1950s Challenge (Official, April 2020)

[AB537]

13. Auntie Mame (Morton DaCosta, 1958) 6.5/10
14. Le Plaisir (Max Ophuls, 1952) 7.5/10

[burneyfan]

Spoiler

01. Laughing Anne -- Wilcox, 1953.
02. The Midnight Story -- Pevney, 1957.
03. Sous le ciel de Paris a.k.a. Under the Paris Sky -- Duvivier, 1951.
04. Porte des Lilas a.k.a. Gates of Paris -- Clair, 1957.
05. I theia to apo Chicago a.k.a. Aunt from Chicago -- Sakellarios, 1957.
06. Outlaw Women -- Ormond & Newfield, 1952.
07. Kyô mo mata kakute ari nan a.k.a. Thus Another Day -- Kinoshita, 1959.
08. To teleftaio psema a.k.a. A Matter of Dignity -- Cacoyannis, 1958.

09. Jago hua savera a.k.a. The Day Shall Dawn -- Kardar, 1959.

Pakistan's entry for the World Cup first round this year, and a very fine entry it is. It's a tale of struggling fishermen, beautifully photographed.

[cinephage]

11. Staré povesti ceské, by Jiri Trnka (1953) 7/10

70 years ago, in a world far, far away (10)

01. Üç arkadas, Memduh Ün (1958) 4/10
02. The Breaking Point, by Michael Curtiz (1950) 7,5/10
03. Don't bother to knock, by Roy Ward Baker (1952) 7/10 - Rewatch
04. Man on a tightrope, by Elia Kazan (1953) 7/10
05. The Trouble with Harry, by Alfred Hitchcock (1955) 7/10
06. Le testament du Docteur Cordelier, by Jean Renoir (1959) 7/10
07. Calle Mayor, by Juan Antonio Bardem (1956) 8/10
08. Uwasa no onna, by Kenji Mizoguchi (1954) 7,5/10
09. A hole in the head, by Frank Capra (1959) 8,5/10
10. H-8... by Nikola Tanhofer (1958) 9/10

[sol]

Fifties Shades of Grey

1. One Good Turn (1955)
2. Tea for Two (1950)
3. Adventures of Hajji Baba (1954)
4. You're Never Too Young! (1955)
5. As Young As You Feel (1951)
6. The Good Humor Man (1950)
7. That Certain Feeling (1956)
8. The Lemon Drop Kid (1951)
9. Alice in Wonderland (1951)
10. Man of the Moment (1955)
11. A Girl in Every Port (1952)
12. Operation Mad Ball (1957)
13. House of Wax (1953)
14. That's My Boy (1951)
15. Hollywood or Bust (1956)
16. It Grows on Trees (1952)
17. The Runaway Bus (1954)
18. The Lady Says No (1951)
19. The Great Rupert (1950)
20. Singin' in the Rain (1952) REVISION
21. Sun in the Last Days of the Shogunate (1957)
22a. Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century (1953) 7m
22b. The Leaden Echo and the Golden Echo (1955) 6m
22c. The Wearing of the Grin (1951) 7m
22d. The Scarlet Pumpernickel (1950) 7m
22e. Boobs in the Woods (1950) 7m
22f. Deduce, You Say (1956) 7m
22g. Drip-Along Daffy (1951) 7m
22h. Golden Yeggs (1950) 7m
22i. The Ducksters (1950) 7m
23. The Long Memory (1953)
24. 5 Steps to Danger (1957)
25. Mars and Beyond (1957)
26. Some Like It Hot (1959) REVISION
27. Rock-a-Bye Baby (1958) REVISION
28. The Rocket Man (1954)
29. Trouble in Store (1953)
30. Up in the World (1956)
31. Tiger in the Smoke (1956)
32. The Breaking Point (1950)
33. Sleeping Beauty (1959)
34. The Love Match (1955)
35. Mister Universe (1951)
36. Jumping Jacks (1952)
37. Anything Goes (1956)
38. Sailor Beware (1952)
39. Sailor Beware (1956)

40. Follow a Star (1959)



This comedy takes a note from Singin' in the Rain as Norman Wisdom plays a singer whose voice is secretly recorded and stolen by a fading crooner. Jerry Desmonde is excellent as always as the crooner and the fact that he brings much of the misery that Wisdom causes upon himself makes this a lot more amusing than the average Wisdom/Desmonde outing, despite such groan-inducing stuff like Wisdom acting like a baby and child under hypnosis.

[zzzorf]

Spoiler

1. Blackboard Jungle (1955) - 7/10

2. Backlash (1956) - 6/10 (double)

[sol]

Fifties Shades of Grey

1. One Good Turn (1955)
2. Tea for Two (1950)
3. Adventures of Hajji Baba (1954)
4. You're Never Too Young! (1955)
5. As Young As You Feel (1951)
6. The Good Humor Man (1950)
7. That Certain Feeling (1956)
8. The Lemon Drop Kid (1951)
9. Alice in Wonderland (1951)
10. Man of the Moment (1955)
11. A Girl in Every Port (1952)
12. Operation Mad Ball (1957)
13. House of Wax (1953)
14. That's My Boy (1951)
15. Hollywood or Bust (1956)
16. It Grows on Trees (1952)
17. The Runaway Bus (1954)
18. The Lady Says No (1951)
19. The Great Rupert (1950)
20. Singin' in the Rain (1952) REVISION
21. Sun in the Last Days of the Shogunate (1957)
22a. Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century (1953) 7m
22b. The Leaden Echo and the Golden Echo (1955) 6m
22c. The Wearing of the Grin (1951) 7m
22d. The Scarlet Pumpernickel (1950) 7m
22e. Boobs in the Woods (1950) 7m
22f. Deduce, You Say (1956) 7m
22g. Drip-Along Daffy (1951) 7m
22h. Golden Yeggs (1950) 7m
22i. The Ducksters (1950) 7m
23. The Long Memory (1953)
24. 5 Steps to Danger (1957)
25. Mars and Beyond (1957)
26. Some Like It Hot (1959) REVISION
27. Rock-a-Bye Baby (1958) REVISION
28. The Rocket Man (1954)
29. Trouble in Store (1953)
30. Up in the World (1956)
31. Tiger in the Smoke (1956)
32. The Breaking Point (1950)
33. Sleeping Beauty (1959)
34. The Love Match (1955)
35. Mister Universe (1951)
36. Jumping Jacks (1952)
37. Anything Goes (1956)
38. Sailor Beware (1952)
39. Sailor Beware (1956)
40. Follow a Star (1959)

41. Just My Luck (1957)



Just my luck that I save Norman Wisdom's weakest 1950s film for last. The plot does not give him much chance to upset others or perform stunts as he usually does so well. Things also wrap up too quickly and neatly with a conclusion that feels rushed. Perhaps most disappointing though is how wasted the cast feels. Edward Chapman has almost nothing to do, sames for Leslie Phillips and Margaret Rutherford only briefly appears after one hour.

[flavo5000]

47. A Time to Love and a Time to Die (1958)


48. Brigadoon (1954)


49. The Man Who Could Cheat Death (1959)


50. Tôkyô boshoku a.k.a. Tokyo Twilight (1957)

Cool Cats

1. Bitter Victory (1957)
2. Bellissima (1951)
3. Sommarlek a.k.a. Summer Interlude (1951)
4. Penny Points to Paradise (1951)
5. She Devil (1957)
6. Donovan's Brain (1953)
7. Anticipation of the Night (1958)
8. Higanbana a.k.a. Equinox Flowre (1958)
9. Tragedy in a Temporary Town (1956)
10. Twelve Angry Men (1956)
11. Seven Days to Noon (1950)
12a. Gossip (1953)
12b. Control Your Emotions (1950)
12c. The Griper (1954)
12d. Toward Emotional Maturity (1954)
12e. Les horizons morts (1951)
12f. Crazeologie (1954)
13 .Backlash (1956)
14. Narayama bushikô (1958)
15. Solomon and Sheba (1959)
16. The Neanderthal Man (1953)
17. The Rains of Ranchipur (1955)
18. The Cyclops (1957)
19a. Le grand Méliès (1952)
19b. Charlotte et Véronique, ou Tous les garçons s'appellent Patrick (1959)
19c. Strauss Fantasy (1954)
20. Come Fill the Cup (1951)
21. Deep in My Heart (!954)
22-23. Flying Disc Man from Mars E1-12 (1950)
24. This Is Cinerama (1952)
25. The Beast with a Million Eyes (1955)
26. El bruto (1953)
27.Stars and Stripes Forever (1952)
28. Yambaó (!957)
29. Francis in the Haunted House (1956)
30. Der Tiger von Eschnapur a.k.a. Tiger of Bengal (1959)
31. Das indische Grabmal a.k.a. The Indian Tomb (1959)
32. Silk Stockings (!957)
33. Climax!: Casino Royale (1954)
34. The Vikings (1958)
35. The Monolith Monsters (1957)
36. Monster on the Campus (1958)
37. The Magical World of Disney: Mars and Beyond (1957)
38. Across the Bridge (1957)
39. Tobor the Great (1954)
40. The Member of the Wedding (1952)
41. Attack of the Giant Leeches (1959)
42. Calle Mayor (1956)
43. Teenagers from Outer Space (1959)
44. Jack the Ripper (1959)
45. T-Bird Gang (1959)
46. Kvinnodröm a.k.a. Dreams (1955)
47. A Time to Love and a Time to Die (1958)
48. Brigadoon (1954)
49. The Man Who Could Cheat Death (1959)
50. Tôkyô boshoku a.k.a. Tokyo Twilight (1957)

[ororama]

15. Pushover (1954) * 88 min.
16. The Man from the Alamo (1953) * 79 min.

Spoiler

1. The Baron of Arizona (1950) * 96 min.
2. Hell Is Sold Out (1951) * 81 min.
3. Annie Get Your Gun (1950) * 107 min.
4. Your Witness (1950) * 100 min.
5. Showdown at Boot Hill (1958) * 72 min.
6. My Wife's Lodger (1952) * 78 min.
7. Kiss Me Kate (1953) * 110 min.
8. Robbers' Roost (1955) * 83 min.
9. Storstrømsbroen/ The Storstrom Bridge (1950) * 7 min.
Et slot i et slot: Krogen og Kronborg/ The Castle Within the Castle (1954) * 9 min.
Three Installations (1952) * 23 min.
O Dreamland (1956) * 13 min.
Barney's Hungry Cousin (1953) * 7 min.
Odds & Ends (1959) * 4 min.
10. The Well (1951) * 85 min.
11. Dial 1119 (1950) 75 min.
12. Sommarlek/ Summer Interlude  (1951) 96 min.
13. The Cimarron Kid (1952) * 84 min.
14. Big House, U.S.A. (1955) * 83 min.

*First time viewing.

[sol]

Fifties Shades of Grey

1. One Good Turn (1955)
2. Tea for Two (1950)
3. Adventures of Hajji Baba (1954)
4. You're Never Too Young! (1955)
5. As Young As You Feel (1951)
6. The Good Humor Man (1950)
7. That Certain Feeling (1956)
8. The Lemon Drop Kid (1951)
9. Alice in Wonderland (1951)
10. Man of the Moment (1955)
11. A Girl in Every Port (1952)
12. Operation Mad Ball (1957)
13. House of Wax (1953)
14. That's My Boy (1951)
15. Hollywood or Bust (1956)
16. It Grows on Trees (1952)
17. The Runaway Bus (1954)
18. The Lady Says No (1951)
19. The Great Rupert (1950)
20. Singin' in the Rain (1952) REVISION
21. Sun in the Last Days of the Shogunate (1957)
22a. Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century (1953) 7m
22b. The Leaden Echo and the Golden Echo (1955) 6m
22c. The Wearing of the Grin (1951) 7m
22d. The Scarlet Pumpernickel (1950) 7m
22e. Boobs in the Woods (1950) 7m
22f. Deduce, You Say (1956) 7m
22g. Drip-Along Daffy (1951) 7m
22h. Golden Yeggs (1950) 7m
22i. The Ducksters (1950) 7m
23. The Long Memory (1953)
24. 5 Steps to Danger (1957)
25. Mars and Beyond (1957)
26. Some Like It Hot (1959) REVISION
27. Rock-a-Bye Baby (1958) REVISION
28. The Rocket Man (1954)
29. Trouble in Store (1953)
30. Up in the World (1956)
31. Tiger in the Smoke (1956)
32. The Breaking Point (1950)
33. Sleeping Beauty (1959)
34. The Love Match (1955)
35. Mister Universe (1951)
36. Jumping Jacks (1952)
37. Anything Goes (1956)
38. Sailor Beware (1952)
39. Sailor Beware (1956)
40. Follow a Star (1959)
41. Just My Luck (1957)

42. Living It Up (1954)



Probably the best of M&L's pre-Frank Tashlin efforts, though it pales against what they would achieve with Tashlin at the helm. The film's funniest sequence (if racially iffy) comes late in the piece as circumstances lead to Jerry impersonating various doctors while slamming doors with perfect comic timing. The gags and comic sequences in general though are hit-and-miss. There is also a ludicrous romance between Martin and a young Janet Leigh.

[Lonewolf2003]

15. Sommarnattens leende [Smiles of a Summer Night] (1955, Ingmar Bergman) (rewatch): 6.8 > 7.5 - My more lukewarm reaction the first time came more from expecting a different kind of movie when putting a Bergman in the Blu-ray player than from the quality of this very decent comedy. This wil probably be the most fun movie I will see the coming weeks, delving further into Bergman.
16. Det sjunde inseglet [The Seventh Seal] (1957, Ingmar Bergman) (rewatch): 8.2 > 8.5 - Last rewatch I was a little put of by some scenes, like the famous knight and death chess match scenes, cause they than felt like almost a parody on the intellectual art-house movie in itself. This time however those scenes were better than I remembered, while they deal with "heavy" intellectual topics they also still have a lightness to them. Even more I was way more impressed by how well balanced the movie is in tone overall between religious contemplation and lighthearted celebration of life plus how Bergman succeeds in capturing different aspects of Medieval life.

Spoiler

1. The Mad Magician (1954, John Brahm): 7.2
2. Journal d'un curé de campagne [Diary of Country Priest] (1951, Robert Bresson) (rewatch): 9.2 > 9.0
3. Footsteps in the Fog (1955, Arthur Lubin): 6.8
4. Nightfall (1957, Jacques Tourneur): 6.8
5. Interpol [Pickup Alley] (1957, John Gilling): 7.0
6. Town on Trial (1957, John Guillermin): 6.2
7. Adventure in the Hopfields (1954, John Guillermin): 7.5
8. The Camp on Blood Island (1958, Val Guest): 5.5
9. Yesterday's Enemy (1959, Val Guest): 7.0
10. Il Generale della Rovere (1959, Roberto Rossellini): 7.5
11. Higanbana (Equinox Flower) (1958, Yasujiro Ozu): 8.5
12. The Stranglers of Bombay (1959, Terence Fisher): 6.5
13. Quand tu liras cette lettre (When You Read This Letter) (1953, Jean-Pierre Melville) : 7.2
14. The Tales of Hoffmann (1951, Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger): 7.5

[allisoncm]

48. Brigadoon (1954)

Thanks for reminding me! I have this one lined up. Probably next.

[allisoncm]

Spoiler

1. Zoku ueru tamashii/Hungry Soul, Part II (1956) 5.5/10
2. Bakumatsu taiyôden / A Sun-Tribe Myth from the Bakumatsu Era/ The Sun in the Last Days of the Tokugawa Era ‘幕末太陽傳’ (1957, Yuzo Kawashima) 5/10
3. Rosaura a las 10 1958, in 1 top list 6.2/10
4. Lettre de Sibérie (1957, Chris Marker) 7/10
5. Mata au hi made (1950) 6/10
6. Terror at Midnight (1956) 6.5/10
7. The Gambler and the Lady (1952) 5/10
8. The Actress (1953) 8/10
9. Convicted (1950) 5/10
10. Woman in Hiding (1950) 7/10
11. Chicago Confidential (1957) 4.5/10
12. Shakedown (1950) 7/10
13. The Long Haul (1957) 6/10
14. Hunt the Man Down (1950) 7/10
15. The Whip Hand (1951) 4/10
16. The People Against O'Hara (1951) 7/10
17. Five Days aka Paid to Kill (1954) 5/10
18. Man in the Dark (1953) 5/10
19. Highway 301 (1950) 5/10
20. 36 Hours/Terror Street (1953) 5/10
21. The Trap (1959) color/western noir 6/10
22. The House Across the Lake (1954) 6/10
23. The Garment Jungle (1957) 8/10
24. Death of a Scoundrel (1956) 7.5/10
25. The Sellout (1952) 5.5/10
26. Tight Spot (1955) 6/10
27. Sudden Danger (1955) 5/10
28. Split Second (1953) 5/10
29. Devil's Doorway (1950) 6/10
30. No Questions Asked (1951) 6/10
31. The Lawless (1950) 6/10
32. Over-Exposed (1956) 7/10
33. Shack Out on 101 (1955) 6.25/10
34. The Underworld Story (1950) 6/10
35. Beautiful Stranger (1954) 4/10
36. Cargo to Capetown (1950) 5/10
37. I'll Cry Tomorrow (1955) 9/10
38. Tomorrow Is Another Day (1951) 7/10
39. Murder Without Tears (1953) 6/10
40. Yield to the Night (1956) 7/10

41. The System (1953) 6/10
42. Nowhere to Go (1958)
43. City of Fear (1959) 5.5/10
44. Black Hand (1950) 6/10 THAT was Gene Kelly? Just think: he could have been known for noir had things gone slightly differently.

[Obgeoff]

94. The Fly (1958, Neumann) 6
95. Richard III (1955, Olivier) 7
96. Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (1956, Lang) 8

[peeptoad]

25. Stranger From Venus (1954) 5

hoopie knobs

*rewatch
1. Kakushi-toride no san-akunin (1958) The Hidden Fortress 8
2. A Killer Walks (1952) 6
3. Tôkaidô Yotsuya kaidan (1957) Ghost of Yotsuya 8
4a. Un Chant D'Amour (1950) 26min 8
4b. Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome (1954) 38min 7
5. The Man Who Turned to Stone (1957) 5
6. Kon-Tiki (1950) 8
7. Pociag (1959) Night Train 9
8. Czlowiek na torze (1957) Man on the Tracks 7
9. Orpheus (1950) 8
10. Pather Panchali (1955) 8
11. Five (1951) 7
12a. Tire Die (1951) Toss Me a Dime 33min 8
12b. Eaux D'Artifice (1953) 12min 7
12c. Rabbit's Moon (1950) 7min 8
12d. The Tell-tale Heart (1953) 8min 7
13. Terror is a Man (1959) 7
14. Ansiktet (1958) The Magician 8
15. The Mad Magician (1954) 7
16. Edge of Fury (1958) 7+
17. Fright (1956) 5
18. Some Like It Hot (1959) 9*
19. Mon oncle (1958) 9
20. Gog (1954) 5
21. Miracolo a Milano (1951) Miracle in Milan 7
22. Paw (1959) 7
23. The Monster of Piedras Blancas (1959) 5
24. The Night Runner (1957) 5

[blocho]

10. The Breaking Point (1950)
Concidentally, I saw this movie right after watching Metro Manila, which provided a remarkable thematic and narrative counterpoint. Both movies are about men pushed into criminal activity by financial desperation and the need to support their family. The key difference is that while the protagonist of Metro Manila has a plan and knows what he's getting into, the protagonist of The Breaking Point has no clue what he's getting into and makes plans that even a non-criminal like myself can easily are problematic. The protagonist's failures provide a telling indication of what to expect from this unusual and excellent noir. To say much more would be to spoil the plot, but I'll just add that I've rarely seen a darker ending in a noir.

Incidentally, John Garfield is excellent as the lead, and the same goes for Patricia Neal as the femme fatale, though her character is almost irrelevant to the plot, which I think is the movie's only real weakness.

[blueboybob]

41. Ice Cold in Alex (1958)
42. The Moon Is Blue (1953)
43. The Silent World (1956)
44. Romeo and Juliet (1954)
45. The Furies (1950)
46. Godzilla Raids Again (1955)

[AB537]

15. Quand tu liras cette lettre - When You Read This Letter (Jean-Pierre Melville, 1953) 6.5/10

[allisoncm]

Spoiler

1. Zoku ueru tamashii/Hungry Soul, Part II (1956) 5.5/10
2. Bakumatsu taiyôden / A Sun-Tribe Myth from the Bakumatsu Era/ The Sun in the Last Days of the Tokugawa Era ‘幕末太陽傳’ (1957, Yuzo Kawashima) 5/10
3. Rosaura a las 10 1958, in 1 top list 6.2/10
4. Lettre de Sibérie (1957, Chris Marker) 7/10
5. Mata au hi made (1950) 6/10
6. Terror at Midnight (1956) 6.5/10
7. The Gambler and the Lady (1952) 5/10
8. The Actress (1953) 8/10
9. Convicted (1950) 5/10
10. Woman in Hiding (1950) 7/10
11. Chicago Confidential (1957) 4.5/10
12. Shakedown (1950) 7/10
13. The Long Haul (1957) 6/10
14. Hunt the Man Down (1950) 7/10
15. The Whip Hand (1951) 4/10
16. The People Against O'Hara (1951) 7/10
17. Five Days aka Paid to Kill (1954) 5/10
18. Man in the Dark (1953) 5/10
19. Highway 301 (1950) 5/10
20. 36 Hours/Terror Street (1953) 5/10
21. The Trap (1959) color/western noir 6/10
22. The House Across the Lake (1954) 6/10
23. The Garment Jungle (1957) 8/10
24. Death of a Scoundrel (1956) 7.5/10
25. The Sellout (1952) 5.5/10
26. Tight Spot (1955) 6/10
27. Sudden Danger (1955) 5/10
28. Split Second (1953) 5/10
29. Devil's Doorway (1950) 6/10
30. No Questions Asked (1951) 6/10
31. The Lawless (1950) 6/10
32. Over-Exposed (1956) 7/10
33. Shack Out on 101 (1955) 6.25/10
34. The Underworld Story (1950) 6/10
35. Beautiful Stranger (1954) 4/10
36. Cargo to Capetown (1950) 5/10
37. I'll Cry Tomorrow (1955) 9/10
38. Tomorrow Is Another Day (1951) 7/10
39. Murder Without Tears (1953) 6/10
40. Yield to the Night (1956) 7/10
41. The System (1953) 6/10
42. Nowhere to Go (1958)
43. City of Fear (1959) 5.5/10
44. Black Hand (1950) 6/10 THAT was Gene Kelly? Just think: he could have been known for noir had things gone slightly differently.

45. Brigadoon (1954) 6/10
46. En fremmed banker på/A Stranger Knocks (1959, Denmark) VOGEL/BODIL/1950s

[sol]

Fifties Shades of Grey

1. One Good Turn (1955)
2. Tea for Two (1950)
3. Adventures of Hajji Baba (1954)
4. You're Never Too Young! (1955)
5. As Young As You Feel (1951)
6. The Good Humor Man (1950)
7. That Certain Feeling (1956)
8. The Lemon Drop Kid (1951)
9. Alice in Wonderland (1951)
10. Man of the Moment (1955)
11. A Girl in Every Port (1952)
12. Operation Mad Ball (1957)
13. House of Wax (1953)
14. That's My Boy (1951)
15. Hollywood or Bust (1956)
16. It Grows on Trees (1952)
17. The Runaway Bus (1954)
18. The Lady Says No (1951)
19. The Great Rupert (1950)
20. Singin' in the Rain (1952) REVISION
21. Sun in the Last Days of the Shogunate (1957)
22a. Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century (1953) 7m
22b. The Leaden Echo and the Golden Echo (1955) 6m
22c. The Wearing of the Grin (1951) 7m
22d. The Scarlet Pumpernickel (1950) 7m
22e. Boobs in the Woods (1950) 7m
22f. Deduce, You Say (1956) 7m
22g. Drip-Along Daffy (1951) 7m
22h. Golden Yeggs (1950) 7m
22i. The Ducksters (1950) 7m
23. The Long Memory (1953)
24. 5 Steps to Danger (1957)
25. Mars and Beyond (1957)
26. Some Like It Hot (1959) REVISION
27. Rock-a-Bye Baby (1958) REVISION
28. The Rocket Man (1954)
29. Trouble in Store (1953)
30. Up in the World (1956)
31. Tiger in the Smoke (1956)
32. The Breaking Point (1950)
33. Sleeping Beauty (1959)
34. The Love Match (1955)
35. Mister Universe (1951)
36. Jumping Jacks (1952)
37. Anything Goes (1956)
38. Sailor Beware (1952)
39. Sailor Beware (1956)
40. Follow a Star (1959)
41. Just My Luck (1957)
42. Living It Up (1954)

43. Face of Fire (1959)



His face disfigured in a house fire, an upstanding citizen becomes a pariah overnight in his close-minded community here. There are potent bits early on: the low camera angle, point-of-view shots as he is taken away from the fire on stretcher; the doctors arguing about whether they should euthanise him while he can hear them because the scarring is so bad. Decent premise but I thought things soon became repetitive (lots of similar conversations).

[jeroeno]

12. Monpti (1957)
13. Dangerous When Wet (1953)
14. Carrie (1952)
15. Farlig ungdom (1953)

[sol]

Fifties Shades of Grey

1. One Good Turn (1955)
2. Tea for Two (1950)
3. Adventures of Hajji Baba (1954)
4. You're Never Too Young! (1955)
5. As Young As You Feel (1951)
6. The Good Humor Man (1950)
7. That Certain Feeling (1956)
8. The Lemon Drop Kid (1951)
9. Alice in Wonderland (1951)
10. Man of the Moment (1955)
11. A Girl in Every Port (1952)
12. Operation Mad Ball (1957)
13. House of Wax (1953)
14. That's My Boy (1951)
15. Hollywood or Bust (1956)
16. It Grows on Trees (1952)
17. The Runaway Bus (1954)
18. The Lady Says No (1951)
19. The Great Rupert (1950)
20. Singin' in the Rain (1952) REVISION
21. Sun in the Last Days of the Shogunate (1957)
22a. Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century (1953) 7m
22b. The Leaden Echo and the Golden Echo (1955) 6m
22c. The Wearing of the Grin (1951) 7m
22d. The Scarlet Pumpernickel (1950) 7m
22e. Boobs in the Woods (1950) 7m
22f. Deduce, You Say (1956) 7m
22g. Drip-Along Daffy (1951) 7m
22h. Golden Yeggs (1950) 7m
22i. The Ducksters (1950) 7m
23. The Long Memory (1953)
24. 5 Steps to Danger (1957)
25. Mars and Beyond (1957)
26. Some Like It Hot (1959) REVISION
27. Rock-a-Bye Baby (1958) REVISION
28. The Rocket Man (1954)
29. Trouble in Store (1953)
30. Up in the World (1956)
31. Tiger in the Smoke (1956)
32. The Breaking Point (1950)
33. Sleeping Beauty (1959)
34. The Love Match (1955)
35. Mister Universe (1951)
36. Jumping Jacks (1952)
37. Anything Goes (1956)
38. Sailor Beware (1952)
39. Sailor Beware (1956)
40. Follow a Star (1959)
41. Just My Luck (1957)
42. Living It Up (1954)
43. Face of Fire (1959)

44. Half Angel (1951)



The premise is certainly rife with comedic potential here and Loretta Young does well playing two polar opposites to the one character, but it is all too ridiculous to buy into and never as funny as it could be. The film actually becomes rather creepy near the end as her one personality's lover conspires marry her against her conscious will. The film at least touches a bit on subconscious desires, but it mostly comes through in a pop psychology fashion.

[ororama]

17. Nightfall (1956) * 79 min.

Spoiler

1. The Baron of Arizona (1950) * 96 min.
2. Hell Is Sold Out (1951) * 81 min.
3. Annie Get Your Gun (1950) * 107 min.
4. Your Witness (1950) * 100 min.
5. Showdown at Boot Hill (1958) * 72 min.
6. My Wife's Lodger (1952) * 78 min.
7. Kiss Me Kate (1953) * 110 min.
8. Robbers' Roost (1955) * 83 min.
9. Storstrømsbroen/ The Storstrom Bridge (1950) * 7 min.
Et slot i et slot: Krogen og Kronborg/ The Castle Within the Castle (1954) * 9 min.
Three Installations (1952) * 23 min.
O Dreamland (1956) * 13 min.
Barney's Hungry Cousin (1953) * 7 min.
Odds & Ends (1959) * 4 min.
10. The Well (1951) * 85 min.
11. Dial 1119 (1950) 75 min.
12. Sommarlek/ Summer Interlude  (1951) 96 min.
13. The Cimarron Kid (1952) * 84 min.
14. Big House, U.S.A. (1955) * 83 min.
15. Pushover (1954) * 88 min.
16. The Man from the Alamo (1953) * 79 min.

*First time viewing.

[flavo5000]

51. El monstruo resucitado a.k.a. Monster (1953)
An early Spanish mad scientist film involving a deformed doctor who starts doing the old brain swap much to his own regret ultimately. Pretty decent movie that I would imagine was a big influence on Jess Franco's Orloff films as well as Paul Naschy.


52. Cinerama Holiday (1955)
This Cinerama film, unlike the less-structured previous film, has a loose theme of going on a globe-hopping vacation. It is still primarily a showcase of beautiful scenery and fun stuff like a first-person bobsled that make it worth watching.

Cool Cats

1. Bitter Victory (1957)
2. Bellissima (1951)
3. Sommarlek a.k.a. Summer Interlude (1951)
4. Penny Points to Paradise (1951)
5. She Devil (1957)
6. Donovan's Brain (1953)
7. Anticipation of the Night (1958)
8. Higanbana a.k.a. Equinox Flowre (1958)
9. Tragedy in a Temporary Town (1956)
10. Twelve Angry Men (1956)
11. Seven Days to Noon (1950)
12a. Gossip (1953)
12b. Control Your Emotions (1950)
12c. The Griper (1954)
12d. Toward Emotional Maturity (1954)
12e. Les horizons morts (1951)
12f. Crazeologie (1954)
13 .Backlash (1956)
14. Narayama bushikô (1958)
15. Solomon and Sheba (1959)
16. The Neanderthal Man (1953)
17. The Rains of Ranchipur (1955)
18. The Cyclops (1957)
19a. Le grand Méliès (1952)
19b. Charlotte et Véronique, ou Tous les garçons s'appellent Patrick (1959)
19c. Strauss Fantasy (1954)
20. Come Fill the Cup (1951)
21. Deep in My Heart (!954)
22-23. Flying Disc Man from Mars E1-12 (1950)
24. This Is Cinerama (1952)
25. The Beast with a Million Eyes (1955)
26. El bruto (1953)
27.Stars and Stripes Forever (1952)
28. Yambaó (!957)
29. Francis in the Haunted House (1956)
30. Der Tiger von Eschnapur a.k.a. Tiger of Bengal (1959)
31. Das indische Grabmal a.k.a. The Indian Tomb (1959)
32. Silk Stockings (!957)
33. Climax!: Casino Royale (1954)
34. The Vikings (1958)
35. The Monolith Monsters (1957)
36. Monster on the Campus (1958)
37. The Magical World of Disney: Mars and Beyond (1957)
38. Across the Bridge (1957)
39. Tobor the Great (1954)
40. The Member of the Wedding (1952)
41. Attack of the Giant Leeches (1959)
42. Calle Mayor (1956)
43. Teenagers from Outer Space (1959)
44. Jack the Ripper (1959)
45. T-Bird Gang (1959)
46. Kvinnodröm a.k.a. Dreams (1955)
47. A Time to Love and a Time to Die (1958)
48. Brigadoon (1954)
49. The Man Who Could Cheat Death (1959)
50. Tôkyô boshoku a.k.a. Tokyo Twilight (1957)
51. El monstruo resucitado a.k.a. Monster (1953)
52. Cinerama Holiday (1955)

[shugs]

13. Mister Roberts (John Ford, Mervyn LeRoy, Joshua Logan, 1955) - 8/10
14. The King and I (Walter Lang, 1956) - 7/10
15. Quo Vadis (Mervyn LeRoy, Anthony Mann, 1951) - 9/10

Spoiler

1. The Bigamist (Ida Lupino, 1953) - 7/10
2. The Bad and the Beautiful (Vincente Minnelli, 1952) - 8/10
3. Godzilla: King of the Monsters! (Ishirô Honda, Terry O. Morse) - 4/10
4. Madame de... (Max Ophüls, 1953) - 6/10
5. Orfeu Negro (Marcel Camus, 1959) - 8/10
6. Baby Doll (Elia Kazan, 1956) - 7/10
7. Broken Arrow (Delmer Daves, 1950) - 8/10
8. Marty (Delbert Mann, 1955) - 8/10
9. The Robe (Henry Koster, 1953) - 6/10
10. Born Yesterday (George Cukor, 1950) - 7/10
11. The Country Girl (George Seaton, 1954) - 10/10
12. Picnic (Joshua Logan, 1955) - 4/10

[shugs]

Stats! As always, they include only features, no shorts, miniseries or TV episodes.

So far, there are 35 people participating in the challenge. A total of 610 points have been accumulated, for an average of 17.43 points per user.
There have been 481 unique films watched.

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MOST WATCHED MOVIES
Ansiktet and Bakumatsu taiyôdenhave the been the most watched movies, with 5 different watches each.

Most Watched Movies

Film	Director	Year	Country	Watches
Ansiktet	Ingmar Bergman	1958	Sweden	5
Bakumatsu taiyôden	Yûzô Kawashima	1957	Japan	5
The Bigamist	Ida Lupino	1953	USA	4
Valkoinen peura	Erik Blomberg	1952	Finland	4
Annie Get Your Gun	George Sidney, Busby Berkeley	1950	USA	3
Bitter Victory	Nicholas Ray	1957	France, USA	3
Brigadoon	Vincente Minnelli	1954	USA	3
Calle Mayor	Juan Antonio Bardem	1956	Spain, France	3
Fröken Julie	Alf Sjöberg	1951	Sweden	3
Higanbana	Yasujirô Ozu	1958	Japan	3
Nightfall	Jacques Tourneur	1956	USA	3
Rio Grande	John Ford	1950	USA	3
Seven Days to Noon	John Boulting, Roy Boulting	1950	UK	3
Sommarlek	Ingmar Bergman	1951	Sweden	3
The Breaking Point	Michael Curtiz	1950	USA	3
There's Always Tomorrow	Douglas Sirk	1955	USA	3
Winchester '73	Anthony Mann	1950	USA	3
3:10 to Yuma	Delmer Daves	1957	USA	2
5 Steps to Danger	Henry S. Kesler	1956	USA	2
A King in New York	Charles Chaplin	1957	UK	2
A Time to Love and a Time to Die	Douglas Sirk	1958	USA, West Germany	2
Across the Bridge	Ken Annakin	1957	UK	2
Alice in Wonderland	Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske	1951	USA	2
Anticipation of the Night	Stan Brakhage	1958	USA	2
Baby Doll	Elia Kazan	1956	USA	2
Backlash	John Sturges	1956	USA	2
Beyond a Reasonable Doubt	Fritz Lang	1956	USA	2
Bienvenido Mister Marshall	Luis García Berlanga	1953	Spain	2
Borets i kloun	Boris Barnet, Konstantin Yudin	1957	Soviet Union	2
Born Yesterday	George Cukor	1950	USA	2
Caged	John Cromwell	1950	USA	2
Das indische Grabmal	Fritz Lang	1959	West Germany, France, Italy	2
De dødes tjern	Kåre Bergstrøm	1958	Norway	2
Det sjunde inseglet	Ingmar Bergman	1957	Sweden	2
El monstruo resucitado	Chano Urueta	1953	Mexico	2
Elokuu	Matti Kassila	1956	Finland	2
En fremmed banker på	Johan Jacobsen	1959	Denmark	2
Ginza 24 chou	Yûzô Kawashima	1955	Japan	2
Guys and Dolls	Joseph L. Mankiewicz	1955	USA	2
Harvey	Henry Koster	1950	USA	2
House of Wax	André De Toth	1953	USA	2
I dimma dold	Lars-Eric Kjellgren	1953	Sweden	2
Kakushi-toride no san-akunin	Akira Kurosawa	1958	Japan	2
Kvinnodröm	Ingmar Bergman	1955	Sweden	2
Laughing Anne	Herbert Wilcox	1953	UK, USA	2
Les cousins	Claude Chabrol	1959	France	2
Marty	Delbert Mann	1955	USA	2
Mi tío Jacinto	Ladislao Vajda	1956	Spain, Italy	2
Más allá del olvido	Hugo del Carril	1956	Argentina	2
Pather Panchali	Satyajit Ray	1955	India	2
Pillow Talk	Michael Gordon	1959	USA	2
Pociag	Jerzy Kawalerowicz	1959	Poland	2
Quand tu liras cette lettre	Jean-Pierre Melville	1953	France, Italy	2
Raggare!	Olle Hellbom	1959	Sweden	2
Ride Lonesome	Budd Boetticher	1959	USA	2
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers	Stanley Donen	1954	USA	2
Sleeping Beauty	Clyde Geronimi, Les Clark, Hamilton Luske, Wolfgang Reitherman	1959	USA	2
Some Like It Hot	Billy Wilder	1959	USA	2
Sommarnattens leende	Ingmar Bergman	1955	Sweden	2
Stars in My Crown	Jacques Tourneur	1950	USA	2
Suddenly	Lewis Allen	1954	USA	2
Terror at Midnight	Franklin Adreon	1956	USA	2
The Adventures of Hajji Baba	Don Weis	1954	USA	2
The Big Combo	Joseph H. Lewis	1955	USA	2
The Defiant Ones	Stanley Kramer	1958	USA	2
The Garment Jungle	Vincent Sherman, Robert Aldrich	1957	USA	2
The House Across the Lake	Ken Hughes	1954	UK	2
The Lavender Hill Mob	Charles Crichton	1951	UK	2
The Long Haul	Ken Hughes	1957	UK, USA	2
The Long Memory	Robert Hamer	1953	UK	2
The Mad Magician	John Brahm	1954	USA	2
The Tall T	Budd Boetticher	1957	USA	2
The Tingler	William Castle	1959	USA	2
The Trouble with Harry	Alfred Hitchcock	1955	USA	2
The Wings of Eagles	John Ford	1957	USA	2
Tiger in the Smoke	Roy Ward Baker	1956	UK	2
Tôkyô boshoku	Yasujirô Ozu	1957	Japan	2
Wagon Master	John Ford	1950	USA	2
Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?	Frank Tashlin	1957	USA	2

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MOST WATCHED GENRES
Drama is the most watched genre, as always.

Most Watched Genres

Genre	Watches
Drama	388
Romance	160
Crime	142
Comedy	126
Thriller	109
Film-Noir	78
Adventure	55
Western	54
Horror	45
Mystery	39
Musical	38
Sci-Fi	35
Action	34
War	34
Fantasy	28
History	24
Biography	21
Family	20
Music	16
Animation	10
Documentary	6
Sport	6

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MOST WATCHED COUNTRIES
USA leads as the most watched country, followed by UK and Japan.

Most Watched Countries

Country	Watches
USA	329
UK	76
Japan	45
France	40
Italy	35
Sweden	28
Finland	11
Spain	11
Norway	10
West Germany	10
Denmark	8
India	6
Argentina	4
Brazil	4
Mexico	4
Poland	4
Soviet Union	3
Czechoslovakia	2
Greece	2
Bangladesh	1
Bulgaria	1
China	1
Cuba	1
East Germany	1
Egypt	1
Pakistan	1
Philippines	1
South Korea	1
Turkey	1
Yugoslavia	1

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YEAR DISTRIBUTION
1950 takes the lead as the most watched year, followed closely by 1957 and then 1955.

Watches distribution per year

[shugs]

MOST WATCHED DIRECTORS (>2 WATCHES)
Ingmar Bergman is the most watched director, with 17 watches.

Most Watched Directors (>2 Watches)

Director	Watches	Films
Ingmar Bergman	17	8 Movies Name Year Watches Till glädje 1950 1 Sommarlek 1951 3 Sommaren med Monika 1953 1 Sommarnattens leende 1955 2 Kvinnodröm 1955 2 Det sjunde inseglet 1957 2 Nära livet 1958 1 Ansiktet 1958 5
John Ford	12	8 Movies Name Year Watches Rio Grande 1950 3 Wagon Master 1950 2 The Quiet Man 1952 1 The Sun Shines Bright 1953 1 The Long Gray Line 1955 1 Mister Roberts 1955 1 The Wings of Eagles 1957 2 The Horse Soldiers 1959 1
Yûzô Kawashima	11	6 Movies Name Year Watches Ginza 24 chou 1955 2 Ashita kuru hito 1955 1 Fûsen 1956 1 Suzaki Paradaisu: Akashingô 1956 1 Zoku ueru tamashii 1956 1 Bakumatsu taiyôden 1957 5
Anthony Mann	9	7 Movies Name Year Watches Winchester '73 1950 3 Devil's Doorway 1950 1 The Furies 1950 1 Quo Vadis 1951 1 The Naked Spur 1953 1 The Man from Laramie 1955 1 Man of the West 1958 1
Fritz Lang	8	6 Movies Name Year Watches Rancho Notorious 1952 1 Moonfleet 1955 1 Beyond a Reasonable Doubt 1956 2 While the City Sleeps 1956 1 Das indische Grabmal 1959 2 Der Tiger von Eschnapur 1959 1
Budd Boetticher	7	5 Movies Name Year Watches The Cimarron Kid 1952 1 The Man from the Alamo 1953 1 7 Men from Now 1956 1 The Tall T 1957 2 Ride Lonesome 1959 2
Clyde Geronimi	7	5 Movies Name Year Watches Cinderella 1950 1 Alice in Wonderland 1951 2 Peter Pan 1953 1 Lady and the Tramp 1955 1 Sleeping Beauty 1959 2
Douglas Sirk	7	4 Movies Name Year Watches Magnificent Obsession 1954 1 There's Always Tomorrow 1955 3 Written on the Wind 1956 1 A Time to Love and a Time to Die 1958 2
Frank Tashlin	7	6 Movies Name Year Watches The Lemon Drop Kid 1951 1 Artists and Models 1955 1 Hollywood or Bust 1956 1 The Girl Can't Help It 1956 1 Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? 1957 2 Rock-a-Bye Baby 1958 1
Hamilton Luske	7	5 Movies Name Year Watches Cinderella 1950 1 Alice in Wonderland 1951 2 Peter Pan 1953 1 Lady and the Tramp 1955 1 Sleeping Beauty 1959 2
Vincente Minnelli	7	5 Movies Name Year Watches Father of the Bride 1950 1 The Bad and the Beautiful 1952 1 Brigadoon 1954 3 The Cobweb 1955 1 Some Came Running 1958 1
Alfred Hitchcock	6	5 Movies Name Year Watches The Trouble with Harry 1955 2 The Wrong Man 1956 1 The Man Who Knew Too Much 1956 1 Vertigo 1958 1 North by Northwest 1959 1
Billy Wilder	6	5 Movies Name Year Watches Stalag 17 1953 1 Love in the Afternoon 1957 1 Witness for the Prosecution 1957 1 The Spirit of St. Louis 1957 1 Some Like It Hot 1959 2
Ida Lupino	6	3 Movies Name Year Watches Outrage 1950 1 The Bigamist 1953 4 The Hitch-Hiker 1953 1
Jacques Tourneur	6	3 Movies Name Year Watches Stars in My Crown 1950 2 Anne of the Indies 1951 1 Nightfall 1956 3
Elia Kazan	5	4 Movies Name Year Watches Panic in the Streets 1950 1 Man on a Tightrope 1953 1 Baby Doll 1956 2 A Face in the Crowd 1957 1
George Sidney	5	3 Movies Name Year Watches Annie Get Your Gun 1950 3 Kiss Me Kate 1953 1 The Eddy Duchin Story 1956 1
John Paddy Carstairs	5	5 Movies Name Year Watches Trouble in Store 1953 1 One Good Turn 1955 1 Man of the Moment 1955 1 Up in the World 1956 1 Just My Luck 1957 1
John Sturges	5	4 Movies Name Year Watches Kind Lady 1951 1 The People Against O'Hara 1951 1 Bad Day at Black Rock 1955 1 Backlash 1956 2
Stanley Donen	5	4 Movies Name Year Watches Singin' in the Rain 1952 1 Seven Brides for Seven Brothers 1954 2 Deep in My Heart 1954 1 Indiscreet 1958 1
Wilfred Jackson	5	4 Movies Name Year Watches Cinderella 1950 1 Alice in Wonderland 1951 2 Peter Pan 1953 1 Lady and the Tramp 1955 1
Yasujirô Ozu	5	2 Movies Name Year Watches Tôkyô boshoku 1957 2 Higanbana 1958 3
Delmer Daves	4	3 Movies Name Year Watches Broken Arrow 1950 1 Treasure of the Golden Condor 1953 1 3:10 to Yuma 1957 2
Erik Blomberg	4	1 Movie Name Year Watches Valkoinen peura 1952 4
George Cukor	4	3 Movies Name Year Watches Born Yesterday 1950 2 The Actress 1953 1 It Should Happen to You 1954 1
Henry Koster	4	3 Movies Name Year Watches Harvey 1950 2 Stars and Stripes Forever 1952 1 The Robe 1953 1
Joseph L. Mankiewicz	4	3 Movies Name Year Watches No Way Out 1950 1 The Barefoot Contessa 1954 1 Guys and Dolls 1955 2
Juan Antonio Bardem	4	2 Movies Name Year Watches Muerte de un ciclista 1955 1 Calle Mayor 1956 3
Keisuke Kinoshita	4	4 Movies Name Year Watches Nijûshi no hitomi 1954 1 Narayama bushikô 1958 1 Sekishunchô 1959 1 Kyô mo mata kakute ari nan 1959 1
Ken Hughes	4	2 Movies Name Year Watches The House Across the Lake 1954 2 The Long Haul 1957 2
Michael Curtiz	4	2 Movies Name Year Watches The Breaking Point 1950 3 We're No Angels 1955 1
Nicholas Ray	4	2 Movies Name Year Watches Bitter Victory 1957 3 Party Girl 1958 1
Otto Preminger	4	4 Movies Name Year Watches Where the Sidewalk Ends 1950 1 Treasure of the Golden Condor 1953 1 The Moon Is Blue 1953 1 Carmen Jones 1954 1
Roy Boulting	4	2 Movies Name Year Watches Seven Days to Noon 1950 3 Carlton-Browne of the F.O. 1959 1
Roy Ward Baker	4	3 Movies Name Year Watches Don't Bother to Knock 1952 1 Tiger in the Smoke 1956 2 A Night to Remember 1958 1
Terence Fisher	4	4 Movies Name Year Watches So Long at the Fair 1950 1 Gambler and the Lady 1952 1 The Stranglers of Bombay 1959 1 The Man Who Could Cheat Death 1959 1
William Wyler	4	4 Movies Name Year Watches Detective Story 1951 1 Carrie 1952 1 Roman Holiday 1953 1 The Big Country 1958 1
Alexander Mackendrick	3	3 Movies Name Year Watches The Man in the White Suit 1951 1 Mandy 1952 1 The Ladykillers 1955 1
Alf Sjöberg	3	1 Movie Name Year Watches Fröken Julie 1951 3
Allan Dwan	3	3 Movies Name Year Watches Woman They Almost Lynched 1953 1 Pearl of the South Pacific 1955 1 Slightly Scarlet 1956 1
Basil Dearden	3	3 Movies Name Year Watches Pool of London 1951 1 Nowhere to Go 1958 1 Sapphire 1959 1
Busby Berkeley	3	1 Movie Name Year Watches Annie Get Your Gun 1950 3
Federico Fellini	3	3 Movies Name Year Watches Luci del varietà 1950 1 Il bidone 1955 1 Le notti di Cabiria 1957 1
Hiroshi Inagaki	3	3 Movies Name Year Watches Miyamoto Musashi 1954 1 Zoku Miyamoto Musashi: Ichijôji no kettô 1955 1 Miyamoto Musashi kanketsuhen: kettô Ganryûjima 1956 1
Ishirô Honda	3	3 Movies Name Year Watches Gojira 1954 1 Gojira no gyakushû 1955 1 Godzilla: King of the Monsters! 1956 1
J. Lee Thompson	3	3 Movies Name Year Watches Murder Without Crime 1950 1 Yield to the Night 1956 1 Ice Cold in Alex 1958 1
Jean-Pierre Melville	3	2 Movies Name Year Watches Les enfants terribles 1950 1 Quand tu liras cette lettre 1953 2
John Boulting	3	1 Movie Name Year Watches Seven Days to Noon 1950 3
Joseph H. Lewis	3	2 Movies Name Year Watches Gun Crazy 1950 1 The Big Combo 1955 2
Kenji Mizoguchi	3	3 Movies Name Year Watches Oyû-sama 1951 1 Uwasa no onna 1954 1 Shin Heike monogatari 1955 1
Kåre Bergstrøm	3	2 Movies Name Year Watches Andrine og Kjell 1952 1 De dødes tjern 1958 2
Luis García Berlanga	3	2 Movies Name Year Watches Bienvenido Mister Marshall 1953 2 Calabuch 1956 1
Masaki Kobayashi	3	3 Movies Name Year Watches Musuko no seishun 1952 1 Ningen no jôken 1959 1 Ningen no jôken 1959 1
Matti Kassila	3	2 Movies Name Year Watches Elokuu 1956 2 Punainen viiva 1959 1
Max Ophüls	3	3 Movies Name Year Watches La ronde 1950 1 Le plaisir 1952 1 Madame de... 1953 1
Michael Gordon	3	2 Movies Name Year Watches Woman in Hiding 1950 1 Pillow Talk 1959 2
Norman Taurog	3	3 Movies Name Year Watches Jumping Jacks 1952 1 Living It Up 1954 1 You're Never Too Young 1955 1
Richard Fleischer	3	3 Movies Name Year Watches The Narrow Margin 1952 1 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea 1954 1 The Vikings 1958 1
Richard Thorpe	3	3 Movies Name Year Watches Black Hand 1950 1 Ivanhoe 1952 1 The Prodigal 1955 1
Robert Aldrich	3	2 Movies Name Year Watches World for Ransom 1954 1 The Garment Jungle 1957 2
Val Guest	3	3 Movies Name Year Watches The Runaway Bus 1954 1 The Camp on Blood Island 1958 1 Yesterday's Enemy 1959 1
William A. Wellman	3	3 Movies Name Year Watches Westward the Women 1951 1 Island in the Sky 1953 1 The High and the Mighty 1954 1

[shugs]

MOST WATCHED DIRECTORS (2 WATCHES)

Most Watched Directors (2 Watches)

Director	Watches	Films
Akira Kurosawa	2	1 Movie Name Year Watches Kakushi-toride no san-akunin 1958 2
André De Toth	2	1 Movie Name Year Watches House of Wax 1953 2
Arne Skouen	2	2 Movies Name Year Watches Det brenner i natt! 1955 1 Ni liv 1957 1
Arthur Lubin	2	2 Movies Name Year Watches It Grows on Trees 1952 1 Footsteps in the Fog 1955 1
Boris Barnet	2	1 Movie Name Year Watches Borets i kloun 1957 2
Chano Urueta	2	1 Movie Name Year Watches El monstruo resucitado 1953 2
Charles Chaplin	2	1 Movie Name Year Watches A King in New York 1957 2
Charles Crichton	2	1 Movie Name Year Watches The Lavender Hill Mob 1951 2
Charles Walters	2	2 Movies Name Year Watches Dangerous When Wet 1953 1 High Society 1956 1
Claude Chabrol	2	1 Movie Name Year Watches Les cousins 1959 2
David Butler	2	2 Movies Name Year Watches Tea for Two 1950 1 Calamity Jane 1953 1
Delbert Mann	2	1 Movie Name Year Watches Marty 1955 2
Don Weis	2	1 Movie Name Year Watches The Adventures of Hajji Baba 1954 2
Emeric Pressburger	2	2 Movies Name Year Watches Gone to Earth 1950 1 The Tales of Hoffmann 1951 1
Felix E. Feist	2	2 Movies Name Year Watches Tomorrow Is Another Day 1951 1 Donovan's Brain 1953 1
Franklin Adreon	2	1 Movie Name Year Watches Terror at Midnight 1956 2
Fred F. Sears	2	2 Movies Name Year Watches Last Train from Bombay 1952 1 Utah Blaine 1957 1
George Sherman	2	2 Movies Name Year Watches The Sleeping City 1950 1 The Hard Man 1957 1
Gerald Mayer	2	2 Movies Name Year Watches Dial 1119 1950 1 The Sellout 1952 1
Guru Dutt	2	2 Movies Name Year Watches Pyaasa 1957 1 Kaagaz Ke Phool 1959 1
Hal Walker	2	2 Movies Name Year Watches That's My Boy 1951 1 Sailor Beware 1952 1
Heinosuke Gosho	2	2 Movies Name Year Watches Kiiroi karasu 1957 1 Hotarubi 1958 1
Henry S. Kesler	2	1 Movie Name Year Watches 5 Steps to Danger 1956 2
Herbert Wilcox	2	1 Movie Name Year Watches Laughing Anne 1953 2
Hugo del Carril	2	1 Movie Name Year Watches Más allá del olvido 1956 2
Irving Lerner	2	2 Movies Name Year Watches Edge of Fury 1958 1 City of Fear 1959 1
Jack Arnold	2	2 Movies Name Year Watches The Incredible Shrinking Man 1957 1 Monster on the Campus 1958 1
Jerzy Kawalerowicz	2	1 Movie Name Year Watches Pociag 1959 2
Johan Jacobsen	2	1 Movie Name Year Watches En fremmed banker på 1959 2
John Brahm	2	1 Movie Name Year Watches The Mad Magician 1954 2
John Cromwell	2	1 Movie Name Year Watches Caged 1950 2
John Guillermin	2	2 Movies Name Year Watches Adventure in the Hopfields 1954 1 Town on Trial 1957 1
Joseph Losey	2	2 Movies Name Year Watches The Lawless 1950 1 The Prowler 1951 1
Joseph Pevney	2	2 Movies Name Year Watches Shakedown 1950 1 The Midnight Story 1957 1
Joshua Logan	2	2 Movies Name Year Watches Picnic 1955 1 Mister Roberts 1955 1
Jules Dassin	2	2 Movies Name Year Watches Night and the City 1950 1 Du rififi chez les hommes 1955 1
Julien Duvivier	2	2 Movies Name Year Watches Sous le ciel de Paris 1951 1 La fête à Henriette 1952 1
Ken Annakin	2	1 Movie Name Year Watches Across the Bridge 1957 2
King Vidor	2	2 Movies Name Year Watches Ruby Gentry 1952 1 Solomon and Sheba 1959 1
Kon Ichikawa	2	2 Movies Name Year Watches Biruma no tategoto 1956 1 Nobi 1959 1
Konstantin Yudin	2	1 Movie Name Year Watches Borets i kloun 1957 2
Kurt Neumann	2	2 Movies Name Year Watches She Devil 1957 1 The Fly 1958 1
Ladislao Vajda	2	1 Movie Name Year Watches Mi tío Jacinto 1956 2
Lars-Eric Kjellgren	2	1 Movie Name Year Watches I dimma dold 1953 2
Lau Lauritzen	2	2 Movies Name Year Watches Café Paradis 1950 1 Farlig ungdom 1953 1
Lee Sholem	2	2 Movies Name Year Watches Tobor the Great 1954 1 Sierra Stranger 1957 1
Les Clark	2	1 Movie Name Year Watches Sleeping Beauty 1959 2
Lewis Allen	2	1 Movie Name Year Watches Suddenly 1954 2
Lewis Seiler	2	2 Movies Name Year Watches The System 1953 1 Over-Exposed 1956 1
Louis Malle	2	2 Movies Name Year Watches Le monde du silence 1956 1 Les amants 1958 1
Luchino Visconti	2	2 Movies Name Year Watches Bellissima 1951 1 Le notti bianche 1957 1
Mario Monicelli	2	2 Movies Name Year Watches Guardie e ladri 1951 1 La grande guerra 1959 1
Mervyn LeRoy	2	2 Movies Name Year Watches Quo Vadis 1951 1 Mister Roberts 1955 1
Michael Anderson	2	2 Movies Name Year Watches Hell Is Sold Out 1951 1 Around the World in 80 Days 1956 1
Michael Powell	2	2 Movies Name Year Watches Gone to Earth 1950 1 The Tales of Hoffmann 1951 1
Mikio Naruse	2	2 Movies Name Year Watches Yama no oto 1954 1 Bangiku 1954 1
Montgomery Tully	2	2 Movies Name Year Watches 36 Hours 1953 1 Five Days 1954 1
Norman Panama	2	2 Movies Name Year Watches That Certain Feeling 1956 1 The Trap 1959 1
Olle Hellbom	2	1 Movie Name Year Watches Raggare! 1959 2
Phil Karlson	2	2 Movies Name Year Watches The Phenix City Story 1955 1 Tight Spot 1955 1
Ray Nazarro	2	2 Movies Name Year Watches The White Squaw 1956 1 Domino Kid 1957 1
Richard Brooks	2	2 Movies Name Year Watches Blackboard Jungle 1955 1 The Catered Affair 1956 1
Richard Quine	2	2 Movies Name Year Watches Pushover 1954 1 Operation Mad Ball 1957 1
Robert Hamer	2	1 Movie Name Year Watches The Long Memory 1953 2
Roberto Rossellini	2	2 Movies Name Year Watches India: Matri Bhumi 1959 1 Il generale Della Rovere 1959 1
Russell Rouse	2	2 Movies Name Year Watches The Well 1951 1 New York Confidential 1955 1
Sam Newfield	2	2 Movies Name Year Watches Gambler and the Lady 1952 1 Outlaw Women 1952 1
Samuel Fuller	2	2 Movies Name Year Watches The Baron of Arizona 1950 1 Forty Guns 1957 1
Satyajit Ray	2	1 Movie Name Year Watches Pather Panchali 1955 2
Sidney Salkow	2	2 Movies Name Year Watches Robbers' Roost 1955 1 Chicago Confidential 1957 1
Stan Brakhage	2	1 Movie Name Year Watches Anticipation of the Night 1958 2
Stanley Kramer	2	1 Movie Name Year Watches The Defiant Ones 1958 2
Vincent Sherman	2	1 Movie Name Year Watches The Garment Jungle 1957 2
Vittorio De Sica	2	2 Movies Name Year Watches Miracolo a Milano 1951 1 Umberto D. 1952 1
Walter Lang	2	2 Movies Name Year Watches Call Me Madam 1953 1 The King and I 1956 1
William Castle	2	1 Movie Name Year Watches The Tingler 1959 2
William Dieterle	2	2 Movies Name Year Watches Dark City 1950 1 Salome 1953 1
Wolfgang Reitherman	2	1 Movie Name Year Watches Sleeping Beauty 1959 2

[peeptoad]

26. Horror of Dracula (1958) 8*

hoopie knobs

*rewatch
1. Kakushi-toride no san-akunin (1958) The Hidden Fortress 8
2. A Killer Walks (1952) 6
3. Tôkaidô Yotsuya kaidan (1957) Ghost of Yotsuya 8
4a. Un Chant D'Amour (1950) 26min 8
4b. Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome (1954) 38min 7
5. The Man Who Turned to Stone (1957) 5
6. Kon-Tiki (1950) 8
7. Pociag (1959) Night Train 9
8. Czlowiek na torze (1957) Man on the Tracks 7
9. Orpheus (1950) 8
10. Pather Panchali (1955) 8
11. Five (1951) 7
12a. Tire Die (1951) Toss Me a Dime 33min 8
12b. Eaux D'Artifice (1953) 12min 7
12c. Rabbit's Moon (1950) 7min 8
12d. The Tell-tale Heart (1953) 8min 7
13. Terror is a Man (1959) 7
14. Ansiktet (1958) The Magician 8
15. The Mad Magician (1954) 7
16. Edge of Fury (1958) 7+
17. Fright (1956) 5
18. Some Like It Hot (1959) 9*
19. Mon oncle (1958) 9
20. Gog (1954) 5
21. Miracolo a Milano (1951) Miracle in Milan 7
22. Paw (1959) 7
23. The Monster of Piedras Blancas (1959) 5
24. The Night Runner (1957) 5
25. Stranger From Venus (1954) 5

[morrison-dylan-fan]

FTV:13:The Mother Tree (1958)8.



Flickering the burning need for revenge from beyond the grave as two burning balls of fire flies hanging above the head of the killer, director Goro Kadono & cinematographer Hiroshi Suzuki superbly brush J-Horror with the long shadowed stylisation of German Expressionism, expressed in the death face mask of the returning dead, refined minimalist, side shots of the painters family falling into the arms of the killer, and a wonderful dip into a painted surreal final.

Taking the brush from Encho San'yutei’s novel, the adaptation by Torao Tanabe takes a J-Horror revenge outline, and divides it with welcomed quirks,from the mum saying she can no longer give breast milk, to the growing number of former servants joining forces with the avenging dead husband. Whilst serving up sharp revenge, Tanabe refreshingly puts that brush down, to instead draw a final flight of fantasy message of personal fulfilment from eyes drawn on the mother tree.

[mathiasa]

34. Silk Stockings (1957) 7.1/10
35. Oklahoma! (1955) Rather weird movie, influenced by modern dance, I guess. 5.9/10
36. Land of the Pharaos (1955) I liked it better than I thought. 6.8/10
37. Artists and Models (1955) 6.0/10
38. Guys and Dolls (1955) I‘m just not that into Brando and Frank Sinatra is a great entertainer and singer but not the best actor. Still enjoyable. 5.5/10

[Obgeoff]

97. Bitter Victory (1957, Ray) 9
98. Edward and Caroline (1951, Becker) 9
99. Magnificent Obsession (1954, Sirk) 8

[sol]

MOST WATCHED DIRECTORS (>2 WATCHES)

Thanks for the detailed stats. The director breakdown is especially interesting for a Challenge like this since I can clearly see my impact on the results. John Paddy Carstairs is in the top 16 directors purely from films that I have watched myself, while Frank Tashlin cracks the top 10 with my help.

[sol]

Fifties Shades of Grey

1. One Good Turn (1955)
2. Tea for Two (1950)
3. Adventures of Hajji Baba (1954)
4. You're Never Too Young! (1955)
5. As Young As You Feel (1951)
6. The Good Humor Man (1950)
7. That Certain Feeling (1956)
8. The Lemon Drop Kid (1951)
9. Alice in Wonderland (1951)
10. Man of the Moment (1955)
11. A Girl in Every Port (1952)
12. Operation Mad Ball (1957)
13. House of Wax (1953)
14. That's My Boy (1951)
15. Hollywood or Bust (1956)
16. It Grows on Trees (1952)
17. The Runaway Bus (1954)
18. The Lady Says No (1951)
19. The Great Rupert (1950)
20. Singin' in the Rain (1952) REVISION
21. Sun in the Last Days of the Shogunate (1957)
22a. Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century (1953) 7m
22b. The Leaden Echo and the Golden Echo (1955) 6m
22c. The Wearing of the Grin (1951) 7m
22d. The Scarlet Pumpernickel (1950) 7m
22e. Boobs in the Woods (1950) 7m
22f. Deduce, You Say (1956) 7m
22g. Drip-Along Daffy (1951) 7m
22h. Golden Yeggs (1950) 7m
22i. The Ducksters (1950) 7m
23. The Long Memory (1953)
24. 5 Steps to Danger (1957)
25. Mars and Beyond (1957)
26. Some Like It Hot (1959) REVISION
27. Rock-a-Bye Baby (1958) REVISION
28. The Rocket Man (1954)
29. Trouble in Store (1953)
30. Up in the World (1956)
31. Tiger in the Smoke (1956)
32. The Breaking Point (1950)
33. Sleeping Beauty (1959)
34. The Love Match (1955)
35. Mister Universe (1951)
36. Jumping Jacks (1952)
37. Anything Goes (1956)
38. Sailor Beware (1952)
39. Sailor Beware (1956)
40. Follow a Star (1959)
41. Just My Luck (1957)
42. Living It Up (1954)
43. Face of Fire (1959)
44. Half Angel (1951)

45. Cowboy (1958)



At first, Jack Lemmon seems like an odd choice for the lead role here, but it is really a fantastic bit of casting since the film begins as more of a frothy comedy with the plot only gradually growing grim and serious as Lemmon becomes increasingly disillusioned while on the cattle drive. Glenn Ford is also solid as an idol/mentor who he soon comes to resent and the building tension between them, culminating in a memorable fire scene, is very intense.

[sol]

Fifties Shades of Grey

1. One Good Turn (1955)
2. Tea for Two (1950)
3. Adventures of Hajji Baba (1954)
4. You're Never Too Young! (1955)
5. As Young As You Feel (1951)
6. The Good Humor Man (1950)
7. That Certain Feeling (1956)
8. The Lemon Drop Kid (1951)
9. Alice in Wonderland (1951)
10. Man of the Moment (1955)
11. A Girl in Every Port (1952)
12. Operation Mad Ball (1957)
13. House of Wax (1953)
14. That's My Boy (1951)
15. Hollywood or Bust (1956)
16. It Grows on Trees (1952)
17. The Runaway Bus (1954)
18. The Lady Says No (1951)
19. The Great Rupert (1950)
20. Singin' in the Rain (1952) REVISION
21. Sun in the Last Days of the Shogunate (1957)
22a. Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century (1953) 7m
22b. The Leaden Echo and the Golden Echo (1955) 6m
22c. The Wearing of the Grin (1951) 7m
22d. The Scarlet Pumpernickel (1950) 7m
22e. Boobs in the Woods (1950) 7m
22f. Deduce, You Say (1956) 7m
22g. Drip-Along Daffy (1951) 7m
22h. Golden Yeggs (1950) 7m
22i. The Ducksters (1950) 7m
23. The Long Memory (1953)
24. 5 Steps to Danger (1957)
25. Mars and Beyond (1957)
26. Some Like It Hot (1959) REVISION
27. Rock-a-Bye Baby (1958) REVISION
28. The Rocket Man (1954)
29. Trouble in Store (1953)
30. Up in the World (1956)
31. Tiger in the Smoke (1956)
32. The Breaking Point (1950)
33. Sleeping Beauty (1959)
34. The Love Match (1955)
35. Mister Universe (1951)
36. Jumping Jacks (1952)
37. Anything Goes (1956)
38. Sailor Beware (1952)
39. Sailor Beware (1956)
40. Follow a Star (1959)
41. Just My Luck (1957)
42. Living It Up (1954)
43. Face of Fire (1959)
44. Half Angel (1951)
45. Cowboy (1958)

46. Hondo (1953)



While the romance that develops is predictable here, the initial friction between John Wayne and Geraldine Page is great, both communicating silently volumes: her fear that he will rape her, and his knowledge of this, while nodding as she keeps talking about how her husband will return at any moment. Wayne also has a touching relationship with her son (outside of teaching him to swim). Too bad all the racially insensitive Apache stuff sucks.

[shugs]

MOST WATCHED DIRECTORS (>2 WATCHES)

Thanks for the detailed stats. The director breakdown is especially interesting for a Challenge like this since I can clearly see my impact on the results. John Paddy Carstairs is in the top 16 directors purely from films that I have watched myself, while Frank Tashlin cracks the top 10 with my help.

Yeah, it's cool spotting things like that. Film-noir would also be way lower, but Allison is on a roll.

[ororama]

18. 36 Hours (1953) * 84 min.
19. Pier 23 (1951) * 58 min.

Spoiler

1. The Baron of Arizona (1950) * 96 min.
2. Hell Is Sold Out (1951) * 81 min.
3. Annie Get Your Gun (1950) * 107 min.
4. Your Witness (1950) * 100 min.
5. Showdown at Boot Hill (1958) * 72 min.
6. My Wife's Lodger (1952) * 78 min.
7. Kiss Me Kate (1953) * 110 min.
8. Robbers' Roost (1955) * 83 min.
9. Storstrømsbroen/ The Storstrom Bridge (1950) * 7 min.
Et slot i et slot: Krogen og Kronborg/ The Castle Within the Castle (1954) * 9 min.
Three Installations (1952) * 23 min.
O Dreamland (1956) * 13 min.
Barney's Hungry Cousin (1953) * 7 min.
Odds & Ends (1959) * 4 min.
10. The Well (1951) * 85 min.
11. Dial 1119 (1950) 75 min.
12. Sommarlek/ Summer Interlude  (1951) 96 min.
13. The Cimarron Kid (1952) * 84 min.
14. Big House, U.S.A. (1955) * 83 min.
15. Pushover (1954) * 88 min.
16. The Man from the Alamo (1953) * 79 min.
17. Nightfall (1956) * 79 min.

*First time viewing.

[flavo5000]

53. The Flame and the Arrow (1950)
So this one felt basically like Burt Lancaster riffing on Robin Hood with many of the same beats with a few places almost self-consciously attempting to differentiate itself. I can't really pinpoint why, but Lancaster just didn't really work for me in this kind of role for some reason.


54. The Vampire (1957)
Despite the title, this one plays out much more like a Jekyll & Hyde story than a vampire story with a doctor taking experimental pills that transforms him into a vampiric murderous monster while he's unconscious. It's a decent film with some ghoulish scenes that began to push at the Hays code (is it weird that I kind of giggled at the image of him dumping his friend into the incinerator?).

Cool Cats

1. Bitter Victory (1957)
2. Bellissima (1951)
3. Sommarlek a.k.a. Summer Interlude (1951)
4. Penny Points to Paradise (1951)
5. She Devil (1957)
6. Donovan's Brain (1953)
7. Anticipation of the Night (1958)
8. Higanbana a.k.a. Equinox Flowre (1958)
9. Tragedy in a Temporary Town (1956)
10. Twelve Angry Men (1956)
11. Seven Days to Noon (1950)
12a. Gossip (1953)
12b. Control Your Emotions (1950)
12c. The Griper (1954)
12d. Toward Emotional Maturity (1954)
12e. Les horizons morts (1951)
12f. Crazeologie (1954)
13 .Backlash (1956)
14. Narayama bushikô (1958)
15. Solomon and Sheba (1959)
16. The Neanderthal Man (1953)
17. The Rains of Ranchipur (1955)
18. The Cyclops (1957)
19a. Le grand Méliès (1952)
19b. Charlotte et Véronique, ou Tous les garçons s'appellent Patrick (1959)
19c. Strauss Fantasy (1954)
20. Come Fill the Cup (1951)
21. Deep in My Heart (!954)
22-23. Flying Disc Man from Mars E1-12 (1950)
24. This Is Cinerama (1952)
25. The Beast with a Million Eyes (1955)
26. El bruto (1953)
27.Stars and Stripes Forever (1952)
28. Yambaó (!957)
29. Francis in the Haunted House (1956)
30. Der Tiger von Eschnapur a.k.a. Tiger of Bengal (1959)
31. Das indische Grabmal a.k.a. The Indian Tomb (1959)
32. Silk Stockings (!957)
33. Climax!: Casino Royale (1954)
34. The Vikings (1958)
35. The Monolith Monsters (1957)
36. Monster on the Campus (1958)
37. The Magical World of Disney: Mars and Beyond (1957)
38. Across the Bridge (1957)
39. Tobor the Great (1954)
40. The Member of the Wedding (1952)
41. Attack of the Giant Leeches (1959)
42. Calle Mayor (1956)
43. Teenagers from Outer Space (1959)
44. Jack the Ripper (1959)
45. T-Bird Gang (1959)
46. Kvinnodröm a.k.a. Dreams (1955)
47. A Time to Love and a Time to Die (1958)
48. Brigadoon (1954)
49. The Man Who Could Cheat Death (1959)
50. Tôkyô boshoku a.k.a. Tokyo Twilight (1957)
51. El monstruo resucitado a.k.a. Monster (1953)
52. Cinerama Holiday (1955)
53. The Flame and the Arrow (1950)
54. The Vampire (1957)

[VincentPrice]

9. The Wayward Bus-1957: 7/10

Spoiler

1. Revolt at Fort Laramie-1957: 7/10
2. Rails Into Laramie-1954: 7/10
3. Father is the Bachelor-1950: 7/10
4. The White Squaw-1956: 8/10
5. Utah Blaine-1957: 8/10
6. Sierra Stranger-1957: 7/10
7. The Hard Man-1957: 7/10
8. Domino Kid-1957: 7/10

[burneyfan]

Spoiler

01. Laughing Anne -- Wilcox, 1953.
02. The Midnight Story -- Pevney, 1957.
03. Sous le ciel de Paris a.k.a. Under the Paris Sky -- Duvivier, 1951.
04. Porte des Lilas a.k.a. Gates of Paris -- Clair, 1957.
05. I theia to apo Chicago a.k.a. Aunt from Chicago -- Sakellarios, 1957.
06. Outlaw Women -- Ormond & Newfield, 1952.
07. Kyô mo mata kakute ari nan a.k.a. Thus Another Day -- Kinoshita, 1959.
08. To teleftaio psema a.k.a. A Matter of Dignity -- Cacoyannis, 1958.
09. Jago hua savera a.k.a. The Day Shall Dawn -- Kardar, 1959.

10. La balandra Isabel llegó esta tarde a.k.a. The Yacht Isabel Arrived This Afternoon -- Christensen, 1950.

Venezuelan film about a seaman torn between his faithful wife and a sexy chanteuse. The copy I saw was not the best, but I'm not sure if there's much better out there. It was mostly pretty straightforward, but there were a few instances of sound or music that seemed very clever.

[OldAle1]

Red Scare, Television, Atom Age and Ike

1. The Desert Hawk (Frederick De Cordova, 1950)
2. Anne of the Indies (Jacques Tourneur, 1951)
3. Seven Days to Noon (John & Roy Boulting, 1950)
4. This Island Earth (Joseph M. Newman, 1955) (re-watch)
5. Indestructible Man (Jack Pollexfen, 1956)
6. Salome (William Dieterle, 1953)
7. Treasure of the Golden Condor (Delmer Daves/Otto Preminger, 1953)
8. Hong Kong Confidential (Edward L. Cahn, 1958)
9. The Prodigal (Richard Thorpe, 1955)
10. The Magical World of Disney: Mars and Beyond (Ward Kimball, 1957) (re-watch)
11. Tripoli (Will Price, 1950)

12. Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (Fritz Lang, 1956) (re-watch)
TCM. 3rd viewing I think. I have gone back and forth with this on every viewing; Eddie Muller's intro and outro for this give some basic insights into the problems that the film has had, in it's reception by the public and critics - and by the filmmakers. Suffice it to say it was a difficult production with star Dana Andrews' alcoholism a big part of it, and Lang's clashes with Andrews on the set, and with his producer Bert Friedlob over the ending, and with the studio in general were the straws that broke the camel's back, and this was his last film in Hollywood. While I think the basic concept - newspaperman conspires with editor to get himself tried for a murder he didn't commit, with only circumstantial evidence, to foster a better argument against capital punishment - is a good one, it just goes in such a preposterous and silly direction by the end that it's hard to take it seriously or care too much about the denouement. Still it has it's moments and I can't actually dislike any film with Joan Fontaine, but all in all this is for me probably Lang's weakest noir and one of his 2-3 weakest Amercan films.

13. Animal Farm (Joy Batchelor, John Halas, 1954)

Nicely animated - albeit more Disney-like than it might be - short feature adaptation of the Orwell novella is always entertaining and does get a fair bit of the story right - until the last third, which is quite sanitized and doesn't come close to suggesting the master's ultimate thesis - that whether you call it communism or capitalism, whether it's pigs or farmers, merchants or the military in charge, authorotariansim by another name is still authoritarianism. Read the book instead, it won't take much longer than seeing the film.

14. 5 Steps to Danger (Henry S. Kesler, 1956)

While I love Sterling Hayden as much as any red-blooded he-man American noirophile can, and I also love seeing Werner Klemperer in a rare "straight" bad guy role, this is pretty weak sauch in the noir realm overall. Hayden is a... what is he? I don't think his career is ever even mentioned!... so, anyway, he's a - guy - just travelling in California whose car breaks down, causing him to take a ride from a stranger (Ruth Roman) who's travelling east to Texas, and then getting mixed up in her troubles with foreign spies. All kinds of minor stupid plot issues that add up to a pretty unbelievable and silly yarn that of course ends up with

Spoiler

Hayden and Roman getting married and being happy after knowing each other for like 36 hours, having broken the commie spy ring.. somehow

. Even an absolute sucker for all things noir like me can only muster the weakest of "ok" ratings for this.

15. Terror at Midnight (Franklin Adreon, 1956)

Young cop Scott Brady is investigating a hot car racket, and is just being transferred to homicide when his wife (Joan Vohs) ends up somehow mixed up with both of his assignments. This is a pretty well-done b pic from Republic with a better cast than usual - Brady's solid, and we also have reliable supporting player Frank Faylen as a lusty and unscrupulous mechanic, Virginia Gregg in a very convincing turn as his alcoholic wife, and John Dehner as one of the really bad guys behind the whole thing. It's a very cheap, mostly studio-shot production, but it does convey a little bit more big-city (L.A. of course) authenticity than many of it's contemporaries. Nothing to write home about but fun.

16. Passport to Shame (Alvin Rakoff, 1958)

Starting off the Brit-noir part of this challenge - not really deliberate, just worked out that way - with this story of pimp/slaver Herbert Lom, whose new hot prospect stolen from the continent (Odile Versois) will give him more trouble than he bargained for, especially when she catches the eye of cabbie Eddie Constantine (here affecting a not very successful Canadian accent, and sounding much less raspy than he would just a few years later), and also reminds one of Lom's stars (Diana Dors) of the sister whose life was destroyed by the crimelord and his henchmen. Dors is at her most seductive here, and also gives a really solid performance, maybe the best in the film which is saying something when you're playing alongside the likes of Lom. Ultimately another solid little film that isn't going to change most people's world.

17. TIger in the Smoke (Roy Ward Baker, 1956)

Meg (Muriel Pavlow) is about to marry Geoffrey (Donald Sinden), several years after the war in which she lost her first husband - but then she sees him, or thinks she sees him, on a railway platform, shortly after getting a mysterious letter. Being actually cautious and smart, she's alerted the police, and the man turns out to be a counterfeit, apparently.. but why? Soon a complex little web involving a "treasure" found or stolen in France during the war, a group of veterans who live in a cellar and mostly beg for a living, and a master criminal-psychopath (Tony Wright) starts spinning, mostly in one of the foggiest film Londons you'll ever see. This is another quite solid film that never really adds up to anything truly special, but certainly worthwhile for Brit-noir specialists.

18. The Long Memory (Robert Hamer, 1953)

John Mills has just been released from prison after 12 years spent paying for a crime he claims he didn't commit. Now he's living on an abandoned boat on the coast, plotting his revenge against the people who put him away for the crime - one of whom is a woman (Elizabeth Sellars) who is now married to the police superintendant (Johm McCallum) tasked with watching over Mills! This small Dickensian coincidence aside, this is another solid if unspectacular little film, distinguished primarily by some really terrific photography (by Harry Waxman) and mostly real location work in the London area and Gravesend. Probably the best of the three British noirs I watched in a row, though only by a small margin.