Updated RankingsOne of my biggest Marathons, with 11 new watches. A combination of classic Hollywood star power and my being really impressed with some of Wellman's choices. This is one where I come out having a much higher opinion of the director, though I think his best work was in the 30s and early 40s.
Looking for Trouble (1934)
★ ★ I love Spencer Tracy, who can be a delight even in daffy stuff like this, which is way below his acting ability. If you're looking for a crime comedy about phone repairmen, go with Warner Bros.
I've Got Your Number, starring Pat O'Brien, who's more at home with this material. I also wish Wellman wouldn't squander his time on these silly comedies.
Call of the Wild (1935)
★ ★ Caught between being a grand Hollywood adventure starring Clark Gable and a brutal portrait of early Alaska, which is tough on the people and merciless on the dogs that keep them alive. (I'm not kidding, if you have a soft spot for dogs, stay far away. It's a recurring theme.) Wellman never succeeds in bringing the two tones together, though there are some effective scenes.
The Iron Curtain (1948)
★ ★ ½ Based on a true story of a Russian spy (Dana Andrews) betrayed by his country and forced to defect to Canada with his wife (Gene Tierney) by turning on his comrades. Looks great, with deep shadows and menacing characters, but just because the story is true doesn't mean it's exciting. Andrews is stiffer than usual, but there's an actor named Berry Kroeger (Gun Crazy) doing a marvelously silky Orson Welles style performance.
Battleground (1949)
★ ★ ★ - Good Going out on a high note, the beautiful-looking big war picture is given a hard punch to the face by Wellman, who manages to make it less heroic than the script (and probably studio) was aiming for. Instead of putting effort into getting the ensemble to gel as a unit Wellman lets each actor take turns being the star, which makes people like Van Johnson, Ricardo Montalban, John Hodiak and George Murphy come off as better actors than they usually are. For his effort, the film received 6 Oscar nominations, including Best Director, winning two.