In an illuminating interview for The New York Times, director Ridley Scott discusses his motivation for bringing Robin Hood back to the screen and how his version gives insights into the origins of the legendary hero. Click here to read

 

The Warner Archive has released the 1971 WWI film Zeppelin as part of it's burn-to-order DVD series. Price is $19.95. The film stars Elke Sommer and Michael York. For more details, and to view the trailer, click here

RETR0-ACTIVE: THE BEST FROM THE CINEMA RETRO ARCHIVES

Our Man Brierly turns his sights on a couple of key films in the career of director Anthony Mann

 

Anthony Mann’s filmmaking career lasted nearly three decades, during each of which he mastered a different genre. He came to prominence in the forties with a string of film noirs (1948’s Raw Deal and 1949’s Border Incident but two among many) that rivaled Hitchcock’s for style, suspense and hard-boiled atmosphere. In the fifties, Mann applied his noir sensibility to a series of lean, hard-bitten Westerns starring James Stewart, Winchester ’73 (1950) foremost among them. As the sixties dawned, Mann proved himself one of Hollywood’s most adept directors of big screen blockbusters with the likes of El Cid (1961) and The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964). Linking such disparate films and genres was Mann’s trademark blend of narrative-driven visuals and keen psychological insight.

Although never regarded as an auteur during his lifetime, his films were popular at the box office and generally well received by critics, his last two features being notable exceptions. Both The Heroes of Telemark (1965) and A Dandy in Aspic (1968) have long been considered failures. The former is a war film about Norwegian resistance fighters; the latter one of the bleak spy thrillers common during the sixties. Intriguingly, Mann invests both films with a paranoid tone reminiscent of the nail-biting noirs he cut his teeth on during his first Hollywood decade. A close reading of the films also reveals their stylistic and thematic consistency with his previous, more celebrated work. Now that both are available as Region 2 DVDs, it’s time for a long-overdue reappraisal.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

After an absence from the screen for eight years, Columbia Pictures is reviving the Men in Black franchise with the creatively-titled Men in Black III. The inspiration for the decision is to capitalize on the enthusiasm for 3-D technology. Will Smith has been signed and Tommy Lee Jones is expected to come on board as well. For more click here 

 

Cinema Retro and T.W.I.N.E. Tours recently conducted the Movie Magic Tour of British film locations. Thanks to all who joined us on an unforgettable journey through film history. Participants from the United States, UK, Canada and Australia got to experience a once-in-a-lifetime tour that included a Q&A with Sir Roger Moore; attending Fanfest, the largest gathering of James Bond actors ever staged; an exclusive tour of Portmeirion, the fabled Wales location of The Village from the classic TV series The Prisoner, a screening of MGM's How the West Was Won in original Cinerama format and a very special event relating to the classic 1963 horror film The Haunting. Not only did the group get to stay at the luxurious Ettington Park manor house where exteriors for the movie were shot, but we also invited the film's star Richard Johnson to join us as a surprise guest. Richard delighted attendees by helping to host a candlelight screening of the film and managed to summon the courage to spend the night in what is reputed to be England's most legendary haunted house! A full report will be posted as soon as the jet lag from our whirlwind adventure fades and there will be coverage in issue #18 of Cinema Retro. 

 

Actress Dorothy Provine died last week at age 75. Provine was a sexy blonde whose career was somewhat sidelined by critics who felt she was an imitation Doris Day. Her perky on-screen personality landed her prominent roles in films such as Good Neighbor Sam, Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die, That Darn Cat! and Who's Minding the Mint? Provine also was the female lead in the Man From U.N.C.L.E. feature film One Spy Too Many. Her most memorable role was in Stanley Kramer's It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World as the reluctant participant in a treasure hunt who ironically discovers where the fortune is buried. Provine was also a singer who scored two pop chart singles in the UK in the 1960s. For more click here

 

In a shocking new book, Elvis Presley's personal physician Dr. George Nichopoulos claims that the King did not die of a drug overdose, but probably passed away from problems relating to chronic constipation. While Nichopoulos provides cringe-inducing revelations about his "friend's" bowel problems, his insights might be viewed with skepticism, as it was he who took the brunt of criticism for allegedly prescribing an abundance of drugs to Presley. For more click here

 

Fox has confirmed rumors that the studio plans to relaunch the legendary Planet of the Apes series with an all-new origins story set in contemporary San Francisco. Temporary title is Rise of the Apes but other details are scarce, indicating the project is still in its early stages. For more click here

Click here to see some great vintage bloopers from the set of Get Smart featuring Don Adams, Barbara Feldon and Edward Platt. 

In a revealing and candid interview, legendary film critic Roger Ebert's wife Chaz gives insights into how the couple has thrived despite Roger's life-threatening illness. Click here to read

The one-season wonder The Girl From U.N.C.L.E. is generally regarded as a bad idea, poorly executed and one that helped speed the demise of its superior big brother series The Man From U.N.C.L.E. However, the series did benefit from a charismatic cast - Stefanie Powers, Noel Harrison and Leo G. Carroll- and a fine musical score. The soundtrack, with music by Dave Grusin, is available on CD - and it features a bonus track: Jerry Goldsmith's Man From U.N.C.L.E. theme. Click here to order from Amazon.

Lynn Redgrave, of the Redgrave acting dynasty, died on May 2 at age 67. She had recently been battling breast cancer. Redgrave made her screen debut in a bit role in the Oscar winning 1963 film Tom Jones, directed by her brother-in-law Tony Richardson. She scored her best leading role three years later as the frumpy title character in the classic British film Georgy Girl, for which she received a Best Actress Oscar nomination. By her own account, however, Redgrave's career paled in comparison with her sister Vanessa's and her father Michael Redgrave's. She continued to act over the decades, occasionally scoring good reviews for supporting performances but never fully capitalized on her early success. Her other films include The Deadly Affair and Smashing Time. For more click here

RETRO-ACTIVE: GEMS FROM THE CINEMA RETRO ARCHIVES

"Entered His House Justified: The Making of the Films of Sam Peckinpah" may have one of the longest titles of the year, but anything relating to the master maverick director is difficult to summarize. The latest in a line of shelf-breaking volumes dedicated to Peckinpah is from author Jeff Slater, who has amassed an impressive list of interviewees to shed new light on one of the film industry's most analyzed personalities. Peckinpah, like so many other geniuses, was not completely appreciated in his own time, partly due to the inability of studio executives to recognize his innovative filmmaking techniques and partly because Peckinpah- like Orson Welles- specialized in forming circular firing squads. His own excesses often did more damage than did the legendary studio interference with the classic movies he produced.

Click here to listen to George Alexander sing the original soundtrack title theme for Howard Hawks' 1967 film El Dorado starring John Wayne and Robert Mitchum. (James Caan recalls making the film in Cinema Retro issue #14)

The Huffington Post has assembled a slide show based on the worst movies adapted from ridiculous inspirations...If you think it's absurd that the board games Monopoly and Battleship are coming to the screen, consider that a movie based on the old Viewmaster toy is also in the works. It won't be long before we are expected to see Grudge Match: Viagra vs. Cialis.  Click here to read

New York Times film critic A.O. Scott provides an insightful, narrated video tribute to Bergman's masterpiece The Seventh Seal. Click here to view 

Fox is moving forward with production on Caesar, a reworking of Conquest of the Planet of the Apes that tells how the simians took over human society. Filming is scheduled to begin in Canada in July. For more click here

Robert Mitchum was known to regard engaging in interviews with the same enthusiasm as he had for undergoing root canal surgery. Yet, the man of few words actually had a couple of hit records in his career including The Ballad of Thunder Road, the title theme he wrote and sang for his 1958 B movie classic about moonshiners trying to outrun the law. To listen to the unlikely hit recording, click here

One of our favorite retro web sites is Starlet Showcase, which features an amazing archive of great Hollywood glamor photos, all thoughtfully categorized into appropriate themes. Thus, you can trawl through sexy film posters, starlets in bathtubs, harems, fashions, etc. Click here to check it out

The Offence, the highly acclaimed 1972 crime drama in which many critics believe Sean Connery gave the performance of his career, will finally be coming to DVD in the American market, having previously been available in Europe. The film is part of a batch of burn-to-order titles now available from MGM through Amazon. The film was directed by Sidney Lumet and features Connery as a burned-out British detective whose interrogation of a child molester/murderer leads to a shattering series of events. The grim film was virtually buried by United Artists and played only briefly in a few art houses. Click here to order and to view the trailer

One of the classic comedy routines features Jerry Lewis working an imaginary typewriter. The ingenious bit featured in Lewis' film Who's Minding the Store? Click here to view