Author and Cinema Retro columnist Raymond Benson pays his respects to one of the cinema’s most legendary directors.

Another one of my cinema heroes is gone.

I first discovered Ingmar Bergman when I was a freshman at the University of Texas at Austin, way back in 1973. My good friend and Drama Department colleague Stuart Howard and I were working in the scene shop as part of our required crew assignment when he said, “Hey, they’re showing The Seventh Seal tonight [on campus]. Want to go?”

I had heard of The Seventh Seal and had seen that famous still photo of Max von Sydow playing chess with Death, but I had never viewed the film or any other Bergman picture. After all, I was fresh from Odessa, Texas, where the idea of a foreign language film (with—aghh!—subtitles) was something alien and too bizarre to comprehend. Like most people in those days, I eventually discovered the great foreign classics while I was a college student.

 

 

By Lee Pfeiffer 

With Elvis mania in high gear the summer to commemorate the 30th anniversary of The King's passing, a virtual tsunami of Presley DVD releases have been unleashed by the major studios. Most of the reviews tend to focus on Elvis's "golden era" of the 1950s and scant attention has been paid to his films from a decade later. These are generally considered to be lightweight entries at best, with the exception of Viva Las Vegas! Thus, it's interesting to examine some of Elvis' lesser works from the late 1960s. Warner Home Entertainment has just released Stay Away, Joe, a 1968 vehicle for The King that actually had a prestigious pedigree: it was based on an acclaimed best-selling book. As expected, much was lost in the translation to the screen. Elvis stars as a hip, younger generation American Indian who returns to his family's ramshackle house on the reservation after establishing a reputation as a Mr. Fix-It who employs less than honorable methods to solve problems, initiate shady business deals, etc. Because of his charisma, he is greeted as the Prodigal Son upon his return with men wanting to emulate him and the local girls salivating at the sight of him. This isn't quite as preposterous as it sounds, as Elvis was still in top physical condition at this point in his life and does indeed cut a handsome figure whether its on a motorcycle or riding a tempermental bull in a rodeo. In fact, there's a lot of bull in Stay Away, Joe but only some of it is on the range. The rest is in the screenplay.

Did You ever imagine what life must have been like in Rome during the era of Fellini's La Dolce Vita?  Shirley Sealy doesn't have to - she lived it. As a young woman influenced by the new era of films in which females were seen as independent, adventurous travelers, Shirley left Denver, Colorado on a whim to move to Rome. She had no friends there, no job- only a few names of potential contacts scribbled down. Somehow, she not only managed to survive, but thrive and was quickly engulfed in the wonderful madness that was Rome in the early 1960s. During her time there, Fellini's ground-breaking film opened - and revolutionized not only the world of cinema but other key aspects of society ranging from fashion to sex. 

In issue #8 of Cinema Retro, Shirley (who went on to become a respected film critic and author) relives her experiences and publishes an excerpt from an essay she wrote at the time she was living  La Dolce Vita. We truly believe that Cinema Retro attracts the finest film scholars and writers anywhere. This excerpt from Shirley Sealy's 1961 essay proves the point:

Hours spent at the Café de Paris, in the afternoon for aperitivos, at night for coffee and brandy and crowd watching….Short, narrow Via Margutta, my home away from home, and the Taverna there, with Columbo, the elderly proprietor, card player and admirer of women….Of course, all Italian men are admirers of women….The constant summertime circus of parties, wine, conversations in several languages, espresso bars and sports cars....Thrill of thrills—riding in a Maserati with a handsome Italian aristocrat (a count, he said) and finding a parking spot right in front of the tables at Doney’s….To Davy’s Blue Room, a popular bar downstairs at the Colony (the best hamburgers in town), to mingle with the expat movie, newspaper and embassy people….Sunday excursions with Italian friends to the beach at Fregene, to sit on the sand and eat raw mussels out of plastic bags….To the small trattorias in Trastevere, with their seafood stench and crazy ways to disguise squid…An elegant feast at a grand restaurant on the grounds of a palazzo on Monte Mario, with torches hung in the trees and mandolin players strolling by, and me in an off-the-shoulder, crinoline-skirted black silk, with my new guy—my new French/American guy—in his tux….Or, on other nights, the two of us dancing at the nightclub barges of the Tevere, along with the Pincio prostitutes—in their beehive hairdos and short, flower-printed dresses— having a grand time with their clients or their pimps….Walking down the Spanish steps while marveling at a spectacular red-gold sunset behind the dome of St. Peter’s….Riding in a horse drawn carriage through the magnolia-lined lane in Borghese Gardens… Midnight walks to see the floodlit ancient collosseo, and touch its cold, ancient stones while listening to fountains dripping in the ancient Foro Romano….Flirting madly with gorgeous Italian men, preening dandies all, who loiter on the sidewalks and call out “ciao, bella, ciao….you wanna make a walk?”….Too little sleep, too much wine. In Roma, la vita e troppo dolce…

FOR SHIRLEY SEALY'S COMPLETE ARTICLE AND HER REFLECTIONS ON FELLINI'S FILM , SEE CINEMA RETRO ISSUE #8

After successfully joining forces for the new John Wayne 100th Birthday DVD promotion, Warner Home Video and Paramount Home Entertainment have come up with a blockbuster Elvis Presley promotion that will see WB releasing Elvis:The Hollywood Collection with six feature films and Paramount releasing The Lights! Action! Elvis! collection consisting of eight major features starring the King. Additionally, several major Elvis concert films will be released and coordinated with a festival relating to Presley to be held at Graceland that will be held between August 11-18. Warners will be screening Elvis films on the grounds of Graceland during the festival. Continue reading for the full official press release.

MGM/20th Century Fox has just released a 2-DVD set of director Philip Kaufman’s 1978 version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Cinema Retro Editor-in-Chief Lee Pfeiffer recently caught up with one of the stars of the film, Veronica Cartwright for her reflections on that Hollywood rarity: a remake that in many ways equals or exceeds the quality of the original. Successful as a child actor, by 1978 Veronica Cartwright already had an impressive acting resume, having worked with Audrey Hepburn in The Children’s Hour and been directed by Alfred Hitchcock in The Birds. She has worked consistently in recent years, gaining Emmy nominations for The X Files and appearing in new, major motion pictures and TV series. She will also be appearing in the new version of the Body Snatchers story, The Invasion with Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig. Veronica Cartwright has a wealth of stories about working with giants in the industry as well as the ups-and-downs most actors experience in their careers. She is unpretentious and good-humored and all too happy to recall one of the major films of her career for Cinema Retro.

CR: You started as a child actor and over the years seem to have become associated with some iconic TV shows and movies dealing with sci-fi and the supernatural. Did you intentionally seek out work in this genre?

VC: I have no idea why that is. At one point I had done so many that I thought to myself, “My God, I’m the queen of sci-fi!” I was just accepting the work that came along. Actually, I had done a couple of Alfred Hitchcock Presents shows and I had appeared on One Step Beyond when I was seven or eight years old. I guess that’s how the whole thing started. Then I did the Twlight Zone episode called I Sing the Body Electric that’s one of the classic ones that’s shown every Halloween.

Actor Robert Vaughn reflects on the everlasting appeal of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and how the show was initially almost cancelled. The interview is with writer Christopher Stipp from the web site www.quickstopentertainment.com He also discusses the forthcoming U.N.C.L.E. DVD set and his highly successful TV series Hustle. Here are some highlights:

I’m writing an autobiography and it was just last week…David McCallum, who was my co-star on U.N.C.L.E., they’re putting a DVD of all four seasons, and Warner Brothers, who are putting out the DVDs asked us to be sat down and be interviewed for this. It lasted about three hours and it was because of this where I went and thought about why U.N.C.L.E. was as successful as it was, when it was. There were a number of reasons. Mainly, it was because of the success of the Bond pictures. Next, David and I were successful in engaging a young audience. And, the next most important reason was the time slot. Because, when we went on the air, in 1964 we were on the verge of being cancelled two months after we started because our Nielsen ratings were so low. They changed our time slots from Tuesday night to Monday night but one of the things about that is that the show caught on with college students who were away at school. In those days, in regular houses, there was just one black and white set so when they came back, during the holidays, they were the ones controlling what was being watched.

And so, the ratings suddenly went through the roof and, by the summer, when they re-ran the entire first season, it wound up being the number one show in the country almost a year after it almost canceled. It was mostly all due to college students and it the time slot was moved once more accordingly and the show remained a huge hit.

For the full interview click here

It's always nice to get a good review- especially when it's unsolicited! Count best-selling crime author Ed Gorman among the ever-increasing ranks of Cinema Retro fans. Ed writes on his blog:

"Even though I'm no fan of Dean Martin or the Matt Helm movies, Matthew Bradley, one of the best of all writers on popular culture, manages to make both subjects a lot more interesting than they deserve to be in his long piece now available on Cinema Retro."

Wow, this will go right to Bradley's head. We hear he's already sitting around wearing an ascot and telling everyone, "They call me Mister Bradley!" Click here for Matthew's essay on the Matt Helm books and films.

And if you need yet another reason to support Cinema Retro by subscribing to our print version, Ed Gorman also calls us, "One of the finest film magazines available anywhere." Thanks, Ed...your check is in the mail!

Looking for a chill during the dog days of summer? Check out the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s delicious quartet of Roman Polanski thrillers: Summer Chills: Four by Roman Polanski. Screening Monday, July 30, and Wednesday, Aug. 1, at the Walter Reade Theater at Lincoln Center in New York. The series features the acclaimed director’s cult favorite The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967) and all three classics in what some commentators have labeled the Apartment Trilogy: Repulsion (1965), Rosemary’s Baby (1968), and The Tenant (1976).

Given the horrors contained in the Apartment Trilogy, what would our favorite Polish director have made of today’s rental market? A first-time viewer of Rosemary’s Baby might take away this central message: You’ll need no less a connection than SATAN to land a three-bedroom apartment in the Dakota when you’re a newly married, out-of-work actor and have no visible means of income.

The Tenant, a harrowing tale of urban isolation and paranoia, is instead a single renter’s nightmare: Not only have you (Roman Polanski) just moved into the apartment of a suicide victim, your landlord (Melvyn Douglas) hates you. The more you attempt to keep out of everyone’s way, the more things keep going terribly wrong. Like finding the former tenant’s tooth in the wall. Or the nightmarish visions none of your fellow tenants believe—even the one of the mummy-woman in the bathroom window across the courtyard who stares at you as you attempt to pee. The message: Living alone, while initially liberating and bohemian, usually ends in your becoming That Weird Guy Down the Hall Who Does Creepy Drag. The only solution is to throw yourself out the window.

If you fail the first time, repeat.

Repulsion, conversely, is more of a cautionary tale about what your anti-social roommate does when you go on vacation. So desperate is she for company, hands will reach out of the walls. Figures will appear in mirrors. She will pull your food out of the fridge, then not eat it. Psycho-sexual frustration will lead to her crawling around on all fours and delusions of rape. The message: Roommates, like pets, are high maintenance, especially when left alone. Either take them with you on vacation, or while you’re away, call your answering machine and make soothing sounds into the phone.

Back to Rosemary’s Baby, I can’t resist. Oft-cited as one of the “scariest films of all time,” I think of it as more of a touchstone of inspired casting – maybe the most inspired works of casting ever. Stuffed to the rafters with everyone from 1930’s contract players (Patsy Kelly, Ralph Bellamy); robust, British thespians (Maurice Evans, in a role that fits him like an old houseshoe); vaudevillians (Phil Leeds, Elisha Cook), Broadway actors (Ruth Gordon, Sidney Blackmer) and a winking cameo by William Castle, the film’s co-producer (Robert Evans would not let him direct as part of the deal at Paramount) – it’s hard to imagine a better ensemble. But according to IMDB.COM and other sources, the leads and supporting roles were the result of weeks of negotiations, turn-downs and second choices. Polanski wanted Tuesday Weld for the lead, and Castle wanted Mia Farrow. Jane Fonda was made an offer for the lead, but turned it down so she could make Barbarella (1968). Both director and producer wanted Robert Redford for the role of Guy Woodhouse, Rosemary's husband, but negotiations broke down when Paramount's lawyers served the actor a subpoena over a contractual dispute involving Silvio Narizzano’s film Blue (1968). Other actors considered for the role of Guy were contemporary leading men: Richard Chamberlain, Robert Wagner and James Fox. Legend has it that even Laurence Harvey campaigned for it, and Polanski tried to convince Warren Beatty to do it before offering it to John Cassavetes, who in 1968 was more known as a TV actor. Perhaps most intriguing to imagine, for the roles of witch coven leaders Minnie and Roman Castevet, Polanski suggested Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne (!) the renowned husband and wife Broadway acting duo. Might they have given their roles more of a Noel Coward drawing room feel, consistent with their theatrical careers? I guess we’ll never know. Hard to imagine Minnie Castevet as anyone other than Ruth Gordon, in her Oscar-winning performance.

Two other well-cast bit parts are by Emmaline Henry, who played Dr. Bellow’s wife on I Dream of Jeannie (Rosemary and Guy’s party scene) and Victoria Vetri, 1968’s Playmate of the Year, who plays the ill-fated, adopted runaway Terry Gionoffrio. When Rosemary meets her in the laundry room and asks “Aren’t you Victoria Vetri?” she replies no, “but everyone says I look like her.” It is,of course, Victoria Vetri, all 36-21-35” of her! – David Savage

READER COMMENT:

Wende Wagner also appeared in "Rosemary's Baby," a film that used the Dakota but wasn't supposed to be set there...Robert Redford in "Blue"? It's bad enough with Terence Stamp, but Redford? The mind boggles!- Rory Monteith

Director Ridley Scott can't stop tinkering with his 1982 sci-fi cult classic Blade Runner. The film has had more surgery than Joan Rivers' face with numerous cuts and refinements ranging from major to minor having been made over the years. The film, which was a financial and critical flop upon its initial release, has gone on to earn many millions as its popularity spread through home video. The complexities of the story have long been debated by legions of fans who argue many key points of the story and explore possible hidden meanings. Scott clashed about the artistic direction of the script throughout the filming with star Harrison Ford, who has long relegated his experience on Blade Runner as one of the most unpleasant of his career. He's spoken very little about the film in the ensuing years. The Scott/Ford feud is an unfortunate byproduct of what has emerged as one of the great science fiction films of all time.

Warner Brothers has now announced that they will release an "Ultimate Edition" of Blade Runner this December. The set- which will carry the bizarre suggested retail price of $78.92- will contain five different cuts of the film, including Scott's latest which he admits differs very little from the 1992 cut that made major changes from the theatrical version. Presumably this is the final version of the film unless Scott decides to emulate Barbra Streisand whose latest concert tour celebrates the tenth anniversary of her "retirement". There will also be other variations of the release aside from the "Ultimate Edition". Additionally, the new version will have a limited theatrical run in New York and Los Angeles. Continue reading for full details from Warner Brothers' official press release and a comprehensive listing of the various forthcoming DVD editions of the film. Video business has a full report on the Blade Runner set and comments from Scott on the film. Click here to read

Steve McQueen's first wife, Neile McQueen Toffel was married to the iconic superstar for 15 years during which she experienced the bliss of seeing her husband become an international superstar. This euphoria was eventually compromised by his constant insecurities, his failure to resist sexual temptations and his immersion in the hippie lifestyle of the late 1960s. In an informative and astonishingly frank exclusive interview given to the website www.mcqueenonline.com, Neile sheds some fascinating anecdotes and rememberances that are both heartwarming and heartbreaking.

To read the interview click here

RARE PHOTOS OF STEVE AND NEILE MCQUEEN FROM THE CINEMA RETRO ARCHIVES

Laszlo Kovacs, the esteemed cinematographer who shot classics such as Easy Rider and Five Easy Pieces died Saturday at age 74. Although a cancer survivor, Kovacs appears to have died in his sleep of natural causes. Ironically, he was in the midst of co-operating on a new documentary about him and his long time friend, cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond. The two had been classmates in Hungary when the 1956 revolt against the Soviets broke out. Both men became impromptu cinematographers on the spur of the moment by filming the violent demonstrations in the streets. The resulting footage made its way to CBS and paved the way for both men to have highly successful careers as directors of photography on some of the most influential films of the 1970s. For Kovacs, it was his shooting of the unheralded Easy Rider that brought him his first major acclaim. The low budget road movie shook the entire film industry upon its release in 1969 and helped usher in the a new generation of bold filmmaking. Kovacs reaped acclaim for his imaginative methods of filming the tragic tale. 

Click here for Variety's full report on his life and career.

See Cinema Retro issue #8 for writer Mike Siegel's extensive analysis of Easy Rider including a recreation of the version never released to theaters.

Cinema Retro writer David Savage revisits a key film from Britain's golden age of movie-making.

Leading The Charge: Woodfall Film Productions and the Revolution in ‘60’s British Cinema, July 13-26, 2007. Walter Reade Theater, Lincoln Center, New York

Celebrating one of the most influential studios in the development of cinema and bringing back to the big screen an era’s most important films, the Film Society of Lincoln Center in New York is presenting a two-week showcase of the key films of Woodfall Film Productions, formed in 1956 by Tony Richardson, John Osborne (Look Back in Anger) and American producer Harry Saltzman.

Taking audiences out of the studio and into the streets, where the real stories were, Richardson and his partners favored realism above all: young, fresh actors, location shooting, and narratives featuring controversial subjects such as interracial dating and sex, homosexuality and class. Clumsily over-reaching in some parts, deeply moving in others, but true to their founding spirit, the lasting legacies of Woodfall were the exciting new generation of British actors it introduced to Sixties audiences: Lynn Redgrave, Albert Finney, Tom Courtenay and Rita Tushingham; as well as the example set for succeeding generations of British filmmakers to examine these subjects with an uncompromising honesty.

A Taste of Honey (1961), directed by Tony Richardson, is a key example in this cinema of the Angry Young Men, as it was alternately called. Although time may have blunted the impact of its taboo-busting issues, 46 years on, it’s no less flavorful for its powerful performances, most notably Rita Tushingham in her breakout role as Jo, through whose wide, expressive eyes we see a grim world of mean expectations.

In a sad irony, just a day after Cinema Retro posted Diana Blackwell's major article about the 1964 classic war film Zulu, comes word that one of the featured actors in the movie, Ivor Emmanuel, who played Pte. Owen in the movie has passed away. The Welsh star of stage and screen was largely unknown to American audiences - but fans of Zulu will recall his shining moment in the movie when he leads the outnumbered British garrison at Rorke's Drift in singing Men of Harlech to raise morale and drown out the chants of the Zulu warriors who are about to attack. Ellen Baker, widow of Zulu producer and star Stanley Baker said, "It is a terribly sad day. It was Ivor who held Zulu together - he was the lynchpin and I just adored him. He was the sweetest most gentle man." Ivor Emmanuel was 80 years old. Click here for the BBC report.

We once received a letter from a subscriber who said that while Cinema Retro is his favorite film magazine, the content was best suited for a magazine titled Cinema Hetero. We confess to being guilty of over-emphasizing stories that tend to favor middle-aged, straight white guys because...er...our magazine is put together by two middle aged, straight white guys. However, our new web site has liberated us to expand our horizons and be more inclusive with our content. Let's face it...straight guys see hints of lesbianism in everything including the Ginger and Maryann scenes from Gilligan's Island. Are these just absurd fantasies or are there really intentional, latent homoerotic images in some of our most cherished films and TV series?

Journalist Diana Blackwell examines this scenario as it pertains to one of the most beloved war films of all time, the 1964 epic Zulu which recounted the legendary stand by a small number of British soldiers against an overwhelming number of Zulu warriors. In England, this is the equal of the American's Alamo - only with a happy ending. In this analysis, Ms. Blackwell examines latent homoerotic images in the film. Is this simply a case of a female perceiving homoerotic fantasies that don't reflect the intended content of a film or has she uncovered some hidden messages in oft-viewed classic adventure story? You can judge for yourself - but we think this article will tempt you to view Zulu again just to examine her thoroughly-researched conclusions. At the very least, Ms. Blackwell's article about Zulu gives an all new perspective to "keeping the British end up."

Introduction

Zulu has always seemed like a sexy movie to me despite its lack of love scenes or romantic subplots. The sexiness has little to do with Zulu’s few scenes of women: the bare-breasted Zulu girls aren’t onscreen for very long, while the missionary’s daughter, Miss Witt, is buttoned-up in every way. ¹ No, Zulu is sexy because of its men and the subtly homoerotic quality of their interactions.

For anyone who was out of diapers in 1972, the sensation caused by the release of director Bernardo Bertolucci's Last Tango in Paris is still an indelible memory. Marlon Brando starred in the groundbreaking story of a middle-aged American ex-patriate living in Paris who tries to cope with his wife's suicide by having anonymous sexual flings with a free-spirited young woman. As their relationship deepens, tragic consequences occur. Brando was still in the midst of a decade-long career slump. He filmed Last Tango before The Godfather was released. That film won him an Oscar and put him back atop Hollywood royalty. The release of Last Tango shocked both critics and audiences with its startlingly frank depiction of kinky sex. Not overlooked, however, was what many feel was Brando's bravest and most effective screen performance. It is inconceivable that such a major film would be made today. No major studio would finance it and no leading star would be brave enough to appear in it. The film was banned in numerous countries and Bertolucci's native Italy branded it "obscene" and for a time, there were criminal warrants issued for him and the film's stars.

Actress Maria Schneider was only 19 years old when she was cast as Brando's object of desire. Schneider was perfect in the part. Her geninune innocence gave the film an erotic quality it might not have had with a more seasoned actress. However, she was already leading a troubled personal life when cast in the film. Her raw sex scenes with Brando are still the stuff of screen legend, including an infamous sequence of anal rape. With the sensational response to the film an international phenomenon, many felt Schneider would be immediately propelled to stardom. However, despite a couple of high profile screen roles, she virtually vanished into oblivion. Now, on the 35th anniversary of the film, The Daily Mail of London has an exclusive interview with her that is both moving and revealing. Click here to read it

Last Tango in Paris is now playing in British cinemas in a remastered, digital format. For more information and to view the original trailer, click here.

TO ORDER THE UNCUT, X-RATED VERSION ON DVD FROM AMAZON CLICK HERE

TO ORDER FROM AMAZON.UK CLICK HERE

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away movie posters were actually considered works of art. The artists who created them were allowed to let their imaginations run wild and even B movies often boasted posters with magnificent artwork. Today, however, that era is all but gone. Movie posters generally consist of bland head shots of the stars and look like they were created by a high school apprentice working on a scanner during lunch break. In this exclusive article for Cinema Retro, Sim Branaghan, author of the new book British Film Posters: An Illustrated History, celebrates a bygone era in which movie fans would salivate over posters of forthcoming films.

Where does any love-affair with the cinema really begin? Mine, unfortunately, appears to have begun with the Christmas 1970 reissue of Mary Poppins at Walsall’s ABC cinema – or at least, it did according to my mother. Being then just a few weeks short of my fourth birthday, I have no recollection of the trip. But things improved as the years passed – The Golden Voyage of Sinbad, Island At the Top of the World, At the Earth’s Core, Star Wars, Warlords of Atlantis, and many others were cheerfully enjoyed in the faded glamour of local Black Country fleapits like the Wolverhampton Odeon, Dudley Plaza, and West Bromwich Kings, all now sadly long-vanished.

One thing you couldn’t ignore about these films, while queuing patiently outside to get in (remember that?) were their posters – glorious full-colour paintings, often tending to depict Doug McClure being menaced by an irritable dinosaur. They were frequently more memorable than the films themselves.

It's enormous. It's mean. It has no intelligence, so it can't be reasoned with. It devours everything in sight including the local diner. No, this isn't another story about Rosie O'Donnell, but something far more important to civilized society: a report on the annual "Blobfest", a celebration of the community in which the 1957 Steve McQueen shlock classic was filmed. Our intrepid writer Hank Reineke braved the wilds of rural Pennsylvania to report for Cinema Retro on this year's festival, which marked a half century since production began on the beloved sci-fi "epic". His report:

PHOENIXVILLE, PA – JULY 13/14 - Perhaps there is no more fitting a date than Friday the 13^th to kick off the Colonial Theatre’s 8^th Annual “Blobfest.” The year 2007 marked the 50^th anniversary of the actual filming of the revered science-fiction B-movie classic and the “Blobfest” committee planned to commemorate this hallowed event accordingly. For starters, this year’s “Blobfest” was subtitled “An Inconvenient Blob,” a not-so-subtle nod and a wink to Al Gore’s alarm-bell documentary “An Inconvenient Truth.” The tie-in here is, of course, Steve McQueen’s final line of dialogue in “The Blob” when he earnestly notes that the world will remain safe from the monster – now frozen by CO2 fire extinguishers and soon to be imprisoned in ice – “as long as the arctic stays cold.” On this summer’s day, the sold-out crowd at the two o’clock screening howled at the line.

AS PART OF OUR CONTINUING CELEBRATION OF THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BLOB, WE DIP INTO OUR ARCHIVES FOR A VINTAGE INTERVIEW WITH ACTRESS ANETA CORSEAUT:

The late actress Aneta Corseaut is best known to TV fans for her long-running role as school teacher Helen Crump on the legendary Andy Griffith Show series. Back in the early 1990s, she granted an exclusive interview to Cinema Retro Editor-in-Chief Lee Pfeiffer for his book The Official Andy Griffith Show Scrapbook. During the course of the interview, Ms. Corseaut recalled filming The Blob:

"It was done by a group of very religious people who thought if they made a science fiction film, they could raise enough money to do religious movies. Everyone connected to it was so religious: the producers, the director. I remember Steve McQueen drove the producers crazy! He was more of a maverick in those days, real hell on wheels. Every day the filmmakers would go into prayer meetings- they would pray to everything including the makeup brushes! They would always finish by saying, "And save us from Steve McQueen!" They worked us about eighteen hours a day on that picture. I ended up with pneumonia from the scene where we were locked into a freezer.. They gave me two hours off so I could get a shot from a doctor! When we were filming, I always kept moving around so my back was to the camera as much as possible. When it opened, I left the country and hoped it would blow over. Of course, it became a big hit quite by accident but I haven't seen it in about fifteen years." (Interview copyright Lee Pfeiffer)

(SEE WRITER HANK REINEKE'S RELATED STORY FOR EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE OF "BLOBFEST '07" )

Two major soundtracks have been released by Film Score Monthly on one limited edition CD. The Bridge At Remagen features one of master composer Elmer Bernstein's most requested scores, but a soundtrack LP was never issued to tie in with the release of the 1969 war film that depicted the fall of the last bridge leading into Nazi Germany. The big budget film was largely under-rated in its day and had an interesting history: it was shooting on location in Czechosolvakia when the Soviets invaded in 1968, causing the cast and crew to be subjected to house arrest. Stars Robert Vaughn and Ben Gazzara fled the country in a daring nocturnal escape that is recounted in Gazzara's recent autobiography. The film also starred George Segal and features some of the best action sequences ever devised for a war movie.

The Train was the 1965 film that would prove to be one of the last major black and white studio releases. Burt Lancaster teamed with director John Frankenheimer for this superb action thriller in which a member of the French Resistance attempts to prevent a German officer from looting France's art treasures in the closing days of the war. A soundtrack of composer Maurice Jarre's score had been issued for the film in 1965 but it has been hard to come by in recent years.

To order the limited edition, double feature soundtrack click here.

TO ORDER THE TRAIN SPECIAL EDITION DVD FROM AMAZON, CLICK HERE!

TO ORDER THE BRIDGE AT REMAGEN DVD FROM AMAZON, CLICK HERE!

Author and Cinema Retro columnist Raymond Benson takes a look at two new books about a master filmmaker:

The Kubrick Façade—Faces and Voices in the Films of Stanley Kubrick by Jason Sperb (Scarecrow Press, Inc.)

The Philosophy of Stanley Kubrick edited by Jerold J. Abrams (The University Press of Kentucky)

Stanley Kubrick has always been one of those film directors who is often the subject of serious, scholarly study.  The reasons are simple enough—the late artist’s work belongs in that rare category of Hollywood-produced popular “art films,” made outside of the Hollywood system, that attracted spirited debates among critics and audiences alike.  No one Kubrick film ever received unanimously positive (or negative) reviews; no Kubrick film could be called a true financial “blockbuster” (but none were considered “bombs” either); and no Kubrick film elicits the same reactions from collective audience members.  More books have been written about the work of Stanley Kubrick than any other filmmaker except, perhaps, Alfred Hitchcock.  Two more tomes hit the shelves this year and both are again serious, scholarly studies published by non-mainstream, academic presses. 

For decades, John Wayne's liberal political opponents had called for his scalp. Now, on what would have been the Duke's 100th birthday, their wish has finally been fulfilled. At Juliens' recent auction of rare movie props and memorabilia, Mr. Wayne's hirsute chapeau from the 1970 western classic Chisum sold for close to $2,000. No word on how Juliens obtained the item, but we thought it was getting a little wobbly during Duke's mano-a-mano fistfight with Forrest Tucker in the film! Just call it the ultimate Wayne "hairloom".

For full auction details, click here.

As readers of Cinema Retro's print magazine know, we have recently uncovered a wealth of rare and unpublished photos from the making of both Our Man Flint and its sequel In Like Flint. If, like Austin Powers, these are your favorite films, than the photo spread we've incorporated should be enough to break the mold off your checkbook and finally subscribe! After all, an annual subscription costs what you wasted for two tickets and a popcorn bucket to endure Evan Almighty.

Issue #8 features dozens of rare photos from the Flint films. Here a few teaser shots from In Like Flint:

ISSUE #8 IS ALMOST SOLD OUT AND IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE FOR INDIVIDUAL PURCHASE. YOU CAN OBTAIN IT BY SUBSCRIBING FOR THE CURRENT SEASON AND ALSO RECEIVING ISSUES #7 AND #9 (DUE OUT IN OCTOBER). SEE SUBSCRIPTION SECTION FOR DETAILS.

The producers of the forthcoming documentary about the making of Jaws- The Shark is Still Working-have launched a major new trailer for the production on their web site. They have scored a coup by having actor Percy Rodrigues to narrarate. Rodrigues provided the narration for the film's original trailer in 1975 and his dramatic reading sent chills through the spines of audiences months before Jaws went into release. The long-in-production tribute to Steven Spielberg's classic thriller continues to attract prestigious names. Recently, actor and Cinema Retro contributor Richard Kiel was interviewed about the influence the film had on the character of Jaws, who he played in the James Bond films The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker. The new trailer perfectly captures the legacy of the film and the enduring enthusiasm for all things Jaws-related. To view the trailer, visit the official web site by clicking here.

We're second to none in our praise of the Master, Alfred Hitchcock - and we love his 1963 thriller The Birds even if it does take the equivilent of the ice age to finally get into the action scenes. Given that Hitch was known to be obsessed with insuring the technical aspects of his films were spot-on, it's surprising how many technical and continuity errors exist in this film. According to the folks at www.moviemistakes.com, there are over 500 of these glitches in the final cut of the film! One can only think that the Master's continuity team was...well, for the birds. To view all of the mistakes, click here.

To commemorate John Wayne's 100th birthday, Cinema Retro Editor-in-Chief will be reviewing several of the key DVD titles recently released as part of the many tributes to the Duke. Here, editor in chief Lee Pfeiffer, author of The John Wayne Scrapbook looks at Wayne's Oscar-winner.

I know there isn't another film critic or scholar in the world who will share my view on this, but True Grit is my favorite western- ever. While virtually everyone agrees the movie is worthy of high praise and it garnered John Wayne some of the best reviews of his career, not to mention his only Oscar, the film is generally left out of any discussion regarding the great westerns. I'm not going to try to make a case to bring everyone over to my point of view because I freely concede that True Grit isn't the best western of all time, just my favorite western of all time. My opinion is probably colored by sentiment. It's not unusual for people to allow pleasant memories of where and when they saw a particular film to color their critical assessment of it. In my case, I saw the movie on opening day, July 4, 1969 at the magnificent Radio City Music Hall. At age 13, I was accompanied by my mom and dad- both dyed-in-the-wool Duke Wayne fans. We expected just another enjoyable, but routine Wayne horse opera. However, we knew from minute one this film was different. It seemed to be made outside of the universe of stock company actors and technicians who dominated most of Wayne's films. The tipping point was the classic sequence in which Wayne faces down Robert Duvall and three of his men across an open-meadow and responds to Duvall's taunt that he's a one-eyed fat man by shouting "Fill your hand, you son of a bitch!"

MPAA CONSIDERS WARNING LABELS RELATING TO SMOKING IN FILMS

By Lee Pfeiffer

As though lousy profit margins and the need to charge the equivilent of a 30-year mortgage for a popcorn and soft drink combo isn't enough to drive movie theater owners into despair, now comes word that the Motion Picture Association of America may bend to pressure from health groups to factor "pervasive smoking" into their ratings decision for feature films. This means that at a time when theaters are finally getting bums in seats for major movies, the MPAA may provide an impediment to getting younger viewers to see certain movies if they are deemed to have scenes of excessive lighting up. No sane person would argue that smoking is a terrible and self-destructive habit - and among all the stupid things I've done in my life I can say with pride that smoking cigarettes has never been among them. (In fact, it's just about the only stupid thing I've never done!) However, we are now issuing so many warnings for so many acts of personal misbehavior that the situation has become ludicrous. We have safety labels on everything ("Do not attempt to swallow this pitchfork!") and their sheer number has rendered them all but meaningless. The MPAA has been coy about their plans. It's unclear whether the smoking warning would only apply to films in which it is deemed to be shown irresponsibly, or whether it would apply to even period films that depict eras in which smoking was much more accepted.

VINTAGE GEMS FROM THE CINEMA RETRO PHOTO ARCHIVE

Cinema Retro is always scouring the web to find obscure sites that pertain to movies of the 1960s and 1970s. We found a pretty cool site that provides intricate detail about visiting the San Francisco locations of Steve McQueen's classic 1968 thriller, Bullitt. Fan Ray Smith shows where key scenes of the movie were shot and provides some images of recent vintage so you know what they look like today. To access the site, click here