Here's the trailer for Stanley Kramer's 1963 comedy epic "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" presented in "Smilebox" format that replicates the film's original roadshow presentation in Cinerama.
The avalanche of Batman-inspired toys that came with the surprise success of the 1960s TV series continues to this day but the prime prices for the rarest releases pertain to toys released in the 1970s as well- and some have some very bizarre stories attached to them, as chronicled in an entertaining article presented on the CBR.com web site. Click here to read.
Here's a nicely remastered Fox original trailer for 1971's Best Picture Oscar winner, "The French Connection", directed by William Friedkin. Keep an eye out for stunt driver/actor Bill Hickman, who accuses Gene Hackman's Popeye Doyle of being responsible for "a dead cop". Hickman did much of the driving in the classic car chase in "Bullitt" as the villain behind the wheel of the car pursued by Steve McQueen. The trailer also features real-life "French Connection" cop Eddie Egan as Hackman's boss, who went on to a successful acting career. Curiously, Roy Scheider doesn't even get billing in the trailer, but the Best Supporting Actor nomination he received for the film helped launch him to stardom. We enjoyed the appropriately New YAWK accent of the narrator!
When it came to playing Raymond Chandler's legendary private eye Philip Marlowe, it seemed that Humphrey Bogart came to own the part with his immortal portrayal of the private dick in Howard Hawks' "The Big Sleep", but thirty years later, Robert Mitchum received some of the best reviews of his career by playing Marlowe in the stylish 1975 film "Farewell My Lovely". He would go on to play the role again in director Michael Winner's somewhat underrated remake of "The Big Sleep". Here is the original trailer for "Farewell My Lovely", directed by Dick Richards.
The DJs on the Sirius XM satellite music service are especially informative on the channel dedicated to rock songs of the 1960s. You can not only learn fascinating tidbits about the rock artists of the day but also some ancillary information about other aspects of pop culture. For example, DJ Dave Hoffel played the 1963 Four Seasons hit "Big Girls Don't Cry" and informed listeners of its interesting origins. Seems the group had been watching a 1955 Western titled "Tennessee's Partner" starring John Payne, Ronald Reagan and Rhonda Fleming. In one scene, Payne slaps Fleming in the face, expecting her to break down in tears. Instead, she remains dry-eyed and tells him "Big girls don't cry!". So there you have it: Rhonda Fleming was the inspiration for a hit song by the Four Seasons.
Director William Friedkin recently Tweeted a link to an article that examines the hysteria that accompanied the initial release of "The Exorcist". In today's world, we've been numbed by so many imitations that it may be hard for younger readers to believe the initial impact the film had on movie-goers in 1973/74, but it's all true! Click here to read.
The short-lived 1960s TV series "The Green Hornet" was brought to ABC-TV by the producer of "Batman" in the hope the lightning would strike twice. It didn't. The show lasted but a single season. Whereas "Batman" was played for laughs, "The Green Hornet" was done as a serious adventure series and probably seemed too hokey even in 1966. Still, if one catches the re-runs on various networks today, it remains highly entertaining. The series afforded an early high profile role for Bruce Lee, who tended to occasionally overshadow top-billed star Van Williams. The show has never been released officially on video in the USA or UK, probably due to legal entanglements. (It took literally decades to get "Batman" released.) The dismal look of this rare ABC promo spot isn't much worse than the prints that are being telecast today. So let's hope someone, somewhere can give The Green Hornet and Kato a first-rate release on video in the near future.
