North by Northwest (1959)

Why it's here:
Another chance to see Cary Grant, here in one of his best known roles, and to show my kids the beyond-iconic moment in cinema when a plane chases down Cary Grant.

Specs:
Over 2 hours, color

Our family's average rating on a scale of 1-10:
7.5

More about the film and our reaction to it:
What struck us most about the film is that it seemed to be recreating "Notorious", yet just wasn't quite as good. Most people to write about this film think it is Hitch's very best work. I'm not a Hitchcock expert, so while I appreciate certain touches in this film enormously and thought that overall it was a really good movie, we weren't blown away.

Even though Cary Grant is the coolest, most appealing character that ever lived on screen, he's starting to seem a bit old for the dashing romantic lead and the age difference between him and Eva Marie Saint is beginning to be too much. His acting is superb and as always he creates the embodiment of something you want to live for and aspire to. He is a golden star - the best that ever lived.

This film contains scenes that would rank among are some of the most incredible in our festival (such as the aforementioned crop duster chasing down Grant, and Grant driving drunk along a windy road, the characters cavorting all over Mt. Rushmore, the scene in the UN where someone gets stabbed with a thrown knife). These elements are profoundly memorable, but somehow, for us, the film as a whole was not. 

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Auntie Mame (1958)

Why it's here:
Recommended to us by a friend.

Specs:
Almost 2 1/2 hours; color

Our family's average rating on a scale of 1-10:
7.63

More about the film and our reaction to it:
Auntie Mame was a strange movie. By the end we all really liked it. While we were watching, we couldn't quite figure out what to think of it. It kept seeming like it had come to a close and several times during its run, I thought it had ended. But the story was simply told in chapters or vignettes that each told a piece. It covers an astonishing scope of time in the lives of these people, in good depth. It did feel long, though. And we began to feel that the ending was dragging on. This could be a function of the fact that we had already been tricked into thinkng the film was about to end several times before it actually did.

Throughout the whole is an astonishingly compelling performance by Rosalind Russel (who we had not seen since "His Girl Friday"). She has created a character that is burned in our brains - avant gaurd, lovably out of touch, caring and kind but totally free-spirited, she is the gem of the film.

The movie is at times silly, sad, absurd, frustrating, playful - but always compelling.

On a second viewing, I would probably appreciate it more, knowing how it is set up, what it does and where it's taking me

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Gunfight at the OK Corral (1957)

Why it's here:
The story has been done so many times, but this is the Classic. We were drawn by the strong local interest since the historical events underlying this tale took place near where we live. In addition, the film was shot in part at Old Tucson. We had to check it out.

Specs:
2 hours, color. Available on dvd

Our family's average rating on a scale of 1-10:
6.63

More about the film and our reaction to it:
Although the film was good, and certainly watchable entertainment, it was not fabulous. The best part was the exposure to the performances of Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster, both major stars who gave top performances here. But the movie dragged on a bit, especially with subplots that pulled away from the main story. Maybe this is because, though clearly one of the most famous tales from the old West, the real Tombstone shoot-out was truly just not that dramatic.  This probably also explains why dramatizations always ratchet up the facts and intensity of the story. Quite a bit.


After watching the film, we went and toured the actual site of the gunfight and learned that the whole battle was short and well contained within a small corral.

The film is full of 50s-era cliches and camp that are charming and enjoyable if you are in the right mind -- for instance, the song "Boot Hill" which has been running through our brains in a continuous loop since. ("Boot Hill, Boot Hill, so cold, so still...") The Boot Hill cemetery in real life is a fascinating and nicely kept monument to the time of the wild West. The Tombstone courthouse holds wonderful exhibits -- including many historical artifacts, displays and period details. It is both architecturally and historically a fantastic place to see. And, the preserved gallows standing in the walled-in courthouse yard still reeks with unpleasant energy.

The actual history of the town is so compelling and as this film marked the impetus for our trip there, and as a well known, quintessential piece of American cultural history, we are grateful to it.
The shot below is so well-framed that I believe it is mandatory to recreate in every subsequent Hollywood release of the story :)

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12 Angry Men (1957)

Why its here:
It had been many years since I've seen this film, but I was pretty sure it would be perfect for our festival. I was right.

Specs:
1 1/2 hours, black and white. Available on dvd

Our rating on a scale of 1-10:
8.5

More about the film and our reaction to it:
I can think of few films in our entire festival that had us riveted, literally, on the edge of our seats riveted throughout like 12 Angry Men did.  That statement is all the more remarkable given that the entire film (save the first and last minutes) took place in a single setting -- two, if you count the bathroom of the jury room.  What a remarkable acheivement in drama and performance. Simply incredible.

And those two elements (the actors and their performances) are in fact almost the whole enchilada here. The story itself - from a play about jury deliberations in what appears to be an open and shut murder case is an excellent one. There is almost no action, rather, through the jurors' discussion of the pieces of evidence, the story slowly unfolds along with revelations, interpretations and the disclosure of our jurors' prejudices, strengths of charaacter, backgrounds and vulnerabilities.  However good the story is, the film would be lost without excellent interpretative performances by its entire cast. Henry Fonda is again a standout. I have come to believe that he is one of the best actors of all time. His performances in everything we've seen him in (Grapes of Wrath, Mister Roberts, even The Lady Eve) have never failed to move me.

This is simply a perfect film for the pre-teen/teen set and gives wondrous introduction into the legal system as well as a grand study into character and duty.  Not to be missed.

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Around the World in 80 Days (1956)

Why it's here:
Actually we'd seen the Jackie Chan version and loved it. It made sense to view the original film from the 50s.

Specs:
Nearly 3 hours, color; available on dvd

Our family's average rating:
7.63

More about the film and our reaction to it:
As I sit here writing this, the rest of my family is watching the Jackie Chan version (again). They wanted to compare the two. While both are star-studded with cameos and give a wonderful feel of world travel and adventure and contain roughly equivalent overall entertainment value, one thing's for sure: Chan's version is much more hilarious... and juvenile.

We all really liked them both. But the 1956 one, is much more like a grand adventure story, that is also funny, than the rip roaring silliness of the more recent one. The 1956 film takes on the story with a bit more intention and seriousness. Though still light and fun, it feels like "real" cinema. In fact, it feels very much like cinema for grown-ups: an impressive and lengthy production with incredible world travel and sweeping production values.

Shot on location all around the globe, the film usually inspires gushing about the wide screen format employed -- which seems to be the technological equivalent of The Hobbit's recent foray into superfast frames per second -- that is, on a nerdo-scale of excitability. But, since all the movies we watch just basically just fill up my tv set, the insanely-wide screen dimension had little effect on us. What we did love was the feeling of a book brought to life with great lushness and attention to detail.

The kids were thrilled and we were all surprise to see Buster Keaton pop up in a cameo as a train conductor. He was, as always, fabulous. There were so many celebrity cameos, its hard to know which to point out. Some of the more impressive (to me), besides Keaton, were Marlene Dietrich, Frank Sinatra, Red Skelton, and Peter Lorre, but that's just the tip of the iceberg.

This was great fun - but families should be warned it is long and probably not the best choice for those who are new to classic cinema.

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The Ten Commandments (1956)

Why it's here:
To sample something by the great director Cecil B De Mille.

Specs:
Over 3 1/2 hours long! (we watched over two nights). Color and available on dvd.
Set in biblical times; at the time of Moses.

Our family's average rating:
8.38

More about the film and our reaction to it:
Wow. Just wow. This has so much enormity and spectacle value that it is breathtaking to watch.

I can see why Cecil B. DeMille was such an icon. He knew how to make a BIG movie. He so clearly understood what details are important. He has assembled a magnificent and deep cast. His special effects are excellent and, even by today's standards, don't look cheesy but seamless and impressive. His locations (some in Egypt, some in California) are gorgeous and evocative.

Everything feels sweeping, grand and important -- including his choice to film this story.  He follows the life of Moses from the time he was set upon the Nile in a basket, to his status as an Egyptian leader, to his calling from God to lead his people out of slavery. The story is an incredible one and this an amazingly solid adaptation of it that stands up well today.

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Mister Roberts (1955)

Why it's here:
Henry Fonda, William Powell, James Cagney (who we've seen and enjoyed separately) and a chance to introduce the kids to Jack Lemmon. What an impressive cast!

Specs:
About 2 hours, black and white. Available on dvd.

Our family's average rating:
8.13

More about the film and our reaction to it:
My family's reaction to the film was that this wasn't exactly full-on comedy, nor was it really war drama, but it was a perfect mix of the two. We laughed a lot throughout, but the film is much deeper than it is silly. We gained incredible insight into the emotions and conditions of men on a boat in WWII.

The film resonated a good deal with us because the boys' grandfather had been at Pearl Harbor and must have lived the experiences of the navy in the era as portrayed in this film.

The performances by all the leads are incredible. As always, we adore William Powell. He is my favorite character here as a dignified, clever, but basically warm-hearted doctor. James Cagney is wonderful as the horrible (and still hilarious) captain Morton. Henry Fonda has to be at the very top of the list of all the actors we've seen during our festival in terms of sheer acting skill. We saw this film weeks ago, and as I sit writing this, I still feel attached to the man he played here. Fonda makes Mr. Roberts incredibly real.

Finally, this was our introduction to Jack Lemmon and a great one at that. Lemmon plays a slightly inept, but extremely energetic and randy young man.  A parent's note: a few of the scenes, especially those involving Lemmon's character, are a bit risque in theme. One scene in the beginning has the sailors using binoculars to watch when they discover that a nurses barracks and shower is viewable from where they are anchored. Although that scene may make the film objectionable for some families, the sexuality doesn't get any more involved than that. There is a fair amount of suggestive innuendo about Lemmon's pursuit of a particular nurse, but overall, this makes a small part of the film, is not too lascivious, and simply adds to the light humor.

The film is exceptionally well-made and does a magnificent job of setting a mood and creating memorable characters. We absolutely loved it.

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On The Waterfront (1954)

Why it's here:
Marlon Brando. That's enough of a reason, right?

Specs:
Not quite 2 hours long, black and white. It is available on dvd which we found at our library.

Our family's average rating:
8.0

More about the film and our reaction to it:
I really struggled with whether to show this one to my kids. In fact, I pre-viewed it just to see. The content is quite intense and unsettling, but the movie is powerful and exceptionally good, so I gave them some warnings and we watched.

To start with the reason for having included this film in our festival: Marlon Brando is an amazing actor. We were all very moved by his performance. Brando, as everyone knows, is famous as a proponent of a new style of acting - the method - that started to take hold in the 50s. I don't really know (or care) that much about acting theory, but I will say that his style of performance was clearly different -- earthier, more emotional, earnest, and real -- than the classic Hollywood style we have become used to. It takes the viewer by force in this film. Two instances that make my heart still thump include the iconic "I could have been a contender" scene with his brother in the car and a simple moment when, walking through a park with Eva Marie Saint, he stoops to pick up a glove she's dropped, fingers it absentmindedly, then puts it on his own hand. These moments are incredible and beautiful, as is his whole performance.

Now, for the ugly, because the film depicts something very ugly -- the mob-controlled union on the dockyards in New Jersey. The film (like High Noon) is all about characters making hard choices and is steeped in allegory about the ongoing red scare and its effect on Hollywood. You don't have to care about symbolic meaning to appreciate the film.

Parents should be aware that, though gritty and upsetting in theme, there is not a great deal of violence or gore actually shown on screen; plenty is implied though. Several deaths do occur (just offscreen) and they are fairly grusome (someone is thrown from a roof, another has a heavy load of bottles dropped on him, another is shot and then suspended from a hook). Though the deaths may not be seen directly, their aftermath is. All of this would elevate the film to a PG-13. Though my 11 year old watched and really liked the film, I would not generally recommend it for 11 year olds. It is probably best suited to the 13+ set.  ...and that's not just because of the violence, but for the fact that most kids under 13+ probably wouldn't be that interested in the grown-up themes of unions, and mob power, what it means to rat people out and when its OK to do that.

One of the best parts of the film was the awesome character and performance of the waterfront priest played by Karl Malden. He really helped you feel like you had an anchor in all the tension going on and was occassionally funny and uniformly charming. Likewise, Eva Marie Saint was an awesome grounding force in the film that I was very grateful for.

We recommend this film highly for slightly older or more mature kids and teens.

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