Reviews

One of the very few classic World War I adventures, the work of swashbuckling Errol Flynn, the staid, villainous Basil Rathbone and David Niven who transcends from Flynn's light-hearted sidekick to a combative inferior officer light up the skies over enemy territory.

The carefree camaraderie bolstered by excessive drinking in the face of certain doom provides an uplifting theme. I particularly like the songs they sing as they belly up to the bar, most notably, "Hurrah for the Next Man that Dies." The dogfights in the biplanes of that era are so vivid because you can see the pilots' every move, and they can see each other -- the thumbs-up when one of them is shot to pieces and about to plummet to his death.

The film captures the reality of a war that history tends to overlook more and more as time goes on. It should go down as one of the classics of the era.

The music is nice and the acting is excellent. While I like Jane Powell and Elizabeth Taylor was positively gorgeous, I'm a huge fan of Wallace Beery. When we look back and consider great actors, he is very underrated. It offers a look back at the family unit of the time compared to what exists now.

"Here Come the Brides" rates as one of my favorite shows of all time. The theme song, so beautifully crisp and clean, frequently resounds in my mind, although I can't remember all the words. The historical fiction genre is my favorite.

Robert Brown was outstanding as Jason Bolt. He was bold, handsome, intelligent and resourceful. Oh did I love Bridget Hanley. She was so sweet, pure and full of love for Jeremy. When something would upset her and the tears would drip down her cheeks, I wanted so badly to hug her.

Mark Lenard was classic as the villain -- stoic, miserly and always scheming to separate the Bolts from their mountain.

But seeing Joan Blondell in her later years was truly a gift. I later became enamored with classic movies and enjoyed her romps with James Cagney and in the Gold Diggers movies. She was a beauty in her day. In HCTB, she was matronly and domineering but in a kind and gentle way.

I wish there was a way to see some of the old episodes. I remember that it was in syndication for a short time back in the late 80s and I had the wherewithal to record 3 or 4.

The simple, honest messages that the show conveyed are lost today in a decadent sea of sex and vulgarity. I guess I'll just have to be thankful that I had the opportunity to see the show on a week-to-week basis during my high school days. I'll watch my episodes from time to time, fall in love with Candy all over again, enjoy the drunken escapades of Captain Clancy and catch the last vestiges of Joan Blondell's great career.