At his death in 19 BC Virgil left three works of literature, all in verse: the first is the Bucolics, a charming collection of ten short poems about country life. The second poem is known as the Georgics which is poetic advice to farmers with a famous section about bees and their habits. The third poem, the Aeneid, is the longest, an epic work of imagination regarding the origins of Romans in times long before Rome itself was founded. Continue reading ‘The Aenied’
The United States Constitution is the oldest written national constitution still in force in the world. Ratified by the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia on September 17, 1787, it was established as – and remains – the basis of all U.S. laws. To say that a law is “unconstitutional” means that it has no power and cannot be enforced. Continue reading ‘What Would the Founders Say?’
There are many movies from the 1940s that deserve more recognition today than has been given to them. Even in their day, these films were sometimes well-received and then quickly forgotten or not successful at all. Some were low-budget “B” movies while others were main programmers, sometimes receiving one or more 1940s Oscar nominations. Continue reading ’10 Underrated Films from the 1940s’
Simply put, this is one of the all-time best boxing films. It is the story of a washed-up prizefighter (Robert Ryan) that, wanting one more “last chance,” goes into the ring not knowing that he has been set up by his manager to take a fall. When he is finally told this, his pride and self-respect will not allow him to lose and the resultant consequences are devastating. Continue reading ‘The Set-Up’
In less than a decade, Preston Sturges reeled off a series of successful comedies, many of which are considered classics today. At the end of this period was Unfaithfully Yours, a mixture of black comedy and sidesplitting, slapstick hilarity. The plot is centered on a stuffed shirt symphony conductor (Rex Harrison) who is wrongly led to believe that his wife (Linda Darnell) is having an affair. This leads to him imagining three plans of revenge, one of which involves murder. Of course, when they are put to actual use, none of them quite work out as expected. Continue reading ‘Unfaithfully Yours’
The Dark Corner is a nice little film noir by Henry Hathaway that features an imaginative story, fast pacing, and fine acting. A private detective (Mark Stevens) is falsely accused of killing his ex-partner, a man who was responsible for Stevens serving undeserved time in prison. Chased by the police, Stevens has little time to find the real killer. Continue reading ‘The Dark Corner’
Intensely atmospheric, with a Hitchcock feel to it, this is a great example of how to make an excellent “B” film. Nina Foch plays an American living alone in England who accepts a job as a live-in secretary to an elderly woman and her son. The pair seem cordial and pleasant at first but the young woman slowly realizes that she is being held prisoner in the house as part of a nefarious scheme that will result in her death. Continue reading ‘My Name Is Julia Ross’
This coming of age movie by Elia Kazan is a beautiful, poignant story of a bright, sensitive young girl growing up in a Brooklyn tenement in the early 1900s. A young Peggy Ann Garner is wonderful as Francie, a young dreamer who wants more in life for her family and for herself, but at the same time is fearful of the future. Her performance was so compelling he received a special Oscar for her role. Continue reading ‘A Tree Grows in Brooklyn’
This mystery film from the Universal Sherlock Holmes series is by far the best of the series, benefiting from an intelligent script, good acting, and fine camera work. In it, Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce) find themselves in a remote French-Canadian village investigating a series of mysterious murders, all allegedly the work of a supernatural entity. Atmospheric and dark, with most of the scenes taking place at night, this film leaves the viewer guessing until the very end. Continue reading ‘The Scarlet Claw’
The Seventh Victim is a moody, suspenseful, and eerie tale of a young girl (Kim Hunter) searching for her missing sister and in the process discovering a devil-worshipping cult in the heart of New York City. This is one of the many fine Val Lewton produced “B” thrillers of the 1940s which also include “The Cat People”, “Curse of the Cat People”, “Isle of the Dead”, and “The Body Snatcher” among others. As with all Lewton productions, the terror lies in not what is seen but what is unseen.