Word: plot
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Dates: during 1950-1959
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King Solomon's Mines. Darkest Africa in brightest Technicolor reduces the hokum of H. Rider Haggard's plot to a minor hardship; with Deborah Kerr and Stewart Granger (TIME...
These qualities might outweigh Halls' pat, nick-of-time ending, some weakness in its basic plot motivation and a tendency to slop over into histrionics. What betrays the picture is a crude compromise with its producers' ideas of topical needs. Thus, the mood of tension and fear that goes before the amphibious attack is suddenly dissipated when the landing itself takes place to the jauntily aggressive tune of the Marine Corps hymn as it might be played by a recruiting band. Even worse is a final battlefield oration by Actor Jack
...movie about guided projectiles, is a sensational dud. Filmed with U.S. Navy cooperation at San Diego and Point Mugu, Calif., the picture works up some passing interest in the missiles whooshing into space from the decks of aircraft carriers and submarines. These scenes are ruined by a broadside of plot cliches: Sub Commander Glenn Ford's valiant struggle against red tape to get his craft equipped with the new weapons; his romance with the admiral's secretary (Viveca Lindfors); his recovery, through sheer grit and amateur psychiatry, from an emotional trauma that paralyzes his legs...
Although the Byran Hooker translation has been carefully followed--with a few rather puzzling exceptions, Hollywood has been able to make over much of "Cyrano" in its own image. Over and above the interpretation, several action scenes suggested by the plot have been inserted for the benefit of the medium. Some of these are good, some not so good. The duels, which make excellent use of Ferrer's ability as a swordsman, are well-photographed and lavish with expendable extras...
...superb, as is that of the two civil servants, Ramsay and Grey: the ending is tricky and surprising; and the situation and the characters are amusing. Maugham's forte is obviously characterization and resulting humor. The trick ending is a necessity, to give his characterization the substance of plot...