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Only Angels Have Wings (1939) Directed by Howard Hawks

Posted by: Frank Veenstra Posted date: 1:39 PM / comment : 0 , , , , , , , , , , ,





(Review originally written at 11 April 2009)

During the late '30's and early '40's a lot of dramatic movies got made, by big name directors, often starring big name actors. Lots of them have grown into becoming classics but of course in a way they are also all sort of the same. "Only Angels Have Wings" is one of the more original ones though, due to its original settings and main concept.

The movie can be called an aeroplane drama, with plenty of adventurous and comedy elements involved. The entire movie is set at a small airport, with dozens of pilots, who do errants by plane for costumers and numerous other reasons. It's an unique original world that isn't handled too often in movies but it's quite intriguing really. It concept and settings provide the movie with plenty of great moments.

It's also a movie that is being made great by its characters and the actors which portray them. Great thing is that this movie has more than just a handful of great characters and big name actors portraying them. With Cary Grant it has a great leading man and with Jean Arthur and Rita Hayworth the movie also has two more than great female actresses. Richard Barthelmess was also really great in this, in one of his talking roles. He is still best known for the work he made during the silent-era, especially the classics movies he did with director D.W. Griffith.

The movie also has a good story, that looks pretty formulaic on the surface but still works out better than usual because it knows how to blend several themes and also genres. The movie is not purely just a drama and not just purely an adventure movie or romantic one. It's a rather pleasant mix of it all that works out on basically all levels. The movie is also more pleasant and perhaps also easier to watch for today's modern audience than most of its other fellow genre movies.

The movie has some great sequences with its planes in it. Especially for its time it must have really been something to watch. The movie has some good stunt flying in it and also at times uses some pretty good looking early special effects. It also received an Oscar nomination for this, as well as for its black & white cinematography by multiple Oscar nominee Joseph Walker.

It's a movie that perhaps is not as well known as Howard Hawks's most other work but it's just as great and well worth watching. Hawks was a director who could handle many different genres just as well and with this movie he proofs and shows this once more, by letting several different genres and themes blend in extremely well with each other.

9/10

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Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) Directed by Frank Capra

Posted by: Frank Veenstra Posted date: 8:36 AM / comment : 0 , , , , , , , , ,

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(Review originally written at 4 September 2008)

This intentionally was going to be a sequel to the movie "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town", also directed by Frank Capra, starring the same actors from that movie but instead the script was altered and an alternate title was given; "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington". But yes, when watching this movie it becomes visible how this movie could had worked out as a sequel to "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town". It features a similar sort of story about a random small time man who suddenly gets thrown into the big bad world of money and power. It a movie of a man against the crooked system.
I must say that I like this movie better than "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town", while that movie on its own right also already was a great and fun movie. This movie however seems to be better with its comedy, in its first halve at least, which makes this an even better and more pleasant movie to watch.
But above all things it also has a better story, which works inspiring. Yes, it's a patriotic movie but in this case I can really live with that. It's a moralistic movie, concerning politics and ideals but without all of the sappy elements. The movie actually received an amazing total of 11 Oscar nominations, something not too many movies can say but it unfortunately only took home one award, for its writing. It received nominations in all of the mayor big categories. Besides its drama and comedy the movie of course also features a healthy portion of romance. Not a big shame that it didn't took home any more awards, when you consider that it was nominated in the same year "Gone with the Wind" was and some other great classic movies, such as "Stagecoach", "The Wizard of Oz" and "Wuthering Heights", just to name a few.
It features James Stewart in a great role. He always had the ability to play a character comical like but also with a serious undertone and effective during the movie its more dramatic moments. Also great was Claude Rains in a role, in which he was made to look much older than he in fact was at the time. His very natural acting style seemed to be ahead of time. Both actors received their first Oscar nomination for their roles in this movie. They should had won both really.
One of the best, most powerful and most beautiful 1930's movies I've ever seen.
10/10


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Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936) Directed by Frank Capra

Posted by: Frank Veenstra Posted date: 6:29 AM / comment : 0 , , , , , , , , , ,

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(Review originally written at 22 August 2008)

The movie is kind of the like the other earlier Capra movie "It Happened One Night", only the other way around. The female role has changed into the male role and the male journalist role into the female one. It's of course luckily not entirely the same. The movie is not restrained by limited locations and the characters are of course also different. The two main characters for instance already like each other from the start, which of course makes the movie and its love-story a totally different one.
On top of that it has a better written story in my opinion, even though "It Happened One Night" is a more respected movie than "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town", also award-wise. "It Happened One Night" won 5 Oscars, while this one won only 1. It was nominated for 4 more though, which equals the amount of categories "It Happened One Night" got nominated for, though this movie got also nominated in some less important categories. This movie still received a best picture nomination but it was Capra's directing which earned this movie its only win.
I'm not the biggest fan of Capra's comedies though, since they are all in a way so much alike, also from other genre movies from the same time period. But this movie is one of his better comedies though. It isn't the type of comedy that makes you laugh out loud but it's more a movie that is fun and entertaining to watch, due to its light atmosphere and story. It makes it a real easy and pleasant to watch movie.

But of course the movie does not only feature purely comical and entertaining moments. It's also a movie with a romantic and more dramatic touch. This is mostly thanks to its well written story, which also features some moralistic elements and social commentary.
It's funny watching Gary Cooper in earlier movies. He still looked so much different and younger than the Gary Cooper that everyone has in their minds when they think about him. This movie earned Cooper his first Oscar nomination. 5 years later he would win his first Oscar for the movie "Sergeant York".
Fine enjoyable movie with a heart.
8/10


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Shane (1953) Directed by George Stevens

Posted by: Frank Veenstra Posted date: 7:04 AM / comment : 0 , , , , , , , ,




(Review originally written at 15 January 2007)

 "Shane" is a powerful movie about a gunfighter who settles down with a homestead family. The movie has themes such as family value, loyalty, friendship and courage, central in it. The movie inspired many other later formulaic genre movies and was truly a bar-raising movie, back in the early '50's.

 It's a western, also with action in it but the movie above all is a family movie. It's a movie for everyone to watch, even those who aren't really too fond of the western genre. The story is touching and powerful, with universal themes in it. The movie works out as good the way it does, due to the fine story itself, it's directing from George Stevens and the fine performances from the cast.

 In its core the story itself is quite simple. It's never made complicated and is about real people and real situations instead. Though the movie is of course melodramatic at times, it doesn't really ever feel forced. It's just because of the style of film-making of the '50's and the musical score, that some sequences might have an overly present melodramatic feel now by todays standards. The movie is about good versus evil. A couple of friendly and non-violent settlers are being bullied around by a cattle-driver, who wants their land. When Shane sees this injustice he takes matters into his own hand and decide to stand up against Ryker's men. It all sounds incredibly formulaic by now but back in 1953 it all was quite new and refreshing. Basically every western genre cliché that we know by now are features in this movie, some for the very first time.

 The story, simple as it is, is told really great. It makes the movie really a warm and powerful one to watch. It also leaves room for some typical genre action, such as for instance a good old fashioned saloon fight.

 The movie is beautifully shot with some atmospheric landscapes. No wonder that the movie looks visually so good, director George Stevens used to be a cinematographer during the '20's and early '30's. His work for the Laurel & Hardy movies in the '20's is his most notable and best known work. The movie also has some great editing, that took over a year to complete and some good camera-work, when it comes down to its positions and close-up work.

 The main character Shane is perfectly portrayed by Alan Ladd, who has a kind though still tough looking appearance. Jack Palance was also truly great as the ruthless gunfighter, hired by the Ryker's. He's scary and tough looking character. A real good villain that you love to hate but he only is in the movie shortly though, toward the ending of it. Ladd and Palance would later star again together in "Once a Thief" (1965), that is a fairly enjoyable movie to watch.

 A timeless classic. Still as powerful as ever, with a classic and much debated last shot(s).

 10/10

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