ARTHUR MILLER
His plays earned world-wide acclaim, including a Pulitzer Prize. Arguably the greatest American playwright, at the very least he should be mentioned with Tennessee Williams and Eugene O’Neill. He provided hope for literary geeks everywhere when he wrested Marilyn Monroe from Hall-of-Famer Joe Dimaggio and married her in 1956. Arthur Miller died at 89, and left a legacy of great plays and films.
His best-known work, a marvelous play and a great movie, is Death of a Salesman (1951). Willie Loman is the American salesman, his flawed nobility and earnest dedication to the work ethic are both appealing and appalling. We see ourselves and others in him. There are many good versions around, but my favorite features Frederic March and Mildred Dunnock. Very powerful stuff indeed. There is a DVD of the Broadway revival with Dustin Hoffman that is also excellent.
All My Sons (1948) is the wrenching story of an American businessman who turns out to be a war profiteer to the dismay of his family. Still riveting, it features Edward G. Robinson as the father with feet of clay and Burt Lancaster as the soldier-son discovering the tarnished truth.
The remake of The Crucible (1996), with Daniel Day-Lewis, Winona Ryder and Joan Allen, is very good. But I prefer a 1956 French version with Simone Signoret and Yves Montand. It is the story of the Salem witchcraft trials, and a compelling commentary on McCarthyism and political hysteria in America.
The Misfits (1961) was never a play. Mr. Miller’s screenplay is, well, interesting. . The film features three American icons: Marilyn Monroe (yes, he wrote this for her), Clark Gable and Montgomery Clift. Monroe is a divorcee coping with a new life with the help of cowboy companions Clift and Gable. They track wild horses in the American west, and the parable is there if you’ll be patient.
A View From The Bridge (1952) is a fairly satisfactory dressed-up soap opera in which everyone seems to be in love with the wrong person. It started out to be about labor unions, and somehow became something else entirely. Raf Vallone, Maureen Stapleton and Carol Lawrence do their best. The language is really nice; the story a bit mixed.
Finally, Mr. Miller’s last film work was Everybody Wins (1990) and I’m sorry but it is a howling dog of a movie. What was he thinking?
All of the films in this article are available on DVD. All are for grown-ups.
Sunday, May 24, 2020
Sunday, May 17, 2020
MOVIE MOVIES
Once in a while, Hollywood makes a good film while looking at itself in the mirror. I call these “movie movies” and here are the best of a limited, but most enjoyable, category.
At the very top of the list is Hearts of Darkness (1991), the splendid documentary about Francis Coppola’s making of Apocalypse Now. Footage shot on location by Coppola’s wife is skillfully mixed with actual film footage and outakes, and interviews with all the principals except Brando (who, of course, passed). A film fan’s bonanza!
With Martin Landau (Oscar) as Bela Lugosi and Johnny Depp as Ed Wood (1994) we are completely entertained in this affectionate comedy about probably the worst film maker of all time. Ed’s never-say-die enthusiasm makes us laugh with him more than at him. His cheesy special effects are truly hilarious. And if you ever have a chance to see Plan 9 From Outer Space or Glen Or Glenda, don’t miss it!
Tim Robbins is the essential Hollywood Machiavelli in Robert Altman’s The Player (1992) a very dark comedy starring Mr. Robbins as a Hollywood sleazeball who can and does go so far as murder to save his questionable career. Not as over the top as you’d think, this satire draws blood more than once.
The Stunt Man (1980) is another satire diving straight into the dark festering heart of Hollywood. Peter O’Toole is the charismatic director and Steve Railsback the title character in this mystery within a mystery story of a Hollywood shoot from Hell.
The legendary Francois Truffaut’s Day For Night (1973) is simply as good as it
gets in telling the inside story of the making of a movie. Truffaut also stars as the
director and shows us lots of interesting tricks of the trade. But the best part is the story of the cast and crew becoming this little community for the period of the shoot. Truffaut at the top of his game, and that is very high indeed.
The Magic Box (1951) is the charming biopic of William Friese-Greene, beautifully played by Robert Donat. He was a developer of moving pictures and though others took advantage of him, he had his moments. The scene I still like a lot from this one is about Friese-Greene taking picures in Hyde Park, in which action is recorded. He excitedly runs out and grabs a policeman (Sir Lawrence Olivier, credited here as Larry !) to show him the results. The bobby is dumbfounded and maybe doesn’t quite get what he is seeing.
And finally, for true film buffs, there is Orson Welles’ It’s All True (1941 or so). After Welles’ classics, Citizen Kane and The Magnificent Ambersons, he journeyed to Brazil and made three short films. RKO hated them so much that most of them were thrown into the ocean. This documentary is the story of the making of the films, the discovery of the little bit left of them, and the effect on Welles’ career.
All of the movies in this column are available on DVD. All are suitable for ages 12 and up.
Once in a while, Hollywood makes a good film while looking at itself in the mirror. I call these “movie movies” and here are the best of a limited, but most enjoyable, category.
At the very top of the list is Hearts of Darkness (1991), the splendid documentary about Francis Coppola’s making of Apocalypse Now. Footage shot on location by Coppola’s wife is skillfully mixed with actual film footage and outakes, and interviews with all the principals except Brando (who, of course, passed). A film fan’s bonanza!
With Martin Landau (Oscar) as Bela Lugosi and Johnny Depp as Ed Wood (1994) we are completely entertained in this affectionate comedy about probably the worst film maker of all time. Ed’s never-say-die enthusiasm makes us laugh with him more than at him. His cheesy special effects are truly hilarious. And if you ever have a chance to see Plan 9 From Outer Space or Glen Or Glenda, don’t miss it!
Tim Robbins is the essential Hollywood Machiavelli in Robert Altman’s The Player (1992) a very dark comedy starring Mr. Robbins as a Hollywood sleazeball who can and does go so far as murder to save his questionable career. Not as over the top as you’d think, this satire draws blood more than once.
The Stunt Man (1980) is another satire diving straight into the dark festering heart of Hollywood. Peter O’Toole is the charismatic director and Steve Railsback the title character in this mystery within a mystery story of a Hollywood shoot from Hell.
The legendary Francois Truffaut’s Day For Night (1973) is simply as good as it
gets in telling the inside story of the making of a movie. Truffaut also stars as the
director and shows us lots of interesting tricks of the trade. But the best part is the story of the cast and crew becoming this little community for the period of the shoot. Truffaut at the top of his game, and that is very high indeed.
The Magic Box (1951) is the charming biopic of William Friese-Greene, beautifully played by Robert Donat. He was a developer of moving pictures and though others took advantage of him, he had his moments. The scene I still like a lot from this one is about Friese-Greene taking picures in Hyde Park, in which action is recorded. He excitedly runs out and grabs a policeman (Sir Lawrence Olivier, credited here as Larry !) to show him the results. The bobby is dumbfounded and maybe doesn’t quite get what he is seeing.
And finally, for true film buffs, there is Orson Welles’ It’s All True (1941 or so). After Welles’ classics, Citizen Kane and The Magnificent Ambersons, he journeyed to Brazil and made three short films. RKO hated them so much that most of them were thrown into the ocean. This documentary is the story of the making of the films, the discovery of the little bit left of them, and the effect on Welles’ career.
All of the movies in this column are available on DVD. All are suitable for ages 12 and up.
Sunday, May 10, 2020
2019 Sleepers
Part 4
Here’s another big helping of good 2019 movies that did not get noticed much. Hope you can find one or two you would like to see.
Clemency is yet another death penalty movie, but the focus this time is upon those who have to carry it out. Alfre Woodard’s performance as the warden is the glue that holds this thing together. How would you like to be the one that nods to start the injection of the fatal drugs? After getting to know the prisoner, to boot. It takes a toll and she is stellar at showing the results.
Many (ok most) of the readers of these articles will recall the late Mike Wallace, mostly from CBS’s 60 Minutes. He was the relentless skewer of the great and powerful and never met a controversy he didn’t like. But he was also fair and never sensational just for the sake of being so. Mike Wallace Is Here is the phrase those in power dreaded to hear, and it is the name of this warts and all delineation of the popular reporter.
Thirty years ago, Clifford McBride led a voyage into deep space, but the ship and crew were never heard from again. Now his son -- a fearless astronaut -- must embark on a daring mission to Neptune to uncover the truth about his missing father and a mysterious power surge that threatens the stability of the universe. Brad Pitt is the astronaut-son undertaking this perilous mission. A supporting cast that includes Tommy Lee Jones, Ruth Negga, Liv Tyler and Donald Sutherland helps to sell this rather far-fetched story. Ad Astra is just fine if you can suspend your justifiable skepticism.
Kenneth Branagh directed and stars in All Is True, a charming if doubtful story of the real life of William Shakespeare. When his beloved Globe Theatre burns to the ground, it seems that all is lost. But it isn’t.
We don’t get that many movies from Finland, but The Other Side Of Hope is Finnish and it’s a gem. Waldemar sells all his goods, leaves his wife, wins big in a poker game and starts a restaurant. He shelters, befriends and hires Khaled, who has fled from Syria. They jointly hunt for Khaled’s sister, who was lost in the shuffle in the flight to Finland. After that it gets complicated.
All of the films in this article are available on DVD. All are for grown-ups.
Part 4
Here’s another big helping of good 2019 movies that did not get noticed much. Hope you can find one or two you would like to see.
Clemency is yet another death penalty movie, but the focus this time is upon those who have to carry it out. Alfre Woodard’s performance as the warden is the glue that holds this thing together. How would you like to be the one that nods to start the injection of the fatal drugs? After getting to know the prisoner, to boot. It takes a toll and she is stellar at showing the results.
Many (ok most) of the readers of these articles will recall the late Mike Wallace, mostly from CBS’s 60 Minutes. He was the relentless skewer of the great and powerful and never met a controversy he didn’t like. But he was also fair and never sensational just for the sake of being so. Mike Wallace Is Here is the phrase those in power dreaded to hear, and it is the name of this warts and all delineation of the popular reporter.
Thirty years ago, Clifford McBride led a voyage into deep space, but the ship and crew were never heard from again. Now his son -- a fearless astronaut -- must embark on a daring mission to Neptune to uncover the truth about his missing father and a mysterious power surge that threatens the stability of the universe. Brad Pitt is the astronaut-son undertaking this perilous mission. A supporting cast that includes Tommy Lee Jones, Ruth Negga, Liv Tyler and Donald Sutherland helps to sell this rather far-fetched story. Ad Astra is just fine if you can suspend your justifiable skepticism.
Kenneth Branagh directed and stars in All Is True, a charming if doubtful story of the real life of William Shakespeare. When his beloved Globe Theatre burns to the ground, it seems that all is lost. But it isn’t.
We don’t get that many movies from Finland, but The Other Side Of Hope is Finnish and it’s a gem. Waldemar sells all his goods, leaves his wife, wins big in a poker game and starts a restaurant. He shelters, befriends and hires Khaled, who has fled from Syria. They jointly hunt for Khaled’s sister, who was lost in the shuffle in the flight to Finland. After that it gets complicated.
All of the films in this article are available on DVD. All are for grown-ups.
Sunday, May 3, 2020
JANET LEIGH
She appeared naked and wet (okay, it was a body double) in one of the most famous of all movie scenes; thousands of people vowed to never shower again after seeing it. Janet Leigh, though she was killed off early in the terrifying Psycho (1960), was nominated for an Oscar and won a Golden Globe for her performance. With Anthony Perkins as the baby-faced psychotic, this is one of Alfred Hitchcock’s best and to this day gives people nightmares. The 1998 remake pales in comparison.
Janet Leigh was an extremely pretty girl-next-door, which made her murder all the scarier. In the late 50's and early 60's she was in some very good films. She left us too soon, at 77.
An overlooked Leigh performance is in Orson Welles’ dark masterpiece, Touch of Evil (1958). Ms. Leigh’s wholesome prettiness plays off perfectly against Marlene Dietrich’s tawdry beauty in this story of corruption and evil in a border town. Mr. Welles, Charlton Heston and Zsa Zsa Gabor complete the most unlikely of casts but somehow it all works. Absolutely no one could use black and white film like Mr. Welles.
In The Manchurian Candidate (1962), a top-notch, edge-of-your seat thriller, you aren’t sure to the end who is evil and who isn’t. Janet Leigh is the honorable anchor that you are sure of, and it isn’t giving anything away to say that you would be right. Now guess what the rest of the cast does! Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey, Angela Lansbury and James Gregory will keep you guessing.
Bye Bye Birdie (1963) is a serviceable musical comedy about the reaction of a small town to the appearance of a rock star. The singer has just been drafted (sound familiar?) and is coming to town to give his fans “one last kiss.” Though it lacks the bite of the stage play on which it is based, it is pleasant and entertaining. Bobby Rydell is the rocker; the luscious Ann-Margaret a smitten teenager; Paul Lynde, Maureen Stapleton, Dick Van Dyke and Janet Leigh are worried parents.
A more delightful musical is My Sister Eileen (1955) about two extremely naive but gorgeous Ohio girls trying to make it in the Big Apple. The girls are Ms. Leigh and Betty Garrett. Also on board are Dick York, Kurt Kaznar, Jack Lemmon and an incredibly young and talented Bob Fosse. Not memorable, but very nice. Note: Beware the 1942 version.
All of the movies in this article are available on on DVD. The last two are for all ages; the rest for grown-ups.
She appeared naked and wet (okay, it was a body double) in one of the most famous of all movie scenes; thousands of people vowed to never shower again after seeing it. Janet Leigh, though she was killed off early in the terrifying Psycho (1960), was nominated for an Oscar and won a Golden Globe for her performance. With Anthony Perkins as the baby-faced psychotic, this is one of Alfred Hitchcock’s best and to this day gives people nightmares. The 1998 remake pales in comparison.
Janet Leigh was an extremely pretty girl-next-door, which made her murder all the scarier. In the late 50's and early 60's she was in some very good films. She left us too soon, at 77.
An overlooked Leigh performance is in Orson Welles’ dark masterpiece, Touch of Evil (1958). Ms. Leigh’s wholesome prettiness plays off perfectly against Marlene Dietrich’s tawdry beauty in this story of corruption and evil in a border town. Mr. Welles, Charlton Heston and Zsa Zsa Gabor complete the most unlikely of casts but somehow it all works. Absolutely no one could use black and white film like Mr. Welles.
In The Manchurian Candidate (1962), a top-notch, edge-of-your seat thriller, you aren’t sure to the end who is evil and who isn’t. Janet Leigh is the honorable anchor that you are sure of, and it isn’t giving anything away to say that you would be right. Now guess what the rest of the cast does! Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey, Angela Lansbury and James Gregory will keep you guessing.
Bye Bye Birdie (1963) is a serviceable musical comedy about the reaction of a small town to the appearance of a rock star. The singer has just been drafted (sound familiar?) and is coming to town to give his fans “one last kiss.” Though it lacks the bite of the stage play on which it is based, it is pleasant and entertaining. Bobby Rydell is the rocker; the luscious Ann-Margaret a smitten teenager; Paul Lynde, Maureen Stapleton, Dick Van Dyke and Janet Leigh are worried parents.
A more delightful musical is My Sister Eileen (1955) about two extremely naive but gorgeous Ohio girls trying to make it in the Big Apple. The girls are Ms. Leigh and Betty Garrett. Also on board are Dick York, Kurt Kaznar, Jack Lemmon and an incredibly young and talented Bob Fosse. Not memorable, but very nice. Note: Beware the 1942 version.
All of the movies in this article are available on on DVD. The last two are for all ages; the rest for grown-ups.
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