The Big Clock (1948)

I've been wanting to see this movie a very long time, ever since I found one of my favorite modern movies was based on it (No Way Out, 1987). No Way Out came out just after I graduated high school, when I was in the height of my Navy/spy/conspiracy obsession and this movie was made to order for that. I'd fallen in love with Kevin Costner in The Untouchables, and I thought he was great in No Way Out. Add in Gene Hackman, Will Patton, George Dzundza, and I thoroughly enjoyed the movie.

The Big Clock has the same basic premise -- innocent, framed man is put in charge of hunting himself down for the murder for his boss's mistress -- but that's about the only similarities. The Big Clock takes place at a publishing house. I have to admit, it took me awhile to get into it. The opening voice over was poorly written and set the wrong tone for me. The set up took far too long and didn't actually make me care for the characters involved. All surface, no depth, no heart. I didn't care about these people, as I'd cared about the people in No Way Out. But then, finally, it kicked into gear after the murder. From then on, it just kept getting better and better and better.

There were similar elements to No Way Out -- such as the eye-witnesses combing the building, the trusted second-in-command (George Macready in this case, Will Patton in No Way Out) covering for the boss, pushing hard and violently for results -- but they all played out differently and I really loved those differences. Ray Milland is married, and his wife gets to play an active role in events. I just loved how both Ray Milland and Charles Laughton's characters keep catching little things about the crime and trying to either expose or cover it up as they go. I loved Harry Morgan skulking about just aching to do some violence for his boss. And I loved the ending and how it all ultimately played out. Very satisfying. Charles Laughton is cold and precise and menacing and I would not want to work for his character here in any capacity. And he sports a truly awful and unnecessary mustache that belongs over in Kate's list here.


The Big Clock also has Elsa Lancaster in a priceless turn as a painter who can identify Ray Milland. Her character is hilarious, touching, and a little bit pathetic, and her sections of the movie were probably my favorites. The drawing she sketches to identify the killer is wonderful and brilliant. I love her more and more with every performance I see her in.


I couldn't actually say which film I like better. Both are good movies, and both have things that make them stand out from the other. I think I need to go find the book now and read the original!

Plus: Klaberjass alert!! Ray Milland goes to ask the two piano players to play him something, and one of them indicates the cards in his hand and says, a bit irritated, "It's klaberjass!" and Ray Milland dismisses that with a wave of his hand and tells the piano players, "Oh schmeiss, play me some music." I love it! (Schmeiss is klaberjass terminology for a bidding move to prevent the other player from getting to call trump and keeping trump in your own hand. However, it also indicates a weaker hand (since you didn't call it outright) and can backfire badly and get you set.) I wish people still played cards these days.

George Raft - quicky film reviews

I don't currently have any of the more famous George Raft films handy at the moment, but thanks to Netflix's instant viewing capability, I was still able to indulge my current obsession. I watched a bunch of his later movies that nobody's probably ever heard of and probably doesn't want to! But George aged really well, as far as I'm concerned. He stays a fit, active, and very handsome man all through his life. These roles are, for the most part, quite undemanding, and George gets a lot of criticism for being wooden, but really... there's nothing truly interesting for him to do in these later third-rate films. Just run around dodging trouble and solving mysteries. Nobody else is going to do much with the roles either, and personally, I'd rather watch George over a lot of other actors.

Whistle Stop (1946) -- Okay, if you leave your brain at the door, this movie is rather entertaining. Otherwise, it makes no sense. Ava Gardner returns to her tiny home town where George is wasting his time unemployed, drinking, and playing cards. They had a thang in the past, and both wouldn't mind having a thang now. But George is now an idle layabout, and she wants more out of life, so there's the town rich guy -- but he's a rotten louse. And that's where it devolves into wacky plot land. Victor McLaglen's running around, stirring up trouble. He tries to get George to join him in a plot to steal Rich Guy's money, then there's this whole weird frame up for murder, and they're forced to run. There's also George's other girlfriend who naturally reacts badly to Ava Gardner's return, except her fate is... um... illogical. There's so much plot in this movie that simply doesn't add up. However, George Raft, Victor McLaglen, Ava Gardner -- they're all fun to watch, even if the story's dumb.

Would I watch it again? Probably, just for the cast.

(Oooh, and a personal highlight was watching George and Victor play Casino in this movie! Another card game, (like klaberjass or klobiyash, however the hell you want to spell it) from my youth. I love playing Casino, and I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone ever play it in a movie before! Speaking of klob (which is still the best two-person card game ever)... my parents caught a film with James Cagney where they were playing it! I need to get the name of that film and watch it. It was with great joy that I discovered Dana Andrews LOVED playing klob. Sigh. Oh, to go back in time, put some opera on, and play klobiyash with him. And catch a couple of fifties and set him and beat his pants... mwahhahhah. Sadly, the only people I know who play this game nowadays are my own family. I really am living in the wrong decade.)


The Man From Cairo (1953) -- Best parts of this movie are the bookends. I laughed outloud at the expected, but still delightful last 30 seconds of this movie. In this one, George is visiting Algiers and gets mistaken for an American detective who's being sent there to find out about a missing gold stash from the war. Oddly George doesn't protest this mistaken identity problem. No, instead he runs with it, particularly after getting drugged, accused of murder, and finding out there's a gorgeous dame involved (Gianna Maria Canale, who really is drop-dead gorgeous in this film). Naturally, he goes on to solve the problem of the missing gold. A straightforward, routine, but fast-paced sort of film. Amusing enough.

Would I watch again? If I was really bored and had nothing else to do.


Loan Shark (1952) -- Probably my favorite of the bunch. George gets out of prison (what, again? LOL!), and goes undercover hunting for the leader of a nasty bunch of loan sharks who are preying on the employees of a tire factory after they murder his sister's husband. He joins the bad guys and quickly makes himself indispensable. He has to reject his sister, friends, and a new girlfriend to do it. This one's got a bunch of character actors I like, the kind of guys who show up in everything back then: John Hoyt (I mostly know him from tv: " Star Trek," "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea," "Big Valley," etc.) Paul Stewart (Kiss Me Deadly, King Creole, 12 O'Clock High), and Henry Slate (The Frogmen, Somebody Loves Me, Miss Sadie Thompson). Paul Stewart looks and acts just like he stepped out of Kiss Me Deadly. Same delightfully smirky expression. He should have that look patented. Love them all! This one is more lively than the others. It had a pretty tight script, pretty decent dialog, some nice fist fights (George sure throws a vicious punch), interesting bad guys, and a satisfying (if predictable) ending. Oh, speaking of the ending, I made the mistake of reading a couple reviews before watching the film that claimed there was a twist at the end... they LIE! I spent the movie second-guessing characters and motives, waiting for some kind of cool plot twist to spring up because there was so much room for one or even two... and there was absolutely nothing. Grrr. And this is precisely why I don't read reviews before I see a movie. Nothing worse than setting up false expectations.

Would I watch again? Oh yeah.


I'll Get You (1952) -- Yeah, sure, and who came up with that brilliant title? Not even sure what the title has to do with the movie. This was the worst of the bunch, which is too bad, cuz the basic idea is sound: hunting for bad guys smuggling scientists through the Iron Curtain. It's just that they don't do anything with it and nobody really seems in danger and nothing personal's at stake. Sigh. However, this movie surprised me because it actually featured a capable female character played by Sally Gray. She plays a British Intelligence agent who seemed surprisingly realistic for a film made in the early 50's. She's cool-headed, she gets the drop on George, she's good at what she does, lies her way into wherever she needs to go, her boss trusts her, etc. -- and all without ever turning into some lame "kick-ass superwoman" caricature that she'd probably be nowadays. She's just a girl doing a job to the best of her ability. It was a very welcome surprise. Of course, the script requires she fall in love with George. And they were doing so well with her character up until then. Sigh. Does every story have to have a romantic element??

Would I watch again? Doubtful. Except maybe the part where he vaults over a high railing and lands lightly on his feet. At age 57. I like that part.