Hamil Petroff Movies
- 1966
In this drama, a stripper leaves the stage and becomes a grape picker at a California vineyard. There she soon arouses the suspicion of her co-workers; things get worse when the vineyard manager and his brother begin vying for her affection. Eventually tells her female co-workers who she is; she then gives them her jewelry and perfume. Later her manager shows up to bring her back to the nightclub circuits and dives. Instead the girl opts to marry the vineyard manager. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
Allegedly based on the 1946 film starring Ray Milland but bearing no real resemblance to it, this is the story of the fight for statehood in California. The Californians want to break from Mexico, but Mexico doesn't want them to. This tale brings to the screen two brothers who are fighting on opposite sides in the battle. Not one of the best of Hollywood's efforts. ~ Tana Hobart, Rovi
This colorful remake of the 1935 version again concerns the crew and treatment of the HMS Bounty by a cold hearted sadistic captain. Captain Bligh (Trevor Howard) boards the ship in Portsmouth, England, to embark on a mission to bring tropical breadfruit trees to Jamaica. Fletcher Christian (Marlon Brando) is the aristocratic second mate who welcomes the new captain aboard. Christian's view of the captain sours with the cruel treatment of the crew and the dangerous decision to round Cape Horn. The Bounty sails into the teeth of a ferocious winter storm which is another in a long line of indignities suffered on the journey. John Mills (Richard Harris) is punished for stealing cheese. A sailor is ordered to stay aloft in the crow's nest, nearly resulting in death. The crew finds temporary paradise in Tahiti before Bligh's behavior becomes intolerable for the once faithful Christian. The crew revolts and sends the captain on his way in a small rowboat. Settling on Pitcairn Island, the crew soon realizes they may never see England again. Mills burns the ship to insure the trip is never made. Christian attempts to save the only means of transportation of their new island home. Lewis Milestone directed the film which was plagued by constant cost overruns to the tune of 18 million dollars. Brando's legendary ego clashed with results as turbulent as the fictitious trip around stormy Cape Horn. The movie retained slightly over half the cost of the production price tag in its initial release. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Marlon Brando, Trevor Howard, (more)
- 1959
Set within the popular bohemian coffee houses of the late '50s where beatniks gathered to recite poetry and perform, this sensationalistic detective drama centers upon the attempts of an insensitive police detective to catch an arrogant serial rapist, a rich young man who believes himself mentally superior and therefore beyond the law. His favorite victims are married women. When he learns that the detective is after him, the rapist targets the cop's wife. Later the poor wife discovers she's pregnant and cannot be sure who fathered her child. The film is alternatively titled This Rebel Age. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Steve Cochran, Mamie van Doren, (more)
After several years of domestic squabbles, the marriage of Nina and Robert Tracy (Judy Holliday, Jack Lemmon) goes "phffft"! Upon receiving their divorce papers, Nina and Robert are certain that they'll remain friends, no matter how many new lovers they pick up along the way. Nina dallies briefly with bombastic Charlie Newton (Jack Carson), while Robert has a fling with the luscious Janis (Kim Novak). These romantic episodes only serve to make Nina and Robert realize how much they're still in love with each other. According to costar Jack Lemmon, the original title of this film was Phfffft!, but after an all-night bull session at Columbia Pictures it was decided to take out one of the "F"s. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Judy Holliday, Jack Lemmon, (more)
Samson and Delilah is Cecil B. DeMille's characteristically expansive retelling of the events found in the Old Testament passages of Judges 13-16. Victor Mature plays Samson, the superstrong young Danite. Samson aspires to marry Philistine noblewoman Semadar (Angela Lansbury), but she is killed when her people attack Samson as a blood enemy. Seeking revenge, Semadar's younger sister Delilah (Hedy Lamarr) woos Samson in hopes of discovering the secret of his strength, thus enabling her to destroy him. When she learns that his source of his virility is his long hair, Delilah plies Samson with drink, then does gives him the Old Testament equivalent of a buzzcut while he snores away. She delivers the helpless Samson to the Philistines, ordering that he be put to work as a slave. Blinded and humiliated by his enemies, Samson is a sorry shell of his former self. Ultimately, Samson's hair grows back, thus setting the stage for the rousing climax wherein Samson literally brings down the house upon the wayward Philistines. Hedy Lamarr is pretty hopeless as Delilah, but Victor Mature is surprisingly good as Samson, even when mouthing such idiotic lines as "That's all right. It's only a young lion". Even better is George Sanders as The Saran of Gaza, who wisely opts to underplay his florid villainy. The spectacular climax to Samson and Delilah allows us to forget such dubious highlights as Samson's struggle with a distressing phony lion and the tedious cat-and-mouse romantic scenes. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Hedy Lamarr, Victor Mature, (more)
- 1948
As Cold-War melodramas go, Sofia goes pretty well. Set in a backlot version of Turkey, the film stars Gene Raymond as former OSS man Steve Roark. Assigned to rescue two atomic scientists from Russia and spirit them across the Iron Curtain, Steve discovers that one of the scientists is his ex-lover Linda Carlsen (Sigrid Gurie). Meanwhile, sultry cabaret singer-turned-spy Magda Onescu (Patricia Morison) offers her services to both the Allies and the Communists, hoping to be financially renumerated by both sides (Guess how she ends up?) Some of the espionage techniques are amusing, especially when the rascally Russians are so easily fooled by the simplest subterfuges. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Gene Raymond, Sigrid Gurie, (more)
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