Raymond Bailey

From the Terrace -- An ambitious young executive chooses a loveless marriage and an unfulfilling personal life in exchange for a successful Wall Street career.

James Cagney stars as war hero Admiral William F. "Bull" Halsey in this classic directed by Robert Montgomery. On the verge of retirement, Halsey recalls his most fateful wartime experience: his five-week showdown between himself and Japanese Admiral Yamamoto in 1942. In command of the American naval forces in the Pacific, Halsey scores a crucial, tide-turning victory at Guadalcanal. In concentrating on the participants rather than the battle itself, The Gallant Hours is a character study of a remarkable American.

The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing is the true story of Evelyn Nesbit Shaw, a beautiful showgirl caught in a love triangle with elderly architect Stanford White and eccentric young millionaire Harry K. Thaw. Mr. White buys Evelyn an incredible apartment, but insists that she perform for him on a red velvet swing he has fashioned in the living room. As Evelyn swings above the salivating White, Harry K. Thaw is across town pining for her. Eventually Thaw and Evelyn marry, but he makes her life miserable with his jealousy. White continues to pursue Evelyn romantically, and Thaw becomes enraged. During Evelyn's performance, a jealous husband confronts a philandering playboy on the roof of Madison Square Garden. The result changes Evelyn's life forever.

Echoes of "Gone With The Wind" are heard in this lavish all-star production, particularly in the performance of Clark Gable and the lush melodies of Max Steiner (who wrote the score for GWTW). Noted director Raoul Walsh ("White Heat," "High Sierra") captures the epic sweep of the novel by Robert Penn Warren ("All the King's Men") and tells a dramatic tale of the Civil War South, as love and war collide. Sidney Poiter stars as an educated slave.