SOME CAME RUNNING (1958)

HOLLYWOOD'S GOLDEN AGE

(Post 22 of 50)

The obvious similarities between Some Came Running and From Here to Eternity are that both films star Frank Sinatra and both are based on books by James Jones. They both have more than a few elements of soap opera in the story. But I do like Some Came Running, mostly because it seems to be so much a creature of its time. It's a story that wants to get deep into its plot of adultery, alcoholism and a little bit of teen rebellion thrown in, but due to the standards still in place at the time, the story can only go so far. I didn't mind that too much. I liked the teaming up of Sinatra and Dean Martin here and this is generally acknowledged as their best film together. The young Shirley MacLaine's sympathetic floozy also scores some points. The multi-layered plot doesn't tie up as many of the loose ends as I might have liked, but there you have it.

And the Elisha Cook Jr. supporting player award goes to..Arthur Kennedy. Five-time Oscar nominee (and never a winner) Kennedy was a reliable supporting actor during Hollywood's golden age, even scoring a Best Actor nomination in a lead role for Bright Victory, a film I saw many moons ago. But generally speaking, his roles were of the supporting variety. In Some Came Running, he plays the returning soldier's older brother who is the responsible one in the family, but has a load of problems of his own including: keeping up his banking business, maintaining his place in his community, dealing with a coming of age daughter and tolerating his really bitchy wife. When he becomes involved late in the film with his pretty secretary, I for one can't blame him. 

TO BE OR NOT TO BE (1942)

HOLLYWOOD'S GOLDEN AGE

(Post 21 of 50)

It has been many years since I've seen To Be or Not to Be, and after watching it again, I think it is rightly regarded as a classic. The story is about a company of Polish actors during the time of the Nazi invasion of Poland in 1939. The plot is thick with intrigue, but most of all it's also a very funny film. The cast is headed by Jack Benny. Jack later became one of the biggest stars on television during the 50's, where he always made fun of his movie career. But he is great in the lead role and very funny. His delivery at times reminds me of Groucho Marx, who is about the only other person I could picture playing this role of the hammy actor. This is also the last role for Carole Lombard, who died in an airplane crash shortly after this movie was made. She was also great here and her death was a great loss to cinema. I also like the fact that this movie came out right in the middle of World War II. Something to be said for mocking Hitler when he was still a force to be reckoned with. Much credit should also be given to director Ernest Lubitsch and screenwriters Melchior Lengyel and Edwin Justus Mayer. 

And the Elisha Cook Jr. supporting player award goes to...Sig Ruman. German born Ruman played a great comic foil in many films, including the classics A Night at the Opera, A Day at the Races, Ninotchka and Stalag 17. In To Be or Not to Be, Sig is a Nazi that just can't seem to get his facts right and despite his best efforts always seems to be duped. A couple of his scenes with Benny are real classics. His Colonel Erhardt seems like it may have been used a model for the incompetent Colonel Klink in the 60's TV show Hogan's Heroes. 

THE QUIET MAN (1952)

HOLLYWOOD'S GOLDEN AGE

(Post 20 of 50)

The Quiet Man was John Ford's dream project about Ireland and features John Wayne as American Sean Thornton, who goes to the old country to claim his family farm. He meets a wide array of quirky characters and falls in love with the woman named Mary Kate from the neighboring farm played by Maureen O'Hara. Her main obstacle to being with Sean is getting the approval of her difficult older brother Will Danaher.

The landscape of the movie is the real star here, but it also proves an offbeat role for John Wayne as the former boxer who has his reasons to be reluctant to fight and win Mary Kate's respect. The story also benefits by Ford's reliable and solid supporting cast including Ward Bond and Barry Fitzgerald.

And the Elisha Cook Jr. supporting player award goes to…Victor McLaglen as Will Danaher. Veteran actor McLaglen steals the picture during most of the scenes that he's in. He's difficult, obnoxious and unreasonable, but somehow difficult not to to like. His frustration and slow burns to difficult situations probably are comic high points of the film.  The fight at the end between Wayne and McLaglen also makes for a rousing finale.

FROM HERE TO ETERNITY (1953)

HOLLYWOOD'S GOLDEN AGE

(Post 19 of 50)

The good: From Here to Eternity boasts a fine all-star cast headed by Burt Lancaster and Montgomery Clift. It won several Oscars including Best Picture of 1953. The bombing of Pearl Harbor finale holds up well. Began to tip the iceberg for American films to deal with more adult themes. When Lancaster and Deborah Kerr kiss on the beach as the waves roll over them has proven to be one of the most famous scenes in movie history.The black and white photography during the daytime scenes is impressive. 

The not-so-good: The story line is basically a military soap opera. The music is overdone, often swelling to overly dramatic proportion. The classic beach scene is undercut by Deborah Kerr's line "I never knew it could be like this." And the bombing scene occurs awfully late in the movie. And those adult themes don't go very far past the tip of the iceberg, for example, Donna Reed's role as a prostitute is toned down to the point that she is hardly recognizable as what she's supposed to be. And Private Prewitt's death scene is just plain strange.

And the Elisha Cook Jr. supporting player award goes to…Ernest Borgnine. Donna Reed and Frank Sinatra took home the supporting actor Oscars for From Here to Eternity, but how about Ernest Borgnine as the vicious heavy Fatso Judson? This was really Borgnine's first major role and he plays the vicious son-of-a bitch to the hilt. Borgnine's career was interesting in that he played supporting villains on and off for the next half century, but also occasionally had starring roles, including his sympathetic Oscar winning role as Marty in 1955. He also starred in the successful sitcom McHale's Navy in the 60's and  off course did the voiceover as Merman in Sponge Bob after the turn of the century! A career that truly ran the gamut!