Lions, Towers & Shields

Bogart, Huston and Holt go hunting for gold in Mexico, and they find it. But it’s unlikely they’ll get to keep it. John Huston’s 1947 “Treasure of the Sierra Madre” includes some of the best performances of the three lead actors’ careers, and a lot of visual flourishes, social commentary and a giant blob of irony.

Huston's "Treasure of the Sierra Madre"

Host Shelly Brisbin with Dr. Drang.

The Movie: review/commentary on a single classic film

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John Sturges’ “Bad Day at Black Rock” takes place soon after World War II, but it feels like something out of the Old West. You could also call it “daylight noir.” Spencer Tracy faces off against Robert Ryan, Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine and a whole bunch of townspeople with something to hide. We talk about filmmaking techniques, performance and how a one-armed dude survives his 24 hours in Black Rock.

Bad Day at Black Rock

Host Shelly Brisbin with Dr. Drang, Philip Michaels, and Nathan Alderman.

The Movie: review/commentary on a single classic film

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Or. What if Santa Claus Pushed You off a Tower?

One of Alfred Hitchcock’s earliest American films is among the most enjoyable to watch. Joel McCrea is the reporter of the title, off to find out what’s happening in Europe for the benefit of a prewar American audience. Spies, murder and amazing character actors abound, along with some extraordinary Hitchcock set pieces.

The Joy of Foreign Correspondent

Host Nathan Alderman with Shelly Brisbin and Micheline Maynard.

The Movie: review/commentary on a single classic film

Next time, we’ll watch

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The usually affable Joel McCrea is sort of the hero, but not exactly lovable. And Ginger Rogers may have done everything Fred Astaire did “backwards and in heels” but here, she is not living her best life. “Primrose Path” takes an unrelenting look at a dysfunctional family. It was unusual for its time, and gives the two leads a lot to do.

A Walk Down the "Primrose Path"

Host Shelly Brisbin with Nathan Alderman.

Old Movies, New Things: discs, books and other physical objects

Sightings: classics on TV, streaming, and (someday) the festival circuit

The Movie: review/commentary on a single classic film

Next time, we’ll watch

Foreign Correspondent (1940)

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Hark! Is that the sound of a zither? Carol Reed’s The Third Man (1949) stars Orson Welles and Joseph Cotten, not necessarily in order of screentime, it’s a post-war noir classic, set in Vienna, with compelling photography, plot and performances. This episode is also The Incomparable’s second look at this film.

The Third Man Again

Host Shelly Brisbin with Dr. Drang, Jean MacDonald, Micheline Maynard, Philip Michaels, and David J. Loehr.

The Movie: review/commentary on a single classic film

Next time, we’ll watch

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He’s largely unknown today, but Warren William had an important role in what we know today as pre-code film. Sadly, many of his films are neither streaming or rentable. but we did find one that shows off his seedy side. If you’d like more recommendations, listen in. William usually played a dapper, middle-aged villain with a taste for much younger women, and a line that would get him what he wanted. As we say in this episode, think William Powell, but sinister. After his pre-code days, William played Perry Mason in several films, as well as a detective called the Lone Wolf.

Perry Mason *Is "The Mind Reader"

Host Shelly Brisbin with Nathan Alderman and David J. Loehr.

The Movie: review/commentary on a single classic film

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We go full-on romance classic with Random Harvest (1942), starring the luminous Greer Garson and the handsome and very English Ronald Colman (she’s Irish.) It’s a golden age, big studio production, and it’s great. There’s love, there’s war (or the aftermath of war), there’s loss of memory… I’ve said too much already. I unreservedly love this one, and not for any knowing precode touches or hard-boiled characters. I love it because Garson and Colman are great together and it made me cry and stuff.

A Random Harvest of Memories

Host Shelly Brisbin with Deborah Stanish, Frank Feuerbacher, Moisés Chiullán, Erika Ensign, and Annette Wierstra.

The Movie: review/commentary on a single classic film

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Let us consider 1949’s The Fountainhead, the first filmed version of an Ayn Rand novel, though it’s not the first time Rand’s words were spoken onscreen. She worked as a writer in Hollywood while nursing her brew of objectivist beliefs and turning them into some, um, interesting books. Our film stars Gary Cooper and Patricia Neal, and is based on Rand’s novel of the same name. So, how do we feel about all this? Listen and find out!

The Fountainhead: a hate watch

Host Shelly Brisbin with David J. Loehr, Nathan Alderman, Travis Bedard, and Tara Anderson.

Old Movies, New Things: discs, books and other physical objects

Sightings: classics on TV, streaming, and (someday) the festival circuit

The Movie: review/commentary on a single classic film

Next time, we’ll watch

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Edgar G. Ulmer’s “Detour” is both a low-budget B movie, and one of the most influential and elemental examples of America’s film noir. Its stars were largely unknown, and it was released by a poverty row studio. It’s also a great film - one that was “rediscovered” by film nerds and preservationists in recent years, and has now been restored and given a Crierion release. What’s all the fuss? We’re gonna find out?

Detour

Host Shelly Brisbin with Nathan Alderman.

The Movie: review/commentary on a single classic film

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It’s “Ball of Fire.” Howard Hawks directs; Billy Wilder writes. And Barbara Stanwyck is Sugarpuss O’Shea, who hides out from the cops with a group of dotty professors working on a new encyclopedia. Gary Cooper is in it too, along with S.Z. “Cuddles” Sakall, Richard Haydn and many more. It’s a comedy classic. Even so, we manage to drop many many hot takes.

Ball of Fire

Host Shelly Brisbin with Nathan Alderman, David J. Loehr, and Greg Maupin.

Old Movies, New Things: discs, books and other physical objects

Sightings: classics on TV, streaming, and (someday) the festival circuit

The Movie: review/commentary on a single classic film

Next time, we’ll watch:

Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.