Dr. Broadway (1942) ** - Mann's debut film is more of an hour long comedy that doesn't quite hit all its marks as a lawyer has a very busy couple of days, saving a woman from jumping off a ledge and then dealing with local crooks. It all feels more like a pilot for zany adventures of said Dr. Broadway than a fully realized effort.
Strangers In the Night (1944) *** - Mostly interesting for the way it blends soap opera dramatics with glimmers of small town noir as a war veteran comes home expecting to meet his beautiful pen pal, then getting wrapped up in a mysterious relationship with the girl's scheming mother. It never quite breaks the way one expects which is refreshing.
The Great Flamarion (1945) ***1/2 - Erich von Stroheim is characteristically stiff as the titular showbiz whiz caught up in a black-hearted tale of female duplicity and murder. Hiding nothing from the viewer and taking place as a deathbed confession, "The Great Flamarion" is ultimately a terrific little gem hiding under its abysmal title.
Two 'o' Clock Courage (1945) **1/2 - Amnesiac thriller/comedy in which a cabgirl (Ann Rutherford) helps a confused man (Tom Conway) piece together the fuzzy remnants of his evening. Far less concerned with any reality around the mystery and aiming for broad laughs and generic stereotypes, it lands awkwardly due to its bipolar tone.
Sing Your Way Home (1945) ** - The musical numbers aren't stagey and the characters are even less interesting as a New York journalist is assigned to chaperon a musical troupe back across the Atlantic after the end of WW2. It all feels like a Mann-for-hire job.
Strange Impersonation (1946) *** - It hustles through a variety of genres pretty early on- from doppelganger crime thriller to body horror, even managing to work in romance!- and shows the nimbleness Mann controls as each furtive plot twist falls into the next. Entertaining and dare I say an influence on later psychological thrillers like "Eyes Without a Face" and "The Face of Another".
The Bamboo Blonde (1946) ** - Another musical/romance hybrid, this one just as lackluster as "Sing Your Way Home" for the way it tries to place a rainbow temperament over everything from the trials of war to the oscillations of love. A WW2 pilot (Ralph Edwards) meets cute a singer (Frances Langford) and then inadvertently has her image painted on his bomber plane, which becomes a good luck charm and earns them national acclaim. More distressing than the facets of war, however, is the war for the pilot's heart that erupts once back at home between the cabaret singer and his gold-digging fiancee. I'm sure this was meant as a charming balm for the post-war era, but it just comes off hollow.
Desperate (1947) *** - With tinges of noir creeping into his work for the past couple of years, Mann goes full out with "Desperate", including expressionistic and menacing close ups and the omniscient swinging overhead lamp scene for good measure. Visuals aside, the narrative isn't as compelling when innocent truck driver Steve Brodie becomes embroiled in a robbery and manhunt that causes him and his newlywed (Audrey Long) to make some dubious choices along the way. Raymond Burr is excellent is as the pursuing gangster, but overall, the film is much more interesting for its immersion in the young noir aesthetic.
Railroaded (1947) ** - Mann's predilection for an innocent rube to get drawn into criminal clutches appears here again as a young man (Steve Ryan) gets framed for a robbery and cop murder. Unlike his previous efforts, "Railroaded" isn't successful because of the completely unbelievable segues it follows as the man's sister (Sheila Ryan) inserts herself into the investigation.
T-Men (1947) ***1/2 - After a series of fairly lightweight crime thrillers (from "Strange Impersonation" to the previous year's "Railroaded"), "T-Men" is something altogether more proficient. It also signals a shift in his career to the more grimy noirs that would instill him as a master of the genre. This film is lean- oozing shadows and hard nosed characters who may or may not make it out intact- and its procedural roots feel revolutionary as two men (Dennis O'Keefe and Alfred Ryder) stalk a counterfeiting ring from Detroit to Los Angeles.
Raw Deal (1948) **1/2 - Tough but ultimately forgettable crime drama in which escaped prisoner Dennis O'Kefee gets to act like a jerk to not one but two women who've been roped into his on-the-lam scamper against the law.
He Walked By Night (1948) ***1/2 - Solid procedural about the hunt for a criminal who kills a cop, shifting easily between the sweaty psychology of the killer and the level headed thinking of the cops on his trail.
Border Incident (1949) **** - Made right before his run of noirs would be over and he'd embark on a series of westerns throughout the 50's, Mann's "Border Incident" feels especially dark, full of heroic compromise and real-world nihilism that cancel each other out. It's also quite the prescient film. If not for a somewhat tacked-on voice over that closes the film with a hint of optimism, "Border Incident" could be released today and we'd all nod and agree that the problem is as divisive and violent as ever.
Reign of Terror (1949) **** - Though taking place within the Robespierrian subterfuge of late 18th century France, Anthony Mann's "Reigh of Terror" walks, talks and looks like a 40's American noir. With barely a frame of sunlight to brighten the elusive motivations of its various double and triple agents- all searching for a little black book of names that could derail or save France's future- the film is heavy in both mood and tempo. It's also a white-knuckle ride of close calls and searching deception. One of Mann's best films.
Side Street (1950) *** - Evocative use of night and shadow, which of course epitomizes most of the great film noirs, but Mann really spins it here as the darkness seems to be encroaching on the hapless man (Farley Granger) who makes a very bad decision.
The Furies (1950) *** - Beginning to transition from noir to nifty westerns, "The Furies" is an interesting bridge between both styles of film, keeping some of the arched melodrama of film noir against the expanse of the open range. Highly watchable.
Winchester '73 (1950) ***1/2 - The west as seen through the passing of a death maker (a Winchester rifle) and all the greed, blood and jealousy it holds. Interesting for how it stars Jimmy Stewart and then basically forgets about him for half of the film, instead focusing on the parameters of violence that ensue once he loses his prized possession. It's easy to see why this is a landmark 50's film, let alone a landmark western.
Devil's Doorway (1950) *** - What's most dispiriting about "Devil's Doorway" is the modern cancel culture shade of lens that has to be cast upon the film for using a pretty standard buff white male (Robert Taylor) as the lead in the film's otherwise sharp portrayal of society's greedy/burning desire to eliminate Native Americans (and specifically the land of Taylor's Indian homestead) from the Wyoming landscape. The film looks terrific.... features some especially thorny characterizations, but ultimately suffers every time it chooses to elevate Taylor as the brooding, sacrificial "red man".
The Tall Target (1951) ***1/2 - Applying the same veneer of shadowy film noir to an historical drama like he did with "Reign of Terror", this film pits an officer of the law tracking down a supposed assassin of Abraham Lincoln the night before a big speech. Taking place solely aboard a train and the steam-filled shadows of various midnight stops along the way, "The Tall Target" is expressive for how Mann maneuvers in tight quarters and pinches the tension to excessive heights.
Quo Vadis (1951) *1/2 - It's debatable how much of this Mann directed (credited fully to Mervin LeRoy), but regardless, it's a stodgy and infinitely boring recollection of the troubles in Rome just after the persecution of Jesus and Emperor Nero's bamboozled reign. Overacting is just one of the many problems, including a stolid Robert Taylor performance that see him as a protagonist we don't care about in a setting that feels like a cardboard stage. Pretty atrocious all around.
Bend of the River (1952) *** - Interesting for the way its more of an ensemble film about western expansion and how greed and politics rapidly divided the virgin territory. As a cowboy escorting a group of land squatters in the deep Northwest, Stewart is able again and "Bend of the River" continually surprises for the relationships built (and destroyed) by avarice and greed.
The Naked Spur (1953) **1/2 - Another in a line of westerns Mann made with Jimmy Stewart, "The Naked Spur" feels like the weakest of them yet (admittedly seen out of order with "The Man From Laramie" before this one). Yes, Stewart is tortured and relentless in his search to return outlaw Robert Ryan while romancing Vivian Leigh along the way, but all the beats of repressed guilt and laconic racism have been better expounded upon in far better films... and far better ones by Mann himself.
Thunder Bay (1953)- ***1/2 - More so than the Jimmy westerns, I much prefer this (never mentioned) oil-infested tale of Stewart as a wildcatter coming to the bayou of Louisianan and stirring up volatile tempers and long shot romance as he builds an off shore oil rig. The close-up of his face with electric eyes and a huge crooked smile as oil cascades over his entire body, was surely an inspiration for the single-minded fury of Daniel Day Lewis in "There Will Be Blood".
The Glenn Miller Story (1954) ** - Quite the rosy portrait of big band pioneer Glenn Miller. No warts at all, it's almost sunshine to the point of nausea.
The Far Country (1954) ***1/2 - A sense of jazz infects most of Mann's westerns with this one and after. It follows a certain plot (this time sees Jimmy Stewart trying to homestead in Alaska with the gold rush) but sort of drifts along as a tale of anti-hero protection as more corrupt forces impinge along the virgin landscape and threatens its honest citizens. Of course, Stewart finds himself doing the protecting. Characters drift in and out.... situations arise and fall back.... it's all handled very delicately and deliberately with a fine sense of landscape and hushed heroism.
Strategic Air Command (1955) ** - Re-teaming fictional husband and wife duo Jimmy Stewart and June Allyson from "The Glenn Miller Story", "Strategic Air Command" is all about the shuffling and dangerous duty of a 50 year old baseball player (?!) called back into active duty. Stewart seems especially in full Stewart shrift here and the film never raises above low-level pulse.
The Man From Laramie (1955) ***1/2 - Continuing on his amazing run of morally shaded westerns, "The Man From Laramie" is unique for how Mann (and actor Jimmy Stewart) manipulates the simple story of a drifter arriving in a new location into a complex examination of said man's influence on the society's black hole of greed, violence and contemptible familial lineage.
The Last Frontier (1955) ** - Victor Mature is poorly cast as a fur trader wrangled into the US Army as a scout during a territorial dispute with warring Indian tribes. It's said to be Mann's interpretation of "Fort Apache", but it's a film that sputters and stops every time Mature's maniacal interpretation sidles onto the screen.
Serenade (1956) ** - Following the life of a field worker who ascends to great heights as a vocalist (Mario Lanza), "Serenade" was probably a great film for all those mob guys to take their girlfriends to see on Saturday nights. For everyone else, not so much as flat acting and sleepwalking direction pretty much sinks everything else here.
Men In War (1957) *** - Tough vision of war that feels like a step brother to the films of Sam Fuller.
The Tin Star (1957) ***1/2 - Henry Fonda just adds gravitas to everything he touches. And so he does here in "The Tin Star" as a bounty hunter who saunters into town and ends up helping it and its green sheriff (Anthony Perkins) discover a moral compass. It's filmed efficiently and its themes of incorruptible manhood rank alongside the best of Mann's other films starring Jimmy Stewart.
God's Little Acre (1958) **1/2 - A prickly Southern soup of high emotions and sweaty horniness as a family comes apart at the seams while digging on the family farm for treasure. Robert Ryan is gruff as the patriarch trying to hold things together, and of course, it all goes bad.
Man From the West (1958) ***1/2- Revisiting the strong/silent type savior complex that's buried within most of Mann's westerns, "Man From the West: sees Gary Cooper embody the role as an ex-outlaw forced to protect a schoolteacher from his old gang. Lots of shifting tensions and cinematography that propel this film as one of the late highlights of Mann's fading interest in the genre.
Cimarron (1960) **1/2- Epic idea about the Oklahoma land settling rush starring a miscast Glenn Ford playing the all good hero fighting both Old West bullies and the array of problems that comes with starting a new life in an old land. Oddly, the film's supporting characters seem to draw more attention than its main ones.
El Cid (1961) ** - Bloated and tedious, "El Cid" suffers from old Hollywood and its penchant for telling ancient stories with old white men playing the leads. This time its Charlton Heston as the titular Cid, becoming a whitewashed hero of both Chrisrians and Moors. I'm over this type of thing.
The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964) **1/2 - Mann continues his foray into big budget Hollywood spectacle with this telling of ancient history mirrored through the glances of glamorous superstars and impeccable set design. I liked it a bit more than the others, but its still an example of heartless storytelling mired in early 60's spectacle.
The Heroes of Telemark (1965) ***1/2 -Sturdy men-on-a-mission war film starring Kirk Douglas and Richard Harris that takes place in a part of the world rarely shown during WWII- the snow-covered landscape of Norway and military subterfuge as the duo try to take out a key outpost for the Germans. Featuring some thrilling set pieces and a narrative that starts and stops with energetic action and framing, "The Heroes of Telemark" should be mentioned more often when talking about war 'actioners'.
A Dandy In Aspic (1966) *** - Mann's final film as he died during production. It's a shame because this spy film is a cold hearted blend of groovy techniques and stone cold emotions as Laurence Harvey plays both sides of the law trying to hunt down (or protect?) a double agent during the Cold War. With Mann adapting to some of the swinging 60's aesthetics, it would have been neat to see how he marched into the early 70's and the burgeoning New Wave of American cinema that found the old Hollywood stalwarts fumbling (Otto Preminger) or thriving (Nicholas Ray).
Unable to view: Moonlight In Havana, Nobody's Darling, My Best Gal
No comments:
Post a Comment