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Father Brown (1954, UK)

I’ve never read the Father Brown detective stories, so I don’t know if Alec Guinness is a good match, but his power to breathe individuality into his characters is such that, when, after this delightful introduction, I inevitably do move on to the books, I will have no choice but to picture Brown as Guinness.  Watched it all.

The Atomic Kid (1954, USA)

Mickey Rooney survives a nuclear blast, and gets the superpower of speaking at chipmunk speed.  Watched: 3 minutes.  Here’s a thing you don’t want to see at the beginning of a movie: Produced by [Fading star], Introducing [Fading star's wife].

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Rear Window (1954, USA, Hitchcock)

I have three problems with this movie: The director is too big for himself, the movie is too big for itself, and, its fans are too big for themselves.  You have barely to mention the name of it to receive a lecture on the role of voyeurism in Hitchcock’s movies and a “did you know he has a cameo in all his movies?”  Hitchcock fans are the worst, along with Kurosawa and Kubrick fans.  But okay, I admit it, it’s a damn good movie.  Watched it all before, and again now.

The Silver Chalice (1954, USA)

Introducing Paul Newman, and, if you pay attention, Lorne Green!  Watched: 7 minutes.  It’s one of those silly  movies where Romans agonize about becoming Christians, but look at this.  Is it the strangest scene you’ve ever seen in a Bible epic or what?!