The Viewing Files: All The Movies

Movie post.  Again.  Oldies.  Again.

Seriously, I will get to posting some made this decade.  I promise.  In the meantime though it's oldies all round.  Who knew I'd seen so many old movies.  Personally I blame it all on those school holidays when the only thing they ever screened on TV was movies that were made back in the dark ages.  Or least before Netflix came along.

 

Jesse James

Starring: Tyrone Power and Henry Fonda (Jane's dad)

Original release: 1938

Synopsis:  The 'true' story of Jesse James

Ignoring the fact that much of this movie plays fast and loose with the real story of Jesse James there's still a lot to enjoy. Tyrone Power and Henry Fonda are rather dashing in their roles and amazingly the film quality is still very sharp and clear and the colours vivid, not bad for a movie made in 1939.

 

Treat it as the entertaining Western it is. 

Scaramouche

Starring: Stewart Granger

Original release: 1952

Synopsis:  A murder revenge flick set in 18th France.

 

Stewart Granger at his swoon worthy best.  The sword fights are pretty great too as is Eleanor Parker as a sassy redhead.

 

Just try not to stare at the whiter than white wigs.

Jason and the Argonauts

Starring: Some dark haired dude

Original release: 1963

Synopsis:  Men in skirts and fighting monsters

 

Fighting skeletons. Gods and Goddesses. Heroic men running around in short tunics.

 

Totally worth it.

The Wizard of Oz

Starring: Judy Garland

Original release: 1939

Synopsis:  The tragic story of a misunderstood Witch.

 

I'm pretty much on the witches side which tells you exactly what I think of this movie. Have 4 characters ever been more annoying than Dorothy, the Lion, the Tin Man and the Scarecrow?

 

Mmm probably not. I think I'll stick to watching The Princess Bride again and again and again...

Foreign Correspondent

Starring: A guy I've never heard of before

Original release: 1940

Synopsis:  Spies and Nazi's 

 

If this movie was made today Joel McCrea and George Sanders would be playing bickering will-they-or-won't-they possible lovers only to finally realise the truth and run away together, but only after they had solved the mystery.

 

Despite that not happening it's still a pretty good spy thriller with plenty of thrills and chases.

Citizen Kane

Starring: Orson Welles

Original release: 1941

Synopsis:  The rise of a newspaper man

 

I gave up.  

 

20 minutes in and it's just a bunch of surrealist shots and voice over narration.  Maybe it gets better... or maybe not.  Either way I'm out.

Sunset Boulevard

Starring: William Holden

Original release: 1950

Synopsis:  A screenwriter is hired to write a screenplay for the ultimate drama queen.

She's a ageing, faded movie star and he's a Hollywood hack whose also a bit of a stud and you just know this isn't going to end well.

Really though I'm just here to swoon over William Holden.

All About Eve

Starring: Bette Davis and a very young Marilyn Monroe.

Original release: 1950

Synopsis:  Backstabbing theatre people being all bitchy.

 

George Sanders being all snobby and sarcastic and Marilyn being all blond and dumb are pretty much the best things about this movie.

 

The acting is pretty solid all round but at over 2 hours long the script really struggles in places to keep your interest.

Anne of the Indies

Starring: Some brunette chick who should have made more movies like these

Original release: 1951

Synopsis:  A pirate falls in love only for it all to blow up in her face (literally)

 

Jean Peters as a badass female pirate and I am so there.  Throw in some drama and betrayal and I'm sold.