Movie Review: ****The High and the Mighty, John Wayne (1954)

This is a John Wayne movie, but not a classic John Wayne where you expect to see him as a cowboy.  In this movie he portrays the co pilot on a Hawaii to San Francisco flight.  He is portrayed as the washed up flyer on his way out.  However sometimes it is up to those washed up people to save the day in the end.  Also starring in this movie are Robert Stack as the Captain and Robert Newton as a passenger and Mormon actress Laraine Day as a wealthy heiress.  The plain is in peril, as one of the propellers malfunctions causing them to lose an engine, and more importantly precious fuel.  This movie is interesting based on the changes in the characters as they are faced with the prospect of death.  We have a boy, a honeymoon couple, a couple on their dream vacation, which didn't turn out, an heiress and her husband, a fleeing nuclear scientist,  Someone going home to his family, and a young lady to her intended, who has never seen her but thinks she is much younger.

Movie Review: ****^ Treasure Island (1950): Disney

  This is a movie classic, of the classic Robert Louis Stevenson novel and it is where we get much of the idea of what a pirate is like, black spot and all.  It is the classic tale of people with a treasure map after pirates gold, while most of the crew are actually pirates themselves.  This leads to serious problems.  Robert Newton, with his pirate accent as Long John Silver is incredible.  He and Bobby Driscoll as Master Jim Hawkins create an interesting friendship; Long John as mentor, pirate, thief and man of honor.  On the, other hand Master Jim Hawkins as a naive young man, honest, trusting.  When those that find the treasure are saved from the pirates, and things don't work out to Long John Silver's advantage, Master Hawkins honors his friend and helps him escape. I love this movie.

Movie Review: ***Les Miserables (1952)

This version of Les Miserables is on instant Netflix.  I like all the versions of this story, including the musical presentations.  The story as presented in this version is very uplifting, even with the suicide of Javert at the end of the movie.  Michael Rennie (Klaatu in "The Day the Earth Stood Still") portrays Valjean.  The actor playing Javert, Robert Newton, is familiar from portraying Long John Silver in Treasure Island.  This version shows the changing of Valjean, who very easily could have gone the way of a criminal lifestyle, but over came, after the admonition of a priest.  The love story between Marius and Cozette is very well done.  It does not present the innkeepers in this version.  It does show how Valjean becomes mayor of the town.  Valjean does have a dear friend in the movie who stands by him, even though he knew he was a convict from first meeting him.