Treasure Island (1951)

I watched this recently with a group and enjoyed it for the most part; it's notable for being Walt Disney's first full-length live-action film without any animation (not even the Long John Silver's parrot). Robert Newton was very good as Silver. Bobby Driscoll was OK; he was probably the most famous child actor at the time, hence his casting. The last five or ten minutes of the film seemed very "rushed" to me for some reason. Another thing that's noticeable by today's standards is that it is pretty violent. I wasn't expecting to see so much blood for early 1950s - a guy gets shot in the face, and several others stabbed and shot. After all, pirates are pirates but for a Disney film it seemed to push the envelope; apparently the censors didn't object to the scene when the young boy shoots a pirate in self defense. But overall I enjoyed watching this version, especially Newton's performance.

Billy Budd (1962)

This post is my contribution to The Great Villain Blogathon hosted by Silver Screenings, Shadows and Satin, and Speakeasy. Click here for a list of all the participating blogs in the blogathon.

Terrence Stamp as Billy Budd

Kristina's entry yesterday in The Great Villain Blogathon focused on the terrifying Zod, portrayed by Terence Stamp in Superman II (1980). When I was kid, I was quite frightened by him. Over the years I saw more of Mr Stamp's films, including his impressive film debut in Billy Budd (1962).

Based on a story  by Herman Melville (Moby Dick) Billy Budd takes place aboard a British war ship during the Napoleonic era. One of the new sailors aboard the ship is Billy Budd -- Stamp plays him, and trust me, there is not a hint of Zod to be found in him. Budd is the polar opposite of Zod: friendly, noble, and honest. Stamp is so convincing in his portrayal of the character that he was nominated for an Oscar. [1]

At the core of the story is an allegory tale depicting two natures of the human soul: the good in Budd, and the evil personified by John Claggart, the captain's first-mate in charge of the ship's discipline. So cruel is Claggart, he has men whipped for the slightest reason. In another universe, Claggart and Zod would get along very well.

In portraying Claggart, American film noir icon Robert Ryan (Crossfire, Born to Be Bad, Caught) delivers another stellar performance. Which brings us to the focus of today's post.

"I am what the world has made me"

While reading some other reviews of this film, I discovered universal acclaim for Ryan's performance, and I am in wholehearted agreement:

• Pauline Kael wrote: "Robert Ryan gives a fine performance in the difficult role of Claggart...he makes evil comprehensible." [2]


• From the blog Classic Film Freak: "He completely personifies the evil and mean spirited Claggart -- in retrospect it is as close to a perfect performance as I’ve seen from Ryan." [3]


• From the blog Captain Critic: "The way he pounds his baton against his leg with every stroke of the floggger's whip, his lips quavering with hunger as he counts the strokes, is one of the most revolting depictions of sadism I've ever seen on film." [4]

Onscreen, you can sense the fear and intimidation Claggart evokes in everyone as he walks by. Even when he's not onscreen, you can sense his authoritative presence.

At times Ryan is filmed from the waist down or from behind, towering over others.

And - in an interesting twist - Ryan does not attempt speak his lines with a British accent. Some might see this as flaw. But I think it makes the character seem even more arrogant and sinister. It adds to the mystery of his tormented soul, as if he was exiled from a foreign land at some point in his life.

One night, the simplehearted Budd - unable to fathom how a man could be so cruel - tries to get the inhumane Claggart to open up.

Their conversation is my favorite scene in the film; here's a snippet of their dialogue:

Claggart: Is it ignorance or irony that makes you speak so simply?

Budd: It must be ignorance, sir, because I don't understand the other word.

I love how Classic Film Freak describes Ryan in this scene:  "You can visibly see his emotions change just by looking at his eyes. You can tell that Claggart would like to be amiable, perhaps even have a friend aboard. He envies Budd in this regard. His eyes soften momentarily with eagerness, but then their usual hard stare return as Claggart rebuffs Budd. Masterful casting." [5]

Claggart goes on to say, "The surface of the sea is calm, but beneath it every creature is a killer."

A series of events then take place, but I will not give anything away if you haven't seen the film or are unfamiliar with the story.

The less you know, the much more exciting the experience will be.

The film's supporting cast includes a number of recognizable actors including John Neville, Paul Rogers, Robert Brown (James Bond's "M"), Ray McAnally, and David McCallum who plays one of the officers aboard the ship. Melvin Douglas (soon to win an Oscar for 1963's Hud) has a small but important role as an old Danish sailor who serves as a mentor to Billy.

Directed by the brilliant Peter Ustinov, who also plays the ship's conflicted captain ("You only have two duties: to fight and to obey", he declares at one point). I love that the film was photographed in black-and-white over color, which I don't think would have been as effective. And the way the camera sways every so subtly makes you feel like you are on the ship with the others.

I highly recommend this film as a "must see".

Available on DVD (with commentary by Terence Stamp).

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Trivia

By the time the film went into production, the story had been adapted for the stage and for television.

According to a 1997 biography by Franklin Jarlett, Robert Ryan lobbied for a role in this picture. [6]

According to Rob K from the blog The Luna Park Gazette, in the 1953 television production, William Shatner played the role of Billy Budd [7]

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References

1. Best Actor (blog). Best Supporting Actor 1962: Terence Stamp in Billy Budd  (Published Oct 2011)

2. The Age of Movies: Selected Writings of Pauline Kael, Pauline Kael. (Library of America, 2011)

3, 5. Classic Film Freak (blog). Billy Budd (1962)  (Published Aug 2012)

4. Captain Critic (blog).  Reeling Backward: Billy Budd (1962) (Published Oct 2012)

6.  Robert Ryan: A Biography and Critical Filmography, Franklin Jarlett (McFarland & Co., 1997)

7. The Luna Park Gazette (blog)  This Budd's For You (Published June 2011)

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This post is part of The Great Villain Blogathon hosted by Silver Screenings, Shadows and Satin, and Speakeasy. 

Click here for a list of all the participating blogs in the blogathon.

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Another review from Just a Cineaste

Ship of Fools (1965)

The year is 1933. Hitler is now in power. A cruise ship is making its way to Germany.

The passengers include numerous German citizens as well as Americans (including Lee Marvin and Vivien Leigh, in her final film appearance).

It's kind of a long film with several interconnected story lines. A reoccurring theme explores the German character's feelings and attitudes about the changing political climate of the country.

Among the Germans aboard is Jose Ferrer's character, an obnoxious publisher who won't stand to eat with anyone who is a Jew.  Lee Marvin's character (a washed-up American baseball player) observes this behavior and asks someone "What's he got against the Jews?".

Oscar Werner plays the German ship's doctor, and he's good. All throughout the film he's politically agnostic, and later he's suspected of being Jewish. But the truth is never truly revealed to us. Instead, we learn that he longs for something more in life, and he longs to be with Simone Signoret's character, a humanitarian that he admires and adores.

The movie ends by showing all of the characters leave the ship, and the audience is left to wonder what is to become of them all throughout the 1930s and beyond. It's assumed that some of the Americans are just there in Germany for a short visit - Lee Marvin leaves the ship and quickly tries to meet a pretty young blond woman. And we assume that some of the Germans will grow to support the emerging Nazism, including an old woman (who previously showed sympathy to Jews) who greets and hugs her awaiting son - who is wearing a Nazi armband.

A very patriotic and proud German Jew (Heinz Rühmann) views the coming years optimistically, and is oblivious to any of the horrors that will emerge from Hitler's dictatorship. The ship's philosopher, Michael Dunn, says to him at one point "you might be the biggest fool on this ship".

With George Segal, Lilia Skala, Jose Greco, Elizabeth Ashley.
Director: Stanley Kramer

Writers: Katherine Anne Porter (novel), Abby Mann (screenplay)

The Caine Mutiny (1954)

An exciting and compelling drama featuring memorable performances by Humphrey Bogart, Van Johnson and Fred MacMurray, set during WWII.

In the first part of the film, a naval captain (Bogart) pushes his crew to the limits, forcing the crew - believing him to be mentally unstable - to stand against him and his orders. In the second part of the film, the officers are brought to trial, and in his testimony the captain's true state-of-mind is revealed.

The movie is brilliantly told from the perspective of an Ensign, played by Robert Francis (1930-1955). Mr. Francis died very young at the age of 25 in a plane crash, and only had 4 films to his credit: They Rode West (1954, with Donna Reed), The Long Gray Line (1955, with Tyrone Power), and The Bamboo Prison (1954, with Dianne Foster).

Another promising young star in the film is May Wynn (1928 - ), who plays the Ensign's girlfriend. She retired from films after the 1950s; this was her best-known film. More about May Wynn here at the blog Captain Critic.

Van Johnson, Robert Francis, and Fred MacMurray

Nominated for 7 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Actor (Bogart), Best Supporting Actor (Tom Tully), Best Screenplay, and Best Score (Max Steiner).

Directed by Edward Dmytryk.  Co-starring Jose Ferrer, Tom Tully, EG Marshall, and James Edwards. A number of other recognizable actors have smaller roles aboard the ship, including Lee Marvin, James Best, Claude Akins, Jerry Paris, and Todd Karns, who played brother Harry Bailey in It's A Wonderful Life.

Based on the acclaimed novel by Herman Wouk (1915 - 2019).

Trivia: Herman Wouk served in the U.S. Navy as Executive Officer on the Destroyer-Minesweepers U.S.S. Zane and U.S.S. Southard. This later became the inspiration for his novel The Caine Mutiny. (IMDb)

Further Reading:
Greenbriar Picture Shows: The Caine Mutiny, Part 1
Greenbriar Picture Shows: Part 2: Exhibitor Memories of The Caine Mutiny

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

TCM's Classic Cruise

Did you hear about TCM's Classic Cruise?
 Info was made available today here. This sounds like fun!

I went to see the movie Titanic four times in 1998

Looking back, I can't believe I did.

I went to see it because everyone else my age was going to see it. I was in college. It was the hot movie to see, the #1 film for months.

I remember my older cousins didn't go to see it - I probably should have listened to their advice. They said, "why are they making this and exploiting this event?" One of my cousins said, "There's no better version than A Night To Remember (my cousin was so right - I love that movie).

I like the score by James Horner, any of his scores are brilliant. But that's about it. The story? Please. There's a reason the writers were not nominated for an Academy Award.

Over 10 years later, I can't watch it without being critical of it. Almost everything about it bothers me. Let's start with the length. Too long. 3 hours. And no intermission. Did they need to have all those boring sea expedition scenes with Bill Paxton? And what happened to Leo DiCraprio's friend, the one he got on the ship with? You never see him again. I wanted to learn more about him; would have made for a better story.

The movie Unsinkable Molly Brown was even a better "Titanic" movie; in that film, you just see a few quick scenes showing the ship sinking; it's not all drawn out and over-the-top like Cameron stretched it out to be, showing people slamming against the propellers, Poseidon-esque.

Another film that took place on the ship was a version with Barbara Stanwyck and Robert Wagner - that movie was even better because you didn't just have one sappy teenage puppy love story but you got to know other, more mature characters. Oh don't get me started with that so-called love story. How phony. Nobody falls in love in just a few hours like that. That's not love. It's lust. That movie is like a bad relationship.

Ahh. There's my rant about Titanic for the year.

The Bible...in the Beginning (1966) Directed by John Huston

Otto Preminger. Billy Wilder. William Wyler.

These are just a few auteur-considered directors who made at least one film in their career unlike anything they had done up to that point. Preminger had Skiddoo. Wilder had The Emperor Waltz. Wyler: The Liberation of LB Jones.

John Huston had The Bible...in the Beginning. Whaa.?

Yes, a Biblical epic. Today's post will examine that 1966 epic film which was a big hit. As successful as it was at the box office, it's still considered by some critics to be a "clinker". Also explored in this post: why Huston decided to direct the film and how it compares with some of his others.

The Late 1960s

After the enormous success of 1959's Ben Hur, a new theatrical film based on a biblical event was released almost every year:

1960 The Story of Ruth (USA)
1960 Esther and the King (USA-Italy)
1961 King of Kings (USA)
1961 Barabbas (USA-Italy)
1963 Sodom and Gomorrah (France-Italy-USA)
1965 The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)

"Genesis: In the Beginning" was the original vision of producer Dino De Laurentiis (Barabbas). He conceived this to be the first in a string of epic films chronicling the Bible. As the late 60s emerged, so did a counter cultural revolution in America. It was a time of social and cultural change, and cinema was changing too. A new style of filmmaking was having an influence on American films and filmmakers. The sexual revolution also had its influence on films, and the Bible was one of the first big studio films to show nudity (tastefully of course). This was the era when the Beatles were supposedly "more popular than Jesus".

So, in this turbulent time of the late 1960s, did the world need The Bible?

The Bible...in the Beginning is a chronicle of accounts from the first chapters of Genesis. An intermission divides the anthology into pre- and post- Antediluvian periods. (Sidenote - the Intermission needs to make a comeback. How can a person sit in a theater for 3 hours at a time? Not good for the spine.)

Faithfully adapted, the film makes for a good primer for those who are not familiar with the Bible, Judaism, or Christianity. (Cliff Notes and study guides are optional)

The film features 7 accounts:

1) The creation of the world, a paradise without sin, and earth's first human inhabitants - Adam and Eve (Michael Parks and Ulla Bergryd), who are tempted by the devil and perform the first act of disobedience. Huston creates an evil being that hides in the shadows of the tree; the camera focuses on the creature, but we can't quite make out what kind of being it is at first. Parks was an unknown and was promoted in some magazines as an actor "to watch". (Unfortunately he didn't have a very big career.) Bergryd was a Swedish actress, chosen after an international search.

In his review in the New York Times (Sept 29, 1966), Bosley Crowthers wrote: "The scenes of the formation of the earth—the ecology of Creation—are awesomely evolved out of vast shots of gathering vapors, overwhelming clouds, mightily rushing waters, mountains of molten rock and eventual oceans, plains, giant forests and great fields of sparkling flowers."

2) The first offspring - Cain and Abel (played by two of the stars of the 1967 film version of Camelot - Richard Harris and Franco Nero, interestingly), and the first murder. This segment is relatively short compared to the others.

4.) Noah (played by Huston himself) and the great flood. In the account, Noah is commanded by God to fill the enormous ark with two of every kind of animal so they will repopulate the earth after the flood.

5.) The Tower of Babel, shows how humanity rebelled with a tower, and how languages and nations were originally formed.

6.) The three messenger angels; they search for righteous people in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. They find none but Lot and his family. Only one of the messengers is visible to the audience; he is played by Peter O'Toole.

7.) the account of Abraham (George C. Scott), his wife Sarah (a lovely Ava Gardner) and their son Isaac, from whose lineage came the Jewish people. The last ninety minutes tells the account of their trials, and could have been a film all to itself. The segment has a little something for everyone - romance, suspense, and even a battle scene. There is a great line when they are wandering in the wilderness: Abraham says to a pessimistic character, "Only in the promise of what is to come shall we prosper."

If you’re looking for the account of Moses, you're in the wrong film. You're looking for The Ten Commandments (1956), directed by Cecil B. de Mille.

In The Bible, which could be thought of as a prequel to Commandments, the voice of the Lord is played by none other than the director himself, taking after deMille. Huston pretty much annotates the text of the King James Bible, though there are a few poetic liberties added.

Huston wanted scenes to resemble classic European paintings. And he succeeds fairly well. The film has sweeping cinematography, incredible scenery, thousands of extras, and hundreds of animals. It's all very impressive, affirmed by Crowthers: "To be sure, the film is mechanically inventive."

Some familiar themes in Huston films

Though not instantly recognizable as a "Huston film", if you examine closely enough you will find themes similar to his other works, a number of them tackling religious subjects, such as The African Queen, Heaven Knows Mr. Allison, and Wise Blood. Even the film for which was nominated for Best Supporting Actor - The Cardinal is about religious life. This film, however, goes right to the source: The Good Book itself.

Many of his main characters in his other films are individualists who often deal with moral complications. And sometimes demonstrating decency compared to the hopeless world around them. I think this description fits well of the two most compelling characters in The Bible: Noah and Abraham. Injustice was another theme of Huston’s. Rising above the persecution of his community are Noah and his family, very much a minority. Huston shows him being laughed at and publicly humiliated in front of his sons. Yet Noah continued to follow his inner voice. Something I think Huston could identify with; he’s even been called the "the auteur of life on the ropes”;

In an essay on John Huston on the blog 1morefilmblog, the author writes:"Certainly Noah, Abraham, Ahab (in Moby Dick), and Hazel Motes (in Wise Blood) present a sort of Romantic idealization of individualism, avoiding charges of selfishness by grounding their rejection of the conventional society in a call for devotion or duty to a higher cause or rejection of conformity".

Christopher Fry, a poetic British playwright, was tapped to write the screenplay. His other works included the previous collaboration with de Laurentiis - Barrabas - and the commentary for the documentary A Queen is Crowned, in 1953. In that film, Sir Laurence Olivier provided the narration of the coronation of Elizabeth II. In The Bible, he gives the dialogue an Old English flair. Ergo my children, we hear alot of "thee's" and "thou's" (Words like "ashamed" are pronounced with three syllables) In my opinion, some of the actors don't have the right accent to pull this off as convincingly. Huston originally asked Brits Alec Guinness and Charlie Chaplin to play Noah, but both had to pass. Huston does his best. He certainly has the perfect look for a man like Noah, with his shaggy clothes and full beard. And he certainly had the energy needed for the character.

BEHIND THE SCENES

The first time the character of Noah was seen on the big screen was in Darryl F. Zanuck's lengthy early talkie Noah's Ark (1938) directed by Michael Curtiz (Casablanca). 30 years later, it was deemed time for a CinemaScope version. The man who would bring this to the screen was producer Dino de Laurentis himself, dreamed of filming the entire Bible, which was an interesting prospect considering so many Biblical accounts had already been captured on film: David and Bathsheba, Solomon and Sheba, Samson and Delilah among those. In a biography of Huston by Axel Madsen, de Laurentiis is quoted as saying: "Orson Welles will direct the Abraham and Isaac sequence, Robert Bresson will direct the Creation, Federico Fellini will direct the Flood, Luchino Visconti will direct the scene of Joesph and his Brethren and John Huston will have the responsibility of giving the entire project cohesion and continuity. Maria Callas will be Sarah, Mother of the Jews, and Sir Laurence Olivier will be God. Igor Stravinsky will write the music. It will be fantastic!"

That never happened, but Huston stayed onboard. By all accounts Huston enjoyed working on this film, especially with all the animals in the Noah sequence. In his autobiography he devotes almost 20 pages of anecdotes.

Filming took place over a period of 13 months (May 1964-March 1965) in 5 countries (Italy, Ecuador, Iceland, Egypt, and Israel), with reshoots and editing taking many more months. It was also the first film to be shot with a new camera process called Dimension 150.

The Film's Reception

Postcard Scan Courtesy of Roloff de Jeu

The film opened in late September, 1966. When the US receipts were counted, the inspiring The Bible was the #2 film of 1966 (followed by the depressing Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? at #3 -- I do not like that film!)

It pretty much was as a pop culture mega-event.

For those already familiar with the stories, the thrill here is seeing it all come to life on the big screen, and seeing Noah and the animals would have a huge appeal with families and children. Magazines like TIME and LIFE ran sneak-peek pictorials featuring the animals during production. And sure enough, it that's what the advertisers used in their posters.

At Oscar time, the film was only nominated for 1 Oscar, for its beautiful music score. (I still can't believe that this film was not nominated for Best Sound, but Who's Afraid of Virginia Woof was.)

The first time I watched the movie, it was on video in a terrible pan-and-scan version. Not the way to watch this one! You've got to see it in its widescreen format, the way it was meant to be seen. Example:

Those who are unaware that this is a Huston film might wonder if it's preachy or dogmatic. How could it be, when it's directed by a man who said he didn't believe?

John Huston: The Captain of the Ship

The Bible is unlike any of the other films in Huston's oeuvre. So why did he, a self proclaimed atheist, decide to film it? I don't know for sure; he never talked about the reasons much, not even in his autobiography.

The idea of a big screen film about the story of Noah is the ultimate animal extravaganza – this surely appealed to Huston, who loved animals.

But were there other reasons? Did he take on this project just for the money? It would be ironic; isn’t' capitalizing on God the theme of his 1979 film Wise Blood? He may have done it for personal reasons, perhaps for the same reasons Clint Eastwood keeps revisiting themes of death in his films. In Huston’s oeuvre you’ll find films cynical of religion, and some satirical. Yet this film, however, is very reverent. A very different style and mood. One could even look at it like an experimental film by a literary auteur.

In his review in LIFE magazine (Oct 7, 1966), Richard Schickel wrote: "Huston's film reminds us again that in their statement of of the basic human condition these are truly inspired stories, full of the kind of simple truth that no amount of time or "progress" wille ver invalidate". IT is infinitely to the credit of the men who made the Bible that they sensed this fact and built their awesomely absorbing film around such a simple premise. "

Was Houston really atheist, or was he like many of us, agnostic? Perhaps unsure of what he believes. These days, noted atheist author Christopher Hitchens (“God Is Not Great”), facing his own mortality, has been talking about God in a way where he seems almost open to the idea, especially now that he is getting treated for cancer.

I don’t know about you, but most people I know who call themselves atheists would never touch this film with a ten foot pole. Too religious they'd say, too pious. As I watched the film, I didn't see a film directed by a close minded, anti-religion atheist. The Abraham sequence and the sacrificial lamb sequence moved me. I was so impressed with what a self proclaimed "atheist" could create.


My favorite shot in the film is when Noah admires his ark, his creation, his work of art. Years of hard labor, now complete. It's a great shot of Huston looking at the ship. I think of this as Huston admiring not only this film, but all his films, smiling at them, proud of them. The Maltese Falcon. Key Largo. Moulin Rouge. The Dead. Well done, Mr. Huston.

A quote from John Huston

"I'm not aware of myself as a director having a style. I don't recognize it. I see no remote similarity, for example, between The Red Badge of Courage and Moulin Rouge…. I admire directors like Bergman, Fellini, Bunuel, whose every picture is in some way connected with their private lives, but that's never been my approach.'' - "An Open Book" by John Huston, Published 1981.

REFERENCES

John Huston, Axel Madsen, Published 1980. (book, biography)

An Open Book, John Huston, Published 1981. (book, autobiography)

Simple Little Super Spectacle, Life, Richard Schickel, October 7, 1966 (film review, magazine)

The Ark That John Built, Life, August 13, 1965 (article & pictoral, magazine)

Life, November 27, 1964 (film review, magazine)

On Location: The Bible as Living Technicolor, Time, Jan 15, 1965 (article, magazine)

The Bible (1966), The New York Times, BOSLEY CROWTHER, September 29, 1966 (film review, newspaper)

John Huston: "It's as bad to be ahead of your time as behind it", Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun Times, August 27, 1975

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This post has been submitted to be a part of the 2010 John Huston Blogathon hosted by Icebox Movies

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The Poseidon Adventure (1972) New Year's Eve Celebration

Last night I celebrated New Years Eve at special screening of the original 1972 classic at Chicago's historic golden-age movie palace, The Music Box. But this was no ordinary viewing of the the film - this was a Rocky Horror-esque experience, complete with hats and party favors, champagne, and a pre-show hosted by a group of local performers that included a costume contest (see picture below - the woman dressed as Mrs. Rosen won the grand prize), an audience sing-along to "The Morning After", and a few quirky performances of songs from the locally-produced Poseidon: An Upside Down Musical.



Everyone got an audience interactive/participation guide (when/what to shout out at what times) and there was even a "running commentary" provided by a goofball comedian with a microphone. The coolest part was that the screening was timed so that everyone - off AND onscreen - celebrated midnight at the exactly the same time.

VIDEO CLIPS FROM LAST NIGHT

1. (90 seconds) Ringing in 2010 with the passengers of the SS Poseidon!



2. (20-seconds) Outside of the Music Box, built in 1929.

BONUS!

I love this clip! Someone edited together the capsizing scene with Fred Astaire in Royal Wedding. Check this out!


Click here for my capsule review of the film itself.

The Poseidon Adventure (1972) Capsule Review

Seen as campy today by some, this exciting 1972 film is one of my favorites, an inspiring story of courage and survival. If you haven't seen it before, all you really need to know is that once the ship capsizes, the "adventure" begins. Actually, its more of a quest for survival than an "adventure", I'd say. Unlike some so-called "disaster" films from this era such as the inferior Aiport sequels from this same era, this film - 1972's biggest box office hit after The Godfather - has brave characters you actually care about, such as Gene Hackman's Rev. Scott and Shelly Winters' Mrs Rosen, both sacrificing their lives for the others in the small group of survivors.



Not long ago, I watched this movie on the big screen in its entirety for the first time, and on a big screen - the way it was meant to be seen. Nothing like it. I broke down during Ms Winter's final scenes in the movie; she's so wonderful in this. Jack Albertson and Winters are so memorably endearing as Mr. and Mrs. Rosen. You can easily fall in love with their characters, and even feel like they are part of your own family. Ernest Borgnine is great as the impatient cop skeptical of Rev. Scott throughout - until the end. What happens to his wife, played by Stella Stevens, I did not expect. This is one of Gene Hackman's greatest performances. It really is thrilling. Don't miss it!

BONUS #1

On his blog, Mr. Jeffery posted a photo of a Mrs. Rosen action figure that came out in the 70s! I had no idea they came out with this line of figures back then. Pretty cool!

BONUS #2

I love this clip! Someone edited together the capsizing scene with Fred Astaire in Royal Wedding. A version of this was shown on the Oscars a number of years back, right before they gave out the Best Film Editing award. Check this out!

Movie Reviews 557 – The Poseidon Adventure (1972) | Lazarus' Lair (wordpress.com)

The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964) and meeting Debbie Reynolds

Last night I saw Molly Brown on the big screen at a two-day film festival in Woodridge, IL, a suburb of Chicago. Ms. Reynolds was also in attendance, and I got a chance to meet her and even asked her to sign my DVD of Singin in the Rain (See pics below). It was a real thrill because I have always liked her from that movie. When she first walked into the theater lobby to greet fans,  I could not believe it was her. There was an aura present, an she looked very lovely. She stood and greeted everyone in line.  A woman standing in front of me in line brought her a big bouquet of flowers.

Then at 9 PM, everyone entered the theater. Ms. Reynolds came in to do a Q and A, and reminisced about Molly Brown: She said that Shirley MacClaine was originally supposed to play the lead, but MGM got Debbie instead due to some contract disputes. Then she talked about all the physical dance numbers and stunts she had to perform - truly impressive - and recalled how back-breaking they were. She said this was her favorite film of all, this one and "Mother" she liked best. Someone asked, "You like this even better than 'Singing in the Rain?'" and she said "Absolutely..."Humbly speaking I deserved to win (the Oscar that year)", but she didn't mention Julie Andrews, who did win -- I think they are good friends. She really is good in this rags-to-riches role, and deserved her Oscar nomination. You could feel along with her the pain and the joy she goes through. I must add that Harve Presnell deserves alot of credit as well, he's wonderful in this movie, a performance he reprised from the Broadway show. Howard Keel would be perfect for this part, but Debbie in the Q & A yesterday said that MGM had to scale back on the budget because they were making "Doctor Zhivago" the same year. She said the studio originally wanted the sinking of the Titanic scene to be longer, but it was trimmed to only a few minutes...a few powerful minutes - this is one of the best scenes in the movie. The Colorado scenery is breathtaking. Also worth nothing is a supporting performance by Ed Begley, who plays Molly's father. A few days ago I wrote that I didn't think he ever played a nice character, but I was wrong; he's heartwarming in this one. A film to experience at least once.

Reaching for the Moon (1930)

A funny pre-code screwball comedy about high society, starring Douglas Fairbanks. One of the best scenes features some witty banter between June MacCloy and Jack Mulhall at a party.

At the same party, Bebe Daniels takes a liking to Fairbanks, a Wall Street millionaire, and even tracks him down at work one day.

Mulhall (playing Fairbanks' assistant) arranges a date between them, which results in Fairbanks boarding a cruise ship to woo her, not without the help of his valet, Edward Everett Horton, who hilariously teaches him a thing or two about romance.

While trying to enjoy himself at sea, the stock market crashes, and complicates matters.

Bing Crosby has a cameo as a singer on the ship in upbeat musical number. This was before he got really famous. It's strange to see him in such a small role like this.









Recent post on Bebe Daniels from Iconista.

The Old Man and the Sea (1958) Starring Spencer Tracy

Spencer Tracy plays Cuban fisherman Santiago, isolated at sea in a small little fishing boat reminiscining about old times and waiting for a catch. One day he's stunned to come across a huge marlin who circles his boat. Santiago harpoons it; and eventually attracts a few sharks on his way home. The sea struggles (between Spence and the fish) are exciting, and Dimitri Tiomkin's score is really good. Thanks to director John Sturges, who is at his best with action sequences like this. There are many moments of narration by Tracy; the words come directly from Hemingway's book. I was not convinced that Spence was a Cuban. But the movie, like the novel, is very allegorical and not everything makes sense. Several flashback sequences feature symbolic images of lions and fish, and in one scene we're taken back to an arm wreslting match between Spencer and a man who is referred to as a "negro" multiple times. In the end, the old man returns to his village exhausted, and is reaquainted with his young Cuban apprentice, a boy named Manolin, but all the old man can do is sleep. There was a made-for-TV 1990 version with Anthony Quinn.
Oscar win for best Original Music Score

Jaws (1975)

My favorite Spielberg film, this is an exciting movie about the hunt for a killer shark off the coast of the fictional town of Amity Island. Told from the point of view of police chief Brody (Roy Schieder) who's torn between the stubborn mayor's decision to keep the beaches open on the fourth of July and his gut reaction to the dangers in the water, where a skinny dipping hippy was chewed alive the night before. It takes two or three more chompings for the idiot mayor to take the threat seriously. In comes gung-ho shark hunter Quint (great character actor Robert Shaw) and collegiate shark expert Richard Dreyfuss. The three go out to sea in the second half on Quint's boat and look for the beast. John William's music is just brilliant; this movie deserves its status as a classic. Robert Shaw, from "Pelham", "Sting" and "Man for All Seasons", passed away much too soon. Such a great actor. This movie was so awesome to watch under the stars in Hollywood Forever Cemetary, where I saw it on July 4th 2009 in LA, proceeded by a tribute to Michael Jackson with some of biggest hits. People dancing and having a great time outdoors. An awesome night. In Los Angeles during the summer, you must check out the outdoor Cinespia screenings.