THE WRONG MAN (1957)

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(Post 4 of 10)

A man being accused of a crime that he didn't commit isn't anything new to fans of Alfred Hitchcock, but this is such a stark, serious black and white film that Hitchcock gets his famous cameo out of the way immediately in the prologue! Henry Fonda is good as usual in the part of a humble musician who makes the mistake of resembling someone who has committed a string of robberies. The big question the drama presents is how is our protagonist going to get out of this mess? And that question alone is enough to sustain enough suspense to carry it through to the end. I also like the domestic scenes with Fonda and Vera Miles and their two children. I wouldn't put The Wrong Man in my all-time favorite Hitchcock movies list, but it is a welcome addition to the 1001 list and it was good to see one of his films that I've never seen before.

And the Elisha Cook Jr. supporting player award goes to..Anthony Quayle

Henry Fonda with Anthony Quayle in The Wrong Man

British actor Anthony Quayle (not to be confused with Anthony Quinn, like I  did when I was a kid) plays the lawyer trying to get the innocent Fonda sprung from the joint in The Wrong Man. Quayle is best known for playing supporting roles in epics like Lawrence of Arabia, The Fall of the Roman Empire, The Guns of Navarone and countless BBC productions. He also later played The King in Woody Allen's Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Sex * But Were Afraid To Ask. But what I remember him best for is as host of the paranormal anthology series, The Evil Touch (Even though the run lasted only for 26 episodes). Quayle would come out before the cameras (kind of like Alfred Hitchcock in his own show come to think of it) before each show in a shroud of mist looking distinguished with his goatee and deep voice and then would proceed to describe the episode for that week (which seemed to usually star Vic Morrow or Harry Guardino). He wouldn't return until the end of the show to menacingly remind us that there is a touch of evil....in all of us.

Anthony Quayle moralizes before the credits roll
for The Evil Touch television show.

THE PHENIX CITY STORY (1955)

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(Post 3 of 10)

The Phenix City Story is a most interesting motion picture. The first part of the movie has interviewer Clete Roberts interviewing members of the town of Phenix City, Alabama about episodes of corruption in their community and how their town has been run under the thumb of crime boss Rhett Tanner.

We then start the actual movie which dramatizes the events of these occurrences featuring the crime syndicate and the few brave souls (including Richard Kiley above) who bravely stand up to them. The movie overall is a blend of Film Noir, Southern Gothic and documentary, making The Phoenix City Story a combination of styles that I've never seen lumped together quite like this before. We see some horrific images in this movie, the most famous of which might be the murder of a young black girl. The uniqueness of the project alone puts this in my 1001 book.

And the Elisha Cook Jr. supporting player award goes to..Edward Andrews

But first, there are several other interesting supporting players in The Phenix City Story.

John McIntyre-plays the reluctant, but good old politician here. McIntyre's career was made up chiefly of Westerns, I know him from best as the sheriff in Psycho.

Kathryn Grant-The leading lady of this movie is best known for later marrying Bing Crosby and being a fixture on The Crosby family holiday specials that ran until Bing's death in 1977.

John Larch-Character actor Larch just has one of those faces you've probably scene in countless movies (including Written on the Wind) and TV shows. He plays a particular nasty thug in Phenix City. I remember him best from The Twilight Zone Episode "It's a Good Life." To his demonic son in that episode: "But it's good that you're making it snow, Anthony, - it's real good. And tomorrow - tomorrow's going to be a real good day!"

James Edwards-I was trying to remember where I saw James Edwards before and realized that it was in the parking lot scene with Timothy Carey in Kubrick's The Killing. He also had a role in as one of the platoons members in  The Manchurian Candidate.

Clete Roberts-Real life reporter Roberts is the featured interviewer in the narrative section of Phenix City. I realized where I had seen him before (again as the interviewer) was in a memorable episode of MASH.

Edward Andrews in The Phenix City Story 

Edward Andrews-But my official award goes to Edward Andrews who almost always seemed to play a smug, unlikable businessman or in this case a politician. He's particularly nasty in Phenix City and plays a corrupt character that's easy to hate. Andrews appeared in more TV shows over the years than movies, including the part of someone terrorized by an automobile in another Twilight Zone episode called You Drive.

But what I remember him best for is a 1975 Die Hard battery commercial that played for years. In that commercial, Andrews and his wife are going to a formal function of some kind and can't start his car. He goes back in his house and sheepishly asks his son if he may borrow his car. The son throws him his keys and reminds Andrews to not forget to put some gas in it. Andrews indignant look at this statement is the highlight of the commercial. The couple go to their function in their son's hippie wheels as the announcer reminds us to use all to use a Die Hard battery next time. One of the best commercials of the 70's.

Edward Andrews in Die Hard: 1975

BIGGER THAN LIFE (1956)

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(Post 2 of 10)

Nicolas Ray's Bigger Than Life is the story of a professor (James Mason) who goes through a medical treatment for a grave condition and becomes addicted to cortisone. His personality changes and he slowly becomes a threat to his family and himself. This is a film that you can look at and perhaps overlook some of the subtext of the film that shows that all may not be so hunky dory in 50's middle America. Bigger Than Life artfully uses milk as a metaphor several times to perhaps represent the professor's way of life slowly spoiling or showing financial problems that one might not assume a respected teacher of this era to have. Many of these elements Ray employs are not clear in an obvious way and makes Bigger Than Life a good candidate for multiple viewings.

Speaking of the 50's...Look fast for a bit part from a Pre-Leave It to Beaver Jerry Mathers.

James Mason can't seem to figure out why Walter Matthau
isn't more interested in the pretty and single teacher at the school.

And the Elisha Cook Jr. supporting player award goes to..Walter Matthau. It's funny seeing Matthau in a role that is dramatic without much of his trademark comic sense that he would display during the 60's and 70's. We even see him as a tough guy in a fight scene without any comic overtones! And speaking of subtle touches, it has been pointed out that Matthau's character Wally Gibbs is probably a homosexual, but in 50's Hollywood you had to present this in the subtlest of subtle terms. 

HIGH SOCIETY (1956)

I've decided to go through most of my remaining Hollywood movies from the 50's from the 1001 list this month. I'm also giving out my Elisha Cook Jr. supporting player award for each film because I feel it was really a golden age for great supporting players and I find it fun to do so.

MORE 1001 MOVIES FROM THE 50's

(Post 1 of 10)

The Philadelphia Story had a pretty unbeatable trio of players (Cary Grant, Katherine Hepburn and James Stewart), but High Society, the musical remake didn't do too bad either with the trio of Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly and Frank Sinatra. The movie gets by on its star power and has some good musical numbers and the collaboration of Sinatra and Crosby is certainly noteworthy. Crosby does seem a wee bit old to be Kelly's ex, but it also seemed unlikely that she would leave movies shortly after this to become Princess of Monaco. So you never know.

And the Elisha Cook Jr. supporting player award goes to..Louis Armstrong

But the player that really sets High Society apart Is Louis Armstrong. Louie and his band performs as a kind of Greek chorus of the events around them and the film gets a shot in the arm every time he hits the screen. His numbers with Bing Crosby are also the musical highlights of the film for me. My only objection is the gaps between his appearances on screen are too long.