"No Time for Sergeants" (1958)

Humor from a time gone by--the "fool" who makes fools of everybody else but himself.  It was interesting enough to watch (as usual, not my type of humor); however, I did laugh at the very, very end, right as the credits rolled.

I remember seeing scene where the toilets pop up from a loooong time ago when I was a kid; so, it must have been on the TV once back then.

Starring Andy Griffith.  One scene had Don Knotts in it.

"Show Boat" (1951)

Nice music.  I know "Old Man River" sung by Paul Robeson was in it, but was happily surprised that I recognized a couple other tunes.  Cotton Candy colors for set and a lot of the costumes.  Wasn't sure where and how the story was going to end.  Certainly a show that's better left just focusing on the music.  Although, I also kept wondering how the gals managed to sing in corsets.  And, yes, the dangers of marrying a gambler.

"South Pacific" (1958)

May be a slight hint at spoiling here:

In my opinion--and even if its sounds far fetched--this musical seems to me like a more "modernized" and more musical version of Taboo with a slightly happier ending, a semi-happy ending.  (There's one of your slight spoilers.)

And maybe 'cause we just finished studying it, Billis has reminiscences of Falstaff when it comes to war.  And there, too, both stories have a couple of people in love with each other who can't hardly speak a lick of each other's language; and yet they are married or pretty close to it.  Sure.

Of course, the music is very nice, very wonderful.  Part of what is so well-known about this musical.  I don't have any argument there.  And the scenery is lovely.  Just not quite my line of story-telling.  But now I can say I've seen this musical.  I like the opening number--but that might be because it's a little more light-hearted, and I like bass voices--they don't use 'em enough, in my opinion.  Don't get me wrong--nothing wrong with baritones or tenors.  You need a tenor for that "Some Enchanted Evening".

"Sayonara" (1957)

(1st 40 min. & selected scenes)  Secondary story line is "Romeo and Juliet" goes to Japan combined with cultural documentary.  Primary story runs commentary on secondary story; also runs parallel, except with a "happy" ending (I guess you'd call it that).  Music:  Franz Waxman.  Marlon Brando, Red Buttons, and James Garner.

"The Diary of Anne Frank" (1959)

Filmed in the actual location (I think it said). Black & White. Well done. Did watch the first 2 hours, but didn't have time to watch the last hour--so jumped to the last 5 -10 minutes to finish it out.

"Gigi" (1958)

A delightful Lerner & Loewe musical. While the story is set in 1900, the fact the movie happens in the late 50s adds an interesting extra twist. But analytics aside, it's an enjoyable musical, with pleasant lovely songs and delightful to look at. Songs include "Ah, yes, I remember it well".

"The Old Man and the Sea" (1958)

Once again I ended up watching the movie before reading the book/story (Hemingway), so once again I can't speak to the adaptation. I will say that after an hour and a half of watching that old man on the sea, my laptop is now moving like the ocean. I will also say that assuming "The Old Man and the Sea" would be written in the same Hemingway style as "The Sun Also Rises", then the use of a voiceover narrator was a good choice; it helped to create the same close distance as his writing style. Music (which is what won the Oscar)--when you think of horses running, you will bring music to mind, or scaling a mountain or flying on a bird. But fighting a fish? Indeed, what music do you compose for that? Dimitri Tiomkin, composer. Early on, and over the credits, there is singing like a cowboy ballad, but I couldn't make out what language--and I'm not sure it matters (adds to the affect). Most of the rest was "movie music" but it was integral enough that when the planned silences came, you noticed. Overall, interesting...as in thoughtful.

I have to add since then, the old man's "I'm sorry fish." has plunked itself down in the middle of my brain. It's not a bad thing, but definitely not one that will be passed over.

"Vertigo" (1958)

Alfred Hitchcock. I continue to see why Hitchcock movies are written about, and why a person can write about their music/sound, and with this one in particular, about girls looking at guys looking at girls on a screen with more guys and girls looking. Music by Bernard Hermann. Leading man, James Stewart.

"Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing" (1955)

I've long been familiar with the song. So it was interesting to watch the movie it was from. I never would have imagined that it was a movie with such strong ties to Asia, and a few small ties to the Korean War. Undercurrents of questions about mixed race in this story of a love affair. Oscar for music--and music by Alfred Newman, of course--masterfully mixes western and Hollywood music practices with Asian music/sounds--and always the song as the on-going love theme. Only in the last minutes or two of the movie does the song get words. Doesn't come out and pose any answers to the mixed-race-love question, just asks it. If you like romance/love affair movies, it's worth a watch.

"The Bridge on the River Kwai" (1957)

I gave the movie a solid shake--and can tell the movie was done well. The problem is I have personal issues with war movies--realistic war movies. I put the movie on pause and read an only synopsis--yep, this is not a movie I can handle at this time, not even in fast forward.

Given all that--POW whistling "Colonel Bogey" is surreal--which is part of the point.

"Around the World in Eighty Days" (1956)

I can't speak to the adaptation part--partly because I haven't finished reading the book, partly because the part I have read has been so long ago, I remember very little of it. 4 1/2 hour movie--partly due to adapting a novel, partly because they took the opportunity to have mini-travelogues--scenery, music, and culture snapshots of their travels and encounters. The movie seems well-done to me. Cinematography--seems the movie--especially the opening shots were meant for curved projection screen. I didn't notice that so much as the movie went on, but seeing what normally would be straight lines (columns, walls) curve into the center was slightly disconcerting. Tricky camera shots with a bull, and few "hmm, interesting place to mount a camera" shots, and beautiful scenery, of course. Music--Very overture-ish all the way through--when it wasn't doing "local color". Don't get me wrong, it was well-done--it was just very present. The credits: What a fun way to do credits! That was nice. I also hadn't realized there were so many cameo appearances--mostly because I didn't know most of the celebrities. I caught a couple--Victor McLaglen (though, I had to look up his name--"guy from 'The Informer'"), Frank Sinatra--but there were a bunch. A person in the know could play a regular "I spy" with this film--they'd have lots of fun surprises. Color film--and fun to watch in color at that.

"Somebody Up There Likes Me" (1956)

Turns out to be a boxing movie. After some of my previous "I'm not crazy about this" experiences with previous boxing movies, I was skeptical about this one. Turns out, this one was actually quite good. About a boxer named Rocky Graziano. Good movie. And more going on than just "Can he win the top championship?" and the other story line ain't love/romance--which is also a nice change (that that there aren't smidges of that too; after all, it's a "biopic"). Movie starts and end with a Perry Como song--only music forefronted; Not sure about the rest--which means it was either skillfully invisible, or wasn't there. I suspect it's the first one. Yeah, I'd recommend this--I'd even watch it again--and for me about a boxing movie, that's saying something. Paul Newman starts as Rocky. Black and white picture.

Maybe cinematography Oscar for all the punches at the camera/fight close-ups???

"All That Heaven Allows" (1955)

Rock Hudson. Challenges 50s ideas. Set in it's own present day. Good visual symbolic/symbolic inclusions . Tie ins to Thoreau's Walden. Netflix description also clued into the use of "expressionistic colors"--yep. Early parts of the movie used Chopin preludes--a nice ambiguous, melancholy mirror to what was going on. No Chopin in the middle and later parts of the movie. And the mill/house? I want live in that.  Some obvious but clear use of lighting--the darkly lit scene in the conversation between mother and son, for example.

"To Catch a Thief" (1955)

Alfred Hitchcock.  Cary Grant.  Grace Kelly.  There's a reason Hitchcock is so well known--if the action slows down or a scene needs to be slow, he gives you subtle things to look at.  THAT's the way it should be done.  And at least some of the shots that likely contributed to the cinematography Oscar is likely the same shots that reminded me of visiting the Incredidome at Worlds of Fun--wheee-uuu!!!  Oh, and nice image/romance scene splicing.  Yeah, and nice intriguing touches with some of the music/sound.  Well done.  Hitchcock's scene of significance? (aka his appearance)  I spotted (at least I think I did), but I didn't figure it out.

"Picnic" (1955)

Set in then present day.  Slow pacing--at least compared to my tastes.  1950s romance issues, that is, "Is it better to be pretty and dumb?  or smart and not-so pretty?" in a context of getting a boy/getting married before you become an old-maid.  I stopped watching after 40 minutes.

"The High and Mighty" (1954)

The movie introduction called this the first disaster film (movie about a disaster, not a movie that was a disaster). John Wayne. Proof of the power of a simple yet catchy melody motif. Interesting enough movie to watch. Interesting enough. Did I mention the melody was catchy? The intro said that later the melody was made into a radio? song. I can see why. Because it's pretty and it's catchy. :)

"Carousel" (1956)

Rodgers and Hammerstein musical. Very nice dance numbers. Cock-a-may-mie ideas about how to respond to domestic violence--uhm, yeah. This is the musical with the song "When you walk through a storm, hold your head up high".

"Call Me Madam" (1953)

First, a clarification: I don't see any fault with the singing, dancing, plot of this musical. If you enjoy the dance sequences in musicals, this are just fine. The leading lady, Ethel Merman, I'm sure is quite well known and in fine form. I did enjoy George Sanders singing, Donald O'Connor's singing and dancing and the sets. However: There's only one way I can think to explain the "However" part. In theater, I remember being taught when you are directing comedy, if you try to be funny, then often you take away the humor. To get the humor out, often you can't do it deliberately. The situation or line is funny enough as is without you Trying to be funny. This concept is my "however" to the movie--they're "trying to be funny"; only I'm not talking about the musical's light-hearted moments. They're "trying to do a musical"--it's like they're trying too hard. It's an Irving Berlin musical--which some how seems to be out of place--or they're trying too hard. Maybe trying to keep "what has always worked in the past" going after a point when things needed to change. Again, other than this between-the-lines quality, I have no fault with the movie. Okay, maybe I didn't quite care for Ethel Merman's vocal qualities--a little hard line for my taste--but that's likely more a personal preference than any fault. Cute story, otherwise--maybe make a good high school musical.

"Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" (1954)

Much more well known. Cute movie/musical. Being a French horn player, I was tuned into their use of horns and strings (strings--easy to listen to, horns--wide open places). I don't know that it was a favored use of those sounds; I think I'm just biased and tuned in to horn sounds. And I can see why this musical would be found among high school/college productions. Again, cute musical.

I half expected the "Buttons and Bows" song to be sung in it because the actor who played the lead of Adam had a voice that sure sounded like it would start belting that song.

"With a Song in My Heart" (1952)

If you like 40s music, especially 40s female solo singers, then this is a "must." A musical biography of music singer Jane Froman. I'd not ever heard of this musical, and I didn't recognize the singer's name (for shame she's not mentioned more!), but this contralto is a sound that is surely a recognized part of the 40s. Susan Hayward's dresses (who played her) in the movie are lovely. And near the end, I had to stop the movie TWICE (sniff, sniff) for absolutely touching, beautiful moments. USO singer during WWII; sang "injured". From Clinton, Missouri (how have I never heard of her before?).