GREATEST SCORES OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY Original Review by Craig Lysy Director John Ford believed the Saturday Evening Post story “Massacre” by James Warner Bellah told a story he believed needed to be brought to the big screen. This film would be the first of Ford’s renowned “Cavalry Trilogy”, followed by “She Wore A Yellow Ribbon” in 1949, and “Rio Grande” in 1950, which all starred John Wayne. Ford’s production company Argosy Pictures purchased the film rights, with he and Merian C. Cooper overseeing production with a $2.1 million budget. Ford would also direct and Frank S. Nugent would wr ..read more

Original Review by Jonathan Broxton Frank and Jesse is a mid-budget western film directed by Robert Boris, starring Bill Paxton and Rob Lowe in the roles of the notorious outlaw brothers Frank and Jesse James, who became cult figures for their exploits robbing banks and trains in the Wild West in the 1860s and 1870s. It’s a complete hagiography of course, treating the James Brothers as folk heroes akin to Robin Hood rather than the thieves and murderers that they were; the film specifically looks at the period immediately after the end of the Civil War when Frank and Jesse – disillusioned by t ..read more

GREATEST SCORES OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY Original Review by Craig Lysy In 1946 20th Century Fox was on the hunt for a new musical to showcase their star, Betty Grable. They found their vehicle with the novel “Mother Wore Tights” (1944) by Miriam Young. The film rights were purchased, Lamar Trotti was assigned production, would also write the screenplay, and Walter Lang was tasked with directing. For the cast, Betty Grable would star as Myrtle McKinley Burt. Joining her would be Don Dailey, a gifted former MGM musical film star who following military discharge signed with 20th Century Fox. He w ..read more

GREATEST SCORES OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY Original Review by Craig Lysy Following the huge commercial success of his film “The Killers” (1946), producer Mark Hellinger decided to continue his film noir journey with a descent into the brutality of prison life, inspired by the “Battle of Alcatraz” (1946) where prisoners revolted and fought a two day battle after a failed escape attempt. His production company would finance the project, Jules Dassin was tasked with directing, and Richard Brooks would adapt a story by Robert Patterson and write the screenplay. “The Killers” had launched Burt Lancas ..read more

Original Review by Jonathan Broxton A movie that nobody asked for, but which in my opinion ended up being the second-best film in the series, The First Omen is a prequel chronicling the events leading up to the birth of the antichrist Damien as shown in the original 1976 Richard Donner Omen film, which adds a great deal of depth and intrigue to the backstory of David Seltzer’s characters. The film is set in 1971 and stars Nell Tiger Free as Margaret, an American novitiate nun who arrives in Rome to take up a position at a convent orphanage overseen by the kindly Cardinal Lawrence (Bill Nighy ..read more

THROWBACK THIRTY Original Review by Jonathan Broxton The Paper is an ensemble comedy-drama directed film by Ron Howard that follows the hectic day of a New York City tabloid newspaper, the New York Sun. The plot revolves around Henry Hackett, played by Michael Keaton, the managing editor of the paper, who faces a series of challenges over the course of 24 hours. These challenges include breaking a major story about two young men wrongfully accused of murder, dealing with corporate interference and pressure to sensationalize stories, and navigating personal conflicts within his team, including ..read more

Original Review by Jonathan Broxton In cinematic and literary parlance, a “magical negro” is a stock trope that refers to a supporting black character who often has special insight or displays mystical powers, and who seems to exist only to help the white protagonist in their journey or to solve their problems, often at the expense of their own development and agency. Magical negroes often possess supernatural abilities, deep wisdom, or unusual insights that exceed those of the main (usually white) characters. Their role revolves around assisting the white protagonist, sometimes at personal co ..read more

GREATEST SCORES OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY Original Review by Craig Lysy In an effort to assume greater control of his career, renown actor Edward G. Robinson joined with producer Sol Lesser to form the Thalia Production company. For their inaugural film, Robinson chose to adapt the mystery-thriller novel “The Red House” (1945) by George Agnew Chamberlain. Lesser would manage production with a $1 million budget, Delmer Daves would be tasked with directing, and and would also collaborate with Albert Maltz to write the screenplay. A fine cast was brought in, including; Edward G. Robinson as Pete M ..read more

THROWBACK THIRTY Original Review by Jonathan Broxton The House of the Spirits is an epic family drama based on Isabel Allende’s novel, a seminal work in Latin American literature, renowned for its magical realism and rich storytelling. Set in an unnamed South American country, widely believed to be inspired by Allende’s native Chile, the story spans several generations of the Trueba family as they experience the complex history and social dynamics of the country, beginning with the family patriarch, Esteban Trueba, his wife Clara, and their descendants. Esteban is a self-made man who amasses w ..read more

I’m pleased to present the latest instalment in my on-going series of articles looking at the best under-the-radar scores from around the world. This article, the first of 2024, is covers five scores from a wide array of genres and countries: a made-for TV period romantic comedy, a biographical drama film based on the life of a Catholic missionary, an old-fashioned comedy fantasy adventure, an Italian period drama murder mystery, and a fantasy-adventure short film about the power of imagination!   AN AMERICAN IN AUSTEN – Jérôme Leroy An American in Austen is a romantic drama TV movie for ..read more