cinemalover: Confessions of a Video Junkie

[cinemalover]

Date watched: 3/31/2007
Title: First Knight Made: 1995
Genre: Historical/Adventure Studio: Columbia
Format: DVD Extras: LB (enhanced)
Number of times viewed: 2

Stars: Richard Gere, Sean Connery, Julia Ormand

Tagline "Experience the adventure that legends are made of"

This version of the Arthurian legend focuses on the love triangle between King Arthur (Connery), Lady Guinevre (Ormand) and a reckless Lancelot (Gere). The sets, costumes and scenery and spellbindingly beautiful. While I am not a huge Gere fan, he is very charming in the role, though the lack of an accent leaves him isolated at times. Growing up as a James Bond Boy of the 60's there are very few times that I don't enjoy watching Connery in just about anything. He is incredibly regal as the king. The chemistry between all three stars is very good.

Lancelot is portrayed as one who holds no regard for his own life, an adventuring vagabond. Says Arthur to Lancelot, "A man who fears nothing, loves nothing. And if you love nothing, what joy is there in life?"

There are intense and well choreographed battles, thrilling sword fights and breath-taking action. The whole film is wonderful eye-candy. My only minor quibble, and it's one I have with many historical dramas, is that too many of the characters are just too pristine. Armored models walking right off the runway and into a battle scene. But what the heck, it's Camelot and magic is in the air!

The sweeping score is by Jerry Goldsmith, a perfect fit for the picture.

8* (out of 10) A couple of hours well spent.

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Date watched: 3/31/2007
Title: Bat Masterson TV Show Made: 1958-62
Genre: Western Studio: Ziv
Format: DVD-R Source: Western Channel
Number of times viewed: This is the first time I've seen these

Stars: Gene Barry and lots of familiar faces

#83 Last of the Night Raiders Angie and her son Jimmy need Bat's help. Jimmy idolizes his uncle and his friends who are no-goodniks. Jimmy gets caught in the middle of a gunfight and must choose between his Mom and Bat (who is trying to bring his uncle to justice) or his uncle. Guest star: Paula raymond, Don O'Kelly.

#84 Last Stop to Austin Bat thinks that "Kid Jimmy" Fresh is the son of one of his friends that died as a hero in the war. But Kid is seemingly a bad apple. When Kid starts to draw a gun on a sheriff Bat knocks it away with his cane. Kid's response, "You're pretty active with that overgrown toothpick!"
The Kid is wanted for a battery of charges, or, as the sheriff says, "Everything but murder. And I'm not so sure about that!"
Bat and the sheriff accompany Kid to Austin to face the charges. Bat gets him cleared, but will he regret the consequences? Guest stars: Jan Merlin, Robert Karnes.

#85 A Time To Die Bat, speaking to a corpse that he killed in self-defense, "That's the danger in killing. Getting killed." Bat brings the body to the sheriff to find out why he had tried to kill Bat. Apparently Bat was one of five witnesses to a murder at a poker game. The killer was the influential Mr. Smith's son, and Mr. Smith is targeting all the witnesses so they can't testify against him. The intimidation even goes as far as to engrave a headstone with Bat's name and the next day as the date of death. Guest star: Robert Strauss.

#86 Death By Decree Shot Gun Fall's casino is willed to Bat. Unfortunately Bat finds out that the casino is up to its chips in debt. Bat is now responsible for paying off the balance. Why has the property suddenly become so valuable? Guest stars: Paul Richard, June Blair

#87 The Lady Plays Her Hand Daphne Kaye (Wanda Hendrix) is a blackjack dealer at Bat's casino when George Winston (William Schallert) busts the house with a card system. Daphne could wind up unemployed and bat could lose his casino.

#88 Tempest at Tioga Pass Bat gets involved with building a road to connect Nevada with California.

While this is still a very entertaining series it seems to be losing a little steam. There are fewer and fewer quality guest stars and some of the episodes have become repetitive. It's not fair to compare this to the Rifleman, but since I'm watching both series simultaneously it's tough to avoid. The Rifleman continues to soar while bat may find his wings ever so gently clipped.

6* (out of 10) Overall for this group of episodes.
7* (out of 10) For A Time To Die

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Date watched: 3/31/2007
Title: The January Man Made: 1989
Genre: Thriller/Romance Studio: MGM
Format: DVD Extras: Standard and LB (enhanced), trailer
Number of times viewed: 2

A stellar cast:
Kevin Kline--Nick Starkey, a disgraced cop, now a fireman
Rod Steiger--Mayor Flynn
Harvey Keitel--Police Comissioner Frank Starkey (brother of Nick)
Susan Sarandon--Christine Starkey, wife of Frank, former lover of Nick
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio--Bernadette Flynn, daughter of Mayor Flynn, new girlfriend of Nick and oh what a tangled mess all these relationships weave. It could have been fascinating if included with a good script. It wasn't.
Danny Aiello and Alan Rickman round out the cast.

Nick was kicked off the force when he took the bullet for something his brother (the comissioner) did. Now the police are trying to stop a calender based serial killer and only Nick's expertise can find him. So they have him reinstated. The killer has a routine and if they can just figure it out they can beat him to the punch. While this is happening there is a romance blooming between Bernadette and Nick, in between Nick trying to steal Christine back from his brother. Are you following any of this? Don't bother. It's a great cast in search of a script. This thing has too many ideas thrown together and then set to sea without a rudder. What a waste! Steiger bellows almost all his lines and the viewer is just left waiting for him to blow a gasket.

2* (out of 10) Could have/should have been much, much better. Don't bother with this one, they used a garbage disposal as their blender.

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Date watched: 3/31/2007
Title: Sons of New Mexico Made: 1949
Genre: Western Studio: Columbia Pictures Corporation
Format: DVD-R Source: Western Channel
Number of times viewed: First

Cast: Gene Autry, Gail Davis, Robert Armstrong

Plot: Gene becomes executor of a friend's ranch after he passes. Gene has to keep an eye on the son, somewhat of a juvenile delinquent. Some local gamblers are trying to get their hooks in the kid to take him for everything he's worth. Gene ends up enrolling the kid in the New Mexico Military Institute to teach him some discipline and keep him away from the gamblers.

Not one of Autry's better efforts. Also one of the few pictures that Gene made without the aid of a sidekick, big mistake. The story certainly could of used the antics of a Smiley Burnette to liven it up.

3* (out of 10) For Autry die-hards only. The least entertaining Autry film I've ever seen.

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Date watched: 4/1/2007
Title: The Sniper Made: 1952
Genre: Crime/Film Noir Studio: Columbia
Format: DVD-R Source: TCM
Number of times viewed: First

Cast: Arthur Franz, Adolphe Menjou, Marie Windsor, Richard Kiley

Eddie Miller (Franz) is the Sniper. To put it mildly, this guy has some issues. He's been in prison before, but now he's a bit of a lost soul. He drives a delivery truck for a cleaning service. He should come with a warning for any women that interact with him: The surgeon general has determined that directing any perceived slights at this guy could be hazardous to your health. Miller tends to take out his sexual frustrations with his rifle, and he's not shooting targets. This was fairly racy material for the time.

A couple of hints that suggest where his disdain for the fairer sex came from:
He sees a mother harshly slap the face of her son in public. Miller immediately puts his hand to his cheek as though remembering similar situations.

In a conversation with his landlady:
Landlady "You'll have to be careful, Mr. Miller. I do think mothers should teach boys to cook just as well as girls."
Miller, with grit and venom, "My mother never taught me ANYTHING!"
I'm not sensing any cheery family reunions in his future.

Miller is even a plague for children as his good intentioned hand he offers to a group of kids playing stickball ends up causing a huge fight. And the kids tell him to just get out of here.

Miller knows he has issues that he is unable to control. He writes a note to the police:
To the Police---Stop Me--Find Me I'm going to do it again
The note was written on paper torn from the top of his ammunition box to give the police one more clue.

As the film winds to its conclusion there is a chilling shot of a man suspended from a huge smokestack trying to be a good samaritan. From his vantage point he can see the Sniper poised on a rooftop looking for targets, He screams out to warn people. It's not a good idea to anger a psycho with a rifle.....

The police summing up the general intelligence of the public when they've got the Sniper cornered, "You know some solid citizens are going to get their brains blown out if they don't pull their heads back in (their windows). Not that they have any brains to begin with!"

The film uses many location shots in and around San Francisco which make for nice scenery.

7* (out of 10) The subject is not sensationalized, but handled quite soberly.

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Date watched: 4/1/2007
Title: The Crime Doctor's Courage Made: 1945
Genre: Action Studio: Columbia
Format: DVD-R Source: TCM
Number of times viewed: First

Stars:
Warner Baxter--Dr. Robert Ordway
Hillary Brooke--Kathleen Carson
Jerome Cowan--Jeff Jerome
Stephen Crane--Gordon Carson
Anthony Caruso--Miguel Bragga
Lupita Tovar--Delores Bragga
This is the fourth in a series of ten Crime Doctor movies.

A seeming fortune hunter (a male black widow, if you will) Gordon Carson just had his second wife die of mysterious circumstances. He had been suspected of foul play with his first wife, but nothing was ever proven. Dr. Ordway just happens to be vacationing in California and is in the right place at the right time, at least to make the plot go forward. A dinner party that both Ordway and Gordon Carson are attending ends badly. Carson is found dead in a locked room. It certainly appears to be a suicide from grief, but Dr. Ordway doesn't think so. So who would have motive to kill Carson if this wasn't a suicide? And how could they have gotten inside a locked room to do it? Have no fear, there is a doctor in the house.

Finding the gun next to the body Ordway picks it up, seemingly oblivious to disturbing evidence. As he tells another in the room, "Nobody but authors bother about fingerprints anymore."
Huh? What does the doctor know that we don't?
The suspects include a couple of famous dancers (the Braggas) who may have the ability to turn invisible. Or so their act suggests. Or are they vampires since no one sees them in daylight and there are coffins in their basement? Unusual behavior all around. This one plays more like an Old Dark House mystery.

6* (out of 10) Easily one of the more unique entries and worth a visit.

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Date watched: 4/2/2007
Title: The Smallest Show on Earth Made: 1957
Genre: Comedy Studio: British Lion
Format: DVD Extras: LB (enhanced), Peter Sellers bio
Number of times viewed: first

Cast:
Virginia McKenna--Jean
Bill Travers--Matt
Margaret Rutherford--Mrs. Fazackalee
Peter Sellers--Mr. Quill
Bernard Miles--Old Tom

Plot: Jean and Matt are a young couple struggling to financially stay afloat. Matt is a so far unsuccessful writer. They receive a telegram telling them that Matt's Great Uncle Simon has passed and willed them a theatre in Sloughborough. Matt hadn't really known his uncle, let alone know that he owned a theatre. The couple is excited with the possibilities...until they get there. It turns out that the theatre is a run-down dump, so much so that the locals refer to it as "The Fleapit". The theatre also comes with three longtime employees that are in the same shape as the theatre.

Jean's initial reaction to the theatre "Well, I'm sure there is a business like show business, but somehow I don't think this is it!"

The couple plans to clean the place up and sell it for as much as possible. The three employees are played with eccentric glee by Rutherford, Sellers and Miles. Rutherford and Sellers seem to have a little territorial war going on as they each bad mouth the other to the new owners. But when asked if the owners need to fire the other each says, no, if you could just say something "rude and unpleasant" to them, that would suffice.

Jean and Matt gradually start to learn the tricks of the trade. They hire a gorgeous blonde to sell refreshments. Then they find that when they show one particular western that is set in the desert it doubles their soda and ice cream sales, so they hold it over an extra week.

Interesting note: Here are the names of the fictional movies that are featured--
Killer Riders of Wyoming
The Mystery of Hell Valley
Comin' Thro' The Rye
Devil Riders of Parched Point (the soda seller!)

7* (out of 10) A charming little film.

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Date watched: 4/2/2007
Title: The Train Made: 1965
Genre: War/Action Studio: United Artists
Format: DVD-R Source: TCM
Number of times viewed: 3

Stars:
Burt Lancaster--Labiche
Paul Scofield--Colonel Von Waldheim
Jeanne Moreau--Christine

The movie opens in Paris. The date is shown to be August 2, 1944. It also tells us that this is the 1,511th day of German occupation. The Jeu de Paume Museum has preserved many beautiful and valuable works of art through the ravages of the war. These are considered to be the heart and heritage of France. As the Germans are being forced to retreat from Paris they decide that they are going to be taking these masterpieces with them back to Germany.The Resistance is determined to save the art for France. They must convince the railway inspector Labiche (Lancaster) to risk his life and his men's lives to stop the Germans. Labiche is more concerned with saving lives than art.

Colonel Von Waldheim (Scofield) is an art lover and is in charge of geting the paintings back to Germany. He will stop at nothing to get it done, including lying to German officers so that he can keep the train he needs to transport the art.

Several of the French train men sacrifice their lives in efforts to sabotage the German plans. The movie becomes a war of wills between the Colonel and Labiche. Labiche comes to realize how important the paintings are to his country as he sees the price so many are willing to pay. The Resistance (with Labiche) organizes a clever plot to mislead the Germans sas to where the trainload of treasures is truly headed. It is a ploy worthy of an old Mission Impossible episode. Christine (Moreau) runs a hotel and risks her life to help Labiche.

Beautiful black and white photography. All the steam from the engines makes for some stunning visuals.

8* (out of 10) Suspenseful throughout. Plenty of action and a tremendous job by Lancaster. It had been many years since I've seen this, and it is even better than I remembered.

[cinemalover]

Date watched: 4/2/2007
Title: Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome Made: 1947
Genre: Detective Studio: RKO
Format: DVD-R Source: TCM
Number of times viewed: 3

Stars:
Ralph Byrd--Dick Tracy
Boris Karloff--Gruesome
Anne Gwynne--Tess Trueheart
Milton Parsons--Dr. A. Tomic
June Clayworth--Dr. I.M. Learned
Skelton Knaggs--X-Ray

Plot: Gruesome (Karloff) and his shady associates get their hands on Dr. A. Tomic's experimental secret formula. As Gruesome accidentily found out first hand, it is a gas that temporarily paralyzes anyone that inhales it. Imagine the possibilities in the criminal mind. It's crime time in Tracyville!

The baddies are a delight. X-Ray (Skelton Knaggs) is bug-eyed and bizarre behind lenses as thick as hubcaps. Gruesome (Karloff) is predictably menacing, but just having a quality actor like him in the cast automatically elevates this film above most of the genre. There is even a jokey reference to the real Karloff in the script.

Ralph Byrd was born to play Tracy. He had three serials in which to perfect the role and by this point it fits him like an old pair of jeans.

There is murder, mayhem and monstrous villains. Excellent! And the picture closes with one of the gas bombs accidentilly going off in Tracy's office, freezing Tracy and Tess as they are about to kiss. Poor Tess, she'll never quite get her man in this series.

8* (out of 10) This is a must see for fans of the genre.

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Date watched: 4/2/2007
Title: Truck Turner Made: 1974
Genre: Blaxploitation Studio: American International
Format: DVD Extras: LB (enhanced), Trailer
Number of times viewed: First

Stars:
Isaac Hayes--Mac "Truck" Turner
Alan Weeks--Jerry
Yaphet Kotto--Harvard Blue
Nichelle Nichols (of Star Trek fame)--Dorinda

Tagline: Black, Bold and Bloody Mean!

This one came in at the end of the short-lived Blaxploitation genre that peaked with movies like Shaft and Cotton Comes to Harlem.

The DVD case brags that this stars an Academy Award Winner! Well, that's true, but it wasn't an acting award. Hayes won for Best Song in 1971 for Shaft. Anyone who remembers back then will remember Hayes performing at the Academy Award ceremony in a chain vest over his bare chest. The emcee made some crack about his wardrobe being courtesy of Ace Hardware (or some such). Hayes also wrote the score for this movie.

Plot: Truck Turner (Hayes) is an ex-football star that now collects paychecks as a skip-tracer (a bounty hunter that chases down bail jumpers). He and his partner Jerry (Weeks) also get the tough assignments because they are tough as nails and will use any tactics to drag their prisoners back in. They are told to track down Gator, a mean and nasty pimp who is known for using deadly force himself. After many car chases and fights they are finally forced to kill Gator. This doesn't sit too well with his woman, and professional madame, Dorinda (Nichols). It is rather disturbing to see one of our Trek heroes belting out the type of foul language that is constant in this movie. She does do a nice job of modeling the latest fashions in hooker leisure wear though. Dorinda is so upset with Truck for killing Gator that she contracts a hit on him. This brings Harvard Blue into the act (Kotto in one of his earliest roles). That leads to the final confrontation between Blue and Truck.

1974, oh those were the days! Denim suits were king. Hayes has all the subtlety of a hungry bulldog, but he can cuss with the best of them. Normally I like to pull a quote or two out to highlight, that would be impossible from this movie without heavy censoring. The best that I can say about it is that it's an interesting window into a short-lived cinematic genre and style.

Very violent and constant swearing. The "N" bomb is passed around as casually as a breath mint.

2* (out of 10) A time capsule that could stay buried.

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Date watched: 4/3/2007
Title: Francis (the Talking Mule) Made: 1950
Genre: Comedy/War/Fantasy Studio: Universal-International
Format: DVD-R Source: TCM
Number of times viewed: 3

Stars:
Donald O'Connor--Peter Stirling
Patricia Medina--Maureen Gelder
Zazu Pitts--Nurse Valerie Humpert
Ray Collins--Col. Hooker
John McIntire--Gen. Stevens
Tony Curtis (briefly)--Captain Jones
Chill Wills--Voice of Francis

Plot. There's this mule. And he talks. But only when it suits his purposes. Peter Stirling (O'Connor) is a Second Lt, but a first-class sweetheart and gullible guy. He apparently never learned very good deception skills and his automatic honesty gets him in to all sorts of trouble as he tries to explain Francis to others.

Stirling and Francis first meet when on Burma while under bombardment. Stirling takes a pretty hard knock on the noggin, so he's not quite sure how much of this is real.
Stirling to Francis "Say. Could you carry me out of here?"
Francis "Carry you? And slow myself up? Huh, huh, uhhh."
Stirling "But I'm an officer!"
Francis "A Second Lt.....why it wouldn't even be patriotic!"
Stirling "You mean my life isn't worth saving?"
Francis "Well, the question is...would it be worth risking my life to do it?"
Stirling "What do you mean?"
Francis "Is there a shortage of Second Lt.s, certainly NOT! The war department has announced they got a large surplus. But MULES, hey, that's a different story! No, I just couldn't do it. Not with my interest in furthering the war effort!"

And so a beautiful friendship is formed.Francis is like a four-legged Groucho Marx, the one-liners just keep a comin'. So it's not Casablanca, it is a lot of fun.

Francis seems smarter than any of the officers in the film, and his smarts help him uncover a spy in their midst. When Stirling brings valuable intel to the intelligent officer but can't tell his source, the Officer warns him it better be accurate or...

"Lt., do you know the status of a buck private in this man's army? Well, if this information you gave me isn't right, heaven help ya'. I'm going to have you busted so low that you'll have to use a telescope to look UP to a buck private!"

There is also the normal confusion of Stirling trying to get people to believe that Francis can talk, which lands him in the looney bin a time or two. When Francis finally speaks to a General, it just makes things worse not better.

7* (out of 10) Fun for the whole family.

[cinemalover]

Date watched: 4/4/2007
Title: Cobb Made: 1994
Genre: Sports/Drama Studio: Warner Brothers
Format: DVD Extras: Loaded
Number of times viewed: First

Writer/Director: Ron Shelton (Bull Durham)
Stars:
Tommy Lee Jones--Ty Cobb
Robert Wuhl--Al Stump

Plot: The story is set in 1960 as a rich, eccentric and aging Ty Cobb (Jones) wants to hire a sports writer to help him write his autobiography. He chooses Al Stump (Wuhl), which greatly surprises Stump, but he realizes that this is an opportunity of a lifetime for him. Rumors abound about how mean and ornery Cobb is and what a pain he'll be to work with. Cobb's intention is to sanitize his life by rewriting history in his eyes to leave his legacy in glory. As a ballplayer he was considered by many to be the greatest player of all time. He was also considered the meanest, dirtiest player that ever graced the diamond.

Al Stump on Cobb, "In one season alone he sent twelve men to the hospital."

Stories of Cobb sharpening his metal spikes in the dugout so he could use them as a weapon when sliding are legendary. As a senior citizen Cobb hasn't lost any of his attitude and Stump finds himself caught between writing the Hallmark Moment version of Cobb's life that he desires and wanting to write the much more fascinating truth.

The movie does not candy-coat Cobb's embittered, racist personality. We see a few flashbacks to his playing days (it would have benefited from even more of these) where he is shown constantly taunting players and fans (including teammates).

Cobb on Cobb, "In those days you didn't hold hands and dance with the men on the other teams, you fought with them. And I was the most hated man in baseball. You know what it feels like to be booed like that? It's WONDERFUL!"

Over time, Stump and Cobb develop a respect for each other, despite their differences. Jones, as always, gives an engaging performance. Maybe it's just me, but it seems like Wuhl plays the same character in every role. It's just his personality spouting new lines.

6* (out of 10) Interesting premise. Starts out strong but strays past third base and gets called out trying to steal home.

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Date watched: 4/4/2007
Title: Homicide Bureau Made: 1938
Genre: Detective Studio: Columbia
Format: DVD-R Source: TCM
Number of times viewed: First

Stars:
Bruce Cabot--Officer Jim Logan
Rita Hayworth--Forensic expert J.G. Bliss
Marc Lawrence--Chuck Brown
Moroni Olsen--Captain Haines
Norman Willis--Ed Briggs

Tagline: There's lots of law...in a right to the jaw!

Plot: We start off with of a collage of gangland violence. The police department is under extreme pressure to get the crime levels under control. Local newspapers are eating them up for breakfast.

We then learn that the police forensic expert is retiring and a new one is flying in today. Officer Logan (Cabot) is sent to the airport to pick up a J.G. Bliss, the new forensic expert. He is unpleasantly shocked to find that Bliss (Hayworth) is a woman.

Says Logan, "Frankly, I don't like coppers in skirts!"

The crime sprees continue as a murder happens in broad daylight in a pool hall. The owner sees the shooter flee and fires at the car, shattering a windshield. That glass can be used by their new forensic expert to track down the car (CSI look out!). The suspected vehicle is later impounded so that Bliss can run some tests. But wait, the glass is not a match! Those clever criminals put in a new windshield. They also found a gun in the car which they assume is the murder weapon, but tests prove it no match. It turns out the gang planted false evidence to make the cops look more incompetent than ever.

Officer Logan is frustrated and decides he needs to bend the boundaries of the law just a bit. He confronts the suspected killer at his apartment. The killer accidentally falls out the second story window, oops. Now the headlines scream, Police Brutality!

The movie is an odd mix of showing the value of good forensic work and cops breaking the rules to rough up the bad guys.

Cabot is plenty tough as a cop and Willis is wonderful as the gangleader Briggs. Hayworth, only 20 at the time, won't win any acting awards, but is easy on the eyes.

5* (out of 10) Decent lower bill second feature.

[cinemalover]

Date watched: 4/5/2007
Title: DuBarry Was A Lady Made: 1943
Genre: Musical Comedy Studio: MGM
Format: DVD-R Source: TCM
Number of times viewed: 3

Stars:
Red Skelton--Louis Blore/King Louie XV
Lucille Ball--May Daly/Madame DuBarry
Gene Kelly--Alec Howe/Black Arrow
Zero Mostel--Rami the Swami/Taliostra
Rags Ragland--Charlie/Dauphin
Virginia O'Brien--Ginny

Plot: The movie opens in a night club which is a good excuse to have a hodge-podge of performers strut their stuff. The core story involves the ultimate in love triangle frustration. Hat check boy Louie (Skelton) is gaga for bombshell singer May Daly (Ball) who in turn is in love with the monetarily-deprived Alec (Kelly). But May feels she must marry for money to insure her future, which would knock both boys out of the running.

Louie's keen observation on the way of things, "Why is it all the rich people have all the money?"

Luck then shines on Louie as he wins the Irish Sweepstakes. Seemingly all his dreams come true. Now he has the courage and bank account that allows him to ask May for her hand. She accepts, though they both know that her heart is not attached to the deal. The fact that she deeply loves Alec is complicating Louie's life so his friend Charlie (TCM favorite Ragland) tries to help by mixing up a Mickey. The drink is intended for Alec but somehow gets consumed by Louie, which launches him into dreamland. In his dreams he becomes Louie XV and all the primaries have their counterparts. May becomes the beautiful DuBarry while Alec is the handsome and heroic Black Arrow. Once everyone is in costume it gets rather silly. When Louie ends up with an arrow in his rear the court doctor is summoned.

The doctor, upon arrival, "Ah, good morning, good morning, good morning. I'm sorry I'm late, but I saved a man's life this morning. He was sick and sent for me but I didn't go!"Rimshot please.

Red is up to his normal lunacy and Ball is absolutely stunning in MGM Technicolor. Kelly gets to do a couple of dance numbers including one where he scampers across the front of the stage in push-up position while a whole line of chorus girls step over him. Very well done. Gene is also quite dashing as the Black Arrow. Zero is aptly named for the number of laughs his routines inspire.

6* (out of 10) Some very entertaining individual parts, but is very disjointed as a whole. All the different entertainers are fascinating to watch but interrupt the flow of the movie. I kept waiting for the kitchen sink to stroll in.

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Date watched: 4/5/2007
Title: A Date With The Falcon Made: 1942
Genre: Detective Studio: RKO
Format: DVD-R Source: TCM
Number of times viewed: 2

Stars:
George Sanders--Gay Lawrence, the Falcon
Wendy Barrie--Helen Reed
James Gleason--Inspector Mike O'Hara
Allen Jenkins-- "Goldy" Locke

The second in the series of ten Falcon movies.
Plot: A scientist has created a synthetic diamond that he intends for industrial use. Unfortunately, these diamonds are so realistic they can even fool experts. This attracts the attention of a gang of crooks and the scientist soon disappears. Inspector O'Hara (Gleason) requests the Falcon's (Sanders) help on the case. The Falcon doesn't want to get involved but gets sucked in despite his protests. This just accelerates the issues that he is already having with his fiance, Helen (Barrie), who strongly doubts his promises to stay away from crime games and dames.

The Falcon is a different breed from most other detectives. He really just wants to settle down, as demonstrated in his conversation with the clerk at a flower shop where he is buying Helen roses:
Clerk, "That's too bad, you're much too nice and undependable to be taken out of circulation. It's a crime."
Falcon, "Yes, but I can't solve it. It's a perfect crime."

As the plot twists, the Falcon ends up being wanted for questioning in the murder of the scientist. So the police are looking for him while the gang has kidnapped him because they think he knows too much. With him missing Helen is more concerned that she'll, "be a widow before I'm a bride!" The storyline doesn''t maintain interest and stumbles to the finish.

4* (out of 10) This Falcon never gets off the ground. One of the lesser entries in an otherwise solid series.