THE BLACK CAMEL

 

This is a 1931 Charlie Chan film produced by Fox, the second title to star Warner Oland as the Chinese detective, and the earliest Oland-Chan feature to survive for viewing. 

Actress Shelah Fane (Dorothy Revier) is in Hawaii appearing in a movie, but she also has plenty of relationship issues. Fane is soon found murdered, and Honolulu police inspector Charlie Chan is placed in charge of the investigation. It turns out that Fane was connected to the murder of an actor named Denny Mayo, which happened three years ago. Chan figures out who the culprit is, and discovers the killer's accomplice as well. 

THE BLACK CAMEL is notable mainly due to its supporting cast, which includes Bela Lugosi and Dwight Frye (this movie was made after Universal's original DRACULA). There are also appearances by Mary Gordon and J.M Kerrigan, who would both go on to play roles in multiple Universal horror films. Robert Young made his screen debut in this movie. 

When I was a kid the Charlie Chan movies were on TV all the time. I can't say that I'm a huge Charlie Chan fan (or expert), but I am familiar with the basics of the Chan series. Warner Oland's Chan in THE BLACK CAMEL acts very differently than he does in his later appearances. THE BLACK CAMEL Chan is much more energetic and eager, and he's even set up as kind of a what would be decades later called a Columbo type. Due to Chan's constant use of aphorisms and his kind nature, the suspects here don't take him very seriously. It is clearly established in THE BLACK CAMEL that Chan is an actual police inspector who has to answer to higher ups, instead of a world famous sleuth who can basically do whatever he wants. At one point there's a scene showing Chan at the dining table with his very large family. 

Bela Lugosi plays a professional mystic called Tarneverro. The role is a red herring type, one that Lugosi would portray over and over again during his acting career, The difference here is that except for one scene in which Tarneverro performs a phony seance in order to intimidate Shelah Fane, Bela doesn't try to be mysterious or threatening. He's congenial and chatty, and he looks great (throughout the film he wears either a tuxedo or a natty suit). Lugosi also is rather friendly to Charlie Chan, and Bela and Warner Oland play off each other very well. (As Chan Oland would later face off against Boris Karloff, and Sidney Toler's Chan would have to deal with Lionel Atwill and George Zucco.) Lugosi's spooky guy reputation hadn't been totally established yet--if THE BLACK CAMEL had been made later in the 1930s, Tarneverro would have no doubt turned out to be more of a menace. 

Warner Oland and Bela Lugosi in THE BLACK CAMEL

Dwight Frye isn't even named on the main credits, but he gets attention as a shifty butler. (Frye constantly complained about the fact that he got stuck playing shady or nefarious characters, but he has that look of someone you just can't trust.) 

Much of THE BLACK CAMEL was actually filmed in Hawaii, which was unusual for a Hollywood feature made during this time period. The locations do make the movie stand out, although it does get stagnant at times. (The director was Hamilton MacFadden.) The mystery elements are okay, but one big problem the story has is Chan's police assistant, a Japanese fellow who literally runs in and out of every scene he's in as if he's a buffoon in a vaudeville sketch. The assistant is more ridiculous than comedic. 

I haven't seen enough Charlie Chan movies to determine how THE BLACK CAMEL rates within the context of the entire Chan series, but I can say that the film should be seen by Bela Lugosi fans. Even in a supporting role Bela has more screen presence than any other male member of the cast. I viewed this movie on Tubi, and the visual and sound quality was very good. 

A FEAST AT MIDNIGHT On Blu-ray From Severin

 

Severin's THE EUROCRYPT OF CHRISTOPHER LEE COLLECTION 3 includes A FEAST AT MIDNIGHT, a 1995 light comedy which has Lee playing an outwardly intimidating teacher at a British boys boarding school. 

Young Magnus Gove (Freddie Findlay), a poor little rich boy, arrives at Dryden Park prep school, where, as a new kid, he immediately encounters difficulties. One of Magnus' problems is the monolithic Major Longfellow (Christopher Lee), a member of the faculty who has been bestowed the nickname "The Raptor" due to his towering presence. Another problem is the school's strict health food policy. Magnus starts to rebel the best way he knows how--by sneaking into the school kitchen at night and creating gourmet treats (the boy is a budding chef). Magnus starts up a group of fellow student outcasts and calls it "The Scoffers", and he also makes a connection with Major Longfellow's teenage daughter (Lisa Faulkner), who is something of an outcast herself. Eventually Magnus' late-night feasts are discovered, but he gains confidence and self-respect. 

A FEAST AT MIDNIGHT gives Christopher Lee one of his best roles during the 1990s. Major Longfellow certainly deserves the fearsome reputation given to him by his students, but he's not a stock comic villain. Lee makes Longfellow a human being, a traditionalist with certain values but a man who is more well-rounded than one would expect. Lee doesn't rant or rage here, and he doesn't need to, as a cold look from the Major is worth a thousand shouted lines of dialogue. Lee also shows off a talent for deadpan, dry humor. 

Lee was very proud of having appeared in this film, and he should have been. A FEAST AT MIDNIGHT was directed by Justin Hardy, the son of Robin Hardy (who had directed Lee in THE WICKER MAN). Justin Hardy also co-wrote the film's script with producer Yoshi Nishio, and both men had attended British boarding schools, giving them an insight into the situations involved in the story. It's obvious Hardy and Nishio wanted to make a decent, positive movie. The tone is very light, almost gentle at times. The movie stays away from the darker aspects of children not fitting in, but it does give subtle hints that Magnus' family situation is very complicated. 

What helps A FEAST AT MIDNIGHT is that Freddie Findlay, and the kids overall, really do act like kids instead of polished mini-adults. Robert Hardy plays the kindly headmaster of the school, and Edward Fox has a cameo as Magnus' father. Julie Dreyfus also has a cameo as Magnus' mother, and her appearance and dress is almost exactly how she looks in the KILL BILL movies. 

The visual and sound quality on this Blu-ray of A FEAST AT MIDNIGHT is fantastic, and it makes it hard to believe that this was Justin Hardy's directorial debut--one would assume he had been making features for years. The disc includes an original trailer, and it also has a brand new audio commentary with Justin Hardy and Yoshi Nishio. The two men discuss the trials and tribulations they had making what was for them their first feature, and how they managed with a very small budget. They also have plenty of insights and stories about Christopher Lee--major fans of the actor would be well advised to listen to this talk. This is a Region Free disc. 

Some on the internet have complained about Severin including A FEAST AT MIDNIGHT on their latest Christopher Lee box set. I have to say that originally I was surprised by the choice, but after having seen the film for the very first time, I was quite impressed with it. It's very, very British (an American version of this tale would be harsher and more confrontational), but it's also charming in its own way. I do have to say that I think adults will probably enjoy it more than youngsters--the kids of today (especially American ones) will either be puzzled or bored. 

Even if a movie about upper-class British children isn't to your taste, watching Christopher Lee play a role that truly does give him a chance to stretch his abilities is more than compensation enough. There are plenty of low-budget, low-quality films featuring Lee that Severin could have inserted in this set, but I'm glad they gave A FEAST AT MIDNIGHT a high quality release instead. 

THE BISHOP MURDER CASE

 

THE BISHOP MURDER CASE is a 1929 sound film produced by MGM. It is another adaptation of a S.S. Van Dine novel featuring upper-class amateur sleuth Philo Vance, with a young Basil Rathbone portraying the character. 

THE BISHOP MURDER CASE was made and released during the same period that Paramount was making a series of Philo Vance films starring William Powell. This shows how popular the Van Dine novels were at this time, with two major Hollywood studios making films with the same character concurrently. 

I have read a few of the Van Dine Philo Vance novels, but I have not read THE BISHOP MURDER CASE. The movie has a series of murders, with clues involving nursery rhymes and chess. Rathbone's Vance is much more personable than the literary one (as was William Powell's), but he's still an erudite, fastidious fellow who appears to have major knowledge of just about every subject. The characters of District Attorney Markham (Clarence Geldert) and Sergeant Heath (James Donlan), regulars in the Van Dine novels, show up here as well, with Heath once again portrayed as a comic relief dolt. One thing that is notable in this film is that Markham essentially lets Vance take charge of the case, to the point where Philo tells the D.A. and Heath what to do. 

Since this is a very early sound film, there are some creaky elements to it, and there are times where it feels like a stage play. There are, however, some outdoor sequences, and Nick Grinde (credited as "screen director") sets up a number of expressionistic shot compositions. David Burton was credited for stage direction, and while Rathbone is his usual precise self, the supporting cast is somewhat hammy--the lovely Lelia Hyams is very fluttery as the leading lady. Roland Young plays a sarcastic suspect who at multiple times refers to Rathbone's Vance as "Holmes", in a snarky bit of forecasting. 

The story sets up things so that one major suspect appears to be the murderer, only to reveal another character as the culprit instead. It's a nice twist, but after the movie was over I thought it was a bit incredible that the actual perpetrator could have been able to accomplish all the crimes, but one could say that about nearly every murder mystery tale. 

I viewed THE BISHOP MURDER CASE on Tubi. It was a decent print, but there were times when the sound quality was not very clear, but one must remember this is a talkie made in 1929. It's a good murder mystery, but one wonders how better it would have been if it had been made a few years later when cinematic sound techniques had been much improved. An older Basil Rathbone would have been great as a more authentic Philo Vance--one could easily imagine him as an acid-tongued know-it-all snob. But would audiences have wanted to watch such a character? 

CRIME BOSS

 

In my blog post review of Severin's special edition release of THE GHOST, I mentioned that one of the discs in the set was a CD compilation of soundtrack music by Francesco De Masi. Seven tracks on the CD feature music from a film called CRIME BOSS, a 1972 Eurocrime drama starring Telly Savalas and Antonio Sabato. CRIME BOSS just so happens to be available on Tubi in a widescreen print with an English dubbed soundtrack. (The original Italian title for the film is I FAMILIARI DELLE VITTIME NON SARANO AVVERTITI, which roughly translates into "The Victim's Families Won't Be Told". I can understand why the title was changed for the English release, but you'd think they would have at least come up with something less bland than CRIME BOSS.) 

Antonio Sabato is Antonio Mancuso, a small-time Italian hood who ingratiates himself into a powerful crime family led by Don Vincenzo (Telly Savalas). Mancuso develops a bond with Vincenzo, and he also starts up an affair with the Don's striking young niece (Paola Tedesco), but the ambitious fellow has plans of his own, and he'll double-cross anyone to achieve his goals. 

It's easy to assume that CRIME BOSS was meant to be a cheap knockoff of THE GODFATHER. It's director, Alberto De Martino, made a number of movies influenced by better known features (and I've written blog posts on a few of them). De Martino was a capable filmmaker, but CRIME BOSS has more talk than action, and despite location filming at such places as Milan, Palermo, Rome, and Hamburg, there's nothing about the story that makes it particularly stand out. 

When it comes to Italian crime thrillers, Antonio Sabato is no Tomas Milan, but in fairness to him his character is very inconsistent. During the first part of the film it appears that Mancuso is a Man With No Name clone, a clever killer who uses pluck and guile to eliminate those who are worse than him. As the movie goes on, however, it's established that Mancuso is getting revenge for his father, who was killed by the mob. There are times when Mancuso seems dismayed by all the things he has to do, but he also manages to betray just about everyone he deals with. At one point I was convinced that Mancuso was actually an undercover agent for the police--and I was wrong....although honestly, that plot idea would have made the ending much better. 

Antonio Sabato doesn't have the screen presence that Telly Savalas does. Savalas isn't onscreen all that much in CRIME BOSS, but he makes one wish the story was much more about Don Vincenzo. As a matter of fact, Paola Tedesco (who could have passed for Rosalba Neri's sister) makes more of an impact than Antonio Sabato does. There's a hint that Tedesco's character is as conniving and ambitious as Mancuso, but this subplot is not developed enough. 

Many of the Italian crime movies of the 1970s are as wild and outlandish as their Euro Western counterparts from the 1960s, but CRIME BOSS is just a standard Mafia tale. 

BATTLE OF THE JAPAN SEA

 

BATTLE OF THE JAPAN SEA is a 1969 war epic from Japan's Toho Studios, directed by Seiji Maruyama and produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka, the instigator of the Godzilla film series. This was the last movie that special effects genius Eiji Tsuburaya worked on, and it is filled with dozens of intricate model battleships and explosions. 

The title of the film refers to the Battle of Tsushima, one of the climatic acts of the Russo-Japanese War, but the story is a mini-history of the entire conflict. It begins in 1904, as a narrator, along with animated maps, lays out the background behind Japan and Russia's decision to fight one another. Much of the focus of the film rests upon Admiral Togo (Toshiro Mifune), the resolute Japanese naval commander who became a national icon due to his overseeing his country's overwhelming victory at the Battle of Tsushima. 

I'm certainly no expert on the Russo-Japanese War, but from what I could ascertain the movie follows the actual events closely for the most part. One has to realize that this is a Japanese film, so obviously there will be some sort of slant. Despite that, the overall tone is not as jingoistic as other cinematic war epics. The Russians portrayed in the story actually speak their native language, and they are not shown as monsters or villains. At the end of the film Admiral Togo visits his Russian counterpart, who was wounded in the final battle, captured, and is now recuperating in a Japanese hospital. Togo and the Russian admiral treat each other with respect and courtesy, as fellow warriors. 

The battle scenes are the main reasons to watch BATTLE OF THE JAPAN SEA. No matter what genre they were working on, the technicians at Toho Studios were proficient experts, and they knew how to put together outstanding action sequences. There's even a land battle sequence, with Japanese troops attempting to storm a virtually impregnable Russian position. When it comes to the violence and scope of major military actions, BATTLE OF THE JAPAN SEA can hold its own with any other American or British war picture made in the 1960s. 

One factor this movie does not have is the extraneous fluff one finds in other historical epics. There's no love interest for any of the Japanese officers shown in the film--as a matter of fact, there's no major (or even minor) female roles whatsoever. There are almost no scenes of what is going on back in Japan during the conflict--the narration and animated maps continue throughout the story, giving the viewer info on what is going on and why. Theodore Roosevelt's attempts at bringing the Russo-Japanese War to an end are not even mentioned. 

BATTLE OF THE JAPAN SEA was made in color and Tohoscope, and I was able to find an excellent, uncut print to view on the internet which actually had English subtitles. It is a well-made film which makes excellent use of the widescreen image, and it has a rousing music score by Masaru Sato, a composer who had worked with Akira Kurosawa several times and was also a Godzilla series veteran. 

As a history buff and film geek, I was impressed with BATTLE OF THE JAPAN SEA, but I'm sure that I would have appreciated it even better if I had more knowledge about the Russo-Japanese War. What this movie shows is that Toho, like Hammer Films, was capable of making a much broader product than the usual genre films they are associated with. 

THE LIFE AND DEATHS OF CHRISTOPHER LEE On Blu-ray From Severin

 

Included in Severin's THE EUROCRYPT OF CHRISTOPHER LEE COLLECTION 3 box set is the 2023 documentary THE LIFE AND DEATHS OF CHRISTOPHER LEE, written and directed by Jon Spira. 

Jon Spira also wrote and directed ELSTREE 1976, a film that I enjoyed. With ELSTREE 1976, Spira looked at the making of STAR WARS from a unique angle--the memories of various background and supporting players who were involved in the production. The unique angle Spira uses in THE LIFE AND DEATHS OF CHRISTOPHER LEE is having the main story told by a marionette made up to look like Lee, voiced by Peter Serafinowicz (who does a decent representation of Lee's tone and speaking pattern). 

The result is....unusual, to say the least. It takes a while to get used to this approach, especially when it is combined with different forms of animation that attempt to recreate certain events in Lee's life. There are times when the use of the marionette and the animation gets a bit too cute. It's not the approach I would have chosen, but what do I know??

I've read plenty of interviews, books, and articles about Lee, and I own a copy of one of the versions of his autobiography (yes, there are multiple ones). I can say that the narration presented in this film from this representation of Lee is a good approximation of the real man's statements and opinions--but while watching this documentary one must remember that it is an interpretation of Lee--you can't assume that what is shown and said here is 100% what Lee really felt. 

The documentary gives a good overview of Lee's long and varied life, and fans of the actor will be familiar with most of the details, such as his descending from Italian nobility, the mystery over his military career during World War II, his attempts at breaking away from his horror movie image, and his reputation for being distant and even pompous at times, a reputation that nearly all of the guests on this film go out of their way to refute. 

Among those guests who talk about their relationships with Lee are directors Joe Dante, John Landis, and Peter Jackson, along with Lee's son-in-law Juan Aneiros and niece, the actress Harriet Walter. Lee biographer and English Gothic expert Jonathan Rigby also appears, and his insights, along with those of Walter, make the most impact. 

Due to the fact that Lee "appears" in this documentary as a marionette and we "hear" his voice, there isn't very much actual footage of Lee as his real self. There is plenty of footage from his films. The major highlights of Lee's acting career are presented, but there are a few moments that I thought should have been mentioned. Considering that Lee lived to be 93 years old, appeared in hundreds and hundreds of films, and this documentary is 102 minutes long, one can understand that the filmmakers behind this had to pick and choose what could be discussed. (On the extras included on this disc, the filmmakers mention that rights issues hindered them from showing certain things.) 

The main thesis of THE LIFE AND DEATHS OF CHRISTOPHER LEE is that the actor, despite his commanding presence, was a sensitive man who was concerned about his reputation in the film industry. Christopher Lee fans won't see this as a major revelation--I remember years ago a quote I read from Peter Cushing where he said that Lee was basically a shy person, an assessment that makes a lot of sense. Just about any performer or creative individual is sensitive in some way--they couldn't do what they do if they weren't. This documentary does show that Lee was much more human and relatable than most would think. 

Severin presents THE LIFE AND DEATHS OF CHRISTOPHER LEE on a region free disc, and as would be expected from a recently made film, the picture and sound quality is exemplary. The extras include a new audio commentary with director Jon Spira and producer Hank Starrs. The two veer wildly from one unconnected subject to another, and they really don't give much insight into how the film was made. 

Another extra is a Q & A with Jon Spira, Hank Starrs, and Jonathan Rigby, held at a screening of the documentary by the BFI. In this short session Spira and Starrs do give some details about their decisions in shaping the film. 

There's also extended interview footage of most of the guests that appear in the feature, and I have to say that some of the stories and anecdotes they tell are more interesting than what appears in the finished film. A trailer is included as well. The artwork for the disc cover (see above) was created by Graham Humphreys. 

Christopher Lee is one of my favorite actors of all time, and my appreciation for his life and career has only grown over the years. THE LIFE AND DEATHS OF CHRISTOPHER LEE is a well-done tribute to the man, but it wouldn't call it the definitive examination of his life. Lee's life was so varied and extraordinary that I don't think there can be a definitive summation of it. This documentary works best when it shows Lee's human side as presented by those who knew and worked with him. 

STORM OVER THE PACIFIC

 

STORM OVER THE PACIFIC is a 1960 Japanese film, produced by Toho Studios, that covers the Pacific theater in World War II from Pearl Harbor to the Battle of Midway. 

Toho is of course best known for their Godzilla series, and other science-fiction and monster movies, but they also made several historical & military epics. STORM OVER THE PACIFIC gives a viewpoint from the other side, so to speak, at least for English-speaking audiences. 

The movie begins with the Japanese fleet sailing to Hawaii to begin the attack on Pearl Harbor, with the focus on a young navigator-bombardier named Lt. Kitami (Yosuke Natsuki). The surprise raid is successful, and through Kitami's narration and a series of montages, the viewer learns about the Japanese military dominating in the Western Pacific. Kitami gets leave to marry his hometown sweetheart, but on the day of the ceremony he's called back to his ship, the aircraft carrier Hiryu. The Hiryu is to be part of a large force that will be sent out to attack and invade Midway Island, in the hopes of bringing out the American fleet so it can be destroyed. In the battle the Japanese fleet is devastated, with Kitami barely surviving the sinking of his carrier. Back home recuperating, Kitami realizes that the Japanese authorities are not letting the public know about the massive losses suffered at Midway. His enthusiasm dampened, Kitami goes off on another mission, his future uncertain. 

STORM OVER THE PACIFIC will be a treat for WWII buffs--just make sure you find the original unedited Japanese version of this film, which is available on the Internet Archive. (The movie was edited, dubbed, and released in the U.S. with the title I BOMBED PEARL HARBOR.) The film portrays events in a matter-of-fact manner--there's no grandstanding or angry attitudes. Kitami is a likable fellow who is proud to serve his country, but he's not filled with rage against any enemy. After his marriage, he even questions the idea of his life being sworn to the Emperor. 

Armchair historians will appreciate the fact that the movie highlights the strategic and tactical decisions (and mistakes) made by the Japanese navy during the period after Pearl Harbor. At one point Admiral Yamaguchi (played by the legendary Toshiro Mifune) discusses with Admiral Yamamoto why Japan must inflict as much damage to America in as short a time as possible, in order to bring about a quick end to the war. The reason for this is that Japan does not have the supplies and the infrastructure to survive a long campaign--something the officers in this story know all too well. While STORM OVER THE PACIFIC presents the early successes of the Japanese in WWII, there's also a sense of foreboding. (Toshiro Mifune would go on to play Yamamoto multiple times.) 

If you are a fan of Toho's Godzilla series, STORM OVER THE PACIFIC features plenty of familiar names and faces, such as actors Takashi Shimura, Jun Tazaki, and Akihiko Hirata. The producer of the film was Tomoyuki Tanaka, the man who instigated the Godzilla series, and the battle sequences, which contain plenty of models and miniatures, were overseen by FX master Eiji Tsuburaya. There are some that will never get used to models in a movie like this, but for me I personally find them much more watchable than CGI. (Besides, there's no way Toho could have made a film like this without the use of models.) A large sunken pool was constructed on the Toho lot to film the battle scenes of STORM OVER THE PACIFIC, and this construct was used for almost every Kaiju movie the studio made thereafter. (Battle footage from STORM OVER THE PACIFIC was used for TORA, TORA, TORA and MIDWAY.) 

STORM OVER THE PACIFIC is a very well-made war picture, and it at times even winds up being more realistic than most American WWII movies.