money – for herself. As the
movie progresses, Death tricks Pud into climbing the tree with
disastrous results. Just thinking about the film's conclusion
gives me chills. Not only does the film have a wonderful storyline,
with many funny scenes, but a loving and touching message. Also, the
acting is outstanding. Barrymore proves yet again that he
never gave a bad performance in a film.
THE
DEVIL DOLL (October
31, 8:15 am): Because Lionel Barrymore's characters
are so likable in nearly every role he played, it's somewhat
difficult to imagine him playing a vengeful criminal (wrongfully
convicted, of course). His character escapes Devil's Island and
plots his revenge against those who framed him in this 1936 film
directed by Tod Browning, who co-wrote it. Oh, and he dresses like an
old woman at times. But Barrymore was such a pro that he
handles himself exceptionally well in this science fiction classic in
which he shrinks people to one-sixth their size. Maureen O'Sullivan
is good as his daughter and Rafaela Ottiano is amazing
as his partner in crime who takes evil to new heights.
ED’S
BEST BETS:
ALL
THROUGH THE NIGHT (October 23, 9:00
am): Humphrey Bogart had many good qualities as an actor,
but the ability to take a bad film and elevate it with his
performance was not one of them. However, give him a good film and he
often elevated it with the quality of his performance. This is a
perfect case in point – a film with a lead that, in the wrong
hands, could potentially sink it. Bogart, however, takes to it like a
fish to water and comes off totally believable as a gangster who
finds himself up against Nazi saboteurs led by Naughty Nazi
Conrad Veidt. The performances supplied by such as Judith
Anderson as Veidt’s assistant, Peter Lorre (in
a wonderful turn as a sadistic henchman), William Demarest as
Bogie’s sidekick, Jane Darwell as Bogie’s mom,
and Kaaren Verne as a singer in peril give the film a
luster that raises it above others released in 1941. The fact that
this was made as Bogie began to catch fire with movie-going public as
an actor to watch certainly helped, but we must also give kudos to
director Vincent Sherman (his first film) and producer Hal Wallis,
who kept a close watch on the movie as it was shot. It’s a
film that works on every level.
DIABOLIQUE (October
26, 2:15 am): Frankly, I cannot recommend this picture enough. Think
of a perfect Hitchcock film without Hitchcock. That’s Diabolique,
which is directed by Henri-Georges Cluzot. To no
one’s surprise, he’s known as “the French Hitchcock,"
and Hitchcock himself was influenced by this film. This is a
masterful psychological horror film that builds slowly to a final 15
minutes that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Although the
twist ending murder plot has been done many times since, it’s never
been done better. Diabolique takes place at a school
where Simone Signoret helps her friend
Vera Clouzot (real life wife of the director) drown her
ogre of a husband (Paul Meurisse), who “returns to life” in
a really terrifying scene. It’s a taut, beautifully woven
thriller with a climax that will truly shock you. Fans of Hitchcock
will love this, as will anyone that loves a well-written thriller
with the emphasis on character rather than going for the cheap
thrill.
WE
DISAGREE ON . . . CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF (October 27,
6:00 pm)
ED.
A-. The censors watered down
Tennessee Wiliiams’s classic Pultizer Prize
winning play about greed and mendacity in the South, but it still
packs one hell of a punch, thanks to a great cast, especially
Elizabeth Taylor, who gives one of her best performances and steams
up the screen in doing so. Jack Carson scores in one of his last
roles as Paul Newman’s brother (and Burl Ives’ son).
Newman himself isn’t as dominant in this as he usually is
in other films, but still manages to give a powerful performance
nevertheless. However, considering the censorship, this is a film
that should have been made during the ‘80s, when such topics could
be honestly addressed, as Williams did in his play. It’s the
excellent cast that puts this film over the hump for the audience,
and it’s a wonderful film to see just for the performances.
DAVID: C+. This isn't a
bad film, but there are a number of reasons I don't think
it's anything special. First the good: Burl Ives is
fantastic as Big Daddy, the patriarch of the dysfunctional family
featured in the movie. He plays his role to near perfection. To begin
the not-so-good list, the screenplay of this Tennessee Williams' play
is too melodramatic. As I've mentioned before, I'm not much of a fan
of Paul Newman or Elizabeth Taylor. This 1958 film is an example of
why. The pair lack chemistry together, and, yes, I know the idea is
the two have marital issues. But that doesn't mean Newman and
Taylor can't work together to make a good film.
Taylor's character goes from understanding to psychotic in the
snap of a finger, and she fails to convey any authenticity, which
comes as no surprise to me. As for Newman, he overuses "method"
acting in this film as he was prone to do when playing angst-ridden
characters. His character broods and then lashes out during the
entire film for no logical reason. The Hays Code wouldn't permit the
heavily suggested homosexual aspects of Newman's character that are
in the play to be included in the film so viewers are left to wonder:
why is any of this occurring? To make matters worse, the characters
and the film are pretentious.
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