Thunderbolt

[The film was banned in 1930 in Finland by the title Pimeimmässä New Yorkissa.]US © 1929 Paramount Famous Lasky Corp. P: B.P. Fineman. D: Josef von Sternberg. SC: Jules Furthman - dialogue: Herman J. Mankiewicz – from a story by Charles and Jules Furthman. DP: Henry Gerrard. AD: Hans Dreier. ED: Helen Lewis. CAST: George Bancroft ("Thunderbolt" Jim Lang), Fay Wray (Mary, "Ritzy"), Richard Arlen (Bob Morgan). 91 min. Print: UCLA (sound version). Viewed at Cinema Orion, Helsinki, 23 Sep 2009. - Revisited a fascinating gangster film by Sternberg, the first 20 minutes. - The UCLA print looks great. - The story of Ritzy (Fay Wray) who wants to get rid of the possessive gangster boss Thunderbolt (George Bancroft). - Visually powerful, and with already an assured soundtrack. However, the sound makes it all seems slightly more everyday and commonplace: the sound is professional, but the image is masterful.

The Way of the Strong

Nyrkkivalta. US 1928 D: Frank Capra. Based on a story by: William M. Counselman; SC: William Counselman, Peter Milne; DP: Ben Reynolds; AD: Peter Milne; WITH: Mitchell Lewis (“Handsome” “Pretty Boy” Williams), Alice Day (Nora), Margaret Livingston (Marie), Theodore von Eltz (Dan), William Norton Bailey (Tiger Louie); P: Harry Cohn per Columbia Pictures; 35mm. D.: 65’ a 24 f/s. From: Sony Columbia. - Presenta Rita Belda, grand piano Marco Dalpane, earphone commentary in Italian, viewed at Cinema Lumière 1, Bologna, 1 July 2009. - Based on a 4K scan of a short version of the film. - A gangster film by Frank Capra, the story of the scarfaced crime lord who falls in love with a blind violinist. - The fourth film directed by Capra in 1928. - The idea of the film is based on the transforming power of music, but the live pianist ignored both this basic concept and the explicit music cues seen on screen (Liebestraum by Franz Liszt). - I did not see this film till the end.

Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye

/ / US / 1950 / Douglas, Gordon / gangster
Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye / Jäähyväiset huomiselle. © Cagney Productions. A Warner Bros. release. P: William Cagney. D: Gordon Douglas. SC: Harry Brown - based on the novel (1948) by Horace McCoy. DP: J. Peverell Marley. CAST: James Cagney (Ralph Cotter), Barbara Payton (Holiday Carleton), Helena Carter (Margaret Dobson), Ward Bond (Inspector Weber), Luther Adler (Cherokee Mandon). Sources: 102’. Duration of screening: 98’. B&w Academy. MPAA 14661. Horribly disfigured 16mm print viewed in Helsinki, SEA, Cinema Orion, Wednesday 25 March 1998. **** This film has been previously seen in Finland only on cable and on the satellite. - The furious gangster film gives us James Cagney at his manic best as the unstoppable outlaw who breaks from a high security labor camp, infiltrates the police and is about to get married with the daughter of Mr. Big. It is a high voltage James Cagney show, not particularly harmed by the impersonal touch of the director.

Prime Cut

080874 / 18 / US / 1972 / Ritchie, Michael / gangster
Prime Cut / Lihakirves. © Cinema Center Films. EX: Kenneth Evans. P: Joe Wizan. D: Michael Ritchie. SC: Robert Dillon. DP: Gene Polito. ED: Carl Pingitore. M: Lalo Schifrin. CAST: Lee Marvin (Nick Devlin), Gene Hackman (Mary Ann), Angel Tompkins (Clarabelle), Sissy Spacek (Poppy). 86’ according to the BFI CD-ROM. Scope cropped to wide; slightly letterboxed. Transmitted by Yleisradio TV2 on Saturday 31 January 1998 (Finnish broadcast TV premiere). 87’ at /25 fps/ PAL speed = 90’ /24 fps/. Viewed in Helsinki on VHS Thursday 5 February 1998. **** Brutal gangster film creates an atmosphere of terror without actually wallowing in gore. The impact is due to taut cinematic storytelling and strong production. It’s about the mob war between Chicago and Kansas City ganglords. Lee Marvin is the hitman sent to settle scores with Gene Hackman. It’s about drug traffic and prostitution where a local orphanage is used to recruit fresh young victims to be doped and prostituted. Sissy Spacek in her debut is the victim Lee Marvin saves from white slavery. The film has eerie scenes in the cornfields and amongst the sunflowers. It is like no other gangster film. Michael Ritchie truly was a master in these years.