The following news items were reported in Film Daily during the week of October 21, 1963
Stephen Boyd in "The Fall of the Roman Empire"
Paul Lazarus Jr., executive vice president of Samuel Bronston Productions, is lining up tours to the Bronston Studio in Spain for exhibitors who have expressed interest in (and booking) Fall of the Roman Empire. The trips, on which theater men will be on their own, especially for transportation, are expected to start shortly after mid-November.
Steve McQueen in "the Great Escape" (Like we really had to tell you!)
United Artists' The Great Escape rolled up $205,915 in the second week of its Golden Showcase run at 21 theaters in the greater New York area.
Arthur Kennedy, Victory Jory, Sal Mineo, George O'Brien, and Dolores Del Rio have been signed for key roles in Cheyenne Autumn Warner Bros. film which John Ford is directing.
Britain's Shirley Eaton will fill the sole femme part in MGM's Rhino in production in South Africa.
Executive Council of British Film Producers Association will support the move by the Association of Independent Cinemas to reduce the admittance of teenagers to "A" pictures from 16 to 14. Films classified as "A" by the censor are forbidden to children under 16 unless accompanied by an adult. Films tagged "X" are forbidden to those 16 and under while "U" films are for the entire family.
How the West Was Won has passed the 500,000 admission mark at the Warner Hollywood Cinerama Theatre, where the MGM production has grossed more than $1,000,000 since its opening October 21...Ticket orders are being taken into December and the engagement will continue indefinitely.
(Above: advert for London engagement of It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World)
Stanley Kramer and many of the stars of his It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World will appear on The Jerry Lewis Show, ABC-TV
November 2, the night before the UA Cinerama comedy has its
international press preview at The New Cinerama Theatre in Hollywood.
The
Bing Crosby and Bob Hope “Road to…†series began in 1940 with Road to
Singapore (click here for review), a landmark musical-comedy
that teamed the dueling popular radio personalities for the silver screen.
Road
to Morocco continues
the successful formula begun in Singapore. Two playboys (Crosby and
Hope, whose character names change with each movie, although their “charactersâ€
are always the same) find themselves traveling to some exotic locale in order
to either escape a woman, gangsters, or pursue some con job, only to get mixed
up in a farcical plot with an equally exotic woman (always Lamour). There are a
few songs performed by both men or solo or with Lamour, comic hijinks
(especially from Hope), and even some action and adventure. A running gag
throughout the series was a bit that Crosby and Hope did—playing “Patty-Cake,
Patty-Cake,†reciting the verse and slapping their hands in front of
adversaries as a distraction—and then surprising the bad guys with sudden
punches, thereby starting a fight and the means to escape.
This
time, Crosby and Hope are Jeff and “Turkey†(yes, that’s his nickname), who unwittingly
find themselves on a life raft after the sinking of a freighter in the
Atlantic. The pair wash up on the shore of Morocco, which is presented in all
its stereotypical Arabic glory. Princess Shalmar (Lamour) encounters Turkey on
the street and arranges for him to be “bought†from Jeff, which Turkey’s
partner and friend is only too happy to oblige. It turns out the princess wants
Turkey to be her first husband instead of Mullay Kasim (Anthony Quinn), who is
intent on marrying Shalmar. A soothsayer has predicted that Shalmar’s first
husband will die tragically after a week of marriage, and that her second
husband will bring her lifelong happiness. One of the handmaidens to the
princess, Mihirmah (Dona Drake) is sweet on Turkey, too, so she conspires to
save him from the dastardly fate. Meanwhile Jeff wants to woo the princess
himself, however, and of course Shalmar becomes enchanted with him,
especially after he croons a tune.
One
thing that can be said about Road to Morocco is that it is loads funnier
than Singapore and contains some truly hilarious set pieces. Both Crosby
and Hope are winning, charismatic performers who take full advantage of their
screen time. There are more nudge-nudge-wink-wink moments in which they break
the fourth wall and speak to the audience and make a few comments referring to
the fact that they are indeed actors in a film. A line in one of the early song
lyrics even foreshadows that they will meet “Dorothy Lamour†later in the
picture!
However,
as filmmaker John Landis states in the “Trailers from Hell†episode on the film
that is a supplement on the disk, Road to Morocco is “cheerfully sexist
and cheerfully racistâ€â€”boy, is it ever, especially the latter. It also has an
uncomfortably politically incorrect sequence—albeit a funny one—in which Hope imitates
a person with a developmental disability and has a speech impediment in an
attempt to gain sympathy from a shop owner, except that the shop owner has the
same developmental disability and speech impediment!
But,
hey, this was 1942, a world war was raging, and Hollywood churned out
entertainment for the masses and the troops. Morocco was also timely in
that the North African campaign was starting to pick up steam when the movie
was released. Social mores changed, so one must view these films within that
context.
Kino
Lorber’s new Blu-ray looks quite good and comes with English subtitles for the
hearing impaired. There is an audio commentary by film historian Jack Theakston.
Three previously issued supplements accompany the film: a short documentary on
Hope and the Road pictures, with appearances by Phyllis Diller, Randall G.
Mielke (author of The Road to Success), and Richard Grudens (author of The
Spirit of Bob Hope)—this same extra is also included on the Road to
Singapore and Road to Zanzibar disks; a short featurette on Hope on
“Command Performance,†a short that went out to the troops to accompany movie
screenings (different from the one included on the Zanzibar disk); the
aforementioned “Trailers from Hell†episode; and a musical excerpt from the
film presented as a “sing-along†with lyrics to follow. The theatrical trailer
to this and other Kino Lorber titles round out the package.
Road
to Morocco is
good fun when viewed through the “film history†lens... and it will give you
many moments of laughter.
Movie fans worldwide are reeling over the shocking news that actor Chadwick Boseman has died from colon cancer at age 43. Boseman had been battling the disease since 2016 but few outside of his family and inner circle knew this. Somehow, Boseman was able to continue his acting career while simultaneously undergoing strenuous and complex treatments for cancer. Boseman became a seminal figure in the modern film business with the success of "Black Panther", which became one of the top-grossing films of all time and dispelled the notion in Hollywood that audiences wouldn't flock to see action movie blockbusters with a black leading actor. However, Boseman's accolades also derived from his portrayals of real-life African-American legends including Jackie Robinson, Thurgood Marshall and James Brown. Click here for more.
It's been said that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes classic "The Hound of the Baskervilles" is the most-filmed literary adaptation of all time. You might be forgiven for thinking that status might belong to Agatha Christie's "Ten Little Indians", which was originally published in the UK in 1939 under a title that was so racist that the mind boggles over the fact it could ever have been socially acceptable. It was later changed to "Ten Little Indians". The original U.S. publication was titled "And Then There Were None" out of racial sensitivity. The book was an immediate sensation and in 1945 and Christie adapted it to a hit stage production. A well-received film version was made by director Rene Clair in 1945 under the title "And Then There Were None". Officially, there have only been four English language feature films based on the book as well as one British mini-series. However, the novel has influenced so many thrillers over the decades that the well-worn central scenario has become a main staple of films and TV programs ranging from any number of crime thrillers to Vincent Price's delightfully campy horror flick "House on Haunted Hill". A common link between three of the film versions was Harry Alan Towers, who produced feature film adaptations of the novel in 1965, 1974 and 1989. Towers had a long career of churning out profitable schlock ranging from low-grade James Bond ripoffs to sexploitation and horror films that were definitely of the "guilty pleasure" variety. The fact that he produced three of the four major adaptations of Christie's novel is quite remarkable.The 1965 and 1974 film versions received major international distribution but the 1989 version is largely unknown by most movie fans, as it only received very limited distribution. (It's entire gross in North America is reported as $43,000 over a two-day period.).
Kino Lorber has released the 1989 version of the film on Blu-ray. The film, directed by Alan Birkinshaw, deviates from the other versions in terms of location. The main plot premise is still followed. In the novel and previous movie versions, a disparate group of strangers turn up at an isolated mansion house at the invitation of a mysterious, wealthy stranger named Mr. Owen, who promises them a lavish holiday. Upon arriving and making each other's acquaintance, the ten guests are bewildered that there host is not present to greet them. Instead, they are instructed to listen to a phonograph record on which Mr. Owen announces the truth behind his invitations. He accuses each of the attendees of having been responsible for the death of an innocent person or persons and has managed to escape justice. Owen promises that he will ensure that the victims are avenged and very soon thereafter the participants are knocked off one-by-one through ingenious and sometimes gory methods. As each murder occurs, the guests realize that one figure from a corresponding set of ten Indian dolls also inexplicably disappears to mark the demise of the latest victim. The 1989 version opens in an unnamed African nation, which in fact is South Africa. The country was by then an international pariah and bleeding red ink in terms of its solvency. This was due to the government's stubborn insistence upon trying to prop up its atrocious system of apartheid. To raise funds, South Africa solicited for film production companies to shoot there in return for attractive tax breaks and other financial incentives. It is undoubtedly for this reason that the end credits of the movie don't mention where it was filmed. The movie was distributed by the famed (or infamous) Canon Films, which was itself a schlock factory that nevertheless proved to be the toast of the film industry in the 1980s for its ability to churn out modestly-budgeted movies that more often than not proved to be hits with undiscriminating movie-goers.
As with previous film versions of the novel, this one boasts a cast of eclectic actors but only a few with name recognition, most notably Donald Pleasence, Herbert Lom (both of whom appeared in the 1974 version), Brenda Vaccaro (an Oscar nominee for "Midnight Cowboy" twenty years earlier) and Frank Stallone. Under Alan Birkinshaw's direction, they are all adequate but some chew the South African scenery a bit too often. With Lom seen in an abbreviated role, only Pleasence makes much of an impression, giving one of his reliably understated performances. Producer Towers was said to have approached Oliver Reed, (another veteran of the 1974 version), along with Peter Cushing, Klaus Kinski and Robert Vaughn to appear in this production. The mind reels at how beneficial their presence might have been. In previous versions, the male and female leads form a romantic attachment. Those roles are played here by Sarah Maur Thorp and Frank Stallone, but aside from some mild flirting, there are no sparks between them. Thorp fares better in terms of character and performance because Stallone has nothing interesting to say or do other than parade about in jungle attire that makes him look like someone attending a Halloween party dressed as Indiana Jones.
Rock
Hudson and George Peppard are WWII commandos in “Tobruk,†available on Blu-ray
by Kino Lorber. Hudson is Major Donald Craig, a Canadian prisoner of war on board
a German transport ship anchored off an Italian controlled port in North Africa
sometime in late 1942. A group of frogmen surface near the ship and sneak on
board with silencers fixed to their guns in order to kidnap Craig. The frogmen
are led by Captain Bergman (George Peppard) who is part of a team of German
commandos. They take Craig to a German airfield and fly him to a desert landing
strip. They’re unexpectedly greeted by a group of British soldiers led by Colonel
Harker (Nigel Green). It turns out Bergman is the leader of German Jews who
fled Nazi Germany for obvious reasons and are now part of a British commando
unit operating in North Africa. Craig has an expertise in map making which they
need to navigate a mine field, gain access to the German occupied port at
Tobruk, Libya, and destroy it in time for a British sea invasion.
The
movie is based on an actual, although unsuccessful, attack on Tobruk in
September of 1942 which did include German-Jewish soldiers and fake British
POWs. Just like the actual events, the British commandos in the movie pretend
to be POWs in order to get to their ultimate destination undetected. During the
journey through the Sahara desert, the group encounters the German and Italian Army
as well as Arab horseman seeking money for captured British hostages, an aerial
strafing from a British fighter plane and a mine field crossing.
Directed
by Arthur Hiller, the movie appears to be an unusual choice for the director best
known for dramas and comedies such as “Love Story,†“The Hospital†and “Silver
Streak;†but he did previously direct “The Americanization of Emily†which
features a Normandy invasion sequence and his comedy “Silver Streak†is
interspersed with action sequences. Mingled between the action and
military battle scenes in this film, the British and German-Jewish commando
team deal with serious issues like bigotry and anti-Semitism with Hudson caught
between the two camps as the outsider as they make their way across the desert.
Hudson
is very good in “Tobruk†and broke away from being stereotyped as a leading man
of several very popular romantic comedies to star in thrillers and heroic military
parts in “Battle Hymm,†“A Gathering of Eagles,†“Ice Station Zebra,†“The
Undefeated†and “Hornet’s Nest.†In the 1970s he had continued success as a San
Francisco police commissioner in the popular television series “McMillan &
Wife†which ran from 1971 to 1977. He continued to work, mostly in television,
in such high profile productions as “The Martian Chronicles,†the Agatha
Christie thriller, “The Mirrror Crack’d†and made brief returns to series
television in “The Devlin Connection†and “Dynasty.†His final feature film was
“The Ambassador†released a year before his death in 1985 at age 59.
Peppard,
no stranger to tough guy roles, plays a German soldier for the second time following
his performance as aviator Bruno Stachel in the WWI classic “The Blue Max.†Interestingly,
he didn’t attempt an accent for “The Blue Max,†but did for “Tobruk.†Prior to
this he appeared in the WWII adventure “Operation Crossbow†which was preceded
by a string of high profile big budget movies like “How the West Was Won,â€
“Breakfast at Tiffany’s†and “The Carpetbaggers.†Like Hudson, Peppard found
success in a hit television series, “Banacek,†which ran from 1972-1974. He
also starred in the popular television series, “The A-Team,†which ran
from 1983-1987. Another series, “Doctor’s Hospital,†ran for one season from
1975-76. Peppard remained busy on television and film featuring in a couple the
cult classics, “Damnation Alley†and “Battle Beyond the Stars" until his death in 1994 at age 65.
Nigel
Green is a standout as Colonel Harker, the leader of the commando unit. One of
the great character actors of British cinema, Green is memorable in just about
everything he appeared in. “Jason and the Argonauts,†“Zulu,†“The Masque of
the Red Death,†“The Ipcress File,†“The Face of Fu Manchu,†“The Skull,â€
“Khartoum,†the underrated “Let’s Kill Uncle,†“Deadlier Than the Male,†“The
Wrecking Crew,†and “Countess Dracula†to name just a few of his memorable appearances
in movies. He also appeared in numerous television series throughout is career.
He played a similar character to Colonel Harker as the head of a commando unit in
another WWII movie set in North Africa, the underrated “Play Dirty.†His career
was cut short by an accidental overdose of sleeping pills in 1972 at age 47.
Guy
Stockwell rounds out the featured cast as the German-Jewish second in command, Lt.
Mohnfeld. The older brother of actor Dean Stockwell, Guy may be best remembered
for this movie and his role as Draco in “The War Lord†from 1965. Stockwell
remained busy acting in movies and television until retiring in 1990. “Tobruk†also
features a cast filled with many familiar British character actors including Jack
Watson, Percy Herbert, Norman Rossington and Irishman Liam Redmond. Leo Gordon
does double duty as the screenwriter and playing a rare good guy role as
Sergeant Krug.
“Tobrukâ€
is overshadowed by the popularity of “The Dirty Dozen†which was released a few
months later and both films are part of the “Men on an Impossible
Mission†genre. “Tobruk†doesn’t pack quite the same punch as movies like “The
Dirty Dozen†and “Where Eagles Dare,†but in hindsight, it is a very
entertaining WWII adventure with a satisfying plot, terrific performances and
plenty of action. The Arizona Desert stands in for most of North Africa with a
few scenes shot in Spain. Imperial Beach, California stands in for the final
battle scenes at the gun emplacement and the California Army National Guard
provided technical assistance. The movie features an abundance of graphic
deaths via flame thrower which may have served as an inspiration to Quentin
Tarantino for “Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood.â€
Released
by Universal in March 1967, “Tobruk†has a run time of 110 minutes and looks
and sounds terrific, preserving the Techniscope widescreen image. This Kino
Lorber Blu-ray release is a worthy upgrade of the previously released Universal
Vault Series DVD. The Blu-ray includes an audio commentary by Steve Mitchell
and Steven Jay Rubin which is as entertaining as it is informative. The disc also
includes optional subtitles and the trailer for this and other Kino Lorber
titles. The movie is a welcome addition for fans of 60s WWII movies.
Luc
Roeg is the son of seminal director Nicolas Roeg. He appeared in his father’s
last narrative film as a cinematographer, and first as a solo director, the
much-lauded Walkabout, which received
a newly-restored release through Second Sight recently. Nic Roeg began his
career as a camera operator on such titles as Cubby Broccoli’s pre-Bond production
The Trials of Oscar Wilde and the
infamous Dr. Blood’s Coffin before
becoming cinematographer on films such as Dr. Crippen and Nothing but
the Best. He was one of the many hands behind the camera on the unofficial
1967 Bond entry Casino Royale. (Then
again, who wasn’t?) Roeg senior also worked with such luminaries as François Truffaut (on the Ray Bradbury adaptationFahrenheit 451), Richard Lester (A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Petulia) and John Schlesinger (Far from the Madding Crowd). However, it
was his work on Rogers Corman’s The
Masque of the Red Death that really set the template for his otherworldly
visuals that would later be seen in such masterpieces as Performance (co-directed with Donald Cammell), Don’t Look Now and The Man
Who Fell to Earth. Walkabout was
held up while Performance was
completed (although that film was so unclassifiable that its distributor Warner Bros. let it sit on the shelf
for two years) so that by the time Walkabout
was filmed Roeg was seen as a veteran. It was also a family affair in the sense
that Roeg cast his son Lucien John in the key part of the White Boy, after the
delay had left Luc’s brother Nicolas too old for the part. This is where we
take it up with Luc.
MM:
Walkabout
is seen as one of, if not the, quintessential Australian New Wave films. Yet, when
it went to Cannes, it was as the UK rather than an Australian entry as they had
already chosen theirs. Do you
see it as a British or Australian film, or indeed a crossover of the two?
LR:
I’d have to say both. I know that’s sitting on the fence a bit but the reason I
say that is because Nic was very much a 100% British filmmaker. He lived a good
life here and never emigrated to Hollywood but he made a lot of his films on
location in foreign
countries. That may have made him less of a ‘British’ filmmaker but Walkabout wouldn’t have been Walkabout without Australia itself so,
although that sounds strange, to answer your question, it simply couldn’t be
anything else but British and Australian as it has the landscape,
culture and David [Gulpilil – the Aboriginal co-star of the film] that make it
what it is.
MM:
Yes, I agree and Australia is one of the key stars of the film, to be honest. I
lived in Australia for a short time and travelled to the territories where you
filmed it so it’s fascinating
for me to see this film again on this new transfer. The first time I saw this
film I was 12 years old and it was on a TV which my grandfather built a
magnified screen onto so the image doubled in size! It was magical then but
magical in a different way now as I’ve visited the landscape I fell in love with
on that ‘big’ screen.
LR:
That’s wonderful.
MM:
You probably had the greatest ever ‘take your kids to work day’ when your father
chose you to star in the film. I know the film was held up while your father
finished Performance which, although
it suited Jenny Agutter better in the fact that she was 16 rather than 14, it
meant your older brother Nico was a little too old to play the young boy’s part,
which went to you. Do you ever talk about how different things could have been,
even though I’m sure it was a lot of hard work?
LR:
I agree with you on the ‘bring your kids to work’ day (laughs). Regarding the
role, we don’t really talk about it. Walkabout
was very much a personal experience for all of us, for all the family. My
brother was there with us when we were making the film, as was my eldest
brother, so we were all together. I don’t think anyone felt like they were
missing out. If anything I kind of felt that I had to go to work while they had
a great time hanging out in the Australian
Outback and bunking off any tutorage
they were supposed to be having!
MM:
I can see that. Did the fact that the film was shot chronologically help at
such a young age, so it seemed more like a real journey? More of an adventure
than hard graft?
LR:
It did seem like an adventure at the time, although there was a work element to
it. It was scripted and there were lines to learn on top of the travelling and
moving around. It was all essential. You don’t have any expectations at that
age of how things should be or could be, they just happen. So to be in that
natural environment and to be surrounded by those that matter was important. It
was a small unit and a tiny cast as well obviously, just myself, David and
Jenny [Agutter] so the whole experience was very personal and shared between us,
so yes, I’d say adventure first and the hard work followed.
MM:
I’ve spoken to a lot of actors over the years and they said they found it very
difficult to be taken out of their home environment for months at a time to
make a movie but as you said, you were with your family which would have been a
very different experience than a lot of child actors would have had.
LR:
Yes and having Nic photograph it took another layer away from the camera and me,
and kept it very personal from that point of view. Jenny was a very young woman
and she had to leave home in order to make it, and although she too became part
of the family it would have been hard for her.
MM:
Yes. Over the years Jenny had some criticism
for her pragmatic approach to the role but that’s exactly how a ‘proper English
girl’ would act. Very matter of fact and stoic. I think she’s marvellous in the role, a very steady figure for
your character, and she was the right age, 16 rather than the 14 her character
was in the book. I did laugh when Jenny said she was very excited at the time
because originally Apple Films were set to produce it and she thought that she’d
get to meet The Beatles. Obviously that didn’t happen but did your father ever
say why?
LR:
I never really interrogatedNic about that when I was old enough to
understand that. I’m not sure of the specific reasons behind it and at the time
I just wasn’t aware of it, understandably.
MM:
One of the most memorable scenes was when David covers your back in wild boar’s
blood in order to soothe your sunburn. I understand this wasn’t scripted. Were
there many more situations like that, filmed on the spur of the moment?
LR:
Other than that moment I can’t really think of one. I know that everyone on the
set was very upset about the death of the wart hog which had been struck by one
of our vehicles as everyone, by that time, was very much in tune with the way
David thought and how he respected the wildlife. People got very upset and it
had coincided with this terrible sunburn I’d got but David showed, in his way,
that we could take some of the essence of the beast and use it for good. Bar
that I can’t really think of any scene that just came to pass. Other than that,
Nic had an eye. He could just capture things without making an effort to do so.
Almost a decade after Paul Newman won universal praise for the 1966 detective film "Harper" (UK title: "The Moving Target"), he returned as wiseguy private eye Lew Harper in the 1975 sequel "The Drowning Pool". Critics and audiences were relatively unimpressed this time around, but the film has many delights and showcases Newman at his most charismatic. The movie also has a helluva suspenseful and exciting final scene in the titular location. Enjoy the original trailer and click here to order the film from the Cinema Retro movie store.
An
all star cast features in the adaptation of Leon Uris’ “Battle Cry,†available
on Blu-ray via the Warner Archive Collection. The granddaddy of contemporary
WWII melodramas like “The Winds of War†and “Band of Brothers,†“Battle Cryâ€
was one of the first big dramatic war stories which followed multiple
characters through boot camp, romance, heartbreak, the battlefield, death and
homecoming. One of my favorite movies in this genre is Otto Preminger’s “In
Harms Way†from 1965 which teamed John Wayne and Kirk Douglas. “Battle Cry†was
first a best selling novel released in 1953 and quickly adapted to the big
screen. Some people criticize these types of military themed melodramas as
being light on action and heavy on romance, but there’s certainly a place for
both.
“Battle
Cry†begins with the narrator setting the stage. It’s January 1942 and several
young men and their families say their goodbye’s from East Coast to West Coast picking
up more guys along the way to San Diego where they will start their 10 weeks of
training at the Marine Corps Base in California. The narrator of the story is their
senior NCO, Master Sergeant Mac, played by James Whitmore in one of my favorite
of his many great performances. He portrayed a similar character a few years
earlier in the gritty story of the Battle of Bastogne, “Battleground.†He also served
in the Marine Corps during WWII and his portrayal in both films is convincing
and natural.
We
meet all the central characters on the train and we get the basic set up for their
stories. They’re a mixed lot, ranging from intellectuals and the street wise to
hot heads, country boys, a lumberjack and tough guys. We follow them from boot
camp to radio school and then off to the war in the Pacific with stops in New
Zealand and Hawaii in between landings on Guadalcanal, Tarawa and Saipan. In
between they find time for romance and infidelity.
Danny
Forrester (Tab Hunter) is engaged to his high school sweetheart, Kathy (Mona
Freeman). While in San Diego he meets USO volunteer Elaine Yarborough (Dorothy
Malone), the wife of a deployed naval officer who, as she says, has everything
she needs. They have a brief affair until Danny breaks it off.
Andy
Hookins (Aldo Ray) is the confirmed bachelor of the group who sees “dames†as
playthings. He reminds his pals their problem is falling for one dame. While in New Zealand, he meets
and falls for widow Pat Rogers (Nancy Olson). She’s not like the other women he
has met and apologizes to her for his behavior. He meets her family and later,
they get married. He even contemplates desertion to avoid the risk of leaving
her and dying in the war.
Marion
“Sister Mary†Hotchkiss (John Lupton) is a reader, a thinker and an aspiring
writer who rides the Coronado Ferry while on liberty during radio school. There
he meets Rae (Anne Francis), who enjoys their relationship talking on the boat. He
wants more, but she likes things as they are. Later, while at a local bar with
his classmates, she walks in with several other girls brought in by “Spanish
Joe†Gomez (Perry Lopez) to liven things up for his fellow Marines. Naturally,
Marion is devastated and leaves.
“Skiâ€
Wronski (William Campbell) also has a girl back home, Susan (Susan Morrow) who
sends him a “Dear John†letter. He’s never the same after that. The guys rescue
him and his nest egg which a bar girl tries to steal while he’s drunk. He never
does quite bounce back from his girl dumping him and marrying someone else.
Van
Heflin is Major Sam Huxley, the commanding officer of the 2nd Battalion 6th
Marine Regiment. He works his men hard in order to prepare them for fighting
the enemy. He has a wife back home we never meet, but we know he cares for his
men and sometimes crosses the line in identifying too closely with their
personal problems.
Raymond
Massey has a cameo as Major General Snipes, Huxley’s commanding officer during
their island hopping in the Pacific. L.Q. Jones provides comic relief as L.Q.
Jones. The actor changed his professional name from Justus E. McQueen to his
screen namesake in his film debut which was probably good as there may have
been room for only one McQueen in Hollywood. Perry Lopez is the afore mentioned
“Spanish Joe†Gomez, the con man of the outfit and Fess Parker is the good
natured, guitar playing country boy, Speedy.
The
Marines finally depart San Diego and in November 1942 they arrive in New
Zealand for more training and to prepare for their first island invasion. After
celebrating Christmas services, the Marines ship out to Guadalcanal and then
Tarawa. In both cases they are held in reserve and perform mop up duty. It
isn’t until June 14th, 1944, the Marines take a lead role as part of the first
wave in the invasion of Japanese held Saipan. In between they take leave back
in New Zealand and Hawaii. This final third of the movie depicts the men at
war. For those of us used to contemporary watching recent films which have more
realistic depictions of combat, “Battle Cry†may appear unrealistic and dated.
If you’re looking for a war movie filled with battlefield action, this may not
be the one for you. It’s nearly 90 minutes until the first bomb is dropped and
the battle action takes center stage.
Leon
Uris adapted the screenplay from his own novel. He based the story on his own
experiences as a radio operator in the Marine Corps and served in combat during
the battles depicted in the story and fictionalized those experiences to great
effect. Uris would go on to write many more best selling novels which is where
his greatest success remains. He did write first drafts for adaptations of “The
Angry Hills,†“Exodus,†“Topaz,†and “QB VII†as well as the original
screenplay for “The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral.†I think it’s safe to say Uris
was not happy in Hollywood as a couple of his first draft screenplays went
unused.
“Battle
Cry†was directed by Raoul Walsh, whose career began in silent movies and
continued into the mid 1960s. Known for his crime dramas and military themed
movies, Walsh first introduced John Wayne in the 1930 release, “The Big Trail.â€
He helped create the tough guy personas associated with James Cagney, Humphrey
Bogart and Errol Flynn in movies like “They Drive By Night,†“High Sierra,†“They
Died with Their Boots On†and “White Heat.†He also directed the antithesis of
“Battle Cry,†the gritty and cynical military drama, “The Naked and the Deadâ€
which features no home front romance or melodrama of any kind.
“Battle
Cry†is indeed a statement on war and the human toll during war at home and on
the field of battle. If I were to pick a favorite performance, I’d have to say
it’s a tie between James Whitmore and Aldo Ray. Whitmore because he’s spot on
in his thoughtful portrayal as a career senior NCO who empathizes with his men
and successfully turns them into Marines without being a tyrant. Aldo Ray
because his portrayal is the most transformative going from essentially a cad
and a womanizer who falls for the right woman and considers deserting in order
to preserve the new man he has become.
Released
by Warner Bros. in February 1955, the movie clocks in at a hefty 148 minutes. Filmed
in CinemaScope, the “Battle Cry†benefits greatly from the widescreen aspect
ratio. The Warner Archive Collection Blu-ray looks better than it ever has on
home video and sounds just as good. There are no extras on the disc other than
the trailer and subtitles. Highly recommended for fans of high drama military
movies.
CLICK HERE TO ORDER FROM THE CINEMA RETRO MOVIE STORE
Hard to believe but Sir Sean Connery turns 90 years old today. The Great Scot is honored in this rather superficial tribute segment that mucks up a few facts. (i.e Connery's early roles in TV shows can not be construed as "blockbusters".) However, the segment does include some tantalizing and rare James Bond-related footage from the 1960s.
The BFI has released Sidney Lumet's 1977 film adaptation of Peter Shaffer's acclaimed theatre production of "Equus". The film stars Richard Burton and Peter Firth in Oscar-nominated performances. Here is the official press release:
This Oscar® nominated* adaptation of Peter Shaffer’s Tony
Award-winning play, released by the BFI on Limited Edition Blu-ray with a raft
of extras including a new interview withPeter Firth, erupts on
the screen with the same power and passion as the stage original. Richard Burton
gives one of his best performances in this elegant and provocative tale of myth
and mental turmoil.
What would drive Alan Strang (Peter Firth), a troubled
adolescent stable boy, to blind the horses in his care? Psychiatrist Martin
Dysart (Richard Burton) investigates this unspeakable act and delves
deep into Alan’s mind, confronting the mysteries of sexual passion and
psychological pain – as well as the demons buried within his own soul.
*1978
(50th) ACTOR – Richard Burton, SUPPORTING ACTOR – Peter Firth, WRITING
(Screenplay – based on material from another medium) – Peter Shaffer
Special
features (NB. Some extras are on DVD)
Feature presented in High
Definition
Audio commentary by Julie
Kirgo and Nick Redman (2014)
Isolated score
Sidney Lumet Guardian
Lecture (1981,
89 mins, audio only): director Sidney Lumet talks to Derek Malcolm in this
interview recorded at the National Film Theatre
Peter Firth in
conversation with Leigh Singer (2020, 39 mins, audio over stills gallery)
The Watchers (1969, 26 mins):
BFI-produced short film directed by Richard Foster
In From the Cold? A
Portrait of Richard Burton (1988, 121 mins): Tony Palmer’s
award-winning feature-length documentary profile
Religion and the People (1940, 14 mins):
documentary by Andrew Buchanan illustrating a time when faith lay at the
heart of the British experience
The Farmer’s Horse (1951, 18 mins): in a time
of increasing mechanisation, this public information film makes the case
for the sturdy farm horse
Trailer
Illustrated booklet with
new writing by Sidney Lumet’s biographer Maura Spiegel and arts filmmaker
John Wyver; notes on the extras and full credits
Product
details
RRP: £22.99 / Cat. no. BFIB1399 / 15
USA / 1977 / colour / 138 mins / English language, with optional
hard-of-hearing subtitles / original aspect ratio 1.85:1 // Disc 1: BD50,
1080p, 24fps, PCM 2.0 mono audio (48kHz/24-bit) / Disc 2: DVD9, PAL, 25fps,
Dolby Digital mono audio (320kbps)
(This is a Region 2 Blu-ray format release. Click here to order.)
Cinema Retro has received the following press release from Shout! Factory's Scream Factory unit:
Los Angeles, CA – Scream Factory™ has announced the release of
more classic horror films, with the August 25 drop of Volume 6 of the
incredibly popular Universal Horror Collection. The set contains 4 films
onBlu-rayâ„¢, and is packed with new bonus features and new 2K scans of
the films.
Universal Horror Collection Vol. 6 includes four tales of terror from the archives of
Universal Pictures, the true home of classic horror. Boris Karloff stars as a
doctor who risks his own life to save the captives of a mad count in The
Black Castle. Vengeance is sworn against six men who witness a ceremony
where beautiful women turn into serpents in Cult Of The Cobra. In The
Thing That Couldn’t Die, when a young psychic discovers a box that contains
the living head of an executed devil worshiper … heads will roll! A cat
witnesses the murder of her owner ... and this cat is hell-bent on revenge in The
Shadow Of The Cat.
UNIVERSAL HORROR COLLECTION VOL. 6 contains:
THE BLACK CASTLE
1080p High Definition (1.37:1)/DTS Master Audio
Mono/1952/B&W/Not Rated/+/- 82 Minutes
Special Features:
· NEW
2K scan from a fine grain film element
· NEW
Audio Commentary with author/film historian Tom Weaver
· NEW
Universal Horror Strikes Back! - a look at Universal Horror in the 40s
A
sub-genre of film noir is that of the so-called “docu-noir,†a
crime drama usually based on a true story and told as a Dragnet-style
procedural. Most likely there is an omniscient voiceover narrator, a focus on
the lawmen who are investigating the case, and all the other stylistic and
thematic elements associated with film noir in general: starkly
contrasting black and white photography, urban locations, shadows, gritty
realism, angst and cynicism, and sometimes brutal violence.
Eagle-Lion
Films was a British/American production company that existed for only a few
years in the late 40s, disbanding in the early 50s. There was some talent
involved, and they produced a variety of genres and pictures of varying quality
(Powell and Pressburger’s The Red Shoes was a rare Best Picture
nominee). Many of the studio’s pictures were films noir that were shot
as B-movies with low budgets and barebones casts and crews. Anthony Mann
directed a couple of their classic crime movies—T-Men and Raw Deal,
both of which fall into the “docu-noir†category. Unfortunately, due to bad
management or foresight, many of Eagle-Lion’s titles fell out of copyright and
currently reside in the public domain. Hence, one can often find bargain bin,
cheap knock-off DVDs and Blu-rays of these films.
Classic
Flix is a company relatively new to the home video scene, and they have begun
restoring and issuing some of these relics of yesteryear. He Walked by Night
is a prime example of a quality presentation of an equally impressive little
movie. Made in 1948, Walked is a true story loosely based on the crime
spree by Erwin “Machine Gun†Walker, who shot cops and committed burglaries and
armed robberies in Los Angeles in the mid-40s. In real life, Walker was
arrested and sentenced to prison, but he was paroled in the 70s. This is not the
ending to the story that is depicted in the film.
A
young Richard Basehart portrays disturbed war veteran Roy Morgan, a habitual
burglar and armed robber. When an off-duty cop on the street suspects Roy of
being a burglar, he is shot and killed. The POV switches to the police,
especially Lt. Marty Brennan (Scott Brady), who is based on the investigator of
the true case, Captain Breen (Roy Roberts), and forensics man Lee Whitey (Jack
Webb, in an early screen appearance). The story follows the police
investigation juxtaposed with Morgan’s eccentric and lonely existence, and the
criminal’s increasingly violent crimes. The big break comes when a stolen item
is recovered by an electronics pawn dealer (Whit Bissell), who has been
unwittingly fencing for Morgan.
It’s
all engaging stuff, and Basehart delivers an outstanding, creepy performance as
Morgan. The police procedural sequences are done well, such as when a composite
drawing of the suspect is created by all the witnesses to the crimes. The
climactic set piece of a chase in LA’s sewer system is exciting, atmospheric,
and pure noir. Oddly, it is similar to the ending of The Third Man,
which was released a year later.
Even
though Alfred Werker is credited as director, the talking heads in the “making
of†documentary supplement on the disk speculate that Anthony Mann stepped in
to helm some of the movie. Is it one of those Christian Nyby/Howard Hawks (The
Thing) or Tobe Hooper/Steven Spielberg (Poltergeist) controversies?
No one seems to know. He Walked by Night, however, does contain several
sequences—including the final sewer chase—that are stylistic stamps of Mann. That
said, much of the credit for the picture’s success goes to celebrated noir cinematographer
John Alton.
Another
sidebar related to the picture is Jack Webb’s meeting and further networking
with the picture’s technical adviser Detective Sergeant Marty Wynn. This led to
the ultimate creation of Dragnet as a radio and television show.
Classic
Flix’s new high definition restoration looks quite wonderful, a remarkable
step-up from other public domain transfers that are out there. It comes with
English subtitles for the hearing impaired, as well as an audio commentary by
biographer and producer Alan K. Rode, and writer/film historian Julie Kirgo.
Both appear in the aforementioned documentary about the making of the film,
which also includes critic Todd McCarthy, cinematographer Richard Crudo, and
film historian/director Courtney Joyner. There is also an image gallery with
rare stills and ephemera. The package contains an impressive illustrated 24-page
booklet with an essay by author Max Alvarez.
For
fans of film noir, police procedurals, and gritty crime dramas, He
Walked by Night is a good time at the movies.
“Ultimate Warrior: The Complete Films of Yul
Brynner†by Dawn Dabell and Jonathon Dabell. Publisher: Independently
published. Softback: 265 pages, ISBN-10: 1673491944, ISBN-13: 978-1673491944,
Product Dimensions: 17.8 x 1.5 x 25.4 cm, price £14.99
Following on from their hugely enjoyable
debut, “More Than a Psycho The Complete Films Of Anthony Perkins†(2018),
husband and wife team Dawn and Jonathon Dabell follow up with an equally
impressive book on one of Hollywood’s most fascinating characters.
Ask anyone with the slightest knowledge of
film to name a few Yul Brynner movies and there’s a distinct possibility that
titles such as “The Ten Commandmentsâ€, “The Magnificent Seven†or “The King and
I†will undoubtedly be returned quicker than a rock from a slingshot. Whilst
this is perfectly acceptable (as they are all established and popular movies),
the Dabells set out to provide the reader with a far wider reaching exploration
of Mr. Brynner. The authors help us ease into the complexities of Brynner, his
background still providing a dense shroud of mystery and uncertainties in
relation to his growing up - even his date of birth remains contradictory and
dependent upon which source one cares to believe. Nevertheless, it does provide
a good sense of the man and a certain perspective in relation to his ethics.
After a very respectable, well written introduction
and overview, the Dabells revert to an uncomplicated and logical timeline
approach to Brynner’s career on film. One of the advantages of being a
self-published book naturally means the authors have total control over what
makes it to the printed page, and the process often reflects the art of
self-editing or knowing your limit. In this instance, the authors have
addressed the balance perfectly. A healthy collective of 5-6 pages are given
over to each of Brynner’s films, all with leading cast and crew, synopsis and a
wealth of background information. There’s certainly no scrimping when it comes
to imagery either, in fact, they are plentiful – with each film also containing
some degree of poster artwork which only adds to the overall presentation. Also
worthy of note is the glorious, original cover art by Paul Watts, a real
throwback to the poster art format of yesteryear, when it is all too easy to
revert to the more commonly used and uninspiring ‘star photo’ approach.
The authors have also rounded off the
contents with dedicated chapters on Brynner’s theatre work, television work (he
was a noted director in the medium), cameos and further reading. The Dabells have
certainly poured their hearts and souls into this book; it’s clear and obvious,
with the result being an all-encompassing volume and what should be the
ultimate word on Brynner’s films.
Film
historian Jeremy Arnold, who provides the excellent audio commentary as a
supplement for the terrific Blu-ray release of Kiss the Blood Off My Hands, says the movie’s title is
remarkably “lurid.†The Production Code people obviously had a problem with the
title and tried to get it changed, but an appeal from up and coming star Burt
Lancaster, whose newly formed production company (co-founded with Harold Hecht)
made the picture, resulted in the “lurid†title staying in place.
The
film does not live up to the implied sensationalism. While we do get a dark, at
times brutal, and cynical piece of film noir, we also get an atypical
love story at the picture’s heart.
Kiss
the Blood Off My Hands, from 1948, is based on a novel by Gerald Butler, and
was adapted by Ben Maddow and Walter Bernstein (one of the Hollywood Ten). The
screenplay is by Leonardo Bercovici, with Hugh Gray credited as providing additional
dialogue. The director, Norman Foster, had been an actor throughout the 1930s.
He helmed a slew of Mr. Moto movies starring Peter Lorre, some of the Charlie
Chan pictures, and several films noir in the 40s and early 50s. Foster
brings a good deal of style to the proceedings with the help of cinematographer
Russell Metty. It’s an impressive little picture.
The
movie contains many of the signature traits associated with film noir—black
and white high contrast photography, many scenes at night and/or with rain, a
cynical protagonist, violence, crimes, excessive smoking and drinking, locations
in seedy pubs and flats, and an urban setting. What makes Kiss the Blood unique
is that it’s an American film noir production set in London (but it
wasn’t filmed there aside from some second unit shots).
Bill
Saunders (Lancaster) is a Canadian World War II veteran bumming around in
London. He has no desire to return home, but he is lost and aimless in the UK.
He also has a devil of a temper and is quick to start a fight if someone so
much as looks at him funny. Heaven help you if you say something he doesn’t
like—he might kill you. Which is what happens in a pub when the owner tries to
kick him out so the place can close. It’s an accident, but Bill knows the
police won’t take kindly to the incident. He manages to run away, but a
witness, Harry Carter (played by slimy, weaselly Robert Newton) takes note. Bill
hides from the police in the first open window he can slip into, and it happens
to be the flat of nurse Jane Wharton (Joan Fontaine, who receives top billing).
At first, of course, Jane is frightened by Bill, but he manages to ease her
fear. Despite his tendency to fly off the handle, Jane falls in love with Bill,
and he’s head over heels for her at first sight. Too bad he gets into a scuffle
with a copper and lands in prison (a sentence that includes a vicious lashing
with cat o’ nine tails). Jane waits for him, though, and once he’s out she gets
him a job as a delivery driver transporting drugs. That’s when Harry steps in
to blackmail Bill unless the former con will help him pull off a robbery.
What
happens next would spoil the fun. Kiss the Blood is an engaging small
picture with fine performances. One can see that Lancaster is still green and
tends to overact, but his passion is tangible. Fontaine is always lovely and
handles her role with grace and honesty. Newton, always perfect as a Cockney
baddie, is suitably over the top.
There
is one oopsy, though. The lorry that Bill drives during the second half of the
movie is an American vehicle—the steering wheel is on the left side of the
dashboard. In England, that wheel would have been on the right!
Kino
Lorber’s new high definition restoration looks remarkably good. The images are
clear and sharp, with the right amount of soft focus in certain scenes. The
aforementioned audio commentary by Jeremy Arnold is informative and
entertaining. Sadly, the only other supplements are trailers for this and other
Kino Lorber releases.
Kiss the Blood Off My Hands may not sound like a date movie, but the romance
noir elements of the picture are surprisingly potent. So, grab your spouse,
significant other, or someone you pick up in a seedy pub and settle in for a
romantically brutal experience!
Here's a great musical number: the only on-screen teaming of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Bing Crosby in the 1964 Warner Bros. film "Robin and the Seven Hoods", which boasts a terrific score by Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen. In the film, Crosby plays a meek accountant for Sinatra's mob. Sinatra and Dino decide to show Crosby how to spice up his image by performing the marvelous musical number "Style". The film also features the classic song "My Kind of Town" and a show-stopping one-man number by Sammy Davis Jr. that tears up the screen. If you've never seen this underrated gem (directed by the equally underrated Gordon Douglas), you can do so by clicking here to order the Blu-ray from amazon.
Director Mark Robson's tragic boxing drama "Champion" was widely praised when it premiered in 1949, earning six Oscar nominations including one for Best Actor for rising young star Kirk Douglas. It was this film that made Hollywood studios take serious notice of Douglas and there would be no looking back. Douglas would be a bonafide star throughout his entire career. The original review of the film in the Hollywood Reporter lavishes praise on Douglas, calling him a "vigorous, manly, exciting actor". Click here to read the full review.
Throughout
the fascinating and seriously creepy film, The Comfort of Strangers, an
Italian man named Robert (diabolically played by Christopher Walken) repeatedly
speaks about his father. “My father (pause) … was a big man. He had a big black
mustache…†The story relates how his father colored his mustache black with
mascara after it turned grey, and how no one at the dinner table was allowed to
speak unless the father addressed the person first, whether he or she was a wife,
daughter, or son. A portrait is eventually formed of a man who was brutally
sadistic and controlling. And Robert is the result.
Based
on the novel by Ian McEwan, Strangers was adapted by the great
playwright Harold Pinter, who turns McEwan’s already strange psycho-sexual
drama into something of palpable menace. Directed with style and finesse by
Paul Schrader, this Italian-British production brings to an audience a collage
of beauty, mood, and horror that only Pinter can deliver with his elliptical
dialogue and potent pauses of what is not said. The locale of Venice is
also a character in the picture, and movie buffs might be reminded of Nicolas
Roeg’s Don’t Look Now when viewing Strangers.
Colin
(the Adonis-like Rupert Everett) and Mary (the late, radiant Natasha
Richardson) are a couple on holiday in Venice. Mary is divorced with two
children (who are in England with their grandmother). The subtle tension
between the couple is the question of taking their relationship to the next
level—that is, should they get married? While wandering the twisty, turny
streets of the city, they meet Robert, who at first is friendly enough. He
invites them to his lush, expansive home that resembles an art museum. There,
Robert’s welcoming wife Caroline (Helen Mirren) reinforces the nagging
suspicious that there is something off about this couple. Colin and Mary
realize early on that they really don’t like Robert and Caroline, and yet they
are perversely and inexplicably attracted to them. Once they visit Robert’s
apartment a second time, they are unwittingly ensnared in the web. Exactly what
Robert and Caroline have in store for the younger couple, especially Colin, cannot
be revealed here! Just know there is sex, more sex, and unexpected violence in
the works.
Director
Schrader is here working with Italian designers (for example, Giorgio Armani is
the costumer) so the look for the film is impeccably gorgeous. The music score
by Angelo Badalamenti is also hauntingly exquisite, underlying the melancholy
and mystery of the proceedings. As for the acting, it is top notch. Walken
shines as the enigmatic villain of the piece. In a supplemental interview, the
actor explains that he channeled Italian actor Rossano Brazzi to exhibit charm
and sensuality that is distinctly European. Everett and Richardson are so
shockingly stunning to look at, both clothed and without, that they cast a
spell over the viewer. And Mirren, in a small role, showcases her dark side
that she once did so well in many independent pictures before her rise to the
super-A-talent category. For this reviewer’s money, though, the stars of the
movie are Walken and writer Pinter. In a few of the supplements, the tale is
related how Pinter came to Venice for one week of rehearsals prior to shooting.
As was his way, not one word of his script could be altered or changed. If an
actor didn’t understand something, Pinter would simply say, “Read the text.
Then read it again.†By the end of the week, all the actors knew what they were
doing.
The
Comfort of Strangers is
an art film for discerning viewers who appreciate unconventional tales about
relationships, sex, desire, and mystery. As usual, the Criterion presentation
is top notch. Recommended.
Relive the hilarity of Mel Brooks' brilliant 1977 homage to Alfred Hitchcock, "High Anxiety". In issue #26, we published an exclusive interview with Mel in which he discusses his interactions with Hitchcock during the making of the film, which are also very funny, indeed.
Any time we at Cinema Retro might feel self-congratulatory about staying in print for sixteen years, we're immediately humbled by the fact that Dick Klemensen has been publishing Little Shoppe of Horrors magazine since 1972. You read that right...1972, the same year it seemed like a good idea to re-elect Richard Nixon in the biggest landslide in American history and Marlon Brando regained his mojo as The Godfather. Since then, Dick's magazine has been the gold standard for coverage of everything and anything to do with the Hammer films horror classics. The vast majority of every issue is dedicated to Hammer and yet he never gets repetitive. Dick started to reach out to the Hammer stars, directors, producers and technicians in the early 1970s and thus acquired a priceless archive of their stories and memories during an era in which most critics didn't take the films seriously. Dick's latest issue features the wonderful Hammer version of the Sherlock Holmes classic "The Hound of the Baskerville" on the cover and the interior is chock full of informative and entertaining articles. Click here to visit Little Shoppe of Horrors site and prepare to go on a shopping spree. Remember, print media needs your support!
Here is official list of contents for the latest issue:
vThe Hyman Horrors.
Denis
Meikle examines producer Kenneth Hyman's Trio of Terror for Hammer Films -
The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Stranglers of Bombay and The Terror of the
tongs.
v'Behind the Scenes' on The Hound of the Baskervilles
Peter
Cushing, Christopher Lee, Terence Fisher and many of the people involved talk
about the making of the film.
v'Murder Their Religion!'
The
Making of The Stranglers of Bombay by Bruce G. Hallenbeck.
vMurder By Hatchet!'
The
Making of The Terror of the Tongs by Bruce G. Hallenbeck.
v'He Painted With Light! Jack Asher'
A
tribute to Hammer's great Director of Photography by Emmy Award winning
cinematographer - David J. Miller & Asher's daughters & Hammer film
co-workers.
v'Michael
Medwin: Hammer's First Star'
Interview
by Denis Meikle.
vDracula
2020 — The recent BBC/Netflix/Hartswood Film version of Bram Stoker's classic
Novel.
Interviews
with Mark Gatiss (Writer/Producer/actor - as Renfield), Steven Moffat
(Writer/Producer), Claes Bang (Count Dracula), Dolly Wells (Sister Agatha Van
Helsing/Zoe Helsing), Cathering Schell (the Grand Duchess Valeria of
Habsburg) and Dave Elsey (with his wife Loue responsible for all the FX
makeups and effects).
v'The
Hammer Diaries of Christopher Wicking - 1975 - Part 2'
Edited
by Mitchel Wicking.
vVampirella Live
Jonathan
Rigby on the recent reading of Christopher Wicking's Vampirella script.
All our regular features - Letters to LSoH - Ralph's
One-and-Only Traveling Reviews CVompany - Hammer News.
When 23 year-old genius and enfant terrible Orson Welles broadcast his Halloween eve radio adaptation of H.G. Wells' "The War of the Worlds" in 1938, as we all know, it resulted in scandal and panic. There have been plenty of urban legends and misconceptions relating the broadcast including beliefs that many people committed suicide but this is just one exaggeration relating to one of the most infamous radio broadcasts in history. Welles, who was the director of the acclaimed Mercury Theatre weekly radio program that he founded with John Houseman, had eschewed the highbrow fare in favor of playfully presenting a modern spin on H.G. Wells's novel that had been written and set in the Victorian era. His reluctant script writer Howard Koch randomly chose an innocuous small town, Grover's Mill, New Jersey, to replace the London setting of the book. Welles listened to the finished recording of the program and made a last minute decision to liven it up by presenting it in the format of what today would be called a "breaking news" story. Cleverly presenting the show as a standard musical program, Welles had intermittent bulletins about large explosions on Mars taking place. Ultimately, the bulletins announced that Martians had landed in New Jersey and were decimating local military forces, using high powered ray guns as weapons. This 2013 PBS broadcast of "American Experience" looks at the unintended consequences of the broadcast, separating fact from fiction. For example, Welles did have an introduction stating that the program was a fictional radio play. However, many listeners were tuned into another program to hear the popular ventriloquist Edgar Bergen and his legendary "partner", Charlie McCarthy. When Bergen's act ended, listeners started to engage in channel-surfing and came upon the sensational broadcast, having missed the introduction. Before long, many people did indeed panic. Police stations were flooded with calls from locals all across the nation. Some people packed their belongings and fled to isolated areas, while others sought ways to enlist in the battle against the Martians. (The program uses actors to verbalize actual interviews of everyday people who spoke to the press about their own personal experiences.)
What the "American Experience" episode clarifies is that not everyone was snookered. People who were aware of the joke wrote and called the network to praise Welles, but others were outraged about being made to look foolish. While the show was on the air, Welles was forced to interrupt the program with a reminder that it was all a work of fiction, but by then many people had tuned out and run for the hills. Some filed lawsuits against Welles and CBS, the network that broadcast the show. As the program points out, Welles pretended to be contrite and made a public apology, even though he privately delighted in having gained international recognition that he correctly assumed would boost his career. (Indeed, Hollywood soon beckoned.) One commentator says that Welles's apology was, in fact, the greatest performance of his career. In the end, none of the lawsuits against Welles or CBS succeeded and the government only issued a rule that prohibited any future broadcast from simulating an actual news bulletin.Welles was catapulted to international fame and even got his first sponsor for future broadcasts.The rest, as they say, is history- and Welles would continue to antagonize benefactors who employed him throughout his life.
The excellent 53-miinute "American Experience" episode provides excerpts from the broadcasts, comments from media historians and a wealth of fascinating photos consisting of Welles at work in the studio and front pages from the national newspapers that covered the scandal with predictable prominence.
It's easy in the modern era to smirk at what influential columnist Dorothy Thompson called the "incredible stupidity" of the American people in her column that defended Welles and his artistic vision. However, the show puts in context the fact that in those dark days of the late 1930s, the radio was a virtual god in most households, dispensing reliable and accurate information. The news was often grim but it was honest. An American public had been through almost decade of financial devastation from the Great Depression. Many millions were still out of work, life savings were lost and life for many seemed hopeless. In the midst of all this, Americans looked with great concern on alarming world events: Hitler's ever-expanding territorial ambitions and the correct suspicion that the accommodation of the Allies wouldn't satiate him for long; the rise of fascist Italy and the war-mongering gains of a militaristic Japan, all of which pointed to the seeming inevitability of second world war. Before modern day America judges the gullibility of a previous generation, consider that as you are reading this, the nation is reeling from thousands of deaths a week from the worst pandemic in a hundred years. Yet, there are substantial numbers of people who continue to insist that it's all a hoax. Now that is "incredible stupidity".
The program is available for streaming on Amazon and can be viewed for free by Amazon Prime members.
Here's the early scene in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" that established the tone and style of the film, directed with perfection by George Roy Hill from William Goldman's brilliant and witty screenplay. Paul Newman's Butch Cassidy has the unenviable task of engaging in a knife fight to the death with the towering figure of Ted Cassidy- but he proves brains can be worth more than brawn.
Sometimes
a little Bob Hope goes a long way. There’s no denying that Hope was one of the
more popular comic stars of the 1940s and 50s. His star began to wane in the
60s, and then most of the Baby Boomer generation knew him as perhaps the
greatest host that the Academy Awards ceremony ever had.
During
Hope’s most active years, he made many solo pictures that were truly funny. He
was also established as Bing Crosby’s partner in the massively successful “Road
to…†movies, which arguably launched Hope’s career as a leading or co-leading
man in 1940. When the scripts and direction were good, then Hope’s solo films
were superb. That was not always the case.
The
Paleface
(1948) was co-written by Frank Tashlin (with Edmund Hartmann), who would also
go on to write and direct the sequel, Son of Paleface (1952, co-written
with Joseph Quillan and Robert L. Welch. Tashlin spent many years making
cartoons, hopping in and out of big studios such as Warner Brothers’ Looney
Tunes/Merrie Melodies unit (Tashlin made Porky Pig and other characters’
shorts), Disney Studios, and other indie animation companies. His approach to
directing live action shockingly mimicked his methodology for zany cartoons.
Much of Son of Paleface contains the kind of sledgehammer action, albeit
accomplished with visual effects, and slapstick that is more at home with a
character like Daffy Duck.
Both
movies are western comedies and are among Hope’s more profitable pictures. He
is often costumed in ten-gallon hats that no self-respecting cowboy would wear.
For this reviewer’s money, the first title is the better of the two. It is at
least grounded in some degree of reality, whereas the second film is all-out
wackiness. Both movies co-star Jane Russell, who adds not only glamour to the
proceedings, but also a straight-woman sensibility off of whom Hope plays quite
well. It is this reviewer’s opinion that Jane Russell was underrated as a comic
actress and singer/dancer.
In
The Paleface, Hope is “Painless Potter,†a dentist in the Old West who is
mistaken to be a federal agent by smugglers selling guns and explosives to the
Indians. Calamity Jane (Russell), an outlaw herself, is hired by the government
to identify and help bring down the traitors. She eventually uses Potter as
cover, allowing him to marry her, so that they can travel with a wagon train
and weed out the bad guys.
Son
of Paleface is
a sequel in that it features Hope as Potter’s grown son, “Junior†Potter, many
years later—it’s still the Old West, but the modern age is just around the
corner. Junior drives a jalopy (that’s actually years ahead of the time depicted
in the movie). This time, Russell plays a saloon chorus girl named “Mike,†who
is the civilian identity of a gold thief called “The Torch.†The Torch leads a
gang of outlaws who are pursued by “Roy†(the inimitable Roy Rogers, who
co-stars with his horse, Trigger—“the smartest horse in the movies,†as he is
billed in the credits). Junior has come to town to find and collect his
father’s stash of gold, only to find that his dad owed money to everyone. Mike
uses Junior as cover, but Roy soon becomes wise to her and sets out to foil
Mike, her band of robbers, and Junior, who is unwittingly caught in the middle.
The
Paleface is
funny and enjoyable, if embarrassingly sexist and politically incorrect by
today’s standards (its treatment of Native Americans makes one want face-palm
and shake a head). The director, Norman Z. McLeod, had been making comedies
since the silent days, and he had helmed two of the Marx Brothers’ best titles,
Monkey Business (1931) and Horse Feathers (1932). Hope has some
great bits, and he also delivers the Academy Award-winning Best Song of that
year, “Buttons and Bows†(by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans). The movie is decent
entertainment, but there’s no question that it’s dumb.
Margaret Hamilton with Ray Bolger and Jack Haley in an MGM promotional photo for "The Wizard of Oz".
Movie lovers associate actress Margaret Hamilton almost exclusively with her immortal portrayal of the Wicked Witch in the 1939 MGM classic "The Wizard of Oz". However, as writer Veronika Bondarenko points out in a column for Pocket Worthy, there was much more to the woman and her talents. Hamilton was proud of her performance in "Oz" but ultimately resented the fact that her other career achievements were largely ignored by the public and critics. She appeared in such diverse productions as "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer", "13 Ghosts", "My Little Chickadee", "The Red Pony", "Brewster McCloud" and "The Anderson Tapes". She was also a veteran of stage productions and appeared in countless hit TV shows.
To read about her remarkable life and career, click here.
Criterion has
released a Blu-ray edition of one of the best science fiction films from the
1950s or any other decade for that matter. George Pal’s version of War of
the Worlds, directed by Byron Haskin, landed in theaters in 1953 and has become
an iconic symbol of alien invasion stories.
H.G. Wells’
novel had already been made famous by Orson Welles’ landmark CBS radio drama in
1938. The Martian invasion played out as news bulletins concerning an
attack on the East Coast by enemy tripod machines armed with a terrifying heat
ray and poisonous gas. With Americans nervous about a possible war in
Europe at the time, audiences listening that night were especially vulnerable
hearing the fabricated reports of destruction and carnage. One has to wonder
why many of the people glued to their radios didn’t turn to another station for
confirmation.
With Alfred
Hitchcock and Cecil B. DeMille linked to film adaptations of Wells’ novel at
different times, it was producer George Pal who finally brought the story to
the screen in 1953. Pal, an Academy Award winning animator, had already
thrilled moviegoers with Destination Moon and When Worlds Collide, both of
which were box office successes. His Puppetoon short from 1942,
Tulips Shall Grow, depicted the Nazi invasion of Holland and provided a
template for the attack sequences in War of the Worlds.
Featuring a relatively
hefty budget of $2 million, Pal funneled most of his resources into the famed
special effects depicting the deadly Martian war machines destroying Los Angeles.
An in-house team at Paramount, led by Gordon Jennings and art director Albert
Nozaki, designed and built the futuristic swan-like vehicles armed with
ferocious heat rays and skeleton beams that lay waste to all military weapons
that stood in their way. Striking miniature work and beautiful paintings
by astronomical artist Chesley Bonestell completed the look of this Technicolor
masterpiece.
The cast
included future Bat Masterson star Gene Barry, beautiful newcomer Ann Robinson
and radio actor Les Tremayne. The script was fashioned by Barre Lyndon who
transferred the story from Victorian England to modern day California. The
three-strip Technicolor photography was supervised by George Barnes and the
pulsating music score was composed by Leith Stevens. The unsung heroes of War
of the Worlds were the sound effects teams led by Paramount regulars Gene
Garvin and Harry Lindgren. All manner of new sound cues were created for
this film and many of these effects are still in use today.
Criterion’s
Blu-ray features the 2018 4K restoration produced by Paramount Pictures, and
the results are truly spectacular with amazing color saturation and crisp,
clear sound. Errors in registration of the Technicolor strips have been
cleaned up and an alternate 5.1 soundtrack has been realized by Star Wars
sound designer Ben Burtt. Purists will be happy to know that the original
mono track has been included as an option.
War of the
Worlds was filmed in the 1.37 aspect ratio although some theaters were
exhibiting it in a matted 1.66 version. After adjusting my monitor to
view this cropped presentation, I found the picture to look cramped and noticed
that important information was occasionally lost. The original stereo
tracks are now lost but, according to Ben Burtt, they only provided exaggerated
sound effects to the additional speakers.
As a 9 year-old
watching War of the Worlds on its’ NBC television premier in 1967, I was
terrified and hooked at the same time. Much like experiencing an E-ticket ride
at Disneyland, I enjoyed being
scared. I
found the narration by Sir Cedric Hardwicke to be gripping as he described the
“rout of civilization" during a montage of destruction. Through the
years I continued to enjoy this film on network and local television broadcasts
and at college screenings. Eventually I owned home video copies in the
VHS, CED disc, DVD and now Blu-ray formats. To say War of the Worlds
is my favorite film is an extreme understatement.
Kino Lorber has released three Barbara Stanwyck films in a boxed set collection. Here is the official announcement:
This collection feature three classic films starring
screen legend Barbara Stanwyck:
INTERNES CAN’T
TAKE MONEY (1937) – Young Dr. James Kildare (Joel McCrea, Four Faces West),
interning at a clinic, falls for his patient Janet Haley (Barbara Stanwyck,
Witness to Murder). The feeling is mutual, but Janet has a secret she will not
divulge: She’s the widow of a bank robber who hid their daughter before he died
and she is desperately trying to find the little girl. She will use
anyone—including Dr. Kildare—to get her child back. The doctor’s association
with gangster Hanlon (Lloyd Nolan, The House on 92nd Street), whose injuries
Kildare secretly patched up, and Janet’s connection with gangster Innes
(Stanley Ridges, Black Friday), who’s helping her find her daughter, bring it
all to a rousing head filled with action, suspense and the unexpected!
Stylishly directed by Alfred Santell (Breakfast for Two), Internes Can’t Take
Money was the third of six films co-starring Stanwyck and McCrea and the only
Dr. Kildare film produced by Paramount. The Max Brand-created character was
picked up by MGM for a series of successful movies from 1938 to 1942 starring
Lew Ayres as Kildare.
THE GREAT MAN’S LADY (1942) – From William A. Wellman,
the legendary director of Wings, Beau Geste, Nothing Sacred, The Ox-Bow
Incident, Yellow Sky and The High and the Mighty, comes this romantic
western-drama starring screen icons Barbara Stanwyck (All I Desire) and Joel
McCrea (The Virginian). After Hoyt City dedicates a statue to its founder Ethan
Hoyt (McCrea), the woman who inspired his achievement, the 109-year-old Hannah
Sempler (Stanwyck), tells their story to a young biographer. She begins with
their elopement in 1848 when she was a headstrong Philadelphia girl of 16 and
Ethan was an idealist yearning to build a city in the West. Their future was
fraught with difficulties, from life in a prairie shack to a fruitless search
for gold and, ultimately, to Ethan’s jealousy over Hannah’s friendship with
gambler Steely Edwards (Brian Donlevy, Canyon Passage). Through it all, she
remained what she is today: the woman who sacrificed everything for her
husband’s sake. Filled with action and humor, this moving film was vigorously
directed by Wellman and beautifully shot by the great William C. Mellor (A
Place in the Sun).
THE BRIDE WORE
BOOTS (1946) – From Irving Pichel, the acclaimed director of Tomorrow Is
Forever, O.S.S., Something in the Wind, The Miracle of the Bells, Quicksand and
Destination Moon, comes this comedy of errors about a bookish husband trying to
win back the affections of his horse-breeding wife. Screen legend Barbara
Stanwyck (There’s Always Tomorrow) stars as southern heiress Sally Warren, who
loves everything to do with horseracing. Her studious husband, Jeff (Robert
Cummings, The Chase), cannot stand the creatures and would rather spend his
time writing. When their incompatibilities land them in divorce court, it will
take a little imagination and a lot of luck to restore the love in their
hilariously mismatched relationship. The Bride Wore Boots features a stellar
cast that includes a young Natalie Wood (Driftwood), Diana Lynn (The
Kentuckian) and the great Robert Benchley (Road to Utopia).
Bonus Features: NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historian
Dr. Eloise Ross (Internes Can't Take Money | NEW Audio Commentary by Film
Historian Dr. Eloise Ross (The Great Man's Lady) | Optional English Subtitles |
The Great Man's Lady (Theatrical Trailer) | The Bride Wore Boots (Theatrical
Trailer)
Some movie directors achieve greatness by steadily
working at their craft over a lifetime, building their reputation movie by
movie, until they develop a following, creating a catalogue of films that they
become known for. It’s a steady process of craftsmanship. And then there are
some few directors who seem to come out of the egg fully hatched, so to speak.
Their particular vision, their attraction to certain themes, their own peculiar
style is evident even from their earliest work. Orson Welles was one such film
maker. So were Howard Hawks and Sam Peckinpah. If you watch the episodes of the
half-hour “Gunsmoke†TV series that Peckinpah wrote in the 1950’s, or The
Westerner TV series in 1960, you will be surprised to see how many of the
themes and obsessions that Peckinpah put into films like “The Wild Bunch†and “Pat
Garrett and Billy the Kid†were on display even back then.
John Ford is another one of those “fully-hatchedâ€
directors. His movies are immediately identifiable, infused with a vision that
Ford and only Ford possessed, and he had it from the beginning. If you want a
demonstration of what I’m talking about get a copy of Kino Lorber Studio
Classics new Blu-ray release of “Straight Shooting†(1917), Ford’s very first
silent feature film, which he directed under the name Jack Ford. Starring the
legendary Harry Carey, it’s a story set against the backdrop of the changing
frontier. Like “Shane†(1953) it’s about the conflict between the cattlemen who
conquered the frontier and the sod busters who wanted to tame it. But it’s more
complex than “Shane.†Even though Ford is on the side of the farmers and sees
the necessity of civilization, he also mourns for the passing of the frontier.
Carey plays a hired gunslinger named “Cheyenne†Harry, a
man who sells his gun to the highest bidder. He’s an outsider in every sense of
the word—a man not unlike Ethan Edwards, the central character John Wayne
played 40 years later in Ford’s “The Searchers†(1956). In “Straight Shootingâ€
Cheyenne comes face to face for the first time with everything that’s lacking
in his own life. He’s changed when he sees how desperately the family of a
young boy grieves after being shot by Placer Fremont (Vester Pegg), another
killer hired by the ranchers. He feels compassion, especially for Joan Sims
(Molly Malone), the dead boy’s sister, and quits the ranchers, saying there are
some jobs too low even for him. He’s then faced with the dilemma of either
riding away, as he always has, or siding with the farmers.
Ford repeated that same inner conflict in “The Searchersâ€
by making Edwards face the choice of either remaining an outcast by killing his
own niece because she had been raised by Indians, or rejoining society by letting
go of his passionate hatred of them. What is really fascinating when you
compare the two films, is that the resemblance between Cheyenne and Edwards is
not merely thematic, it’s physical. Film historian Joseph McBride, author of
“Searching for John Ford: A Life,†explains in the audio commentary accompanying
the movie, that later in his career when he worked with Wayne, Ford told him to
study Carey. “Duke, take a look over at Harry Carey and watch him work,†Ford
said. “Stand like he does, if you can, and play your roles so that people can
look upon you as a friend.†Wayne even imitated the way Carey held his right
arm with his left hand, a gesture Ford taught him to indicate his aloneness.
Both films end with the same shot of the hero standing in
the open door way of the sod buster’s house, which Ford used as a symbolic boundary
line between a settled life and the wilderness. In “The Searchers,†Edwards is
left standing outside as the door closes on him. In Cheyenne’s case, Ford
couldn’t seem to decide which way to conclude the story, with the gunman
struggling internally until almost the last frame which way he wants to go.
There are some great action scenes in “Straight
Shooting,†especially an assault on the farmer’s house by the ranchers’ army of
gunmen, which Ford modeled on a similar scene in D.W. Griffith’s “Birth of a
Nation.†Also in the cast, as one of Cheyenne’s pals, is Hoot Gibson, a rodeo
rider who went on to become a cowboy star in his own right.
In addition to McBride’s audio commentary, Kino Lorber
provides a 12-page booklet with an informative essay by film critic Tag
Gallagher. According to Gallagher the sole surviving print of “Straight
Shootingâ€is in the Czech Film Archive,
under the title “Facing Cowboy’s Guns,†35 mm, and tinted. In 2016 Universal
made a color digital restoration from a Czech print, 4th generation,
given to the Library of Congress. Gallagher notes the Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray restoration
is in black and white and correctly mastered at 18 fps. The picture is
remarkably sharp and clear, displaying Ford’s California location photography around
Beale’s Cut in Newhall in all its glory. Other bonus features include a video
essay by Gallagher, and a 10-minute fragment of “Hitchin’ Post†(1920)
preserved by the Library of Congress.
For anyone interested in the history of movies or John
Ford’s career this Blu-ray is a must have.Recommended.
If
you’ve never seen what is essentially the last starring film appearance by W.
C. Fields, Never Give a Sucker an Even Break (1941), then you’re missing
the most extreme, surreal, and ridiculous motion picture featuring the boozy misanthropic
comedian ever made.
Fields
(William Claude Dukenfield) brought his vaudeville schtick to life in his films
made in the 1920s and 30s and he enjoyed immense popularity until alcoholism
derailed his career. He was indeed a talented man, however, and there are true
comic classics among his filmography. He was often responsible for writing the
initial storylines to his movies, and he used silly pseudonyms in the screen
credits, such as Mahatma Kane Jeeves (“My hat, my cane, Jeeves!â€) or, in the
case of Never Give a Sucker, Otis Criblecoblis.
Even
after the success of The Bank Dick (1940, one of Fields’ best films),
Universal Studios was tiring of the actor’s antics and problems with drink. His
storyline for Never Give a Sucker was roundly rejected as being too
weird and absurd, and yet when the picture was nevertheless greenlit, Fields
and his director, Edward Cline, used the material anyway.
The
result is truly a bizarre and jaw-dropping piece of work that defies most
screen comedies of the day. The film takes place on the fictional studio lot of
“Esoteric Pictures,†where many known actors and comics play “themselves.â€
Fields is himself (called “Uncle Bill†by his niece, Gloria Jean, a teenage
actress/crooner at the time who also plays herself), character actor Franklin
Pangborn is a producer at the studio, Leon Errol is also a comic employed
there, and so on. Fields presents his new picture idea to Pangborn, and then a
series of vignettes illustrate the scenes of the movie in full costume and
sets. These include when Fields falls out of an airplane window (it’s open
during the flight!) and lands atop a mountain where fantasy women Ouliotta
Delight Hemagloben (Susan Miller) and her mother (the inimitable Margaret
Dumont!) have never seen men before. Fields sets out to marry Mrs. Hemagloben
because he’s learned that she’s wealthy. After a succession of other wacky set
pieces, Pangborn has had enough and fires Fields from the studio—but he is
saved by his niece, who, as the studio’s hottest star, threatens to leave if
her uncle is sacked. The climax is a hair-raising car chase through Los Angeles
with Fields at the wheel, which can only mean trouble.
Never
Give a Sucker an Even Break is cited on various W. C. Fields fan pages as
one of the actor’s best movies. However, it is a mixed bag. There are comic
bits that work beautifully and are extremely funny, to be sure, but there are
others that are simply so dumb that one winces at how bad they are. One
extended sequence without Fields involves Gloria Jean having to sing a number
for producer Pangborn in the carpentry shop while workers are noisily attempting
to build a set. This bit goes on way too long and ceases to be funny after the
first “Shuuuttt upppp!†from Pangborn. Any of the scenes that required visual
effects, such as Fields falling through the sky and bouncing repeatedly on a
bed atop the Hemagloben’s “nest,†emphasizes the stupidity of the situation. And
yet, there are moments that produce belly laughs. As usual, Fields’ delivery of
lines are always the best parts of one of the actor’s pictures. While
discussing games with one of his female costars, “beanbag†comes up. “Ah, yes,
beanbag,†Fields says in his drawl, “exciting game. I once saw the world
championship in Paris. Many people were killed.†Or the classic, “I was in love
with a beautiful blonde once, dear. She drove me to drink. That’s the one thing
I’m indebted to her for.â€
Kino
Lorber’s new high definition restoration looks quite good and comes with an
audio commentary by film historian Eddy Von Mueller and English subtitles for
the hearing impaired. A nearly-hour-long television documentary from the 1960s,
Wayne and Shuster Take an Affectionate Look at W. C. Fields, provides
some background and a decent overview of Fields’ career. There is also the
theatrical trailer for this and other Kino Lorber releases.
If
you’re a fan of W. C. Fields, then Never Give a Sucker an Even Break is
a must-have. Others may want to start with more conventional Fields titles such
as It’s a Gift or The Bank Dick before moving on to this near-psychedelic
curiosity.
Kino Lorber’s new Blu-ray edition of Calvin Floyd’s
documentary In Search of Dracula is
the third hard copy to find its way into my collection.I no longer own a copy of that first edition,
a VHS tape of dubious origin and purchased at a convention.That was jettisoned when an authorized copy on
DVD was issued by Wellspring Media in 2003.Truth be told, I’m not sure a manufacture of a Blu-ray for this
particular film is necessarily merited.But it’s here now and will likely displace the DVD sitting on my home
video shelf.The circle of life, I
suppose.
This quirky and occasionally interesting documentary would
make its debut on the small screen, initially produced for exclusive broadcast
on Swedish television.But it was a
popular and professional enough effort to be later telecast in Great Britain on
the B.B.C.The film would make the
transition as a genuine cinematic property in 1975 when Samuel M. Sherman’s
Independent International Pictures Corporation bought the U.S. distribution
rights.The producer would pad the
program’s running time to feature-length with a sprinkling of non-essential bits
and pieces here and there.
The film was released theatrically in the U.S., playing
the New York City metropolitan area in May 1975.This NYC-area engagement lasted little more
than a week, mostly playing drive-ins and second-run cinemas throughout the city’s
outer boroughs, Long Island and the wilds of New Jersey.Sherman’s ballyhoo newspaper advertising was purposefully
misleading.It highlighted Christopher
Lee’s participation in the production and referenced “An Open Letter to the
Descendants of Count Dracula.â€Subsequent
ad copy coyly disguised that the film was actually an historical documentary
rather than a new Dracula feature.
In any event, the film was not strong enough to stand
alone as a potential draw, so it was paired with an appropriate co-feature,
albeit movies of previous-release and exhibiting some mileage and history.These co-features would include the like of
Hammer’s The Mummy (1959) with
Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing and Al Adamson’s bargain-basement cheapie Blood of Ghastly Horror (1967) with John
Carradine. (This second feature made some strategic sense as Sherman was
co-producer of the latter film). Sherman is listed here in the revised opening
credits of In Search of Dracula as “production
consultant.â€With all due respect to Mr.
Sherman, Floyd’s original documentary was inspired by consulting Raymond T.
McNally and Radu Florescu’s best-selling tome of the same title (New York
Graphic Society, 1972).The film, to the
best of its ability, attempts to touch on many of the same subjects more thoroughly
detailed in that book.
Unfortunately, it does so with only mixed success as director
Floyd’s somber narrative tends to meander.The film certainly starts promisingly enough, advising viewers that it
was photographed not only “on location†in Transylvania itself (we’re told “Transylvaniaâ€
translates to the “land beyond the forestâ€), but also in Austria, Germany,
Switzerland and Sweden.“All film
locations are authentic and historically accurate†a title credit promisingly
brags.Indeed, the travelogue snippets
of green fields, the Carpathian Mountains, broke-down castles, and small-village
folkways are amongst the film’s strongest assets.We’re also treated to somewhat tangential footage
documenting a colorful performance by the Romanian Folklore Dance Company and
the so-called “mysticism†of a Greek Orthodox Church ceremony.
The real masterstroke of producer/director/composer Floyd
was his ability to bring in a favorite cinematic Dracula, Christopher Lee, to
narrate and guide viewers through this fractured history lesson.The fact that he was able to convince Lee to do
so is surprising in itself. Lee had walked away, somewhat disgruntled, from the
Dracula character following his appearance in seven mostly beloved – and mostly
profitable - films for Hammer Studios… and an eighth, if less celebrated Dracula
movie, for Spanish director Jess Franco (1970).Lee proudly boasts here near the film’s end that his Horror of Dracula (1958) made “eight
times its production costs!†for Hammer.For the record, Lee hadn’t totally abandoned his cloaked on-screen
vampirism, having also appeared as an ersatz
Dracula in such mostly forgotten continental productions as Italy’s Tempi duri
per i vampiri (1959) and France’s Dracula Père et Fils (1976).Lee provides narration throughout but also appears
on screen - surprisingly “in character†- in several brief vignettes.He’s seen here, in silent footage, as both
the (Stoker-described) mustachioed Count Dracula as well as the character’s presumed
historical forebear Vlad Tepes (aka “Vlad the Impalerâ€), the one-time Prince of
Wallachia.
It’s unfair to expect an eighty-two minute film to adequately
convey the contents of a 300 page book, and director Floyd (along with writer Yvonne
Floyd) tries their best to condense and impart information in an educational and
entertaining manner.Unfortunately,
there’s just not enough running time to discuss any item to satisfaction. We are offered some teachable, if rushed
along, informational tidbits along the way.We learn that Bram Stoker, who would first publish his novel Dracula in 1897, never actually visited
Transylvania prior to writing.Despite
this, Lee ensures, the novelist was “remarkably accurate†in his descriptions
as he had studied period maps and guidebooks in careful preparation.There’s a discussion of the origin of vampire
legends which, we’re told, originated in Asia before migrating westward to
other far-flung places.Stories of
vampires eventually traveled to Eastern Europe where they seamlessly filtered into
and intertwined with local folklore beliefs.It was in Eastern Europe that tales of vampirism and “the undead†would appear
most common.
The film also treats us to tangential, thumbnail case
studies and psychological profiles of other infamous - and terribly real -
“vampires.â€These include CountessElizabeth
Báthory of Hungary (aka Countess Dracula) who, legend has it, bathed in the blood of
virgins in an attempt to stay youthful.Then there was the awful Peter Kürten,
the “Vampire of Düsseldorf,†a
sexual deviant and serial killer who reportedly cannibalized and drank the
blood of several of his victims.Another
addition to this unpleasant rogue’s gallery was John Haigh, the so-called
“Vampire of London.†The delightful Mister Haigh treated his victim’s to acid
baths and claimed to have drunk their blood as well.
It’s almost a relief when, somewhere around the
sixty-minute mark, Floyd – in a head-scratching manner - segues into an odd
sidebar regarding the origins of Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel Frankenstein.Its inclusion here
is almost totally out of place in this particular documentary but, in hindsight,
it did foreshadow Floyd’s next and more ambitious project.This would be the director’s attempt at a dramatic
telling of the authentic and original Shelley text “as written.†This feature
would subsequently be released to European cinemas in 1977 as the Terror of Frankenstein.
Though no classic, Floyd’s take on Frankenstein – unseen by many until the home video boom made the
film more available – is often lauded as the first faithful attempt to follow the
novels genuine and more complex storyline.This declaration wasn’t entirely true.In 1973, NBC-TV would broadcast their three and a half hour television
drama Frankenstein: The True Story in
two parts.So that television production
had gotten their first and, quite frankly, did a better job of it.In any event, Calvin Floyd’s Terror of Frankenstein is certainly
worth seeking out by film scholars, if only for its oddity.
Unfortunately, Floyd’s In Search of Dracula begins to fall apart near the end as we pass
through brief mentions of the nineteenth century literary legacies of such
“undead†figures as Le Fanu’s Carmilla
and Polidori’s Vampyre.As we enter the age of cinema, we’re treated
to an over-long, but time-chewing, excerpt of the public-domain silent classic Nosferatu.Since clips from Carl Theodor Dreyer’s Vampyr and Tod Browning’s Dracula (the latter featuring the iconic
1931 performance of Bela Lugosi), were under copyright protection, we’re
treated only to a few production stills and a lengthy, and not terribly relevant,
excerpt from Lugosi’s appearance in the non-protected 1925 silent drama The Midnight Girl.
In any event, I’m guessing that fans of Sir Christopher
Lee and students of the Dracula legend will be compelled to add this film to
their collections: as someone who has triple-dipped on this title I completely understand.Others less-obsessed might find the film an
outdated celluloid relic, best forgotten.While I’m certainly glad that the film has been made available once again
for those interested, I would be dishonest to deem it as an essential study.
This Kino Lorber Studio Classics Blu-ray of In Search of Dracula has been
transferred from a new 2K master, in a ratio of 1.37:1 and in 1920p x 1080p
with DTS monaural sound.The set also
features an audio commentary track supplied by film historians Lee Gambin and
John Harrison.The set includes a few
bonus trailers for other Christopher Lee films available from the Kino Lorber
library:The Crimson Cult, The Oblong Box, Scream and Scream Again, Arabian
Adventure, and House of Long Shadows.
The attitudes toward sex in the U.S. in the 1950s
were pent-up and frustrated, and they sat in a tinderbox. This is reflected in
the cinema of the time, often overtly in noir and crime dramas, or in melodramas
such as Rebel Without a Cause.
Here we have a 1955 melodrama/crime picture starring
the inimitable Joan Crawford, who, in her 50s herself, still looks smashing and
has no qualms against displaying in short-shorts the magnificent dancer legs
she was known for throughout her career. It’s quite possible that Crawford took
on this role to say to the world, “Hey, I’m still desirable, just watch me.â€
There is that brazen exhibitionist quality in her performance, and it suits the
steamy, somewhat sordid storyline of Female on the Beach.
Crawford is Lynn Markham, a widow who visits a beach
house somewhere (Florida? California?—it isn’t clear) that her deceased husband
had owned and was renting to a wealthy woman named Eloise Crandell (Judith
Evelyn). Lynn, who has never been to the house before, is considering selling
it, so she has arranged for Crandell to move out prior to Lynn’s arrival. Little
does Lynn know, but Crandell was involved in a hot love affair with beach bum
and boater Drummond Hall (Jeff Chandler), and things went terribly wrong. The
night before Lynn’s arrival, a drunken Crandell fell from her terrace and was
killed on the sandy rocks below the house. Was Hall responsible? We don’t know.
Realtor Amy Rawlinson (Jan Sterling) seems to be protecting Hall and has lied
about the house, Hall’s relationship with Crandell, and the goings-on around
the beach community. Oddly, Hall resides either on his boat, which is docked at
the Markham peer, or with the Sorensens (Cecil Kellaway and Natalie Schafer),
the elderly couple who live in the next house over and who apparently like to bilk
wealthy widows with rigged card games. Despite the numerous red flags that Lynn
receives, including a revealing diary left behind by Crandell and warnings from
police lieutenant Galley (Charles Drake), Lynn also begins a torrid love affair
with the handsome and hunky Hall… uh oh!
Joseph Pevney directs the tale from Robert Hill and
Richard Alan Simmons’ screenplay with earnest passion, punctuated by a
plaintive musical score (the composer is uncredited). The actors give it their
all, and Crawford and Chandler have the sufficient chemistry to pull it off.
The problem with Female on the Beach is the
believability of Lynn’s actions. It’s obvious that Hall is trouble from the
get-go. He even arrogantly puts the moves on her against her wishes (the #MeToo
movement would have had a field day with this picture if it had existed in the
1950s), and apparently “No†didn’t mean “No†in those days. After near-violent
resistance on Lynn’s part, she of course succumbs to Hall’s aggressive advances
and, well, enjoys it. Okay, if you say so. Additionally, once the “mystery†is
resolved regarding whether Crandell died by accident, suicide, or murder, there
is very little surprise attached.
Still, Female on the Beach is an entertaining
potboiler that shines a light on the social mores of the day. Kino Lorber’s
high definition restoration looks remarkably good in its sharp and clear widescreen
black and white, with optional English subtitles for the hearing impaired. The
film comes with two audio commentaries—one by the always interesting film
historian Kat Ellinger, and one by film historian David Del Valle and moderated
by filmmaker David DeCoteau. Supplements include an animated image gallery of
promotional material, plus the theatrical trailer for this and other Kino
Lorber releases.
So, get out your cocktails, turn out the lights, and
snuggle up for some high temperature action and romance with Joan Crawford and
Jeff Chandler; just be sure to take a few spoonfuls of suspension of disbelief.
Here's a trip back in time: Bob Hope's opening of the 1966 Academy Awards broadcast in 1966, the first to be telecast in color. Interesting to note some of the quips about current events and people of the day including Ronald Reagan's political ambitions in California, George Hamilton escorting President Johnson's daughter Linda to the ceremonies, quips about Lee Marvin's drinking and Richard Burton's prowess as a lover and references to "The Agony and the Ecstasy". Some of it still remains funny, thanks to Hope's inimitable delivery.
Val Guest’s The Day
the Earth Caught Fire (1961) is one of the better science-fiction films to
come out of the Cold War decades of the 1950’s and 1960s.While it’s no metaphorical masterpiece as Don
Siegel’s more celebrated Invasion of the
Body Snatchers (1956), the screenplay for this British production was
co-penned by Guest and the novelist/playwright/screenwriter Wolf Mankowitz.The two would collaborate on other projects
as well, but it’s the thoughtful, literate script co-written for The Day the Earth Caught Fire thatwould justifiably garner them the award
for the Best British Screenplay from the British Academy of Film and Television
Arts.This superb new Blu-ray from Kino
Lorber is absolutely beautiful, having been digitally re-mastered from a print
held in the National Archive of British Film Institute in association with
StudioCanal.
Partly inspired by the worldwide early anti-nuclear
weapon sentiments and protests of the late ‘50s/early 60s – and in particular
by the demonstrations of England’s annual Easter Aldermaston Marches (partly commemorated
here via actual newsreel footage) – the foreboding screenplay warns of the cost-to-be
-paid due to the escalating tension and muscle-flexing of the world’s two
superpowers.The film’s critics on the
right would dismiss the 1961 production as an example of sobbing leftist
propaganda.Interestingly - and almost a
half-century following the film’s release - London’s Guardian newspaper was among many British journals giving this
charge some measure of credence.It was reported
in August 2010, upon the recent declassification of security documents, that Mankowitz
– who passed in 1998 – had once been suspected by members of MI5 to be a
possible agent of the Soviet Union.This
was a delicious bit of ironic tattle since Mankowitz had long been celebrated
as the figure that brought Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman together to
produce the films of the world’s favorite “imperialist thug†spy, James Bond.
If not a bona fide, card-carrying Marxist – and there’s
no proof that I know of that he was, nor would such a personal political
leaning been criminal unless engaged in espionage - Mankowitz was, at the very
least, a gifted seer.The advertising
for the film promised a “picture that gives you a front seat to the most
jolting events of tomorrow!†When news of the real-life Cuban Missile Crisis erupted
in October 1962, cinemagoers who caught The
Day the Earth Caught Fire on its release in the late autumn of 1961 through
the spring of 1962, were no doubt understandably chilled by the catastrophic preview
they’d already witnessed.The film
depicts, in uncompromising seriousness and sobriety, the dire consequences of
unbridled nuclear weapons testing by the world’s two reigning super-powers.This is a science-fiction film where the monster
created was completely of human design.Unless one wishes to extrapolate on the possible symbolism of film’s final
image and audio, director Guest stubbornly refused to guarantee the requisite
happy ending.
The film is a very much a science-fiction movie for
thinking adults.The original British
censor card tacked onto the film’s front end informs that no one under the age
of sixteen would be permitted admission.I imagine only the most worldly and erudite middle and early high school
age teens would have even cared about such disbarment, as there’s no space-age
“monster†to be found in this sci-fi classic.Instead the film crackles with reasonable, thoughtful, snappy dialogue
and thinly-disguised homilies on the subject of cold war insanities.
It’s interesting that the film’s attention relies not on
the cataclysmic events accidentally wrought by the United States and the Soviet
Union.It dwells almost entirely on the
fallout of such a disaster.In brief,
the Soviets and the Americans have conducted – unbeknownst to one another - almost
simultaneous thermo-nuclear tests at the Earth’s poles in Siberia and
Antarctica, respectively.The resulting
explosions are described by one journalist at London’s Daily Express newspaper as “the biggest jolt the earth has
sustained since the ice age.â€One result
of these simultaneous explosions is a seismological shift, one that unleashes a
succession of worldwide environmental disasters.
Things quickly go from bad to worse.Sunspots are initially blamed for causing all
sorts of electrical interference in aero and navigational systems. This is soon
followed by an unexplained early solar eclipse appearing in the sky above, and
suddenly countries of the world are fighting off such ravaging natural
disasters as tsunamis, floods, fires, and droughts.Temperatures reach as high as one hundred and
forty-five degrees Fahrenheit in Texas and Mexico. In London, where most of this story plays out,
a pea-soup thick mist rises from the Channel and blankets the city with a blinding
fog reaching four stories high.
The story primarily unfolds - and twists - in the offices
of London’s Daily Express newspaper
where coverage is assigned to reporter Peter Stenning (Edward Judd).Stenning, on one level, is the usual cynical,
jaded and hard-drinking journalist.He
has been made so as the result of a failed marriage and an estranged
relationship with his own son, whom he adores.He is soon smitten by pool secretary Jeannie (Janet Munro) and the two squabble
as they try to get beyond the official and feeble government responses
regarding the crisis.Something more
dramatic and threatening is going on, and the reporter is determined to cobble
together the story of what is actually happening.Both Judd and Munro are wonderful in their
respective roles, as is Leo McKern’s “Bill Maguire,†a veteran reporter who
remains Stenning’s one true friend throughout.The lovely Munro, who had only graduated from dopey, dream-teen roles in
a trio of mid-1950s Disney productions to being menaced by The Trollenberg Terror (aka The
Crawling Eye), is finally given a role with some gravitas.It’s one she handles skillfully, imbuing her
character with professional nuance.
As The Day the
Earth Caught Fire is as much a “disaster†flick as a science-fiction film, the
production expenses to lens such catastrophes would have ballooned the budget to
an unmanageable level.Guest wisely saves
on the production budget by relying almost entirely on actual newsreel footage
to document the onslaught of such natural disasters.Such newsreel realism contrasts somewhat with
the film’s opening sequences, the frames artificially tinted in yellow to
suggest the presence of the searing heat beating down upon London.Though Guest must rely on an unconvincing
matte painting of a dry river bed that was once the mighty Thames, Harry
Waxman’s photography of the eerily deserted thoroughfares surrounding Piccadilly
Circus and Fleet Street more than make up for this image.
In 2020, the threat of nuclear annihilation is not as prevalent
on one’s mind as it once had been during the unfortunate chessboard that was
the cold war era.That doesn’t mean
Guest’s film is not as relevant today.His
film documents the sad - and not unexpected - doomsday mentalities of those who
plan on irresponsibly partying and acting uncivilly to their own demise.In this age of Covid-19 and the viruses exposing
of the existence of a legion of scientific naysayers, it’s easy to understand
the mournful observation of one Daily
Express reporter in the film who sighs, “People don’t care about the news
until it becomes personal.â€
This Kino Lorber Studio Classics Blu-ray of The Day the Earth Caught Fire is
presented here in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio and 1920x1080p with a monaural DTS
sound and removable English sub-titles.The set also includes a generous set of bonus features which includes
not one but two separate audio commentaries: one by the film’s original
Co-Writer/Producer/Director Val Guest, the second by film historian Richard
Harland Smith.The set also features no
fewer than four original television spots and four radio spots originally used
in promotion as well as the film’s theatrical trailer.Additional trailers include those for The QuatermassXperiment and The Earth Dies
Screaming.
The
Bing Crosby and Bob Hope “Road to…†series began in 1940 with Road to
Singapore (click here for review), a landmark musical-comedy
that teamed the dueling popular radio personalities for the silver screen.
Road
to Zanzibar continues
the successful formula begun in Singapore. Two playboys (Crosby and
Hope, whose character names change with each movie, although their “charactersâ€
are always the same) find themselves traveling to some exotic locale in order
to either escape a woman, gangsters, or pursue some con job, only to get mixed
up in a farcical plot with an equally exotic woman (always Lamour). There are a
few songs performed by both men or solo or with Lamour, comic hijinks
(especially from Hope), and even some action and adventure. A running gag
throughout the series was a bit that Crosby and Hope did—playing “Patty-Cake,
Patty-Cake,†reciting the verse and slapping their hands in front of
adversaries as a distraction—and then surprising the bad guys with sudden
punches, thereby starting a fight and the means to escape.
In
this popular sequel, Crosby is “Chuck†and Hope is “Hubert†aka “Fearless
Frazier.†They work in circus sideshows with Crosby conning the populace
regarding Fearless’ abilities as, first, a human cannonball, which results in a
mishap that sets the entire circus ablaze. They try again at other circuses
with different acts, until one day an eccentric diamond mine baron (Eric Blore)
sells Chuck the deed to one of his African properties. It turns out it’s a
fake, of course, so Hubert pawns the deed off to someone else, who insists—with
threatened violence—that the duo lead them to the mine. The boys escape and
hastily board a boat bound for Africa (it had to happen, right?). There, they
are hoodwinked by Julia (Una Merkel) to help her save her roommate Donna
(Lamour) from “slave traders,†when in fact it’s a con between Julia, Donna,
and the slave traders to split the proceeds, repeatedly, from unsuspecting
buyers. This leads to a safari across Africa with Chuck, Hubert, Donna, and
Julia on the way to fame and fortune, when, in reality, the purpose is to
reunite Donna with a man to whom she’s engaged. Of course, Chuck and Donna fall
in love, Hubert at one point believes it’s he that she’s fallen for, and
there is a threesome, and sometimes a little foursome, romantic entanglement.
The climactic sequence involves the boys being separated by the safari and
captured by hostile, Tarzan-style natives, who plan to first pit
Hubert/Fearless against a gorilla (an actor in a suit) to prove the boys are
gods; failing that, the boys will be eaten by the tribe.
Like
Road to Singapore before it, Road to Zanzibar is total nonsense
with some musical number decoration. As it was made in 1941, Hollywood was
still in the era when African-Americans were underused in productions. They
only got work playing maids, butlers, porters, and… African natives. Looking at
the film today, the final sequence produces some wince-inducing moments, but at
least Crosby and Hope don’t darken their skin to disguise themselves as they
did in Singapore.
There
are funny moments, to be sure, and Hope especially was then proving to
audiences that he was a superb talent. Arguably, the “Road†pictures would not
have been as successful without his presence.
Kino
Lorber’s new Blu-ray looks quite good and comes with English subtitles for the
hearing impaired. Two previously issued supplements accompany the film: a short
documentary on Hope and the Road pictures, with appearances by Phyllis Diller,
Randall G. Mielke (author of The Road to Success), and Richard Grudens
(author of The Spirit of Bob Hope)—this same extra is also included on
the Road to Singapore disk, and a 1944 featurette on Hope on “Command
Performance,†a short that went out to the troops to accompany movie
screenings. The theatrical trailer to this and other Kino Lorber titles round
out the package.
For
fans of Hope and Crosby and of a golden era of Hollywood that had a long way to
go before becoming “woke,†Road to Zanzibar has its cinema history
charm.
Cineploit continue to help feed the healthy
appetite for European cult film classics with their two latest Region-Free Blu-ray media
book releases, Mark Colpisce Ancora aka The .44 Specialist aka Mark Strikes
Again (Italy 1976) (CP 05) and Brothers
in Blood aka Savage Attack (Italy 1987) (CP 06).
Police Inspector Mark Terzi (Franco Gasparri)
works undercover as Mark Patti. He is assigned to apprehend a hardened group of
terrorists. Terzi has already narrowly escaped a murderous attack at a location
where he was meant to be in Vienna, which leads to suspicions. Soon after,
clues lead Terzi to begin thinking that his own superiors may also be involved
in the plot.
This was the final film in director Stelvio
Massis’s ‘Mark trilogy’ and is considered by many commentators to be the best. Massis
appears to have accumulated his collective skills, experiences and shooting techniques
from the previous two films and put them to very good use for the final entry.
Whist the plot and narrative are pretty straight forward, there is plenty of
action to enjoy. Crashes, car chases, an air escape and plenty of bullets
litter the screen, and given that this was probably something of a low-budgeted
affair, it all comes off as both exciting and hugely enjoyable. The film looks
good. too, making the most of its locations based mainly in and around Milan
and Vienna. As with a great deal other Poliziotteschi films, Mark Colpisce
Ancora also boasts an American actor in its cast. It’s usually no more than an
extended cameo, but worked well, especially in reaching out to the American
market. John Saxon appears here, Saxon had an uncanny knack of choosing and
turning up in so many cult films. It would have been great to have seen him
appear longer, but more often than not these Western world, star contracts
arguably stipulated a week or so scheduling, and in the process Saxon no doubt
collected a healthy fistful of Lira (and probably a return ticket to Europe for
his troubles). The film marks its worldwide 2K Blu-ray premiere, and looks
incredibly clean (the disc includes a restoration comparison) and free of any
major defects. Euro film favourite, composer Stelvio Cipriani also keeps the
suspense thumping along nicely with another memorable score.
As to be expected from Cineploit, their
package is again highly impressive. Their media book style (as with their
previous four releases) is beautifully produced with 28 pages of detailed
information. The company also offer the media book in a choice of three
different cover variations, (two Italian and one German) in numbered and
limited editions of 400/300/300. Cineploit’s continued use of partial UV spotting
also adds an edge to the covers overall presentation. Leading the bonus
material is Part 2 of Cineploit’s exclusively produced career interview with
composer Stelvio Cipriani. Cineploit teasingly split this excellent interview (part
1 was included on their debut release, La Polizia Ha Le Mani Legrate). There’s
another 41 minutes here, which, with part one, totals some 92 minutes and makes
it something of a defining overview on the composer. There’s also two further
exclusive featurettes with son and assistant Danilo Massi and cameraman Roberto
Girometti (20 and 16 minutes). Also included is an international picture
gallery lasting some 8 minutes. Cineploit fashionably round the whole package
off by including a reproduction double-sided poster with the Italian locandina
and Manifesto. Wonderful stuff!
From reader Joe Elliott, Asheville, North Carolina:
It’s the birthday of someone whose
work I can’t really be objective about since I love him so much:
director, screenwriter and occasional actor, John Huston (1906).
Huston’s last film was finished shortly before his death, The Dead (1987),
based on a story by one his favorite writers, James Joyce.
Huston (below) doubtlessly
offering needed guidance to one of his more emotionally fragile
young actors.
"I was asked
about her doing 'The Asphalt Jungle.' It was her first real role. I asked her
to read for me and she did. The scene called for her to be lying on a couch.
There was no couch, so she got down on the floor. Read beautifully. I said
yes."
Writing on the Mental Floss web site, Jake Rossen recalls the impact of the 1983 ABC-TV airing of the controversial film "The Day After" starring Jason Robards. The movie was director Nicholas Meyer's warning to the world about the dangers of a nuclear war. At the time, the Cold War was very much in play and the stakes were high. ABC found they could get scant advertisers to sponsor a program with saw the destruction of America through the eyes of residents of a small Kansas town. To the network's credit, it aired the film anyway. What they lost in advertising revenue over two hours, they made up for in prestige. The show, which aired in the days when cable TV was in its infancy, attracted an astonishing 62 million viewers. (It would later be released overseas as a theatrical feature film in a slightly extended version.) Those of us of a certain age who recall watching it were left deeply moved and very upset as we watched the "lucky" survivors cope with facing a slow, torturous death. Perhaps in this modern era of a pandemic, it would still be difficult to watch even in the post-Cold War era, as our nightly news presents scenes of an America that seems scarcely recognizable, with desperate teams of physicians and nurses working in hellish, over-crowded hospitals- much like the scenario presented in "The Day After". The film represented a time period in which the three major networks were proud to produce and telecast controversial productions that often had a societal impact (think "Roots".) "The Day After" certainly did and it's been theorized that President Reagan was so moved by what he saw that he redoubled his efforts to finalize important arms limitation deals with the Soviets.
Was
this really a movie sub-genre? Colorful “Middle Easternâ€
action-comedy-adventures loosely derived from The Book of One Thousand and
One Nights? Full of harem girls, saber-wielding swashbucklers, epic set
pieces with beautifully designed sets and “Arabian†costumes, camels and horses
and tigers, and… comedians?
The
answer is, ahem, yes. During the war years of the early 1940s, Universal
Pictures made several of these “exotic adventure†pictures that capitalized on
the success of Britain’s Thief of Bagdad (1940). Hollywood quickly got
into this act, but like the Bing Crosby and Bob Hope “Road to…†pictures, these
movies set in the world of ancient Arabia were filmed on sound stages in
southern California… and it shows.
The
films were hugely popular at the time, but they have not aged well. We shall
examine two of the more successful entries of this short-lived movement—Arabian
Nights from 1942, and Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves from 1944. Each
picture shared some actors and a cinematographer (W. Howard Greene). Nights was
nominated for no less than four Academy Awards in the categories of
Cinematography and Art Direction (both richly deserved), Sound Recording, and
Score (by Frank Skinner). Ali Baba did not chart at awards season, but
it is, in truth, the better picture.
The
good: These are gloriously produced old Technicolor extravaganzas that show off
the artistry and imagination that only Hollywood can concoct. The films are
truly gorgeous, and the new high definition restorations bring out the colors with
intensity (of the two, Arabian Nights looks the best, but both are
visually exquisite). Secondly, the films provide some excellently choreographed
action sequences such as battles between Arabs and Mongols. It’s as if the
pirate film genre had migrated to the Islamic Golden Age.
But
therein lies the bad. These films have almost nothing to do with the real Book
of One Thousand and One Nights. They are full of stereotypes and likely
blasphemous depictions of Islam. Arabic characters are played by white
Hollywood actors with darkened skin makeup. If all that weren’t bad enough, way
too much of each movie is played for laughs. Blatantly comic actors are cast in
major roles and they stand out like broccoli in a fruit basket. Consider this: Shemp
Howard plays “Sinbad†in Arabian Nights, and he acts exactly like…
Shemp Howard, complete with New York accent, mugging facial expressions, and squeaky
vocalizations when he’s frightened. Loud, sneezy Billy Gilbert also has a
sizable role in the picture. Ali Baba is graced with the presence of
none other than… Andy Devine in a supporting role as one of the Forty
Thieves. Andy Devine as an Arab? He even speaks like Andy Devine in his
whiny drawl, “Aw, Ali, you don’t want to marry the princess! A thousand gold coins
can get you a girl in the marketplace who’s just as purdy!â€
Jon
Hall stars in both movies as our hero. In Arabian Nights, he’s
Haroun-Al-Raschid, the brother of the caliph. He has the title role in Ali
Baba. Sultry Maria Montez is also in both pictures as the love interest. In
the first, she is the famous dancer, Scheherazade (although in the credits and
promotional materials, this is spelled Sherazade, but the characters pronounce
her name the proper way). In Ali Baba, she is Amara, the prince’s daughter.
Turkish-Czech actor Turhan Bey also appears in both movies in supporting roles.
The popular Indian actor Sabu is a featured performer in Arabian Nights,
having emigrated to Hollywood after the success of Thief of Bagdad.
Arabian
Nights is
the tale of two rival brothers, Haroun and Kamar (Leif Erickson, credited as
Leif Erikson), their pursuit of Scheherazade, and their quest to gain power in
Arabia.
Ali
Baba and the Forty Thieves is the tale of Ali, the true caliph who is in exile
because Bagdad is overrun by the Mongols. He wants to reunite with his
childhood sweetheart, Amara, run the Mongols out of town, and reclaim the city
for the Arabs.
The
eye-rolling aspects aside, one must consider the films within the context of
when they were made and released. Yes, they’re silly and loads of rubbish, but in
their own way they are fun and entertaining. If one can get past Shemp Howard
and Andy Devine, one might have a few laughs and appreciate the scenic beauty
on display in these admittedly superb presentations.
Both
films come with interesting audio commentaries by film historian Phillipa
Berry. The theatrical trailers for each title and others from Kino Lorber are
on both disks as well.
Arabian
Nights and
Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, available separately from Kino Lorber,
are prime examples of the Exotic Technicolor Adventure movement that Hollywood
once pushed. So, grab your magic lamp, rub it a few times, sit back, and watch
these vibrant burlesques with your favorite genie.
Okay,
David Cronenberg has made some creepy-ass movies in his career, but there may
not be one as icky as the 1988 Dead Ringers.
Cronenberg’s
horror films seem to always deal with the human body in some grotesque fashion,
whether it be mutant babies being born outside of the womb (The Brood),
heads exploding (Scanners), or a man turning into an insect (The Fly)…
and Dead Ringers fits the bill. It is a movie guaranteed to give women
nightmares, for it’s about insane gynecologists. Identical twins, in fact.
Twin gynecologists with stirrups, strange probing devices, and killer looks.
Let that sink in for a moment.
Dead
Ringers is
somewhat based on a true story about real twin gynecologists, Stewart and Cyril
Marcus, who lived and practiced in New York City in the late 60s and early 70s.
They became addicted to drugs, went a little nuts, and died more or less
together in a posh Manhattan apartment. A 1977 best-selling thriller novel, Twins,
by Bari Wood and Jack Geasland, was loosely based on the Marcus boys, and
Cronenberg’s movie takes inspiration from that as well as the lives of the real
sickos (the screenplay is by Cronenberg and Norman Snider).
Jeremy
Irons delivers the performance of a lifetime as the twins, here named Beverly
and Elliot Mantle, and the trick photography employed by cinematographer Peter
Suschitzky and the visual effects team was state of the art at the time, creating
the illusion that Irons is acting with himself, or rather, another person that
is his mirror image. Irons not being nominated for the Best Actor Oscar is one
of the biggest robberies in Academy Award history, although he did win the
honor from both the New York and Chicago Film Critics. Perhaps Academy voters
found the film too disturbing.
It
is.
The
Mantle twins are successful gynecologists who operate a dual practice. Elliot
is the more confident ladykiller, so he often sleeps with his patients. Then
he, ahem, passes the women on to his brother, Beverly, who is rather shy and
less outgoing. Most of the time, they do this without letting the women know what’s
happening. Yes, the #MeToo movement would have had a field day with these guys.
Enter actress Claire Niveau (Genevieve Bujold), who becomes a patient but is
also addicted to various prescription drugs. Both twins have an affair with
her, and Beverly begins to share the drugs. This leads to delusions and
paranoia, and some of the nightmarish imagery that director Cronenberg presents
are enough to send audience members—female and male—to the lavatory. Of course,
things don’t go well for the Mantles, and it’s a downhill slide from there into
typical Cronenberg tragedy.
Dead
Ringers is
a brilliant discourse of addiction, chauvinism, and madness, and it is arguably
among Cronenberg’s best works. Irons’ performance is a wonder, and the nightmarish
effects and psychological attacks on the audience easily elevate the film to a
slot on “Greatest Horror Films of All Time.†It’s that good.
Shout
Factory’s Blu-ray release is a 2-disk set. The first disk presents the film in
the aspect ratio of 1.78:1. It looks sharp, crystal clear, and so hi-def that
one might think it’s 4K (it’s not). Oddly, Shout decided to give us another
version on the second disk, this time a 2K scan in the aspect ratio of 1.66:1,
which, when all is said and done, isn’t much different from the other version.
The marketing copy on the package claims this is Cronenberg’s preferred aspect
ratio, but there is some discussion among other DVD/Blu-ray reviewers online
that questions that statement. To these eyes, the second version looks slightly
better, perhaps more in line with the appearance of film.
The
first version comes with two audio commentaries: a previously released one with
actor Irons, and a new one with William Beard, author of The Artist as
Monster: The Cinema of David Cronenberg. The second version has no audio
commentaries.
Supplements
include new interviews with actor/artist Stephen Lack (who also starred in Scanners);
actress Heidi von Palleske, who plays one of the Mantle twins’ conquests; DOP
Suschitzky; and special effects artist Gordon Smith. There are also vintage
interviews and featurettes (of poorer video quality) from 1988, and the
theatrical trailer.
Dead
Ringers is
highly recommended for horror film fans, Cronenberg enthusiasts, and for
devotees of good acting—the picture is worth a viewing for Jeremy Irons alone.
Only diehard movie lovers of a certain age might be familiar with "Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood", a 1976 comedy from Paramount that came and went in the blink of an eye.The titular animal is a German shepherd whose "real name" was, rather amusingly, Augustus Von Schumacher. The film was the brainchild of David V. Picker, the mogul who ran several studios over the course of his career and who, as head of production of United Artists from the late 1950s through mid-1970s, brought the company to its most illustrious period. Picker developed "Won Ton Ton" while he was at Warner Bros., then brought the project with him when he moved to Paramount. Armed with a script by Arnold Schulman, based on a story idea by Cy Howard, Picker enlisted Michael Winner to direct the satire of the film industry during the silent movie era. Winner might have seemed like a strange choice at the time, given he was coming off a string of successful, but often very violent crime thrillers and westerns. He had recently scored the biggest success of his career with the controversial "Death Wish". However, he had made his mark in the British film industry a decade earlier by directing some well-received counter-culture comedies that perfectly tapped into the emerging mod scene.
The movie may be about a pooch but it's an odd duck of a film. It centers on Estie Del Ruth (Madeline Kahn), one of many wanna-be movie stars who has gravitated to Hollywood during the early days of the industry. She has a chance encounter with a stray German shepherd and can't find a way of losing him. Ultimately, they bond and she comes to realize that the dog is highly intelligent and capable of carrying out remarkably complex tasks. She meets Grayson Potchuck (Bruce Dern), an opportunistic aspiring director who has the ear of grumpy studio boss J.J. Fromberg (Art Carney). As Grayson forms a romantic relationship with Estie, he observes her dog's abilities and pitches an idea to Fromberg to allow him to direct a film starring the canine, who will be renamed Won Ton Ton. The movie turns out to be a hit, spawns a franchise and the dog becomes a national sensation. However, Estie's career is still in limbo and she uses her control over Won Ton Ton to persuade Fromberg into allowing her to star as the leading lady in heartthrob Rudy Montague's (Ron Liebman) next film. Ultimately, she, Grayson and even Won Ton Ton learn that loyalty and security in Hollywood are transient things as they all fall from fame and fortune into virtual obscurity.
It's hard to imagine just why David Picker thought this film would be a hit. Full disclosure: I was a friend of his and now regret not having ever discussed the movie with him, especially since Picker was not adverse to discussing his career failures as well as his triumphs (he gives the film only one incidental mention in his memoirs). In any event, "Won Ton Ton" was a bomb. Critics savaged the film, correctly pointing out that Michael Winner's direction was erratic. Screenwriter Arnold Schulman accused Picker of having the script largely rewritten without his knowledge and he publicly disassociated himself from the final cut of the movie. He said it was directed with all the charm and wit of a chain-saw massacre. The story is erratic and never very funny. However, Madeline Kahn shines in the lead role (after Bette Midler and Lily Tomlin turned it down). She had remarkable comedic timing and one can only wonder why her career never soared the way many had predicted. Bruce Dern is fine as the male lead but the funniest bits belong to Art Carney as the sex-crazed studio mogul who "interviews" prospective starlets without even bothering to put on his trousers to greet them. Ron Liebman is also very amusing as a legendary Valentino clone who privately lives as a flamboyantly gay man with a passion for cross-dressing. There are some other saving graces. The production design is very impressive and it's fun to watch the sights and sounds of 1970s L.A., which at the time could still be convincingly transformed into the Hollywood of the silent film era. As for ol' Won Ton Ton, he's adequate as a trained dog but never quite achieves the kind of miraculous feats that would have made him a nationwide sensation. (The dog's screen name was clearly inspired by Rin-Tin-Tin, whose copyright holders sued Paramount for infringement.) The film was harshly criticized for its cynical view of the silent era, although one would have to be very naive to believe that Harvey Weinstein-like practices didn't exist from the very beginning of the movie industry.
The one notable aspect of the movie is the glorious assemblage of old-time movie stars in cameos, some of them appearing on film for the final time. But Winner was accused of mishandling this opportunity. While a few have parts with some meat on the bone, most appear in blink-and-you'll-miss-'em pop-ups that are not very creatively staged. Some are just extras in a crowd scene while others have a few innocuous lines. Nevertheless, it's great to play spot-the-star, especially since the film itself isn't very engaging. Among the remarkable cast of cameo players: Stepin Fetchit, Yvonne De Carlo, Rudy Vallee, Dorothy Lamour, Tab Hunter, William Demarest, Andy Devine, Johnny Weismuller, Ethel Merman, Billy Barty, Broderick Crawford, Rory Calhoun, Rhonda Fleming, Richard Arlen, Ann Miller, Jackie Coogan, Robert Alda, Henry Wilcoxon, Edgar Bergen and countless others. Generally speaking, the inclusion of gimmicky cameos usually distracts from a movie's merits. However, since "Won Ton Ton" is so lacking in said merits, the cameos provide the primary reason for staying through the end credits.
The Olive Films Blu-ray has a nice transfer but no bonus extras. That's a pity because a critical analysis of the movie by film historians would make for a compelling commentary track.
Alan Parker photographed by another legend, Terry O'Neill, in this press still for "Angel Heart" (1987).
Sir Alan Parker has died at age 76. The esteemed British filmmaker was known for making highly diverse, acclaimed films. He had received two Oscar nominations for Best Director, the first for "Midnight Express" and the other for "Mississippi Burning". Parker made his feature film directorial debut in 1975 with "Bugsy Malone", an offbeat and inspired send up of old gangster movies starring a cast comprised of child actors including Jodie Foster. His other films include "Fame", "The Commitments", "Pink Floyd- The Wall", "Shoot the Moon", "Angela's Ashes", "Evita", "Angel Heart" and "Birdy". Parker had not directed a film since "The Life of David Gale" in 2003. As news of his death broke, tributes were paid by his peers in the entertainment industry including Andrew Webber, David Putnam and Barbara Broccoli.
