Released - August, 1953 

Directed By - William Wyler

Starring – Gregory Peck (Joe Bradley), Audrey Hepburn (Princess Ann), Eddie Albert (Irving Radovich), Hartley Power (Mr. Hennessy), Harcourt Williams (Ambassador).

Description – The beautiful Princess Ann is on a widely publicized tour of several European capitals including Rome. What sounds like a great vacation is no more than a bore for the Princess. Her schedule is very regimented and includes little more than demanding official duties.

Stressed by the experience she is given a sedative by her Doctor and instructed to rest. Instead, she sneaks out of the embassy to see Rome by herself. With the sedative beginning to take effect she falls asleep on a park bench and is found by expatriate reporter Joe Bradley.

After refusing money for a taxi home, Joe takes her to his apartment to spend the night. The next morning, while she is still sleeping, Joe gets to work a little late and tells his editor that his lateness is due to an interview with a visiting princess at a press conference.

This excuse backfires as the editor informs Joe that the conference was cancelled due to the princess becoming ill. Joe now sees a picture of the princess and realizes that she is the woman in his apartment.

Sensing a great opportunity for a news exclusive Joe decides to take the girl on a tour of Rome without telling her that he knows she is the princess and that he is a reporter. Princess Ann shares with Joe her desire to live a normal life and it seems as though the two are falling in love.

Her absence from the embassy has now caused a great deal of concern and the princess is reported missing. Is is possible for the princess to marry the commoner or will a higher calling taker her away?

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

Roman Holiday received three Academy Awards: Best Actress in a Leading Role (Audrey Hepburn), Best Costume Design, Black-and-White, and Best Writing, Motion Picture Story. The film was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Director (William Wyler), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Eddie Albert), Best Writing, Screenplay, Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Black-and-White, Best Cinematography, Black-and-White, and Best Film Editing.

In 2008 the American Film Institute ranked Roman Holiday as the fourth best film in the romantic comedy genre.

After filming completed, Gregory Peck declared that Audrey Hepburn, in her first major starring role, should win the Oscar. As it turned out, she did.

Audrey Hepburn’s screen test for the role was good, but not great. After her test the cameraman, unknown to Hepburn, was instructed to continue filming. It was Hepburn’s candid and spontaneous interview footage that won her the role.

The film was shot in black-and-white so that the beautiful scenery of Rome would not upstage the characters.

While filming, Gregory Peck who was depressed about his recent separation and ultimate divorce from first wife Greta, met French woman Veronique Passani. The two fell in love and remained together for the rest of his life.

Personal Note: Although the ending may be thought of as bittersweet, this is an totally charming romantic comedy.

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Audrey Hepburn Collection (Breakfast at Tiffany’s / Roman Holiday / Sabrina)

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Released - August, 1953 

Directed By - Fred Zinnemann

Starring – Burt Lancaster (Sgt. Milton Warden), Montgomery Clift (Pvt. Robert E. Lee Prewitt), Deborah Kerr (Karen Holmes), Donna Reed (Alma ‘Lorene’ Burke), Frank Sinatra (Pvt. Angelo Maggio).

Description – In the months before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Pvt. Robert E. Lee Prewitt has reported for duty on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. Pvt. Prewitt has transferred from a previous duty station after a serious accident during a base boxing match that resulted in the blinding of a friend while sparring.

His new company commander and Regimental boxing head, Capt. Dana Holmes knows of Prewitt’s boxing skills and wants him to join the company’s boxing club in time to help the company win a scheduled boxing championship. In return, Holmes promises Prewitt a promotion.

Prewitt refuses, not wanting to fight again after the tragic accident at his last duty station. Capt. Holmes’s adjutant, Sgt. Milton Warden, warns Prewitt about going against the wishes of the Captain. Almost immediately, Capt. Holmes encourages the other team members to relentlessly harass Prewitt in the hope of pressuring him to join the team.

Capt. Holmes’s wife Karen visits the base and Sgt. Warden, upon hearing of her “reputation” visits their home knowing the Captain is not there and makes a pass at Mrs. Holmes. Initially, she is not interested, but it isn’t long before the two begin a torrid affair.

After a payday, Prewitt and his friend Pvt. Angelo Maggio visit the New Congress Club where Prewitt meets and becomes infatuated with hostess Lorene Burke, and a drunken Pvt. Maggio has a confrontation with stockade Sgt. Judson.

Each of these personal story’s will continue to become more complicated with a great deal of tragedy inevitable. The military and private lives of those serving at Schofield Barracks on the island of Oahu will never be the same.

As for the impending attack by the Japanese, all hell is about to break loose.

NOTABLE: From Here to Eternity won eight Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director (Fred Zinnemann), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Frank Sinatra), Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Donna Reed), Best Writing, Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Black-and-White, Best Film Editing, and Best Sound, Recording. The film also received nominations for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Burt Lancaster), Best Actress in a Leading Role (Deborah Kerr), Best Costume Design, Black-and-White, and Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture.

In 2002, this motion picture was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the United States Library of Congress.

Although dismissed by cast and crew, it has been rumored that Frank Sinatra, who had been in a downside to his career, was given this role due to his reputed association with organized crime. This rumor was the basis for a subplot in the film The Godfather.

Based on the steamy novel by author James Jones, the film had a rough time with the censors. The famous beach scene between Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr was toned down from the novel where making it less obvious that the two had sex. Also, Sinatra’s character, Sgt Maggio, was in the novel portrayed as a male hustler.

The on-screen chemistry between Lancaster and Kerr apparently continued off-screen as the pair reportedly became romantically involved during filming.

Actor Eli Wallach originally was set to play Sgt. Maggio. However, he turned the role down in order to appear in Elia Kazan’s Broadway production of “Camino Real.” This opened the door for the Oscar winning performance of Frank Sinatra in the role.

Due to the negative portrayal of the U. S. Army in the novel changes had to be made before filming would be approved. A brothel became a night club, whore’s became hostesses, much of the profanity was removed, brutal treatment in the stockade was lessened, and the fate of Capt. Holmes changed from him being promoted to his discharge from the service.

Author James Jones was not happy with the film adaptation of his novel. He believed it to be “too sanitized.”

Burt Lancaster was a little nervous about this role. Previously, his films had a lighter side to them and he was slightly intimidated by the acting skill of Montgomery Clift.

From Here to Eternity’s eight winning Oscars tied for the most Oscars won, up to that time, with Gone With the Wind.

Personal Note: This motion picture is a riveting look at military personal lives. Although toned down from the novel, the film still is a powerful masterpiece featuring a great story, great direction, and solid performances. 

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Released - August, 1953 

Directed By - Vincente Minnelli

Starring – Fred Astaire (Tony Hunter), Cyd Charisse (Gabrielle Gerard), Oscar Levant (Lester Martin), Nanette Fabray (Lily Martin), Jack Buchanan (Jeffrey Cordova).

Description – Tony Hunter is a veteran musical comedy star of both the stage and screen who’s feeling a little insecure lately. Tony is afraid he’s getting older and losing his popularity.

He needs a show for a strong comeback and his friends Lester and Lily Martin are there to help. The duo has written a show they think is perfect for Tony. Everything seems to be working out until a director is hired.

Chosen to direct the play is big-shot, overly “artistic” director, producer Jeffrey Cordova who has brought with him a prima ballerina to costar with Tony. Cordova changes the theme of the light comedy to a dark reinterpretation of Faust starring himself as the Devil and Tony as the Faust character.

As for Tony and costar ballerina Gabrielle Gerard…it’s hate at first sight. When the out-of-town tryout fails miserably, both the show and Tony’s career seem doomed.

Can a rewrite of the show by Tony and the addition of the originally intended light musical comedy be restored and successful? And if so, there is still one huge problem; the financial backers have pull out.

NOTABLE: In 1995, The Band Wagon was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.

The film received three Academy Award nominations; Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture, Best Writing, Story and Screenplay, and Best Costume Design, Color.

Although only a modest box-office success, The Band Wagon is considered by many critics to rank right up there with the top MGM musicals.

In 2006, this motion picture was ranked as #17 on the American Film Institutes list of best musicals.

Buy Here The Band Wagon (Two-Disc Special Edition)

The Classic Musicals Collection – Broadway to Hollywood (Easter Parade Two Disc Special Edition / The Band Wagon Two Disc Special Edition / Bells Are Ringing / Finian’s Rainbow / Brigadoon)

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Released - April, 1953 

Directed By - George Stevens

Starring- Alan Ladd (Shane), Jean Arthur (Marian Starrett), Van Heflin (Joe Starrett), Brandon De Wilde (Joey Starrett), Jack Palance (Jack Wilson), Ben Johnson (Chris Calloway), Emile Meyer (Rufus Ryker), Edgar Buchanan (Fred Lewis).

Description- A mysterious stranger, who calls himself Shane, stops at the Wyoming homestead of the Starrett family on his way north. It doesn’t take long before an incident reveals him to be a gunslinger.

This revelation makes the Starrett family wary of the stranger and ask him to leave, Moments later, cattle baron Rufus Ryker with some of his men arrive at the ranch and accuse Joe Starrett of squatting on his land. They order Starrett to leave with a threat of violence.

From out of nowhere, Shane re-appears and stands at the side of Joe Starrett preventing the violence, at least for the moment. In gratitude, Shane is offered dinner and a job for as long as he wants at the Starrett ranch.

Shane accepts, and has now placed himself in the middle of what will become a violent confrontation between the homesteaders and the ruthless Ryker. Additional complication’s develop as the Starrett’s young son Joey is drawn to Shane due to the skill he has with a gun, and Shane finds he is becoming attracted to Mrs. Starrett and she to him.

With the arrival of hired killer Jack Wilson by Ryker, things will soon reach the boiling point. Ryker’s attempts to intimidate the homesteaders increases with the presense of Wilson and are followed by murder.

How will it all play out, and will Shane be forced to kill again in order to help protect the Starrett’s and the other homesteaders? It appears that all hope for the weary gunfighter to settle down is gone.

NOTABLE: In 1993, Shane was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.

Shane won the Oscar for Best Cinematography, Color, and was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Jack Palance, and Brandon De Wilde), Best Director (George Stevens), and Best Writing, Screenplay.

Director George Stevens had originally cast Montgomery Clift in the role of Shane, and William Holden as Joe Starrett, and possibly Katharine Hepburn as Marian Starrett. However, both Clift and Holden were unavailable at the time of filming. When reviewing the list of available actors under contract, Stevens took only three minutes to decide on Alan Ladd, Van Heflin, and Jean Arthur for the lead roles.

Shane marked the last film appearance for actress Jean Arthur who came out of semi-retirement as a favor to her friend George Stevens and would later appear only on stage and TV. At the time of filming she was 50 years old (possibly a little older); quite a bit older than her costars.

Shane was the first film to be projected in the widescreen format, which was invented by Paramount.

In 2007, the American Film Institutes’s 100 ears….100 Movies list includes Shane as #45; also in 2008 they listed Shane as #3 on their Best in the Western Genre list.

Paramount became so concerned over production costs that they considered selling the film As it turned out, the film was extremely successful with audiences and made a substantial profit.

Jean Arthur was a committed early animal activist and would personally see to it that all the animals used in the film were properly cared for.

Personal Note: This is anything but, “just another western.” Splendid in every way, Shane is a must-see for any serious film fan and rightfully belongs on the list of the best Westerns ever made.

A great story whose ending will pull at your heart-strings.

Shane

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Released - April, 1953 

Directed By - Ida Lupino

Starring – Edmond O’Brien (Roy Collins), Frank Lovejoy (Gilbert Bowen), William Talman (Emmett Myers).

Description – Buddies Roy Collins and Gilbert Bowen are off on a fishing trip to Mexico. Along the way they come across a stranded motorist who is trying to hitch a ride.

The pair decide to help the stranded motorist out and pick up the hitch-hiker. However, this is not your ordinary hitch-hiker. It’s Emmett Myers, an escaped convict, sociopath, psychotic murderer. These are not the only good Samaritans to cross the path of Myers in his efforts to elude authorities. The others are dead.

Myers is working his way to a ferryboat in Baja, California to complete his escape, and right from the start he lets Roy and Gilbert know that they will both be dead before the end of the trip. Myers takes great delight in threatening and sadistically taunting the men along the way.

For Roy and Gilbert, their only hope is to stay alive long enough to attempt an escape of for the Mexican authorities to find them.

NOTABLE: In 1998, The Hitch-Hiker was selected for inclusion in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.

The film is based on the true story of psychopathic murderer Billy Cook who in California in 1950 murdered a family of five along with a traveling salesman. Cook then kidnapped two prospectors and took them to Mexico to kill them. He was captured before being able to carry out this plan.

This motion picture is the first American made Film Noir to be directed by a woman.

The films general release tagline was “When was the last time you invited death into your car?”

Personal Note: A suspenseful little Film Noir thriller. Good acting by the lead trio, especially the work of William Talman. If you ever wondered where the expression to “sleep with one eye open” came from, this has to be it.

A great job by Talman as the creepy, brutal killer who never closes his right eye – even when sleeping.

The Hitch-Hiker

The Hitch-Hiker (1953) [Remastered Edition]

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