Alberto Cavalcanti Movies

This film is based on actual letters German soldiers sent home from the siege of Leningrad during World War II. The litany of trouble these poor grunts endured is lamentable. One complains of returning home an invalid. An SS man has bad dreams about the Russian tank-driver he killed. Another complains when he sits down to hear a piano recital and one of the musicians has frozen fingers. Another soldier swears he will never forgive his father for injuries he suffered in the invasion of Leningrad. Stock footage of wars from World War II to Vietnam are inserted and give an ironic tinge to the feature. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

Herr Puntila und sein Knecht Matti (aka Herr Puntila and his Chauffeur Matti and Puntilla and His Hired Man) is based on the same-named play by Bertoldt Brecht. Curt Bois, best remembered as the oily pickpocket in Casablanca, stars as Puntila, a nasty Finnish landlord who turns into a nice guy whenever he's drunk (shades of Chaplin's City Lights). Puntila's chauffeur Matti (Heinz Engelman) shares several ribald adventures with his master, and at one point finds himself engaged to Puntila's nubile daughter Eva (Maria Emo). Brecht's merciless satire of class distinctions isn't quite as pungent as in the original, but audiences will get the point. Herr Puntila und sein Knect Matti was adapted for the screen by Vladimir Pozner (yes, that Vladimir Pozner!) ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Jean-Pierre Aumont heads the largely British cast of Affairs of a Rogue. Set in the years just following the Napoleonic wars, the film casts Aumont as Leopold, a poverty-stricken German prince. Leopold casts his romantic spell upon Charlotte (Joan Hopkins), the daughter of England's Prince Regent (Cecil Parker). What began as another fortune-hunting expedition for Leopold culminates in true romance and startling tragedy. Swamped in period costumes and decor, Affairs of a Rogue is consistently good to look at, even when the plotline begins to drag. The film was released in the U.S. by Columbia Pictures. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Though it pales in comparison to the Royal Shakespeare Company's epic staging of the original novel in the early 1980s, this compact adaptation of Dickens' Nicholas Nickleby is most entertaining on its own terms. Derek Bond plays the title character, a resourceful young Britisher forced to protect his family against the demonic machinations of his wicked Uncle Ralph (Cedric Hardwicke at his most odious). Cast out into the cold cruel world, Nicholas Nickleby deals adroitly with friend and foe alike, eventually coming full circle to mete out just desserts to his unspeakable uncle. With only 108 minutes' running time at his disposal, screenwriter John Dighton (later a mainstay of the Ealing Comedies) was forced to eliminate several of the novel's 52 highly distinctive characters and intricate subplots. There is evidence that there was even more cutting after the film was completed; for example, the tatty touring theatrical troupe managed by the delightfully pompous Vincent Crummles (Stanley Holloway) appears only in a series of abrupt vignettes, while Crummles himself is confined to a mere handful of lines and gestures. Still, many of Dickens' colorful characters are vividly realized, especially the unfortunate, mentally challenged Smike (Aubrey Woods). When released in America, Nicholas Nickleby was pared down to 95 minutes, with surprisingly little damage to the continuity. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Champagne Charlie is a luxuriously produced tale of the 19th Century British music halls. Tommy Trinder stars as 1860s singer George Leybourne, better known as "Champagne Charlie" thanks to his most popular song and his highrolling lifestyle. The dramatic tension of the film is stoked by Leybourne's rivalry with fellow entertainer The Great Vance, played by Stanley Holloway. Future British leading ladies Kay Kendall and Hazel Court can be spotted amongst the bit players in Champagne Charlie. PS: the 1989 2-part TV movie of the same name is not a remake. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This British docudrama was a joint production of Michael Balcon and Alberto Cavalcanti. Based on eyewitness testimony, Shrine of Victory reenacts the recent Nazi takeover of Greece. Heading the nonprofessional cast is Vrassida Capernaros as courageous Greek Petty Officer Leonides, who decides to take a stand when his land is overrun by Germans. After attempting to help several of his countrymen escape to unoccupied territory, Leonides joins the British Navy, training his fellow Greek expatriates in the intricacies of maritime warfare. The voiceover narration in Shrine of Victory was co-scripted by future Hitchcock collaborator Angus McPhail. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Set near the beginning of WW II, this exciting war drama follows a courageous British factory foreman as he makes a dangerous foray into occupied France to recover three machine parts that will be vital to the Allies. He is accompanied by a pair of tough British soldiers and an American girl. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

In this comedy, a groom's constant jealousy creates domestic turmoil for his devoted bride. More trouble comes when he buys a lot of untried material for the lingerie factory where he works as a foreman. The material proves flimsy and he is fired. Things get worse when his overbearing and disapproving mother moves in. Fortunately, the poor bumbler's wife has a keen business sense and is able to turn her husband's failure into a wonderful success. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

A Mi-Chemin du Ciel is the French-language version of Paramount's Halfway to Heaven. When her aerialist boyfriend Eric is killed while performing his trapeze act, heroine Greta Nelson suspects that he was murdered by his jealous partner Nick. She escapes Nick's clutches and finds security in the arms of young Ned Lee. As luck would have it, Ned is also a trapeze artist -- and he's on his way to the carnival to take Eric's place in Nick's act. The original stars of Halfway to Heaven were Jean Arthur as Greta, Richard Arlen as Ned and Paul Lukas as Nick; taking their places in A Mi-Chemin du Ciel were Janine Merrey, Thomy Bourdelle and Enrique Rivero. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi