Released – November, 1951 

Directed By - Brian Desmond Hurst

Starring – Alastair Sim (Ebenezer Scrooge), Kathleen Harrison (Mrs. Dilber), Mervyn Johns (Bob Cratchit), Hermione Baddeley (Mrs. Cratchit).

Description – Charles Dickens classic Scrooge, produced in England and released in the U.S. as A Christmas Carol, remains today as one of the all-time favorite Christmas holiday films.

Enjoy as the meanest man in London, Ebenezer Scrooge, is guided to redemption with more than a little ‘ghostly assistance’. A story familiar to just about everyone is told in an uplifting and family friendly manner in this production.

A wonderful family film that  has earned its classic status with the public.

NOTABLE: This production of the film is widely regarded as the best version to have been made.

Just what exactly does “Humbug” mean? False sincerity in an effort to be deceitful is a pretty good description. When used by Scrooge in calling Christmas a humbug, he implies that people only pretend to be charitable and kind during the holiday season.

A Christmas Carol (Ultimate Collector’s Edition)(B/W & Color)

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Released - November, 1951 

Directed By - Mervyn LeRoy

Starring – Robert Taylor (Marcus Vinicius), Deborah Kerr (Lygia), Leo Genn (Petronius), Peter Ustinov (Nero), Finlay Currie (Peter), Abraham Sofaer (Paul).

Description – The story takes place in ancient Rome during the reign of Emperor Nero and regards the conflict between Christianity and the corrupt Roman Empire.

This conflict is the backdrop to Roman Commander Marcus Vinicius and his love for Lygia a Christian with no interest in a warrior. The adopted daughter of a retired Roman General, Lygia is virtually a captive of Rome.

Wishing to be able to get Lygia to love him, Marcus uses his military success as a means to have Nero give the girl to him for his faithful duty. Although resentful of being a gift, Lygia realizes that Marcus does indeed love her and she him.

Emperor Nero’s acts of insanity continue to grow and culminate with his burning of Rome, an act he promptly blames on the Christians. Nero orders the Roman army to capture and bring to him all the Christians, including Lygia, her family and Marcus.

Their fate…death in the arena.

NOTABLE: This motion picture was nominated for 8 Academy Awards, but went without a win. The nominations included Best Picture, two nominations for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Art Direction-Set Decoration Color, Best Cinematography Color, Best Costume Design Color, Best Film Editing, and Best Music.

The film was originally cast in 1949 with Elizabeth Taylor and Gregory Peck in the lead roles. When the production changed hands the roles were recast.

This film was MGM’s highest grossing movie since Gone With the Wind.

An amazing 30,000 extras appear in the movie along with the use of over 32,000 costumes.

During filming, Director Mervyn LeRoy had a ‘lion’ of a problem. When released from their cages to enter the arena, the lions found the weather so hot they immediately retreated right back to the cages. To solve this problem several of the costumes used in the arena were filled with meat to attract the lions.

Personal Comment: If you are a fan of the biblical epics made during the 1950’s and haven’t seen this lavish production be sure to add it to your list.

Quo Vadis (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Quo Vadis [Blu-ray]

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Released - September, 1951 

Directed By - Elia Kazan

Starring - Vivien Leigh (Blanche DuBois), Marlon Brando (Stanley Kowalski), Kim Hunter (Stella Kowalski), Karl Malden (Harold ‘Mitch’ Mitchell).

Description – Based on the Tennesee Williams 1948 Pulitzer Prize-winning play, this is a superbly acted film that is credited with making Marlon Brando a star. Vivien Leigh, looking quite unlike ‘Scarlett O’Hara, plays neurotic, dillusonal, and sexually disturbed Blanche DeBois.

The world begins to crumble beneath her feet when she moves in with her pregnant sister Stella and husband Stanley. It dosen’t take long before the trio of personalities erupt. Stella, self-effacing and submissive, Stanley, tormenting and dominering, and Blanche with a closet full of skeletons clash from the very beginning.

When Stella goes into the hospital to have her baby leaving her husband and sister alone the final confrontation between Stanley and Blanche proves cruel and violent resulting in a nervous breakdown for Blanche.

NOTABLE: In 1999 this motion picture was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.

The film won four Academy Awards; Best Actress (Vivien Leigh), Best Supporting Actor (Karl Malden), Best Supporting Actress (Kim Hunter), and Best Art Direction-Set Direction. It was also nominated for Best Motion Picture, Best Actor (Marlon Brando), Best Director, Best Writing, Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Sound Recording, and Best Music Score of a Comedy or Drama film.

The controversial themes of the screenplay had to be toned down in order to comply with the Hollywood Production Code. Some of the revisions included references to homosexuality as well as Stella’s response of desire after being physically abused by Stanley. These and a few more revisions were included in the 1993 re-release of the film.

Actress Jessica Tandy was originally cast to re-create her Broadway role of Blanche, but the role eventually went to Vivien Leigh based on her box-office appeal.

In 2007, the American Film Institute ranked this film #47 on its Greatest Movies of All Time list.

Personal Comment: An emotionally power-packed film with great performances all around. See this film, it’s one you won’t forget.

A Streetcar Named Desire (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Tennessee Williams Film Collection (A Streetcar Named Desire 1951 Two-Disc Special Edition / Cat on a Hot Tin Roof 1958 Deluxe Edition / Sweet Bird of Youth / The Night of the Iguana / Baby Doll / The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone)

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Released – August, 1951 

Directed By - George Stevens

Starring – Montgomery Clift (George Eastman), Elizabeth Taylor (Angela Vickers), Shelley Winters (Alice Tripp), Anne Revere (Hannah Eastman).

Description – Adapted from Theodore Dreiser’s 1925 novel ‘An American Tragedy,’  this is the story of industrialist Charles Eastman’s nephew George and his entanglement with two women and murder.

After taking a job at his wealthy uncle’s factory, George Eastman begins to date fellow employee Alice Tripp who works on the assembly line. As their dating continues, Alice becomes pregnant and hopes to marry George.

Around the same time, George gets his first exposure to high society where he meets the beautiful and sophisticated Angela Vickers. George is immediately infatuated with Angela and begins to lose interest in Alice.

Alice threatens to tell Angela of their affair unless George agrees to marry her. While out on a boat with George, Alice is killed in what appears to be a boating accident. Or, was it murder?

NOTABLE: In 1991 this film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.

This motion picture won six Academy Awards; Best Director (George Stevens), Best Writing, Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Music, and Best Costume Design. It was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Actor in a Leading Role (Montgomery Clift), and Best Actress in a Leading Role (Shelley Winters).

Although Technicolor filming was becoming increasingly popular, Director George Stevens felt the storyline and overall tone of this movie would be more appropriate filmed in black and white.

A Place in the Sun

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Released – October, 1950 

Directed By - Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Starring – Bette Davis (Margo Channing), Anne Baxter (Eve Harrington), George Sanders (Addison Dewitt), Celeste Holm (Karen Richards), Gary Merrill (Bill Simpson), Hugh Marlowe (Lloyd Richards), Thelma Ritter (Birdie).

Description – A classic behind-the-scenes look into the world of New York theater.  Ambition and betrayal are the order of the day as aspiring actress Eve Harrington worms her way into the life of aging star Margo Channing.

Hired by Margo as her personnal assistant, Eve soon begins to work her underhanded scheming to take advantage of Margo, her husband, and her friends in an effort to make herself a top Broadway star.  There are no limits to what Eve is capable of, including blackmail.

NOTABLE: Universally praised, All About Eve received fourteen Academy Award nominations winnning six.  Oscars won include Best Picture, Best Director (Mankiewicz), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (George Sanders), Best Writing, Screenplay, Best Costume Design, Black and White, Best Sound, Recording.  The other nominations were Best Actress in a Leading Role (Davis and Baxter), Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Holm and Ritter), Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, and Best Music.

In 1990 this film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.

In 2007 the movie was ranked #28 on the American Film Institutes list of the 100 Best American Movies of All Time.

In 2003 the character of Eve Harrington was ranked #23 on AFI’s list of 50 Best Villains of American Cinema.

Contrary to popular belief, the role of Margo Channing was not based on Tallulah Bankhead.

Bette Davis credited this role with saving her career.  When speaking of Director Mankiewicz in a later interview she stated, “He resurrected me from the dead.”

Previously considered only suited for comedy, Marilyn Monroe had one of her first dramatic roles in this film.

Personal Comment:  Easily one of the greatest Hollywood film classics of any era.  A great screenplay, great directing, great dialogue, and a great cast.  This film should be mandatory viewing for all film makers.

A must-see film!

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Released - July, 1950 

Directed By - Fred Zinnemann

Starring - Marlon Brando (Kenneth Wilcheck), Teresa Wright (Ellen Wilosek), Everett Sloane (Dr. Eugene Brock), Jack Webb (Norm Butler).

Description – This is the story of a World War II soldier who has been seriously injured resulting in his paralysis from the waist down, and the struggles he faces trying to re-enter society. 

Depression, isolation, and self-pity are his enemies now and he will need all the help he can get from his fiancee, his fellow patients, and his doctor.

NOTABLE: This film was Oscar nominated for Best Writing, Story and Screenplay.

Marlon Brando made his film debut in this movie.  Brando prepared for this role by lying in bed in a veterans’ hospital for a month.

Featured in this film are the first public games of the Paralyzed Veterns Association’s waterpolo, and wheelchair basketball teams.

The Men

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