While not exactly the same, discovering that Cpt. Kangaroo had a red jacket similar to Number Six's was a bit of a shock! I mean... they don't exactly look "separated at birth", do they?
March 8, 2020
REVIEW: Columbo - Publish or Perish (1974)
COLUMBO: Publish or Perish
S3/E5 1974
This episode is the second of three with Jack Cassidy playing the murder. Part of the small group of most entertaining guest-killers, Cassidy is always charming and witty, but also a little slimy at the same time. His ever-present cigarette is a bit depressing to see, given the manner of his real-life death.
This time around, Cassidy plays Riley Greenleaf, a publisher who "owns" novelist Alan Mallory, played by real life writer Mickey Spillane. Mallory plans on taking his latest book to a new publisher, but Greenleaf will have none of that, and hires a Vietnam veteran named Eddie Kane to kill the writer as Greenleaf sets up his own, very drunken, alibi of crashing his Cadillac into a car (actually a VW van) in the parking lot of a bar.
Eddie thinks Greenleaf is going to publish his book about making bombs in return for the murder. Of course, he has no intention of doing so, and turns Eddie into the perfect fall-guy.
But, as we all know, there is no perfect murder, and our hero Lt. Columbo solves the crime. In the meantime we are given some classic one-liners and quotes. From Cassidy's fake-drunk act, to his feigning relief upon learning of his alibi, to Peter Falk's unorthodox meal with Jacques Aubuchon and Mariette Hartley. The audience doesn't (or at least shouldn't) feel any sympathy toward the murderer in this episode, either.
While the whole bomb-making thing may seem a little unnecessary to modern audiences, remember this was actually during the Vietnam conflict, not to mention an era of home-grown American terrorists who did indeed try to blow the "establishment" up.
"Bravo, Eddie!"
"... those poor kids, those amateurs, planting bombs and blowing themselves up..."
"... the holy trinity..." (Jacques Aubuchon, Mariette Hartley, Mickey Spillane)
"... buy yourself a personality..." Greenleaf begins setting up his drunken alibi.
Mallory dictates... Greenleaf spies his quarry... Eddie prepares to kill...
"... and YOU, madam, SHUT UP!"
"... madam, in your condition I'd call a plastic surgeon..."
Columbo drinks some "brutal" coffee at the crime scene.
Listening to Mallory's dictation... what is that strange noise in the background?
"All I can say is, thank God..." Greenleaf's attorney informs Columbo that his client has an airtight alibi for the night of the murder.
"Do you have any chili? ... with beans, without..."
"I wanted to get those saltines..."
March 5, 2020
REVIEW: Life For Ruth / Walk in the Shadow (1962)
LIFE FOR RUTH (1962)
aka: WALK IN THE SHADOW (USA/1966)
John Harris (Michael Craig) and his wife Pat
(Janet Munro) have an eight year old daughter named Ruth. One day, their neighbor’s son Teddy goes with
Ruth and her parents to the nearby seaside cliffs to collect driftwood for
Ruth’s grandfather. Other children on
the beach kick Ruth’s ball into the water, so Teddy decides they should take a
nearby rowboat out to retrieve it.
The kids soon find themselves in rough waters, which
threaten to crash the small boat against jagged rocks. Ruth screams for her father, as he makes his
way down the cliffs to them. Teddy falls
overboard, so John swims over to him first.
He manages to get the boy over to a rescue boat, then swims back to
rescue Ruth. But by the time he gets to
her, she is in the water with a head wound.
Next, John and Pat are in a hospital, waiting for news of
Ruth’s condition. Teddy is fine and sent
home, but Dr. Brown (Patrick McGoohan) informs them that Ruth has lost a lot of
blood, and is in desperate need of a blood transfusion.
As soon as John hears this, he says she “mustn’t have a
blood transfusion”. Dr. Brown is shocked
to hear that the “giving and taking of blood” against John’s religion. Brown tells him that they aren’t “living in
the dark ages”. Dr. Brown leaves the
room in a hurry to get Dr. Harvard to help plead his case, and Pat pleads with her husband to allow the transfusion.
The doctors return, but Dr. Harvard tells the
unrelenting parents they need to sign a form absolving the hospital from all
blame if Ruth dies. Brown continues to
plead with the couple, to no avail.
John and Pat go home, and Brown takes the opportunity to set
up a transfusion anyway. He feels it is
his decision to make, not the parents’. He tries to contact the head of the hospital
for permission, but can’t. Harvard tells
him without Marshall
At home, John consoles his wife, telling her in the eyes of
God, and by His law, they are doing right.
John firmly believes Ruth will be alright. But as soon as she is alone, Pat runs to the
hospital to see Dr. Brown, and tells him to go through with the blood
transfusion. But it is too late. Brown drives Pat back home, and she confronts
her husband. “I saw her die” she tells
him.
From this point, the plot revolves around the relationship
between John and Pat (strained, due to Pat not having been born into her
husband’s religion, and therefore easily doubting it’s teachings), and Dr.
Brown trying to get what he feels is justice for Ruth, in order to prevent
other children from dying due to what he feels are fanatical religious beliefs.
It all culminates in the father's trial under a British child-cruelty law.
(I am not describing the second half of the film as, really,
it should be watched fresh and the viewer allowed to form their own opinions on
the topic.)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 |
| Munro pleads with McGoohan... just a slight height difference! |
I have to admit, knowing what the film was about, I wasn't
really looking forward to watching it.
But since it had Patrick McGoohan's, I sought it out and did indeed
watch the whole film. It actually went
by rather quickly, meaning it wasn't the chore I expected it to be.
Not only is the topic of religious freedom covered, but also
the idea of The State having more control over people's children than parents. In
the film, Dr. Brown mentions more than once he feels the State should be able
to step in and give treatment to a child regardless of parents' views. This premise feels very modern, given events
such as the Justina Pelletier case in Boston and
the Charlie Gard situation in England
The film never flat out tells us just what Ruth's parents
religion is, and while this does seem a little odd, I am guessing this was done to
protect the studio from libel. But it
appears the Harris family is Jehovah's Witnesses. Other characters are
identified as Jewish, Catholic, and Church of England
Having all these religions mixed into one film could have
been asking for real trouble, but in the end, the viewer gets the point of the
story, without their own religion being insulted. No one is ever actually
proven right or wrong. You can side with whichever character you wish, for the
most part. This is one reason I found the film palatable. Only the most fanatical may be offended.
As for production, there are some interesting shots showing
ominous skies and seas, interesting camera angles, etc. Acting is good overall,
Harris being perfect as the father. Munro was a bit "weepy" for my
tastes, but her portrayal of a conflicted mother and wife is for the most part
not too "syrupy". McGoohan
plays Dr. Brown in a very quiet and restrained manner. I expected at least one
major burst of anger from him (ala "Danger Man" or
"Prisoner"), but he kept things low-key. In fact, his first batch of
lines are delivered so softly I had to turn up the volume to hear them! One wonders what famously Catholic McGoohan
personally thought about the film’s subject.
All in all, I'd say this was a rather dark, but well made
film of a touchy topic, which is handled fairly and doesn't insult or take
sides. I'd like to have seen a little more "fire" from the main
characters in certain scenes, but that's just one person's opinion.
If you'd prefer not to watch this film as a lowish quality online copy, it is available as a Region 2 (non-US) DVD from Network in the UK.
Teddy and Ruth confront the boys who kicked their ball into the sea
John and Pat await news of Ruth's condition
Dr. Brown can't believe his ears... no transfusion??
Dr. Brown tells his boss he intends to get justice
"You psalm singing bastard..." Pat's parents learn just why Ruth died
Coming to her husband's defense after Ruth's funeral...
... but Pat can't make herself enter the meeting hall for the service
A Jew, a Catholic, and a doctor discuss if it is right to take Harris to court
John listens to witnesses
Dr. Brown speaks his mind on the stand
OBSERVATION: Cute GOLF IN PLAY Sign - Fresh Pond Golf Course - Cambridge, MA
OBSERVATION:
Cute "Golf in Play" Sign
Fresh Pond Golf Course
Cambridge, MA
Someone in Cambridge Massachusetts actually has a sense of humor, as can be seen with this sign on a fence bordering the Fresh Pong Golf Course in 2020.
March 1, 2020
REVIEW: His Bridal Fright (1940)
His Bridal Freight
Columbia (1940)
Columbia (1940)
Charley Chase goes to visit his girl Mary, but her father J.B. instructs the maid not to let him into the house. So he tries to sneak in and manages to mess up J.B.'s stamp collection, which is the "finest... west of the Rockies". J.B. gets a phone call regarding a carrier pigeon stamp, of which there are only four in the world, and that he'd pay $10,000 for.
In order to win over J.B., Charley says he will form his own collection, starting with one of the "Pigemania Pigeons". Not knowing where to find stamps, he tries stealing letters from a mailbox, which lands him in jail. He asks a Chinese man if his letter has stamps from China on them, but alas, it was mailed in Brooklyn. He also asks a Hindu man, and an Italian, who tells him about mail-order brides. He figures he can write to the women in a "catalog" and get stamps from all over the world.
The idea works, and Charley ends up with piles of letters with stamps on them. Then, while going through the latest batch of mail with Sam (his valet?), Sam mentions he got a letter from an uncle via carrier pigeon from Pigoenmania. He shows Charley, who tips Sam a quarter after almost telling him the stamp is worth $10,000.
Of course, the stamp manages to escape from Charley, leading to some silent-era style gags. But he gets it back, and now in J.B.'s good graces, Charley prepares to marry Mary.
Before the wedding, Charley waits for Mary and her father to arrive so they can drive to the church. But women he wrote to begin to arrive at his apartment. Mary and J.B. arrive outside and Charley hides the women in a car, which he accidentally locks bumpers with. A wild ride ensues, ending with everyone in "deep water".
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Charley's search for postage stamps is rather cute (especially to this stamp collecting-fan!), with some good, silent-era style gags, but the last part of the film, where he attempts to get married, slows things down too much. Then there are the Columbia low-budget special effects, which we all know about from our youth watching Three Stooges shorts!
Bud Jamison is his usual Columbia-self, but Iris Meredith's performance is wooden. And, as usual in these shorts, she is way too young to be engaged to Chase.
Modern audiences may not like the scenes with the Chinese, Italian, and Hindu men. But the whole idea is Charley is looking to see if they have any mail from their home countries.
Watching this short is a little depressing, given Chase passed away soon after. While he appears a bit older than his 46 years and had been in bad health, he actually seems full of pep. Watch him look at the stamp from Bali, for instance.
Bud Jamison is his usual Columbia-self, but Iris Meredith's performance is wooden. And, as usual in these shorts, she is way too young to be engaged to Chase.
Modern audiences may not like the scenes with the Chinese, Italian, and Hindu men. But the whole idea is Charley is looking to see if they have any mail from their home countries.
Watching this short is a little depressing, given Chase passed away soon after. While he appears a bit older than his 46 years and had been in bad health, he actually seems full of pep. Watch him look at the stamp from Bali, for instance.
If only he had lived longer, who knows what Chase could have done for screen comedy, if only behind the cameras...
Charley calls on his gal Mary... the maid says J.B. doesn't want him in the house
A breeze from the window Charley is at blows J.B.'s stamp collection around.
(Bud Jamison, Iris Meredith, and Charley Chase)
Looking for a carrier pigeon carrying stamps!
One way to get stamps... and jail time...
Charley asking a fellow "inmate" if he gets mail with Chinese stamps... he doesn't...
Write to the women in this booklet, get stamps in return!
Charley inspects a stamp from Bali as Sam looks on.
Charley gives Sam a quarter for his letter from Pigmania (Sam calls it Pigeonmania).
Charley peels his prize find off the envelope... no, it isn't this easy and modern stamp collectors are cringing right now...
... stuck to the tire of a police car...
... up a tree with the stamp in-hand once again...
... the reason Charley is in a tree, the family dog, now in possession of the stamp...
Charley saves the "Pigmania Pigeon" from certain death!
The brides are starting to arrive from around the world, looking for Charley their husband-to-be!
Locking bumpers with a car full of "brides" with clueless Mary and J.B.
... a wild ride ensues, complete with Columbia low-budget special effects...
... off the bridge, into the drink...
Where's father? Charley has him by the hand...........
The the "Pigmania Pigeon"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)