Kings Row

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huck d When you think of Ronald Reagan movies, campy affairs like Bedtime for Bonzo come to mind, which is a tragedy, because here in King's Row, Reagan delivers a masterclass in acting that catapulted him to stardom — "where's the rest of me" — but just briefly. Immediately after, Reagan was drafted. With poor eye site but great communication skills, he served for 4 years producing 400 military training videos. The scope and substance of King's Row powerfully covers characters you profoundly care about growing up in the cauldron of a small town seething with wickedness, secrets, and gossip, but redeemed by love, honor, and determination. Watching King's Row, like many of the movies from this time, makes obvious just how badly the art of movie making has fallen since it's golden era. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/08/23 Full Review David K The veneer of small-town America. That legendary place in the American psyche that doesn't really exist. Never really existed. This film hits on that, but its failure in the end is the optimistic ending that too often wraps up social-conscience films made during the Breen era. But, it's worth the time if for no other reason than Ronald Reagan's appearance - his best role. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 04/15/23 Full Review Ken R Could American cinematic achievement get too much better than this 40's masterpiece? With its striking production design by William Cameron Menzies, all captured in gloriously lit B/W by master director of photography James Wong Howe - under solid direction by Sam Wood. A string of handpicked performers then brings Henry Bellamann's strong human story to life. Now add Australian-born screenplay writer Casey Robinson's adaptation that sparkles from beginning to end - analyzing the fascinating and complex characters, even perhaps, managing to tidy up some situations. This unique examination of the pioneering days of Psychology, set in a small rural American town - follows the lives of an intriguing mix of diverse characters, whose lives intertwine dramatically through their youth into adulthood. Robert Cummings gives an in-depth portrayal as Paris Mitchell, being tutored by the darkly brooding Dr Tower (Claude Rains as masterful as ever). Betty Field never looked more becoming as the troubled Cassandra, Dr Tower's closely guarded daughter. Ronald Reagan, possibly one of the USA's better Presidents (regardless of the naysayers) is given a rare worthy role as Paris's friend Drake. The marvelous late starter, Harry Davenport (who never fails to deliver) as Colonel Skeffington the town's legal adviser, there's also versatile Charles Coburn powerful as the menacing Dr Gordon. Everyone in adult roles gives unforgettable performances, and while some of the children may be patchy in the early section, the adults more than make up for it. A big expansive score by Erich Wolfgang Korngold lives up to his descriptive style delivering musical perfection. With a story covering a wide time frame, it could seem episodic to some but this represents Hollywood in its finest years. Great Ending. Highly recommended to purists seeking Noir filmmaking at its peak. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 06/04/22 Full Review Audience Member Love this movie...lots of heart! Powerful ending. Easy to watch multiple times. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/02/23 Full Review Audience Member alot to say here. - the music is far too much and detracts. - cummings gets slated as the weak performance in the film but he's perfectly good. claude rains puts everyone else in the shade but cummings is equal to the rest of the cast. - above all, the men in the film show rich self-understanding while the women still play games. but that dr mitchell even considers institutionalizing louise gordon damages his image badly. - remarkable how the young dr's love interest appears 15 or so minutes before the end. this is badly under-developed and is the plot's weakest point. - i'm still giving it 5 stars for emotional insight. the high point for me is when louise gordon says at 1:44 "i want to destroy his memory," when the frustration of victimization becomes overwhelming. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/22/23 Full Review steve d Emotionally untruthful but well acted. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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