A Big Batch of ERROL FLYNN

6-FILM COLLECTION: ERROL FLYNN (Blu-ray)

1938-1948 / 709 min (6 movies)

Warner Archive Collection

Available at www.MovieZyng.com

Review by Mr. Paws😺

Is this a collection of Errol Flynn’s greatest work? Not by a longshot, nor is it intended to be. Instead, this set gathers six Blu-ray titles that were previously released separately. So while we might scream “What?? No Captain Blood??” (there’s still no Blu-ray for that one), this does offer a varied selection of movies Flynn did during his tenure at Warner Brothers. 

Of course, it would have been a crime not to include The Adventures of Robin Hood, which many feel is his greatest film. While I’m not inclined to agree, it remains the definitive telling of the mythical Saxon outlaw. Filled with action, humor, romance and Flynn at his most charismatic (all in beautiful Technicolor), it’s impossible not to be swept along, even 87 years later. Since we don’t get Captain Blood, at least there’s 1940’s The Sea Hawk, which I do think is Flynn's greatest film. Released at the height of his popularity, The Sea Hawk is an epic adventure with Flynn as sea captain Geoffrey Thorpe, England's most infamous privateer, defending his country against enemies through piracy. The final showdown remains one of the greatest sword fights ever filmed.

Yet another collaboration with director Michael Curtiz, 1940’s Santa Fe Trail is a historical drama that plays fast and loose with history, with Flynn as confederate general Jeb Stuart and Raymond Massey as abolitionist John Brown. While not a great film, it’s certainly watchable, though I personally think Flynn is miscast. Flynn fairs much better in 1943’s Edge of Darkness, though he’s just one part of a uniformly excellent cast. Aptly titled, the film is somber in tone and occasionally infuriating when depicting injustice against a Norwegian town at the hands of the Nazis, but this leads to a stunning - and surprisingly violent - final act once they've been pushed too far. This one ranks among Flynn’s best films.

"Yo, Guy! Read between the lines!"

If you’ve seen Northwest Passage with Spencer Tracy, then you’ve seen 1945’s Objective, Burma!, which tells the same story, with Flynn leading his squad as Captain Nelson. Though I doubt anyone would argue that Flynn’s a better actor than Tracy, this one is ultimately more entertaining (though a little too long). Rounding out the set is 1948’s Adventures of Don Juan, and who better to take the role of the world’s most famous womanizing swordsman? Considering his own reputation and behavior, he’s arguably just playing a version of himself. And that’s just fine, because the movie’s a hell of a lot of fun.

Again, none of the Blu-rays in this collection are new. The restorations and transfers (generally pretty excellent) are identical to previous releases, as are the bonus features. Quantity and quality of the content varies, running the gamut from loaded (Robin Hood) to bare-bones (Santa Fe Trail). Robin Hood, Don Juan and The Sea Hawk also include “Warner Night at the Movies” as a great viewing option, with a cartoon, newsreel, short subject and trailers preceding the feature, just like the ol’ days. While the set isn't definitive, it's worth grabbing if you don't already have most of these particular titles.

ULTIMATE GANGSTERS COLLECTION is Essential Viewing

ULTIMATE GANGSTERS COLLECTION: CLASSICS (Blu-ray)

1931-1949 / 357 min (4 movies)

Warner Bros (of course)

Available at www.MovieZyng.com

Review by Mr. Paws😸

During Hollywood’s classic era, MGM was synonymous with musicals, while Universal was renowned for its monsters. Warner Bros chose a darker path, establishing itself as the premier purveyor of gangster films. This indispensable five-disc set, originally released in 2013, collects four of their most iconic examples with generally excellent restorations and a slew of entertaining bonus features. Now that it’s back in print, it’s a must-grab for gangster fans who might’ve missed it the first time around.

Kicking things off is 1931’s Little Caesar, which is pretty much the movie that started it all (once talkies took over, anyway). It also turned Edward G. Robinson into a star. His oft-imitated (and parodied) turn as ruthless rising gangster Rico Bandello remains one of his most memorable, and the movie itself, while comparatively quaint, established the template for what was to come (it’s hard to imagine either version of Scarface without it). 

That same year brought The Public Enemy, which did for James Cagney’s career what Little Caesar did for Robinson’s. He’s electrifying as ambitious career criminal Tom Powers, who, along with childhood buddy Matt Doyle (Edward Woods), achieve wealth and power as prohibition era bootleggers. Though not nearly as violent as its reputation suggests, this is a dark film with tragic underpinnings, as exemplified through Powers’ tumultuous relationships with his disapproving brother, Mike (Donald Cook) and doting mother (Beryl Mercer). The revenge-driven final act is still a stunner. Then, of course, there’s that classic grapefruit scene.

While Humphrey Bogart is best remembered for playing antiheroes and romantic leads, he made his first big splash as a cold-blooded villain. He doesn't actually have the lead role in 1936’s The Petrified Forest, but he lights up the screen and steals the entire movie from his bigger (at the time) co-stars. Set mostly in a remote diner where on-the-lam killer Duke Mantee holds assorted patrons hostage, the movie is occasionally stymied by melodrama, but it’s obvious Bogey was destined for greater things.

Cody welcomes his new neighbors.

While all the films in this collection are classics, 1949’s White Heat is an inarguable masterpiece. As psychotically unstable gang leader Cody Jarrett, James Cagney makes Tom Powers appear downright benevolent. Yet at the same time, despite his violent and vindictive nature, Jarrett is a complex character whose dependence on his domineering mother (Margaret Wycherly) has disturbing undertones and renders him somewhat sympathetic. The compelling story is tension filled, fast moving and comes to one of the most memorable climaxes in movie history. Featuring an excellent supporting cast, tough, violent action and strong direction by Raoul Walsh, this ranks among the greatest gangster movies ever made.

One could easily list other great Warner Bros gangster movies that are just as worthy for including in this collection, but it’s hard to argue with the choices here. All of them are exemplary films of the genre, featuring iconic performances by three legendary tough guys. The video and audio transfers are excellent, though I’m assuming that Little Caesar’s workprint was a bit too old and worn for a pristine restoration. It’s a minor quip over an otherwise must-own collection for gangster movie fans.

EXTRA KIBBLES

PUBLIC ENEMIES: THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE GANGSTER FILM - Made in 2008, this is an outstanding feature-length look at gangster film origins and the classics Warner Bros built its reputation on. Loaded with clips, analysis and appreciation by a variety of critics and historians. Included on a bonus DVD.

MOB OF GANGSTER-THEMED CARTOONS - 4 classic Looney Tunes shorts: I Like Mountain Music; She Was an Acrobat’s Daughter; Racketeer Rabbit; Bugs and Thugs. Included on a bonus DVD.

WARNER NIGHT AT THE MOVIES - Each disc includes the option to view the movie as experienced back in the day, with a preceding newsreel, live-action short, cartoon short and a trailer for another film. Introduced by Leonard Maltin.

FEATURETTES - Each disc includes a 15-20 minute appreciation by various historians, critics and the one-and-only Martin Scorsese.

AUDIO COMMENTARIES - Little Caesar, by Richard B. Schull; The Public Enemy, by Robert Sklar; The Petrified Forest, by Erix Lax; White Heat, by Dr. Drew Casper.

GULF SCREEN THEATER BROADCAST - Radio broadcast of The Petrified Forest from 1940.

1954 RE-RELEASE FORWARD - This was used when Little Caesar and The Public Enemy were re-released as a double feature.

ARSENIC AND OLD LACE: This Will Do

ARSENIC AND OLD LACE (DVD)

1944 / 118 min

Warner Bros

Available at www.MovieZyng.com

Review by Mr. Paws😽

For a long time, Frank Capra’s Arsenic and Old Lace was on my dreaded List of Shame…classic films I’m ashamed to admit I haven’t yet seen. I always meant to get around to it, being something of a latent Cary Grant fan, especially the thrillers he did with Alfred Hitchcock.

But Grant was also one of those great Hollywood actors who was equally at home in many genres, including screwball comedies. Bringing Up Baby and The Philadelphia Story are a couple of his best ones, of course, and I was confident that Arsenic and Old Lace was probably worth putting the Criterion Collection Blu-ray in my Amazon cart sight unseen. Being directed by Frank Capra, how could it not be?

And there it stayed among the floral shelf liners, coloring books & suncatchers my wife had sitting in the same cart...for months. I still haven’t ordered it, and after finally watching Arsenic and Old Lace on this DVD re-issue from Warner Bros, I’m glad I waited. 

Not that it’s a bad movie by any stretch. This farcical comedy of murder and madness on Halloween night is pretty fun. Grant plays Mortimer, a just-married theater critic whose family has a history of insanity, such as a brother who thinks he’s Teddy Roosevelt, and another brother, Jonathan (Raymond Massey), who’s wanted by the police. Worse yet, Mortimer discovers his kindly aunts, Abby and Martha (Josephine Hull & Jean Adair), have a body stashed in the family home, who they cheerfully admit to killing.

"You win...I saw him blink."

But they don’t consider it murder. They simply wanted to free the man of his loneliness. In fact, Abby and Martha have previously freed 11 other men from their loneliness. To protect them, Mortimer has a plan to have “Teddy” committed to a mental asylum. That way, if the bodies are discovered, Teddy’s insanity could explain everything. But at the worst possible time, Jonathan returns home with a dead body of his own, Mr. Spenalzo, whom he just murdered. Assisted by his alcoholic plastic surgeon, Dr. Einstein (Peter Lorre), Jonathan also plans to stash the body in the house.

An amusing chain of events unfolds, with increasingly panicky Mortimer caught in the middle, when all he wanted to do was go honeymooning with his new bride, Elaine (Priscilla Lane). It’s all fairly funny - sometimes laugh-out-loud funny - but I don’t feel this one ranks among Cary Grant’s greatest comedies. While the combination of clever and broad comedy is certainly enjoyable, and the ensemble cast has a lot of fun in their roles, Arsenic and Old Lace is a little too long and never really escapes its stage origins.

Still, I scratched another movie off my List of Shame, and didn’t need to invest in the pricey Criterion Collection edition to do it. This DVD doesn’t boast any bonus features, nor has the film been given any technical upgrades. But at least it’s back in print at a reasonable price, and for a classic that I consider good but not great, this'll do. Perhaps it will for some of you, too.

SIDE STREET: No, Joe, No!

SIDE STREET (Blu-ray)

1949 / 82 min

From Warner Archive Collection

Available at www.MovieZyng.com

Review by Mr. Paws😺

After seeing such classics as Rope, Strangers on a Train and They Live by Night, I’ve come to the conclusion that few actors portrayed morally-questionable protagonists in way over their heads as effectively as Farley Granger. Even without dialogue, his face practically screams “Good God, what have I gotten myself into?” With skills like that, it’s sort of a shame he didn’t pop-up in more film noir.

You can add Anthony Mann’s excellent 1949 noir thriller, Side Street, to that short list. Granger’s character, Joe Norson, a bit more sympathetic in this one, being a financially-strapped mail carrier with a loving wife, Ellen (Cathy O’Donnell), and a baby on the way. On his daily route, Joe gives in to temptation by stealing what he thinks is $200 from shady lawyer Victor Brackett (Edmon Ryan). However, the file actually contains $30,000.

Concurrently, the narrative reveals that money is the result of an extortion scheme by Brackett and gangster client Georgie Garsell (James Craig). They blackmail wealthy rube Emil Lorrison (Paul Harvey) into paying for compromising photos of him and a mistress (who was in on the plan). When that woman turns up dead, Captain Walter Anderson (Paul Kelly) leads a massive police investigation.

Perhaps Joe shouldn't have changed the station.

Meanwhile, Joe trusts bartender friend Nick Drumman (Edwin Max) to hang on to the money while trying to figure out his next move. But consumed by guilt, he eventually decides to return the money to Brackett, which becomes easier said than done when Nick disappears with the money. Things rapidly spiral out of control. Not only is Joe being pursued by Garsell, he becomes the prime murder suspect when Nick turns up dead.

Side Street sort of begins like The Naked City, with Anderson’s voice-over narration describing daily New York life (accompanied by spectacular aerial shots) and lowly Joe’s quiet desperation. From there, the pace kicks into high gear with a plot that’s initially a little disorienting, but once all the characters are established, it’s a pretty exciting ride, culminating with a violent climax and spectacular car chase through the city streets. That chase is definitely the film’s action highlight, brilliantly shot and edited with terrific stunt driving and no special effects. The sequence was somewhat groundbreaking for its time, and contextually, I’m sort of surprised that it’s seldom included among cinema’s greatest car chases. 

Elsewhere, Granger makes an engaging protagonist, earning our empathy even when he repeatedly makes decisions that have the viewer crying, “No, Joe, no!” At least his heart is in the right place. The film also boasts a good supporting cast, which includes a brief but effective turn by Jean Hagen, the closest thing it has to a femme fatale. With strong characters, great use of New York locations and excellent action scenes, Side Street is a lesser-known film noir thriler worth rediscovering.

 

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTE - Where Temptation Lurks is a nice little analysis of the film.el. 

AUDIO COMMENTARY - By critic Richard Schick

MGM SHORT - From 1947, The Luckiest Guy in the World is part of MGM’s “Crime Does Not Pay Series.” This one features a young Barry Nelson.

MGM CARTOON SHORTS - Goggle-Fishing Bear and Polka Dot Puss.

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Meet MR. LUCKY

MR. LUCKY (Blu-ray)

1943 / 100 min

From Warner Archive Collection

Available at www.MovieZyng.com

Review by Mr. Paws😺

It seems like quite a few Cary Grant movies have been getting upgraded lately. One of the all-time great thrillers, North by Northwest, recently got a masterful 4K restoration, as did the 1942 comic-mystery The Talk of the Town. Lesser known than those two classics is Mr. Lucky, a charming romantic comedy featuring Grant doing what he does best…which is being Cary Grant.

During World War II, fast-talking gambler/conman Joe Adams (Grant) is trying to avoid the draft while looking to get-hold of quick cash for his casino ship, which is docked in New York. He assumes the identity of one of his dead partners, becoming Joe Bascopoulos, but is unsuccessful raising money. Then he meets Dorothy Bryant (Laraine Day), who’s in charge of a war relief organization. Joe proposes putting together a charity casino night for an upcoming fundraiser, in which he and his boys would provide the games and equipment with the promise of raising thousands of dollars. In reality, he plans on absconding with the winnings afterwards. 

"You might wanna wait a few minutes before going in there."

Dorothy is reluctant and suspicious at first, but Joe endears himself to her colleagues…and eventually Dorothy herself, despite learning - from her overprotective grandfather - that “Joe Bascopoulos” is a career criminal one step away from being sent away for life. Of course, the two fall for each other, and after hearing of the tragedy that the real Bascopoulos’ Greek family endured during a Nazi invasion, Joe has second thoughts about his scheme. Meanwhile, Joe’s disgruntled ex-partner, Zepp (Paul Stewart), has plans of his own, which involves setting Joe up to go to prison while making off with the $200,000 in casino earnings.

Mr. Lucky immediately establishes a light, breezy tone, with amusing dialogue and playful performances. Grant is…well, Cary Grant, which is just the type of persona Joe needs to make him lovable, even when he’s swindling others (most of them actually deserve to be duped). As Dorothy, Day is lovely and engaging, first as a funny foil, then as Joe’s (sort-of) partner-in-crime. Also enjoyable is Alan Carney as “Crunk,” Joe’s beleaguered right-hand man forced to take up crochet on his boss’ behalf (a great running gag).

The story is needlessly protracted during the final act, with a comparatively serious (and violent) clash between Joe and Zepp, as well as a bit more melodrama then the film really needed. But until then, Mr. Lucky offers plenty of fast-paced, fast-talking fun. Though not one of Cary Grant’s more iconic roles, he’s nevertheless in fine form here.

EXTRA KIBBLES

2 RADIO BROADCASTS - Lux Radio Theater with Cary Grant & Laraine Day; Screen Director’s Playhouse with Cary Grant and H.C. Potter.

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Revisit THE SPANISH MAIN

THE SPANISH MAIN (Blu-ray)

1945 / 100 min

From Warner Archive Collection

Available at www.MovieZyng.com

Review by Mr. Paws😺

If I were to go back in time to and meet Maureen O’Hara on the set of The Spanish Main, I’d probably be as clumsy and tongue-tied as Goofy. “Gawrsh, Miss O’Hara…yer sure purdy,” I’d awkwardly stammer while tripping backwards over director Frank Borzage’s shoes. 

I’ve always admired O’Hara and she’s intimidatingly gorgeous in this one, to the point where I’m sorta surprised co-star Paul Henried didn’t end each of his lines with “Gawrsh!” But I guess that’s what makes him such a good actor…better than Errol Flynn ever was anyway. I mention Flynn because The Spanish Main is the type of action-adventure film where casting him would’ve been a no-brainer…

…which makes Henried the real surprise here. He’s cast more-or-less against type in The Spanish Main as Laurent van Horn, a Dutch immigrant whose dreams of starting a new life in America are thwarted when his ship gets stranded in Cartagena and he’s imprisoned by tyrannical governor Don Juan Alvarado (Walter Sleazak). After escaping, he becomes a notorious pirate known as the Barracuda.

"The brochure said there was a buffet."

He’s also hell-bent on ruining Alvarado’s life, which includes kidnapping and marrying Contessa Francisca (O’Hara), a woman betrothed to Alvarado by her father. She only agrees to marry Laurent to spare the lives onboard her escort ship, and the two initially seem to have an acrimonious relationship…though there’s never any doubt that they’ll actually fall in love. Meanwhile, some of Laurent’s fellow pirates feel like he’s violated the “brotherhood,” leading trusted shipmate Mario Di Bilar (John Emery) to betray him, eventually conspiring with Alvarado.

This movie’s a hell of a lot of fun, with an engaging (if familiar) story, plenty of humor and some great action sequences. But what really makes it memorable are the characters and performances. As Laurent, Henried seems to be having a good time playing a devil-may-care buccaneer, a far cry from the roles he’s typically associated with. Not only is O’Hara especially radiant here, her character is more than window dressing. Francisca is smart, headstrong and ultimately quite resourceful. The film also features a terrific villain in Alvarado, who’s quickly revealed as a hateful, narcissistic pig.

Though it might not be as widely remembered as some of the other swashbuckling epics of the era, The Spanish Main is a first-rate action-adventure film, lavishly produced and massively entertaining. It isn't the most original movie ever made, but with O'Hara and Henried lighting up the screen like this, who cares?

EXTRA KIBBLES

SHORT - Movieland Magic is sort of a promotional studio tour, with movie clips and songs.

2 CARTOONS - Buccaneer Bunny and Captain Hareblower feature Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam in a pirate setting. Two of the better Looney Tunes shorts to be included in a Warner Archive release.

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