"All That Money Can Buy" (1941)

This little-known film is almost unclassifiable, a sui generis fantasy/film noir mashup. Also known as "The Devil and Daniel Webster" and taken from a story by Stephen Vincent Benét of the same name, it comes from the same propulsive creativity in Hollywood studio filmmaking that birthed "Citizen Kane" in the same year. James Craig is a 19th Century farmer with a streak of bad luck and failing crops. Enter the Devil himself, Walter Huston as "Mr. Scratch", who offers Craig a life and fortune too good to pass up...only--you guessed it--he has to sign over a little thing called his soul. The only person to turn to is a wily politician and lawyer, Daniel Webster (the blustery Edward Arnold), who just might outwit the evil conniver in a fantasy court of law. Each scene and frame of the entire piece is filled with artistry and masterful direction. Kudos to director William Dieterle for helming a one-of-a-kind cinematic treat. Look for that "Cat People" vixen Simone Simon as the Devil's femme fatale luring Craig to his possible doom.

"With a Song in My Heart" (1952)

A fine musical bio-pic about the life of singer Jane Froman. Who, you ask? She was an extremely popular radio and nightclub personality who sang The Great American Songbook, those indelible songs of Rodgers, Hart, Porter, Gershwin, Kern, and others. She had a lovely bell-clear contralto voice that must've played well on the airwaves. But the real reason this film was such a huge success in it's post-War release was that her story was vintage American boosterism, a rallying cry for those overcoming unsurmountable obstacles and, by gosh, doing whatever it takes to win. On her way to entertain the WWII troops in Europe, her plane crashes just shy of the Portugal coast, badly crippling her legs. She would fight operation after operation, enduring great pain for the rest of her life. But despite this big setback--and in true Hollywood fashion--the show DID go on. Susan Hayward gives a modulated warm performance lip synching to the real recordings of Froman. Yes, there's a romantic subplot involving her first loveless marriage to her manager (David Wayne) and her affair with swoon-worthy soldier Rory Calhoun, but it's the musical numbers of some fine classics like "Blue Moon", "Embraceable You", "That Old Feeling", "Get Happy", etc, that make it so watchable. Look for a star making cameo of a very young and dashing Robert Wagner as a sad G.I. with PTSD.

"Advise and Consent" (1962)

Director Otto Preminger helms this classy political melodrama that while over fifty years old, doesn't date itself much. That's not necessarily a good thing. Sadly we still live with Washington's partisan backbiting, spineless congressmen, and Nixonian 'dirty tricks', all in evidence here. The ailing President (Franchot Tone) nominates a controversial senator to be the new Secretary of State (Henry Fonda). An all-star cast of congressmen--Walter Pidgeon, Don Murray, Peter Lawford, George Grizzard, Will Geer, Betty White(!)--all try to get their fingers in the pie, pro and con. Lording over the whole bunch like a fat nasty buddha is the deceitful and grandstanding Senator from the conservative South, Charles Laughton. The very symbol of oily politics, he's the standout performance. The plot is notable for one gay character being threatened with public outing, a ploy that would surely end their career (remember this is the early 60s), and we even get a peek into Hollywood's first depiction of a gay bar (spoiler: it looks like fun). All this and some beautiful titles by the great Saul Bass. Check it out.

"Torch Song" (1953)

This is probably Joan Crawford's most famous camp classic, a near-parodic vanity piece that's wince inducing, jaw dropping...and delicious heaven for lovers of Bad Cinema. How to describe it? Too old for the role by ten years at least, she's Broadway's biggest musical theatre star in rehearsal for her latest (hopefully) boffo show. Demanding perfection no matter who in the cast she mows down, there's still cracks in her icy veneer. It's lonely at the top in her Manhattan penthouse, if only she had a man. Enter dashing and erudite Michael Wilding as the new company pianist, but he's--wait for it--blind. You heard that right. And if you can get past that, just wait for the musical numbers. There's a WTF doozy ("Two Faced Woman") where you'll be lunging for the rewind button to watch again as the entire cast performs in blackface(!) Crawford looks like Al Jolson doing an impression of Lena Horne. Priceless. By the end your feelings go out to Joan, you can feel her brittle tenacity as she swallows the role whole, God how she works hard, but you're sadly just watching the "Mommie Dearest" gorgon you think she might have been in real life and you pity the screen legend.

"The Perils of Pauline" (1947)

No one would ever accuse Betty Hutton of being a subtle actress. She played every film performance at full tilt, a whirligig of manic energy and enthusiasm. Too obvious, a little cornball, but eventually she wins you over with that by-golly-gee-whiz gumption of hers. In the '40s she was a sunny antidote to the dark post-war films noir. Here she's the silent film star Pearl White who rose to fame in all those cliffhanging serials. It's a perfect vehicle for the athletic Hutton allowing her to recreate classic nailbiting scenes like the damsel on the railroad tracks, the runaway hot air balloon, and my favorite, tied to the log heading for the buzzsaw. Though it's a musical with some fine Frank Loesser tunes ("I Wish I Didn't Love You So"), the picture is really a fun send-up of the silent moviemaking days.

  

"Brute Force" (1947)

This very aptly named prison picture pulls no punches. Prisoner Burt Lancaster and his handful of cellmates have a foolproof plan to make The Big Break. There's one hitch and it's a huge one: the very nasty chief of guards is onto their scheme and he's gonna foil the plot and make their lives hell afterward. The usually sweet Hume Cronyn goes against type and throws himself into the role of this baddie, he's power-hungry and mean to the core. Director Jules Dassin cloaks the whole picture in a pervasive mood of hopeless melancholy punctuated with some nasty and unforgettable violence that you can't believe was depicted in the late '40s. The only relief is each man gets a pre-prison flashback to his life with a ladyfriend, so you get cameos with lovelies like Ann Blythe and Yvonne DeCarlo, but not for long, it's back to penitentiary purgatory and the what-will-happen-next story. Even if the anti-prison message is laid on thick this expertly crafted noir is well worth catching.

"Far From the Madding Crowd" (1967)

The 1960's It Girl Julie Christie has a star turn in this very fine adaptation of Thomas Hardy's proto-feminist 19th century novel. She's a headstrong young woman who comes into a substantial inheritance, her wealthy uncle's working farm. In good time she manages to beguile three different suitors all at once, making her the Goldilocks of the English countryside. One is too cold, the older and stuffy land baron next door (Peter Finch); one is too hot, the smoldering army sergeant (Terence Stamp) who, ahem, makes good use of his broadsword; and the last, the earthy farmhand (Alan Bates) may be just right. It's all set in the achingly beautiful English countryside of Dorset and Wiltshire and the film feels as if it's looking ahead to the style of the best '70s cinema, it has a modern sensibility despite being a period costumer. Richard Rodney Bennett's score is a big plus too.