In the 50's & 60's, long before cable TV, channels five and nine in NYC would frequently run old black and white movies. One I do not recall having ever been broadcast is
The Breaking Point (1950), John Garfield's next to last film before he succumbed to a bad heart at 39. I watched it last night courtesy of Netflix. Directed by Michael Curtiz (
Casablanca {1942}), it is the story of a loving father, a decorated combat veteran struggling to make ends meet as the owner of a charter boat. When a client strands him without payment in Mexico, he gives in to a sleazeball middle man, played perfectly by Wallace Ford. This begins the downward spiral common to film noir. It is solid, hardboiled by the standards of the era. Only in the penultimate scene does it compromise. The last scene, which involves a supporting character is heartbreaking and chillingly reinforces the film's "man alone" theme. Phyllis Thaxter is excellent as the suffering wife. Juano Hernandez, always a noble screen presence, plays the co-worker. The great Patricia Neal plays a loose woman to the hilt.
The Breaking Point is actually a more faithful adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's novel
To Have and Have Not than the 1944 Howard Hawke's classic starring Bogie and Bacall. It was adapted by Ranald McDougall. Its supporting cast is filled with actors who were a frequent presence in prime time TV back in the day, whose faces will be familiar to baby boomers and cinephiles. In researching these stalwarts, I discovered a new leader in my unofficial tally of appearances - Jack Mower, who has an astonishing 620 titles beneath his name at IMDb - and that doesn't count the multiple appearances he made on TV series, which would bring the count in the neighborhood of 700. Many were originally listed as "uncredited," in which he is probably only in the background. To illustrate how remarkable this is, the next highest total I've discovered is Stanley Blystone's 544. Who knows - there may be an actor who has even more appearances than Mower. Here's a snapshot of him, followed by other members of the cast:
John Doucette
Victor Sen Yung (Charlie Chan #2 son and Hop Sing on
Bonanza.)
William Campbell
James Griffith
Charlie Harvath
Peter Brocco
Robert B. Williams
Sherry Jackson (Danny Thomas' elder daughter on
Make Room for Daddy.)
Chet Brandenburg (384 credits, couldn't find a snapshot.)
My thanks to the kind folks who bought, donated and swapped books today on Bay Parkway. I had a visit from Bad News Billy for the first time since before Christmas. Now here's a guy who oughtta be in pictures:
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