Everything That Dies, Some Day Comes Back

This was a hugely successful film in its day (1953) but I hadn't got around to watching it until now, probably because I suspected (correctly as it turned out) that it wouldn't be my cup of tea, despite the presence of two of my faves, Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr. It's set in a US army base in Hawaii in 1941, before America enters World War II.  Lancaster is an extremely capable First Sergeant and Kerr is the dissatisfied wife of his commanding officer.   Inevitably they start a passionate affair, the highlight of which is the iconic scene of them kissing on a beach at night, a lthough I'm sure most people have forgotten that the scene ends with them having a row because he is jealous of the many lovers she has had before him. Until now I hadn't really thought of Kerr as sexy but here she proves that there really wasn't any role she couldn't play convincingly, even one such as this where she is somewhat miscast. I was very happy whenever Lancaster and Ke...

This 1949 film, set in nineteenth century New York and directed by William Wyler, is an adaptation of a play which itself was an adaptation of a Henry James novel, 'Washington Square'.   I've never read anything by James but my impression is that his writing is complex and rather cold, in which case this film is true to the spirit of the novel, even if the plot has been much condensed and made more direct.  I'm not surprised that it was a commercial failure because it's a long way from being a feelgood movie, but it has undeniable quality which the critics loved and which led to several major Oscar nominations. The heiress in question is Catherine (played by Olivia de Haviland, a few years too old for the part), who despite the best education that money can buy is socially gauche and lacking in self-confidence.   The latter is hardly surprising given that her father Dr Stoper (Ralph Richardson) makes it clear that she falls a long way short of the qualities her ...

If you're into cattle then this 1948 Western is just the ticket, since it's about a fictionalised cattle drive along the Chisholm Trail.  Highlights include a spectacular stampede at night, and the crossing of the Red River itself. But there's a lot more to this film than just cows. We start off with a series of short scenes that together form a prologue of sorts that introduces us to the three main characters: Tom Dunson (John Wayne), his friend Groot (Walter Brennan, doing what Walter Brennan does best), and Matt, a young lad they pick up along the way. Incidentally, between 1936 and 1940 Walter Brennan managed the extraordinary and unique feat of winning no less than three Oscars for Best Supporting Actor. Anyway, these early scenes establish that Dunson is a single-minded individual intent on establishing a large cattle ranch.  He's so focussed on this that he somehow manages to resist the impassioned plea of Fen, the love of his life, to be allowed to come along w...