Cold Turkey 1971

Finished watching the 1991 BBC
Five Children and It
on August 24, the only real and genuine adaptation of this classic. The 2004 theatrical movie is unwatchable.
Started watching the 1976 BBC
The Phoenix and the Carpet
. The 1995 theatrical movie qualifies as an adaptation but just barely.
The Covered Wagon
from 1923 on August 26, hailed as a masterpiece when it came out. It has some merit but be aware that at least ten animals died during filming.
John and Julie
, cute British comedy from 1955, on August 29.

So glad to see another fan of HEAT LIGHTNING. I just saw it last year and thought it was very special.
And although I haven't seen THE NAKED SPUR in ages, I remember thinking highly of it, too.

Any Number Can Play
1949 Clark Gable, Alexis Smith, Darryl Hickman, Audrey Totter, Wendall Corey, Frank Morgan. Charlie Kying (Gable) runs a gambling house, and his teenage son (Hickman) is embarrassed by it. Further Charlie's heart is starting to fail. ***
The Naked Spur
1953 Jimmy Stewart, Robert Ryan, Janet Leigh. Western. ***1/2
King and Country
1964 - Dirk Bogarde, Tom Courtenay. **1/2
The Night of the Generals
1967 - Peter O'Toole, Omar Shariff, Tom Courtenay, Donald Pleasance, Charles Gray. A bit long for the story. I didn't feel O'Toole, Pleasance and Gray played German generals very well. **1/2
Heat Lightning
1934 Aline MacMahon, Ann Dvorak, Preston Foster, Lyle Talbot, Glenda Farrell, Frank McHugh, Ruth Donelly. Olga (MacMahon) runs a gas station out in the middle of the desert with her younger sister Myra (Dvorak) running the cafe part. George (Foster) and Jeff (Talbot) on the run from the law show up. Olga and George were lovers in the distant past. Also showing up are 2 divorcees (Farrell and Donelly) with their driver (McHugh)… Just over an hour, directed by Mervyn LeRoy. ****
The Conspirators
1944 Hedy Lamarr, Paul Henreid, Sidney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre. ***

The Leopard (1963)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057091/
Gorgeous looking Luchino Visconti film based on an Italian novel about an Italian aristocrat handling the revolution in Italy during 1860 that finally unified Italy. Burt Lancaster was excellent as the aristocrat trying to protect and maintain his family's status. Alain Delon played his nephew, and Claudia Cardinale played the nephew's love interest. Beautiful music score by Nino Rota. This is a 3+ hour epic spoken in Italian. There is also an American English dubbed version running less than 3 hours. I watched both over the week. I thought it was a well-made self-reflective movie from the perspective of the aristocrat. However, it was very talkie and slow moving. The last third of the movie took place in a dance ball. Let's just say this is no Gone with the Wind epic. More like Raintree County epic. So, I would say I appreciate the film more than loving the film. There is also a recent mini-series adaptation of the novel on Netflix.

Only got around to one this week.
Funeral Parade of Roses (1969)
Directed by Toshio Matsumoto
This is a fascinating time capsule of Tokyo's underground in the late '60s, although it's likely an acquired taste due to it's experimental nature. 7.5/10
Draft Barron Trump

Robin Crusoe USN
Starring Dick Van Dyke who plays a navy pilot who has to bail out over the ocean and ends up marooned on an island.
It's a silly, dumb, yet fun kids Disney movie with some incredible sfx not to be taken seriously at all.
A cross of Castaway and Gillian's Island.
How you die does not redeem how you lived. - A black pastor on the life and death of Charlie Kirk

Yes, THE AFRICAN QUEEN is definitely one of the best Hollywood films. And I read and loved the novel, too. Worth a look, if you're interested. I very much enjoyed it, even though I had already seen the film.

I watched
King and Country
for the first time this past week also. I didn't really find it gut wrenching. It is watchable.
The African Queen
is definitely top notch.

First viewings:
King and Country / Joseph Losey
(1965). During World War I a British soldier (Tom Courtenay), charged with desertion, is defended by an officer (Dirk Bogarde) who at first despises his actions and then grows to feel sympathy for him. A riveting anti-war drama with excellent performances by everyone, especially Bogarde and Courtenay, and solid direction by Losey. It’s at times gut-wrenching to watch, but is definitely worth a view. Losey was a very talented director; an American who made his best films in Britain. (On TCM through August 31st.)
Sing You Sinners / Wesley Ruggles
(1938). A dreamer (Bing Crosby) with a racehorse brings his mother and musical brothers (Fred MacMurray and a thirteen year old Donald O’Conner) to Los Angeles on a long shot about winning a race. It’s an absolute delight from start to finish — a mix of musical, screwball comedy, sports (horse racing), and family drama. Among its songs are “A Pocketful of Dreams” and “Small Fry.” I forgot that early in his career MacMurray was himself a singer, which adds a lot to the film, and Crosby’s mostly dramatic performance portends his talent in his later dramatic roles. It’s definitely worth a view for the story and for fans of the cast. I’m very glad I saw it. (On TCM through August 31st.)
Whiplash / Lewis Seiler
(1948). In this film noir style production, an artist (Dane Clark) follows a woman he loves (Alexis Smith) from California to New York, where he ends up boxing for her mobster husband (Zachary Scott). Not great, but fast-paced and enjoyable, with a wonderful supporting cast that includes Eve Arden, Jeffrey Lynn, S.Z. Sakall, and Alan Hale. (On TCM through September 5th.)
Re-watches:
The African Queen / John Huston
(1952). When the Germans fire on the Congo at the beginning of WW1, a minister (Robert Morely) dies of a heart attack, leaving his sister (Katherine Hepburn) alone. She ends up on a boat with a gin-soaked captain (Humphrey Bogart) and urges him to fight the Germans instead of sitting out the war in the back waters. Adapted by James Agee and John Huston from the wonderful C. S. Forester novel, it’s a classic delight with marvelous performances by both stars and great direction by Huston. It received four Oscar nominations in major categories, with Bogart winning Best Actor. And most of it was shot on location in Africa, which adds so much to the story. Highly recommended. (Available on MGM+)
The Big Street / Irving Reis
(1942). A busboy (Henry Fonda) who’s in love with a nightclub performer (Lucille Ball) grows closer to her after she’s paralyzed in an attack by her gangster boyfriend (Barton McLane). Based on a Damon Runyon story, it’s a very entertaining, sweet story. And it’s another film from the old days that shows Lucille Ball’s enormous talent. The rest of the cast includes Agnes Moorehead, Louise Beavers, Eugene Pallette, Ray Collins, and Sam Levene, all of whom provide great support. Strongly recommended for the story and the cast. (On TCM through September 23rd.)

Three Days of the Condor (1975) - Rewatch. Better than I remembered. I thought it went too fast before but the pace seemed okay this time. I still think it should have been longer. Robert Redford seems too old for the role but he does a good job anyway.
One thing that really annoys me is that the front Redford works at has the same phone number as the CIA.
Suddenly (1954) - Sterling Hayden and Frank Sinatra in a short and simple movie about an assassination plot against the president. Sinatra as the villain is the more interesting character so it's a good thing sheriff Hayden's plan is to keep him talking.
Solaris (1972) - Rewatch. Andrei Tarkovsky's response to 2001 which he did not like. It's slow and in space and both include giant babies but the dialogue is philosophical and it's more concerned about human relationships than the relationship of man and an inscrutable intelligence. I prefer 2001.