Alfred Hitchcock Movie: ** East of Shanghai aka Rich and Strange (1931)

 This movie is a part time silent movie.  It was made during a transition period and consequently has sound and dialogue for some of the film, but not all.  Fred and Emily Hill (Henry Kendall and Joan Barry) are living a mundane life, wanting to do something different.  When a rich uncle gives them money to travel, the Fred quits his job and they take off.  However living in England they must take a boat, and Fred finds he always has sea sickness, while Emily meets an older gentleman, Commander Gordon (Percy Marmont).  Fred also meets a supposed princess (Betty Amann).  They drift apart and spend more time with their new loves.  Emily leaves with the Commander, the Commander confides that the princess is not a princess but just latching on for Fred's money.  Emily returns to warn him, and they fight and then make up.  They are on a boat which hit something and the crew abandons ship.  However Fred and Emily miss this as they are fighting and making up.  The boat is sinking and they appear doomed.  A Chinese Junk pulls to the boat to rescue the Chinese workers who were left. The rescue our couple as well.  

This film was not very well received because of its mixed genre, silent and talking.  

Alfred Hitchcock Movie: *** Secret Agent (1936)

 Alfred Hitchcock presents a spy thriller.  I don't know if this is his first, but it becomes a staple.  An Englishman, Captain Edgar Brodie (John Gielgud) is presumed dead, returns to England.  There he is given a new name, Richard Ashenden and sent on a secret mission.  He is also given a wife, Elsa Carrington/Mrs. Ashenden (Madeleine Carroll).  This film is set in WWI and they are to prevent a spy from reaching Turkey.  They are also given a companion who is a ruthless killer, Th General (Peter Lorre).  They end up on the trail of Caypor (Percy Marmont) as he claims a button they discovered at a murder seen of an informant.  They go with him to the mountains, and the General pushes him off a cliff.  Ashenden watches through a telescope, and Mrs. Ashenden is fed up with the idea of murder.  She leaves the other two with a man, Robert Marvin (Robert Young).  The other note discover a spy message which was addressed to Marvin.  They had killed the wrong man, and are now on the trail of Marvin, who is with Mrs. Ashenden.  They are on the same train, and they manage to catch up with them, but Mrs. Ashenden opposes murder with her gun.  The train is bombed.  Marvin is crushed and is dying but he shoots the General killing him as he dies.  The Ashendens leave the spy business.

It seems there is no moral theme here, other than murder is never good.  This movie does enterain.  

Movie Review: **** Curly Sue (1991)

 This is a cute romantic comedy about a man, Bill (Jim Belushi) and his daughter, Curly Sue (Alisan Porter).  He is a grifter, conman and his daughter helps with his cons.  As part of that he will let himself be hit by a car and then extort money.  He pulls this game, and then the lawyer woman, Grey Ellison (Kelly Lynch) hits him for real a second time.  She feels guilty and takes them home.  They even continue this con as he feels better and could leave, but he feigns still being hurt.  Kelly begins to actually like Bill and Curly.  And this like grows into something more, and as a result Kelly becomes a more empathetic lawyer.  Grey's's boyfriend turns Curly and Bill into protective services, and Curly ends in a foster home and Bill in jail.  Kelly has to pull a few strings to set things right.  In the end Bill is the new boyfriend, and they are now a family of three and Curly Sue goes to school.  

This is a tear jerker romantic comedy.  

Alfred Hitchcock Silent Movie: **^ The Manxman (1929)

 This is an early Alfred Hitchcock.  In this movie there are two best friends, and one woman.  One is a lawyer and very loyal.  Pete (Carl Brisson) is in love with Kate (Anny Ondra).  Phillip (Malcolm Keen) is a lawyer and his trusted friend.  When Pete proposes marriage, Kate's father says absolutely not.  Pete determines to go over seas to get rich, and asks Phillip to keep and eye on Kate for him.  Kate and Phillip love each other, but are loyal.  when they hear Pete is presumed dead, they let go however.  However Pete is not dead and returns, and marries Kete.  However Kate is pregnant with Phillip's baby.  She has a baby girl, which Pete assumes is his.  They continue life until everything reaches a head for Kate.  She is married to Pete but loves Phillip, who is the father of her baby.  She attempts suicide by drowning.  She would like to be with Phillip but his lawyer, judgeship aspirations do not allow this.  But when Kate comes before him for trial, everything falls apart; or comers together based on your viewpoint.  

Early Alfred Hitchcock Movie: *** The Farmer's Wife (1928)

This is a very early Alfred Hitchcock, before he caught onto the suspense genre.  It is a romantic comedy of sorts with the Farmer, widowed, seeking a new wife after his daughter marries, leaving him at home alone.  Howevrer our farmer has terrible luck.  He is helped in his endeavors by his house maid and his handyman, who in the end are as funny as the farmer in his pursuits.  It takes him a while to com to his senses, but the maid and he have been in love for some time.  He is just shy around her.  

As noted Alfred Hitchcock direts.  This is a silent film, except for a serenade song.  

Movie Review: **** Jumper (2008) with Hayden Christensen

 David Rice (Hayden Christensen) has a miserable life.  The brunt of teasing at school, a mother who left him when he was five, and an abusive father.  while being teased at school, he falls through the ice and floats away.  But he doesn't drown, but teleports himself into the library.  He begins oracticing, and realizes he doesn't need to stay home.  He can teleport away, so he does.  He also develops a habit of teleporting into bank vaults, and thereby living a pretty good lifestyle.  However he doesn't show himself to anyone so they think he has died.  Several years later he is quite established.  However there is a secret group intent on killing the jumpers, no one should have such power.  Roland (Samuel L. Jackson) heads this group of Paladins.  He has a big knife he uses, but he slows the jumpers with electricity.  

He returns to his hometown, and looks up Millie (Rachel Bilson) and decides to bring her with on his next trip to Italy.  However in Italy he is attacked, but he also meets another jumper, Griffin (Jamie Bell).  David accidentally follows Griffin to his lair.  In the end they team up and the capture the Paladins without their device that helps them trap jumpers and also move about.  However Roland captures Millie.  david wants to save Millie, Griffin wants to blow u the Paladins.  A fight ensues, and david come away on top.  He rescues Millie and does not blow up the Paladins, prooving he is different from other Jumpers.

This movie jumps around a lot (pun intended).  They travel to sevreral different countries, Egypt and Italy among them.  There is some fine fighting and special effects with electricity.  

John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara Movie Review: **** Rio Grande (1950)

 This is the first of five collaborations of John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara.  Lt. Col Kirby York (Wayne) is osted on the Rio Grande, and dealing with Apache Indians.  Mrs. Kathleen Yorke (O'Hara) his estranged wife comes to camp after her son, Trooper Jefferson Yorke (Claude Jarman Jr.)  He had arrived in camp a few days earlier as a new recruit.  The relationship between Yorke and his wife evolves during the movie and it is fun to watch, as too the growth of their son.  Other characters are Trooper Tyree (Ben Johnson) who in addition to being a trooper is wanted on manslaughter charges.  Trooper Boone (Harry Carey Jr.) starts in a fight with Trooper York but they fast become best friends.  The movie is also graced with the serenading of the regimental singers (Sons of the Pioneers.)  

Great story telling.  In Black and White.  John Ford directed.