My Favorite Alan Ladd Movies

                    My Top Five Favorite Alan Ladd Movies

Hello there! In honor of that wonderful actor Alan Ladd's birthday (September 3rd) a blogathon is being hosted by Pale Writer. I knew I would have to write something when I first heard about it. I originally had the idea of doing my Top Ten favorite Alan Ladd movies, since that would fit neatly into mine and Anna's 'Top Ten' category, but then I realized I've only seen nine of Alan's movies. Whoops. Kinda embarrassing, I know. Maybe you're saying 'Hey, why don't you just go out a watch a couple of his movies. Treat yourself to something nice.' That would be a good idea, except what if the movies aren't good enough to be listed as my absolute favorites? What then? What if it's too late to enter my list for the blogathon? What then, I ask you?! So I just decided to do my top five. Enjoy 😁

1. And Now Tomorrow (1944)

Poor but talented Dr. Merek Vance returns to his 

hometown after many years away with a serum that may be capable of restoring the hearing of wealthy Emily Blair. Problem is, he doesn't want anything to do with what he thinks is nothing but a spoiled rich girl. And she wants nothing to do with what she thinks is a cynical and rude doctor.

I think this is my favorite role from Mr. Ladd. He's so wonderful, I can't handle it. I usually don't like romances, but this movie is just straight up sweet, and doesn't have too many wishy-washy scenes. Acting's great (of course. It's Alan Ladd and Loretta Young), story's heart-warming and fuzzy, and the dialogue is quick and snappy. I love it 💗

                                                                                                                                                            

 2. Branded (1950)

Outlaw Choya gets in on a sweet deal that his outlaw 

buddies discovered. Apparently, twenty-five years ago

the son of a wealthy ranching family was kidnapped and 

never seen again. Choya just happens to be of the right age 

and overall appearance to maybe pass off as the long-lost 

Lavery boy. Besides that, Choya's partner-in-crime tattoos  

a distinctive birthmark on his shoulder. And with that, Choya 

sets out to fool the Lavery family and come into a nice, fat

inheritance. But what happens when this conscienceless

desperado starts falling in love with family he's supposed to

hoodwink? 

I love movies where men of questionable morals start out to

cheat and rob a family or person but then end up with a terrible

case of the conscience. This movie is a great example of that 

story-line. I love Choya's character arc and I also quite like 

and admire the main girl, Ruth Lavery, which is quite strange

for a western. The whole movie's both an exciting western,

full of plot twists and turns,as well as a sweet and fuzzy 

bowl of chicken soup. It's a movie that makes me happy 😄

3. This Gun For Hire (1942)

Paid killer Phillip Raven begins to track down his employer

when he realizes he has been given marked bills in payment

for his latest job. While on the trail of his treacherous boss,

Raven happens to sit next to the beautiful lady named Ellen while hitching a ride on a train out of town. Although she is engaged to a police lieutenant, Ellen decides to try and help Raven walk the straight-and-narrow as he dodges both the police and his former employer's hit-men.

This is, I think, the best put-together movie on this list. The

acting's fabulous, and the cinematography sets a dark and 

depressing stage, perfect for a film noir. Although I wouldn't 

say that Raven is my favorite Alan Ladd role (he's a bit un-hinged, if you know what I mean) he still puts in a heck of a performance. And of course Mr. Ladd and Miss Veronica Lake together are bound to be nothing short of spectacular. Great, albeit tragic, film.

4. Whispering Smith (1948)

Luke 'Whispering' Smith is an 1800's policeman tasked with

stopping a gang of train-robbers terrorizing his railroad line.

Whispering Smith is faced with a serious problem when 

his best friend Murray is fired from his job for the railroad and, 

in an act of defiance, joins the very gang of outlaws that Smith 

is trying to put out of order. To further complicate matters, 

Murray's wife, and Luke's old flame, claims to still be in love 

with Luke.

Whispering Smith has got to be one of the greatest guys to ever

draw breath. He is practically perfect in every way. And as much as I enjoy Alan Ladd in his more cynical roles, it's nice to see him as a mild-mannered and gentle guy like Luke who can still ride wild horses and take down bad guys with the best of 'em. One of the things I love about this movie is that Luke has to fight against his own best friend. The DRAMA guys! It's heartrendingly amazing. And just a little note, I do NOT like Marian, Murray's wife, at all. She made her choice between Murray and Luke long ago, but when the former shows up for just a quick stop, she's falling all over him! Honestly, lady, have a little pride!

5. China (1943)

David Jones, a war profiteer, is traveling through China with 

his buddy Johnny Sparrow shortly before Pearl Harbor. 

While travelling cross-country to Shanghai, Mr. Jones and his 

friend encounter school-teacher Carolyn Grant. Soon the cynical 

Mr. Jones finds himself driving Miss Grant and a large group of 

Chinese school girls through Japanese infested territory in what

soon becomes a fight for freedom and China.

This movie was WAY more emotionally taxing than I was prepared for. It's pretty intense at times, but it's still a wonderful movie. Alan Ladd's character, David Jones, finds that there are more important things in this world than money and his personal safety (never would have guessed that) and along the bumpy road of this astounding discovery, he also finds love. Sighhhhhhhh. But seriously, it's a really good movie, with Alan Ladd at his best,chalk-full of action and excitement, along with a meaningful message and a fairly theologically correct talk about God. What won't they think of next?

And there you have my five favorite Alan Ladd movies. Mind you, they may be moved around or even replaced as I add more of Alan's movies to my list, but for now they are my golden five! I also readily enjoy The Blue Dahlia (1946)', 'The Glass Key (1942)', and I don't really remember Shane, but I do remember that I loved the scenery, so there's that for all you Shane fans.
Happy (slightly late) birthday, Alan Ladd. I've loved you in every single movie I've seen you in and you shall forever remain one of my favorite actors.

East of Eden (1955)

So, I have a confession to make. I keep on telling you guys that I usually wait until I have seen a movie at least two times before I review it, but let's be honest, that's a complete lie. Of the three movies I've already reviewed on here, two of them I've only seen once. And this will make a third. I know, I'm a liar, but this movie's just too great to not review right away, okay?

WARNING: This is just gonna be a gushy review. Not very coherent at all. I won't really tell you the plot line, and I'll try not to spoil too many important plot points. Spoiler Alerts will be provided for those of you who even care.

James Dean was only in three or four movies before he died, sadly. But man alive, was he a good actor! Just wanted to get that out here, 'cause he really impressed me. And John Steinbeck, thank you very much for writing what you did. Mama told me I shouldn't watch the movie before I read the book, but then again, she's watched A Tale of Two Cities and hasn't read the book, so there 😉

Really rough outline of the plot: Cal Trask is unloved (or so he thinks). His brother, Aron, has always been the good son, always doing just what his father wants and expects of him, and Cal has let this eat him up with jealousy. WARNING, SPOILERS COMING UP. Both sons have been told that their mother is dead, but Cal finds out that not only is this not true, but also that his mother owns a generally low-down-gambling-and-anything-illegal-you-wanna-do house in the city across the mountains, Monterey. Nobody knows this but him.

Cal on the right with his mother on the left.

Alright, there you have it. The whole set-up for an emotional roller-coaster. If you don't cry at least once, well, I might start doubting you have a heart, hate to say it. But don't get me wrong, it's an awesome and epic emotional roller-coaster that you won't be sorry you got on. 

Let's talk about characters: Every single character in this movie is so, so different, and so very real. There's Cal, who is extremely insecure but very eager to please as well. James Dean's acting is phenomenal in this part. Just a little raise of an eyebrow, just a little movement of the hand and this guy's got emotions electrifying the room. As I said before, I was impressed. I like Cal in a 'Here, let me comfort you and tell you you're actually not bad but stop being an idiot' kind of way. Kid needs a hug, that's for sure. Then there's Mr. Trask, Cal's father. Mr. Trask is an avid bible-thumper. But, surprisingly, this doesn't mean he's super harsh and cruel. In movies, they usually pair being a bible-quotin' Christian with being a jerk and most likely insane. Mr. Trask is neither of these. He is kind and tries to understand his son Cal, although at first he doesn't succeed. I didn't actually LIKE him, but I didn't hate him either. Next, there's the extraordinary Abra. She's the girlfriend, soon to be fiance (or IS she?) of Aron Trask. She is outgoing, outspoken, and very friendly. In the beginning of the movie she's afraid of Cal (can't blame her, he acts a little insane) but she eventually becomes friends with him and then (SPOILERS COMING UP) a littler more than friends. They have a strange relationship. She wants to care for and comfort him, as she understands what it feels like to think one is not loved. But then again, she believes she is loved by Aron and does not want to let him down. Poor girl's in a tough situation throughout almost all the movie. And let's not forget that she saves both the characters of this film and us, the viewers, from one of the saddest and most heart-wrenching movie endings in history. Thank you Abra, so much. And how about Aron himself? Well, Aron is a goody two shoes in the beginning. He has a girlfriend he loves, he loves his father and does as he asks, and he love his strange little brother. All is well with him. But a funny thing I noticed in this movie is that while at the beginning Cal seems emotionally and mentally unstable and Aron seems like a outstandingly stable guy, by the end of the movie we see who can handle the shocking and terrible truth better.

There are several side characters, but the only one of great consequence to the plot is Mrs. Trask, better known as Cathy, herself. Cathy Ames (as she is now known) is a pretty amoral woman.  She runs her gambling house in the nasty town of Monterey (don't know if it's still nasty, just saying that it was in the time of the story. No offense intended to current or former Montereyins) and cares nothing about the family she's left behind. But who knows, maybe seeing one of her own sons will break the cold shell and reveal a human heart somewhere deep down inside?

Hey, how 'bout the cinematography and filming in general? Answer: Smashing. Scenery was beautiful and the director used different camera angles (sometimes quite strange ones) to evoke special feelings and atmospheres. All cinematography was masterfully done.

This shot. Only one word for it: GORGEOUS!

And how about the soundtrack? To be honest, I was so too caught up in the incredible acting and beautiful filming that I didn't really pay much attention to the music. But I never felt as though it were ruining the moment, you know, being too ostentatious, and it certainly added to the tension several times, so I guess it did its job. I'll have to listen to JUST the music sometime soon.

This theme is definitely beautiful though: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bh7iF0BxuNo

I would share my favorite moments with you, but they are more than a little crucial to the plot. However, I will tell you how many times I cried. Not counting just being teary-eyed, I think I full out cried three times. You may cry more or less. I can't tell what makes you break down.

I'll leave you with that SUPER short little review and you can enjoy what I didn't spoil yourself. If you don't want to watch this movie, I totally understand...

Honestly, I mean it! 

Well, maybe I don't.

Anyway, enough James Dean gifs. You really should watch this movie. It's a powerful and beautiful work of art that has an important and inspiring message. 

Verdict: I absolutely loved it.

                                                                   ~ Irene