Two films piqued ( word of the day ) and whetted ( word of the day part two ) my appetite for a midnight viewing on my fav channel, TCM. They are "Five Came Back:"
The soon-to-be-stranded characters are introduced quickly but in vivid little vignettes so that you have an immediate impression of who they are and their backstory. For instance, secretary Alice Melbourne (Wendy Barrie) is eloping with her employer Judson Ellis (Patric Knowles); Crimp (John Carradine), a law-enforcer, is escorting Vasquez (Joseph Calleia), a wanted murderer to justice; Peggy (Lucille Ball), a woman of questionable virtue, is running away from a sordid situation, etc. There is also a little boy on board and an elderly couple and part of the escalating tension hinges on that final moment when a select group of people get to fly to possible safety or remain behind to become souvenirs of the headhunt"
And there's "Back from Eternity:"
Back from Eternity may sound like some sort of sequel to From Here to Eternity (1953) based on its title, but John Farrow's 1956 aviation disaster thriller turned jungle survival drama (with a twist that anticipates The Flight of the Phoenix, 1965) is in fact a faithful remake of the director's own 1939 Five Came Back.
Who could resist. Certainly not the proprietor of Golden Pond!
P.S. Isn't it neat how "spell check" is loaded into everything these days. Certainly could have used this feature when I attended Rock and Roll Rowdy High! "
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