REVIEWS: O-S

Octaman (1972) "Are you ready for a mutant squid? Or how about an octopus that walks like a man? An angry herring?"

On an Island with You (1948) "If Esther Williams in a bathing suit turns you on, this is your film."

Once You Kiss a Stranger (1970) "Somebody obviously thought they had another 'Strangers on a Train' in this one about a psychotic girl with quid-pro-quo murder in mind. Were they ever wrong."

One Desire (1955) "Costume soap about a gambling woman (Anne Baxter) and a gambling man (Rock Hudson) in a gambling place. Don't buck the odds."

One Foot in Heaven (1941) "If this story of the trials and tribulations of a minister and his wife doesn't warm your heart, you're dead."

One Million B.C. (1940) "The struggle of cavemen to survive during prehistoric times. Different."

One Million Years B.C. (1967) “In prehistoric times, one tribe meets another for an early look at cultural shock. There is also an anatomy lesson called Raquel Welch. She’s almost as pretty as Victor Mature was in the original.”

One Step to Hell (1968) "It is."

Operation Diplomatic Passport (1961) "To protect her diplomat father, a woman becomes a double agent. To protect yourself, turn it off."

Operation Double Cross (1965) "Some political assassins have this atomic cannon, you see, and with any luck at all you will not see."

Oregon Passage (1959) "A do-gooder cavalryman inadvertently does bad by the Shoshone tribe. The Shoshone know bad when they see it."

The Oscar (1966) "The story of a Hollywood heel who is up for an Academy Award and is ready to do anything to win it. There are tantalizing glimpses of truth here and there, but on the whole it's embarrassingly trite and melodramatic. [With] Stephen Boyd... and Tony Bennett in his first and probably last dramatic role."

Our Man in Havana (1960) "This spoof of intrigue films misses occasionally but there's plenty left. Watch for the john scene and the weird checkers game, gems both."

Our Men in Bagdad (1967) "Counterespionage in the Middle East and the biggest mystery is why they bothered."

Our Very Own (1950) "Ann Blyth accidentally discovers she's adopted, which causes a few interesting and many not so interesting problems."

The Outer Space Connection (1974) " More 'Chariots of the Gods?' nonsense designed to make you wonder if Earth wasn't founded by space travelers. All questions and no answers, which is an easy game to play."

Outpost in Indochina (1961) "Relax and watch the French attempt to hold their own in Vietnam. They didn't do any better than us." [From a 1972 guide]

Pajama Party (1968) "It's so dumb, it's funny."

Pal Joey (1957) "Frank Sinatra plays the heel that Rita Hayworth tries to reform in a disappointing screen version of the Broadway play. Kim Novak is worse than thought possible. Only Sinatra's singing of the Rodgers and Hart tunes gives the film any substance."

Pancho Villa (1972) "Bet you didn't know the title once invaded the United States. He did---it says here. Not well, but positively."

Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1952) "For the love of a woman, James Mason is condemned to sail the seas forever. There's no future in that until along comes Ava Gardner. They talk a lot. There's no future in that, either."

Panic in Year Zero (1962) "Ray Milland is star and director of this interesting, if sometimes outlandish, tale of family survival after the bomb. Milland's greatest feat is not letting Frankie Avalon ruin things."

Paper Moon (1974)


Paranoiac (1963) "A tepid English brew."

Pariahs of Glory (1964) "Whoever translated the title should be shot."

Paris Does Strange Things (1957) Ingrid Bergman in a period piece about a Polish princess involved in love and war. A dozen Polish jokes come to mind, all bad. Jean Renoir, way off his form, directed."

Parole Fixer (1940) "The parole racket unmasked in what claims to be a film based on a J. Edgar Hoover book. The book couldn't have been this bad. [With] Anthony Quinn when he was still playing heavies."

Passage West (1951) "There are bullwhips for the sadists."

Passion (1954) "In Old California, a young man avenges his murdered family. Cornel Wilde is properly ticked off, but passionate, no. Yvonne DeCarlo is always passionate, even when there's no reason, like here."

Paths of Glory (1957) "An unsparing and harrowing anti-war film that involves three misfits scheduled to be executed to bolster morale and cover up the idiocy of a French general during World War I. Director Stanley Kubrick knocks you to the floor and never lets you up. In the final three scenes he stomps you. The acting is first rate."

Phantom From 10,000 Leagues (1956) "An early radiation-will-screw-up-the-world entry that makes you wish it did, starting with people who make dumb movies about radiation."

Phantom of the Rue Morgue (1954) "The Poe story, barely, about a killer on the loose in old Paris. It gets hairy."

The Pharoah's Woman (1961) "An Egyptian prince fights for love and empire. Where is George Zucco now that we need him?"

Picnic at Hanging Rock (1979) "...exquisitely photographed, excruciatingly boring metaphysical mystery."

Pillow Talk (1959) "The archtypical [sic] Doris Kappelhoff-Roy Fitzgerald cream puff wherein they share a party line and, ultimately, a bed, but only after they're married. Good fun."

Pin-Up Girl (1944) It's about a sailor and his girl, but it's really about what Betty Grable has that's worth pinning up. No plot, no songs worth remembering, no fun."

The Pirate (1948) "The plot is a bit much, so forget it. The [three] stars are for Judy Garland, Gene Kelly and the Cole Porter music. Hang around."

A Place For Lovers (1969) "Marcello Mastroianni has trouble with his English, Vittorio De Sica has trouble with his material and Faye Dunaway just has trouble in this visually good, emotionally trashy soap opera. The hopeless love wrings about half a handkerchief."

Planets Against Us (1961) "The ultimate in paranoia and a bummer."

Play it Cool (1963) "A young heiress finds out about some unpleasantness concerning her singer boyfriend. With any luck at all, you'll be watching something else by then."

Plaza Suite (1970) "A Walter Matthau festival in which he plays three parts in a trio of sketches by Neil Simon, all of which take place in a suite of New York's Plaza Hotel. If you don't care for Matthau, stay away. But if you do, it's grand."

The Plunderers (1960) "Average turmoil."

Portrait in Black (1960) Lana Turner changes clothes with the speed of light, Anthony Quinn agonizes over lust and medical ethics and Ross Hunter buries it all in heavy cream. It's murder."

Possession (1974) "A newly married couple move into an old English countryside house, and guess what? You're right, strange things start happening."

The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946) "James Cain is not an easy novelist to bring to the screen, but this is a class example of what Hollywood can do when it tries. John Garfield wanders into Lana Turner's life and they plan a murder. Twists and turns and a double kicker. Stay with this one."

Princess of the Nile (1954) "13th Century Egypt takes a beating in this mummified story of love and power."

Prisoner of the Iron Mask (1960) "The son of a duke is captured and held in an iron mask. Would that it was an iron maiden."

Prison Farm (1938) "Preserving this one was a waste of mothballs."

Prudence and the Pill (1968) "This is the story of Gerald and Prudence Hardcastle and how they switched birth control pills and partners. Gerald and Prudence Hardcastle are nauseating."

The Purple Mask (1955) "[Tony Curtis] is undoubtedly the fastest sword in the East Bronx."

Pursuit of Happiness (1971) "A Now film (c. 1968) about the Alienation of Youth up against The System. Nice performances all around, but unrelentingly meaningful."

Queen of the Pirates (1961) "No man would cross swords with her. Oh, wow."

The Racetrack Murders (1954) "The race is fixed. The film isn't."

Racing Fever (1964) "This one gets off and running on a bad startand equally bad finish as a hydro-plane racer rescues a playboy who almost killed his father. See, I told you."

Rainbow Island (1944) "Medium fun and games."

Ramrod (1947) "Ranching and other relative stuff that Joel McCrea always makes better than it actually is. Unfortunately, Veronica Lake is around to make it seem worse than it is."

Raw Wind in Eden (1958) "Jet-setters dumped on island where survival is more basic. Some movement and a lot of heavy breathing."

The Razor's Edge (1946) "Tyrone Power is a man searching for the meaning of life in this W. Somerset Maugham philosophical view of a segment of post-WW I society. The cast is excellent, especially Anne Baxter (an Oscar as best supporting actress) and Clifton Webb. Interesting, but long. Cab drivers will love the ending."

Rebel Rousers (1966) "Another motorcycle epic that Jack Nicholson would like to forget--also Bruce Dern. Mean and pointless, but done with some flair."

The Redhead From Wyoming (1953) "About a dance hall queen and a sheriff and as satisfying as a flat beer."

The Red Shoes (1948) "Forget the story of a ballerina (Moira Shearer) torn between her career and marriage and concentrate on the dancing, the color and the music. A stunning feast for the eye and ear, but a trifle long."

*Red Skies of Montana (1952) "A look at the lives and loves of members of the U.S. Forestry Service. Sincere acting, great fires."

Reefer Madness (1939) [May 2023: I just bought twenty NTVB issues from the late 70's, and found this awesome close-up for a WNET showing of this anti-shmeeze camp classic. Gary Viskupic's goofy illustration is sublime, but John Cashman's facetious review--the first purely sarcastic one I can recall seeing--is killer. And it wasn't even April Fool's Day!]

Reflections in a Golden Eye (1967) "This is basically a bad movie version of the Carson McCullers novel of sexual aberration and violence at a Georgia Army post, but it has some interesting performances, especially those of Marlon Brando and Brian Keith. Director John Huston tried for something and missed."

The Relentless Four (1965) "Another mean Italian western... John Wayne would cry."

The Reluctant Astronaut (1967) "Don Knotts as the silly, nervous nut who, volunteered by his father, is accepted into the astronaut training program. More of a Pfft than a blast."

Retreat Hell (1951) "Every war has its famous line. This is from the Korean war. Great line, routine movie."

Return From the Past (1956) "For beyond the grave freaks only."

Return of Jesse James (1951) "Actually, it's not Jesse at all, but a small-time gunman cashing in and out because he looks like Jesse. It's been done better."

Return of the Giant Monsters (1968) "A ghastly monster is awakened by a chain of volcanic eruptions and thereby hangs a chain of ghastly events. For 'giant monster' freaks."

Return to Macon County (1975) "Two guys, a car and an evil county. The movie that almost killed Nick Nolte's career before it started. Don Johnson and Robin Mattson have yet to recover."

Revenge of the Conquered (1960) "A couple of Gypsy lovers and how they suffer. Join them."

Revenge of the Gladiators (1962) "Watch it and see why."

Ride and Kill (1965) "The title says it all."

Rio Rita (1942) "One of the early and better Abbott and Costello outings in a Broadway book show with added Nazi spies and two good A&C routines. Try it."

Riot on Sunset Strip (1967) "Another new ripoff from American International wherein Aldo Ray gets mean with the longhairs. Oh, wow."

The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond (1960) "Which about says it. He's a mobster, by the way, not a track star."

The Road to Denver (1955) "It's brother (John Payne) against brother (Skip Homeier) again in this standard oater about a stage line. Lee J. Cobb, Mona Freeman, and the menacing Lee Van Cleef."

Roberta (1935) "Dance, song and fun in the old unbeatable formula with Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers and Irene Dunne doing the honors quite nicely. Thin plot, but who cares?"

Robinson Crusoe and the Tiger (1972) "The story told from an animal's point of view. Forget it."

Rodan (1957) "From the bowels of the earth comes a berserk pterodactyl. As the poet says, the bird is on the wing."

Room Service (1938)


The Roots of Heaven (1958) "A sometimes light, sometimes heavy look at a certified elephant freak (Trevor Howard) at war with ivory hunters. Throw in a couple of nice performances by Errol Flynn and Eddie Albert and a delicious bit by Orson Welles and you've got a long John Huston mixed bag that is more good than bad."

Rose of Cimarron (1952) "Notable as Jack Buetel's other movie."

Run for Cover (1955) "...the last appearance of Jean Hersholt."

Sabrina (1954) "Humphrey Bogart, Audrey Hepburn, William Holden and--yes, grandma--Francis X. Bushman."

Safe at Home (1962) "A Little Leaguer tells his teammates he knows some big baseball stars and then has to produce them for a league dinner. Nauseatingly cloying. Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris don't help."

Sam's Song (1974) "An amateurish attempt at artsiness that has nothing but Robert De Niro wandering around endlessly waiting to say the movie's last line."

San Antonio (1945) "The Warner Brothers 'A' team in what passed for a classy western in those days. Interesting, but Errol Flynn is no Sunset Carson."

Sandokan the Great (1965) "The son of a sultan flexes everything but his head muscles as he plods off to rescue dear old dad. Let him go."

Santa Fe Passage (1955) "The wagon train, Indians, love, hate and a whoopee-tie-yo. Routine."

Saratoga (1937) "This was Jean Harlow's last film. She died during production and Mary Dees was used as a stand-in to finish several of the scenes by shooting over her shoulder."

Scared to Death (1947) "Notable as [Bela] Lugosi's only film in color, which is great for trivia quizzes but does nothing for the movie."

Sealed Verdict (1948) "Confused, far-fetched tale of an American army prosecutor (Ray Milland) getting emotional about a witness at a Nazi war crimes trial. You won't want to get involved."

Search for the Evil One (1968) "Is Hitler alive and well and living in South America? Who cares?"

Second Chorus (1940) "Fred Astaire and Burgess Meredith are a couple of trumpet players in search of a band and romance. Artie Shaw plays the band, Paulette Goddard the romance. Passable fun, but not one of Astaire's better outings. Try it, if you care."

The Secret Sex Lives of Romeo and Juliet (1978) "Shakespeare would not have liked this. So it goes." [For this entry, Newsday eschewed the typical genre listing of "Adult" for the much more straightforward "Porn."]

Seven Golden Men (1967) "Routine Big Caper involving the Swiss National Bank and the usual cool pros. Enough already."

79 A.D. (1960) "It was a very good year for vicious slave traders, fearless gladiators and Susan Paget and Brad Harris were there."

She Demons (1956) "Another shipwreck on a Pacific island where some strange men do some strange things with women. Coconuts."

She Done Him Wrong (1933) "Mae West does her broad best in this Gay Nineties spoof based on the play Diamond Lil. And this is where she gets to say "Come up and see me sometime." An unbelievably young Cary Grant is at the other end of the offer. Good fun."

She Wolf of London (1946) "The mental warpage is infectious."

Shootout at Medicine Bend (1957) "After the Indian wars, three men avenge a death. Randolph Scott doing his thing. The titles change, but he doesn't."

Sidney Sheldon's Bloodline (1979) "Classy/trashy."

Sierra Baron (1958) "Routine, except for Brian Keith, who always rises above his material."

Sign of the Cross (1932) "...a prologue was added in 1944 to make all the decadence and piety seem more meaningful."

Sign of the Pagan (1955) "You haven't lived until you've seen Jack Palance playing Attila The Hun. Coat heavily with hack religion and try to swallow it."

Silent Night, Bloody Night (1969) "Another small New England town with a horrendous secret that won't stay buried. What is it with New England?"

Silkwood (1983) "The story of Karen Silkwood, an atomic age Rosie the Riveter."

Silver City (1951) "A couple of hard types square off over some ore and the passionate Yvonne DeCarlo. Routine."

Silver Star (1955) "For Jimmy Wakely fans only."

Sincerely Yours (1955) "An all-time baddie, in spite of or because of its star Liberace, who comes complete with neon teeth, dimples and candelabra."

633 Squadron (1964) "Fatigue is setting in."

Skulduggery (1970) "Burt Reynolds wandering around New Guinea waiting for Helen Gurley Brown to rescue him from obscurity."

The Skull (1965) "The Marquis de Sade is long gone, but his head bone is still around causing sadistic things to happen to this weird collector and other persons. A tingling moment here and there, but basically boneheaded."

Slaughter of the Vampires (1962) "The vampires arrange to take over the world and it's just horrible."

The Snake People (1968) "Voodoo, LSD, sloppy camera work and Boris Karloff in a not very thrilling combination."

So Darling, So Deadly (1967) "Darling, no. Deadly, yes."

Sombra, the Spider Woman (1966) "Her father wants to conquer the world from the fourth dimension. So like a good daughter, this sinister but beautiful fortune teller begins a campaign of murder. Far out stuff."

Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956) "Stars... a ringer for Tony Zale named Courtland Shepard."

Some Kind of Nut (1969) "An unbelievably contrived thing that hangs on Dick Van Dyke's new beard and the establishment reaction thereto. Blame it on Garson Kanin and forget it."

Some People (1964) "An object lesson in why this country has cornered the market on singing, swinging movies. This English try has a choirmaster getting his kids to do their thing for the church social. Very flat."

Son of a Gunfighter (1966) "A son out for revenge, only this time he's after dear old dad. Catch a nap. [It was a 3pm showing on a Saturday.] Dubbed. Russ Tamblyn and a company of Spaniards."

Son of El Cid (1965) "It is hoped the old man never lived to see his son in action."

Son of Kong (1933) "Sued by half of New York (4,000,000 people?--it could only happen in New York) for the destruction that King Kong has wrought, producer Carl Denham sails back to Skull Island to find the mighty ape's offspring."

Son of Lassie (1945) "Less sophisticated than 'Lassie Come Home,' this followup has the collie and his master go to war, getting shot down over Germany, while we wring our hankies over the folks--master's sweetheart and collie's son--back home."

So This is Paris (1955) "Gloria DeHaven is pretty."

The Sound and the Fury (1959) "Another old Southern family suffering from dry rot and talking up a storm or staring meaningfully at each other. From the William Faulkner novel, minus most of the guts."

The Sound of Horror (1965) "They unearth some stone eggs which hatch into invisible creatures. Unfortunately, you can hear them. Dubbed."

South of Pago Pago (1940) "Terrific title, then downhill..."

South Sea Sinner (1950) "...that piano player, isn't he...?"

S*P*Y*S (1974) "This was supposed to be M*A*S*H joins the C*I*A, but it's N*O*T..."

Spaceways (1953) "A quickie about a flight into space. A quiet day at Cape Kennedy has more thrills."

The Spider Woman Strikes Back (1946) "A young girl fears that her predecessors may have been used to feed a strange plant. Root for the plant."

Spook Chasers (1957) "An old house, stolen money and some bumbling crooks. The Bowery Boys are getting older and dumber."

Starship Invasions (1978) "An idiotic bit of nonsense that ties the future of the universe to a battle between some bald-headed rabbits and a few scuba-suited strangeos with coat-hanger shoulders."

Star-Spangled Rhythm (1942) "Another wartime let's-get-everybody-into-the-picture effort, this time from Paramount. The plot is hard to find, but there are 43--count 'em--43 stars doing everything from walk-ons to bits. A buff's delight."

Star Trek--The Motion Picture (1979) "The crew of the starship Enterprise intercepts a hostile earth-bound entity which has the power to annihilate humanity. This $40 million adventure starring the TV series crew will be a disappointment to just about anyone but the most uncritical fan. The special effects are good, the melodrama is feeble. William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, et al.

Station Six Sahara (1964) "Some isolated engineers start breathing heavy when Carroll Baker arrives breathing heavy. Who ever thought lust could be dull?"

Stolen Hours (1963) "A wealthy American playgirl is suffering, from a tumor on the brain and a bad script."

Storm in Jamaica (1959) "A plane crash and stranded passengers. Also titled 'Passionate Summer,' which gives you an idea of how they work it out."

The Strange Door (1952) "Despite Charles Laughton and Boris Karloff, this tale of a cruel tyrant who is quite mad just doesn't work. There are dungeons and hysterics and things, and the acting is outrageous."

Stranger of the Tower (1966) "A legendary emerald is gone and there is an unknown assassin on the loose. It doesn't sound dull, but it is."

The Stranger Wore a Gun (1953) "If he didn't, there wouldn't have been a picture. Randolph Scott doing his routine good guy/bad guy and displaying the tightest lips in Hollywood. Good bits from Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine."

Strangler in the Swamp (1946) "A hanged man returns to seek vengeance because he was innocent. He mucks about. Beware."

Strike (1924) "The first film ever made by the Soviet Union's director Sergei Eisenstein was the stroy of a group of factory workers in pre-World War I Tsarist Russia. They go out on strike, and are brutalized by the authorities. The film was part of Lenin's overall plans to glorify the struggles of workers and the aims of the Revolution."

The Student Prince (1954) "The Sigmund Romburg/Dorothy Donnelly operetta about a Ruritarian prince on the loose in Heidelberg is corny but fun. Edmond Purdom is the prince who falls in love with barmaid Ann Blythe between songs, but it's the voice of Mario Lanza you'll hear. Try it, you might like it."

The St. Valentine's Day Massacre (1967) "Roger Corman lovingly lays out the infamous Chicago incident wherein Al Capone almost succeeds in showing Bugs Moran who is boss of the bosses. Nice feel for the 1920's but exploitive and unnecessarily gory. Jason Robards is crazy enough, but not fat enough as Big Al."

Suez (1938) "Supposedly the story of Ferdinand de Lesseps (Tyrone Power), who built the Suez Canal, but Ferdy seems to have more of a problem choosing between classy Loretta Young and earthy Annabella. At least that's the way Darryl Zanuck saw it. Still, the production and acting are first rate. With a little effort it could have been a great one."

Summer Holiday (1963) "Dumb, but not bad considering it's English."

Sundown (1941) "The African desert (it says here) during WWII and a native girl who owns a camel caravan helps the British. They all need help."

Sunset Boulevard (1950) "An opportunist hack screenwriter (William Holden) plays gigolo for a mad silent star named Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson), who has a butler who looks like Eric von Stroheim (Eric von Stroheim). And thereby hangs one hell of a film. Don't miss it. Directed by Billy Wilder. [With] Cecil B. DeMille directing a staircase scene that will glue you to your chair."

*Super Cops (1974) "The true-to-life (it says here) of two NYC detectives known as Batman and Robin. Directed right out of Action Comics by Gordon Parks. Pow! Bam!! Zonk!!!"

Superdad (1974) "Dad's a boob."

Supernatural (1933) "From the vault comes spirit possession and other murky stuff, including Randolph Scott without a horse. A vaguely interesting oldie."

Surprise Package (1960) "That would be Mitzi Gaynor, who is sent to her deported mobster boyfriend (Yul Brynner) by the boys. Throw in a royal robbery and some Art Buchwald one-liners and watch it lay there."

Susan and God (1940) "Joan Crawford gets religion and everybody else gets nervous. Mild, with some pointed dialogue by Anita Loos. Frederic March, an early Rita Hayworth and Gloria DeHaven in her first film."

The Swinger (1966) "Ann-Margaret lies about being hip and loose, then sets out to prove it in the worst movie of 1966 and, quite probably, the five years before and after."

Swingers Paradise (1969) "Quick, name two good English musicals."

The Sword and the Sorcerer (1982) "Dungeons, daggers, doxies, dim light, dopey. But sort of likable, too."