Emestine Wade Movies

Ira Levin wrote the stage comedy Critic's Choice as a good-natured retort to a comment made by critic Walter Kerr. In his essay How Not to Write a Play, Kerr noted that the worst possible scenario would involve a drama critic forced to review a play written by his wife (we should mention that Kerr's own wife was noted playwright Jean Kerr). Levin utilized this very scenario, and the result was a Broadway hit. Less successful artistically was the 1962 film version, though with Bob Hope and Lucille Ball as stars, the film couldn't help but clean up at the box office. Hope portrays theatrical critic Parker Ballantine, while Lucille Ball plays his wife Angela. Feeling "useless," Angela writes a play as a lark, then is amazed when it is optioned by a major producer. Parker does his best to get out of the responsibility of reviewing the play (which very well may be as bad as he thinks it is), but cannot escape the responsibility. Much of the verbal wit of the Levin original is sacrificed in favor of one-line quips; there is also an overabundance of gratuitous slapstick during a little-league game and the climactic "opening night" sequence. Still, Hope and Ball work together well as always. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this western, a cavalryman disobeys his officer's command to massacre Indians at Sand Creek, goes AWOL and heads for his home in Texas where he wants to protect the women who will soon bear the brunt of the Indians' revenge. Because he defected from the cavalry, his friends and neighbors consider him a traitor, but the young man disregards them. With his expert advice, the women become crack shots. He trains them at an abandoned mission. One of the women is a real smart aleck and it is she whom he falls in love with. When the angry Indians arrive, the ladies defeat them. Later, the young deserter is found not-guilty during court-martial proceedings. His C.O. is not so lucky and is charged with the Sand Creek slaughter. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

The peacetime draft is given the teen-idol treatment in The Girl He Left Behind. Hollywood hunk Tab Hunter is starred as a spoiled young man who is whipped into shape--and humility--by his two years of compulsory military service. Natalie Wood plays the girl who...well, look at the title. Director David Butler would have preferred to cast a minor actor who was making his film debut in the leading role, but Butler was committed to Warners contractee Tab Hunter. Thus it was that young James Garner would have to wait his turn. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This is the first volume from the very popular early-'50s Amos 'n' Andy series. Episodes in this issue are: "Kingfish Teaches Andy to Fly" and "Second Honeymoon." ~ Rovi

Weighing themselves on a penny machine, the Our Gang kids receive a fortune card predicting that they will receive "unexpected riches." Acting upon this, the kids decide to dig for buried treasure, using a fradulent map provided by one of their wise-guy acquaintances. Though the treasure hunt comes a-cropper, the fortune card's prediction comes true in an unexpected fashion. Originally released on November 28, 1942, the one-reel Unexpected Riches represented Spanky McFarland's final Our Gang appearance, ending an incredible ten-year run with the comedy series. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi