The Big Knife 1955  N/R, 111 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Robert Aldrich
Cast: Jack Palance, Rod Steiger, Ida Lupino, Wendell Corey, Strother Martin, Shelley Winters, Ilka Chase, Jean Hagen, Everett Sloane, Wesley Addy
Hollywood actor Charlie Castle (Jack Palance) would sell his soul for a good script. When he makes a deal with an unscrupulous producer (Rod Steiger), his actions bring tragic results.
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The Bostonians 1984  PG, 120 min.
Genre: Drama / Romance
Director: James Ivory
Cast: Christopher Reeve, Vanessa Redgrave, Madeleine Potter, Jessica Tandy, Nancy Marchand, Wesley Addy, Wallace Shawn, Linda Hunt, Barbara Bryne, Charles McCaughan, Nancy New, Jon Van Ness
Based on Henry James' novel, this is the story of young feminists in the late 1800s who find their quest for equality is not going to be an easy fight. Lesbian suffragette Olive Chancellor (Vanessa Redgrave) engages in a tug-of-war with Basil Ransom (Christopher Reeve) when they both pursue young Verena Tarrant (Madeleine Potter). Basil is in love with Verena, but Olive wants to use Verena's connections to promote the suffragette ideology. Emotions flare when decisions must be made between love and fighting for the cause of equal rights. Redgrave received an Oscar nomination for her performance.
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The Europeans 1979  N/R, 98 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: James Ivory
Cast: Lee Remick, Robin Ellis, Wesley Addy, Tim Choate, Lisa Eichhorn, Nancy New, Kristin Griffith, Norman Snow, Helen Stenborg, Tim Woodward, Gedda Petry, James Ivory
Henry James' novel is the source for this film contrasting American and European manners during the mid-19th century. The story takes place in New England during a period of time when European cousins Eugenia (Lee Remick) and Felix (Tim Woodward) visit their American relatives and try to take advantage of their prosperity by marrying one of them. Eugenia woos cousin Robert (Robin Ellis), while Felix really falls for Gertrude (Lisa Eichhorn), but there are differences from the start marked by sophisticated, but poor, Europeans and stern, but wealthy, New Englanders. Will real love rise to the fore and overcome those differences?
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Four for Texas 1963 N/R, 124 min.
Genre: Western / Comedy
aka: 4 for Texas
Director: Robert Aldrich
Cast: Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Anita Ekberg, Ursula Andress, Charles Bronson, Victor Buono, Richard Jaeckel, Mike Mazurki, Jack Elam, Bob Steele, Edric Connor, Nick Dennis, Wesley Addy, Ellen Corby
Zack Thomas (Frank Sinatra) and Joe Jarrett (Dean Martin) banter their way through this entertaining Western in which they join forces against the evil banker, Harvey Burden (Victor Buono).
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Garment Jungle 1957
Genre: Drama
Director: Vincent Sherman, Robert Aldrich
Cast: Lee J. Cobb, Kerwin Mathews, Gia Scala, Richard Boone, Valerie French, Robert Loggia, Joseph Wiseman, Harold J. Stone, Adam Williams, Wesley Addy, Willis Bouchey, Robert Ellenstein, Celia Lovsky, Sid Melton, Jud Taylor
Alan Mitchell (Kerwin Mathews) returns home from the Korean War and joins his father Walter's (Lee J. Cobb) clothing firm only to discover that Walter is involved in a union-busting syndicate. Alan tries unsuccessfully to talk Walter into changing his mind about unions, and then talks to union leader Tulio Renata (Robert Loggia). Alan's visit results in a series of murder victims–including Walter and Renata. Finally, Alan uses his father's accounting books to give the police evidence of the extortion that led to the murders.
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The Grissom Gang 1971 R, 128 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Robert Aldrich
Cast: Kim Darby, Scott Wilson, Tony Musante, Robert Lansing, Connie Stevens, Irene Dailey, Wesley Addy, Joey Faye, Don Keefer, Dots Johnson
Heiress Barbara (Kim Darby) is captured by the sadistic, violent Grissom Gang, which is headed by Ma Grissom (Irene Dailey). Its modus operandi: get the ransom, kill the hostage. However, drooling moron Slim (Scott Wilson) falls for Barbara, and she learns how to survive in the ultra violent world. Set around 1930, the film is based on James Hadley Chase's bestseller "No Orchids for Miss Blandish" that was panned at the time of publication as "sadistic pornography." Previously filmed in 1948 as "No Orchids for Miss Blandish."
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Hiroshima 1995 PG, 190 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Koreyoshi Kurahara, Roger Spottiswoode
Cast: Kenneth Welsh, Jeffrey DeMunn, Richard Masur, Wesley Addy, Sheena Larkin, Leni Parker, Timothy West, Mark Camacho, Tatsuo Matsumura, Naohiko Umewaka, David Hemblen, David Gow
Events leading up to Harry Truman's decision to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki are presented blending archival footage and interviews with those involved.
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Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte 1964  N/R, 134 min.
Genre: Drama / Horror / Mystery / Thriller
Director: Robert Aldrich
Cast: Bette Davis, Olivia de Havilland, Joseph Cotten, Agnes Moorehead, Victor Buono, Mary Astor, Bruce Dern, George Kennedy, Cecil Kellaway, Wesley Addy, William Campbell, Frank Ferguson, Dave Willock, John Megna
Haunted by memories of her murdered fiance, Charlotte Hollis (Bette Davis) has only her housekeeper Velma (Agnes Moorehead) for company. When she learns that her decaying Southern mansion is slated for demolition, she calls her cousin Miriam (Olivia de Havilland) for help. Miriam arrives on the scene with the family doctor (Joseph Cotten) to help, but he causes even more problems, and now Charlotte fights for her sanity as her Southern lifestyle is about to disintegrate, and Miriam tries to drive her crazy. The film received seven Academy Award nominations, including Best Supporting Actress (Agnes Moorehead).
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 King Lear 1953 TV, 73 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Andrew McCullough
Cast: Orson Welles, Beatrice Straight, Natasha Parry, Arnold Moss, Margaret Phillips, Bramwell Fletcher, David J. Stewart, Alan Badel, Michael MacLiammoir, Frederick Worlock, Scott Forbes, Wesley Addy, Fred Sadoff, Lloyd Bochner, Chris Gampel
This is a good made-for-TV, black-and-white film of the Shakespeare tragedy. Orson Welles plays King Lear who makes the wrong decision concerning the division of his land and power among his daughters Goneril and Regan (Beatrice Straight Margaret Phillips) after he takes away his youngest daughter Cordelia's (Natasha Parry) rights to the kingdom. He bases his decision on their expression of how much each one loves him. The play's subplot about the Duke of Gloucester and his son was deleted in the interest of time.
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Kiss Me Deadly 1955  N/R, 105 min.
Genre: Drama / Mystery / Thriller
Director: Robert Aldrich
Cast: Ralph Meeker, Maxine Cooper, Cloris Leachman, Gaby Rodgers, Albert Dekker, Paul Stewart, Wesley Addy, Juano Hernandez, Jack Elam, Nick Dennis, Marian Carr, Jack Lambert, Jerry Zinneman, Percy Helton, Leigh Snowden
In this Mickey Spillane "Mike Hammer" story, Hammer (Ralph Meeker) picks up hitchhiker Christina (Cloris Leachman) and then is forced off the road and abducted by thugs who kill Christina. Hammer escapes and now tries to uncover the facts that led to Christina's murder. After talking to Christina's roommate Gabrielle (Gaby Rodgers) and to gangster Carl Evello (Paul Stewart), matters get very rough as Hammer unravels the mystery that ends with a "box"–described by Hammer's secretary Velda (Maxine Cooper) as the "great Whatsit." It turns out that the box is filled with atomic explosives ready to be unleashed on the world. Great job, especially for it's time.
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Network 1976  R, 120 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Sidney Lumet
Cast: Faye Dunaway, William Holden, Peter Finch, Robert Duvall, Beatrice Straight, Ned Beatty, Wesley Addy, Arthur Burghardt, Darryl Hickman, Lane Smith, Bill Burrows, John Carpenter, Jordan Charney, Kathy Cronkite, Ed Crowley
The United Broadcasting System decides to fire its dean of newscasters, Howard Beale (Peter Finch). His friend, network executive Max Schumacher (William Holden), announces that Beale is being fired, and Beale responds by telling the audience that he will be committing suicide on the next show. The head of the network, Frank Hackett (Robert Duvall), wants to get rid of Beale immediately–until he realizes that the network will have the highest ratings ever when Beale commits suicide on the air–and programming exec Diana Christensen (Faye Dunaway) talks him into airing the show. The show goes on, but Hackett does not commit suicide and, instead, announces, "I'm mad as Hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!" He is suffering a nervous breakdown, but the ratings of his television news show skyrocket, and Hackett becomes a TV icon. This film provides great satire on the greed inherent in television networks as they fight for top ratings. Oscars were won by Faye Dunaway (Best Actress), Peter Finch (Best Actor), and Beatrice Straight (Best Supporting Actress). Six nominations were also received, including Best Picture, Actor (William Holden), Supporting Actor (Ned Beatty) and Director.
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Seconds 1966 N/R, 105 min.
Genre: Sci-Fi
Director: John Frankenheimer
Cast: Rock Hudson, Salome Jens, John Randolph, Will Geer, Jeff Corey, Richard Anderson, Murray Hamilton, Elisabeth Fraser, Karl Swenson, Wesley Addy
A mysterious organization offers new identities and lives to those who have enough cash to pay the price to attain their dreams. Of course, following through to the fruition of those dreams brings complications.
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Ten Seconds to Hell 1959  N/R, 93 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Robert Aldrich
Cast: Jeff Chandler, Jack Palance, Martine Carol, Robert Cornthwaite, Dave Willock, Wesley Addy, Richard Wattis, Virginia Baker, Jimmy Goodwin, Nancy Lee
Following World War II, two members of a bomb-disposal unit (Jeff Chandler and Jack Palance) vie for the love of Margot (Martine Carol) amidst their extremely dangerous missions. 1 User Review
| User Review |
| | one of the best filmed movies ofthe period | blue eyes 03/01/2007 | | |
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 Tora! Tora! Tora! 1970 G, 142 min.
Genre: Action / Adventure / Drama
Director: Richard Fleischer
Cast: Martin Balsam, So Yamamura, Joseph Cotten, Tatsuya Mihashi, Jason Robards, E.G. Marshall, James Whitmore, Wesley Addy, Leon Ames, Eijiro Tono, Takahio Tamura, Shogo Shimada, Frank Aletter, Koreya Senda, Junya Usami
The story of the attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941, is well-told as the events leading to the attack are revealed–documentary style–from both the U.S. and Japanese viewpoints. The film begins with scenes from the perspectives of both countries as the diplomacy between Japan and the United States collapses. The second part of the film switches to the deadly mission and a spectacular re-creation of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The film won and Oscar for Best Special Visual Effects.
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 What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? 1962 N/R, 132 min.
Genre: Drama / Horror / Thriller
Director: Robert Aldrich
Cast: Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Victor Buono, Anna Lee, Marjorie Bennett, Maidie Norman, Dave Willock, Bert Freed, Wesley Addy, James Seay, Julie Allred, Anne Barton, William Aldrich, Russ Conway, Robert Cornthwaite
Two aging sisters–Jane (Bette Davis) and Blanche (Joan Crawford)–co-exist in a decrepit, Los Angeles mansion. Jane was once the vaudeville child star "Baby Jane" (Julie Allred). Blanche had lived in Jane's shadow as a child but gained stardom as an adult in the film world while Jane's career faded. Blanche enjoyed her success until a drunken Jane caused a car accident that crippled Blanche and left her wheelchair-bound. Now, Jane works with pianist Edwin Flagg (Victor Buono) in hopes of finally gaining stardom as an adult. At the same time, she goes crazy and plots to kill Blanche. A good thriller/black comedy. Academy Award nominations went to Davis (Best Actress) and Buono (Best Supporting Actor).
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| 1. The Big Knife (1955)
2. The Bostonians (1984)
3. The Europeans (1979)
4. Four for Texas (1963)
aka: 4 for Texas
5. Garment Jungle (1957)
6. The Grissom Gang (1971)
7. Hiroshima (1995)
8. Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964)
9. King Lear (1953)
10. Kiss Me Deadly (1955)
11. Network (1976)
12. Seconds (1966)
13. Ten Seconds to Hell (1959)
14. Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970)
15. What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)
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