Must See Movie...

Masterful Movie

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

In an effort to expand his casting range Universal Studios was giving Rock Hudson some unusual parts during a period when he was at the top of the box office heap in the late Fifties. In Twilight For The Gods, Rock tries but doesn't really succeed in the role of existential hero sailing on a leaky schooner with crew and passengers across the Pacific islands to Mexico. It's a part that Kirk Douglas or Robert Mitchum probably would have done better with.But not much better because Twilight For The Gods is ambiguous to the point of confusion. Some people who want to leave the South Seas like Reverend Ernest Truex, irreverent beachcomber Richard Haydn, singer Judith Evelyn and her conman manager Leif Erickson, and hooker Cyd Charisse. The only two normal ones who give Rock no problems are elderly refugees Celia Lovsky and Vladimir Sokoloff. As for the crew his first mate Arthur Kennedy is a treacherous piece of work and Charles McGraw is a mutinous dog. Only Wallace Ford is any kind of loyal and he's drunk most of the time. This tub should have sunk within sight of Tahiti.Cyd Charisse has the best reason for leaving, she's wanted by the Honolulu PD for questioning in a murder. She's got Rock's mojo going and she's the main reason he won't stop in Hawaii for repairs. This mutinous crew's case is not without merit.The film was adapted by Ernest K. Gann from his book. Gann wrote a couple of really good air story novels The High And The Mighty and Island In The Sky that served John Wayne well. There are some superficial resemblances between Twilight For The Gods and The High And The Mighty, but whereas Wayne was a real hero bringing in that damaged plane, Hudson comes off like a petulant fool as the captain.Best scene in the film is Cyd Charisse who repels Arthur Kennedy's blackmail attempts with some real put down zingers. Twilight For The Gods did nothing for Rock Hudson's career. Fortunately for him the following year would see him team with Doris Day for the first time. Hudson would have some good dramatic parts in his future as well. But Twilight For The Gods was probably a film he'd like to forget.

The Dog being swallowed up by a shark was enough to give this film a big fat zero. You don't do that ever in any movie. Good grief! So Rock Hudson plays himself, a stiff, and Cyd Charise has a difficult time not being gorgeous. So if you want to watch good old Rock play a stiff and show no acting chops, then take this film in for nothing more than to look at pretty people and see a lovely sweet dog go for drink and be drunk. The story line is lame by today or yesteryear's standards. I can't figure out why this film was made in the first place. A bomb for sure. Did this film make money? I wonder but the actors were paid and I am sure they were embarrassed just to watch themselves. Yikes to this waste of time.

Didn't find it to be that terribly bad...my question is...is this film on video tape anywhere...TNT showed it some years back and since they have changed their format, it's not been seen since...I thought Hudson being an arrogant type was a nice change, not that romantic role that he would settle into. Kennedy as usual was good but I wonder if some weren't happy with Hudson in the lead, apart from Kennedy, who would you have picked to play the role of the Captain and the mate? Hudson would be relegated to the role of hero in years to come apart from his role in "Pretty Maids in A Row" but his role in "Twilight for the Gods"? Pretty darn good.

Twilight for the Gods coul have been a good tittle for a good movie. But is just stay in a good -and incomprehensible- tittle. By another side I sorry confess I did not read author this best seller at all. May be the novel where was based the film was a excellent book but in my opinion the film is a bite long for usual spectators. May be the old sailing ship was too old and the Captain too alcoholic. Any way there are a handful of masochistic traveller gathered round this Captain who insist in travel in spite of the poor appearance. The apathetic and long hear Captain David Bell is Rock Hudson. Miss Charlotte King (an elegant, curved and glorious Cyd Charisse) is quite all right but the rest of the passage is not very interesting to do a trip by the sea with them. That is why the navigation results some long. I personally thank indeed Miss King presence with her cloudy past. The little dog is funny too. Even it likes Cyd Charisse. It means it was a really clever dog. I give 6 (but only for Cyd Charisse).