The Ten Commandments (Silent version) Being silent, I ran the commentary while watching it. It cut to the chase, whereas the 1956 version started with Moses' birth, this one opens just before the 10th plague on the Egyptians. Moreover. halfway through, the ancient part is over, and the (then) contemporary part starts. The commentary was really important for anyone not watching way back then, as the cultural differences would not be obvious to a 21st century viewer. So, anyway, the 1916 part showed the woes that fell upon the sinner son, who, unlike his elder brother, laughed at the Bible and its teachings, etc.
The commentator noted that viewers of the silent era would have expected such preachy content, as though they were sitting in Church instead of a movie theater. Interesting!
Three Strangers (1938) With the success of The Maltese Falcon, they wanted to make another film with the primary stars. Bogart was already involved in another film, so, Lorre got what would have been his role. Set in England,
Jerome K. Arbutny (Greenstreet),
Johnny West (Lorre), &
Crystal Shackleford (
Geraldine Fitzgerald) are brought together by fate, it seems. They each have desires differing from one another, but money is a common one. West had bought a lottery ticket, and sold interests in it to the others. Arbutney, wrote their deal directly on the ticket, and each signed it.
Each one's back story is told, and how each could benefit from the winning ticket. There is an Asian statuette of
Kwan Yin that is said to grant wishes on the Chinese New Year, which that day is. Muller said that this particular statue was featured in over 400 films. Anyway, Shackleford is estranged from her husband, & wants him back. Arbutny is an investor, and had made investments in things not allowed by the contract with his client, West, had been involved in a theft that had turned into murder, and was hoping for extrication from that mess.
None of that matters, really, because Lorre & Greenstreet are more than enough reason for me to watch this again, and probably for no fewer than 5 times.
Ian Wolfe as one of the Courtroom officials, and because of his two episodes of STAR TREK, I always like to see him in films.
Oh,
Johnny West is a MARX Bro.s action figure that was popular when I was a boy. Long before the GI Joes went to 3 1/2 inches and had names and backstories, this cowboy was accompanied by more than a few other action figures in the Western genre, soldiers, Indians, villains, even Jane West. Oh, my long, lost childhood!
The Warped Ones (1960) Muller does more than just NOIR COMMENTS, HE also introduced this film in a jazz themed thing. I was never much for jazz, except the type associated with 007. So, this is a Japanese film, about juvenile delinquents, on the verge of adulthood. They pickpockets, are arrested, and free again in just weeks. Steal cars, rape a young woman, etc. I had difficulty following the film, perhaps because I found it hard to tell one face from another. The only way was by behavior. They did not use names much.
There was one scene, or should I say, setting that made me think I may have seen this before.
