Movie Review: Billy The Kid (1941)

Genre: Western  

Director: David Miller  

Starring: Robert Taylor, Brian Donlevy, Gene Lockhart, Ian Hunter  
Running Time: 94 minutes  

Synopsis: Notorious gunslinger William "Billy the Kid" Bonney (Robert Taylor) is hired by evil cattle baron Hickey (Gene Lockhart), who is locked in a dispute with rival cattle owner Keating (Ian Hunter). Billy gets re-acquainted with childhood friend Jim Sherwood (Brian Donlevy), now working for Keating, and switches sides. Keating believes in law and order and tries to convince Billy to abandon his outlaw methods, but with Hickey intent on stirring up trouble, avoiding violence will not be easy.

What Works Well: The Monument Valley backdrops provide a scenic setting, the script is packed with sharp dialogue, and director David Miller keeps the action moving briskly. Billy's exposure to the potential joys of peaceful domesticity is handled with sensitivity, and enough is revealed about his background (he was still a child when he sought revenge on the men who got away with murdering his father) to explain his disillusionment with the rules. Gene Lockhart (the self-satisfied slimeball Hickey) and Ian Hunter (the empathetic mentor Keating) offer robust support at either end of the ethical spectrum.

What Does Not Work As Well: The plot is only loosely based on facts. The real Billy died at 21, and Robert Taylor at 30 (and looking older) cannot convey the audacity of youth. Studio-bound close-ups are awkwardly (and frequently) inserted into the exterior shots.

Key Quote:

Billy: I got a horse and the west is wide.

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Movie Review: The Glass Key (1942)

A delicately convoluted film noir, The Glass Key mixes politics, corruption, crime, romance and divided loyalties into a steaming brew.

Shady political boss Paul Madvig (Brian Donlevy) wants to continue his rise from humble beginnings to the top of the influence ladder, with fixer and advisor Ed Beaumont (Alan Ladd) by his side. Paul falls in love at first sight with the feisty Janet Henry (Veronica Lake), the daughter of political reformist Ralph Henry (Moroni Olsen). To Ed's surprise, Paul joins forces with Ralph for the upcoming election, just to get close to Janet. 

Janet has limited interest in Paul, but the chemistry between her and Ed is instantaneous. Soon Paul is confronted with two other big problems: Janet's gambling-addicted brother Taylor (Richard Denning) is found dead, and rumours circulate that Paul is responsible. And a falling out with political rival Nick Varna (Joseph Calleia) results in violence. Ed has to navigate the turmoil to try and save his long term friendship.

An adaptation of a Dashiell Hammett book, The Glass Key (a reference to a coveted but fragile invitation to the inner sanctum of the elite political class) is almost overrun by characters and events. In addition to Janet, Ralph and Taylor Henry and Nick Varna, Paul's naive sister Opal (Bonita Granville) and Varna's goon Jeff (William Bendix) also circle the chaotic lives of Paul and Ed, not to mention a district attorney, a newspaper publisher, and a witness-in-hiding. With a running time of just 85 minutes, director Stuart Heisler works frantically to cram everything in, and the break-neck pacing threatens to spiral out of control.

But at its essence, this is a compelling story of friendship and loyalty. Paul and Ed are partners on a winding path to the top of the sordid political heap. Paul is the fast-talking, always smiling if smarmy public face, while Ed is the dour behind-the-scenes operative clearing out obstacles and hiding the wreckage. Paul is never short of a long story, while Ed counters every nascent threat with a condescending sneer. Now their friendship crashes against multiple concurrent tests, starting with both falling for the same woman.

Ed also fundamentally disagrees with Paul's opportunistic support for Ralph Henry and is perturbed by the unnecessary chasm between Paul and Nick. Their bond of trust is further tested by anonymous rumours insinuating Paul killed Taylor, the type of dirt Ed is an expert at suppressing if he wasn't distracted by the erosion of the friendship fundamentals. Ed's willingness to sacrifice is at the heart of The Glass Key, and the loyalty theme overcomes the excesses in Jonathan Latimer's script.

In a grey world filled with power-hungry individuals, a strong cast overcomes the lack of sympathetic characters. Brian Donlevy is first-billed, but star-on-the-rise Alan Ladd grabs the spotlight, and Heisler gradually establishes Ed Beaumont at the centre of the drama. Ladd responds with a spiky performance, creating in Ed a man with the mouth and guile to back his belief that he is smarter than everyone around him. The sparks between Ladd and Lake jump off the screen, Heisler again quick to capitalize with sly camera positioning to capture their dangerous flirting.

The Glass Key may be heavy with a touch too much plot, but it never stops clicking.



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Movie Review: Kiss Of Death (1947)

A character profile focusing on the dilemma of an informer, Kiss Of Death is an intense crime drama heightened by an unforgettable Richard Widmark performance. 

It's Christmas time in New York City. Ex-convict Nick Bianco (Victor Mature) joins three hoodlums to rob a jewelry story at the Empire State Building, but he is the only one caught. Assistant District Attorney Louis D'Angelo (Brian Donlevy) offers leniency in return for the names of the other gang members, but Nick refuses to squeal and is sentenced to a long stint behind bars.

Three years later, Nick learns his wife has committed suicide, and his two daughters are in an orphanage. His ex-neighbour Nettie (Coleen Gray) visits him in prison and reveals that Rizzo, one of Nick's former associates, may have mistreated his wife before her death. Nick now strikes a deal with D'Angelo, naming names to earn visits with his daughters. Soon Nick is released on parole and settles down with Nettie, but D'Angelo wants his help to nab the dangerous Tommy Udo (Widmark), a psychotic killer.

In one of the more memorable big screen debuts, Richard Widmark announces his arrival with an incendiary performance. When he is on screen as the cackling, unhinged Udo, nothing else matters. He commands his scenes with a murderous edge of barely contained psychosis, creating one of the screen's most noteworthy villains.

When Widmark is not dominating, the screenplay by Ben Hecht and Charles Lederer is primarily interested in Nick's soul searching as he struggles to decide whether the criminal code of silence is worth the impact on his family. Despite a robust and heartfelt Victor Mature central performance, the narrative is sometimes bogged down wondering if Nick can be a good man at heart. 

But director Henry Hathaway also punctuates Kiss Of Death with short and sharp moments of extreme violence, including allowing Udo to earn his place in cinematic infamy in a scene involving a wheelchair and a staircase.

Some elements proved too troublesome for the censors and audiences of the day, leaving Nick's story somewhat muddled. His wife's death, and the role of the criminal Rizzo, were truncated to the edge of incomprehension. The romance between Nick and Nettie proceeds at jarring speed, and the climactic showdown is too far fetched, even for the standards of hardboiled men.

But Hathaway also produces some moments of noir-infused brilliance to compensate for the rough spots. In a couple of sequences, time slows down to a crawl to build unbearable tension. The endlessly long elevator descent from the opening scene of the crime to the lobby of the Empire State Building allows Nick plenty of time to reflect on his life's downward trajectory. And later, Udo's emergence from behind a curtain at an Italian restaurant is prolonged to an epic noir moment.

On either side of the prison walls, Kiss Of Death offers only dark paths to redemption.

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Movie Review: Beau Geste (1939)

An epic military adventure about brotherhood and sacrifice, Beau Geste is an absorbing and richly rewarding drama.

It's the middle of the Sahara desert, and a French Foreign Legion relief column, responding to reports of Arabian tribal attacks, arrives at Fort Zinderneuf and finds no signs of life. All the men inside the fort are dead but positioned at their parapet firing stations with rifles pointed at a departed enemy. Only two men lie dead in more natural positions, one of them killed by a sword and holding  a note confessing to the theft of "Blue Water", a precious gem.

Fifteen years earlier, the Geste brothers Beau (Gary Cooper), Digby (Robert Preston) and John (Ray Milland) are adopted orphans being raised by the kindly Lady Patricia Brandon (Heather Thatcher). The brothers are close friends and dream of joining the French Foreign Legion. Patricia is running into money problems, and her one remaining precious asset is Blue Water, a massive sapphire worth a fortune but also legendary for bringing bad luck to its owner.

The boys grow up into upstanding young men, and John falls in love with his childhood sweetheart Isobel (Susan Hayward). One evening Lady Patricia and her adopted sons are admiring Blue Water when the lights go out and the jewel disappears. No one confesses to the theft. Soon after, the three men do join the Foreign Legion and undergo training at the hands of the brutal Sergeant Markoff (Brian Donlevy). Digby is separated from his brothers before circumstances lead to a reunion at Fort Zinderneuf.

A remake of the 1926 silent film and making use of the same sets, the 1939 version of Beau Geste is a lavish adaptation of the classic P.C. Wren novel. Director William A. Wellman and his excellent cast weave the intricate story with confidence, delivering in under two hours a deeply satisfying adventure touching on themes of military honour, family bonds, companionship, and sacrifice.

The narrative arc is supremely elegant. The opening scene at an isolated fort filled with dead soldiers is unforgettable, setting a sweeping mood of anticipatory dread. It is followed by a flashback to events 15 years prior with the Geste brothers as young boys, Wellman and screenwriter Robert Carson cleverly unveiling the brothers' personalities and future legacies. Both scenes boast details that will echo back in amplified tones close to 100 minutes later, when the events at the fort are finally revealed.

A large part of the film's appeal lies in the complexity of the characters. None of the Gestes are presented as impeccable heroes, lending weight to the mystery of the missing Blue Water gem. And the ambitious and brutal General Markoff, the closest thing to the villain of the piece, gets plenty of time to demonstrate his qualities when the going gets tough. Brian Donlevy's chilling turn as Markoff, bordering on psychotic but finding an arena where psychosis may be a good thing, was deservedly nominated for an Academy Award.

The rest of the cast members share the screen time, with Gary Cooper, Ray Milland and Robert Preston getting their individual moments without dominating. In one of her earliest roles, Susan Hayward gets a relatively few scenes. The rest of the supporting cast is filled with sturdy character actors, including J. Carrol Naish, Albert Dekker, and Broderick Crawford.

Beau Geste is packed with plot, and all the pieces come together in the rousing final act. Once the action moves into the fort for the final third of the film the mystery of the missing jewel intermingles with a brewing mutiny and an external threat to the troops. At the middle of it all are brothers looking out for each other. Wellman never loses sight of the heart of his story, and proceeds to deliver one of the screen's most poignant farewells. Whether in the comfortable surroundings of home or in an unforgiving desert surrounded by death, gallant gestures matter.

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Movie Review: Kansas Raiders (1950)

A tone-deaf western, Kansas Raiders focuses on Jesse James falling under the influence of Civil War mercenary William Quantrill. In portraying one outlaw murderer as horrified by the actions of a bloodthirsty lunatic, the film has all the subtlety of a sledgehammer.

With the Civil War raging, Jesse James (Audie Murphy), his brother Frank, the Younger brothers and Kit Dalton (Tony Curtis) are drifting through Kansas, looking for the headquarters of renegade paramilitary leader William Quantrill (Brian Donlevy). Jesse is seeking revenge against the Union side for burning his home and killing his family, while his men are just looking for steady work and income. Near Lawrence, Jesse and the gang finally find and join the Quantrill Raiders, who are running an indiscriminate campaign of terror.

Quantrill likes what he sees in Jesse and gives him a leadership position. Jesse falls hard under the influence of Quantrill, believing all his self-aggrandizing hokum about military strategy and winning the war for the Confederates. But Jesse is soon exposed to what Quantrill really is: a deluded old man leading his ragtag band of killers on raids to murder innocent farmers and pillage their belongings. Jesse also meets and starts to fall in love with Kate Clark (Marguerite Chapman), Quantrill's maybe former lover, and she tries to persuade him to break ranks. But Jesse remains part of the raiders as the war grinds on, Quantrill's troop strength is degraded, and a showdown looms.

Directed by Ray Enright, Kansas Raiders is a low budget, low talent western loosely inspired by real events, trading on Audie Murphy's celebrity status and little else. The colours are rich and some of the scenery is not bad, and there may be a germ of a good story about the power of wily despicable charlatans to wield influence over impressionable young men. But the movie has neither the smarts nor the inclination to delve into substantive topics with any conviction. Instead the dialogue is clipped and superficial, the execution rudimentary, and the character motivations singularly basic.

Even when Jesse questions his allegiance to Quantrill, the Robert L. Richards script gives up on any interesting evolutions. Jesse and his gang stick with the Raiders but allow themselves to grumble about his methods, and that's the end of any dilemma. The rest is just about rudimentary killing and circular talk until there are no more men to kill and nothing left to say. The action set-pieces are awkward, but the romance elements between Jesse and the barely defined character of Kate Clark are even worse.

Audie Murphy gives no indication of any actual acting talent, and goes through the movie wearing the one expression of a young man trying to act older than he is. Brian Donlevy is a bit better but teeters on the edge of caricature. Marguerite Chapman provides ample evidence to vindicate her failure to successfully transition from serials to more serious roles. Tony Curtis gets a few lines in one of his many forgettable early screen appearances.

Kansas Raiders is a film as useless as William Quantrill's imaginary cause.

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