Letters From Iwo Jima (2006)

Sorry, Clint, your film didn't make my day.

The television mini-series The Pacific set the bar very high for stories depicting the battle for the island of Iwo Jima during the Second World War.

The Pacific was very intense with action sequences that brought this film fan to the edge of his seat. Stories of the lives of American soldiers were also powerful.

Director Clint Eastwood's Letters from Iwo Jima isn't so much about combat, but trying to survive near-certain death. There's little tension here.

Japanese soldier Saigo (Kazunari Ninomiya) wasn't keen to enlist. He was told he was signing up. A baker by trade, his concern is to get home to his wife and young child.

That desire to live doesn't fit in well when he's a Japanese soldier tasked with defending Iwo Jima from American invasion. There's no realistic chance of the Japanese winning. They have no air or naval support. Tanks are out of commission. Supplies, such as food and ammunition, are scarce. Rather, their goal is to hold the Americans off for as long as possible and die in service to their country.

Saigo gets some much-needed help from the new commander of the American forces, General Kuribayashi (Ken Watanabe). He's not keen on seeing his troops punished - such as Saigo when he wonders why the Japanese just don't surrender. Kuribayashi spent time in the United States before the start of the Second World War. His view on warfare isn't shared by some of his subordinate officers.

Letters to and from soldiers serving on Iwo Jima come up throughout the film. Correspondence, especially as the end nears, offers a chance for soldiers to forget about their dire situation.

Letters from Iwo Jima was nominated for four Oscars, including best picture and direction. It's OK, but not great. There are better war films to watch.

RATING: 7/10

The Big Short (2015)

Movie-goers, cash in with The Big Short.

It's rare I get to the movies these days due to work and other commitments. DVDs keep me entertained at home. I'm glad I saw this American film while it's still in theatres.

Andy McKay's drama about what caused the 2008 economic meltdown in the United States is fascinating viewing.

Don't be discouraged by fears of being completely lost with all the business terms tossed around in this five-time Academy Award nominated film. Chances are you'll get enough of what's going on to follow the story. Hey, there's even folks such as pop singer Selena Gomez to help explain some of the financial products discussed.

Three different groups of investors, including hedge fund manager Michael Burry (Christian Bale), eager up-and-comers Charlie Geller (John Magaro) and Jamie Shipley (Finn Wittrock) and Mark Baum (Steve Carell), another money manager with a deep distrust of the big banks, all realize the same thing. There's a lot of rot in mortgages being given to American residents. A crash is not far off. They all decide to put money down betting the American housing market will fail. Their decision stuns others who are convinced the market is rock solid and their foolish quest will cost them millions. Easy to think a decade ago, but Burry's estimate of a second quarter correction in 2008 was spot on.

The Big Short is a beacon of hope for those who think outside the box. Burry faced vehement opposition from his main backer. Investors wanted out. Geller and Shipley wanted to make their mark and found, at a young age, what more experienced investment gurus were missing. With the help of Ben Rickert (Brad Pitt), an investor who has taken himself out of the investment game, they succeed. Baum is angry at a lot of things. How so many bad mortgages are being doled out by American banks astonishes him.

Watching The Big Short raises the big questions: How could this happen and why weren't more people punished?

The film gets a bit preachy at times, but that's a small caveat. See this film. Now, I want to read Michael Lewis' book (The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine) that serves as basis for this movie.

RATING: 9/10

FUN FACTS: The Big Short is up for five Oscars including best film, director and actor for Bale.

Soap opera fans may remember Finn Wittrock as Damon Miller in All My Children.

That's Marisa Tomei as Carell's wife.

Three Coins in the Fountain (1954)

Mamma mia, Three Coins In the Fountain is a great looking movie with a shabby story.

Three American women work in Rome. They live in a palatial apartment, complete with maid and expansive balcony overlooking the city. Who knew working in an American government office as a secretary paid so well? Maybe the currency exchange rate was really favorable 60 years ago.

Maria Williams (Maggie McNamara) is the new kid in town. She's looking for romance. Maria's cupid radar is so finely tuned that she realizes within moments that co-worker Giorgio Bianchi (Rossano Brazzi) is in love with fellow secretary, and roommate, Anita Hutchins (Jean Peters). The boss, Mr. Burgoyne (Howard St. John) frowns on the local workers mingling with the American talent.

Miss Francis (Dorothy McGuire) has resigned herself to spending the rest of her days in Rome as an old maid. She's a secretary to expat American writer John Frederick Shadwell (Clifton Webb). He appreciates her worth as his assistant, but not as a romantic partner.

Despite warnings, Maria sets her sights on local playboy Prince Dino di Cessi (Louis Jordan). Maria warns her of his string of romantic quests. The prince suggests he wants love, but is sought out by women who want the money and prestige that comes with his title. Maria doesn't do much to set herself apart from the pack. She schemes to win his heart by finding out all he likes and dislikes. But, hey, she really does love him at the same time.

Three Coins In the Fountain, shot in CinemaScope, looks absolutely fantastic. The fashions are beautiful. The settings are impressive.

But boy, it's hard to get excited about any of these romances. Francis and Anita, for the professional women they are, sure cry a lot. I wonder what their contemporaries in 2014 would make of that behaviour. There's zero romantic chemistry between Webb and McGuire. If Francis wanted love that badly, why did she keep waiting for Shadwell to smarten up?

Frank Sinatra croons the theme song. The film opens with several minutes of stunning scenes from around Rome. Maybe this movie is best watched with the volume down - after Old Blue Eyes is done singing.

RATING: 7/10

FUN FACTS: Yikes. Three Coins in the Fountain was nominated for best picture, but lost to On the Waterfront. The film did win, deservedly, for best cinematography and song.

Louis Jordan, still alive at this writing, was Dr. Arcane in Swamp Thing and Return of the Swamp Thing based on a DC comic book.

Jean Negulesco, director of Three Coins In the Fountain, was also at the helm of How to Marry a Millionaire and Titanic (1953).

The Verdict (1982)

The Verdict is in.

This courtroom drama from director Sidney Lumet boasts one of Paul Newman's finest performances.

He's brilliant as washed up Boston lawyer Frank Galvin. This member of the bar has only tried four cases in the last three years and lost all of them. His secretary is long gone. His office is a mess. Galvin spends a lot of time in bars. He smokes a lot. Galvin makes cold calls to funeral homes during wakes trying to drum up business.

Friend Mickey Morrissey (Jack Warden) sends a case his way to help him out. Sally and Kevin Doneghy (Roxanne Hart, James Hardy) want to sue the Archdiocese of Boston. Sally's sister went into cardiac arrest while giving birth. She is unresponsive in hospital. The Doneghys contend the woman's doctors are responsible for the life-altering incident.

Morrissey figures Galvin can't lose. "I got you a good case," he tells him. "It's a moneymaker." He'll cut a settlement with the archdiocese, get a nice chunk of cash for his efforts and use the proceeds to help him in retirement.

But Galvin is struck by just how drastic his client's injuries are. He decides he'll take the case to court, even though he's offered a hefty cheque to settle. "I came here to take your money," Galvin admits during his meeting with the archdiocese. "I can't take it. If I take the money, I'm lost. I'll just be a rich ambulance chaser." The Doneghys are outraged. They want to start a new life after several years of caring for Sally's sister. Galvin struggles to find witnesses who can help him win his case. Dr. Gruber (Lewis Stadlen) is initially eager to help Galvin out, but he skips town when it's crunch time.

Galvin, working only with Morrissey, is up against a formidable opponent. His legal adversary, Ed Concannon (James Mason), has a small army of lawyers to help him win his case. Morrissey calls Concannon "the prince of f------ darkness." His firm doesn't fight fair either. Ethics is an interesting part of The Verdict. Galvin and Morrissey repeatedly lie to get the information they need. At what point is such dishonesty wrong? Is it OK for Galvin because he's trying to help a woman who's in such rough shape?

Newman is very convincing depicting Galvin's desperation, especially when Gruber disappears. The Verdict scored five Oscar nominations, but not one for Julie Bovasso. As nurse Maureen Rooney, she knows what happened to Doneghy's sister. The screen crackles with tension when Galvin confronts her. There's some good clashes between Galvin and Judge Hoyle (Milo O'Shea). Hoyle doesn't mince words when it comes to what he thinks about Galvin's performance in the courtroom. But Galvin knows a few things about Hoyle's past too.

Readers, let me know what you think about the jury's decision. It seemed hard to believe to me. But maybe that closing speech by Galvin had an impact.

Reel Popcorn Junkie has reviewed several of Newman's films in recent weeks. The Verdict is tops. See this film.

RATING: 9/10

FUN FACTS: Edward Binns, who appears as Bishop Brophy, also appeared in Patton, North By Northwest and Fail-Safe. Mason was in North By Northwest too.

Look closely for Bruce Willis as a courtroom observer. I missed him, but I thought I saw John Goodman. Internet Movie Database does not back up what I thought my eyes saw.

The Verdict was nominated for best picture, actor, supporting actor, director and screenplay. This fine drama didn't win one Oscar. Gandhi, Ben Kingsley, Louis Gossett, Jr., Richard Attenborough and Missing won.

Sweet Bird of Youth (1962)

Chance Wayne never gets a break in Sweet Bird of Youth.

Wayne (Paul Newman) dreams of making it big in Hollywood. But sure things he's confident will lead, he thinks, to something big always fizzle out. He talks about scaling the wall into the moviemaking, castle. But there's no ladder to help him on the way up and over.

His latest meal ticket is washed up actress Alexandra Del Lago (Geraldine Page). While Chance dreams of stardom, Alexandra's days of glory are long past. "The camera doesn't know how to lie," Del Lago laments. She's a drunk and drug addict. With an oxygen bottle nearby, she also appears to be a hypochondriac.

But Del Lago is also the closest thing to a break Chance has. A prospect of a contract for a film role through Del Lago has Chance motivated. And desperate. "All my life I've been on the outside and time is running out," he notes. Del Lago is more interested in his good looks. "Let's comfort each other," she suggests.

With the former star crashed out in the back of his convertible, Chance heads home. He wants to reunite with Heavenly Finely (Shirley Knight). She's still sweet on him, even though Wayne has essentially worked as a male escort to survive.

His return doesn't sit well with local politician 'Boss' Finley (Ed Begley). He's your typical political heavy, using whatever tricks he can to get what he wants. Finley has long had a mistress, Miss Lucy (Madeleine Sherwood), who he puts up in a fine hotel suite.

Finely is prepared to use a little muscle to keep Wayne away from his little girl. That's where his son, and henchman, Thomas (Rip Torn) steps in.

Political opponents eager to take 'Boss' Finley down, an ultimatum for Wayne to clear out of town and the young hopeful's crumbling relationship with Del Lago all come to a boil at a political rally.

Sweet Bird of Youth earned three Oscar nominations, with Begley taking home an Academy Award as best supporting actor.

Newman's character here as a few things in common with Hud, reviewed on this site last week. Both have numerous female lovers, but neither is happy. Hud, drowning in drink, doesn't have the brains, or the wisdom, to manage a cattle spread like his dad can. Chance's window of opportunity to making his mark in Hollywood is over. His good looks won't help him with ladies who can support him much longer.

Sweet Bird of Youth boasts a fine cast with some nice support work from Canadian Sherwood as 'Boss' Finley's lover. Her showdown with him over public comments about his, uh, poll performance is a memorable one.

Paul Newman, you rock. Hud and The Hustler rock. The Color of Money, not so much. But a copy of The Verdict arrived in the mail. I haven't seen this 1982 drama from director Sidney Lumet since I saw it on the big screen 32 years ago. That review is coming up.

RATING: 8/10

FUN FACTS: Richard Brooks, director of Sweet Bird of Youth, also directed Blackboard Jungle and In Cold Blood.

Geraldine Page was nominated for eight Oscars. She didn't win until that last nod, for The Trip to Bountiful.

Ed Begley was Juror No. 10 in 12 Angry Men.

Mildred Dunnock, the kindly Aunt Nonnie who supports Chance, starred in the stage and film versions of Death of a Salesman. Her last role was with Molly Ringwald and Robert Downey, Jr., in The Pick-up Artist.

Hud (1963)

The Bannons put the diss in dysfunctional.

Father Homer (Melvyn Douglas) and son Hud (Paul Newman) haven't seen eye-to-eye -- for decades.

Homer is an old-time cattle rancher. He believes a man should work to support himself. Homer's a man of integrity.

Hud drinks too much, has affairs with married women and connives or cheats his way to what he wants. Hud also drove drunk the night he was in a fatal collision, killing his brother, the father of his nephew, Lonnie (Brandon De Wilde) more than a decade ago.

Lonnie is keen to follow Hud around during his frequent forays into town. Homer fears the poor example Hud is setting for his grandson.

Homer and Hud snipe at each other regularly through director Martin Ritt's 1963 drama. There's some great dialogue here, examples I can't share with this post as I brought the wrong book with me to the library Internet station. My apologies.

Differences between father and son come to a head when a vet finds some of Homer's herd has foot and mouth disease. His cattle have to be quarantined while tests are done. Should they prove positive, they'll all have to be destroyed. Hud wants to pawn the cattle off on other ranchers. Homer is aghast at his son's idea - knowingly selling contaminated animals that could likely cause a national epidemic.

But Hud sets the rules as he sees fit. He'll sucker punch an opponent in a fight and grab hold of a pig another man caught to win a contest.

Tensions are further hiked up on the Bannon spread with Hud's interest in cook Alma Brown (Patricia Neal). She's divorced and wary of Hud's on-going advances. Lonnie is interested in Alma too.

Watch Hud for strong performances and a riveting story.

RATING: 9/10

FUN FACTS: Wow. De Wilde was Joey Starrett in Shane. Sadly, he was killed in a motor-vehicle collision in 1972. He was 30.

Neat casting. Yvette Vickers, primarily known for starring in Attack of the 50 Foot Woman , appears briefly as a married woman Hud is fooling around with.

Douglas and Neal won best supporting Oscars for Hud. Newman was nominated, but didn't win. The film also snagged an Academy Award for cinematography.

Neal and Douglas appeared in his last film, Ghost Story.

Paul Newman worked as a cowhand on a ranch prior to filming Hud.

The Color of Money (1986)

A few quick thoughts to begin this post.
The Hustleris a much better film than this sequel. Watch it before looking up Martin Scorses's follow-up effort from 1986.

It's too bad the only pairing of Paul Newman and Tom Cruise is in a so-so film.

Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio earned a best supporting Oscar nod for The Color of Money. Why do we rarely see her in movies now?

I watched The Hustler at the incredible State Theatre in Traverse City, Mich., in June. It's a must watch for fans of Paul Newman. His character, pool hustler Fast Eddie Felson, and his relationships with his girlfriend and chief nemesis in pool made for compelling viewing.

Here, Felson's involved with Janelle (Helen Shaver), a bartender at his business. There's no drama with their relationship. She gets upset when Felson decides to hit the road with young pool prospect Vincent Lauria (Cruise). Ho-hum. Jackie Gleason didn't say a lot as Minnesota Fats in The Hustler. But he carried himself with a very serious demeanor. A glare from him was withering. Cruise's Vincent is just annoying. More interesting are brief appearances by John Turturro and Forest Whitaker as other pool players on their way up.

Vincent has plenty of talent, but this young buck is immature. That could explain why he's working in a store for children and wears a T-shirt with his name on the front. His girlfriend, Carmen (Mastrantonio) is the brains of the operation. She gets what Felson wants to do. Turn Vincent into a money-making machine hustling pool. "We've got a racehorse here, a thoroughbred," Eddie tells Carmen. "You make him feel good. I teach him to run."

But too often Vincent tosses aside Eddie's advice and loses the chance to make plenty of cash as a result. Teacher and student part ways. Eddie decides to play again. They meet again at a nine-ball tournament in Atlantic City. Could a showdown be in the works?

Newman won an Oscar for his work here. He should have won following nominations for earlier films such as The Verdict and The Hustler. Those were standout roles.

The Color of Money offers viewers some very sharp shots of pool action. The soundtrack is extremely varied, from Phil Collins and Eric Clapton to Robbie Robertson and Mark Knopfler.

But this film just doesn't have a killer punch. Too bad.

RATING: 7/10

FUN FACTS: I didn't notice him, but Iggy Pop appears as a pool player.

A nod to The Hustler? A bartender puts a whack of cash on a game. Here, it's Alex Ross. He stood in for Matt Damon during filming of Good Will Hunting.
The Color of Money was one of four films for John Turturro in 1986. Off Beat, Gung Ho and Hannah and Her Sisters were the others.

The Color of Money was just Mastrantonio's third feature film. She was an extra in another Scorsese film, The King of Comedy, followed by Scarface.

The Hustler (1961)

The Hustler won't leave viewers behind the eight ball.

But be warned film fans. This great film from director Robert Rossen (All The King's Men, The Roaring Twenties) is bleak.

Eddie Falco (Paul Newman) is a young and talented pool shark teamed with mentor Charlie Burns (Myron McCormick).

Fast Eddie is keen to knock champ Minnesota Fats (Jackie Gleason) off his pedestal. Falco is a little too cocky for his own good when he gets his desired showdown with the pool hall king. He ignores Charlie's advice and loses the chance to pocket a whack of money.

Falco decides to go his own way and crosses paths with Sarah Packard (Piper Laurie). She has her own suitcase of troubles. Sarah's an alcoholic, is messed up by her father's abandonment when she was a youngster and may be turning tricks to help pay the bills.

Eddie and Sarah hit it off, although she wonders if their relationship will last when the cash runs out. Now trying to put down roots with Sarah, Eddie is reduced to hustling small amounts of cash to put food on the table.

With Charlie gone, Bert Gordon (George C. Scott) offers to bankroll Eddie's second effort to topple Minnesota Fats. Scott is fantastic as an amoral figure who makes plenty of cash gambling. Packard is leery of Fast Eddie's plans to hit the road again. She fears she'll be abandoned again.

The Hustler boasts several strong performances. Gleason, here five years after The Honeymooners, reeks disdain for the young buck out to top him. He's the king of cool who keeps his air of calm well into a marathon pool session against Falco that runs more than a day.

Newman, who scored his first big hit in 1956 with Somebody Up There Likes Me, delivers one of his career best performances. He's brash, confident and willing to put the love of his life at risk for the chance to be king.

The Hustler was nominated for nine Oscars and won two for art direction and cinematography.

RATING: 9/10

FUN FACTS: That's boxer Jake LaMoitta as a bartender.

Piper Laurie was Aunt Em in 1985's Return to Oz.

Paul Newman on The Hustler: "I had a good feeling about this one right from the start."
Source: Paul Newman: An Illustrated Biography

All About Eve (1950)

Bette Davis is right.

Strap yourselves in, folks. All About Eve is a must-see film.

Thank you, Joseph Mankiewicz, for writing and directing this incredible 1950 release. All About Eve earned 14 Oscar nominations and won six including best film, screenplay and director.

This drama boasts such a beautiful script with all kinds of delicious lines. It's also topical to watch more than 60 years later when the cult of celebrity is as strong as it ever was. The fate of actresses as they age and their transition from talk of the town to yesterday's news is also explored.

Eve (Anne Baxter) is a devoted fan to theatre giant Margo (Bette Davis). But Eve doesn't just want to worship Margo's talent. She wants to top her success. This lady is hooked on the "waves of love" audiences offer when they really like an actor's work. Eve gets a job as Margo's assistant and her manipulation accelerates.

She worms her way into Margo's life and proceeds to scheme and manipulate her way to major success. Only Margo's handler, Birdie (Thelma Ritter) is suspicious of Eve from the start. "You want an argument or an answer," Birdie tells Margo when she asks about Eve's actions.

Eve is a master at her craft, subtly weaving her spell to get others to do what she wants. Others, such as Margo, her friend Karen (Celeste Holm) and her playwright husband Lloyd (Hugh Marlowe) are out of their element against this master schemer. Eve is agreeable to using blackmail to get what she wants too.

George Sanders shines as theatre critic Addison DeWitt. This guy lives for the stage and its characters. Nothing else matters in his life. Only he is able to go toe-to-toe with Eve's scheming. Wait for when they're together in her suite. Sparks fly. "You're stepping way up in class," he warns her as they square off.

Eve's actions leave viewers slack-jawed at their audacity. She really is something else - and so is this movie.

My only real beef. The ending strikes this film fan as a copout with Eve ready to get a taste of her own medicine. But that's a small lament. Watch this film.

RATING: 9.5/10

FUN FACTS: Marilyn Monroe stands out with a small role as Miss Casswell, another young actress who dreams of success. But she's an amateur compared to Eve's cunning.

Hugh Marlowe and Gary Merrill, who appears as Bette Davis' boyfriend, appeared in Twelve O'Clock High. It's another one of Reel Popcorn Junkie's must-see films.

Penny Serenade (1941)

Penny Serenadeis a spin worth taking.

Told in flashbacks with records tied to pivotal moments, this 1941 drama from director George Stevens (Shane, Giant) considers the relationship of Roger and Julie Adams (Cary Grand and Irene Dunn).

Their marriage appears to be over. Why, we don't know until near the end of the film's two-hour running time.

It's music that brings this couple together. Roger hears a song played at a record store. He sees Julie and is smitten.

Their relationship starts and deepens. These kids are crazy about each other, but Roger isn't too keen on having children of his own. When a job comes up to report in Japan, he's game and, on New Year's Eve, asks Julie to marry him.

There's more spur of the moment decisions by Roger - rash perhaps - that rankle his better half. He lives in spacious quarters, with servants, in Japan. He'd fit in with folks who live above their means in 2014, taking advances on his salary to pay the bills. Julie, who joins him in the Far East, is rattled by his decision to quit his job and travel the world with a modest inheritance. What about our baby, she asks.

The couple return to America and set up shop in a small California town. Roger wants to run his own newspaper. Circulation isn't as big as his dreams. There's bad news with their expected child. An earthquake in Japan badly hurt Julie. She can't bear children. Julie wants to adopt. Roger needs some coaxing.

There's no grand adventures in Penny Serenade. Roger struggles to get by. Julie wants a child. They get their wish when a newborn becomes available for adoption. There's some funny scenes as the inexperienced parents deal with a crying infant that needs to be washed and diapered. Roger grows to love being a dad. But tough times in the newspaper business - hello again 2014 - mean the couple don't have the income necessary to formally adopt Trina. They risk losing her and eventually each other.

"We don't need each other anymore," Julie suggests as their marriage hits a tough stretch.

Penny Serenade is touching without being melodramatic, funny without being a farce.

Hurray for Edgar Buchanan as Applejack Carney, a friend of the couple whose handy in the childcare department and quick with a joke.

RATING: 8/10

FUN FACTS: That's Eva Lee Kuney as Trina at age six. She appeared in seven films between 1935 and 1948 including A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

Cary Grant received an Oscar nomination for best actor for his work in Penny Serenade.

Master and Commander: Far Side of the World (2003)

Master And Commander
starts with a bang, but can't keep pace with the intensity of its first half.

Peter Weir (The Year of Living Dangerously, The Mosquito Coast) is one of my all-time favorite directors. It's too bad he seldom works anymore, with only one feature since this good 2003 release.

It's April 1805. Napoleon is master of Europe. Capt. Jack Aubrey is commander of a British frigate, HMS Suprise. The British captain is well-accustomed to success, but his ship gets pounded twice by a powerful French opponent, Acheron. That doesn't make Aubrey very happy.

His best friend, and ship surgeon, Dr. Stephen Maturin (Paul Bettany) is Bones to Aubrey's Capt. Kirk. Should Aubrey be demanding to track his foe down, far beyond the orders from his government? Will his men break because of the physical and mental strain they're under to make Aubrey's goal of destroying the French ship happen?

Good questions, for sure, as is the film's depiction of the younger members of Aubrey's crew.

But this film starts to go off the rails about an hour in when Master And Commander brings in a subplot about a midshipman, Hollom (Lee Ingleby), who isn't respected by the crew. Some suggest it's Hollom who has cursed the ship to the beatings by the French ship and dearth of wind and hot weather. Then we get Maturin eager to spend time at the Galapagos Islands to find what animal species exist there. So, Maturin gives Aubrey a hard time for putting his men in danger on a military mission, while Maturin wants to get glory for himself as the British seaman who discovers new life. Discuss.

Two major battle scenes are gripping as ships exchange cannon fire. There's hand-to-hand combat too. Be prepared to get a little queasy.

Russell Boyd (Crocodile Dundee, Phar Lap) won an Oscar for best cinematography. There are some very fine images here. Too bad the film itself wasn't a little better.

RATING: 7/10

FUN FACTS: Lee Ingleby was Gustave in Ever After: A Cinderella Story.

Paul Bettany starred alongside Russell Crowe is A Beautiful Mind.

Dark Victory (1939)

Dark Victory is a bright spot in Bette Davis' filmography.

The American film legend lobbied hard for the play by George Emerson Brewer, Jr. and Bertram Bloch to be made into a motion picture.

Good call, Bette.

Her Judith Traherne is a well-off socialite living very well off her late father's fortune. Much like a 1930s version of the Kiss song, Rock and Roll All Night, Traherne parties well into the morning and enjoys regular intakes of alcohol and tobacco.

She's hesitant to say anything about painful headaches that have bothered her for several months. Her eyesight is getting wonky too. It's not until she a) takes a bad spill when riding a horse and b) falls down a flight of stairs that others get a concerned about her well-being.

Enter Dr. Frederick Steele (George Brent). Steele is an accomplished brain surgeon. He's getting ready to pack up his practice and head to Vermont where he can focus on his scientific research.

Tarherne is a reluctant patient, loathe to reveal details about her serious ailments.

"It's just a boring subject," she suggests about her health. "I'm accustomed to looking after myself."

Steele has an idea what's happening and X-rays confirm his suspicions. He must operate, but even that surgery isn't a complete success. Traherne will die in less than a year. Steele swears Traherne's best friend, Ann King (Geraldine Fitzgerald), to secrecy.

Sparks start flying between Steele and Traherne. All this talk about illness and mortality sure doesn't impact her looks. She's luminous and full of life. That sunny attitude takes a big dip when she happens on her medical file and learns of her fate. It's back to her hard-living lifestyle. Suicide begins to look like attractive rather than counting the days waiting for her demise.

Will she reunite with Steele? Will she find peace before her death?

Dark Victory is a joy to watch even with all its deep subject matter. Brent is the rock solid caregiver to Davis. As Traherne, Davis gives a role of a lifetime. Her work in this 1939 feature fromd director Edmund Goulding (Grand Hotel, The Dawn Patrol) earned her an Oscar nomination for best actress.

It's a little odd seeing Humphrey Bogart as a horse trainer after tough guy roles in Angels with Dirty Faces and The Roaring Twenties. Both films were also released in the late 1930s.

Future American president Ronald Reagan is more a tippler than the Gipper as Alec, a party-going friend of Traherne's. There's even a small role for Henry Travers. He's known most for his role as Clarence, the angel, in Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life.

The death of Traherne's father allowed her a life of wealth and privlege. She battles illness while Steele does research to save lives. Should doctors tell their patients when death is imminent? When should someone speak up about secrets others are keeping? There are some meaty questions to chew on in addition to the film's fine performances.

RATING: 8/10