One-Eyed Jacks (1961): Marlon Brando's Directorial Debut

I had hopes to watch more Marlon Brando movies, but only two were legally available that I haven't seen yet.  However, I can appreciate the symmetry of watching his first ever movie and his first ever directorial movie.  (He only directed one movie)  One-Eyed Jacks is about a criminal outlaw in Mexico who is betrayed by his partner.  He goes to jail while his partner becomes a respected sheriff of a town in California.

Perhaps the most curious thing about this movie is that it was originally slated to be directed by Stanley Kubrick and to be written by Sam Peckinpah.  It's hard to know how good Peckinpah was as a writer, because his credits include TV episodes and combined efforts on movies he directed (Which could have easily been very minimal contribution).  As a director, I haven't seen any of his movies, but he has a fairly solid list of films.  I would be interested in seeing this directed by Kubrick - and I say that as someone who has been severely underwhelmed by the majority of his movies.

Anyway, One-Eyed Jacks is a solid Western, if a bit long.  My problem was that almost all of the action occurs in the first half hour.  In that half hour, the entire premise is set and the only thing left to do is for Brando to get revenge on Karl Malden's character.  He meets him about 20 minutes later and then there's still an hour and a half of movie left.  I have no idea how Brando's original cut for this movie was FIVE hours long.

The other problem was that the central love story, between Rio (Brando) and Louisa is entirely unconvincing.  I think it was Brando's fault, because while he nailed the tough exterior shell of a person, I didn't really buy that this woman changed him.  Most of the problem is that they knew each other for like a couple days.

This has a strong supporting cast.  I surprisingly liked Karl Malden in this more than Brando.  Slim Pickens is memorable in a somewhat minor part.  Katy Jurado doesn't get a whole lot to do, but she's effective as Malden's wife.  And Iiked Larry Duran as Chico, Rio's partner.  This movie makes me think Brando would have been a good director if he had made more or if he was willing to cut more scenes.

3/4 Stars

The Men (1950): Marlon Brando's Screen Debut

For this week, I will be taking a break from television to watch 10 movies, picked out because of a particular actor, director, or both.  I picked the movies purely off their availability.  Marlon Brando was one of the actors I wanted to watch over the week, and unfortunately only two of his films that I haven't seen are on streaming services (legal ones that is).

Marlon Brando began his career on the stage and it didn't take long for him to establish himself as a star.  At 23-years-old in 1947, he began a three-year run on Broadway as Stanley in a Streetcar Named Desire.  Thus, that's why he was able to become a lead actor in his film screen debut, The Men.

The Men is a brutal look into the lives of paraplegic World War II veterans.  It's specifically about Ken, played by Marlon Brando, who purposefully avoids his love Ellen, because he knows he'd be too much of a burden.  As you'd expect, the movie is about him gradually coming to terms with allowing himself to be with her, although it deviates enough from what you'd expect to keep it interesting.

For a lesser-known film, this is a pretty fantastic cast.  Teresa Wright, most-known for Shadow of a Doubt and The Best Years of Our Lives, is convincing enough as the love interest.  Wright's given a tough role, because her character is ill-defined.  She has no definable traits outside of wanting to get back together with Ken. 

The veterans and the main doctor treating them are more successful.  Everett Sloane is perhaps the most impressive as Doctor Brock, a man who doesn't want to give the veterans any hope of walking, but does want them to lead as productive lives as they can in a wheelchair.  Jack Webb, who one year later who star in Dragnet,* plays Norm, an extremely smart guy who nonetheless has a weak spot with woman.  Richard Erdman, most known now for Leonard on Community, plays Leo, who seems to have a quip about everything and is only slightly intolerable.  And surprisingly, there's Arthur Jurado playing Angel, and this is the only role he's ever played, but he's quite good as the hard-working yet doomed patient.

*Interesting fact: Jack Weeb not only starred in both incarnations of the series, but himself directed 179 episodes himself.  I can't imagine that happening nowadays and I still don't really understand how people can direct something if they are the main character in it.

The Men is a good first movie for any actor, but it's a short movie and somehow feels like it could even be even shorter.  Too much of the dialogue simply repeats things we already know and scenes with Brando talking about how he didn't want to see Wright's character quickly got repetitive.  I still think it's a good movie for its spotlight on a group of people who still are underrepresented in media, but the film could have done more with it.

3/4 stars