TCM Presents... We're No Angels (1955)

Director: Michael Curtiz
Screenwriter(s): Albert Husson (play) & Ranald MacDougall
Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Peter Ustinov, & Aldo Ray
Genre(s): comedy/crime/romance
Premiere: July 7th, 1955
Run Time: 106 minutes
Producer(s): Pat Duggan
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
My Rating: ★★★★

Taglines: A strangler... A swindler... A safecracker... Yet you'll love them!




Movie Trailer:


Storyline: At Christmas, three prisoners - Joseph, Albert and Jules - escape from Devil Island to a French small coastal town. They decide to rob a store, to get some money and clothes and travel by ship to another place. They pretend to be there to fix the roof, but pretty soon they realize that the financial condition of the family Ducotel is not good. Andre Tochard, the selfish and mean owner of the establishment, exploits the family Ducotel. The three convicts spend Christmas night with the Ducotels and are so well treated by the family that they decide to help them. Their pet will help them to fix the situation.

My Review: Whenever I think of the great Humphrey Bogart movies I always put this one in my top three of favorites and almost everyone doesn't know which this is. Granted it's no Casablanca, Key Largo, The Maltese Falcon, or The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, but to me, it's his most honest and human role he's played. Take an escaped convict with a heart and you get the makings of a great feel good movie. This isn't one of the popular Christmas movies like White Christmas, but this is a movie that takes place during Christmas therefore it can and should be seen around this time of year at least once.

This has got everything you could be looking for if you want a lighter Bogart movie. Stellar acting from the entire cast mixed with comedy, drama, romance, and a side of murder. What more could you ask for?

TCM Presents...The Two Mrs. Carrolls

 



Title: The Two Mrs. Carrolls

Director: Peter Godfrey

Screenwriter(s): Thomas Job & Martin Vale

Producer: Jack L. Warner & Mark Hellinger

Distributor: Warner Bros.

In Theaters: March 4th, 1947

Run Time: 99 minutes

Color: B&W

Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Barbara Stanwyck, Alexis Smith, & Nigel Bruce

Genre(s): crime/drama/film-noir/thriller

Storyline: Struggling artist Geoffrey Carroll meets Sally whilst on holiday in the country. A romance develops but he doesn’t tell her he’s already married. Suffering from mental illness, Geoffrey returns home where he paints an impression of his wife as the angel of death and then promptly poisons her. He marries Sally but after a while he finds a strange urge to paint her as the angel of death too and history seems about to repeat itself. Written by Col Needham

Movie Trailer:

My Review: According to Robert Osbourne this is one of the Bogart movies that many critics felt he over acted. I would disagree. The man was portraying a mentally ill person, bordering on schizophrenia in my opinion. Back during this time period when there were no green screens, the actors relied on their ability to make a facial expression worth a thousand words. So many actors from the 30’s-70’s were experts at moving the story along through the expression on their face. Humphrey Bogart simply over exercised his facial muscles in, what he probably assumed, was the only way to let the audience know he was insane. For me, it worked brilliantly.

Ms. Stanwyck was superb in the scene when she discovers her husband whom she loves deeply is poisoning her in the same fashion that he poisoned his first wife. The first Mrs. Carroll. I appreciate Barbara Stanwyck’s performance in this movie because it further emphasizes what I knew about her all along. She’s a damn good actress. Her voice, for me, is the most distinct feature about her. I could close my eyes and recognize her voice instantly. It’s very deep and sultry and commands to be heard. In her library of movies this is a good addition to showcase how broad an actor she was.

There are a few minor players surrounding the two main characters as well. Alexis Smith for instance who plays the woman who Bogart has chosen to be his third wife after he’s gotten rid of his current wife of course. What amazes me is that no other person around him sees just how crazy he really is but her and she still is willing to love him and live with him. It just goes to show that women see what they want to see and when it comes to love they are blind to what’s right in front of their face.

His daughter, for me, is the most vital part of this movie. Without her the audience can easily forget just how human he is. True he is crazy, but when it comes to his daughter he is attentive, loving, and caring. She also is the only woman in his life who knows and understands his work as a painter better than even he knows it. She is supposed to be no older than 12 yet she speaks like that of a 40 year old woman. There is nothing she is afraid of. I believe she secretly knew her father was slowly killing her mother. That scene where he’s about to administer what will be the final and lethal dose to his first wife and his daughter says to him, “I will follow you anywhere and do anything you want me to do because I know what you’re doing is in my best interest.” I’m paraphrasing of course. It was her way of letting him know that she understands and will love him always no matter what he does or who he kills, even if it is her biological mother. That girl is the anomaly in the whole movie yet without her there would be no story.

If you’ve never seen Humphrey Bogart or if you’ve only seen him in a role of the cool guy, this is a great movie to see. It will open your eyes to just how great an actor he is, being able to play a role that no one would have ever imagined he’d be able to play.

My Rating: A

Casablanca (1942) (Movie Review)

Title: Casablanca

Director: Michael Curtiz

Screenwriters: Julius J. & Philip G. Epstein, Howard Koch, Casey Robinson

Producer: Hal B. Wallis

Distributor: Warner Bros.

Production Company: Warner Bros.

In Theaters: November 26th, 1942

Run Time: 102 minutes

Color: Black and White

Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, Claude Rains

Genre(s): drama/romance/war

Storyline: In World War II Casablanca, Rick Blaine, exiled American and former freedom fighter, runs the most popular nightspot in town. The cynical lone wolf Blaine comes into the possession of two valuable letters of transit. When Nazi Major Strasser arrives in Casablanca, the sycophantic police Captain Renault does what he can to please him, including detaining Czech underground leader Victor Laszlo. Much to Rick’s surprise, Lazslo arrives with Ilsa, Rick’s one time love. Rick is very bitter towards Ilsa, who ran out on him in Paris, but when he learns she had good reason to, they plan to run off together again using the letters of transit. Well, that was their original plan…. Written by Gary Jackson

Movie Trailer:



My Review: I have seen this movie dozens of times. But none of those times moved me to near tears and utter joy than when I got to watch this movie on the big screen. The best part was of course the movie but the added bonus was the special introduction from none other than Robert Osbourne. If you’ve EVER watched a movie on TCM (Turner Classic Movies) then you know exactly who that is. He is the be all and end all of interesting facts about all “older” movies. But back to Casablanca! If you’ve never seen this movie and saw it for the first time on the big screen just how amazed were you? And if you missed it, I highly recommend seeing it, even if it’s on your 1080p HDTV. On any size screen it will do the trick. If you’re not moved to watch more black & white movies, at the very least, more Humphrey Bogart movies (I recommend Key Largo!) then I throw up my hands in disbelief!

This movie has more “money-maker” lines than ANY movie I’ve ever seen and I’ve seen plenty! Some catchy phrases that I’m sure you’ve heard used in other movies or sitcoms would be:

“Here’s lookin’ at you kid.”
“Play it again Sam.”
“Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine.”
“Kiss me…kiss me as if it were the last time.”
“Round up the usual suspects.”
“Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”

And one of my MANY favorites: “Who are you really, and what were you before? What did you do and what did you think?”

This movie appeals to both men and women. The men get the satisfaction of war, a “hot woman” (for that time period of course), and a leading man who was respected by men and helplessly fawned over by women. It’s obvious why women love this movie as well. It’s the quintessential romance movie. There is a real sense of love and loss from the main characters but also from the co-stars as well. I’d be so bold to say Humphrey Bogart’s portrayal of Rick is the smoothest, coolest, and yet right amount of weakness I’ve ever seen in a character. You don’t see acting like THIS anymore. Every character, every line (spoken and unspoken) were necessary and delivered with such dedication I’m amazed it did not sweep EVERY award it was nominated for. Best of all, although this movie takes place during WWII, a time when people were truly afraid for their lives and would do just about anything to escape to “the free world” (America), this movie is filled with a necessary humor. The balance of war, patriotism, romance, history and humor is amazingly executed.

The best part about watching this movie in the movie theater were those around me. We laughed together, we clapped together. Lines I heard dozens of times before came alive when I was in the company of strangers who felt the same way I did, in awe of this masterpiece. There were many moments of clapping before the movie started and when the movie finished, but the most memorable for us all would be when Rick was talking to Major Strasser:

Heinze: Can you imagine us in London?
Rick: When you get there, ask me.
Renault: Diplomatist.
Strasser: Well, how about New York?
Rick: Well, there are certain sections of New York, Major, that I wouldn’t advise you to try to invade.

My Rating: A+

Will you…Run And Tell That?