Movie Review: ***^How Green Was My Valley (1941)

 Won an Oscar Winner for best picture.  Directed by John Ford.  How Green was my Valley is about a coal mining towns and not a farming or a green valley.  The Morgans are struggling mine workers, which struggle. becomes worse when the lead mines close and there are too any miners in the area.  What makes the story worse are the frequent cave ins.  Angharad (Maureen O'Hara) finds herself falling for the new priest (Walter Pidgeon), but he declines this even though he loves her, he does not want to subject her to the life of a preacher's wife, so she marries the son of the mine owner.  The Morgans are The father (Donald Crisp) and mother (Sara Allgood).  Father has disagreement with a couple sons about unionizing and they move out.  They would like the youngest son (Roddy McDowall) to go to school, and even though he is offered a scholarship to university he turns it down to work in the mines.  The mine eventually falls on the father, and the youngest son finds hime in the mine before he dies.  

Don McLean's Greatest Hits

 Any disc that includes "American Pie" is a classic.  Don McLean has been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the song "American Pie" was inducted into the Gramm Hall of Fame.  "Vincent" about Vincent Van Gogh is also a classic with its sweet melody and lyrics.  I have a Starry Night print in my office.  His song "And I Loved You So" was been covered by several different artists including Elvis Presley.  

John Wayne Movie: ***^ Operation Pacific (1951)

Lt. Commander Duke Gifford (John Wayne) is hoping to win his wife Lt. Mary Stuart (Patricia Neal) back.  They divorced after the death of their infant son while Gifford was on a mission.  Gifford is second in command to Commander Pop Perry (Ward Bond).  Perry's younger brother, Bob Perry (Philip Carey) is hoping to win Gifford's ex.  So when Commander Perry is killed on a mission, and they are unable to recover his body, Bob Perry blames Gifford for his death due to Gifford's wanting to be a hero.  Ther. e is another issue.  The torpedoes are not exploding as they should which is leading to dangerous situations.  It takes some time to figure them out, and then they go on another mission which is more effective, and they turn to rescuing flyers at the end, including Bob Perry.  An who knows if the husband and wife will get back together.  She does meet him when he returns.

This movie is enjoyable, and we see John Wayne in the Navy.  

John Wayne Move Review: **** They Were Expendable (1945)

 This movie deals with the early history of the PT boats in the Philippines.  The PT boats were mostly used to carry message, and didn't get a lot of action directly against enemy troops.  In fact they had more crews than boats so a couple crews were transferred to the army just before the fall of the Philippines.  The couple commanders are evacuated on the last plane, Lt John Brickley (Robert Montgomery) and Lt, Rusty Ryan (John Wayne).  Reportedly to train new PT Boat units for when the U.S. returns to the Philippines.  While Ryan was mending for blood poisoning in his arm, he met a nurse, Lt. Sandy Davyss (Donna Reed).  She had been transferred to Bataan, and we don't know her fate by the end of the movie.  

A very good movie about the consequences of war and how difficult love can be during such times.  They were Expendable refers to the Navy men on the boats, but also to those who were left behind in the Philippines.  

John Wayne Movie: **** North to Alaska (1960)

 Who suspected that a John Wayne movie about gold mining in Alaska would turn into a romantic comedy; but the sparks were flying.  Sam McCord (John Wayne) and his partner, George Pratt (Stewart Granger) strike it rich in the gold field.  Pratt's son, Billy (Fabian) is also a partner.  McCord agrees to travel back to Seattle for equipment and Pratt's fiancé.  However he discovers the fiancé has not waited three years and she is married.  She is French, so McCord recruits a Fren ch girl, Angel (Capucine).  She is rather feisty, but they end up on the boat going back to Alaska.  A former boyfriend of Angel has proceeded her, Frankie Cannon (Ernie Kovacs).  He is a conman and goes for the mine.  And Pratt and Angel decide they are not meant for each other, but sparks are flying between  Angel and McCord.

This really is a fun movie.  I don't like that it starts with a big fight and ends with a big fight.  Those scenes were not needed, but otherwise it was excellent.

John Wayne Movie: ***^ Back to Bataan (1945)

 A movie telling WWII from the Philippine side.  Colonel Joseph Madden (John Wayne)mis asked to stay on the Philippines and do what he can to disrupt the Japanese.  They engage in guerrilla warfare, but are powerless in many respects.  The observe the March of Bataan where so any Americans were taken prisoner and walked across the country.  However they are also present when the Americans return after a couple years.  They are involved in early fighting to prepare the landing area for the Americans in Leyte.  Captain Andrés Bonifácio (Anthony Quinn) is Phillippino and rescued from the march as he is the face of the resistance.  His girl (Fely Franquelli) is on the radio spreading propaganda, but in truth is a spy and she also escapes the Japanese.  

At the beginning and the end they show actual soldiers who marched in the Bataan death march.  They were all listed in the credits as well.  This movie was good but the narration was over the top.  

Music Review: Bob Dylan MTV Unplugged

Bob Dylan MTV Unplugged, Columbia Records, 1995.

 This is a live recording of the performance of Bob Dylan for the regular TV show, unplugged.  Some of the songs sound a bit different from Dylan's original work.  This includes "The Times They Are a Changing."  "Knocking on Heaven's Door" is very well done with the harmonica and the vocals.  Many of the songs add an organ which is very effective.  This song is followed by another Dylan favorite, "Like a Rolling Stone."  This is a nine minute version, the longest song of the set.  It asks a mane down on his luck "How does it feel?"

Dylan's raspy voice carries this C.D.  He puts a lot of emotion into his music.