Political pundits have been saying that Hillary Clinton's well-known penchant to spin the worst possible news into a virtual triumph reached absurb proproportions this week following the Senator's drubbing in the North Carolina primary and her razor-thin victory in Indiana - results that will almost certainly doom her presidential aspirations. In the wake of the devastating outcome, Clinton gave an upbeat speech that reminded me of the naive young reporter from the year 1865 who said, "Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, did you enjoy the play?" Now Huffington Post columnist Seth Greenland compares Senator Clinton's perpetually rosy outloow to the Black Knight in a famous sequence from Monty Python and the Holy Grail in which the stalwart defender of the realm loses his limbs in a fierce duel, only to assess the situation as a draw. Click here for the article and relevant film clip.-Lee Pfeiffer

Where have you gone, John Wayne?

Today's action hero is less the Duke than the dork - Seth Rogen will be playing The Green Hornet.

If you're tired of today's touch-feely action hero who is in touch with his sensitive side, you can count writer Kevin Williamson as a soul mate. The columnist for Canada's London Free Press gripes that he's sick of seeing watered down men of action and pines for the days when macho men were omnipresent forces on theater screens - and yes, he shares Cinema Retro's skepticism that pudgy Seth Rogen is the most qualified actor in the world to play The Green Hornet! To read the article click here

It's the Moose Murders of the new millenium - that rarest of Broadway shows that is destined to live in history for all the wrong reasons. Glory Days, a musical about the problems of today's twenty-somethings, opened and closed on the same evening. Despite this scenario having become a cliche in films about Broadway, it's a true rarity to find a major production that actually closes on opening night. Glory Days was not an off-off-Broadway effort staged in a Soho loft. Rather, it was backed by a $2.5 million budget and had grinded its way through 17 preview performances after having received encouraging notices in during its initial run in Virginia. We don't relish reporting these types of occurrences as it brings heartbreak to hard-working actors and behind-the-scenes talent. Still, one has to wonder how the producers were so off base that they went ahead with a formal opening.Unless the seventeen previews had been packed with friends and relatives of the cast and crew, one has to speculate as to why the losses weren't cut early. They would have earned larger grosses by selling old 45's of Bruce Springsteen's Glory Days in the lobby. To read more click here

We've intercepted this Top Secret memo that divulges inside information about the recent VIP opening of For Your Eyes Only, the new Ian Fleming exhibition taking place at the Imperial War Museum, London. Read it, then forget you ever saw the memo....

To: M

From: Head of R, GCHQ

Subject: Former SMERSH sleeper agent, code-name Deep Sleep Six (Real name: Krassno Granitskiovich. Aliases: Red Grant, Jr., Captain Norwood Nash)

Documentation: E-mail intercept, sent to G, head of SMERSH Veterans’ Association

Greetings Comrade G,

Following instructions, attended opening of special exhibition, ‘For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming and James Bond’, at Imperial War Museum, London, 16 April, 2008, having neutralised and taken the place of reporter of nostalgic-revisionist organ ‘Cinema Retro’, using silicone mask provided by Otdyel II. Met at museum (dedicated to past glories of British imperialist war-mongers) by the American, Pfeiffer, and the Briton, Worrall, capitalist running-dogs and editors of aforementioned ‘Cinema Retro’. Enemy failed to penetrate disguise.

Photo copyright Mark Mawston. All rights reserved.

Event began with Bollinger champagne reception (not Dom Pérignon, as favoured by British assassin and enemy of the Russian and former Soviet peoples, James Bond). Speech of welcome given by Air Chief Marshal Sir Peter Squire, GCB, DFC, AFC, DSc, FRAeS, Chairman of the Trustees of the Imperial War Museum. Follow-up speech by the Right Honourable Margaret Hodge, Minister of State for Culture, Media, and Sport. Official opening speech delivered by Miss Honor Blackman, actress responsible for impersonating Pussy Galore, former associate of deceased agent, Auric Goldfinger.

Exhibition dedicated to life of Ian Fleming, fascist hyena and biographer of the killer Bond, on pretext of centenary of birth (see conclusion below). Items of interest include: bourgeois dinner-jacket and bow tie belonging to the author; desk and Remington Remette typewriter from Goldeneye, the author’s colonial-imperialist home in Jamaica; copy of ‘Checklist of Birds of the West Indies’ (1947) by James Bond (a transparent attempt to confuse real-life assassin with local ornithologist); a recipe for scrambled eggs, headed “Scrambled Eggs Never Let You Down” (copy forwarded for deciphering); book entitled ‘Sea Fauna or The Finny Tribe of Golden Eye’, with notes and illustrations by Fleming; and manuscript of propaganda work, ‘Casino Royale’, detailing the regrettable failure of SMERSH operative, Le Chiffre.

Fleming's desk - where James Bond novels came to life. (Photo copyright Mark Mawston. All rights reserved.)

These items followed by various family portraits and mementos, including letters from enemy of the Revolution, Winston Churchill; Christmas stockings large enough to clothe an entire village of peasants; various sporting trophies from Eton, the so-called public school (and breeding ground of reactionary imperialist swine); and various documents pertaining to the class enemy Fleming’s time spent as a “journalist” (a remarkably transparent cover) in Moscow, including a denied request for an interview signed by our late, Great and Glorious Leader, the much-loved Chairman Stalin himself! (Overcome with emotion, I found myself singing the Internationale – until I noticed the American Pfeiffer looking at me suspiciously. Strongly suspect this Pfeiffer may be none other than the Yankee pig-dog Felix Leiter, lackey of the CIA and cohort of Bond.)

The next exhibits are dedicated to the fantasist Fleming’s secret service in the Naval Intelligence Division during the Great Struggle against the forces of National Socialism. These include the coat worn by Fleming during his observation of the Dieppe Raid in 1942, a courier’s passport allowing him passage from Madrid to Gibraltar; various documents pertaining to his work with Rear Admiral Godfrey, the Director of Naval Intelligence, and the clandestine activities of 30 Assault Unit, overseen by Fleming, as well as information on the German V1 and V2 flying bombs, allegedly the forerunners of former Soviet agent Drax’s Moonraker rocket. A manuscript of fictional ‘Moonraker’, with original title, ‘Mondays Are Hell’, crossed out and replaced by the words “The Moonraker”, is also displayed.

The post-Struggle section of the exhibition includes a Mercury News map of the world showing the location of various journalists (and spies, as we well know) employed by the Sunday Times newspaper, of which Fleming was the foreign news manager, along with various souvenir items from the author’s effete and luxurious travels for a series of articles (and later book), ‘Thrilling Cities’. This is followed by a most interesting item – a portrait of the killer, Bond, commissioned by Fleming circa 1957, incontestable proof that the assassin known as 007 really exists and was not just a figment of the lap-dog Fleming’s decadent day-dreams (as the British establishment, with inexplicable perversity, would have the masses believe). After all, even a degenerate bourgeois like Fleming would not commission a portrait of a non-existent character! There is also a cup, in the shape of a chamber pot, presented by Fleming to the Old Etonian Golfing Society – a typical example of British public school humour. This is followed by a case containing first editions of Fleming’s glorification of the murderous functionary, Bond, and original art-work for the books by the illustrator, Richard Chopping.

An extensive display of Bond books.(Photo copyright Mark Mawston. All rights reserved.)

The positive early buzz on Speed Racer has been offset by the latest reviews, most of which are mildly to intensely negative. USA Today gives the pic 1 1/2 stars and complains that it's length - 2 hours and 15 minutes - is absurd for a movie based on a cartoon. We agree...running times like that should be reserved for cartoons with the gravitas of Yogi Bear. For more click here

(Artwork by Jeff Marshall. Copyright Daleon Enterprises. All rights reserved.)

Sir Roger Moore has confirmed he will be the guest of honor at a Pinewood Studios reunion of cast and crew of his favorite James Bond movie, The Spy Who Loved Me. The event will be organized by Cinema Retro's own Gareth Owen and his partner Andy Boyle, who run www.bondstars.com. Owen and Boyle recently staged the acclaimed Goldfinger reunion at Pinewood at which director Guy Hamilton was presented with The Retro Lifetime Achivement award on behalf of Cinema Retro by actress Honor Blackman. The Spy Who Loved Me event will take place on Sunday, October 19 and will be an all day affair with studio tours, panel discussions, interviews and a dinner honoring Sir Roger.

Please note: because this event is relegated to a relatively small number of attendees, Bondstars.com will be allocating tickets on a lottery basis. In order to be entered in the lottery, you must submit your registration form by June 7.

For the registration form and full details, click here.

The Cinema of Terrence Malick—Poetic Visions of America. (Second Edition) Edited

by Hannah Patterson. (Wallflower Press, 2007.)

The Cinema of Krzysztof Kieslowski—Variations on Destiny and Chance. Edited by

Marek Haltof. (Wallflower Press, 2004.)

Wallflower Press publishes several lines of film books. Represented here are two examples of their “Directors’ Cuts”—a series devoted to the works of individual directors. Both are similar in structure and degree of academic and scholarly study. These are not picture-books or “Films Of” books. They are intended for the serious student of film theory and history.

Perhaps no other filmmaker other than Stanley Kubrick has elicited more mystique than Terrence Malick. He made two critically-acclaimed poetic dramas in the seventies (Badlands and Days of Heaven) and then “disappeared” for twenty years before re-emerging on the Hollywood scene with The Thin Red Line in the late nineties. One more film (The New World) appeared in 2005. His work eschews traditional narrative, is visually beautiful, and emphasizes mood and emotions over character development. Editor Patterson has collected a number of essays written by film academicians and critics that dissect Malick’s four films. Dry stuff, but it’s a worthy companion for anyone wanting more out of the director’s pictures.

Polish director Kieslowski had been working behind the Iron Curtain for two decades and was relatively unknown in the West until the late eighties. With such penetrating examinations of “everyday life” as The Double Life of Veronique, The Decalogue, and the superb Three Colors Trilogy (Blue; White; Red), Kieslowski presented us with dramatic puzzles about fate and its effect on the human condition. Once again, editor Haltof has gathered a collection of essays by prominent international critics, authors, and academicians that attempt to make sense of films that are not instantly accessible. Of particular interest are the discussions of the director’s earlier, little-seen works such as The Scar and Blind Chance. Recommended.- Raymond Benson

Click here to order The Cinema of Terrence Malick

Click here to order The Cinema of Krzysztof Kieslowski

Although the filmmakers have done a great job of keeping the plot details of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull under wraps, there have been plenty of clues that George Lucas wants to bring the legendary explorer into the realm of science fiction. In a new interview, he admits this did not sit well with director Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford. Part of the long delay in getting the film into production was entailed reaching the compromises necessary to keep everyone happy. In the end, Lucas gave some ground, conceding the concept is no longer as "wacky" as he wanted it to be. However, the sci-fi elements seem to remain in the script as the film takes place in the Roswell, New Mexico area where U.F.O. enthusiasts have long believed the U.S. goverment has covered up evidence of an alien space ship crash. The concept has some fans nervous, as Indy has always kept his adventures primarily in the real world. For more click here

Tom Cruise seems to have successfully buried the hatchet with Viacom chief Sumner Redstone, the man who fired him after Mission: Impossible III underperformed at the box-office. Redstone was also said to have been fed up with Cruise's antics on the talk show circuit that saw him jumping on Oprah Winfrey's couch and espousing the alleged benefits of Scientology. Cruise took over control of United Artists with his partner Paula Wagner since leaving Paramount, but thus far has had a streak of bad luck. The team's initial release through the studio, last year's anti-Iraq War movie Lions for Lambs was a notorious flop. His follow-up feature, the WWII thriller Valkyrie about the 1944 plot by German generals to assasinate Hitler, has had its released postponed three times and in still in production. Cruise recently met with Redstone for lunch and industry pundits speculated he was eager to revive the Mission: Impossible franchise. Redstone has given the project his blessing with one major caveat: he is leaving the viability of the film, along with deciding whether Cruise would be cast again, to Paramount Pictures chief Brad Grey. For more click here

Steve McQueen and Robert Vaughn: memorable antagonists in Peter Yates' "Bullitt"

If you wonder why we at Cinema Retro seem stuck in the past when it comes to movies, just consider the following. In the year 1968, the following films were released: The Lion in Winter, The Producers, 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Odd Couple, Faces, Rosemary's Baby, Romeo and Juliet, Oliver!, Bullitt, Planet of the Apes and Funny Girl, to name but a few. What year in recent memory spawned anything like this memorable selection of films? The Los Angeles Times has a photo gallery tribute to the great movies of 1968. Click here to view

The original 1965 Corgi James Bond Aston Martin DB5 was gold-plated and now sells for over $2,000 in excellent condition.

For many decades, Corgi, the legendary British toy company,  has been producing officially licensed, high quality vehicles based on popular movies and TV shows. Business in the licensing area boomed in the 1960s when the company released highly detailed toy cars based on such hits as Batman, The Monkees, The Green Hornet and The Man From U.N.C.L.E. The company also maintains what is believed to be the longest running consecutive toy license ever, pertaining to its enormously successful line of James Bond vehicles. (Their original 1965 edition of the Goldfinger Aston Martin DB5 sold a staggering four million units and countless millions in reissue formats over the decades.) However, in recent years, Corgi's finances have been damaged. In the last few years, sales have plummeted by 2/3 leading to fears the much-beloved company would go out of business. Now, however, the British-based Hornby company, which specialized in toy trains, has ridden to the rescue and purchased Corgi with the intention of renovating its tired toy line and expanding into other merchandise.  For more click here

Intrada has released a limited edition (1500) CD of composer Jerry Fielding's score for director Michael Winner's 1972 Gothic chiller The Nightcomers, a prequel to Henry James' classic ghost story The Turn of the Screw. Marlon Brando and Stephanie Beacham starred in the atmospheric film that raised eyebrows for its provocative sexual content. Here is the description of the CD from the Screen Archives Entertainment site:

World premiere of complete original soundtrack from intense Michael Winner prequel to Henry James' "Turn of the Screw", starring Marlon Brando. Jerry Fielding makes rare foray into horror genre, spotlights dynamic contrast between pastoral exterior of tale, violent interior. Elegant brass & woodwinds assist in former, strings are heart of latter. Fielding balances accessible harmonies for gentle scenes with dark, cerebral ones for perverse behaviors, violence, then finally turns score inside out with cold, atonal finish playing in total opposition to prim & proper beginning. Brilliant! Intrada CD presents entire score in sequence from original stereo session masters in superb condition. Authoritative notes from Nick Redman, dramatic graphics from Joe Sikoryak complete package. Jerry Fielding conducts. Special Collection release limited to 1500 copies! - Douglass Fake, Intrada producer

1. 1M1 Main Title 2:45
2. 1M2 The Smoking Frog 2:08
3. 2M2 Bedtime at Blye House 3:03
4. 3M1 New Clothes for Quint 0:36
5. 3M2 The Children’s Hour 1:22
6. 3M3 Pas De Deux 1:26
7. 3M4A Like a Chicken on a Spit 0:57
8. 4M1 All That Pain 0:59
9. 5M1/6M1 Summer Rowing 2:04
10. 6M2 Quint Has a Kite 1:01
11. 6M3 Act Two Prelude: Myles in the Air 0:55
12. 6M4 Upside Down Turtle 1:36
13. 7M1 An Arrow for Mrs. Grose 0:32
14. 7M2 Flora and Miss Jessel 1:12
15. 7M4 Tea in the Tree 1:02
16. 7M5 The Flower Bath 2:22
17. 8M1 Pig Sty 1:38
18. 9M1 Moving Day 0:55
19. 9M2 The Big Swim 3:32
20. 9M4/10M1 Through the Looking Glass 2:42
21. 10M2 Burning Dolls 2:07
22. 10M3/10M4 Exit Peter Quint, Enter the New Governess; Recapitulation and Postlude 2:01

Total Score Time = 37:53

23. 6M5 Pub Piano 2:13

TO ORDER FROM SCREEN ARCHIVES CLICK HERE

(For an extensive interview with director Michael Winner about the making of The Nightcomers, see Cinema Retro issue #2 in our back issues section.)

Last Tango in Paris fans had butter watch out if a new law goes into effect in the U.K. The infamous sodomy scene, though between consenting adults, might now be in violation of the law.

Will watching Last Tango in Paris in your own home end up earning you a criminal record? This might be an extreme case, but a new law set to go into effect in Great Britain has civil libertarians very concerned. The law was passed, as many are, with the best of intentions at the urging of a grieving mother whose daughter had been abused and killed by a pervert who had a penchant for frequenting web sites dedicated to rape and torture. The concern is that the new law is so vague in defining when certain pornography becomes illegal that it may criminalize consenting adults who enjoy watching kinky porn. Opponents say that it sets a chilling precedent that will force the government to intrude on people's sex lives and criminalize certain behavior. Such legal actions are not without precedence. In the 1950s, Senator Kefauver successfully blamed comic books for the increase in juvenile delinquency in the USA and put the famed E.C. line of horror comics such as Tales from the Crypt out of business. Guess what? There had been no impact on social behavior of kids. It's unquestionable that certain types of media influence some disturbed people to commit crimes. However, where one draws the line in legislating what the public has access to has always been a contentious subject. If all violent films and video games were eliminated and someone committed murder after reading MacBeth. would that book be banned, too? For the full debate click here. - Lee Pfeiffer

The web site www.movietickets.com recently initiated a poll pertaining to fan's favorite moment in an Indiana Jones film. Here are the results:

What is your favorite Indiana Jones moment?

46% - Indy shooting the expert swordsman in "Raiders of the Lost Ark"

18% - Indy and the boulder in the opening scene of "Raiders of the Lost Ark"

15% - Indy reaches under a closing door to grab his hat in "Raiders of the Lost Ark"

11% - The mine cart escape from the "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom"

10% - The snake pit in "Raiders of the Lost Ark"

In a year that sees a presidential race, it's no surprise that one of the leading villains is Two-Face. However, for once, we're not talking about any of the candidates, but one of the main villains in the forthcoming Batman movie The Dark Knight. Thus far, the buzz has been about the late Heath Ledger's performance as The Joker. However, many fans may not realize that director Christopher Nolan has another big name villain imported from the D.C. Comics series. Actor Aaron Eckhart, who plays the role, says this isn't your father's Two-Face. Eckhart says the director has kept any image of his frightening persona under wraps and audiences will be astonished when they see him onscreen. Maybe, but we just hope Nolan doesn't overload this Batman epic with too many villains the way Batman and Robin was. Based on the brief glimpses we've seen of Ledger's Joker, Gotham City may not be big enough for two bad-guys. For more click here

Rabid Star Trek fans may be taking out their phaser guns for director J.J.Abrams, who admits in a new interview that he was never particularly enamoured of the original TV series and grew up as an ardent Star Wars fan. Nevertheless, Paramount hired Abrams to breathe new life into the sagging Trek feature film franchise with a high-profile new film that will show us the origins of the characters (just as Casino Royale did with James Bond.) Abrams admits he is trying to broaden the franchise's audience beyond the die-hard fans. He says, "The whole point was to try to make this movie for fans of movies, not fans of Star Trek, necessarily.If you're a fan, we've got one of the writers who's a devout Trekker, so we were able to make sure we were serving the people who are completely enamored with Star Trek. But we are not making the movie for that contingent alone. You can't really make a movie for them. As soon as you start to guess what you think they are going to want to see, you're in trouble. You have to make the movie in many ways for what you want to see yourself, make a movie you believe in. Then you're not second-guessing an audience you don't really have an understanding of." The film is scheduled to beam into theaters in May 2009.

For the entire interview click here

Turner Classic Movies (USA) will celebrate the life and career of Frank Sinatra with a major film festival throughout May. Sinatra films will be shown every Sunday and Wednesday. Additionally, rarely seen Sinatra TV specials from the 1960s and 1970s will be shown as well as the first broadcast of Sergeants 3 in decades. For full details, interviews, trailer gallery and photos click here.

Bradford Dillman: A Compulsively Watchable Actor

By Herb Shadrak

In a career that has spanned 43 years, Bradford Dillman accumulated more than 500 film and TV credits. The slim, handsome and patrician Dillman may have been the busiest actor in Hollywood during the late sixties and early seventies, working non-stop for years. In 1971 alone, Dillman starred in seven full-length feature films. And this protean output doesn’t include guest appearances on six TV shows that same year.

Yale-educated Dillman first drew good notices in the early 1950s on the Broadway stage and in live TV shows, such as Climax and Kraft Television Theatre. After making theatrical history playing Edmund Tyrone in the first-ever production of Eugene O’Neill’s Long Day’s Journey into Night in 1956, Dillman landed the role of blueblood psychopath Artie Straus in the crime-and-punishment thriller Compulsion (1959), for which he won a three-way Best Actor Prize at Cannes (sharing the award with co-stars Dean Stockwell and Orson Welles).

On the And You Call Yourself a Scientist! Web site, Dillman’s Artie Straus is described as “all brag and bravado, contemptuous of everything but himself, with his bridge-and-country-club parents, and his vaguely unwholesome relationship with his mother.”

In the early years of his career, Dillman starred in several major motion pictures, picking and choosing his roles carefully. He was featured in Jean Negulesco’s romance A Certain Smile (1958) with Rossano Brazzi and Joan Fontaine; Philip Dunne’s World War II drama In Love and War (1958) with Robert Wagner and Dana Wynter; and Tony Richardson’s Sanctuary (1961) with Lee Remick and Yves Montand, a rancid slice of Southern Gothic based on the novel by William Faulkner.

Yet in the early sixties, Dillman started taking any part that came along to support his growing family. From 1962 on, he guest starred in dozens of TV series -- among them Espionage, Kraft Suspense Theatre, Twelve O’Clock High, Shane, Felony Squad, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Marcus Welby, M.D., The Streets of San Francisco, Bronk, How the West Was Won and Fantasy Island.

In 1975, Dillman won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Drama Special for his performance as Matt Clifton in Last Bride of Salem (1974), an excellent tale of modern witchcraft. The 90-minute Gothic horror movie aired on ABC Afternoon Playbreak and was so well received that it was rebroadcast during primetime.

Over the years, Dillman appeared in scores of made-for-TV movies and theatrical releases, such as Walter Grauman’s drama A Rage to Live (1965) with the late Suzanne Pleshette; John Guillermin’s war story The Bridge at Remagen (1969) with George Segal; Hy Averback’s satire Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came (1970) starring Tony Curtis; and Jud Taylor’s horror-thriller Revenge (1971), with Shelley Winters. Dillman also played a psychiatrist who goes ape for Natalie Trundy in Don Taylor’s Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971) and a scientist battling firestarting cockroaches in Jeannot Szwarc’s Bug (1975) — the final film produced by legendary horror schlockmeister William Castle.

Dillman is now 78. After retiring from acting in 1995, he took up a second career as a writer. He is excellent at his new avocation, requiring no ghostwriters to tweak his prose. Dillman’s autobiography Are You Anybody? is a series of amusing anecdotes about his Hollywood years. He has also written a harrowing adventure tale entitled That Air Forever Dark, set in Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. “It’s a terrifying account of the Jet Age meeting the Stone Age – Deliverance in a jungle setting,” the actor-turned-author says.

Dillman’s latest book, published in 2005 by Fithian Press, is a comedy of errors entitled Kissing Kate. “The novel is about an amateur production of Kiss Me Kate,” Dillman relates. “An out-of-work professional actor is hired to play the male lead opposite a wealthy community icon. Ultimately, of course, they end up in bed together, where a ‘catastrophe’ occurs and all hell breaks loose. I assure you that Kissing Kate is not in the least bit autobiographical!”

Fifty-two years after appearing on stage in O’Neill’s landmark theatrical event, Dillman is now a playwright as well. His Seeds in the Wind made its debut in May 2007 at the Rubicon Theatre Company in Ventura, California. The play is set in 1939 in Santa Cruz, California, during a weekend celebrating the 40th birthday of a society hostess' daughter. The interaction of the houseguests is both humorous and dramatic, and all manner of unexpected events occur, Dillman assures us.

The veteran performer spoke to Cinema Retro from his home in Santa Barbara, California.

Bradford Dillman: I had a commitment to Twentieth Century Fox to do two pictures a year and, as fate would have it, the timing of the filming of Compulsion coincided. Nothing to do with the moguls’ belief that I had talent. It was just dumb luck, pure and simple.

Compulsion (1959) with Dean Stockwell and Orson Welles

CR: Following Compulsion, you were often cast in villainous roles. In 1964, you co-starred with B-movie cult figure John Ashley (The Mad Doctor of Blood Island) in an episode of Dr. Kildare with the intriguing title Night of the Beast. What was that one about?

BD: I was the beast. I was such a bad guy I had my thugs hold Kildare down while I raped his girlfriend in front of his very eyes. When we came to the comeuppance scene, I learned that Richard Chamberlain had obviously never been in a fistfight in his life. The stunt men couldn't teach him how to throw a punch; I couldn't teach him. So we had a gentle comeuppance. He's a nice, sensitive man who has since come out of the closet.

With Carol Lynley, Robert Vaughn and David McCallum in the Man From U.N.C.L.E. feature film The Helicopter Spies (1968)

CR: In 1967, you were the guest villain on The Prince of Darkness Affair, a two-part episode of The Man from U.N.C.L.E, later repackaged as a theatrical release – The Helicopter Spies (1968). You were great fun as Luther Sebastian, the Third Way cult leader who steals a rocket. Did you have any scenes with lovely Lola Albright?

BD: The Helicopter Spies has disappeared in the vortex of remaining brain cells. I don’t remember if I exchanged words with Lola Albright.

NOW SHIPPING IN THE UK, WILL BE AVAILABLE IN NORTH AMERICA SHORTLY.

HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

• 8 PAGE FILM-IN-FOCUS TRIBUTE TO MICHAEL CAINE IN GET CARTER, WITH RARELY SEEN PRODUCTION PHOTOS AND PROVOCATIVE STILLS.
• EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: DIRECTOR JOE DANTE DISCUSSES HIS FAVORITE FILMS
• PT. 1 OF OUR TWO-PART SERIES SHOWING EXCITING, NEVER BEFORE ON-LOCATION PHOTOS FROM THE 1969 JAMES BOND FILM ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE TAKEN BY A CREW MEMBER. (CLICK HERE FOR SNEAK PREVIEW
  
• SCHOOLGIRL SEX: 15 YEAR OLD LINDA HAYDEN IN THE CONTROVERSIAL, EROTIC CULT FILM BABY LOVE
• TRIBUTE TO SCREAM QUEEN BARBARA STEELE
• EXTENSIVE LOOK AT GERRY ANDERSON'S UNDERRATED SCI FI FLICK DOPPLEGANGER (AKA JOURNEY TO THE FAR SIDE OF THE SUN)
• THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. FEATURE FILMS PART THREE ANALYZES ONE SPY TOO MANY
• EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH DAVID MCCALLUM AND A LOOK AT HIS WAR FILM MOSQUITO SQUADRON
• PART 2 OF OUR TRIBUTE TO DORIS DAY
• SURPRISING FACTS ABOUT THE PINK PANTHER AND A SHOT IN THE DARK
• FORMER UNITED ARTISTS EXECUTIVE MICHAEL SOLOMON (HUSBAND OF LUCIANA PALUZZI) RECALLS THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF SETTING UP THE COMPANY'S SOUTH AMERICAN OPERATION IN THE EARLY 1960S
• THE QUEEN'S VISITS TO PINEWOOD STUDIOS
• KAREN BLACK JOINS CINEMA RETRO AT THE PLAYERS CLUB
• RETRO FINDS ORIGINAL PROPS FROM DEADLIER THAN THE MALE STILL ON DISPLAY AT PINEWOOD STUDIOS!
• RAYMOND BENSON'S TOP TEN FILMS OF 1970
• THE IAN FLEMING EXHIBITION AT LONDON'S IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM
• WHO REALLY DID PLAY BAMBI IN THE JAMES BOND FLICK DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER?
• CELEBRATING THE GLORY DAYS OF BRITISH DOUBLE BILL QUAD MOVIE POSTERS
• STATUES OF THE STARS AND WHERE YOU CAN FIND THEM
• PLUS THE BEST SOUNDTRACK, DVD AND MOVIE BOOK REVIEWS!
• DON'T MISS OUT-SUBSCRIBE TODAY! (SEE OUR SUBSCRIPTION SECTION FOR INFORMATION OR CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE THROUGH EBAY)

Whatever mayhem occurs on screen in the forthcoming Incredible Hulk movie, it probably pales in comparison to the behind-the-scenes intrigue involving star/screenwriter Edward Norton and studio brass. To read writer Eric D. Snider's candid report, click here

The regular release trailer has been unveiled for the forthcoming Get Smart feature film and we wish we could say it makes us optimistic. However, it's largely a predictable pastiche of explosions, loud rock music and fast cuts. Don't the marketing people realize they're selling a comedy? There is also the dubious presence of The Rock, who seems to be on board simply to satiate the teenage boy market for mindless violence. There is no apparent chemistry between Anne Hathaway's Agent "99" and Steve Carell's Maxwell Smart. Based on the frantic trailer, "99" seems to be mere eye candy and Carell's delivery of the famous "Missed it by that much..." line falls flat. On the up side, there are a couple of jokes that do work, and Alan Arkin looks promising as The Chief. Also, they at least give the classic image of the 1960s secret agent a tip of the hat by having sequences in which Maxwell Smart is clad in a traditional tuxedo. Judge for yourself by watching the trailer by clicking here

Iron Man may have been the Rodney Dangerfield of comic book heroes in the 1960s, never reaching the level of fame and popularity as Spiderman and the Fantastic Four, but the Marvel Comics hero is having the last laugh at the boxoffice with what industry analysts predict will be an opening weekend of more than $80 million. The prediction significantly exceeds the rosiest estimates from the studio. The film also stands to catapult Robert Downey Jr. into the unlikely status of action movie star. For more click here

CINEMA RETRO CONTRIBUTOR MIKE THOMAS TAKES US INSIDE SOME EXCITING FILM-RELATED SCREENINGS AND SEMINARS SPONSORED BY A.M.P.A.S.

SHOWTIME AT THE ACADEMY

by Mike Thomas

In the last week alone, the Academy has presented three public programs that are equal to the best of their kind anywhere in the world. On Friday, April 25th, the Academy saluted the 40th anniversary of “2001: A Space Odyssey,” in glorious 70mm with stars Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood in attendance, introduced by one of the film’s greatest admirers, a wonderfully witty Tom Hanks.

On Monday night, April 28th as part of its ongoing “Great to be Nominated” series, Quentin Tarantino and a dozen or so colleagues from “Pulp Fiction,” discussed the making of the film and the world-wide phenomenon it became following a screening of the film.

And on Thursday, May 1, TCM personality Robert Osborne reminisced about his long-time friend, Bette Davis, on a 100th birthday tribute to the immortal giant of the silver screen, highlighted by a surprise visit from Warner Bros. colleague, the equally legendary Olivia De Havilland.

Now, taken individually, any one of these three events would be the year’s highlight for any number of the world-wide motion picture institutions, the fact that the Academy has three such events in a single week conclusively demonstrates again, if any reminder is needed, that it is the premiere film organization in the world, and its public programming is worthy of an Oscar itself. And the $5 admission price to see the finest available prints on one of the greatest screening rooms in the world, is a tremendous bargain that cannot be matched anywhere.

Douglas Trumbull at the 2001 screening. (Photo: Todd Wawrychuk / ©A.M.P.A.S.)

The “2001” screening was a reminder of the staggering achievement of Stanley Kubrick. After blowing up the world in his earlier film, 1964’s “Dr. Strangelove,” the usually cynical Kubrick, spent the next three years giving us his most optimistic film: a meditation on the past, present and future of the human race. The Academy pulled out all the stops for this event, the evening’s program notes were a beautifully designed replica of the original theatrical program book’s cover. A special video provided by NASA, shot aboard the orbiting space station, featured the actual astronauts paying tribute to the film. Tom Hanks provided a warm reminiscence of his initial encounter with the film in 1968 and the panel discussion with the two stars, special effects wizard Douglas Trumbull who pioneered many revolutionary SFX for the film, and other members of the cast and crew provided fascinating insights into the making of one of the most films groundbreaking studio films ever made.

George Kennedy in the 1973 John Wayne Western Cahill: U.S. Marshal

"Go west, old man!" might be the mantra adopted by Oscar-winning actor George Kennedy, who is returning to the Western film genre in Mad, Mad Wagon Party, an independent spoof of the 1849 Gold Rush being filmed on locations where it occurred in California. Dwight Brooks, a veteran of the film industry who worked with Steve McQueen and Alfred Hitchcock, is writing, producing and directing. For more, click here

In a lengthy and extraordinarily personal essay, Sir Roger Moore recalls his friendship with Frank Sinatra. Sir Roger relates that he was astonished that, upon meeting Sinatra and then-wife Mia Farrow in the 1960s, they told him they were big fans of The Saint. From that point on, they became close friends. Sir Roger recalls Sinatra's penchant for charity work, though the iconic singer rarely took credit for his acts of kindness. Among the good deeds carried out by the Chairman of the Board: paying for the destitute Bela Lugosi's funeral and shouldering the extensive medical expenses of Lee J.Cobb, a man he had never even met. For the full essay from The Times of London, click here.

Cinema Retro columnist David Savage continues his coverage of the Tribeca Film Festival with a report on a surprise appearance by Dennis Hopper at a screening of one of his earliest films.

The newly restored 35mm print of Night Tide (1961), USA

Last year saw the passing of Curtis Harrington (1926-2007), the director of a slew of delicious psycho-thrillers from the '60s and '70s, including Who Slew Auntie Roo? (1971) and What's the Matter with Helen? (1971), both with Shelly Winters, as well as the critical favorite The Killing Kind (1973) with John Savage. So it was a fitting tribute to the director that Tribeca Film Festival screened two newly restored prints of Harrington's at Pace University last Sunday, April 29^th -- his 1948 experimental short, Picnic, and his rarely seen, first feature film, Night Tide (1961) with Dennis Hopper. Both prints were fresh out of the Academy Film Archive labs in Los Angeles. Adding to the insider-thrill of the occasion was a surprise visit by Hopper himself, who drove in from Queens where he was on location shooting a new movie. Hopper said he hadn't seen the film -- his first, full-length starring role -- in several years, so it was interesting to watch the 25-year-old actor on the screen, then steal furtive glances over at him in his seat watching himself, some 47 years earlier.

Night Tide tells the tale of a young sailor, Johnny Drake (Hopper) on leave in the then-derelict area of Venice, California, who becomes smitten with a mysterious, dark-haired girl, Mora (Linda Lawson) who portrays a mermaid in a carnival sideshow on the pier. They meet in a beatnik grotto-bar complete with jazz combo and snapping, turtlenecked patrons, and from there embark on an enigmatic, moody love affair that spells trouble from the get-go. Her handler and sideshow boss, Captain Murdock (Gavin Muir), warns Johnny that her previous boyfriends were both found drowned, and hints broadly that the fishtail she wears in the sideshow may not be a put-on. Other troubling signs include her serving fish for breakfast, and on one date, she succumbs to the incantatory rhythms of a beach bongo-duo and draws a crowd as she writhes expressionistically to their performance. Johnny won't listen to locals who also try to warn him off the mysterious Mona, until it's nearly too late.

Highly atmospheric and evocative of Los Angeles' beatnik art scene in the late '50s-early '60s (of which Hopper was a member), Night Tide is a odd delight, full of eccentric bit players, stilted dialogue and the lurid backdrop of a seedy amusement pier. It also sets the tone for Harrington's later pictures, most of which are campy thrillers involving a mentally fragile woman in a setting of decayed glamour, in the same genre as Aldrich's What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962).

But digging a bit deeper, it hints at Harrington's involvement in the occult. Harrington, according to Dennis Hopper, was a friend of notorious occult filmmaker Kenneth Anger, with whom he went to school and collaborated on Anger's and his own first experimental films -- many of which deal in mythical and pagan topics. Their mutual friend was an artist in the L.A. art scene of the time known simply as 'Cameron,' and who plays the role of The Water Witch in Night Tide. In the film (credited as Marjorie Cameron) she appears elusively as a witchy woman in black, usually accompanied on the soundtrack by ringing bells. Her appearance throughout Night Tide is never explained, but it casts doubt on the true provenance of the character of Mona, and whether they are mother and daughter, or something more sinister. Interestingly, Marjorie Cameron was married to Jack Parsons, a pioneering genius in rocketry and occult enthusiast, and together they were friends of L. Ron Hubbard and other science fiction writers. According to a short bio on the Internet Movie Database, in 1946 she, Parsons and L. Ron Hubbard undertook the famous "Babylon Working," a complex ritual spell attempting to create a "magical child." In the early '50s she lived in a house in Pasadena reputed to be a hive of occult and sexually transgressive behavior. In 1954 she appeared in Kenneth Anger's Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome (along with Harrington) and was a friend of Satanist Aleister Crowley, Dennis Hopper and actor Dean Stockwell. How well Hopper knew Cameron was unclear by his comments, but it was intriguing information, providing a glimpse into his early days as an actor in L.A. and the cast of characters that populated art galleries, living rooms and underground film sets of the time.

Hopper went on to comment that Night Tide was "one of the first independent films," made for $28,000 and listed on Time Magazine's 10 Best Films of that year, although it was never released in theatres, owing to a dispute with labor unions. "Making independent films back then was nearly impossible," he told the audience from the stage. "It was virtually unheard of to work outside the studio system." Harrington, Hopper revealed, was Twentieth Century Fox head Jerry Wald's assistant and got his start in movies the old fashioned way – by serving as a gofer and working his way up from there. Still flinty and ornery as hell at 72, Hopper makes a compelling case for career longevity and still does not suffer fools easily, as evidenced by his sarcastic answers to many questions posed from audience members. When he mentioned his authorship of Easy Rider (1969), vigorously disputed by Terry Southern and others, I was going to raise my hand. Then I thought, hmm…better not go there. This dark man of indie cinema just turned a shade more sinister.

To watch the original trailer of Night Tide, cut and paste this URL into your browser: http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi2275213593/

-David Savage

VARIETY REVIEWS SPEED RACER. THE VERDICT: "...a blur of video action painting and very loud sounds notable solely for its technical wizardry. In every other respect, it's pure cotton candy -- entirely non-nutritious but too sweet and pretty for young people to resist."  CLICK HERE TO READ

Most movie lovers remember Boeing-Boeing (if they remember it at all) as the 1965 big screen bedroom farce that involved Jerry Lewis and Tony Curtis with a bevy of sexy stewardesses, each of whom couldn't know they were engaged to the same man. The film was not one of Lewis or Curtis's more memorable ventures, but the French play it was based on had been a major hit in Europe, despite bombing when brought to Broadway. In fact, in terms of profit, it's the most successful French play ever written, according to Variety. The trade paper reports that the play will be revived on Broadway on May 4. The notion has some insiders scratching their heads: will audiences really line up for a retro revival of a dated sex comedy? The producers feel they will because good farce is still funny, and Broadway hasn't had one since Noises Off. Additionally, Boeing Boeing was a huge hit last year on the London stage, though most of the elements will be Americanized for Broadway. (Usually a bad move in the artistic sense.) For the full story, click here

Following up from my review of This Island Earth / The Day of the Triffids in Cinema Retro # 11, I’d like to also highlight some other CD releases from excellent Monstrous Movie Music label.

The Blob (and other creepy sounds) 1958 (MMM1955) marks the world premiere release of Ralph Carmichael’s classic soundtrack. The film is rightly regarded today as a piece of great sci-fi hokum, and is particularly memorable for starring the very young ‘Steven’ McQueen. The music stands up amazingly well, considering the tight budget aligned to the picture was mostly devoured by the cost of color cinematography. Carmichael certainly squeezed every ounce of life from his relatively modest 27 piece orchestra and the resulting score remains a real testament to the composer's talent. To capitalize on the film's intended teenage audience, producer Jack H. Harris insisted upon a pop theme song to open the film. What emerged was the campy, if somewhat memorable, The Blob (written, believe it or not, by Burt Bacharach and Hal David!), recorded by ‘The Five Blobs’. They were, in truth, a simple gathering of session musicians lead by vocalist Bernie Nee. Nevertheless, the song worked and helped contribute to the film’s general success, but not entirely without negative consequences. The cheesy song negated some of the more effective technical aspects of the movie and put it firmly in the "guilty pleasure" category for all time. Fortunately, Carmichael’s unused original main title ‘Violence’ is also included on the disc. With the inclusion of some Blob bonus material, the entire score for the main feature runs for some 37 minutes and is undoubtedly a thoroughly enjoyable listen. There is, of course, so much more to this CD than first meets the eye. With almost 40 mins more devoted to such horror and B movie classics as The Green Slime, Terror from the year 5000 and The Brain that Wouldn’t Die, there’s certainly enough here to keep the most ardent of horror fan satisfied. Incorporating works of such legendary composers as Roger Roger, Angelo Francesco Lavagnino and Mario Nascimbene this is a must-have for any Blob-ophiles and other sci-fi and horror fans.

CLICK HERE TO REVISIT CINEMA RETRO'S COVERAGE OF THE 2007 ANNUAL BLOBFEST!

You’d be forgiven if the early William Shatner / Roger Corman collaboration The Intruder (1961) (MMM1956) had passed you by unnoticed. It’s a film that is rarely seen these days, perhaps due to its politically incorrect theme centering on racism. Nevertheless, Shatner’s performance as the bigot Adam Cramer is regarded today as one of his finest. An unusual and somewhat rare ‘serious’ film from Corman, it received critical acclaim upon its release only to be handled like a disease when it came to the film’s distribution. It’s a great shame in many ways, as this probably contributed to Corman giving up on the idea of serious storytelling and returning to the relatively safe surroundings of the his highly profitable exploitation movies. Thus, it's a real treat be able to enjoy Herman Stein's score to the film. Best known for his scores for Universal horror films such as The Creature from the Black Lagoon, The Incredible Shrinking Man, It Came from Outer Space, The Land Unknown, Revenge of the Creature and Tarantula, his work outside of the genre has until now been sadly overlooked. Stein’s score opens dramatically alongside the introduction of the film’s central character - a cue that immediately suggests a sense of menace. Yet Stein’s score is as rich as it is diverse, and the composer makes clever use of woodwind to illustrate Cramer’s disturbed state of mind. Stein utilizes strings and a weary clarinet to draw on the tension between Cramer and his subsequent relationships. The result is a refreshingly unpredicatable element to the score that evokes comparisons to Bernard Hermann's chilling work on Psycho and Cape Fear. Cramer’s introduction is particularly chilling, and while it lacks the intensity of a Hermannn score, it succeeds on its own merits. (I confess to conjuring up images of Robert Mitchum's Max Cady from Cape Fear as this track played.) Bonus material on this well-produced disc includes the composer’s complete score for Career for Two (1951) and an additional selection of unused main titles and underscores. Considering Stein’s almost exclusive association with horror and sci fi scores, Monstrous Movie Music deserves credit for releasing this forgotten gem that amply showcases the composer's diverse talents.- Darren Allison

CLICK HERE TO HEAR AUDIO TRACK SAMPLES AND ORDER FROM MONSTROUS MOVIE MUSIC'S SITE

For our money, American Graffiti remains the best movie George Lucas ever made. Probably no other movie spawned so many major careers