12 Angry Men (1957) and a real-life jury duty experience

Earlier this month, I had my first experience as a trial juror. It was like watching a stage play: the judge, the lawyers, and the witnesses seemed as if they were all actors performing right in front of us. I had seen Witness for the Prosecution live on stage before - it was like that, like live theater.

When you're on a jury, you have the freedom to look around the room at anyone or anything at any time. When the lawyers were speaking, you could look at the judge or the defendant.

The accused was on trial for attempted murder.

During the course of the trial (two full days), seven witnesses testified, including several police officers, a prisoner, and the young man who was shot and full of scars.

The evening following the first day of jury selection, I went home and watched the 1957 version of 12 Angry Men for some inspiration.  I think it's the only movie ever made about a jury. I immediately felt a connection with the character played by John Fieder --- in the beginning of the film he tells Lee J. Cobb how excited he is to be a first time juror. I felt the same; it was all so new to me, too, and exciting. It felt good to be a part of the justice system.

Cobb's character then talks about being on many juries before. In our group, we also had some veteran jurors. Most of us, though, were first-timers.

To break the awkward silence, I tried to find things in common with other people just like one of the jurors does in 12 Angry Men.  It was a cramped space, and uncomfortable. The jury room in the movie was much larger than the one we were put into! Also in the movie, Jack Warden's character was so anxious to get out of the jury room and go home. That was how just about all of us felt! We all wanted to go home. Some people had an hour commute to the courthouse.

Another part of the movie that rang true was when Lee J. Cobb said how some of the lawyers went on and on talking "about nothing". Honestly, that's what it really felt like! Some of the lawyers just talked and talked and it was all seemed meaningless, certainly a waste of time. At one point, one of the witnesses - a police officer -  got so aggravated at the questioning from one of the lawyers. And public defenders kept asking the judge for time-outs, which meant more waiting for us, the jury.

I took lots of notes. The prosecuting attorneys brought forth some very good evidence. Four eyewitnesses all pointed to the defendant as the shooter. This appeared to be an "open-and-shut case",  as  Lee J Cobb referred to his case in the movie.

At times I got the feeling that the public defenders didn't always know how to defend him. This issue was touched upon in the movie, too.

After the lawyers gave their closing statements, it was time to go to the jury room to deliberate. The two alternate jurors were sent home (just like in the beginning of the movie). We chose a presiding juror (Martin Balsam in the movie).  And just like in the movie, we started with a secret ballot to see where everyone stood.

Believe it or not, the initial vote was 11-1 in favor of "guilty" ..just like the movie! No, it wasn't me who was the odd-man out, like Henry Fonda. It was the youngest person on jury. After about 25 minutes of deliberation, we all voted again, and unanimously agreed the defendant was "guilty" of attempted murder.

When the verdict was read in court, there was a loud scream from the visitor's section, which might have been the defendant's mother. There was also some clapping and cheering by some other people. It was eerie to hear that in real life (vs. on TV or in the movies).

When the trial ended, it was past 6 PM. And dark outside.

The jurors were given a police escort out of the courthouse to our cars in the parking lot.

After spending three days with all the other jurors, it was kind of a bittersweet feeling to say goodbye.

One of the men in our group was a recent immigrant from the Philippines; he became a citizen just two years ago, and now he and his wife are raising a family. I recommended he watch 12 Angry Men, and told him how much it was like our jury, with one major difference being that we couldn't smoke in our jury room.

Eventually we all parted ways, never to see each other again, just like the end of the movie.

Harry Carey, Jr (1921-2012)

Veteran character actor Harry Carey Jr. has passed away at the age of 91. Mr. Carey was best known for appearing in many westerns, including the John Ford classics She Wore a Yellow Ribbon and The Searchers.  Mr Carey, the son of Oscar-nominated actor Harry Carey Sr (Mr. Smith Goes to Washington), published a memoir in 1994: "Company of Heroes: My Life as an Actor in the John Ford Stock Company".

He was also a veteran of WWII, serving in the United States Navy.

An autographed photo that Mr. Carey signed for me
(via mail request) in 2001

Boot Hill Tribute | The Tainted Archive Tribute

Leonard Maltin remembers Harry Carey, Jr.

Theatrical Motion Picture Filmography

1946 Rolling Home

1947 Pursued

1948 Red River

1948 Moonrise

1948 3 Godfathers

1949 She Wore A Yellow Ribbon

1950 Wagon Master

1950 Copper Canyon

1950 Rio Grande

1951 Warpath

1951 The Wild Blue Yonder

1953 San Antone

1953 Sweethearts on Parade

1953 Island in the Sky

1953 Beneath the 12-Mile Reef

1954 Silver Lode

1954 The Outcast

1955 Spin and Marty: The Movie

1955 The Long Gray Line

1955 Mister Roberts

1956 The Searchers

1956 The Great Locomotive Chase

1956 Gun the Man Down

1956 7th Cavalry

1957 The River's Edge

1958 From Hell to Texas

1958 Escort West

1960 Noose for a Gunman

1961 The Great Impostor

1961 Two Rode Together

1962 A Public Affair

1963 The Raiders

1966 The Rare Breed

1966 Billy the Kid vs Dracula

1966 Alvarez Kelly

1966 Cyborg 2087

1976 The Ballad of Josie

1976 The Way West

1968 The Devil's Brigade

1968 Bandolero

1969 Death of a Gunfighter

1969 The Undefeated

1970 The Moonshine War

1970 Dirty Dingus Magee

1971 One More Train to Rob

1971 Big Jake

1971 Trinity is Still My Name

1971 Something Big

1972 The Magnificent One

1972 Run, Cougar, Run

1973 Cahill, US Marshall

1974 Challange to White Fang

1975 Take a Hard Ride

1976 Nickelodeon

1980 The Long Riders

1982 Endangered Species

1984 Gremlins

1985 Mask

1985 UFOria

1986 Crossroads

1987 The Whales of August

1987 Cherry 2000

1988 Illegally Yours

1989 Breaking In

1990 The Exorcist III

1990 Back to the Future Part III

1993 Tombstone

1996 The Sunchaser

Octopussy (1983) and A View To A Kill (1985)

Both directed by John Glen (b. 1932 - ), these films were Roger Moore's last outings as James Bond. Some have said that Moore was a bit "too up-in-age" to play Bond, but it isn't an issue for me. If the producers were OK with Moore as Bond, then so am I. In a bit of wishful thinking perhaps, I like to imagine that Moore felt he had 2 more things to accomplish before he "retired" as Bond: (1) to have an adventure in India (as in 1983's Octopussy) and  (2) to work alongside his friend and Avengers star Patrick MacNee (as in 1985's View, a highlight of the film).  On to the capsule reviews...

Octopussy

In this 007 action-comedy-mystery, Bond is determined to uncover the connection between a jewel-obsessed billionaire (Louis Jourdan) and the titular circus entrepreneur (Maud Adams). For awhile, it's uncertain who the real villain is. It was hard for me to accept Gaston from Gigi as a Bond villain, so I was relieved when another baddie stepped into the picture - a Soviet General Orlov (Steven Berkoff) who wants to set off a bomb in a circus (and comes darn-near close to doing so). If that's not enough, there's also Kamal's dice-crunching henchman, a blond mistress, a pair of knife-throwing circus goons, and a guy with a buzz-saw yo-yo. Phew! How does Bond ever survive all this? You have to see the movie to find out who helps him out (Hint: the answer is in the title). A good deal of the action takes place in India: there's a car chase on the streets and a jungle chase where Bond comes face-to-face with the tiger from The Life of Pi. There's also a cool fight on top of a train. I would have been really disappointed if there were no octopuses in the film, but alas, there is one in a tank, and it attacks a bad guy on the face towards the end of the film. Recommended.

For a review of the Blu-ray and all the cool special features, click here for a review from the AV Forums site.

Read a review from Films On the Box

---

A View To A Kill

Christopher Walken plays  Max Zoren, a psychopathic billionaire who wants to take over Silicon Valley for his own computer enterprise. Channeling Lex Luther in 1978's Superman, he wants to create an earthquake to accomplish his evil scheme (and comes darn close to doing so). But unlike Lex, Max is a former KGB agent.  Bond teams with Patrick MacNee (posing as Bond's valet) and infiltrate Walken's estate and shipping plant where they discover a steroid lab. Not surprisingly, Max's accomplice - and lover - is a very muscular Grace Jones as May Day, appropriately creepy. There is some comic relief, too, about as much as there was in Octopussy. But the movie is not all fun-and-frolics. In one disturbing scene, Max guns down his mine workers in cold blood. Max Zoren is pure evil. Plenty of action, including a ski chase, car chases on the streets of Paris and San Francisco, and a cool equestrian race with Bond on horseback in Max's obstacle course of death.. Recommended.

For a review of the Blu-ray and all the cool special features, click here for a review from the AV Forums site.

Read a review from Films on the Box

Charles Durning (1924-2012)

I am saddened to report the passing of actor Charles Durning, who passed away at the age of 89.

As a character actor he worked alongside the likes of Paul Newman, Robert Redford Jack Lemmon, Al Pacino, Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Dustin Hoffman, Warren Beatty, Tom Hanks, and George Clooney.

According to reports, he didn't talk about his service during WWII very much. But he was a real American hero. According to Boot Hill: "He was among the first wave of U.S. soldiers to land at Normandy during the D-Day invasion and the only member of his Army unit to survive. He killed several Germans and was wounded in the leg. Later he was bayoneted by a young German soldier whom he killed with a rock. He was captured in the Battle of the Bulge and survived a massacre of prisoners."

Since the early 1970s, he has acted non-stop on television, in films, and on stage. Among his accolades: a Tony award, a Star on the Hollywood Walk of fame, and the Screen Actor's Guild Lifetime Achieviment Award.

Theatrical Motion Picture Filmography:

1962 The Password is Courage
1965 Harvey Middleman, Fireman
1970 Hi, Mom
1970 I Walk The Line
1971 The Pursuit of Happiness
1972 Dealing
1972 Doomsday's Voyage
1973 Deadhead Miles
1973 Sisters
1973 The Sting
1974 The Front Page
1975 Dog Day Afternoon  (Golden Globe nomination)
1975 Breakheart Pass
1975 The Hindenburg
1976 Harry and Walter Go To New York
1977 Twilight's Last Gleaming
1977 The Choirboys
1978 The Fury
1978 An Enemy of the People
1978 The Greek Tycoon

Home for the Holidays (1995)

1979 Tilt
1979 The Muppet Movie
1979 North Dallas Forty
1979 Starting Over
1979 When A Stranger Calls
1980 Die Laughing
1980 The Final Countdown
1981 True Confessions
1981 Sharkey's Machine
1982 The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas  (Oscar nomination)
1982 Tootsie
1983 Two of A Kind
1983 To Be or Not to Be (Oscar nomination)
1984 Mass Appeal
1985 Stick
1985 The Man With One Red Shoe
1985 Stand Alone
1986 Big Trouble
1986 Where the River Runs Black
1986 Tough Guys
1986 Solarbabies
1987 The Rosary Murders
1987 Happy New Year
1987 A Tiger's Tale
1987 Hadley's Rebellion
1988 Cop
1988 Far North
1990 Dick Tracy
1991 V.I Warshawski
1993 The Music of Chance
1994 The Hudsucker Proxy
1994 IQ
1995 The Grass Harp
1995 Home For The Holidays
1996 Spy Hard
1996 One Fine Day
2000 Oh Brother Where Art Thou
2000 State and Main

On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)

Yes, this the one where longtime bachelor spy James Bond (George Lazenby) finally settles down! And with none other than The Avengers' Diana Rigg, placing Countess Teresa, a billionaire's daughter with ties to Bond's arch enemy, Blofeld (Telly Savalas). Cupid even causes Bond to decide to quit the secret service (but not for long, alas). In addition to the romance in the film, there are some exciting sequences including a stock-car chase scene, a fist fight on the beach with a couple of goons, and several skiing sequences in the Swiss Alps. Blofeld also gets to ski and bobsled, too, sans his white persian cat. Who knew he was such a fan of winter sports? I loved the chase sequence in the Swiss village, and Bond frantically trying to find a pay phone to call London. Sigh. If only cell phones were around back then.

Much of the film takes place around Christmas, so I guess this can be considered a "Christmas Bond film". (??) And yes, there is a scene where a St. Bernard dog comes to the rescue, but I won't say in which scene.

Another highlight of the film is the great musical score by John Barry.

The Blu Ray's special features include commentary by director Peter Hunt (1925-2012) and several short documentaries, include a neat one showing all the different exotic locations of the film. Note: the same special features can only be found on the ultimate-edition DVDs from 2006, not the "Bond 50 DVD" from 2012.

A

Read a review from The Stalking Moon
Read a review from Films on the Box

Jack Klugman (1922-2012)

Actor Jack Klugman, best known for his television performances on the beloved shows "The Odd Couple" and "Quincy", has passed away at the age of 90.  His television career - 3 Emmy wins - outshone his movie career, but he left a mark in film history with his memorable role as a juror in 12 Angry Men; he was the last surviving actor from the cast (I will be reviewing that film soon on this blog). I admired him for continuing to act after a 1989 throat cancer surgery affected his voice. As recently as this spring (March-April 2012), he appeared on stage in a production of 12 Angry Men in New Jersey.

Additionally, he was a veteran of WWII, serving in the US Army.  Rest in Peace, Jack.

Los Angeles Times |  The Hollywood Reporter | The New York Times

Theatrical Filmography

1956 Time Table
1957 12 Angry Men
1958 Cry Terror
1962 Days of Wine and Roses
1963 I Could Go On Singing
1963 The Yellow Canary
1963 Act One
1965 Hail Mafia
1968 The Detective (with Frank Sinatra)
1968 The Split 
1969 Goodbye Columbus
1971 Who Says I Can't Ride A Rainbow
1976 Two Minute Warning
1996 Dear God

Deanna Durbin birthday tribute

Today, December 4, is Deanna Durbin's birthday. She is 91 today. 

Back in the 1930s and 1940s, she was one of the most popular singing stars in Hollywood. 

To learn more about Deanna and her movies, visit

The Amazing Deanna Durbin blog:

http://amazingdeanna.blogspot.com/

The Amazing Deanna Durbin on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/AmazingDeanna

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (1987) and the sad lack of cell phones

The heartwarming 1987 John Hughes comedy Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, with it's Thanksgiving theme, has become a traditional holiday film and fan favorite. This weekend, with a piece of leftover pumpkin pie, I sat down - once again - to watch the comedic genius paring of John Candy and Steve Martin, who plays a character trying to make it home to his family for the holiday. There are some very funny moments in the film; it's hard to pick, but I'd say my favorite sight gag is the one with the dog in the back of the truck.  I went to a showing of this on its opening day - hard to believe it's been 25 years now. The theater at that screening was packed with people, and it was fun hearing everyone laughing. I bet alot of them have bought the DVD or Blu Ray.  This time while watching, I noticed a few quirky things going on in the background. For example, in the beginning, Steve Martin hails a cab for the airport in New York passes by a Roy Rogers fast food restaurant, which I'm sure has been gone for at least a decade or two.  In another scene on a bus, a passenger is shown reading a magazine with Michael J Fox and Family Ties on the cover.

Martin looks up at a clock in the airport, and it's 

one of those old "flip clocks"!  Not even a digital clock 

in the airport yet! 

Poor Martin tries to call home several times using a pay phone: from a restaurant, from the airport, etc. If only he had a cell phone, he'd be able to call home more frequently, and his wife would be calling or texting, too. But then again, the movie wouldn't be as funny, would it? I imagine that if the film is ever remade, Martin's character would have to lose his phone somehow.

The Life of Pi (2012)

Yesterday I went to see The Life of Pi. With the exception of some opening shots in a zoo, just about all of the animals it it are CGI - computer generated imagery. If you know the story that the film is based on, then you'll understand why. Protests would arise if real animals were used during the filming of the  shipwreck. You've heard about the tiger in this movie, right? Like alot of celebrities, he's a complete fake, but looks amazing - the textures, the eyes, the movements, the swimming in the water. It's really incredible. CGI has come a long way.

 Here are some reviews from:

Roger Ebert (4 stars)  |  Leonard Maltin's review  | Peter Travers review

Cinemablend ranks Skyfall as #2 best Bond movie

The pop culture site Cinemablend recently ranked the best Bond films, from 1-23.

Read more about each ranking here at Cinemablend. 

1 Goldfinger  ("I'm not sure anyone will ever do better than this")
2 Skyfall ("like a love letter to James Bond fans")
3 From Russia With Love ("nearly perfect")
4 Casino Royale
5 You Only Live Twice
6 On Her Majesty's Secret Service (the "most surprising" in the series)
7 Dr No ("holds up pretty well")
8 The Spy Who Loved Me
9 Goldeneye
10 License to Kill ("the most intense and disturbing plot")
11 The Living Daylights (the series needed "a serious tone")
12 Tomorrow Never Dies ("pretty good")
13 Live and Let Die
14 The World Is Not Enough
15 Die Another Day
16 Moonraker  ("fun to watch")
17 Thunderball ("way too slow")
18 A View To A Kill
19 Diamonds Are Forever  ("disappointing")
20 For Your Eyes Only
21 Quantum of Solace (plot is "too complicated")
22 Octopussy
23 The Man With the Golden Gun ("dreadful direction", "disappointing")

James Bond's Best and Worst: Peter Travers Ranks All 24 Movies

Critic Peter Travers ranks 24 Bond films, including Never Say Never Again ("If a movie stars Sean Connery as 007, it's a Bond film. End of story.") 

Read more about each ranking here 

1 Goldfinger ("indelible")

2 From Russia With Love ("the most raw of the series")

3 On Her Majesty's Secret Service 

4 Casino Royale

5 Skyfall ("continues Bond's backstroy with staggering style and assurance")

6 Dr No

7 You Only Live Twice ("just gets better and cooler with age")

8 The Spy Who Loved Me  ("spectacular")

9 Thunderball 

10 Die Another Day ("Brosnan shows grit as 007")

11 Live and Let Die

12 For Your Eyes Only 

13 Never Say Never Again

14 The Man With the Golden Gun

15 Moonraker

16 Octopussy 

17 A View To A Kill 

18 Diamonds Are Forever 

19 Goldeneye

20 The World Is Not Enough

21 Tomorrow Never Dies ("shallow")

22 The Living Daylights ("dull", "humorless")

23 License to Kill ("drab")

24 Quantum of Solace ("fiasco")

Han Suyin, Chinese-born author of ‘A Many-Splendoured Thing,’ dies at 95

Renowned Chinese-born writer Han Suyin, whose autobiographical novel was turned into the popular 1955 American film Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing, has died. She was 95.

Han Suyin was the author of about 40 books on modern China.

Read an article from the Washington Post here:
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1075192/chinese-revolutionary-author-han-suyin-dies-95

In the 1955 film, Han was played by white actress Jennifer Jones. Back in those days you could not have an interracial romance on screen. That was a big no-no. Even if the leading man was William Holden. The film won oscars for score, costume, and song, which was a huge smash.

Han Suyin

Turn Back The Hands of Time

Don't forget to turn clocks back 1 hour tonight before you go to bed. 

Woo hoo! One extra hour of sleep tonight.

 Now let's listen to Eddie Fisher sing his big hit, "Turn Back The Hands of Time" -

 

New autographs, Sept 2012

Julie Adams (Creature From The Black Lagoon)

Cast from Lost In Space (June Lockhart, Angela Cartwright, Bill Mumy)

The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming! (1966)

Zany comedy about a group of Russian sailors - led by Alan Arkin -  who find themselves stranded on a small, tight-knit New England island town. Not able to speak the language, they try to steal a boat to get off of the island hoping not to encounter any of the locals. Eventually rumors spread all over the island about invaders and everyone panics ("It's all over!" predicts one paranoid resident).

The Russians disguise themselves as as locals

There are some funny sight gags and comedic bits involving the paranoid townsfolk. One bit has Jonathan Winters at the kitchen table with his 8 little children prepping the family about a possible attack. There's a town drunk that's funny, and an old woman who gets tied to a chair while her near-sighted husband hardly notices.

But there are some softer moments, too, especially the scenes involving one of the Russians falling in love with a young woman.  Carl Reiner and Eva Marie Saint are the only two people who know why the Russians are there and try to explain it to everyone else. Another voice of reason is Brian Keith, who plays the police chief. Also starring Theodore Bikel.

It's an enjoyable satire about paranoia in the days before cable news, the internet, smart phones phones, and Twitter.

Hollywood Trip and Cinerama Fest, Day 3 of 3 recap: This Is Cinerama

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Sunday, September 30, 2012: Several films were on the dock at the Dome today, but I only planned on the 8 PM showing of This Is Cinerma.  The other shows were Russian Adventure (narrated by Bing Crosby) and Windjammer, which no doubt promised some breathtaking sailing scenes. Those films were shot in a different process than the "true" three-camera Cinerama, and were released in the mid 1960s as Cinerama began to lose its popularity. Another film shown that day was Its A Mad Mad Mad Mad World; I had seen that movie before and tickets were sold out for weeks, so I didn't make it to that screening, either. 

So, for most of the day I kept busy in and around Hollywood --- there is always SO MUCH TO DO, you are never bored here! I had a chance to go to morning services at Oasis Church on Wilshire Blvd. Then I started at the very end of the Walk of Fame on LaBrea Ave, and started looking for stars on the Walk....Had to pay my respects to the late great Andy Williams. RIP. I then visited The Hollywood Museum and saw alot of cool things, including the largest collection of autographs I've ever seen. I started posting some pics on my other blog, Olivia & Joan, and will post more on this blog in time. 

8 PM: This Is Cinerama (1952) 

(below, the curved screen that is Cinerama)

I couldn't wait for this movie to start. Been looking forward to seeing this movie for over 20 years. It was so neat to be there.  Before the film, John Sittig came and gave a brief introduction and noted that 60 years ago TO THE DAY, the film This Is Cinerama had its grand premiere. Neat! Then the overture started and lasted a couple of minutes. Then the film began with a black and white film and a voice saying "Lowell Thomas speaking"....Mr Thomas then presented a lecture on the history of motion in art and film, and film clips were shown that would not be unfamiliar to film students ("The Kiss", "The Great Train Robbery", etc). This was all a buildup to Cinerama, something audiences have never seen. 

Then came Lowell Thomas' immortal announcement:

Ladies and gentlemen, THIS IS CINERAMA! 

....then came that THRILLING roller coaster ride! 

Seeing this on the enormous screen was thrilling; I got dizzy - seriously! Just like those folks did 60 yrs ago.

The rest of the film included other short sequences meant to show off the technology; filmmakers tried to find the coolest things imaginable to show on the ginormous screen. For example, the sequence immediately following the roller coaster sequence was a colorful ballet scene, supposedly inserted here in order for people to catch their breaths from the roller coaster! Then there were some areal views of Niagara Falls (a favorite Cinerama locale), a performance of the Vienna Boys Choir (some of the boys' facial expressions were priceless), and a candlelit choir that I'm sure was torture to anyone who was not religious. There were times during the other sequences when I thought - "no more singing - bring on more rollercoasters!". There were some cool bullfights in Spain and a Venice gondola ride, but in my estimation nothing matched the thrills of the rollercoaster other than the amazing water show sequence at Cypress Gardens, a spectacular sequence lasting about 25 -30 minutes. Usually you only see the stunt performers from a distance, but seeing them up close (from the camera's POV on the boats) was cool.  The film ended with a number of areal shots of various American parks such as Grand Tetons and Yellowstone. 

After the movie, historian Foster Hirsh came out and talked with two crew members of the film who were there 60 years ago at the premiere. They were both in their late 80s.

Then, a 25 minute short film called "In The Picture" (2012) screened. It was an homage to Cinerama's travelogues, and featured Stanley Livingston who appeared in HTWWW. He takes his wife, daughter, and her fiancee on a tour of Los Angeles, and they go to such tourist attractions such as Angel's Flight train. And they actually used original Cinerama cameras to film this! Someone said this was the first Cinerama film to use the three-camera process in 50 years! It was neat. 

Then the final film of the evening was a short documentary film called "The Last Days of Cinerema" (2012) directed by Michael Celestino. Mr Celestino came out and introduced the film, which is essentially about what the title suggests - that these could very well be the last days of Cinerama. "Who will pick up the mantle and continue  supporting Cinerama?" is one of the questions raised. Will anyone want to make another Cinerama film? Will Cinerama films ever been short in their original format again? It's really hard to say in this digital age. Crew members who worked on 2012's "In The Picture" were interviewed, and  they confirmed how cumbersome the process was - even making a short 25 minute film. Who would ever want to make another film like it??

Then I met John Sittig,  the head of Cinerama organization,  and he signed my photo below that I purchased at the Larry Edmunds bookshop:

In the lobby were some exhibits explaining how Cinerama films are being digitally restored:

Hope you enjoyed this recap! I'll have reviews of each of the 7 films in more detail to come. 

Alex Karras passes away

I was saddened to hear of Mr. Karras' passing, and of his long illness; I understand he passed away of kidney failure. "Webster" was one of my favorite TV shows in the 1980s. He hit it big in the movies, too: Blazing Saddles, Victor/Victoria and more. 

Read a tribute from A Trip Down Memory Lane

Read a tribute from The Land of Whatever

Rest in peace. 

Turhan Bey (1922-2012)

Boot Hill and The LA Times are reporting the passing of 1940s Hollywood actor Turhan Bey.

Some of his best remembered films are Arabian Nights, The Amazing Mr. X, and Dragonseed with Katherine Hepburn.

Nearly all of his movies are from the 1940s. 

From the LA Times:

Turhan Bey, 90, an actor whose exotic good looks earned him the nickname of "Turkish Delight" in films with Errol Flynn and Katharine Hepburn before he left Hollywood for a quieter life in Vienna, died Sept. 30 in the Austrian capital after a long struggle with Parkinson's disease. His friend Marita Ruiter, who exhibited Bey's photos in her Luxembourg gallery, confirmed his death, according to the Austria Press Agency.

Born in Austria as Gilbert Selahettin Schultavey, the son of a Turkish diplomat, Bey assumed his stage name shortly after moving to the United States from Vienna with his Jewish Czech mother to escape the Nazis and being discovered by talent scouts from Warner Bros. studios.

Bey was celebrated for supporting roles alongside Flynn, Hepburn, John Wayne, Peter Lorre and other film greats of the 1940s. His popular name of "Turkish Delight" was a reference to his suave good looks, which made him an ideal partner to exotics like Maria Montez in escapist Technicolor adventure fantasies set in faraway places.

He starred or had major roles in films such as "A Night in Paradise," "Out of the Blue" and "The Amazing Mr. X" until the popularity of the genre faded in the 1950s.

Moving back to Vienna, he made living as a photographer and occasional stage director, again returning after a brief film and television comeback in the 1990s that earned him an Emmy nomination for his performance as the venerable Turval in the "Babylon 5" space fantasy TV series.

Prometheus (2012)

This is perhaps my favorite movie made in 2012 that I've seen so far this year - Ridley's Scott's Prometheus, brilliantly directed, never boring.  I really think it is a modern-day sci-fi classic. Roger Ebert even gave it 4 stars, his highest rating.

The movie arrives on DVD and BluRay tomorrow, Oct 9, 2012 in the United States. 

It's not a movie for you if you don't like horror or sci-fi-thrillers. I think it's a good selection for Halloween season because there are plenty of thrills and lots of suspense and mystery. 

Much has been written about it; it's been compared to Alien (it's the same director) and there are some connections, but you don't have to see those movies to enjoy this one (I'm not a big fan of that series). 

The movie has the most amazing, eye-popping, and believable special effects I've seen in a long time. Both the FX and the beautiful, haunting score should be nominated for Oscars. There is a great cast, too including Charlize Theron and Michael Fassbender, who plays an android. Early on in the film, he watches Lawrence of Arabia as part of his training on human behavior. When I saw that scene I knew I would love this movie. 

The less you know about it, the better. But in a nutshell, it is about a bunch of explorers looking for signs of life on another planet. There are thrills and unexpected twists that are better left unsaid if you haven't seen it. The movie ends with you wanting to see the next installment, like a great sci-fi serial of the past. 

Music from the film Prometheus by Mark Streitenfeld:

Cracked star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

Willard Waterman played the Great Gildersleeve

on television and radio

Last week while I was in Hollywood I had to check to see if radio star Willard Waterman's star had been repaired. The last time I was at his star (in 2009), there was a huge gash in the sidewalk - and his star - that looked horrible. 

I'm pleased to report that the star has been replaced!

According to this report from 2008, Waterman's star was one of several hundred that needed to be refurbished. 

It kind of looks like they used an upside-down "M" for the "W" in "Willard", though. Geez, guys, what's up with that??

Some stars, I noticed, still need to be replaced, such as Virginia Cherrill's (above).

Hopefully it will be repaired soon. 

This week: Part 3 of Cinerama Weekend 2012

Cinerama Weekend: Day 2 of 3 recap

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Three movies today:

12:30 PM:
Arrived at the theater, got my seat. Front  row. Resident Cinerama expert John Sittig, donned in a Cinerama labcoat, came to introduce the film (The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm); he said this was the only known print in 3-strip Cinerama in the world. The print came from a private collector in Australia. Sittig said this print is "well worn", and that there would be 5 people in the projection booth throughout the entire film to take care of it.

Then stepped out one of the stars of the film  - Russ Tamblyn, who talked for about 2-3 minutes. He has a big dance sequence in the film with a princess (Yvette Mimieux). He joked that he thought he was in a screening of West Side Story. Surprisingly, two of his co-stars from that film were actually there in the theater - Rita Moreno and George Chakiris (they didn't speak; they just stood up for applause when Russ announced them. They were there to support Cinerama and Russ).  Tamblyn went on to confirm how difficult the entire process of shooting a Cinerama film was, and how frustrating it was.

There was a problem in the beginning getting the film to start - the first (!) of two delays. Then came a beautiful overture (all of the films featured an overture). I had heard the music from the trailer and so I was already somewhat familiar with it. When the movie started, I was in complete awe. Every corner of my eye was filled with something colorful and exciting to look at on the screen.

Really enjoyed this movie! There were some stop-motion Puppetoon scenes with elves and a dragon, and I couldn't help but think of how far we've come with CGI. But it was entertaining nonetheless. Very underrated gem.

After the intermission, there was another delay. The film started for a few seconds, then went dark. There was another delay - this time for about 20 minutes. Apparently something happened with one of the projectors. When one goes out, the entire movie is affected.  I was biting my fingernails, hoping that the movie event wouldn't be cancelled. I chatted with the gentleman sitting next to me. He saw me taking so many notes and asked me if I was a professional writer. I told him I was just an amateur blogger. He told me about the movie The Golden Head starring George Sanders and Buddy Hackett - the movie screened earlier this morning (at 10 AM) but I was missed it.

Projectionists work to get the Cinerama film running again

After 20 minutes, the movie started up again. The three film strips were not completely in sync right away, but after a few minutes, the projectionists got it right again. Whoa -- this was Cinerama??! I guess so. This must have happened alot back in the day. It was cool nonetheless to experience an actual Cinerama mishap! LOL

 3:00 PM

The next film was Search for Paradise. The movie was a trip to India, Nepal and other Oriental "hidden paradises". Somehow  producer Lowell Thomas was invited to be an American ambassador at a ceremony in Nepal, which included an elaborate parade. And wherever Lowell Thomas goes, the Cinerama camera goes.

John Sittig announced that the music was composed by Dimitri Tiomkin, and that there were members of his family in attendance at the screening. Neat!

The first half of the film has the camera crew trying to find the "mythical land of Shangri-La". Spoiler alert: They never find it. The river raft sequence down the Indus river has to be seen to be believed. I was convinced that the entire crew -  especially Lowell Thomas -  were completely out of their minds. What a bunch of crazy fools. And apparently a crew member died when a raft capsized.

The print was three-strip Cinerama, but was faded to the point where the only color was Magenta, a sort of dark pink. I thought it was interesting seeing how prints fade, but after a few minutes, I really wanted to see more colors (guess I'm spoiled). My friend lives in LA and he said he's seen a bunch of faded prints of other movies, so it was nothing new to him. I hope to see this movie again restored.

After the movie ended, I got a chance to meet one of the editors of the film. He was sitting in the front row. He must have been at least 85 years old. Can't remember his name, but he was the nicest guy. I asked him if he knew the crew member that died, and he said he did.

7:00 PM

Seven Wonders of the World. This was another film featured in Susan Sackett's book, and a movie I had always wanted to see. It was exciting to finally see it!  John Sittig announced that the film we are about to see has been "30% restored" by Image Trends.  I didn't really know what that meant until the movie was over. Basically the first and last half hours of the film were crystal clear, beautiful, colorful, amazing-looking sequences, but everything in-between looked fuzzy. Blurry, really. It looked different than any of the other films shown. I wished the entire film looked as good as the restored sequences. One day I hope to see it restored fully.

But I still enjoyed the film. It was like flying over the whole world. I thought to myself, "I never have to visit the real Grand Canyon now. I felt like I was there!"  Really, it was that awesome.

The final sequence of the film showcased Rome and the Vatican, with a Papal procession that puts you "in the picture". This must have been absolutely thrilling for Catholic audiences at the time. No wonder it was such a big hit movie, I thought. And then the grand finale includes a shot of the Pope looking directly at the camera and giving the audience a blessing. I couldn't believe they got so close to the Pope. Someone had connections, for sure. I haven't read my Souvenir Booklet yet, but there is some information on the making of that sequence. When I've done some more research I'll do another post on this film.

11:00 PM -  Holiday in Spain. I thought this was a travelogue of Spain, but it isn't; it's about a man on vacation (Denholm Elliott) who tries to solve mysteries for no believable reason. The title is a bit deceiving. In fact, the title was changed completely. Originally the film was called "Scent of a Mystery", and was one of the first "Smell-O-Vision" films where different scents were sprayed in the theater when certain objects appeared on the screen. Needless to say, it was a fad that didn't last.

The film was produced by Michael Todd Jr. --- his son (Daniel Todd) and daughter (Susan Todd) introduced the film that night. Susan said, "you can't say the movie stunk" (referring to Smell-O-Vision).

I really, really, really wanted to like this movie. I TRIED to like this movie. But I couldn't. I found it to be so dull.


I stayed about 25 minutes, but then left the theater and called it a night. One more day of Cinerama tomorrow with This Is Cinerama!!!