Directed and co-written by Abraham Polonsky (with Ira Wolfert who wrote the novel the film was based on), 1948’s Force of Evil is a an early example of what became a typical gangster film staple: the bad guys trying to go straight, turning their illegitimate businesses legitimate. John Garfield stars as Joe Morse, a crooked lawyer who makes his living defending mob clients. eventually, he
In a career that spanned five decades and roughly 142 films, John Wayne became one of the biggest stars of the silver screen. Released in 1953, Hondo is probably Wayne’s most beloved film not directed by John Ford or Howard Hawks. Instead, John Farrow (Wake Island) was at the helm. To Farrow’s credit, while he shot the film in 3-D during Hollywood’s first fascination with
As Paramount continues its centennial celebration, the studio has announced the June 5th Blu-ray release of Hondo. The classic western stars John Wayne (True Grit) as the title character, a cavalry despatch rider who becomes the unwitting protector to a family living in dangerous Apache territory. Directed by John Farrow (Wake Island) the film also features Lee Aaker (Bye Bye Birdie), James Arness (The Thing
In January 2012, Universal Studios Home Entertainment will bring To Kill a Mockingbird to Blu-ray. Director Robert Mulligan’s adaptation of Harper Lee’s novel stars Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch, an Alabama lawyer who defends an African-American man accused of raping a white woman. Finch’s legal efforts profoundly affect his two young children who are already struggling with the challenges of early adolescence. The winner of
Every mother wants to believe her child is an angel, no matter how badly behaved they are. Such is the premise of The Bad Seed, a pseudo-camp horror classic that went a long way in convincing that cute, little blonde kids are evil. Written by novelist William March in 1954, Maxwell Anderson (What Price Glory, Key Largo) successfully adapted The Bad Seed for the stage