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Reviews
The Court Martial of Major Keller (1961)
Decent film but the low budget is obvious
The plot of this film concerns a British Army Officer being court- martialled for the murder of a fellow officer on a WW2 battlefield. It is told in flashback through the eyes of witnesses and the accused himself. There is a good script and the acting is never less than acceptable. What lets the film down is the very low budget. At first it's hard to tell when this court martial is taking place as the hairstyles of the servicemen and the hairstyle and clothes of the sole female star seem to suggest the 1960's rather than the 40's. The budget is also a problem when it comes to battle scenes. An attempt has been made to combine archive and newly shot footage which is totally unconvincing and just looks cheap. Overall the film has the look of a TV episode. Despite the above I found this film held my attention throughout it's brief running time and there is a good twist in the tale at the end. I intend watching it a second time which is some kind of recommendation, although I think that the charity shop will be it's ultimate destination.
She Had to Choose (1934)
A good film and cast...............with one exception?
IMDb lists this film as a drama but the presence of Fuzzy Knight as Wally means that Comedy/Drama is more appropriate as he provides some very amusing moments.Having said that it is drama which predominates. Sally Bates,played by the excellent Isabel Jewell,comes to California from her home in Texas hoping to take up residence with her sister. Unfortunately for Sally her sister has moved away and she (Sally) finds herself homeless. Calling at a roadside diner owned by Bill Cutler (Buster Crabbe)she is immediately drawn to him and vice versa. However,he is already in a relationship with the wealthy and snobbish Clara Berry. Clara loves him but her feelings are not reciprocated.Sally and Bill are soon deeply in love and the remainder of the film is taken up with how they overcome the many obstacles put in the path of true love. These include a disapproving mother,Clara's brother becoming infatuated with Sally,a hasty marriage,attempted blackmail and a violent death. A lot is packed into the film's short running time and there is never a dull moment. We are even treated to the sight of Sally ripping her evening gown off in a busy nightclub. Wow! This perhaps sounds a bit extreme but is all done in the best possible taste.
There is a downside to the film. Buster Crabbe is handsome and charming and obviously ideal for portraying the hero of a serial. However,to me he lacks real acting ability and seems out of his depth here. Also there is some damage to the print which overall is not of the best quality. The film has been released by Alpha Video so we can be sure that nothing has been done to improve it. It didn't spoil my own enjoyment. I've watched it three times so far and will be doing so again. Even if it had no other merits I would watch it for Isabel Jewell's excellent performance. I feel she had great potential which for some reason was never really fulfilled, which is sad.