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MIGHTY JOE YOUNG (Dir: Ernest B Schoedsack, 1949).
MIGHTY JOE YOUNG (Dir: Ernest B Schoedsack, 1949).
16 years after scoring a massive hit with fantasy epic King Kong (Merian C Cooper & Ernest B Schoedsack, 1933), RKO Radio Pictures resurrected the mega-ape genre with Mighty Joe Young. Returning are Kong producers and directors Ernest B Schoedsack and Merian C Cooper and star Robert Armstrong. However, this is not a sequel to King Kong and its follow-up Son of Kong (Ernest B Schoedsack, 1933).
Joe is a massive gorilla (not as big as Kong, but still pretty hefty) raised by young Jill Young (Terry Moore) in his African home since a baby. Persuaded by showman Max O’Hara (Robert Armstrong) and his buddy Gregg (Ben Johnson) to accompany them to the US, Max employs Jill and Joe as star attraction at his California nightclub. As is often the case with exhibiting giant gorillas (or, indeed, dinosaurs), things do not go to plan. Otherwise gentle Joe is taunted by drunks to the point where he wrecks the joint. With Joe subsequently imprisoned, Jill, Gregg and Max plot a daring rescue attempt to free the gorilla and return him to Africa.
Shot in black and white with dramatic use of colour filters, Mighty Joe Young is a visual treat. King Kong’s Willis O’Brien and assistant Ray Harryhausen handle the outstanding special effects which elaborate upon the techniques perfected in Kong. Joe is brought to life by beautiful stop motion animation and the interaction between him and his human counterparts is astonishing! A scene where Joe wrestles live action/animated lions is particularly impressive as is the dramatic climax in which Joe rescues children from a burning orphanage.
While it did not have the same impact as the original King Kong, Mighty Joe Young is an impressive movie in its own right with much to recommend it. It is undoubtedly more sentimental than Kong but it is still a thoroughly entertaining feature; well paced, with plenty of humour amidst the thrills and some of the most spectacular visual effects committed to celluloid. Fans of King Kong not familiar with Mighty Joe Young would do well to check out this fantasy classic!
Visit my blog JINGLE BONES MOVIE TIME to read a longer, more in-depth review of Mighty Joe Young! Link below.
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BUSH CHRISTMAS (Dir: Ralph Smart, 1947).
Set during the Christmas holidays in the small valley community of Mara Mara, Bush Christmas follows the adventures of five children: brothers John (Morris Unicomb) and Snow (Nicky Yardley), their big sister Helen (Helen Grieve), English evacuee Michael (Michael Yardley) and friend Nesa (Nesa Saunders). After some horses are stolen from their ranch home, the kids decide to take the law into their own hands and set out into the Australian bush in order to track down the thieves and rescue the precious animals.
Bush Christmas was one of the first feature films from Rank Organisation's Children's Entertainment Film unit; a department which would eventually evolve into the Children's Film Foundation (CFF).
Although low budget, it feels significantly more polished than the usual, appealingly amateur, CFF output. Director Ralph Smart keeps the action moving at a steady pace while cinematographer George Heath captures the locations beautifully. Filmed in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, the location photography is a definite plus and lends an atmosphere unique in family movies of the era.
Chips Rafferty, then Australia's biggest homegrown movie star, hams it up nicely as Long Bill, the leader of the horse thieves. John Fernside and Stan Tolhurst are his cohorts, alternating some broad comedy with the required menace, as they are outwitted every step of the way by the kids.
Performances from the youngsters, none of whom had significant acting careers as adults, are appealing and natural. Nesa, the only indigenous lad, is slightly stereotyped, perhaps to be expected considering the era in which the movie was made. However, I feel the stereotyping is more naive than negative; with his knowledge of bush crafts he is shown to be the most intelligent and resourceful of the gang.
Set during the Australian summer, Bush Christmas is not especially festive for western audiences and is suitable viewing all year round. It is a modest little movie, but an engaging one at that. Perhaps a mite dated, but with enough comedy and action as to make it a worthwhile watch, especially for those looking for an alternative to modern family fare.
For a longer, more in-depth review of BUSH CHRISTMAS visit my blog JINGLE BONES MOVIE TIME! Link below.
BEYOND TOMORROW aka BEYOND CHRISTMAS (Dir: A Edward Sutherland, 1940).
My quest for obscure vintage Christmas movies has arrived at Beyond Tomorrow, a curious little movie with a somewhat convoluted plot.
A trio of wealthy businessmen (Harry Carey, C Aubrey Smith and Charles Winninger) play matchmaker to a teacher (Jean Parker) and a misplaced cowboy (Richard Carlson). When the three are tragically killed in a plane crash they return as ghosts to watch over the couple whom they have left a significant inheritance.
Beyond Tomorrow is one of a handful of Hollywood movies of the era to deal with themes of spirituality and guardian angels; notable examples include Here Comes Mr Jordan (Alexander Hall, 1941) and It's a Wonderful Life (Frank Capra, 1946). Unfortunately this movie is nowhere near the caliber of those classics.
Although relatively short, at roughly 80 minutes, I found it a chore to watch. It's early scenes, centered around the holiday season are easily its best. However the film soon descends into hollow sentimentality and mawkishness, with Adele Comandini's screenplay lacking the dramatic strength to overcome the corny and frankly odd premise. The 'B' movie is also lacking star talent, although Richard Carlson later would make an impression in Universal's late period monster flick Creature from the Black Lagoon (Jack Arnold, 1954). A bigger name would certainly have lent the movie a little more cache but, to be honest, I think it would do little to help either the pedestrian script or A Edward Sutherland's workmanlike direction.
I also feel this movie was slightly miss sold, as only its first third is festive. In a shameless yuletide cash grab the movie has latterly been marketed as Beyond Christmas. Cynical though this may be, the title is actually more accurate as much of the feature does, indeed, take place after Christmas!
I am a sucker for a decent Christmas film and Golden Age Hollywood is my favourite era of filmmaking, but this turkey of a movie did nothing for me. By all means worth a watch for the curious. Just don't expect it to fill you with Christmas joy.
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IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE (Jack Arnold, 1953).
Famous for their influential horror movies of the 1930, by the 1950s Universal Studios focus had shifted to a different kind of monster movie, informed by increasing fear of nuclear war and the threat of Communism. The template for these serious minded, paranoia soaked sci-fi features was set with the first and most influential of the series, It Came from Outer Space.
Amateur astronomer John Putnam (Richard Carlson) is the only witness to a spacecraft crash on the outskirts of the small desert town of Sand Rock, Arizona. When his fellow townsfolk start acting suspiciously he expects alien influence. Convincing his girl Ellen (Barbara Rush) and cynical local sheriff (Charles Drake), a posse is assembled to flush out the intruders. Certain that the intelligent aliens are benign and pose no threat, John must keep the angry mob at bay while essential repairs are made to the damaged craft. Failure to do so risks the life of his captured pals.
Based on an unpublished story by sci-fi maestro Ray Bradbury, It Came from Outer Space is, on the surface, a film about alien invasion. Yet, as with much of the sci-fi of its era, the movie serves as an analogy for the very real post-War fear of Communist infiltration.
Shot and originally exhibited in 3D, the movie is surprisingly light on things being lobbed at the screen, so works just fine when viewed flat. Clifford Stine's beautiful black and white cinematography perfectly captures the eerie isolation of the desert surrounds, giving the impression of a barren alien landscape.
Director Jack Arnold delivers an intelligent comment on the political and social mores of 1950's America; at its heart a plea for the acceptance of others. He elicits fine performances from a not exactly starry cast, as the drama unfolds with tension mounting pace, drenched in an innovative and influential theremin rich soundtrack.
If it seems a little cliched at time, this is only because it spawned so many imitations. In its own right It Came from Outer Space is a 50's monster masterpiece and a groundbreaking, original piece of popular cinema.
For a longer, more in-depth review of IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE visit my blog JINGLE BONES MOVIE TIME! Link below:
THE CHRISTMAS COAL MINE MIRACLE (Dir: Jud Taylor, 1977).
A festive family drama made for US TV.
Set in the mining town of Caufield in 1951, The Christmas Coal Mine Miracle tells the story of coal miners trapped underground on Christmas Eve following an explosion. Centered largely around Matthew Sullivan (Mitchell Ryan), his wife Rachel (Barbara Babcock), their two daughters and prospective son-in-law Johnny (Kurt Russell).
Although claimed by some sources to be based upon a true story, the closing credits read: “The events depicted in this motion picture are fictitious although suggested by the history of mine disasters”. Which particular mine disasters are unclear. I think the movie would have more impact were it based on actual events. Instead what we have with The Christmas Coal Mine Miracle is an intriguing story, although not particularly dynamically told.
Surprisingly, considering it was made in the era when disaster movies were vogue, the focus of the film is not the explosion in the mine, but the relationships of those affected by it, particularly the women. As a result the movie suffers from being overly reliant on dialogue and a little short on action. Originally broadcast on the NBC network, it has the distinct feel of a Movie of the Week, albeit distinguished by a better than average cast. Top billing is afforded to Mitchell Ryan, but further down the cast are the more familiar names of Kurt Russell, John Carradine and Melissa Gilbert.
As earnest young man Johnny, Kurt Russell is, well, earnest. In fairness to Russell the role is not especially well fleshed out. Which is kind of an issue with every character; none are particularly well delineated and the audience never gets to know any of them well enough to be as affected by their plight as they should.
The Christmas Coal Mine Miracle is no Christmas classic. Were it a true story in the traditional sense, rather than vaguely inspired by historic mining accidents, I feel as if I would have warmed to the story a little more and have more investment in the characters. That said, if you stumble across this movie on daytime TV it is worth a look for the decent performances from its likeable cast.
Visit my blog JINGLE BONES MOVIE TIME to read a longer, more in-depth review of The Christmas Coal Mine Miracle! Link below.
A FLINTSTONES CHRISTMAS CAROL (Dir: Joanna Romersa, 1994).
Geological puns abound, as Fred Flintstone stars as Ebonezer Scrooge against Barney Rubble’s Bob Cragic in this modern Stone Age retelling of Charles Dickens’ Christmas classic.
The Flintstones is, of course the enormously successful animated TV sitcom from Hanna-Barbera which aired for 6 seasons between 1960 and 1966. That this movie was made 30 years after the heyday of the show demonstrates the continued enduring popularity of the franchise.
Rather than a straight adaptation of Dickens’ familiar tale of festive redemption, A Flintstones Christmas Carol takes a tip from Mr Magoo’s Christmas Carol (Abe Leviton, 1962) and presents the story as a play within a story. So, running parallel to the events of the Bedrock Community Players performance of A Christmas Carol, we have the story of Fred, so engrossed in his role of Scrooge that he neglects his family duties until the lines between he and Ebonezer begin to blur.
Casting The Flintstones in the roles of Dickens’ characters is a nice idea. Not a particularly original idea, but I can see the appeal. The backstage story which runs alongside it is less engaging and the two strands work against each other to make for a somewhat choppy narrative. It isn’t a bad movie; made for US TV, the standard of animation is a shade better than normal Saturday morning fare and there is undeniable nostalgic value for those of a certain age.
Yet what is appealing in a 25 minute TV show is not quite as fun when stretched to nearly three times that length. While I enjoy The Flintstones on TV, I found A Flintstone Christmas Carol a little bit of a chore to watch come the halfway mark. Still, while it is a little disappointing in the story department, its colourful animation is above average and it does provides some mild chuckles. However, I think a straight version of the tale would have been better and can’t help but feel this somewhat of an opportunity missed. Longtime fans will probably get a kick out of the movie, but it’s not quite the ‘gay old time’ it might have been.
Visit my blog JINGLE BONES MOVIE TIME to read a longer, more in-depth review of A Flintstones Christmas Carol! Link below.
