Dad's Movies: "The Black Rose" (1950)

Up today:  The Black Rose (1950)

There are some definite holes in my classic movie viewing experience. Some are famous movies and some are important or famous actors that I have somehow missed.

One of these stars is Tyrone Power. I'd definitely heard about Power over the years; he was in a lot of successful films, including the original "Zorro" film in 1940. However, I somehow managed to miss his movies so let's Power Up! (sorry)

The Black Rose is one of those classic Hollywood studio historical adventure stories, not terribly different from my last entry, actually. As was typical, white actors played many of the leading "foreigner" roles. Like other examples of this, you just to take it all in context.

Power is fine as the lead but, we'll see how he is in other films, he seems kind of dull during many of the action scenes. He often seems to be slightly annoyed to be where he is but he is somewhat believable in the part (although most of the other English characters have accents, he definitely doesn't).

I always enjoy seeing Jack Hawkins in classic films but he seems a bit too old for the longbow-wielding sidekick part.

And then we get to Orson Welles.

Welles plays a Mongol warlord general, complete with Asian costume and makeup. It's pretty bad by any modern standard but Welles does his thing. It seems like when Orson Welles acted in other people's films, he either played the part genuinely or just played "Orson Welles" in the film in whatever costume he was given (and often a fake nose). I am a fan of Welles but he doesn't really do much for the warlord character besides lend it his always-solid authoritative delivery of lines.

And finally we have the character of Maryam, played by Cécile Aubry. The part is supposedly half English, half-Mongol woman who as escaped from a harem....uh, ok!  She tries but her French accent, with whatever other affectation she was trying to do doesn't do the performance any favors.

If it sounds like I am being too hard on this movie, I have to mention that I often forgot a much of the oddness or weaknesses of the performances and was able to get into the movie. The film has great cinematography (Jack Cardiff!) and even has location work in England (it looks like the other scenes are done on stages).

So, I liked this one well enough to cross another Welles performance off the list and make me look forward to seeing what some of Power's other films are like.

Dad's Movies: "Beau Geste" (1939)

My latest:  Beau Geste (1939)

1939 was quite the year for Hollywood movies, wasn't it? Go do a search if you forget how many landmark films were released that year. I would also consider that year to be the end of an era. The coming of World War 2 would change the movie business (and everything else!)  in both style and substance.

Beau Geste is a well-known film and one of those famous ones that somehow slipped through the cracks. I see from the above link that it's a straight-up remake of a silent era version, based on a 1924 novel. The story is, at least with its character writing, somewhat unusual. Three orphaned brothers (and a non-related sister, with whom one of the brothers has a relationship as an adult!) have a close relationship growing up under the care of their adopted mother but a scandal compels the brothers to leave home as young adults. They all end up in the French Foreign Legion (which seemed like an action Boys Club where guys would go to be "manly", at least that is how it was portrayed in old movies) where two of them find themselves under the heel of a thuggish commander. I won't spoil the rest since the movie is definitely worth watching.

Parts of the film may come off as a bit old fashioned but it moves along at a good clip, pacing-wise and the leads are are likable. The most dated aspects of the film really are the way that the Legion soldiers are the assumed tools of the European colonial system, fighting those pesky Arabs.

All in all, I liked this one and will revisit it again.

Another Podcast: Time To Lean

Some of you may be aware that I have done a long-running (with many breaks/hiatuses) podcast mostly about Star Trek. You can listen to/subscribe to it here (we WILL resume new episodes soon!).

Now, I have a newer one with my old friend Phil:  Time To Lean...And Here's A Song!

This podcast is a catch-all discussion show where we have a couple of beverages and there's a song at the end of the show. The songs are often new ones, written and performed by Phil and me. We sometimes reuse old originals that we want to share. So please check it out, here.