ryan-the-american's - Rented List
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The Man from Laramie (1955)El hombre de Laramie
Under Mann's superb direction, Stewart departs from his well-loved "ordinary hero" role and gives a riveting performance as a resolute vigilante obsessed with finding the man responsible for his brother's death. Among the suspects are an arrogant cattle baron (Donald Crisp), his sadistic son (Alex Nicol) and his ranch foreman (Arthur Kennedy). One explosive confrontation, in which Stewart is dragged by a wild horse and shot in the hand at close range, is one of movie history's most memorable sequences. - Director:
- Anthony Mann
- Cast:
- James Stewart, Arthur Kennedy, Donald Crisp
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Irena Dubrovna (Simone Simon), a beautiful and mysterious Serbian-born fashion artist living in New York City, falls in love with and marries average-Joe American Oliver Reed (Kent Smith). But Irena believes that she suffers from an ancient curse and whenever she is emotionally aroused she will turn into a panther and savage her victims. Oliver thinks that is absurd and sends her to psychiatrist Dr. Judd (Tom Conway) to cure her. But truth is sometimes stranger than fantasy... - Director:
- Jacques Tourneur
- Cast:
- Simone Simon, Tom Conway, Kent Smith
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Judy Holliday gives an unforgettable, Oscar-winning performance as Billie Dawn, the 'dumb blonde' girlfriend of corrupt millionaire junkyard tycoon Harry Brock (Broderick Crawford). A man with social ambitions, Harry is embarrassed by Billie's uncouth behaviour and lack of social refinement, so he sends her on a crash course in culture with young journalist Paul Verrall (William Holden). Billie proves to be an able student in lessons of life and love, whilst also becoming all too aware of her partner's crooked business dealings. Emboldened by her new education, she stands up to Harry and his bad ways. - Director:
- George Cukor
- Cast:
- Judy Holliday, William Holden, Broderick Crawford
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A Letter to Three Wives (1949)Carta a tres esposas
The letter of the title is written with a poisonous pen: the three women (portrayed by Jeanne Crain, Linda Darnell, and Ann Sothern) receive a note stating that one of their husbands has run off with a woman named Addie Ross - which husband in particular, however, remains unmentioned, though each husband had their own affinity for Ross. And so amid the women's mounting anxiety commences a series of flashbacks, each telling the story of how the three individual marriages had come in their own way to be so strained at the present... - Director:
- Joseph L. Mankiewicz
- Cast:
- Celeste Holm, Jeanne Crain, Linda Darnell
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In this irresistible musical, the legendary dancing duo Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers are at the pinnacle of their art as a feckless gambler and the shrewd dancing instructor in whom he more than meets his match. Director George Stevens laces their romance with humor and clears the floor for the movies showstopping dance scenes, in which Astaire and Rogers take seemingly effortless flight in a virtuosic fusion of ballroom and tap styles. Buoyed by beloved songs by Dorothy Fields and Derome Kern - including the Oscar-winning classic "The Way You Look Tonight" - 'Swing Time' is an exuberant celebration of its stars' chemistry, grace, and sheer joy in the act of performance. - Director:
- George Stevens
- Cast:
- Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Victor Moore
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The Hustler (1961)El audaz
Paul Newman heads a superb cast featuring Jackie Gleason, George C. Scott and Piper Laurie in this riveting film that received an Academy Award nomination as Best Picture of 1961 and brought all four of its stars Oscar nominations. Newman is electrifying as Fast Eddie Felson, an arrogant, amoral hustler who haunts back street pool rooms fleecing anyone who'll pick up a cue. Determined to be acclaimed as the best, Eddie seeks out the legendary Minnesota Fats, who's backed by Bert Gordon. The love of a lonely woman could turn Eddie's life around, but he won't rest until he bests Minnesota Fats, no matter what price he must pay. - Director:
- Robert Rossen
- Cast:
- Paul Newman, Jackie Gleason, Piper Laurie
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When shy, emotionally fragile Catherine Sloper (Olivia de Havilland), the daughter of a wealthy New York doctor, begins to receive calls from the handsome spendthrift Morris Townsend (Montgomery Clift), she becomes possessed by the promise of romance. Are his smoldering professions of love sincere, as she believes they are? Or is Catherines calculating father (Ralph Richardson) correct in judging Morris a venal fortune seeker? - Director:
- William Wyler
- Cast:
- Olivia De Havilland, Montgomery Clift, Ralph Richardson
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The first pairing of legendary Western director John Ford with star Jimmy Stewart, 'Two Rode Together' is a taut, suspenseful story of two lawmen who invade Comanche Indian territory to rescue the white captives of the tribe. As in all of his seven previous Westerns, Jimmy Stewart rode his lucky horse and wore his lucky, sweat-stained Stetson. But unlike earlier Westerns where the outcome was sure to be a happy one, Two Rode Together is a dramatic and unsentimental depiction of hostages confronted by the savagery of "civilised" society. Stewart stars as a U.S. Marshal assigned to trade guns for hostages with the fearsome Comanche. Cynical and corrupt, the character was a striking departure from Stewart's usual roles as stalwart do-gooder. Paired with Richard Widmark, Stewart locates the hostages but argues against bringing them home, knowing they will be unable to readapt to settler life. But Widmark prevails, and the party's triumphant return results in tragedy. - Director:
- John Ford
- Cast:
- James Stewart, Richard Widmark, Shirley Jones
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With extraordinary beauty, talent and grace, Spanish dancer Maria Vargas (Ava Gardner) was born to be a star. Aided by American movie director Harry Dawes (Humphrey Bogart), she attains great success and fortune in Hollywood's land of dreams. But, though she gives her all for stardom, there is one thing Maria will never compromise - her soul. No matter what the cost, The Barefoot Contessa will dance to no-one's music but her own. - Director:
- Joseph L. Mankiewicz
- Cast:
- Humphrey Bogart, Ava Gardner, Edmond O'Brien
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Wild River (1960)Río salvaje
Set in the early 1930's and filmed on location in the Tennessee Valley, Wild River features Montgomery Clift as an idealistic Tennessee Valley Authority agent who is assigned the task of convincing the locals to move from their property so that a beneficial dam can be built. One major barrier stands in his way, a feisty old woman (the estimable Jo Van Fleet) who simply refuses to budge from her land. Elia Kazan's masterful recreation of a troubled and complex period in American history is marked not only by its astounding locations, its first rate performances (alongside Van Fleet, Lee Remick excels as the holdout's granddaughter and look out also for an uncredited Bruce Dern in his first screen role) but by its forward thinking and undeniably powerful social liberalism. - Director:
- Elia Kazan
- Cast:
- Montgomery Clift, Lee Remick, Jo Van Fleet
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Bart Allison (Randolph Scott) arrives in Sundown planning to kill Tate Kimbrough (John Carroll). Three years earlier he believed Kimbrough was responsible for the death of his wife. He finds Kimbrough and warns him he is going to kill him but gets pinned down in the livery stable with his friend Sam (Noah Beery Jr.) by Kimbrough's stooge Sheriff (Andrew Duggan) and his men. When Sam is shot in the back after being told he could leave safely, some of the townsmen change sides and disarm the Sheriff's men forcing him to face Allison alone. Taking care of the Sheriff, Allison injures his gun hand and must now face Kimbrough left-handed. - Director:
- Budd Boetticher
- Cast:
- Randolph Scott, John Carroll, Karen Steele
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The Caine Mutiny (1954)El motín del Caine
'The Caine Mutiny' is a classic film about the unstable Captain Queeg (Humphrey Bogart) and his tumultuous command of an old minesweeper and her weary crew. On the high seas during the dramatic battles of World War II, Queeg's by-the-book approach pushes his crew and his popular second-in-command, Lt. Maryk (Van Johnson), to the breaking point. After a series of questionable orders, Maryk confronts Queeg when he orders the ship directly into the path of a deadly typhoon. Maryk invokes naval code and relieves Queeg of his command, forcing the crew to mutiny. Once safely back in port, Maryk is court-martialed for treason, setting off a tense trial that exposes the true state of Queeg's mind. Nominated for Best Actor, Humphrey Bogart gives a searing performance as he is systematically broken down in this classic tale of military conduct in a time of war. - Director:
- Edward Dmytryk
- Cast:
- Humphrey Bogart, José Ferrer, Van Johnson
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To Catch a Thief (1955)Alfred Hitchcock's To Catch a Thief
Cary Grant plays John Robie, reformed jewel thief who was once known as 'The Cat' in this suspenseful Alfred Hitchcock classic thriller. Robie is suspected of a new rash of gem thefts in the luxury hotels of the French Riviera, and he must set out to clear himself. Meeting pampered heiress Frances (Grace Kelly), he sees the chance to bait the mysterious thief with her mother's (Jessie Royce Landis) fabulous jewels. His plan backfires, however, but Frances, who believes him guilty, proves her love by helping him escape. In a spine-tingling climax, the real criminal is exposed. - Director:
- Alfred Hitchcock
- Cast:
- Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, Jessie Royce Landis
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Shipwrecked and adrift, Edward Parker (Richard Arlen) finds himself a guest on Dr. Moreau's (Charles Laughton)'s isolated South Seas island, but quickly discovers the horrifying nature of the doctor's work and the origin of the strange forms inhabiting the isle: a colony of wild animals reworked into humanoid form via sadistic surgical experiments. Furthermore, Parker quickly begins to fear his own part in the doctor's plans to take the unholy enterprise to a next level. - Director:
- Erle C. Kenton
- Cast:
- Charles Laughton, Bela Lugosi, Richard Arlen
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Dana Andrews stars as Mark Dixon, a corrupt cop, in this gritty noir thriller shot on the rain-slicked streets of New York. Already in trouble for his brutal methods, alienated from his colleagues, he pursues a gang leader with vindictive zeal and accidentally kills a possible murder suspect. His guilt deepens when he falls in love with the dead man's wife and her father, an innocent cab driver, finds himself accused of the murder. Dixon finds the ultimate redemption - at a price. Otto Preminger brings a welcome sympathy and complexity to every character on-screen, from the nervous police informer through to the cocky mobster, the exasperated police chief, and Dixon himself, burdened with self-hatred as the son of a thief. Joseph LaShelle's photography lends a seedy glamour to the run-down lodging houses, cheap cafe's and night-time exteriors. - Director:
- Otto Preminger
- Cast:
- Dana Andrews, Charles Tannen, Gene Tierney
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