Paul Hoffman Movies

Die Ideal Frau is a very slight, German romantic comedy that features one of the nation's more popular actresses, Ruth Leuwerik as the mayor of a small town at odds with her husband. The catch is that she is secretly married and to make matters worse, her husband (Martin Benrath) leads the opposition party on the town council. Rather than highlight serious political differences set against a romantic pairing, the scripters and director Josef von Baky have decided to keep the couple's disagreements down to a safe level -- they argue over whether or not a music festival should be held in the town. Perhaps a more burning issue would have added some punch to the comedy. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

Harry Belafonte was both producer and star of this hard-edged film noir crime drama. Dave Burke (Ed Begley, Sr.) is an ex-cop who has been kicked off the force for refusing to inform on his colleagues to the State Crime Committee. Short on money, the former policeman jumps to the other side of the law and plans to knock over a bank in upstate New York. He'll need help, so Burke brings in two other men to assist him -- Johnny Ingram (Belafonte), a jazz musician with an addiction to gambling that's put him deep in debt to gangster Bacco (Will Kuluva), and Earl Slater (Robert Ryan), a disturbed war veteran who hasn't been able to find work after serving time for manslaughter. While their common greed and desperation has brought these men together, their differences threaten to tear them apart, especially when Slater's fear and hatred of black men rises to the surface. Blacklisted screenwriter Abraham Polonsky co-wrote the screenplay for Odds Against Tomorrow, using his friend John O. Killens as a "front." John Lewis of the Modern Jazz Quartet contributed a memorable musical score. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

In this gritty urban drama, war veteran Richard Dadier (Glenn Ford) wants to begin his career as a teacher and is given an assignment at a boys high school in inner-city New York. However, he soon discovers the school is overrun by delinquents, led by Artie West (Vic Morrow), an insolent hood who likes to call Richard "Mr. Daddy-O." Artie and his gang steal, destroy property, refuse to respect authority, and threaten the female teachers with rape. While most of the faculty have given up and meekly let the delinquents do what they want, Dadier is determined to bring order back to his classroom, even after Artie's thugs threaten Richard's pregnant wife. Keep your eyes peeled for a bit part by Jameel Farah, years before he would change his name to Jamie Farr. Blackboard Jungle was also the first major studio film to use rock & roll on the soundtrack; the film's success kick-started sales of "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley & His Comets, which helped to spark the rock & roll boom of the 1950s. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Rescuing Daniel Norton (Dewey Martin) from a watery grave, two-bit fight promoter Willy Wurble (Keenan Wynn) senses potential in his new "find". Willy builds Daniel into a boxing champ, a fact that Daniel chalks up to good luck and the good Lord. The boy is in for quite a letdown when the financially-strapped Willy orders him to lose his next bout. Shelley Winters costars as Willy's long-suffering wife Sarah, who'd give anything if her man would turn honest for a just a moment or two. Featured in the cast as Daniel's ongoing pugilistic nemesis is Charles Buchinsky, whom the whole world knows today as Charles Bronson. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

"Her Salome Will Steal Your Breath Away" was the classic advertising slogan attached to this opulent Rita Hayworth epic -- a slogan which became laughable whenever a radio announcer would mispronounce Salome as "salami." Using the very sketchy Biblical story of the death of John the Baptist as its springboard, Salome depicts its title character, the stepdaughter of King Herod, as a victim of circumstance rather than a wanton temptress. Banished from Rome because of an unfortunate romance with the nephew of Caesar, Salome (Rita Hayworth) declares that all men are her enemies, but her resolve weakens when she falls in love with Claudius (Stewart Granger), the military commander of Galilee. Meanwhile, Salome's wicked mother, Herodias (Judith Anderson), plots the demise of John the Baptist (Alan Badel), who currently enjoys the protection of the superstitious Herod (Charles Laughton). At this point, the story departs radically from Scripture. Salome is no longer coerced by Herodias to demand the head of John the Baptist; instead, Herodias, on her own, promises Herod that Salome will perform the "Dance of the Seven Veils" for him -- but only if he beheads John first (Salome has been misinformed that the dance will save John from the headsman's sword). Somehow, scriptwriter Jesse Lasky Jr. even manages to concoct a happy ending for poor Salome, which is a lot more than Oscar Wilde or Richard Strauss were able to do. Considered an artistic flop in 1953, Salome seems somewhat better today, if only because of that powerhouse cast. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Assignment - Paris is based on a serialized Saturday Evening Post yarn by Paul and Pauline Gallico. The film stars Dana Andrews as reporter Jimmy Race, assigned to the Paris bureau of the New York Herald Tribune. Race makes the acquaintance of French journalist Jeanne Moray (Marta Toren), who is forced to suppress a white-hot news story about an impending Iron Curtain political conspiracy because she lacks proof. At great risk to himself, Race heads to Budapest to ferret out the facts, sometimes right under the noses of the communist "damage control" experts. George Sanders co-stars as editor Rick Strang, who dispatches Race on his fact-finding mission--partly because of his dedication to truth, and partly because he has designs on the gorgeous Jeanne himself. One of the more palatable anti-Red tracts of its era, Assignment - Paris makes excellent use of authentic Parisian and Hungarian locations. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Stanley Kramer's production unit at Columbia Pictures was known for its willingness to tackle subject matter that was not necessarily "box office" (much to the dismay, of course, of Columbia head man Harry Cohn!) Adapted by Michael Blankfort from the autobiography by Donald Powell Wilson, My Six Convicts is the true story of a prison psychologist and his efforts to "reach" his incarcerated patients. John Beal plays the Donald Powell Wilson counterpart, herein known simply as Doc. Convinced that psychological rehabilitation is, indeed, an option, Doc overcomes a great deal of opposition -- from both prison officials and prisoners -- to test out his theories. Once he's won the confidence of hardened safecracker James Connie (Millard Mitchell), Doc is able to bring five more convicts into his circle: murderous mobster Punch Pinero (Gilbert Roland); alcoholic, self-sacrificing Blivens Scott (Marshall Thompson); holdup man Clem Randall (Alf Kjellin); psychopathic killer Dawson (Harry Morgan -- yes, that Harry Morgan); and embezzler Steve Kopac (Jay Adler). These six cons learn to make their life behind bars not only tolerable but productive, and in so doing pass on their new outlook on life to their fellow inmates. Despite the seriousness of the subject matter, My Six Convicts is essentially a comedy, with the all-male cast working together in seamless perfection. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Timber Fury was based on a story by North-Woods specialist James Oliver Curwood. The plot concerns the efforts of a timber shipper to get his logs to the mill on time. Callow young engineer Jim (David Bruce) comes up with a new, efficient method to expedite the shipment, and in so doing wins the undying affection of heroine Phyllis (Laura Lee). Meanwhile, villainous rival McCabe (George Slocum) plots and plans to prevent the shipment from proceeding. Also featured in the cast is ubiquitous character-actor Sam Flint, playing an ill-fated lumberman who seems to have the words "Kill Me First" tattooed on his forehead. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this witty, well-written, and fast-moving drama, director Josef von Baky and scripter Fritz Kortner have fashioned a cutting statement on the nature of prejudice and ethnicity. A professor who emigrated from Nazi Germany to teach in Los Angeles comes back to Germany ten years later, intending to continue his career. He also needs to find out what happened to his ex-wife and son, the biggest motivation for his decision to return. He does find his ex-wife and they are happily reunited but exactly where his son may be is another question entirely. Meanwhile, a professor who stayed through the Nazi period in Germany is resentful of the repatriated "American" German, creating one of several problems that take their toll on the returned exile. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi