 Sealed Cargo (1951) - Dana Andrews and Claude Rains star in a classic World War II B-movie featuring German U-Boats and a mysterious Danish schooner off the coast of Nova Scotia.
Back to the films list
 The Secret Bride (1934) - Murder mystery starring Barbara Stanwyck and Warren William benefits from some interesting direction by William Dieterle and higher production values than usual. Stanwyck's performance raises the level of interest, as she and her secret husband try to figure out how to save an innocent man and at the same time protect her father, the governor.
Back to the films list
 Sentimental Journey (1946) - John Payne and Maureen O'Hara appeared together in this melodramatic film (one of their four collaborations) one year before Miracle on 34th Street. It's the story of a theatre couple who decide to adopt a young orphaned girl with a strong fantasy life named Hitty (short for Mehitabel), played charmingly by Connie Marshall, a popular child model at the time. William Bendix is great as the family friend, and Sir Cedric Hardwicke plays the doctor who has to give O'Hara's character some bad news.
Back to the films list
 Shadow on the Wall (1950) - Murder mystery starring Ann Sothern, Nancy Davis, Zachary Scott and little Gigi Perreau is notable for Sothern's atypical dramatic performance. Gigi Perreau fans should also enjoy this one, though it's pretty much a "B" movie plot-wise.
Back to the films list
 Shanghai Express (1933) - A triumph of style over substance (its single Oscar was for its brilliant cinematography), this pre-Code Far East romantic drama/adventure story is dominated by performances by Marlene Dietrich, Ana Mae Wong, Clive Brook and a cast of supporting players. Nominated for Best Picture and Best Director (Josef von Sternberg).
Back to the films list
 The Shopworn Angel (1938) - Margaret Sullavan is a showgirl from the big city who falls for a young soldier from out West on his way to fight World War I, played by Jimmy Stewart. In the process she has to face giving up her relationship with the debonair (and mustachless) Walter Pidgeon so she can "keep the home fires burning."
Back to the films list
 Show Boat (1936) - The 1951 version is usually thought of first, but this was the original all-talkie (the 1929 version is probably best forgotten), with the memorable songs, including "Old Man River" sung by the great Paul Robeson. It features the incomparable Helen Morgan and several other members of the Broadway cast. Yes, it's black and white, and in many ways a period piece, but James Whale's direction, plus the performances by Allan Jones, Irene Dunne, Hattie McDaniel, Charles Winninger, and Francis X. Mahoney, make it a great film as well as an enjoyable musical.
Back to the films list
 Sidewalks of New York (1931) - Buster Keaton hated this film (especially since it became his biggest commercial success up to that point, though he made it under protest), and it's easy to see why. It's not really a "Keaton" film at all. Watch it for the theme music, the occasional Keaton-inspired gags, and the interplay between the kids in the cast. Keaton completists will want to own it, of course.
Back to the films list
 Sinners' Holiday (1930) - This short (one hour), fairly low budget film boasts the screen debuts of both James Cagney and Joan Blondell and was based on a Broadway play in which they starred. Grant Withers and Evelyn Knapp are the stars of the film, but Cagney steals the show, and not for the last time, either.
Back to the films list
 Sitting Pretty (1948) - Robert Young and Maureen O'Hara were the stars of this film when it was first released, but Clifton Webb contributed the most laughs, and started a strange and wonderful three-film franchise (of which this was the best) with his Mr. Belvedere character, a professional "genuius" who can do just about anything. Previous to this film, Webb had been known for his dramatic roles, but after this he became a unique comic actor, starring in films like The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker and Cheaper By the Dozen.
Back to the films list
 Slaughter on Tenth Avenue (1957) - A great title and great music (both borrowed from another medium) combined with some excellent performances by the supporting cast help lift this On the Waterfront wannabe above the level of a B movie. Richard Eagan is adequate as the heroic lead character, but Walter Matthau, Dan Duryea, Charles McGraw, Jan Sterling, Mickey Shaughnessy, and Nick Dennis are all excellent.
Back to the films list
 Small Town Girl (1953) - MGM musical starring Jane Powell, Farley Granger, Ann Miller and S.Z. Sakall involves a love triangle and lots of dancing and singing, with able assists from Bobby Van, Billie Burke, Fay Wray, and Nat "King" Cole. (Closing credits missing.)
Back to the films list
|
 Smilin' Through (1932) - The second and best of three versions of this romantic tearjerker was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. It stars Norma Shearer, Fredric March and Leslie Howard, the first two in dual roles. All three give excellent performances in a classic and surprising love story.
Back to the films list
 So Big! (1932) - William A. Wellman directed this screen adaptation of the Edna Ferber novel about a simple farm woman (Barbara Stanwyck) whose son (Dickie Moore) ignores her advice and becomes a stockbroker. But the love of Dallas O'Mara (Bette Davis) saves him in the end. Davis appears in a supporting role only two years before her breakthrough role in Of Human Bondage.
Back to the films list
 Sole Survivor (1970-TV) - Many people have asked me about this film over the years, somehow remembering it vividly but not recalling the title or where they saw it. Based on the true story of an American bomber found in the Libyan desert in 1960, it is really a wartime ghost story, and a good one, starring Vince Edwards, Richard Basehart, and William Shatner. Part of the confusion may result from the fact that the story was also done as a Twilight Zone episode.
Back to the films list
 Somewhere I'll Find You (1942) - This movie has the distinction of being the film Clark Gable was making when Carole Lombard was killed, and the last film he made before enlisting in the military during WWII. Lana Turner also makes it interesting, and Robert Sterling is game as the third leg of the love triangle. Van Johnson makes an appearance, as well.
Back to the films list
 Song of Russia (1944) - Robert Taylor insisted he'd been forced to make this fairly blatant piece of pro-Russian propaganda, which is notable primarily for its music, and for a rare starring performance by the lovely and tragic Susan Peters, who was paralyzed after an accident two years later.
Back to the films list
 The Squaw Man (1931) - Cecil B. DeMille's talkie remake of his first big silent hit tells the story of an English aristocrat who comes to the New World and marries a native American.
Back to the films list
 Stand By For Action (1942) - Stirring WW II naval adventure with some surprising comic elements benefits from a strong lead and supporting cast, including Robert Taylor, Brian Donlevy, Charles Laughton, Walter Brennan, and Chill Wills. "David and Goliath" yarn was made during the War and is clearly meant as a morale builder.
Back to the films list
 Stars and Stripes Forever (1952) - The inimitable Clifton Webb stars in this rather fictionalized but stirring biography of "March King" John Philip Sousa. The subplot involving Robert Wagner and Debra Paget makes the story more interesting, but is not based on real events. Watch it mainly for the music - and for Webb, of course.
Back to the films list
 The Steel Lady (1953) - A number of people have written to me over the years trying to find this film. They remember seeing it, but don't remember the title. It's the one about four men who dig up a WWII German tank and get it running after their plane crashes in the desert. Great fun, similar to Flight of the Phoenix, but without the oddball German genius!
Back to the films list
 The Sterile Cuckoo (1969) - Liza Minelli was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for her role as a quirky, troubled college girl who wins and then loses the affections of a boy, in an atmospheric, heartbreaking story that captures the atmosphere of the late 60s.
Back to the films list
 The Story of Dr. Wassell (1944) -
As the Japanese sweep through the East Indies during World War II, Dr. Wassell (Gary Cooper) is determined to escape from Java with some crewmen of the cruiser Marblehead. Based on a true story of how Dr. Wassell saved a dozen wounded sailors left behind when able bodied men were evacuated to Australia.
Back to the films list
 The Story of Louis Pasteur (1935) - Paul Muni won a Best Actor Oscar for his wonderful portrayal of the man responsible for the discovery of bacteria as a cause of disease, who struggled heroically against the ignorance of his contemporaries. The film also won two writing awards and was nominated for Best Picture. It is an old-fashioned, idealistic biography, directed with style by William Dieterle.
Back to the films list
 The Strawberry Blonde (1941) - With direction by Raoul Walsh, cinematography by James Wong Howe, and a cast consisting of James Cagney, Olivia de Havilland, Rita Hayworth, Alan Hale, George Tobias, and Jack Carson (not to mention George Reeves of TV's Superman fame wearing a cheesy mustache and getting punched out by Cagney), this one can't miss. And it doesn't. A great 40s comedy, with an Oscar-nominated music score and a bonus sing-along at the end!
Back to the films list
SPECIAL NOTE: For shipment outside the United States, please add an additional $3.00 per total order, regardless of the number of items. If you order by credit card, the charge will be automatically added when you choose international shipping.
|
