Movie Review: Santa Fe Trail (1940)

Hello everyone!
Do you know what happened on Sunday? The amazing Olivia de Havilland turned 102!!!! Isn't that incredible!? Because of her I am participating in a blogathon hosted by In the Good Old Days of Classic Hollywood and Phyllis Loves Classic Movies!

In her honor, I will be reviewing a movie (okay, that was obvious.). I watched this specially for this blogathon, and I have some mixed emotions...

Let's get to it!

My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless it says so.

Santa Fe Trail (1940):

"There is no other fort between us and Santa Fe."
Some West Point graduates get into trouble and are sent down to Kansas to help settle things so the construction of the railroad to Santa Fe can continue. One of the soldiers, Bob Holliday, is happy because that is where he is from. His sister, Kit Carson, catches the eyes of two of the soldiers who playfully see who can win her. But the abolitionist John Brown is on the move and no one is sure of what the right thing to do is.
"I've given you fair warning, you can keep your heads or lose them, as you wish."

Genre: Period Drama, Romance, Adventure, Biography.
Length: approx. 110 minutes.
Costumes: 9, nothing bad and we have some great period pieces!

My favorite is the one in the middle.

Script: 8.
'"Wait a minute, they out number us three to one!"
"If it makes you nervous, don't count them."'
Crew:
Directed by: Michael Curtiz
Produced by: Hal B. Wallis
Written by: Robert Buckner
Starring:
Errol Flynn as J. E. B. "Jeb" Stuart. "I intend to be a masked man."

Olivia de Havilland as Kit Carson Holliday.

'"I thought two years in Boston would make a lady out of you."

"So did I, it just popped out."'

Ronald Reagan as George Armstrong Custer (first Ronald Reagan movie I've seen!).
Raymond Massey as John Brown.

Van Heflin as Carl Rader.

Alan Hale as Tex Bell.
Guinn Williams as Windy Brody.
Gene Reynolds as Jason Brown.

Henry O'Neill as Cyrus K. Holliday.
William Lundigan as Bob Holliday.
Alan Baxter as Oliver Brown.
Cinematography: 7, nothing spectacular.

Cinematography by: Sol Polito
Music: 7, nothing spectacular.
Music by: Max Steiner
Notes: I am always surprised at the depth of the movies Miss de Havilland was in. You think, "Oh, just Olivia de Havilland movie." You think it will just be a light watch (At least that is what I think).
Mais no.
"God doesn't tell people to kill one another."
There is a deeper meaning, something that leaves you thinking. This movie is no different, it is deals with a really big subject. This movie is set pre-Civil War. All the characters are trying to figure how to work with the tricky subject of slavery. Some make rash actions, some mock others, some sit and think. Because we don't have slavery anymore it is hard to think that it could have been a hard decision, but this movie shows it was.
"What does pride got to do with human lives?"

Quotes: 9. "This was something a lot bigger than myself."

Storyline: 6, There is death, fighting, smoking, drinking, and slavery.
"I'll take that bet."

Overall Score: 7.



Big thank you to Crystal and Laura for hosting this! Please go check out the other entries!

MovieCritic

Movie Review: The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)

Hello All!
Do you know what happened Saturday? Olivia de Havilland turned 101! To celebrate this amazing actress, Phyl at Phyllis Loves Classic Movies and Crystal at In the Good Old Days of Classic Hollywood are hosting: The Olivia de Havilland + Errol Flynn blogathon!!

I will be reviewing my favorite movie of theirs, and the first movie I saw with them: The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938). This was the movie that got me obsessed with Olivia, Errol, and Robin Hood.

The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938):

Based on the legends of Robin Hood:
The noble Sir Robin of Locksley turns outlaw after a fight with the Sheriff of Nottingham and Guy of Gisbourne over the how people are being treated. In the forest Robin of Locksley, now Robin Hood, and a band of "Merry Men" work to convince the nobles that people ARE being treated badly and to defeat the Sheriff and Guy of Gisbourne. Meanwhile, Robin can't take his eyes off Maid Marian, a noble who hates him.

Genre: Adventure, Romance, Action.
Costumes: 10, the costumes here are so magnificent! From the Lincoln green to Maid Marian's costumes they are so lovely! I can't pick a favorite.

Script: 9, there is not anything bad that I can think of.
"Why, you speak treason!"
Crew:
Directed by: 
Michael Curtiz

William Keighley

Produced by:
Hal B. Wallis

Henry Blanke

Screenplay by:
Norman Reilly Raine

Seton I. Miller

Rowland Leigh

Starring:
Errol Flynn as Robin Hood, "You're a strange man."

Olivia de Havilland as Maid Marian

Basil Rathbone as Guy of Gisbourne
Claude Rains as Prince John

Melville Cooper as the Sheriff of Nottingham
Patric Knowles as Will Scarlett

Alan Hale, Sr. as Little John

Eugene Pallette as Friar Tuck
Herbert Mundin as Much

Una O'Connor as Bess
Montagu Love as the Bishop of the Black Canons
Ian Hunter as King Richard the Lionheart
Music: 10! Lovely!
Music by: Erich Wolfgang Korngold
Quotes: 10, "Strange? Because I feel for beaten helpless people?"
Notes: This film is my favorite Robin Hood movie ever. If you watch it make sure to watch it in color, because it will be amazing!
Storyline: 8, There is so death, and talk of abuse, but Robin Hood is here to stop that. It is a romance, so there is some kissing, but it is the movie that changed me, the most un-romantic doesn't like romances person, into someone who one of their favorite romances EVER is this movie.

Good For: Whoever watches this movie will be changed.
Overall Score: 9.5!

Thank you so much for hosting this blogathon Phyl and Crystal! Be sure to check it out HERE!

MovieCritic