To the Shores of Tripoli (1942)

Aug. 13, 2011

68. To the Shores of Tripoli (1942)

Starring John Payne, Maureen O'Hara, Randolph Scott, Nancy Kelly, Minor Watson

Directed by H. Bruce Humberstone

Plot: “Sergeant Dixie Smith has more raw recruits to turn into Marines, if he can. Among them is cocky casanova Chris Winters, son of an officer, who's just tried to ‘mash’ Mary Carter, a major's niece. Once on base, he finds Mary's a nurse and an off-limits officer. Does this stop him? Of course not. But his attitude problem soon puts him in a position where he must redeem himself, with December 7, 1941 fast approaching.” (from IMDb)

This is more a propaganda film than a war film. It deals with the misadventures of a headstrong Marine recruit (John Payne), and most of it takes place on the base. I’m not a big Randolph Scott fan, but surprisingly I don’t hate him in this (what a uniform will do for a man…just kidding!). Mainly I think that’s because it’s pretty easy to empathize with Scott’s character, as Chris Winters (Payne) really is a—pardon the pun—pain. In other words, he’s a jerk. That’s the key problem with the film: the main character is not likeable! I’m not sure what they were trying to do with this movie, perhaps just show how anyone can rise to the call of duty…er, something?

According to Wikipedia, “The Marines credit the movie as the biggest single recruitment aide in 1942.”

Love the tilt of Payne's hat. And look how ramrod straight Scott is standing. I guess that defines his character.

John Payne and Maureen O’Hara also appeared together in Miracle on 34th Street, Sentimental Journey, and Tripoli (not related to this film).

The Technicolor is gorgeous! It really highlights Maureen’s beauty. The film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Color Cinematography.

This reminds me of Cherry Ames. (Did anyone else ever read those books? I used to love them!)

I’m honestly not sure what Maureen’s character saw in Winters.

August 17 was Maureen’s 91st birthday. Happy birthday and many more to one of Classic Hollywood’s greatest living legends!

An unfortunate bit of racism. I guess this was supposed to be funny?

The ending was changed because of Pearl Harbor. This film was just over two hours but it felt even longer. Not one I’ll be rushing to see again anytime soon, though I’ve certainly seen worse!

The Razor’s Edge (1946)

Feb. 17, 2011

38. The Razor’s Edge (1946)

Starring Tyrone Power, Gene Tierney, Anne Baxter, Clifton Webb, Herbert Marshall, John Payne

Directed by Edmund Goulding

Based on the novel by W. Somerset Maugham

Plot: “A adventuresome young man goes off to find himself and loses his socialite fiancée in the process. But when he returns 10 years later, she will stop at nothing to get him back, even though she is already married.” (from IMDb)

At nearly two and a half hours, this film takes its sweet time getting anywhere. But if you can plod through some of the more tedious parts, the plot starts to come to a head in the last hour. Tyrone Power and Gene Tierney are a well-matched and stunning pair. The acting was adequate (for most) but the cinematography and many different settings of the film are what stood out to me. ***SPOILERS*** I thought the whole business of Power’s character’s enlightenment was a little heavy-handing and corny. Those also happened to be some of the few scenes were I didn’t think the ‘atmosphere’ (of India) was very convincing. This is an okay film if you have a few hours to waste. It really wasn’t my favorite, but most of the film kept my interest. :)