1940's Hall Of Fame Part I

Yeah, it sounds like Judgement at Nuremberg except made from an actual German that lived in Germany through the war. Rather than from a judgmental American 'why didn't you Germans just stop it' viewpoint. I love Judgement and i know its overall point is that 'Germans aren't bad because their leaders were', but it still takes an incredibly simplistic, judging way to get there that i've always been interested in actual German perspectives after the war.

Just read up on Bogdanovich a little and you'll find he was a Truffaut-type critic before he was a director. I've seen all three of the versions of Planet of the Storms - the Russian original [which can be watched free with English subtitles here (Thanks, minio!)], the Bogdanovich version and the other Corman-"produced" version, Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet.

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Mark, did you have a preference for any of the Planet of the Storms movies?

Obviously the original.

I'm going to watch the original, thanks for posting the link.

I think it's not really that good but miles better that the U.S. versions. That site is very good for several films made during the Soviet Era.

The original sounds good to me I don't know if you read my recent review of Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women (1968), but even though I thought that version was pretty bad (though I did like the mermaids)...I thought the original scenes of the Russian spacecraft looked pretty good. I could tell they took pride in showing the Soviets place in space. I'd never seen a space refueling station before,I thought that was cool. So I do want to see the original so I can see what was cut from it.

Laura (1944)

Gonna start this with an old favorite.
This was the movie that I got a tremendous crush for Gene Tierney. It was VERY easy to see how everyone who met her, fell in love with her. Even with her painting as was the case of the mercurial police lieutenant played by Dana Andrews.
I had always been a fan of crime films, noirs and the like, and this one is at the top of its game. And like CR had mentioned, it goes far beyond "who done it?" and delves so much more deeper into the characters themselves. From the few movies directed by Otto Preminger that I've seen he was very skilled in "unraveling" any given character to find who they really are. Even if they begin as a caricature. You see this in the very opening lines of the movie. They begin sappy and then as the voice over is interrupted and begins to speak directly to someone, the person he is, emerges.
You see this throughout and its almost a sleight of hand as the story unfolds and you begin to wonder: "So who did do it?"
Along with the wonderful twists and the multi-layered characters there is the dialogue. It's clever, intelligent and its wit is wielded with poise and precision. Especially by Clifton Webb who plays Waldo Lydecker. It is his lines in the opening scene and he has a barrage of witticisms that he releases with cool aplomb throughout the film.
Also, you cannot mention this film and leave out Vincent Price who's character tries to play it cool while fraying at the ends. Like all the others he is an essential ingredient to this well structured and very well executed noir film whose deeper self is unraveled for your viewing pleasure.

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Enjoyed reading your write up, Ed.

Laura is one of my all time favorite Noirs. I liked what you said about the director: Good call, and there's a lot of similarities on character treatment with another of his films Anatomy of a Murder. Though Gene has definitely got it over Lee Remick. And that's saying a lot because Lee was looking pretty good in Anatomy of a Murder.

I know I'm going to sound like a broken record, but have you seen Leave Her to Heaven? If not I highly recommended it.

The Suspect

This was fantastic. Never heard of it before but it may well end up being my favorite Hitchcock in this HOF. So well written, which always gets me on board right away. Laughton is brilliant. The storytelling is perfect. I won't say anymore till others have seen it. So happy this was nominated. Guranteed to be high on this list and my 40's list.

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Just looked up Robert Siodmak the director of The Suspect. I was positive I had seen that name before. Sure enough, director of The Killers, another favorite of mine. This guy. Guess I will have to get to Criss Cross soon.

Criss Cross is a good one, and it has Dan Duryea, yea If you haven't seen it, check out Siodmak's The File on Thelma Jordon (1950), it's another good noir.

I am SO glad you enjoyed The Suspect, sean. I was the same way and actually watched it AFTER nominating it. Siodmak DOES some excellent work and I'll need to see some more of his.

Thanks CR, been wanting to see Leave Her To Heaven. And please, KEEP being a broken record to help me to remember actually see it sometime. I have seen a few of Gene's movies including Tobacco Road, this one - obviously, Heaven Can Wait (which I initially watched for Laird Cregar playing the Devil and she was a wonderful bonus) and Dragonwyck.

Jesus, Sean. Did you watch a few of these before they were revealed, or did you watch them all today?

Oh..I will It's by far my favorite Tierney performance.

Yup! Laird Cregar as the devil owned that role! What did you think of the rest of Heaven Can Wait? I've seen Dragonwyck but not Tobacco Road. I'm going to have to watch the rest of her filmography one of these days.

One last night, Fantasia this morning, The Suspect tonight. I am going to try and do one tomorrow night after work too. I want to jump start, very busy during the week right now and I don't want to fall behind.

Loved the rest of the film, especially Coburn. He always cracks me up. Heaven Can Wait is a serious contender for a spot on my 40's list.

Tobacco Road was a funny lil hillbilly film. Another Teirney I've been wanting to see is the Ghost and Mrs Muir with Rex Harrison. Have you seen that one?

I texted my mum about The Little Foxes, she hasn't seen it and we've made plans to watch it together (which means it might never happen ) whenever both of us have time.

I didn't mention that it was nominated by a guy who said his own mum is hot

Yup. Liked it too. Rex Harrison has a ton of screen presences, it's a very romantic movie. Some might call it a chick flick, I call it a damn good movie!

This is what I've seen of Gene Tierney's films. I think her best work is in the ones that I bolded but all are exceptional films, not a bad one in the bunch. The Left Hand of God was with Bogart and her last film before she had a breakdown and left acting for a long while.

The Left Hand of God
Where the Sidewalk Ends
Night and the City
Whirlpool
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir
The Razor's Edge
Dragonwyck
Leave Her to Heaven
Laura
Heaven Can Wait

I have Heaven Can Wait ready to watch along with the rest of Lubitsch's 40s films. Actually talked to Ed about this and he said that's what i should look forward to. Didn't know that was a Gene Tierney film or who Gene Tierney was really, but fair enough.