Crawdaddy's "Random Thoughts" about Home Video, Film & TV (4 Viewers)

[Robert Crawford]

This weekend's "Noir Alley" movie is "Follow Me Quietly" (1949) starring William Lundigan, Dorothy Patrick, Jeff Corey and Nestor Paiva. This 60-minute RKO "B" film was directed by Richard Fleischer. The movie was derived from a story co-written by Anthony Mann. It's been over a decade since I last watched this interesting movie on DVD. With it being about 60 minutes long, I will watch it again.


Updated TCM's Noir Alley 2024 Schedule:


12-02-23: Black Angel
12-09-23: I Wouldn't Be in Your Shoes
12-16-23: Beware, My Lovely
01-06-24: Pickup
01-13-24: I Died a Thousand Times
01-20-24: Stage Fright
01-27-24: Woman in Hiding
03-16-24: Le Samourai
03-23-24: Where Danger Lives
03-30-24: Pushover
04-06-24: Violence
04-13-24: The Breaking Point
04-20-24: Born to Kill
04-27-24: The Big Knife
05-04-24: Dark Passage
05-11-24: Follow Me Quietly
05-18-24: Take Aim at the Police Van (1960)
05-25-24: Bad for Each Other

 

[Matt Hough]

I don't believe I've ever seen Follow Me Quietly, so I'll definitely be watching. An hour is not much of a time investment.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Oh yeah!

Coming Soon on Blu-ray!

Brand New HD Restoration by Paramount Pictures – From 6K Scans of the 35mm Original Camera Negative!

The Lonely Man (1957) Starring Jack Palance, Anthony Perkins, Neville Brand, Robert Middleton, Elaine Aiken, Elisha Cook Jr., Claude Akins, Lee Van Cleef & Denver Pyle – Shot by Lionel Lindon (The Manchurian Candidate) – Music by Van Cleave (Lucy Gallant) – Screenplay by Harry Essex (The Sons of Katie Elder) & Robert Smith (99 River Street) – Directed by Henry Levin (Convicted, That Man Bolt).

 

[Matt Hough]

Watching The Big Knife a couple of weeks ago reignited my interest in Jack Palance's 1950s movie career, so I'll eagerly get this.

 

[Mark-P]

Oh yeah!

Coming Soon on Blu-ray!

Brand New HD Restoration by Paramount Pictures – From 6K Scans of the 35mm Original Camera Negative!

The Lonely Man (1957) Starring Jack Palance, Anthony Perkins, Neville Brand, Robert Middleton, Elaine Aiken, Elisha Cook Jr., Claude Akins, Lee Van Cleef & Denver Pyle – Shot by Lionel Lindon (The Manchurian Candidate) – Music by Van Cleave (Lucy Gallant) – Screenplay by Harry Essex (The Sons of Katie Elder) & Robert Smith (99 River Street) – Directed by Henry Levin (Convicted, That Man Bolt).

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I‘m hoping this means Paramount will replace the iTunes SD file with the new transfer (and maybe even 4K?) In any case I’m glad I didn’t buy the Vudu/Fandango file like you did.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I‘m hoping this means Paramount will replace the iTunes SD file with the new transfer (and maybe even 4K?) In any case I’m glad I didn’t buy the Vudu/Fandango file like you did.

That’s okay because unlike you, my preference is to have my favorite movies on physical media as well as digital. Furthermore, I’m a huge fan of audio commentaries that won’t be available on the digital but will likely be on that Kino BD.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I don't believe I've ever seen Follow Me Quietly, so I'll definitely be watching. An hour is not much of a time investment.

I've always enjoyed the movie with my main concern about it being the casting of killer. However, I can understand Eddie's comments about the lead actor. Anyhow, with a little more meat on the script and with a better actor like Robert Ryan in the lead, this could've been a classic film noir.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Yesterday afternoon, I was able to watch "Ten Tall Men" (1951) on Blu-ray. It's part of Via Vision's BD set "Tales of Adventure Collection 3". An enjoyable action/comedic movie from my youth that still holds ups for me. A good cast of actors including another favorite of mine, Gilbert Roland. However, the video presentation of this Technicolor movie is mediocre at best. The colors are not vibrant at all, and the Blu-ray looks like it was derived from an older scan. Via Vision is hit or miss when it comes to the video quality of their BD releases. This was the first movie that Burt Lancaster produced as he was partnered with Harold Hecht. Also, a young Robert Aldrich was credited as assistant to the producer. Thus, began the business relationship with Lancaster, whom he directed in at least four movies starting with Vera Cruz and ending with Twilight's Last Gleaming.

 

[Matt Hough]

I've always enjoyed the movie with my main concern about it being the casting of killer. However, I can understand Eddie's comments about the lead actor. Anyhow, with a little more meat on the script and with a better actor like Robert Ryan in the lead, this could've been a classic film noir.

Yeah, I get Eddie's point about William Lundigan's wholesomeness, but it didn't bother me in the context of the movie, and the brief film was enjoyable. It might have been more a classic if The Judge had turned out to be a character we had met somewhere in the story (like Jeff Corey's character) instead of being a colorless degenerate we never really get to know.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Yeah, I get Eddie's point about William Lundigan's wholesomeness, but it didn't bother me in the context of the movie, and the brief film was enjoyable. It might have been more a classic if The Judge had turned out to be a character we had met somewhere in the story (like Jeff Corey's character) instead of being a colorless degenerate we never really get to know.

By the way, Max Fleischer's son was a fine and underrated director. I have many of his films including this one in my film collection.

 

[Matt Hough]

Yes, he was a fine director.

 

[ahollis]

Very underrated director. I try to watch every film he has directed. He is one of my favorite directors.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Tonight, I screened "Botany Bay" (1953) starring Alan Ladd, James Mason, Patricia Medina and Sir Cedric Hardwicke. Directed by John Farrow. I don't remember ever seeing this movie beforehand and this Blu-ray which is part of Via Vision's "Directed by John Farrow" boxset is the first physical disc release for this film. Unlike "Ten Tall Men" in that other Via Vision BD boxset, this Blu-ray offers a much better-looking video presentation for this Technicolor movie. It's not quite up to the standards established by Warner Archive with their Technicolor films, but it's a good-looking presentation on my OLED. I'm quite happy with it and will watch it again to listen to Daniel Kremer and David Del Valle's audio commentary along with a Joe Dante featurette on John Farrow.

I believe this was Ladd's last film he made at Paramount while under contract to them. He filmed this movie after finishing "Shane". "Botany Bay" was filmed in December 1951 into 1952. However, like Shane, the film wasn't released until 1953. Most of the movie takes place on a convict ship from England to Australia in the late 18th century. Ladd plays a wrongly convicted American medical student while James Mason plays the sadistic ship's captain. Patricial Medina plays a female prisoner that becomes the eye of desire for both men. I thought the movie was rather entertaining and would give it a film score of 3.5 out of 5. I'm a huge Alan Ladd fan from my childhood days of watching his movies on local TV. I might have seen this movie during those days, but I don't have any memory of it like I do with a similar Ladd/Farrow movie "Two Years Before the Mast" (1946). I wonder if Kino or Via Vision will release that black and white film on Blu-ray?

I also watched another Blu-ray from that "Directed by John Farrow" boxset which was "Submarine Command" (1951) starring William Holden, Nancy Olson, William Bendix and Don Taylor. This movie was also directed by John Farrow. I'm too tired to write more about this movie now but will do so later this week, when I receive the Kino Blu-ray release. That Kino Blu-ray has an audio commentary by Steve Mitchell and Steven Jay Rubin's audio commentary. I find their "War" commentaries very entertaining and educational. They're up there with Eddie Muller and Imogen Sara Smith as my favorite film commentators. I'm sure both Blu-rays are derived from the same 2020 scan, but the Via Vision Blu-ray has a different audio commentary with Lee Pfeiffer, Tony Latino and Paul Scrabo and more bonus material than the Kino Blu-ray. I purchased the Kino BD during one of Target's "Buy 2, Get 1 Free" sale before I made the final decision to purchase this Via Vision boxset last week.

As to the movie, I will say that I have vague memories of watching this movie beforehand. My memories evolve around the film's basic premise that I still don't quite accept today because I think Holden's character made the correct decision. I'll talk more about that later this week, when I watch the Kino Blu-ray. Also, I believe this movie has never been released on any home video format until this month. John Farrow was another underrated director that I have many of his movies in my film collection. The dude was an asshole in real life, but he was a fine director especially when it comes to film noir, action and western films.

 

[Robert Crawford]

The Magnificent Seven playing poker during their off day:

 

[Robert Crawford]

Photo below is pretty easy to recognize this actor as a young man serving in the United States Navy:

 

[Matt Hough]

Photo below is pretty easy to recognize this actor as a young man serving in the United States Navy:

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Yeah, Eddie G.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Photo below is pretty easy to recognize this actor as a young man serving in the United States Navy:

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Yeah, Eddie G.

Judging by the moustache, it must have been taken during his porn years.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Noir Alley​

A sniper kills two prisoners in a police van, and the driver sets out to find the killer in TAKE AIM AT THE POLICE VAN.

See the TCM premiere of this Japense noir Saturday and Sunday on #NoirAlley.

 

[Matt Hough]

Yes, I've never seen this, so I'll be watching on Sunday.

 

[bujaki]

Noir Alley​

A sniper kills two prisoners in a police van, and the driver sets out to find the killer in TAKE AIM AT THE POLICE VAN.

See the TCM premiere of this Japense noir Saturday and Sunday on #NoirAlley.

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Good film. Go, Suzuki!