Ben Maddow

This saga of the wagon-train journey of a group of Western pioneers from Independence, Missouri, to Oregon along the historic Oregon Trail (from the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by A.B. Guthrie, Jr.) is known for its breathtaking photography of the Western expanse (by William H. Clothier). Kirk Douglas portrays a widowed senator who leads the wagon train, and Robert Mitchum plays the troubled trail scout--a man plagued by poor eyesight. The trials of the trail include Indian attacks and the inevitable human conflicts of men and women who are living in close quarters in a volatile, tense and dangerous atmosphere. Among the members of the party: a highly irascible and colorful Richard Widmark, and Sally Field in her first film role.

Myles Clarkson is a journalist and a rising young classical pianist, and is thrilled to be able to combine those pursuits in a long-sought-after interview with the legendary - and ailing - concert pianist, Duncan Ely. Clarkson is in for a nasty surprise. The elderly Ely is a closet Satanist, and performs a ritual in which his soul is transferred into Myles at the moment of his death. Now Ely can be young again, and continue to play the piano. Complications ensue when Myles' wife, Paula, notices the changes in her husband's behavior. As she struggles to learn the truth about what has happened, she is pulled into Ely's horrifying world, and is embroiled in further soul-swapping, demonic possession and terrible family secrets. When you're dancing to the Mephisto Waltz, the Devil calls the tune.

A judge teeters on the brink of insanity... a town on the edge of revolt. And only one man stands between them in this powerful western featuring two of Hollywood's greatest leading men. Glenn Ford delivers a mesmerizing performance as Owen Devereaux, a sadistic Civil War vet who continues to kill for the joy of it even after he becomes a judge. William Holden is outstanding as Del Stewart, Devereaux's marshal and ex-army pal who tries to restrain the judge's violent nature. When Devereaux's psychotic behavior forces the townspeople to take up arms against him, the former friends are pitted together against each other in a brutal conflict with fatal consequences. The suspense never falters in acclaimed director Henry Levin's tightly woven tale which delves into the devastating psychological effects of war.

This multiple award-winning drama (1960, 66 min.) takes the form of a documentary to tell the story of Judith, a newly divorced woman who moves to Los Angeles to get a fresh start. In this journey through the dark side of 1950's urban life, the camera acts as a character that follows Judith through the streets as she encounters the strange denizens of the city, ranging from trend setters to religious fanatics. All the tawdry and desperate faces of this world become a mirror for Judith's personal failures and struggles to claim her new life.