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Reviews
Safe in Hell (1931)
Not a Silly Story
Basically "Safe in Hell" is a movie about a woman whose life has gone wrong and keeps going from bad to worse. Dorothy Mackaill plays a prostitute who kills the man responsible for her troubles. With the help of her boyfriend she flees to an island where there are no extradition treaties but does have a a sadistic constable and a group of lecherous men. Perhaps it seems "silly" but you have to put yourself in the mind set of that time. Let me clarify the nuances, first of all she didn't go into the business because she wanted to. It seems it was her only recourse. Keep in mind how limited choices were for women at that time.Then her boyfriend isn't even aware of her trade and when he finds out he threatens to leave her. Later on the island she tries to protect what remains of her "virtue" from the band of sex starved men. These three points show the mind set of the time when women were chastised for having premarital sex and punished emotionally and socially for their loose morals.That's why this precode film depicts how Dorothy Mackaill's character is stuck between a hard rock and a sword as she tries to keep a low profile while she waits for her sailor and hopes for a better future. It was a jaw dropping film. I highly recommend it, I should know, I am a die hard movie classics fan.
Tonight and Every Night (1945)
Tonight and Every Night
I just saw "Tonight and Every Night" , last night and I was impressed, not just by the lovely Rita Hayworth but also by Marc Platt, the dancer who plays the role of Tommy. What a wonderful dancer he was and it's a shame that he had only one big dancing scene showcasing his talent and I was wondering if he did any other films and if not many then why? Any way, the film was a lovely story loosely based on the "Windmill Theater" that continued having shows during the Nazi bombing of London. One critic's review from the 70's said that this movie wasn't good enough because Fred Astaire nor Gene Kelly were not dancing with her. I beg to differ this movie showcases Rita Hayworth's talent and she really didn't need the other two great dancers to show how talented she was. It was a very good movie with great numbers and a good romantic story.