Reviews (1)

The Bell Tolls for Captain Midnight....
Dave O'Brien leaps into battle against evildoers as the famous radio adventurer Captain Midnight. Midnight seeks to protect a scientist and his daughter from invention-stealing bad guys out to wreck America's defense effort. The bad guys, lead by Ivan Shark and his daughter Fury, stoop to new lows as they battle the Captain and plot to destroy our war effort.

O'Brien fills the role of Midnight well, despite looking and sounding a bit like a young Richard Anderson (Oscar Goldman from "The Six Million Dollar Man").

Dorothy Short as the scientist's daughter, Joyce Edwards, is mostly suitable as a sort of love interest for Midnight, but mostly useless in every other capacity. She brings the helpless-girl-who-gets-in-trouble-in-almost-every-chapter to heights never dreamed of by Noel Neill, who played Lois Lane in the classic Superman TV series. Short's continual screaming and helpless antics drag the serial down a bit. Far better (and a better choice for the Joyce character!), is the evil daughter of Ivan Shark, Fury, played by Luana Walters.

Joseph W. Girard plays the gruff but concerned Major Steele, who lets Cap walk all over him (apparently, in Midnight's army, being a "mystery man" means a captain outranks his commanding officer). Guy Wilkerson and Sam Edwards lend a hand as Captain Midnight's pals, who, like Captain Midnight and all the crooks, share the strange inabillity to retain their firearms when they get their foes cornered.

Ivan Shark, played by James Craven, is a great villain. He is a master of disguise, and has a fabulous secret lair. Several things fail Craven however, as his personal "Arab" outfit to hide his features is discarded about half-way through the story. Also dropped is the gang members going by numbers and not names. Worst of all, Shark's purpose and motivation for trying to wreck America's defense plants is never very clearly explained. As he sneers his evil way through confrontations with Midnight, all the while operating his dubious death traps, there never seems to be any connection with the Germans or Japanese, an element that would have added to the believability of Shark as an anti-American fifth-columnist villian.

One gets the sense that this serial (released in early 1942) had originally been more about a gang of rogue, criminal aviators who are after the scientist's new bombsight to serve their own ends. That would make sense, seeing as how the oft mentioned but never seen defense plant attacks were probably incorporated into the story post-Pearl Harbor.

The serial is pretty good overall, with moderately suspenseful cliffhangers and some good tricks, secret hideouts, and fights. It's probably two or three chapter too long, though, and things can get a bit tedious after a while. Probably Columbia's best effort, but it's no Republic serial, for sure. ... Read more

Description

In THE COUNTRY GIRL, Frank Elgin (Crosby) is a washed up actor given the chance of a lifetime to stage a comeback when director Bernie Dobb, played by William Holden, offers him the lead in a new musical.Suffering from extreme insecurity, Frank turns to his wife Georgie (Kelly) to make decisions for him, and she teams up with Bernie to boost Frank’s self-esteem despite the fact that she has grown sick of dealing with her husband’s problems. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

The Dramatic Bing Crosby
Many fans of Bing Crosby shy away from this film, because in "The Country Girl" we do not see the Bing Crosby we are used to seeing in film. Gone is the happy-go-lucky crooner who gets the girl by just exercising his vocal cords. This movie is no light fluff with Mr. Crosby playing a washed up actor with the overrated Grace Kelly as his long suffering wife.

The movie was originally a play by Clifford Odets, starring the long forgotten actor Paul Kelly. Bing really stretched his acting ability in this film, and he should of won an Oscar. (Marlon Brando won that year.) Grace Kelly won the Oscar for her role though. William Holden is also very good as the director of the show that hopes to bring Bing back in from the gutter.

If you are looking for a light hearted romp, well this is not it. However, the film is a great dramatic piece, and one of the best of the 1950s. Originally, Bing had wanted Jennifer Jones as his wife in the movie. However, after the film started shooting Bing and Grace Kelly began dating. (Kelly would also date William Holden!) "The Country Girl" may not be for everyone, but if you want to see Bing Crosby as a true actor, then don't miss this one...

Grace Kelly In A Much-Deserved Oscar Role!
In March of 1955, Grace Kelly won an Academy Award for her portrayal of Georgie Elgin, wife of a drunk once big-shot singer and actor Frank, played beautifully by Bing Crosby in his best role. Frank wants to make a comeback to the stage in a new play under the eye of young director Bernie Dodd (William Holden) in which he gets a lead. However, the play turns to disaster when Dodd finds out about Elgin's private life by assistance of Georgie and Frank himself; hearing that his four year old boy was killed in a car accident. Since then, Georgie had become reckless, even setting fire to a hotel. She interferes with the play's profduction and reminds Frank of his errors and that perhaps he shouldn't become involved with this director. A greatly devised film of a man's comeback to the stage and the consequences that follow. Since I personally have a particular homage to "On The Waterfront," which won 1954's Best Picture award, I felt that there should've been a tie between these two motion pictures. Oh well, the rest as they say is history!

Who knew Bing could act?
Good movie; great performances! Grace Kelly won the Oscar and she was up against Judy Garland ("A Star Is Born") AND Audrey Hepburn ("Sabrina") - amazing. Bing didn't win, but he was up against Marlon Brando (who won), Humphrey Bogard AND James Mason - quite a line up! Anyway, I was shocked at the excellence of Bing's acting - a tribute to the director.

The Country Girl
An inocuous title for a truly remarkable film. Bing gives us a complete departure from his jocular "Road " films and encapsulates the real meaning of an Oscar performance in his tragic portrayal of a struggling alcoholic actor. Grace is the personification of the long suffering wife, yearning to be free of the emotional tribulations of devistating loss - of love, of spirit, of child. Although Grace Kelly is the only actor to win an Oscar nod in this film, it remains a study for students of the arts in its depths of emotion across the character board. I recommend this film to anyone who enjoys truly well made films.

Really a good film!
This film with Bing Crosby, William Holden, and Grace Kelly is wonderful. It's entertaining,romantic and also very sad. It has the main ingredients, that make a great film. It's well worth seeing. Bing Crosby plays Grace's husband who suffer's from alcholism and a infatuation develops between her and Hilden, but she goes back to her husband and loves him and is determined to tryo to help him.

Grace Kelly is beautiful and glamerous in it, and her costumes are really lovely, even though they are plainer and more simpler they look great on her. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Dark Look at Prizefighting
"Champion" is an extraordinarily grim and intense study of a man already corrupted by an insatiable need to dominate. Seldom has a Hollywood film from this period had so tortured a figure at its center. It is to Kirk Douglas' credit that, because of his performance as Midge, the viewer doesn't hate the character, and is able to feel compassion.

Also of note in the cast is the always excellent Arthur Kennedy as the Midge's brother, whose physical handicap mirrors the emotional one of his sibling. Paul Stewart and Ruth Roman add to the films effect in memorable supporting roles. This film was nominated for an Academy Award for its beautiful deep and dark cinematography. And the score is one of Tiomkin's more subtle creations. Often ignored by film noir enthusiasts, "Champion" fine blending of intense drama, ensemble acting and virtuoso cinematography. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Hard hitting early pugilist flick
Interesting that right around the same time--the late 40s--three different films were all released with basically the same theme and plot: The Set-Up (w. Robert Ryan); Champion (w. Kirk Douglas); and Body and Soul (w. John Garfield). Ryan's film is a very good piece of work while the Garfield film is, by today's standards, heavy-handed, thus dated. But the Kirk Douglas film is, in fact, the Champion.

The boxing scenes are realistic--in spite of Douglas' recent nose job, made during filming, preventing any of his sparring partners to hit anywhere near his schnozz. But more than anything else, it's Douglas' tremendous charisma and energy that raise this film above the norm. Douglas, as did Garfield in the earlier Body and Soul, plays a guy mired in poverty who sees boxing as a quick way out of the hole and, once initially successful, wants nothing but more: both money and success. And nothing standing in his way will prevent him from getting what he wants. But while Garfield's portrayal of selfishness is forced and, as well, entrenched in cliched dialogue, both Douglas' acting and the far more intelligent script make Midge Kelly's (Douglas) relentless quest for power tremendously believable.

Arthur Kennedy is Connie, Midge's brother whose leg was busted when he was a kid and now walks with a cane. The three--yep, count 'em, three--women in Midge's life add a lot of juice to the film and a nice touch is the casting of a brunette who's Midge's girl when he's poor and two blondes when he's rich and successful. Back in them days, blondes were IT. (Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield carried on the tradition).

Champion gives you a great view of life in the late 40s as well. It's also interesting that the director, Mark Robson, was part of the Val Lewton school of horror directors (which also included Robert Wise), so makes excellent use with his cinematographer of light and shadow. This is not exactly a film noir, but does have several noirish traits--camera lighting, and thematic corruption and desperation.

This is more a precursor to Raging Bull than Rocky; the latter character is always good, while DeNiro's character is akin to Midge Kelly--rising quickly from a life in the streets to attain fame and fortune, even if toes get stepped on and hearts gets smashed to pieces (Rocky would never do stuff like that).

A strong piece of cinema; recommended.

DOUGLAS BEST MOVIE
THE FIGHT SCEANS ARE GREAT FOR 1949 MOVIE THE MAKEUP ON KIRK IN LAST FIGHT ARE FANTASTIC.

Douglas slugs his way to upward mobility
This is the movie that made a star of Kirk Douglas and it is easy to see why. Up to that point, although cast in memorable films such as "Out of the Past" and "A Letter to Three Wives," among others, he played second banana and minor roles that really didn't give the audience a hint as to his raw, seething talent. In "Champion" Douglas' abilities are displayed full throttle in the start of what would be a string of excellent performances of flawed yet all-too-human characters in his searing portrayal of Midge Kelly, a desperately driven and ruthless young man who is willing to do anything and step on anyone to get on top. Douglas captures to perfection Midge's permanent disillusionment, anger and bitterness springing from wretched childhood poverty and miserable circumstances and just a general feeling of being cheated by life; this all results in him becoming an amoral, unscrupulous individual out to pursue success and wealth at any cost. Yet Douglas' performance (as well as all the other scoundrels he played in many fine films) never comes across as repulsive--quite the contrary, we pity Midge, perhaps even like and admire him a little. Rest of the cast is superb--Arthur Kennedy as Midge's devoted and long-suffering brother; darkly attractive Ruth Roman as Midge's coolly alluring, conflicted wife; blonde sexpot Marilyn Maxwell as a mercenary, cunning hustler as well as Midge's mistress; Paul Stewart as the principled coach in the corrupt world of boxing who helps Midge only to get shafted; and Lola Albright is poignant as a young introspective and serious married woman who gets betrayed by Midge when he throws her over for money. Douglas in his star turn is sure to keep you riveted in a must-see performance. Complimenting the mood of the film is the wonderfully gritty, almost claustrophobic B&W photography and the ironic parallel evident in Midge's profession as a boxer since he both literally and figuratively knocks around all those in life around him.

CHAMPION-- The title says it all!
Before "Raging Bull" and "Rocky" there was "Champion". This movie was one of Stanley Kramer's first and it is stark and powerful in a very compelling way. The incredible film editing won an Academy Award in 1949 and it is up there with "The Harder They Fall" among boxing cinematic masterpieces. If you want a "reel" experience and boxing is of interest to you, this flick is a must see.

Surprisingly fascinating
Kirk Douglas plays an emotionally bankrupt man driven by poverty and anger to become a champion prizefighter. His energy and confidence attract love and loyalty from people who contribute to his success but become hurt and disillusioned by his ingratitude and betrayal. The plot is fairly simple, but the film holds interest through its portrayal of a man devoid of self-understanding, whose ambition can never truly be satisfied despite his apparent success. The most intense scenes are in the boxing ring, where no amount of punishment can stop him. ... Read more

Description

After their star fighters run out on them, two wrestling promoters are tricked into joining the Foreign Legion, where they foul up basic training, dodge desert cutthroats and chase pretty slave girls. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

ABBOTT AND COSTELLO IN THE FOREIGN LEGION!
LAUGH your heads off as Bud and Lou end up in the French Foreign Legion! SEE Walter Slezak as the tough sergeant who has to whip these two comic misfits into fighting shape! WATCH as the desert sun beats down unmercifully on them all! DROOL over the dancing slave girls! AVOID the camels at all cost! Can you trust your eyes during the comic WRESTLING sequence or is it all a MIRAGE!

Abbott and Costello take to the desert--or is that a mirage?
This time around Abbott and Costello are wrestling promoters Bud Jones and Lou Hotchkiss. Their star, Abdullah (Wee Willlie Davis), refuses to loose when they tell him to and he returns home to Algeria. The boys have to go after Abdullah and bring him back because they borrowed $5,000 from the syndicate to bring him to America in the first place. However, Abdullah's cousing, Sheik Hamud El Khalid (Douglas Dumbrille) and the evil Foreign Legionnaire Sgt. Axmann (Walter Slezak), have been raiding the railroad being constructed so they can get rich extorting money for protection. The bad guys assume Bud and Lou are spies for the railroad and order them killed. Lou has also upset the Sheik by outbidding him on six beautiful slave girls, including Nicole (Patricia Medina), a French spy. Anyhow, the boys end up enlisting in the Foreing Legion, narrowly avert death several times, and end up saving the day with ample help from Abdullah and Nicole.

This 1950 film, directed by Charles Lamont, was the 25th film featuring Abbott & Costello, then in their 15th year as a comedy team. The film suffers somewhat in comparison to Laurel & Hardy's 1939 classic "The Flying Deuces," but there are enough laughs in this one to make "Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion" at least an average comedy by the boys. Of course, to be fair, Costello had faced a pair of serious illnesses, rheumatic fever and a gangrenous gall bladder, in the months before this film was produced. The wrestling sequence remains the comic highlight of the film, along with the mirages the boys encounter in the desert. The bit between Lou and the Commandant where the word play of "we"/"oui" is merely cute. Still, this movie is arguably the second best Foreign Legion comedy of all time, for what that is worth.

THIS TIME THE TEAM WREAKS CHAOS IN THE FORIEGN LEGION
This basic Abbott and Costello comedy is a fast paced adventure about Abbott and Costello as wrestling promoters. When I first watched this I thought it wouldn't be as funny as the teams other outings but then I was wrong. I noticed that Abbott and Costello do the same old same old though but never the less the team does pull through.

BEWARE WATCH OUT

For the teams most funniest routines.

Pleasant
This is a great A&C movie.There are a great many big laughs.These include The Mirage Scene and the big fish scene.There is also a good scene with lou kissing the arab girls.You wont be disappointed.

Why Put Spmething on DVD Without Extras?
I am a big fan of Abbott and Costello, but this title is not one of their best films. Later this summer the superior ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN is slated for DVD release, and I hope it is a better reproduction. What is the point of releasing these old titles on DVD if there are no extras? MCA/Universal is very bad at this. At least the old box set laser discs of A&C films had the trailers included. A complete filmography would be nice. Another reviewer mentioned this release was supposed to be in widescreen, but that is doubtful because it was not a widescreen film when it was released in theatres almost 50 years ago. MCA/Universal, though, is notorious for being cavalier with their video releases and making mistakes. Read the liner notes put out by the studio for this title, and you'll see that they misdescribe events and get character names wrong. They also identify a fish as a crab! Abbott and Costello may have been low budget but their pertformances and routines were quality. Their films made a lot of money for the studio when the studio needed it, and I would expect the studio to have greater respect for the boys. ... Read more