Poland Polish filmmaker Andrzej Wajda’s Oscar-nominated sequel to his 1972 epic Man of Marble. Both films deal with the relationship of labor leaders to their communist leaders and the difficulties of the media to cover that story. It adds footage from the real-life strikes led by Lech Walesa that took place during the film’s production. […]

This mediocre biopic of Sam Houston was produced by Republic Pictures, which spent more than the usual on telling the life of the Texas empire-builder Sam Houston, played by the Oscar winner Richard Dix. The saga contains such historical figures as Jim Bowie, Andrew Jackson, Davy Crockett and General Santa Ana. Among the film’s impressive […]

It’s a big mystery why John Huston’s exciting screen version of Rudyard Kipling’s beloved adventure, The Man Who Woul Be King,” was a big commercial flop—despite critical support and artistic acclaim (the film was nominated for four Academy Awards. The action-adventure tale, well adapted to the screen by Huston and Gladys Hill, begins with author […]

In this minor serio comedy, a war hero, Cpl. Marion Scott (Dave “Tex” O’Brien), returns home following a medical discharge and gets romantically involved with a rich young woman Kay Aldridge (Wilhelmina Hammond) speeding away from her wedding day in her fiance’s car. Seeing the serviceman, she gives him a ride and explains her predicament.  The […]

Alec Guinness plays one of his best known roles in this Ealing satirical comedy about an amateur scientist whose latest invention creates uproar in the British textile industry. The Oscar-nominated comedy (in the writing category) is directed with wit and panache by Alexander Mackendrick, who is best known for his 1957 noir classic, Sweet Smell […]