Dorothy Malone

Bio:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy_Malone

Five Guns West (1955)

Five criminals are recruited by the Confederacy for a dangerous mission in exchange for a pardon.

Standard Western with an unusual plot and Dorothy Malone as one tough gal.

Halliwell (no star): "Western trial run for The Dirty Dozen; cheapjack actioner, quite tolerable for its kind."

Maltin**: "Fair Corman Western..."

The Last Voyage (1960)

After a boiler explosion aboard an aging ocean liner, a man struggles to free his injured wife from the wreckage of their cabin and ensure the safety of their four-year-old daughter as the ship begins to sink.

Old-fashioned disaster movie istold straightforwardly (the catastrophe begins in the first seconds before the credits) and with a solid cast, but the excitement is somewhat limited.

Halliwell*: "Spectacular if dramatically deficient actioner for which a genuine liner (awaiting scrapping) was sunk."

Maltin***: "Engrossing drama..."

The Last Sunset (1961)

At a Mexican ranch, fugitive and pursuing sheriff agree to help rancher drive his herd into Texas where the sheriff could legally arrest the fugitive but the rancher's wife complicates things.

Unusual larger-than-life Western melodrama compels with a complex plot and psychological depth.

Halliwell (no star): "Slow psycho-Western with pretensions to tragedy."

Maltin***: "Strange on the range, courtesy of Aldrich and scriptwriter Dalton Trumbo."

Basic Instinct (1992)

A violent, suspended police detective investigates a brutal murder, in which a manipulative and seductive woman could be involved.

Over-the-top  sex & crime thriller effectively makes you forget the nonsensical plot and creates an overcharged lurid atmosphere, a bit like Vertigo on acid.

Halliwell*: "Overheated, overlong melodramatic thriller with an implausible plot that requires its audience to accept that Michael Douglas is irresistibly attractive to bisexual women. But the skill and pace of the direction makes one regret that they were not exercised on better material."

Maltin***: "In-your-face sex thriller...Audacious, erotic, and larger-than-life - with an ending that falls short of real satisfaction."

Written on the Wind (1956)

An alcoholic playboy millionaire marries the woman secretly loved by his poor but hard-working best friend, who in turn is pursued by the husband's nymphomaniac sister.

It's pulp for sure, but meticulously made and played, a classic of its genre.

On second view: splendid over-the-top melodrama.

Halliwell**: "The sheerest Hollywood moonshine: high-flying melodramatic hokum which moves fast enough to be very entertaining."

Maltin***: "Florid melodrama...Irresistible kitsch."

The Big Sleep (1946)

Private detective Philip Marlowe is hired by a rich family and before the complex case is over, he's seen murder, blackmail, and what might be love.

Classic detective thriller with a nearly incomprehensible plot, but highly ebtertaining due to prime direction, excellent star performances, a touch of Noir with a pinch of ironic humour, snappy dialogues and suspense.

Halliwell***: "Inextricably complicated, moody thriller from a novel whose author claimed that even he did not know 'who done it'. The film is nevertheless vastly enjoyable along the way for its slangy script, star performances and outbursts of violence, suspense and sheer fun."

Maltin****: "Classic mystery thriller...So convoluted even Chandler didn't know who committed one murder, but so incredibly entertaining that no has ever cared. Powerhouse direction; unforgettable dialogue..."