Reviews
The Champ (1979)
Four hankie (or double sheet) emotional movie.
I was 40 when I first saw "The Champ." I had just gone through a messy divorce and was taken out to make me forget my problems. I am not ashamed to say that I cried for days and still do, whenever I put on my video of this mini-masterpiece.Jon Voigt, always worth double the price of admission is wonderful, but Ricky Schroder steals every scene in which he appears. The score, by Dave Grushin is haunting and beautiful. I read that Zefferelli was in U.K. to make another film, when he saw the original "Champ" on TV. He was so impressed, that he started the ball rolling to make the 1979 version. A milestone. When I get depressed, I watch it. It makes me value life and people. Joan Blondell died soon after completing the movie and Strother Martin died the next year. One of my all-time favourites and always will be. The best performance by a juvenile I have ever seen.
Because You're Mine (1952)
The Trouble Starts
After the triumph of "The Great Caruso" in 1951, Lanza was all set to start work on "The Student Prince." MGM had other ideas and wanted to exploit his more popular image. When they approached him, his response was "You cannot put Caruso in the army!" He was persuaded eventually to start on "Because You're Mine" with the dangling carrot of Student Prince promised next in line. He did not like the script, or his co-star, who constantly smoked and was considered by him to be unsuitable, because of her limited experience and he also put on weight at an alarming rate, so that costumes had to be remade or altered almost daily, to accomodate his fluctuating size. This is all too apparent in some scenes, when he walks in slim and walks out again at least 40 pounds heavier. It was his way of rebelling against the system. Once completed, it was chosen as the 1952 Royal Command film in U.K. but the critics panned it. O.K. the plot is thin, the acting dated, but the voice - wow - that voice. He was truly on top form and the soundtrack and studio recordings of the songs from the film are still great favourites today. Just listen to "The Lord's Prayer" to see what I mean. Not a favourite film of mine, but I watch just for the voice and memories of a bygone era.
Serenade (1956)
Mario Lanza's comeback movie
I cannot condone the fact that Mario was substandard in this film. He had been under the restrictions of an MGM ban, before Warners offered him a chance to return to the filmworld. He was naturally nervous (it shows in some of the scenes) as he had not worked for about three years and his voice was taking on a darker hue. Yes, he was a little overweight, but his singing was superb. He could sing anything and did, with complete conviction. His operatic arias in this film are superb and those of us who are lucky enough to have heard the outtakes from the soundtrack will agree that he was coming to terms with the fact that he had to adjust to his voice getting bigger. It was a really awesome instrument. The power was immense, but he could also sing falsetto when required. His "Ave Maria" in this film is one of the most moving I have ever heard. A good effort by him to re-establish himself and his fans will bear me out. To hell with the plot - listen to the voice of the century.
Night and the City (1950)
No-hopers take heart
This is a film about no-hopers in post-war England. I remember the place only too well and can identify with those characters, trying to make a quick buck. They are all, in the long run, losers. Richard Widmark (always worth the price of admission) is superb. This is the first film in which I heard the word "shit" said to Francis L. Sullivan when Widmark lost his temper after asking him for money. I saw it when it was first released, but not until three years ago when it was on British television.