2010 Year In Review

January

I advise classic film fans how to make the most of their non-TCM resources. I watched Chinatown (1974) on the big screen and lived to talk about it. And I waged a full-on war against the Pakistani blog thief who dared to steal my content. He messed with the wrong person.

February

Jean Simmons passed away and Jonas of All Talking! All Singing! All Dancing! gave birth. I ask folks if Classic Films make us Anti-Social and I get a lot of great responses. We watched Born to Kill (1947) at my friend Kevin's fabulously decorated condo. I posted some great screen caps from the Art Deco/Pre-Code film, The Big House (1930).

March

I review a strange mix of films including America (1924), Les Girls (1957) and The Glass Wall (1953). I also talk about my reaction to violence on screen such as that in Strangers on a Train and Brubaker (1980). And I wish my Fast Eddie Felson (Carlos) boyfriend a happy birthday.

April

I reposted my Silents and Talkies guest post on Norma Shearer on my blog. I fall in love with Tony Rome (1967) and go crazy for all the details. I start a crazy series entitled "It's a Veritable Robert Mitchum Explosion" followed by numerous crazy posts. I basically go crazy this month. The above picture is also posted by Roger Ebert on Twitter which increases traffic to my blog. Thanks Ebert! This blog became available for viewing on Kindle this month as well.

May

Robert Mitchum craziness continues with more posts including one explaining that crazy picture from April. I start the Heck Yeah Robert Mitchum Tumblr and Mitchum's oldest son writes to me. Out of the Past gets nominated for Best Classic Film Blog in the LAMMYs. I review the TCM iPhone app as well as the new Doctor Zhivago (1965) DVD.

June

I got to see the most complete version of Metropolis (1927) on the big screen at the Coolidge Corner Theater as well as Vertigo (1958) at the Capitol Theater. Charlie Chan gives us a lesson in classic film distribution.

July

I review the worst boxed set known to man. My big screen adventures continue with The Lusty Men (1952) at the Harvard Film Archive and the 50th Anniversary restoration of Breathless (1960) shown at the Kendall Square Cinema.

August

I have a cocktail named after The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse (1938) at Noir Bar in Cambridge, MA. Patricia Neal passes away. TCM devotes a whole day to Norma Shearer during their Summer Under the Stars series.

September

I discover a young Ella Fitzgerald through a picture book and the Abbott and Costello flick Ride Em Cowboy (1942). I cry (A LOT) through Make Way for Tomorrow (1937) and a lot of people sympathize. Tony Curtis passes away.

October

I made a dinner out of the Errol Flynn movie They Died With Their Boots On (1941). I see Steamboat Bill Jr. (1928) on the big screen with live musical accompaniment. I contest a Twitter "fact" with a list of Leading Men shorter than Richard Widmark. I yell at another blogger, reveal myself as @ClassicFilmRead and post a whole bunch of pictures of Actors with Puppies. I follow it up with pictures of Actresses with Kittens. I review the new Errolivia book and the Humphrey Bogart boxed set (complete with vlog!).

November 

My busiest month ever! I write a post every day! Mostly reviews of Humphrey Bogart movies in my 24 Bogie Movie Marathon. I warn other bloggers about Full Disclosure. I fall in love with Brother Orchid (1940).  I post a rare Doris Day interview. Wrote my most popular post this year: Actors Who Remind Me of My Father. Did another vlog review, this time of the Elia Kazan boxed set. Leslie Nielsen passes away. I get people interested in Gentleman Jim (1942).

December

I continue the 24 Bogie Movie Marathon and don't quite finish. Watch for the rest in the new year! I write about Janet Leigh's tight sweater in Holiday Affair (1949) and most of you don't believe me. I witnessed the most amazing screening of Sunrise (1927) with live musical accompaniment courtesy of Berklee College of Music. They got a standing ovation. Carlos and I see It's a Wonderful Life (1946) at the Brattle. I watch and review King of Kings (1961) just in time for Christmas.


I would like to thank all of you who have read this blog in 2010. This blog would be nothing without my lovely readers. Thank you!

Beat the Devil (1954)

Beat the Devil (1954) or 1953 according to some sources, is a Bogie adventure movie that is just plain bad. Available on Netflix Instant, Carlos and I watched this film last night and we are still not sure what it was about. I'll try my best to give you a synopsis. Bogie plays Billy Dannreuther, a man who is tagging along with four crooks trying to score some uranium rich land in Africa. The video quality on Netflix Instant is very poor and the audio is even worse. Every time I heard the name "Danrreuther" I kept thinking they were saying Dan Rather! Billy (Bogie) is married to a sexy British/Italian woman named Maria, played by the vivacious Gina Lollobrigida. Billy encounters a British couple, the Chelms, who are also on their way to Africa. While they are stuck in Italy waiting for the ship to be repaired, Gwendolen Chelm (Jennifer Jones) annoys, interrogates and seduces her way into getting information out of Billy and giving too much information herself while at the same time falling in love with Billy. Jennifer Jones is all annoying and not the least bit charismatic in this film. There is a bit of wife swapping with Mrs. Dannreuther going for Mr. Chelm and Mr. Dannreuther macking out on Mrs. Chelm. Mr. Chelm is a loose canon and sinks the vessel. They get stranded on the coast of an unnamed African nation and it's Billy to the rescue! Oh yeah and Peter Lorre is somewhere in there playing Julius O'Hara, a German with an Irish surname, a weak joke made earlier in the movie. There is a twist at the end that makes only a little sense and neatly ties up the picture.

The movie is supposed to be funny seeing as it's a spoof but it fails miserably. It didn't help that the Netflix Instant copy of this film was so poor that I could barely hear the dialogue and the exotic locale looked as appealing as it would in a black and white photograph in a newspaper. The plot was convoluted and the characters were not the least bit interesting. I felt bad for Bogie and for Lorre for having to be reduced to performing in this drivel. If you've seen this movie and liked it, bless your soul because I just couldn't. The only redeeming part about the movie was the opening sequence which ties in very well with the ending. It throws you for a loop until you get through the whole movie (you are brave if you do so) and see how it ties in. Check it out here: Opening Sequence

All Through the Night (1941)

 All Through the Night (1941) is a cheesecake murder-mystery with some Nazis thrown in for flavor. Bogie stars as Gloves Donahue (::snickers::) has been eating Miller's cheesecake for nearly a decade. When Mr. Miller is murdered by Pepi (Peter Lorre), Gloves runs into a swell looking but mysterious dame by the name of Leda (Kaaren Verne) who may be able to reveal who and why Miller was killed. Gloves rounds up a tag team of compadres including Sunshine (William Demarest), Starchy (Jackie Gleason) and Barney (Frank McHugh) to help solve the mystery. But they find a lot more than they bargained for. A whole underground cell of Nazis who are plotting a major attack on the city. What's a cheesecake-loving thug to do?! The plot is convoluted, as most early films about Nazis were, but the film is still enjoyable to watch.

Humphrey Bogart carries this film really well even though he threatens to be overshadowed by an amazing cast of character actors.

A very very young Jackie Gleason. Look at those baby cheeks! Don't you just want to squeeze them? Gleason doesn't have many scenes in this film but the ones he does stands out because of his wise-cracking lines as well as the novelty of him being a young Jackie Gleason!

Phil Silvers plays the waiter who dares to bring Gloves (Bogie) a slice of cheesecake that isn't from Millers. He's got some great lines at the beginning of the film and his facial expressions are hilarious!

William Demarest plays Sunshine, Gloves' right-hand man. Most of the time in mysteries like these the hero is by himself most of the time he's doing his investigation. Not in this film! Sunshine is by Gloves' side ready to take punches and fall off of balconies whenever Gloves needs him.

Barton MacLane plays the disgruntled club owner Marty Callahan who has the noive of dissing Gloves' ma! He doesn't realize that his club is being taken over by a bunch of stinkin' Nazis until Gloves smacks some sense into him!

Frank McHugh plays Barney, Gloves' sidekick and driver. Barney is sexually frustrated and during the whole story he meets a dame, gets engaged, gets married but never consummates the marriage because he's too busy helping Gloves and Sunshine in investigating the moider. McHugh is probably the funniest character in the film and the most enjoyable to watch. He's given a lot of great scenes and lines.

Judith Anderson, of Rebecca (1940) fame, plays the evil Madame. A Nazi suspicious of Leda (Bogie's gal) and her motives. I don't know about you, but it's always a delight when Judith Anderson appears in a film. Even if she plays evil most of the time.

Peter Lorre plays the evil Pepi who murders Mr. Miller or Miller's Bakery. He's creepy and childlike. Whenever he pops up on screen, we know something bad is going to happen. Fun fact, Lorre and Kaaren Verne (who plays Leda) married in real life a few years after this film was made.

There are several other great character actors in the film but these were just my favorites! Please give this lesser-known Bogie film a try!