Shirley Booth Lands a Golden Come Back Film Debut

 

            Among the most moving and involving stage-to-screen translations, 1952’s Come Back, Little Sheba maintains the dramatic heft of the 1950 Broadway success, offering film audiences more mature subject matter than normal, with seemingly few compromises made in adapting the William Inge drama (Come Back must be one of the first times the word “slut” is used in a Production Code era Hollywood film, for example) and allowing Shirley Booth to capture her legendary performance as the kind, friendly-yet-melancholic Lola Delaney, a middle-aged housewife yearning for her little dog Sheba, who was an integral part of her and her trouble husband Doc’s past. Wisely opting to not alter the material or “open up” the settings to a major extent, director Danial Mann, in the fine screenplay adaptation by Ketti Frings, chooses to focus on the conflicts at home between Doc and Lola after an attractive young collegian, Marie, becomes a boarder in their modest home, while allowing the excellent cast to fully explore their meaty roles with impactful skill and insight. Mood-enhancing B&W cinematography by James Wong Howe and music by Franz Waxman help embellish the suburban setting wherein most of the action unfolds and lend support to the top-flight performances that provide the film’s most compelling value for a viewer.

          Daniel Mann’s early start as a child actor, with additional training under Sanford Meisner, marked him as an exceptional choice to make his directional film debut helming a project strongly emphasizing the characters in the piece and the challenging thespian know-how required to bring them to life onscreen. Mann allows all the players room to bring their best to the roles, often using close-ups and simple blocking to ensure nothing distracts the audience from the fine front-and-center emoting at hand, resulting in sage, convincing and emotional impactful acting that holds up over seventy years later. Following this notable debut, Mann would go on to oversee many other top productions featuring plenty of rich performances, including a reunion with Booth for 1954’s About Mrs. Leslie, The Rose Tattoo, I’ll Cry Tomorrow, The Teahouse of the August Moon, Butterfield 8, scoring a success in the 1960’s spy genre with Our Man Flint and gaining another big hit with 1971’s suspenseful Willard, before passing in 1991 at age 79.

        The versatile Shirley Booth spent years honing her craft on Broadway (via a 1925 debut) and radio via comedy, drama and musical work, including appearances in The Philadelphia Story, My Sister Eileen, and Tonys for Goodbye My Fancy and Sheba, before being picked to recreate her greatest role onscreen. It’s amazing to watch how Booth, with no prior experience in film, instinctively modulates her work as Lola to fit the needs of the camera, allowing the performance a skill, spontaneity and heart that brings the character to life with incredible conviction in a manner not often seen, specifically from an artist recreating a role previously performed hundreds of times. Booth appears completely immersed in the role and clearly cares about depicting every aspect of Lola’s childlike nature, including her sweetness, vulnerability, pitifulness and forlorn mindset as the despondent Lola yearns for the past. In scenes such as Lola’s distressed phone call to her mother or one on her porch wherein, voice quavering, she cries out for Sheba to come back (cue the title), Booth is so unforgettable believable and touching a viewer may recall images of the fragile Lola years after viewing the movie. 

         Booth also adroitly interacts with her costars, bringing a lovely, beguiling warmth to her scenes with Lancaster and Moore, in particular illustrating the loyalty towards and dependency on Doc Lola harbors, regardless of any strife that threatens to destroy their union. After this singular triumph, Booth would return to Broadway and immediately win another Tony for The Time of the Cuckoo, appear sporadically in films (Hot Spell, The Matchmaker) before gaining her biggest fame on television in the hit sitcom Hazel, for which Booth added two Emmy awards to her already impressive roster of critical hosannas. Booth continued on television and the stage until 1974, with her last t.v. credit a notable one as the voice of Mrs. Claus in The Year Without a Santa Claus, then enjoyed a peaceful retirement until her passing in 1992 at age 94, with her complex, powerful work in Sheba looming large among her most accomplished career achievements.

        By 1952 Burt Lancaster was firmly established as a top action hero, with charisma, looks and virility to spare, when he opted to do a complete turnabout in regards to his screen image with his impactful dramatic work as the noble but tormented Doc, just after galivanting around the screen with dashing glee and vitality in one of his most endearing adventures as The Crimson Pirate, introducing the formation of Hecht-Lancaster Productions, which would gain Oscar glory in short order with 1955’s Marty. A star from his forceful film debut in 1946’s classic noir The Killers, Lancaster had built a solid filmography consisting largely of a series of top film noirs including Brute Force, Desert Fury, Criss Cross and Sorry, Wrong Number, but also including opportunities to showcase the acrobat skills he had honed prior to his film career, working opposite circus partner Nick Cravat in The Flame and the Arrow and Crimson to massively entertaining effect. During this period, 1951’s biopic Jim Thorpe- All American allowed Lancaster a chance to flex his acting acumen, but the complex role of Doc tested his thespian talents to a degree hitherto untried. 

        Some critics at the time (and later) opined the physically imposing and ultra-handsome star was miscast as the downtrodden Doc, but with Lancaster in the role a viewer senses the promise Doc had for a great life far above the modest success he attained. Lancaster, playing largely in introverted, reflective mode, brings a wealth of dignity and emotional depth to the role, fully illustrating Doc’s turmoil as he tries to keep his affairs in order and maintain a sense of harmony with Lola. In the big dramatic confrontations between the two characters during the second half of the film, Lancaster’s commitment to the part and overwhelming physical presence is frighteningly effective, making one fearful of and sympathetic to the haunted Doc. Lancaster would follow up Sheba with an incredible list of credits, including Oscar nominations for the following year’s blockbuster, From Here to Eternity, Birdman of Alcatraz, a late-career resurgence with Atlantic City, and his Oscar win as the magnetic Elmer Gantry, as well as impressive work in a slew of other top entertainments, including the smash Trapeze, mesmerizing as The Rainmaker, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral opposite frequent screen partner Kirk Douglas, Sweet Smell of Success as the villainous and powerful J.J. Hunsecker, a career highlight with The Leopard, the offbeat, now cult status offering The Swimmer, another blockbuster with Airport, which Lancaster did not hold in high regard, and a fitting end to a legendary film career via 1989’s hit Field of Dreams, before his passing in 1994 at 80.

          Terry Moore, already a veteran of films at 23 after making a 1940 movie debut and working mainly in bits with a first credit using her real name, Helen Koford in 1945’s Son of Lassie, until a late-1940s breakthrough to lead roles via The Return of October and Mighty Joe Young marked her an ingenue to watch, Moore would start the new decade in programmers such as 1950’s The Great Rupert opposite Jimmy Durante until Sheba provided a significant step up in her screen career. As Marie Buckholder, the college student who unwittingly brings about turmoil between her boarders, Moore proves a perfect fit for the role, lending a straightforwardness, freshness, skill and a sometimes-underlining seductiveness to her playing that allows for a nice contrast among the more somber material, while interacting endearingly with Booth and Lancaster. Also, in her major dramatic moment wherein a shaken Marie has to reflect on her relationship options and how far sexually a young coed should go circa 1952 Moore, aided by Howe’s exceptional camera work that frames the shaken Marie in close up at a nighttime window, thoughtfully conveys the many conflicting emotions the character is experiencing as she considers her plight and possible future actions. Following her fine Sheba work, Moore’s enhanced status led to a Life cover for her follow-up film, Beneath the 12-Mile Reef (one of the first Cinemascope movies), then work in other notable 1950’s offerings such as Daddy Long Legs, Shack Out on 101, Bernardine, standing out as the sensual Betty Anderson in a huge smash, Peyton Place, then continuing in films and television from the 1960’s on, with appearances on series such as My Three Sons, Batman, Fantasy Island and Wiseguy. Befittingly, Ms. Moore did a cameo in the 1998 Mighty Joe Young remake, and before that garnered much attention via an autobiography and trial concerning her relationship with possible husband Howard Hughes. An enduring figure in films, Moore’s last credited appearance to date came via 2019’s Silent Life, 79 years after her first in Maryland.

          Richard Jaeckel, who debuted in films as a teenager via 1943’s Guadalcanal Diary and became a familiar presence in war-based dramas afterwards, bolstered his film career substantially with his attention-grabbing work as Turk, the sexy athlete whose overtly amorous designs on Marie helped place Sheba in the “adult drama” category circa 1952. The handsome Jaeckel has a confidence, magnetism and natural ease in his portrayal of Turk that allows a viewer to understand his motivations, even with the arrogant, forceful college jock is acting in an untoward and self-centered manner towards Marie. Jaeckel generates nice erotic chemistry with Moore as they depict the flirtatious and sensual nature of Marie and Turk’s relationship, leading to a vivid moment between them that causes the plot to move into starker dramatic territory. Following Sheba, Jaeckel would maintain his work in combat-driven pictures but also regularly gain roles in film and television via other genres, with a highlight coming via Oscar-nominated work in 1971’s Sometimes a Great Notion opposite Paul Newman. Among other cast members, Philip Ober as Ed Anderson, a supportive friend of the Delaneys and Lisa Golm as a critical but concerned neighbor also make nice impressions.

Upon release in December of 1952, Come Back, Little Sheba gained reviews to place it among the year’s most highly regarded dramas as well as healthy box-office returns, with rentals of $3,500,000 landing Sheba on the list of 1953’s top 20 hits, according to Variety. Critically, the film merited placement among the top ten movies of the year on both Time magazine and The New York Times lists, while gaining nominations for Best Picture from the British Academy and Golden Globes, and for Ketti Frings and Daniel Mann from the Writers Guild and Directors Guild, respectively. As a showcase for the thespian mastery of Shirley Booth the film came through in spades, with Booth winning Best Actress prizes from The National Board of Review, The New York Film Critics Awards, the Golden Globes and the Cannes Film Festival, where the film also won a special prize for “Award of Dramatic Film.” Come Oscar time, Booth’s frontrunner status held firm as she again captured Best Actress, while editor Warren Low gained a nomination, along with Terry Moore for Best Supporting Actress. With airings on television and frequent releases on physical media, including a recent Blu-ray from Kino Lorber providing an excellent print of the classic, Sheba has maintained its reputation as a moving, thought-provoking drama featuring one of the Hallmark performances in Oscar history via the enduring, heartrending work of its uncannily gifted star, Shirley Booth.

A Fond Farewell to an Acting Icon, Robert Duvall (1931-2026)

 

                An elite star who made his impact felt consistently in a wide array of movies during an impressive sixty year run in films in both leading and character roles, Robert Duvall passed away on February 15^th at age 95. Born in San Diego, Duvall would serve a stint in the Army before beginning a long tenure in New York theater and surrounding environs starting in the mid 1950’s, wherein colleagues during his studies at the Neighborhood Playhouse included Dustin Hoffman, Gene Hackman and James Caan. An encounter with Horton Foote aided Duvall in gaining his brief but impactful screen debut as Boo Radley in 1962’s To Kill a Mockingbird, followed by a solid resume build up via frequent television (The Twilight Zone, The Wild, Wild West and The Mod Squad, etc.) and film (Bullitt, True Grit and M*A*S*H chief among these) appearances over the next ten years, as well as finally gaining a Broadway debut in 1966 via the suspense hit Wait Until Dark, before a major breakthrough and first Oscar nomination via 1972’s The Godfather, the Francis Ford Coppola Academy-Award winning blockbuster that helped usher in a more daring a progressive era of films.  

Duvall’s success in Godfather led to a wealth of acclaim in key portrayals over the next several decades, resulting in seven Oscar nominations and a win for 1983’s Tender Mercies, wherein Foote (who also won for his screenplay) came through and wrote a beautiful part for Duvall as down-on-his-luck Country Music star Mac Sledge. Duvall was able to bring great humanity to his roles, while combining strength and sensitivity and complexity to his roles, whether the characters be largely sympathetic (Mockingbird, Mercies, Get Low) or more interpersonally challenged (Apocalypse Now, The Great Santini, The Apostle) in nature. For the author, Duvall’s mesmerizing work as Marine “Bull” Meecham in Santini lingered in memory after an early 1980’s viewing as one of the most penetrating views of a certain type of out-of-control control freak, including a scene where the formidable Meecham taunts his more compassionate son, Ben (a brilliant Michael O’Keefe, Oscar-nominated for his sublime work here along with Duvall) during a basketball game. This moment counted among the best dramatic and truly unforgettable sequences I’ve ever seen in a film, and I was able to ask Mr. Duvall about it during an interview that took place at the Aero Theater in conjunction with a showing of one of his later-career highlights, Get Low. I filmed the interview, wherein the endearingly low-key, personable star gave a nice overview of his career and Low. The piece can be viewed here, and R.I.P. to one of the most notable and gifted actors of his or any generation, Robert Duvall.  

Joan Crawford Works Her Way Up Flamingo Road with Histrionic Elan

            A tawdry yet invigorating excursion into melodramatic territory via the title locale, Warner Bros. 1949 Flamingo Road reunites star Joan Crawford with the studio’s preeminent director Michael Curtiz for another florid, noirish tale a few years after Mildred Pierce, their rewarding 1945 collaboration that revived Crawford’s career and brought her an Academy Award, while also re-establishing her screen persona at Warners as a tough, indomitable heroine, making her a fine fit for Road’s Lane Bellamy, a world-weary carnival dancer who finds herself down-but-not-out in the small town of Bolden City, wherein she seeks to find a better lot in life, but instead encounters initial setbacks and adversaries to rival those found in many a Crawford picture, including Pierce. Curtiz, transferring the Robert Wilder-Edmund H. North screenplay (from Wilder’s 1942 novel and (with wife Sally) 1946 play) to the screen, manages to keep the often-lurid material constantly engrossing, while allowing Crawford ample opportunity to convey both Lane’s steely reserve and a somewhat more benevolent nature not often seen in subsequent Crawford vehicles. A deft supporting cast, including the overpowering Syndey Greenstreet in one of his final roles as Titus Semple, the town’s ominous sheriff determined to make life hell for Lane, and an appropriately grandiose Max Steiner score aid star and director in keeping the action enticingly entertaining for the film’s fast-paced 94 minutes.

          For the Hungarian-born (as Mihály Kertész in 1886) Curtiz, Road would provide another notable work in perhaps his most remarkably successful decade as a filmmaker. Starting his durable career in 1912 in Hungary, Curtiz would also work in Danish, then Austrian cinema before being brought to Warner Bros. in 1926 for one of the greatest director-studio collaborations found in the Golden Age of Hollywood. Quickly establishing himself as a reliable, talented professional who could tackle any genre with aplomb, Curtiz would helm such memorable 1930’s classics as Doctor X, Captain Blood, Marked Woman, The Adventures of Robin Hood, Angels with Dirty Faces and Dodge City. Curtiz reached his peak during the 1940s with mammoth critical and/or box office success coming via The Sea Hawk, Yankee Doodle Dandy, This is the Army, Pierce, Life with Father, directing Doris Day to stardom in Romance on the High Seas and his Oscar-winning work in the definitive classic film (or film, period) for many, Casablanca. The confidence and skill honed over years as a top director are evident throughout Road, as Curtiz seemingly effortlessly moves the plot contrivances along, drawing the viewer in and keeping their interest regardless of how plausible some of the situations appear, while showcasing Crawford’s sometimes ornate dramatic style and the prime efforts of a sturdy group of Warner’s contract players with precise and verve as conflicts mount for the characters, creating fine opportunities for a rich array of emoting by Crawford and Company. During the 1950s Curtiz would add more intriguing titles such as The Breaking Point, Young Man with a Horn, We’re No Angels, The Proud Rebel and one of Elvis Presley’s best, King Creole to an already stacked filmography, along with another gigantic hit via 1954’s White Christmas, before ending his career with 1961’s The Comancheros, just before his passing in 1962.

           Entering her third decade as one of cinema’s most indestructible leading ladies after first breaking through at MGM with 1928’s Our Dancing Daughters, thereby becoming one of the studio’s biggest box office draws, first as a carefree flapper, then as a charming but determined beauty working her way from rags-to-riches in a manner similar to what Crawford pulled off herself, and often opposite her male counterpart in some ways, Clark Gable, Crawford had reinvented herself at Warners after leaving MGM in the early 1940s, and by the time of Road had developed a more mature persona as a sage, often cynical matron encountering a world of heartache and corruption during the course of a film, such as her frequently suffering protagonists in Pierce and to possibly even greater impact following that triumph with glorious turns in Humoresque (at her most alluring, dramatically and otherwise, and matching up superbly with the equally forceful John Garfield) and another Oscar nomination for possibly her most challenging work as the mentality unbalanced woman driven to distraction by the callous Van Heflin in 1947’s Possessed.

With Road, Crawford has no trouble suggesting the down-to-earth Lane’s knowing street smarts culled from years of hard knocks, but unlike many of her hard-bitten characters to come in vehicles such as The Damned Don’t Cry, Harriet Craig, Torch Song and the compulsively watchable Queen Bee, in Road Crawford still finds enough humanity in the role to place the audience firmly on her side, especially once Lane crosses paths and raises the ire of Titus, leading to the most riveting sequences in the film as they combat each other and Crawford and Greenstreet constantly vie for top thespian honors in these toe-to-toe passages wherein both Lane and Titus appear to relish the thought of the other being six feet under, yesterday. Following Road, Crawford would witness a downturn in her fortunes at Warners, finally leaving the studio for yet another comeback with Oscar-nominated work in 1952’s engrossing noir thriller Sudden Fear, then continue through the decade apace with titles such as Nicholas Ray’s wonderfully female-centric Western Johnny Guitar, May-December romances with Jeff Chandler and Cliff Robertson, respectively, in Female on the Beach and Autumn Leaves, then closing out the 1950s on a high note as the established career woman unbending towards the newer talent in the office in The Best of Everything, before entering a final phase as a horror queen in the 1960s via her legendary teaming with Bette Davis in perhaps Crawford’s final top-quality production, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, followed by a series of lesser exploitation thrillers, of which her committed performance in William Castle’s Strait-Jacket stands out, until her final movie, 1970’s woebegone Trog.

In his final year in films after a sensational run at Warners and elsewhere, starting with his peerless Oscar-nominated work as Kasper Gutman in 1941’s The Maltese Falcon before further marking himself as one of filmdom’s most singular character players via (among others) Casablanca, Christmas in Connecticut and The Hucksters, Greenstreet creates an indelible image as the sweaty, vengeful Titus.  Maintaining an eerie, hate-filled focus on Lane belying the portly sheriff’s often seemingly lackadaisical nature and utilizing one of the most sinister leers imaginable, Greenstreet paints his portrayal with venomous flavor, making a viewer clearly understand Titus is willing to use any diabolical measures necessary to rid himself of Lane or anyone else who questions his authority over the town, and his dirty dealings therein. With the magnetic Greenstreet and Crawford both in top form as not-to-be-trifled-with types, it’s wonderful to watch Titus and the unintimidated Lane battle it out to gain the upper hand, with the shifts in power as Lane keeps crossing swords with Titus (including an unforgettable elephant reference) keeping one held in diverting fashion as the plot twists unfold and the stakes are elevated for the adversaries. After this fitting final go-round at Warners as a colorful villain, Greenstreet would exit the studio with a cameo in It’s a Great Feeling, then end his career at MGM opposite James Stewart and Spencer Tracy in the WWII thriller Malaya, before passing in 1954 at age 74.

As Fielding Carlisle, the deputy sheriff who quicky takes a fancy to Lane, Zachary Scott reunites with Pierce costar Crawford but, unlike his slick and sneaky (if also kind of sexy) playboy in Pierce, in a more empathetic role as a kind, supportive contact for Lane. Scott does a fine job delineating Fielding’s conflicted state over his feelings for Lane and his dependency on his boss, Titus, who obviously doesn’t share his underling’s enthusiasm for the new girl in town. David Brian, making his first major screen appearance as Dan Reynolds, the big-time businessman who catches Lane’s eye and vice-versa, shows confidence and  a natural affinity with the camera, and would continue his breakout year with solid work in the superb drama Intruder in the Dust and as Bette Davis’ object of attraction in King Vidor’s torrid Beyond the Forest, which would serve as a perfect “Warner’s 1949 Melodramatic Mayhem” double feature with Road. As the roadhouse proprietresses who gives Lane a chance, Gladys George brings an earthy, knowing good-naturedness to her scenes. Others showing up to good advantage include Gertrude Michael as Millie, Lane’s wisecracking coworker at a restaurant, Tito Vuolo as Pete, who runs the self-named diner wherein Lane toils, Virginia Huston as Fielding’s tony, right side of the tracks girlfriend Annabelle and Fred Clark, gearing up to be one of the most recognizable character actors in films and television. 

Released in April of 1949, Flamingo Road garnered praise for Crawford’s latest addition in her screen gallery of spirited delineations of women impervious to any obstacle thrown their way, or at least able to survive them, usually while moving up the ladder of success in the same manner Crawford managed to do time and again throughout her singular career. Although Road failed to match the critical and box-office results of some other recent Crawford endeavors, specifically Pierce, along with some decent reviews the public demonstrated a strong Crawford fanbase was still eager to catch her yet again in larger-than-life action, with the film nearly doubling its production cost in rentals at a time when television was starting to draw viewers away from the silver screen. Over the years Road has continued to entertain those who discover the classic via airings on t.v. and through physical media, including a recent Blu-ray from Warner Archive presenting the best print ever of the movie, whose long-term popularity led to a television series bearing the same name in the early 1980s. Fans of Crawford, Curtiz, melodramas, and/or classic movies will be rewarded with an enthralling experience taking what is sure to be an eventful stroll down the striking theatrical paths found on Flamingo Road.

A Fond Farewell to a Great Comic Force, Catherine O'Hara

                A superb comic presence who made a lasting mark in films and television, the lovely and talented Catherine O’Hara passed on January 30^th at age 71. Born in Toronto, O’Hara rose to fame as part of the legendary SCTV troupe in the 1970s and 1980s alongside the likes of John Candy, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin and Rick Moranis. Winning an Emmy for writing on the show, O’Hara would move on to extensive work in films on t.v. with a big-screen debut in 1980’s Nothing Personal leading to a rewarding career in many key movies of the next several decades, perhaps most famously as the beset mother in the Home Alone franchise, ensuing O’Hara ongoing recognition with the public, specifically every holiday season, while also shining in efforts such as After Hours, Beetlejuice, A Nightmare Before Christmas (another holiday mainstay) and perhaps most indelibly as a standout performer in a series of Christopher Guest mocumentaries, including Waiting For Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind and For Your Consideration.

                In these sage satires, O’Hara manages to remain relatable and real while deftly mixing a wild comic sensibility with a more serene, reflective countenance, lending heart and humanity to proceedings, specifically in her incisive, touching work in Mighty Wind. Following this memorable effort, O’Hara would again find humor and pathos in her showcase role in 2006’s Consideration, which traces the severe turnaround in the life of Marilyn Hack, an earnest, largely unknown actor in small scale movies who faces a possible surge in her career after the media targets her as a potential Oscar nominee for her newest drama. How O’Hara carefully illustrates the changes in Marilyn’s mindset in ways that are both funny and moving while managing a truly imposing character arch leaves a viewer in awe of her amazing gift as a thespian. During a Supporting Actress Blogathon that ran for several years at the time by the wonderful blogger Stinky Lulu, wherein before the Oscar nominations bloggers submitted overviews of standout work that should be noticed, for 2006 this author aptly picked O’Hara’s outstanding Consideration work for inclusion (read about that here), and it’s a shame she didn’t gain more attention for this sublime performance by the Academy, although major critics did tip their hats to her, including wins from The National Board of Review and The Kansas City Film Critics, among others.

                 O’Hara continued to be a major player in comedy, witnessing a late-career uptick in popularity and critical notice, winning another Emmy in 2020 for Schitt’s Creek (appearing again with Levy), and in films making a major impression in a big 2024 hit, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and finishing her television career on a high note with Emmy-nominated work in The Studio. A knowing, bemused, graceful figure in entertainment, the substantial wit and style of Catherine O’Hara will be missed by the multitude of fans who have marveled over her exceptional talent for decades. R.I.P. to a true comic original, Catherine O’Hara. 

Spencer Tracy Encounters Adversaries Aplenty in John Sturges' Blistering Black Rock

 

               A terrific, suspenseful crime drama of merit and force, 1955’s Bad Day at Black Rock grants ace director John Sturges and a stellar cast and crew the opportunity to generate standout work in unfolding the noir-tinged, exciting tale taking place just after WWII 1945, wherein during an eventful 24 hours one (and one-armed) John Macreedy enters Black Rock seeking out Komoko, the Japanese-American father of a heroic colleague, and encounters unwarranted wrath by the bullying majority of the townsfolk. The streamlined, involving screenplay by Millard Kaufman (adaptation by Don McGuire, based on the 1947 short story by Howard Breslin) is helmed with great style, economy and intelligence by Sturges, which allows the powerhouse cast of prime talent to thrive with colorful, indelible performances, whether playing morally sound citizens or the predominately unsavory denizens of Black Rock, resulting in one of the most impactful and persuasive 81 minutes found in the cinema.

                For Sturges, Black Rock provided the director a chance to dynamically display his well-honed skills for crafting an artful, riveting entertainment with efficiency and individuality, after starting his career at Columbia in 1946 and moving to a productive association with MGM at the outset of the 1950s, with intriguing fare such as Mystery Street and Jeopardy to his credit prior to Bad Day. From the opening shots (artfully set up via Newell P. Kimlin’s adept editing) depicting a training crossing a barren landscape to reach the title town courtesy of the mood-enhancing Cinemascope lensing of William C. Mellor, Sturges sets a tone of isolation and danger befitting all the intrigue to come, making audiences unsettled at the outset as they fear for safety of the serene, seemingly vulnerable hero once he steps off the train. The inspired Sturges builds the tension thereafter and maintains a swift pace (aided by Andre Previn’s gripping score) as the mystery concerning the town’s backlash against Macreedy is detailed, presenting a template of how to create a prime, thoroughly absorbing movie with precision in under 90 minutes, a rule of thumb many current directors would do well to consider instead of regularly making 2-3 hour epics that often go on aimlessly as the viewer’s patience is subjected to a stern test. Sturges would continue with success post-Bad Day, often in the Western and Adventure genres, adding classics such as Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, The Magnificent Seven and The Great Escape to his filmography before slowing down his output in the 1970s, with 1976’s The Eagle Has Landed marking Sturges’ final screen directorial assignment.

                In the lead part of Macreedy, Spencer Tracy proves himself the ideal choice to portray a calm, world-weary, ethical hero with an edge. At this stage, Tracy had become one of the most revered and successful of screen stars, with two Oscars to his credit for Captain’s Courageous and Boy’s Town and years as a top box-office draw in some of MGM’s other top output, both solo and opposite his ideal costar, Katharine Hepburn, specifically in enjoyable comedies such as Adam’s Rib and Pat and Mike. By the time of Bad Day, Tracy had honed his low-keyed, trustworthy persona and subtle acting style to a natural, perfect pitch, and he expertly conveys the casual friendliness and determination of Macreedy as he contemplates how to deal with a slew of fierce antagonists, confidently enacting one of the most fascinating and original roles in his illustrious roster of fine characterizations. Following Bad Day, Tracy would limit his screen output, but continue to shine with thoughtful, honest works in quality projects, gaining four more Best Actor nominations in the process (for a total of nine), including one for moving work opposite Hepburn in his final role, the 1967 smash Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?, wherein his key monologue towards the end of the movie shows the sublime Tracy in full control of his technique as one of the great screen actors of his generation.

After an Oscar-nominated career-establishing role as the racist killer in 1947’s Crossfire, followed by other sweaty, intent wrongdoers in noir classics such as Act of Violence and The Racket, Robert Ryan once again displays his prodigious skill at outlining a prime villain with a chilling, masterfully calm ominousness. As Reno Smith, who exhibits a firm control over Black Rock and the largely obedient citizens therein, Ryan convincingly dominates his scenes, instilling a magnetism, sense of danger and cold, calculating nature mixed with a seething paranoia in Reno that make it hard to watch anyone else whenever Ryan’s onscreen illustrating Reno’s careful weighing of his next deviant action with purposeful focus. Ryan works ideally with Tracy as the two expert thespians entertainingly engage in the battle of wits between Macreedy and Reno via tactical, ingenious playing that completely draws one into the scenario as the viewer anticipants who will ultimately emerge victorious from the stark situation. The often-underrated Ryan would contain to offer fine portraits onscreen as both heel and hero until his passing in 1973, with God’s Little Acre, Billy Budd, The Dirty Dozen and an exceptional final performance in The Iceman Cometh factoring into his admirable filmography.

                As the sole female character among in an imposing cast, Anne Francis makes her presence felt as Liz, the tough yet glamourous (this is MGM after all) young lady in charge of the gas station and bearing an unfortunate infatuation towards Reno. Francis does a nice job of showing Liz’s ambivalent nature towards the stranger in town, allowing an audience to ponder the conflicted character’s motivations and loyalties as the plot thickens. On an early career high during this period after a 1947 film debut, Francis would follow Bad Day by scoring in two other major 1955 hits, Battle Cry and The Blackboard Jungle, before finding her most iconic screen role, again as the lone (but much more altruistic) feminine player in Forbidden Planet as the lovely, inquisitive Altaira, then continue in films and television, wherein she gained further career highlights with memorable Twilight Zone episodes (specifically “The After Hours”) and a Golden Globe for her work as a spy on the Honey West series.

Ernest Borgnine, making a name for himself as one of filmdom’s most despicable villains after his breakthrough the previous year giving Frank Sinatra a sadistically hard time in From Here to Eternity, makes another huge impression as the brash, brawny Coley, the most outwardly aggressive of the town bullies. Coley’s intense focus on Macreedy and his glee in harassing the older man leads to the movie’s most famous and satisfying scene, wherein the handicapped Macreedy teaches Coley a few of the finer points of martial arts with some moves rarely seen in a Hollywood film before. Lee Marvin, who similar to Borgnine had a career-establishing bad guy role in 1953 as the cad literally throwing Gloria Grahame more than she can handle in The Big Heat, also appears to relish the chance to play a despicable type with his own unique flair, adopting a cool, detached demeanor as Hector, a cowboy with ice in his veins who seems capable of any atrocity known to man that Coley and Smith don’t get around to doing first. Although continuing to find plenty of rewarding tough bad guy roles in Westerns and dramas after their stellar Bad Day work, both Borgnine and Marvin would reach artistic peaks in other genres, with Borgnine gaining his Oscar role later in 1955 as the shy, earnest title character in Marty, and Marvin taking the Best Actor Academy Award a decade later in a dual role as the hero and (in a throwback to his earlier roles) as the steely-eyed, fierce villain in the otherwise amusing Cat Ballou.         

Among the more ethical townspeople not entirely adverse to Macreedy’s arrival, Walter Brennan and Dean Jagger offer strong work befitting the two former Oscar winners. As Doc Velie, the benevolent, sage local, Brennan adds a few bits of welcomed levity to the proceedings as Doc opines with Macreedy concerning the dire circumstances the visitor now faces. Conversely, Jagger maintains an aura of pitifulness as Tim Horn, the honest but ineffectual sheriff under Reno’s control who finds it difficult to take a stand against the hateful brood wanting to rid themselves of Macreedy. As Liz’s forlorn brother Pete, the boyish overseer of the hotel, John Ericson, one of MGM’s top young talents after an impactful debut in 1951’s Teresa, adds an interesting pensive earnestness to the often-nervous Pete’s demeanor, which makes it unclear which side the unsure juvenile will join when forced to action. Finally, character actor Russell Collins has one of his best roles as Mr. Hastings, the cagey train station agent and telegraph operator who first encounters Macreedy when he enters Black Rock and demonstrates the foreboding behavior the outsider will face thereafter from the majority of the residents.

Opening in January 1955, Bad Day at Black Rock gained solid box office returns and major praise from critics impressed by the enthralling story and expertly detailed characters orchestrated by Sturges with class and distinction. During awards season, the early release of Bad Day did not hinder its chances of notice among the higher profile awards contenders. Both the National Board of Review and The New York Times placed the film among the top ten for the year, while at the Cannes Film Festival Tracy notably tied for Best Actor with costar Borgnine (for Marty), in a year wherein Borgnine took nearly every Best Actor prize single-handedly. Sturges was cited as a quarterly winner by the Director’s Guild of America, while Kaufman and McGuire were among the nominees for Best Written Drama by the Writer’s Guild, while the film gained Best Picture and the United Nations Award nominations at the British Academy Awards. At the Oscars, Bad Day captured nominations for Sturges, Tracy and Kaufman for Screenplay. Over the years, the movie has found favor with film enthusiasts interested in the work of Sturges and his talented roster of stars, reaching a wide audience with showings on television and physical media releases, including a Warner Archive Blu Ray offering the best presentation of the classic and in 2018 attaining inclusion on the esteemed National Film Registry list. Among the tensest, most efficiently created and best acted dramas of the 1950s, Bad Day at Black Rock provides viewers with an engrossing venture to a remote hamlet offering a plethora of thrill-inducing moments as the action escalates to a fever pitch while audiences anxiously await the uncertain fate of Macreedy, a unique screen hero for the cinematic ages.

A Sad Adieu to Rob Reiner (1947-2025)

 

                The entertainment world lost a major figure in films and television with the death of Rob Reiner, who passed at age 78 on December 14th along with his wife since 1989, Michele Singer Reiner. Born in 1947, the beloved actor, director and producer followed his father Carl as a mainstay of television, starting in the 1960s with guest spots on such popular shows as That Girl, Batman and The Andy Griffith Show before becoming a major figure on t.v. in the 1970’s with his Emmy-winning work as Michael Stivic (a.k.a. “Meathead”) on the biggest hit of the decade, All in the Family, wherein the progressive minded Michael’s frequent run-ins with his bigoted, boneheaded father-in-law Archie provided audiences with plenty of high comedy, as well as water-cooler moments for viewers to discuss afterwards. After leaving the show in 1979, Reiner would move into his even more rewarding period as a chief Hollywood director of the 1980s onward.

                Starting in the 1980s, Reiner created one of the best runs for a filmmaker ever, with seven consecutive hits from 1984-1992, starting with the prime mockumentary This is Spinal Tap and ending via his biggest financial success, 1992’s engrossing courtroom drama A Few Good Men. As tribute to Reiner, the author went to a local Long Beach showing (at the Art Theater) of the fifth Reiner movie in this run, the 1989 critical and box office hit When Harry Met Sally and, with a large, enthusiastic and bemused audience, enjoyed watching the influential and smart romcom for the first time, somehow missing this now-classic comedy over the years. Reiner deftly handles the choice directorial assignment, bringing the ace Nora Ephron script to life with verve while showcasing Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal to maximum effect as they mix comedy with more touching elements in perceptive, stellar performances that utilize Ryan’s upbeat and Crystal sardonic personas with some more thoughtful playing as they foster ideal chemistry while illustrating the evolution in the title characters’ unorthodox relationship over more than a decade, as Harry and Sally mature from their initial (just) post-college meeting to become friends dealing with dating life and marriage in the 1980s. Reiner also gives Bruno Kirby and Carrie Fisher a chance to shine as Marie and Jess, best friends of the platonic couple, who get possibly the biggest laugh in the movie with an unexpected sight gag involving a taxi that Reiner expertly-times with artful precision. Also, as a good son Reiner allows his mother Estelle to nail the film’s most famous line, which has gone on to place among the best-remembered quotes in cinema history (#33 on the 2005 AFI list). Although the film has a heteronormative vibe that certainly aided in its initial and ongoing success with the masses, the incisive manner in which it touches on the highs and lows of relationships and the impact they can have on one’s ego and life is made identifiable on a more universal scale thanks to the sage handling of the material by Reiner and a exceptional cast and crew, helping the film maintain a freshness and singular comic style that endures over 35 years since its release.

                One of the most interesting aspects of Reiner’s phenomenal run as director is how adeptly he mastered a variety of film genres, as in addition to the satirical Spinal Tap and the more serious Good Men he handled various other types of stories with equal aplomb. With 1985’s The Sure Thing, he helmed one of the more satisfying romances of the younger generation ilk, showing his skill in working with actors, thereby aiding John Cusack, Daphne Zuniga and Nicollette Sheridan in early-career boosts. Following this, working with Stephen King material for the first time, Reiner showcased a young cast of players to great effect in the intriguing murder mystery Stand by Me, before 1987’s romantic fantasy-comedy The Princess Bride, which did well enough upon release but became a favorite to several generations though physical media and frequent television airings. This prolific and rewarding period would continue with When Harry before a complete turnaround with his second King-related adaptation, the lively and scary Misery, with a terrific James Caan matching wits with the Oscar-winning Kathy Bates, before Good Men topped off this peak era for Reiner. After the disappointment of 1994’s North, Reiner would rebound with The American President, then continue as a noteworthy director with titles such as Ghosts of Mississippi, The Bucket List and LBJ, while also returning to acting on television, and in movies with roles in Sleepless in Seattle, Bullets Over Broadway and The First Wives Club among others. Rest in Peace to a major talent onscreen and off, Rob Reiner.

Top 100 Favorite Movies

             It's taken years, but I finally managed to complete posts for each title on my unofficial list of 100 favorite movies. These are my favorites, not what I'd consider the best films of all time. The list leans heavily towards Hollywood classics from the 1930s-1960s, but there are a few foreign and post-1970 outliers. There is definitely a repetitive feel to many of the posts as, in order to get through these and due to my less-than-spectacular writing skills, I used an essay-type format for most of the titles, consisting of an overview of the film, usually followed by focus on the director's work, then a breakdown of the performers, ending with a wrap-up paragraph discussing the initial public and critical reaction to the movie, along with its awards and legacy. Here is the rundown in order of preference (although if I had to stop at, say, 50 titles and couldn't take all 100 to that desert island, I might have to move some movies around), with links to the actual posts (a few films are mentioned in more than one post):

1) The Wizard of Oz (1939)

2) Psycho (1960)

3) All About Eve (1950)

4) The Shop Around the Corner (1940)

5) The Heiress (1949) and here

6) Singin' in the Rain (1952)

7) The Manchurian Candidate (1962)

8) The Lady Eve (1941)

9) A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)

10) Gone with the Wind (1939)

11) Nights of Cabiria (1957)

12) Laura (1944)

13) Written on the Wind (1956)

14) The Night of the Hunter (1955)

15) The Ox-Bow Incident (1943)

16) Love Me Tonight (1932)

17) Dumbo (1941)

18) Double Indemnity (1944)

19) A Letter to Three Wives (1949)

20) The Tarnished Angels (1957)

21) Leave Her to Heaven (1945) 

22) From Here to Eternity (1953)

23) Lolita (1962)

24) Tootsie (1982)

25) The Rocking Horse Winner (1949)

26) Nashville (1975)

27) You Can Count on Me (2000)

28) Sweet Smell of Success (1957)

29) Vertigo (1958)

30) Midnight (1939)

31) Duck Soup (1933)

32) Tiger Bay (1959)

33) Sunset Boulevard (1950)

34) Strangers on a Train (1951)

35) The Miracle of Morgan's Creek (1944)

36) The Member of the Wedding (1952)

37) Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

38) Casablanca (1942)

39) National Velvet (1944)

40)  8 1/2 (1963)

41) Duel in the Sun (1946)

42) Peter Pan (1953)

43) Imitation of Life (1959)

44) The Long, Hot Summer (1958)

45) Rebecca (1940)

46) The Awful Truth (1937)

47) The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

48) The Apartment (1960)

49) North By Northwest (1959)

50) The Navigator (1924)

51) Rear Window (1954)

52) It Happened One Night (1934)

53) Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)

54) Friendly Persuasion (1956)

55) L'Avventura (1960)

56) Oliver! (1968) and here

57) Hud (1963)

58) Roman Holiday (1953)

59) Young Frankenstein (1974)

60) The African Queen (1951)

61) The Innocents (1961)

62) The Yearling (1946)

63) Bye Bye Birdie (1963)

64) Nightmare Alley (1947)

65) Black Narcissus (1947)

66) The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)

67) Stalag 17 (1953)

68) The Band Wagon (1953)

69) A Summer Place (1959)

70) Charade (1963)

71) The Maltese Falcon (1941)

72) Splendor in the Grass (1961)

73) Dead of Night (1945) and here

74) Lord Love a Duck (1966)

75) Airplane! (1980)

76) The Hustler (1961)

77) Ace in the Hole (1951)

78) The Ten Commandments (1956)

79) Central Station (1998)

80) These Three (1936)

81) Shadow of a Doubt (1943)

82) Dodsworth (1936)

83) Peyton Place (1957)

84) The Rainmaker (1956)

85) Funny Girl (1968)

86) City Lights (1931)

87) The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

88) Mulholland Drive (2001)

89) Children of Paradise (1945)

90) Intruder in the Dust (1949)

91) Some Like It Hot (1959)

92) Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)

93) House of Wax (1953) and here

94) Forbidden Planet (1956)

95) Pillow Talk (1959)

96) The Time Machine (1960)

97) The Nutty Professor (1963)

98) Tom Jones (1963)

99) A Hard Day's Night (1964)

100) 12 Angry Men (1957)

Other (mainly classic) movies I've written about on the blog (by year):

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931 & 1941)

I'm No Angel (1933)

Of Human Bondage (1934)

The Thin Man (1934)

Camille (1936)

Jesse James (1939)

The Old Maid (1939)

The Women (1939)

The Letter (1940)

Remember the Night (1940)

Kings Row (1942)

Mrs. Miniver (1942)

Stormy Weather (1943)

Cobra Woman (1944)

Mr. Skeffington (1944)

The Uninvited (1944)

Fallen Angel (1945)

Mildred Pierce (1945)

The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945)

Mother Wore Tights (1947)

Act of Violence (1948)

Beyond the Forest (1949)

Flamingo Road (1949)

Holiday Affair (1949)

White Heat (1949)

Annie Get Your Gun (1950)

Caged (1950)

Storm Warning (1950)

The Bullfighter and the Lady (1951)

Detective Story (1951)

Outcast of the Islands (1951)

A Place in the Sun (1951)

Kansas City Confidential (1952)

Son of Paleface (1952)

Stars and Stripes Forever (1952)

Kiss Me Kate (1953)

Lili (1953)

Robot Monster (1953)

The Long, Long Trailer (1954)

Woman's World (1954)

Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)

Guys and Dolls (1955)

Picnic (1955)

The Tender Trap (1955) and here

To Catch a Thief (1955)

The Bad Seed (1956)

Bigger Than Life (1956)

The Man on the Gray Flannel Suit (1956)

That Certain Feeling (1956)

Trapeze (1956)

War and Peace (1956)

Edge of the City (1957)

Island in the Sun (1957)

Witness for the Prosecution (1957)

The Buccaneer (1958)

Gigi (1958)

King Creole (1958)

Some Came Running (1958)

Compulsion (1959)

Gidget (1959)

The Nun's Story (1959)

BUtterfield 8 (1960)

Elmer Gantry (1960)

West Side Story (1961)

Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)

Lilies of the Field (1963)

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964)

Valley of the Dolls (1967)

Pretty Poison (1968)

Skidoo (1968)

Paper Moon (1973)

Jaws (1975)

Dressed to Kill (1980)

Mommie Dearest (1981)

For Your Consideration (2006)

Into the Wild (2007)

A Christmas Tale (2008)

The Wrestler (2008)

An Education (2009)