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

Henry Aldrich Gets Glamour. 1943

Starring: Jimmy Lydon


Henry Aldrich becomes the most sought after guy in town when he wins a date with a movie star.

Easy going movie with a genuine charm. Part of a series of about 10 movies and intended for second feature release, this had an innocence and gentle humour that puts a smile on your face.  
                   6/10

The Apple Dumpling Gang. 1974

Starring: Bill Bixby

Three orphan children strike gold in 1878 California

This is how I remember movies when I was young. Hapless villains, a funny sheriff and jaunty banjo music. All great fun with Harry Morgan absolutely stealing the show for me.      7/10

Reaching For The Moon. 1931

Starring: Douglas Fairbanks

On a transatlantic liner, a new cocktail has a sensational effect on a mild-mannered hero.

Considering its age, this is impressive but it has not stood the test of time and is just plain irritating apart from Fairbanks impressive acrobatics.        3/10

The Baroness And The Butler. 1938

Starring: William Powell

The Hungarian prime minister's butler is loved by a princess.

The prime minister's butler runs for parliament for the opposition, gets elected and yet still serves the prime minister. Original plot that allowed some nice, light hearted moments. An enjoyable movie, my only issue is why cast William Powell who looks American, sounds American and indeed, is American as a Hungarian and yet the princess was played with an accent.         7/10

The Seventh Sign. 1988

Starring: Jurgen Prochnow

A pregnant mother fears that the birth of her baby will signal the end of the World.

Nice to see Demi Moore, it's not that this is a bad movie, it's very well made and acted, it's just not a very pleasant subject matter. If you watched this with the lights off, late at night on a cold January evening, it could be terrifying.          6/10

Prudence And The Pill. 1968

Starring: David Niven

A girl borrows her mother's contraceptive pills and replaces them with aspirin, causing no end of complications.

Niven again. A fluffy sex comedy in the loosest sense of the word, an element of Upstairs Downstairs but interesting to see how much life and views have changed in fifty years. Jaunty little soundtrack that was a shade underused for me. Really rather likeable movie.       7/10

Q - The Winged Serpent. 1982

Starring:  Michael Moriarty

An ex-con on the run finds a monstrous Aztec god, a flying serpent, nesting in the spire of the Chrysler Building.

A decent enough horror movie forgetting the nonsense mythical aspect. Reasonable special effects for its time, that's still no excuse for the awful acting throughout. Been on my bucket list for a long time and nice to get it ticked off.   5/10

Never Look Back. 1952

Starring: Rosamund John

A lady barrister finds she must defend an old boy friend on a murder charge.

I do like a courtroom drama and this has its place. Interesting to see a lady barrister, such a shame that the plot focussed on her being involved in a potential sex scandal rather than on her abilities.
                                                                                                                                   6/10

The Dark Mirror. 1946

Starring: Olivia De Havilland

A police detective works out which of identical twin girls is a murderer.

Standard 'Which twin did it' thriller. Nice role for Olivia de Havilland who was very good. Few surprises other than that but a decent thriller.      6/10

Black Beauty 1971

Starring: Mark Lester

A luckless horse passes from hand to hand but is finally restored to its original young master and has a happy retirement.

A lot grittier than I expected and now how I remember the story at all. Very 1970's with lots of horse whipping and unpleasant violence along with keystone cop type humour.     6/10

The Man Who Finally Died. 1962

Starring: Stanley Baker

A German-born Englishman returns to Bavaria for news of his father, and becomes involved in a spy plot.

Slightly muddled thriller which is held together by the always reliable Baker. The main issue for me, is the clunky soundtrack which sounds like a bunch of year 5 kids were let loose in a music room and told to enjoy themselves.     5/10

Kid Blue. 1973

Starring: Dennis Hopper

In 1902 Texas a young outlaw tries to go straight.

Can't make up its mind as to whether it's a comedy, romance or Western drama. It's certainly odd and best remembered for the flying machine scene. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy it, but watched it mostly with a puzzled expression on my face.       6/10