Adapted by Dudley Nichols and Oliver H. P. Garrett from a novel by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall, The Hurricane was one of John Ford’s most popular and most entertaining picture of the 1930s, based on spectacular visual and sound effects (which won an Oscar). Ford was reportedly intrigued by the issue of individual […]

I saw the funny and poignant Husbands and Wives, Woody Allen's triumphant comedy-drama, in its world premiere, at the Toronto Festival of Festivals, one of the best and most diverse film festivals in the world. I will report about the Toronto festival in a later column, but I mention the context for my viewing because of the special ambience at the press screening: high expectations for a good film and sincere wishes for Allen's return to top form, after falling on creative hard times. There was a feeling of uneasiness among the critics, all trying to separate the Woody Allen they know off-screen from the one on-screen.

The first of several films based on Tom Clancy’s “Jack Ryan” thrillers, “The Hunt for Red October” was meant to make the then hot stage actor, Alec Baldwin, a movie star. In a two generational plot, Baldwin plays the eccentric CIA analyst Ryan, alongside the always reliable Sean Connery as Soviet submarine commander Marko Ramius. […]

“The Human Comedy” was nominated for
five Oscars, including Best Picture and Director for Clarence Brown, winning one award: Story (Original) for William Saroyan.

Charles Laughton gives a riveting performance in the titular role of what’s considered to be the best Hollywood version of Victor Hugo’s famouls novel. Intelligently adapted to the screen by Sonya Levien, and and proficiently directed by William Dieterle, tale is set in fifteenth century France. The gypsy girl Esmerlada (played by the very young […]