I’m a large fan of Humphrey Bogart, and I fully expected to enjoy watching Knock on Any Door. But, unfortunately, I didn’t. It’s the story of an underprivileged young man, a product of the slums, who becomes bitter after his father’s death.
Knock on Any Door
While flipping through channels, I saw The Big Circus on Turner Classic Movies as part of a marathon of circus movies. Despite my love of the circus, I almost went past until I saw Vincent Price as the ringmaster. I’m a long-time fan of Vincent Price. He’s one of the small fraternity of actors who never turn in a poor performance. Another member of that fraternity is Peter Lorre, who also co-stars here as one of the circus clowns. I’m glad that I stayed to watch — The Big Circus is an entertaining, although not dreadfully original, movie.
The Big Circus
In short, Advise and Consent is one of the best political intrigue movies that I’ve ever seen. The basic plot involves a very ill President of the United States (Franchot Tone) who wants to nominate for Secretary of State a senator. A man with a small secret in his past (played beautifully by Henry Fonda – a great performance). The Senate Majority Leader (a wonderful performance by Walter Pidgeon) tries to line up the votes. But he’s being undercut by a zealous young senator (Don Murray). And, on the “other side of the aisle” by a Southern senator (played by Charles Laughton in his final performance), a man who views himself as a kingmaker, using the other senators and people like pawns on a chess board.
Advise and Consent
No more loneliness. Shy, plain Ellen Bowker has found unexpected fulfillment as the bride of handsome Dan Pierce. What she doesn’t know is that Dan was bought and paid for — he’s a — gift — from Ellen’s wealthy father, who wants his fatally ill daughter to experience romance before she dies.
Invitation
Quo Vadis is the kind of movie that Hollywood doesn’t, and won’t, make anymore. It’s a three-hour epic, telling the story of Marcus Vinicius (Robert Taylor). He’s a Roman general returning to Nero’s Rome after 3 years of service in the field. There, he swiftly falls in love with a lovely Christian, Lygia (Deborah Kerr). This star-crossed romance is interwoven among the spectacle, and debauchery, of Nero’s Rome.
Quo Vadis
Solomon and Sheba stars Yul Brinner, Gina Lollobrigida, George Sanders in an un-Biblical Biblical epic, that’s enjoyable fluff
Review | Cast | Quotes | Trivia
Solomon and Sheba
Imagine a movie about eight people, seemingly chosen at random, riding on a cruise ship, heading to an unknown destination. It’s a movie about the interaction between these seeming strangers, and what happens as they near their destination — and it’s absolutely riveting.
Between Two Worlds
