The High and the Mighty

The 70's were the era of the Disaster Epic.  Movies like "Earthquake", or "The Towering Inferno", or "The Poseidon Adventure", or the endless incarnations of "Airport" would showcase a natural or man-made disaster, an All-Star cast, and heroic efforts to make it out of the rubble, or the burning building, or the sinking ocean liner, or the endangered airliner alive.

But today I'd like to focus on a precursor to all those, a big-budget disaster epic 20 years ahead of the others, "The High and the Mighty".  Released in 1954, the storyline is that of an airliner, in the days before jet travel, taking off from Honolulu and headed to San Francisco. Flight time in those days was 12 hours, and over the course of those 12 hours we get to know the stories of the various passengers and crew.  Just past the halfway point of their journey, an engine fire causes a hole in one of the wings, and the loss of some of their fuel. We're then faced with the suspense of whether or not our heroes will make it to San Francisco safely.

"The High and the Mighty" had a most impressive pedigree.  Produced by John Wayne, directed by William "Wild Bill" Wellman (who directed the first Best Picture winner, "Wings"), and featuring a classic cast of stars - John Wayne and Robert Stack as the pilots, an array of recognizable character actors of the golden age (Laraine Day, Claire Trevor, Julie Bishop, John Qualen, and Paul Fix among them), and music composed by Dmitri Tiomkin (who provides one of the great romantic movie melodies of all time).

The acting is definitely hokie and overwrought in places, but they were for the most part actors who The Duke had worked with previously, and it's fun to see them all together in the same space. And you know that with himself at the controls, all will work out right in the end.

"42"

Being a big baseball fan, I'm a sucker for baseball movies.  So I couldn't wait to see this movie, celebrating the years when Jackie Robinson integrated Triple-A and later Major League Baseball.  And being a fan of the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers, I particularly am proud of my club, and their role in making it happen and changing history. 

Starring Harrison Ford as Dodgers General Manager Branch Rickey, and newcomer Chadwick Boseman as Jackie Robinson, the movie tells the story of Rickey's motives (both moral and financial) in signing an African-American with the organization, and what he and Jackie and the rest of the team went through during those years. Starting with his season in Triple-A with the Montreal Royals, and on into his rookie season with the parent club we see Jackie submitted to various episodes of bigotry and discrimination, and how, as part of his agreement with Rickey to not fight back, he rises above them.  Harrison Ford is incredible as Branch Rickey, and I hope he gets an Oscar nomination out of it.  And Chadwick Boseman is terrific - earnest, fiery, and dignified.  It's an outstanding movie, and I loved it. I would even consider it required viewing. 

Word to the wise: While I would call this a family film, there are several scenes of racial prejudice, and one particularly hate-filled scene where Phillies Manager Ben Chapman, played by Allan Tudyk (one of my favorite actors), goes on an epithet-laced rant that is extremely difficult to listen to, and may be offensive to young, and even grown-up, ears.

So Proudly We Hail

I love movies from the World War II era.  Truth be told, I love movies from just about any era.  But I have a particular fondness for movies made during and shortly after the War.  For one thing, many of them revolve around the experiences of women during the war.  And for another, they're sentimental and tug at your heart strings. Sure, it's all propaganda, but it's also highly effective.  And in today's day and age, with living in our own era of war and uncertainty, it's also highly relatable.

Case in point - "So Proudly We Hail", from 1943.  Here we have the story of a unit of army nurses, sent to the Philippines shortly after Pearl Harbor.  Starring Claudette Colbert, Paulette Goddard and Veronica Lake, it shows the hazards the nurses face as they try to assist in treating the wounded, and boosting morale, all in a heroic, but ultimately doomed effort (as is well-known historically, the Philippines fell to the enemy, and many soldiers and nurses were either killed, or left to languish in horrific prison camps until the war ended in 1945).

For it's time, this picture was pretty realistic - it shows the frequent enemy bombing campaigns, the battle injuries, the lack of food and hygiene, and the emotional and psychological toll of war.  Apparently it was so realistic that at least one of the actresses involved needed to go through trauma counseling after completing the film.  Some scenes are difficult to watch, even today.

The film was a major success- receiving several Oscar nominations, and a big chunk of the box office. And it's a definite weeper.  It's a perfect example of why I love pictures from the War era. Four hankies out of four.

Killer Collaborators: Greer Carson and Walter Pidgeon

A lot has been written over the years about some classic movie couples.  Movie actors who are so closely associated that they're frequently spoken of in the same sentence.  Likely you've heard of "Tracy and Hepburn", or "William Powell and Myrna Loy", or even "John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara". And while I adore all those pairings and could go on about their films for hours, today I thought I'd focus on a classic movie couple that gets perhaps a little less attention.  I'm talking about Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon.

Greer Garson was THE queen of the movies throughout the 1940's. Forget Betty Davis, forget Joan Crawford. Greer Garson was it, and she got the classiest roles at her studio MGM.  She usually played noble, self-sacrificing, and even heroic parts.  And in most of her best performances, she was matched by Walter Pidgeon every step of the way. They made 8 pictures together, and their chemistry and warm friendship is evident in every one of them.  Tracy and Hepburn would frequently be at odds, Duke and Maureen O'Hara would have huge fights and tender reunions, and William Powell and Myrna Loy specialized in sarcasm and sophistication.  But with Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon you always got warmth, genuine affection, mutual respect, and enjoyment of each others company. Perhaps it helped that they were such good friends off screen.  Here are a few of my favorites.

Blossoms in the Dust (1941) - In their first pairing, Garson and Pidgeon play Edna and Sam Gladney, a well-to-do and happily married Texas couple, who after experiencing a miscarriage are sadly unable to have more children. Eventually this leads them to become proponents of adoption. After Sam's death, Edna carries on and eventually is prominent in the fight to remove the word "illegitimate" from Texas birth records.

The first of Garson's noble and stoic roles, and her second Oscar nomination.

Mrs. Miniver (1942) - In this war-time classic, our duo play Kay and Clem Miniver, who live an idyllic middle-class family life, until they're both forced to rise to the occasion during the Battle of Britain.  Notable for it's terrific cast - including Dame May Whitty, Henry Travers, Reginald Owen, Henry Wilcoxon, and Teresa Wright (in her Oscar-winning supporting role), and for doing it's part to convince America to join the war effort.  Garson received her own well-deserved Oscar for Best Actress, and the movie was named Best Picture. You'll laugh, and cry and feel full of fortitude. A truly terrific movie, and Director William Wyler's first masterpiece.

Trivia notes: Couple of trivia tidbits for this one that might be interesting.  Shortly after the movie wrapped production, Garson married her much younger co-star who played her son.  Who knew Mrs. Miniver was a Cougar?  Another interesting tidbit - Garson has gone down in history for the longest Oscar acceptance speech, at roughly 5 and 1/2 minutes.  In today's world the orchestra would have played her off the stage and the show would have gone to commercial.

Madame Curie (1943) - Garson and Pidgeon star in the love story of Nobel prize-winning scientists Marie and Pierre Curie, and their determination to discover the element radium.  After Pierre's death, Marie carries on her life's work and becomes a noted scientist in her own right.

Julia Misbehaves (1948) - This picture features our dynamic duo at odds with each other.  Young newlyweds Julia and William Packett are prodded into a separation by his overbearing and conservative family.  It seems Julia is a former dance-hall actress, and is not at all suitable for their boy.  On her way out, Julia leaves their new-born daughter behind, so as to be raised in a proper manner.  Years later, Julia receives an unexpected invitation to her daughter's wedding.  She decides to attend the nuptials, and all sorts of hilarity then ensues.  This movie is a real treat.  For once, Garson and Pidgeon both are allowed to showcase their comedic talents.  She in a hilarious sequence with a squad of acrobats, and he with a trained seal. Seriously silly stuff, and a nice break from their rather stuffy images. Also notable for co-starring a 16-year old Liz Taylor, who receives her first on-screen kiss from a young Peter Lawford.

The Miniver Story (1950) - A sequel to the aforementioned "Mrs. Miniver", this one picks up on VE-Day in 1945.  War has changed the Miniver family.  Youngest son Toby had been sent off to America for safe keeping, daughter Judy had joined up and been stationed in Cairo, while father Clem became an army officer stationed in Europe, and Mother Kay held down the fort in England.  As the family comes back together for the first time in years, obvious changes have taken place and they have to not only become re-acquainted, but deal with new crises.

Panned by the critics when it was first released, and nowhere near the financial success the others were, this movie is not really given it's due credit.  As a sequel, there some holes in it, not least of which is how quickly the kids have grown in so short a time (they were much younger in the original), and what in the world became of oldest son Vin (it's never mentioned).  But if you can suspend disbelief, get away from the sequel idea and take it on it's own merits, then it's a really sweet and tender movie.  Garson and particularly Pidgeon are at the top of their game, and I literally balled through the last half of it.

Getting Your Irish On

In honor of St. Paddy's Day, we present 4 great family movies for putting your Irish on.

Rudy (1993) - Starring Sean Astin in the true story of Rudy Ruettiger, who dreams his entire life of attending Notre Dame, and playing on the football team, despite the fact that he comes from a poor family, lacks the good grades, and the athletic talent.  Through persistence, perseverance, and belief in himself, he's able to make his dreams come true.

Return to Me (2000) - Starring Minnie Driver and David Duchovny.  Minnie is a heart transplant recipient who falls in love with the widowed husband of her donor.  Co-starring some terrific character actors, among them Carroll O'Connor, Robert Loggia, David Allen Grier, Bonnie Hunt and Jim Belushi.  O'Connor and Loggia play Minnie's grandfather and uncle, co-owners of the Irish-Italian restaurant where she works, and first meets Duchovny.  Sweet and funny.

Knute Rockne, All-American (1940) - Speaking of Notre Dame, this is the story of Notre Dame's great football coach, Knute Rockne, played by Pat O'Brien, and how he turned the football team into a national powerhouse. Co-starring the Gipper himself, Ronnie Reagan, as legendary player George Gipp, who tells Rock with his dying breath to go out and "win one for the Gipper".

The Quiet Man (1952) - Starring The Duke as a former prizefighter who goes home to Ireland and falls in love with Irish Lass Maureen O'Hara.  There's plenty of feuding, fighting, and drinking, all of it masterfully directed by John Ford and co-starring several regulars from his stock company, Victor McLaglen, Mildred Natwick, Barry Fitzgerald, and Ward Bond, to name a few.  A movie my family treasures and quotes from on a regular basis.

Cinema Sleeper - Touchback

It's no secret that I watch a lot of movies.  Some big, some classic, and some that I like to refer to as "Cinema Sleepers", that never got much in the way of press or box office, but are definitely worth a view.  This Week's Cinema Sleeper is a wonderful family-friendly pic called "Touchback".

It's the story of an aging High School Football hero who was injured on the final play of his final high school game, an injury that ended his football career.  He's left without the college scholarship or the way to get out of the small town, and as the years go by, he becomes increasingly bitter and desperate.  After another trial, he becomes so distraught that he attempts to take his own life.  Before he is able to do that, he is given the opportunity to re-live those high school days and review his choices. Would he do it all the same way, or would he do it differently and try to change his fate? That is the key question he has to face.

The movie is not without it's faults. Chief among them is the casting of 30-something actors in the High School roles.  They definitely look their ages.  But it's sweet, it's thought-provoking, it's got sports action, and it's got Kurt Russell. And what's not to like about that!

Skyfall

I'm not a huge fan of the James Bond franchise.  Although I've seen several of them, they've just never really floated my boat that much.  They're a little cheesy, not to mention campy, and they usually fail to make much sense.  

Now that I've finally got that off my chest, I have to say, that I absolutely adored "Skyfall", the most recent entry in the Bond series.  Daniel Craig, as Bond, was awesome, and the story really worked for me.  In this installment, an Evil Genius and his nefarious henchmen steal a list of MI6 agents and proceed to release the list to other nefarious types, who proceed to "off" said agents.  Not only that, but Evil Genius, who is a former MI6 agent, has it in for the MI6 Spymaster "M", played by Judi Dench, who he feels is responsible for his tortured and messed up life.  Bond has to try and stop the Evil Genius and save "M" in the process.

The acting is great, Daniel Craig is hot (in the most lustful sense of the word), the special effects are pretty incredible, and we get to see some Bond backstory, to give us an idea where he came from and how and why "M" recruited him.  Finally, a Bond movie that makes sense!

Oh yeah - make sure you are in your seat for the Opening Credits.  They are visually stunning, and there's a terrific song by British pop songstress Adele that ought to win the Oscar for original song.