Fred Cordova Movies
MGM circumvented the censorship that would otherwise have prevented a film version of Gustave Flaubert's Madame Bovary by adding a prologue and epilogue that assured any and all bluenoses that the story was strictly a work of fiction. James Mason appears as Flaubert, defending his inflammatory novel before a French jury. Thus, the tragedy of Emma Bovary (Jennifer Jones) is offered as a product of Flaubert's imagination, rather than a real-life story. The body of the film concerns Emma's attempt to escape the boredom of her bourgeois existence by marrying a wealthy doctor (Van Heflin). She finds life with the physician even more tiresome than her previous experiences, thus begins taking a series of wealthy lovers-all of whom prove to be two-dimensional cads. Unable to tolerate a lifetime of dead-end affairs, Emma eventually commits suicide. The best sequence-indeed, one of the finest set pieces ever directed by Vincente Minnelli-is the "Emma Bovary Waltz" sequence, a dazzling experience in dizzying camera movements. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jennifer Jones, James Mason, (more)
- 1948
In this entry in the long-running mystery series, Chan must find out who has been killing people over rare antiques. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1947
Pirates of Monterey is set during the early 19th century, at a time when California was asserting its independence from Mexico. Rod Cameron plays Phillip Kent, a devil-may-care mercenary hired to transport a shipment of rifles to the American army detachment at Monterey. Along the way, he is forced to do battle with Mexicans, Indians and various and assorted thieves. Somehow, he finds time to pitch woo with the tempestuous Marguerita (Maria Montez), whose fiery Mexican dance routines are something to behold. Less exciting to watch than it is to read about, Pirates of Monterey at least has the advantage of Technicolor. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rod Cameron
- 1945
This Universal "monster rally", an immediate sequel to House of Frankenstein, would seem to have been deliberately designed as the final entry in the studio's B-horror cycle. Onslow Stevens plays psychiatrist Dr. Edelman, who suddenly has a thriving business when two of Universal's "fright" personalities come calling. Count Dracula (John Carradine) wishes to be weaned away from his vampiric tendencies, while Lawrence Talbot (Lon Chaney), aka the Wolfman, wants to be cured of his werewolfism. Edelman does his best to help, simultaneously attempting to bring the Frankenstein monster (Glenn Strange) back to life. Unfortunately, Edelman inherits the madness, killer instincts and other antisocial habits of his celebrated patients. Only Lawrence Talbot manages to escape from Edelman's lab unscathed, ambling off into the sunset with heroine Militza (Martha O'Driscoll). Universal contract starlet Jane Adams, perennially cast as unfortunate young women with physical afflictions, plays Edelman's faithful hunchbacked nurse. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lon Chaney, Jr., John Carradine, (more)
- 1943
In one of their most genial comedies -- based on a Damon Runyon story -- Bud Abbott and Lou Costello have to help one friend (Cecil Kellaway) replace his beloved carriage horse, and another friend (Leightno Noble) put together a US Army camp show. Through a misunderstanding, they take what they think is a worthless nag from a racetrack stall, only to discover that they've actually stolen "Tea Biscuit," the world's greatest racehorse. Not only are the authorities after the pair -- who try to hide the horse in their hotel room -- but so is freelance trouble-shooter Eugene Pallette (who already has had one unrelated run-in with the boys), and complicating matters even further are three racetrack touts (led by Shemp Howard) who want to cash in on the mistake. Grace McDonald and Patsy O'Connor), along with bandleader Noble and the Step Brothers, provide the music and dancing in this wild romp, that takes us from New York's Central Park to the racetrack at Saratoga. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, (more)
- 1942
It was an open secret in Hollywood that bosom buddies (and fellow Universal contractees) Broderick Crawford and Lon Chaney Jr. usually spent their weekend drunkenly punching one another out. Evidently Universal hoped to harness this pugnacity for box-offices purposes, which may be why North to the Klondike was born. Marginally based on the Jack London yarn Gold Hunters of the North, the film casts Crawford as Alaskan mining engineer John Thorn and Chaney as land-grabbing scoundrel Nate Carson. Originally close friends, Thorn and Carson ultimately have a falling out over Carson's strongarm tactics-resulting in an outsized brawl which looks disturbingly like the real thing. Evelyn Ankers, whose latter-day anecdotes about the redoubtable Crawford and Chaney could fill a book in themselves, valiantly plays the heroine. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Broderick Crawford, Evelyn Ankers, (more)
- 1941
Cowboy star Johnny Mack Brown launched his third season at Universal with the above-average entry The Masked Rider. Moseying into a sleepy South American town in search of jobs, Larry (Brown) and his pal Patches (Fuzzy Knight) are hired by a local mining concern. Our heroes soon discover that the mine's silver shipments are being plundered by a mysterious Masked Rider, who has recently added murder to his itinerary. Larry and Patches vow to expose the Rider's true identity and to stem his crime spree once and for all. Plot and action in The Masked Rider come to an abrupt half at the film's halway point, the better to spotlight the musical contributions of the Guadalajara Trio and the Jose Cansino Dancers; fortunately, this scene is entertaining enough to keep the fans happy while awaiting the next burst of action. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Johnny Mack Brown, Fuzzy Knight, (more)
- 1939
In what must have seemed like a good idea at the time, Grand National pictures attempted to build a series of westerns around a singing cowgirl, played by Dorothy Page. In Ride 'Em Cowgirl, Page acquits herself nicely as Helen Rickson, who tries to combat the villains all by her lonesome. Though she is helped along by muscular barbed-wire lineman Oliver Shea (played by character actor Milton Frome in a rare romantic lead), it is clear that Helen is perfectly capable of taking care of herself. The studio's advertising copy claimed that Dorothy Page did all her own stunts, from roping to riding to shooting, and from the looks of things this was a true assertion. That Ride 'Em Cowgirl was not a particularly good western didn't seem to concern anybody at the studio, which quickly churned out two additional Dorothy Page vehicles, Water Rustlers and (what else?) The Singing Cowgirl. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dorothy Page, Milton Frome, (more)
