Lionsgate has released a 4-film collection of Sophia Loren titles that is as ecclectic as it is entertaining. This collection demonstrates why Loren remains one of the true living legends of the film industry, as the full range of her exceptional talents is on display. The four films are:

Attila- this 1954 sword-and-sandal epic pairs Loren with Anthony Quinn, who portrays the legendary hun. The movie boasts an exceptionally intelligent script, with young Loren cast as a conniving Roman beauty who seeks to betray her crumbling empire by seducing Attila. Presented in Italian language with sub-titles, the movie has outstanding production values and performances, and feature truly epic battles though the last scene is marred by a religious message that goes a bit over-the-top. Nonetheless, the movie is a reminder of why Italy led the world in the post-war European cinema.

CAROSELLO NAPOLETANO presents Loren in one of her first films, a 1953 musical homage to the folk and musical traditions of Naples. The Italian language film is an acquired taste that won't appeal to everyone, but I found it fascinating. To see a big budget musical made in the aftermath of the devastation Italy suffered in WWII, is quite remarkable. (The exterior sequences make no attempt to mask the bombed-out buildings that still abounded everywhere.) Most of the film consists of unrelated short musical numbers built on Neopolitan myths and legends and features exceptionally impressive sets and costumes. Loren, who was only starting her career, is featured in a musical number that is probably the most impressive sequence in the movie.

MADAME SANS-GENE- I can recall seeing this movie on its American release in 1962 (under the title Madame) when I was all of six years old. I hadn't seen it since, but I always recalled the memorable sequence of Loren and Robert Hossein making a humorous escape from a windmill in which they have been imprisoned. The Napoleonic era comedy features Loren as a peasant laundress who is elevated to royalty through her tempestuous marriage to a bumbling solider who wins the favor of Napoleon. The French language production is presented with sub-titles and features a remarkably funny performance by Loren, who eschews the snobbery of the royal court to wreak havoc by exposing the society types as the hypocrites and phonies they are. Loren and Hossein have wonderful chemistry and the movie also benefits from extravagant production values and a very witty script. There are also plenty of scenes with Loren's sweat-drenched cleavage on display to insure commercial viability. (Viva le difference!)

I GIRASOLI- This 1970 film, released in English-language territories as Sunflower, reunited Loren with director Vittorio De Sica, whose Two Women had earned Loren her Best Actress Oscar in 1962. The movie is an under-rated gem on every level and pairs Loren with her favorite co-star Marcello Mastroianni with whom she would make ten films. The two give remarkable performances in a lovely film that never stops surprising the viewer. It begins in Italy during WWII with Mastroianni becoming the reluctant bridegroom of Loren simply to buy a few day's leave in able to forestall being sent to combat. He ends up falling madly in love with her, but is ultimately sent to the Russian Front. Up to this point, the movie is a charming and funny romance. However, it soon turns into a riveting drama when Mastroianni is declared missing in action. Loren is haunted by his absence and years after the war, makes a fateful trip to Russia to search for him - only to learn a shocking secret that affects her life forever. Why this film isn't regarded as among De Sica's best works is truly puzzling. The script is consistently engrossing with the two leads giving superb perrformances. De Sica also managed to get extraordinary footage inside the Soviet Union, which was quite an achievement at the height of the Cold War. The love story is set to a lush and romantic score by Henry Mancini that ranks among his best work. The film is presented in Italian language with sub-titles.

The only extra is a well-made featurette that centers on Loren's work, primarily in the four films presented in the collection. The great lady herself is not present, but her two sons are and give some interesting insights into how their mother managed to give them a normal upbringing despite her being an icon of the international cinema. Put this set on your must-have list. - Lee Pfeiffer

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In the latest issue of Cinema Retro (#11), writer Tim Greaves exposes the story behind the shocking 1968 British cult film, Baby Love which starred 15 year-old Linda Hayden as an orphaned teenage girl who wreaks emotional havoc on her adoptive family, using her charms and budding sexuality to manipulate and tempt both her surrogate mom and dad. It's the kind of provocative drama that no studio would touch today, and helped launch Hayden's brief, but memorable career as a cinematic sexpot. The New York Times commended the film for its "diabolical brilliance". You can read the inside story of this fascinating movie, complete with rare production stills.

Just another reason to subscribe to Cinema Retro.

By Steve Saragossi

Remakes have with us for a long, long time. Judy Garland’s A Star is Born was a remake, as were Mogambo, Ben-Hur and The Magnificent Seven. But they were all solid films in their own right; brought something new to the stories they were retelling, and didn’t besmirch the reputation of the originals.

But Hollywood today is a big fat lazy worm consuming itself on the altar of corporate profit margins. Playing it safe has never been more of a truism than it is now. The glut of remakes that clog the multiplexes is staggering, and we’re in for a hell of a lot more. In the eternal quest for voraciously chasing the ludicrously simplistic idea of the built in audience, we are soon to be greeted with remakes, sorry, reinventions, of The Day the Earth Stood Still (starring Keanu Reeves in the Michael Rennie role. Like, Klaatu Barada Nikto, dude), The Incredible Shrinking Man (as a Brett Ratner directed Eddie Murphy comedy), and soon, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three.

First of all, the obvious question that springs to mind is, why remake good films? Why not remake crap ones and make them better? Industry producers will say they want to instil an echo of the good vibe that surrounded the original, but what average 16-24 year old will have even heard of Pelham, less alone be drawn to a new version of it? Ah, hoisted by my own petard you think; if they don’t know the movie then why not bring it to a whole new audience? To which I reply, why not market your back catalogue properly and pay your scriptwriters to come up with some original stories!

But no, still the remakes come, and so we’re in for Tony Scott’s new version, starring Denzel Washington in the Walter Matthau role and John Travolta filling Robert Shaw’s’ boots. Now I have nothing in particular against any of those three individuals, but I do question all of them in pressing ahead with this, as I assume they don’t need the money and assume that they all like the original. It’s very simple – if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. I can guarantee you this new film will be efficient, competently acted, moderately exciting, slick...and instantly forgettable.

Today’s big action movies are generally hollow experiences devoid of much substance or believability. The bangs will be big, the quips will be glib, and it will all be terribly unconvincing.

This is all the things the original Pelham was not. Not only is it one of the best urban thrillers of the 70’s (and a crowded market that was too), but its also one of the greatest New York movies too. Right up there with Dog Day Afternoon, The French Connection, Manhattan and Sweet Smell of Success.

Its palette of characters was so well delineated, scripted and portrayed; it’s amazing to me the script wasn’t nominated for an Oscar. Aside from Shaw’s genuinely menacing Mr. Blue, and Mattahu’s wisecracking, and world weary transit cop Lt. Zachary Garber, the entire cast shone. Tom Pedi as the profane and doomed Cal (“who wants to know!”)Dolowitz; Dick O’Neill as the exasperated and politically incorrect Frank Doyle (Garber: “Frank! Will ya keep it down I’m trying to save passengers lives here!” Frank: “Fuck the passengers, what do they expect for their lousy 35 cents – to live forever?”); Jerry Stiller as the bored, seen-it-all Rico Patrone (Deadpan, to a group of visiting Japanese dignitaries crowding round his desk) :“Yesterday we had a bomb scare...but it turned out to be a cantaloupe”; the perfectly cast Kenneth McMillan as the quintessentially unflappable New York-Irish Borough Commander (Cop: “The Mayors on his way”, Commander (impassively): “Terrific, tell him I’ll hold the crowd til he gets here”); and the late great Julius Harris as Inspector Daniels. Tony Roberts also pitches in with a terrifically acerbic turn as Warren, the Mayors advisor. The Mayor by the way seems to have predicted the era of Ed Koch: Mayor: “What if the hijackers start shooting at me?” Warren: “Will you stop. They have no reason to shoot at you” Mayor: “Why? D’you think they’re from outta town?” Even the Mayors wife gets some good lines. When the Mayor can’t decide if it’s a good idea to pay the $1m ransom and save the lives of the hijacked train passengers, she offers him some pithy advice: “Just think what you gonna get in return?” Mayor: “What??” “Eighteen sure votes”.

The rest of the hijackers are portrayed by Martin Balsam, surely the only sympathetic terrorist in film history, Hector Elizondo, who manages to rub everyone up the wrong way, and Earl Hindman who is possibly the only weak link in the chain.

The strong cast is one of the many reasons this film flies. To have such a good array of actors in what is essentially a genre piece helps immeasurably.

As you can see, the dialogue is sardonic and dryly witty. The early 70s New York milieu is so brilliantly captured. Nothing is sleek or shiny; it’s grimy, dented, noisy, drab...and utterly brilliant.

The set up is audacious. Four guys, under the leadership of Robert Shaw hi-jack a New York subway train, and hold the passengers to ransom for the (then) princely sum of a million dollars. It’s not the “why” that pushes the narrative along, it’s the “how”, as in how do they possibly think they can get away with this heist? The key thing here is the characters. It’s a character driven piece all the way. The cadence of the dialogue is so punchy and poetically profane it could have been written by David Mamet. Peter Stone, who did write this, was in my opinion, never better. And from the man who wrote the screenplay to Charade, Mirage, and Arabesque, that’s saying something. Its one of those scripts that you just sit back, cross your arms and smile beatifically too.

The 1974 setting of the movie is crucial to the characters motivations and reactions too. New York was on the verge of corporate bankruptcy, and needed a huge cash injection from the federal government to avoid basically going out of business. In this context, the tattered nerves of the politicians, the constant short temperedness of the transit cops and stoic unflappabilty of the New York police is entirely understandable.

In terms of narrative drive, character interplay, the setup, score, cast, and pared-down direction (no love interest here!), the film is an absolute textbook case in how to make the perfect thriller.

David Shire’s music deserves special mention, his jazzed up, muscular and highly original take on the Schoenberg 12-tone method is a vital piece in the alchemy that makes this movie such a knockout. Its bruising no-nonsense streetwise vibe powers the film along. I dread to think what a wall-to-wall bombastic piece of rent-a-score dross the remake will sport.

The director Joseph Sargent was never better than here. A competent journeyman director, mainly in TV series and TV movies, he really knocked one out the park with this one. Not to take anything away from him, working with such first class ingredients as he had here, he could barely have put a foot wrong. The odd thing is why he was never offered anything as good again. However, one instinctively knows even the maker of Jaws: The Revenge made a better film here than Tony Scott is going to produce.

It pains me to go on making these derisory comparisons, but the makers are bringing it on themselves when they have the laziness of mind to go back to classics of this nature and think they can “do it better”. They really are on a hiding to nothing. In terms of box office, yes I’m sure it’ll make a tidy return. In terms of cinema, and its legacy, this will be forgotten in a week.

As for the original? The Taking of Pelham One Two Three is exciting, thrilling, funny, wonderfully acted, brilliantly scripted, and simply one of the best movies of the 70s. If you’ve seen it before it’s like revisiting a coarse old friend. If you’ve never seen it – leave your prudishness by the door – you’re in for a helluva ride.

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Mishima—A Life in Four Chapters (The Criterion Collection, 2008)

Paul Schrader has always opined that Mishima—A Life in Four Chapters was his best film as a director, and I have to agree. Originally released in 1985 (and executive produced by Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas), the film is a fascinating bio-pic about controversial Japanese author/actor Yukio Mishima. Schrader, a successful screenwriter who has also had an interesting hit-and-miss career as a director, co-wrote the film with his brother Leonard and filmed it in Japan with a Japanese cast and crew. Ironically, the film was banned in Japan upon its release due to the controversial nature of Mishima’s infamously public display of seppuku (suicide) in 1970. But despite Mishima’s questionable act, there is no doubt that he was a formidable novelist, poet, and artist—certainly one of his country’s greatest. Schrader’s film attempts to visualize Mishima’s life and work, and make sense of his final days in different stylistic approaches that are beautiful to behold and brilliant in conception. Philip Glass provides one of his best motion picture scores to date, John Bailey’s cinematography is absolutely gorgeous, and Eiko Ishioka’s theatrical production designs are perfectly suited to Schrader’s sensibilities. Whether or not you know anything about Yukio Mishima, you will find the picture to be an extraordinary cinematic experience.

Criterion Collection has done another outstanding job of producing a new, restored high-definition digital transfer of the director’s cut, which was supervised and approved by Schrader and Bailey. There are optional English and Japanese voiceover narrations (by Roy Scheider and Ken Ogata, respectively—the U.S. theatrical release only had the Scheider narration). There is also an audio commentary by Schrader and producer Alan Poul. A second disk contains a wealth of background and supplementary material, including the excellent 1985 BBC documentary The Strange Case of Yuko Mishima. There are vintage video interviews with Mishima himself, new segments of Mishima’s biographers and translators, Philip Glass, John Bailey, and other members of the film crew, and more. Highly recommended—one of the best DVD releases of the year so far.--Raymond Benson

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The world of video spoofs continues to thrive on YouTube...this one tells of how a blaxploitation movie might have inspired Barack Obama to enter the world of politics! Click here to watch

Black Dynamite is a forthcoming new blaxploitation film done in the style of the cult classics from the 1970s. The trailer is superb, capturing the look and feel of the era with uncanny precision. It's all here: jive talk, kung fu fights, corrupt cops, and a seemingly endless supply of big busted chicks (white and black) who want to get it on with Mr. Dynamite. Click here to view trailer. Keep watching this site for info about the release date.

Hopping on the Get Smart bandwagon, Sony has released "the complete series" on DVD. You may be wondering why all the episodes appear on one disc: it's because this is the 1995 version of the show that lasted a whopping seven episodes before being cancelled. The classic 1960s series had a checkered history in terms of reunion movies. In 1980, Universal released the big screen feature film The Nude Bomb, which boasted only one saving grace: the fact that the movie starred Don Adams. Missing in action was Barbara Feldon (who must have actually read the script) and Edward Platt, who had already passed away. The film had a few laughs, but was done on the cheap and became reviled for using its extended climatic sequence as a thinly-veiled promotional film for Universal Studio tours. It also inexplicably didn't include Get Smart in the title, leading to dismal box-office results. In 1989, Adams reunited with Feldon for the TV movie Get Smart Again (aka The Return of Maxwell Smart). This film captured the charm and wit of the original series and is largely respected by fans. However, in 1995, the fledgling Fox network had the bright idea of bringing the show back on a weekly basis. From the start, however, virtually every possible miscalculation was made. Although the publicity played up the fact that Adams and Feldon would be reunited in the series, the old prejudice against actors over the age of 40 came into play. Adams' Maxwell Smart (now promoted to Chief of CONTROL) was relegated to brief scenes and Feldon (whose Agent 99 is now a congresswoman) had mostly blink-and-you'll-miss-her appearances. Adding to fan's frustrations was the fact that both of these legendary TV stars looked terrific and their timing and chemistry was as good as ever. Yet, in the relentless quest to appeal to a more youthful audience, the scripts largely centered on two characters who viewers had never met before: Max and 99's bumbling son Zach (Andy Dick) and his glamorous partner Agent 66 (Elaine Hendrix). The result was a disaster of Irwin Allen proportions. Without any affection or background given to these characters, audiences could not relate to them.

The concept of believing that charisma is transferrable from one character to another simply because the audience is told they are related, has long been discredited. (Even Son of Kong couldn't approach the charisma of his old man.) Dick's Zachary Smart follows in the footsteps of his father, but the results are uniformly lame - though in fairness, the laughless scripts don't help much. Dick plays Zach in a flamboyant, prissy manner that might have had some value if the series had the courage to present him as the first openly gay action hero. Instead, the scriptwriters punt and actually present him as a ladies' man, the least convincing casting since Liberace was seen as a hearthrob in Sincerely Yours. Elaine Hendrix, cast as his partner Agent 66, is undeniably gorgeous, but the character is poorly written and presented as a self-obessed snob - the antithesis of Barbara Feldon's 99. In the first episode, the old plot device of the reluctant team mates is dragged out when Max pairs his son with Agent 66. To no one's surprise, they learn to like and respect each other, but the series enters the realm of science fiction when Agent 66 begins to find the foppish Zach an irresistable catch. This allows the scripts to introduce the kind of wince-inducing dirty jokes that the original series never had to rely on. The series also suffers from its ultra cheap production values beginning with the cheesy opening credits. (The entrance to CONTROL is through a car wash and the phone booth has been replaced by a soda machine!). There are no exteriors and the sets appear to have been imported from a local high school play.

The show does benefit from its talented cast, though one can only be saddened by the demise of the once talented Andy Dick, who has spent the last decade living up to his surname through a series of endless personal scandals and boorish public behavior. Elaine Hendrix has looks and charisma, but her character is  completely repellant. The brief pairings of Don Adams and Barbara Feldon only leaves viewers frustrated by what could have been. In the course of suffering through the seven episodes, I laughed precisely twice through two sequences that manage to recapture the spirit of the original show. In one episode, a Robert Goulet impersonator (played by Goulet himself) amends his song lyrics to warn Max of imminent danger.  Max becomes charmed by the song and ends up tapping his feet, oblivious to the obvious warning. In another episode, the character of KAOS mastermind Siegfried (Bernie Koppel) is resurrected to match wits (!) with Max, and the result is the kind of wonderful banter that was a hallmark of the original series.

Yet, for all of the above criticisms, this edition will be a "must have" for spy movie fans who will want to add this to their collections as a historical curiosity. There are no extras except for the inclusion of two "minisodes", which are five minute condensations of TV episodes (we're not joking). The first is an episode of NewsRadio and the other is (inexplicably) T.J. Hooker which recalls a time when William Shatner could still credibly fit into a police uniform. The shows are part of a web site that allows viewers to see a wealth of series episodes all reduced to five minutes - including complete opening and closing credits. Apparently, the intended market for these is an audience who finds Classic Comic adaptations and movie trailers too mentally taxing to understand.  In any event, the way TV episodes are being routinely butchered in the syndication market, these might emerge as the most extensive representations of these shows on broadcast television- Lee Pfeiffer

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Hundreds of fans attended last night's big screen showing of the 1968 sci-fi classic Planet of the Apes at the Loew's Theater in Jersey City, New Jersey, making for a memorable evening. The show was preceded by a wonderful recital on the theater's magnificent organ and there were displays of original Ape movie memorabilia and collectibles. Best of all, Twentieth Century Fox provided a superb archival print for the screening, making for an extraordinary evening of entertainment. Cinema Retro Editor-in-Chief Lee Pfeiffer introduced the film and gave some insights into its production. He also had Fox's permission to reveal a few details about a new DVD project that Cinema Retro is contributing to: a forthcoming 40th anniversary Blu-ray release of the Ape films that will included extensive extras (the details of which are not being revealed at this time). However, they will be of the "everything but the kitchen sink variety". Pfeiffer also informed the audience that he and co-publisher Dave Worrall are writing a hardcover book about the history of the series that will be included in the deluxe box set release. This is the second book Cinema Retro has worked with the studio on, the first being The Great Fox War Movies which covered the making of The Longest Day, Patton and Tora! Tora! Tora! Keep tuning in to the Cinema Retro web site for any official forthcoming press releases.

In 1959, underground filmmaker Kenneth Anger blew the lid off the gossip industry with his book Hollywood Babylon. Not only did Anger tear off the veil covering the true stories behind celebrity scandals, he generously illustrated his book with rare photos of the crime scenes, showing celebs either in the process of being arrested or how they were discovered after committing suicide. The book rocked the film industry and all of a sudden a bad word in Walter Winchell's column no longer seemed scandalous. The book was reprinted many times over the years and remains a "must-have" in any film fan's library. Anger, whose gay-themed films caused scandals in their day, eventually wrote a sequel to the book in the 1970s and had planned to put out a third version of the book. He never got around to it and now authors Darwin Porter and Danforth Prince have decided to do it for him with a volume titled Hollywood Babylon: It's Back! which brings readers up to date on more recent scandals involving contemporary stars. Upon getting word of the new book, Kenneth Anger, who is terminally ill with cancer, was said to be so livid that he allegedly placed a curse on the authors. We'll take that one with a grain of salt, as it seems to be based on Anger's friendship with departed Satanic cult leader Anton LaVey. Nevertheless, the new book seems to carry on the spirit of Anger's original by giving the film industry the ultimate bitch-slap with stories that explore whether Lucille Ball was a hooker and alleging that Ava Gardner was addicted to visiting bordellos. (Lucky working girls!)
The publishers say the book's 1000 photos don't stint on both full male and female nudity - so, hey, there's something for everyone in the family! Don't forget, Father's Day is almost here and ol' dad would surely like this book more than that case of oil you were going to get him to keep his chainsaw lubed. Click here for more

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Reporter Geoff Boucher has an extraordinary interview with Clint Eastwood in the Los Angeles Times in which the iconic star reminisces about Dirty Harry and reflects on how the character was received in the 1970s and how he would be received today. Seeming to put the nail in any remaining rumors he might revise the franchise, Eastwood jokes about the scenario saying, "Harry is retired. He's standing in a stream, fly-fishing. He gets tired of using the pole — and BA-BOOM! Or Harry is retired and he chases bad guys with his walker? Maybe he owns a tavern. These guys come in and they won't pay their tab, so Harry reaches below the bar. Hey, guys, the next shot's on me ..." To read click here

Click here  for another extensive Eastwood interview in the Guardian newspaper of London in which Eastwood takes on Spike Lee and calls the rumors of his return as Dirty Harry the work of "some idiot".

For more on the new Dirty Harry DVD Collection

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The classic I Spy TV series starring Robert Culp and Bill Cosby has been reissued as DVD sets with new extras. The landmark series ran between 1965-1968 and offered audiences Cosby as the first black hero on American TV. If you haven't seen the show recently, it has held up very well indeed. Writer Troy Patterson of Slate takes a look at the heritage of the show as well as the new video release. To read click here

To buy I Spy and other spy DVDs and books visit the Cinema Retro Amazon Spy Store by clicking here

CINEMA RETRO COLUMNIST TOM LISANTI RELIVES THE MIXED PLEASURES OF ELVIS PRESLEY'S 1965 HIT GIRL HAPPY

Elvis Presley (Rusty Wells), Shelley Fabares (Valerie), Harold J. Stone (Big Frank), Gary Crosby (Andy), Joby Baker (Wilbur), Nita Talbot (Sunny Daze), Mary Ann Mobley (Deena), Fabrizio Mioni (Romano), Jimmy Hawkins (Doc), Jackie Coogan (Sergeant Benson), Peter Brooks (Brentwood Von Durgenfeld), John Fielder (Mr. Penchill), Chris Noel (Betsy), Lyn Edgington (Laurie), Gail Gilmore (Nancy), Pamela Curran (Bobbie), Rusty Allen (Linda), George Cisar (Bartender at the Kit Kat Club), Nancy Czar (Blonde on the Beach), Jim Dawson (Muscle Boy), Mike De Anda (Burt), Darren Dublin (Driver), Tommy Farrell (Louie), Ted Fish (Garbage Man), Milton Frome (Police Captain), Norman Grabowski (‘Wolf Call’ O’Brien), Dan Haggerty (Charlie), Alan Hanley (Waiter #1), Ralph Lee (Officer Jones), Richard Reeves (Officer Wilkins), Olan Soule (Waiter #2). Not credited: Lori Williams, Beverly Adams, Theresa Cooper, Stasa Damascus, Hank Jones, Kent McCord, Julie Payne (College Boys and Girls).

Continuing with my Sixties Hollywood surf movie survey, it seems everyone tried to cash in on AIP’s Beach Party during 1964-1966 even Elvis Presley who starred in the Spring Break musical, Girl Happy.

Produced by Joe Pasternak for MGM, Girl Happy was a combination of the studio’s Where the Boys Are and Beach Party. Elvis along with his band members Joby Baker, Gary Crosby, and Jimmy Hawkins are sent on spring break in Fort Lauderdale to secretly chaperone coed Shelley Fabares, the daughter of tough club owner Harold J. Stone, and other two nubile friends, Chris Noel and Lyn Edgington. Elvis thinks he hooks Fabares up with safe bookworm Peter Brooks and can enjoy his time in the sun. But every time Elvis gets cozy with sultry Mary Ann Mobley in a park or his hotel room, Fabares winds up in some sort of predicament like getting drunk with amorous Italian playboy Fabrizio Mioni. Elvis and his troupe have to abandon their girls and rush to her rescue. Trying not to make the trip a total disaster, Elvis volunteers to “court” Fabares to keep her away from Mioni. Naturally, he falls for Shelley but when she learns about his deal with her father, she gets plastered again and does a striptease at a club, which leads to her arrest and a stint in the big doll house. Elvis, of course, comes to Shelley’s rescue and they both confess their love to each other. You didn’t expect it to end any other way now did you?

Compared to the Frankie & Annette films of this genre, Girl Happy is severely landlocked. Despite the ad campaign, there aren’t many scenes on the beach. In fact, Elvis is seen on the seashore only briefly in a montage sequence and a nighttime production number where he sings “Do the Clam” on a makeshift sand dune. On its own however Girl Happy is pleasant fare and one Elvis’ better post-Viva Las Vegas movies despite its wafer-thin plot. Though filmed mainly on the back lot, the colorful production is first rate, the action never lets up, and the film has that glossy vibrant MGM sheen to it. Director Boris Sagal keeps the story moving briskly and surrounds Elvis with a perky, talented supporting cast including standouts Jimmy Hawkins as naïve Doc and Mary Ann Mobley as a frustrated vixen. Presley seems comfortable with his role and plays it breezily. He and Shelley Fabares make a charming couple and have a few tender scenes together.

Though this is a supposed beach movie where the flesh should be on display, Elvis, sporting a fit and trim physique, is never seen in shorts or a bathing suit! The film features a number of handsome actors all who remain covered up. Not so for the gals though as Girl Happy lives up to its title. There is an array of bikini-clad cuties on display from the leads Shelley Fabares and Mary Ann Mobley to the featured performers Chris Noel and Lyn Edgington to bit players Nancy Czar, a knockout in a leopard print bikini, and Gail Gilmore a.k.a Gail Gerber.

The popular soundtrack is one of the King’s most varied and best from this time period. From the touching “Puppet on a String” to the swinging “Do the Clam” to the romantic “Do Not Disturb” the songs help buoy the movie and make it fun for Elvis’ core audience. But despite the enjoyable soundtrack, Elvis at his mid-sixties peak, and a bevy of gorgeous bikini girls, hardcore beach party fans may still want to skip this one. For everybody else, Girl Happy is available on DVD and can be ordered by clicking here.

-Tom Lisanti/www.sixtiescinema.com

Look for my new book Trippin’ with Terry Southern: What I Think I Remember, A Memoir by Gail Gerber, with Tom Lisanti next spring

Sir Roger Moore's highly anticipated autobiography, My Word is My Bond, is now available for pre-order from Amazon. The book will be released in IK in October and in the US in November. Here is the official description:

"The quintessential suave hero, Roger Moore has had an extraordinary career that has spanned seven decades, from early television to the golden age of Hollywood and on to international superstardom. Dashing, handsome and every inch the archetypal English gentleman, he is unforgettable as The Saint, as Lord Brett Sinclair in The Persuaders! and, of course, as James Bond, making seven blockbusting films as arguably the most debonair of the 007s. For the first time, Roger shares his recollections of playing some of the world's most famous roles alongside a host of legendary stars. With myriad stories from his personal life - from his childhood in London and experiences during the Second World War, to the happy and turbulent times in his later life. Along with anecdotes about his encounters with the stars and his wonderful memories from the heyday of Hollywood, "My Word is My Bond" is as frank, funny and disarmingly charming as the legend himself."

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What does retired The Price is Right host Bob Barker, martial arts icon Chuck Norris and the severely over-hyped and under-performing Snakes on a Plane have in common? They've all been immortalized on people's bare skin through commemorative tattoos. A new book titled No Regrets: The Best, Worst & Most #$%*ing Ridiculous Tattoos Ever displays the evidence in living color. It's bad enough these saps had the "artwork" seared into their skin in the first place, but they now want to share their human canvases with the rest of the world. The Radar magazine web site has a hilarious article about how the tattoo craze has morped into the mainstream- with tragic results. There's also a photo gallery of the worst-of-the-worst. (Can you imagine trying to pick up a chick by showing your Snakes on a Plane tattoo? What could be worse: Yahoo Serious in Young Einstein?) For the article and photo gallery click here

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Fox has released a special DVD edition of Sidney Lumet's gripping 1957 courtroom drama 12 Angry Men. The story revolves around an all-male jury eager to convict a young Hispanic boy of stabbing his father to death. Eleven of the jurors vote guilty immediately, driven in large part by personal prejudices and a desire to escape the intense heat of the jury room. However, one holdout refuses to budge. Played by Henry Fonda in one of the great, understated screen performances of all time, the juror painstakingly argues against a rush to judgment and uses patience and logic to appeal to the better natures of the other men. The film was Lumet's first theatrical motion picture and he had the challenge of making a visually absorbing story that is in a claustrophobic setting. (Virtually the entire movie stays within the confines of the jury room.) The DVD contains two featurettes: Beyond a Reasonable Doubt: Making 12 Angry Men and Inside the Jury Room. The first includes a recent interview with Lumet who reveals he was shocked when Fonda offered him the job. The iconic actor was taking a risk on this film, as he also produced it and helped finance the movie. Studios were unenthused about the project because it had already been presented as a television play several years before. However, United Artists ended up providing a distribution deal and Lumet managed to film the entire movie in just 19 days at a cost of $349,000. The featurette also has interviews with Jack Klugman, the one remaining cast member, who fondly recalls the honor of working with some of the great character actors of the time: Ed Begley, E.G. Marshall, Edward Binns, John Fiedler, Lee J. Cobb and Jack Warden among them. There are also interviews with legal experts and actors Richard Thomas and George Wendt who recently toured in a stage production of the story, that was the brainchild of writer Reginald Rose.

The second featurette examines the film from the viewpoint of prominent lawyers, though the inclusion of Robert Shapiro and Gloria Allred is more of a cliche than a coup: these media hams will appear in your home movies, if asked. Shapiro, who now appears in his own late night, cheesy TV commercials, actually says with a straight face that he tries to avoid approving any potential juror who might have overt prejudices. This from the man who was part of the O.J. Simpson legal team that turned a straight forward murder case into a racially charged circus by playing on the prejudices of the jury. Also ironic is the inclusion of the foreman on the Robert Blake murder case, which most people also consider a miscarriage of justice. Still, all of the participant's comments are relevant to the context of the movie and they come across as sober and informative. It is revealed that a dramatic highlight of the film - when the Fonda character introduces a switchblade that is identical to the murder weapon- is an action that would have seen him bounced from a real jury. Yet, the overall consensus is that the film remains a powerful and highly accurate drama, one that retains its impact over the decades. The DVD also contains an audio commentary track by Drew Casper, who, strangely enough, never introduces himself or identifies his credentials (though he is listed on the sleeve as "film historian".). Although a bit theatrical in his delivery, Casper is extemely well-informed and provides interesting insights into the movie.

Ironically, 12 Angry Men was a box-office flop upon its release in the United States, but Lumet reveals that it did extraordinary business in Europe. In any event, its legacy is that it remains as timely and thought-provoking today as it did in 1957 - and it provides a wonderful opportunity to see acting royalty at the peak of their careers. - Lee Pfeiffer

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THIS DVD DISCOUNTED FROM THE CINEMA RETRO AMAZON STORE

In this era of 12 producers per movie and studios run by committee, and driven by marketing analysts, it is well worth remembering a time, not that long ago, when studio heads relied on their own instincts and trusted their own taste in material instead of that of a research firm. There are two producer in town who can say they saved a studio. One is Richard Zanuck, a prince of Hollywood royalty, rescuing a nearly bankrupt 20th Century Fox with “The Sound of Music.” Dick Zanuck is still actively producing, his recent films include a long association with Tim Burton, including last year’s well-received musical, “Sweeney Todd.” FOR INFORMATION ON THE EVANS TRIBUTE CLICK HERE

The newly-released boxed set of Indiana Jones DVDs is a good news/bad news scenario. The good news is that the set features 12 new featurettes. The bad news is that these are the same transfers that appeared on the 2003 boxed set (which still look superb) and many of the bonus features from that edition are not included on this release. Are the new features worth investing in the set again? For hard-core Indy fans, it's a moot question as any new content will make this a "must-have". For the less discriminating viewer only interested in having the three films in question - Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade - the old set will probably suffice. What's new in this set? It's a hodgepodge of featurettes spread throughout the three discs, now packaged in slimline cases that take up less shelf space. There are storyboards, still galleries, new introductions by George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, featurettes on the creation of the melting face from Raiders, a panel discussion with Cate Capshaw, Karen Allen and Alison Doody discussing the contributions of the female characters in the first three films, a tour of worldwide locations where the films were made, a documentary about some of the ickier animals and creatures found in the films, a look at Indy's friends and enemies, and recent interviews with cast and crew of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. There are also trailers and a promotional video for an Indy Lego game. In the aggregate, we feel it's worth the plunge to add this set to your collection - however, be aware that it's only a matter of time before the collection is remarketed yet again for Blu-ray. - Lee Pfeiffer

Click here to order this DVD set discounted from the Cinema Retro Amazon movie store.

Battle for Bond Redux: Robert Sellers’s Thunderball Book Returns

By Wesley Britton

To put my proverbial cards on the table, since 1995, I didn’t think any book in print matched Andrew Lycett’s Ian Fleming: The Man Behind James Bond for providing authoritative history, biography, and background into how 007 came to be. Then, in 2007, Robert Sellers gave us The Battle for Bond: The Genesis of Cinema’s Greatest Hero. It became the second most important book in my Bond collection. Drawing from many previously unknown primary sources, most notably court records held by Sylvan Whittingham Mason, Sellers shared how the idea of bringing Bond to film began and the unexpected and complex sequence of events that followed. Not a perfect book by any means, but one belonging in every film lover’s library.

Perhaps it was appropriate that publishing a book dealing so much with legal twists and turns ended up mirroring its subject. Because anything associated with Ian Fleming is closely controlled by various heirs of the legacy, some publishers wanted nothing to do with Battle for Bond. Then small British publisher Tomahawk took up the challenge, and Battle for Bond enjoyed deserved critical praise for telling a story that had been clouded in myth and speculation for decades. Then the Ian Fleming Will Trust stepped in.

In an interview for James Bond Magazine (The Battle for Bond Rages On), Sellers noted, “Pretty quickly after the book was published the Ian Fleming Will Trust, through their London lawyers, took great exception to our publishing, in full, copies of a number of letters by Ian Fleming, to which the Trust owned copyright. They really were not best pleased, and notified us that we had infringed their copyright and were liable for damages.”

The letters in question were copies of court documents involved in the first lawsuits filed by Kevin McClory and Jack Whittingham regarding ownership of Thunderball and the creation of the cinematic 007. “We, that’s the publisher and I,” Robert told 007 Magazine, “claimed that we had every right to reproduce these documents in the book without infringing copyright as they were used as part of the prosecution case in the 1963 Ian Fleming plagiarism trial. We also believed ourselves to be protected by law, since section 45, subsection 2 of the Copyright Designs and Patents Act of 1988 states that it is not an infringement of copyright if the publication of documents occurs within the context of reporting legal proceedings, which clearly is the case with this book.”

Whatever the legal merits, historians and small-presses don’t have the resources to defend themselves against such suits, so in March 2008 Sellers and Tomahawk agreed to allow the Fleming Trust to pulp the remaining 300 copies of the book in England. This didn’t affect the first edition in the U.S. where copies quickly became something of a new 007 collector’s item. Just as quickly, Sellers announced a new edition would be coming out without the offending photographs in mid-June 2008.

Writer Charles Taylor offers an insightful essay from Dissent magazine on the persona of John Wayne and how his work in Howard Hawks' Rio Bravo stands as arguably the best performance of his career. To read click here

Click here to read the review of the Rio Bravo special edition DVD.

We've intercepted this Top Secret memo that divulges inside information about the recent VIP opening of For Your Eyes Only, the new Ian Fleming exhibition taking place at the Imperial War Museum, London. Read it, then forget you ever saw the memo....

To: M

From: Head of R, GCHQ

Subject: Former SMERSH sleeper agent, code-name Deep Sleep Six (Real name: Krassno Granitskiovich. Aliases: Red Grant, Jr., Captain Norwood Nash)

Documentation: E-mail intercept, sent to G, head of SMERSH Veterans’ Association

Greetings Comrade G,

Following instructions, attended opening of special exhibition, ‘For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming and James Bond’, at Imperial War Museum, London, 16 April, 2008, having neutralised and taken the place of reporter of nostalgic-revisionist organ ‘Cinema Retro’, using silicone mask provided by Otdyel II. Met at museum (dedicated to past glories of British imperialist war-mongers) by the American, Pfeiffer, and the Briton, Worrall, capitalist running-dogs and editors of aforementioned ‘Cinema Retro’. Enemy failed to penetrate disguise.

Event began with Bollinger champagne reception (not Dom Pérignon, as favoured by British assassin and enemy of the Russian and former Soviet peoples, James Bond). Speech of welcome given by Air Chief Marshal Sir Peter Squire, GCB, DFC, AFC, DSc, FRAeS, Chairman of the Trustees of the Imperial War Museum. Follow-up speech by the Right Honourable Margaret Hodge, Minister of State for Culture, Media, and Sport. Official opening speech delivered by Miss Honor Blackman, actress responsible for impersonating Pussy Galore, former associate of deceased agent, Auric Goldfinger.

Exhibition dedicated to life of Ian Fleming, fascist hyena and biographer of the killer Bond, on pretext of centenary of birth (see conclusion below). Items of interest include: bourgeois dinner-jacket and bow tie belonging to the author; desk and Remington Remette typewriter from Goldeneye, the author’s colonial-imperialist home in Jamaica; copy of ‘Checklist of Birds of the West Indies’ (1947) by James Bond (a transparent attempt to confuse real-life assassin with local ornithologist); a recipe for scrambled eggs, headed “Scrambled Eggs Never Let You Down” (copy forwarded for deciphering); book entitled ‘Sea Fauna or The Finny Tribe of Golden Eye’, with notes and illustrations by Fleming; and manuscript of propaganda work, ‘Casino Royale’, detailing the regrettable failure of SMERSH operative, Le Chiffre.

These items followed by various family portraits and mementos, including letters from enemy of the Revolution, Winston Churchill; Christmas stockings large enough to clothe an entire village of peasants; various sporting trophies from Eton, the so-called public school (and breeding ground of reactionary imperialist swine); and various documents pertaining to the class enemy Fleming’s time spent as a “journalist” (a remarkably transparent cover) in Moscow, including a denied request for an interview signed by our late, Great and Glorious Leader, the much-loved Chairman Stalin himself! (Overcome with emotion, I found myself singing the Internationale – until I noticed the American Pfeiffer looking at me suspiciously. Strongly suspect this Pfeiffer may be none other than the Yankee pig-dog Felix Leiter, lackey of the CIA and cohort of Bond.)

The next exhibits are dedicated to the fantasist Fleming’s secret service in the Naval Intelligence Division during the Great Struggle against the forces of National Socialism. These include the coat worn by Fleming during his observation of the Dieppe Raid in 1942, a courier’s passport allowing him passage from Madrid to Gibraltar; various documents pertaining to his work with Rear Admiral Godfrey, the Director of Naval Intelligence, and the clandestine activities of 30 Assault Unit, overseen by Fleming, as well as information on the German V1 and V2 flying bombs, allegedly the forerunners of former Soviet agent Drax’s Moonraker rocket. A manuscript of fictional ‘Moonraker’, with original title, ‘Mondays Are Hell’, crossed out and replaced by the words “The Moonraker”, is also displayed.

The post-Struggle section of the exhibition includes a Mercury News map of the world showing the location of various journalists (and spies, as we well know) employed by the Sunday Times newspaper, of which Fleming was the foreign news manager, along with various souvenir items from the author’s effete and luxurious travels for a series of articles (and later book), ‘Thrilling Cities’. This is followed by a most interesting item – a portrait of the killer, Bond, commissioned by Fleming circa 1957, incontestable proof that the assassin known as 007 really exists and was not just a figment of the lap-dog Fleming’s decadent day-dreams (as the British establishment, with inexplicable perversity, would have the masses believe). After all, even a degenerate bourgeois like Fleming would not commission a portrait of a non-existent character! There is also a cup, in the shape of a chamber pot, presented by Fleming to the Old Etonian Golfing Society – a typical example of British public school humour. This is followed by a case containing first editions of Fleming’s glorification of the murderous functionary, Bond, and original art-work for the books by the illustrator, Richard Chopping.

Sir Roger Moore has confirmed he will be the guest of honor at a Pinewood Studios reunion of cast and crew of his favorite James Bond movie, The Spy Who Loved Me. The event will be organized by Cinema Retro's own Gareth Owen and his partner Andy Boyle, who run www.bondstars.com. Owen and Boyle recently staged the acclaimed Goldfinger reunion at Pinewood at which director Guy Hamilton was presented with The Retro Lifetime Achivement award on behalf of Cinema Retro by actress Honor Blackman. The Spy Who Loved Me event will take place on Sunday, October 19 and will be an all day affair with studio tours, panel discussions, interviews and a dinner honoring Sir Roger.

Please note: because this event is relegated to a relatively small number of attendees, Bondstars.com will be allocating tickets on a lottery basis. In order to be entered in the lottery, you must submit your registration form by June 7.

For the registration form and full details, click here.

RELATED STORIES

Click here for coverage of the Goldfinger reunion event

Click here for exclusive coverage of Sir Roger Moore's surprise birthday party in New York City

The Cinema of Terrence Malick—Poetic Visions of America. (Second Edition) Edited

by Hannah Patterson. (Wallflower Press, 2007.)

The Cinema of Krzysztof Kieslowski—Variations on Destiny and Chance. Edited by

Marek Haltof. (Wallflower Press, 2004.)

Wallflower Press publishes several lines of film books. Represented here are two examples of their “Directors’ Cuts”—a series devoted to the works of individual directors. Both are similar in structure and degree of academic and scholarly study. These are not picture-books or “Films Of” books. They are intended for the serious student of film theory and history.

Perhaps no other filmmaker other than Stanley Kubrick has elicited more mystique than Terrence Malick. He made two critically-acclaimed poetic dramas in the seventies (Badlands and Days of Heaven) and then “disappeared” for twenty years before re-emerging on the Hollywood scene with The Thin Red Line in the late nineties. One more film (The New World) appeared in 2005. His work eschews traditional narrative, is visually beautiful, and emphasizes mood and emotions over character development. Editor Patterson has collected a number of essays written by film academicians and critics that dissect Malick’s four films. Dry stuff, but it’s a worthy companion for anyone wanting more out of the director’s pictures.

Polish director Kieslowski had been working behind the Iron Curtain for two decades and was relatively unknown in the West until the late eighties. With such penetrating examinations of “everyday life” as The Double Life of Veronique, The Decalogue, and the superb Three Colors Trilogy (Blue; White; Red), Kieslowski presented us with dramatic puzzles about fate and its effect on the human condition. Once again, editor Haltof has gathered a collection of essays by prominent international critics, authors, and academicians that attempt to make sense of films that are not instantly accessible. Of particular interest are the discussions of the director’s earlier, little-seen works such as The Scar and Blind Chance. Recommended.- Raymond Benson

Click here to order The Cinema of Terrence Malick

Click here to order The Cinema of Krzysztof Kieslowski

Click here to visit www.raymondbenson.com

CINEMA RETRO CONTRIBUTOR MIKE THOMAS TAKES US INSIDE SOME EXCITING FILM-RELATED SCREENINGS AND SEMINARS SPONSORED BY A.M.P.A.S.

SHOWTIME AT THE ACADEMY

by Mike Thomas

When Gregory Peck was President of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences he inaugurated a policy of public outreach programs, apolicy that that continues to this day. The once-private organization became a beacon of film education; awarding grants and fellowships, and holding screenings for the public.

In the last week alone, the Academy has presented three public programs that are equal to the best of their kind anywhere in the world. On Friday, April 25th, the Academy saluted the 40th anniversary of “2001: A Space Odyssey,” in glorious 70mm with stars Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood in attendance, introduced by one of the film’s greatest admirers, a wonderfully witty Tom Hanks.

On Monday night, April 28th as part of its ongoing “Great to be Nominated” series, Quentin Tarantino and a dozen or so colleagues from “Pulp Fiction,” discussed the making of the film and the world-wide phenomenon it became following a screening of the film.

And on Thursday, May 1, TCM personality Robert Osborne reminisced about his long-time friend, Bette Davis, on a 100th birthday tribute to the immortal giant of the silver screen, highlighted by a surprise visit from Warner Bros. colleague, the equally legendary Olivia De Havilland.

Now, taken individually, any one of these three events would be the year’s highlight for any number of the world-wide motion picture institutions, the fact that the Academy has three such events in a single week conclusively demonstrates again, if any reminder is needed, that it is the premiere film organization in the world, and its public programming is worthy of an Oscar itself. And the $5 admission price to see the finest available prints on one of the greatest screening rooms in the world, is a tremendous bargain that cannot be matched anywhere.

The “2001” screening was a reminder of the staggering achievement of Stanley Kubrick. After blowing up the world in his earlier film, 1964’s “Dr. Strangelove,” the usually cynical Kubrick, spent the next three years giving us his most optimistic film: a meditation on the past, present and future of the human race. The Academy pulled out all the stops for this event, the evening’s program notes were a beautifully designed replica of the original theatrical program book’s cover. A special video provided by NASA, shot aboard the orbiting space station, featured the actual astronauts paying tribute to the film. Tom Hanks provided a warm reminiscence of his initial encounter with the film in 1968 and the panel discussion with the two stars, special effects wizard Douglas Trumbull who pioneered many revolutionary SFX for the film, and other members of the cast and crew provided fascinating insights into the making of one of the most films groundbreaking studio films ever made.

Cinema Retro columnist David Savage continues his coverage of the Tribeca Film Festival with a report on a surprise appearance by Dennis Hopper at a screening of one of his earliest films.

The newly restored 35mm print of Night Tide (1961), USA

Last year saw the passing of Curtis Harrington (1926-2007), the director of a slew of delicious psycho-thrillers from the '60s and '70s, including Who Slew Auntie Roo? (1971) and What's the Matter with Helen? (1971), both with Shelly Winters, as well as the critical favorite The Killing Kind (1973) with John Savage. So it was a fitting tribute to the director that Tribeca Film Festival screened two newly restored prints of Harrington's at Pace University last Sunday, April 29^th -- his 1948 experimental short, Picnic, and his rarely seen, first feature film, Night Tide (1961) with Dennis Hopper. Both prints were fresh out of the Academy Film Archive labs in Los Angeles. Adding to the insider-thrill of the occasion was a surprise visit by Hopper himself, who drove in from Queens where he was on location shooting a new movie. Hopper said he hadn't seen the film -- his first, full-length starring role -- in several years, so it was interesting to watch the 25-year-old actor on the screen, then steal furtive glances over at him in his seat watching himself, some 47 years earlier.

Night Tide tells the tale of a young sailor, Johnny Drake (Hopper) on leave in the then-derelict area of Venice, California, who becomes smitten with a mysterious, dark-haired girl, Mora (Linda Lawson) who portrays a mermaid in a carnival sideshow on the pier. They meet in a beatnik grotto-bar complete with jazz combo and snapping, turtlenecked patrons, and from there embark on an enigmatic, moody love affair that spells trouble from the get-go. Her handler and sideshow boss, Captain Murdock (Gavin Muir), warns Johnny that her previous boyfriends were both found drowned, and hints broadly that the fishtail she wears in the sideshow may not be a put-on. Other troubling signs include her serving fish for breakfast, and on one date, she succumbs to the incantatory rhythms of a beach bongo-duo and draws a crowd as she writhes expressionistically to their performance. Johnny won't listen to locals who also try to warn him off the mysterious Mona, until it's nearly too late.

Highly atmospheric and evocative of Los Angeles' beatnik art scene in the late '50s-early '60s (of which Hopper was a member), Night Tide is a odd delight, full of eccentric bit players, stilted dialogue and the lurid backdrop of a seedy amusement pier. It also sets the tone for Harrington's later pictures, most of which are campy thrillers involving a mentally fragile woman in a setting of decayed glamour, in the same genre as Aldrich's What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962).

But digging a bit deeper, it hints at Harrington's involvement in the occult. Harrington, according to Dennis Hopper, was a friend of notorious occult filmmaker Kenneth Anger, with whom he went to school and collaborated on Anger's and his own first experimental films -- many of which deal in mythical and pagan topics. Their mutual friend was an artist in the L.A. art scene of the time known simply as 'Cameron,' and who plays the role of The Water Witch in Night Tide. In the film (credited as Marjorie Cameron) she appears elusively as a witchy woman in black, usually accompanied on the soundtrack by ringing bells. Her appearance throughout Night Tide is never explained, but it casts doubt on the true provenance of the character of Mona, and whether they are mother and daughter, or something more sinister. Interestingly, Marjorie Cameron was married to Jack Parsons, a pioneering genius in rocketry and occult enthusiast, and together they were friends of L. Ron Hubbard and other science fiction writers. According to a short bio on the Internet Movie Database, in 1946 she, Parsons and L. Ron Hubbard undertook the famous "Babylon Working," a complex ritual spell attempting to create a "magical child." In the early '50s she lived in a house in Pasadena reputed to be a hive of occult and sexually transgressive behavior. In 1954 she appeared in Kenneth Anger's Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome (along with Harrington) and was a friend of Satanist Aleister Crowley, Dennis Hopper and actor Dean Stockwell. How well Hopper knew Cameron was unclear by his comments, but it was intriguing information, providing a glimpse into his early days as an actor in L.A. and the cast of characters that populated art galleries, living rooms and underground film sets of the time.

Hopper went on to comment that Night Tide was "one of the first independent films," made for $28,000 and listed on Time Magazine's 10 Best Films of that year, although it was never released in theatres, owing to a dispute with labor unions. "Making independent films back then was nearly impossible," he told the audience from the stage. "It was virtually unheard of to work outside the studio system." Harrington, Hopper revealed, was Twentieth Century Fox head Jerry Wald's assistant and got his start in movies the old fashioned way – by serving as a gofer and working his way up from there. Still flinty and ornery as hell at 72, Hopper makes a compelling case for career longevity and still does not suffer fools easily, as evidenced by his sarcastic answers to many questions posed from audience members. When he mentioned his authorship of Easy Rider (1969), vigorously disputed by Terry Southern and others, I was going to raise my hand. Then I thought, hmm…better not go there. This dark man of indie cinema just turned a shade more sinister.

To watch the original trailer of Night Tide, cut and paste this URL into your browser: http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi2275213593/

-David Savage

CLICK HERE TO BUY THE NIGHT TIDE DVD DISCOUNTED FROM AMAZON

Following up from my review of This Island Earth / The Day of the Triffids in Cinema Retro # 11, I’d like to also highlight some other CD releases from excellent Monstrous Movie Music label.

The Blob (and other creepy sounds) 1958 (MMM1955) marks the world premiere release of Ralph Carmichael’s classic soundtrack. The film is rightly regarded today as a piece of great sci-fi hokum, and is particularly memorable for starring the very young ‘Steven’ McQueen. The music stands up amazingly well, considering the tight budget aligned to the picture was mostly devoured by the cost of color cinematography. Carmichael certainly squeezed every ounce of life from his relatively modest 27 piece orchestra and the resulting score remains a real testament to the composer's talent. To capitalize on the film's intended teenage audience, producer Jack H. Harris insisted upon a pop theme song to open the film. What emerged was the campy, if somewhat memorable, The Blob (written, believe it or not, by Burt Bacharach and Hal David!), recorded by ‘The Five Blobs’. They were, in truth, a simple gathering of session musicians lead by vocalist Bernie Nee. Nevertheless, the song worked and helped contribute to the film’s general success, but not entirely without negative consequences. The cheesy song negated some of the more effective technical aspects of the movie and put it firmly in the "guilty pleasure" category for all time. Fortunately, Carmichael’s unused original main title ‘Violence’ is also included on the disc. With the inclusion of some Blob bonus material, the entire score for the main feature runs for some 37 minutes and is undoubtedly a thoroughly enjoyable listen. There is, of course, so much more to this CD than first meets the eye. With almost 40 mins more devoted to such horror and B movie classics as The Green Slime, Terror from the year 5000 and The Brain that Wouldn’t Die, there’s certainly enough here to keep the most ardent of horror fan satisfied. Incorporating works of such legendary composers as Roger Roger, Angelo Francesco Lavagnino and Mario Nascimbene this is a must-have for any Blob-ophiles and other sci-fi and horror fans.

CLICK HERE TO REVISIT CINEMA RETRO'S COVERAGE OF THE 2007 ANNUAL BLOBFEST!

The Intruder

You’d be forgiven if the early William Shatner / Roger Corman collaboration The Intruder (1961) (MMM1956) had passed you by unnoticed. It’s a film that is rarely seen these days, perhaps due to its politically incorrect theme centering on racism. Nevertheless, Shatner’s performance as the bigot Adam Cramer is regarded today as one of his finest. An unusual and somewhat rare ‘serious’ film from Corman, it received critical acclaim upon its release only to be handled like a disease when it came to the film’s distribution. It’s a great shame in many ways, as this probably contributed to Corman giving up on the idea of serious storytelling and returning to the relatively safe surroundings of the his highly profitable exploitation movies. Thus, it's a real treat be able to enjoy Herman Stein's score to the film. Best known for his scores for Universal horror films such as The Creature from the Black Lagoon, The Incredible Shrinking Man, It Came from Outer Space, The Land Unknown, Revenge of the Creature and Tarantula, his work outside of the genre has until now been sadly overlooked. Stein’s score opens dramatically alongside the introduction of the film’s central character - a cue that immediately suggests a sense of menace. Yet Stein’s score is as rich as it is diverse, and the composer makes clever use of woodwind to illustrate Cramer’s disturbed state of mind. Stein utilizes strings and a weary clarinet to draw on the tension between Cramer and his subsequent relationships. The result is a refreshingly unpredicatable element to the score that evokes comparisons to Bernard Hermann's chilling work on Psycho and Cape Fear. Cramer’s introduction is particularly chilling, and while it lacks the intensity of a Hermannn score, it succeeds on its own merits. (I confess to conjuring up images of Robert Mitchum's Max Cady from Cape Fear as this track played.) Bonus material on this well-produced disc includes the composer’s complete score for Career for Two (1951) and an additional selection of unused main titles and underscores. Considering Stein’s almost exclusive association with horror and sci fi scores, Monstrous Movie Music deserves credit for releasing this forgotten gem that amply showcases the composer's diverse talents.- Darren Allison

CLICK HERE TO HEAR AUDIO TRACK SAMPLES AND ORDER FROM MONSTROUS MOVIE MUSIC'S SITE

CINEMA RETRO COLUMNIST DAVID SAVAGE'S COVERAGE OF THE TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL CONTINUES WITH HIS REVIEW OF THE NEW AUSTRALIAN FILM, NEWCASTLE

Speaking of surf movies (see my fellow Cinema Retro columnist Tom Lisanti's appreciation of Ride the Wild Wave by clicking here), I have proof that the genre is not a relic of the past. Newcastle, from indie American director Dan Castle, is an exhilirating new film making its debut at Tribeca Film Festival that breathes new life into one of the most formulaic conventions in the movies. Set in the Australian blue collar beach town of the film's title, up the coast from Sydney, Newcastle is as anti-idyllic surf movie as you're ever likely to see. Instead of picturesque sunsets reminiscent of Endless Summer, coal barges line the ocean horizon of this seaside town. It may be populated by golden-skinned surf gods and babes, but they are without illusions. Life is hard and surfing offers the only wave out of this dead-end town.

After placing third in tryouts for the approaching Junior Pro Surf Championship, a competition that has the power to make or break young surfers' dreams, Jesse is down but not yet out. He's determined not to end up like his brother Victor, a promising former surfer who ended his career in injury and now works on the dry docks with his father, unloading coal. He struggles to cope. His hormones are raging. His twin brother, Fergus, is likely gay (pale and with newly purple hair) and the source of constant embarrassment. When the temptation arises of a weekend away at Stockton Dunes (a remote beach) with his surf buddies, Jesse leaps at the opportunity, even if it means Fergus has to go along. Two local girls join them and the weekend holds the promise of nothing but blissful abandon on the waves and a possible "first time" with one of the girls. As they move through the weekend trip, Fergus learns to surf and thus gains acceptance by his mates, but a tragedy unfolds when Victor shows up to challenge his younger brother on the waves.

Remarkably, the film never hits a false note, even while working squarely within two classic genres: the surf movie and the teen, coming-of-age film. In the former category, Castle gives the film a sense of heightened realism by hiring an ensemble of strong actors as well as seasoned surfers, all of whom demonstrate an effortless athleticism as they carve and cut out of the waves, ride crests and "shoot the curl" in take after incredible take. Castle's team of ocean cameramen are second to none, shooting with fearless energy and great skill both above and below the waves, using natural light and mostly a handheld technique so that the viewer feels thrust right out in the action of the crashing surf. The land-based photography (Richard Michalak, ACS), by contrast, is dark and claustrophobic, filmed in French New Wave-style handheld and with little dolly action, underscoring the cramped and volatile nature of Jesse's home life.

Within the confines of the coming-of-age genre, Castle resists the cliché typecasting of teen ensemble films, and it's to his credit that he makes each character seem distinct and fully drawn, even when many of these teen boys are not fully aware of who they are themselves. There is no gross-out humor, sexual gags or other pranks typical of teen movies, but there is plenty of content which rings true to anyone who remembers grappling with the anxieties of sexuality, peer pressure, ambition and sibling violence at that fragile age.

The adult actors, most prominent among them being the award-winning Australian actor Barry Otto (Oscar and Lucinda), round out a teen cast who demonstrate a maturity and dedication to their craft that seems refreshing when compared with the Ken-doll plasticity of their American counterparts found on shows like "The O.C.," for example.

I spoke with the director and screenwriter Dan Castle at the festival and he owned up to weaving a lot of his own life into the script, which took him eight months to write once he got down to business for real after thinking about the project for a year. Bizarrely, he hails from another Newcastle: New Castle, Delaware. But it was a visit in 2001 to the Newcastle Down Under that inspired the idea for the film, even before he had any characters in mind. "As I drove through the streets during my first visit to Newcastle in October 2001," Castle said, " I knew I was in a very special place. The town, the beaches, the seaside pools, the community of surfers and the nearby Stockton Dunes all resonated with me."

He too is a surfer ("not a good one," he swears) and he too lost his virginity in a tent alongside his best friend, who was busy losing his. Even as he surfed with his buddies as a teen, he realized he was gay. From that aspect of himself the character of Fergus was born; from other aspects of himself, and no doubt from other members of his group, other characters were created. "They were at the peak of their beauty," he remembers, "and yet at the time don't realize that it's all pretty much downhill from there." The artful shots of the surfers swimming nude underwater, almost mythical in feel, or the close ups on golden-downed skin or ocean-blue eyes convey Castle's appreciation, even reverence, for that fleeting beauty.

Although Dan didn't go to film school (he did go to NYU, but majored in Business), he started out as an actor and moved to Los Angeles to pursue his career (he studied at The Actors Studio and with Shelly Winters, whom he met by chance in a coffee shop on Fairfax). It proved to be too passive, he explained, as he tired of waiting for someone to tell him "yes." So he instead took a friend's advice and began concentrating on his writing, which led to directing. His last film, a short entitled The Visitor (also with Barry Otto), garnered an Australian Film Institute (AFI) nomination for Best Short Fiction Film in 2003, and he says he's working on three new projects, one of which is a comedy entitled Surf Mom. It sounds like Dan might be a new surf movie auteur with lots of material yet to explore. (Now…where's that shark.)- David Savage

RIDE THE WILD SURF (1964)

Fabian (Jody Wallis), Shelley Fabares (Brie Matthews), Tab Hunter (Steamer Lane), Barbara Eden (Augie Poole), Peter Brown (Chase Colton), Anthony Hayes (Frank Decker), Susan Hart (Lily), James Mitchum (Eskimo), Catherine McLeod (Mrs. Kilua), Murray Rose (Swag), Roger Davis (Charlie), Robert Kenneally (Russ), Paul Tremaine (Vic), Alan LeBuse (Phil), John Kennell (TV Commentator), David Cadiente (Ally), Yanqui Chang (Mr. Chin).

Ride the Wild Surf stands head and shoulders above all the sixties beach-party movies. This was an earnest and ambitious attempt by Hollywood to capture the surf culture and what attracted young men to the sport. There are no singing surfers or goofy motorcycle gang members in this film as it opens with a narrator explaining why young men from all over the world come to Hawaii to surf. Then the wave action takes over never letting up making Ride the Wild Surf the best Hollywood surf movie of the sixties. Kudos to a excellent cast, stunning photography by Joseph Biroc, and one of the all-time best pop surf songs “Ride the Wild Surf” sung by Jan and Dean over the closing credits.

Fabian, Tab Hunter, and Peter Brown play surfers who travel to Hawaii to conquer the big waves at Waimea Bay and in the process take a step to becoming more mature adults. They also find romance with, respectively, Shelley Fabares, Susan Hart, and Barbara Eden. The film makes an honorable effort to portray surfers and the sport of surfing sincerely and to showcase the big waves of the North Shore of Hawaii. Though the story line to drape the incredible surfing action around is thin, the screenplay is peppered with some sharp and hip dialog while all the actors play their roles believably. Peter Brown and Barbara Eden are the most interesting couple as Eden’s perky lovelorn auburn-haired tomboy tries to melt the veneer off of Brown’s uptight college boy. Susan Hart, a local beauty with an overly protective mother, and wannabe pro surfer Tab Hunter make the most handsome duo though a blonde Shelley Fabares as a vacationing coed and the usually shirtless Fabian as a college dropout turned surf bum give them a run for the money. Jim Mitchum, who is the splitting image of his dad Robert Mitchum, makes a quietly menacing heavy. The movie is a smorgasbord of flesh as the boys are all tanned and muscled and the girls are curvaceous and bikini-clad.

Though handsome Fabian, Tab Hunter, and Peter Brown pursue beach babes when not in the water there is also a surprisingly strong “homo-erotic undercurrent” throughout. The scenes of these barechested surfers bonding or comforting each other while tackling the huge waves of Waimea Bay and the gals are nowhere in sight have become gay porn staples.

Ride the Wild Surf really excels showing what it takes to be a top-notch surfer and to challenge the big waves of Hawaii. Joseph Biroc expertly filmed real surfers including Mickey Dora, Greg Noll, and and Butch Van Artsdalen challenging the big waves at Banzai Pipeline, Sunset Beach, and Haleiwa. This footage is spread generously throughout the film climaxing with big wave thrills at the “King of the Mountain” contest at Waimea Bay. It is by far the most exciting and best surfing sequences in any Hollywood surf movie of the sixties. However, some of the scenes of the actors on their boards were filmed in a studio tank where one minute the water is like a sheet of glass and then all of a sudden it cuts to huge swells that come out of nowhere.

The shots around the island of Oahu are stunningly picturesque especially the scenes at Waimea Falls. The movie captures the beauty of the islands spectacularly. Trying to distance itself from the beach-party films there are no musical guest acts only Jan and Dean singing the hit title song over the end credits. Broadcast infrequently, Ride the Wild Surf thankfully is available on DVD.

Click here to watch the original trailer

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A critic once wrote that the only value of Hell Drivers would be to those who wish to study the status of the British trucking industry in the 1950s. Yet, the intense, black-and-white low budget movie has come to define the epitome of what cult movies are. It's built quite a following around the world, primarily due to it's distinguished cast that boasted Stanley Baker, Herbert Lom and cinematic super spies-to-be Sean Connery, Patrick McGoohan and David McCallum. Writer David Cairns takes a sentimental road trip back in time to analyze the pluses and minuses of this testosterone-fueled macho drama - and to also extoll the often overlooked contributions of Stanley Baker to the British film industry. To read click here

Click here to order this DVD from Amazon U.K.

Disney film expert Wade Sampson has written an exhaustive account of the clever methods used by Walt Disney to bring his 1959 fable Darby O'Gill and the Little People to the screen. The elaborate marketing campaign included a one hour TV special about the movie and a campaign by Walt himself to convince the children of the world that leprechauns really did exist - a deception that still grates on Sampson today! The article covers some well known trivia (his starring role in the film led to Sean Connery landing the part of James Bond) and some more obscure facts (Barry Fitzgerald was to star.) Click here to read this highly entertaining analysis of one of Walt Disney's most underrated films.

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For James Bond fans, Sunday's Goldfinger reunion had the Midas Touch in every regard. Organized by Cinema Retro colmunist Gareth Owen and his partner Andy Boyle of www.bondstars.com, the event gave 120 lucky attendees from around the world the opportunity to celebrate the classic James Bond film in the ultimate fashion. With the exception of Sean Connery, John Barry and Shirley Bassey, virtually every living actor and technician from the film were reunited at London's Pinewood Studios where principal photography had taken place in 1964. Among the attendees: director Guy Hamilton, cast members Shirley Eaton, Tania Mallett, Burt Kwouk, Martin Benson, Margaret Nolan, Caron Gardner, production designer Sir Ken Adam, art director Peter Murton, Peter Lamont (who served as draughtsman on the film), Leslie Bricusse, who co-wrote the lyrics to the smash hit title song, and sound man Norman Wanstall, who won an Oscar for the film. This was literally an all-day event, as the stars arrived at 10:30 AM for autograph sessions that were followed by a tour of the studio led by Cinema Retro co-publisher Dave Worrall. A highlight was the surprise appearance of one of the original Aston Martin DB5's which was on loan for the event from The Louwman Collection in The Netherlands. In the afternoon, everyone gathered at Pinewood's Theatre 7 for a screening of the film in digital format. It was to be an historic occasion: the largest gathering of cast and crew to view the movie since its original premiere. The digital print was simply stunning and it's safe to say that no matter how many times you've seen the film, you haven't truly seen it until you've experienced the flawless digital presentation. At the conclusion of the film, Cinema Retro editor-in-chief Lee Pfeiffer conducted Q&A sessions with Shirley Eaton, Tania Mallett, Burt Kwouk, Leslie Bricusse, Margaret Nolan and Guy Hamilton. At the conclusion of the session, Honor Blackman, who made a surprise appearance at the screening, joined Pfeiffer and Dave Worrall on stage to present Guy Hamilton with the Cinema Retro Lifetime Achivement award in recognition of his remarkable body of work that includes serving as assistant director to Sir Carol Reed on The Third Man and John Huston on The African Queen and his own hit films as director that include Live and Let Die, Diamonds Are Forever, The Man With the Golden Gun, Funeral in Berlin, The Colditz Story and Battle of Britain. A clearly moved Guy Hamilton gave a gracious acceptance speech and relished reliving his memories of Goldfinger with Honor Blackman.

Finally, there was a memorable photo session as Cinema Retro photographer Mark Mawston posed many of the cast and crew members around the Aston Martin DB5. The event finally ended at 7:00 PM, with weary but enthusiastic attendees recognizing they had been part of a day they will not soon forget.

(Tickets for this event sold out in 24 hours. For those who were not able to attend, but who would like a souvenir of the day, there are a limited number of the illustrated collector's programs available for sale. To purchase from Bond Stars click here)

(All photos copyright Mark Mawston. All rights reserved.)

For my second beach movie review, I picked what I think is the best of the Frankie and Annette beach-party musicals, Beach Blanket Bingo:

BEACH BLANKET BINGO (1965)

Frankie Avalon (Frankie), Annette Funicello (Dee Dee), Deborah Walley (Bonnie Graham), Harvey Lembeck (Eric Von Zipper), John Ashley (Steve Gordon), Jody McCrea (Bonehead), Donna Loren (Donna), Marta Kristen (Lorelei), Linda Evans (Sugar Kane), Timothy Carey (South Dakota Slim), Don Rickles (Big Drop), Paul Lynde (Bullets), Buster Keaton (Himself), Earl Wilson (Himself), Bobbi Shaw (Bobbi), Donna Michelle (Animal), Mike Nader (Butch), Patti Chandler (Patti), Andy Romano, Alan Fife, Jerry Brutsche, John Macchia, Bob Harvey, Alberta Nelson, Myrna Ross (Rat Pack), Ed Garner, Guy Hemric, Duane Ament, Ray Atkinson, Brian Wilson, Mickey Dora, Ned Wynn, Frank Alesia, Phil Henderson, Johnny Fain, Ronnie Dayton (Beach Boys), Linda Benson, Mary Hughes, Salli Sachse, Linda Merrill, Luree Holmes, Laura Nicholson, Linda Bent, Chris Cranston, Mary Sturdevant, Judy Lescher, Pat Bryton, Pam Colbert, Dessica Giles, Stephanie Nader, Jo Ann Zerfas (Beach Girls). Guest stars: The Hondells.

In the immortal words of Eric Von Zipper, Beach Blanket Bingo is “nifty.” It is the best, the zaniest, the quirkiest, and most fondly remembered of the Frankie and Annette fun-in-the-sun teenage epics. Admittedly, the story centering on Dee Dee proving to Frankie that girls can sky dive as well as boys while vying for him with a redheaded tease, Bonehead falling in love with a mermaid, and a beautiful singer kidnapped by Von Zipper’s biker gang is far-fetched. But it contains some very funny lines mostly delivered by Don Rickles as Big Drop and Paul Lynde as an acid-tongued press agent whose verbal sparring with Avalon is one of the movie’s highlights. Lots of colorful beach scenes are intermingled with stock sky diving shots. All your AIP favorite stars are here, the songs are bouncy and light, an array of guest comics provides some of the series’ funniest moments, and a bevy of beautiful blondes enhance the action.

Frankie delivers one of his most amusing performances but poor Annette who proved she could act in Muscle Beach Party really has nothing much to do, as her character seems resigned to the fact that her boyfriend has a roving eye. Deborah Walley, usually cast as the good girl, surprises as a vixen who uses Frankie to make her boyfriend John Ashley jealous. Jody McCrea finally gets to stretch his acting muscle as Bonehead and his scenes with Marta Kristen (Judy Robinson on Lost in Space) as a mermaid are touching and bittersweet. Linda Evans is darling as the naïve Sugar Kane and stands out whenever she dons a bikini. It is these two sexy blondes along with Playboy Playmate Donna Michelle as man-hungry Animal and the rest of the bikini-clad beach girls that make Beach Blanket Bingo a winner with girl watchers. For boy watchers it is the same old crew but at least shirtless surfer boys Mike Nader and Johnny Fain get lots more screen time and even raise an eyebrow or two when Nader inserts a frankfurter into the eager waiting mouth of Fain while Donna Loren sings about an unrequited love. Scenes like that make me want to go hmmmmmmmm.

Another big plus for Beach Blanket Bingo is the music score. The songs are some of the best from the series beginning with the title song—the grandest opening number of all the beach-party movies. The up tempo tune is sung in such a light and bouncy manner by Frankie and Annette that you can’t but help want to jump to your feet and dance along. They also do well with their second duet, the popular “I Think, You Think.” Pretty Donna Loren expertly belts out the heart wrenching “It Only Hurts When I Cry” and The Hondells rock out on “The Cycle Set.” Every beach-party movie has one clunker and in Beach Blanket Bingo it is “These Are the Good Times” crooned by Avalon as if it were 1950 rather than 1965.

On the down side, as with most of the beach-party movies, Beach Blanket Bingo does not do surfers any justice and doesn’t even bother to insert any stock surfing footage. The other wrong note in the film is John Ashley. After playing Frankie’s buddy Johnny in Beach Party, Muscle Beach Party, and Bikini Beach, his being cast as Avalon’s jealous rival Steve throws off the continuity of the series. But despite its minor flaws, Beach Blanket Bingo is the apex of the beach movie genre. However, little did anyone know at the time that this would be the last beach pairing of Frankie and Annette (Frankie only makes a cameo appearance in the next film, How to Stuff a Wild Bikini). Thankfully, Beach Blanket Bingo (as well as all the AIP beach movies) is available on DVD and turn up frequently on Turner Classic Movies.

For more about me and my books, visit my web site www.sixtiescinema.com.

- Tom Lisanti

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CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE FRANKIE AND ANNETTE MOVIE COLLECTION DVD SET

Charles McGraw, Biography of a Film Noir Tough Guy. (Mcfarland and Co. 2007.)

By Wesley Britton

“I'm all for new faces. And I'm not sore at the producers. They give a kid good direction and custom- written parts and sometimes the kids click. But I get my dander up at the way some of these kindergarten actors put on the dog. They let their hair grow long if they're a man or cut it off if they're a woman. They start giving out with their theories on picture-making and the theatre in general, when most of them haven't been closer to the stage than the one in the high school auditorium. They get interviewed and they say unusual things—and they make me sick . . . Trouble with kids today [is that] they don't want to be actors half as much as they want to be stars. The craftsmanship, the joy of doing something well hasn't half the exciting appeal as the dollars or the phony glamour.”

While the quote above might seem a perfectly appropriate jab at moviedom’s current rash of questionably talented box-office draws, it was actually made in 1955 by longtime character actor, Charles McGraw. He was fresh off his most recent role in The Bridges at Toko-Ri and spoke from a deep well of experience. After all, from 1942’s The Dying Monster to 1976’s Twilight’s Last Gleaming—his 68^th feature film--the much respected actor worked with virtually everyone in Tinsel Town. He would play the cruel slave-master Marcellus in Spartacus (1960) and suffer a broken-jaw when the film’s lead, Kirk Douglas, overdid it in one scene. McGraw played Sebastian Sholes in The Birds (1963) but would never work for Alfred Hitchcock again due to an ill-advised fat joke. He was among the all-star cast of Stanley Kramer’s 1963 It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World and enjoyed a career comeback when he played the father of the psychopathic killer, Perry Smith (Robert Blake) in 1967’s In Cold Blood. But, as demonstrated in the title of Alan K. Rode’s Charles McGraw, Biography of a Film Noir Tough Guy, the “working class” actor would never become a household name. Still, he left behind an impressive resume of work that stretched over three decades.

Beginning today, Disney is taking on-line orders for their exciting new DVD, Disneyland: Imagineering the Magic, the first in-depth look at the creation of the park's rides. The DVD includes exclusive interviews with Disney's Imagineers, the creative geniuses who envisioned the legendary attractions. To order, click here

To link to our previous story about the DVD and its contents, click here

One of the most requested movie titles for DVD release is finally being released in May as part of Warner Brothers tribute to Frank Sinatra on the 10th anniversary of his death. Sergeants 3 has not been available on home video since the early days of Beta in the 1970s. Supposedly, disputes over rights have kept it off the market, along with certain other films that Frank Sinatra had a hand in producing. Sergeants 3 is a remake of Gunga Din set in the American west with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Peter Lawford playing the roles originally made famous by Cary Grant, Victor McLaughlin and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. In the role of the belittled regimental bugler who rises to an act of enormous heroism, Sammy Davis Jr. took the part played by Sam Jaffe in George Stevens' 1939 classic. Rat Pack stalwart Joey Bishop has a major supporting role. The film will be available only as part of a Rat Pack Ultimate Collector's Edition that includes a new deluxe release of Oceans Eleven,and the previously-released 4 For Texas and Robin and the Seven Hoods. The set will contain many bonus extras including rare footage from The Tonight Show, mini lobby cards, studio correspondence, production stills and commentaries by Frank Sinatra Jr and Angie Dickinson.

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Cinema Retro Editor-in-Chief Lee Pfeiffer provides an in-depth review of one of the most eagerly-awaited DVD releases of the year.

Warner Home Video has finally released a DVD edition of Bonnie and Clyde that does justice to director Arthur Penn's masterpiece of American filmmaking. Although the movie was a sensation when released in 1967, the abundance of other great films that year (The Graduate and In the Heat of the Night among them) somewhat distracted from the appreciation that should have been accorded the movie at that year's Oscars, where it lost in most of the major categories. Yet, moreso than any other film released in 1967, Bonnie and Clyde remains as relevant today as it ever did. There isn't an aspect of the movie that seems dated and from the technical point of view, it still seems as fresh and innovative as ever: especially in an era in which many young directors envision their feature films as though they are big screen versions of video games. Despite being one of the crown jewels in the Warner Brothers catalog, the studio had only released a bare bones DVD version. That mistake has been corrected with Bonnie and Clyde: The Ultimate Collector's Edition, a 2 DVD set that lives up to the hype. Curiously, this set wasn't ready for release last year, which would have marked the 40th anniversary of the film. However, patience is a virtue when it comes to something this good and the release was well worth the wait.

Here is a detailed breakdown of what the set contains:

As previously mentioned on this website, Hammer films have been busy producing their first horror feature film since To The Devil… a Daughter over thirty years ago. Titled Beyond the Rave, it follows a young man about to go off to war in Iraq, who happens to fall in with a group of vampires. As you do.

The film is due to be released through MySpace TV on April 16^th in twenty five-minute episodes. At some point after the final episode a DVD will be released. You can currently view the trailer on MySpace (where you have to be a registered user) or here - http://www.puregrassfilms.com/v2/project_details.php?film=13

Your Cinema Retro correspondent has to declare an interest in the film, as both my sister and I appear in the background as extras! However, judging from the trailer I can safely say that it looks very different from any of the traditional Hammer output that we all know and love. One Hammer star, Ingrid Pitt, was invited to the premiere, and you can read her reaction here - http://www.denofgeek.com/captainsblog/16775/the_ingrid_pitt_column_watching_hammers_new_film.html

It is great that Hammer are producing new films again, but one can only hope that they begin to create a series of films that are more recognisable to fans. There are currently rumours that Hammer are also producing a series of gothic horror tales with the BBC, so I remain ever hopeful.- Adrian Smith

For Cinema Retro's exclusive report on the making of Beyond the Rave, click here

In her new autobiography, Home: A Memoir of My Early Years, Dame Julie Andrews reveals the trials and tribulations of growing up in a household in which her stepfather, Ted Andrews, tried to take sexual advantage of her. It began when she was nine and continued until her teenage years, when her aunt physically installed a bolt on her bedroom door. Andrews writes about the irony of the fact that her stepfather was the one who can be credited for launching her show business career. However, the memories of near sexual molestation haunt her until today. For more click here

Here is the publisher's description of the book:

Since her first appearance on screen in Mary Poppins, Julie Andrews has played a series of memorable roles that have endeared her to generations. But she has never told the story of her life before fame. Until now.

In Home: A Memoir of My Early Years, Julie takes her readers on a warm, moving, and often humorous journey from a difficult upbringing in war-torn Britain to the brink of international stardom in America. Her memoir begins in 1935, when Julie was born to an aspiring vaudevillian mother and a teacher father, and takes readers to 1962, when Walt Disney himself saw her on Broadway and cast her as the world's most famous nanny.

Along the way, she weathered the London Blitz of World War II; her parents' painful divorce; her mother's turbulent second marriage to Canadian tenor Ted Andrews, and a childhood spent on radio, in music halls, and giving concert performances all over England. Julie's professional career began at the age of twelve, and in 1948 she became the youngest solo performer ever to participate in a Royal Command Performance before the Queen. When only eighteen, she left home for the United States to make her Broadway debut in The Boy Friend, and thus began her meteoric rise to stardom.

Home is filled with numerous anecdotes, including stories of performing in My Fair Lady with Rex Harrison on Broadway and in the West End, and in Camelot with Richard Burton on Broadway; her first marriage to famed set and costume designer Tony Walton, culminating with the birth of their daughter, Emma; and the call from Hollywood and what lay beyond.

Julie Andrews' career has flourished over seven decades. From her legendary Broadway performances, to her roles in such iconic films as The Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Hawaii, 10, and The Princess Diaries, to her award-winning television appearances, multiple album releases, concert tours, international humanitarian work, best-selling children's books, and championship of literacy, Julie's influence spans generations. Today, she lives with her husband of thirty-eight years, the acclaimed writer/director Blake Edwards; they have five children and seven grandchildren.

Featuring over fifty personal photos, many never before seen, this is the personal memoir Julie Andrews' audiences have been waiting for.

To order this book from the Cinema Retro Amazon store, click here

When author and Cinema Retro contributor Robert Sellers wrote The Battle for Bond, a book about the complicated legal fights regarding the early days of the 007 franchise, he had no idea he would himself become embroiled in the courtroom quagmire that has gone on for decades. The book centers on a high profile court battle between Bond's creator Ian Fleming and his former collaboraters Kevin McClory and Jack Whittingham over his use of story elements they had developed together. Fleming ended up using some of these aspects as the basis for his novel Thunderball. That novel was to be the first James Bond film, but the ensuing plagiarism suit against Fleming persuaded the producers to go with Dr. No as Bond's big screen debut vehicle. The court case took a high toll on Fleming's frail health and he ended up settling with his opponents. In the settlement, he had to acknowlege both men's contributions to the storyline of Thunderball in future editions of the book. McClory also received the screen rights to the novel and was one of the producers on the blockbuster 1965 screen version. He also executive produced the 1983 remake, Never Say Never Again.

In the process of researching his book, Robert Sellers received copies of the court documents from Kevin McClory, who died a short time later. He reproduced these in The Battle for Bond. Now the Ian Fleming Will Trust, headed by the late author's niece, threatened to sue Sellers' publisher, London-based Tomahawk Press for copyright infringement. The author and publisher argue that court documents are in the public domain, but Tomahawk cannot afford to fight a costly court action. (Under UK law, the losing side in a legal case must also pay their opponent's costs as well.) Tomahawk has agreed to pulp the remaining 300 copies of the book. Remaining stocks in bookstores are not being recalled, though Amazon UK is removing the title. Sellers and Tomahawk have said they will reissue the book without the controversial photos of the legal documents. In the meantime, it's hard to fathom what the Fleming estate hoped to gain by these actions. They've taken a low-profile book and given it enormous exposure. (The Times of London has a full story about the situation in today's edition). Sellers was not uncovering a scandal: the courtroom case involving Fleming was major news at the time and has been extensively oovered in every biography of the author. For the sake of trashing 300 copies, they have insured that the book will now be highly-sought by readers who might otherwise would have never known it existed. It will also insure that the value of the first edition will skyrocket.

For the Times article click here

To read Robert Sellers response to the suit in an article for 007 Magazine, click here

This book is still available from Amazon USA. To order from the Cinema Retro Amazon Movie Book store and receive free shipping click here

Doing Justice to Justice.

For those of our readers who are unfamiliar with the name James Robertson Justice, shame upon you. For those of you who are, then you’re in for a real treat.

James Robertson Justice: “What’s The Bleeding Time?” A Biography, by James Hogg (assisted by Retro’s regular columnist and author Robert Sellers, and also Howard Watson) is a wonderful insight into the life of this amazing and charismatic actor.

If you thought the lives of David Niven and Peter Ustinov were fascinating, then add James Robertson Justice to this elite bunch of theatrical raconteurs. Long-time friend of the Royal family, Justice saw action in both the Spanish Civil War and WWWII. He was a racing driver, a professional ice hockey player, and was elected Rector of Edinburgh University twice! However, it is his screen performances that we all remember and associate him with; those where he played a commanding figure in high authority, like the head of a college, or surgeon general of a hospital, especially that of Sir Lancelot Spratt in the famed British comedy ‘Doctor’ series.

I’m not going to divulge anymore, for this is a book you must read. Tomahawk Press, one of the best independent publishing houses of niche market title books in the world, are to be applauded for bringing this excellent tome to add to our library of movie books. Superbly researched, handsomely illustrated (both B&W and colour), I cannot highly recommend this enough. So far, my best book of the last six months. If you love British film history and British film comedy, plus want to read about the most eccentrics of actors, then this is for you. Oh, and when I said he was a ‘friend’ of the Royal family, then one only has to look to the foreword – it’s by H.R.H. The Duke Of Edinburgh. Need I say more? - Dave Worrall

Click here to order from Amazon UK

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Cinema Retro just received the following press release from Fox UK:

United Artists’ cult classic - The Thomas Crown Affair - will be celebrating its 40^th Anniversary this February. As part the studio’s 90^th Anniversary, also launching in February, United Artists are giving film fans a chance to re-visit one of the most iconic films to emerge from their remarkable collection of inspirational titles available on DVD.

Released in 1968, the film was nominated for two Academy Awards, for Original Music score and Best Song.

The film is was modelled on the life of noted Belgian thief Tomas Van Der Heijden (played by Steve McQueen) who used a dune buggy to steal seven paintings by French painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir from the Louvre in 1961. It also stars screen siren Faye Dunaway, an insurance investigator who always gets her man, but can she give up the man she has fallen in love with to the authorities?

This stylish cat-and-mouse thriller directed by Norman Jewison, who makes exciting use of split screen images as the action leaps from the boardroom to the boudoir, the polo field to a glider cockpit. The Oscar winning Best Song (1968) "The Windmills of Your Mind" sets the perfect tone for the swirl of romance and intrigue...

The Thomas Crown Affair thought to be the first film to have ever showed the reveal and broke the mould in slick, classy crime capers and inspired a remake (released in 1999) starring Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo - which was also received with success. A new sequel is also planned for release this year.

(The DVD contains a director's commentary by Norman Jewison who will be interviewed in a forthcoming issue of Cinema Retro)

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Ingmar Bergman Revisited—Performance, Cinema and the Arts. 

Edited by Maaret Kokskinen.  (Wallflower Press, 2008.)

 

Cinema lost one of its towering giants last year with the death of Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman.  Bergman not only had a long career in motion pictures, but he was a well-respected theatre director as well.  Koskinen’s book contains a variety of essays and recollections by prominent international critics, authors, and academicians.  The pieces fall within the book’s three main sections (“Music, Stage, Film—Between the Arts”; “Picturing the Self—Between Words and Images”; and “Picturing the World—and Beyond”), and is preceded by a heartfelt Prologue by Bergman’s longtime collaborator and onetime lover, Liv Ullmann.  The book is decidedly more of a scholarly and analytical study of Bergman’s themes and methods rather than a fannish celebration of his career.  Nevertheless, it is a valuable and worthwhile addition to a cinephile’s library, and it especially belongs in the collection of any student of the Swedish master.

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TCM International Film Guide—2008 (44^th Edition).  Edited by Ian Haydn Smith. (Wallflower Press, 2008.)

             

 

This annual publication began in 1963 and is arguably the most authoritative and respected source of information on world cinema, as well as the numerous film festivals that are held around the world.  Now with Turner Classic Movies acting as a sponsor, the book is even better than ever. This 44^th edition encompasses the films and festivals of 2006 and 2007, and all major motion picture releases from around the world.  New features include coverage of five “Directors of the Year” (in this case, Faith Akin, Suzanne Bier, Guillermo del Toro, Paul Greengrass, and Jia Zhangke), a focus on the German film industry, the growth of DVD production, and a study of documentaries.  Full of color stills, trivia, and comprehensive listings, the International Guide is a must for serious film fans.  An art house patron’s delight!

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Click here to visit www.raymondbenson.com

                                                                       

                                                                          

The Last Emperor. (The Criterion Collection, 2008).

Red-carpet DVD producer Criterion does it again with its lavish, four-disk box set release of this Oscar winner from 1987. Directed by Bernardo Bertolucci, the film is one of two films in Academy history that won all of its nominations in nine categories (Gigi being the other; only one other film won a higher number of nominations without a loss, and that was The Lord of the Rings—the Return of the King). Emperor is a magnificent and intelligent epic about Pu Yi, the last reigning emperor of Imperial China. While full of spectacle on a grand scale, the picture also manages to be an intimate human drama about a young man trapped by historical events out of his control. After all, this was a person who became the emperor of a country at the age of three. Of particular historical cinematic importance is the fact that the film was the first commercial picture to be shot within Beijing’s Forbidden City. Starring John Lone and Joan Chen as the emperor and empress, and featuring a marvelous supporting turn by Peter O’Toole as Pu Yi’s British tutor, the film is clearly Bertolucci’s masterpiece and arguably one of the best films of the 1980s. It richly deserved every award bestowed upon it.

Criterion has restored the theatrical version (at 165 minutes) in a beautiful, high-definition digital transfer, supervised and approved by cinematographer Vittorio Storaro. There is also an audio commentary by Bertolucci, producer Jeremy Thomas, screenwriter Mark Peploe, and co-composer/actor Ryuichi Sakamoto.

A second disk features a restored high-definition digital transfer of the 218 minute ‘director’s cut’ televised version (that also played briefly in the theaters in the 1990s). This version delves deeper into Pu Yi’s incarceration at the “reconditioning” camp during the 1950s, as well as more scenes in the early Forbidden City sections.

Disks three and four are loaded with supplements. There are several lengthy documentaries, both vintage and contemporary, about the making of the film. The crown jewel is the feature originally broadcast on BBC television’s The South Bank Show. A new and entertaining interview with co-composer David Byrne is also a highlight.

The Last Emperor has often been called “the last great epic.” While this contention is arguable, Criterion’s presentation of this magnificent motion picture certainly goes a long way toward proving it.--Raymond Benson

www.raymondbenson.com

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A recently published book from the University of Utah Press compiles dozens of essays relating to the films and career of Clint Eastwood. Titled Clint Eastwood: Actor and Director, the book is now available through the Cinema Retro Amazon Movie Book Store. Here is the description from Amazon:

Clint Eastwood, Actor and Director: New Perspectives is an anthology of essays by learned authors discussing Hollywood star Clint Eastwood, who has made a stand-out name for himself as a top-notch director through films such as "Unforgiven" and "Million Dollar Baby". Individual essays include "Mocking Success in 'Every Which Way but Loose'", "Irony as Absolution", "Mystic Moral Miasma in 'Mystic River'", and much more. The essays have a scholarly tone and a perceptive eye toward meticulous analysis of theme; Clint Eastwood, Actor and Director is especially recommended for film studies students and professionals who would learn from Eastwood's work, as well as cerebral Clint Eastwood fans.

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Cinema Retro Editor-in-Chief Lee Pfeiffer weighs in on the 80th annual Academy Awards

Well, all those cynics who predicted this would be the worst Academy Awards ceremony ever were wrong. However, because it's become so uncool to say anything nice about the Oscar telecast, don't look for candor in the mainstream press. This certainly wasn't the most memorable of telecasts, but given the short deadline producer Gil Cates had to prepare for the event after the WGA strike was settled, he can take a semi-bow for pulling it all off rather seamlessly. For one thing, the pacing was very fast (by Oscar standards) and the decision in recent years to drop those dreadful opening production numbers looks wiser with every broadcast. I actually thought the awards started at 8:00 PM east coast time, so I was a bit ticked off to find myself watching a half hour "red carpet" teaser show hosted by amiable goofball Regis Philbin. Like Larry King, Philbin's made a fortune off being - well, amiable without having to give his brain cells much of a workout. What Philbin knows about movie history could fit on the head of a pin, so his comments were all of the cringing, arse-kissing variety ("Everybody wants to be George Clooney!" he panted to the Oscar-nominated star). The Reege almost got through the entire half hour without a customary display of his ignorance, but then in the final seconds, he introduced Javier Bardem as "Xavier Bardem", thus obvously channeling the spirit of bandleader Xavier Cougat, who is probably Philbin's idea of a hip celeb.

Once the ceremonies began, Jon Stewart seemed far more comfortable than his first time around as host in 2006. He got off some mildly amusing zingers and a minimum of duds. Throughout the evening, however, his performance wavered on several occasions, though a well-placed observation generally salvaged his performance. He's not the ideal host for this gig, but he wasn't the disaster many of us feared. (For that we'd have to go back to David Letterman's (hopefully) one-shot brush with being an Oscar host.) An impressive aspect of the show was the presence of real star power (or what passes for real star power today.) Not long ago, it was considered too corny to attend the awards, so many major stars stayed away. However, the pendulum seems to have swung back and it was nice to see so many big names in attendance: Harrison Ford (refreshingly, looking as pained and grumpy as ever), John Travolta (still with the bizarre haircut that resembles a skullcap), Tom Hanks, Martin Scorsese, Helen Mirren,Cameron Diaz, Johnny Depp, Denzel Washington, Jack Nicholson, - and even living legend Mickey Rooney, who probably had to show ID to the ushers to prove he wasn't a limo driver. Highlights of the show included the usual heart-felt tribute to the staggering number of artists who had died in the previous year. (Even well-known agents were included this time around). Unavoidably, the tribute had to end on the somber note of Heath Ledger's passing. Many movie fans probably don't realize how many well known people from the industry have died until they watch this segment of the Oscar show. Another nice gesture was the inclusion of U.S. servicemen and women announcing the nominees and winner for documentary short. The broadcast came from Baghdad and might have been a sop to right wingers because of the abundance of nominated documentary films that were harshly critical of U.S war policy. In any event, it was a good moment.

The absurdity of limiting winners to an acceptance speech of less than a minute became increasingly irritating and embarrassing. Here are people at the pinnacle of their professional careers and if one takes the time to mention their mother in their acceptance speech, then their partner probably loses the opportunity to speak at all. Let these people talk - some will undoubtedly be boring, but occasionally someone will say something profound or memorable. When young songwriter Marketa Irglova was shafted out of being able to speak when her co-writer took up her precious twenty seconds of time, Jon Stewart very graciously invited her out to the stage later to give her speech. It firmly put the spotlight on how ridiculous these time limitations had become - and it's a reason other awards shows that don't have this rule have begun to make serious inroads on Oscar.

For the most part, the stars looked good. There were no completely over-the-top outfits, except for an avant garde number that first time screenwriter Diablo Cody wore on stage to accept her well-deserved Oscar for the charming and funny Juno. However, since Cody's previous career was as a stripper, we'll give her a pass. Most of the men looked handsome and elegant and none wore those awful, designer cowboy tuxes that usually show up. (Though we do wish the craze for tuxedos with straight ties will pass! There is nothing more flattering than the old standard black tux with bow tie. - and if you doubt me, just look at George Clooney. who has the timeless elegance of Cary Grant). The women looked appropriately stunning, though we kind of miss the Cher era in which at least one eye-popping number dominated the fashion columns the following morning. The only truly awful wardrobe malfunction was Jennifer Hudson's white gown. We know she's a full-figured woman, but this little number made her look like an aircraft carrier. I expected to see U.S.S. Enterprise stenciled on her rear end.

MGM has released a long-overdue and most welcome special edition of director Norman Jewison's In the Heat of the Night. The film won the Best Picture Oscar for 1967. Unlike many films that dealt with pressing social issues of their time, Heat never feels dated and remains a crackling good thriller from start to finish. Unless you've been living in a cave for the last forty years, you're probably familiar with the storyline. Set in Ground Zero of the segregationist South, Mississippi, Sidney Poitier is Philadelphia detective Virgil Tibbs who finds himself the chief suspect in the murder of a prominent businessman in a small town. The redneck cops are ready to railroad him until he informs the local police chief, Rod Steiger, that he, too, is a police officer - and when Steiger asks cynically what he is referred to in the department, Poitier gets to spout one of the screen's classic lines: "They call me Mister Tibbs!" This was groundbreaking stuff forty years ago when many whites in the deep south still couldn't accept the fact that blacks had a right to ride in the front of a bus. Tibbs is ordered to participate in the murder investigation and he forms a reluctant partnership with Steiger. The premise of the two foes gaining gradual respect seems hopelessly cliched today - but this is the film that started it all and the teaming of Poitier and Steiger still outclass all their imitators.

The film boasts an outstanding supporting cast including Lee Grant, Warren Oates, Larry Gates and Scott Wilson. The murder mystery itself is a conventional McGuffin - it's the witches cauldron of racial tension that forms the basis of the storyline. We see the old South through Tibbs' eyes and he is clearly a stranger in a strange land. Even the smallest social courtesies are denied him, but he stoically soldiers on, humiliating his foes by use of sheer logic and a superior education. When Tibbs finally snaps and slaps a white rich man back across the face, it's a seminal moment in movie history.Steiger won the Oscar for uncharacteristically underacting while Poitier was denied a nomination for the best performance of his career. It wasn't due to racism, however- Poitier had been awarded the Best Actor Oscar in 1964 for Lillies of the Field. Ironically, he was so popular in 1967 that I've long theorized that Academy voters split between his performances in Heat, To Sir, With Love and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? with the end result that he knocked himself out of the competition.

MGM's single disc special edition features previously released commentary tracks with Norman Jewison, Rod Steiger, Lee Grant and famed cinematographer Haskell Wexler, whose work on the film still impresses greatly. A making-of documentary, Turning Up the Heat provides some fascinating anecdotes. Jewison says the film could not have been shot in the actual South because of the danger to the cast and crew. It was filmed in southern Illinois, but for one pivotal scene, Poitier had to make an uncomfortable trip south of the Mason Dixon line. The threat of physical violence was so real that he had to sleep with a gun under his pillow. Other featurettes include a tribute to Quincy Jones, whose jazz-filled musical score was groundbreaking, as was the soulful performance of Ray Charles on the title song. Another short featurette examines the social impact of the scene in which Tibbs slaps the white man. The impact crossed racial lines and even whites were cheering for Tibbs. There is also a theatrical trailer included, though strangely the documentaries don't play up the fact that the film spawned two sequels starring Poitier as Tibbs. Sadly, Poitier himself is nowhere to be found on the special edition. The publicity-shy star generally avoids interviews, but one truly wishes he had made an exception for this project. We don't have many leading men with his class and style today and we don't get many thrillers as good as In the Heat of the Night.- Lee Pfeiffer

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We're always humbled by the vast array of talented people who contribute to Cinema Retro magazine and website. Apparently, many other people are aware as well. Cinema Retro London-based contributing writer and photographer Mark Mawston has recently been inducted into the prestigious Rock Archive.

The Archive, founded in 1998 by award-winning photographer Jill Furmanovsky, has become the world’s finest print archive specialising in rock and roll imagery and counts as its contributors some of the most famous rock photographers on the planet.

On being voted into Rock archive Mark says that “I’m very proud to be listed alongside some of these great photographers as many are as important as the acts they have captured”.

Mark’s first break was when his photo of graffiti adorning the wall outside Abbey Road Studios was chosen to represent The Beatles “Anthology” in the EMI ‘100 Years of Recorded Music’ exhibition. Since then Mark has been fortunate enough to capture a great number of the artists who’s music has sound tracked the lives of so many. His portfolio includes shots from the first instigators of Rock ‘n’ Roll through to many of today’s “new hopefuls”. He is currently compiling a book “written by a fan for the fan” in which he describes meetings with such legends as Brian Wilson, The Stones, Shane McGowan, Iggy Pop, The Sex Pistols, The Elvis TCB Band, Cream, Ennio Morricone, John Barry, Arthur Lee, Sam Phillips and many others.

Mark’s passion for music has led him to create what one agency called “40 years worth of work in half a dozen years”. He is currently compiling a book chronicling some of his more interesting encounters. Mark's best known contributions to Cinema Retro is the multi-part interview with legendary filmmaker Ray Harryhausen that has been called one of the most definitive ever conducted with special effects genius. Mark also provided advanced, exclusive photos of the Star Wars prop exhibiton that opened in London last year. (To view click here)

The shot here shows Mark with the all seeing eye from Clash Of The Titans, which he found at the bottom of a tea chest when helping author Tony Dalton find materials to shoot in his research for the forthcoming third book on the stop motion legend. “That is a story in itself but that we’ll keep for another time and another issue” Mark said.

Marks aim is to continue to photograph the legends that have had an impact on his and others lives both musically and cinematically. He says, “The thrill of taking a shot of a musician you’ve listened to or a film star who’s work you’ve loved all your life never leaves you. You remain a fan after all. Two examples of this happened recently. I was given the privilege of covering the world premiere of Brian Wilson’s latest work That Lucky Old Sun. I’d covered both opening nights of Pet Sounds and Smile but this was a thrill as this time I was given permission to cover the rehearsal. This meant that in affect I was one of the first non band members ever to hear this work. I was alone with Brian Wilson in the RFH as he sang the entire piece to my camera. It was unforgettable. Another great moment recently was when John Barry’s wife commissioned one of my photo’s of John at last year's Meltdown. To think that the guy who’s music has been so inspirational now has one of my pictures “above his fireplace” is a big deal to me. On a cinematic front, to think that as a kid watching the 200 ft Talos glowering down at me in the stalls in Jason at The Argonauts, that there would come a day that I’d hold him in my hand is unbelievable.”

Some of Marks images can be found at www.Markmawston.com and the initial run of his limited edition prints can be found at www.rockarchive.com. As Mark said “You need only look under the letters B & R to see what illustrious company I’m in. It’s a real honour”.

Hollywood has lost one of its most intriguing leading men. Roy Scheider, who received Oscar nominations for The French Connection and All That Jazz, has died from cancer at age 75. The acclaimed actor shot to leading man status with his starring role in the 1975 blockbuster Jaws. One of Scheider's last film achievements was narrating and appearing in the forthcoming documentary The Shark is Still Working which details the the making of the film. Scheider's other screen roles include Marathon Man and the greatly-underrated William Friedkin thriller Sorcerer. For more click here.

(To read an interview with the producers of The Shark is Still Working, who discuss Roy Scheider's involvement with the film, click here)

Actor Barry Morse, who played the relentless Lt. Gerard in the TV series The Fugitive has died in London at age 89. The classically trained, esteemed actor found his greatest role as the Javert-like police officer who obsessively pursues escaped fugitive Dr. Richard Kimball (David Janssen) who was convicted of murdering his wife. The show's final two-part episode drew one of the largest audiences in the history of television. In the climax, Gerard observes Kimball fighting with a one-armed man he always maintained was the real killer. Ironically, it is Gerard who saves Kimball's life with a well-placed rifle shot that sends the villain spiraling to his death from atop a tower. The final scene of the show was refreshingly understated. As Kimball leaves a courthouse after being exonerrated, he is approached by Gerard. The two men eye each other warily, but shake hands silently. Morse drew praise not only for his work in the series, but also for his performances on stage and in numerous other films and TV series including Space 1999. His autobiography, Remembering With Advantages was published by McFarland. For more on his fascinating life and to read tributes from his fans and colleagues, go to his official web site by clicking here.

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Because this release had so little fanfare, we thought we'd bring it to readers attention. All four Matt Helm films are now available in one DVD set. That's right, now you can enjoy some of the greatest guilty pleasure movies of the 1960s as Dean Martin defeats megalomaniacs and cheesey sets in some of our favorite spy flicks of the decade. The set contains The Silencers, Murderer's Row, The Ambushers and The Wrecking Crew. The set is available at the irresistable price of only $19.95 from the Spy Movie section of Cinema Retro's Amazon DVD store. The collection is worth the price alone just to see Stella Stevens prancing about in a garter belt and a bra that seems to be two sizes too small in The Silencers! To order click here

Author Michael Klossner has found an unexplored niche in the realm of movie books: cavemen! The author's book Prehistoric Humans in Film and Television covers the wide gamut of caveman movies and TV series including such low budget gems as Teenage Caveman to the slightly more upscale 2001: A Space Odyssey. There's also plenty of ink given to those liberated cavewomen, who despite having to fend off dinosaurs and sexually uncontrollable guys from the 'hood, still managed to remain perfectly groomed with shaved legs, coiffed hair and abundant makeup. For an interview with the author click here.

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MGM has released a special edition of director Billy Wilder's landmark comedy/drama The Apartment which won the Oscar for Best Picture in 1960. The film has long been considered one of the great romances in screen history, but it ruffled a lot of feathers among both critics and the more prudish members of the film-going public at the time of its release because of its frank depiction of predatory sex practices in big business. Prior to The Apartment, studio fare stuck rather closely to the antiquated rules of the dreaded Production Code that insured any story dealing with illicit romance would be watered down. With this film, however, Wilder pushed the envelope and presented the dirty little secrets from the world of big business - in this case, Wall Street executives who consider themselves the epitome of devoted family men even while they are carrying on sordid trysts with their female employees. The film evokes an era in which women were relegated to glorified secretarial jobs and whose modest careers often hung on how receptive they were to the overtures of the aging lotharios they worked for. Jack Lemmon plays an ambitious young junior executive who willingly lends his bachelor pad apartment to corporate executives so they can indulge in their daily "quickies" in between their three-Martini business lunches. He later finds that this Faustian deal comes at a cost to his own self-respect and love life. The film's honest depiction of the sexual aspect of office politics turned off many people at the time - undoubtedly including millions of housewives who preferred not to be reminded of the antics "dad" might have been up to when he went off to work every day.

Like most Wilder productions, the film is impeccably cast and was a breakthrough for Jack Lemmon, who proved he could enact pathos as skillfully as he could slapstick comedy. The movie also boosted Shirley MacLaine's career into orbit. She plays the non-descript elevator operator in Lemmon's workplace who is carrying on an affair with his boss, swarmy Fred MacMurray. If the role were cast today, a bombshell actress would undoubtedly be cast. However, it is precisely because MacLaine was more pixie than sexpot that the true genius of casting her remains apparent even today. She looks like someone who would be an "elevator girl" and the sensitivity and heartache that she brings to the role still impresses. Perhaps the most surprising element of the film is MacMurray's terrific performance. The picture of family values, MacMurray was already a popular star of Disney films and My Three Sons - which is precisely why Wilder wanted to show that if you scratch beneath the surface of such an image, a much harsher portrait often emerges. MacMurray's excellent work is the centerpiece of the the superb performances of Lemmon and MacLaine that bookend his character.

The special edition DVD provides an interesting audio commentary by film historian Bruce Block as well as two original documentaries. Inside The Apartment provides fascinating insights into the making of the film from an impressive array of commentators including Shirley MacLaine, Robert Osborne, Wilder friend and co-writer I.A.L. Diamond's son Paul, Chris Lemmon, son of Jack Lemmon, producer Walter Mirisch, film critic Molly Haskell, Wilder biographers and even character actor Johnny Seven, who describes how a faux punch to Lemmon on screen ended up almost knocking him out. The documentary fittingly pays tribute to the gigantic, amazing set Wilder had created on the MGM lot for the film in order to provide an Orwellian feel for modern Wall Street that made the average worker look like a small cog in an enormous wheel. The other documentary, Magic Time: The Art of Jack Lemmon provides comments from some of the same people, but depends primarily on the sentimental recollections of Chris Lemmon, who clearly idolizes his famous father. Rather surprisingly, there is no original trailer or still gallery but plenty of rare shots are included in the documentaries.

This is one Apartment you should buy, not rent. In order to do so, click here to order from the Cinema Retro Amazon Movie Store. -Lee Pfeiffer