Continue reading "THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE: LETTERS TO CINEMA RETRO"

Cinema Retro has received the following press release that will be of interest to all Disney fans:

(November 1, 2009) Disney Theme Park Merchandise releases in November, the second in a series of DVDs highlighting the creation and enhancement of the Disney Theme Parks and Attractions as told from the perspective of the Walt Disney’s Imagineers. The DVD will be available for sale throughout the Disney Parks in California and Florida .

The DVD, “Imagineering the Magic-Magic Kingdom”, hosted by Imagineer Diego Parras, details through historical and rare film footage, the inspiration for the creation of Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida and the early beginnings of the Magic Kingdom theme park.

The DVD focuses on the Walt Disney’s efforts to build on the success of Disneyland in Anaheim , California and to take that creativity and experience eastward . The challenges of building in Florida ’s swamplands and the high expectations of the guests for a world bigger and better are told from personal recollections by Walt Disney Ambassador and Chief Imagineer, Marty Sklar.

Among the many notables joining Marty for these development stories and Imagineer recollections include Tom Fitzgerald, Tony Baxter, Kathy Rogers, Eric Jacobson and Kevin Rafferty.

“Our Imagineering the Magic-Disneyland DVD has been one of most successful park DVDs,” commented Betsy Singer, Product Developer for Disney Theme Park Merchandise. “Our guests enjoy the behind the magic stories and inspiration that the Imagineers bring to these videos and we hope they will enjoy Imagineering the Magic of Magic Kingdom as much as they have our first DVD”.

“This DVD shows the incredible team of men and women Walt Disney brought around him to create experiences and attractions that entertain and bring families together.”

 “Imagineering the Magic-Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World® Resort” can also be ordered from Disney Theme Park Merchandise mail order at  407-363-6200  407-363-6200 . The "Imagineering the Magic" DVD series was created by Richard Skillman of richsmedia.com   and co-produced by Richard with Cameron Roberts ,Greg Jones and Mark Rhodes of D7, a Disney production partner.  

Interview by Nick Thomas

 

It’s been 60 years since the Marx Brothers – Groucho, Chico, Harpo – officially appeared together in their last feature film, Love Happy. Although fans have little “love” for it and the brothers were not “happy” making it, the film did provide some enjoyable moments showcasing Harpo’s silent talents.

Along with brothers Zeppo and Gummo, the five Marx Brothers grew up in New York. Gummo dropped out of the act and the four brothers traveled the country as stage performers before taking Hollywood by storm, starting with Cocoanuts in 1929.  Straight man Zeppo eventually bailed too, and the three remaining brothers went on to become arguably the greatest comedy team ever.  

Between them, the five brothers raised a dozen children and a few went into the entertainment business. Now 72, Bill Marx (one of Harpo’s four children; see www.sonofharpospeaks.com) had a successful career as a musician, composer, comic, speaker, and writer. He talks at length about life with Harpo and his brothers, concluding the interview by paraphrasing his Uncle Groucho’s biting sarcasm! 

 

You recently published a book, “Son of Harpo Speaks!” What’s it about?

It’s not really a book about the Marx Brothers. It chronicles my relationship with my dad and our working together for 12 years.  My stories have never been told before and I guess I’m one of the last people left who actually worked with the Marx Brothers first hand. I’m just finishing up an audio book of Son of Harpo Speaks! that should be available soon. It contains material that nobody’s heard before. 

Tell us about your career.

I’m what you’d call a sit down - stand up -sit down - stand up comic! I sit down, play the piano, then stand up and tell stories, then sit down again and so on. Then I do Q&A sessions. I’ve been a composer and jazz pianist most of my life - doing film scores, symphonic writing, and arranging. I’ve played with many of the great jazz artists of the twentieth century.

Did Harpo influence your musical career?

Absolutely. When I was 2 years old, he recognized my musical ability, but he never forced anything on me. I was not a disciplined young musician - I hated scales and lessons. I wanted to play baseball! 

The two of you worked together, correct?

Yes. When I was 16, I wound up as his personal arranger and conductor. We did two albums together for Mercury Records. When he appeared on TV programs like The Lucy Show, he often played the harp and I did all the musical arrangements for him. I was only in my late teens then, so he helped validate me as a composer and musician.

Do you play the harp?

No. Dad used to say “one harpist in the family is enough!”  I have written a couple of concertos for the harp and did all the pop arrangements for my dad later in his career.

Did Harpo play the harp at home for the family much?

Not really, he’d play to practice. He loved to practice; he’d do it for 2-3 hours a day whether he was working or not. He just loved the harp – its feeling, its sensuality, the vibrations, and the harmony and sounds of the chords. The harps you see in the films were his personal instruments.

What happened to his harps? They would be priceless Hollywood memorabilia today.

When he passed away, my mother and I went to Israel and donated them to the Rubin Academy of Music [now the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance]. Students are still playing them, which is wonderful. 

What about his other old movie props, have they been saved?

I have a lot of stuff – his prop chest, his coat, his hat, wigs. I’m looking for a place to have it all displayed. I turned down the Smithsonian because I don’t want it stored in a vault. These are pieces of American film history and they need to be on permanent display somewhere.

What happed to his famous walking stick with the honker?

My sister has that. But it doesn’t work any more because the bulb has worn out over the years.

Do you have a favorite Marx Brothers film?

It’s Go West, only because I thought dad was phenomenal in it. It was written by a great friend, Irving Brecher who just passed away. He was one of the funniest guys ever. I recommend reading his book, The Wicked Wit of the West, which is full of delightful stories. I also love Monkey Business and A Night in Casablanca. The Big Store was the first Marx Brothers movie I saw when I was 4 or 5. I love the scene where dad is playing the instruments in front of the mirrors. It’s very charming.

 

Continue reading "CINEMA RETRO EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH BILL MARX, SON OF HARPO MARX"

Corman in London, photographed by Cinema Retro's Mark Mawston.

Entertainment Weekly columnist Chris Nashawaty has done yeoman work in soliciting comments from some top-name directors, actors and writers who recall their memories of working for producer Roger Corman. The B movie king is finally being shown the respect he deserves, culminating with a special Oscar being bestowed on him for his remarkable achievements in film. Corman gave crucial first breaks to many directors and actors who went on to have great careers. In this article, homage is paid to Corman by Martin Scorsese, Ron Howard, Joe Dante, Jonathan Demme, Sylvester Stallone, Dennis Hopper, William Shatner, Richard Matheson and others. Click here to read 

As our regular readers know, Cinema Retro likes to help publicize innovative independent films relating to those glorious by-gone years of the 60s and 70s. Thus, when we were contacted by Darrett Sanders, one of the producers of the new 60s spy spoof Scream of the Bikini, we were immediately hooked. The film has been winning accolades on the festival circuits and is playing limited engagements in theaters. The official web site is worthy of a visit, as it is chock-full of sexy production stills and retro posters like the one above that perfectly emulates those wonderful old door panels that used to grace movie theater lobby doors. Good luck, guys - we're looking forward to seeing the film. Click here for the official web site

This Thursday, Larry Edmunds Book Store in Hollywood will host a book signing for author Michael Malloy, who will be promoting his new book Universal Monsters. Sara Karloff, daughter of screen legend Boris Karloff will also attend. 

Actor Dennis Cole has passed away at age 69. He guest-starred on countless hit TV series since he made his mark as one of the stars of the 60s crime show Felony Squad. He also co-starred with Rod Taylor in the short-lived 1970s series Bearcats. Cole, who was once married to Charlie's Angel star Jaclyn Smith, refused to appear in any show involving violence following the 1991 murder of his son in a home invasion.  For more click here

It was in 1964 that Sean Connery starred as James Bond in Goldfinger and Shirley Bassey belted out the classic title song. Now Connery and Bassey are reuniting for another film project: Sir Billi, animated movie set in the Scottish highlands. Connery, who is producing the film, will provide the voice of an elderly, skate-boarding veterinarian who comes to the aid of a beaver. (No jokes, please!) Bassey will sing the title song, Guardian of the Highlands, which was written with her in mind. The film, which has been in production for years, marks Connery's emergence from self-imposed retirement, though it is uncertain whether he intends to pursue more cinematic ventures. For more click here

Even by the shameless spending habits of Hollywood stars, Nicholas Cage crossed the line. The Oscar winner is in major financial problems, owing the IRS $6 million. He has blamed the bulk of his dilemma on the alleged inefficiencies of his business manager. However, in a scathing report on the Daily Beast site, reporter Jacob Bernstein unveils plenty of evidence that Cage is responsible for his own dilemma. Bernstein outlines a mind-bending history of personal excess on Cage's part, as evidenced by the kind of spending that made Michael Jackson look like a miser. Cage's child-like spending habits saw him by the world's most expensive sports cars on a whim, throw parties that would embarrass the emperor Nero for their tastelessness, and indulge himself in every luxury in the belief the good times would roll forever. Cage also gave generously to charities, even as his own clout at the box-office began to seriously wane. He is now desperately trying to sell off his assets for far less than he paid for them. Click here to read the eye-opening report. 

On Sunday, November 22, The Players, the legendary New York City private club for the performing arts, will honor member Robert Vaughn with a gala dinner. Cinema Retro Editor in Chief Lee Pfeiffer will interview Vaughn on-stage for a discussion of his remarkable career and his recent autobiography A Fortunate Life. There will be screenings of relevant clips from Vaughn's work including The Magnficent Seven, Bullitt, The Towering Inferno,S.O.B, his current hit British series Hustle, Washington:Behind Closed Doors (for which he won the Emmy), Superman 3 and, of course, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. There will also be rarely seen early career footage of Vaughn's TV appearances. Ben Gazzara, Vaughn's co-star from The Bridge at Remagen, is scheduled to speak, as is actor Joseph Sirola, who guest-starred in several episodes of U.N.C.L.E. The date has special significance for Vaughn: it is his birthday and it is the day that production began on U.N.C.L.E. in 1963.

Through special arrangement with the club, Cinema Retro has arranged for a very limited number of tickets to be made available for any readers who would like to attend. The cost is $160 per person. The price includes cocktail hour, dinner in the famed dining hall and the Vaughn tribute program. The evening will afford readers a precious opportunity to enjoy one of New York's most exclusive clubs for the arts, which is filled with fascinating theatrical props and memorabilia belonging to actor Edwin Booth, who founded the club in the late 1800s. (For more about The Players visit the web site by clicking here)

To make a reservation by credit card, call the club at 212-475-6116

Note about the dress code: Please understand, this is not a fan or autograph event. The Players has a dress code for special event dinner functions. Black tie is encouraged, although a business suit is also appropriate. Please do not wear casual attire or you won't be admitted.  

By Lee Pfeiffer

We long ago gave up on seeing dynamic artwork on most DVD releases from major studios. Before you blame the studios, however, keep in mind that one studio executive told me in confidence that the sleeve designs are basically dictated by the buyers at Wal-Mart, who believe consumers can only relate to very simple, basic graphics. Thus, most major releases feature horrid scanned-in head shots of the movie's stars...often super-imposed on other actor's bodies. (See some of the James Bond releases). Once in a while, a studio will actually use original poster graphics on older, catalog titles and independent labels generally have visually creative sleeves for DVDs. However, the low point has to be the new DVD release of Paramount's Star Trek film. Director J.J. Abram's has not only reinvigorated the flaccid series, but enthused people like myself who were not major fans of the original films. However, the DVD sleeve is a boring, graphic-free piece of work that simply spells out the name of the title and doesn't convey a bit of the film's excitement or the acclaimed cast members. Granted, Star Trek doesn't need traditional marketing to make it succeed, but it would have been nice if someone in the home video department had put more than two minutes thought into the packaging of such a prestigious release. Come on, guys, you can do better...On the up side, the Blu-ray release promises to be a 3-DVD doozy. Click here to order from Amazon.

The cut-throat competition between Wal-Mart, Amazon, Target and other major on-line retailers has resulted in cut-throat pricing reductions pertaining to pre-orders of DVDs slated for holiday release. Many major titles including the new Star Trek film can be ordered for as little as $10. However, the deals are only good until the titles "street" (i.e, actually hit store shelves.) Studios are generally not happy about these tactics, fearing they reduce the inherent value of DVDs to the general public. For more click here

There are probably good uses for Twitter, which limits the user's message to 140 characters or less. However, it's largely been defined by people who bore their friends by sharing their frustrations over what type of lettuce to buy as they peruse the grocery aisles of their supermarkets. Then there are the doofy elected officials who are desperate to prove they are hip by shooting out impromptu observations that generally have to be explained by their long-suffering staffers who spin like whirling dervishes to mitigate their true meaning. The Huffington Post site has some fun with the Twitter rage, however, by offering readers to offer up summaries of classic books in 140 characters or less. The results are inspired and very funny. Here is one reader's synopsis of Lolita: "Erudite horndog marries a cougar so that he can get his hands on her hot underage daughter, who doesn't end up aging well. Kills a guy, too." For more click here

Producer and Cinema Retro contributor Steven J. Rubin has partnered with Beyond the Sea producer Arthur E. Friedman to bring the life story of Audie Murphy to the big screen. Murphy, one of the nation's most decorated soldiers, gained international fame for his daring exploits in WWII. He eventually had a successful acting career that was cut short when he perished in a plane crash in 1971. Murphy played himself in the hit 1955 WWII pic To Hell and Back. Rubin and Friedman plan to adapt the Don Graham biography of Murphy, No Name on the Bullet, for the screen. Murphy's son Terry is participating in the project. For more click here.

(For Steven J. Rubin's article on the making of The Great Escape, see Cinema Retro issue #1)

Disney has temporarily shelved plans for a much-vaunted remake of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, although the studio is committed to ultimately making it. Apparently the director, McG, has withdrawn from the project, which was slated to begin shooting in February, even though no casting has been announced. By the way, what's with the name of the director? We don't mind great historical figures being referred to by one name, but McG hardly qualifies for the honor alongside Picasso and Rembrandt. In fact, his qualifications seem somewhat less impressive than those that earned Liberace a one-name monicker. For more click here