Hoop-La (1933)

Clara Bow's final film, although not a huge hit at least she went out still at the top of the bill. Chris (Richard Cromwell) runs away to join the circus, but its OK as his Dad Nifty (Preston Foster) works there as the manager. Hawaiian dancer Carrie (Minna Gombell) has her hooks into Nifty but she is resentful that Chris is ahead of her in Nifty's affections. She decides to get her fellow dancer Lou (Bow) to seduce Chris to sour the relationship between father and son and hopefully get the son sent packing...

But Lou falls in love with Chris for real. They end up getting married and an enraged Nifty kicks them both out of the circus. The couple head to Chicago where they fall on hard times. Can their fortunes be turned around and will Nifty forgive them?

An enjoyable film though fairly average overall, the cast make the most of a fairly thin script though the circus and carnival life is always an interesting watch. Clara Bow successfully made the switch to talkies, it is just such a shame she could not have continued her career due to personal problems. 

The Dumb Girl of Portici (1916)

An early epic though, while undeniably impressive, is a bit long winded. With Naples enduring the cruel regime of Spain, the playboy son of the Viceroy (Douglas Gerrard) spies and takes a fancy to Fenella (Anna Pavlova), a mute peasant girl. 

He seduces and ravishes her, then the Viceroy (Wadsworth Harris) tries to get rid of her and the scandal by having her thrown in prison and whipped! Fenella's mistreatment sparks the populace in a revolt led by fisherman Masaniello (Robert Julian) which eventually brings down the Viceroy and his regime who do not have a happy ending...

While not a brilliant film it does have plenty of grand designs and grander staging. Pavlova (yes the dessert was named after her) was a famous ballerina and this was her only appearance in a feature film. Her appearances have the lightness and grace you would expect though the camerawork unfortunately often did not make the most of it. The film could have done with some heavy editing. But it is an interesting film and was quite an accomplishment.

Carnival Magic (1983)

Time for our 900th review!

Life at a low-rent seedy carnival with all it's questionable glamour; all mediocre acts, threadbare costumes and bored exploited animals. Stoney (Mark Weston) is the carnival owner and things aren't going very well; sales are down, his two main acts are fighting and he refuses to accept his daughter Ellen (Jennifer Houlton) is really a girl and calls her Bud instead. Tiger tamer Kirk (Joe Cirillo) doesn't like the magician Markov (Don Stewart) hanging around his big cats. He demands Stoney fires Markov...

But Markov has a secret, he is sharing his caravan with a talking chimp called Alex (Trudi the chimp) - well when we say talking it is mostly grunting with bad dubbing. With Alex the chimp now revealed, Markov is forced to include him in his act and the carnival's sales suddenly rise. Kirk is no longer top of the bill and sells Alex to an evil vivisectionist Dr Poole (Charles Reynolds)...

The film doesn't explain how Alex can talk and how Markov can read minds for real. That is the least of the film's problems though, It really isn't very good, though the sheer nonsense can be entertaining. There is a degree of farce, such as Alex stealing a car, and some drama - some of it quite dark. One high point is the fact Don Stewart - who admittedly was pretty buff in this - in most scenes is wearing less clothes than his chimp.

Heroes for Sale (1933)

A powerful film though a bit melodramatic at times. We start in WW1 with Tom (Richard Barthelmess) and Roger (George Westcott) preparing to raid a German position. During the battle Roger loses his nerve and Tom is injured, apparently killed, after capturing a German officer. Roger ends up getting all the glory and a fast track to becoming a senior officer, even though he knows it is all a lie.

To Roger's shock after the end of the war he discovers that Tom survived and had been nursed back to rough health by the Germans. They both return home, Roger to glory and respect and Tom a drug habit. Tom's life begins to spiral downwards as the drug addiction takes away his job, his reputation and his respect. This isn't the end of Tom's topsy turvey adventure as he rises up to become a success in business but inadvertently causes a riot. Roger has his troubles too, in the end he gets caught for stealing. The two men end the film as they started, together with nothing, and in the rain.

The film has plenty of story, which is frequently laid on a bit thick. Barthelmess produces a superb portrayal of a man beaten down by the system and all life can throw at him but still come up for more. Loretta Young and Alice McMahon also take on very good roles.

Party Girl (1930)

An awkward early talkie and a rather cheap exploitation film involving the sleazy world of escort girls and the men who pay for them. Jay (Douglas Fairbanks Jr) is the son of a rich businessman who finds himself dragged into this world, targeted by Leeda (Judith Barrie) and her cunning mother. Jay is tricked into marrying Leeda, for her personal gain. Jay's plans to marry Ellen (Jeanette Loff), his Dad's secretary, lie in tatters. Yet another rich sucker.

However, the law are planning to move in and shut the scam down. Will Jay and Jeanette get dragged into their necks?

A rather racy film for the day which leaves little to the imagination. It suffers from the usual problems of many an early talkie and is quite shameless and not very good to be honest. The most notable thing about the film is the young Douglas Fairbanks Jr having to appear in it, just showing that all stars had to start somewhere. The sets and club scenes are superb though.

Scrooge (1951)

A masterly version of the Dickens classic. Scrooge (Alastair Sim) of course has no time for Christmas, he sneers at Bob Cratchit (Mervyn Johns) for wanting Christmas Day off. But, alone in the night on Christmas Eve, he is visited by the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future. Will he see the error of his ways and celebrate Christmas like everyone else and not be so mean?

The story is very familiar of course but is given such life with this version and the superb performances by the cast including George Cole as the young Scrooge. A story of redemption and restoration which probably stays closer to the true spirit to original than some versions. 

Manhattan Tower (1932)

An interesting if not especially thrilling drama set in the Art Deco glory of the Empire State Building. This is the story of the lives of a number of workers in the building, from crooked executive down to hard working secretary. Burns (Clay Clement) is that crooked executive, his investments are going South so he uses other people's money to prop things up. He chases skirt as much as he chases cash.

His employee, Mary (Mary Harper) dreams of a fancy house with her man Jimmy (James Hall). Burns is as keen to get his hands on her hard earned money as he is her. It doesn't end well for either of them, though especially Burns who certainly makes a grand exit...

Although the film doesn't enter high gear it certainly has enough to keep your interest. There is plenty of good dialogue, varied characters and interesting camera effects to make it a perfectly acceptable B movie. The real star of the film is the building. 

Apollo 13 (1995)

One of the greatest adventures based on true events, but when you are depicting events this epic it is surely hard to go wrong. Actually it probably is pretty easy to mess it up but rest assured this does not happen with Apollo 13, this film smashes it.

Jim Lovell (Tom Hanks) is finally heading to the moon having only flown around it on an earlier Apollo mission. There are some last minute snags though due to medical issues and Ken Mattingly (Gary Sinise) has to give up his seat to Jack Swigert (Kevin Bacon). Still nothing else will go wrong now?

Unfortunately something does, an explosion aboard Apollo 13 cripples the mission and puts the lives of the three astronauts (including Bill Paxton) in dire peril. Mission Control headed by Gene Kranz (Ed Harris) and with the help of Mattingly must somehow find a way to bring the crew home, pushing the remaining hardware to the limit and using it in ways it was never intended.

The film is a masterpiece. The technical details and the human story perfectly balanced. The performances are all spot on. An iconic film for iconic events.

Go Ask Alice (1973)

A powerful anti-drug film, based on a supposedly real (though probably fictional) diary. Alice (Jamie Smith-Jackson) is a teenage girl who is having a difficult time at school being in the uncool crowd. But then the cool kids take her under their wing and she starts loading up on various drugs. She even starts dealing to kids. Things come to a head when she runs off with a friend and ends up whoring her way across America looking for her next score. She finally confides in a priest (Andy Griffith) and tries to turn clean.

However, now she is regarded as an enemy by the in-crowd who try to get her back on the drugs. She has a psychotic session where she self-harms. Can she come back from the brink and back to her parents (William Shatner and Julie Adams)?

A film of it's time, and that time does include a very good soundtrack. The acting is often a bit hesitant and awkward but it does give everything an authentic feel. 

Dangerous Paradise (1930)

A somewhat clunky early talkie. Heyst (Richard Arlen) is a hermit (though rather well dressed) who has his own island in the South Seas. On a visit to Surabaya he encounters Alma (Nancy Carroll) in a bar who is a rather harassed young musician. The bar owner Schonberg (Warner Oland) makes no secret of his aim to get into Alma's pants so the young girl stows away on Heyst's boat...

Unfortunately some bad men also soon arrive on Heyst's island. They are convinced there is treasure to be found despite Heyst's protestations. Can Heyst and Alma survive this incursion and (obviously) fall in love?

A reasonable little (and short) story though suffers from sound problems at times with the dialogue being unclear or drowned out. The film is interesting to see the future Charlie Chan as a sexual sleazeball.

Corridor of Mirrors (1948)

What exactly is going on amid this glorious array of Gothic atmosphere and opulence? Mifanwy (Eric Portman) is returning to London to see her lover, and in flash back she remembers how she met the rather odd Paul (Edana Romney). Paul was a throw-back in terms of dress who lived in a mansion surrounded by exotic ornaments and costumes. He was obsessed with dressing her up as his Renaissance fantasy...

When Mifanwy began to realise Paul was trying to control her, he unveils a painting which looks exactly like her. He tells her that he thinks they were lovers in previous lives four hundred years before in Renaissance Italy. However, his house and life has other mysteries. Who exactly is the strange woman Veronica (Barbara Mullen), a housekeeper or something more?

A lush drama with events which come to a dramatic head at the end of a Venetian ball when another girl, Caroline (Joan Maude) is found dead in his home. As the film progresses the strange events become clearer... to an extent. However, there is some ambiguity still and that adds to the joy of this masterpiece, True mystery and fantasy should always leave one slightly confused. Look out for Christopher Lee in his film debut, though blink and you'll probably miss it!

Ten Minutes to Live (1932)

A historic piece of early African-American cinema, but unfortunately not very good. A nightclub singer is offered a place in a producer's new film, though all he wants to do really is indulge in some horizontal jogging. Someone else at the club gets a note telling them they will be killed ten minutes later!

The execution is quite poor and feels like a silent movie which was later dubbed with sound (which by 1932 was rather strange). The film actually is two separate stories, the second story is nearly entirely silent. The stories themselves, which take place in the same Harlem night club, are hard to follow at times with the number of cutaways. The film does include a number of music and dance acts and it is best just to enjoy them and the odd arty touch of this film, and not the story.

Cynara (1932)

A compelling story of how an affair rips apart a "perfect" life. Jim (Ronald Colman) is a successful barrister married to Clemency (Kay Francis). Their marriage is happy though Jim's life maybe lacks a little excitement. When Clemency is away Jim meets Doris (Phyllis Barry), a young shop girl. Despite Jim's misgivings (and love for his wife) an affair with Doris begins...

But when Clemency returns home, Jim realises his mistake and tries to end his affair but of course these things cannot be ended as easily or as swiftly as they can begin.

A highly enjoyable drama. The film opens with the collapse of Jim's and Clemency's marriage, and Jim prepares to head abroad in exile after his disgrace, the affair is told in flashback. The affair is treated with shades of grey which elevates the film into something special. It is clear that Jim loved Clemency throughout and the film will tug your heart strings for sure.

Streamline Express (1935)

A long time before HS2, a fast new monorail with ocean liner levels of luxury (and indeed size) is to make the inaugural trip between New York and California. Aboard are a motley collection of passengers with various back stories including Broadway star Patricia Wallace (Evelyn Venable) who has fled the set to run off to get married. The producer Jimmy Hart (Victor Jory) wants her back to stows away on the train...

Also aboard is blackmailer Gilbert Landon (Sidney Blackmer), he is involved in a love triangle involving John Bradley (Clay Clement) who is caught between his wife Mary (Erin O'Brien-Moore) and apparent new love Elaine Vincent (Esther Ralston)...

A neat but limited little film. The kind of light drama that is usually set in the likes of a posh hotel, but this one was on rails. The comedy is a little hard to come by and mostly involves the drunken passenger. The actual train itself is a lovely bit of Art Deco. Another example of Utopian thinking early in the 1930s before the war drums grew too loud to ignore. Imagine the world which this train and the Transatlantic Tunnel could have existed in, a shame the dream was soon to be shattered.

To Love Ferrari (1994)

The Ferrari in the title being a girl played by Vivian Chow not a car. Though she does get to drive one at the end of the film.

This is really half film half early 1990s cantopop music video, even down to a bizarre fight sequence where the heroes can only fight while listening to Grasshopper. And when the ghettoblaster is destroyed Vivian leaps onto some oil drums to hammer out the beat so they can fight on. No really.

Vivian plays a girl who dreams of being a singer, she is loved by two guys. They fight, balls get released onto the floor of a dancefloor and Vivian ends up going head first into some electric lights. She ends up blinded, her dreams of being a singer are shattered. Her brother's club gets involved with some minor hoodlums and Vivian is kidnapped. Of course she gets electrocuted again and cured. If only the world of real medicine was as miraculous as in the movies...

Nonsense of course but very watchable and typically cross genre like many HK films. If you like early 1990s cantopop then the soundtrack is great. The film is worth watching just for the tunes and the zaniness of HK pop culture back then.

The House of Rothschild (1934)

A biopic on the banking family that became the richest in the world (and the subject of a million bonkers conspiracy theories of course). This film follows the Rothschild family from their fairly humble beginnings in Prussia where the family headed by Mayer Rothschild (George Arliss) are Jewish moneylenders always on the watch for the tax collectors...

After the death of Mayer his sons build a banking empire across Europe including Nathan (also played by Arliss) who founds the London branch of the family. He goes on to finance Wellington's war against Napoleon. The Duke of Wellington (C. Aubrey Smith) pays homage to Rothschild but antisemitic feelings in Europe are never far away especially from the Prussian Count Ledrantz (Boris Karloff). The film is lavish and well produced, the last few minutes becoming Technicolor.

An interesting film, much of the time is taken with a romance between Nathan's daughter Julie (Loretta Young) and Gentile Captain Fitzroy (Robert Young) which helps add a bit of heart to a film otherwise dominated by financial wheeler dealing. At times the history may have been somewhat questionable though much of the film is factual. The film was an attempt to counter growing antisemitism, the idea was noble but as the following years would sadly show a little too late...

Cause for Alarm! (1951)

Ellen (Loretta Young) seems to be the perfect all-American housewife in the early 1950s, doing the vacuuming in her lovely frock while also nursing her ill former serviceman husband George (Barry Sullivan). But all is not well, George thinks his wife is killing him...

Overcome with paranoia (as well as a weak heart) George thinks Ellen is having an affair with Doctor Grahame (Bruce Cowling) and slowly poisoning him. Finally George gets a gun to kill Ellen but keels over dead. But the nightmare has only just begun for Ellen. George had written a letter to the DA detailing his paranoid fears. Now with a dead George who will believe it was a delusion. Ellen must get that letter back!

So its a film about trying to get a letter back, but also so much more. In flashbacks we learn more about George's character and it isn't good. Ellen also makes herself more suspicious and guilty the more desperate she becomes... A simple but well made little piece of domestic noir. The plot stretches credulity a bit though.

Fun Bar Karaoke (1997)

Pu (Fey Ussawaweth), dreams of her dead mum every night and in those dreams she is building a model house. She is told by fortune tellers that when she finishes the house her dad, who is a bit of a drunk and enjoys karaoke at the seedy Fun Bar Karaoke and young women (especially at the same time), will die...

Her dad is involved with one young lady, unfortunately for him she is a gangster's moll and thus his life is in a spot of peril. He gets used as a punchbag by the hood's men - one of whom Noi (Ray MacDonald) is a ruthless (yet also a bit of a bumbling loser) killer who has the hots for Pu...

So that is the story, its not that bad a film. An interesting story, as with many (all?) Thai films mixed with a dose of superstition. The film has a number of dream sequences that often confuse. Maybe too many dream sequences if we are to be honest.

The print is a bit fuzzy and the sound poor. Its a bit sloppy too, the sound boom appears a few times, one time it nearly hits the actor on the head. How did that pass unnoticed during production?

Mariners of the Sky (1936)

US Navy flyboy hi jinks. A rather contrived plot involving a baby and a bunch of Naval airmen. Tex (Addison Randall) learns that his wife back home is pregnant. Unfortunately by the time his aircraft carrier reaches port he finds out she died in childbirth. His sister-in-law Bernice (Claire Dodd) wants to take the baby away but Tex wants it bought up on the ship (for some unfathomable reason)...

Soon afterwards however Tex is critically injured in a car accident. He pledges his child over to his buddy Red (William Gargan). However Bernice and her lawyer are out to get the baby off him...

There then follows various mayhem which includes a gangster (Paul Fix) stealing the baby and Red stealing a plane. Well everything ends up happily in the end and they all go home for tea, and Red and Bernice get married. There isn't much depth to this film (which is ironic considering it involves the Navy) but it is a reasonable bit of fluff.

The Great Gabbo (1929)

This early talkie is a far more complicated film than at first it appears. The Great Gabbo (Erich von Stroheim) is a brilliant ventriloquist but a terrible human being. Indeed his assistant Mary (Betty Compson), whom Gabbo treats awfully, detects more humanity from the dummy Otto than the man himself...

Mary leaves Gabbo though that doesn't stop him going on to hit the big time on Broadway within a couple of years. Mary is now with Frank (Donald Douglas) with her own musical act when their paths cross again. Gabbo wants her back but it is quite clear that Gabbo's grip on reality is fairly slender and soon the chasm looms large when he finds he can't get Mary, that she prefers Otto to him. His mental collapse is crushing.

Von Stroheim is brilliant in this film as is Compson. Despite the big musical numbers and glitz of Broadway this is a dark film about mental health, emptiness and loneliness. It was probably quite ahead of it's time. Although wordy this early talkie is a great film.