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Victor Fleming’s 1932 RED DUST is pre-code joy with three perfectly matched stars. Jean Harlow and Mary Astor vie for the attentions of Clark Gable on a steamy rubber plantation. Expert camerawork by Hal Rosson and sly dialog enhance the performances. A delight and highest recommendation. (Remade in 1953 where Gable again plays the lead this time pursued by Ava Gardner and Grace Kelly.). Yet ano...

John Ford’s 1953 MOGAMBO is a remake of RED DUST released two decades earlier. Clark Gable plays the lead once again where he is pursued by Ava Gardner and Grace Kelly. Shot mostly on location in Africa, though some scenes are in a studio. It was a difficult shoot and reportedly Gable and Kelly had an affair while on location. Shot in Technicolor by two master cinematographers Freddie Young and ...

It has been a decade since I last watched Charles Vidor's GILDA (1946). It is generally remembered as the peak of Rita Hayworth's career, especially due to her sultry "Put the Blame on Mame" number. There is a lot of kinky stuff going just under the surface which could not be directly depicted at this time of heavy censorship and the viewer’s imagination is given free rein to fill in the gaps. Th...

Claude LeLouche’s 1966 A MAN AND A WOMAN is a simple story about a widow (Anouk Aimée) and a widower (Jean-Louis Trintignant) who fall in love. While the plot and characters are not in and of themselves that profound the two charming and extremely photogenic leads shot in gorgeous settings is more than enough. There is a lot of music and songs including a fine samba sung by Pierre Barouh. Fran...

Honestly I am not sure what to make of Kristoffer Borgli’s THE DRAMA which I think may well be the intent. The film begins in a light mode following rom-com cliches including a cute meet. A couple (Zendaya and Robert Pattinson) only a few days short of their wedding have their lives and plans knocked wildly eschew when the bride reveals a very terrible secret from her past. From this point on I...