Reviews of movies directed by Howard Hawks.
Friday, April 25th 2008
Grade: C
Synopsis: Based on the true story of Alvin York (Gary Cooper), a hillbilly sharpshooter reluctant to fight in World War I because of his religion, who became the most decorated soldier in US history.
Sergeant York is a very well written and well acted film from director Howard Hawks with one glaring problem: a forty-year-old Gary Cooper. Yes, Cooper won an Oscar for his performance, but he’s still at least a decade too old for the part.
Seriously, this might not have been such a big deal if his love interest wasn’t played by a sixteen-year-old Joan Leslie. I mean, even for the hills of Tennessee that’s just plain creepy. MORE »
Posted at 2:57 PM in Movie Reviews, Howard Hawks and John Huston.
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Monday, April 21st 2008
Grade: C-
Synopsis: A singer (Virginia Mayo) hides out with an academic (Danny Kaye) who’s unaware of her mob connections.
A Song Is Born is director Howard Hawks’ musical remake of his earlier film, Ball of Fire (1941).
Your enjoyment of the film will likely be commensurate with your enjoyment of the various musical performers spotlighted. Tommy Dorsey, Louis Armstrong, Charlie Barnet, and the oft-sampled Golden Gate Quartette are all featured, and Benny Goodman even plays one of the academics. Needless to say, A Song Is Born will likely play very well to fans of the era’s music.
While the jazz is great, the film’s big problem lies in its leads. Danny Kaye and Virginia Mayo are certainly passable, but neither is strong enough to carry the picture, and as a result, the film feels more like a musical showcase than a real story. MORE »
Posted at 6:00 PM in Movie Reviews and Howard Hawks.
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Friday, April 4th 2008
Grade: B+
Synopsis: A seemingly cynical pilot (Cary Grant) running mail through the mountains of Peru finds his life complicated by the arrival of a chorus girl (Jean Arthur).
Only Angels Have Wings is the spiritual forerunner of director Howard Hawks’ later masterpiece Rio Bravo (1959), that, with a better leading lady, could have been its equal.
Unfortunately, Jean Arthur just isn’t up to the task. While other Hawks ladies such as Lauren Bacall and Angie Dickenson excelled at conveying the subtle, sultry, vibe Hawks strove for, Arthur seems unwilling or incapable. As a result, she sticks out among the cast as an artificial oddity, causing Grant’s character’s attraction to her to seem a lot more implausible. Granted, Rita Hayworth, in her biggest role to date, also struggles, but she ultimately acquits herself far better than Arthur. MORE »
Posted at 12:53 PM in Movie Reviews, Cary Grant and Howard Hawks.
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Monday, March 3rd 2008
Grade: D
Synopsis: While trying to secure a rare bone and a one-million dollar grant for his museum, a paleontologist (Cary Grant) finds himself mixed up with an heiress (Katharine Hepburn) and her pet leopard, Baby.
Despite its critical darling status today, Bringing Up Baby was such a commercial flop upon its release in 1938 that studio RKO bought out Katherine Hepburn’s contract (almost ending her career in the process) and fired director Howard Hawks from his next production Gunga Din (1939).
And it’s easy to see why. This is a “screwball” comedy where all the characters behave ridiculously. Hepburn’s character is completely self-absorbed and absolutely unlikable, while Grant’s character is a stuffy pushover who refuses to stand up for himself. There’s no straight man for the audience to identify with, thus reducing the film to an exercise in patience as a series of unlikable characters get into farcical situations. MORE »
Posted at 3:07 PM in Movie Reviews, Cary Grant and Howard Hawks.
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Friday, January 25th 2008
Grade: B+
Synopsis: A massive and desperate cattle drive up the Chisholm Trail creates a rift between a rancher (John Wayne) and his adopted son (Montgomery Clift).
The character of Thomas Dunson in director Howard Hawks’ Red River is widely regarded as one of John Wayne’s finest roles, and for good reason. As Dunson, a driven, but flawed man, we see Wayne cover a wide range of emotions, but never once go over the top.
Complimenting Wayne’s turn is a fine supporting cast including then-newcomer Montgomery Clift, Hawks-mainstay Walter Brennan, and frequent Wayne alumnus Paul Fix, Harry Carey, and Harry Carey Jr.
The script is solid, with believable characterization, and plenty of thrills. It’s only flaws come in the form of some strained dialog from its two female characters, particularly Coleen Gray, and a somewhat watered-down ending. MORE »
Posted at 2:04 PM in Movie Reviews, Howard Hawks and John Wayne.
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