Arliss and Karloff

 

 (tmdb)

THE HOUSE OF ROTHSCHILD-1934-Historical drama about the rise of Mayer Rothschild (George Arliss) from his beginnings in a Jewish ghetto in Frankfort to his rise as Europe's most powerful banker. After his death, the story focuses mainly on son Nathan (also Arliss). He lends millions to the English government to help Wellington (C. Aubrey Smith) defeat Napoleon. Then one of Wellington's men wants to marry Rothschild's daughter (Loretta Young). This could be complicated since he's not Jewish. Later Rothchild runs into opposition in the form of antisemitism headed by Baron Ledrantz (Boris Karloff). When Napoleon escapes and mounts a new offensive, Rothschild backs England with everything he's got, nearing financial ruin but Wellington is victorious and England is back on top. Some prints feature the final scene in color. 

Solid historical drama with a few inaccuracies (but what Hollywood story doesn't have them?), ably directed by Alfred Werker, who later made THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES (1939) with Rathbone and Bruce, A HAUNTING WE WILL GO (1942) with Laurel and Hardy, SHOCK (1946) with Vincent Price and HE WALKED BY NIGHT (1948) with Richard Basehart.

Thanks for reading!

The Alamo

THE LAST COMMAND-1955-Jim Bowie (Sterling Hayden) arrives in the Texas/Mexican territory just in time for an uprising of Texicans against Mexico. William Travis (Richard Carlson) tries to convince a committee to resist Mexico's iron fist. When Santa Ana (J. Carroll Nash) rejects the Texicans demands Austin (Otto Kurger) decides it's time to take up arms against them. But when his wife and kid die Bowie becomes a wanderer. Later he and his small group (including Jim Davis and Slim Pickens) decide to fight. Ernest Borgnine is a tough guy named Mike who has a knife fight with Bowie at the beginning of the story and later they become friends. Edward Franz (THE FOUR SKULLS OF JONATHAN DRAKE) is the Mexican representative living with The Texicans. Anna Maria Albergetti (an actress I only remember for doing salad dressing TV commercials in the late '60's)is the senorita love interest who comes between Bowie and Travis. Things really get rowdy when Davey Crockett (Arthur Hunnicutt) shows up. Great battle finale at The Alamo. I won't reveal what happens...

Roy Roberts, Virginia Grey, John Russell and Morris Ankrum also have roles.

THE LAST COMMAND was once of the most expensive pictures ever produced by the low budget Republic Pictures studio. It was suppose to star John Wayne as Bowie but he also wanted to direct it. However when the studio hired the workman like Frank Lloyd (IF I WERE KING, BLOOD ON THE SUN) instead Wayne bolted. He'd get his chance to star in and direct his own version several years later with THE ALAMO (some argue THE LAST COMMAND is more historically accurate).

This version has lots going for it. Action, a strong cast and good direction.

Here's Lorne Greene's version of the historical battle:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bZu5T1VbVs

Thanks for reading!

Your Kung-Fu's Good

THE SHAOLIN AVENGERS-1976-This Hong Kong produced martial arts period piece is based on the legend of Shaolin martial artists Fong Si Yu (Alexander Fu Sheng) and Hu Wei Chien (Kuan-Chung Chi). In flashbacks Fong is violently (and comically) trained by his mother (!) who beats him with a bamboo stick and dunks him in a vat of wine. Parts of it are very funny (a scene with a matchmaker is hysterical) and the Fong character does a lot of dumb things but basically the story is serious and violent. Director Cheh Chang made nearly 100 martial art movies including the classic FIVE DEADLY VENOMS.

Thanks for reading!

Swords and Stuff

YELLOW RIVER FIGHTER-1988-In China, "a thousand years ago", 3 warlords fight for supremacy.
a great swordsman fails to protect his daughter who is killed by one of the warlords. He goes on a drunken spree and is befriended/exploited by a magician/con-artist who has him do a "drunken sword dance" but another warlord has some of his men poison the swordsman. He doesn't die but instead goes blind. Later the third warlord King Quan (who's life the swordsman saved earlier) takes in the swordsman and the con-artist. He helps the swordsman open a fighting school. Even though he seems nice he sends assassins (in cool masks) to kill the remaining warlord King Lee and his daughter Jen-Jen. After some deceitful tricks by Quan, the swordsman is forced to kill Lee (who has an awesome fighting weapon) because he thinks his daughter's dead. The final showdown takes place in a monastery during a lightening storm and on a cliff near a raging waterfall.

This historical drama (with some comedy) has great sword battles but is brought down somewhat by the con artist character's constant whining and the badly dubbed voices. Director Hsin-yen Chang also made DEADEND BESIEGERS.

Thanks for reading!