Sophia Loren at Lido nightclub, Paris, c.1962
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Five Miles to Midnight dir. Anatole Litvak (1962)
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Thoughts on Five Miles to Midnight (1962)
Movies like this are why I don't take critics seriously. I really enjoyed this one so much more than I expected. It's not a perfect movie-- I found myself wishing Hitchcock had directed it instead-- but it's a deliciously dark psychological thriller.
Sophia Loren and Anthony Perkins are Lisa and Bob, a married couple living in Paris. Bob is a possessive, emotionally unstable jerk. Lisa can't handle the abuse anymore and wants a divorce, but Bob refuses. When Bob takes a flight to Casablanca, the plane crashes midway, reportedly leaving no survivors.
Before Lisa can feel liberated, Bob returns to their apartment days later, bloodied and bruised. Turns out he survived, but he doesn't want her to tell anyone because his life insurance policy will make the two of them rich beyond their wildest dreams. Lisa just wants Bob out of her life, so the two make a deal: Lisa will hide Bob in her apartment while going through the process of collecting the money and then Bob will start a new life elsewhere, never darkening her doorstep again.
Several factors complicate this simple plan: a nosy kid peeking into the apartment from across the street, a sleazy neighbor hoping to put the moves on the now available Lisa, Bob's aggressive sexual jealousy towards his repulsed wife, and Lisa being at her wits' end as her husband tries to convince her to stay with him despite everything.
I was fascinated by the two main characters in this movie. Bob is a narcissist of the highest order and Lisa is vulnerable but manipulative in her own way (we learn she mainly married Bob to escape a bad situation, a truth which makes Bob bitter). Their messy marital drama blended well with the crime element, giving the film the grim vibe of noir.
My only issue is that some of the suspense scenes could have used a surer hand and more tension. I really think Hitchcock would have done a great job with this story. However, as it is, the performances are good and the story kept my interest. I don't get why it's considered such a dud. Maybe it's because none of the characters are super sympathetic? I don't care-- they were INTERESTING and Lisa was sympathetic enough for all her faults, so I was invested.
Also, I love Perkins' sunglasses and leather gloves look. What an aesthetic!
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Sophie Malgat Litvak by Milton Greene 1952
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oh on a different note been going through my dead savtas immigrant society notes and books. We didn’t talk about her family or family origins much. But it looks like they might have been from Ukraine area!
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Anatole Litvak, May 10, 1902 – December 15, 1974.
On the set of The Deep Blue Sea (1955).
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Anatole Litvak directing Audrey Hepburn in "Mayerling,” 1957 episode of “Producer’s Showcase.”
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James Cagney-Joyce Compton-Anthony Quinn-Ann Sheridan "Ciudad de conquista" (City for conquest) 1940, de Anatole Litvak.
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JULIE DOING “STUFF” WITH FAMOUS PEOPLE (14th post in the series)
Is. This. Real??? Just saw this publicity pose of Julie with Lana Turner from the POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE above. Nothing to see here except two amazingly beautiful people! SIZZLING!
Above looks like the actors are reacting to some fun information from their director, Tay Garnett.
Julie is shown on the OUT OF THE FOG set with director, Anatole Litvak and costars John Qualen and Thomas Mitchell.
Litvak watches as Julie and Ida Lupino practice a scene for the same film. Although he is looking suave and smooth above, this was Julie’s MOST dastardly characterization.
A few years before he was unjustly called to testify, Julie is pictured above with Hollywood colleagues following a congressional session probing communist activities. Shown from left: writer-director, Paul Stewart; writer, Phillip Epstein; actor, Uta Hagen; Julie; actor, Bernice Parks; dancer, Paul Draper; producer, Oscar Serlin; and writer, Julius Epstein.
Shelley Winters shares a laugh as Julie picks her up in the pool on set for his last film, HE RAN ALL THE WAY. I don’t think either of them laughed in any of the scenes in this tense noir.
Another example of “no laughing matter” in a scene from the same movie. Julie’s pictured with Norman Lloyd. Lloyd’s character didn’t care if Julie had a bad hunch that day.
Director, John Houston confers with Julie and Gilbert Roland on the set of WE WERE STRANGERS.
Tyrone Power greets Julie with a handshake. Too bad Power is blinking. His performance in the original NIGHTMARE ALLEY was powerful, although the Bradley Cooper remake packed a punch too.
Julie sits next to Marlene Dietrich at a ballgame in Los Angeles on Sept. 8, 1943. To Dietrich’s left among others are Jean Babin, Ginny Sims, Jinx Falkenberg and Ann Rutherford.
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Mayerling (Anatole Litvak, 1936)
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According to uncovered Soviet government documents, presented by Lithuanian Jew, professor and educator Misha Yakob, Soviets/russians were planning a new wave of exiles aimed directly at remaining Lithuanian Jews in 1953.
Lithuania had a huge pre-WW2 Jewish community due to lack of persecutions that they faced elsewhere, such as russian Pogroms. Nazis murdered most of them, then half or more of the survivors, such as Abba Kovner, moved to Israel post-war. But few that remained did not find peace as long as Stalin was alive, facing deadly deportations to Siberian camps.
Another wave of deportations, planned in 1953, was supposed to trim those numbers to a near zero, cattle wagons stood in Naujoji Vilnia train station waiting to be filled with people.
And then Stalin died. So nothing came of it.
So, next time you claim that Soviets are "better", "not anti-semitic", next time you call Stalin "daddy" please know that you're no better than nazis and kindly go f yourself.
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