Newsday TV Book Reviews: 2006

Adjectives of the Ever-Brassy John Cashman

"...the inscrutible Philip Ahn."
"...the indomitable Jack Hawkins."
"...the incomparable Sheldon Leonard."
"...the always-pleasing Sheldon Leonard."
"...the ever-popular Zi May Leddin."
"...the ever-popular Mae Busch."
"...the ever-old Maria Ouspenskaya."
"...one of the all-time greats, Maria Ouspenskaya."
"...the ever-popular Chips Rafferty."
"...the ever-present Chips Rafferty."
"...the one and only Ernest Thesinger."
"...the always spooky George Zucco."
"...the always popular George Zucco."

Spooky and popular.

"...the passionate Yvonne DeCarlo."
"...the multilingual Akim Tamiroff."
"...the irrepressible Carmen Miranda."
"...the always charming Peter Lorre."
"...the king of pointy shoes, George Raft."
"...the indestructible Bob Steele."
"...the indestructible Gilbert Roland."
"...the redoubtable Kane Richmond."
"...the ever-popular Rose Hobart."
"...the unforgettable Stefan Schnabel."
"...the legendary Olympe Bradna."

Olympe, the legend.

"...the legendary Richard Loo."
"...the legendary Sonny Tufts."
"...the legendary Frankie Darro."
"...the fabled Frankie Darro."
"...the always pleasing Glenda Farrell."
"...the always-interesting Erich Von Stroheim."
"...the saturnine John Carradine."
"...the ever-saturnine Basil Rathbone."
"...one of the all-time great heavies, Joseph Calleia."
"...the always interesting Joseph Calleia."

Person of interest.

"...the brassy Iris Adrian."
"...the leggy Ann Miller."
"...the beautiful Victoria Shaw."
"...the pretty Rhonda Fleming."
"...the beautiful Rhonda Fleming."
"...the beautiful Arlene Dahl."
"...the pretty Virginia Mayo."
"...the always lovely Delores Del Rio."
"...the moon-pretty Adele Mara."

Adele Mara, from Esquire's Date Book 1943.

"...the pouting sex of Joey Heatherton."
"...the menacing Lee Van Cleef."
"...the unforgettable Abner Biberman."
"...the great Elisha Cook Jr."
"...the marvelous Charles Ruggles."
"...the oily Nestor Paiva."
"...the ageless David Niven."
"...the ageless Judith Lowry."
"...the always pleasing Gilbert Roland."
"...the always entertaining Nehemiah Persoff."
"...the not-so-pretty Vera Hruba Ralston."

Not so pretty? You be the judge...

"...the always underrated George Tobias."

"...the always pleasing George Tobias."

"...the illusive John Hudson." [?]

"...the wide-eyed Ann Blythe."

"...the pouty Ann Blythe."

"...the consumer's friend, Betty Furness."

"...the unforgettable Veda Ann Borg."

"...the unforgettable Angelique Pettijohn."

Indeed!

Films Deemed "Sitthroughable"

Have you sat through any of 'em?

Alias a Gentleman (1948)
Atomic City (1952)
Autumn Leaves (1956)
The Black Torment (1965)
Calling Dr. Death (1953)
Christmas Eve (1947)
Chubasco (1968)
The Crawling Eye (1958)
Crest of the Wave (1954)
Don't Make Waves (1967)
The Eagle and The Hawk (1950)
The Evil Eye (1962)
Five Golden Dragons (1968)
Front Page Woman (1935)
The Gamma People (1956)
Happy Go Lovely (1951)
Lady Without a Passport (1950)
The Last Safari (1967)
The Last Winter (1962)
Man in the Middle (1964)
The Midnight Story (1957)
Minnesota Clay (1965)
Mission Batangas (1942)
Night Creatures (1962)
Nightmare in Chicago (1966)
On Moonlight Bay (1951)
Practically Yours (1944)
Psychomania (1964)
Samar (1962)
Sebastian (1968)
Seminole (1953)
Silver Queen (1942)
The Slime People (1967)
Strange Bedfellows (1964)
Talk About a Stranger (1952)
Tanganyika (1954) ["Van Heflin makes it sitthroughable."]
Tiger by the Tail (1968)
Trail of the Wind (1974) [Also called "Trail of the Wild" in another issue]
Trouble Along the Way (1953)
Vicki (1953)
Where Were You When the Lights Went Out? (1968)
The Wild and the Innocent (1959)
The Wild Blue Yonder (1952)

John Cashman Hesitantly Urges You, "Try it..."

"...for laughs." (Hercules, 1959)

"...if you're in the mood." (Meet Me in Las Vegas, 1956)

"...but don't expect too much." (Rocketship X-M, 1951)

"...if only for [James Cagney]." (Never Steal Anything Small, 1959)

"...if only to watch Thomas Mitchell out act everybody in sight." (Flight From Destiny, 1941)

"...for the acting and what it attempts." (Night Moves, 1975)

"...if you care." (Not With My Wife You Don't, 1966)

"...if you must." (Three Days of the Condor, 1975)

"...it's almost a winner." (Mask of Dimitrios, 1944)

"...if nothing else is on." (Impasse, 1969; The Millionairess, 1961)

"...on a slow night." (The Unfaithful, 1947)

"...for old times' sake." (Now, Voyager, 1942)

"...if only for old times' sake." (God's Little Acre, 1958)

"...if only for the novel view." (John and Mary, 1969)

"...it's not too bad." (Tombstone, 1942)

"...if the beat to quarters gets to you." (Captain Horatio Hornblower, 1951)

"...if the hour is right and the mood is upon you." (Blood of the Vampire, 1958)

"...if you're into goggles and scarfs." (The Blue Max, 1968)

"...you might like it." (The Student Prince, 1954)

And my favorite:

"...when you're feeling blue." (The Brighton Strangler, 1945)

The Perennially Shirtless Alan Ladd...

I don't know exactly what the story is here, but John Cashman sure seemed to enjoy pointing out Alan Ladd's propensity for going shirtless in his films...

And Now Tomorrow (1944) "A young doctor from the wrong side of town (Alan Ladd, with and without his shirt) sets his cap for a rich girl who is deaf. Dr. Ladd clears that up without everyone ever saying he has a magnificent obsession. A couple of Kleenex."

Beyond Glory (1948) "A West Point cadet who is a bit long in the tooth (Alan Ladd with and without tunic) faces charges growing out of a World War II incident."

Botany Bay (1953) "[Stars] Alan Ladd, with and without his shirt."

Branded (1950) "Interesting, if expectable western that finds Alan Ladd (with and without his shirt) posing as wealthy rancher's long-lost son for monetary gain."

Calcutta (1947) "Alan Ladd gets to doff his shirt once again as a full-time pilot on the dangerous India-China, over-the-hump run, and part-time avenging angel. Nobody in his right mind kills a buddy of Alan Ladd."

Drum Beat (1954) "Average Ladd, with and without his shirt."

Hell Below Zero (1954) "The antarctic, but Alan Ladd still gets his shirt off in this choppy tale of a whaling vessel, a woman and another man."

The Iron Mistress (1952) "Alan Ladd plays a steel-hard Jim Bowie (with and without a shirt) who, among other things, designed a knife. And there's something other-worldly about that weapon."

O.S.S. (1946) "The question is, does Alan take off his shirt or not?"

Santiago (1956) "Alan Ladd will sell guns and explosives to the highest bidder, but down deep he really is a fine person. And he gets to take his shirt off."

Saskatchewan (1954) "Alan Ladd and Shelley Winters are the mismatch of the year in this routine tale of cowboys, Indians and Mounties. And yes, Ladd gets to take his shirt off."

Thunder in the East (1953) "Alan Ladd is running guns (and taking his shirt off) again, this time to political elements in India."

Whispering Smith (1948) "Al, with and without shirt, is the quiet man of the title who speaks softly but carries a big gun. He breaks a train robbery and an old friend at the same time."

Christmas Eve Listings, Newsday 1977

Here are the listings of that bygone yuletide Saturday. You can read some Cashman reviews in their entirety.
(Click on each pic to see it close enough to read.)