30s | 40s Archives - TheBrownees

Adam’s Rib (1949) Film Review A

Posted by Patrick | Sep 1, 2022 | 30s | 40s, A, Apple TV+ Amazon, Comedy, Drama, Queer Film/TV, Ratings: Movies and Television |

Marvelous acting by Judy Holliday, Jean Hagen, Hope Emerson, Tom Ewell and, as Amanda’s “gay best friend”, David Wayne.

Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949) Film Review A+

Posted by Patrick | Jan 23, 2022 | 30s | 40s, A+, Apple TV+ Amazon, Cinematographers, Comedy, Drama, Favorites, Film Reviews, Genres (Action - Music Scene), Genres (Musical-Western), Masterpieces, Queer Film/TV, Queer Film/TV, Ratings: Movies and Television, Thriller, TV / Streaming |

In “Kind Hearts and Coronets”: Alec Guinness has fun playing all eight (or nine) of the unfortunate D’Ascoynes, including Lady Agatha D’Ascoyne. The photograph shows Dennis Price with Joan Greenwood who plays that little minx Sibella.

Rope (1948) Film Review A-

Posted by Patrick | Sep 1, 2022 | 30s | 40s, A-, Apple TV+ Amazon, Criterion Collection, Drama, Film Noir, Film Reviews, Genres (Action - Music Scene), Historic Events, Hitchcock and other great movie directors, Queer Film/TV, Ratings: Movies and Television, Thriller, TV / Streaming, YouTube |

The story, which is based on the Leopold and Loeb case is irresistible. Granger and Dall are perfection and Jimmy Stewart is also amazing.

Red River (1948) Film Review A-

Posted by Patrick | Sep 1, 2022 | 30s | 40s, A-, Action, Apple TV+ Amazon, Film Reviews, Genres (Action - Music Scene), Genres (Musical-Western), Queer Film/TV, Queer Film/TV, Ratings: Movies and Television, TV / Streaming, Western |

1948 was the year of Montgomery Clift. In addition to Hawkes “Red River” there was Fred Zinnemann’s “The Search” and William Wyler’s “The Heiress”.

Brute Force (1947) Film Review B+

Posted by Patrick | Mar 24, 2024 | 30s | 40s, Action, Apple TV+ Amazon, B+, Classic Film Noir, Drama, Favorites, Film Noir, Film Reviews, Genres (Action - Music Scene), Genres (Musical-Western), Max, Queer Film/TV, Queer Film/TV, Ratings: Movies and Television, Thriller, TV / Streaming, YouTube |

He is interested in art and music. He is a raving homosexual and a very nasty one at that! Hume Cronyn, a consummate actor, plays him to the hilt.

Notorious (1946) Film Review A+

Posted by Patrick | Oct 6, 2022 | 30s | 40s, A+, Apple TV+ Amazon, Classic Film Noir, Drama, Favorites, Film Noir, Film Reviews, Genres (Action - Music Scene), Genres (Musical-Western), Hitchcock and other great movie directors, Masterpieces, Mystery, Ratings: Movies and Television, Romance, Thriller, TV / Streaming, YouTube |

The term “MacGuffin” originated by Angus MacPhail for film, adopted by Alfred Hitchcock, and later extended to a similar device in other fiction. The MacGuffin here is the Uranium in the cellar.

Gilda (1946) Film Review A-

Posted by Patrick | Sep 1, 2022 | 30s | 40s, A-, Apple TV+ Amazon, Classic Film Noir, Drama, Film Noir, Film Reviews, Genres (Action - Music Scene), Genres (Musical-Western), Mystery, Queer Film/TV, Ratings: Movies and Television, Thriller, TV / Streaming |

Feast your eyes on Vidor’s stylish direction, Rudolph Mate’s cinematography, Jean Louis’ gowns, and Jack Cole’s choreography for Rita as Gilda.

The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945) Film Review A

Posted by Patrick | Sep 1, 2022 | 30s | 40s, A, Apple TV+ Amazon, Drama, Film Reviews, Genres (Action - Music Scene), Genres (Musical-Western), Mystery, Queer Film/TV, Queer Film/TV, Ratings: Movies and Television, Thriller, TV / Streaming, Underappreciated |

Albert Lewin directed his masterpiece, a superb adaptation of Oscar Wild’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray” with a beautiful Hurd Hatfield.

Mildred Pierce (1945) Film Review A+

Posted by Patrick | Jun 5, 2024 | 30s | 40s, A+, Apple TV+ Amazon, Cinematographers, Classic Film Noir, Drama, Favorites, Film Noir, Film Reviews, Genres (Action - Music Scene), Genres (Musical-Western), Music Scene, Queer Film/TV, Queer Film/TV, Ratings: Movies and Television, Thriller, TV / Streaming, YouTube |

Brilliantly filmed in high Germanic style by a wondrously talented bunch of ex-pat Viennese uber talents: Curtiz, Anton Grot and Max Steiner.

The Uninvited (1944) Film Review B-

Posted by Patrick | Mar 7, 2024 | 30s | 40s, B-, Drama, Favorites, Film Reviews, Genres (Action - Music Scene), Genres (Musical-Western), Horror, Mystery, Queer Film/TV, Queer Film/TV, Ratings: Movies and Television, Thriller |

The movie from 1944, with four lesbian characters, still entertains. Victor Young’s haunting theme was made into a song “Stella by Starlight.”

Murder My Sweet (1944) Film Review. B+

Posted by Patrick | Mar 24, 2024 | 30s | 40s, Apple TV+ Amazon, B+, Classic Film Noir, Drama, Favorites, Film Noir, Film Reviews, Genres (Action - Music Scene), Genres (Musical-Western), Mystery, Queer Film/TV, Queer Film/TV, Ratings: Movies and Television, Thriller, TV / Streaming, YouTube |

Powell is in very good company, and he acquits himself admirably. He also gets props for being the first to play Marlowe.

Double Indemnity (1944) Film Review A+

Posted by Patrick | Sep 1, 2022 | 30s | 40s, A+, Apple TV+ Amazon, Classic Film Noir, Drama, Favorites, Film Noir, Film Reviews, Genres (Action - Music Scene), Genres (Musical-Western), Masterpieces, Queer Film/TV, Ratings: Movies and Television, Romance, Thriller, TV / Streaming |

“Double Indemnity” is the best of the three great film noirs of 1944, the others being “Laura” and “The Woman in the Window”. The three leads are superb as is Wilder’s direction.

Laura (1944) Film Review A+

Posted by Patrick | Sep 1, 2022 | 30s | 40s, A+, Apple TV+ Amazon, Classic Film Noir, Drama, Favorites, Film Noir, Film Reviews, Genres (Action - Music Scene), Genres (Musical-Western), Masterpieces, Mystery, Queer Film/TV, Queer Film/TV, Ratings: Movies and Television, Romance, Thriller, TV / Streaming |

“Laura” is one of the classic film noirs. Gene Tierney is born and Clifton Webb becomes a star in his fifties. Haunting Raksin score.

Shadow of a Doubt (1943) Film Review A+

Posted by Patrick | Oct 5, 2022 | 30s | 40s, A+, Apple TV+ Amazon, Classic Film Noir, Criterion Collection, Drama, Favorites, Film Noir, Film Reviews, Genres (Action - Music Scene), Genres (Musical-Western), Hitchcock and other great movie directors, Masterpieces, Mystery, Ratings: Movies and Television, Thriller, TV / Streaming, Underappreciated, YouTube |

Alfred Hitchcock, the cinema’s greatest director, made seven perfect films in which every shot, every camera move, every editing sequence is, well, perfect.

Casablanca (1942-1943) Here’s Looking at you Kid! A+

Posted by Patrick | May 23, 2024 | 30s | 40s, A+, Apple TV+ Amazon, Drama, Favorites, Film Reviews, Genres (Action - Music Scene), Genres (Musical-Western), Historic Events, Max, Queer Film/TV, Queer Film/TV, Ratings: Movies and Television, Romance, TV / Streaming, YouTube |

Written on the fly by the fabulous Epstein twins and Howard Koch and directed by Michael Curtiz, this is one of the most romantic of all Hollywood movies.

The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942) Film Review A-

Posted by Patrick | Sep 1, 2022 | 30s | 40s, A-, Apple TV+ Amazon, Comedy, Film Reviews, Genres (Action - Music Scene), Genres (Musical-Western), Queer Film/TV, Queer Film/TV, TV / Streaming |

Monty Wooley delights as the impossibly pompous Sheridan Whiteside in William Keighley’s wonderful adaptation of the Kauffman/Hart play.

The Maltese Falcon (1941) Film Review A-

Posted by Patrick | Sep 1, 2022 | 30s | 40s, A-, Apple TV+ Amazon, Classic Film Noir, Drama, Favorites, Film Noir, Film Reviews, Genres (Action - Music Scene), Genres (Musical-Western), Mystery, Queer Film/TV, Queer Film/TV, Ratings: Movies and Television, Thriller, TV / Streaming |

The performances are there to savor with the great Mary Astor doing a superb turn as Bridget O’ Shaughnessy and the gay triumvirate bringing up the rear!

Rebecca (1940) Film Review A+

Posted by Patrick | Sep 1, 2022 | 30s | 40s, A+, Classic Film Noir, Drama, Favorites, Film Noir, Film Reviews, Genres (Action - Music Scene), Hitchcock and other great movie directors, Masterpieces, Mystery, Queer Film/TV, Ratings: Movies and Television, Thriller, TV / Streaming, YouTube |

“Rebecca”, marked the arrival in Hollywood of the man who was, or would eventually become, the greatest director in the history of cinema.

The Wizard of Oz (1939) Film Review A-

Posted by Patrick | Sep 1, 2022 | 30s | 40s, A-, Action, Apple TV+ Amazon, Comedy, Drama, Film Reviews, Genres (Action - Music Scene), Genres (Musical-Western), Musical, Queer Film/TV, Queer Film/TV, Ratings: Movies and Television, TV / Streaming |

She captured everyone’s heart, gay or straight. There is something vulnerable yet confident about her. And then there is that incredible voice!

The Women (1939) Film Review A-

Posted by Patrick | Sep 1, 2022 | 30s | 40s, A-, Apple TV+ Amazon, Comedy, Drama, Film Reviews, Genres (Action - Music Scene), Genres (Musical-Western), Queer Film/TV, Queer Film/TV, Ratings: Movies and Television, TV / Streaming |

Every character in the movie, and every animal featured, was female. Great work by Crawford, Russell, Shearer and Mary Boland.

Bringing Up Baby (1938) Film review A-

Posted by Patrick | Jan 16, 2024 | 30s | 40s, A-, Apple TV+ Amazon, Comedy, Film Reviews, Genres (Action - Music Scene), Genres (Musical-Western), Queer Film/TV, Ratings: Movies and Television, Romance, TV / Streaming, YouTube |

When Hepburn’s aunt asks him to explain, he replies exasperatedly, “Because I just went gay all of a sudden” (leaping into the air at the word gay).

Dodsworth (1936) Film Review A+

Posted by Patrick | Jan 17, 2022 | 30s | 40s, A+, Apple TV+ Amazon, Drama, Favorites, Film Reviews, Genres (Action - Music Scene), Genres (Musical-Western), Masterpieces, Ratings: Movies and Television, Romance, Underappreciated |

“Dodsworth”: William Wyler’s masterpiece, the best movie ever made about the fear of growing old. It was Wyler’s first Oscar nomination.

Sylvia Scarlet (1935) Film Review B-

Posted by Patrick | Aug 31, 2022 | 30s | 40s, Apple TV+ Amazon, B-, Comedy, Drama, Film Reviews, Genres (Action - Music Scene), Genres (Musical-Western), Queer Film/TV, Queer Film/TV, Ratings: Movies and Television |

Both gay and trans, Sylvia/Sylvester set the bar impossibly high for years to come. One of the great financial disasters of the 1930s, it resulted in Hepburn being labelled box office poison.