Midnight Oil:Movies and More

“The Who Never Was” (1956) IMDb with Clifton Webb spins an intriguing yarn about British military intelligence during WWII. Apparently based on actual events, Lieutenant Commander Ewen Montagu (Clifton Webb) finds himself with the challenging and somewhat gruesome task of diverting the attention of the German High Command away from a planned invasion of the continent through planting misinformation on a dead body. Montagu and his team are indefatigable in their efforts to serve the national interest. In contrast, the cost of the war in terms of personal loss is depicted through the part of the grieving father of the dead man and the distraught girlfriend (Gloria Greene) who is told that her beloved is dead. Though perhaps not the greatest spy thriller every made, I find this film to be interesting enough to be watchable. The fictionalized account of actual spy stuff certainly makes this movie of historical interest for WWII film buffs.

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See the TVO SNAM preview for “The Man Who Never Was” (1956)

Catch the video trailer for the opening credits of “The Man Who Never Was” 1956. I believe that the dramatic reading in the opening is from a poem by H.G. Wells.

"Father of the Bride" (1950) IMDb with Spencer Tracy and Elizabeth Taylor provides an interesting look into the subject of marriage, weddings and father/daughter relationships. Joan Bennett plays the bride to be's mother and Don Taylor the prospective groom. A very young Liz Taylor makes for a convincing first-time bride while Tracy hams it up in the role of the doting daddy. While

the perspective on marriage and general naïvité of the young persons involved might seem a little odd for today's audience viewing this film, the dynamics of the internal family relationships may prove to be more familiar ground.

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Catch the video trailer for "Father of the Bride" here.

"To Catch a Thief" (1955)IMDb Hitchcock's romantic thriller packs in the glamour on the French Riviera. Always the gentleman, Cary Grant plays the super suave ex-cat burgler, Monsieur John Robie, opposite the exquisite and exciting Grace Kelly. Cary Grant, as Robie, is fingered for a series of robberies which he didn't commit and finds himself obliged to solve the mystery with the aid of the beatiful Ms. Kelly.

 

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 Catch the TVOntario video preview for  "To Catch a Thief" here.

"My Sister Eileen" 1955 INDb is chock full of a sunny optimism and great dance moves courtesy of Bob Fosse. Fosse as the underdog suitor of the highly attractive Eileen (Janet Leigh) is entirely unremarkable - until he puts on his dancing shoes, that is. Eileen's older sister, played by Betty Garrett, isn't a bad hoofer either as she tries every trick she knows to get published while in the Big Apple. My only regret is that we don't get to see Jack Lemmon graduate from charm school into a dance number. A song will have to do.

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Catch the video from the Interviews by TVO about "My Sister Eileen"

This film was screened with "Sweet Charity" also previously reviewed on Midnight Oil.

See Bob Fosse's wonderful coreography in this video segment from "My Sister Eileen" (1955)

Compulsion (1959) - INDb is an interesting twist on the infamous thrill killing "Crime of the Century" by Leopold and Loeb. Dean Stockwell and Bradford Dillman play the rich young  degenerates who engage in the most shocking of crimes while Orson Welles plays the Clarence Darrow figure who is responsible for helping them to avoid the hangman's noose.   The award winning performances  lead  one through a thorough workout for  the moral faculties on issues of captial punishment. 

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Catch the video trailer from TVO for Compulsion