Watch The Turning Point For Free

Touches You

An Exercise In Nonsense

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

Copyright 1 November 1952 by Paramount Pictures Corp. New York opening at the Globe: 15 November 1952. U.S. release: November 1952. U.K. release: 1 December 1952. Australian release: 21 November 1952. Sydney opening at the Prince Edward: 21 November 1952 (ran 3 weeks). 7,797 feet. 86 minutes.SYNOPSIS: John Conroy, an honest, aggressive lawyer and politician, is head of a special committee investigating organized crime in a large Midwestern city. His friend, investigative reporter Jerry McKibbon, is shocked to discover that Conroy's father, Matt, was once a policeman on the syndicate payroll; but McKibbon decides not to tell Conroy about his father. As the committee puts pressure on the syndicate chieftain, Eichelberger, the gangsters decide that Matt Conroy must be killed.NOTES: Although the film was only moderately successful in America and England, it proved to have an astonishing second wind in Australia which made it one of Paramount's top money-earners of the 1950s. The initial Sydney season at the plush Prince Edward had to be pulled for the pre-set engagement of The Greatest Show On Earth. On move-over to the downtown Lyric, a second release grind house, the film attracted such consistent turnaway business, it became Paramount's best sleeper of the decade, being constantly revived and re-circulated. Prints of the film were never idle and even the front-of-house lobby cards and posters eventually wore out. The Lyric itself re-presented the film "by popular demand" no less than seven or eight times.COMMENT: "Turning Point" is a crime drama that was totally under-rated by half-asleep professional critics (except in Australia). Written by Warren Duff and Horace McCoy, it was photographed and directed in an imaginative film noir style that made most effective use of its natural urban locations (in Los Angeles). Realistic sound is used to augment some tingling action sequences, handled with superb control of crowds and effects. In some ways, the story parallels The Enforcer (1951), but Dieterle's direction is beholden to no-one. Although it does use the real backgrounds beloved of the semi-documentary artists, this is no mere reportage approach. Dieterle has directed not only with style, polish and finesse, but at a crackling pace.Oddly, the script has many subtleties which censors didn't notice at the time (although wide-awake audiences did, which would partly account for the film's tremendous popularity, particularly in Australia): Holden staying the night in Smith's apartment, for example; but even more startlingly, the explicit identification of the crime czar (surely the most vicious ever to appear on celluloid) as Jewish (his name is Eichelberger, and he gets most of his income from usurious money-lending) and of his heroic opponent as a Gentile (at one stage our hero even pointedly asks for a ham sandwich).The principals turn in most believable and arresting performances which just manage to keep a few tenuous steps ahead of the extremely able support cast led by Tom Tully, Ed Begley and as thuggy a group of gangsters as any film noir fan could wish: Don Porter, Ted De Corsia, Neville Brand. An exceptional cameo cast includes Ralph Sanford as the Detroit contact in the pool-room, Howard Freeman, Ray Teal, Carolyn Jones and Jay Adler.

I really like this movie, it has a fine cast and the stories are woven together very nicely. I was busy raising a family when this was in theaters in the late 1970s, but now was able to watch it on Netflix streaming movies.It is a story about dancers and families in ballet. It seems its whole inspiration came from the family of one of the cast members, Leslie Browne, whose family are all dancers and Ross, the director, is in real life her godfather. Nonetheless she is perfect for the role, young, beautiful, and a fine ballerina.The leads are veterans Anne Bancroft as 40-something Emma who is still a featured ballerina, even though she is probably past the years where she should be performing, and her old friend Shirley MacLaine as Deedee, who was a competitor of Emma's those 20-odd years ago, and who chose to leave ballet and be a wife and mother.In fact her daughter is teen dancer Leslie Browne as Emilia, showing so much promise that part of the family moves to NYC and stays in a small apartment inside Carnegie Hall for the summer so that Emilia can study. There she is noticed and appears destined for the career that her mother was never able to realize.Another dancer is 20-something Mikhail Baryshnikov as Yuri, one of the dancers in the company. He and Emilia dance together and also romance each other. Reliable Tom Skerritt is Deedee's husband, Emilia's dad, also a former dancer. The dancing is great because real ballet dancers are used. This is an old-fashioned drama, and it was nominated for several awards. The old friends have old issues to settle, the young dancers have to decide what their career choices will be. Good movie!

I absolutely love this movie! There are some slow parts, but the decision to dance or to have a "normal" life is such a difficult one, and does take its toll on those who face it.Seeing a very young Baryshnikov is a thrill - and Leslie Browne is lovely as Amelia (not the best actress, but very good at portraying a vulnerable young lady and is an excellent dancer). My favorite part is the "dancing drunk" section... very funny...! MacLaine and Bancroft make this a real treat, too - especially the final slapping scene on the terrace of Lincoln Center...If you love ballet, or even the stage, and have ever faced the "fork in the road", you'll love this movie. Even if you haven't, it's a very entertaining ride featuring some of the greatest ballet stars of the time (the 70s).Great!

Winner Best Picture and Director Golden Globe and 11 Academy Award nominations is a tip. From a real-life story of primary star Leslie Browne (longtime of the ABT) the film follows Emilia's adoption into the company of ballet stars from a family of dancers who retired to have her. Shirley Maclaine's Best movie. Anne Bancroft is unbelievable as a ballet dancer not ready to give up the limelight but ready to steal her friend's thunder as the enabler of a great ballet career for Emilia. This a great movie. Watch for some great choreography by all the big names, plus the great plus Alvin Ailey, and a shop window of ballet greats. Baryshnikov in his prime, Martins and Merrill on the side, Great editing, cinematography, the whole shebang.