Cattle Annie and Little Britches (1980)

 

In 19th-century Oklahoma, two teen girls who love stories about outlaws, are on a quest to meet and join up with them. They find a shadow of a former gang and although disappointed, still try to help them escape from a vigorous Marshal.

From memory: Obviously intended as a female variation of Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid, this Western does have similar charm, humor and vivacity plus a good star cast, but remains not quite as memorable. 

Halliwell (no star): "Rather winsome family Western, with too little real action and too much romping about."

Maltin***: "Very pleasant little Western...Winning cast, including Plummer in film debut."

Il gattopardo (1963)

On the set: Burt Lancaster, Romy Schneider, Alain Delon and Luchino Visconti

Ulzana's Raid (1972)

 

After fierce war chief Ulzana and a small war party jump the reservation bent on murder and terror, an inexperienced young lieutenant is assigned to track him down. 

Relentlessly tough and violent Western shows no sympathy for any side of the conflict, which may seem dubious, but rather emanates a quite nihilistic viewpoint.

Halliwell (no star): "Bloodthirsty, reactionary Western with unpleasant shock moments." 

 

Maltin***1/2: "Gritty Western tale...with jarring bursts of violence."

Il gattopardo (1963)

Burt Lancaster, Claudia Cardinale and Alain Delon at the premiere of Il Gattopardo at the Cannes Film Festival

The Unforgiven (1960)

The neighbors of a frontier family turn on them when it is suspected that their adopted daughter was stolen from the local Kiowa tribe.

Large-scale, star-cast, epic Western with a blatant anti-racist message is ambitious but somehow misses the point it wants to make.

Halliwell*: "Good-looking, expensive but muddled racist Western, hard to enjoy."

Maltin***: "Gish and Bickford are outstanding in stellar-cast story, with rousing Indian attack climax."

Atlantic City, USA (1980)

 

 

In a corrupt city, a small-time gangster and the estranged wife of a pot dealer find themselves thrown together in an escapade of love, money, drugs and danger. 

 

From memory: grand portrait of a city's changing thought is poetic, subtle and muli-faceted; Burt Lancaster is excellent as the aged gangster. 

 

Halliwell***: "Elegiac character drama which often achieves the mood it seeks but on the whole remainstoo understated for its own good."

 

Maltin****: "Rich character study of a city in transition...European in its ambience and storytelling approach, though its setting is an American resort. Lancaster gives one of his finest performances..."

 

 

Birdman of Alcatraz (1962)

A surly convicted murderer held in permanent isolation redeems himself when he becomes a renowned bird expert.

Affecting prison drama takes its time to tell its  story, but gives room for many touching moments; Burt Lancaster delivers a great performance.

Halliwell*: "Overlong and rather weary biopic of Robert Shroud, who spent nearly sixry years in prison and became a cause célèbre. One cannot deny many effective moments, notably of direction, but it's a long haul."

Maltin***: "Pensive study...Film becomes static despite imaginative sidelights to enlarge scope of action."

The Killers (1946)

Hit men kill an unresisting victim, and an investigator uncovers his past involvement with beautiful, deadly woman.

Film noir classic with extraordinary b/w photography and excellent performances, Ava Gardner, however, is not quite convincing as femme fatale; the plot is more an imagination about Ernest Hemingways story than an adaptation.

On renewed viewing: Hemingway's famous short story is merely the trigger for an intriguing, complex Noir crime story, arguably one of genre's best; both Lancaster as the 'innocent' cuckold and Gardner as the inscrutable femme fatale set standards with their performances.

Halliwell***: "Elaborate tale of cross and double-cross, stunningly executed."

Maltin****: "Compelling crime drama...Film provides fireworks, early success of Lancaster (in film debut) and Gardner."

Airport (1970)

A bomber on board an airplane, an airport almost closed by snow, and various personal problems of the people involved.

The movie that started the 70s series of all-star disaster movies and one of the best; sturdily produced, old-fashioned, with multiple plotlines, suspense, melodrama and some comic relief.

Halliwell***: "Glossy, undeniably entertaining, all-star version of a popular novel, with cradboard characters skilfully deployed in Hollywood's very vest style."

Maltin***1/2: "GRAND HOTEL plot formula reaches latter-day zenith in ultraslick, old-fashioned movie that entertains in spite of itself...Plastic performances dominate, with down-to-earth Kennedy, touching Stapleton, and nervous Heflin standing out."

Come Back, Little Sheba (1952)

An emotionally remote recovering alcoholic and his dowdy, unambitious wife face a personal crisis when they take in an attractive lodger.

Quite effective and intense adaptation of a stage marriage drama with a good cast, but Shirley Booth's superb performance is the central point of interest.

Halliwell*: "Stagey but theatrically effective transcription of a popular domestic drama, with one outstanding performance."

Maltin***1/2: "William Inge play is emotional tour de force..."

Brute Force (1947)

At a tough penitentiary a prisoner plans to rebel against the power-mad chief guard.

Relentlessly dark, tough and intense prison drama with a large cast of characters and subplots (including flashbacks) that never loses the focus to the main plot and its inevitable ending.

Halliwell**: "Vivid and rather repellent prison melodrama leading to an explosive climax; its savagery seemed at the time to break fresh ground."

Maltin***1/2: "Tingling, hard-bitten prison film with its few cliches puched across solidly."

Criss Cross (1949)

An armored truck driver and his lovely ex-wife conspire with a gang to have his own truck robbed on the route.

Desert Fury (1947)

The daughter of a Nevada casino owner gets involved with a racketeer, despite everyone's efforts to separate them.

Unusual Noir melodrama in Technicolor has good story and atmosphere, and Lizabeth Scott holds it all together very well, but the male protagonists are all a shade sallow.

Halliwell (no star): "Muddled melodrama slightly helped by Arizona colour settings; unconvincing characters mouth unspeakable lines in an airless tedium."

Il gattopardo (1963)

Cannes 1963: Luchino Visconti, Claudia Cardinale and Burt Lancaster presenting..."The Leopard"

I Walk Alone (1948)

A convict leaves prison expecting a share from his ex-partner but Prohibition bootlegging didn't prepare him for Big Business.

Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957)

Lawman Wyatt Earp and outlaw Doc Holliday form an unlikely alliance which culminates in their participation in the legendary Gunfight at the O.K. Corral.

The Unforgiven (1960)