Worthwhile film with great plot and bad dialogue

The Secrets of Wu Sin (1932)
Starring: Lois Wilson, Grant Withers, Eddie Boland, Toshia Mori, Tetsu Komai, Richard Loo, Dorothy Revier, and Robert Warwick
Director: Richard Thorpe
Rating: Six of Ten Stars

Nona (Wilson), a destitute young writer is rescued from a suicide attempt and given a lifeline by way of a job by newspaper editor James Manning (Withers). In order to repay his kindness, Nona works along-side with a veteran reporter (Boland) to use her Chinatown contacts to investigate a human smuggling ring in the hopes of delivering a spectacular scoop. The reporters attract the attention of both the sinister leader of the crime ring, Wu Sin (Komai) and even more dangerous people who hide behind shields of respectability. 

"The Secrets of Wu Sin" is jam-packed with plot and characters, hits the ground running and doesn't stop until "The End" appears on the screen. Amazingly, and unlike what happens in many films of this period, the main plot and the subplots are all introduced sensibly (if with a healthy dose of melodrama) and all unfold at a steady and engaging pace. Although I saw some of the twists coming as soon as the involved characters appeared on screen--either because I've seen many hundreds of crime dramas, or because it's been 90 years since this film premiered and some of the story elements that were surprising then are stock fare now--but the story was so well executed that it didn't matter. (It was a little more straight-forward than I initially imagined, but it perhaps even worked even better than what I imagined.)

An aspect that makes this film worth watching today is that the story deals with a number of issues that pop up in the U.S. media even to this day, such as illegal immigration. It also makes the point that criminals that exploit recent immigrants to the U.S.--especially those who come here illegally--would not be able to do what they do without the assistance of "respectable" Americans, as well as the wealthy who want the cheap labor and captive labor that illegal immigrants have no choice but to provide. Would there still be criminals exploiting immigrant communities? Certainly. But would they be able to be as exploitive and assertive without the help and protection of those from outside the communities who benefit and even abet their activities? No. This was true in 1932, and it remains a sad truth in 2022.

There's also an interesting side issue of second generation (or later) immigrants and how they might interact with more recent immigrants, as well as how they view and are viewed by immigrant communities. This issue is carried in the romantic subplot involving Nona's recent Chinese immigrant friend Miao (played by Toshia Mori) and American-born Charlie (Richard Loo). Miao is under the thumb of Wu Sin, and Charlie ends up being swept into Tong activities as a result, despite his continued appeal that Miao should abandon her traditional Chinese ways. It's an interesting subplot that might be derailed by the main plot, or perhaps even cause the main plot to rerail, in a less-efficiently plotted movie. It also helps that Miao and Charlie are both likeable characters, portrayed by likeable actors.

And speaking of actors: One remarkable thing about "The Secrets of Wu Sin", for a film of this type and from this period, is that all the leading Chinese characters are played by Asian actors rather than Caucasians in make-up that may of varying degrees of ridiculousness. Sure--only one of these actors is actually of Chinese extraction (Richard Loo, who, ironically, is best known for playing Japanese characters), but it's nice to see Asians on-screen, playing Asian characters, be they villains, victims, or heroes.

What isn't remarkable is the acting, even taking into the account the universal charisma and screen presence of everyone in a significant part in "The Secrets of Wu Sin". Even by low-budget, early talkies standards, the actors are almost universally struggling with awful dialog that is made more obvious by stagey performances. The bad dialog is one of the few weak spots in this film, but it so pervasive that it dragged the film down from my awarding it a Seven Rating to giving it a High Six instead. Interestingly, the exchanges are livelier and less stilted in scenes featuring Eddie Borland, whether he's sharing the screen with Tetsu Komai, Lois Wilson, or Grant Withers. Maybe more of those lines were ad-libbed than elsewhere in the film and Borland's vast experience acting on stage and in front of cameras is shining through? (It's also worth noting that although Borland's character of Eddie is the comic relief in the film, he's not as annoying nor stupid as those tend to be in films of this period.)

Another drag on the film is heroic lead Grant Withers. I found him very entertaining in in the Mr. Wong films, but here, aside from his first major scene with co-star Lois Wilson, he is unimpressive and dull. I can't decide if it's the lines he has suffering through, of if it's because he only excels at playing blustery angry characters (like Captain Street in the "Mr. Wong" films) and so fails at more level-headed, low-key characters like the diplomatic and task-focused James Manning in this picture. Since I am primarily familiar with Withers through his role of Captain Street, I can't fairly judge him here. I will have to watch for him elsewhere.)

Ultimately, I think the good--a strong story and a cast of likeable actors--outweighs that bad in "The Secrets of Wu Sin". If you enjoy mysteries from the Poverty Row studios of the early 1930s, I think you'll like this one. You can find it on DVD with the bonus feature "The Law of the Tong" (review coming some day, watch this space!) or streaming on Amazon Prime.

Musical Monday with Phil Collins

We wish the great musician and singer Phil Collins a one-day belated Happy Birthday on this Musical Monday! We hope you'll enjoy this classic song and its great video. Like the best music videos, it's something of a mini-movie--and even moreso than most, with humorous inside references and creative use of celebrity look-alikes, stock footage, and trick photography.

 

I Wish It Would Rain Down (1990)

Starring: Phil Collins, Jeffrey Tambor, and Eric Clapton

Director: Jim Yukich

Rating: Eight of Ten Stars

Something just came to mind: In some ways, this video encapsulates what goes on at this blog, what with the way it remixes and matches bits and pieces from across the decades while throwing in some commentary and humor.

Bones's Red Velvet and Chocolate Raspberry

It's Sunday, so I am once again telling the world about coffee I've consumed! Today, it's two more flavorful blends from the Bones Coffee Company, one of which they marketed squarely at Valentine's Day (so I'm posting my review early enough in case you want to get goofy and share some flavored coffee with a skeleton mascot with your sweetheart)!

This year, Valentine's Day will be spent renewing our love affair with coffee!

I approached brewing and drinking these blends in the way I do most of the coffees I consume with an toward writing about: I brew it in my trusty drip coffee maker, and then drink it hot, also as it cools to room temperature, and then iced. I drink it black or with Unsweetened Almond Milk, or with sugar-free Italian Sweet Cream creamer. Both reviews were also written with 4-oz. sample packs as the source of the coffee.

BONES COFFEE COMPANY: RED VELVET CAKE

The Red Velvet blend is one of Bones Coffee's seasonal/holiday releases that they only produce for a limited period of time each year. This one, they offer around Valentine's Day, and they've got their mascot dressed up like Cupid against a background of hearts to underscore that fact.

The Red Velvet blend is another one that starts with medium-roast Arabica beans, and then the people at Bones at their flavoring magic. My previous experience with their cake-inspired blends has been hit and miss--I enjoyed Birthday Suit but couldn't stand Strawberry Cheesecake--so I went into this one with no idea of what to expect.

The unboiled grounds didn't seem to provide any clue as to what might come; they smelled like coffee. That's, of course, not a bad thing by itself, but I've come to expect some other aroma to be mixed in when I open one of these bags.

As the coffee brewed, there was also no evident aroma other than that of coffee, and this was also the case when I poured the first mugful. Not unsurprising, there was also no detectable flavor other than that of high quality coffee with some from of sweetener added. I couldn't pick out a distinctive flavor, but it was sweeter and smoother than even typical medium- or light-roast coffee. This held true when I tried it hot with Unsweetened Almond Milk. When I tried it with the sugar-free Italian Sweet Cream creamer, it tasted no different than it would have if I'd added the creamer to Bones' Costa Rican blend, or maybe Seattle Best's House Blend.

Although the Red Velvet blend was unimpressive when hot, its flavor changes as it cools. Once it's luke-warm, the advertised red velvet cake flavor has emerged and it becomes increasingly dominant as the blend cools to room temperature. This is the case no matter which of the two standards I've added to the mix. From luke-warm to room temp, the Red Velvet blend tastes like cake that's been soaked in coffee... and it's a delight the way that flavor gets stronger and stronger.

It might be logical to assume that the cake-like flavor would be exploding all over the place if this blend is consumed cold and over ice. This isn't the case, though. The flavors are more muted (typical of iced coffees, really), but there's also a slightly sour after-taste that is present. I initially thought I hadn't been careful enough in rinsing out the tumbler I use for the iced taste-tests after a somewhat disastrous experiment in creating a cocktail using the Starbucks Iced Blonde Roast and gin and... well, maybe I'll post details about my failure down the line. Meanwhile, the sour aftertaste was not the result of a contaminated mug, but probably from some reaction with the Unsweetened Almond Milk--it wasn't present when I tried the drink iced with sugar-free Italian Sweet Cream creamer. One very positive thing about Red Velvet when iced is that the saltiness that emerges in other Bones Coffee blends when had over ice is not present here.

In the end, I think the Red Velvet blend works best after it's had a little time to cool, and then as it continues to cool until room temperature. I recommend it, except as an iced coffee.

BONES COFFEE COMPANY: CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY
In theory, this is one of the more "well, yeah, of course" blends. In theory, a medium-roast with a chocolate raspberry should be an easy slam-dunk for Bones, what it being a flavor that works great with coffee, as well as medium-roast coffee already having a slight chocolaty undertone to it. But will Bones pull it off?

The aroma of raspberry rose powerfully from the bag as soon as I opened it. Past experience has shown that this could be a bad sign. As the coffee brewed, I couldn't there was a distinct air of raspberry in the kitchen, but it wasn't so strong that I could smell it all the way down the hall in my office. Past experience has shown that this could be either a good or bad sign. Clearly, this was a blend I'd have to actually try before any opinions were formed.

When this blend is consumed hot and black, the raspberry flavor is very noticeable, and sweet enough that I could drink this coffee without adding almond milk or creamer. However, the chocolate taste was very subtle, almost undetectable. In fact, it's only slightly more than the ghost of a chocolatey flavor that sometimes seems to just be present naturally in medium-roast coffee.

Once I added sugar free Italian Sweet Cream creamer to my cup, the chocolate really popped and there was a fabulous blend of coffee, chocolate, and raspberry flavors. Drinking a cup with Unsweetened Almond Milk had a similar effect--the chocolate flavor was still very much present, but raspberry and coffee dominated, and it remained a wonderful drinking experience. In fact, I liked it better with the Unsweetened Almond Milk, because the mix is less sweet (which is not something I say very often).

This blend works nicely at room temperature--which is how I end up drinking much of my coffee, because it cools as I get busy and/or distracted and let the mug sit for a while--with the raspberry flavor remaining constantly strong, and the chocolate present as a powerful undertone, no matter what else I mixed in. 

As with the Red Velvet blend, the flavors retreat when it's consumed iced, with only a hint of raspberry remaining to make the coffee seem slightly sweetened. This was the case whether I mixed it with sugar free Italian Sweet Cream creamer or with Unsweetened Almond Milk. It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't anything to sing about either.

In the end, I recommend that you drink the Chocolate Raspberry blend hot and with some milk added. It really does seen to be where it works best. Drinking it over ice pretty much negates the flavors.

"Coffee--ah'll never quit yew!"
(Click here if you want to learn how to make cowboy coffee)

Francis and Powell shine in 'Jewel Robbery'

Jewel Robbery (1932)
Starring: Kay Francis, William Powell, Helen Vinson, Spencer Charters, Lee Kohlmar, Clarence Wilson, Hardie Albright, Andre Luguet, and Alan Mowbray
Director: William Dieterle

Rating: Nine of Ten Stars

A bored socialite in a loveless marriage (Francis) and a dapper jewel thief (Powell) fall in love with each other when he robs a store while she is shopping at it.

 

"Jewel Robbery" is a fun, straight-forward romantic comedy. In fact, it's so straight-forward that I kept expecting this or that action on behalf of a character to be the prelude of something tragic or sinister... but, with one minor exception, it wasn't. Every character in this film is exactly who and what they appear to be, and the story follows a very simple A to B to C progression from beginning to end.

But that's okay, because Kay Francis and William Powell are so much fun to watch together that you're going to want things to be honest and up-front between them. In fact, I suspect that if I had been watching this movie in 1932, I probably would not have thought Powell's character was up to something other than a) securing his stolen loot, and b) following up on the pretty blatant signals he was getting Francis' character in the jewelry store. 

Of course, it also helps that Francis spends about half the movie in a dress that looks like it'll fall off her at any moment. (Even if she wasn't such a good actress, Francis is worth watching just for how great she looks in the outfits she wears in this movie. Or almost doesn't wear...)

Although this film is dominated by Francis & Powell--they are the stars, they have the most screen-time, and they're really the only characters we care about as the film unfolds--there is literally not a character that doesn't get to have at least one memorable moment in the film. Any performer who has a line either has a memorable, amusing line, or they get to have some other noteworthy moment; even the very minor character of the maid gets to mug at the camera in reaction to a massive bouquet of flowers  that mysteriously appear (as Powell's way of announcing himself to Francis). There is literally not a wasted moment in this picture, nor any element of it that doesn't work or that falls in the least bit flat, and everyone involved gets to shine. If you only watch one Pre-Code romantic comedy, you wouldn't regret making "Jewel Robbery" the one.

So, since I really have nothing negative to say about the picture, why is it only getting a Nine of Ten rating? Well, partly because I'm not sure if my feeling that the film is just a little too straight-forward really is an artifact of the 90 years that have passed since it's release or if this story DID need another complication or two. Also, I was enjoying the interplay between Francis & Powell's characters so much that I really wanted a bit more of a denouement than what we're provided with. Yes--I am aware that such niceties were not a well-established part of cinematic storytelling in the 1930s, but I wasn't really for this movie to end when it did. It's a good ending, but I wanted MORE!

"Jewel Thief" is one of four movies from the Pre-Code era that can be found in the DVD collection "Forbidden Hollywood Vol. 4". It's worth the price almost entirely by itself, so I recommend this set highly.

Yvette Mimieux has passed away

Actress Yvette Mimieux passed away on January 18, 2022, ten days after her 80th birthday. She is perhaps best remembered for her roles in "The Time Machine" (1960), "Where the Boys Are" (1960), "Monkeys Go Home!" (1967), her starring turn in the shortlived detective television series "The Most Deadly Game" (1970 - 1971), "Bell, Book, and Candle" (the 1976 television version), and the criminally underappreciated sci-fi flick "The Black Hole" (1979). Along the way, she also appeared in numerous disaster movies.

Here are some photos in her memory.

Musical Monday with Adele

Earlier this month, Adele released the video for "Oh My God", another single off her latest album. If you're a fan of Adele, I suspect you'll enjoy what's here. Even if you aren't, if you're a regular in these parts, we think you'll enjoy the weirdness of this video!

It's the Mint Invaders from Chocolate Space!

 

They have come to Earth from a faraway world...
Whether they're friend or foe depends on if they've had their morning coffee!

BONES COFFEE COMPANY: MINT INVADERS FROM CHOCOLATE SPACE

This was a flavor I'd put off trying, despite it being one of the offerings that first attracted me to Bones Coffee's flavored offerings, along with Army of Dark Chocolate and White Russian; the movie theme of the packaging appealed to me, but the promise of a mint flavor did not. Like I said in my review of the White Chocolate Peppermint Bark blend, I'm a bit dubious about whether mint-flavored coffee is something I want to put in my mouth.

But, it came time to order another set of 4-oz. sample packs from Bones (to keep this Sunday post series going, as well as to feed my addiction. There have been Bones selections have surprised me in the past with how good they were, so maybe this one would too. Plus, I am starting to run out of flavors to test! (I estimate that Bones Coffee blends will no longer be the common subject of these posts by the time we get to the end April.)

Mint Invaders from Chocolate Space got my hopes up as soon as I opened the bag. The grounds smelled strongly of chocolate, which is always a good thing as far as I'm concerned. There was just the faintest hint of mint, too. The chocolate smell was stronger than I would expect from the flavor the package stated the blend existed to capture--that of mint chocolate chip ice cream--but I have learned with Bones blends that the aroma emanating, or even as the coffee brews, from the package doesn't always match the flavor of the beverage.

In this case, although the unbrewed grounds smelled very strongly of chocolate with just a ghost of mint, the resulting coffee tastes strongly of mint with chocolate showing up as a pleasant aftertaste as you drink it.

When you drink Mint Invaders from Chocolate Space black, the flavor of high-quality medium-roasted coffee flavor mingles nicely with the bite of mint, with the taste of chocolate becoming increasingly evident as you consume it. The "ice cream" aspect of this drink--which would be a certain creaminess--is not really there until... well, until you add something creamy, or milk-like. 

When I added Unsweetened Almond Milk, for example, this blend began to exhibit a little of the creaminess that one associates with ice cream when I drank it. It also seemed to draw out the mint flavor even more. When I tried it with sugar-free Italian Sweet Cream creamer, the drink seemed to become even creamier than these coffees usually become with the creamer added. The mint flavor also seemed more intense.

As the drink cooled, whether black or with almond milk or creamer added, the chocolate flavor moved from aftertaste to being present as an undertone that grew stronger the more of the coffee that is consumed. This is also true when this blend is consumed iced; the colder the drink is, the stronger the chocolate taste. Mint, however, remains dominant. That said... those flavors were all somewhat washed out.

If you like minty coffee, I think you'll like this blend. Personally, when consumed according to the baselines I've set up for these reviews, I preferred Mint Invaders from Chocolate Space with the sugar-free Italian Sweet Cream creamer added, whether it's hot or at room temperature. It didn't seem to work well iced.

Random cartoon insanity. And Ko-Ko the Clown!

Bed Time (1923)
Starring: Max Fleischer
Director: Dave Fleischer
Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

The Animator (Fleischer), wanting to get a good night's sleep, tries to stop Ko-Ko from escaping into the real world by stranding him on an animated cartoon top. How will Ko-Ko even the score this time?

The "Out of the Inkwell" series were cartoons that mixed live-action footage and animation, telling crazy stories of an Animator either bullying and abusing characters in a cartoon reality, which he partially created through his pen and ink; or telling stories of characters escaping their cartoon world and entering the ours where they either help or hinder human activities, or set out to get revenge for abuse heaped on them by their creator, the Animator.

"Bed Time" starts out like a typical Out of the Inkwell installment--with the Animator taking a someone inexplicable hostile attitude toward the character he brings to life--but it quickly veers into surreal and crazy territory that's beyond even what one can expect from the series. The sequence where an angry Ko-Ko is out to get his revenge on the Animator is fabulous and waaaay over the top!

I'm not going to go into detail about what happens in the roughly nine minutes of unbridled weirdness that is "Bed Time", because this is one of those things that needs to be experienced without too much foreknowledge of what's to come. I will mention, though, that it gets a little too repetitious at times, and it was bad enough that I kept it at a rating of Seven instead of the Eight Stars I was on the verge of giving it. Plus, if you're like me, you may have the feeling that the entire situation in this cartoon could have been avoided if the Animator had taken a different, far easier and straight-forward way to keeping Ko-Ko in check--and be midly irritated by it. However, if you stick with this fun little film until the end, it wraps up in a way that makes those actions seem acceptable.

Take a few minutes and brighten your day with some Ko-Ko driven craziness. The version embedded below is taken from Craig Davison's YouTube Channel, and, if I understand his notes correctly, the sound-effects were added by him. You should swing by and check out his many excellent offerings.

It's what we're about...

Musical Monday with Eartha Kitt

Singer/dancer/actress/national treasure Eartha Kitt was born on this day 95 years ago. We celebrate her with some pictures and a really fun musical performance!