ABCs at the Movies: The Doubles Round!

[memento]

From a user at IMDB:

Other comments on this film quite well echo my sentiments: John Ford once again exhibits his mastery of the medium, with a minimum of the sentimentality to which he sometimes succumbed; a very young and handsome Henry Fonda wonderfully embodies an ordinary man virtually forced to perform feats of extraordinary heroism; Claudette Colbert, although she seems out of her usually sophisticated element, really cannot be faulted, especially when one considers the Hollywoodized glamor of her makeup and costuming; and Edna May Oliver, heading Ford's customarily astutely chosen supporting cast, almost steals the picture.

But, to my eyes, it is the unusually beautiful Technicolor cinematography by Bert Glennon and Ray Rennahan (the latter being the credited cinematographer on the first feature-length film in three-strip Technicolor, 1935's "Becky Sharp") who deserve the most accolades. Their work simply glows and has that special crispness characteristic of certain early Technicolor films (many of which bore the Twentieth Century Fox label, as it happens.) No doubt, working on outdoor locations with the cumbersome equipment and lighting requirements involved in the use of the Technicolor process at that time, not to mention the lengendarily dictatorial control of the Technicolor Corporation's czarina, Madame (Natalie) Kalmus, and her frequent associate, Henri Jaffa, Messrs. Glennon and Rennahan managed to accomplish one of 1939's finest achievements in color cinematography. With Alfred Newman's fine musical score and all of the other first-class production values lavished on this stirring tale, "Drums Along the Mohawk" deserves a place among the best recreations of those remarkable personal stories that were part of this newly emerging nation.

[MaineWriter]

Is this special round too hard? I saw Paul claimed the E then discarded it. Oh well, I'll go out of turn to try to jumpstart things. Who is next for F?


Although there are no known surviving copies of Escape From Andersonville, various sources make reference to its unpopularity among audiences in the Southern states. (During the U.S. Civil War, Andersonville was one of the Confederacy's most notoriously harsh prisoner-of-war camps.) Responding to the complaints and to the need for a broader box office, later Kalem, Co. films such as The Confederate Ironclad would often show Southern military victories, though usually the story would also contain some significant Union achievement for Northern audiences to cheer. ~ Richard Gilliam, All Movie Guide

[oilgun]

I'll take the relatively easy F with Fort Apache.  I'm pretty sure there was some kind of battle in this.

IMDb Plot Summary: In John Ford's sombre exploration mythologising of American heroes, he slowly reveals the character of Owen Thursday, who sees his new posting to the desolate Fort Apache as a chance to claim the military honour which he believes is rightfully his. Arrogant, obsessed with military form and ultimately self-destructive, Thursday attempts to destroy the Apache chief Cochise after luring him across the border from Mexico, against the advice of his subordinates.




==COMMENT==
I'm having a tough time with this round, that's for sure!  History was not my best subject, lol!

[southendmd]

IMDb:  There are movie buffs who believe that Raymond Griffith belongs in the same class of silent comics as Chaplin, Keaton and Lloyd, and from what little I've seen, I'd say they have an argument. "Hands Up" is a delightful feature, enjoyable from beginning to end, with the dapper, dandified Griffith as a clever and enthusiastic Confederate spy. There are some brilliant gags, including one with a firing squad and another where he teaches hostile Indians to dance the Charleston (OK, so it's anachronistic-- who cares?), and the final gag is brilliant. Griffith is thoroughly ingratiating; it's a pity that so many of his movies have disappeared and the survivors are so seldom revived. It's interesting, by the way, that both Griffith and Keaton made a comedy about the Civil War in the same year-- and that both of them portrayed Southerners. "Hands Up" isn't quite as good as Keaton's "The General," but that certainly isn't an insult. This is one buried treasure that deserves a wider audience.

=aside=
Yes, this is a tuffie!  I gave up with "E"; couldn't find a thing besides "Escape from Fort Bravo" but that had already been played.  Leslie, you're such a better researcher.

[MaineWriter]

Brothers George and Robert enlist on opposite sides in the Civil War. Robert is captured as a spy for the South, but escapes and hides in his parents' house. George leads the search party, but doesn't reveal his brother's hiding place, and Robert escapes. After the war, George is a hero and Robert is down on his luck. George cautiously welcomes him back into the family home.

==comment==

Well, a challenge is good for all of us! Let's just soldier on (hahahah) and I'll try to come up with something a little easier next time. Suggestions are welcome!

[memento]

From a User at IMDB:

Essentially a biography in movie format, tells of the life of John Paul Jones, the man who put the U.S. Navy on the map during the American Revolution. It touches briefly on his early life, concentrating on his life in the colonies and what led him to go there after a career in the King's service. Movie also touches on the impact and standards that Jones imprinted on today's navy, and it is this element, among others, that makes this well worth watching. Stack (although taller than Jones's height of 5'4") is perfectly cast in the title role. Not to be overlooked either are Coburn's portrayal of Benjamin Franklin, Davis's of Catherine the Great, and Max Steiner's excellent musical score. Additional note: movie was produced by Samuel Bronston, who also produced and did a magnificent job on "El Cid." Whether one is looking for a movie about the Age Of Sail period or simply wants to learn
about Jones, this is an excellent choice.

=comment=
I agree that this tough. One of the reasons is that the majority of war movies, movies with battles, etc. were made about the two World Wars.

[MaineWriter]

=comment=
I agree that this tough. One of the reasons is that the majority of war movies, movies with battles, etc. were made about the two World Wars.

Don't forget, you can browse by "War" (genre) on IMDb. Also, I have been googling "civil war" and so on and coming up with lots of stuff. Choices are not confined to US American soil, either...Mexico, Central, and South America, as well as Canada are all okay.

L

[southendmd]

"Director William Seiter makes a jumbled mess out of Opie Read's novel of post-Civil War days." --NY Times review.

=aside=
Are there any films about wars in Canada?

[MaineWriter]

from IMDb:

This is one of twelve filmings of the classic Fenimore Cooper novel, eight on film and two for television. Having seen the 1936 and 1992 versions, I can definitely say this 1920 version is heads above the other two. What is most amazing is the direction and the cinematography. All of the actions and the acting are restrained by 1920s standards, giving the film a realism it might otherwise have lacked. There are over two dozen impeccably composed shots which give the film majesty and an overall beauty that stuns. The narrative is true to the original book. Very highly recommended for all lovers of film artistry. A compelling experience.

[oilgun]

I'm not sure if it qualifies but it's set during the Mexican revolution....

Synopsis from www.spaghetti-western.net :
During the Mexican revolution mine owner Colonel Alfonso Garcia (Eduardo Fajardo) hires Sergei Kowalski (Franco Nero) a Polish mercenary to protect seven tonnes of silver being transported to the US. Kowalski arrives only to discover the repressed peasant workers, led by Paco Roman (Tony Musante), have taken control of the mine by force. Always eager to make good his losses Kowalski persuades Roman, now in a tight spot with Garcia's army bearing down on him, to hire his services. A sadistic homosexual mercenary called Curly  [Yikes!] (Jack Palance), wanting the silver himself tries to ambush Kowalski, but Roman thwarts his plans and Curly's men are killed. Kowalski renews his partnership with Roman and after liberating a town the bandits are joined by Columba (Giovanna Ralli) an idealist who's farther was hung for being a revolutionary. With the promise of making Roman as famous as Pancho Villa and all the gang rich in exchange for a hefty daily fee plus expenses, under Kowalski's guidance Roman earns the reputation of a great revolutionary liberator. Garcia's army still desperate to capture the bandits are joined by Curly in their search. Kowalski's financial demands for guidance increase but Roman now married to Columbia sees the true importance of the revolution to the Mexican people. Realising his responsibility for his fellow countrymen Roman reneges on the deal and takes all Kowalski's money for the great cause. The bandits keep Kowalski tied up as a prisoner, but in a devastating attack by Garcia's army he escapes. Kowalski tracks Roman to a rodeo where he is in hiding working as a clown, Curly also trails him there and the scene is set for the final showdown. --The Halitosis Kid 11:08, 27 May 2007 (CEST)



This IMDb User really, really liked it (in fact, most comments are glowing):
I was totally knocked out of my socks when I saw that this masterpiece was on TV. One of those many titles this movie has makes it hard to identify it in my TV magazine but still...

Why was I so curious about this movie? First, its famous for its music, composed by Ennio Morricone. Mainly, it's "L'Arena", the tune that was used in Kill Bill Volume 2, which gives me goes bumps every time I hear it. So that was the main reason I wanted to see it. The other: Directed by Sergio Corbucci (Django), starring Jack Palance and Franco Nero (Django). Produced by Alberto Grimaldi....

And what did I get? A high-quality, well-written, nicely filmed epic set in the Mexican revolution. The music perfectly fits the movie. Nero and Palance each have their own theme tunes, and there is a lot of Mexican tunes in the film. The movie as an awesome pace and its very nice to watch. I can really not understand why this movie hasn't gotten a proper DVD release yet. The available Full Screen DVD is really not worth wasting a buck on it, I even got to see the widescreen version on free-TV... This is one of Corbucci's finest works, and one of the best spaghetti westerns ever made, with incredible music, cinematography and mood. Don't miss this. Write down all those alternative titles so you don't miss it when it's on TV.


==ASIDE===

=aside=
Are there any films about wars in Canada?

Well I've been looking for something about the battle of the Plains of Abraham but nothing yet.  Found a couple of rebellion movies, a great one about a rebellion against the British that would be perfect for the "Q" (hint, hint). 
I was also looking for something about the Octobre crisis  when the war measures act was implemented because of the FLQ terrorists, but I've already used the best movie about that "war" in another round.
There are a couple of movies dealing with recent native Canadian protests that escalated into National incidents, but I can't remember their names, lol!

This is tough, but like Leslie said, it's good for us...