Month: January 2022

Richard Widmark is the captain of a naval destroyer which civilian photojournalist Sidney Poitier has recently boarded. The new ship’s doctor Martin Balsam soon discovers that Widmark is a strict commander where illness is just not allowed among his crew not even the slightest headache. This unrelenting maniacal control carries over to other arenas when the ship crosses paths with a Soviet submarine. Because of Poitier’s recent death, I had checked this out as it was one of his few works at my public library that I hadn’t yet seen. While he gives his usual solid performance, he mostly serves as a foil to Widmark’s masterful lead and his Ahabian pursuit of the Russian vessel.  

In a California desert town, timid Sissy Spacek begins working at a health spa and becomes charmed by somewhat more worldly and outgoing Shelley Duvall, whom she soon becomes roommates with. Though somewhat annoyed by her roommate’s naiveté and constant presence, Duvall also enjoys the fawning and attention she is denied in all her other relationships. Also in the women’s orbit are the womanizing owner of their building and his aloof, pregnant artist wife. Despite her incessant chatter and seemingly obliviousness to the opinions of others, Duvall’s character is rather adorable in her era fashions and homemaking. The film makes an interesting follow-up to The Stranger Within as they both explore women’s roles and experiences in the 1970s, here the three women exhibiting and trading between them extreme versions of traditional feminine roles.

The world is shocked when famous actress Fedora (portrayed by Marthe Keller), renowned for having retained her beauty throughout her long career, apparently commits suicide by running in front of a train. At her funeral, producer William Holden reflects on his recent meeting with the actress and tries to piece together why she died. The film has some bits that are heavy on the melodrama and strangeness, but it also provides an interesting reflection on Hollywood, its standards of aging and beauty, and their effects on mental health. It could somewhat work as a companion to Billy Wilder’s earlier Sunset Boulevard. There’s even a bit of stunt casting with Michael York playing a version of himself and Henry Fonda cast as the President of the Academy

Despite her husband’s vasectomy, Barbara Eden miraculously finds herself pregnant. Before long it becomes more obvious that this pregnancy is not a normal one. She craves vast amounts of salt, reads voraciously, and prefers unnaturally cold temperatures. Reruns of I Dream of Jeannie and Harper Valley P.T.A. didn’t prepare me for how great Eden is in the role. She fully commits to a script that asks her to act more and more ridiculous. The film takes its time building to its conclusion and it is not until the climax that there’s even a hint of the reasons behind all of the strange activity. 

While one of the last films in the series, this is my first experience watching one of the Hope-Crosby Road to films. While it’s definitely not without its charms, it also didn’t make me feel like I need to make sure I watch the entire series. Bob Hope and Bing Crosby are a song and dance team where both members need to flee Australia because of ill advised marriage proposals. They wind up on their way to Indonesia to work for a prince and end up both falling for his cousin. The plot isn’t really the point of these films. It’s the in-jokes, hijinks, gags, and chemistry between the two lead to seven of these films being made. It’s interestingly the only one in Technicolor. The type of loud humor seems almost necessary to be paired with bright colors. One other notable bit about this entry is the various cameos from other celebrities such as Martin and Lewis, Jane Russell, and Humphrey Bogart by way of a cut from The African Queen.