Illegal, 1955

Edward G. Robinson stars as Victor Scott in a courtroom suspense film that has bodies dropping from beginning to end. Victor Scott is a District Attorney who knows how to get a conviction. When he convicts an innocent man, his career turns around the wrong direction. He begins a career as a defense attorney and uses every clever cell in his brain to win cases. When he gets caught up in a forced relationship with a mob boss, he has to outthink both outlaws and the current DA.

Jayne Mansfield plays Angel O’Hara, a pretty blonde who finds herself mixed up with the wrong people and becomes a key witness in a trial.

Nina Foch’s role as Ellen Miles is made of elastic for all the stretching, twisting and turning in her character’s plot path. The poor woman can’t get a date with a decent man. She carries a torch for a man she can’t have and marries a man she shouldn’t have. But of all the men in her life, she knows there is one who will never let her down.

This film shows many sides of Victor Scott, which proves Robinson’s acting is superb. I enjoyed the suspense because trouble seemed to snowball at every turn.

Angelic Reminders

Anyone who reads the beginning of the 24th chapter of the book of Luke will see frightened women listening to an angel. The angel who spoke to the women at the grave of Jesus told them something they already knew, but had forgotten. In Luke 24:6, we find the angel telling them, “He is not here; he has risen!”

Not everyone in the Bible got an angelic reminder. What will you do to make sure you remember those important messages from God?

In my devotional blog, Seek God With Me, you can find a way to keep those messages where they can be found later on when you need them again. Join me.

Wonders Never Cease by Tim Downs

What do you get when you cross a desperate publisher and an equally desperate agent with a foolish nurse who causes trouble wherever he goes?

Kemp McAvoy is about as self-centered as a person can get. He’ll stop at nothing to feed his greed. When he gets the idea to help an aging actress have an angelic visitation so he can reap the financial benefits, trouble finds him - again. Kemp gets her agent and a publisher involved to make sure his plan is successful, but he finds out there are problems with the plan.

Natalie, Kemp’s girlfriend, is having trouble understanding why her daughter is claiming that she sees angels. Can’t a little girl admit to seeing angels without getting into trouble for it? Leah didn’t think it was such an odd thing when she told about her experience in school. Then again, it was unusual, but that’s why she mentioned it. People don’t see angels every day.

Or do they?

Tim Downs shares an amazing set of characters with us in this suspenseful story of seeing things as they really are. He keeps our eyes open with expectation as Kemp, Natalie, and Leah make room for all the changes taking place in their lives.

If you’re one of the people who have heard about angels and spiritual beings but still don’t believe in the unseen, after reading Wonders Never Cease, you’ll probably be willing to.

Angelic Visitation

Almost everyone has heard about the angel who spoke to the shepherds about the birth of Jesus. A description of that angelic visitation is found in the Bible (Luke 2:8-20). The event is memorable to many people today, even people who have never read the Bible. People who don’t go to church can hear some of these Luke 2 Bible verses sung in shopping malls during the Christmas season. People who don’t go to church or shopping malls can hear these Bible verses spoken by Linus on the Charlie Brown Christmas Special which is on TV every year.

Why? Because angels are memorable. God has used them many times to bring messages that He wants remembered.

Join me for more on that angelic visitation at my devotional blog Seek God With Me.

Giant, 1956

Rock Hudson stars as Bick Benedict in this enormous, 201 minutes-long story of family. Elizabeth Taylor wins the hearts of everyone as Leslie Benedict, Bick’s wife. Carroll Baker played Elizabeth Taylor’s daughter, Luz Benedict II, even though Taylor was almost a year younger.

Giant was one of the three major movies James Dean completed in his brief career. Dean, Dennis Hopper, and Sal Mineo were cast in both Giant and Rebel Without a Cause. In Giant, Dean was Jett Rink, Bick’s nemesis. Hopper was Bick’s son, Jordy Benedict. Sal Mineo was Angel Obregon II, a memorable character from the Hispanic village.

This is a story of misplaced pride. Texans are known for their emotional connection to their state, aka Texas pride. However, Bick Benedict had a hard time of letting go of the wrong attitudes he’d grown up with.

It’s a story of arrogance. The Benedict family had always treated the Hispanic ranch workers poorly. The workers lived in a village with no doctor. When the new Mrs. Benedict found out, she was appalled. When Mr. Benedict found out she was going to do something to change the situation, he was appalled.

It’s a story of love. Bick Benedict fell in love with Leslie and brought her home to a ranch that already had become set in its ways. The new marriage had to be worked out, as all marriages do, so that both people make adjustments.

It’s a story of envy. Years of friction came to a boiling point at the end of the story. The way the relationships were shown throughout the story showed how a person can face conflict and either be ruined or come away with moral standards intact.

I loved seeing the growth of the characters. Bick was far from being two-dimensional. His children didn’t grow up to be just like him, but had minds of their own. Watching little Angel Jr grow up added a lot to the story.

Earl Holliman was cute as Bob Dace who married Bick’s daughter Judy. Jane Withers was fabulous as Vashti Snythe who was supposed to marry Bick, but became good friends with Leslie. According to IMDB.com, the enormous painting on the Benedicts’ wall found a new home in the Menger Hotel in San Antonio, Texas. The cast visited with locals during the two months of filming outside Marfa, Texas. Some of the locals got to work as extras.

Time Out

I'm taking a brief time out while I tend to my dad in the hospital. He'll be fine, but I have to take time away from what was on my schedule to be with him.

The funny thing is that while I was reading some of the hospital scenes in Tim Downs' new release, Will Wonders Never Cease, I was in the hospital with my dad. I watched the nurses to see if any of them resembled the characters in the book. They didn't.

I'll post the review soon.

A Fierce Angel

The angel who kept Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden was not a weak angel. He was not a fat baby with wings. He had a sword, and he knew how to use it. It had to be a scary sight. You never hear of Adam and Eve trying to do battle with that angel.

This month, I’m going to focus on angels. On my Seek God With Me devotional blog, you’ll find the story of the angel with the flaming sword. Over the next few weeks, look for some new testament angel sightings.

Later on this blog, I'll share a review of Tim Downs' new release, Will Wonders Never Cease, which has an angel in it.

But for now, go ahead and check out what's going on at Seek God With Me.