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Reviews
Alias Nick Beal (1949)
Dark thriller, Film noir, I suppose
I saw this film in 1949 at the tender age of 15. Ray Milland had hair then. Don't remember the dialog, or maybe this was the one which only had a music track and no dialog. Ray had the POWER over women, all right! It was VERY good, and I keep watching the movie channels, hoping it will be shown some night. With all the turkeys they run (and re, rerun), it would be welcome and refreshing. I'm tired of "Midway" and "In Harm's Way" every week. John W. Hall
The Face of Marble (1946)
Pretty scary film for a young kid.
I saw this flick in 1946 as a 12-year-old, and found it pretty scary. Darkly black-and-white (most films were black and white then). What I remember most was that the faces of the dead revived didn't look like marble at all. Scared but disappointed. John W. Hall
Die Beine von Dolores (1957)
German musical comedy
I saw this film in Frankfurt (then West Germany)in the late winter of 1957-58. It was my first German film, and somewhat of a shocker to one accustomed to American films. I could understand little of the dialog (the title means "Dolores' Legs"), but it was funny, the characters were attractive (especially Dolores). The scene which remains most vivid in my memory is a song, "Wo scheint die Sonne so hell wie Alabama?" ("Where does the sun shine as bright as in Alabama") Talk about your artistic license! It's a cowboy scene right out of southern Arizona, saguaro cacti and all, but in Alabama! I have learned a great deal more German since '57, and would REALLY like to see this film again. You'd like it, too! It's a hoot! -- John W. Hall
The Deadly Affair (1967)
Outstanding spy film based on an early Le Carre novel.
This film is very close to Le Carre's "Call For The Dead," a short novel and a great read. George Smiley becomes Cobb in this film version (why?). It is satisfying to read an excellent novel of this genre and see a film which follows it so closely. James Mason is not exactly my idea of George Smiley, and his wife, Ann is certainly not like the image we get in "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy." A sluttish nymphomaniac, yes, but not a nymphet. Maximillian Schell is a great Dieter, and Harry Andrews is perfect as Inspector Mendel. The settings are just right, and there is a rattling good fight to the finish between George and Dieter that is most satisfying. One of the best of the genre. Too bad we can't get it on DVD or VHS. We were lucky to see it on the Turner Classic channel. John W. Hall