Citizen Rules...Cinemaesque Chat-n-Review

MGM's Grand Hotel a 1932 pre-code drama film that broke new ground by being one of the first star studded-large ensemble cast movies. It also holds the record for the only movie ever to win an Oscar for Best Picture without being nominated in any other category. Based on the stage play of 1930 which in return was based on the 1928 German novel Menschen im Hotel by Vicki Baum.


What struck me was that the first 10 minutes or so are dry and I thought the film wouldn't stand up...But then we start getting into the dramatization of the guest and their very different lives and I was hooked.

I didn't even recognize Lionel Barrymore as a kindly older man who has come to the Grand Hotel to die in style. There he meets his former boss, a man who's a self absorbed, heartless man...Played to perfection by Wallace Beery who's better known for his comedy roles.

My favorite story archs, and there's many, was Greeta Garbo and John Barrymore's scenes. Garbo was such a big star at the time that they billed her in the credits by her last name only. In Grand Hotel she oozes deeply wrenched up emotions, like few actors could. One can look at her face and see her heart is breaking. Her co-star John Barrymore is excellent here too as he never overplays his part and never upstages Garbo. His performance elevates hers.

Prisoners of the Casbah (1953)
Director: Richard L. Bare
Writers: DeVallon Scott (screenplay), William Raynor (story)
Cast: Gloria Grahame, Cesar Romero, Turhan Bey
Genre: Adventure

Producer Sam Katzman specialized in low budget movies made primarily to turn a quick buck and fill the needs of matinees and double features. With his movies being the second on a double bill. Prisoners of the Casbah is like a lot of his movies, utterly forgettable. I doesn't even try to do anything well. This is a film that was made to fill a need for a fast and cheap film. Just how Gloria Grahame ended up in this piece of nonsense is beyond me. When you consider she would also star in The Big Heat in 1953 one wonders what she did to deserve such a basement film as this.

Prisoners of Casbah was shot in color and does have Cesar Romero early on in his career. It's a hard film to find, on IMDB it only has 3 reviews. I watched it as part of Gloria Grahame's filmography. I wish I could say Gloria was good in this, but she seemed to hate being in the film and her performance showed. Actually she doesn't even try, she just reads her lines at that's it. Well the scenes at the Casbah were kind of fun. Though there's not much action or excitement here. A few brief sword fights that might impress the kids at a Sunday matinee.

Director: Jonathan Demme
Writer: Bo Goldman
Cast: Paul Le Mat, Mary Steenburgen, Jason Robards, Elizabeth Cheshire
Genre: Comedy, Drama


Melvin and Howard is a comedy drama that's based on the true story of a Utah gas station owner who claimed he once picked up Howard Hughes in the Nevada desert and gave him a ride to the casino...He also claimed that years later he was given a will written by Hughes that left Melvin 156 million. Does he get the money? Or was it a scam as many said? The film cleverly weaves it's story of the chance desert encounter and the life of Melvin without taking a stance to his credibility. The film leaves it up to the viewer to decide, and does this while making us laugh at some of the misfortunes that befall Melvin.


That's Jason Robards as the reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes and Paul Le Mat as the happy go lucky Melvin. Robards has a bit role in this movie, the core of the movie is Paul Le Mat, best known for his work in American Graffiti. He's real good here, so is his first wife played with chirpy levity by Mary Steenburgen. The sometimes happy, sometimes troubled couple, provide the bulk of the story and the smiles.