Acensbart Excellent but underrated film

Philippa All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Marva It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

Bob This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

JohnHowardReid Copyright 1 November 1952 by Paramount Pictures Corp. New York opening at the Globe: 15 November 1952. U.S. release: November 1952. U.K. release: 1 December 1952. Australian release: 21 November 1952. Sydney opening at the Prince Edward: 21 November 1952 (ran 3 weeks). 7,797 feet. 86 minutes.SYNOPSIS: John Conroy, an honest, aggressive lawyer and politician, is head of a special committee investigating organized crime in a large Midwestern city. His friend, investigative reporter Jerry McKibbon, is shocked to discover that Conroy's father, Matt, was once a policeman on the syndicate payroll; but McKibbon decides not to tell Conroy about his father. As the committee puts pressure on the syndicate chieftain, Eichelberger, the gangsters decide that Matt Conroy must be killed.NOTES: Although the film was only moderately successful in America and England, it proved to have an astonishing second wind in Australia which made it one of Paramount's top money-earners of the 1950s. The initial Sydney season at the plush Prince Edward had to be pulled for the pre-set engagement of The Greatest Show On Earth. On move-over to the downtown Lyric, a second release grind house, the film attracted such consistent turnaway business, it became Paramount's best sleeper of the decade, being constantly revived and re-circulated. Prints of the film were never idle and even the front-of-house lobby cards and posters eventually wore out. The Lyric itself re-presented the film "by popular demand" no less than seven or eight times.COMMENT: "Turning Point" is a crime drama that was totally under-rated by half-asleep professional critics (except in Australia). Written by Warren Duff and Horace McCoy, it was photographed and directed in an imaginative film noir style that made most effective use of its natural urban locations (in Los Angeles). Realistic sound is used to augment some tingling action sequences, handled with superb control of crowds and effects. In some ways, the story parallels The Enforcer (1951), but Dieterle's direction is beholden to no-one. Although it does use the real backgrounds beloved of the semi-documentary artists, this is no mere reportage approach. Dieterle has directed not only with style, polish and finesse, but at a crackling pace.Oddly, the script has many subtleties which censors didn't notice at the time (although wide-awake audiences did, which would partly account for the film's tremendous popularity, particularly in Australia): Holden staying the night in Smith's apartment, for example; but even more startlingly, the explicit identification of the crime czar (surely the most vicious ever to appear on celluloid) as Jewish (his name is Eichelberger, and he gets most of his income from usurious money-lending) and of his heroic opponent as a Gentile (at one stage our hero even pointedly asks for a ham sandwich).The principals turn in most believable and arresting performances which just manage to keep a few tenuous steps ahead of the extremely able support cast led by Tom Tully, Ed Begley and as thuggy a group of gangsters as any film noir fan could wish: Don Porter, Ted De Corsia, Neville Brand. An exceptional cameo cast includes Ralph Sanford as the Detroit contact in the pool-room, Howard Freeman, Ray Teal, Carolyn Jones and Jay Adler.

HotToastyRag The Turning Point is a landmark film in the dance movie genre. It follow two former friends and ballerinas, one—Shirley MacLaine—who chose to have a family instead of a career, and the other—Anne Bancroft—who chose the career and is weighing the consequences of what she gave up. MacLaine's daughter is also a ballerina, and as she pursues her dancing, she idolizes Bancroft rather than her own mother.The downside of this movie is the two leads. There's nothing wrong with their acting, and the famous "catfight" scene makes the entire movie worth it, but it's not very believable that either of them was ever a ballerina. MacLaine was a very good dancer in her heyday, and actually knows ballet, but the movie never showcases her skills. To anyone who doesn't know her background, her stature doesn't make her training immediately apparent. Bancroft's willowy frame is showcased in the film, but in the dance world, a ballerina approaches retirement at thirty. Bancroft's age makes the audience exercise a great deal of suspension of disbelief; she's clearly in her forties and still a much-sought-after prima ballerina? Not true in the dance world.The upside: Mikhail Baryshnikov. What a cutie pie! And while they are the minor leads of the movie, there are some beautiful dance scenes with Baryshnikov and Leslie Browne, real-life dancers. Plus, Tom Skerritt, who plays MacLaine's husband, is two tons of handsome. Lots of eye candy in this one, and lots of dancing, so if that appeals to you, rent it during your next girls' weekend!

vincentlynch-moonoi I'm not half as enamored with this film as when I first saw it back in 1977.First of all, there's too much ballet in it. I know that sounds dumb since it's a story within the world of ballet, but what's really key here is the character development. Too much ballet was almost distracting.Second, Mikhail Baryshnikov was pretty much irrelevant to the story other than as a human prop. The would have been better to hire an actor and faked the dancing with a double...pretty much as they did with Anne Bancroft. I know Baryshnikov was all the rage at the time (and rightfully so), but let's face it, film was not his forte.This film was key to Shirley MacLaine's "era of sophistication". MacLaine was pretty versatile, and I often enjoyed her breadth of acting. Not sure she was the best actress for this role, but she is believable as a mother, if not as a former ballerina.Anne Bancroft is fine here...again, as an actress, but she did no real ballet dancing. Good acting performance, however.Tom Skerritt is very believable as the father. I was particularly pleased to see Martha Scott here,,,a terribly underrated actress.The story itself is a bit obtuse. Who is the real focus of the story? The young ballerina? Not really...again, she is a prop. It's about jealousy between a prima ballerina (Bancroft) and a could have been ballerina (MacLaine). Each has given up what the other has. And thereby exists the problem here -- the story is really about the old broads, but it focuses for most of the film on the young ballerina. Of course the highlight of the film -- and one of the main reasons it got so much attention when it was released, is the fight between MacLaine and Bancroft.

treeline1 Years after she quit the ballet to marry and raise a family, Deedee (Shirley MacLaine) is reunited with her her old company and old friend/ rival Emma (Anne Bancroft). Deedee always wondered if settling down was the right decision and now that her daughter is a ballerina, the old doubts flood back.If you love ballet, this is the movie for you and if you don't love it, maybe you will after watching it. The dance scenes are simply magnificent; Leslie Browne, who plays Deedee's daughter, is a lovely dancer (though not a strong actress) and she is paired with the stunning Mikhail Baryshnikov who is charisma personified. MacLaine and Bancroft are old pros and play well off each other. The regal Bancroft doesn't actually dance but looks like a dancer and always owns the screen. MacLaine's character is whiny and at first doesn't appreciate how good her life is. The two ladies are well-matched and fun to watch; all four lead actors received Oscar nods (and the movie was nominated 11 times in total).This is a movie that will surely inspire many little ballerinas. The mix of classical ballet and sudsy soap opera is a good one. Recommended.