Films That Matter
By the Skin of Your Teeth
Originally meant to be a satire... though of a film very few have ever seen nowadays, the Norman Z. McLeod western comedy The Paleface (1948), written by Frank Tashlin about 1929's Virginian, infuriated the man in how it was directed (as a more generic spoof of the western)... but funnily enough, despite the screenwriter’s opinion, until Blazing Saddles (1974) came out, it was the highest grossing western parody of all-time and spawned a sequel in Son of Paleface (1952), while it was also remade as the Don Knotts vehicle The Shakiest Gun in the West (1968). After government agents tasked with tracking down an illegal gun smuggling ring turn up dead, the infamous Calamity Jane (Jane Russell) is secretly broken out of jail by Gov. Johnson (Charles Trowbridge) with the hope that she will take a pardon for going undercover to get to the bottom of this rebel-rousing (similar to rabble-rousing) gang in the frontier land.
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Harold Lloyd Hones his “Glasses” Character
Bumping Into BroadwayAn Eastern WesternerJuly 14, 2017An observation I am sure many of you have made over the years is the general stupidity (and lack of skill) the villains, police or any other nefarious enemy has had in the movies. With the James Bond films being a prime example, it shows the low standards the maniacal mastermind must have had when hiring his henchmen – they cannot shoot, drive or seemingly do anything else, stumbling over each other in the process. Also think of John Wick or any other motion picture made over the past multiple decades. Well, it was this thought that struck me as I sat watching two early silent shorts from the comedic great Harold Lloyd (placed alongside Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton as the top comics of the silent era). Starting with 1919's Bumping into Broadway, it was the first time the actor donned his now-famous “glasses” character, usually just referred to as The Boy. A two-reeler that lasts twenty-five minutes, it has The Boy getting into all kinds of hijinks.
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A Unique Take on the Traditional Western
McCabe & Mrs. MillerJuly 9, 2017We often think of the western as being set in the sunbaked, sand-filled deserts of the John Wayne and Clint Eastwood epics. Turning this idea on its head, Robert Altman takes us into the frontier lands of the wet and snowy northwest (filmed in and around Vancouver, Canada), an equally picturesque yet no less hostile terrain, in the 1971 film McCabe & Mrs. Miller. Riding into town with his bushy beard and no less hairy fur coat, John McCabe (Warren Beatty) is a businessman looking for his next big opportunity. He sees the tiny, half-built town of Presbyterian Church (just over one hundred people) not as a hindrance, but as the perfect location to set up a one stop saloon, gambling den and whorehouse. Hiring some local men, they get to work while he heads off to procure the working girls – purchasing some lower class ladies for the gruff, rough, and equally low class frontier men of the area.
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Getting on Track
CollegeJune 20, 2017Showing off his immense skills in a rather unusual way, Buster Keaton heads to College in this 1927 feature that followed up The General; a Civil War set picture that is now known as a classic (and often considered his masterpiece), its expansive story bloated the budget and somehow brought lackluster reviews, leading to a rare bust at the box office. So, his next film (the above mentioned College) was designed to be more commercially viable and Keaton was reeled in, forced to be under the thumb of co-director James W. Horne (who according to Keaton, did virtually nothing) as well as producer Harry Brand (publicity chief for Keaton’s usual producer Joseph Schenck – he had just become president of United Artists), the latter constantly scrutinized every penny Keaton spent, making sure he didn’t go over budget like with The General. Further annoying the funnyman, the producer made sure that he received a "Supervised by Harry Brand" credit on the film. Receiving another batch of ungracious reviews, it was Keaton’s second bomb in a row. Despite that, College, like The General, is considered by most today to be a classic (though more of a middling effort compared to some of his other motion pictures).
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A Boy and His Champ
The ChampJune 16, 2017The story of a down-and-out boxer and his adorable son, 1931's The Champ, directed by King Vidor, is a tale of struggle and hardship as well as family, love and hope. The former champ, Andy Purcell (Wallace Beery – he won the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a rare tie with Frederic March), is for all intents and purposes, washed up. Though he is in the midst of training for his next bout, he continuously self-sabotages by turning to alcohol and then follows it up by playing dice, tossing the little money he has left away. His only saving grace is his young son, Dink (Jackie Cooper, one of The Little Rascals of the early sound era who went on to play Perry White in the first three Superman movies starring Christopher Reeve) – a child well beyond his years. A combination of tiny tramp and wise adult, he cares for his father like no one else. Trying to steer him away from booze and focus his wayward vision, he has a middling effect. Though his pleas reach his father, they do not stay his hand for long. The story is, in many ways, told through Dink’s eyes. The son of The Champ is usually followed by his trusty sidekick Jonah (Jesse Scott) and a plethora of other impoverished youths.
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Star Pick with John Stocker
The VoiceThe GodfatherMay 26, 2017Anyone who grew up in the 1980s to mid 90s will fondly recall the wide array of quality animated shows that graced the television screen. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Rupert and Dragon Ball Z may come to mind, perhaps the only three shows that acclaimed voice actor, and today’s Star Pick John Stocker, did not do a voice on in this era of superlative children’s programming. Working since the 1960s, Stocker has been an integral part of the animated field for more than forty years. With one hundred and thirty seven acting credits alone, the sometimes voice director has an illustrious pedigree, to say the least. Beginning with perhaps his most acclaimed turn, henchman Mr. Beastly in The Care Bears, he gave the character a maniacal laugh for the ages, along with a rich, textured voice that brings to life the entertaining yet clumsy hijinks of the never successful villain who had a good heart deep down.
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A Whole New ‘West’World
WestworldMay 21, 2017Many of you have probably heard of, and may be watching, HBO’s stellar hit show, Westworld. An intriguing premise to say the least, quite a few people do not realize that it is actually based on a 1973 movie of the same name, written and directed by famed novelist Michael Crichton – his first foray into the world of film making. Set in the not so distant future, this sci fi flick is infused with a classic western twist, as guests head to an amusement park to live out their fantasies in one of three worlds (Roman World, Medieval World and of course, Westworld). With a hint of being a precursor to a dystopic world, we are introduced to our two leads, first time attendee Peter Martin (Richard Benjamin) and his more experienced friend – at least, in relation to the very realistic park, John Blane (James Brolin), in a spacious, futuristic plane on their way to the locale.
