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All Ashore (1953, USA)

The trio of singing and dancing sailors who go ashore and have adventures with random beauties are the blandest such sailors in a long time, so featureless that your eyes glaze over them, but the script by Blake Edwards adds a bit of life to the tired setup.  Watched it all.

The Story of Little Mook (1953, East Germany, Staudte)

One of the most popular children’s movies in the DDR, an Arabian Nights tale that is more realistic than the norm in this genre, on account of the beggars having dirt on their faces.  Watched: 15 minutes.

The Robe (1953, USA)

This was the first movie to be released in CinemaScope/widescreen.  It was selected for this honor because it was important, full of Romans and early Christians hanging about on crosses etc.  The usual nonsense.  The audience was probably too awed by the new technology to be bored.  Watched: 13 minutes.

Thunder Bay (1953, USA, Mann)

Although James Stewart gets to show off some of his creepy side, as an oil wildcatter balancing the edge between con-man and businessman, Anthony Mann again makes a movie without his trademark no-nonsense meanness.  Worrying.  Watched: 10 minutes.