Movie Review: Dive Bomber
Year of Release: 1941
Country of Origin: USA
Director: Michael Curtiz
Cast: Errol Flynn, Fred MacMurray, Ralph Bellamy, Herbert Anderson
Plot outline: A team of flight surgeons fights to prevent bomber pilots from blacking out (IMDb).
Filmed just prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor, Dive Bomber is dedicated to flight surgeons who are obsessed with finding the cure for pilot "blackout" and how to deal with altitude sickness. Though well-crafted, it seems more geared for aviation buffs than a general audience. Michael Curtiz helms it as an action pic, adding the obligatory subplot of a military romance. The movie stays on course when dealing with aviation issues, but when it tacks on a tepid romance story involving Linda Fisher (Alexis Smith), who is pursued by both Lee (Errol Flynn) and Blake (Fred MacMurray), the romance story seems to go nowhere. What was even more obnoxious was the lame comic relief offered by Lee's aide-de-camp "Lucky" James (Allen Jenkins) dodging his wife on payday. It all leads to the final test of Lee's high-altitude pressure suit. It remains impressive, even today, for its superior aerial footage (filmed aboard the USS Enterprise, who objected but were overruled by the Secretary of the Navy). Otherwise it takes a nose dive into drab Hollywood melodramatic waters. (DS)
My judgement: **1/2 out of 4 stars
Movie Review: Escape to Athena
Year of Release: 1979
Country of Origin: UK
Director: George P. Cosmatos
Cast: Roger Moore, Telly Savalas, David Niven, Claudia Cardinale
Plot outline: During the World War II, the prisoners of a German camp in a greek island are trying to escape. They don't want only their freedom, but they also seek for an ineffable treasure hidden in a monastery at the top of the island's mountain (IMDb).
This movie can't make up its mind whether it wants to be a comedy or an action/adventure, and in the end it largely fails to deliver on either front. Roger Moore is hopelessly miscast as the antiques-loving German (or rather Austrian) POW camp commandant, and a number of the other characters such as Sonny Bono's Italian chef, Michael Sheard's oafish German sergeant and Telly Savalas' Greek resistance leader are extremely caricature-ish. Even Richard Rowntree's POW character comes across merely as Shaft in a GI uniform (coming out with expressions like "he's one cool cat"). The character Charlie (played by Elliot Gould) is a civilian USO entertainer whose plane was shot down over the Mediterranean, with him and his female colleague (played by Stefanie Powers) being captured and placed in the POW camp. However, when these two are introduced early on, we see them looking like a pair of well-heeled American holidaymakers. Both are immaculately groomed and dressed, and they certainly don't look like two people who have just been fished out of the Mediterranean after their plane has been shot out of the sky - the woman is even lugging all her suitcases behind her!!! The action scenes later on were also fairly predictable and boring. The movie is not a classic in any way, shape or form. It oozes mediocrity in all areas. On the plus side, the Greek islands location is wonderful and the camera work is on the whole pretty good. And the beautiful Claudia Cardinale graces any movie that she's in. (SR)
My judgement: *1/2 out of 4 stars
Watch the slideshow for TCM's 50 Most Unforgettable Leading Men of the Studio Era here.
Watch the slideshow for TCM's 50 Most Unforgettable Leading Ladies of the Studio Era here.
Movie Review: The Sea Hawk
Year of Release: 1940
Country of Origin: USA
Director: Michael Curtiz
Cast: Errol Flynn, Brenda Marshall, Claude Rains
Plot outline: A British pirate holds the Spanish fleet at bay with the covert approval of Elizabeth I (IMDb).
The Sea Hawk finds Errol Flynn in full on swashbuckling mode. He re-teams with The Adventures of Robin Hood director Michael Curtiz and Robin Hood co-stars Alan Hale and Claude Rains. If only The Sea Hawk had spent more time on his character's adventures and less on talking this would have truly been a movie about “Robin Hood of the sea." Made during the onset of World War II, the movie does not shy from then current political issues. Hitler's Third Reich was growing in Europe and this movie comments many times on it. King Phillip of Spain obviously represents Hitler when he has this piece of dialogue as the movie opens, “The riches of the New World are limitless, and the New World is ours - with our ships carrying the Spanish flag on seven seas, our armies sweeping over Africa, the Near East, and the Far West; invincible everywhere ... but on our own doorstep. Only northern Europe holds out against us; why? Tell me, why?" The final scene in the movie has The Queen of England giving this speech, “And now, my loyal subjects, a grave duty confronts us all: To prepare our nation for a war that none of us wants, least of all your queen. We have tried by all means in our power to avert this war. We have no quarrel with the people of Spain or of any other country; but when the ruthless ambition of a man threatens to engulf the world, it becomes the solemn obligation of all free men to affirm that the earth belongs not to any one man, but to all men, and that freedom is the deed and title to the soil on which we exist. Firm in this faith, we shall now make ready to meet the great armada that Philip sends against us." Overall, The Sea Hawk is too dramatic and over done with political innuendos. There are several good action sequences but at over two hours long it drags in many places. (EN)
My judgement: **1/2 out of 4 stars
Year of Release: 1941
