CINEVAULT: Classics
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Anatomy of a Murder
Semi-retired Michigan lawyer Paul Biegler (James Stewart) takes the case of Army Lt. Manion (Ben Gazzara), who murdered a local innkeeper after his wife (Lee Remick) claimed that he raped her. Over the course of an extensive trial, Biegler parries with District Attorney Lodwick (Brooks West) and out-of-town prosecutor Claude Dancer (George C. Scott) to set his client free, but his case rests on the victim's mysterious business partner (Kathryn Grant), who's hiding a dark secret.
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Oliver!
In this award-winning adaptation of the Broadway musical based on the Charles Dickens novel, 9-year-old orphan Oliver Twist (Mark Lester) falls in with a group of street-urchin pickpockets led by the Artful Dodger (Jack Wild) and masterminded by the criminal Fagin (Ron Moody). When Oliver's intended mark, Mr. Brownlow (Joseph O'Conor), takes pity on the lad and offers him a home, Fagin's henchman Bill Sikes (Oliver Reed) plots to kidnap the boy to keep him from talking.
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
When Joanna Drayton (Katharine Houghton), a free-thinking white woman, and black doctor John Prentice (Sidney Poitier) become engaged, they travel to San Francisco to meet her parents. Matt Drayton (Spencer Tracy) and his wife Christina (Katharine Hepburn) are wealthy liberals who must confront the latent racism the coming marriage arouses. Also attending the Draytons' dinner are Prentice's parents (Roy E. Glenn Sr., Beah Richards), who vehemently disapprove of the relationship.
Queen Bee
In the 1950s American South, the vicious and conniving Eva Phillips (Joan Crawford) makes the lives of those around her miserable -- especially her husband, Avery (Barry Sullivan), who resorts to heavy drinking and becomes an alcoholic. Meanwhile, when Eva discovers her sister-in-law (Betsy Palmer) is to wed her former lover (John Ireland), she really becomes nasty. Witnessing Eva's cruel exploits is Avery's cousin, Jennifer Stewart (Lucy Marlow), who can only stand by, mortified.
Rusty Leads the Way
Danny Mitchell (Ted Donaldson), a precocious 13-year-old, is intrigued by his new neighbor, a blind girl named Penny Waters (Sharyn Moffett). Danny and his dog, Rusty, befriend the girl, who soon comes under the scrutiny of the local school board. The board wants Penny to go to a state school for the disabled, sparing them the expense of accommodating her. Danny figures that he and Rusty can help Penny get a seeing-eye dog, enabling her to go to school in town with the rest of the kids.
The Howards of Virginia
When his impoverished past is uncovered, Matt Howard is promptly fired by the Peytons, a wealthy family in Williamsburg during the Revolutionary War era. Undeterred, Matt returns to court the family's daughter, Jane, and the two marry and raise a family in the Virginia backwoods, infuriating the Peytons. The birth of a crippled son results in years of tension between Matt and Jane, and, when Matt decides to join the army, Jane makes a stunning decision.
Miss Sadie Thompson
In the Pacific after the war, a U.S. Marine unit that includes Sgt. Phil O'Hara (Aldo Ray) is awaiting discharge when missionary Alfred Davidson (Jose Ferrer), physician Dr. Robert McPhail (Russell Collins) and singer Sadie Thompson (Rita Hayworth) arrive at the base. The soldiers are delighted by the spirited, friendly Sadie, and Phil falls in love with her. Davidson, however, unearths a secret in Sadie's past and, blocking her attempt to leave the island, demands that she repent.
Dead Reckoning
War heroes Rip Murdock (Humphrey Bogart) and Johnny Drake (William Prince) are sent to Washington, D.C., by train, but are not told why. During the trip, they learn they're about to receive top honors for their service. Johnny, seemingly terrified by the publicity that awaits him, jumps off the train and later turns up dead. Suspecting foul play, Rip begins digging into his pal's past. He encounters cover-ups, threats to his own life and deadly femme fatale Coral Chandler (Lizabeth Scott).
It Happened to Jane
After a shipment of fresh lobsters isn't delivered on time to Jane Osgood (Doris Day), a widowed mother of two running a failing restaurant supply business in Maine, she hires her lawyer friend George Denham (Jack Lemmon) to sue the railroad company she believes is responsible for the damages. The court case generates lots of publicity and Osgood is famous. A charismatic news reporter (Steve Forrest) takes to Osgood, but that doesn't sit well with Denham, who also has eyes for her.
The Fuller Brush Girl
Milquetoast Humphrey Briggs (Eddie Albert) and his impetuous girlfriend, Sally Elliot (Lucille Ball), are office workers at a shipping firm whose corrupt owner, Harvey Simpson (Jerome Cowan), uses his company as a front for a massive smuggling operation. When an accident causes Simpson's rich and jealous wife (Lee Patrick) to assume he's cheating on her, the lovebirds get unwillingly drawn into a murder investigation involving a stripper (Gale Robbins) and a hired killer (Fred Graham).
Under the Yum Yum Tree
Libidinous Hogan (Jack Lemmon) is a landlord who prefers to rent his rooms to attractive single females. Hogan is instantly smitten with a pretty new tenant named Robin (Carol Lynley), but realizes that he'll have to contend with Robin's boyfriend, David (Dean Jones), if he's to attain the object of his desire. He gets his opportunity when he learns that the couple's living arrangement is a pre-marital experiment to see if they would be compatible as partners when sex is out of the equation.
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
When Joanna Drayton (Katharine Houghton), a free-thinking white woman, and black doctor John Prentice (Sidney Poitier) become engaged, they travel to San Francisco to meet her parents. Matt Drayton (Spencer Tracy) and his wife Christina (Katharine Hepburn) are wealthy liberals who must confront the latent racism the coming marriage arouses. Also attending the Draytons' dinner are Prentice's parents (Roy E. Glenn Sr., Beah Richards), who vehemently disapprove of the relationship.
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
When the idealistic young Jefferson Smith (James Stewart) winds up appointed to the United States Senate, he gains the mentorship of Senator Joseph Paine (Claude Rains). However, Paine isn't as noble as his reputation would indicate, and he becomes involved in a scheme to discredit Smith, who wants to build a boys' campsite where a more lucrative project could go. Determined to stand up against Paine and his corrupt peers, Smith takes his case to the Senate floor.
Oliver!
In this award-winning adaptation of the Broadway musical based on the Charles Dickens novel, 9-year-old orphan Oliver Twist (Mark Lester) falls in with a group of street-urchin pickpockets led by the Artful Dodger (Jack Wild) and masterminded by the criminal Fagin (Ron Moody). When Oliver's intended mark, Mr. Brownlow (Joseph O'Conor), takes pity on the lad and offers him a home, Fagin's henchman Bill Sikes (Oliver Reed) plots to kidnap the boy to keep him from talking.
Hellcats of the Navy
Captain Casey Abbott (Ronald Reagan) commands an American submarine in the Pacific during World War II. When a perilous mission to retrieve a new Japanese mine for study goes awry, he's forced to abandon a likable combat diver, Wes Barton (Harry Lauter). Abbott's orders to leave a man behind appear to be justified, but his second in command, Don Landon (Arthur Franz), believes he had ulterior motives: Barton had been competing for the attention of his love interest, Helen (Nancy Davis).
Eight Iron Men
In Italy during World War II, a squad of American soldiers is scattered by sniper fire, leaving one soldier, Pvt. Small (George Cooper), trapped inside a foxhole. Pvt. Coke (Richard Kiley) reports back to camp and presses his commanding officer, Sgt. Joe Mooney (Lee Marvin), to dispatch a rescue team. But orders for the division to pull out of the area place the squad in the uncomfortable position of attempting the rescue at the risk of going against military protocol.
Bonjour tristesse
At the height of summer, 18-year-old Cécile is relaxing by the French seaside with her father and falling in love with her new boyfriend. However, the arrival of her late mother's enigmatic friend soon turns her world upside down.
The Happy Time
A large French-Canadian family suddenly expands when father Jacques (Charles Boyer) invites an out-of-work magician's assistant to be their live-in maid. At the same time, charming ladies' man Uncle Desmond (Louis Jourdan) comes back to town to replace a sales manager who has died, and subsequently begins a romance with the new maid. Jacques' son Bobby watches these interactions with confused curiosity as he makes the tough transition from boyhood to adolescence.
The Mouse That Roared
When the tiny nation of Grand Fenwick's only export, a special wine, begins to be produced in California, their entire economy collapses. Things look dire until Prime Minister Rupert Mountjoy (Peter Sellers) points out that no country that has declared war on the United States has ever gone hungry. When Field Marshall Tully Bascombe (Peter Sellers) and the 23 other men in the Grand Fenwick army invade the United States, their plan to immediately surrender unravels.
Only Angels Have Wings
Rough and tough Geoff Carter (Cary Grant) runs a tiny airline that cannot afford to miss any flights, despite the dangers along many of the routes. When Bonnie Lee (Jean Arthur), a performer who is falling for him, sees that Geoff is preparing to fly in violent weather conditions, she takes measures to make him stay. She's successful in her attempt, and two of his employees are forced to make the flight for him -- but Bonnie may have been correct about the potential peril of that flight.
Divorce American Style
Suburban couple Richard Harmon (Dick Van Dyke) and his wife, Barbara (Debbie Reynolds), have exhausted their patience in their marriage. Bored and no closer to fixing their problems through counseling, the couple opts to divorce, and the proceeding tug-of-war over children, money and possessions reveals that maintaining their marriage was far easier than ending it. Along the way are attempts for both at new relationships, with the subject of alimony playing a hidden role in matters.
It Happened One Night
In Frank Capra's acclaimed romantic comedy, spoiled heiress Ellie Andrews impetuously marries the scheming King Westley, leading her tycoon father to spirit her away on his yacht. After jumping ship, Ellie falls in with cynical newspaper reporter Peter Warne, who offers to help her reunite with her new husband in exchange for an exclusive story. But during their travels, the reporter finds himself falling for the feisty young heiress.
The Caine Mutiny
During World War II, a dilapidated vessel, the Caine, gets a new ensign, Willis Keith (Robert Francis), and a new captain, Commander Queeg (Humphrey Bogart). The crew sees Queeg's unconventional behavior as irrational, and communications officer Thomas Keefer (Fred MacMurray) spreads suspicion about his suitability as captain. When a dire situation during a storm forces the executive officer (Van Johnson) to relieve Queeg of his duties, he and Ensign Keith are tried for mutiny.
From Here to Eternity
At an Army barracks in Hawaii in the days preceding the attack on Pearl Harbor, lone-wolf soldier and boxing champion Prew Prewitt (Montgomery Clift) refuses to box, preferring to play the bugle instead. Hard-hearted Capt. Holmes (Philip Ober) subjects Prew to a grueling series of punishments while, unknown to Holmes, the gruff but fair Sgt. Warden (Burt Lancaster) engages in a clandestine affair with the captain's mistreated wife (Deborah Kerr).
Anatomy of a Murder
Semi-retired Michigan lawyer Paul Biegler (James Stewart) takes the case of Army Lt. Manion (Ben Gazzara), who murdered a local innkeeper after his wife (Lee Remick) claimed that he raped her. Over the course of an extensive trial, Biegler parries with District Attorney Lodwick (Brooks West) and out-of-town prosecutor Claude Dancer (George C. Scott) to set his client free, but his case rests on the victim's mysterious business partner (Kathryn Grant), who's hiding a dark secret.
Doctor Faustus
Frustrated with the limits of his knowledge, 16th-century scholar Dr. Faustus (Richard Burton) calls upon Lucifer (David McIntosh), offering his soul in return for 24 years of hedonism and invincibility. Offered the services of Mephistopheles (Andreas Teuber), a satanic servant, Faustus indulges all of his whims, from insulting the pope while invisible to making love to Helen of Troy (Elizabeth Taylor). As time passes, the prospect of eternal torment begins to eat away at Faustus.
Operation Mad Ball
Posted in France, Pvt. Hogan (Jack Lemmon) falls hard for Betty Bixby (Kathryn Grant), a nurse who happens to be a lieutenant, which means they are forbidden to fraternize due to their ranks. Always one to skirt the rules, Hogan, with the help of his friend Cpl. Bohun (Dick York), cooks up a scheme to throw a clandestine ball for all the soldiers and nurses. But the two have their work cut out for them when the authoritative Capt. Paul Lock (Ernie Kovacs) starts breathing down their necks.
Decameron Nights
In the 14th century, famous writer Giovanni Boccaccio (Louis Jourdan) returns to Florence, Italy, to woo beautiful noblewoman Fiametta (Joan Fontaine). Although Fiametta rejects Giovanni's attentions, he wins an audience by promising to tell her an original story. Relating a lively tale of a Spanish pirate, Giovanni then spins numerous other tales that Fiametta criticizes as mockery. After Giovanni challenges her to respond in kind, the pair flirts, trying to outdo each other in tall tales.
Boston Blackie and the Law
Reformed thief Blackie (Chester Morris) does a magic show in a women's prison, during which an inmate escapes.
The Taming of the Shrew
In this film adaptation of the classic Shakespeare play, Grumio and Hortensio both long to wed the same beautiful young woman. Unfortunately, her wealthy father will not let his daughter marry unless her hot-tempered sister, Katherina, also has a suitor. Luckily, the slovenly Petruchio is looking for an affluent woman to marry, so Grumio and Hortensio pay him to try to woo the extremely volatile Katherina.
Born Free
At a national park in Kenya, English game warden George Adamson (Bill Travers) and his wife, Joy (Virginia McKenna), care for three orphaned lion cubs. After the two larger lions are shipped off to a zoo in the Netherlands, the smallest of the three, Elsa, stays with the couple. When Elsa is blamed for causing an elephant stampede in the nearby village, head warden John Kendall (Geoffrey Keen) demands the young lion either be trained to survive in the wilds of the Serengeti or be sent to a zoo.
Don't Knock the Twist
Rock 'n' rollers (Chubby Checker, Gene Chandler, Vic Dana) put on a TV dance special.
Autumn Leaves
After lonely, middle-aged woman Millicent Weatherby (Joan Crawford) meets the vibrant and young Burt Hanson (Cliff Robertson) at a restaurant, they go out on a date. Although Millicent is wary of their age difference, she eventually marries him. Soon she is shocked to encounter Virginia (Vera Miles), Burt's ex-wife. Virginia claims that Burt is mentally unstable, which is later backed by Burt's father (Lorne Greene). Confused and scared, Millicent tries to learn the truth about her new husband.
The Lone Wolf Takes a Chance
A former jewel thief (Warren William) is accused of murder after betting the police inspector that he can stay out of trouble for 24 hours.
The Magic Carpet
When his parents, the caliph and queen, are murdered by usurper Ali (Gregory Gaye), the newborn Ramoth is delivered to the safety of his uncle, Ahkmid (William Fawcett), via a magic carpet. The adult Ramoth (John Agar) becomes masked hero the Scarlet Falcon. After tricking the reigning caliph into appointing him the royal physician, Ramoth learns of his noble birth and, with the help of faithful Razi (George Tobias) and beautiful Lida (Patricia Medina), he fights Ali and his wrathful minions.
Adam Had Four Sons
Emilie Gallatin (Ingrid Bergman) works as governess for the wealthy Stoddard clan, but she also serves as a maternal figure when mother Molly (Fay Wray) dies. After the head of the family, Adam (Warner Baxter), loses much of his fortune, he has to send his boys off to boarding school and part with Emilie, the object of his affections. Years later, Emilie reunites with Adam and his sons, but their contentment may be short-lived when the scheming Hester (Susan Hayward) marries into the family.
Theodora Goes Wild
Theodora Lynn (Irene Dunne) is secretly the author of a salacious novel written under a pen name. She must hide her identity from the residents of her small, conservative Connecticut town, who disapprove of the book. When Theodora goes to New York to visit her publisher (Thurston Hall), she meets the book's cover artist, Michael Grant (Melvyn Douglas), who tries to convince her to reveal herself as the real author. When Theodora falls for Michael, she soon finds that he has secrets of his own.
Rockin' in the Rockies
Shorty Williams (Moe Howard) is put in charge of his cousin's ranch, but he is more concerned with becoming a prospector. He comes across two drifters (Larry Fine, Curly Howard) who just got lucky at the roulette table and befriends them as possible investors. Shorty also meets singer Betty (Gladys Blake) and her partner (Mary Beth Hughes) and convinces them to stay on the ranch along with the vagrants. Unfortunately, Shorty's cousin, Rusty (Jay Kirby), returns early and isn't pleased.
Baby, the Rain Must Fall
Henry Thomas (Steve McQueen), a singer and guitarist in a rock band, is on parole for a violent crime. Henry's wife, Georgette (Lee Remick), and daughter, Margaret Rose (Kimberly Block), travel to Texas to be with him as he attempts to repair his relationships and put his life back together. Kate Dawson, his overbearing foster mother, doesn't approve of Henry's musical aspirations and uses the terms of his parole to force him to comply with her wishes.
You Can't Take It With You
Sweet-natured Alice Sycamore (Jean Arthur) falls for banker's son Tony Kirby (James Stewart). But when she invites her snooty prospective in-laws to dinner to give their blessing to the marriage, Alice's peculiar extended family -- including philosophical grandfather Martin Vanderhof (Lionel Barrymore), hapless fledgling ballerina sister Essie (Ann Miller) and fireworks enthusiast father, Paul (Samuel S. Hinds) -- might be too eccentric for the staid Kirbys.
Cover Girl
John Coudair (Otto Kruger) was wounded long ago when his fiancée called off their engagement, and when he spots the woman's granddaughter, comely stage performer Rusty Parker (Rita Hayworth), he's reminded of what he lost. A publishing mogul, he decides to put the naive young beauty on the cover of his magazine. Although he might lose her, Rusty's boyfriend, Danny McGuire (Gene Kelly), refuses to interfere with her path to success. Ultimately, she must decide between riches and romance.
Holiday
Johnny (Cary Grant) seems like a solid match for Julia (Doris Nolan), the socialite daughter of Edward Seton (Henry Kolker). Assured that Johnny is a worthy suitor, Edward approves of the pairing. But, as Johnny's wanderlust surfaces -- he is more interested in traveling than in business -- Edward starts to have doubts. Johnny also begins to wonder if he might not be a better match for Linda (Katharine Hepburn), Julia's outspoken younger sister, with whom he has much more in common.
Drive a Crooked Road
Eddie Shannon (Mickey Rooney) is a guileless Los Angeles auto mechanic with dreams of one day racing in European car meets. Eddie encounters fetching Barbara Mathews (Dianne Foster) and, much to his surprise and delight, she agrees to date him. But Barbara's true intentions are revealed when she introduces Eddie to her associates -- Steve Norris (Kevin McCarthy) and Harold Baker (Jack Kelly) -- who, as it turns out, need a getaway driver for a planned bank heist.
His Girl Friday
When hard-charging New York newspaper editor Walter Burns discovers that his ex-wife, investigative reporter Hildy Johnson, has gotten engaged to milquetoast insurance agent Bruce Baldwin, he unsuccessfully tries to lure her away from tame domestic life with a story about the impending execution of convicted murderer Earl Williams. But when Hildy discovers Williams may be innocent, her reporter instincts take over.
Meet the Stewarts
Newlyweds (William Holden, Frances Dee) split up because the bride cannot stick to the bridegroom's budget.
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
When the idealistic young Jefferson Smith (James Stewart) winds up appointed to the United States Senate, he gains the mentorship of Senator Joseph Paine (Claude Rains). However, Paine isn't as noble as his reputation would indicate, and he becomes involved in a scheme to discredit Smith, who wants to build a boys' campsite where a more lucrative project could go. Determined to stand up against Paine and his corrupt peers, Smith takes his case to the Senate floor.
You Belong to Me
Rich playboy Peter Kirk (Henry Fonda) crashes into Dr. Helen Hunt (Barbara Stanwyck) on a ski slope and overplays his injuries so she will continue her medical attention. He declares his love, and, although Helen insists that her career will always come first, the two get married. Soon, Peter is consumed by jealous suspicions of his wife's male patients and embarrasses Helen several times. Fearful of driving her away, Peter launches into character-changing behavior to prove his love.