Robert Goulet, whose deep-voiced crooning of many pop culture hits gained him stardom in the early 1960s, has died from pulminary complications at age 73. Goulet was awaiting a lung transplant at Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. By all accounts, he kept his sense of humor to the end. Goulet soared to fame in 1960 playing Lancelot in the Broadway production of Camelot opposite Richard Burton and Julie Andrews. Franco Nero was cast in the role for the 1967 film version, but by then Goulet was a superstar and a regular presence on top variety shows like Ed Sullivan. Goulet's talents extended to TV and feature films. He jumped on the James Bond wagon in the mid-1960s, starring as a spy in the short-lived Blue Light TV series. (A feature film compiled from various episodes was released as I Deal in Danger.) Goulet also gained praise for spoofing his own image in Louis Malle's 1981 classic Atlantic City and in the 1991 hit The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear. In that comedy hit, Goulet played a villain obsessed with Priscilla Presley. This was an inside joke pertaining to a legend that Elvis so resented Goulet that he used to shoot out the TV with a handgun whenever he appeared on screen.

For the full report on Robert Goulet's life and career, click here.

We thought it might have been overkill when we put Steve McQueen on the cover of two of our first three issues of Cinema Retro. However, the fact that they still continue to sell briskly as back issues proves that McQueen's popularity is continuing to soar. Now writer Elizabeth Eaves of www.forbes.com provides very interesting insights into the factors for McQueen's increased popularity in recent years. He died in 1980 at only 50 years of age, but his legacy continues to grow. He also just came in on the top ten list of most profitable dead celebrities. To read the article click here

This fall, spy fans were treated to one of the most interesting metamorphosis’s on the web. In September, Spy Television author Wes Britton transformed his personal webpage into www.spywise.net, making this diverse site a distinctive resource on all aspects of espionage.

 

When www.Spywise.net debuted on September 1^st, Wes brought over many of the exclusive articles, reviews, and interviews from his previous digs including talks with the likes of actors Robert Conrad and Robert Vaughn along with behind-the-scenes looks into notable independent films and books on The Saint, I Spy, and The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Over the years, Wes has interviewed creators of spy-related comic books and documentaries.     

 

Now, one new aspect of Spywise.net is that it is no longer a one-man production. Now, you can find chapters and selected material from a variety of new books like a new interview with Mission: Impossible’s Peter Lupus by Eddie Lucas and the story of a never made  I Spy movie as revealed by expert Mark Cushman. Wes got the rights to publish the first authorized online edition of O. F. Snelling’s classic 1964 James Bond: A Report, including material never published anywhere else. In the pipeline are features by spy babe expert Tom Lisanti and a photo essay on the surprising world of “Zorro the Spy.”

 

Wes is making the rounds to further expand the archives of Spywise.net. For example, on Oct. 22, he dined with Eli (Magnificent Seven) Wallach at the Pennsylvania Jewish Film Festival in Scranton, PA. “I was invited to the festival,” Wes reports, “by Harvey Chertok, producer of the great docu-drama, The Impossible Spy. Wallach had played actual Mossad spymaster Meir Amit in that film, the true story of Israeli spy Eli Cohen.”

 

“Before the screening of The Impossible Spy,” Wes says, “I tried to get Eli to share some anecdotes, and it was difficult as in between every third and fourth sentence, some attendee or another wanted their photo taken with the 91-year-old actor. Including me, I’m not embarrassed to admit.  He talked a bit about his World War II experiences as a medical technician in the Orient and Casablanca. He was with his actress wife, Anne Jackson, whom Eli kept reminding everyone has a cousin who owns the Pittsburgh Steelers. When I told him I was a Dallas Cowboys fan, he replied, `I have played a lot of cowboys.’”

 

Just before we saw the 1987 HBO/BBC film, Wallach was honored with a lifetime achievement award. He told the audience that he had introduced his friend, Clint Eastwood, at many honor ceremonies and that Eastwood had promised to return the favor if Wallach ever got such an honor. “Well, Eastwood didn’t make it to Scranton,” Wes says, “but he did send a nice telegram to the festival.”

 

The morning after the successful festivities, Wallach was stunned to read a report about the evening in the local paper where it was reported he’d converted to Roman Catholicism. “If you read that article,” Wes warns, “remember not to believe everything you see in print. It isn’t true.”

 

Spywise.net is a site to bookmark if you’re an enthusiast of undercover operatives in fact and fiction. You can also keep up with interesting spy items at his blog, thespyreport.livejournal.com

 

We came across this well made music video paying tribute to the great tough guys of cinema. If you like Steve McQueen, Clint Eastwood, Charles Bronson and late comers Chuck Norris, Samuel L. Jackson, Sylvester Stallone and Arnold, click here to view

As October 18 was the birthday of the late actress Inger Stevens, Starlet Showcase pays tribute to the gorgeous, but troubled actress whose life ended so tragically. To read the full tribute click here

Actor/comedian Joey Bishop has died at age 89. He was the last member of Frank Sinatra's legendary Rat Pack that also included Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr and Peter Lawford. The most low-key of the group, Bishop was often cast as a bumbling loser, out of step with his high-liviing, womanizing fellow Rat Packers. He never got the girl but he usually got the laughs. The former nightclub comedian's trademark quip was "Son of a gun!" Sinatra discovered his act in the 1950s and a friendship formed. The Rat Pack campaigned heavily for John F. Kennedy in the presidential elections of 1960 and many believe their influence helped edge JFK to his razor-thin win over Richard Nixon. Joey Bishop served as master of ceremonies at JFK's inaugural party.Bishop only dabbled in acting, preferring to concentrate on TV work. He made memorable impressions in two Rat Pack hits: Oceans Eleven and Sergeants 3. He also co-starred with Dean Martin in Texas Across the River. Other film credits include The Naked and the Dead, Valley of the Dolls, Who's Minding the Mint and Mad Dog Time.The latter film, made in 1996, represented his last film role and he was directed by his son Larry Bishop. Joey Bishop had several failed shows on TV during the 1960s, most notably his short-lived late night talk show that unsuccessfully challenged Johnny Carson in the coveted 11:30 PM timeslot. The series is most notable for making a household name of his co-host Regis Philbin. For more on Bishop's life click here

One of the few remaining actresses who could be categorized as belonging to the legends of Hollywood's golden age has passed away. Deborah Kerr, who brought elegance, grace and sophistication to every film she appeared in, died from Parkinsons Disease on Tuesday. She was 86 years old. Kerr's remarkable career was highlighted by her torrid love scene on a Hawiian beach with Burt Lancaster in the Oscar-winning 1953 classic From Here to Eternity. She also starred opposite Yul Brynner in The King and I. Kerr even had a strange and unlikely connection to the world of James Bond, starring with David Niven in the 1967 big screen spoof of Casino Royale. For more click here

Director Joe Dante has launched a terrific site called www.trailersfromhell.com The concept is simple but unique: Dante and other directors and prominent film buffs provide audio commentary on their favorite movie trailers. Thus, you can relish Dante extolling the virutes of the trailer for Attack of the 50 Foot Woman and John Landis analyzing the trailer for The T.A.M.I Show. The titles aren't relegated to just B movies - there are classics like Psycho and Rio Bravo as well. The whole concept is wonderful - and we're jealous we didn't think of it first! To visit the site click the image below:

The UK site www.thisisexeter.co.uk has published a fascinating interview with former Flight Lt. Geoff Willitt in which the 96 year-old man (who still works as an artist) recalls his real-life experiences in the German prison camp Stalag Luft III which is where the massive breakout of prisoners occurred that inspired the book and film of The Great Escape. Although the movie was a true classic, most plot elements were created through artistic license, most notably the insertion of key American actors Steve McQueen and James Garner as prominent ringleaders of the escape. In fact, virtually all of the participants were from the  RAF. The audacious and bold plan saw a large number of prisoners successfully escape the camp only to be recaptured or executed in cold blood. Geoff Willitt, one of the few remaining survivors of the camp, did not draw a lottery number that would have entitled him to be part of the actual escape. Ironically, this twist of fate actually saved his life as he most probably would have been executed along with the 50 other British officers. To read the interivew click here

To read the story behind the making of the 1963 film The Great Escape, see Cinema Retro issue #1

If you think politics makes strange bedfellows, here's proof that the anecdote is even more relevant toward show biz. Director John Landis has completed a feature length documentary about master insult comedian Don Rickles. The film- titled Mr. Warmth -The Don Rickles Project- sounds irresistable. The star-studded tribute to one of the last remaining stand-up comics from Hollywood's Golden Age will be screened as part of the New York Film Festival between September 28-October 14. Rickles may seem an unlikely subject for such a documentary, but Landis obviously recognizes that in an age of foul mouth comics who are given instant stardom through cable TV appearances, Rickles represents an era in which comedians painstakingly worked their way to the top by playing in endless small clubs and dives, fine-tuning their act along the way. Rickles embodies the era in which he came of age professionally: when a tuxedo-clad comic would use profanity sparingly so it would have some impact on the audience. Rickles had toiled as an actor in the 1950s and 1960s landing supporting roles in major films like Run Silent, Run Deep and The Rat Race before he achieved superstardom in the mid 1960s by daring to insult Frank Sinatra when The Chairman of the Board attended one of his shows. "Make yourself at home, Frank - hit somebody!", taunted Rickles. Fortunately, Sinatra was in a good mood that night and Rickles became a mainstay in his circles. Before long, you were nobody if Rickles hadn't publicly insulted you.

Over the years, Rickles has continued to appear in the occasional major feature film, most notably opposite Clint Eastwood in Kelly's Heroes, in Martin Scorsese's Casino and providing voice over in the popular Toy Story films. For more on the Landis documentary screenings, click here you hockey puck!-Lee Pfeiffer

If there's one thing I like more than present day Great Britain, it's Great Britain in the 1960s. Not that I ever got there in the Sixties, mind you. However, I've always found it intriguing that England went from being a drab, gray nation to the vibrant center of a pop culture revolution seemingly overnight. Britain had won WWII militarily, but paid a big price in the ensuing years, having to rebuild the bombed out infrastructure and deal with economic shortages that left population demoralized. All of that was reflected in the films that were produced there. They were remarkably well made, but were often "kitchen sink" dramas that made it possible for an exciting new generation of "angry young men" to emerge with names like Richard Harris, Michael Caine, Sean Connery, Albert Finney, Richard Burton and Peter O'Toole. Beginning in 1962 with release of the first James Bond movie followed by The Beatles taking the world by storm, England suddenly became the epicenter of the most exciting cultural revolution of modern times. Suddenly, the nation wasn't known primarily for producing great people with bad teeth. We all wanted to be British now that the country had its mojo back.

Now there's a remarkable web site called www.reminiscethis.co.uk that revels in everything British from the 1960s. There is outstanding coverage of the politics, music and social conditions. After a brief visit through the site, you'll be as enthused as Austin Powers about the glory days of the British pop culture. To visit the site click here- Lee Pfeiffer

Famed motorcyclist and stunt driver Bud Ekins has died at age 77. Although his name is known only to hardcore movie fans, virtually every baby boomer has seen his most famous onscreen stunt: doubling for Steve McQueen in the legendary motorcyle jump across the barbed wire Swiss border crossing in the 1963 hit The Great Escape. McQueen,who was an accomplished cycle rider in his own right, was not allowed to attempt the stunt for insurance reasons. Thus, he had his old friend and colleague Ekins fly to Germany to perform the dangerous maneuver. The image of "McQueen"'s cycle going over the wire became an iconic photo in the 1960s and kids adorned their walls with posters depicting the scene. This troubled McQueen, who felt he was getting undeserved praise for a stunt he didn't do. Although he openly gave Ekins credit for the achievement, most fans believe to this day that McQueen performed the stunt himself. Ekins considered himself a motorcyclist first and film performer second. He had a list of enviable achievements in the cycling world, though he was occasionally lured back to do stunt work in films like McQueen's Bulllitt and Steven Spielberg's 1941. For Variety's full report click here

Try to imagine a scandal that directly or indirectly involves:

• Legendary actor Rex Harrison
• The Girl From U.N.C.L.E.
• The Sound of Music
• A public park in Maine
• Bipolar disorder
• Attacking actors playing Nazis with spray paint

No, it isn't the scenario for Mel Brooks' next project. Rather, it's a real-life newstory involving Will Harrison, son of actor/singer Noel Harrision, who played agent Mark Slate on The Girl From U.N.C.L.E. Will is also the grandson of Rex Harrison. The spirited offspring of the TV secret agent is banned from visiting a public park in Maine because of any number of antics he has sprung on local residents - including climbing on stage in a cape and goggles to spray paint actors playing Nazis in a theater production of The Sound of Music! Hey, we all have to do our part to denounce Hitler's policies, don't we? We can't help but being reminded of the scene in The Naked Gun in which Leslie Nielsen's Lt. Drebin brags about having shot a gang of cult members dressed in togas who were assaulting an innocent victim. The exasperrated mayor then informs him they were cast members from a production of Julius Caesar! The younger Harrison attributes his actions to a bipolar disorder, but he's still hopeful that it won't interfere with his aspirations of being knighted. (Given some of the people who have been knighted in recent years, this goal may not be as far-fetched as you would believe.) The real question is whether this will negatively affect his chances of being an U.N.C.L.E. agent! For more on the story click here

Actor George Grizzard has passed away at the age of 79. A frequent collaborator of playwright Edward Albee, Grizzard had originated the role of Nick in Albee's breakthrough play Who's Afraid of Virgina Woolf? (The part was played by George Segal in the 1966 film version). Grizzard, who had been battling lung cancer, had appeared in a number of high profile films including Advise and Consent, Comes a Horseman, From the Terrace and Woody Allen's Small Time Crooks.  His last screen appearance was in Clint Eastwood's 2006 film Flags of Our Fathers. For Variety's full report click here

Cinema Retro Editor-in-Chief Lee Pfeiffer takes a (belated) look at the merits of 3:10 to Yuma

Extolling the virtues of the remake of 3:10 to Yuma makes me feel as relevant and timely as the lookout at Pearl Harbor. The film has been in release for a month, but I was in Beijing when it opened. Having blabbered endlessly about the demise of the western film, I thought I should be among those who actually supported this film by seeing it in the theater. I was prepared to like it, but midway through I had to pinch myself to insure that I was actually seeing that rarest of birds:a great, new western. I won't belabor readers with a detailed synposis of a movie that has already been widely discussed and reviewed. The story simply focuses on a financially desperate rancher (Christian Bale) who can't provide for his family. He signs on to help escort a notorious killer and outlaw (Russell Crowe) to a distant town where he will be put aboard a train for Yuma Prison. In between arec murderous Apaches, double-crossing mercenaries and the outlaw's ruthless gang of cutthroats who are determined to free him. What makes Yuma so wonderful to experience is the fact that it is remarkable because it is so unremarkable. This is not a revisionist, hip western that tries to mock the genre. It's as traditional as you can get. James Mangold is the director of record, but one suspects the ghosts of Henry Hathaway and John Sturges had their hands on the tiller. Mangold has studied the genre and gets every aspect right. Not only is every performance terrific, but the cast looks like it was dragged through sagebrush instead of having basted a few hours in Beverly Hills spa. Crowe and Bale are superb, with the former giving a performance worthy of an Oscar nomination as the charismatic killer. The supporting cast is just as impressive, with a virtually unrecognizable Peter Fonda playing the grizzled incarnation of Grant Withers and Harry Carey Jr. A wonderful character actor named Ben Foster creates one of the most notorious western bad guys since Jack Palance in Shane.

The film invokes all the mainstays of great westerns, including the time-honored plot device of having a ticking clock count down the minutes until the train arrives in town. These scenes will remind you of the best westerns from High Noon to Last Train From Gun Hill. Aside from the richly drawn characters, the movie also has some terrific technical achievements. Every aspect of the production design is completely realistic, from the dusty clothing to the creaky floorboards of the local saloons. The sound effects are also impressive, particularly in the spectacularly-staged final shootout. You feel like ducking for cover under your seat as the bullets whiz by seemingly non-stop.

Congratulations to all involved: 3:10 to Yuma is among the best of the scant crop of westerns made in recent years. Like Unforgiven and Open Range, it lingers long after the credits have rolled. Saddle up and see it in a theater while you still can.