Richard Clarke Movies

Unwilling to claw his way to the top of the corporate ladder, the college-educated Jonathan (Jordan Christopher) prefers the carefree life of a cab driver. A rebel, he vents his daily frustration by kicking pigeons in the park. The film's rambling plot encompasses such eccentric characters as a naive motorcyclist, a gay interior decorator and a parent-subsidized hippie who embarks upon a bumpy romance with Jonathan, whose lack of commitment proves his downfall. Very much a product of its times (psychedelic camerawork and all), Pigeons was originally released under the strenuously "hip" title Sidelong Glances of a Pigeon Kicker. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Based on a James Leo Herlihy novel, British director John Schlesinger's first American film dramatized the small hopes, dashed dreams, and unlikely friendship of two late '60s lost souls. Dreaming of an easy life as a fantasy cowboy stud, cheerful Texas rube Joe Buck (Jon Voight) heads to New York City to be a gigolo, but he quickly discovers that hustling isn't what he thought it would be after he winds up paying his first trick (Sylvia Miles). He gets swindled by gimpy tubercular grifter Rico "Ratso" Rizzo (Dustin Hoffman) but, when Joe falls in the direst of straits, Ratso takes Joe into his condemned apartment so that they can help each other survive. Things start to look up when Joe finally lands his first legit female customer (Brenda Vaccaro) at a Warhol-esque party; Ratso's health, however, fails. Joe turns a final trick to get the money for one selfless goal: taking Ratso out of New York to his dream life in Miami. One of the first major studio films given the newly minted X rating for its then-frank portrayal of New York decadence, Midnight Cowboy was critically praised for Schlesinger's insight into American lives, with the intercut mosaic of Joe's memories and Ratso's dreams lending their characters and actions greater psychological complexity. While they may have been drawn by the seamy content (tame by current standards), the young late '60s audience responded to Joe's and Ratso's confusion amidst turbulent times and to the connection they make with each other despite their alienation from the surrounding culture. Midnight Cowboy became one of the major financial and artistic hits of 1969, winning Oscars for Best Picture (the first for an X-rated film), Best Director, and former blacklistee Waldo Salt's screenplay. Though the one-two punch of Midnight Cowboy and The Graduate (1967) proved Hoffman's range and Voight's Joe Buck made him a star, both lost Best Actor to classical cowboy John Wayne for True Grit. The film was later re-rated R by the MPAA. ~ Lucia Bozzola, Rovi

In this epic medieval adventure, King Arthur is in his second decade of ruling Camelot when he becomes gravely ill and must journey to the castle of a good Saxon friend to recuperate. The ailing king does not know that the treacherous Saxons there are planning to kill him and commandeer the throne. At first the traitors' plans are foiled by a dashing outlaw who saves the king. Unfortunately, the Saxon dogs eventually succeed. Their leader tries to insure that he gets the crown by marrying Arthur's daughter. But instead, she goes off with another, causing the usurper to proclaim that she has died and that he is now the rightful king. Fortunately, she is not dead but off in the country seeking Merlin. She and her lover succeed and with the mighty magician manage to return to Camelot just as the new king is to be crowned. At this point the crusty Merlin demands that the Saxon prove his fitness to reign by removing Arthur's beloved Excalibur from its scabbard. Of course he fails. And of course the good princess succeeds. Immediately, the usurper and his band flee the country, but not before they are vanquished by the newly united British army. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

London's federation of diamond merchants is being plagued by a vicious gang of smugglers. Steed and Cathy pose as husband-and-wife gem dealers in hopes of flushing out the villains. Ultimately, Cathy is targetted for death by the smugglers, but here as elsewhere, she proves to be up to the challenge. First telecast in England on December 1, 1962, Death on the Rocks was written by Eric Paice. The episode made its American cable-TV bow on February 7, 1961. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This meticulous re-creation of the sinking of the Titanic was adapted by Eric Ambler from the best-selling book by Walter Lord, and it preceded the blockbuster Titanic by almost 40 years. The film covers the life and death of the huge vessel from its launching celebration to that fateful night of April 14, 1912, when the "unsinkable" ship struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic. Of the 2224 passengers on board, 1513 were drowned as a result of the bad planning of lifeboats and escape routes. Kenneth More heads a huge and stellar cast, with 200 speaking parts, as second officer Herbert Lightoller, from whose point-of-view the story unfolds. Also in the cast are Laurence Naismith as the ill-fated Captain Smith; Michael Goodliffe as conscience-stricken ship's designer Thomas Andrews; Tucker McGuire as feisty American millionaire Molly Brown, whose courage and tenacity saved many lives; and Anthony Bushell as the captain of the Carpathia, who launched a noble but vain rescue mission once he was apprised of the disaster. Also appearing are two future TV favorites: The Avengers' Honor Blackman as a woman who believes that she has nothing to live for, and The Man From UNCLE's David McCallum as a wireless operator. The climactic sinking of the vessel is re-created with painstaking accuracy; filmed in "real time," it is a mere 37 minutes shorter than the actual tragedy. Two years before the film's release, an American TV adaptation of A Night to Remember set a precedent as the most elaborate and technically complex "live" broadcast of its time. Some viewers will find this movie a more accurate and gripping representation of this sea disaster than the romance-heavy Titanic. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this melodrama, a pilot gets amnesia after a plane crash. A good friend helps him to remember by discussing the troop transport plane they built together. While still in the hospital recovering, the pilot asks the friend to marry him. He then learns that they are already married. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

In this flag-waving adventure, the Masked Marvel helps keep the world safe for capitalism by taking on the evil Japanese agent Sakima who is trying to take over the World-Wide Insurance Company. The film was originally a 12-part serial. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

The lachrymose PRC drama Prison Girls was based on the Octavious Roy Cohen short story Gallant Lady, which was also the film's alternate title. In her first starring role in several years, Rose Hobart plays Rosemary Walsh, a woman doctor sentenced to a long jail term for a mercy killing. Escaping from a prison farm, Rosemary takes refuge in the home of general practitioner Steve (Sidney Blackmer). With his help, she manages to start a whole new life for herself. Reviews were generally positive for Prison Girls, but the PRC poverty-row stigma did little to advance the careers of its talented stars. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

City of Silent Men comes so close to being a "model" "B" picture that it's a downright shame it just misses the mark. The plot revolves around a group of ex-convicts who try to start life anew by relocating in a small town under assumed names. The mayor of the town welcomes the former cons with open arms, helping them re-open a dormant canning factory and encouraging them to hire other reformed criminals. Alas, the bigoted local newspaper editor stirs up public hostility towards the new cannery and its owners, but everything is resolved happily when the ex-cons are awarded a defense contract. City of Silent Men could easily have lapsed into pointless melodrama, but the sincerity of the performers and the strength of Joseph Hoffman's screenplay keep the events on an even and realistic keel. All City of Silent Men lacks is a decent budget, but that's to be expected in a PRC Picture from this period. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This action film, follows the travails of two chorus girls as they try to leave South America and get back home. Their journey begins when they are stranded in a Latin American village. They talk the purser of a clipper ship into letting them board his clipper ship. He has taken a fancy to one of the women, so it wasn't too difficult. Upon the voyage, criminals try to steal the boat's cash cargo. The purser captures them and all is well. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

This musical presents a romantic and sanitized biography of distinguished American songwriter Stephen Foster. The story begins with the romance between Foster (Don Ameche) and a pretty southern belle and sets up a home in Kentucky--actually the real Foster married a girl from Pittsburgh. His songwriting career takes off when he sells a song to the famous minstrel E.P. Christy (Al Jolson). His career takes off until the Civil War erupts. Accused of siding with the Confederates, Foster and his family flee to the North. There, he begins to literally drink himself to death. The Oscar-nominated soundtrack feature some of Foster's most loved standards including the title song, "Camptown Races," "Oh, Susanna" and "My Old Kentucky Home." ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

This timely entry in Fox's Charlie Chan series is set in Paris during the Munich Crisis of 1938. Charlie Chan (Sidney Toler) arrives in the City of Light for a reunion with his war buddies, only to find those lights dimmed by a city-wide blackout. The murder victim this time out is munitions manufacturer Douglas Dumbrille, who sells out his country by selling arms to an unnamed enemy. Harold Huber shamelessly overacts as the Parisian inspector assigned to the case. Charlie Chan in City of Darkness ends on a prescient note, with Chan expressing trepidation over the "Peace in Our Time" solution to the Munich affair. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi