I, too, have to agree that although I admire Kelly's talents in musicals (particularly "Singin' in the Rain"), there was always something lacking in his dramatic turns. I do feel he fared quite well as the hot-headed resistance fighter in "The Cross of Lorraine", but he really wa...

No sorry, I can't. But I do remember that it was a statement that also applied to Cary Grant.

For a screen tough guy, Eddie did seem to play the milquetoast in a few films. As you state, Ollie, "Mr. Winkle Goes to War" is a good example. As, of course, is "Scarlet Street" (where at least the worm turned). Another good example is "The Whole Town's Talking". A gre...

Ollie, the thing about Eddie is that even if some of his films are not up to snuff (and it's surprising how few really are, given the length of his filmography), he always gives a standout performance. One of the most watchable actors in films, IMO. Some people knock his performance in "The Ten...

Absolutely great film! And with a perfectly slimy performance by Boris Karloff as defrocked clergyman Vernon T. Isopod.

I agree that Cagney was magnificent in virtually everything he did. Despite the stage fright he professed to have before walking onto the soundstage in his early pictures, the guy was a born actor. Very little evolution there, as there was/is with many screen players. He was commanding right from th...

While I am a great admirer of George Raft, I am really not much of a fan of his work post-Warners. Granted, there are some gems scattered throughout ("Red Light", "Rogue Cop" and "Some Like It Hot"), but for the most part I find this declining period of his film career ...

Agree with you completely, Vallo, about the "star that should have been", Chester Morris. Have come to really enjoy his work since watching our newly-acquired TCM broadcasts. He was a great hard guy in such films as "Alibi". I also very much admired his role in the original "...

1). The Ox-Bow Incident 2). The Shootist 3). Fort Apache 4). Stagecoach (1939) 5). Three Godfathers (1936) 6). Red River 7). The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance 8). Shenandoah 9). The Cowboys 10). My Darling Clementine 11). Jesse James 12). 3:10 to Yuma (Ford and Heflin) 13). Dodge City 14). The Violen...

Alan, Your book is a magnificent read. What I most enjoy is that each time I pick it up I learn something new. Your details are so well-researched. A question I have for you - one that I realize you must answer speculatively, is how do you foresee the future of McGraw's career if he hadn't died so p...

Yes, but apparently she was one female co-star that Gable could not take a liking to. Apparently he preferred rougher-edged gals, like Carole Lombard and Joan Crawford. The story goes that MacDonald, known around MGM as "The Iron Butterfly" annoyed Gable because of her prima donna attitude...

I kinda like "Cat People", but you've got some relevant points. I enjoy its atmosphere and suggestion of menace, but the storyline is lacking and Kent Smith's character is not the brightest fish in the pond. But I don't think anyone can deny that Val Lewton did create a masterpiece in &quo...

I think there's little doubt that Cagney gets bumped off.

Mr. Arkadin, Hope you did have the chance to watch "He Was Her Man" since prior to its showings on TCM it remained one of the more obscure of Jimmy's early 30s Warner films. The reason supposedly being because of Miss Blondell's playing of a prostitute. It's a neat little crime drama, with...

Saw this film on a CBC afternoon broadcast many years ago, but have never quite forgotten it. Some critics claimed that Richard Attenborough was too boyish to play "Young Scarface", but I thought he did a magnificent job. A completely immoral and vicious character who gets - or not quite g...