WHITE HEAT (1949)

This classic Warner Brothers picture was directed by Rauol Walsh, and stars James Cagney, Virginia Mayo, Edmund O'Brien, Steve Cochran, Margaret Wycherly, John Archer and Fred Clark. One of the greatest gangster pictures ever made, WHITE HEAT showcases Jimmy Cagney is what is undoubtedly the most complex role of his career. As Cody Jarrett, he is so thoroughly flawed, he is practically a textbook case of criminal psychosis. Cruel and violent to the extreme, Cody is also unwholesomely attached to his mother and in mortal fear of ending up like his father, who died in an asylum.

Cody and his gang rob a mail train and kill several men. One of the gang members is seriously injured. They return to their hideout where Ma Jarrett (Wycherly) and Cody's wife, Verna (Mayo) await. Cody leaves his injured man to die while the rest of them take off. When the police catch up to Cody, he decides to confess to a lesser crime that was actually committed by a henchman at the same time as the train robbery. That way, Cody will serve a lighter prison sentence and establish an alibi as well. An undercover officer (O'Brien) is planted as Cody's cell mate in order to get evidence tying him to the train robbery. The plot, as they say, thickens. Considerably. There is enough double crossing going on with these characters to confuse Raymond Chandler. And the "white heat" of the title will become spectacularly evident in the film's final moments.

Cagney is well supported by stage actress Wycherly as the cold, tough-as-nails Ma Jarrett who, in the perverse universe of this movie is the true femme fatale, not Verna. While Verna is a duplicitous wife, it is Ma who has control over Cody's life and criminal activities. Sexy Virginia Mayo is perfectly matched by sly, seductive Steve Cochran, one of the gang members, who takes over Cody's wife and then tries to take over the business while Cody is in prison.

WHITE HEAT is a perfect example of Film Noir, not just for the cinematography, but for the psychological turmoil of the characters, primarily Cody and Ma. There is also a lot of location footage shot in and around Los Angeles that adds much realism and excitement to the film. 

Essential viewing for the student of Film Noir! Don't pass this one up!

"Made it, Ma! Top of the world!"

 

Notes From the Movie Room June 17, 2024

 

🎬 Imagine, if you will, the sheer horror of loading a beloved DVD into your Blu-ray player, a DVD that you've watched and enjoyed multiple times for years and discovering that it no longer plays. Imagine the sadness, the overwhelming feeling of deprivation, the near hysteria that can overtake a movie freak at such a moment. This happened to me recently when I tried to play my copy of WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE? (1962), the classic Bette Davis/Joan Crawford thriller. 

The 2-disc DVD is part of the Bette Davis Collection: Volume 2 from Warner Home Video. This was the first time it refused to play. Weirdly enough, the second disc, which has the extra features, still plays with no problem. At least, for now. I keep hearing people in the Youtube physical media collectors' community talking about similar problems with Warner DVD releases. The only previous problem I had was with one of the double feature discs in one of the Film Noir box sets, where the second feature wouldn't play. I own all the Film Noir box sets and so many other Warner releases. It's been a while since I played most of these classic films, so I may have other unpleasant surprises waiting for me.

Replacing BABY JANE on a Blu-ray was a no brainer for me. One can only suffer from Davis/Crawford withdrawal for a short while until medical and/or psychological intervention becomes necessary. So, I picked up a copy from Oldies.com. All the extra features are on this release. I'm hoping this is an isolated experience that won't be repeated, but I have a sinking feeling that won't be the case. I'm not even sure how many of these classics, including all the Noirs, have been released on Blu-ray. I doubt seriously that most of the early, more obscure Bette Davis and Joan Crawford films will be remastered for Blu-ray. But that may happen eventually.

  🎬 I'm arriving very late to the party regarding the 1990-91 TV series TWIN PEAKS. I picked up this box set a few years ago, started watching it, and only made it through the first disc. It was enjoyable, but I just got distracted. So, I recently decided to start again from the beginning, and have completed the first four discs. Binging TWIN PEAKS can be an unsettling experience. But I'm enjoying its weirdness and want to see all of the mysteries get solved. I've been a David Lynch fan ever since I saw ERASERHEAD at a midnight movie in a local theater back around 1979. I even picked up the 2017 sequel when it was on sale at Barnes & Noble. This will take a while to get through, because binging, for me, can get old really fast.

This series first played thirty-four years ago, and yet I think of it as "modern" television. That's because my connection with whatever may-or-may-not be on TV has been severed for a very long time. I don't say that to sound like an elitist. It's really just a matter of practicality. I worked what's known as "second shift" most of my life. That means, usually, 3 PM-11 PM, or, for much of my working life, 3:30 PM-Midnight. This goes all the way back into the 1970s before the advent of home video. As someone who spent a lot of happy hours watching TV while growing up, probably way too many hours, I found myself cut off from the world of Prime Time. And I can't remember missing it all that much, to be honest. When the VHS era started, I was able to record occasional shows, but, still, that continuity with sitting and watching TV night after night was broken. Even on my nights off, I rarely watched anything. One major exception was SEINFELD. I discovered it one night when I had an unexpected night off and totally fell in love with that insane show, and now own the entire series. But that's about it. Even after nine years of retirement, I never even think about sitting down to watch an evening of television shows, network or otherwise. That's not to say that I haven't seen anything. But on those rare occasions when I find myself channel surfing, I haven't found much that captures my interest. I remember my dad talking about THE X-FILES, and he kept telling me I should start recording it. Eventually, I did start watching and collecting that show, after it had gone off the air. I still haven't watched many of the episodes. My evenings at home usually consist of relaxing in the movie room and watching old favorite movies from the collection or new titles, many of which are first watches. And I also watch old TV favorites that I remember from my lost youth, not to mention a lot of shows from the old days that I never got to see. For the most part, I continue to live in the cultural past, and I'm very happy to be there. But TWIN PEAKS, that "new" and much-discussed show, has entered into my radar. I am intrigued.

JACKIE 2016

 

Natalie Portman deserves a lot of credit, and, some would say, an Academy Award, for the hard work she put into doing an imitation of Jacqueline Kennedy during the time of President John F. Kennedy's assassination, funeral, and the immediate aftermath. Miss Portman has the hair, makeup and early 1960s Jackie-esque fashion style down pat. She even strives, with somewhat mixed results, to imitate Mrs. Kennedy's soft, breathy speaking voice. As she is in nearly every scene in the film, her acceptance by audiences is crucial. 

The film begins shortly after the death and burial of JFK with the former First Lady giving an interview in which she attempts to either tell the truth, or fabricate a version, of the events of the assassination and give a summation of her husband's legacy. Her verbal sparring with the journalist (Billy Crudup) is interspersed with her memories of what happened on November 22, 1963, and the terrible days that followed.

Like many contemporary films that deal with historical figures and events, JACKIE does not tell its story in a linear pattern. Director Pablo Larrain jumps back and forth in time, almost scene by scene, showing various events during the years of the Kennedy presidency. One event that is carefully recreated is the tour of the White House conducted in 1961 by Mrs. Kennedy for television. The grainy black & white imagery looks very authentic, and for those of us who remember seeing the actual broadcast, the effort is indeed impressive. I would take issue, however, with the way the film portrays Mrs. Kennedy as somewhat awkward and unsure of herself. That is not how I remember it, and I have a copy of the broadcast that shows her being very gracious and dignified.

The depiction of this televised tour is one example of why I have problems with this film. Many of the characterizations don't ring true for me. My memories get in the way. When JFK was killed, I was twelve years old. Like so many in my generation, the events of that terrible week are ingrained forever in my mind and in my heart. John and Jackie have become almost mythical figures to me. No actors, no matter how talented, could ever convincingly portray them and cause me to care and respond as I still do to the authentic news coverage of those days. When it comes to President Kennedy and his First Lady, I have no objectivity. The sum total of what I believe about them, and what I wish to continue to believe, is contained in the reality TV footage from that historical era.

Jacqueline Kennedy was already a celebrity in her own right while she was in the White House, appearing on the covers of magazines, including movie magazines. As the years went on, and she reinvented herself as Jackie Onassis, her fame was stronger than ever. To me, however, she became less important. It was always nice to see pictures of her and hear the latest gossip, but her relevance was minimal. But when she died so unexpectedly at the age of sixty-four, my feelings about her changed. Suddenly, it was as though Jackie O had never existed. The beautiful lady who had passed away was Jacqueline Kennedy. I remembered how important she had been to my country, and I mourned for her. The rush of sadness I felt for losing her surprised and overwhelmed me.

I went to see JACKIE hoping to be moved by the familiar story and the performance of the leading actress, but I was not. Natalie Portman spends much of her time wandering through beautiful rooms, arrayed in gorgeous clothes, a dazed look on her face. The film does have its moments, however. The recreation of the shooting is very well realized. And there is an extended conversation between Jackie and brother-in-law Robert Kennedy (Peter Sarsgaard), where the two disagree about plans for the funeral, that comes across with excellent effect. 

The film has many good actors. Beth Grant, always a welcome presence in a movie, is perfectly cast as Lady Bird Johnson, but not much is seen of her. John Hurt is very good as a Catholic priest whom Jackie confides in before her husband's funeral. And Billy Crudup makes the most of his screen time as the journalist. Pablo Larrain is also responsible for directing the 2021 film SPENCER, a decidedly bizarre meditation on the life and trials of Princess Diana.

Many people who see JACKIE will no doubt find it poignant and realistic. And most people will love Natalie Portman's work. As for me, I choose to keep my memories as they are. Truth be told, I can't help it.

FILM CLASS OVERVIEW: SILENT FILMS-SESSION ONE Spring 2024

 

My Spring Semester non-credit film class was called Silent Films- Session One, so labeled by our instructor, film critic and scholar Chuck Koplinski. I have to say this was one of the best classes I've taken. It wasn't just for the quality of the films we watched, but the discussions were livelier and more interesting than usual. Even your humble blogger, somewhat shy by nature, felt relaxed enough to participate more and ask questions. Not sure why that would be the case, but I'm not complaining. As usual, Chuck's pre- and post-film presentations were filled with valuable information and visuals. Chuck presented the films in chronological order, from 1916-1929.

1. Our first film was HELL'S HINGES (1916), starring William S. Hart and Clara Williams. This was my first time seeing Hart, one of the biggest stars of the early silent era. He plays Blaze Tracy, a gunman who is considered to be the most dangerous man in a wild, untamed frontier town. When a young minister and his sister come to town to try and establish a church, the local rowdies do everything they can to destroy the man and his plans to bring religion and order into the town. But Blaze finds faith and comes to the aid of the minister while also falling in love with the sister, whose name just happens to be Faith. (!!) There is plenty of action, but the film is also a morality play. The film was surprisingly pristine for its age and quite enjoyable. Hart would continue making movies until 1928 and pass away in 1946.

2. THE FRESHMAN (1925), starring Harold Lloyd and Jobyna Ralston. He plays Harold Lamb, a naive young man entering college. Lamb believes he can make friends and become popular by imitating his movie idol, a character known as The College Hero. Instead of winning friends, his efforts make him the butt of jokes and derision, although the clueless guy isn't aware of it. After a series of mishaps, Lamb somehow manages to become the campus football champion. I must admit I wasn't all that fond of the movie. Lloyd is an energetic and creative actor, but the endless sight gags and slapstick comedy got to be way too much. Still, this was a successful film and is considered a classic. Lloyd had begun making short films in 1913 and started full length features in 1921. Many of his films are lost. He also worked in the sound era, making his last feature, MAD WEDNESDAY, in 1950.

3. FLESH AND THE DEVIL (1926), starring John Gilbert, Greta Garbo, Lars Hanson and Barbara Kent. Directed by Clarence Brown. Gilbert was the Number One leading man in Hollywood by this time. When his studio, MGM, paired him with the young, mysterious Garbo, in her third American film, the chemistry between the two ignited the screen. The story of a love triangle that shattered the lifelong friendship between two men was pure melodrama. But the sincere, emotional performances of Gilbert, Garbo and Hanson made it work. Miss Garbo and Mr. Gilbert would fall in love during the making of this picture and have a long relationship. They would make three more pictures together, including QUEEN CHRISTINA (1933) in the sound era. She would make a total of seven films with director Clarence Brown. I was surprised to learn that a few of my classmates had never seen a Garbo film, and one of them found her to be totally unimpressive. It's hard for me to understand that, as, for me, she is pure magic onscreen.

4. THE UNKNOWN (1927), starring Lon Chaney, Norman Kerry and Joan Crawford. Directed by Tod Browning. This is regarded as a masterpiece of the silent era, and the best of the ten films Chaney and Browning made together. It also features an excellent performance by the young Joan Crawford, making her an important star at MGM. Chaney plays Alonzo, an armless circus performer who uses his feet to throw knives at his partner, Nanon (Crawford). In truth, Alonzo is only pretending to be armless. But he is in love with Nanon, and when he learns she has a deadly fear of men's arms, he has his arms amputated in order to win her love. His actions lead to tragedy. This is an amazingly intense, and rather depressing film. And yet, I found it impossible to look away. Chaney's uncanny ability to transform himself physically in order to inhabit a characterization is on full display here. I've only begun to explore the films of Lon Chaney, and I look forward to seeing more of his work.

5. SUNRISE: A SONG OF TWO HUMANS (1927), starring George O'Brien, Janet Gaynor and Margaret Livingston. Directed by F.W. Murnau, a German making his American film debut. This was truly the crown jewel of all the films shown to the class. If I had to choose one film to show to someone who had never experienced a silent picture, this is the one I would pick. The story is a morality play about love, temptation, sin and redemption. O'Brien lives a simple rural life with his faithful wife, Gaynor. But when he falls for the charms of a promiscuous woman from the city (Livingston), he decides to kill his wife and run off with the other woman. But he is unable to go through with it. His wife runs away from him and goes to the city. He follows her, winning her love and trust as they go on an adventure in the city together. This film was one of the first to use a soundtrack with music and effects, but it had no spoken dialogue. In fact, it also had very few dialogue cards. The story was conveyed by the movements and facial expressions of the actors. Murnau brought his method of German expressionism to the film, and the imagery is incredible. Miss Gaynor was the winner of the first Academy Award for Best Actress.

6. IT (1927), starring Clara Bow and Antonio Moreno. This was the film that brought Miss Bow to stardom and gave her the title of The "IT" Girl. The film was written by Elinor Glyn, based on her serialized novella of the same name. At the beginning of the film, "it" is defined the "quality possessed by some which draws all others with its magnetic force". In other words, sex appeal. Clara Bow became one of the most popular movie stars in the world after this film became a hit. The story, all about a shop girl who falls for her boss, even though she doesn't fit into his upper-class world, wasn't that original. But Bow was. I'd never seen hir in a silent film, only in one of the few films she made in the early sound era. I was really impressed with her beauty and talent. It's easy to see why the public fell in love with her.

7. SHOW PEOPLE (1928), starring Marion Davies and William Haines. Directed by King Vidor. This was another first for me, as I had never seen Marion Davies in a movie. She was quite enjoyable in this story of a young naive girl, Peggy Pepper, who goes to Hollywood determined to become a movie star. After a series of comical mishaps and misunderstandings, she finds success. This a good example of Hollywood taking a look at itself, and it works beautifully. This is another film that featured a synchronized soundtrack, but no spoken dialogue. The film features cameo appearances by some of the big stars of the day: John Gilbert, Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks and William S. Hart. Vidor also appears as himself, as does Davies in a scene with her onscreen character, Peggy. Chuck provided some interesting background on Davies' life and career, including her long relationship with the very powerful and very married William Randolph Hearst. Because of the film CITIZEN KANE (1941), which was based on Hearst, the real Davies has been unfairly compared to the tragic Susan Alexander, the no-talent opera singer played by Dorothy Comingore. In truth, Davies was a talented comedienne and a very successful film star well into the sound era.

8. PANDORA'S BOX (1929), starring Louise Brooks, Francis Lederer and Fritz Kortner. Directed by G.W. Pabst. An amazing German classic. American actress Brooks found enduring stardom playing the tragic Lulu in this surprisingly frank adaptation of two plays by Frank Wedekind. Lulu is a dancer, a free spirit, who is seemingly unaware of her sexual power over men and women. Or is she aware? Brooks, like Garbo, has the ability to convey everything with her eyes and her subtle movements. The story takes Lulu from man to man, from a state of high life to the lowest depths of despair, and to a tragic demise. The film was one of the first to show Lesbian attraction and was very sophisticated and adult in every way. Brooks would work for Pabst again that same year in DIARY OF A LOST GIRL, which I actually prefer over PANDORA'S BOX. There was a lot of detailed discussion about the life and career of Louise Brooks, one of the most fascinating true stories of a Hollywood actress reaching the pinnacle of fame and then falling into obscurity. But in the case of Louise Brooks, there was also a stunning rediscovery and a reemergence into the limelight years after her film career had ended. She is a talent worth studying and PANDORA'S BOX is a good starting point.

Chuck's Fall Semester class is going to continue with silent films. I can't wait! Let's get this long, hot Summer over with.

 

A MAN COULD GET KILLED (1966)

 

This convoluted spoof of the spy movies of the 1960s is a real obscurity. The story, should you choose to try and follow it, involves a search for stolen diamonds in Lisbon and the killing of a government agent. Enter William Beddoes (James Garner), an American banker, who is mistaken for the agent sent to replace the dead one. Beddoes is reluctantly pulled into the world of spy/counter spy along with the dead agent's lover (Melina Mercouri). Also dragged into the confusion are an American smuggler (Tony Franciosa) who gets romantically involved with an American girl (Sandra Dee). Much of the screen time features the four stars engaging in various car chases throughout the Portuguese countryside.

Apparently, there was more excitement behind the camera than in front. James Garner and Tony Franciosa didn't get along and their one screen fight turned into a near brawl. The original director, Cliff Owen, was replaced by Ronald Neame, which made the production go on longer than intended. Sandra Dee was near the end of her career as a star actress at Universal and begged the studio not to make her do the picture. Miss Dee: "So I spent a miserable four months in Lisbon, little fishing villages and Rome, making a picture that should have taken eight weeks. We had two changes of directors, and I ended up playing COME SEPTEMBER, all over again." James Garner called the film "disappointing".

The most memorable thing about the film is the lovely theme music by Bert Kaempfert, which won a Golden Globe for Best Song in a Motion Picture. The theme, originally called Beddy Bye, was later given lyrics and became the hit song Strangers in the Night when recorded by Frank Sinatra.

Tony Franciosa, Sandra Dee and James Garner

Notes From The Movie Room 5-1-24

 

🎬 This week I finally ventured into a theater, the first time since July of 2023, to see my first film released in 2024. I was half expecting the walls to cave in as I entered the building. Fortunately, the gods of cinema, whoever and whatever they might be, were looking down on me. The film that brought me to this momentous undertaking was UNSUNG HERO, directed by Richard Ramsey and Joel Smallbone. The story is based on true events in the lives of David and Helen Smallbone, their seven children, and their struggles to survive after emigrating from Australia to America in 1991. David's successful career as a concert promoter focusing on contemporary Christian music had fallen on hard times and he took his family to Nashville to start a new job. Upon arriving in the US, that job offer fell through, and the family, inspired by their faith, worked hard to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table. The film is quite inspiring and heartwarming without being overly sentimental.

I admit to knowing absolutely nothing about Christian music, so I wasn't aware that there are some very prominent members of the Smallbone family. Co-director Joel Smallbone, who portrays his father in the film, is partnered with his brother, Luke, in the Christian band For King and Country. And their sister, Rebecca St. James, is also a successful singer and songwriter. Rebecca's start in show business is an important plot point in the film.

It was nice being back in a theater again! Let's hope it won't be another year before I go back. There were very few people there, which helped. No irritating behavior to deal with. Just like home...sort of.

🎬 Once again, I find myself preparing to upgrade a DVD in my collection to a Blu-ray, and this time I anticipate no buyer's remorse. Kino-Lorber has announced the release of three pre-code murder mysteries from the long-running Philo Vance series, based on the novels by S.S. Van Dine. All three films star William Powell. They include: THE CANARY MURDER CASE (1929), THE GREENE MURDER CASE (1929), and THE BENSON MURDER CASE (1930). My main interest is THE CANARY MURDER CASE, as one of the stars is the legendary Louise Brooks. This film played a pivotal role in her career. It was made as a silent film, right at the time when sound was being introduced to movies, so Paramount Studios decided to retool it as a talkie. When Miss Brooks was told to report to the studio to record her dialogue, she refused. While she went on to find great success in European films, Paramount blacklisted her, and she was never able to reestablish her film career in Hollywood. As a huge Brooks fan, I'm looking forward to seeing this movie in Blu-ray glory and hearing the audio commentary. My DVD-R copy is from CryptFlicks, a bootleg seller that many collectors will no doubt be familiar with. It's watchable, but the imagery is less than perfect.

I can't complain about companies like CryptFlicks, as they provide collectors with the chance to see obscure films, some of which never get good commercial releases. I picked up my copy at a film convention several years ago, and conventions are the best places to find these obscure titles. But thanks to Kino-Lorber for once again coming through with another way to make me spend money. I plan to keep the CryptFlicks copy because I love that cover!

VERONICA LAKE'S SWAN SONG TO THE CINEMA: FLESH FEAST (1970)

 

I remember the first time I saw Veronica Lake.

It was in a 1943 Paramount picture called SO PROUDLY WE HAIL. The story, based on true incidents, was about a group of Army nurses serving the troops in the Philippines during World War 2. Miss Lake was third-billed after Claudette Colbert and Paulette Goddard. Her character, Olivia Darcy, joined the nurses' team after surviving an attack on a war ship. Olivia was aggressive and unfriendly to the other women. After a violent argument with two of them, Olivia breaks down and confesses to the head nurse, played by Colbert, the reason for her behavior. Her fiancée was killed by the Japanese, and Olivia is determined to kill as many Japs as she can get her hands on. After unburdening herself, she begins to soften towards her fellow nurses and her bitterness begins to fade. 

When the troop of nurses is under attack by Japanese forces and about to be taken prisoner, Olivia valiantly sacrifices herself to save the other women by hiding a hand grenade under her clothes and walking towards the Japanese soldiers while feigning surrender. The explosion gives her colleagues the opportunity to get away. 

This emotional scene is one of the dramatic highlights of the movie and Lake plays it perfectly. But it isn't just her fine acting that makes it memorable; there is also an important change in her physical appearance. Up to this point, Olivia has been wearing her blonde hair in braids that wrap around her head. But when she goes out to entice the Japanese soldiers, she pulls her hair loose and it falls languidly around her face, all the way to her shoulders. And there is a lock of hair nearly covering her right eye. She is a true vision of beauty. I didn't know it at the time, but this actress's hairstyle was already an icon of 1940s cinema. Veronica Lake, as I would soon learn after more afternoons spent watching old movies on the Early Show, was a major Hollywood star by the time she got around to blowing herself up with a hand grenade in 1943. 

 

Lake's star rose high and hot in the early 1940s: I WANTED WINGS (1941), SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS (1942), and two excellent Film Noirs with Alan Ladd, THIS GUN FOR HIRE and THE GLASS KEY, both in 1942, made her one of Paramount's most popular actresses. Lake was very talented, but it was partly her famous hairstyle that made her a sensation with moviegoers. In fact, so many women tried to imitate her peek-a-boo look that it caused a national crisis. There were so many accidents in factories with women getting their hair caught in machinery that the US government asked Miss Lake to start wearing her hair in a safer, tied back manner. This change, and a series of less suitable films as the war years pressed on, caused Lake's star to dim somewhat. However, she eventually reteamed with Alan Ladd for another classic Film Noir, THE BLUE DAHLIA in 1946. By this time, the war was over, and Veronica was once again allowed to unleash her blonde mane to its full effect.

The Hour Before Dawn (1944)

Due to a combination of personal and professional difficulties, and a gradual decline in her popularity, Lake's tenure at Paramount was over by the end of the 1940s. She made two more pictures for other studios and then spent most of the ensuing years working on television and in the theater. Her life after movie stardom is chronicled in Veronica: The Autobiography of Veronica Lake, published in 1969, and a tumultuous life it was. Suffice it to say that the personal and professional problems she had during her Hollywood years continued to afflict her. Lake had been largely out of the public eye when she was found working as a waitress in a hotel bar in 1963. The outpouring of support and interest brought a kind of resurgence in her acting career. She made a low-budget Canadian film in 1966 called FOOTSTEPS IN THE SNOW. This film, which also features American actress Meredith MacRae and Canadian actor Paul Kastner (YOU'RE A BIG BOY NOW), was never released in the United States. It can be seen on Youtube, in German with no English subtitles. 

In 1970, using the proceeds from her successful autobiography, Veronica Lake co-produced and starred in her last movie, FLESH FEAST, a low-budget horror film directed by Brad F. Grinter for Viking International Pictures. Lake plays Dr. Elaine Frederick, a plastic surgeon with a rather unique method for altering someone's appearance. She uses a breed of flesh-eating maggots to eat away the skin. Yes, I said maggots. The good doctor gets involved with a gang of South American revolutionaries who want her to change the face of their "Commander". It turns out that the Commander is actually the one and only Adolph Hitler, who has been hiding out in South America since WW2. But Dr. Frederick has an agenda of her own. Her mother had been in a German concentration camp and used as a guinea pig in hideous experiments involving maggots. The doctor is determined to avenge her mother by inflicting the same fate on Hitler. When the doctor gets Der Fuehrer strapped down in her laboratory, she covers his face with the maggots, laughing maniacally as he is tortured. As he screams in agony, Dr. Frederick raises her arm in a Nazi salute and says "Heil Hitler!!!"

The plot also involves some investigative reporters infiltrating the operation to find out who the Commander is and what the revolutionaries are planning. And there are some romantic scenes between vapid characters played by equally vapid actors. The working title of the film was TIME IS TERROR, and it was not yet fully edited by the publication of Lake's book. Here's what she had to say about the final stage of her movie career:

"Someday soon, perhaps on your local television station during their daily horror film show, you'll be able to see my two latest films. Fortunately, I did not have to return to Hollywood to make these films. They were produced in Canada and Florida, and, in vogue with today's trend of putting older stars in horror movies, both these efforts are designed to turn your knuckles white, get your heart pounding and cause your girlfriend to cuddle up close in sheer terror. 

The first one was the Canadian epic. It was titled Footsteps in the Snow and deals with dope traffic and ski bums and other goodies. They paid me $10,000 for this, plus expenses. I left immediately after shooting was concluded and still have not seen an edited version. All I know is it was cold in Canada and I was happy to return to Florida.

The other film must rank as one of the great Chinese productions of all time. Its tentative title is Time is Terror.

Making movies, even low-budget ones, is an expensive and demanding chore. You'd better know what you're doing, or your low-budget job will blossom into a bankrupting one. That pretty much is what happened with Time is Terror."

According to Lake, the inept director shot over 130,000 feet of 35MM color film. But since he had failed to take enough master shots, editing the film was a huge problem. The movie was finally released as FLESH FEAST on April 8, 1970, clocking in at 72 minutes.

So, how does the legendary Veronica Lake come across in her final film? I think she is 100% professional in trying to make her character believable. She is clearly the standout element of the entire production, working with unknown actors, some of whom are also doing their best. She is stylish and attractive in many of her early scenes. In the final segment, she plays crazy quite convincingly as she laughs and slings maggots all over the place. She appears to be in control of her acting and even enjoying herself while she's doing it. You might say that she's inflicted a final blow against the villains of WW2. In SO PROUDLY WE HAIL, her character, Olivia, takes on the Japanese. In FLESH FEAST, her Dr. Frederick has defeated the Nazis.

Veronica Lake was living in England when she died on July 7, 1973, at the age of 50. Although her final screen effort was clearly unworthy of her, it takes nothing away from the excellence of her entire filmography. My advice is to check out FLESH FEAST as a curiosity item. Then rewatch THIS GUN FOR HIRE and THE GLASS KEY and immerse yourself in dreams.

This post is part of the 2nd Annual 'Favorite Stars in B Movies' Blogathon sponsored by Brian Shuck of Films From Beyond the Time Barrier. Thanks once again to Brian!!

Films From Beyond the Time Barrier