Friday, May 03, 2013

Moonfleet (1955) Directed by Fritz Lang




































I'm getting a real kick from my DVD purchases from the Warner Archives. Lots of films. TV shows, cartoons that have never been put to DVD. This was something I had not seen in many years and I was great to see it again. Staring Stewart Granger and a varied cast of many know character actors such as George Sanders, Jack Elam and Alan Naiper (Batman 66). The story concerns a smuggling operation in a wayward English town in the late 1750's operated by Granger. This film is in color but is directed by Fritz Lang. His German Impressionism on the countryside sets and over all mood really stand out as well as Granger's performance. Great classic stuff.

10 comments:

MrGoodson2 said...

I wouldn't mind several of thos Warner Archive titles.

JMG said...

I also picked up from Hell it Came. I always buy these on their sale specials which you can save 20 - 50% at different times of the year.

Tom Moon said...

At first glance it looked like a space adventure that takes place in the mountains and craters of the moon. No such luck, huh?

MrGoodson2 said...

I'm watching George Sanders on TCM right now. The Falcon Takes Over. It's a straight up adaptation of Chander's Farewell My Lovely. Ward Bond as Moose

JMG said...

No Tom, the rocky shores of the English coastline.

Davis Chino said...

Ellis! this is a crackup--Blair and I just finished watching this last night! TCM screened this last week, I DVR'ed it. Funnily enuff, I came to it via the book, which the SiriusXM Books channel did a four hour reading from while I was driving to Oregon a few months ago. Stuck with me (and the radio people didn't broadcast it to the end--I needed to find out what happened!). Surprised when I saw Fritz's name on the opening credits.

Really beautiful cinematography--the color made it all look like a dream of Disneyland. I liked Granger, but his character fell into a no-man's land between being a sympathetic hero (the rascal who comes around in the end), and an out-and-out bad guy (which I suspect is how Lang wanted to go). Granger's character does some pretty awful things, and when his young charge continues blithely following him anyway, I think we (Blair and me) lost some interest.

Wanted to do a Friday Film Frame of this!

Davis Chino said...

I got totally busted by Jimmy for giving Ellis authorial credit on this post.

JIMMY, MY BAD.

Davis Chino said...

All caps PROVES MY SINCERITY.

JMG said...

LOL!!!!!!

Tom Moon said...

Oh, I also thought Ellis was the author!