I'm writing to you today because it's January 31st and that was the birthday of the late James Franciscus, who would be 76 today.  Probably best recalled now for only BENEATH THE PLANET OF THE APES (1970), Franciscus was part of a crop of handsome TV actors (he was the original star of THE NAKED CITY TV series) in the late fifties who longed for movie star status (and likely watched with burning resentment in the sixties as Steve McQueen shot past them all).  Franciscus tried for that brass ring several times (anyone remember YOUNGBLOOD HAWKE from 1964?) only to return again and again to series television to support his family.  Jane Fonda's "first" (according to her recent autobiography), Franciscus had a reasonably successful acting career by most standards, but was reportedly bitter that he never gained real leading man status in films and died young and rather tragically in 1991 from emphysema caused by a suicidally dumb four-pack-a-day smoking habit.  The attached image from his best remembered film is not meant as a tasteless joke, but a poetic comment on the sad fate of this once promising "Hollywood" actor. - Rory Monteith

Retro responds: Thanks for your tribute to an often overlooked actor. Franciscus - like so many other actors- lived in the shadows of contemporaries who went on to greater things. Still, the fact that his name is still well known among movie and TV fans is an indication that he did gain respect in the industry. I always thought he must have felt awkward in Beneath the Planet of the Apes. Fox did all they could to get Charlton Heston to star again, but all they could muster was a brief cameo that he reluctantly performed. Thus, Franciscus was groomed to be a virtual clone of Heston and while the resemblance was remarkable, he must have felt somewhat belittled by this process- especially in the scenes in which he had to perform with Heston. Still, he was a good, sold leading man and his talents are missed.- Lee Pfeiffer

******

There are some of us who remembered James Franciscus from his stint as TV's "Mr. Novak", when we heard he would be in the sequel to "Planet of the Apes"! I can remember feeling embarrassed for Mr. Franciscus, as it was so obvious to we, the audience, that he was supposed to be a "clone" of Heston. However, we enjoyed his performance anyhow. (Heston and Franciscus are so great when they finally meet on screen, it was like watching two long lost brothers! ) Franciscus was better served in that under appreciated Harryhausen epic, "Valley of Gwangi". But we fans really rooted for him as the blind investigator cum martial artist, Longstreet. Sort of a precursor (in the U.S. anyway) of Zatoichi minus the sword! It is good to see he is well appreciated by his fans!--A. Rivera, New York, NY

In a breakthrough moment in the entertainment industry, a female director has won the coveted Directors Guild of America award. Kathryn Bigelow was honored for her work on the Iraq War film The Hurt Locker. The award makes her a favorite to win the Best Director Oscar, which- in -turn- generally means her film will win Best Picture. There have only been six occasions since 1948 when the DGA winner didn't get the Oscar for directing. Adding drama to the decision was the fact that Bigelow was competing against ex-husband James Cameron, whose Avatar is now the top-grossing film of all time. Cameron is also considered to be a shoo-in for a Best Director Oscar nomination. For more click here

There are indications that James Cameron's next film project may be based on survivor's accounts of the destruction of Hiroshima in WWII. Cameron recently met with the only verified survivor of both the Hiroshima and Nagasaki blasts (talk about bad luck!) prior to the man passing away last week at age 93. For more click here

Although James Cameron's Avatar might bring up to $1 billion in pre-tax profits to Fox, the New York Times reports that major studios are not rushing to jump on the bandwagon to emulate the film's technical aspects. The reason is the risk of making such a huge investment. Fox gambled a staggering $400 million+ on the project and if Cameron had come up with a clunker, the studio would have faced some serious problems in terms of finances and credibility. The realization that the second film to take such a plunge would not have nearly the clout of Avatar is making Hollywood cautious. (The Times points out that no one remembers Tenderloin, the film marketed as the second movie to feature full sound following the release of The Jazz Singer in 1927). There are rumors that the next Star Trek film might employ some of the 3-D technologies, but Paramount isn't talking. For more click here

Dear Cinema Retro,
 
I absolutely love the Where Eagles Dare Special Tribute Issue. It is the best behind the scenes history of a film magazine that I have ever seen. I hope that this will be the first of many special film tribute issues that you will release in the future. May I suggest that the following films would make for very interesting special tribute issues in the future.
 
                                                    1. Bullitt
                                                    2. The Great Escape
                                                    3. Kelly's Heroes
                                                    4. The Magnificent Seven
                                                    5. The Wild Bunch
 
I hope that you will seriously consider my suggestions for future special film tribute editions. Keep up the good work!

Sincerely,

Jay Barrick

Retro responds: Thanks for the kind words, Jay. We really appreciate all the support that our readers gave us for the Where Eagles Dare issue. We especially appreciate the efforts of over twenty contributors from around the world to make this issue a reality. Your suggestions are all great ones and are on our "must do" list. We're now researching for a major article on Kelly's Heroes for a future edition of the magazine, though it won't be a Movie Classics special. As for The Great Escape, we did some extensive coverage on the making of the film in Cinema Retro issue#1, which is still available as a back issue. Stay tuned for some announcements regarding our most ambitious project ever, the forthcoming Movie Classics special on the Clint Eastwood/Sergio Leone Dollars films that will include an abundance of rare photos, including some that have never been published before. Meanwhile, if you don't have Where Eagles Dare issue, supplies are rapidly dwindling. Click here for ordering info.
 
                                                                                                

An alert from reader Wes Britton:

On Tuesday, Feb. 2, Bill Marx will be the featured guest on KSAV’s broadcast of “Dave White Presents.” Bill will discuss life with his famous father (Harpo Marx), his famous mother (the girl with the “Million Dollar Legs”), his legendary uncles (Groucho, Chico, Zeppo, Gummo), not to mention Bill’s own musical career which included working with his Dad. And, of course, we’ll talk about Bill’s new book, Son of Harpo Speaks, now available as an audiobook Bill read himself for Bear Manor Media. You don’t have to be a Marx Brothers fan to enjoy this one—Bill Marx is more than entertaining in his own right!

Competing with Bill for your smiles and laughs will be one Dave White who promises to be more “predictably unpredictable” than usual, if that’s possible. We’ll hear a new “Poor David’s Almanac,” comic songs from years past, and new products from Dave’s questionable sponsors. 

Altogether, this will be a very special occasion not only due to our guest of honor, but because, for the very first time, listeners can catch the debut airing of the 90 minutes of variety entertainment at one of two times. Starting with this program, “Dave White Presents” will air at 7:30 p.m. EST and then later at 7:30, Pacific Time over—

www.KSAV.org

As always, if you’re busy Tuesday evening, the program will become available for 24/7 download access on Wednesday, Feb. 3 at—

www.audioentertainment.org/dwp

So there’s no reason to miss this one—you bet your life!

(Click here to read Nick Thomas' exclusive interview with Bill Marx for Cinema Retro)

Warner Brothers will become the only  Hollywood movie company to have their own major studio in the UK when it buys Leavesden Studios on the outskirts of London. The company will spend up to $100 million to purchase and revamp the former Rolls Royce factory which became an unlikely movie studio in 1995 when Eon Productions shot most of the James Bond movie GoldenEye. Bond production designer Peter Lamont and his team performed a Herculean task in making the conversion to a working studio. Since then, many major feature films have been shot there. Warner Brothers, which will be a major competitor to Pinewood Studios, intends to make the public welcome by offering tours and other events. For more click here

It seems our mention of TCM"s broadcast of 55 Days at Peking has unleashed a lot of pent up enthusiasm about the film among readers. Here is a subscriber from the UK's update on what the alternatives are for those who are seeking the film on DVD:

And you’re right to say the latest Miriam DVDs of El Cid and Roman Empire are excellent – but dear oh dear ! Why did they put the Intermission Music on the end of the first disc ? They clearly didn’t understand how these movies were shown. The intermission music is the Overture to the second half, not the playout to the first. Which makes it impossible to play the Intermission music, dim the lights and open the curtains (assuming you have them, which of course I do !) and go straight into the movie. Grrr !!!

 Sadly none of the above area as good as the LD versions (which I also have, of course).

Dick Budgen (UK)

Johnny Seven, a character actor who appeared in countless TV series and feature films, has died at age 83. Among his credits: Ironside, Bonanza, CHIPS, Sgt. Bilko, Gunsmoke, The Apartment and the Western Navajo Run, which he wrote produced and directed. In recent years, he ran a successful real estate business. For details click here

John Williams' terrific soundtrack to the 1977 classic thriller Black Sunday has been issued as a limited edition CD by Film Score Monthly. The film was directed by John Frankenheimer and starred Robert Shaw, Bruce Dern, Marthe Keller and Fritz Weaver. For more info click here

Lee,
Actually I own a copy of this great film on DVD . . . it's available as part of the Tohokushinsa Classic Library collection in Japan: Region 1, 160 minutes . . . and the artwork is fabulous!

Phil

Retro responds: Thanks for the tip, Phil. The Weinstein Company owns the rights to the Samuel Bronston films they did a magnificent job of releasing both El Cid and The Fall of the Roman Empire as deluxe DVD editions, packed with extras. The plan was to also release 55 Days at Peking and Circus World, but to date, they have not appeared. By the way, if you search under these titles on Amazon, you'll see some DVDs come up. Be wary: the ones that say "all region" are bootlegs and the quality can be something to be desired. It appears as though Peking was released on DVD officially, but apparently never in an English-speaking country.

***************************************************

I'm happy that you mentioned the upcoming broadcast of 55 Days at Peking on TCM. Like you, I really like that film, too, and think it's terribly underrated. I have an Asian DVD of the film which, while it isn't perfect, at least is in the correct 2:35 ratio and anamorphic as well.

The film has a fascinating and very troubled production history. The original director Nicholas Ray (who does a cameo as the American ambassador in the film) was fired after several weeks of shooting when he suffered a heart attack after taking speed to cure his alcoholism. he was replaced by Andrew Marton, who was already working on the film as the second unit director for the action sequences, which is the reason why the action sequences are so good. (I read an interview with Marton in which he said his first day as the main director was the ball sequence that Heston and Ava Gardner attend together in the film) Gardner, who was also heavily drinking at the time,walked off the film the day after character actor Paul Lukas called her out about her habit in front of the crew. This is why there's no final death scene between her and Heston in the film, as there was in the original script (which, of course, was written by several writers - credited and uncredited)

Sergio Mims

Retro responds: Thanks for the insights, Sergio. The film was clearly a troubled production and set in motion the decline of Bronstan's career. He was a good filmmaker but a terrible businessman. Still, Peking makes for magnificent entertainment. It makes true the cliche that "they don't make 'em like that anymore". 

Click here to order deluxe collector's DVD edition of El Cid. (Click here for review)

Click here to order deluxe collector's DVD edition of The Fall of the Roman Empire

Miramax, the independent production studio that was founded in 1979 by the mercurial Bob and Harvey Weinstein, has officially gone out of business. Under their guidance, the company enjoyed financial and critical success, having backed off-beat films that most major studios would have ignored. The brothers sold the company to Disney in 1993 but they continued to exert an astonishing amount of autonomy in running Miramax. However, after clashing with Michael Eisner, the Weinsteins left Miramax and Disney to form The Weinstein Company in 2005. Miramax died a slow death in the ensuing years and Disney finally officially closed the company today. For full details click here

Zelda Rubinstein, who played the eccentric psychic in Poltergeist, has died at age 76. For more click here. For more details about her life and career, check out Kasey Dickerson's tribute here.

Cinema Retro contributor Matthew Bradley has started his own film blog to occasionally opine on classic films. Matthew is an expert on all things relating to Richard Matheson and has a penchant for Matt Helm movies. (Who can blame him?)  Click here to read his new blog, Bradley on Film. Click here to read his archived blog on the literary and cinematic Matt Helm. 

Kritzerland Records has released a very limited edition (1,000 copies) CD of Ernest Gold's classic soundtrack for It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. The CD is a remastering of the original vinyl album along with bonus tracks never released before. This will sell out quickly! To order click here

By Dave Worrall

Clint Eastwood’s son Kyle, a well-respected jazz musician in his own right, has collaborated with Michael Stevens to produce a terrific score for Invictus. However, ‘Dad’ lends a hand, and the opening song ‘9,000 Day’s was written by Eastwood Sr along with Stevens and even has lyrics by Dina Eastwood (Clint’s wife) – talk about keeping it in the family! The result is a highly impressive CD soundtrack release. This is a magnificent score, and unlike Eastwood’s previous forays on Million Dollar Baby, Flags of Our Fathers, Changeling and Gran Torino - which were dramatic, dark and moody - this music, like the film itself, is really uplifting. There are several songs in the film, all performed by Overtone a South African acapella band that was discovered by Dina Eastwood, who saw them in a show in Cape Town while her husband was filming Invictus. The soundtrack is a blend of traditional South African music mixed with an almost tribal chant/drum beat sound and orchestral overtures. It’s powerful stuff, with vocalist Yollandi Nortjie sounding very much (on ‘9,000 Days’) like Jamie Cullum’s song for Gran Torino , with  similar jazzy, bluesy vibes. As in previous films, Clint Eastwood delivers one of his simplistic piano-based themes but this time (in ‘Invictus Theme’) it is accompanied by a wonderful trumpet underscore which, for this writer, is so reminiscent of the legendary Chet Baker, and is a joy to hear. Kyle Eastwood and composer Michael Stevens have, once again, produced a great sounding score – this time one that perfectly blends a beautiful haunting cinematic theme with that of South African traditional music. Highly recommended – and one of my favourite Eastwood scores to date.

Click here to order from Amazon

Click here to order from Amazon UK

 

 

By Lee Pfeiffer

Given the fact that the new medical drama Extraordinary Measures has received decidedly ordinary reviews, I wasn't particularly enthralled about seeing it. However, big screen appearances by Harrison Ford (who was executive producer on the film) are as rare as hen's teeth nowadays, so I thought I'd give it a try. The movie is the first to be released by CBS Films, the theatrical side of the TV network. The company intends to make modesty-budgeted films for wide audiences. The jury is still out as to whether the venture will succeed (Extraordinary Measures opened softly at the boxoffice). However, from an artistic standpoint, the company deserves praise for concentrating on stream-lined films that appeal to the intelligence of the audience, instead of bloated blockbusters. More importantly, the film - which has received modest praise for being workmanlike - is actually a completely engrossing and moving story that is wonderfully enacted under the direction of newcomer Tom Vaughan.

KING OF THE WORLD!

The bad news for James Cameron is that Titanic has lost the title of #1 Boxoffice Champion of All Time. The good news: he's displaced himself, as Avatar took that honor with an incredible worldwide gross to date of $1.859 billion compared to Titanic's gross of $1.843 billion. Cameron looks set to blow away the record by a wide margin, as Avatar has plenty of mojo  left: it was still #1 according to last week's boxoffice grosses. For a list of the top-grossing films of all time click here

Pernell Roberts, the last remaining cast member of Bonanza, has died from cancer at age 81. Roberts played the role of Adam, brother of Dan Blocker and Michael Landon, on the smash hit TV series between 1959 and 1965. He felt frustrated that his character was never fully developed and thought it was ridiculous that a man in his 30s would constantly defer to his father's (Lorne Greene) wishes. Like so many other stars who left hit TV series, Roberts' career stagnated for many years. However, in 1979 he was back in a hit, playing the title role of Trapper John, M.D., based on a character from the M*A*S*H TV series. The show lasted until 1986. For more click here

The assembly-line quality of contemporary action films is illustrated through their trailers, which all use the the exact same chorus singing ominously. It's somewhat similar to Jerry Goldsmith's score for The Omen. CNN reveals that the track is actually called Carmina Burana by Carl Orff and it is used by virtually every company in the business of making trailers. Forget the fact that for years, one man (now deceased) had a monopoly on voice-over work for trailers. Now, even the music doesn't have a specific identity. Ever notice how trailers are also cut the exact same way? Just when you think it's over and the title splash comes on screen, it always cuts back to one last line of dialogue, usually a wisecrack uttered by the star. Click here for the story. 

Reader David Jackson has taken us to task for reporting that Conan O'Brien willingly wasted NBC's money in the final wee of his show by spending it on frivolous skits. For the record, it was quite apparent that most of his claims were indeed obviously jokes (no one believed he spent millions just to set up a sight gag). However, a couple of "expenses" were reported in the mainstream media as being legitimate, such as paying extravagant licensing costs to play Beatles music. Turns out even that was bogus, we're happy to say. Mr. Jackson points out that NBC has disputed O'Brien's claims that any segment of his show went beyond the normal budget. We're quite glad to hear that. We've always liked O'Brien and feel he was treated badly in the NBC debacle. Our biggest beef was having him ask viewers to donate to Haiti relief while he may have been wasting large sums of money to spite NBC. So we're setting the record straight- Conan is a good guy after all!  For more click here- Lee Pfeiffer

Will Smith has purchased the rights to the 1974 hit crime comedy caper Uptown Saturday Night which starred Sidney Poitier and Bill Cosby. The project, which has been languishing for quite some time, seems to be picking up steam and Denzel Washington may be coming aboard. For details click here

By Lee Pfeiffer

We know you are probably among the legions of movie-goers who hate Tim Burton's misguided "re-imagining" of the classic 1968 sci-fi film Planet of the Apes. Yet, it still made a boat load of money and where Hollywood smells profits, you can't count out studios revisiting a bad idea. Now rumor has it that a remake may be in the works of Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, the fourth entry in the original series and perhaps the most controversial. The film depicted how the oppressed ape population turned on their masters and took control of earth. Here's an idea: instead of attempting another Ape remake, why not just reissue the original? For more click here

Jeff Bridges, who recently won the Best Actor Golden Globe for the little-seen film Crazy Heart, continued to build momentum for an Oscar win when he was awarded the Best Actor Screen Actor's Guild award. Sandra Bullock won Best Actress for The Blind Side. The ensemble cast award went to Inglourious Basterds. For more click here

As major web sites become frustrated by literally giving away their product, The New York Times has made a major decision that could have a wide impact on the future of free web access. The Times, facing big fall-offs in advertising revenue that most newspapers are suffering, is thriving on its web site, which attracts a staggering 20 million unique users every month. However, the only revenue it derives from the site is through advertisers and the profits have been weak. The Times is about to announce a plan that will allow infrequent visitors to their site to read a certain number of stories for free. However, frequent visitors will have to pay a subscription fee. The Times tried this approach several years ago but withdrew the plan when its own columnists complained that their readership dropped significantly. Additionally, no other major newspapers followed their lead, leaving the Times out on a limb alone. This time, however, others may adopt the same plan. Publishing magnate Rupert Murdoch has been making loud noises about the fact that only the print medium is expected to give away the fruits of its labor force for free, even though they still have to pay reporters and staffers for doing the work. There is a chance that Murdoch may also jump on board with some sort of pay model.Murdoch has a point: consumers don't expect to download their favorite music and movies for free, nor would anyone expect to plunk themselves down in a Broadway theater or a concert without paying for the privilege. In the near future, Variety will go the way of a subscription plan for its on-line site. Although these sites are expected to lose a major amount of traffic, the bottom line is what counts: and having a fraction of readers pay for the stories they read is ultimately far more rewarding to the  companies than simply boasting of the number of web surfers they attract. Click here to read the New York magazine web site article for more (and yes, it's free!)

The state of current movie posters may be in free-fall, with most marketing campaigns uninspired and boring. However, creativity is alive and well on the fan circuit, as evidenced by this "poster" making the rounds on the web that blends two icons of pop culture - Seinfeld and Star Wars- in a hilarious one sheet design. Why aren't the people who created this in charge of designing real movie posters?

Click here to watch the gloriously campy trailer for the 1966 Fox big screen version of Batman starring Adam West and Burt Ward. 

Nicholas Cage claims he is under new management and has taken drastic steps to get his troubled financial house in order. In recent years, Cage and his former business manager have traded charges over whose negligence resulted in Cage's financial meltdown. Despite making mega millions over the years, Cage has had to liquidate assets and endure embarrassing press coverage of his tax problems. Cage says he is now current on his tax bill and has paid an additional $14 million to the IRS. For more click here

On January 25th Heroes: The Greatest War Movies Ever is being released on DVD by Revolver Entertainment. Region 2 only, this DVD costs £9.99., with every penny of the profit (approx £7.50) going to the charity Help the Heroes, which supports wounded British servicemen and women returning from Afghanistan and Iraq. The one-hour film is a collection of clips from famous wartime films made over the last sixty years, including Saving Private Ryan, Ice Cold in Alex, The Guns of Navarone, Platoon, Bridge on the River Kwai, Schindler's List, Dr Strangelove, The Hurt Locker, and many more. It will be available in most UK stores and major online stockists such as Play.Com and Amazon UK.

Actress Jean Simmons has died from cancer at age 80. Simmons began acting in the mid-1940s and won acclaim for her performance as Ophelia in Laurence Olivier's Oscar-winning screen version of Hamlet in 1948. Major roles followed in films such as The Blue Lagoon, The Robe, Guys and Dolls, The Big Country, Spartacus, Elmer Gantry and The Happy Ending. By the late 1960s, however, the major roles in big screen productions stopped coming her way, although she did continue to act (often in independent films) up until last year.In the 1980s, she won an Emmy for her performance in the hit TV mini-series The Thorn Birds.  Simmons had been married to Stewart Granger, and later to director Richard Brooks. For more click here

A feud has broken out between Federico Fellini's niece and the Fellini Foundation, which carries out high profile events in the memory of the legendary director, as well as dedicates itself to preserving his heritage. The niece has resigned from the board of the foundation and removed Fellini's massive library as well as his five Oscars. This all comes with some irony: the movie musical Nine, which is based on Fellini's 8 1/2 is about to open in Italy.  For more click here

Jackie Collins has finally come clean on the affair with Marlon Brando that she always hinted at. Collins says she met Brando at a party in the 1950s when he was 29 and she was about to turn 16. The top Hollywood swordsman was mesmerized by young Jackie's 39 inch bust and quickly made a successful pass at her. This resulted in a sexual affair that went on for some time, despite the fact that she was legally under the age of consent. Complicating matters was the fact that her sister Joan Collins eventually bedded Brando as well. Talk about bosom buddies...For more click here

Dick Cavett, one of the wittiest social commentators around, takes a look at how fame often is a double-edged sword for those who benefit from it. Cavett uses the recent Tiger Woods scandal to frame how other famous individuals he has known, from Johnny Carson to Jack Benny, coped with the complete lack of personal privacy. To read click here

Sir Christopher Lee continues to pursue new career challenges, even at age 87. He is now collaborating on a high profile musical biography of the emperor Charlemagne, to whom he can trace his family ancestry. The album, which combines metal rock music with biographical insights, will be released in March. According to London's Guardian web site, Lee feels the album will be "sensational". For the story along with a link to the album's official web site, click here

PREPARE YOURSELF FOR THE MOST THRILLING MOVIE EXPERIENCE OF THE YEAR! THE MOVIE MAGIC TOUR
APRIL 23-MAY 1, 2010!

• LEARN HOW LEGENDARY FILMS WERE MADE THROUGH EXCLUSIVE MEETINGS WITH ACTORS WHO WORKED ON MANY OF THE FILMS WE CELEBRATE ON THIS TOUR!

AN EXCITING INVITATION TO JOIN LEE PFEIFFER AND DAVE WORRALL, PUBLISHERS OF CINEMA RETRO, FOR THE MOVIE LOCATION TOUR EVENT OF THE YEAR!

Cinema Retro has been requested to post the the following letter from a relative of actor Ken Clark. If anyone can help locate him, please write to Tim at the E mail address in his letter.(For Dean Brierly's tribute to Ken Clark's Euro spy movies of the 60s click here)

Ken Clark, star of such cult classics as "Attack of the Giant Leeches" and "12 To the Moon" as well as over a dozen EuroSpy movies in the 1960s is my great uncle.
 
He is also subject of a family mystery.
 
When his movie career in the States seemed destined to fail, and all he was being offered was TV roles, he left the US to go to Europe.  His career there is well-documented.  However, when he left, he also broke contact with his entire family.... wife, kids, parents, sisters, everyone.
 
His sister is now 81 and in failing health.  I am trying to track down Ken Clark to see if, after all this time, he has any interest at all in talking to his sister once again.  Even if he wanted to, there would be almost no way for him to find her.  He never knew her married name, and she moved from their home in Ohio to Rhode Island decades ago. 
 
I have tried SAG but they want his SAG membership number in order to give me any information.  Obviously, I do not have that.  If anyone has any means of learning his whereabouts or has any source I might contact to try and find him I would be most appreciative.  Feel free to email me directly, or to contact me through the web site.
 
Thank you,
 
Tim Lamont

tmthylmnt@gmail.com

There is some context being given to Dennis Hopper's deathbed decision to file for divorce from his wife of 14 years, Victoria. Apparently, Hopper's adult daughter Marin is instigating the divisive action, according to The Huffington Post which quotes family sources and friends as saying its all about excluding Victoria from receiving her share  of the will. Hopper is battling terminal cancer and is said to have filed for divorce during a period when he may have been mentally unable to comprehend what he was doing. Click here for more on the real life soap opera. 

China is pulling all standard prints of Avatar, ostensibly to open the market to more films made within the country. Activists say the real reason is that the plot of the film, which is about government oppressing the masses, is the real reason Chinese officials are eager to reduce the blockbuster's exposure within the nation. Only 20 foreign films a year are allowed to be shown in China. 3-D and Imax runs of the films will still be allowed to be shown. For more click here

By Bruce R. Marshall

It’s that time of year when everyone seems to have a ‘Ten Best Films of the Year’  list.
As this is the last year of the decade,  we can also count on being deluged with ‘Best Films of the Decade’ lists (mine will be coming; be patient).
Before I started writing about classic films for Cinema Retro,   I primarily wrote about motion picture and television music. So, for a change of pace I humbly offer ....

“Bruce’s Baker’s Dozen of Great Film Music: 2000-2009”.

1.    A Scanner Darkly  – Graham Reynolds

The best score of the decade is a dazzling, haunting work from newcomer Reynolds.  The Austin based composer/performer brings all his considerable skills to bear– he performs and composes jazz, rock, and classical music- in this wholly original score. To date this is his only major Hollywood assignment. If  it were up to me, Reynolds would be getting plum assignments like

Watchmen , The Incredible Hulk and 2012 instead of the   bland , faceless composers who seem to score  film after film. Wake Up Hollywood!

2.    The Road To Perdition – Thomas Newman
3.    Milk – Danny Elfman

4. & 5.   A.I. - Artificial Intelligence &   Minority Report
John Williams earns ‘Composer of the Decade’ for these two rich, evocative scores. Director Steven Spielberg  and Williams also teamed up successfully for yet another  science- fiction epic, the spectacular War of the Worlds.  Incredibly, John Williams is still producing great music in his mid seventies!

6. Lassie -  Adrian Johnston
This faithful and moving adaptation of the children’s classic barely received a theatrical release in the UK or USA. Just as shameful, is the lack of a soundtrack album. A beautiful score.

7. Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron – Hans Zimmer
This overlooked and underrated animated film from DreamWorks is as good as anything Disney  or Pixar released (with the possible exception of Wall-E ). Along with the terrific score, it also contains the ‘Best Song of the Decade’, “ Sound the Bugle” performed Bryan Adams.

8. Miracle – Mark Isham
This inspiring and exciting sports film contains ‘The Most Memorable Musical Moment of the Decade’ ; the walk to the ice by the USA Olympic hockey team for their momentous match with the USSR. If this doesn’t give you goosebumps, see a doctor!

9. Cast Away - Alan Silvestri
The score for this amazing film totals only 15 minutes yet makes a powerful impact. Just goes to show you do not have to plaster wall-to-wall music on every film.

10. A Beautiful Mind - James Horner
11. Thirteen Days -  Trevor Jones
12. Rabbit Proof Fence - Peter Gabriel
13. Cold Mountain- Gabriel Yared

Don’t like my picks?

Let me know combrm@yahoo.com

(Note: Remember you can order these soundtracks at discounted rates through Cinema Retro's link to Amazon)

With Conan O'Brien on the brink of walking from NBC (albeit with a $30-$40 million pay off), Jay Leno got serious last night and told his audience about the behind-the-scenes drama at the network that will surely go down as one of the great debacles in the history of broadcast television. By forcing top-rated Leno from The Tonight Show and elevating O'Brien to host that show, NBC sowed the seeds for massive ratings drops for both men. Leno told his audience that he never thought the experiment of putting a new show for him in prime time would work, but he went along with the plan anyway. It now appears that Leno will revert back to being host of The Tonight Show, with O'Brien not only paused to compete with him on another network, but to have been paid millions of dollars by NBC to do so...Click here to watch a clip from Leno's discussion. 

Erich Segal, whose razor-thin romance novel Love Story became a pop culture phenomenon, has died at age 72 from a heart attack in London. Segal's modest story about two love-struck Harvard college students resonated with a generation that was beset by civil unrest and the protest movement. The story is the ultimate soap opera, with the lead female character developing a terminal illness. Still, Segal's skillful prose tore at women's heartstrings and elevated the book to being a publishing sensation. Segal wrote the screenplay for the 1970 big screen adaptation which was a massive box-office hit and scored key Oscar nominations for the principals involved and elevated Ryan O'Neal and Ali MacGraw to stardom. The film's tag-line "Love means never having to say you're sorry" is still widely quoted today, though often in a satiric context.  Segal, who also wrote the screenplay for The Beatles' Yellow Submarine, never enjoyed success on this level again. His sequel to Love Story, titled Oliver's Story, didn't  approach the kind of sales that the first book did and a screen version starring Ryan O'Neal was neither a box-office or critical success. Segal continued to write the occasional screenplay but his name remains synonymous with Love Story. For more click here

Intrada has released Jerry Goldsmith's score for the 1966 WWI epic The Blue Max as a 2500 limited edition CD for $19.95. The company gained access to elements of the score not previously released. For sample tracks and to order, click here. (Thanks to subscriber Rory Monteith for the head's up!) 

L.A. is the place to be between January 20-31 when American Cinematheque will present a mind-boggling number of great classic movie events at both the Egyptian and Aero Theaters. Among the highlight:

• A rare January 20 big screen showing of the Clint Eastwood/Jeff Bridges flick Thunderbolt and Lightfoot
• A John Ford film festival showcasing new prints
• A Sergio Leone film festival
• Digital presentations of films such as Raging Bull, The Godfather and the first two Superman movies.
• In person appearances by actors Clu Gulager and Damon Packard
• Shirley Jones hosting a 50th anniversary screening of Elmer Gantry
• In person appearance of screenwriter Frank Pierson at a screening of Dog Day Afternoon
• A werewolf film triple feature

For info click here and click on the respective theater's web site

If James Bond, Batman and Superman earn our respect as long-time screen heroes, they have nothing on Sherlock Holmes, who has appeared in films relatively consistently since since the silent era. The New York Times takes a look at how the image of Holmes has changed over the years and speculates as to how Sir Arthur Conan Doyle would treat the latest screen incarnation. Click here to read

Tom Hanks will co-star with Julia Roberts in the comedy Larry Crowne, a film he has written and will also direct. The two stars previously collaborated on Charlie Wilson's War. Although that film was a critical success, it under-performed at the box-office, possibly because it was too "inside baseball" in terms of American politics. The new film is said to have broader audience appeal. Hanks previously directed the acclaimed 1996 retro rock movie That Thing That You Do. Click here for more

By Lee Pfeiffer

Well, the 2010 Golden Globes are history and although I couldn't bring myself to sit through the three hour back-slapping fest, I did listen in from the other room while I worked on my computer. Occasionally, I'd force myself in front of the TV just to catch a glimpse of what someone looked like. I discovered that Sophia Loren, Paul McCartney, Harrison Ford and Pierce Brosnan appear to be aging very well indeed, but I couldn't be enticed to stick around for much more. The acceptance speeches were the usual cringe-inducing embarrassments, proving that many actors can barely manage to improvise "hello" without a script in front of them. There were several of the standard "I didn't think I'd win, so I didn't prepare a speech!" yarns that must have seemed stale and insincere when Mary Pickford was still box-office queen. Ricky Gervais was fairly amusing as host, making a few memorable one-liners. ("I like a drink as much as the next man - unless the next man is Mel Gibson", he said while swigging beer and introducing the scandal-plagued Gibson). There were also plenty of jokes at the expense of NBC, which telecast the event, and most of them related to the on-going Jay Leno-Conan O'Brien debacle. Network execs must have smiling on the outside but hitting the bottle as soon as the ceremonies were over. One highlight was the DeMille award to Martin Scorsese, though I could have sworn Scorsese was given this honor about five times already. Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio presented the honor. The legendary director made a gracious and classy speech about the importance of preserving film and made references to cinematic legends that half that the airheads in the audience probably never even heard of. Scorsese was refreshing because he managed to get through his speech without having to use obscene jokes or references to the toilet in order to prove how "edgy" he can be, as virtually every other person on stage seemed compelled to do. He also informed us that the Hollywood Foreign Press, the farcical "news" organization that sponsors the Globes, actually does help in preserving films. So there's your proof they do something other than throw lavish parties for themselves. James Cameron won best director and Avatar copped best drama, the two big awards of the night. Cameron may be a genius behind the camera but the first line of his acceptance speech informed the worldwide audience that he really had to pee. Nice. Can you imagine Hitchcock or Ford using an awards show to make such a poignant observation?  Rather than drone on, click here to read Nikke Finke's no-holds-barred coverage of the snoozefest. With the Globes finally over (they did end right on time, to the producer's credit), I can now turn my attention to something far more entertaining like a Lorne Green Film Festival.

Rod Steiger as Marty? Jack Palance in Requiem for a Heavyweight? Paul Newman in Bang the Drum Slowly. Cliff Robertson in Days of Wine and Roses? If you've only seen the big screen versions of these classic stories, you've seen other actors in the leading roles. However, they had their origins as live TV productions in the 1950s with the aforementioned cast members. Now Criterion is presenting these and other live TV broadcasts in a remarkable boxed DVD set that proves why the 50s was indeed the Golden Age of TV. The set is loaded with interviews with the people who created these classics. Click here for more

Click here to order from Amazon.

For the first time ever, Alex North's soundtrack from William Wyler's 1961 film The Children's Hour has been released. The film starred Shirley MacLaine and Audrey Hepburn in one of the first major movies to deal overtly with the subject of lesbianism and the consequences of intolerance. To order the limited edition CD and read about the interesting way it finally came to be released, click here

By Lee Pfeiffer

Another Jack Lemmon DVD collection has been released, this time by Fox and featuring four of the legendary actor's films originally released theatrically by United Artists. Each of the titles in the set have been previously released individually, but it's nice having them all in one convenient slipcase.  The films included (three of which are directed by Billy Wilder)  are:

• Some Like It Hot (1959) - The classic comedy never wears out its welcome even after repeated viewings. Lemmon and Tony Curtis are failed jazz musicians who accidentally witness the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. They flee to Florida with an all-girl band, a feat they accomplish by dressing in drag. Complications arise when they both fall in love with luscious fellow band member Marilyn Monroe. The film is pretty much a picture-perfect exercise in how to make a great comedy. Lemmon received the lion's share of kudos at the time, but Curtis is every bit as good. His famed Cary Grant imitation, as a method of seducing Monroe, is arguably the highlight of the film. This is not the special edition, and includes only the original trailer.
• The Apartment (1960)- Billy Wilder's Oscar winner for Best Picture retains all of its power and moving narrative. Lemmon is a hot young Wall Street executive who willingly lends his bachelor pad to his bosses for their illicit trysts with mistresses in order to curry favor and pave his way up the corporate ladder. When he falls in love with elevator operator Shirley MacLaine, who happens to be the mistress of his boss Fred MacMurray, he finds his emotional well-being, as well as his career path, compromised. The film is a masterful blend of humor and pathos with Lemmon and MacLaine both superb. This time around, however, revel in MacMurray's masterful performance as the sleazy boss. It's a pity this magnificent actor became primarily linked to sitcoms and Disney films.This is the standard edition with only a trailer included as an extra.

Actor James McAvoy appears close to signing to play James Bond creator Ian Fleming in a biopic set to start shooting later this year. McAvoy's wife, actress Anne-Marie Duff may be cast in the role of Fleming's wife. The film will be based on the book Ian Fleming: The Man Behind James Bond. Fleming has been the subject of two previous TV biopics, Goldeneye (produced before the feature film of the same name) starring Charles Dance as Fleming and The Secret Life of Ian Fleming starring Jason Connery (Sean Connery's son) in the title role. The film will not have anything to do with the James Bond movie series produced by Eon Productions, which owns the movie rights to Fleming's novels. For more click here