HELLFIGHTERS (1968)

Co-star Katharine Ross might have called HELLFIGHTERS "...the biggest piece of crap I've ever done!" and James Coburn might have once called director Andrew V. McLaglen a "hack", but I thought HELLFIGHTERS was entertaining enough.

John Wayne and Jim Hutton are the two Big Kahuna's at an oil well firefighting outfit. They come across as so rugged and tough that you're almost lead to believe that they just drop their pants, saunter out to the raging inferno and club it to death with their giant raging peckers, but no they have to use actual tools like tractors, high-pressure water cannons and nitroglycerin (to displace the oxygen feeding the fire). The firefighting scenes are exciting and the fires themselves are huge, but the funniest part of the movie is the women in their lives. Wayne's wife, well, ex-wife left him years ago (even though she's still in love with him) because she was just too goddamn scared that Wayne was going to get killed.  Haha. And as fate would have it Jim marries Wayne's daughter! So now for the rest of the movie both women sit on the sidelines and worry nonstop about these two firefighting superstuds they're in love with. I found this to be hilarious.

Sexist subplot aside the firefighting scenes were dramatic, well shot and educational (I had no idea how they put out oil well fires). Worth a watch...as long as you have a sense of humor. I would actually like to see a more realistic and grittier remake of this film.

Fun Fact: McLaglen went on to direct the legendary bad movie MITCHELL that was immortalized for all time by MST3K. "Baby oil?! NO!!!!"

Good grief.

LOVE AFFAIR (1939)

An international playboy, Michel, is traveling by liner across the Atlantic to be with his new fiancee who happens to be an heiress. By accident he meets an American woman, Terry, who herself is traveling alone to be with her wealthy fiancee. They talk and despite their resistance, it becomes very apparent that they are made for each other. A nice, simple romance ensues, but once they get to America they agree to part for six months and if they still want to be with each other then they meet at the observation deck of the Empire State Building at an appointed time.

Both Michel and Terry break off their engagements and work extra hard to build up some money. The fateful day comes and as Terry is walking up to the building she's struck by a car and her legs all fucked up. Now she's confined to a wheelchair and too embarrassed to talk to Michel, but Michel doesn't know any of this and he believes that she simply didn't want to see him. He's heartbroken.

I wasn't crazy about this movie. It's too sentimental for my tastes, plus it's very dated. I am a fan of both Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer, so I did enjoy it, but I'll never watch it ever again. The most positive thing I say about it is Irene Dunne was absolutely beautiful, especially during the final scene. Worth watching, but just barely.

Remade in 1957 as AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr.