Sunday, January 29, 2017
BUSTER KEATON
While most of the silent movie stars surrounding him (even including Chaplin) mugged at the camera unmercifully, Buster Keaton was The Great Stone Face. He could show more with the flick of an eyebrow than most actors could show with their entire bodies. He was the master of physical comedy and many of his bits are just screamingly funny. Since he made over 100 movies, including shorts, it’s hard to pick the best, but Mr. Movie is always here for you. Let’s start by saying to avoid not only talkies but anything after 1930.
Keep in mind as you watch Buster’s movies that in those days there were very few special effects and no stunt men. In other words, those death-defying stunts you see him doing are for real.
A good place to start is The General (1927), which is a train and Buster is its engineer. It is filled with superb sight gags, including a monumental train chase. How can there be a train chase when the trains have to stay on the tracks? Watch and see. Particularly note a stunt in which he dislodges a big railroad tie by hitting it with another tie while sitting on the train’s cowcatcher. Yeah, he really did that!
In Our Hospitality (1923) Buster goes south to claim an inheritance, unaware that he is a family member of two eternally feuding clans. He, of course, falls in love with a girl from the other family and many hijinks ensue.
Buster is the groom in a Spite Marriage (1929). His social climber wife only marries him to get back at her hoity-toity boyfriend. Buster is, as always, the honest little guy you pull for and things turn out ok. There is an hilarious scene where Buster attempts to get his totally sloshed bride into bed.
In Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928) Buster reluctantly takes over his father’s steamboat. The boat is a natural locale for several of Buster’s best-ever stunts, including a bang-up finale.
Buster is always doing something difficult to get the girl and as The Cameraman (1928) he tries to learn newsreel photography on the run. He lucks into some great footage of a Tong War and proves the mendacity of his rival by forgetting to turn off the camera and catching the villain on film.
In Sherlock, Jr. (1924) Buster is a movie projectionist and janitor, hopelessly in love with a beautiful girl. His rival,“the local sheik”, steals her dad’s watch, pawns it, and uses the money to buy her expensive chocolates. When the theft is detected, the villain slips the pawn ticket into Buster’s pocket and he is banished. He has a dream in which he catches the villain and rescues the girl as the famous detective, Sherlock Jr. When he wakes up all, of course, comes right.
All of the films in this article are available on DVD. All are suitable(and delightful) for everybody.
Sunday, January 22, 2017
W.C. Fields
“Ah yes”, he famously intoned, “my first wife drove me to drink. I’ll always be grateful to her”. W.C. Fields was an American original. He’s been dead for 70 years and lots of young folks never heard of him. Well, he was laugh-out-loud funny in lots of movies in the late 30's and early 40's, and all of these are available on DVD.
There have been at least a half-dozen versions of Dickens’ mighty David Copperfield. My personal favorite is the 1935 version with Mr. Fields as the inimitable Wilkins Micawber (“Something will, in short, turn up!”). Also in this sterling cast are Lionel Barrymore as Dan, Hugh Williams as Steerforth, Basil Rathbone as Murdstone and Freddie Bartholomew as David.
Perhaps you have at least heard of Mae West, the first of the red-hot mommas. She dripped sex appeal and constantly pushed the Hayes Office censorship envelope. In My Little Chickadee (1940) she is the quintessential sex bomb and Fields is her helpless conquest. He cannot resist her famous line: “Why don’t you come up and see me sometime?” Ms. West somehow manages to be hilariously funny while being a sultry siren.
Fields is a henpecked grocer in It’s A Gift (1934). He wants to move his family to California despite objections from his domineering wife and various annoying children, including Baby Leroy (who was famous back in the day). The beautiful orange grove in the brochure turns out to be a deserted barren stretch with a tumbledown shack, but there is a happy ending. The plot is really secondary to the funny set pieces involving Fields’ Harold Bissonette (pronounced Bisonay!).
Fields wrote the screenplay for Never Give A Sucker An Even Break (1941) (using the pen name Otis Criblecoblis). It was his last starring film, as alcohol and age caught up with him. But it is one of his funniest. He is a writer looking for a producer for his screenplay. He is ably assisted by Franklin Pangborn, Margaret Dumont and Leon Errol. The title comes from a line in You Can’t Cheat An Honest Man (1939), when Fields revealed his Grandfather’s last words (“Before they sprung the trap on him”) were: “You can’t cheat an honest man or smarten up a chump, and never give a sucker an even break”. Fields plays shady carnival-owner Larson E. Whipsnade, constantly on the run from the law and entertaining us every minute.
Fields is Egbert Souse (his screen names are always amusing) in The Bank Dick (1940). He accidently trips a bank robber and ends up as a security guard. He is beset by the usual nagging wife, hateful mother-in-law and dreadful children. He constantly reminds people to pronounce his name “susay”, not “souse” (drunkard). All of these films are available on DVD and they are all fine for all ages.
“Ah yes”, he famously intoned, “my first wife drove me to drink. I’ll always be grateful to her”. W.C. Fields was an American original. He’s been dead for 70 years and lots of young folks never heard of him. Well, he was laugh-out-loud funny in lots of movies in the late 30's and early 40's, and all of these are available on DVD.
There have been at least a half-dozen versions of Dickens’ mighty David Copperfield. My personal favorite is the 1935 version with Mr. Fields as the inimitable Wilkins Micawber (“Something will, in short, turn up!”). Also in this sterling cast are Lionel Barrymore as Dan, Hugh Williams as Steerforth, Basil Rathbone as Murdstone and Freddie Bartholomew as David.
Perhaps you have at least heard of Mae West, the first of the red-hot mommas. She dripped sex appeal and constantly pushed the Hayes Office censorship envelope. In My Little Chickadee (1940) she is the quintessential sex bomb and Fields is her helpless conquest. He cannot resist her famous line: “Why don’t you come up and see me sometime?” Ms. West somehow manages to be hilariously funny while being a sultry siren.
Fields is a henpecked grocer in It’s A Gift (1934). He wants to move his family to California despite objections from his domineering wife and various annoying children, including Baby Leroy (who was famous back in the day). The beautiful orange grove in the brochure turns out to be a deserted barren stretch with a tumbledown shack, but there is a happy ending. The plot is really secondary to the funny set pieces involving Fields’ Harold Bissonette (pronounced Bisonay!).
Fields wrote the screenplay for Never Give A Sucker An Even Break (1941) (using the pen name Otis Criblecoblis). It was his last starring film, as alcohol and age caught up with him. But it is one of his funniest. He is a writer looking for a producer for his screenplay. He is ably assisted by Franklin Pangborn, Margaret Dumont and Leon Errol. The title comes from a line in You Can’t Cheat An Honest Man (1939), when Fields revealed his Grandfather’s last words (“Before they sprung the trap on him”) were: “You can’t cheat an honest man or smarten up a chump, and never give a sucker an even break”. Fields plays shady carnival-owner Larson E. Whipsnade, constantly on the run from the law and entertaining us every minute.
Fields is Egbert Souse (his screen names are always amusing) in The Bank Dick (1940). He accidently trips a bank robber and ends up as a security guard. He is beset by the usual nagging wife, hateful mother-in-law and dreadful children. He constantly reminds people to pronounce his name “susay”, not “souse” (drunkard). All of these films are available on DVD and they are all fine for all ages.
Sunday, January 15, 2017
PETER YATES
England has produced a bunch of excellent movie directors and one of the very best was Peter Yates. A life-long Brit, he died at 81, having directed thoughtful, engaging movies for many years.
Secret Agent (1965-67) is actually a TV series starring the late Patrick McGoohan. It was in many ways a ground-breaking series from which many have borrowed. When he tries to retire from the Secret Service, he is kidnaped and transported to an idyllic location for retired agents. He is having none of this, and wants to escape back to the real world. Almost 50 years old now, it still packs a punch.
The car chase has become a staple of action movies. There still has never been a better one than in Bullitt (1968), with Steve McQueen in a heart-stopping chase across and over the San Francisco hills. A laconic very straight cop, he is suspicious of his assignment to guard a government witness. He was right to be.
The Dresser (1983) features two British icons. Albert Finney is Sir, an aging actor with a Himalayan ego that must be fed on a daily basis for his mere survival. Tom Courtenay is Norman, his dresser and ultimate prop. The performances elicited by Mr. Yates, and his uncanny capturing of wartime England and a down-at-the-heels touring theater troupe, are just superb. Don’t miss the scene in which Mr. Finney commands a moving train to stop! Mr. Yates was nominated for an Oscar, but lost to James L. Brooks for Terms of Endearment.
In Eleni (1985), Mr. Yates plumbs the depths of the gnawing demon, revenge. John Malkovich, in one of his first and best roles, is the son of a Greek mother murdered during the civil war by Communists. Mr. Malkovich plays a New York Times reporter who returns to Greece to unmask his mother’s killers.
Breaking Away (1979) is in my all-time top 10. If you’ve never seen it, treat yourself. Dennis Christopher is a teen-age bicycle racer absolutely ga-ga over the Italian racing team. He mimics them in every possible way, including speaking pidgin-Italian. Barbara Barrie and Paul Dooley are very good as his long-suffering parents. The young racer experiences the feet of clay most idols possess, but is undaunted and continues to race the wind. Mr. Yates was nominated for Oscar, but had the misfortune of being in the same year as Robert Benton, who directed Kramer v. Kramer.
The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973) stars Robert Mitchum and Peter Boyle in a very dark and very low-key depiction of cops and crooks in Boston. You decide who the bad guys are!
All of the movies in this article are fine for 10 and up. All are available on DVD, including the Secret Agent TV series.
England has produced a bunch of excellent movie directors and one of the very best was Peter Yates. A life-long Brit, he died at 81, having directed thoughtful, engaging movies for many years.
Secret Agent (1965-67) is actually a TV series starring the late Patrick McGoohan. It was in many ways a ground-breaking series from which many have borrowed. When he tries to retire from the Secret Service, he is kidnaped and transported to an idyllic location for retired agents. He is having none of this, and wants to escape back to the real world. Almost 50 years old now, it still packs a punch.
The car chase has become a staple of action movies. There still has never been a better one than in Bullitt (1968), with Steve McQueen in a heart-stopping chase across and over the San Francisco hills. A laconic very straight cop, he is suspicious of his assignment to guard a government witness. He was right to be.
The Dresser (1983) features two British icons. Albert Finney is Sir, an aging actor with a Himalayan ego that must be fed on a daily basis for his mere survival. Tom Courtenay is Norman, his dresser and ultimate prop. The performances elicited by Mr. Yates, and his uncanny capturing of wartime England and a down-at-the-heels touring theater troupe, are just superb. Don’t miss the scene in which Mr. Finney commands a moving train to stop! Mr. Yates was nominated for an Oscar, but lost to James L. Brooks for Terms of Endearment.
In Eleni (1985), Mr. Yates plumbs the depths of the gnawing demon, revenge. John Malkovich, in one of his first and best roles, is the son of a Greek mother murdered during the civil war by Communists. Mr. Malkovich plays a New York Times reporter who returns to Greece to unmask his mother’s killers.
Breaking Away (1979) is in my all-time top 10. If you’ve never seen it, treat yourself. Dennis Christopher is a teen-age bicycle racer absolutely ga-ga over the Italian racing team. He mimics them in every possible way, including speaking pidgin-Italian. Barbara Barrie and Paul Dooley are very good as his long-suffering parents. The young racer experiences the feet of clay most idols possess, but is undaunted and continues to race the wind. Mr. Yates was nominated for Oscar, but had the misfortune of being in the same year as Robert Benton, who directed Kramer v. Kramer.
The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973) stars Robert Mitchum and Peter Boyle in a very dark and very low-key depiction of cops and crooks in Boston. You decide who the bad guys are!
All of the movies in this article are fine for 10 and up. All are available on DVD, including the Secret Agent TV series.
Sunday, January 8, 2017
DEBBIE REYNOLDS
Debbie Reynolds’ incredible career ended only with her death, at 80. She was the mother of Star Wars icon Carrie Fisher. Ms Fisher died one day before her mother.
Though she had already been in five movies, Debbie Reynolds breakthrough role came in 1952, when she was cast as the dewy-eyed ingenue Kathy Selden in Singin’ In The Rain. She was only 20 at the time, but held her own with Donald O’Connor and Gene Kelly in this delightful American musical. It is set at the time when talking pictures replaced silents. The stars reluctantly make the switch, but are derailed when Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen) turns out to have a voice like a lovesick donkey. The impasse is solved by having Debbie’s character sing the songs from hiding. There are great song and dance numbers having little to do with the plot, but hey, this is a Hollywood musical, and one of the best. “Make ‘Em Laugh” with all three stars, and Gene Kelly’s solo dance in the rain are just loads of fun.
The Tender Trap (1955) features Frank Sinatra, David Wayne, Lola Albright and
Celeste Holm in an extremely convoluted comedy with multiple hitchings and partings. Debbie Reynolds steals the show as the principled young actress not to be pushed off course by older, but not wiser, pursuers.
In 1957 I was 17 years old and completely, entirely, head-over-heels in love. The object of my affections (not returned, or course) was Debbie Reynolds. She is just too cute to be believed in the sappy, wonderful Tammy And The Bachelor (1957). Most all American males between 12 and 30 shared my infatuation. Ms. Reynolds’ Tammy is raised by her curmudgeonly grandfather (Walter Brennan) who is jailed for making moonshine. Tammy runs away to the home of Peter Brent (Leslie Nielsen). A romance flickers and flames (innocently, of course- this is the 50's, folks). There were other Tammy films, but not with Debbie Reynolds and not in the same class.
After a series of mediocre romantic comedies, Debbie Reynolds burst into stardom once again as The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964). Molly is brought up raggedly by a man who found her abandoned in a river (Ed Begley). She has aspirations of grandeur and hooks up with wealthy rough-hewn miner Johnny Brown (Harve Presnell). They are spurned by Denver society and take off for Europe, where they are welcomed by the elite. Johnny returns to America. Molly, infatuated with a prince, stays. Then she decides she want to resume with Johnny and books passage on a British liner. Yep, the Titanic. She bravely saves many fellow passengers as the ship goes down and becomes a hero. Hence, the name, who by the way was a real person! Ms. Reynolds was nominated for an Oscar, but lost to Julie Andrews for Mary Poppins.
Twenty plus years later Debbie Reynolds again broke into stardom as Albert Brooks’ Mother (1996). He is a frustrated writer with woman problems. He moves back into his mother’s home into his old room. Their humorous arguments and discussions carry the film. The Hollywood ending is apt, if a bit stuck on.
As if all that weren’t enough, Debbie Reynolds also had a fantastic stage career, highlighted by her appearance in Irene, for which she was nominated for a Tony. She also appeared in Annie Get Your Gun, Woman Of The Year, and of course The Unsinkable Molly Brown.
All of the movies in this article are available on DVD. And all are fine for all ages.
Debbie Reynolds’ incredible career ended only with her death, at 80. She was the mother of Star Wars icon Carrie Fisher. Ms Fisher died one day before her mother.
Though she had already been in five movies, Debbie Reynolds breakthrough role came in 1952, when she was cast as the dewy-eyed ingenue Kathy Selden in Singin’ In The Rain. She was only 20 at the time, but held her own with Donald O’Connor and Gene Kelly in this delightful American musical. It is set at the time when talking pictures replaced silents. The stars reluctantly make the switch, but are derailed when Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen) turns out to have a voice like a lovesick donkey. The impasse is solved by having Debbie’s character sing the songs from hiding. There are great song and dance numbers having little to do with the plot, but hey, this is a Hollywood musical, and one of the best. “Make ‘Em Laugh” with all three stars, and Gene Kelly’s solo dance in the rain are just loads of fun.
The Tender Trap (1955) features Frank Sinatra, David Wayne, Lola Albright and
Celeste Holm in an extremely convoluted comedy with multiple hitchings and partings. Debbie Reynolds steals the show as the principled young actress not to be pushed off course by older, but not wiser, pursuers.
In 1957 I was 17 years old and completely, entirely, head-over-heels in love. The object of my affections (not returned, or course) was Debbie Reynolds. She is just too cute to be believed in the sappy, wonderful Tammy And The Bachelor (1957). Most all American males between 12 and 30 shared my infatuation. Ms. Reynolds’ Tammy is raised by her curmudgeonly grandfather (Walter Brennan) who is jailed for making moonshine. Tammy runs away to the home of Peter Brent (Leslie Nielsen). A romance flickers and flames (innocently, of course- this is the 50's, folks). There were other Tammy films, but not with Debbie Reynolds and not in the same class.
After a series of mediocre romantic comedies, Debbie Reynolds burst into stardom once again as The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964). Molly is brought up raggedly by a man who found her abandoned in a river (Ed Begley). She has aspirations of grandeur and hooks up with wealthy rough-hewn miner Johnny Brown (Harve Presnell). They are spurned by Denver society and take off for Europe, where they are welcomed by the elite. Johnny returns to America. Molly, infatuated with a prince, stays. Then she decides she want to resume with Johnny and books passage on a British liner. Yep, the Titanic. She bravely saves many fellow passengers as the ship goes down and becomes a hero. Hence, the name, who by the way was a real person! Ms. Reynolds was nominated for an Oscar, but lost to Julie Andrews for Mary Poppins.
Twenty plus years later Debbie Reynolds again broke into stardom as Albert Brooks’ Mother (1996). He is a frustrated writer with woman problems. He moves back into his mother’s home into his old room. Their humorous arguments and discussions carry the film. The Hollywood ending is apt, if a bit stuck on.
As if all that weren’t enough, Debbie Reynolds also had a fantastic stage career, highlighted by her appearance in Irene, for which she was nominated for a Tony. She also appeared in Annie Get Your Gun, Woman Of The Year, and of course The Unsinkable Molly Brown.
All of the movies in this article are available on DVD. And all are fine for all ages.
Sunday, January 1, 2017
CARRIE FISHER
We lost a legend recently when Carrie Fisher died, way too young, at 60. She was born into show-biz royalty as the daughter of heart-throbs Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher. And her mother died the day after her! Ms. Fisher had terrible drug problems and was diagnosed as having bi-polar disease. She spoke publicly on that condition frequently. She wrote the autobiographical novel Postcards From The Edge, which was made into a successful movie starring Meryl Streep. She was a legendary “script doctor” who saved many movies from the trash bin by skillfully rewriting the dialog.
She will always be Princess Leia. Her character was a strong, yet feminine, woman in the first three Star Wars movies. Who could forget her first appearance in Star Wars: A New Hope (1977) in a hologram, with her signature “double bagel” hairdo (which she hated). She continued as the legendary princess in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1983). She reappeared briefly in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) and will be seen for the last time in Episode VIII, scheduled for release this year.
But her acting career stretched way beyond the galaxy far, far away. Her first notable role was a the young, impressionable Lorna in Shampoo (1995). Warren Beatty is the star, playing a hairdresser who beds many beautiful women. Julie Christie, Goldie Hawn and Lee Grant are some of them.
John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd are The Blues Brothers (1980), funky musicians trying to save the orphanage where they were raised. They are beset by a not-very-nice mystery woman, played with aplomb by Carrie Fisher.
In Garbo Talks (1984) Estelle Rolfe (Anne Bancroft) has a dying wish to meet her idol, Greta Garbo. Ron Silver plays her son, who wants to make the meeting happen. Carrie Fisher plays his not very sympathetic wife, who leaves him in the lurch.
Woody Allen’s Hannah And Her Sisters (1986) stars Mia Farrow as Hannah, and Diane Wiest and Barbara Hershey as her sisters. Carrie Fisher plays April, at first a business partner of Wiest’s Holly, and later in the film Holly’s competition for a part in a movie.
Carrie Fisher plays Marie, best friend of title character Sally (Meg Ryan) in When Harry Met Sally (1989). Sally introduces Marie to Jess (Bruno Kirby ) and they hit it off so well they get married, while Sally and Harry (Billy Crystal) have yet another fight at the wedding banquet. There’s another wedding at the end of the movie- no big surprise!
Soapdish (1991) stars Sally Field and Kevin Kline as two of the actors in the long-running soap opera, The Sun Also Sets (!). Hi-jinks ensue when one of the actors ad libs a complete plot change while the show is live on the air. Carrie Fisher plays the network receptionist, with a few good scenes.
All of the movies in this article are available on DVD. All except Shampoo and Soapdish are fine for all ages.
We lost a legend recently when Carrie Fisher died, way too young, at 60. She was born into show-biz royalty as the daughter of heart-throbs Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher. And her mother died the day after her! Ms. Fisher had terrible drug problems and was diagnosed as having bi-polar disease. She spoke publicly on that condition frequently. She wrote the autobiographical novel Postcards From The Edge, which was made into a successful movie starring Meryl Streep. She was a legendary “script doctor” who saved many movies from the trash bin by skillfully rewriting the dialog.
She will always be Princess Leia. Her character was a strong, yet feminine, woman in the first three Star Wars movies. Who could forget her first appearance in Star Wars: A New Hope (1977) in a hologram, with her signature “double bagel” hairdo (which she hated). She continued as the legendary princess in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1983). She reappeared briefly in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) and will be seen for the last time in Episode VIII, scheduled for release this year.
But her acting career stretched way beyond the galaxy far, far away. Her first notable role was a the young, impressionable Lorna in Shampoo (1995). Warren Beatty is the star, playing a hairdresser who beds many beautiful women. Julie Christie, Goldie Hawn and Lee Grant are some of them.
John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd are The Blues Brothers (1980), funky musicians trying to save the orphanage where they were raised. They are beset by a not-very-nice mystery woman, played with aplomb by Carrie Fisher.
In Garbo Talks (1984) Estelle Rolfe (Anne Bancroft) has a dying wish to meet her idol, Greta Garbo. Ron Silver plays her son, who wants to make the meeting happen. Carrie Fisher plays his not very sympathetic wife, who leaves him in the lurch.
Woody Allen’s Hannah And Her Sisters (1986) stars Mia Farrow as Hannah, and Diane Wiest and Barbara Hershey as her sisters. Carrie Fisher plays April, at first a business partner of Wiest’s Holly, and later in the film Holly’s competition for a part in a movie.
Carrie Fisher plays Marie, best friend of title character Sally (Meg Ryan) in When Harry Met Sally (1989). Sally introduces Marie to Jess (Bruno Kirby ) and they hit it off so well they get married, while Sally and Harry (Billy Crystal) have yet another fight at the wedding banquet. There’s another wedding at the end of the movie- no big surprise!
Soapdish (1991) stars Sally Field and Kevin Kline as two of the actors in the long-running soap opera, The Sun Also Sets (!). Hi-jinks ensue when one of the actors ad libs a complete plot change while the show is live on the air. Carrie Fisher plays the network receptionist, with a few good scenes.
All of the movies in this article are available on DVD. All except Shampoo and Soapdish are fine for all ages.
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