Category Archives: 1944 Films

1944 Films, Alfred Hitchcock, Hume Cronyn, John Steinbeck, Tallulah Bankhead, Thriller, William Bendix

Lifeboat-1944

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Lifeboat-1944

Director Alfred Hitchcock

Starring Tallulah Bankhead, William Bendix

Scott’s Review #1,020

Reviewed May 6, 2020

Grade: A-

Alfred Hitchcock, well-known for big, bouncy, suspenseful productions, creates a stripped-down, intimate story of adventures while adrift on a survival boat, leaving plenty of tension and peril.

Lifeboat (1944), now teetering on extinction from memory save for fans of the director, deserves appreciation and respect for the brilliant direction and outstanding cinematography alone.

The film was met with controversy and some derision for sympathetic depictions of a German U-boat captain (Walter Slezak) amid the horrors of World War II.

Events begin in the middle of calm Atlantic Oceanic waters after a cruel battle results in a German U-boat and a British/American ship sinking each other, leaving fewer than a dozen civilians and service members to survive in one Lifeboat.

The haughty, glamorous columnist Connie Porter (Tallulah Bankhead), clad in the finest fur coat, is irritated by a run in her stocking, a travesty in her mind.

She is slowly joined by other survivors, including a young British woman with a dead baby, a steward, a U.S. Army nurse (Mary Anderson), a wealthy entrepreneur, and other people from most walks of life.

Lifeboat plays out like a more cerebral version of a disaster film. Think- a brilliant man’s version of The Poseidon Adventure (1972), said with love since it’s one of my favorite films. But with Lifeboat, darkness and a sense of sadness are missing from the 1970s’s more lightweight disaster films.

The black-and-white camerawork helps tremendously, as do the mist, the rain, and the intense beating sun. The weather elements play an essential role, as do the characters themselves.

Speaking of characters, the individuals are plentiful and diverse, ranging from British, American, Black, German, wealthy, and working-class to eventually dead and alive with a gruesome leg amputation taking place mid-stream.

Each is well-written and exhibits fear, bravery, and suspicion of the other’s motivations. The German captain communicates with Connie in his native tongue, causing confusion among the other survivors.

Events would hardly be complete without a good melodramatic romance, and it is a treat to see two formulate. Connie and handsome John (John Hodiak) share a love/hate relationship, clearly from opposite backgrounds, while the more stable Alice and Stanley (Hume Cronyn) even decide to marry!

Genteel Alice reveals a marriage and an affair to Stanley, uncovering the layers and complexity of the character.

My favorite character is Connie, and Bankhead is a pure delight in the bitchy, no-nonsense role. She enshrouds the camera from the first scene.

Reminiscing about Bette Davis, the actress has a similar composure, stance, and trademark cigarette but slowly reveals her insecurities and desperation.

What fun she is to watch!

A tender and poignant scene occurs at the end of the film and is lovely to witness, especially given the tumultuous time of the mid-1940s. A drifting young German soldier attempts to board and shoot at the survivors but is apprehended.

Disputes occur, but instead of shooting or casting the lad overboard to drown, he is saved and presumably provided food and water. Does he inquire why they don’t kill him? The message is powerful and anti-war.

The direction methods are brilliant, and they look as realistic as possible in 1940s cinema, where CGI was decades away. Hitchcock had me fooled as I bought lock, stock, and barrel that the Lifeboat was in the middle of rough and murky waters instead of a Hollywood studio tub.

The creative method of gathering so many characters into one shot wonderfully and effectively provides a claustrophobic feel, as the lack of food and drinking water causes hysteria and emotion.

The one-set approach is marvelous and perfect for the film’s specific storyline.

After decades of underexposure and playing second or third fiddle to other Hitchcock masterpieces, Lifeboat (1944) is finally getting some notice and acclaim. The trend continues here, as the film contains enough frights and perils to keep anyone guessing which characters will sink and which will swim.

Although it may not be the best watch on a cruise ship or other watery surfaces, the escapade will delight fans of classic black-and-white thrill cinema.

Oscar Nominations: Best Director- Alfred Hitchcock, Best Original Story, Best Cinematography, Black-and-White

1944 Films, Barbara Stanwyck, Billy Wilder, Crime Drama, Drama, Edward G. Robinson, Film noir, Fred MacMurray

Double Indemnity-1944

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Double Indemnity-1944

Director Billy Wilder

Starring Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck

Scott’s Review #847

Reviewed December 26, 2018

Grade: A

Double Indemnity (1944) perfectly epitomizes the classic film noir genre. It contains all the necessary elements, from intrigue, suspense, and unpredictable thrills to schemes and dastardly deeds by the major players.

The on-screen chemistry between leads MacMurray and Stanwyck provides enough romantic flair and provocative moments to entertain all as developments progress when a smitten man meets a femme fatale and a devious plot is hatched.

Director Billy Wilder was one of the most influential directors of his day. This picture was his first effort, and it received fabulous critical acclaim.

The accolades put him firmly on the map for years to come, culminating in an Oscar win in 1960 for The Apartment. Wilder uses a clever insurance “double indemnity” clause as its title, making it one of the best and most influential crime dramas of the 1940s, staking ground for other similarly themed films.

The story is told via flashbacks as a wounded Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray) scrambles to record a confession to his colleague and best friend, Barton Keyes (Edward G. Robinson).

The action rewinds to an ordinary day when Neff makes a routine stop to sell insurance and meets flirtatious Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck). She brazenly inquires how she ought to take out an insurance policy on her husband’s life without his knowledge.

When Neff deduces Phyllis’s intention to kill her husband, he declines any further help but cannot forget the ravishing beauty and her charms. He ultimately succumbs to her whims and aids her in a wicked crime.

The adventure the audience is taking on is the most fun aspect of the film. We already deduce that Neff is involved in shenanigans, but most of the fun occurs after the murder has been committed and Phyllis and Neff’s scheme begins to unravel.

The added component of Neff’s colleague and close friend, Keyes, being involved as he starts to suspect foul play is equally compelling.

Will he finally realize that Neff is involved in the plot? If discovered, will Keyes cover for Neff? Will Phyllis’s history catch up with her and twist events?

These questions make the film a great picture.

A debate among viewers can ensue whether Neff is sympathetic as this point continues to cross my mind with each viewing. One can safely say that he is seduced by the charms of an eager and aggressive woman, but if he is to blame for the crimes, is she not even more to blame?

As events unfold, sides can be drawn, and characters can be more focused, particularly after Double Indemnity’s startling conclusion.

Neff is not a strong, heroic character. She is relatively weak and easily manipulated by the cagey Phyllis. It is interesting how little time it takes for Neff to succumb to her plot and willingly commit the crime.

In the final act, Neff does show some muscle needed, but this is only because his “goose is cooked,” and he finally realizes the dire nature of Phyllis’s character. However, shouldn’t he have discovered this sooner?

MacMurray and Stanwyck have smoldering chemistry and are a significant film success, keeping the audience invested in the plot. The added measure of the murder victim being relatively unknown to the audience adds a macabre rooting value to the pair.

Wilder never presents the plot as a romantic triangle, and Neff and Phyllis have no other romantic entanglements. The only roadblock is the insurance company and its suspicions about Phyllis.

Wilder adapted the screenplay from James M. Cain’s novella of the same name and spins a potent film noir from these pages. Double Indemnity (1944) is intelligent, sexy, and mysterious, mixing in as much sultry poise as witty dialogue.

The film is a measured success and a highly influential cinematic story thanks to the allure of fine actors and a stunning train adventure.

Oscar Nominations: Best Motion Picture, Best Director-Billy Wilder, Best Actress-Barbara Stanwyck, Best Screenplay, Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture, Best Sound Recording, Best Cinematography, Black-and-White

1944 Films, Best Film of the Year, Judy Garland, Leon Ames, Lucille Bremer, Margaret O'Brien, Mary Astor, Musical, Vincente Minnelli

Meet Me in St. Louis-1944

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Meet Me in St. Louis-1944

Director Vincente Minnelli 

Starring Judy Garland, Margaret O’Brien

Scott’s Review #845

Reviewed December 19, 2018

Grade: A

With talents such as Vincente Minnelli and Judy Garland involved in a project, it is tough for the results not to be resounding, and this is the case with Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), a treasured musical with enough songs and melodrama to last a lifetime.

The film is a lively and earnest achievement from both stars when each was at their prime. It is rich in flavor and contains a myriad of good touches.

Meet Me in St. Louis is an ensemble piece featuring many actors, but the film belongs to Garland for the musical numbers alone. The film is groundbreaking and sets the tone for the slew of MGM musicals to follow during the 1950s and 1960s.

The film is considered one of the greatest and most memorable musicals of all time, and I share this sentiment.

The story revolves around the upper-middle-class Smith family, and the setting is 1903, St. Louis. In its lovely form, the film has been composed of seasonal vignettes for over a year.

Trials and tribulations erupt, especially involving the romantic entanglements of eldest sisters Rose (Lucille Bremer) and Esther (Garland) and the possibility of the family relocating to New York City.

Rose and Esther are three other siblings, along with the Smith parents, Grandpa and Katie, the maid.

The household is filled with glee, music, and heartbreak.

The film’s setup is a considerable success and elicits a warm sensation. As the title card reads, “Summer 1903,” we are welcomed into a sunny and picturesque street amid the backdrop of St. Louis, which is perfectly midwestern.

The Smith home is showcased, and the viewer is welcomed into the idyllic world of a bonded family.

Meet Me in St. Louis feels homespun and like a good best friend. It can be watched and re-watched often over and during any season, as it offers a summer fair, a spooky Halloween sequence, and a dazzling Christmastime segment.

Other than Esther, the most memorable and fascinating character is Tootie (Margaret O’Brien). O’Brien gives a startlingly good performance and packs an emotional wallop, enriching a character arguably interpreted as obsessed with death with some needed humor.

She buries her dolls on a dare and throws flour in a man’s face on Halloween,n thereby “killing” him.

Her most significant scene, though, occurs during a meltdown when Tootie destroys her beloved snowmen on the family lawn. The actress portrays such rage and despair during this scene that it is easy to forget how young she was.

She was rewarded for her efforts with an honorary Oscar.

The musical numbers by Garland are absolute treasures. Highlights include “The Trolley Song,” performed as Esther rides the afternoon trolley across town, hoping that the boy next door with whom she is madly in love, John (Tom Drake), will be on the same trolley.

The gorgeously performed number “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” is my favorite. Following a lavish Christmas Eve ball, Esther sings the song to Tootie and nestled within its lyrics are emotions such as hope and sadness.

Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) is a film that has it all and can be enjoyed by audiences of all ages. With memorable musical numbers, romance, drama, and a wholesome, timeless sensibility, it is a favorite that deserves to be revisited.

Like the finest of wines, this film gets better and better with age.

Oscar Nominations: Best Screenplay, Best Scoring of a Musical Picture, Best Song-“The Trolley Song”, Best Cinematography, Color