dsmith-25000 Reviews

When the Boys Meet the Girls (1965)

Remake that is out of date

[4/10 · 30 September 2021]

The third time this story was made. Earlier versions were done before WW2 where the story-line made sense.

This one centered around changing around a Reno ranch into a divorce warehouse. But by 1965, Reno was no longer the divorce capital as other states were liberalizing divorce laws.

The hero went west running from a breach-of-promise to marry a gold-digging girlfriend. But breach-of-promise to marry ended in most states in the mid 1930's.

Some nice songs, but not enough to really enjoy.

The Misfits (1961)

Out of Date Even when it was made

[4/10 · 8 August 2021]

Subject matter of Over-the-hill cowboys chasing wild horses to be killed for dog food wasn't the stuff people would want to see, even in 1961. Even when they let the horses go, it isn't enough to make this a happy ending.

Really no hero in the story. Just a bunch of losers.

Add to that that Gable was almost twice as old a Monroe. Clift and Wallace were in their 40's while Monroe just 35.

But most of it, it was talk and talk and talk, that changing audience tastes would not accept then. No wonder it was a dud.

Latin Lovers (1953)

Ever Heard of a Prenup?

[5/10 · 2 June 2021]

The ending makes no sense. Lana Turner's character may have had passion for Ricardo Montalban, but it didn't look like real love.

If Lana Turner character's was afraid of men chasing her for her money (See "The Richest Girl in the World" or "Marriage by Mistake"), then she could have made out a marriage contract. The idea of her giving him all her money before marriage is nuts. He is not an American and the tax problems would be enormous.

Ball of Fire (1941)

Historical Goof

[9/10 · 19 February 2021]

Delightful movie with a small funny goof at the start. The Totten Foundation where the professors worked was supposedly set up because the founder of the foundation was omitted from the Encyclopedia Britannica as the inventor of the electric toaster.

The first electric toaster was invented in 1893 by Alan MacMasters in Scotland. He called the device the "Eclipse Toaster," and it was manufactured and marketed in Britain by the Crompton Company.

Penguin Pool Murder (1932)

Plot Hole

[8/10 · 11 February 2021]

A better than average B Grade detective story. Other than the shortage of potential killers, it was harder than usual for a movie of that era to guess the killer.

But as usual, it ignores a plot hole. The climatic court scene revolves around only the murderer (along with teacher/detective, police inspector, and coroner) knowing the victim was stabbed in the right ear, and not the left as the teacher and inspector reported to the newspapers to try to trap the killer with knowledge only the killer would know.

But in a trial, the coroner's testimony (not shown) would almost certainly (today at least) have said that the murder weapon pin was stabbed in the right ear. So the defense lawyer (and murderer), when accusing the teacher of the crime, would know it and revealed nothing to show his guilt by stating that the pin went in the right ear.

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The Burglar (1957)

Too Late For The Genre

[4/10 · 13 December 2020]

Film Noir, a post-WW2 period in films where the creators were depressed and showed in in their films, was about dead when this film was made in 1955 and not released until 2 years later. If the producers could have put it into a time machine and sent it back to 1946, it might have had a better chance.

Overall, it has all the plot holes you could expect from Film Noir movies.

The thieves park their get-away car in front of the house being burglarized where it is seen by police.

There wasn't enough time for Dan Duryea character to leave the bedroom where the safe was, go to the street and talk to the police who were asking questions about the car, return to the bedroom to finish the theft, and then get out.

If you know anything about Philadelphia, you know you could be over the border into NJ or Delaware in under an hour, even in 1955 when the movie was made. Instead, they stay in town.

Dan Duryea was 48 years old when it was made, and looked older in the film. He was 26 years older than Jayne Mansfield, yet you have to believe that Jayne was as obsessed with him as a teenager as he was were her, even if neither did anything romantically about it. And he was 18 years older than the Martha Vickers character who seems to have fallen for him near the end.

I don't remember if it was explained how the cop managed to be at Philadelphia's 30th Street Train Station to follow Mansfield to Atlantic City. Why not just follow Duryea back to the Philadelphia hideout as there was no clue that Mansfield had the stolen jewels, which she didn't at that point in the film?

Enter Laughing (1967)

Disappointing Early Reiner

[1/10 · 25 November 2020]

Considering this was Written, Produced, and Directed by Carl Reiner, who had done some great work on TV, I expected something funny. Maybe in 1967 based on his 1963 play, but not today. Most of the story was predictable for comedies of that time period. A proven comedian in the lead might have helped. I see that Alan Arkin played the role on stage, but the late Reni Santoni just wasn't funny. And most of the supporting cast played predictable roles too.

Considering it came out the same year as "The Producers", it fails badly by comparison.

Son of Kong (1933)

Fast Knockoff

[10/10 · 15 October 2020]

For a film that was put together quickly after the success of King Kong, this is much better than most sequels. Of course, the ending is a little hokey, but you can't have everything.

After Darkness (2014)

Sunspot Activity and Earth's Tempurature

[1/10 · 18 February 2020]

Movie sold on the basis of the sun going out. Not even correct. Number of sunspots increased.

Movie assumed that the black sunspots would decrease Earth's temperature, but the opposite is true. Lack of sunspots (like the Maunder Minimum 1645-1715) when sunspots disappeared caused the Earth's temperature to drop. So what was told in the movie should have caused temperatures to go up, not down.

And at the end when the sun starts shinning again, characters took off their coats as if it suddenly got warm. But such a rapid change would take weeks or months (like the changeover from Winter to Summer) to have any affect on local temperature.

Producers should go back to school.

First Lady (1937)

Nice play onscreen for a time long past

[8/10 · 10 February 2020]

Nice little comedy for its time. But you have to understand how things have changed on the making of a Presidential candidate.. Virtually no primaries at that time, so candidates really were selected by backroom shenanigans. Presidents still only served 2 terms and FDR hadn't shocked people (yet) by going for a 3rd term. Even today, a Supreme Court Justice with a lifetime appointment and no need to compromise with people he disagreed with would never step down just to be President for a term or two. Even back then, women were running for some offices and winning. But otherwise a nice comedy about how people imagined things actually did happen in Washington back then.

Susan Slept Here (1954)

Right Parts - Wrong Actors

[5/10 · 27 December 2018]

An amusing farce with sexual innuendoes you wouldn't expect in 1954.

But most of the actors were either too old or (mostly) too young for their parts to make their characters credible. Although the actors did there best with the improper casting. The age disparities just made a lot of the jokes fall flat.

Worst was Dick Powell (50 and looked it) as a 35 year-old writer. And, to a degree, a mature Debbie Reynolds (22) as a 17 year-old delinquent.

Anne Francis was too young (24) as a 35 or so year-old fiancee. Also Mara Lane (also 24) as neighbor (presumably) around 30+.

Even Red Skeleton (41) (at the end of the movie in a cameo) was much younger than his character who was about to marry girlfriend Glenda Farrell (53) playing Dick Powell's secretary.

Alvy Moore (33), as Virgil the gofer/friend/ex-Navy Lieutenant and former commanding officer of Dick Powell's character, was the only one probably about the right age.

The Divorcee (1930)

Compared to "The Women"

[6/10 · 3 October 2018]

To see and think about this movie, you have to consider "The Women" in the same context. Husband has affair. Wife finds out and cannot stand the thought. Although there is no wife's affair in The Women, that is one difference. The married couple get divorced. Others get married. Robert Montgomery's character turns out to be a cowardly heal. The second difference is that Shearer's character in this goes out and parties hard, while in The Women, she is dating another (unseen) man who wants to marry her. But in the end, they both turn out about the same way. With the divorced couple back together, but not yet officially reconciled or remarried.

The ending actually reverses the idea of the movie that women should treat marriage and men the same way unfaithful husbands treat wives.

Hopscotch (1980)

Fun Film

[9/10 · 17 August 2018]

I nice fun film to watch if you can get around Ned Beatty swearing all the time.

Plot hole #1. Kendrick hires a single engine seaplane to fly from Georgia to Martinique. But changes destination to Bermuda. a small seaplane as pictured wouldn't have the range to get to either destination nonstop and no place to refuel in open water between U.S. and Bermuda. Also, even in 1980, a plane from U.S. would have to clear Bermuda customs, not just land at a resort.

Plot hole #2. At the end, Kendrick after starting his bi-plane is in an open field with no visible cover. His plan was to fly it by remote control from some building. But he would clearly be seen by occupants of helicopter coming to catch him, so they would know he wasn't on the bi-plane.

Three on a Match (1932)

Law Goof

[9/10 · 7 August 2018]

A great story, if short, which was normal for the time period. However there was a goof in the law that messes of the reasons that lead to the end of the story.

When villain Loftus (lover of Kirkwood's first wife Vivian) goes to lawyer Kirkwood to ask for money or Loftus would go to press with story of how Kirkwood's second wife (Keaton) had served time in reformatory, Kirkwood refused and threatened to sue any publication that printed the story for libel.

This is not correct because a true statement isn't libelous as Keaton had been in a reformatory for some minor crime under another name. At best, Kirkwood might have tried to have Loftus arrested for attempted blackmail, but then the true story would still have come out. A lawyer would have known this.

But without the rejection, Loftus wouldn't have needed to kidnap Kirkwood's son to pay his gambling debts to Ace (Harve's boss) which led to end of story.

Also, story didn't explain (but could be assumed) about whether Harve and associates escaped from police or not after apparently killing Loftus, but forcing Vivian to jump out window with message on night gown of boy's location that police used to rescue the boy.

Sabrina (1954)

Plot Holes

[9/10 · 30 July 2018]

A very nice movie if you can get around the plot holes.

You have to get around the idea that Sabrina falls out of love with David (who she has had a crush on for years) and into love with Linus in three days.

Sabrina is flying back from France and taking Long Island Railroad (LIRR) to the Glen Cove station where she meets David by accident. But the LIRR didn't service Idlewild Airport (now JFK Airport). in 1954 (and still doesn't), You would have to take a bus or taxi (today a subway) to a LIRR station and then change. Also LIRR is a commuter rail (basically just an above ground subway), not an intercity rail line. This isn't practical for a lady with three suitcases and one dog. She would most likely take a taxi all the way home.

At the end of the movie, Linus rushes to a tugboat to join Sabrina on the SS Liberte. Problems: Ticket had been changed from Linus' name to David's. Would the ship stop for a late passenger arriving by tugboat? Did Linus have his passport? He had no luggage. He would only have the little cash he was carrying. Except for Diners' Club, charge cards didn't exist.

When Linus discussing plans to send Sabrina back to France he points out the Liberte dock (which would have been further north on the west site of Manhattan) from one window. Later in the final boardroom scene, you see the Staten Island Ferry (on the south tip of Manhattan) from another window. But it isn't clear if in the Larrabee building (show as located at 30 Broad St. near NY Stock Exchange) , they could see both the route of the Ferry and the dock for the Liberte , even when using different windows.

Also note that in the final boardroom scene, you can see Staten Island Ferry and a large barge moving from left to right. If you watch closely, you will see that the scene is repeated several times.

Dave (1993)

Amusing if you suspend disbelief

[6/10 · 28 July 2018]

Fun movie. Just don't think about the impossibilities. Secret Service breaking the law to hide the switch after the stroke. Doing it for an affair is one thing, making Dave President is another. All the staff who kept the switch secret. Too many people involved to keep it quiet. Doubles are not exactly alike, except in movies, TV, or books. In President's Cabinet scene where Dave is restoring money for homeless shelters, he is breaking the Constitution. Presidents can't just move money around at will since each department has its own appropriation. Congress would have to vote to rescind money from one department's appropriation and vote a supplemental appropriation to the gaining department. This would normally take months.

Sylvia Scarlett (1935)

An Amusing But Confused Movie

[8/10 · 27 July 2018]

Yes its amusing. But it is missing a plot. Just a zigzag of different situations that don't link together. First an escape movie. Then a smuggling story. The a con artist story. Then a musical troupe story. Then an on-again off-again on-again love story between different parties. Then a chase story. It doesn't end so much as stops as if they decided they had enough film in the can and didn't have to go any father. And reasons for main characters to do what they did. -Always touted as where Hepburn dresses as a boy. But the reason seems to disappear after the first 15 minutes. -Supposedly on the run from French Police which were never seen or never mentioned again. -Supposedly broke, but had no problem buying or renting a Caravan (British name for a motor home or live-in trailer). Other problems that didn't fit the 1930's: Insanity of the father. Criminals getting away with their crimes. Attempted suicide (although the female doing in would have had to have lungs like Tarzan to be heard by the person she was calling to.)

Worse might be Grant laughing at the end (supposedly at lovers running away from their supposed lovers that they were chasing), but maybe he was laughing at the audience for siting through all 90 minutes?

Nice performances by Hepburn and Grant, but it just doesn't fit together.

Point Blank (1967)

Alcatraz as Drop Point

[6/10 · 16 July 2018]

Using Alcatraz as a regular drop point (as indicated at start and end of movie) made no sense. The island is only 1.25 miles from San Francisco. The entire city would have seen the landing lights on the island turn on and the helicopter landing and taking off. People would be asking questions, so city/state police and Park Service police would be investigating.

I suppose its nice for the viewer to imagine the open question about whether Walker gets the cash that is left behind. Or what happens to Chris' (Sister-in-Law & lover to Walker) character. Although I prefer to clear up loose ends.

Overall, a lot of dead bodies left around for police to ask questions about.

Grand Hotel (I) (1932)

Plot Hole at the End

[8/10 · 13 May 2018]

General Director Preysing being arrested for killing Baron Felix von Geigern makes little sense. The Baron was trying to rob him and a competent police force would only bring Preysing in for questioning, after which he would probably be released due to self defense. Even the audience knows he acted in anger, its unlikely that it would have resulted in charges.

Also unlikely that Grusinskaya could get out of the hotel with a murder in nearby room without hearing about it.

The Gumball Rally (1976)

Forgotton Movie

[9/10 · 5 May 2018]

Made 5 years before Burt Reynolds' "The Cannonball Run" but this is a more enjoyable anti-55 MPH national speed limit race movie.

Holiday (1938)

What is the Moral?

[5/10 · 5 May 2018]

Seeing it again, I realize that the morals of the story are: Rich is Bad; Poor is Good Rich is Unhappy; Poor is Happy Rich is pro-Nazi (see comment about "right kind of government" from Seton cousin Cram); Poor is anti-Nazi (See Johnny Case reaction) Hollywood composed of the richest non-business men in the then world pushing these ideals may have satisfied audiences of the depression decade, but don't work today. And weren't true then or now.