Tag: Alfred Hitchcock

DVD/Streaming Review: Lifeboat

We continue our reviews that focus on Batman actors as part of our Amazing World of Radio Summer Series, focusing on their old-time radio work. This week, we take a look at Tallulah Bankhead’s starring role in the 1944 film Lifeboat.

Eight American and British citizens are survivors of a passenger ship sunk by a Nazi U-boat. The first to arrive is famed photographer Connie Porter (Tallulah Bankhead), and she is joined by others, including an engine room crewman (John Hodiak), a wealthy industrialist (Henry Hull), the ship’s steward (Canada Lee), a nurse (Mary Anderson), and a mother (Heather Angel) who lost her baby. The cast is rounded out by actors Gus Smith and Hume Cronyn. They then pull up a U-boat crew survivor (Walter Sleazak), who has plans of his own.

While set in the middle of the ocean, the action is confined to the titular lifeboat, which both gives the film a claustrophobic feel, and a resemblance to a well-done stage play. This effect is furthered by director Alfred Hitchcock’s decision to forgo the orchestral score during the body of the film, with the only music coming from characters singing accompanied by another character on a flute.

That the film feels like a stage play makes it a natural vehicle for Tallulah Bankhead, one of the greatest stage actresses of her era, making a relatively rare film appearance. She gives a performance that shows a nice range. While by default, Connie is a very cynical character, there are softer and lighter moments, as well as a few more extreme moments. At each point, Bankhead is flawless.

Another stand-out performance was William Bendix, best known for his comedy roles, particularly his radio/television work in The Life of Riley. Bendix shows some real dramatic chops in his performance as Gus. Walter Sleazak also portrays a surprisingly complex Nazi character, who is eerily likable for most of his time on screen.

The film is smartly written, and while it’s got a pro-Allies propaganda message, it’s subtler than many of its contemporaries, which caused major controversy at the time. While different from many other Hitchcock vehicles, it still has many hallmarks of the great director’s other work. The limits on budget imposed by wartime hardship are apparent but it makes the most of what it has.

With strong performances all around, this remains an entertaining and engrossing war-time drama even 80 years later.

Rating: 4 out of 5

 

This post contains affiliate links, which means that items purchased from these links may result in a commission being paid to the author of this post at no extra cost to the purchaser.

Screen Director’s Playhouse: Lifeboat (AWR0257)

Batman Villains of Old Time Radio

We continue our look at actors who played villains in the 1966 Batman TV series. This week, we focus on Tallulah Bankhead, who played the Black Widow in a season 2 two-parter.

We begin by featuring the Screen Director’s Playhouse’s adaptation of the Alfred Hitchcock film Lifeboat, where Bankhead reprises her original screen role.

Original Radio Broadcast: November 16, 1950

Starring: Tallulah Bankhead as Connie Porter: Jeff Chandler as Kovac; Sheldon Leonard; Roy Glenn; Anne Diamond; Barbara Eiler; Henry Roland; Herbert Wilms

Go to http://amazing.greatdetectives.net to subscribe to the podcast.

Brought to you by the support of our Patreon listeners…http://patreon.greatdetectives.net

Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectives.net

Patreon Supporter of the Day: Ronnie, Patreon supporter since May 2021

Support the show on a one-time basis at http://support.greatdetectives.net.

After the drama, we talk about the season 2 two-parter, “The Black Widow Strikes Again” and “Caught in the Spider’s Den”

 

Buy Batman: The Complete Series on blu-ray/DVD (affiliate link)

Buy Batman Season 2, Episodes 55 and 56 on download. (affiliate link)

EP1877: Screen Director’s Playhouse: Spellbound

Mercedes McCambridge
A psychiatrist tries to unravel the mystery of a man who believes he murdered another psychiatrist. Will she find out the truth or become his next victim.

Original Air Date: January 25, 1951

Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectives.net

Support the show on a one-time basis at http://support.greatdetectives.net.

Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715

(more…)