Inspired by the old popular TV series, “Maverick” aims to offer the same kind of pleasures that previous films written by William Goldman and others have provided, such as the 1973 Oscar winner “The Sting” and, of course, the cult Western, “Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid, both of which were elevated by the charisma and chemistry of Paul Newman and Robert Redford.

The Man in the Iron Mask is producer Edward Small’s 1939 version of the popular Dumas classic, directed by James Whale. The title character is the legitimate King of France, imprisoned by his pretender-to-the-throne twin brother (both roles are played by Louis Hayward, with an uncredited Peter Cushing doubling for Hayward in the “over the […]

The story of Scottish-born Presbyterian minister and world-renowned author Peter Marshally, played by Richard Todd, “A Man Called Peter” is reliably but not excitingly directed by Fox’s craftsman Henry Koster. In his youth, Marshall moves to Washington DC, where he becomes pastor of the Church of the Presidents. His conviction enables Marshall to communicate with […]

Child star singer Bobby Breen croons his way into the viewers hearts in the Depression era tale, Make a Wish. Directed by Kurt Neuman, Make a Wish is based on a story by Gertrude Berg, better known for “Molly Goldberg.” While vacationing at a boys’ camp, the rambunctious Chip (Breen) befriends a famous composer, Selden (Basil Rathbone). […]

Centering on an interracial romance between a middle-aged Jewish widow living in Brooklyn and an older Japanese businessman, A Majority of One is one of Mervyn Le Roy’s weakest films. Adapted to the big screen by Leonard Spigelgass from his stage play, the film is theatrical, overblown, and overlong (two and a half hours). While […]