More Movies

 It's been about a month since I last posted about films I've been watching--nothing new of course--courtesy of TCM.

The Glass Key: This was kind of a lackluster film for me. I didn't get into the political plot, I didn't appreciate the chemistry between Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake. I liked seeing Bonita Granville in an adult role. William Bendix was the highlight as the sadistic thug who beats Ladd's character. I'd like to see the 1935 film version with George Raft and Edward Arnold. 

Witness to Murder: This movie could have been great with a cast of Barbara Stanwyck, George Sanders, and Gary Merrill.  Cheryl Draper (Stanwyck)  witnesses a murder from her bedroom window. The police conduct the most half-assed investigation ever and decide Cheryl was just dreaming. Cheryl keeps investigating, but ex-Nazi murderer Albert Richter (Sanders) keeps one step ahead of her. Richter has explanations for every clue Cheryl provides and types threatening letters to himself from Cheryl's typewriter. 

Lieutenant Mathews (Gary Merrill) and the police are ineffective to the point of recklessly endangering Cheryl. At one point, they confine her overnight in an insane asylum. They seem to buy the crazy spinster imagines things trope. The "climactic" ending comes off as ridiculous. The film is still worth watching for its performances, but frustrating to imagine what could have been.

Born to Kill: This is a good one. Freshly divorced Helen Brent (Claire Trevor) comes across two murder victims but doesn't call the police and leaves Reno as planned the next day. On the train ride back to San Francisco, she flirts with the murderer himself Sam Wilde (Lawrence Tierney.) Sam ingratiates himself into Helen's life and ends up marrying her rich sister. But there's a detective on Sam's trail (Walter Slezak.) Helen and Sam's greed, mistrust, and deception ultimately cause their downfall.

The Killers: This is the second Hollywood adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's short story and was Ronald Reagan's last film. I wasn't impressed; I preferred the earlier Burt Lancaster version. The best part of this movie was Clu Galagher's performance as quirky assassin Lee.

Storm Warning: Marsha Mitchell (Ginger Rogers) stops in a small town in a surprise visit to her sister Lucy (Doris Day) and almost immediately  witnesses a murder by the Klan. Marsha sees the faces of two members of the Klan. When she meets her sister's husband Hank (Steve Cochran) she's shocked that he is one of the Klansmen she saw. The rest of the film deals with her dilemma--does she do the right thing and reveal what she's seen? What will happen to pregnant Lucy?

This movie is a weaker version of the Warner Brothers 1937 film Black Legion (from what I remember.) Here the Klan is after "outsiders" not Blacks, Jews, or other ethnic groups and seem more interested in cheating others out of their money than racial purity. Some of Rogers' acting choices don't make sense. When she first meets her brother-in-law, her contempt is obvious. A normal person would be more circumspect around a killer. Marsha is also unrealistically defiant when in a vulnerable position.

The Garden Murder Case: I'm a fan of mystery movie series--my favorite series is the Basil Rathbone--Nigel Bruce Sherlock Holmes series. Fifteen Philo Vance films were made with various actors playing Vance including Basil Rathbone, William Powell, Warren William, and Paul Lukas. This entry is tenth in series and starred Edward Lowe in his only appearance as Vance. This film was kind of fun, and I enjoyed seeing H.B. Warner, but should have figured out the killer's MO before I did.