My Favorite Films: From 70 to 61

Last month, I covered 80-71 of my favorite movies. This month, the countdown continues with an eclectic mix of films ranging from a B-mystery to a famous film noir with everything—a French classic, a George Stevens’ Western, jungle natives, and Spencer Tracy’s final screen appearance—in between. (An underlined title means there's a hyperlink to a full review at the Cafe.)

70. The Scarlet Claw - One of the best of all Sherlock Holmes films, this smart little mystery finds Holmes and Watson chasing a “phantom” over the marshes of Canada. The murderer, a former thespian, is a master of disguises—which sets the stage for several tense sequences. Nigel Bruce adds just the right amount of humor in this one and director Roy William Neill keeps the atmospheric proceedings moving at a snappy pace. This is easily my favorite Basil Rathbone Holmes film, to include the more expensive 20th Century-Fox pictures.

Roland Toutain and Jean Renior.

69. The Rules of the Game - Best described as a "comic tragedy," Jean Renoir’s 1939 masterpiece focuses on three themes: the relationship between and among the frivolous upper-class and their servants; the complex emotions between men and women; and the boundaries and expectations of society (the "rules of the game"). I first saw it in a college film class in the 1970s and it left a lasting impression. Although some contemporary audiences may find parts of it dated, it’s easy to see why critics often rank Rules alongside Citizen Kane as one of the greatest films ever made.

68. The Road Warrior – Originally called Mad Max 2¸ this sequel surpasses the original in every way. Whereas 1979’s Mad Max drowned in a bleak view of a post-apocalyptic future, The Road Warrior creates a mythic portrait of its hero and presents a world with a glimmer of hope. It also doesn’t hurt that it features some of the most exhilarating chase scenes ever filmed and a star-making turn by Mel Gibson. It’s a near-perfect action film and the thematic parallels with Shane (see below) don’t hurt either.

67. Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner – It’s easy to find flaws in this not-very-controversial film about a young interracial couple who plan to marry despite the objections of both sets of parents. I suppose that audiences in 1967 might have been more shocked if the groom-to-be wasn’t a handsome, educated do-gooder played by Sidney Poitier. But even if it’s simplistic, this last pairing of Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn is a heartfelt, impeccably-acted tale of love and understanding. It always leaves me with a good feeling.

66. The Naked Prey – Cornel Wilde (who also directs) plays an unnamed jungle safari guide who works for a cruel ivory hunter. When the ivory hunter offends a tribe of natives, the members of the hunting party are killed or captured and tortured to death...except for Wilde. He is stripped and sent into the veldt, with a slight head start and a group of warriors in hot pursuit. The rest of the film is a brutal saga of survival, as Wilde struggles to find food and water in addition to fending off his ever- present pursuers. Not for the squeamish, this unique action film relies on visual storytelling with minimal dialogue.

65. The Dirty Dozen – A recurring motif among my list of favorite movies is what I call the “Robin Hood theme” in which disparate characters come together to form a team. I don’t know…there’s just something entertaining about watching a bunch of folks bond en route to saving a village, overthrowing an evil prince, or defeating the Nazis. That leads us to The Dirty Dozen, which finds the defiant, but effective, Major Reisman (Lee Marvin) faced with a dubious mission on the eve of D-Day. He must train twelve hardened military convicts to go behind enemy lines and assassinate a group of German generals cavorting in a well-guarded chateau. With an amusing first half and an exciting second half, The Dirty Dozen plays to the strength of its terrific cast, which includes Charles Bronson, Telly Savalas, John Cassavetes, Robert Ryan, and Ernest Borgnine.

Edward Fox as The Jackal.

64. The Day of the Jackal – This taut tale of a 1962 plot to assassinate French president Charles de Gaulle is potent example of the power of cinema. Despite knowing that the assassin—known only as The Jackal—is the villain, I find myself admiring his meticulous planning and (temporarily) rooting for him to accomplish his mission. Fortunately, a plot development late in the film always reels me back in so that I’m relieved when persevering detective Michael Lonsdale foils the Jackal at the final second. A clever plot, fine performances, and Fred Zinnemann’s expert use of European locations make this is a first-class thriller.

Gene Tierney and Vincent Price.

63. Laura – Otto Preminger’s film noir classic seems to improve with every viewing. What’s not to like? It features: one of the most memorable characters in the history of cinema (Clifton Webb’s Waldo Lydecker); a stunning plot twist involving the equally stunning Gene Tierney; a haunting music theme courtesy of David Raksin; and a detective hero whose obsession with the murder victim would be almost creepy in any other film.

62. The Charge of the Light Brigade – Often criticized for its historical inaccuracies, this Warner Bros. classic is nonetheless a top-notch historical action film. Against the backdrop of the Crimean War, Errol Flynn and Patric Knowles play brothers vying for the affections of Olivia de Havilland. An early scene informs us that Olivia’s character, though engaged to Flynn, has secretly fallen in love with Knowles. This knowledge causes us to empathize with Flynn’s British officer as his emotions evolve from disbelief to anger to understanding. I think it’s one of Flynn’s finest performances. The climatic charge, directed by Michael Curtiz, is an incredible sequence (although it resulted in many complaints over the mistreatment of horses).

61. Shane – I’m a sucker for a good tale of redemption and Shane is one of the best. Alan Ladd plays the former gunslinger who unexpectedly finds a home when he stops at a struggling farm. Shane fills a void in the life of each family member. For Joe, Shane is a “man’s man” willing to work or fight beside him—whether it’s a barroom brawl or the war against a villainous cattle baron. For the wife Marion, Shane is the attentive suitor, who notices the little things that her reliable, but bland husband never does. And for little Joey, Shane is a substitute father who takes time to bond with him—something his busy father has had little time to do. Like many of the great Westerns, the importance of family triumphs over all.

Next month, I’ll reach the halfway point of this list with two Malcolm McDowell movies, two films with snowy settings, a colorful Judy Holliday classic, and the only feature directed by a classic film star.

Just for Fun--Errol Flynn Photos

Last week's poll asked for a favorite Errol Flynn movie, not including The Adventures of Robin Hood, which would undoubtedly have won hands down.  The winner is Captain Blood, a personal favorite.  In honor of the winner and the two runners-up, Charge of the Light Brigade in 2nd place, and Gentleman Jim in 3rd place, here are stills from each film

Captain Blood
*Peter Blood and Arabella Bishop* 

Olivia begins by hating Errol, but finally comes to her senses in the end-with every woman in the audience wondering why it took her more than 60 seconds.

Charge of the Light  Brigade 
*Jeffrey Vickers and Elsa*
Here we have Olivia actually engaged to Errol.  Then she throws him over for his wimpy younger brother. Words fail me.

Gentleman Jim
*James Corbett*
Don't hold him back boys.  He's just late for a date with me.

And in honor of this week's poll asking for a favorite James Bond movie featuring Roger Moore, here is a wonderful picture of the original, Sean Connery, with Moore.  The two old lions still look good to me!

Errol Flynn Leads the Charge of the Light Brigade

In his second starring role, following the previous year’s Captain Blood, Errol Flynn cemented his claim to superstardom. His quick success owed much to his good looks, his natural charm (especially in the scenes with Oliva de Havilland), and his ability to portray a convincing leader. Audiences believed it when he asked men to follow him—even to their deaths—in this film, They Died With Their Boots On, and Rocky Mountain.

The Charge of the Light Brigade takes place in India in 1854 during the Crimean War between Russia and England (and other European countries). An unstable political situation becomes worse when England withdraws financial support from Surat Khan (C. Henry Gordon), the influential leader of the Suristani tribesmen. Khan eventually pledges his allegiance to Russia and commits a ruthless act that sets into motion the charge of the film’s title.

Against this backdrop of war, Major Geoffrey Vickers (Flynn) and his brother Perry (Patric Knowles) vie for the affections of Elsa Campbell (de Havilland). An early scene informs us (the audience) that Elsa, though engaged to Geoffrey, has secretly fallen in love with Perry. This knowledge causes us to empathize with Geoffrey as his emotions evolve from disbelief to anger to understanding. Geoffrey’s scenes with Elsa are all the more touching, because as he professes his love, we know she is consumed by guilt.

On the surface, The Charge of the Light Brigade comes across as a well-crafted action film with a love triangle subplot. But it also offers a subtle commentary on the military mind. At one point in the film, Vickers follows orders against his better judgment—because following orders is what officers do. The result is a bloody massacre that haunts Vickers and his men. When an opportunity for revenge arises later, Vickers chooses not to follow orders, an act that results in both tragedy and triumph.

Warner Brothers lavished high production values on The Charge of the Light Brigade, although it’s too bad it’s not in color. Max Steiner’s marching musical score is inspirational. The cast is top-notch (though Nigel Bruce is perhaps too silly for a Army colonel). And, under the sure hand of director Michael Curtiz, the climatic charge is impressive and exciting.

It was filmed in San Fernando Valley during cold temperatures. Both Errol Flynn and co-star David Niven describe the difficult production in their entertaining autobiographies My Wicked, Wicked Ways (Flynn) and Bring on the Empty Horses (Niven). The title of the latter book is attributed to Curtiz, who frequently shouted to the film crew to "bring on the empty horses" to portray the number of fallen lancers during the charge. Sadly, trip wires were used to cause the horses to stumble, which sometimes caused injuries so severe that the animals had to be killed. Humane societies, including the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, sent formal complaints to Warner Bros., which ultimately resulted in measures to monitor animal scenes during film productions. Charge is one of the few Flynn hits never re-released by Warner Bros., largely because of the concern over the treatment of horses during the climatic charge.

Charge of the Light Brigade was the second of nine Flynn-de Havilland films. Ironically, Anita Louise was originally cast as the female lead and Olivia was a last minute replacement. Flynn and Patric Knowles would appear in three additional films together (Patric's biggest roles were probably in Charge and Four's a Crowd). Flynn and Niven reteamed again for The Dawn Patrol. Finally, although they famously didn't get along, Flynn and Curtiz made twelve films together, if one counts the Perry Mason mystery The Case of the Curious Bride (in which Flynn is the corpse and shown briefly in flashback).

In 1968, Tony Richardson (Tom Jones) directed another version of The Charge of the Light Brigade, which was not technically a remake. Though based on the same historical incident (and also borrowing the title of Alfred Tennyson's famous poem), it's an anti-war film with a satirical edge. Trevor Howard and David Hemmings were the stars. Though probably more accurate, I much prefer the Curtiz-Flynn version.