Destry Rides Again (1939)

This comedy turned dramatic western, starring James Stewart and Marlene Dietrich, begins in a town run by a saloon owner and inhabited by a sleazy song girl. Corruption and cheating reign supreme as the sheriff is killed and the town drunk takes his place. He turns right around and calls the son of an old friend, Tom Destry Jr., to be his deputy. Despite a comical entrance, and an abhorrence for guns this man is very different. Using his smarts and playing dumb, he is able to work for justice even though he seems to be helping the villains. He picks up the trail of the dead sheriff only to have the present sheriff shot as well. In the final unorthodox showdown, good fights bad and the womenfolk join the fray. Destry finally takes up his gun and is nearly killed, but he gets the town boss in the end. It carries another great cost however. Despite this tragic end, the film finishes on a lighter note. You will finish the film understanding that Destry knew a lot of people in his time.

4/5 Stars

Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)

This epic court drama relates the true story of the War Crime Trials after World War II. With Stanley Kramer directing, this cast is amazing. Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster, Richard Widmark, Marlene Dietrich, Montgomery Clift, Judy Garland, Werner Klemperer, and even William Shatner all play a part. However, Maximillian Schell is by far the standout because he is such an amazing defender of his country's honor throughout the entire film. He wants the Holocaust to be known and yet all the while he goes through the case with dignity even though the pressures are so great. For every intense moment the viewer is stuck in their seat and when the verdict comes it is hard to contain the emotion. This movie should be seen by all not only because it is great but it also chronicles an important event in history. Whatever happens we should never forget the events surrounding the Judgment at Nuremberg.

4.5/5 Stars

Witness for the Prosecution (1957)

Starring Charles Laughton, Tyrone Power, and Marlene Dietrich with direction by Billy Wilder, this courtroom drama follows the trial of a man accused of murder. Laughton is an English defense attorney just recovering from a heart attack. However, soon he gets so intrigued by Power's case that he agrees to defend him. Power's character Vole seems to be falsely accused for the murder of a widowed woman he hardly knew. He does have an alibi in his wife (Dietrich) but she seems to refute Vole's words and the case takes a bad turn. Through a flashback we see into their complicated past. The befuddled Laughton finally catches a break and is able to prove Dietrich is lying. He has been victorious in defending Vole but then the plot takes a cruel twist. What was reality before now seems to be completely false. Adapted from a story by Agatha Christie, this film has good characters and a brilliant climax.

4.5/5 Stars