Cop Land (released in 1997) - Starring Sylvester Stallone, Harvey Keitel, Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro

The film is based on the town of Garrison, New Jersey. It is known for most of its local population being that of auxiliary transit cops - this gives the town the nickname of ‘Cop Land.’ The Sherriff of Garrison is Freddy Heflin (Sylvester Stallone); he was also a police force aspirant, but his chances of joining were ruined as he is hearing impaired due to an injury from his childhood. Sometime in the past, he had saved Liz Randone (Annabella Sciorra) from the car which she was trapped inside. However, life has moved on, many of his friends and peers serve on the force, including Liz’s husband, Joey Randone (Peter Berg). Freddy has secretly loved Liz since they were kids, but now she is trapped in an abusive and violent marriage to Joey.
Freddy leads a lonely life, few friends, one loyal - the bottle. One night as he returns from the local pub, his car crashes into a clump of trees as he avoids running over a deer. Elsewhere a young cop Murray Babitch (Michael Rapaport) is driving back home after a night out, as he drives through to the George Washington Bridge, his car is side scraped by another car. He attempts to get the car to pull over, flashing his badge. The man in the co driver’s seat pulls out a weapon, Murray ducks to avoid getting shot, just then he hears a shot fired – the red car speeds ahead of him, the cop has had enough! Murray fires shots at the car, which spins to a halt on the bridge, his own car screeches to a halt as it rams into the other vehicle.




Under the bridge, sits Freddy, oblivious of the chaos that has ensued. Cops line the Bridge, as Lt. Ray Donlan, incidentally Babitch’s uncle, comes to his rescue. The young officer is inconsolable, as he tells Ray that he was only doing his duty and that he shot in self defense. Officer Jack Rucker (Robert Patrick) tells Ray that the men in the car had no weapon, they’d only been pointing a steering wheel lock at Murray.
The detective present Leo Crasky (John Spencer) tells Murray that his foolhardiness is going to cost Lt. Ray Donlan his reputation and career; he convinces the man that if he doesn’t let Leo help, Murray will land up in prison. Babitch is convinced that they don’t have to do this, and it is wrong. Meanwhile, Jack plants a weapon in the dead men’s car. However, a paramedic on police duty tells him that he saw him do that - and a scuffle takes place. Ray, meanwhile goes over to where Murray was standing - he isn’t there anymore. The man has jumped off the bridge. But was this really the end ?
The film was about the corruption in the police force, as cops try and save themselves from being blamed for fraudulent practices; Heflin is shown as the man who is up against the corrupt biggies, he is the underdog, who is treated with disdain and met with rancor. Directed by James Mangold, Cop Land was released in 1997. Stallone’s performance is unlike any of his past acts; he displays the quieter, sensitive side of a man most people reject and mock due to his physical shortcomings, he even donned a ‘non glam’ look, putting on pounds to look the part. His performance won him praise from both critics and audiences alike.

Film - Farewell, My Lovely (starring Robert Mitchum as the detective Philip Malowe) - Released in 1975

Raymond Chandler is a very famous writer, many of whose books were taken for theatre or made into movies. Out of his novels, an early one is the novel called by the same name, "Farewell, My Lovely" (this was actually his second novel, published in 1940), and starred the famous detective that he created, Philip Marlowe. This novel was made as a movie in 1944 earlier, and was again made into a movie released in 1975. The movie has gathered acclaim over the years, being well liked for the film noir atmosphere that it brings into the movie, with the brilliant performance by the lead actor, Robert Mitchum, playing the role of a grizzled old detective, Philip Marlowe (at this time Mitchum was in the latter part of his career, having been in the industry for decades now and being 58 years old).
The film also stars the following: Charlotte Rampling, John Ireland, Jack O'Halloran, Sylvia Miles and Harry Dean Stanton. Incidentally, this was an early movie in the career of a super-star, Sylvester Stallone, who shot into the heights of super-stardom with the release of Rocky the following year. However, Stallone had only a small role in the movie, with the meaty role being portrayed by Robert Mitchum. He plays the role of a detective, well past his prime age, getting more melancholy and at the same time, being mature.



So what's the story about ? Well, the movie is set in Los Angeles of 1941, a time when there was a lot of corruption and when you start to investigate, you can find the whole plot full of betrayal, and more corruption (in the police), along with the usual environment of seedy hotel rooms, gambling nets, and so on. The detective Marlowe has been hired by an ex-convict, called Moose Malloy, who wants Marlowe to find Velma, an old girlfriend, whom he has not met for many years. He is also investigating a different case, the murder of one of his clients named Marriott (coincidentally, Marriott was killed and an unconscious Marlowe woke up next to the body).
And what do these crimes have in common with each other ? There is the puzzling figure of a lady called Mrs. Helen Grayle, and soon Marlowe also finds himself in more trouble, getting beaten up, drugged and held captive in a private hospital; does he manage to get himself out of trouble and find Velma ? This is a wonderful movie, catch it if you have a chance. The movie got one nomination to the Oscars, but no recognition through an actual award.

Leap of Faith (released in 1992) - A movie about a faith healer, starring Steve Martin and Debra Winger

This American comedy Drama is directed by Richard Pearce and stars Steve Martin, Debra Winger, Liam Neeson and Lolita Davidovich in the lead roles. This hard hitting drama focuses on the faith healer who cons innocents in the name of god and takes from where earlier docu-drama like Elmer Gantry and Jarjoe left off.
Steve Martin stars as Jonas Nightengale who is a con-man faith healer. He holds revival meetings and defrauds the congregation with the promise of miracles. Helping him is his back stage manager, Jane who studies the floor plan convincingly and transmits the information via a small ear-piece. So all the technological marvels are used to convey where the healer could find a crippled man, or a pregnant teenager. Jonas pounces on them with his hallelujahs and with his intuition forces them to blab more about their condition. The effect is so smooth a transition from a believer to a miracle seeker.
As this faith healer show rumbles around the American small town with its special effects, technological jamboree and a gospel choir, the bus breaks down in a small town of Kansas. This impoverished town has nothing going for it as no rains have blessed the parched landscape. As the bus waits for the spare parts Jonas and Jane plan to hold a revival meeting to kill time. So the show is all set to begin if only for the small hitch in the form the local sheriff, Will Braverman. Will does not believe in all the this bunkum of miracles and sees Jonas and his troops for what they are, crooks. He wants to protect the town money from flowing in to their hands and tries his best to stop their show.



Jonas deputes Jane to seduce Braverman and Jane ends up falling for him. Jonas also falls for a pretty local waitress, Marva, who has a crippled brother, Boyd. Marva does not have faith in all the hocus pocus and Jonas takes her up as a conquest. Boyd believes in miracles and feels that Jonas can help him walk. Initially taking a caustic view, Jonas calls Boyd “Tiny Tim” and tries to palm him off. But as the movie progresses he tries to warn off Boyd as Jonas can see himself only as a crook. But a crook can also deliver hope and faith promises to be a powerful instrument for healing. In the end the crooks and the believers are forced to examine themselves.
This is one of the powerful movies of the 80's which examines faith as an instrument of influence. The first half of the movie has Steve Martin prancing about in his silver suits among dazzling lights mouthing biblical quotations and hallelujahs all the time listening to the back stage instructions. The toppling wheelchairs, the back stage plans, the market research, the listened in conversations and all the tricks of the trade of faith healing is laid bare. Steve Martin does a fantastic job of the conman with his inimical wit and cynicism. Anther notable performance is of Debra Winger as Jane who does all the back stage operations. Although her romance with the local sheriff is a bit contrived, it gives a little deviation for the story. The movie forces one to examine the process of belief and the show of believing. As Steve quotes in the movie “if I get the job done What difference does it make?” and he himself receives the answer as “It makes all the difference in the world”.
This movie received decent box office returns and also critical acclaim. It was also adapted a Broadway musical and opened successfully. Last but not the least the musical score is wonderful with the real-life singers like La Chanze, Delores Hall and Albertina Walker who do a beautiful job of playing Jonas's gospel choir. A good movie which entertains and informs.

My Blue Heaven (released in 1990) - A comedy starring Steve Martin, Rick Moranis, and Joan Cusack

This Steve Martin movie is light hearted and fun. It is a romantic comedy where the romance is of less importance because the chemistry between the male and female co-stars pale in front of the chemistry between the male ones. Directed by Herbert Ross and scripted by Nora Ephron this movie is based on the life of Henry Hill.
Steve Martin plays Vinnie Antonelli an Ex-Mafia don who is going to squeal on his murderous ex-buddies. So he joins the witness protection program and moves to a suburb in San-Diego to keep his detractors away. Vinnie is protected by Barney Coopersmith a stiff uptight policeman whose attention to detail gets on everybody's nerves. Vinnie's wife leaves him earlier on as she is not charmed by the domestic life of the suburbs. Same happens for Coopersmith whose wife finds his tiny habits annoying, it seems that he is so methodic that he gets equal amounts of butter on to the two halves of his waffle.
Vinnie soon settles in to the witness protection program, but you cannot keep the crime out of a mobster too long. He starts petty thieving which goes on to bigger times and frenetic night clubbing. Poor Barney Coppersmith is simply aghast and tries hard to reason with him.



Vinnie even meets up with his old pals to start a new syndicate. Hannah Stubs played by Joan Cusack is the district Attorney who tries to prosecute Vinnie for his crimes, but her actions come to a cropper because he is part of the witness protection program. At first Barney and Hannah hate each other but are thrown together a lot. So the ice melts and to Vinnie's delight, they start liking each other. Vinnie takes Barney under his wing and helps him to dress better, dance better and woo Hannah.
Meanwhile Vinnie's old pals in crime try their best to prevent him from testifying. So Vinnie does all the wonder work for Barney and together they outwit the murderous gangs of Manhattan. This laugh riot is one of the funniest movies of all times. It was a critics delight but did not exactly set the box office on fire. Just as good wine, it slowly acquired a fan following and is considered as one of the cult comic capers of the century. The story may not be an Oscar winner but the script is great, suitably interlaced with one liners which evokes laughter. The best part of it is the bonding between Vinnie and Barney and the chemistry between the two actors just raises the film to a new level. It was so that Steve Martin was to play the role of Barney and Schwarzenegger that of Vinnie. But Schwarzenegger opted out and the role was taken up by Steve Martin. Rick Moranis was brought in for Barney. No complaints there for they rock the show.
Not the least, a great hurrah for the songs in the movie. The great numbers like “New York, new york”, “Take me out to a ball game”, “the boy from New york city” and “My blue heaven” are absolute delights. You can watch this movie anytime, in any mood as it is bound to evoke the loud guffaws. Only trouble may be your neighbor's objection to your loud laughter.

Wild Orchids (released in 1929) - starring Greta Garbo, Lewis Stone and Nils Asther

A love triangle of passion and adultery amidst the exotic location of the Javanese tea plantations. This movie was directed by Sidney Franklin and stared Greta Garbo as the passionate, frustrated wife opposite Lewis stone and Nils Asther. This movie was Garbo's seventh silent movie and 15th in her career. It also featured Swedish actor Nils Asther with whom she would star another movie in the same year.
John and Lillie Sterling are a married couple who sail to Java to explore investing options in the Javanese Tea market. John is a workaholic and very neglectful and this hurts his passionate and romantic wife. Aboard the ship, Lillie chances upon an act of violence, where a man severely manhandles his servant for a minor transgressions. This man is Prince de Gace who is enamored by this mysterious and live wire of a woman. He contrives a plan to reach the wife through the husband and develops John Sterlings acquaintance with his vast knowledge about the Tea market.
John is suitably impressed by the Prince and introduces him to his wife. Lillie recognizes the Prince, as the man who was cruel to his servant and does not encourage his attentions. This inflames his passions and the Prince pursues her more. He invites John to stay at his estate ostensibly to develop more understanding about the market and proceeds to woo Lillie. She tries to confide in her husband, but he turns a deaf ear to her entreaties. Lillie in desperation offers to accompany her husband in his professional investigations.



But John refuses her offer and leaves the plantation on his projects. The Prince intensifies his efforts and forces him upon her for a kiss. Lillie, confused about her emotions, embraces and kisses him back. John returns at this moment and the Prince sends Lillie to her room and substitutes a servant girl in his arms. But John suspicions are confirmed when he finds Lillie's earrings. An enraged John plots revenge for his humiliation.
He proposes a Tiger hunt with the Prince and before embarking on the hunt he empties the bullets from the gun. The prince realizes that his gun is empty while shooting a large man eater. He tries to flee when he finds that he would have to combat John, with a fully loaded gun. As the tiger pounces upon him John fires and the Prince gets hurt. Disgusted at his own behavior John plans to leave for America, alone. But Lillie, realizing the John's worth compared to the Casanova in Java reaffirms her love for him.
This silent movie has an amazing sound track with background noises of animals, birds, crowded streets, traffic and the eerie jungle all well laid out. This romantic drama was one of the monster hits of that year with superb performances from Greta Garbo, Nils Asther and Lewis Stone. Garbo as the younger wife of a staid 50's something man who is drawn to the excitement which the Prince offers is simply superb. Catch this movie if you can.

As You Desire Me (released in 1932) - Starring Greta Garbo, Erich von Stroheim and Melvyn Douglas

This is about a women who has no past and is claimed by many people as their own. “As you desire me” stars Greta Garbo in the title role along with Melvyn Douglas, Eric Von Stronheim and Hedda hopper. This movie was directed by George Fitzmaurice and is adopted from the play of the same name by Luigi Pirandello. This is the only movie where Greta Garbo plays a blonde character. The running time for the movie is 71 minutes and is one of the shortest of her Hollywood movies.
Garbo plays Zara, a sultry night club singer for whom men and booze are a weakness. She lives with Karl Saltzer, a novelist who loves her and tolerates her drinking binges and picking up strange men. Zara never can love Karl as he loves her, and this is evident from her offhand behavior with him. But everything changes when she encounters, Tony at one of her performances. He calls her “Maria” and tells her that she is in fact the wife of Count Bruno Varelli who had gone missing during world war I. He informs her that her husband and himself were looking for her for the past ten years.
Zara scoffs at his claims and orders him out. But his persistence pays off and she relents to meet Bruno Varelli at his estate, much to the dismay of Karl. Karl threatens and shoots her arm to prevent her from leaving him, but Zara moves to Bruno's estate with Tony. Bruno is ecstatic to receive his wife, but Zara arrives as a stranger, not recognizing her servants or Bruno himself. She refuses to stay at the estate but acquiesces to the persistent pleading of the other members. She asks Bruno to help her find in herself, Maria, the women he really desires.
Slowly as their understanding grows, Zara falls in love with Bruno and decides to devote her life to him. But when she actually finds love which had eluded her so long, Karl returns with the final blow.
Karl meets Ines, Maria's sister and asks for her help to expose Zara as an impostor. Ines informs Zara that one week from her return, Maria was to be legally declared dead and all the property would have been transferred to her. She insinuates that Bruno had imposed the identity of Maria upon her to safeguard the property. Zara is devastated and feels that Bruno's love is in-fact for the money. Karl brings in an heavily veiled women whom he claims to be the real Maria. He informs Zara that Maria was imprisoned at a sanatorium to enable Bruno to run the estate. The veiled lady recognizes all her servants and sister, that everybody is convinced that she is the real Maria.
But soon he truth comes out that the veiled lady is in-fact the impostor who had lived among them in the estate. Bruno tired of all the games confesses his love for Zara and tells her that his feelings would never change even if she is proved not to be Maria. Zara accepts his declaration with happiness and they are reunited. This movie was a box-office success for MGM and still considered one of the nicest romantic movies of all times.

Grand Hotel (released in 1932) - Starring Greta Garbo, John Barrymore and Joan Crawford

This American drama film is directed by Edmund Goudling and is adapted from a the novel Menschen im Hotel by Vicki Baum. This movie stars Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, Lionel Barrymore and John Barrymore.
This movie opens with Doctor Otternschlag, a disfigured veteran who stays permanently at the Grand Hotel remarking “Grand Hotel....People come and go. Nothing ever happens”. After this seemingly innocuous remark, acts as a catalyst for a chain of events at the hotel. Baron Felix Von Geigern, a jewel thief and a master card player stays at the hotel undertaking small time theft and forgery. He is a noble man who has lost his fortune. The Baron befriend Otto Kringelein, a small time accountant who is fatally ill. He stays at The Grand to spend his last days in the lap of luxury. Kringelein's ex-boss is Director Preysing who is an wealthy industrialist staying at the Grand to ink a large deal. He hires a stenographer Flaemmchen who wants to be an actress. She shows Preysing her audacious photographs and hints that she is willing to do anything to be a star. Preysing soon starts an affair with her.



Another guest, Grusinskaya is a famous ballet dancer who is tired of the world. She unexpectedly returns home and finds the Baron rummaging through her jewels. She says ”I want to be alone”, mistaking him to be a part of the staff. But the Baron stays and engages in a conversation which brings them both closer. After the conversation the guilty Baron returns her jewels and Grusinskaya invites him to accompany her to Vienna. The Baron agrees and engages to meet her at the train station.
The Baron joins Flaemmchen and Kringelien for afternoon tea, where a coquettish Flaemmchen cajoles Kringelien to dance. Preysing who arrives is consumed with jealousy and imperiously tells Flaemmchen to stop. All are disgusted by his uncouth behavior and Kringelien gives him a piece of his mind. Preysing gets angry and the situation is diffused by the baron's intervention. The Baron tries to steal from the intoxicated Kringelien, but seeing his pathetic condition returns his wallet back. He turns his attention to Preysing instead.
But as fate would have it the baron is caught by Preysing stealing his papers and in the scuffle bludgeons him to death. Flaemmchen arrives at the scene and runs to Kringelien who confronts Preysing. They summon the police and Preysing is summarily arrested. Oblivious of the Baron's fate, Grunskaya waits at the train station for him and grieves when the Baron does not arrive. Flaemmchen and Kringelien leave for Paris to try a new cure and vow to be be with each other. As they leave the hotel, Doctor Otternschlag once again observes, "Grand Hotel. People come and go. Nothing ever happens.".
This movie may be a tedious watch for many as there are lot of a interconnecting events with no story to hold your attention. Btu it is critically acclaimed movie. The film is the only motion picture to have won the Academy Award for Best Picture, with that category being the sole category in which it was nominated. In 2007, Grand Hotel was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."
Another cause for its fame is Garbo's famous opening line “I want to be Alone” which is often alluded to her in real life. Garbo's reclusive nature fueled speculations that these lines were actually spoken by her in real life.

Ninotchka (released in 1939) - A comedy starring Greta Garbo and Melvyn Douglas

This is the penultimate movie starring Greta Garbo and is an all out comedy which is a first for the actress, who was always revered for her tear jerkers. This movie made by MGM is directed by Ernst Lubitsch and also stars Melvyn Douglas opposite Garbo. This movie portrays the communist Russia to be a drab place compared to a Parisian Joie de vivre. It is one of the movies which makes veiled criticism about Joseph's Stalin's autocratic rule.
Three Russian agents, Iranoff, Buljanoff and Kopalski are deputed to sell the confiscated jewels of Countess Swana to raise money for the party. They reach Paris and stay in a posh hotel where they are overheard by one of the waiters Alexis Rakonin, an Impoverished Russian Count. He alerts Swana who is residing in Paris and her lover Count Leon d'Algout promises her the return of her jewels. Count Leon befriends the three men and show them the sights and signs of Paris which makes them wonder at their drab life style. Meanwhile Swana obtains an injunction preventing the sale of the jewels in Paris. The higher ups in the Soviet Union are furious by the turn of events and send their super spy "Envoy Extraordinary" Nina "Ninotchka" Ivanovna Yakushova to bring the three men home and facilitate the sale of the jewels. Ninotchka is a stern woman who thinks of Russia and her duty. After chastising her comrades, she also tours Paris soaking in the architectural wonders. She meets Leon who tries to flirt with her and gets a royal ignore. For Ninotchka he is an example of western decadence and soon learns his identity. Leon also comes to know about her and is intrigued by her persona.



Leon follows her to a cafe and jokes with Ninotchka to get to know her better. Even though his jokes fall flat, he manages to melt her heart. Soon both enjoy each others company and Ninotchka becomes a changed woman. She dresses and enjoys the opulence of the city and soon falls in love with the count.
A much drunk Leon and Ninotchka return to the hotel and she tries the jewels on Leon before falling asleep. Next day she gets a call from Swana that she had the jewels stolen from her room by Rakonin and names her price for their retrieval – Leon. Ninotchka agrees and goes back home. Leon pursues her and meets her when she reaches Istanbul on her next assignment. He persuades her not to leave and they live happily ever after.
This movie was banned in the Soviet Union for criticizing Stalin and Communism. But it still went on to be one of the top grosser of the year. It also snagged four Academy Award nominations including the one for Garbo, for the best actress.
In 1990, Ninotchka was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". It was also included on two American Film Institute lists and was also included on Time Magazine's All-Time 100 Movies.

Anna Christie (released in 1930) - Starring Greta Garbo, Charles Bickford, George F. Marion, and Marie Dressler

Anna Christie is a landmark film where Garbo makes the successful transition from the silent era to the talkies. It is said that the studio had prepared her assiduously to make the change with success, unlike many other stars who failed with sound. MGM coached Garbo so well that even her Swedish accent was completely removed. Additional publicity material with the tag-line “Garbo Talks” generated more interest in this movie. This movie was adapted from a Pulitzer prize winning play by Eugene O'Neill and was also a silent movie staring Blanche Sweet.
Anna Christie was directed by Clarence Brown and starred Greta Garbo, Charles Bickford and George F Marion. This movie was nominated for 3 academy awards including the one for best actress for Greta Garbo.
Garbo is Anna Christie, a waterfront prostitute who comes in search of her father to the barge. Her father had sent her off to a relative's farm and the abuse had forced Anna to run away and become a prostitute. She never forgives her father for abandoning her. Anna enters a saloon where her father's mistress is drinking and gives her first dialogue, the immortal line “Gif me a visky, ginger ale on the side, and don' be stingy, baby." Marthe, the mistress soon deduces her identity and tells her that her father Chris was hoping to see her as a lady and she would have to be one to refrain from hurting him. Anna agrees for the deception and lives with Chris as the dutiful daughter he is so proud off.



Anna and Marthe rescues a drowning sailor Matt and brings him to the barge. Soon an intimacy develops between the two and they even go on a date to Conney island. But Chris, her father disapproves of the relationship because he want her settled with a stable marriage and a house on the land. Anna also has secrets of her own and Marthe urges her to come clean to prevent a confrontation between Matt and Chris. She reveals her sordid life as a prostitute and Matt leaves in disgust. As Anna picks the broken pieces of her life she finds Matt waiting for her. He tells her that mistakes were made in the past by both of them and he is happy to be the first one to claim her love. The film ends in a happy note with a grand reunion.
The mystique of this film is all the more increased, as it is one of the last movies that Garbo posed for and promoted. She had her last photograph shot with the Maharajah of Kapurthala before retiring from public life. This movie was a monster hit of the year and also won accolades for Garbo's seamless transition and sound. It was also adapted in to the German Language and proved successful in the European markets. It also was made in to the silent version too, to cover more theaters. I would like to add that the secret allure of the movie is Garbo itself. See it for the amazing histrionics of the wonderful Greta Garbo

Robin Hood (released in 1922) - A classic movie starring Douglas Fairbanks, Wallace Beery and Enid Bennett

Robin Hood released in 1922 is considered one of the most costliest movies ever made. It cost a whopping 1.2 million dollars to make his movie and is considered the ultimate spectacle. Douglas Fairbanks starred in this movie portraying the outlaw Robin Hood who robs the rich to give it to the poor.
The earl of Huntington becomes King Richards favorite by wining a jousting tournament against the cheating Guy Gisborne. He becomes the kings right hand man and this enables him to meet Lady Marion Fitzwalter and he falls in love with her. When Richard the lion-heart leaves for the crusades, Huntington accompanies him. Richard appoints his cruel sadistic brother John as regent who fancies Lady Marion. Goaded by Guy, John usurps the throne as Richard departs and set him-selves as the tyrannical ruler.
Lady Marion send a message to Huntington and tells him about all the tyrannies of John and urges him to come back. When Huntington asks Richard permission to leave, Richard suspects cowardice and refuses leave. Huntington, not wanting to divert Richards attention from the battle ahead leaves on his own accord and is branded a deserter. He is captured and imprisoned by Guy who wants to kill him to gain Marion. But Huntington escapes and sets himself as an outlaw Robin Hood, in the jungles of Sherwood and wows to defeat King John.



He soon forms the band of merry men with Little John, Friar Tuck and others and they oppose the enemies like Sheriff of Nottingham who terrorize the poor. He robs the rich and gives it to the poor and saves them from the yoke of taxation. Soon these band of merry men soon make King John life miserable and he tries to get back by imprisoning Marion. But Robin Hood arrives to save her and defeats Guy in a grueling battle. But Robin Hood is captured and is saved by the arrival of Richard at the right time. Soon John and his cohorts are captured and sent to prison and Robin Hood is given back his titles and Marion.
This silent era film is characterized by lavish sets and great camera work which makes it a very grand spectacle. It is said that the castle of King John is built even up to the minutest details and thousands of extras with the right clothing were employed to give feel of the era. However this movie is a Douglas Fairbanks vehicle and he steals the show. A major departure from the book, this movie does not portray Robin's meetings with little John, Friar Tuck etc and this is indeed a sore disappointment.
This movie scored high at the box office and is said to have been the first one to have a grand premier. All the actions and the spectacle is worth a watch even without the obvious absence of dialogues. The actions and portrayal of the actors as merry men is sometimes little funny but one has to understand that they suffer a major handicap due the absence of dialogues. Ultimately it is indeed Douglas Fair bank's Robin Hood and one need to watch this movie to watch this Athletic American star of yesteryears.

The Mark of Zorro (released in 1920) - A silent era film starring Douglas Fairbanks and Noah Beery

Zorro is the fictional Character developed by Johnston McCulley and has gone through many avatars since 1919. Numerous comics, movies and short television films are made about this dashing hero who is a combination of Robin hood, Batman, Scarlet Pimpernel and many other superheroes. But the myth of the bumbling hero and his heroic Alter ego continues to allure audiences for over a century.
The Mark of Zorro is a silent era film staring Douglas Fairbanks. Don Diego is the son of Don Alejandro, a wealthy rancher and is outwardly a cowardly, effeminate, bumbling guy. But on witnessing the travesty of justice he transforms himself in to a swashbuckling Hero, called Zorro who battles the rich and delivers for the poor.
His hometown in California is governed by Governor Alvarado, his henchman the villainous Captain Juan Ramon and the brutish Sergeant Pedro Gonzales. They terrorize and plunder the peasants who have no where to go. So the peasants turn to Zorro or the Fox who delivers them from their troubles, and marks the assailants with his “z” mark on their faces.



Don Diego is smitten by Alvarado's daughter, Lolita and tries to court her through numerous magic tricks which fall flat. Lolita cannot stand his actions and is courted also by Captain Ramon. But she nurses a romantic feeling for the super hero Zorro. Zorro's adventure continues as he gives one defeat after another for the oppressors and escape through the various mazes and alleyways in the city.
After many adventures, Alvarado's family along with Lolita is jailed and Captain Ramon tries to forcibly take her away. Zorro arrives in his costume only to tear it off to reveal his true identity. Lolita is ecstatic that Diego is in fact her real love Zorro. After a bout of fierce fighting Zorro imprisons the wrong doers and forces Alvarado to abdicate from his post. He wins the soldiers to his side to cleanse the system and also gains Lolita's hand in marriage.
This movie presented Zorro with the present day costume complete with the mask, black clothes and the round hat, which was not envisaged by the creator of Zorro. This movie has been remade many a time, but Douglas Fairbanks Zorro remains the template for all who imagine this super hero.
This movie on release proved to be a critical and box office success. Douglas Fairbanks', athletic good looks made the fighting scenes memorable. The chase through he roof tops, stables and the alleys have to be seen and are magnificent even without any sound effects. The silent movie may not impress you at the start, but soon grows on you as you put yourself completely at the hands of the visuals. It may be overwhelming initially but the cinema grows on you.
This movie has been made very recently with Catherine Zeta Jones and Antonio Banderas as Zorro. The story has undergone a metamorphosis but the underlying premise is the same. Try comparing the two and you will love Douglas Fairbanks too.

The Frisco Kid (released in 1979) - a Western comedy starring Harrison Ford and Gene Wilder

The Frisco Kid is a 1979 movie directed by Robert Aldrich. The movie is a Western comedy featuring Gene Wilder and Harrison Ford in pivotal roles. Gene Wilder is Avram Belinski, a polish Rabbi who is traveling to San Fransisco to head a congregation there. He has graduated last in his synagogue and is sent to San Fransisco with the promise of a bride. He has a Torah scroll as a part of his meager possessions and is a trusting man of faith. A simpleton and an innocent traveler, Avram is duped by three con men who induce him to pay for the wagon and supplies and leave him behind.
Soon the adventures follow Avram as he determinedly follows the path to San Fransisco. There follows hilarious moments when he mistakenly resides with the Amish believing them to be Jews and fainting later as he discovers a Bible in their pockets. So one fine day while trying to catch fish for dinner he meets Tommy Lillard a kind hearted person on a horse back who in good humor takes him on. They journey through the American rough lands.



They are captured by the Indians and are almost burnt at stake and also meet the villains again who had robbed the Rabbi. The series of misadventures continue as Lillard is proved to be robber who robs banks. So Avram inadvertently plays a part in robing a bank with Lillard. But to Lillard's dismay the rabbi refuses to ride away the horse laden with goodies as its a sabbath day even with the sheriff's men hot on his tails. Their journey ends with lot of comical situations working to change their mindset. Both Lillard and Avram walk away enriched by their experiences and looking at life in a different sense.
I would not say that this is a typical slap stick comedy, but a comedy which makes you think. Many a time Avram has to propound his beliefs and faith in god and to explain to the agnostic the power and presence of God. He explains the Talmud and the point of view of his religion and still there is no preaching in it. It just says the love of God, so profound, humanistic and encompassing.
All the Actors have managed to capture our hearts with their endearing performances, but the cream of the acting is by Gene Wilder as the simpleton rabbi. The gems of a dialogue so rib-tickling and soul searching makes this film a classic. Harrison ford also in the role of the outlaw with a good heart is in great form. It is rumored that John Wayne was to play this role but had turned it down due to price constraints. But Johns loss is Harrison gains as he brings alive a outlaw turning over a new life on a journey with Avram.
This is may not be the top film of the decade or an academy award winner, but it has all ingredients to be your favorite film. So watch it to see God come alive through laughter.

The conversation (released in 1974) - starring Gene Hackman, Harrison Ford, Cindy Williams and Robert Duvall, dealing with wire-tapping

This movie is directed by Francis Coppola, staring the legendary, Gene Hackman, Harrison Ford, Cindy Williams and Robert Duvall. This deals with the pitfalls of phone tapping and communication surveillance. This movie was released right after the Watergate scandal and has used the same equipment used by the Nixon Administration to spy on his opponents.
Harry Caul is a talented Surveillance expert who undertakes communication surveillance for a fee. He taps and listens to others conversation and is a much sought after person in this field. Caul a devout catholic has no emotional quotient within him. He avoids real contact with people and keeps away from crowds. He is paranoid about security that his apartment has a triple lock door and he himself works behind a wire mesh. Very shabbily dressed and distant, Caul has alienated his colleague and girl friend completely. But among all this paranoia we see Caul as an vulnerable person who is tormented by guilt of his profession.
He gets an assignment of listening and recording the conversation of two people who are having an affair. Ann and Marc are being listened to on the instructions of Ann's husband who is identified as the director. While listening to the conversation, Caul hears them saying “he would have killed us if he had a chance” . He thinks that the director would have the couple killed.



His earlier assignment in the East coast had ended up in deaths and Caul tormented by that incident, fears for the couple's life. He refuses to hand over the tape to the directors aide. While attending a convention he finds that the tapes are stolen and rushes to confront the director. He is paid his due and is curtly dismissed. A scared Caul reaches the hotel where Ann and Marc had agreed to meet and takes up the adjoining room eagerly listening through the wall with his equipment. Suddenly he hears screams and on rushing to the room he finds blood prints on the glass panes. A distraught Caul faints and is revived by the police.
Caul reaches the directors office to confront him and to his surprise finds Ann and Marc alive and well. He hears from the secretary that the director was killed in an accident. The truth finally dawns on him that Ann's sentence was a result of her rationalizing the directors murder.
Caul watches Ann and Marc along with the aide rushing from the press conference asking for an inquiry in to the directors death. Caul's presence unnerves the murderers.
Caul is called by the aide who now works for Ann. He warns him that his apartment is bugged and warns him not to tell the truth. Caul ransacks his apartment for the bug and cannot find any. In the last enduring scene Caul slumps defeated and lost while the Saxophone plays on. This movie is considered a classic and was nominated for 3 Academy Awards. The highpoint was when it was awarded the Palm d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 1974. The Conversation was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant"

Witness (released in 1985) - Starring Harrison Ford and Kelly McGillis, protecting a young witness

A thriller directed by Peter Weir starring Harrison Ford, Kelly Macgillis and Lukas Haas, it was released in 1985 to critical and box office acclaim.
The plot involves a young Amish widow Rachel Lapp who is taking her son Samuel for a trip to Baltimore to see the outside world. Samuel in the rest room witness a murder of a police officer Zenovich. Samuel sees only one of the murderers who happens to be a tall black man. Rachel and Samuel are taken by the police as witnesses and are introduced to captain John Book and Sergeant Carter. Samuel as the principal witness has to identify the killer and fails to find the right man in the police line-up. As he saunters around in the police head quarters he sees a newspaper clipping of a police officer Mcfee and recognizes him as the killer.
Book reports this development to his superior, Captain Paul Schaffer and is asked to investigate further. He informs Book, that Mcfee had raided a drug hideout and did not report his findings. Zenovich was killed for investigating Mcfee's drug offenses. Schaffer advices Book to keep the report a secret, till they can find some clinching evidence.



Book escorts Rachel and Samuel to a safe hotel where they are ambushed by Mcfee. Book shoots Mcfee and realizes that Schaffer would be the traitor. Book seriously wounded decides to go in to hiding with the Lapps. He calls up Carter and asks him to remove all the files relating to the Lapp's and his investigations. Book informs Rachel about the situation and escorts them to their home in Lancaster city.
A severely wounded Book, tries to leave the Amish colony after he ha safely escorted the Lapps. But he faints having lost a lot of blood and Rachel's father in-law reluctantly agrees to keep him there. As he recovers he helps Eli, Rachel's father-in-law around the house doing small carpentry and other odd jobs. He finds it difficult to adjust to the Amish way of life, but soon it grows on him. He takes Samuel under his wing and bond starts to develop between them.
Various culture clashes happens as Book adjusts himself to the Amish way. He is forced to surrender his fire arm as the Amish believe in non violence. He does the community jobs like building towers for residents and Samuel helps him to work the machines like a silo. Book enjoys his life with the Amish and also develops a soft corner for Rachel. He also fights others who mock the Amish. Rachel and Book are attracted to each other to the discomfiture of her suiter Hockleitner. Eli and other residents also disapprove of this alliance.
Book in the mean time telephones Carter for information and the villains kill him. Realizing that the game has gone too far, he calls up Schaffer and challenges him. Soon Schaffer and Co reach Lancaster and both Mcfee and Fergie are killed. Schaffer holds Rachel hostage, but the arrival of all residents, make him realize that his game is up. Book arrests and hands him to the Sheriff. But he also comes to the understanding that he cannot be part of the Amish for ever, and returns to the world with his love for Rachel.
Witness was a box office winner and was also nominated for 8 academy awards wining two for the best screen play and editing. It was also a toast at the BAFTA Awards. A good simple movie.

There was a crooked man (released in 1970) - starring Kirk Douglas, Henry Fonda, a comedy western film

This black comedy western is directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz and star Kirk Douglas and Henry Fonda. Paris Pitman Jr is a bespectacled smooth talking con man and a murderer. He is a very evil man with no morals and soft feelings within him. But being a cool operator he is able to charm his way out of difficult situations and win the trust of those around him.
Pitman and his gang loot the house of a wealthy rancher, Lomax and make away with half a million dollars. But one by one the gang members are shot by the police and the surviving lone marauder is killed by Pitman himself to prevent him from claiming a share on the booty. Pitman escapes and enters a brothel. He ties the money up and drops it in a rattlers pit.
He enters the brothel, is recognized by Lomax and is subsequently arrested and sentenced to a prison Arizona. The prison is in the middle of a desert and a hard life awaits Pitman. But he tries to bribe Warden LeGoff to help him escape. His plans go awry when the warden is killed by one of the inmates and his place is taken up by an upright officer called Lopeman. Lopeman is an idealist who is in favor of prison and judicial reform. He believes in reforming the criminals and presents a slew of measures to improve the conditions in the prison.



Pitman is enraged at first at his failure, but soon wins the trust of Lopeman. Lopeman puts him in charge of the building of a new prison dining room. Soon he starts manipulating others to formulate a plan for escaping from the prison. He forms a gang of his own which includes Missouri Kid, Whinner and Macnutt (a gay con artist couple), Floyd moon, Michael Blodgett, a kid on death row and Ah Ping, a silent Chinese. All of them slowly feel the power of Pitman Jr and plot an escape. They plan to start a riot during the inspection day by the governor.
Soon the plot is successful, with full scale rioting taking place, and as a result, all of them escape from prison. But Pitman the backstabber that he is, kills every one. Lopeman sheds all his idealisms and vow to bring back Pitman dead or alive. But fate has another things in store for the outlaw. As Pitman takes out the loot from the Rattlers nest he is bitten by one of them.
This is the most cynical movie I have ever seen. There is no good vs evil fights with good triumphant over the bad. This is the story of a bad man who corrupts and manipulates his way out to meet the just desserts by the quirk of fate. Tough movie to watch on.

The Ox Bow incident (released in 1943) starring Henry Fonda and Harry Morgan

The Ox Bow incident tells the tale of mob fury and violence. It is a western which is adapted from the book by Walter Van Tilburg Clark by the same name. The Ox-Bow Incident was selected for preservation in the United states National Film Registry by the Library of congress and was nominated for the the Oscar for the Best motion picture. When it was released, it tanked at the box office but over the years it has achieved artistic success and is marked for the superb acting of its cast namely Henry Fonda as Gil carter and Dana Andrews as Donald Martin.
The movie opens with Gil Carter and Art Croft (Harry Morgan), two drifters riding in to the town of Bridgers Well. They find that the tension is simmering in the town because of certain incidents of Cattle rustling or the stealing of livestock. The two new strangers are initially suspected of being thieves, but later an uneasy calm prevails. Gil Carter mourning the loss of his girl friend tries to drown his sorrows in the bottle.



Amidst all this a rider comes in with news that a local rancher, Larry Kinkaid is murdered and his cattle has been raided. This enrages the men around and they gang together to form a posse to hunt the cattle rustlers. A local Judge tries to pacify them and tells them not to take law in to their own hands. But the furious mob egged on by Major Tetley, Farnley, Jenny Grier pay little heed to the judges words and go in search of the thieves. Gil and Art are forced to join to avoid further suspicion.
They meet 3 men sleeping near the Ox Bow Canyon with some cattle nearby. It is revealed during interrogation that they are Donald Martin, Juan Martinez an illiterate Mexican and a senile Alva Hardwicke. The furious mob decides that these men are cattle thieves and decided to hang them. Only Gil, Gerard Tetley and Davies support the men and ask for clemency. But the furious mob overpowers them. Davies even reads out an eloquent letter written by Martin to his wife, to support his claims. To make matters worse, Juan Martinez is found to be a gambler knowledgeable in many local languages and in possession of a gun with Kinkaid's name engraved on it. This enrages the posse which orders the killing with Gerald Tetley being forced by his father to be one of the executioners.
The victorious posse on their return gets the news from the sheriff about the real culprits being caught for the attack on Larry Kinkaid. The judge and the Sheriff condemn their actions and promises to bring them to justice. The posse returns to the saloon and drinks, with Davies reading out the sad letter of Donald Martin. Major Tetley filled with remorse is driven to suicide when his son screams at him for his devilish behavior. At the end of the film Art and Gil is deputed by Davies to deliver the letter to Donald Martin's widow and ride out of Bridges Well.

Gangs of New York (2002) - A movie by Martin Scorsese, and a big commercial success

With Gangs of New York (released in 2002), Martin Scorsese was back to where he makes his mark, the gritty streets of New York, with lots of hard violence, mafia and gangs, rock music based soundtrack, and people with an inclination for violence. However, with the movie, Scorsese starred a different set of characters, with the starring roles being taken up by Daniel Day-Lewis, Leonardo DiCaprio and Cameron Diaz. The movie was set at the time of the American Civil War of the 1960's, and was based on a pretty old book by Herbert Asbury, with the same name "The Gangs of New York".
This was another movie that Scorsese had been wanting to make for a long time, but kept on getting put off for various reasons (over a period of greater than 2 decades); even when the movie was finally made in 2001, the release was delayed for a period of around an year while Scorsese and the producer Harvey Weinstein negotiated on the final cuts in the movie, and the actual length of the movie. The movie was finally released to a majority of critical acclaim, although many critics found the movie not as good as some of his better movies. The movie, made at a budget just under $100 million, went on to make approximately $200 million worldwide.



The movie is about a conflict between 2 warring gangs, led by their leaders. William "Bill the Butcher" Cutting (Daniel Day-Lewis) is a White Protestant Anglo-Saxon and leads the gangs called 'The Natives', since they are already residing there; further, Bill has a hatred of immigrants and their attempts to muscle into the territory where he is the primary gang leader. He comes into conflict with a gang comprised of recent immigrants, with the gang called "Dead Rabbits," led by Priest Vallon (Liam Neeson). He has a young son called Amsterdam (who will later become Leonardo DiCaprio when he grows up). These 2 gangs have a bloody fight in which Bill kills Vallon, witnessed by Amsterdam. Amsterdam finds the knife with which his father is killed and buries it, and then is taken to an orphanage. This entire situation is set in the year 1946.
Change to 16 years later, when Amsterdam is now an adult, the Civil War between the North and the South is in full swing, and the draft is in commission. Amsterdam finds that his father's old gang members are mostly now part of Bill's gang. Amsterdam is introduced to Bill by an old friend, Johnny (without telling Bill who Amsterdam actually is). Amsterdam also meets a pickpocket called Jenny Everdeane (Cameron Diaz), and is attracted to her (although his friend Johnny is also attracted to her); Bill starts trusting Amsterdam more and Amsterdam keeps on gaining some amount of influence, and also saves Bill once in an assassination attempt.
Bill trusts Amsterdam enough to talk about Priest Vallon with him, including the fact that he respected Vallon, and it was that incident that gave him strength and character to fight all his enemies. The rest of the movie is about the final fight between Bill and Amsterdam, once Bill has learnt who Amsterdam actually is, while the Union Soldiers are quelling riots that have broken out in the city over the draft laws.

Casino (1995) - Directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Sharon Stone

Casino was a movie released in 1995, and ranked to be one of the best movies made by Martin Scorsese. The movie was somewhat of a departure from the traditional New York setting of many of his other movies, although the use of mafia, violence, and rough language was still common (in fact, the movie was somewhat controversial because of the use of the word 'fuck' for almost 400 uses in one movie). The movie was based on a book by Nicholas Pileggi, with the screenplay for the movie written by Nicholas Pileggi and Martin Scorsese. The movie was based on a some real incidents, including the fight between a mob guy named Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal (a real life person based from the 1970's and early 80's who used to oversee multiple casinos for the mob) and his wife Geri McGee, a former topless dancer).
This concept was the idea of Nicholas Pileggi, who approached Martin Scorsese for the movie, and Scorsese was an eager supported of this thought, and decided to make a movie. When the movie was released, Martin Scorsese also have a tremendous reception, and this movie continued the trend, with the movie having got an overall positive acclaim. However, the movie did not do anything great at the Academy Awards, with a single nomination for Sharon Stone.



Robert De Niro stars as Sam "Ace" Rothstein, called in by the mob to oversee the operations of the Tangiers (non-existent in real life) casino in Las Vegas. In addition, Nicky Santoro (played by Joe Pesci) is a mob enforcer sent in to ensure that money keeps on coming to the mob, and that the mob's investments in the casinos are kept safe. Sharon Stone plays the role of Ginger, a devious lady who is also the wife of Ace (the skillful portrayal of a woman on the edge did get her a Golden Globe award for Best Actress).
The movie starts with an explosion in the car of Sam 'Ace', but he survives, and then the movie starts in flashback, moving back to the time in 1973 when Ace is brought in to run the Casino Tangiers. Ace is good at his job, and in a short period of time, he doubles the profits of the casino; however, the mob takes its cut before reporting to the tax authorities. Nicky is sent in to ensure that Sam has protection as he does his work. However, not everything works as intended; since Nicky works out to be nuisance with his attitude, and is banned from many casinos. Sam meets Ginger McKenna, and marries her after they have a baby girl.
Their is a difference that starts growing between Sam and Nick, and he also draws public attention when he gets into a dispute with the County Commissioner, and getting public attention is something that is bad for the mob. Things reach a boil pretty quickly after that, when Sam gets into a dispute with Ginger, and soon after, also begins a sexual affair with Nicky (something very severely frowned upon in the mob). This dispute between Sam and Nicky gets the FBI involved when some loose comments are overhead, and things quickly reach a stage where the entire business starts to unravel. And then the mob bosses, who are now in trouble themselves, have to decide whom to silence to ensure their safety. What happens to Sam, Ginger and Nicky ?

Boxcar Bertha - Directed by Martin Scorsese (1972) - an early movie about a young girl into robbery

The late 60's and early 70's was the time when Martin Scrocese was making his initial movies, the time when he started to develop a reputation. It was a lesson for the young director, imparted by producer Roger Corman, who had helped other directors such as Coppola and James Cameron to also start their careers. Corman used to be able to guide directors to make movies that cost very little movies, and the same was true of this movie, Boxcar Bertha, which was made with a very low amount of 600,000 (a very low amount of money for a movie), and was a good lesson for Martin Scorcese. The movie is apparently based on a book called 'Sister of the Road', a biography of Bertha Thomson, who went onto to do train robbery at a time of the 1930's (written by Dr. Ben L. Reitman). However, the movie and the book were certainly different in terms of the story; with the movie being made to capitalize on the ongoing craze for movies in the 'Bonnie and Clyde' style. The movie, being depicted in the American South of the 1930's, you get a look at the prevalent issues related to the situation regarding racial differences, as well as issues related to gender.



The movie has as the main characters, Bertha Thompson (played by Barbara Hershey) and "Big" Bill Shelly (played by David Carradine). Bertha is a typical character of the depression era, an orphan, who was also a robber, being a typically charming woman, accompanied by 3 other members of her team, a union organizer (Bill), a con man from New York (Barry Primus) and a mechanic fond of the blues (Bernie Casey). Even though the movie is set in the 30's, you get a feel for the early 70's environment in the movie, with characters tending to adventurous, free spirited and criminal, but not more so than the tie-striped bankers and lawyers. The movie was worth watching because of the effort put in by Martin Scorsese, and these efforts are visible in the movie.

Double Indemnity (1944) - Insurance and murder

Double indemnity is a clause or provision in a life insurance or accident policy whereby the company agrees to pay the stated multiple (e.g. double) of the face amount in the contract in cases of accidental death. An accidental death is a death that is neither intentionally caused by a human being, such as homicide, nor from natural causes, such as cancer or heart disease. The probability of a death in the United Stated arising from accidental reasons has a low probability, and hence double indemnity is an insurance scenario that is sold cheaply. As you might think, for a couple where either member is thinking of separating and is willing to become a criminal, the thought of bumping off your spouse in a way that the death can be claimed as an accidental death can seem very attractive. But not all the plans in life work out, and the insurance industry has sleuths who investigate accidental death cases in order to rule out any fraud.



Double Indemnity is a multiple Oscar nominated movie, released in 1944, and directed by Billy Wilder, based on the theme of Double Indemnity where a wife seeks to get her husband murdered, with the depiction as an accident. The movie was based on a novella by James M. Cain of the same name, that appeared over 8 issues of the 1935 edition of Liberty magazine. The story is based on the 1927 case of a lady based in Queens, Ruth Snyder, who along with her lover got her husband murdered after he took out an insurance scheme with a double indemnity clause.
The movie plays out in flashback, with Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray), an insurance salesman for Pacific All-Risk dictating his story into a dictaphone for the benefit of his colleague, Barton Keyes (Edward G. Robinson), who is a claims adjuster, and investigating the same case that Neff is intimately involved in. Neff is in his death throes, being shot and badly wounded.
The story was that Neff met Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck) at her house when he had gone to renew the car insurance of her husband. They flirt, and then Barbara asks Neff how to take out a new insurance policy on her husband without her husband getting to know, something that causes the suspicious antenna on Neff to start working, for a person in the insurance business, that question is very fishy, and he suspects that she wants her husband killed. He refuses, but she follows him to his house and persuades him to become part of a plan to kill her husband. They work out a plan where her husband falls from a moving train.
The insurance company sends Keyes to investigate, who after some initial hesitation, concludes that Barbara must have a hand in this murder. He has no knowledge about the involvement of Neff. Then Lola, the dead man's daughter and the step-daughter of Phyllis comes to Neff for help, especially since her mother had died when Phyllis was taking care of her as a nurse. Neff soon realizes that Phyllis is also seeing Lola's boy-friend, and soon realizes that he can get Phyllis and the boy-friend to become the main suspects.
Neff has a confrontation with Phyllis, and Phyllis shoots first, but does not shoot again, refraining from making the killing attack; accepting that her refusal to shoot again means she could now be in love with Neff. She hugs Neff, who then shoots her dead. Neff drives back to the office, for the end of the flashback, and collapses on the floor of the office after making his confession, in time for Keyes to hear everything.

Oscar nominations;
Best Actress in a Leading Role (Barbara Stanwyck)
Best Cinematography, Black-and-White
Best Director (Billy Wilder)
Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture
Best Picture
Academy Award for Best Sound, recording
Best Writing, Screenplay