Classic Film Review: The Manchurian Candidate (1962)

The Manchurian Candidate stars Laurence Harvey as Raymond Shaw, a former Korean POW who has been brainwashed into becoming a political assassin. On his return from combat, he was awarded the highest military honour available, something his mother Mrs Eleanor Shaw Iselin (Angela Lansbury) and Senator John Yerkes Iselin (James Gregory) are pleased to shout from the rooftops. They're waging a war against potential communists in positions of power, though Eleanor is very much the driving force. The trouble is, Major Bennett Marco (Frank Sinatra) is having flashbacks of his POW experience with Raymond Shaw where he seems to recall Shaw killing two members of the team and casts doubt on the heroic feats that gained Shaw his medal. Marco feels like he's going mad but a chance encounter convinces him he's right. From then on, his aim is to work out what's going on with Shaw and how he can stop it. This film also stars Janet Leigh as Eugenie Rose Chaney, a woman Marco meets on a train heading to New York.

I suppose the revelation for people who hadn't already appreciated the depth of their talents would be the brilliance of both Angela Lansbury and Frank Sinatra. Lansbury certainly should've won the Oscar for her supporting performance that easily steals the film. The way the character develops from an enthusiastic mother to master manipulator is a brilliant evolution that feels completely natural thanks to Lansbury's subtle performance. The best scene of the film easily belongs to her, though I won't ruin it for those unfamiliar with the plot. Frank Sinatra, too, puts in a stellar performance as the tortured Marco who then drags himself back together to try and stop the assassination attempt. As a dramatic actor, Sinatra is often overlooked but his roles in this film and in From Here to Eternity (1953, reviewed here) are proof that he was more than just a musical star.

I did have a few niggles with The Manchurian Candidate, though I understood the reasoning behind them. The flashback scenes where Shaw explains how his relationship with Jocelyn Jordan (Leslie Parrish) began and ended feels a little shoehorned in but, since the character becomes important very quickly, it was a necessary evil, and also allowed for another riveting Lansbury scene. Equally, Janet Leigh was monstrously over-billed, and I say that as someone who adores her in every role, regardless of the quality of the film. Her performance was excellent, yes, but her role was a small one.

Overall, this is another film that deserves all the praise. It's long but the last half an hour is a lesson in how to ramp up tension and keep it there. A fantastic film that is an intricate as it is suspenseful.

Classic Film Review: The Black Shield of Falworth (1954)

The Black Shield of Falworth stars Tony Curtis as Myles, a man who has been brought up as peasant with his sister Meg (Barbara Rush) but whose history hides a more noble past. He goes to train with the Earl of Mackworth (Herbert Marshall) where he hopes to learn the truth about himself but finds himself in constant battles with the other squires and also falls in love with Mackworth's daughter, Lady Anne (Janet Leigh). Mackworth's patronage to Myles becomes more important when King Henry IV (Ian Keith) arrives, influenced by the vindictive Earl of Alban (David Farrar), who played a hand in the misfortune of Myles' family.

It's a bit of a complex plot - it also includes Prince Hal played admirably by Dan O'Herlihy - but an enjoyable, liberal, look at history. With lavish costumes and beautiful sets, it brings to life a castle of the era and some superb performances give the film a good lift. I wasn't too sure at the beginning of Tony Curtis as a peasant or a knight but he grew into the role. As ever, Janet Leigh stole the show for me in a period role which reminded me of her performance in The Vikings (1958, reviewed here). Of course, Curtis and Leigh were married when this film was made, throwing a new slant on the relationship portrayed within it.

It's a vibrant film that wouldn't win awards for historical accuracy but it is a good example of when Hollywood historical drama works. The choreography of the numerous fight scenes, for instance, is superb, with characters jumping, falling and being thrown all over the place. At the heart of the film is a mostly likeable hothead but, I have to admit, I was very interested in the character of Meg and her romance with Francis Gascoyne (Craig Hill) which dipped in and out of the story far too often. While it got a resolution there should have been a few more scenes devoted to it in my view. While we saw the evolution of the relationship between Myles and Lady Anne, we weren't given the same opportunity between Meg and Francis.

The Black Shield of Falworth decently mixes drama with a few moments of amusement, showcasing Janet Leigh's comic talents at times. There is a liberal smattering of violence and death towards the end in some more of those wonderfully choreographed scenes but this is a good film, an enjoyable historical romp with some excellent performances.

Classic Film Review: Two Tickets to Broadway (1951)

Two Tickets to Broadway stars Tony Martin as disillusioned singer Dan Carter who wants to leave his unsuccessful career and return to Denver a failure. His decision coincides with the arrival in New York of Nancy Peterson (Janet Leigh), a small town girl who wants to try and make it on Broadway. Carter's agent, Lew Conway (Eddie Bracken) casts around for a way of keeping his star and decides to trick him into believing he has a television contract for him to appear on The Bob Crosby Show with Nancy and the other three girls on his books - Joyce (Ann Miller), Foxy (Barbara Lawrence) and Conway's fiancé, Hannah (Gloria DeHaven). But what will happen when the 'contract' doesn't come good?

The only thing stopping this film being a success is the leading man. Tony Martin was a wonderful singer but he was not a born actor. Most of his scenes come across as bland and uninspiring and I think that's why this film is relatively unknown today. The rest of the cast is, however, brilliant. Janet Leigh is wonderful as the inexperienced Nancy and her interactions with the rest of the girls are always warm and amusing. Speaking of the girls, the first time we meet them they have just been on a job that sunk - quite literally. They were doing a show on a boat that went down, leaving them stranded when their agent didn't come through with any money for them to survive on.

There are some memorable moments in this film though, unfortunately, none of them include Martin. The dance number with Leigh, Miller, Lawrence and DeHaven - 'The Worry Bird' - is beautiful, showing off the best of Ann Miller's tap dancing and the girls do work well together. Equally, Bob Crosy's number, 'Let's Make Comparisons', is funny, having him lament alongside a statue of his brother. Watch out for Ann Miller struggle to get off an exercise bike in one piece and Eddie Bracken essentially try to take over a bus. Bracken is a massively underrated comic actor but I love him in everything I've seen him in. Working opposite Gloria DeHaven, predominately, he is at his best in this film as the devious Lew Conway. The number I enjoyed most in this film was the one he shared with DeHaven - 'Baby, You'll Never Be Sorry'. I am also a fan of Janet Leigh's voice, natural and slightly gravelly as it is.

Overall, if I take Martin out of the equation, I thoroughly enjoyed this film. Put him back in and you get an unbelievable romance and lead character but, on the plus side, he does have a beautiful voice. I'd still recommend this film because it has some gorgeous moments and with Busby Berkley and Howard Hughes on board it has some excellent credentials.

Classic Film Review: Holiday Affair (1949)

Holiday Affair is a festive offering that stars Janet Leigh as Connie Ennis, a widow with a young son, Timmy (Gordon Gebert). Connie earns her money as a comparison shopper but she's not very good at it, getting sales clerk Steve Mason (Robert Mitchum) sacked when he neglects to tell his superiors he's sniffed her out. There's an evident attraction between the two but there are a couple of major problems - firstly, Connie is still wedded to the memory of her dead husband and content to style her son in his image; secondly, she has been dating lawyer Carl (Wendell Corey), a dependable man who offers no risk at all.

This is a surprising little film, making even the whirlwind romance angle seem credible. I adore Janet Leigh and this role suits her (even though she does seem a little young to have a six year old son, Leigh was only 22 at the time). Connie's business-like approach to life disintegrates when she encounters Steve, a man who eats his lunch in the park with the seals and feeds a stray squirrel whilst having the goal of moving to California to build sail boats. It's a simple enough choice - the exciting risk or the dependable lawyer - but Leigh's performance doesn't trivialise the decision. Equally, the rapport she has with Gordon Gebert as her son is delightful.

I continue to revise my opinion about Robert Mitchum (disliked him in River of No Return (1954) and His Kind of Woman (1951) but liked him in Heaven Knows, Mr Allison (1957)). He seems very comfortable in Holiday Affair and he and Leigh bounce nicely off each other. Wendell Corey puts in an adequate performance as Carl, reasonably likeable throughout, even when he realises the truth about his relationship.

This is a quiet film on many levels but touching because it deals with very human desires of safety and security. Those are enduring themes and that's what makes this film as enjoyable today as it was when first released. Although the finale may be predictable, it's no less sweeter for it.

Classic Film Review: The Vikings (1958)

The Vikings tells the story of two half-brothers who don't know their connection and hate each other. Einar (Kirk Douglas) is the only son of Ragnar (Ernest Borgnine) born in wedlock and is lightly mocked by his father for believing he's so attractive that he should shave his beard to show off his beauty. Slave, Eric (Tony Curtis), puts paid to this by setting a bird on his face, leaving Einar permanently scarred and setting up a reoccurring rivalry between the two. This is only enhanced by both falling for the same woman - the prisoner, Morgana (Janet Leigh), taken from the British King with the intention of ransoming her back to them.

Douglas and Curtis do Viking rather well. Douglas, especially, seems to revel in the role, capturing Einar's lust for both battle and Morgana very well. While it would've been easy for his attraction to Morgana to seem contrived, Douglas explores the many facets of Einar's character as the film progresses - excellent warrior, obedient son, forlorn lover - without difficulty. Eric is naturally a more reserved character as a slave and someone who faces death several times within the film, but he gets a couple of humorous moments to lighten what is a very battle-heavy film. The battle scenes themselves are well-staged and the setting is perfectly evoked with some beautiful outdoor locations used. The Vikings may not be historically accurate but it certainly conveys a good sense of what the era was like in a manner perfectly suitable for film.

I was a little unconvinced by the casting of Janet Leigh as Morgana but she does quite well in a film surrounded by men. When Eric is stealing her away from Einar in a small boat, her complaints that she can't row in her bodice lead to her bodice being ripped open - one of the most amusing moments in the film. She's also a little feisty and capable of at least trying to defend herself. Perhaps, in hindsight, Leigh wasn't the best choice for the role but I do adore her and could easily watch her performance again.

The Vikings is both interesting and thrilling. It may not appeal to those who don't like their historical with a dose of Hollywood alongside but the leads give good performances and it's worth watching the battle sequences alone. However, it certainly isn't for everyone and the scenes of men being threatened with hungry wolves aren't for small children - they unnerved me quite enough!