Reviews

I saw this film the year it came out in theaters and again two years later at my school. It has always been dear to me. Two years ago, I bought a video of it (in the original box)from a friend. We are about the same age and have been crazy about airplanes most of our lives.

What to say about this film: 1/The cinematography is great and 2/the music is enjoyable. 3/Bill Holden is really good in this film, but 4/sexy Virginia Leith takes your breath away in several scenes, especially if you're a 100% guy.

If you are interested in this film, it will probably have something to do with a consuming interest in aviation in the 1950's. If that is true, then there are several things to watch for:

1/ The airplane in which Lloyd Nolan survives a desert crash, is the hulk of the only Convair XF-91 ever built to completion. The XF-91 interceptor would have been "something else" with a more power. It was buikt as a light ewight aircraft and with enough power, it would have been a precursor of the Mirage. All of the research from the XF-91 it was incorporated in the development of the later F-102 Delta Dagger and F-106 Delta Dart interceptors.

2/ The large three-engined jet aircraft (called the Gilbert ?) was actually the prototype of the Martin XB-51 Jet Bomber/Attack aircraft. The XB-51 was tragically underpowered. With that imopediment, the aircraft still met or exceeded almost all of the requirements set for it by USAF. But our Government, and several other contractors, was against it. Years later, in Tulsa in the 1960's, I heard that North American Aviation (in Los Angeles) spent big bucks with Lobbyists in Washington to have the plane, and its production, cancelled.

So, instead of buying the "B-51", the US Government incredibly chose the British "Canberra" aircraft, which served the USAF well as the "B-57" throughout the fifties and through Vietnam. However, with more powerful engines, the B-51 would have been the better plane.

3/ The Convair T-29 transport was a workhorse for USAF and was flown into the 1970's. A friend who served in USAF at the time to me that, in 1968, two of these aircraft were modified by USAF as "Special Projects" aircraft for use over Vietnam and Laos "in foul weather".

If you like this film, you need to see 1/ Strategic Air Command, 2/Men of the Fighting Lady, 3/ Sabre Jet, 4/ Dragonfly Squadron (evidently not available on video) and 5/ The Bridges at Toko-Ri.

Happy Contrails.....

There have been several films which try to tell the story of this magnificently evil character, Atilla . If ever there were just one person who embodied the essence of evil, the top three contenders would have to to be 1/Atilla, 2/Herod, King of the Jews (of the massacre of the Innocents) and 3/ Adolf Hitler; all splendid Hallmarks of Evil.

Palance is in his element here. Having already made his mark in "Shane" as the heartless, evil gunman which the town feared, he takes evil to a whole new level in "Sign of the Pagan".

The music is glorious and the color is so wonderful. All of the actors really gave their best in this effort. Palance makes you believe his character is evil.

If you ever get the chance to see this film and the one made after 1996, together, bear in mind that they deal with the story from different perspectives. Both are close to being historically correct...as much as they can be. "Sign of the Pagan" is a study in Power and Might where the newer Atilla story is a Love Story with some interesting action thrown in.

If this movie is on your "HOT LIST", check out "The Tatars" with victor Mature (c.1961), "The Black Rose" (1950; with Tyrone Power and Jack Hawkins) and "Swordsman of Sienna" (1956? starring Stewart Granger).

12-01-2005 I just finished watching "Black Cobra" for the second time. The first time I watched it was four years ago when a friend had taped it off the air on a blank video cassette. I only saw the last half of the movie then...but I really liked it.

While it is clearly not in the genre of Eastwood's "Magnum Force" or "Dirty Harry" and probably is not as good as either Willis' "Die Hard" or Gibson's "Lethal Weapon", the film is still pretty good. The writing is not great but the "street action" carries the film well. Marian Cobretti and Martin Riggs could have learned some useful things. Mr. Williamson is good. Like Cobretti and Riggs, our Fred has "style".

I happen to like Fred Williamson, the actor. I liked him in "Joshua" and paid fulI price for the video cassette. In my mind, you don't get a lot better than " The Snake scene" in "Joshua" or the final "You're yella" scene with Karl Malden, in "Nevada Smith". Both are great movies. Williamson is good. I'd like to see more of his work...in conjunction with good screen play writing.

I saw "The Last Command" twice in my hometown at the theater in 1955. In the 70's, I saw it several times on the late movies. In the 80's, I copied off the air and have watched it lots of times. My kids, (born in the "70's"), as a rule don't like "Westerns". The three exceptions to that point of view, are three truly great movies: "The Last Command", "Rio Bravo" and "Big Jake"...in any order you choose.

In 1997, I bought the commercial video of "The Last Command" and still have it.

Almost immediately, you "fall in love" with the simple melodies in the film. And later, the lush orchestrations of those simple melodies are even more beautiful. And the color, it's just marvelous.

Another movie of about the same vintage (1954) with astounding color is "The Far Country" . You've never seen Alaska and the Canadian Rockies any better unless you've been there. Beautiful "Blues" and Intense "Greens"...real "sunshine". Both films are well done.

"The Last Command" pays great honor to our "Texas heroes". Jim Bowie, David Crockett, General Santa Anna: all would have adored this film.