Everything That Dies, Some Day Comes Back

Middleclass white Americans in the 1950s never had it so good, but that doesn't mean they were happy, as William Holden's character, Hal, discovers when he turns up in a small Kansas town.  He's planning to look up an old college friend, Alan (Cliff Robertson),  whose father is probably the richest guy in town and who may offer Hal a job . One of the first people Hal happens to meet is 19-year old Madge (Kim Novak) who's the prettiest gal in town, and who just happens to be dating Alan (it's a small world).  But is she happy?  Not at all.  Turns out she doesn't love Alan and doesn't feel that she will fit into the country club set.   She is also prone to complaining that people only like her because she's pretty.  Fair enough, except she doesn't seem to have much else to offer by way of personality or talents.  Unlike her younger sister Millie, say, who has just won a scholarship.  Needless to say Millie isn't happy either, because she e...

Despite it being a long time since I first saw this 1964 Billy Wilder sex comedy/satire I had a clear recollection of the story, proving that it's a memorable film if nothing else, even if not necessarily for the right reasons. The basic plot, taken from an Italian play, is a doozy.  A guy appears to offer his wife to a lecher who might advance his career, except that he has substituted a prostitute for his wife, but unbeknownst to him his wife takes the role of the prostitute.  Complications ensue, leading to the protagonist spending the night with his 'wife' whilst his wife spends the night with the lecher. It's pretty daring stuff for a mainstream film of the period.   In 'The Apartment', Wilder's film from four years earlier, the protagonist CC Baxter lends his apartment to his superiors so that they can conduct affairs.  That seems no better behaviour than that of the protagonist here (Orville Spooner) so why was that film an outstanding success whilst ...

OK, any attempt at objectivity on this blog is going out the window right now, given that this is probably my all-time favourite film. Although I can quite see why someone might not care for it  - it’s slow, lacking in humour, and the murder plot is off-the-chart bonkers.  And there’s no getting away from the fact that the main protagonist Scottie is hard to empathise with as his mental health spirals out of control - or would be if he wasn’t played (superlatively as always) by James Stewart, the definitive Everyman, Tom Hanks notwithstanding.  None of this matters if you allow yourself to be mesmerised by the combination of music, editing, cinematography and atmosphere created by Hitchcock firing on all cylinders. And his casting of Kim Novak is crucial - it is her beauty and sensuality that  allows us to believe in Scottie’s fixation. But it is probably best to ignore the age difference between the two stars (25 years, since you ask).  It's most difficult to d...