ghostshirt2000 Reviews

Ensign Pulver (1964)

A decent 60's light comedy

[29 May 2011]

Acceptance of 'Ensign Pulver' for what it is gets hampered by dumb Producer choice to cash in on 'Mr. Roberts.' In pacing and overall tone 'Ensign Pulver' has much in common with many WW2 themed light comedies made in the mid-1960's.

This movie is worth watching in our current era first with an understanding of what it meant to be at the time; a mildly distracting 90 minutes of celluloid. It's not bad really.

Second, the movie is worth watching by students of film/culture to note how moral ambiguity influenced 1960's Hollywood. In 'Mr. Roberts' Cagney has a great scene about why he hates 'college boys' yet there's nothing in the film that treats his character with sympathy.

In 'Ensign Pulver' it seems pains are taken to give the Captain a back story so he comes across as a scarred victim of an unfortunate childhood.

The Red House (1947)

Good effort, too long

[11 August 2010]

Mr. Robinson was a remarkable actor and turns in a great performance in this film. A very young Julie London gives hint of things to come, as does young Rory Calhoun.

Film score is excellent, some camera angles are quite inspired. Perhaps I'm too influenced by modern film pacing, but this thing drags horribly in the middle.

I don't care as much as the movie makers think I do, about the teen love story unfolding. I want to know what's the deal with the Red House, darn it!!! That took WAAAY too long to find out. Robinson was good all the way. The ending was pretty scary, and well done.

Gigot (1962)

An under-appreciated Genius

[7 August 2010]

Gleason, too easily typecast for his work with Art Carney, was a powerful dramatic actor. 'Soldier in the Rain' was a role many will more easily relate to. 'Gigot' is a very strange, demanding role, that Gleason masterfully delivers.

His performance is a throwback to Chaplin and Keaton, but with this caveat? In the era where those giants worked, films were more action packed and sub-titles existed.

In 'Gigot' Gleason is faithful to 1920's film constraints, within context of 1960's cinema. The man's facial expressions, body language are unforgettable to anybody who watches 'Gigot' with a careful eye.

Jackie Gleason was a powerful dramatic actor.

My Son John (1952)

Great time capsule movie

[6/10 · 28 January 2010]

I watched it on TCM last evening; first time I've seen it in thirty years. Enjoyed it even more this time. Though Ms. Hayes turns on the tears a lot, there are also some finely nuanced scenes from her.

"My Son John" is neither mawkish or camp, my opinion. In context of the times, lack of any espionage storyline is easy to understand. Simply being a Commie was John's ultimate betrayal of his family; anything he did as Soviet agent was secondary to that.

A fun thing to watch for in this movie is the wealth of veiled references to Mrs. Jefferson's menopause all through the film. Heck, it even serves as sort of plot device in a climactic scene near the end.

Those seeking anti-Communist camp would be better served with John Wayne's "Big Jim McLain" released the same year.

"My Son John" is only partly a Cold War cautionary tale. It's mostly a family drama of inter-generational estrangement, with some education based class friction thrown in. Oh yeah, and LOTS and LOTS of menopause. I really enjoyed watching it.

Tail Gunner Joe (1977 TV Movie)

Well made but slanted

[6/10 · 24 November 2007]

This is a great made for TV film, sporting a deep bench of wonderful actors. This is the kind of made for TV stuff above budget and vision of the major networks now. However, is this movie accurate history? Well, very few honest intellectuals could defend Joe McCarthy unless maybe after several big gulps of Jack Daniels. That said, a few facts? HUAAC was a House organ, not directly tied to the Senate in any way, and McCarthy was a Senator. Point being, there were lots of witch hunters back then. For purpose of drama, both this film and history have settled on McCarthy as the sole and thorough bad guy.

McCarthy directly hurt very few lives. He did amplify a current of nervousness already running through America, and this spawned many imitators. These Monkey-seers Monkey-doers were even more hurtful than Joe, by sheer force of numbers alone.

To honest intellectuals, it seems obvious Joe McCarthy couldn't catch a cold at the North Pole. As "The Haunted Wood" (Allen Weinstein) reveals, from briefly opened Soviet archives, there were plenty faithful Communist spies operating in the US. McCarthy...Keystone Cop versus Houdini basically.

If one can understand there were dangerous Communist spies working hard in the US in the early 1950's, but they weren't in Hollywood, they were in Washington. If one can understand early 50's Red Scare was kind of hangover from VE & VJ day, following Soviet detonation of A-bomb. If one can understand Joe McCarthy was not evil genius of persecuting many good folk who just held harmless unpopular views (personally, I wouldn't trust Joe McCarthy to mow my lawn) but only somebody who blew on something already smoldering? Then by all means watch this movie and enjoy it. It is well made with some wonderful actors. But it ain't accurate history.