"The Long Voyage Home" with John Wayne and Barry Fitzgerald (1940)

This is simply one of the best screen adaptations of any of Eugene O'Neill’s' works. Director John Ford and screenwriter Dudley Nichols did the adaptation of the 4 separate one act plays that comprise this movie. The work is seamless.

Beginning with the varied nationalities of the crew O'Neill explores the relationships of men at sea. With a stellar cast of actors which includes Thomas Mitchell, Barry Fitzgerald, Ian Hunter, Ward Bond, Wilfrid Lawson, Arthur Shields and even John Wayne (who plays the entire role with a Swedish accent) Mr. O'Neill has given us a glimpse into the troubled lives of the men who sail on ships.

With his use of flawed characters he paints a wonderfully realistic portrait of life aboard a tramp steamer. Filmed in 1940 when U-boats were prowling the Atlantic to keep supplies from reaching Europe, this film captures all the darkness of the times in which it was filmed. It would be less than a year before the Rueben James was sunk off the East Coast of the United States by a German submarine.

From the overzealous camaraderie to the brawls and tragedies, this film captures all the pathos of life at sea. Even now, with DVD's and cell phones and e-mails, life aboard a ship is a lonely affair. Tempers run high, words are said and instantly regretted, and unfounded suspicions abound. That is the life of a ship’s crew.

One of the best moments of the film involves the crew ashore in England during a blackout. Thomas Mitchell- always the drunk- cries out to the heavens- "Blackout, blackout! Is there to be no more light in the world?"

The most amazing thing about this film is that John Ford would go on making films for another 40 years. He would use the same group of actors time and again in Westerns and later on even "The Quiet Man" with John Wayne and Ward Bond, Barry Fitzgerald, Arthur Shields and Maureen O'Hara. That these actors were so versatile, and John Ford so well versed in literature, is a tribute to the old school of film making.

The plot of this film would seem mundane were I to attempt to recount it here. Suffice to say that it is the story of a group of lost souls, looking for themselves. You'll just have to trust me on this one- Eugene O'Neill termed it the "best adaptation" of any of his works. That alone should be reason enough to see this film.

"The Sea Wolf" with Edward G. Robinson, John Garfield and Ida Lupino (1941)

I can hardly believe that I have never reviewed this film here before. It’s one of my favorite books; as well as films; so you would think that I’d have reviewed it in the 6 years I have been doing this. But I haven’t. Well, no time like the present, so here goes.

In this film adaptation of the novel by Jack London, 'Wolf' Larsen; played by Edward G. Robinson; is the skipper of the ill-fated vessel “The Ghost”. With a fiery reputation as a hard and cruel man, Larsen doesn’t have an easy time in keeping a crew.  He resorts to “shanghaiing” unsuspecting prospects at the local waterfront bars. When his men try to do this to George Leach; played by John Garfield ; they are surprised to find him a willing recruit. He is on the run from the police in San Francisco, where this story begins at the turn of the 20^th century.

At the same time as these events are unfolding in a seedy bar, Ruth Brewster; played by Ida Lupino; is on a ferry in the Bay, surrounded by dense fog. A fellow passenger, Humphrey Van Weyden; played by Alexander Knox; is also aboard. The two are unacquainted with one another and so Van Weyden is surprised when Ruth snuggles up to him as two detectives are searching the ferry for a runaway prisoner. It is easy for Van Weyden to figure out she is the person the two detectives are seeking, but just as he is about to give her up the ferry is rammed by a ship and sinks.

Van Weyden and Brewster are picked up by a ship which is outbound for a long voyage to the seal grounds in search of skins. At least that is the story they are told. Van Weyden demands that he and Ms. Brewster be taken back to San Francisco, but the Captain considers this to be a waste of his time. He informs them that they are aboard for the duration.

As the two begin to know the ship and the Captain better they realize that they are in the grips of a mad man. Larsen discovers that Brewster is not the lady she pretends to be and mocks her for it. He correctly sizes Van Weyden up as a man who has never made a living with his hands and begins a deadly game of intellectual “one up man ship” with the hapless man.

The basic premise held by Larsen is that “might makes right”; and that only the strong survive, at the expense of the weak. To Larsen the two castaways are merely prey to be toyed with while he decides their fate. And why shouldn’t he? They are weak and he is strong; isn’t that the natural order of things?

As the relationship between the Captain and Van Weyden grows; so do the stakes at hand rise. Noticing that the Captain has a library stocked with the greatest literature ever written he decides to challenge the Captain in his beliefs. They use Milton’s epic poem “Paradise Lost” to test one another’s beliefs.

While this is happening the crew learns that this voyage is not about seal hunting at all. It is, instead, a voyage of revenge. Captain Larsen has a brother who is also a Captain on a sealing vessel, and that brother intends to kill him; unless Larsen gets him first. But he has an Achilles Heel which only Van Weyden knows about; the Captain has a tumor of the brain which causes him blinding headaches. He has been able to keep this from the crew, but Van Weyden figures it out and uses this as a weapon against the Captain.

Meantime, a relationship has formed between Ms. Brewster and George Leach; arising no doubt out of the fact that they are both running from the law, as well as trying to escape the hell of the world inhabited; and controlled; by Wolf Larsen.

There are two characters worthy of note among the crew, as they represent two very different things. Pure evil is of course represented by Larsen himself; but he has a companion in his dark ways in the form of the ship’s Cook; known as “Cooky” and played expertly by Barry Fitzgerald. The other character is the ship’s Dr. Prescott; played by Gene Lockhart; a hopeless drunk who is constantly hounded by the crew and the Captain. He plays the part of innocence to the more aggressive part of Van Wyden as passively good. 

But true innocence is actually represented here by the relationship between Leach and Brewster, who; even as convicts on the run; never have the ill intentions of either Larsen or the manipulative qualities of Van Weyden. Their motives are pure.

When all is said and done in this wonderful adaptation of the novel, Wolf Larsen is proven to be correct when he says that everyone; when necessary; will resort to whatever is necessary to survive. When the choice is life or death, morals go by the wayside. And, inadvertently, Van Weyden proves him to be correct.

If you have never read the book you should. Next to “Moby Dick” by Melville, this book stands as a monument to the ever present battle between good and evil. And although the film adds two characters who were not in the original novel; the presence  of Leach and Brewster serves as a gentle counterbalance to the black and white struggle between good and evil.

"The Catered Affair" with Bette Davis and Ernest Borgnine (1956)

How could I not review this film after Saturday's post? The two films are among the best of Bette Davis’ long and storied career; both being outside of her usual comfort zone. There is more of the stage in these two films than there is of Hollywood.

In this wonderful film adaptation of Paddy Chayefsky teleplay, Gore Vidal has created a concise version of a common problem; where do we fit in as individuals when compared to the happiness of those around us? Director Richard Brooks did a superb job with this movie; but then again, look at the talent he had to work with!

Bette Davis plays Agnes Hurley; a woman who is a romantic at heart yet faced with the reality of her life married to Tom Hurley; played by Ernest Borgnine; fresh from his Academy Award winning performance as “Marty” in the film of the same name; which was also written by Paddy Chayefsky. Tom drives a taxi cab, and with a little bit of luck; and some time; he hopes to own his own taxi someday soon.

But fate has a way of working its own way with things and accordingly, Agnes and Tom’s daughter Jane; played by Debbie Reynolds in her screen debut; has planned to be married to her boyfriend Ralph; played by Rod Taylor. When she tells her parents of her plans at breakfast a chain of events ensues which expose not only the shortcomings felt by Agnes in her own life; but the desperation Tom feels when he thinks that his dream of owning his own cab may be threatened by the expense of a lavish wedding for his daughter.

On the one hand Agnes feels cheated at never having had a real wedding of her own; while Tom feels trapped by an expectation that will derail his dreams; as well as making him aware of just how unhappy his wife may be over events of the past. Complicating matters is the presence of Uncle Jack Conlon; played with the usual brilliance of Barry Fitzgerald.

This film is one of those gems that seem to get lost in the greater array of older “classical” films. It’s more cerebral than the usual fare offered up by the gangster films of the 1930’s; or the romances and war films of the 1940’s and 1950’s. This type of film is timeless in its subject matter. People dealing with their own emotions, while trying to understand the emotional needs of those around them, is a subject which will never grow old. This is an excellent film.

Here's one of my trophies - it hangs on the wall of my TV room. He read the draft off a review I did of his book and actually sent this back to me! It is one of my treasured possessions

"Going My Way" with Bing Crosby and Barry Fitzgerald (1944)

I'm not in the best if shape to really read right now, what with this lump on my head, so I'll be doing movies for the next few days while I get back to normal, whatever that is. Luckily for me, the Mooreville Public Library has outdone itself this year with their acquisition of some of my favorite classic movies. This one turned up just the other day; you can tell by the marking on the cover that it was just purchased in the last few weeks. I used to watch this every Christmas when I had a larger VCR collection. When I made the switch to DVD I found it too cumbersome to change from one format another every time I was watching something, so a lot of those tapes were given away. And sometimes it's just plain fun to run across an old favorite unexpectedly, rather than have it at your disposal constantly. Somehow it loses value when it can be taken for granted. I suppose that’s true of most things.

At any rate, this one was a sheer delight to watch again. Briefly, Bing Crosby, playing Father O'Malley, comes to the aging parish of Saint Dominic's, which has been the domain of the aging Parish Priest Father Fitzgibbon, played by Barry Fitzgerald in his unique and mischievous way. Unknown to the elder Priest, Father O'Malley is there to replace him. But who would break this old man's heart with the news? His life, after all, has been spent in this one Parish, where he is known, and loved, by all.

Through a series of mishaps, Father O'Malley manages to get off to a bad start with some of the local parishioners, but manages to strike a chord with some of the neighborhood roughnecks. The Parish is in an impoverished area of the city, which makes it all the more challenging for Father O'Malley, while Father Fitzgibbon has grown a bit too "long in the tooth" to be completely effective.

The church is in debt and in threat of foreclosure if it cannot meet its financial obligations. The same bank also owns the tenements which exist in the neighborhood. At the same time in which the owner is evicting one of the tenants; an old woman with no visible means of support; the owner's son is becoming romantically involved with a young woman, Carol James, played by Jean Heather, who aspires to become a singer. He has even installed her in an apartment in the same building in which the destitute old woman lives. This sparks a scandal, which must be handled by the irrepressible Father O'Malley.

O'Malley is no stranger to love, having once been in love with opera star Genevieve Linden, played wonderfully by real life opera star Rise Stevens. Their reunion scene; and her part in helping Father O'Malley with the children; form some of the more poignant parts of the film.



While attempting to navigate this veritable mine field, O'Malley, with the help of a fellow Priest named Father O'Dowd, played by Frank McHugh, manage to help Father Fitzgibbon overcome a fire at St. Dominic's, while quietly engineering a re-union of the old man and his mother, a woman of 90 who still resides in Ireland. They also find the time to form some of the local kids into a Boys’ Choir with the help of Ms. Stevens. When Christmas Eve arrives , and the Boys’ Choir is performing, Father Fitzgibbon is re-united with his aging mother on Christmas Eve, bringing this movie to a beautiful finish, and leaving the viewer a bit misty eyed in the process.

"And Then There Were None" with Barry Fitzgerald, Roland Young, and Walter Huston (1945)

Sit down in your favorite armchair and enjoy this classic British whodunit by Agatha Christie, with a screenplay by Dudley Nichols. The basic plot is just as it sounds, ten unrelated people are invited to an island for the weekend, by someone whom they do not know. Once there, they are made privy to the details of one another's indiscretions and short comings. And then, one by one, they are killed in retribution. But by whom?

It may sound trite and simple, but this is a fun movie to watch. The cast of characters includes the wonderfully wry Barry Fitzgerald, the majestic C. Aubrey Smith, a remarkable Walter Huston, the ever bumbling Roland Young, a cold and aloof Judith Anderson and the perfectly inept Mischa Auer, to name just 6 of the 10. Directed skillfully by René Clair, this is one of those rainy day movies that made growing up fun.

"How Green Was My Valley" with Maureen O'Hara, Roddy McDowall and Donald Crisp

One of the most remarkable things about this film is that it was filmed in California. Unlike John Ford's later classic, "The Quiet Man", which would be filmed on location in Ireland, this one was filmed in America due to the Second World War, which had already begun in Europe, making it almost impossible to ship the actors, equipment and technicians safely to Wales. But, with John Ford directing, magic could be created anywhere.

This is the story of a Welsh coal mining family, living outside of Cardiff at the turn of the century. The Morgan's were a coal mining family; they always had been; and it was expected that they always would be. They lived in an idyllic town with all the things that were necessary to live a decent, if not hard, life. Mr. Morgan, played by Donald Crisp, and his wife, Sara, played by Sara Allgood, have 4 sons. The youngest, Huw, is played by Roddy McDowall, whose character also serves as the narrator, looking back on his time as a child in the valley. The Morgan's also have a daughter, Angharad, played by Maureen O'Hara.

The paradise of Huw's youth is interrupted when men from another town, who are out of work, come to Huw's village looking for jobs. Taking advantage of the glut in labor on the market, the owners of the mine choose to reduce wages, prompting the men of the town to form a Union and go on strike. The elder Mr. Morgan is aghast at the prospect and even outraged when his own sons decide to take part in that effort.

When Mr. Morgan is threatened over this issue, by the very men he has worked alongside for so many years, his wife, Sara, who has learned of a secret Union meeting that night, gets Huw to take her to the place where the meeting is being held. It is winter, and a snowstorm rages as Mrs. Morgan lambasts the men as cowardly in their actions towards her husband. After venting her rage at the men she leaves, with Huw, in the midst of the storm.

As the men, who are now somewhat ashamed of themselves, make their way back to their homes, they hear a cry for help. Mrs. Morgan has fallen into the stream, with Huw holding her head above the freezing waters. The men save her, and Huw, returning them to their home. It is months before the two recover from the events of that night, with Huw having to learn to walk again.

In the middle of all of this there is also the story of the Preacher, played with acidic cruelty by Arthur Shields, one of the finest actors to ever grace the stage or screen. He is a fire and brimstone preacher, who shows his true colors when he attempts to cast out a girl from the village who is unwed and pregnant. Only the brave protestations of Mrs. Morgan and Angharad save her from being exiled for the crime of being human and falling short of "God's glory."

While the Preacher is a vengeful man, his assistant, Mr. Gruffydd, played with great sensitivity by Walter Pidgeon, is just the opposite. He is kind and understanding. He is the one who helps Huw learn to walk again after that freezing night in the stream. He brings Huw all of the classics to read, things like "Treasure Island", which transport the boy beyond his limited world and sufferings. When Huw has recovered he is able to gain entrance to a Public School, opening the way for him to go beyond the coal mines to make a living. But the boy will have none of it, instead choosing to work beside his father and brothers in the mines.

When Angharad falls in love with Mr. Gruffydd, he gently lets her down, explaining that he has given his life to God. This sets the stage for her to marry the mine owner's son, which should give her happiness, but does not fill the hole she carries in her heart for her true love.

When the price of coal drops and the mines reduce wages again, 2 of the sons leave for America, breaking their mother's heart. The movie largely resembles some of my family's own background. They were Welsh, living just outside of Cardiff, at about the same time this story takes place. Perhaps that is why this movie strikes such a chord with me.

The film is filled with the imagery and hard work which was the way of life in Wales back then. Director John Ford, using wide sweeping panoramas, as well as tight close-ups, conveys all the joy, and hardships, of an era that tested the hearts and souls of all who struggled through those times. With the added attraction of the Welsh Singers, who play themselves, along with the antics of Barry Fitzgerald as the town "sportsman", Cyfartha, this film garnered 5 Academy Awards, and 5 additional nominations. From start to finish, this is a movie that will resonate with the viewer forever.

Movie Review: "The Long Voyage Home" with Thomas Mitchell, Ward Bond and Barry Fitzgerald

This is simply one of the best screen adaptations of any of Eugene O'Neills' works.Director John Ford and screenwriter Dudley Nichols did the adaptation of the 4 separate one act plays that comprise this movie. The work is seamless.

Beginning with the varied nationalities of the crew O'Neill explores the relationships of men at sea. With a stellar cast of actors which includes Thomas Mitchell, Barry Fitzgerald, Ian Hunter, Ward Bond, Wilfrid Lawson, Arthur Shields and even John Wayne (who plays the entire role with a Swedish accent) Mr. O'Neill has given us a glimpse into the troubled lives of the men who sail on ships.

With his use of flawed characters he paints a wonderfully realistic portrait of life aboard a tramp steamer. Filmed in 1940 when U-boats were prowling the Atlantic to keep supplies from reaching Europe, this film captures all the darkness of the times in which it was filmed. It would be less than a year before the Rueben James was sunk off the East Coast of the United States by a German submarine.

From the over zealous camaraderie to the brawls and tradgedies, this film captures all the pathos of life at sea. Even now, with DVD's and cell phones and e-mails, life aboard a ship is a lonely affair. Tempers run high, words are said and instantly regretted, unfound suspicions abound. That is the life of a ships crew.

One of the best moments of the film involves the crew ashore in England during a blackout. Thomas Mitchell- always the drunk- cries out to the heavens- "Blackout, blackout! Is there to be no more light in the world?"

The most amazing thing about this film is that John Ford would go on making films for another 40 years. He would use the same group of actors time and again in Westerns and later on even "The Quiet Man" with John Wayne and Ward Bond, Barry Fitzgerald, Arthur Shields and Maureen O'Hara. That these actors were so verstaile, and John Ford so well versed in literature, is a tribute to the old school of film making.

The plot of this film would seem mundane were I to attempt to recount it here. Suffice to say that it is the story of a group of lost souls, looking for themselves. You'll just have to trust me on this one- Eugene O'Neill termed it the "best adaptation" of any of his works. That alone should be reason enough to see this film.