I had a Blackberry when I was working. Somewhere along the way, I lost the perspective of time. Well, this film answered the big question...what came first Blackberry or iPhone? See the film to find out! I think the film makers made a film that perfectly captured my fantasy of what an early, and perhaps, continuing, high tech work place was/is like. The development of the characters, including their transition to corporate big tech was done very well. And of course, the main point of the film, what happened to Blackberry, was well presented. See the film to find out. If you suffer from motion sickness, this may not be the best film for you to see. There is lots of simultaneous activities. The other issue was periodic very loud and dissonant sounding music. It detracted from my enjoyment of the film (I am a senior). Last but not least, if you have missed the sound of "dial up" and its associated short comings see this film for a trip down memory lane.
Reviews
40 Reviews
Marie Antoinette
(1938)
Beyond Disappointing
24 April 2023
I just don't understand all of the hype about Norma Shearer. I thought she was inappropriate for this film. She was at least 20 years older than the teenaged Marie. In addition, I felt that her acting was forced and overly melodramatic.. The Tyrone Power character was probably factional. . This was just Hollywood adding some sex appeal to this film. Again, Power was junior to Shearer and it showed. You just find any reason to believe that he was in love with the character as played by the matronly Shearer. The best portrayal if character was Robert Morley, who was nominated for an Oscar. But back to Norma; in her time she was very popular and considered a great actress. Compared to Meryl Streep she is far less than "meh".
Trapeze
(1956)
Wow!
18 March 2023
I saw this film as a ten year old in a movie theater with my parents and my six year old brother. It stuck with me for my entire life. Now many decades later, I was mesmerized again. There is almost an overload of visual circus candy which made it interesting enough for a young child. But one thing I really did not understand as a youngster, were the wonderful aerial shots of the trapeze act itself. Something you couldn't ever see at a real circus. Then, there was Burt Lancaster's performance. He was such a fine actor and he brought a great deal of intensity to his part. This is also a very classic film and will take you, if you are old enough, back to the good old days when movies were more about acting than special effects.
Murder in the Fleet
(1935)
Pretty Good
24 February 2023
This film, made in 1935, is a true reflection of the time. There was something for everyone in this picture: patriotism, a bit if romance and romantic comedy (Una Merkel) and some slap stick. All of the actors performered well and you do find yourself wondering "who done it". OK, I could have done without so much slapstick but I recently saw a film with Crawford and Gable that had The Three Stooges! Robert Taylor, only, 24 years old at the time, was very fine, as always. He made many pictures in 1935, at the time when the studios could roll them out like hot cakes. Some, like Camille, are very famous. He was not in these films only bc he looked good. A number of other commenters here heavily panned RT. For those folks, please remember that what you see on the screen is not the persona of RT but the character he is portraying. This was not an Oscar worthy PART but he does it with such great ease you have no idea he is acting. Part of what made him so exciting on the screen was his extraordinary good looks BUT it is his acting that is the most important. Had he been a total dud in Camille, he would not have continued to have an acting career of more than 30 years....maturing as an actor as he aged, prematurely dying at age 57.
My Reputation
(1946)
Nice Surprise with Fabulous Missy!
22 February 2023
This is a wonderful movie that shines a light on the emotional struggles associated with loss. Barbara Stanwyck is beyond marvelous in this part. She is about as real as one would be in the situation with which she must cope. She had "it" and then some. She should have received at least one Oscar for her body of work. Her performance in this film is brilliant and Oscar worthy. The film is not perfect but it is very good and I appreciate the attention given to her relationships with her sons and her mother. On the other hand, I did not care for George Brent in this part. Where she has it, he doesn't. He made lots of movies but I have always found his screen presence to be dull and boring. Not enough to ruin a good film, however.
The Star
(1952)
Time has not been kind to this film
21 February 2023
Not knowing that BD was supposedly playing Joan Crawford left me feeling that this was a film about BD. I really did not care for this film. It was over acted by BD, usually one of my favorites. Her youth was fading by this time, so one wonders what attracted BD to this script. In addition, we have seen the story of the dying and fallen stars far too often. It is a professional hazard. If one is needy enough, one takes the plunge. And pays the price at a later time. Then there was the casting of Sterling Hayden. Hmmmmm. I love his look and his voice but I did not believe his relationship with BD, who looked beyond frumpy in this film. Another oddity that BD had a teenaged daughter when she looked old enough to b the girl's grandmother. I should have given this one star.....but I couldn't bc BD was "The Star".
Green Dolphin Street
(1947)
A Ridiculous Story
18 February 2023
I am amazed that I watched the entire film. It was too long and the actors did not seem to age. The story itself was ridiculous with too heavy a religious overtone. The death of one character is very melodramatic and totally unexplained. However, the worst part of the film was actor Richard Hart, long deceased. Why two beautiful sisters were gaga over the character he played is a wonder to me. With so many good actors in Hollywood, who were also good looking, I am astonished that he was cast in this role. Looking at either Donna Reed or Lana Turner with this romantic lightweight was very distracting and ruined the film. A high point was the New Zealand backdrop that included a nod to the history of the country. Other than that, you can skip this movie.
Remember?
(1939)
Good Concept but......
16 February 2023
I loved seeing Robert Taylor in just about any movie, with exception of Quo Vidas (badly miscast). Here is struggling with a concept that the writers and director did not see clearly enough before they executed. Some of the dialog seemed forced because it was not quite right. For the emotion of the moment. You see this clearly with 3 very good actors. That being said, some of it was hilarious, especially the scenes with Taylor and his horse. For those who may not be aware, he was an experienced rider who later did his own riding in the Westerns that he made. Billie Burke was also great as the ditzy mom! See this film for it's, especially, Robert Taylor.
Lucky Night
(1939)
A refreshing story about the ups and downs of romance
2 February 2023
I was totally surprised by this film......Based on other reviews I thought it would be tedious. But, I thoroughly appreciated Loy's Cora. She wanted to be her own person, at least in the beginning of the film. By chance she meets Bill Overton, Robert Taylor. Taylor is great in this film doing one of his best Peter Pan roles. These two look marvelous together. And have a lot of fun together. However, the real story begins following their commitment to each other. Unlike most Hollywood films where the romantic relationship is based only on mutual attraction, this couple gives us an insight into the day to day reality of life and their discovery about who each if them really is. . The ending was poorly done but there is a message to be taken from this film. Zi l.
Song of Russia
(1944)
A Boring Movie Despite The Political Controversy
31 January 2023
Well, the best thing that can said about this film is Robert Taylor. He was smashing as a an orchestra conductor and his overall performance was very good despite the fact that he strongly objected to doing this film. Robert Taylor was well known for his professionalism and this film clearly illustrates that point. If you are a woman, you can't take your eyes off off him in any film. Susan Peters was lovely, but I did not find their attraction credible. Clearly this movie was made as a pat on the back to the Soviets as our allies in WW II. I found this film to be very syrupy and that undermined the entire production. Meh!
Huge Disappointment
29 January 2023
If you enjoy classic Hollywood movies, you can skip this one. This movie appeared promising in the beginning but quickly devolved into a jumbo mess. The events were difficult to follow, the subtitles were way to small/moved to fast and the flipping back and forth between Chinese and English was very distracting. Apparently, this is a "message" movie, very poorly done. What this says about the current state of affairs in the movie industry and the over-hyped Oscars.......is depressing. Only a tech head who likes cool special effects will be fascinated by the overly long and tedious Kung Fu movie. Somewhere in there, a message is buried. I will be horrified if this film receives the Oscar for best picture. Compared to All Quiet on The Western Front, another best picture nominee, it is a big, annoying and tedious goose egg (with the exception Jaime Lee Curtis, who performance is hysterically funny.)
Dancing Lady
(1933)
Tedious
25 January 2023
Sadly, this wasn't a great movie. I have a problem with the Crawford character being pursued by the Tone Character. What was the basis of his fascination with her character? She was supposed to be this great dancer but there are far better, so this part of the film fell very flat for me. We've seen this movie before; another movie about making a Broadway show. In this film, the end result is ludicrous. The last 10 minutes of the film is the "show", a hodge podge of every Hollywood gimmick you can think of...... boring. Didn't find the Three Stooges a positive added attraction. The only reason to see this film is the romantic tension between Gable and Crawford. But it wasn't enough for me to give this film a higher rating.
Ambush
(1950)
Very Good Western with Robert Taylor
14 January 2023
This is a well acted Western that would have been even better if it was in color. The scenery is just awesome. Of course, it is a classic story with the Indians as the bad guys. There are also romance aspects to keep the ladies interested. There is a very good adult interaction between the two principle male actors, Robert Taylor and John Hodiak, plus a bit of male cheesecake, to boot. I thought this movie portrayed the Indians as more than just antagonists. The film also showed their very intelligent strategic planning as they wrestled with our usual "heroes". For Robert Taylor fans this is a great opportunity to acknowledge how far he had come in his career. He was a very good actor who was able to easily morph from one genre to the next without missing a beat. He has not been given enough credit for his abilities.
The Fall of the Roman Empire
(1964)
I Skipped this in 1964
11 January 2023
Even though I was a passionate Stephen Boyd fan, I purposely did not see this movie in 1964. I watched it only recently and wasn't disappointed because it met my expectation that it would not be very good. An over done genre is nothing more than that. The first thing that hit me very hard was the very poor quality of the script., which muddles the story; historical fiction done poorly. The second thing was the performance of my favorite actor at that time, Stephen Boyd. Most jarring was his appearance as a blond, not a good look for him and lessened his characters impact IMHO. . Second, his performance was very tepid. This was clearly not a good part for him, as, IMHO, he was never good as a bigger than life hero. He just couldn't act the part. Contributing further in a negative way, the role he was asked to play was very poorly defined. I have read that. He said it was extremely difficult to be both a lover and a fighter and the lover aspect was far, far too dominant in this film (and with no basis for the relationship he had with Loren/Lucilla). The best actor in the film was Christopher Plummer, who clearly had the meatiest part. I recently watched the film for a second time and without the sound. Boyd fares much, much better without the script bc you can see him acting without the distraction of the words. Watch the film for its incredible sets and some limited understanding of ancient Roman history, then get a good history book or check Wikipedia.
Savage Pampas
(1965)
Gritty, Very Gritty
7 January 2023
I watched this movie as part of my mission to watch all of Robert Taylor's films. He was just a few years from his death, so, there was, for me, a poignancy about this performance. He still looked good, had that marvelous commanding voice and, IMHO, still had IT as an actor. For anyone who loved his earliest films, this picture will be a shock. It is very gritty but exemplary of the types of "westerns" made in the 1960s. While not a true spaghetti western, it did have that look and feel of same. Not a great story; mostly a vehicle for sensationalism, sexism and brutality. These are not elements that were associated with his early romantic pictures,; so the public can clearly see that our star had quite a professional journey. . I think it may have taken great courage to do this film. I can not recommend it but I do not regret watching it bc I enjoyed seeing Robert Taylor.
The Glass Sphinx
(1967)
A sad film
2 January 2023
I am on a campaign to watch every Robert Taylor movie that is available. Overall, this movie is beyond subpar. It is a cheaply made Italian film that is very disjointed. I am not sure there was a professional film editor used. My favorite star of all time, the marvelous Robert Taylor, should have passed on this poor quality opportunity. The man made very, very good films for more than thirty years., so, I can only assume that he just wanted to keep busy. This film was made not long before his death in 1969. He was still very handsome, even, as an older man (around 56 years old) and he still had his wonderful voice; but the romance aspect was not needed in this film. In fact, the movie could have made without any stars as by the later part of the 60s, having a classic Hollywood actor was probably not the way to get an audience. I will further add that seeing a classic Hollywood star out of their historical tine frame of popularity is very jarring. If you are a Taylor fan, I would skip this film. If you decide to watch it, be prepared to feel sad that his time had passed.
Devil's Doorway
(1950)
Astonishing for Its Time
23 December 2022
There was appropriate and tremendous sensitivity towards Native Americans in this film despite the fact that a very handsome caucasian actor was the star. Robert Taylor was beyond outstanding in this role and should have, minimally, been nominated for best actor. In fact, the entire cast was excellent. The cinematography was outstanding and the script was excellent. Interms of content, the film was way ahead of its time. One point that was clearly emphasized was the ugly side of the law and how it can be used to justify the desires if those who create it. . We still struggle with this today and still have a long way to go towards having a truly just equitable society. I highly recommend this film for Taylor's performance and the societal significance of the story.
The Crowd Roars
(1938)
Robert Taylor!
21 December 2022
This film was made in 1938, in Taylor's early years as an actor. This part is very different from the romantic lovers that he played up to this time, Although there is a romantic aspect to this film. I only gave the film an eight stars bc the plot was quite predictable. The man reason I wanted to see it was Robert Taylor. He was very good in this part but somewhat unbelievable when the romantic scenes had him in a very nice suit. At that point he no longer looked like a boxer but that is irrelevant with respect to his performance. I have no idea why he was constantly panned as an actor. He was good from the get-go. He has a very easy screen presence, he almost dances across it. If you are a Taylor fan, you don't want to miss him in this part. Other cast members were also very good, especially Frank Morgan.
Undercurrent
(1946)
Robert Taylor!
18 December 2022
I loved Taylor's performance in this film, which should have thrown cold water on every critic who said it could not act. This was his first film post his Navy service in WWII. It struck me that he appears far more mature...even more so than his 35 years at the time of the filming. He made a great villain, a duplicitous character who could switch affects in an instant. The story was engrossing and he and Hepburn worked well on the screen. The black and white adds to the drama and it was also fun to see a very young Jane Meadows in a supporting role. I thought there was a tremendous amount of tension and mystery artfully portrayed on the screen. This is film for Taylor fans for sure and well worth seeing for the story.
Billy the Kid
(1941)
Robert Taylor!
14 December 2022
This film can not be viewed from a true historical perspective. It is really just a western with a provocative name in the title. Provocation was the name of the game during era of Hollywood films, so don't be disappointed. This film was made in technicolor in 1941! And makes the most of the fantastic scenery in Monument Valley, Utah, an area made very popular by John Ford. I only gave it 9 stars because the story has some very weak points. That being said, this is a real treat for Robert Taylor fans. He was only 30 years old and still had that wonderful face. In this film, he displays a range of emotions, all done very well. There is virtually zero romance for our anti-hero, so this is a big change from so many of his early films. If you like westerns and you are a Taylor fan, I recommend this movie.
Tip on a Dead Jockey
(1957)
Robert Taylor!!
10 December 2022
The main reason I wanted to see this film was Robert Taylor Quite frankly, I did not expect this to be much of a movie because it was a film made on back end of his career. Wow, was I pleasantly surprised. First, I thought the story was interesting and for the time in which it was made had a good depth of psychology in it. The title of the film is a clearly a metaphor for Taylor's character, so someone was thinking on a very sophisticated level. I really like that kind of intelligence in a film. In terms of performance, both Taylor and Malone were superb, demonstrating a wide emotional range with good screen chemistry. I really liked seeing them together. Also a big surprise with his acting skill was Martin Gable. I only knew him from "What's My Line". If you are a Robert Taylor fan I do recommend this movie. Yes, he looks older than his actual age but he still had "it", including that wonderful resonant voice. It is so very tragic that he died so young.
Quo Vadis
(1951)
A visual masterpiece but.....
1 December 2022
The bone I have to pick with this movie is applicable to most movies of its era with respect to "romance" . The love between Marcus and Lygia is initially baseless. Just a pair of exceptionally good looking actors attracted to each other because....? Her dislike of him in the beginning, also standard fare for movies of this era, is understandable; however, what prematurely changes her mind about him is not. This is the type of portrayal that messed up females for decades. These films made it impossible for young female viewers to distinguish sex from love. In addition, even though I am a Taylor fan, I was not fond of him in this part. He looked great in costume but he delivered his lines as one would in a classic film noir. This was accentuated by both actors Ustinov and Genn with their superb deliveries of a Shakespearian style. Theirs were the best performances of the film and blended perfectly with the magnificent sets in all their glorious color. I would watch this again for its sheer beauty and hope that I might like Taylor's performance a bit more.
Return of the Gunfighter
(1966)
Robert Taylor!
1 December 2022
This movie was made very near the end of Robert Taylor's life; a tragic, tragic loss. He was simply superb in this film, proving his earliest critics, wrong, wrong, wrong about his acting skills. I read recently the he was very compliant with the wishes of the studio bosses who made him a star in the 1930s. We must give them credit for being very successful in the use of his image and talent. In this film he is nothing like any of the characters of his earliest films, which demonstrates his extraordinary acting range. Like his other films, his performance is very seamless and smooth. You can tell that he is very comfortable in the skin of his character. I read recently that he never tried to stretch himself into roles that were not comfortable. The story itself was a bit stupid/illogical (the reason for the 9*) but all of the actors performed at a very high level. I recommend the film because of Taylor's performance. Watch his face, his expressive eyes and listen to that magnificent voice ..... He had "it". He always had "it".
Her Cardboard Lover
(1942)
Based on a Stage Play
26 November 2022
The first thing I noticed about this stage play on film was the casting. Norma Shearer was too old for her costar, the always handsome, Robert Taylor. There was less than zero screen chemistry between them. You can't possibly imagine why Taylor's character is smitten. He was very charming and demonstrates some great comedic skills but the gag goes on for too long and the film becomes very tiresome. In one scene, Taylor is wearing ladies pajamas, which I found very unnecessary. The scene would have been fine if he had been shirtless. What was the director thinking? This was Shearer's last film and the only one I have ever seen. I have no idea why she was such a big star.
The Hangman
(1959)
This was a surprise
25 November 2022
I really liked this film with the exception of the ending. Robert Taylor was fantastic! I think he was a far better actor than the credit he received during his lifetime. Sadly, very good looking stars don't usually get the meatiest parts because the industry and their fans only want to seem them because of their good looks and sex appeal. Taylor was nearing the end of his career and his life in this film and his performance was outstanding. The story was interesting and if you like seeing those familiar old character actors whose names you don't know, this film is loaded. I thought the script was excellent with a few comedic touches that demonstrated Taylor's ability as a solid actor. He also had a very commanding voice which added to the drama. As usual, he seemed very relaxed (as one) with his role. Tina Louise was excellent, as was the young Jack Lord, the former of Gilligan's Island and the later know for the original Hawaii 50. This black and white film is well worth seeing....with the exception of the end.
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