The Man In The Chair (2007) starring Christohper Plummer

I knew I would enjoy this movie from the first few moments it begins. We see an old man (Christopher Plummer) in a theater by himself enjoying a bottle of booze and watching His Girl Friday with  Cary Grant. Then as the credits roll, he's watching another classic in the darkened theater, this time The Last Time I Saw Paris and the argument scene with Elizabeth Taylor and Van Johnson, where Van throws his writings/manuscripts in a fireplace, giving up on his dreams. Immediately, Plummer's character gets up and yells at the screen; we don't hear what he's saying but we can tell he's emotionally affected by the drama (and dashed dreams), and in love with classic movies.

Then the credits montage continues with scenes of him riding the bus at night, and walking down a darkened street, eating lunch outside, or sitting/reading on a bench - suggesting he likes to get out of wherever he's living for a while. He goes to see more films, and the cycle repeats.

It's a bit mysterious at first, but as the film continues and unravels, we learn more about the grouchy old character. He lives in a home for retired film/tv veterans, and has a past career working on classic Hollywood films. 

Meanwhile, we're introduced to another character with a troubled past, a young high school cinephile and aspiring filmmaker, who wants to make a short student action film, but struggles with writing and can't pronounce "Nietzsche". The kid - when he's not stealing cars - spends his free time going to classic film screenings; at a screening of Touch of Evil, he meets Plummer. 

The rest of the movie is about their relationship, and about they work together making the short film which they are both passionate about. It's a charming buddy film about a young movie lover and the old Hollywood vet. As the kid gets to know the old man and his friends, you can sense his inner growth, and begins to consider making a documentary instead. He also teaches an elder to use Google and introduces him to blogging.

Christopher Plummer is very believable playing a cranky old Hollywood film crew member. His character is filled with loneliness and bitterness at the start of the film, but his life changes when he meets the kid; you can sense the spark of life coming back to him. I love the scene where Plummer talks and reminisces with his old, forgotten writer friend whom he encourages to help with the film. And I love how his character imparts his wisdom on the kid as they take the bus around town; he points out landmarks of classic cinema history and tells him stories about knowing Orson Welles. 

Special appearances by M. Emmet Walsh who plays a fellow resident of the home and Robert Wagner as a rich, retired Hollywood producer - and adversary - of Plummer's. 

Filmed on location in Los Angeles/Hollywood.

Written and directed by Michael Schroeder. Unfortunately, I don't know much else about what else the director has made other than some low-budget horror films in the 80s and 90s. But if I had to guess, I would say that this is a dream project of the director's and subsequently went on to pursue other endeavors. I applaud his efforts making this film; I found it enjoyable and very memorable.

Film Critic Roger Ebert didn't like the movie when it came out (see his review here), but I really liked it. I consider it a great tribute to not only the elderly, but also aging movie stars who are often forgotten in their twilight years. 

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This is an entry in the Charismatic Christopher Plummer Blogathon, hosted by Realweegiemidget Reviews and Pale Writer. December 10-12, 2022

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)

A classic film adaptaion, and box-office smash hit for MGM, from Tennesse Williams' Pulizer Prize winning play, with great performances by leads Elizabeth Taylor (Maggie the Cat) and Paul Newman (Brick Pollitt). They are tormented souls, but nonetheless in love, regardless of Brick's lack of effection. The film (and of course, the play) is filled with so many complexities that it leaves you breathless literally and figuratively : Brick and Maggie visit his father, "Big Daddy" for his birthday, but he's dying of cancer. There's talk about inheritance and sibling rivalry. Brick is an alchoholic, temporarily disabled from an injured ankle, and is tormented by a past (his friend committed suicide) and as is non-effectionate with his wife. Maggie has demons of her own, including a revealed relationship with Brick's friend. Williams wrote the character of Brick to be gay, but this aspect was toned down in the film version. Williams had been known to say that he wrote this play to reconcile himself with his own father. Burl Ives plays "Big Daddy" in the movie, and Judith Anderson is "Big Mamma". Very good drama with two of the hottest movie stars of all time.

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)

This post is my contribution to Stage To Screen Blogathon hosted by The Rosebud Cinema and Rachel's Theatre Reviews. Click here for a list of all the participating blogs in the blogathon.

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Like the two main characters in the story, I have a love-hate relationship with the movie (and play) Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Yes, our relationship goes back about 25 years, about as long as the relationship between George (Richard Burton in the film)  and Martha (Liz Taylor in the film).

Over the course of 25 years I've seen the movie version several times and also have seen the play version twice, but to this day I'm still not certain I understand all that is going on with these characters.

Each time I see the film or play I gain a little more insight and see something I hadn't seen before, even though the experience is not always pleasant - both the play and film are DOWNERS!

ORIGINS OF THE PLAY AND MOVIE
The original play by Edward Albee opened in 1962, was highly acclaimed, and won several Tonys including Best Play.  The play was revived on Broadway in 2005 and 2010 and each production won Tonys.  The only movie version was made in 1966, directed by Mike Nichols. It too was also highly acclaimed: it was a box office smash and was nominated for an astonishing 13 Oscars, some of which are questionable (Best Sound? Best Score? Best Costumes?). But that's a topic for another blog post...

When I first became familiar with the movie and the stage play it was DEFINITELY NOT love at first sight, let me tell you.....

MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE MOVIE
I first watched the movie on late-night TV (and recorded it on a VHS tape!). When it ended at 2:30 AM, I was so sleepy. I admired the look of the film and the acting of the entire cast, but I certainly could not relate to any of the characters. I didn't LOVE the movie, but I LIKED many of the scenes, including the first 20 minutes of banter with dysfunctional Martha and George before the arrival of the party guests Nick and Honey (George Segal and Sandy Dennis) especially when Martha imitates Bette Davis by exclaiming "What A Dump!"  But some scenes seemed slow and boring such as the scene with a drunk George and Nick on the swings talking about their pasts.  And the ending - how sad! How depressing!

MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE PLAY
I remember first seeing the stage play of Virginia Woolf in 1992 at the Village Players in Oak Park, IL. It started at 8 PM, and was a LONG play - the longest I've ever seen at 3 hours.  Thankfully, there were two intermissions.  I was amazed that the dialogue was the same as the movie pretty much word-for-word, although I think I was too young to grasp the depth of the dialogue.

Earlier this year, I saw the stage play again (a co-worker of mine played Martha). This time watching the play, I gained a little more insight into these characters. For example,  it occurred to me that the scene where a drunk George picks Nick's brain is the most crucial part of the play/film because - in my opinion - it shows how depraved George really is, and how he instigates all that happens in the rest of the play/film.

No matter when I watch it is still a LONG play. It's still depressing - the play and movie. And I'm still not sure I fully get it.   Who is more depraved, George or Martha? Do they love each other more than Nick and Honey? All they all hypocrites?  What happens at the end? Will Nick and Honey stay together? Will they adopt a child? Will George and Martha continue to drink?

So many unanswered questions. It's a story that can be talked about for hours, and interpreted a number of ways.  Perhaps this is why it is considered to be brilliant.

When a shirt and tie won an Oscar for Best Costume

In my opinion, a lowlight of Oscar history was when Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf (1966) won the Oscar for Best Costume Design.

I feel it's one of the great under-achievements in the history of the Oscars, as I've observed numerous times on this blog (here) and (here).

For those of you you have never seen the film, let me explain.

Virginia Woolf is a depressing black and white picture about a deranged middle-age couple who verbally torture each other and a younger couple over the course of one night.  It's a cast of only 4 principal actors, like the stage play it is based on. No other human beings (other than a couple of restaurant employees) can claim to appear in the picture.

So let's talk about these 4 actors and their so-called costumes.

1) Richard Burton. He wears the same shirt, tie, and cardigan sweater throughout the picture.

2) George Segal. The only "costume" he dons is a gray suit and a black tie with white shirt.

3) Sandy Dennis, playing "Honey", the wife of Segal. She wears the same dress through the picture.

4) And finally, Ms Elizabeth Taylor. I counted 3 wardrobe changes. In the beginning she has a black v-neck dress on. To look sexy and appealing for Segal, she slips into a low cut blouse and tights. After the diner scene, she changes again into a light sweater and jeans.

All of these clothes could have been found in a thrift shop. I have nothing against thrift shops (I get clothes there all the time), but I mean I don't get how it won a competitive award.

In the video clip below, Robert Mitchum and Candace"Candy" Bergen reveal the winner in one of the most infamous moments in the history of the Oscars (video courtesy of The Oscars YouTube channel).






As KC of Classic Movies observed on a previous post on the subject, perhaps the clothes succeeded in making the characters look pathetic. Indeed they did.

The White Cliffs of Dover (1944)

Irene Dunne stars in this touching Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer wartime romance that was a very big hit at the box-office.

In the beginning of the film - set in early 1914 (pre-WWI)- she's on a ship with her dad on a 2-week business trip.  She's quite knowledgeable about England, and is anxious to visit for the first time. On the ship, she flirts with Van Johnson, a dapper entrepreneur who wants to keep in touch with her.   I thought Van would have a much larger role in the film - and in her life - but alas, it's not meant to me; his character only symbolizes what Irene will eventually be leaving behind. 

Frank Morgan - as her dad, an American newspaper publisher who says things like "Sufferin' cats" and "You're darn tootin'!". In one bit, he's complaining about the food. In another, he's arguing with someone about a chess set. To put it mildly, he just wants to go home. His presence brings to the film a light comedic tone; once he goes back to America - and Irene stays in England - the film's tone becomes more serious.  

Romance blossoms in Irene's life when she meets a handsome aristocrat (Alan Marshal) who sweeps her off her feet. She marries him, and they have a son.

Then, WWI erupts. Her husband is called off to war. Oh, Irene.

My favorite scene is when she holds her baby up to see the parade of American soldiers march through the streets and she says to her newborn, "you're half-Yankee and I'm never going to let you forget it!"

We then follow the family up to the present day - during the Second World War.

You'll have to see the movie to find out what happens to the family. 

Several MGM stars make appearances including a young Elizabeth Taylor, a young Roddy McDowell, a young June Lockhart, and a young Peter Lawford (!) The film also has a distinguished cast of old-guard vets such as C Aubrey Smith, Dame May Whitty, and Gladys Cooper. What a cast!

Directed by Clarence Brown, master of tearjerkers.
Recommended. Available on DVD.

Note: The Vera Lynn song "Bluebirds Over the White Cliffs of Dover" is not heard in this film. For those itching to hear it, I've included the song in this post here. Enjoy! 

Jane Eyre (1944)

The new movie version of Jane Eyre starring Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland), Judi Dench, Jaime Bell, and Sally Hawkins opens in more cities today, and it's been getting very good reviews, including positive ones from Roger Ebert and Leonard Maltin. I love the 1944 version with Orson Welles, Joan Fontaine, and a young Elizabeth Taylor in one of her first roles.

l-r: Joan Fontaine (as Jane), Orson Welles (as Rochester), Margaret O'Brien (as Adele), Peggy Ann Garner (as Young Jane), and Elizabeth Taylor (as Helen)

What it's About

Setting: England, 1829. As the film begins, young Jane (Peggy Ann Garner), an orphan, is living in a strict house of her wicked and cruel aunt (Agnes Moorhead). At the age of 10, she is sent to a prison-like boarding school, Lowood, where she's taunted, teased, called an "unregenerate child" and cruelly punished, all while getting "spiritual instruction". Her best friend Helen (Elizabeth Taylor) helps her keep her sanity.

Peggy Ann Garner and her best friend Helen, played by Elizabeth Taylor

The story advances a few years and Joan Fontaine plays Jane at 18. She accepts a job at a country estate known as Thornfield Hall, where she works as a governess and caretaker of little Adele (played by Margaret O'Brien), who appears to be an orphan, like Jane. The master of the household is Mr. Rochester, played by Orson Welles, who is very domineering and intimidating. As time goes by, Jane learns to accept him and grows fond of him, becoming jealous when he courts another woman.

I was impressed with Joan and thought she was well cast opposite Welles.

Rochester also has feelings for her, but there is something he's not telling her.

My Take:

I was not familiar with this story before seeing this movie, the first film version I had ever seen of this. So the last part of this movie really was exciting for me because I did not know what to expect. Why was the the door upstairs banging?, I asked. It is a thriller of a story. Joan Fontaine is excellent, and has the right personality and maturity to bring this character to life, even if she was a little older (27) than the character. Welles is also fantastic in this, very convincing as this character.

There have been a number of other movie versions of this classic novel over the years, but I haven't seen them and cannot compare them to this version. To me, this is the definitive version. Featuring a beautiful music score by Bernard Herrmann (Citizen Kane), intense black-and-white cinematography by George Barnes (Rebecca) and is well directed by Robert Stevenson. I really liked how at certain points actual pages from the novel were shown as Joan (as Jane) narrates.

The credited screenwriters are director Stevenson, Aldous Huxley, John Houseman, a good friend of Welles' from his early days in the theater. Stevenson went on to direct many classic Disney films of the 1960s. He does a good job directing all the child actors here, and gets a few comic moments out of little Margaret O'Brien.

This movie is 96 minutes long and you can watch it streaming on NetFlix or rent on DVD.

Cast:

Edward Rochester............Orson Welles

Jane Eyre.........................Joan Fontaine

Young Jane (age 10)........Peggy Ann Garner

Helen...............................Elizabeth Taylor

Dr. Rivers.........................John Sutton

Mrs. Reed........................Agnes Moorehead

Mrs. Fairfax....................Edith Barrett

Blanche.....................Hillary Brooke

The final title card encouraged the audience of 1944 to buy war bonds.



Originally posted on my other blog Olivia de Havilland and Joan Fontaine: Sisters of the Silver Screen

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) One of my least-favorite movies

That's right. This is one of my least-favorite movies of all time. It's mean. Manipulative. Depressing. Sad. Ugh. I've never been a fan of it, even though I have seen it several times, own a copy on DVD (!) and have seen the play at least two times. I really don't understand its appeal. This is regarded as a film classic, and even the AFI hailed it as one of the Top 100 of all time (strange choice I feel). Now I like all the actors in it - including real life husband-and-wife (at the time) Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. They play married college professors who have a passion for drinking and are constantly playing mind games with each other.

The story takes place in one night: Geroge and Martha entertain guests: new professor Geroge Segal and his wife Honey (Sandy Dennis, who won Best Supporting Actress). The guests are insulted and ridiculed, and George and Martha drink to their heart's content, slurring insults at each other.

One thing I never understood is how this movie could win an Oscar for Best Costume Design. There are only 5 costumes in the entire movie. Burton wears a cardigan sweater and a black tie. This has got to be one of the strangest Oscar wins ever. In one of my rants about this (in another post), one of my readers brought a good point in that the costume designers succeeded in making the characters look pathetic.

The film is a nearly word-for-word adaptation, and there's some great camera angles and a decent set design (the cinematography and art direction won Oscars - more deservedly than Best Costumes).  Directed by Mike Nichols, known for his comedy, this film is a 180-degree switch.