1955: On The Waterfront

Director: Elia Kazan

Production Company: Horizon Pictures
Leads: Marlon Brando, Karl Malden, Lee J. Cobb, Eva Marie Saint

"Hey, you wanna hear my philosophy of life? Do it to him before he does it to you." - Terry Malloy

Setting

Hoboken, New Jersey, USA, 1950s

The Plot 

The film follows Terry Malloy (Brando), an unwilling mobster running the local docks at the, well, waterfront. Once our antagonist meets Edie (Saint) he is torn between two worlds, will he follow the path that's dangerous to leave or follow his heart?

The Review

I haven't seen much in the way of gang genre films...Nuns on the Run and Some Like It Hot probably don't count, Angels with Filthy Souls certainly doesn't either.

It starts off with a bang and keep going from there, as we see both sides of the area run by the Mob; both within the Mob and those outside of it. 

Cobb plays an excellent Mob boss as Joe Friendly, cool calm and collected but also cold and intimidating. Marlon Brando is great but just doesn't cut it as a "bad guy" even when he's trying to be, whether it's the acting or the character I couldn't quite tell.
This was filmed at a time when a man could shut a woman up with a big kiss...and given Edie's quite reasonable reasons for hating him, Brando must have been one heck of a kisser! Given his pick-up line involved sayin how she used to look mess with hair like rope, it bordered on the ridiculous.
Edie was played by Eva Marie Saint, the last living cast member (at time of writing she's almost 100), a key character despite getting such a low billing. She deserved a higher spot honestly.

The Slap

Joe Friendly is the obvious choice, all the bad stuff leads back to Joey. And no, he's not friendly.

1954: From Here to Eternity

Director: Frank Zinnemann

Production Company: Columbia Pictures

Leads: Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Deborah Kerr, Frank Sinatra

"Ain't nothing wrong with a solider that ain't the matter with anyone else." - Private Robert E Lee Prewitt

Setting

Hawaii, USA, 1941

The Plot 

The story follows the lives of soldiers in the US Army based in Hawaii during World War II as they train and interact among themselves and in the local town. The main focus is on newly-transferred Robert E Lee Prewitt [Clift] the bugle-playing boxer who is bullied for not wanting to box on the regiment's team, and a blossoming romance between a Sergeant and the Captain's wife. 

The Review

The film spent a decent length of time getting to know the characters and relationships, so when things began to get more interesting I had been drawn in and cared about them (well some of them).
Most of the film was spent on the barracks and in the town's New Congress Club where membership includes snacks, soft drinks and "gentlemanly relaxation with the opposite gender". The "gentlemanly" way naturally included telling a waitress he liked buying beer from her so he can watch her walk away. Charming.

To the best of my recollection this was the first time I've seen Frank Sinatra in a film, he performed very well and I liked his character Maggio very much. He was a decent and genuine friend to anyone at the bottom of the pile, even ending up in the Stockade (Army prison) fighting for someone.

The bullying started very early on and it wasn't always easy to tell who's side some of them were on, Private Prewitt was picked on for not wanting to box on the boxing team, being a trained boxer. A sergeant tripped him up and punished him for falling over, even though overall he was an excellent (if not lippy) soldier once they trained him to stop marching like a "drunk gooney bird".

The storyline was careful to include details of Captain Holmes' infidelity [Philip Ober], even though we never saw it on screen; I guess this would help audiences of the day feel more supportive of his wife's extra-marital romance in what became one of the most famous sex scenes in cinematic history, it was filmed in the 1950s so don't get tooooo excited though ;-)

As the attack on Pearl Harbour didn't happen until right near the end, the film was mainly a behind-the-scenes story of wartime so there wasn't a great deal of war stuff going on.

I have to say I'm a little on the fence with this one, overall I didn't hate it but I felt more could have been done in less time and I was a bit perturbed at one of my favourite characters being killed of as if to say "OK look the film's almost over so let's see what we can do with this guy". 

The Slap

This goes to Sergeant 'Fatso' Judson [Ernest Borgnine] for being a cruel bully, making some of the soldiers' lives unnecessarily difficult.

1953: The Greatest Show On Earth

Director: Cecil B. DeMille

Production Company: Paramount Pictures

Leads: James Stewart, Charlton Heston, Betty Hutton

"Listen, sugar, the only way that you can keep me warm is to wrap me up in a marriage license." - Angel [Gloria Grahame]

Setting

On Tour, USA, 1950's

The Plot 

A fictional story based around the real-life Greatest Show On Earth by the Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey following the ins and outs of life on the road as Brad tries to keep his circus in the black and his stars happy. Love blossoms, loyalty is tested and claws come out as they band together to bring audiences across the country The Greatest Show on Earth.

The Review

No, this is not a 1950's version of The Greatest Showman although it is based on a partnership that included PT Barnum's company; in fact, the film used many performers from that circus which added plenty of sparkle to the circus scenes. 
The opening monologue, read apparently by Cecil B DeMille himself, gets you right in the mood for some serious entertainment! The dancers, clown, trapeze artists and animals came together for a spectacular show as we jump between the action and behind the scenes. A seemingly endless parade of colurful characters, animals and songs such as "Lovely Luawana Lady" performed by Holly [Hutton] with some suitably lovely ladies of Luwanian persuasion. Despite what PETA might have to say on the matter, I just wanted to go back and watch one of these reall full-blown circuses as they roll into town and put the show together, the noise, the anticipation, the roasted peanuts...
The dashing, womanising Adonis known as "The Great Sebastian" [Cornel Wilde] is brought in as the star act that will save the circus much to a chagrin of the ousted Holly though they quickly fall in love while dangerously trying to outdo each other's trapeze acts...seriously, why do women in movies always flock to the serial womaniser despite several warnings from his previous conquests? That torso though!
Overall it was a lot of fun with multiple sub-plots between the circus crew and certainly made circus life look exciting and it probably was, though I'm not sure if I'd be too keen on a blood transfusion if the acting medical professional was a clown called Buttons [Stewart]...
From amid the infighting, romance, fiascos, disasters and the odd criminal act or two comes the main point of the film's plot: the circus is a family and families stick together. As the Midway Barker [Edmond O'Brien] announced in the final monologue, you can shake the sawdust off your feet but you can't shake it outta your heart!

The Slap

This goes to Klaus [Lionel Bettger] who could be a poster boy for the #MeToo movement for his possessive harrasment of Angel and his attempted use of an elephant as a weapon. Plus his jealousy lead him to, well, what would be a pretty major spoiler alert so I'll zip it. Just trust me, he's a bad apple!

             

James Stewart (if you didn't recognise him), Cornel Wilde and Charlton Heston;      Betty Hutton and Gloria Grahame, two of the Torso's conquests

1952 - An American in Paris

Director: Vincente Minnelli

Production Company: MGM

Leads: Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron, Oscar Levant

"Back home everyone said I didn't have any talent. They might be saying the same thing over here but it sounds better in French." - Jerry Mulligan

Setting

Paris, France

The Plot 

Like it says on the tin, it's about an American in Paris. Bet you're glad I'm here to tell you that! Struggling artist Jerry Mulligan [Kelly] is trying to make it in the City of Lights where he seems to be more popular than his paintings. Throw in some funky moves, catchy songs and the much-required Triangle d'Amour and *bam* you got yourself a movie!

The Review

The film was a fun, if not slightly surreal, glimpse of post-WW2 Paris through the eyes of expat Americans.
Gene Kelly had fans the world over, he being one of them based on the lengthy Kelly-centric dance sequences! Leslie Caron nailed it as Kelly's dance partner, complementing each other beautifully throughout the sassy and comical sequences. The introduction of Lise [Caron] was by way of a fun and entertaining sequence of her dancing in various ways as her beau Henri [Georges Guétary] described her various character aspects, a creative way of introducing a character I thought.
The lengthy dance sequences occasionally detracted from the main storyline and I'd forgotten what was going on by the time they ended; later as a director of future films such as Singin' in the Rain, Gene Kelly was always adamant that dance/song sequences should always be telling the story and not just inserted, something he may have learnt from this film.
The characters were all entertaining to watch as they worked with each other to laugh, love and dance their way through the story and keep me entertained until the end. Milo [Nina Foch] loves Jerry, Jerry loves Lise, Lise is engaged to Henri...oh this is going to be a fun one to figure out!
The ending, I felt, was too convenient and annoyingly had too many loose ends (*groan).
From the amusing and enjoyable 'I Got Rhythm' to the more intimate 'Embraceable You', it was visually spectacular and fun to watch. French language references in song and dialogue would have made more sense to the audience of the day, since I gather it was a subject most would have been taught at school...Jerry's habit of popping English words in when his French runs out was also one of my old high school traits!
It was, overall, a cheerful escape and a lot of fun. The dance numbers may have dragged on to hammer home Gene Kelly's talents but hey...it had rhythm, it had music, who could ask for anything more?

The Slap

All characters were so sickeningly nice, I'm awarding the Slap to the character who performed the most selfless act, Henri Baurel.

1951 - All About Eve

Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Production Company: Twentieth Century Fox

Leads: Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, George Sanders

"There comes a time that the piano realizes that it has not written the concerto!" - Lloyd Richards

Setting

New York City, USA

The Plot 

Margo Channing [Davis] is the current star of the New York theatre scene, when a wannabe under the guise of a fan-cum-secretary-cum-wingwoman called Eve Harrington [Baxter] appears at the theatre. The women seem instantly to like each other, but soon things unravel as multiple characters start to manipulate each other for their own agendas and struggle to know whom to trust.

The Review

They make use of narration during an extensive analysis of an awards scene, as Eve Harrington [Baxter] receives the prestigious Sarah Siddons Award (fictitious at the time of the film). The narrator, famed journalist Addison DeWitt [Sanders], introduces the main characters including Margo who has a face like thunder. Why? We'll soon find out!
Most of the film is in retrospect but only narrated at the start by Addison, Karen Richards [Celeste Holm] and Margo, we see a seemingly innocent and gushing Eve enter the scene. Let the games begin! The love-hate relationship rotates throughout.
The film paints a double-angled picture of the theatre scene; on one hand glitzy and glamorous, on the other manipulative and shrewd. Trust no one. Except me 😇. Snaps to Margo's BFF and handmaiden Birdie Coonan [Thelma Ritter], she had Eve pinned from the get-go; as the film progresses, the characters' (and audience's) opinions of each character change throughout as everyone seems to be up to something! 
The famed battle between playwright and player is also well-covered as they throw analogies at each other; I liked the simplistic desire of Margo for him to write her a play about "a nice normal woman who just shoots her husband". I'd probably go see that actually!
The fairly new up-and-coming star Marilyn Monroe makes an early appearance as Miss Casswell, it's interesting seeing a big name before they were a big name. She carries the role of a starlet very well so it's hardly surprising she became one in real life.
Margo's monologue about the role of a woman vs a career was probably widely-accepted at the time but these days? Ouch! She feared her man Bill [Gary Merrill] wanted to marry Margo the famous actress and not Margo the woman; as life often imitates art, the two actors married after the film's release but later divorced feeling Bill had married Margo Channing and not Bette Davis herself. Sad.
Now I'm not one to gossip but...Anne Baxter lobbied hard to be submitted for the Best Actress Oscar® rather than Best Supporting Actress. This placed both her and Bette Davis in the running which split the vote and they both lost out to Judy Holliday. Oh Anne...
The film remains of of the Top 100 Films of All Time, a wonderfully-written and engaging script and a fantastic cast...they even got on with Bette Davis off -camera, aside from Celeste Holm but there's always one.

The Slap

Well this was tricky, every time I wrote down a nominee they either didn't deserve it or were trumped by somebody else! Most of the leads were manipulating each other so the Slap, for the first time in my blog so far, goes to the entire lead cast. Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy night!

1950 - All The King's Men

Director: Robert Rossen

Production Company: Columbia Pictures

Leads: Broderick Crawford, John Ireland, Joanne Dru

"There's something on everybody; a man is conceived in sin and born in corruption." - Willie Stark

Setting

Kanoma City, Kanoma County, USA

The Plot 

The films follows, and is partially narrated by, journalist Jack Burden [Ireland] who is sent to follow political candidate Willie Stark [Crawford] as "they say he's an honest man" campaigning against corruption in the current government. Their lives remain intertwined far beyond the campaign through to his reign as Governor and his own demise.

The Review

The official plot description made it sound a lot less interesting than it actually was! We meet journalist Jack Burden as his leave is cancelled and he's sent to Kanoma County to look into a fiery new candidate Willie Stark, described as rather an honest fellow.
As Lord Acton famously said, "absolute power corrupts absolutely". This film demonstrates that concept as we watch Stark rise from fighting corruption to using his "little black book of sin and corruption" to bully, manipulate and blackmail his way through his incumbency. The film was based on the book, which was loosely (and unofficially) based on real-life Governor of Louisiana Huey Long whose name was banned from being uttered on set. In the film the state wasn't specified and Kanoma County doesn't exist, so snaps for covering their tracks!
The acting was convincing throughout the film, thanks to director Robert Rossen who gave the cast one read of the script and took it away to give the dialogue a more natural flow, furthermore giving extras their own speaking parts and filming rehearsals. It seemed to work as Broderick picked up his own Oscar for Best Supporting Actor and the ferocious Mercedes McCambridge took out Best Supporting Actress. Amusingly, McCambridge was cast after she was kept waiting too long at the audition and yelling at the producers before storming out; I'm not sure that's a great tip for aspiring actors but hey it worked for Merc so why not give it a whirl!
It was a great film but I did find it quite sad to watch the underdog become so vicious while fighting the very corruption he was set to follow, even to the point of almost running his own impeachment trial! The film was certainly food for thought; having a good heart doesn't make one immune to having it tainted if it's not guarded.

The Slap

This goes to our leading man Willie Stark, who else? I don't recall another character that made me change my view them so dramatically during one film! First he's the underdog trying to fight for justice, then he's a ruthless and manipulative tyrant crapping on anybody who gets in his way. 

1949 - Hamlet

Director: Laurence Olivier

Production Company: Two Cities Films

Leads: Laurence Olivier, Jean Simmons, Basil Sydney

"When sorrows come, they come not single spies. But in battalions!" - Claudius

Setting

Denmark, c 1200's

The Plot 

The storyline follows Hamlet [Olivier], who has recently lost his father the King and is in deep depression after his father pops back to explain he was in fact murdered. Hamlet goes on a mighty mission to prove it and reclaim the throne from his uncle.

The Review

It is said the highly esteemed Laurence Olivier hand-picked the cast and got the title role (fair enough); he did an excellent job of this although I'm not convinced Eileen Herlie, a woman 11 years younger than him, was the best choice for his mother!
I found the acting overall to be a lot more natural than the dreadful wooden BBC versions they used to make us watch at high school, partly why I was apprehensive of watching this 2.5-hour masterpiece. Fortunately it was an enjoyable interpretation...or as enjoyable as a tragedy can be when everyone is miserable, dead and/or insane. Although the script is a long one, it was never dull and kept the audience drawn in. It was the naturalness of the characters that made the archaic medieval English easy to follow and understand, it drew me in to what was going on and their effective use of shading and fog made the ghost scene really quite chilling.
All these centuries later I found so many common clichés originate from Hamlet, 'to thine own self be true' for one, so the old Bard is everywhere, there is no escape! An actor in what is known as 'the play within the play" made a subtle reference to Julius Caesar, another of William Shakespeare's works (see what he did there?) so perhaps the play was written just before a re-release and they needed a little 16th century-style product placement! Ophelia [Simmons] has a remarkably pure singing voice which was a pleasure to listen to and Felix Aylmer pulled off the devious and manipulative Polonius flawlessly; on the flip-side the "flamboyant water-fly" Osric was a touch overplayed by Peter Cushing.
So there. My first Shakespearean review since 1999!

The Slap

This definitely goes to our nasty Lord Chamberlain Polonius, making a bad situation worse by his conniving manipulative ways. Even his cliché-packed speech to Laertes in Act 1 couldn't save him, as wise as his advice was.

1948 - Gentleman's Agreement

Director: Elia Kazan

Production Company: 20th Century Fox

Leads: Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire, John Garfield

"I've come to see lots of nice people who hate it and deplore it and protest their own innocence, then help it along and wonder why it grows." - Phil Green

Setting

New York City, United States

The Plot 

Widowed journalist Phil Green [Peck] arrives in New York with his young son and mother. His first task is to write a series on anti-Semitism, of which he knows the facts but lacks the experience; he decides to tell everyone he's Jewish and research anti-Semitism first-hand, finding it alive and well and from some surprising sources.

The Review

We interrupt this review for a short history lesson; at the time of writing this review, anti-Semitism is an apt topic given the current situation in the Middle East. To put things in perspective, in the post-war 1940s anti-Semitism in the USA had declined after the Holocaust became public knowledge; that said, Jews were still seen as 'godless' people who controlled the money and stayed wealthy. Some pre-war attitudes still remained and there was concern about the millions of refugee Jews in Europe trying to get into the United States. Got it? Great!

A film showing any form of racism tends to get my blood boiling, so reading the plot didn't thrill me entirely; that's the point of this thing though, to see these award-winning films and I'm glad I did. Anti-Semitism, for me, brings to mind such things as racial slurs, Holocaust etc but it goes much deeper than that. It's the change in demeanour when someone knows you're a Jew, it's feigned acceptance "Oh I have friends who are Jewish"; actually Anne Dettrey [Celeste Holm] nails that one with "I know dear, and some of your other best friends are Methodist but you never bother to say it". These are attitudes that are much harder to see from the outside looking in, this film gave a unique angle from the perspective of someone experiencing the receiving end of this treatment for the first time but unlike a Jew he hadn't had a lifetime to get used to it.

Phil Green gains valuable insight, and brings us on the journey with him as he encounters anti-Semitism from his family, friends and even ironically from some Jews; also witnessing his young son dealing with it which provided us with yet another angle. Unfortunately Peck's performance is not particularly as warm as one would expect from an empathetic character; it also seemed a little on the fast side to get engaged within days of meeting his fiancée Kathy [McGuire]! 

Although the movie doesn't solve the issue, it does make the audience think about it and perhaps even consider their own behaviour towards others. I liked the way it dealt mainly with the much more subtle forms in anti-Semitism, which would no doubt have caused the audiences of the day to look inside themselves like Kathy and wonder if they may have some of those attitudes. A great and thought-provoking film!

The Slap

The hotel manager at the Flume Inn, blatantly running a 'restricted' (non-Jew) hotel and turning Phil away despite having a reservation. 

1947 - The Best Years of Our Lives

Director: William Wyler

Production Company: Samuel Goldwyn Company

Leads: Fredric March, Dana Andrews, Myrna Loy

"Everything'll settle down nicely. Unless we have another war, then none of us have to worry because we'll all be blown to bits the first day. So cheer up, huh?" - Butch Engle

Setting

Boone City (fictional), United States

The Plot 

Three World War 2 heroes return home, meeting on the same flight and share a cab dropping each other home as they nervously step out and into their old/new lives. Captain Fred Derry [Andrews] was married for less than 20 days when he went to war and finds his wife has a new job and an apartment he can't seem to find; Sergeant Al Stephenson [March] comes home to his now grown up kids and tries to fall back in love with his charming wife Milly [Loy]; sailor Homer Parrish [Harold Russell] lost both hands in the Navy and has to adjust to life back at home with parents and fiancee with his surprisingly agile hook hands.

The Review

The film avoids any particular angle on WWII or war in general, focusing more on the post-war issues of readjustment to normal life. One minor character had a whinge about the US fighting a war that wasn't theirs to fight, which was interesting as a previous Best Picture Oscar-winner Mrs Miniver helped convince them to get involved in the first place!
Naturally the film needs a touch of drama so bring on the predictable love triangle, a battle with alcoholism, the argument of love vs pity, and a good ol' man-on-man punch up. There we go, much better! I was a tad jealous as the men flew home in the windowed nose of a plane, the view certainly put Emirates' nose cameras to shame. I enjoyed the wise counsel from Homer's Uncle Butch, owner of the local watering hole, a combination of calming yet depressing at the same time. Quite the talent.
The cast interacted well and the plot had a serious side interspersed with plenty of fun along the way, though one theoretically important supporting character just vanished form the story-line and one major subplot also ended when it had a chance to conclude. What is it with loose ends in films? Grrr...
It did show me an angle of war I had never previously considered: coming home to normality. After the cheery welcomes and a chance to sleep in your own bed, life can seem strange when you've become used to danger...you can also feel in the way amid a family who has become used to you only being around via letters in the mail. Imagine leaving you kids in their early teens and coming to see them as adults, the robbery of war goes beyond the battlefields and lasts long after it's over.

The Slap
This goes to Marie Derry [Virginia Mayo], the mysterious wife of the Captain...after waiting half the film to meet her she turns out to be a bit of a cow!

1946 - The Lost Weekend

Director: Billy Wilder

Production Company: Paramount

Leads: Ray Milland, Jane Wyman, Phillip Terry

"We're both trying, Don; you're trying not to drink and I'm trying not to love you." - Helen St James

Setting

New York, United States

The Plot 

Based on the novel by Charles R Jackson, the film follows Don Birnam, an alcoholic writer who has writer's block when he's sober and doesn't even try when he's drunk. Tricky. We meet his two alter-egos 'Don the Drunk' and 'Don the Writer'; we also meet the people in his world, of both positive and negative influence.

The Review

We meet Don ten days into his sobriety, or so he says with a whiskey bottle secretly hanging out his window, and heading away for a weekend with his brother. This turns out to be a weekend alone on a desperate bender of drinking, stealing, philosophising and doing anything to find one more drink. Don turns out to be a very lucky man having a girlfriend in Helen who stands by him no matter what. We gain an understanding of how deep his issues go, he tells how he intended suicide on his 30th birthday but pawned his gun so he could have a drink first...so neither of his alter-egos are thinkers but ironically this saved his life.
The Lost Weekend gives an honest and realistic angle to alcoholism, despite his flaws I did sympathise with Don due to his genuineness and obvious inner turmoil. He pours his heart out to his bartender friend Nat [Howard Da Silva] who seems to be torn between running the bar and making money by selling him drinks, and encouraging him to give up the drink. In here Gloria [Doris Dowling] makes an entrance with her "loathsome abbreviations" such as 'natch' and 'ridic', she and Don clearly have history we don't know about; she becomes a short sub-plot as a ghost of the past luring him back to his old lifestyle that doesn't really go anywhere. Now I'm not one to gossip but she was also director Billy Wilder's mistress off-set, wonder how she landed the part eh?
I'm accustomed to seeing alcoholic characters has either bad/violent or comical in films, this is the first one I've seen solely based around the character and showing all aspects of his life. Far from comical, the genuine performances show the level of destruction the disease can cause not only to the person but those around him, and how influential one determined friend can be if they refuse to give up.

The Slap

Mr Brophy the bottle shop owner, he knew Don was drying out and was asked not to sell him any liquor. Two bottles of whiskey later...

1945 - Going My Way

Director: Leo McCarey

Production Company: Paramount

Leads: Bing Crosby, Barry Fitzgerald, Frank McHugh

"All churches have mortgages, it isn't respectable for a church not to have one.' - Ted Haines Sr

Setting

New York, United States

The Plot 

Father O'Malley [Crosby] arrives at a struggling parish led by an old-school priest, he earnestly works his way into the community and unites a previously-divided parish. Torn between the aged and stubborn Father Fitzgibbon [McHugh] and the rebellious turkey-stealing Tony Scaponi Street Gang, Father O'Malley [Crosby] uses his gentle character and soothing singing voice to unite the community in a very Sister Act 2 kind of way, with a little help from his friends.

The Review

It has to be said, there is something quite charming about Bing Crosby as he juggles the roles of making an older generation younger, and a younger generation grow up. He bounces well off his co-stars Barry Fitzgerald and their loving housekeeper Mrs Carmody [Eily Malyon]; it is enjoyable to watch their characters develop together as the film progresses with his cheeky friend Father O'Dowd [McHugh] whom he has known since he was "knee-high to a niblick".
The film brings with it a wonderful supporting cast including singers Risë Stevens as old flame Genevieve and Jean Heather as young but unconvincing runaway Carol; we also meet ruthless mortgagor Ted Haines Sr [Gene Lockhart] and his ridiculously sweet-natured son Ted Haines Jr [James Brown] as they try to foreclose the church. We were treated to the talents of the real-life Robert Mitchell Boy Choir who played the street gang-cum-choir; combined with the talents of Crosby and Stevens we see some memorable musical pieces including the title track Going My Way, Swing on a Star and a beautiful rendition of Ave Maria.
The film also brings the best on-screen slap I have ever seen, a novel way to convince a rebel to join a choir!
I loved every minute of it, it is a warm and delightful film about community and seeing the best in people. Predictable perhaps in some places, but mainly because the themes have been copied so many times since.

The Slap

With so many charming characters, and a less-than-charming one who redeemed himself...this was tricky. The slap is going to have to go to Ted Haines Jr [James Brown], for his vomit-worthy line describing his new wife: "I've been in a blue heaven dancing on a pink cloud, she came in on a moonbeam." Seriously? Urgh.

1944 - Casablanca

Director: Michael Curtiz

Production Company: Warner Brothers

Leads: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid

"Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine" - Rick Blaine

Setting

Casablanca, Morocco, World War II

The Plot 

During World War II, many refugees flee to Casablanca and await the rare and highly-prized exit visas to get them to Portugal as the gateway to the United States. Here we meet Rick Blaine the revered and hard-hearted owner of the aptly named night spot Rick’s, and Ilsa the woman who made him that way.

The Review

Rick Blaine [Bogart] is rarely impressed by anyone… until the name of Victor Laszlo [Henreid] is mentioned, the multi escapee and concentration camp survivor wanted on all sides. He must not, under any circumstances, be allowed to leave Casablanca. Unfortunately for Rick, who insists he sticks his neck out for nobody, Laszlo has Rick’s old flame Ilsa [Bergman] with him. Oh. Dear.
Rick is the ultimate man’s man; cool calm and collected, always in control and revered by all who know him. He moves seamlessly to maintain relationships on both sides of the law, from the criminal on the run to the Chief of Police. There is something about Humphrey Bogart that just commands respect and a little awe, maybe it’s the nonchalant expression or the deep voice…I'm sure he wore Old Spice as well to drive it home. 
Ingrid Bergman was equally compelling as Ilsa with her radiant beauty and seductive voice…the chemistry between her and Bogart leaves us guessing just who was fooling who.
The wonderful supporting cast told us of a time of fear and manipulation masked by joy and party-going. They steered clear of a strong political slant and didn't take as many pot-shots at Germany as they could have gotten away with, though snaps for hiring genuine Jewish refugees amid the cast. They did put together an impressive choral anthem coalition of the German ‘Die Wacht am Rhein’ and French ‘La Marseillaise’. The French won that round…not surprising given most of the audience hated Germany at the time. It was not without its comic relief, with Curt Bois playing the Italian pickpocket who warned people about pickpockets and Claude Rains playing the "poor corrupt official" Captain Renault who we're never completely sure about but Rick describes him as "just like any other man, only more so".
Then there was our lounge singer Sam (yes we knew there was a Sam didn't we?), played by Dooley Wilson, a true master of those rich Southern Black vocals as he leads the punters through catchy renditions of “Knock On Wood” [below] and the now-famous “As Time Goes By”. Sam provided entertainment as well as a link between the present and past Rick-Ilsa relationship, a character who is hard to not to love. And nobody said the famous line “play it again Sam”…though Ilsa came close.
The film, I must say, was close to perfect. The plot was relevant, engaging and yet not too predictable; it kept me guessing and surprised me several times. I am adding this to my list of favourites; this could be the start of a beautiful friendship…

The Slap

After rounding up the usual suspects, I award this to Major Strasser (well it was always going to go to a German wasn't it?). Some characters had two sides, Strasser had only one: bastard.

1943 - Mrs Miniver

Director: William Wyler

Production Company: MGM

Leads: Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon, Teresa Wright

"This is the people's war...fight it then! Fight it with all that is in us, and may God defend the right." - The Vicar

Setting

Balham, England, 1939

The Plot 

The film follows Mrs Miniver as she tries to keep house as best she can during the start of World War 2. We are given a snapshot of British life at the start of the war, not only the battle scars but also the love among a community determined to keep calm and carry on

The Review

At first Mrs Miniver seemed slightly air-headed but soon showed her strong character when she found an armed German pilot under a rose bush (as one does); the love with her husband was as passionate as could be portrayed in the 1940s: playful, affectionate and twin beds. None of that on our screens thank you very much. Clem Miniver was strongly played by Pidgeon (previously seen in my review of How Green Was My Valley which you totally read). There was a beautiful chemistry between their son Vincent [Richard Ney] and his belle Carol [Wright], who return from their honeymoon to find their bedroom all set up for a 1940s marriage…with twin beds. Vincent was so charming and so good-looking I was waiting for him to do something stupid but no, he remained just one plate of chocolate brownies away from perfection...Greer Garson certainly thought so and they married after the film was done, presumably they got out of character first. The reluctant in-law Lady Beldon, not unlike Lady Bracknell from The Importance of Being Earnest, was well-played by Dame May Whitty and I enjoyed watching her character develop and gain some much-needed warmth.

Released as a form of propaganda, it is important to note that Mrs Miniver was filmed and released during World War 2 itself. Every single member of those first audiences could relate to it in some capacity, giving the film an honest and genuine feel as it would not have been possible to either exaggerate or understate without the British audience being aware…for the American audience it was an eye-opener that helped trigger their assistance and according to Winston Churchill the film and the book on which it was based were worth "six divisions of war effort". The sound effects were chilling in places, especially paired with the genuine fear portrayed on screen by the cast (though the cat slept through it). In case some missed the point, the Vicar’s speech at the end of the film hammered it home and was a speech of such brilliance President Roosevelt printed it on leaflets and dropped them over Europe. It wasn't just a tear-jerker, it was honest and engaging throughout and gave an excellent portrayal of life during the war but off the battlefields, an angle that shows war heroes are not just the ones in uniform.

The Slap

This goes to the unnamed German pilot for threatening the life of a tougher-than-expected housewife for the sake of bread and milk. Miststück!

The Miniver Family