Reviews of movies directed by Howard Hawks.
Grade: D+
Synopsis: During World War I, a woman (Joan Crawford) pledges herself to her brother’s (Franchot Tone) friend (Robert Young) only to fall for a visiting American (Gary Cooper).
Today We Live stars as a muddled melodrama but eventually morphs into a solid war drama. It just takes far too long to get there. MORE »
Grade: C+
Synopsis: A lumber tycoon (Edward Arnold) abandons a saloon girl (Frances Farmer) then rivals his son (Joel McCrea) for her daughter (Frances Farmer).
Come and Get It was Samuel Goldwyn’s big screen adaptation of Edna Ferber’s famed novel. Unfortunately, Goldwyn was something of a stickler for the source material and replaced original director Howard Hawks with William Wyler when Hawks attempted to diverge from the novel during the film’s later half. For his part, Hawks says everything but the final 10 minutes or so is his, but that’s probably his ego talking. The truth is the film’s first half is very good, and vintage Hawks, while the second half… well, not so much. MORE »
Grade: C+
Synopsis: A group of scientists and Air Force servicemen find themselves targeted by a vampiric alien organism at a remote Arctic outpost.
The Thing from Another World is a solid monster movie that served to usher in the 1950’s era of alien thrillers and atomic disasters. This, despite nearly being ruined by a few ill-conceived lines in the script. MORE »
Grade: D+
Synopsis: A manic director (John Barrymore) makes a star out of an actress (Carole Lombard) who deserts him for Hollywood, taking success with her.
Twentieth Century is a screwball comedy from director Howard Hawks. The title refers not to a period in time, but rather to the Twentieth Century Express train line that serves as the setting for the film’s final third. As for the film itself, your enjoyment will depend largely on your interpretation of John Barrymore’s performance. MORE »
Grade: C+
Synopsis: Two mountain men (Kirk Douglas and Dewey Martin) join a keelboat expedition up the Missouri River through Indian country.
The Big Sky is a sprawling western-adventure from director Howard Hawks, featuring some great location photography and a star-making performance from Kirk Douglas.
The film is textbook Hawks, mixing gritty, realistic details about the job at hand, in this case getting a keelboat up the Missouri River, a task that often required men to go ashore and pull the boat, with an idealistic version of male camaraderie, in this case the rivalry turned friendship between Kirk Douglas and Dewey Martin’s characters, all the while framed against a seemingly overwhelming enemy, in this case the Indians, and topped off with a colorful character actor playing a sorta side-kick/mentor, in this case Arthur Hunnicutt. MORE »
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