Watch on the Rhine

Tags

1940's, Bette Davis, Drama, George Coulouris, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Herman Shumlin, Lucile Watson, Paul Lukas, Watch on the Rhine, World War II

Bette Davis is one of my favourite actresses so to be asked to take part in a blogathon honouring her was a sure bet. Crystal is paying tribute to the great lady with a mighty fine blogathon. My choice is Watch on the Rhine.

Film Title

Watch on the Rhine

Director

Herman Shumlin

Starring

• Paul Lukas as Kurt Muller
• Bette Davis as Sara Muller
• Lucile Watson as Fanny Farrelly
• George Coulouris as Teck de Brancovis
• Geraldine Fitzgerald as Marthe de Brancovis

Taken from a Lillian Hellman play, Watch on the Rhine provides much in the way of drama as it focuses on a member of resistance to the impending Nazi threat and what he must do to fight.

In the year after the beginning of World War II, German engineer Kurt Muller, his wife Sara and their three children enter the United States. Kurt has been involved with fighting the Nazi’s with underground work for the past seventeen years. The family resides in Sara’s mothers house in Washington, D.C. Her mother, Fanny Farrelly  is a society maven who welcomes them back but is unaware about why they are there. The resolute Kurt largely keeps his underground work secret as can be. But there is someone amid all of this who grows suspicious of him. That person is the conniving Teck de Brancovis; a Romanian Count who is also stays and has with Nazi sympathies. He immediately distrusts Kurt on sight and takes it upon himself to weasel what he can out of him. He attempts to blackmail Kurt and expose him, leading to dramatic consequences for everyone involved.

Herman Shumlin allows the story to flow well and doesn’t resort to any visuals tricks, so as to draw more attention to the events on screen. The script is rich with meaningful speeches and impassioned dialogue that allow the actors to shine. Now Watch on the Rhine is not flawless by any means. I’m sure many will see this movie as a propaganda piece and very much of its time. But that ignores the message of fighting for what’s right and standing by your beliefs, which can still be timely even now. Sometimes that message is heavy-handed but it’s mostly depicted handsomely. Occasionally the running time feels stretched and I for one believe some trimming may have benefited Watch on the Rhine. But these flaws aside and the fact that I wanted just a bit more from it, it’s still a great movie with a message that is conveyed throughout. And once the tension rises in the situation, the film gets better and filled with immediacy. A driving score from Max Steiner is a string in the film’s bow too.

Paul Lukas is rightly dignified and quietly strong in a performance that garnered him an Oscar. His greatest asset is his passion and dedication, showing Lukas as a fine actor in tune with the part of a crusading man fighting against fascism and Nazism. It’s a very subtle and natural performance that it often feels like he isn’t acting at all, so exact is his work. And complimenting that nuance is a finely tuned portrayal by Bette Davis. She was often known for her full force delivery but toning it down as the supportive wife here reveals a loving and softer side to her. I liked watching these two work together with a lovely chemistry and dramatic power. Lucile Watson is fine playing the part of the oblivious wealthy mother who is more concerned with her rich life than mere politics. Stealing some of the show is George Coulouris, who is excellently devious and fully warranting of villainy. It is he who kicks events into place with his plots to expose Muller. And there’s Geraldine Fitzgerald making an impression as the wife of the opportunistic Teck.

Bolstered by excellent dialogue and performances, the plight of the individual and the fight for freedom are well dramatised in Watch on the Rhine.

Burnt Offerings

Tags

1970's, Bette Davis, Burgess Meredith, Burnt Offerings, Dan Curtis, Eileen Heckart, Horror, Karen Black, Lee H. Montgomery, Mystery, Oliver Reed

Film Title

Burnt Offerings

Director

Dan Curtis

Starring

• Oliver Reed as Ben Rolf
• Karen Black as Marian Rolf
• Bette Davis as Aunt Elizabeth
• Lee H. Montgomery as Davey Rolf
• Burgess Meredith as Arnold Allardyce
• Eileen Heckart as Roz Allardyce

A haunted house horror/mystery that uses suggestion and enigmas to raise tension and atmosphere, Burnt Offerings is a seriously underrated chiller. Unease and the raising of hairs on the back of the neck are guaranteed in this effective movie.

The Rolf family; husband and wife Ben and Marian, their 12-year-old son Davey and elderly but sprightly Aunt Elizabeth, decide to take a summer vacation. They find a large house that is asking for tenants in California’s countryside. The house is marvellous, big in size and area, but a little dilapidated. Still, the reasonably cheap price to stay for the summer is very tempting. After meeting the slightly unusual brother and sister Arnold and Roz Allardyce, who own the house,  Marian becomes insistent on staying there. Ben is not so sure, especially as they ask them to take care of their elderly mother. She never comes out of her living quarters, so they are just required to bring meals to her door. Ben eventually agrees after seeing how much Marian would love it. Upon arrival, have left for some vague reason. Making the place their own for the time that they have, the family settle in nicely . But the house soon reveals that it’s not the most hospitable place for guests and seems to have something evil inside it. Marian is the main person who is influenced in a malevolent manner by the old house, becoming obsessed with it, rejuvenating the old place and behaving alarmingly alienated towards her family. Other strange events unfold like a seemingly possessed Ben nearly drowning Davey in the pool, the greenhouse of dead flowers slowly coming back to life and Marian’s insistence that the house needs her. Everything seems to link to the very house itself, which appears to wield a strange power over all that enter. But just what can it want with the family and in particular Will any of the family truly discover the sinister secrets and shocks of the house? Or will the house itself get them before it is too late?

The creeping thrills and strange mystery are kept to a good level of skill by director Dan Curtis. The set up boats all the usual hallmarks of a haunted house movie, bit the mysterious approach and the fact that we aren’t hit over the head with overt explanations, makes Burnt Offerings a good and under appreciated entry into the genre. Just how and why the house is tormenting them is the main mysterious crux of Burnt Offerings. It is only gradually that the real intentions of the house come into the light. The photography is one if the highlights of Burnt Offerings; enveloping events in a dream like haze that starts out quite nicely and joyfully, then little by little gets to an ominous level of chilling intensity. I also liked how it was different from some haunting movies. In a lot of them,  the haunting is designed to scare the people out, the malevolence actually wants to trap them for its own insidious purpose. To spoil the intention and designs of the house would be a major disservice to the creepy tone and uncomfortable events of Burnt Offerings. I will say that it is something very alarming and disturbing, yet done with degrees of exceptional subtlety and bubbling menace that make it pretty satisfying. The house is pretty much a character itself, though one that you really are t sure of. You know it’s evil because we’re in a horror movie, but the ways that it influences all, particularly Marian, is still pretty unsettling and spooky stuff. The slow burning pace is largely excellent in developing the evil of the house and building up numerous enigmatic angles. One little problem I had was that Burnt Offerings gets a bit leisurely in the middle half of the picture, when it should have some oomph in its engine. Saying that, it is redeemed quickly by what follows and the sensational climax of what is a really compelling horror mystery. Up and down strings and the old classic music box sound are in abundance, making Burnt Offerings suspenseful even when nothing unusual is happening. It’s that hint that something sinister will transpire that the score really works on.

Oliver Reed is his usual intense self as the husband under siege from the house, his dramatic approach lending itself well to the character’s eventual descent into tormented horror. Karen Black makes for a marvellously and genuinely creepy leading lady. Playing Marian, who becomes almost immediately entranced with the house, her unusual tics and mannerisms slowly emerge into something very alarming. It’s a credit to Black’s talent that you buy into how unusually obsessed and spine chilling Marian becomes, as her once genial persona starts to get more peculiar, mercurial and generally unstable as time passes. The great Bette Davis brings her professionalism and grand standing to the part of energetic Aunt Elizabeth, who is really the first to suspect something amiss in the house. It’s a supporting role, but when you have Davis, even in smaller roles she displays her immense talent and steals the scenes she is in. Lee H. Montgomery does the frightened child act well, while the brief but very memorable appearances of Burgess Meredith and Eileen Heckart as the unusual siblings who own the house, makes a deep impression and spooky one at that.

Spooky entertainment and creepy thrills abound in this slow-burning but extremely eerie horror film. If you like some haunted house horror, with mysterious overtones and good cast, Burnt Offerings is probably the flick for you.

Hush Hush, Sweet Charlotte

Tags

1960's, Agnes Moorehead, Bette Davis, Bruce Dern, Cecil Kellaway, Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte, Joseph Cotten, Mary Astor, Mystery, Olivia de Havilland, Psychological Thriller, Robert Aldrich

Film Title

Hush Hush, Sweet Charlotte

Director

Robert Aldrich

Starring

• Bette Davis as Charlotte Hollis
• Olivia de Havilland as Miriam Deering
• Joseph Cotten as Doctor Drew Bayliss
• Agnes Moorehead as Velma Cruther
• Cecil Kellaway as Harry Willis
• Mary Astor as Jewel Mayhew
• Bruce Dern as John Mayhew

A heady and creepy psychological thriller, Hush Hush, Sweet Charlotte may be overblown but that almost adds to the fun of the unusual mystery and watching stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood show off their chops in this ghoulish affair.

We begin in 1927 Louisiana. The eponymous Charlotte is a young girl of a prominent family. She has been conducting an affair with married man John Mayhew and they plan to elope. But Charlotte’s father gets wind of this and tries to put a stop to it, for fear of his family name being tarnished. On the night they plan to elope at a party, John is brutally murdered in the summer house, decapitated and with one of his hands cut off . Charlotte discovers his corpse, which leads many to believe that it was her who murdered John after he tried to break off their affair. We then fast forward to many years later; Charlotte’s father has died and she has inherited his Antebellum mansion. But the memory of John’s murder and the knowledge that everyone believes it was her who killed him, has driven Charlotte to near madness. She lives as a recluse in her old house, with only her slightly kooky but loyal housekeeper Velma Cruther as company. Events for the near mad and extremely traumatised Charlotte come to a head, when it comes through that her house, due to her ignoring the eviction notice, and the Highway Commission wants to tear the house down to make a road. The increasingly disturbed Charlotte is against this and violently refuses to leave. Secretly though, Charlotte is worried and it is here that she calls upon the help of her cousin Miriam Deering, who grew up with her as a child. Yet as soon as the almost saintly Miriam arrives and reconciles with her old boyfriend Dr Drew Bayliss(who himself sometimes checks on Charlotte), strange events begin to unravel around the house and in particular Charlotte. Yet while Drew and Miriam write off Charlotte’s ramblings about seeing things in the house, could something sinister aimed at the emotionally distraught Charlotte really be afoot? Is Charlotte just haunted by her past? Or does her demure cousin Miriam have something dark to hide? And most of all, who was it that killed John Mayhew?

After the success of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, it seemed only fitting for director Robert Aldrich to return to the Gothic atmosphere of that movie. Yet while there are similarities in the two, Sweet Charlotte has more of a mystery to it(as well as psychological thrills) which makes for spooky viewing. All the conventions of Southern Gothic are here; near crazed southern belles haunted by the events around them, sinister shadows and a Louisiana setting. It’s all a very well done brew with Aldrich confident in his direction. The black and white visuals are ghoulishly effective and create a real atmosphere of suspense and unraveling horror. As I mentioned earlier, Hush Hush, Sweet Charlotte is overblown to be sure as emotions run wild between the characters, in particular Charlotte. At times the melodrama can creek a little and become a bit too much, but for most of the time, it is still devilishly good and deviously twisted. In fact the melodrama sometimes adds to the cauldron of twisted mystery and due to the stars in the film, is very well done. There are a few moments of unexpected gore which surprised me for a film of the time this  was released, but at least it added to the unpredictability of the piece. Most of the chills however stem from the atmosphere conjured up throughout. A slithering score that hits the crescendos of terror and the bristling sense of menace is marvellously scored.

The cast of acting greats is a real delight and they all sink their teeth into the questionable characters of the film. The excellent Bette Davis fully unleashes a gamut of emotions as the terrified and traumatised Charlotte. In almost ever scene of the film, the talents of Davis when it comes to unrestrained acting are second to none as we sympathise with Charlotte because of the horror she endures, even if some of it may not actually be there. Olivia de Havilland on the other hand is more subtle but still very effective with her performance as the seemingly kind and ladylike Miriam. I like the way that de Havilland establishes a nice aura around Miriam, but then little by little gets us to question what darkness may lie beneath her respectable persona and what she knows about the ghoulish events. Joseph Cotten does similar work to de Havilland as the doctor of the town, seemingly jovial and good-hearted, but with the knowledge that something is not quite right. Stealing the show is Agnes Moorehead as the housekeeper who becomes the first to suspect foul play. With a ragamuffin appearance and theatrical glee, Moorehead throws herself into the part with great results. Cecil Kellaway exudes upper-class and well-educated upbringing as an insurance investigator who is most curious about the murder case and the monetary value of it. In what was her last film role, Mary Astor is suitably enigmatic as the ailing widow of John, who has her own secrets lurking around. A young Bruce Dern has the small but pivotal role of John, whose murder is the catalyst for all the chaos that engulfs the fragile Charlotte.

So if you can handle an occasionally over the top and wild psychological thriller, tinged with growing mystery and Southern Gothic elements, Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte is the film for you. And plus with the classic actors featured, it all adds up to a dark and mysterious film, powered by their performances.

The Whales of August

Tags

1980's, Ann Sothern, Bette Davis, Drama, Lillian Gish, Lindsay Anderson, The Whales of August, Vincent Price

Film Title

The Whales of August

Director

Lindsay Anderson

Starring

• Lillian Gish as Sarah Webber
• Bette Davis as Libby Strong
• Vincent Price as Mr. Maranov
• Ann Sothern as Tisha Doughty

A splendid cast of cinematic icons stars in The Whales of August; a warm, subtly moving and charming story of growing old and reflecting on life in the twilight years, that takes place over the course of a day and a half.

On a Maine island in an old-fashioned cottage, aging Sarah Webber lives with her older sister Libby Strong. Sarah is the genial, warm yet firm sister, whereas Libby, who has gone blind, is bitter and cantankerous towards everyone around her. The cottage they live in is one they have been linked to for decades. As young ladies, they would stay and watch as the whales passed by. Now all those years later, the two sisters are living together in the autumn of their lives. Yet while there is love between them, Libby’s mean streak and bleak outlook put her at odds with sincere Sarah, who wants to still do things while she’s able to. As the two attempt to make a sort of compromise, they begin to recall their past adventures and events in their lives. Both women are widowed and craving a sense of companionship, but the waspish Libby pushes people away while Sarah is gregarious. Their childhood friend, well-meaning but nosy Tisha Doughty stops by to check on them and reminisces on their friendships over the long years. Also passing by is Mr. Maranov, a member of Russian nobility who is now penniless and depends on the kindness of others. Maranov takes a shine to the sprightly Sarah and this causes her to think of the husband she lost and what she should do about Libby. Should she ask for help with her difficult sister? Or should she stick with her and attempt to reach her buried good side in the hopes of mending their often fractious relationship?

With a natural sense of direction, Lindsay Anderson creates a film of moving warmth and tenderness. He doesn’t overplay anything and makes do with the small but very beautiful setting of Maine. There is no visual trickery to speak of, just good old-fashioned directing that is simple to follow. He allows the actors to really show their ability and never lets them resort to histrionics. In fact, one of my worries before watching The Whales of August was that it would be very dull. I was pleased when I found that the film was anything but. There are those who will say that nothing much happens during the course of the movie. In fact, quite a lot of things takes place over the day and the half the movie covers. It just doesn’t do it in an overly dramatic way, everything is subtle and very authentic. And to be honest, this movie wouldn’t have worked if it was melodramatic and over the top. The tone just feels so right in this movie and while some of it is a bit slow, it is a minor niggle in a beautiful film examining how we react to growing older and the passage of time. There is also a welcome lack of sentimentality to The Whales of August, which benefits the movie hugely. Sure the film is warm and sweet, but it never becomes cloying in the slightest due to the precise direction, subtly drawn drama and work of the actors. A fleeting and very wistful score goes to the heart of the themes on show and creates the nostalgic longing for the past that is expressed by many of the characters.

Lillian Gish, who was 93 at the time of making this movie, is a complete marvel. Sprightly and filled with guile and warmth, she makes Sarah such a beautifully sympathetic character. I liked how Gish didn’t resort to making Sarah just a saint, she showed that she could be firm and decisive, while still recalling the days of her youth with a fondness and bittersweet taste. This was the last film role for Lillian Gish after a career spanning multiple decades, and it was a stunning send off to a gifted actress. Bette Davis, who was old at the time and suffering with her health, also delivers a splendid performance. She is extremely adept at showcasing Libby’s bitterness brought on by age and blindness, but through subtle gestures we see that underneath everything she just wants someone to care for. Davis was not exactly known for her subtlety in her performances, but her work here shows a moving natural progression from waspish to ultimately longing and caring. Vincent Price, in a non-horror role, is suitably amiable and full of grace as Mr Maranov who becomes fond of Sarah. Ann Sothern is utterly delightful as the slightly nosy but always loyal best friend to the sisters.

An evocative study of age, the memories we collect and the autumn years of one’s life, The Whales of August is a beautifully rendered movie, given depth by wonderful direction and especially the work of silver screen legends Lillian Gish and Bette Davis.

The Watcher in the Woods

Tags

1980's, Benedict Taylor, Bette Davis, Carroll Baker, David McCallum, Disney, Frances Cuka, Horror, Ian Bannen, John Hough, Kyle Richards, Lynn-Holly Johnson, Richard Pasco, The Watcher in the Woods

Film Title

The Watcher in the Woods

Director

John Hough

Starring

• Bette Davis as Mrs. Aylwood
• Lynn-Holly Johnson as Jan Curtis
• Kyle Richards as Ellie Curtis
• Carroll Baker as Helen Curtis
• David McCallum as Paul Curtis
• Ian Bannen as John Keller
• Richard Pasco as Tom Colley
• Frances Cuka as Mary Fleming
• Benedict Taylor as Mike Fleming

The Watcher in the Woods was Disney’s attempt to reach a slightly older audience with a spooky tale. Although critics may have sniffed at it, it has since become a cult film and one that I fondly recall enjoying as a child. Sure, there may be some parts that aren’t as effective as they once where, but I was pleasantly surprised that the film holds up rather well and is creepy, atmospheric viewing as Halloween approaches.

Paul Curtis, his wife Helen and there two daughters Jan and Ellie are an American family that move into a country house in England. The property is owned by the old Mrs. Aylwood who decides them stay as she is very particular on who lives there and who lives in a cottage on the grounds. Part of the reason that the old woman lets the family move in is because Jan bears a striking resemblance to someone important from her past. Soon after moving in, Jan and her sister Ellie begin experiencing strange events around them: Jan suddenly can’t see herself in a mirror and instead sees the figure of a girl begging for help while blindfolded, Ellie goes into various trance like states that talk of a past event, a blue light appears from the woods and they both have the feeling that something eerie is afoot in the surrounding area, most notably the large woods. Mrs. Aylwood, after helping Jan when she falls into a pond and nearly drowns, begins to explain what may be behind the peculiar events that have plagued the girls. She had a daughter named Karen who she adored, but who mysteriously vanished while playing a game in a church with three of her friends located in the woods thirty years earlier. Jan begins to dig deeper into the mysterious disappearance and how it relates to the spectre haunting her, though the kids who were playing with Karen who have now grown up are reluctant to talk about what happened. With the help of nice local boy Mike, she starts to uncover what transpired all those years ago and how it haunts the present.

I must say that while Watcher in the Woods is aimed at young adults rather than grown ups, it does have its share of scares that will make you jump. Director John Hough utilities the setting of the woods and the forming mystery very effectively, peppering the movie with suspense and eeriness. A roving camera forming point of view shots, obscured by branches and foliage sends shivers down the spine as strange phenomena unfolds. The overall atmosphere lingers with strange and unnatural ambience that is hard to shake due to the ghostly visuals in the woods. The striking set of the woods brings uneasiness to the film and the dark, cavernous tress and mist is wholly appropriate. Now I must say that there are times when the movie becomes a bit dull, has some corny dialogue and needs an injection of pace, but mostly it keeps things ticking over. A marvellously sinister score, encompassing the pretty sound of a music box with unusual drums and brass makes many scenes in The Watcher in the Woods with a whole lot of mystery and darkness. The movie is not really frightening in a graphic way or really horrifying; its more of a creepy, slowly unwinding story with a ghostly sense of menace that makes it ideal for youngsters to see it but adults to enjoy too.

A generally well-chosen cast play their roles in decent fashion, though some get lost in the mix of it all and hardly have anything to really contribute. Bette Davis is on scene-stealing form as Mrs. Aylwood, imbuing her with a strangeness, sadness and weariness that really suit the character whose daughter’s disappearance forms the main story of the piece. Lynn-Holly Johnson is not the best actress out there, but she’s very good at displaying Jan’s fear and curiosity as the mystery targets her and she’s forced to get to the bottom of it. Young Kyle Richards is well-cast as the adventurous Ellie, who also finds herself plagued by strange visions and trance like channeling. Carroll Baker and David McCallum are really wasted in this film and they don’t bring much to it because their characters are so poorly written. More successful in terms of the adult actors are Ian Bannen, Richard Pasco and Frances Cuka as the grown ups whose childhood game ended in darkness and how these events have haunted them ever since. Benedict Taylor is thoroughly bland as a possible love interest for Jan that never really goes anywhere.

Some of it may be dated and weak, but overall The Watcher in the Woods is still an eerily effective movie of atmosphere and chills.

 

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?

Tags

1960's, Bette Davis, Drama, Joan Crawford, Maidie Norman, Robert Aldrich, Thriller, Victor Buono, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?

Film Title

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?

Director

Robert Aldrich

Starring

• Bette Davis as Jane Hudson
• Joan Crawford as Blanche Hudson
• Victor Buono as Edwin Flagg
• Maidie Norman as Elvira

A dramatic thriller of chilling intensity and cruelty, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? stands as a fine example of a twisted flick about the illusory nature of stardom and the ravages of jealousy. Boasting two stellar performances from legendary screen divas Bette Davis and Joan Crawford( whose off set rivalry allegedly mirrored the barbaric actions in the film), Baby Jane is an unforgettable movie.

As a child, Jane Hudson, who was commonly nicknamed Baby Jane, was the shining star of the vaudeville stage, her younger sister Blanche was the one left out. A reversal of fortune later occurred when Blanche became an acclaimed actress in the movies. This time Jane was the one who was on the end of neglect which subsequently saw her spiral into a drink addiction. All the promise of Blanche’s stardom changed however in a car accident that left her paralyzed; her older sister was the one who was accused of the act that ended her sister’s career. Years later, the two sisters are living together in a decaying, ramshackle mansion in Los Angeles. Blanche is wheelchair bound and must rely on Jane; on the other hand, Jane, caked in clown like make up and still believing she can make a comeback, takes great delight in emotionally and physically torturing her helpless sister. Cutting her off from the outside world, Jane reigns supreme as she abuses her sister. However, when Jane finds out that Blanche intends to sell the house, the fireworks really go off as Jane’s fractured mind completely dissolves into full-on madness. With Blanche attempting to escape with the help of kindly maid Elvira and the deluded Jane enlisting the help of mother’s boy Edwin Flagg to help revive her act, we know we’re in for a Gothic and uncomfortable treat.

Robert Aldrich conjures up a creepy atmosphere of shattered dreams, vicious jealousy and uncontrollable rage within the confines of the crumbling mansion. By choosing to have the film shot in black and white, he cleverly gives What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? menace and startling intensity as we witness Jane’s mind crack and the results of it. Aldrich balances the electric and alarming drama of the piece with the uncomfortable elements of the thriller genre to create a cauldron of bubbling tension. The casting of Bette Davis and Joan Crawford was an inspired stroke of genius. The off set feud that the two had is almost as interesting as the movie itself, which leaves you wondering whether the movie is a heightened variation of the rivalry between the two women. A finicky musical score brings a dark mischief to the movie, as the sounds of twinkling percussion showcase the childlike mind of Jane and slashing strings the utter sadism that she inflicts upon Blanche.

What really gives What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? its grotesque but compelling power is the performances. Bette Davis delightfully sinks her teeth into the part of Jane and emerges as a menacing and damaged character. Yet rather than make her just a monster, the excellent Davis brings a tragedy to Jane as we see how she can’t let go of her childhood stardom and how much it has clouded her mind. Davis gives the role ferocity and uncomfortable traits and this is why it is one of her finest performances. Joan Crawford shades her part as the paralyzed Blanche with vulnerability and terror as she comes to see that her sister is really coming mentally undone. It may be the quieter role of the two, but Crawford still makes it a memorable part. Victor Buono is oily charm and greed personified as the pianist who Jane employs, who really just wants the money and not to help. Maidie Norman brings understatement and sympathy to her role as Elvira, Blanche’s maid who wants to protect her from the terror that Jane inflicts on her.

Uncomfortably compelling, dramatic and quite unnerving, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? is one memorable film with top-notch direction and electric performances.

The Letter

Tags

1940's, Bette Davis, Film Noir, Gale Sondergaard, Herbert Marshall, James Stephenson, Melodrama, Sen Yung, The Letter, William Wyler

Film Title

The Letter

Director

William Wyler

Starring

• Bette Davis as Leslie Crosbie
• Herbert Marshall as Robert Crosbie
• James Stephenson as Howard Joyce
• Gale Sondergaard as Mrs. Hammond
• Sen Yung as Ong Chi Seng

A tautly directed melodrama, with the shadows of Film Noir covering it, The Letter boasts atmosphere and a terrific performance by Bette Davis.

In Malaya, the calm of a moonlit night on a plantation is disturbed by the sound of a gun. Out of the main house stumbles a wounded man, followed by a woman with a pistol in hand. She unloads the rest of the chambers into his body and calmly watches him die. The woman is Leslie Crosbie, the wife of the plantation owner Robert. The man she shot dead was Geoff Hammond, a respected friend of Robert’s with whom she was having an affair. Robert returns to his wife, who begins to formulate a story to save herself. Playing the act of demure and vulnerable wife( when the reality is that she’s a master manipulator), she tells her attorney Howard Joyce that Hammond made repeated advances on her and she shot him in self-defence. While Robert believes his wife’s alibi, Joyce is more suspicious, even though he is the one representing her in the inevitable trial. Matters become complicated when Joyce’s clerk Ong Chi Seng comes to him with information that could change the outcome of the trial. It seems that Leslie wrote a letter to Hammond on the night she killed him asking him to come and see her as Robert would be away. This evidence could alter the case and imprison the conniving Leslie. The letter has fell into the hands of Hammond’s exotic widow, who demands money for it or she will turn it over to the court. Building tension and sweltering atmosphere combine as Leslie’s lies continue and the intense drama reaches its heights.

William Wyler masterfully directs with deft skill, creating a stifling ambience of lies, murder and the manipulative mind of one woman. Although the story can be seen as melodrama, it does have a certain edge that doesn’t let it slip into tosh, this is mainly down to the excellence of Wyler’s direction and the way he crafts this deceptive tale of murder and lies. The striking use of black and white highlights the Film Noir aspects of the story, with shadows and strange camera angles capturing the rising suspicion and inevitable drama. The score provided is a valuable asset to The Letter, cloaking it in an exotic and menacing aura that rises and falls along with the heated emotions and dark deception at play. The costume design is simply exemplary, especially in the gowns worn by the sly and cold-hearted Leslie. Most of them are white which makes her appear angelic to those around her, but the audience knows that there is a dark heart that lies beneath this masquerade.

Bette Davis is one fine form portraying Leslie, clearly relishing the sly, ruthless and calculating nature of the character. This is a character that Davis plays so well and always in control, but she also lets us see the panic that begins to appear when the existence of the eponymous letter comes to light. The film is Davis’ and she brings her all to the part. Herbert Marshall is suitably naive as Leslie’s husband, who sees her as a virtuous angel. James Stephenson excellently plays Howard, the attorney who is the first to see through the deception of Leslie, but is bound by law to remain silent of his knowledge of this. Gale Sondergaard brings silent, feline menace to the role of Hammond’s exotic and unsmiling widow, whose stare alone gives new meaning to the term ‘if looks could kill’. Sen Yung is used well as Joyce’s informative clerk, who becomes the first to discover the letter and what it could do to the case.

William Wyler’s The Letter brings drama to Film Noir and succeeds with aplomb, thanks to stylish direction, excellent score and central performance from Bette Davis.

 

 

 

The Nanny

Tags

1960's, Bette Davis, James Villiers, Jill Bennett, Pamela Franklin, Seth Holt, The Nanny, Thriller, Wendy Craig, William Dix

Film Title

The Nanny

Director

Seth Holt

Starring

• Bette Davis as Nanny
• William Dix as Joey Fane
• Wendy Craig as Virgie Fane
• Jill Bennett as Aunt Pen
• James Villiers as Bill Fane
• Pamela Franklin as Bobby

A slice of creepy thriller from Hammer Horror, The Nanny is an unexpected and interesting addition to the studio’s work as it doesn’t have any supernatural elements but chills aplenty with the legendary Bette Davis on fine form.

The Nanny of the title works for the well off Fane family, consisting of strict father Bill, his nervous wife Virgie and their ten-year-old son Joey. The family had a young daughter who drowned in the bath two years ago. The mischievous Joey was blamed for his sister’s death and many thought he was a dangerous young boy because of his previous history of lying and playing tricks on those around him. As the film begins, Joey is returning home from a hospital for mentally disturbed children, although the doctor warns of his increasingly troubled behaviour. Upon arriving back home, he immediately acts with hostility against Nanny; refusing to eat what she cooks, changing his room because she decorated it and being as unpleasant as he can when she is around him. His mother and father are baffled by this as Nanny seems to genuinely care for him and his wellbeing. Joey continues to spin tales about Nanny, yet no one listens to him because of his history of lying and scheming. No one believes him except his neighbour Bobby, a worldly teenager who lives in the apartment above his and often keeps the young boy company. Is Joey really disturbed or is he in fact right about the seemingly harmless Nanny? As different and conflicting points of view take centre stage, you’ll be left biting your nails trying to figure out the truth in this creepy and effective thriller.

Seth Holt provides interesting and intelligent direction by playing the first half an hour of the film as simple and innocuous, but steadily he pulls the rug from under your feet and gets you to question the events occurring and the validity of them. The crisp yet ominous use of black and white hints at the darkness that may lie beneath the surface of both Joey and Nanny, while roving camerawork takes in the supposed safety of home and reveals the creeping danger within its trappings. A sombre yet menacing score keeps the suspense building as the line between truth and fallacy blurs. Admittedly some of the plot elements creek a little with a lack of originality, but for most of The Nanny’s duration it keeps you riveted.

Bette Davis turns in a subtle performance as the eponymous Nanny and shows us the many sides to her with little nuances clouded with a hint of secrecy. Because of her amazing delivery, the audience is really left until the last-minute wondering whether Joey is right to be afraid of her. As seemingly kind and considerate as Nanny is, there is something uneasy about her character and as played by Davis we begin to question our judgement of her. William Dix is similarly effective as the young Joey, whose string of antics leaves others questioning whether he is lying or not. Dix manages to dig beneath the unpleasant exterior of the character and show fear and intelligence as he attempts to explain his story. Wendy Craig is suitably nervy and highly strung as Joey’s mother, while Jill Bennett provides quiet understanding as the Joey’s aunty who is frustrated by her nephew yet senses something isn’t right. James Villiers is somewhat wasted as Joey’s father and doesn’t really contribute much to the film. On the other hand, Pamela Franklin is precocious and loyal as Bobby, the neighbour who begins to believe Joey’s stories about Nanny.

A sinister and nail-biting watch, The Nanny is a creepy entry into Hammer Horror that boasts a chilling atmosphere and a compelling performance by Bette Davis.

 

Death on the Nile

Tags

1970's, Agatha Christie, Angela Lansbury, Bette Davis, David Niven, Death on the Nile, George Kennedy, Jack Warden, Jane Birkin, John Guillermin, Jon Finch, Lois Chiles, Maggie Smith, Mia Farrow, Murder Mystery, Olivia Hussey, Peter Ustinov, Simon MacCorkindale

Film Title

Death on the Nile

Director

John Guillermin

Cast

• Peter Ustinov as Hercule Poirot
• Simon MacCorkindale as Simon Doyle
• Mia Farrow as Jacqueline De Bellefort
• Lois Chiles as Linnet Ridgeway Doyle
• Bette Davis as Mrs. Van Schuyler
• Maggie Smith as Miss Bowers
• Angela Lansbury as Salome Otterbourne
• David Niven as Colonel Johnny Race
• Jane Birkin as Louise Bourget
• Olivia Hussey as Rosalie Otterbourne
• George Kennedy as Andrew Pennington
• Jon Finch as James Ferguson
• Jack Warden as Dr. Bessner

Although it may not meet the lofty standards set by Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile proves to be a star-studded and stunningly filmed mystery from the novel by Agatha Christie. Featuring Peter Ustinov in the first of his many outings as the eccentric Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot, Death on the Nile is not to be missed for Christie fans and murder mystery hounds alike.

The setting is the glamorous 30’s. Linnet Ridgeway is the spoilt heiress who has everything she could ask for. Her best friend Jacqueline on the other hand is broke and in need of money. Her fiancée Simon is proposed a job working at Linnet’s English estate, it is here that he immediately falls for the beautiful Linnet. We later learn that he broke of his engagement to Jacqueline and married Linnet. This has incurred the wrath of Jacqueline who has stalked the couple on their honeymoon. The newlyweds eventually take a cruise down the Nile, not realising that the wounded Jacqueline is onboard. Also onboard is the famed Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot, who is enjoying a vacation along with his good friend, Colonel Johnny Race. The rest of the people onboard the ship down the Nile are an eclectic bunch consisting of;Mrs Van Schuyler, a crusty old widow with a habit of stealing; her resentful nurse and companion Miss Bowers; Salome Otterbourne, a flamboyant writer of romantic novels; her unhappy but devoted daughter,Rosalie; Linnet’s melancholy lady in waiting, Louise; Linnet’s American lawyer Andrew Pennington, who is embezzling money from her; Jim Ferguson, a so-called citizen of the world who despises the rich and the odious Dr.Bessner.

Jacqueline’s persecution of the couple comes to a head one night in the saloon of the boat. She angrily confronts Simon and produces a pistol from her bag, before shooting Simon in the leg. This commotion is stopped when Simon is taken to Dr. Bessner for treatment and Jacqueline is given a short of morphine from Miss Bowers, in order to calm her manic state of mind. The next morning, Linnet is found dead in her cabin, her cause of death a gunshot wound to the head. It is then up to the intelligent Poirot to distinguish who out of the many guests would kill the heiress. It turns out that everyone on the boat either had a motive or grudge against her, but who actually went through with bumping her off? Prepare for a sumptuous and twisting web of secrets, deceit and revenge as the scrupulous Poirot tries to get to the heart of the increasingly difficult investigation.

The first thing that strikes you the most about Death on the Nile is the attention to detail. The authentic costumes deservedly won an Oscar and the set decoration is richly adorned to a high visual standard. The film also makes stunning use of many landmarks in Egypt, such as the temples of Abu Simbel and Karnak. The score is excellently composed, and captures the beauty of the Nile and then eventually the suspense and secrecy as Poirot attempts to find the murderer. Perhaps the biggest draw of the film is the cast, loaded with star power. As with most Christie adaptations, we have many eccentric characters, some more interesting than others in various cases. In his first performance as Poirot, Peter Ustinov combines eccentric mannerisms with a humour and intellect that make him a great interpretation of the iconic character. His scenes with David Niven, who is ideally cast as the archetypal British gentleman, have a fun edge to them but a serious understanding as they each work their way through the murky case in hand. Simon MacCorkindale makes an impression as the simple man whose relationships with two women seem to have caused fatal consequences. Mia Farrow embodies anger, jealousy and dejection as the vengeful Jacqueline, who won’t let go of the man she has always loved. In the small but pivotal part of the wealthy Linnet, the beautiful Lois Chiles creates a character who is both an arrogant, home-wrecking bitch and a persecuted woman. It is because of her actions that the whole story is set in motion and culminates in her death.

The great Bette Davis is a hoot as the scolding old widow, she is matched by Maggie Smith as her put upon nurse. The two actresses have a great energy in their scenes, bickering and exchanging bitchy lines with great zeal. There is also a delightfully eccentric performance from Angela Lansbury, as the scandal loving author who embarrasses herself a lot, especially in front of her daughter. In a brief part, Jane Birkin exudes a sad and tired quality as Linnet’s lady in waiting, who secretly wants a dowry in order for her to marry. As well as these stars, there are others but their roles are not fleshed out well enough to make them really interesting. Olivia Hussey works as best she can with her part, but isn’t given enough material to make her character memorable. George Kennedy and Jon Finch both suffer from the fact that their supposed motives for killing Linnet are not that convincing. And Jack Warden, who does have his funny moments, is most certainly underused. These are the only quibbles that I have with the film, as for the most part it is an exciting and gripping mystery with talent and locations surrounding it.

Although slightly slow in parts, Death on the Nile is still great fun as you try to work out who it was who killed Linnet. Mystery lovers this the film for you and for fans of starry casts, look no further than this excellent adaptation of Agatha Christie’s novel.

Also on another note, I’ve just realised this is my 100th post. I can’t beleive I have written this many.

Which actors and actresses have the best voices?

Tags

Al Pacino, Bette Davis, James Stewart, Katharine Hepburn, Maggie Smith, Marlon Brando, Morgan Freeman, Susan Sarandon, Tom Hanks

There are many stars who have a distinctive and memorable voice, if I listed them all I would need a book. So the question today is, which actor or actress has the best voice? Which star has a voice that you could listen to without getting bored? It can be someone really famous in the acting business or someone not so well-known. Whatever the answer, please give it and feel free to comment.

Here is a list of actors and actresses I consider to have great voices off the top of my head;

Maggie Smith

Susan Sarandon

 

Tom Hanks

 

Morgan Freeman

James Stewart

 

Katharine Hepburn

Al Pacino

 

Marlon Brando

Bette Davis