Ah Wilderness. 1935

 

Starring: Wallace Beery

Problems of a small-town family at the turn of the century.

A disappointing way to end the year, nothing of interest at all in this one despite yet another performance by the prolific Mickey Rooney.    2/10

Mr Soft Touch 1949

 

Starring: Glenn Ford

A gangster is reformed at Christmas by a social worker.

Alternative, low key gangster movie that takes a while to take off. Interesting alternative Christmas though.     4/10

Three Sailors And A Girl. 1953

 

Starring: Jane Powell

A ship's funds are unofficially invested in a musical show.

Surprising how few movies Gordon Macrae made, a routine musical with nothing overly original or toe-tapping.      5/10

Family Honeymoon. 1948

 Starring: Claudette Colbert

A college professor marries a widow whose three children join them on their Grand Canyon honeymoon.

This is just good, family friendly fun. Nothing much more to add, it's a movie that puts a smile ob your face with Phyllis the maid pretty much stealing the show.        6/10

Tammy And The Bachelor. 1957

 

Starring: Debbie Reynolds

A backwards tomboy falls for a stranded flier.

What a delight! I had a constant smile on my face throughout. Stunning locations, especially the houseboat, Debbie Reynolds is perfect as the young, charming Louisiana girl who is thrust into a different World. Loved it.    9/10

Big Trouble. 1984

 

Starring: Peter Falk

Two incompetent con men try to swindle an insurance company.

Movies like this are so frustrating. Cracking cast including the lovely Beverly D'Angelo who was a real favourite of mine from this era. The start was terrific with the scene well sent and it then descended into a muddled silliness. Such a disappointment.     4/10

A stranger In My Arms. 1959

 

Starring: June Allyson

A test pilot falls in love with his dead friend's widow and helps her face up to her in-laws.

Jeff Chandler id grounded, similarly this movie takes a while to take off. Stick with it, the melodrama builds to a great climax with Mary Astor terrific. Interesting to see Sandra Dee, famous from the Grease song and yet rarely seen.        6/10

A Good Man In Africa. 1993

 

Starring: Colin Friels

In a West African nation, the womanizing British 1st Secretary of the High Commissioner deals with different issues.

Watched this as a tribute to the great Sean Connery who passed away this week. A silly, light-hearted romp with no historical accuracy but it did put a smile on my face. Hell of a cast with Lithgow, Whalley-Kilmer, Riggings & Gossett Jr. also on show. Connery is stately and head and shoulders is the best thing in this movie. RIP Sean and thank you.    7/10

The Serpent And The Rainbow. 1987

 

Starring: Bill Pullman

A scientist travels to Haiti to investigate zombies.

Zombie movies these days are ten a penny and mostly rubbish. This movie is different, it has believable people, is well acted with good effects and is vaguely terrifying. Bill Pullman with his gentle drawl is a terrific actor when he's given good material and I thought he was great in this. A real Halloweeen surprise.      7/10

Jupiter's Darling 1954

 

Starring: Esther Williams

Advancing on Rome, Hannibal falls in love with the dictator's fiancee.

A little thin on plot, this seemed like an excuse for Esther Williams to be spend a lot of time underwater and Howard Keel to belt out songs. Harmless enough and I thoroughly enjoyed the dance number with the elephants.     6/10

Cry -Baby. 1990

 

Starring: Johnny Depp

A delinquent rock 'n' roll singer falls in love with an upper-class girl.

A poor man's Grease but without the charm or charisma. Like so many of Depp's movies, it's just a little odd. Still, the music is great and it's worth watching for that.     5/10

The Lone Wolf Spy Hunt. 1939

 

Starring: Warren Williams

A group of "spies" is after the plans for an anti-aircraft gun, and the leader uses the opportunity to embroil the Lone Wolf in the plot. Trying to settle an old score, this shady character implicates his old nemesis by forcing him to crack the safe where the plans are stored.

About a dozen short films were made with this character and this is the first that I've seen. Light hearted and kind of fun without having any great weight behind it.     4/10

Return To Macon County 1975

 

Starring: Nick Nolte

In the fifties, two wandering youths pick up a waitress and have serious trouble with a manic Policeman in America's unfriendliest area.

Routine road, buddy movie but win Nolte & Don Johnson, two serious A list  actors and worth watching for that. Lots to enjoy or you could just sit back and admire the scenery.        7/10

Laxdale Hall 1952

 

Starring:  Raymond Huntley

MPs are sent to investigate a tiny Hebridean island which refuses to pay road tax.

Charming, amusing, delightful scenery and a gentle accent you could listen to all day. Nothing changes, MPs hopelessly out of touch!     7/10

Peg Of Old Drury. 1935

 

Starring: Anna Neagle

The romance of 18th-century actress Peg Woffington with David Garrick

Cobwebs hanging off of this movie it seemed so old. Kind of charming though and Cedric Hardwicke was terrific as Garrick.   5/10

Go West Young Lady. 1940

 

Starring: Glenn Ford

A lawless Western town expects a sheriff who turns out to be a girl.

What an amusing little movie with some great songs and dance numbers, feel good stuff with Penny Singleton terrific.         8/10

The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins 1971

 

Starring: Bruce Forsyth

Compendium of comedy sketches, a variable ragbag of old jokes.

Well, it's not a movie. Interesting to see a catalogue of well known and much loved comedians, sadly pretty much every sketch misses the mark. The segment with Harry H Corbett was rather sweet and sad too and was the only section that at one point made me laugh.       5/10

Ice Castles. 1978

 

Starring: Robby Benson

Nick and Lexie meet and fall in love at the ice rink. He goes into professional hockey; she becomes an Olympic champion but an accident leaves her blind.

How stupid a sport when you can be the best dancer but get a low mark as you're an unknot. That's not sport, it's an exclusive club. The blind thing is a bit 'Little House On The Prairie' but is still kind of moving.        6/10

Lady Godiva Rides Again. 1951

 

Starring: Pauline Stroud

A waitress wins a beauty contest and becomes a charm school starlet and later a stripteaser.

An enjoyable movie for star spotting with a host of well known actors in a variety of roles. Easy on the eye with some nice touches of humour, kind of ironic that all these young ladies were desperate to appear in a beauty pageant, exactly the same group that then went out of their way to outlaw them.   6/10

When The Bough Breaks. 1947

Starring: Patricia Roc

The bewildered wife of a bigamist allows her child to be adopted and then regrets it.

Well observed movie, must have been so hard to have been a single parent back in the day. Thought provoking and nicely acted.    7/10