A manuscript by Anthony Burgess, author of "A Clockwork Orange", has been discovered and it can be considered at least a quasi-sequel to his classic 1962 novel. The 200 page manuscript, titled "A Clockwork Condition",  offers Burgess's reflections on society as well as his thoughts about Stanley Kubrick's notorious and highly acclaimed 1971 film version of "A Clockwork Orange" that was removed from exhibition in the UK until after the director's death in 1999. Burgess, who died in 1993, also explains in the manuscript how the bizarre title "A Clockwork Orange" came about. Click here to read BBC report. 

(For Cinema Retro's exclusive interview with Malcolm McDowell about the making of the film, see issue #21.)

BY FRED BLOSSER 

I saw many, many Italian-made sword-and-toga movies as a kid in the early 1960s at the Kayton, my neighborhood movie house, where they usually played on mismatched double-bills with B-Westerns, British “Carry On” comedies, low-budget noir dramas, and fourth-run Elvis movies. Many of these Italian epics were simplistic and formulaic, as if the producers figured that people had come to see spectacle, sex, and sword-fights, and never mind anything else. Regardless, more ambitious productions occasionally surfaced with slightly more dramatic substance and marginally higher production values. One such entry was “The Colossus of Rhodes” (1961), Sergio Leone’s first acknowledged directorial credit preceding his breakthrough success with “A Fistful of Dollars” in 1964. The Warner Archive Collection has released the 1961 movie on Blu-ray with audio commentary by Sir Christopher Frayling, Leone’s biographer and longtime critical champion.

The script co-written by Leone has plenty of plot -- almost too much, when one development begins to get in the way of another. As the film opens, an aristocratic Athenian war hero, Dario (Rory Calhoun), comes to Rhodes to kick back on vacation and ogle the ladies. Meanwhile, rebellion is brewing against tyrannical King Serses, who secretly schemes with Phoenicia to use Rhodes as a base for piratical raids against their mutual rival, Greece. As part of the deal, Phoenicia has agreed to provide Serses with a huge contingent of slaves to complete the 300-foot Colossus of Rhodes that straddles the harbor. The king needs the free labor to finish the construction after losing many of his initial workers -- starved and beaten political prisoners -- in a mass escape. The imposing statue of Apollo symbolically honors “the strength and power of our King Serses,” says the unctuous prime minister, Thar, but the two men also plan to use it to pour burning oil and molten lead on unsuspecting Greek warships when the enemy attacks in reprisal for Serses’ piracy. In the meantime, Thar schemes to depose Serses and make himself ruler. With the connivance of the Russian – oops, Phoenician – ambassador, the “slaves” imported to work on the Colossus are actually foreign mercenaries in disguise, sneaked in to support Thar’s coup. Got that? I haven’t even mentioned that Carete, the elderly, idealistic engineer who designed the monument, is unaware that the king is reconfiguring it as a war machine. Mirte, the sister of one of the freedom fighters opposing Serses and Thar, hopes to sway Dario over to the side of the rebels, while Thar’s mistress Diala (Lea Massari), who also happens to be Carete’s niece, welcomes the Athenian’s romantic advances for her own purposes. The royalists suspect Dario of being a rebel sympathizer. The insurrectionists eye him as a spy for Serses as he cozies up to Diala.

Cineasts today will recognize several familiar faces in the cast, including the wistfully beautiful Lea Massari from “L’avventura” and “Murmurs of the Heart,” and several actors who would later become Spaghetti Western regulars, including Roberto Camardiel (Serses), Antonio Casas (the Phoenician ambassador), and Nello Pazzafini (uncredited as a soldier in one fleeting scene). Back in 1961 on a Saturday night at the Kayton, Rory Calhoun’s would have been the only familiar face on the screen. The movie’s vintage trailer added as a supplement to the Blu-ray identifies Calhoun as “the star of ‘The Texan’,” as if audiences might be slow to remember that they had seen Calhoun on TV as “The Texan” the night before. As Leone’s token American star, Calhoun is dark, good-looking, and up to the physical demands of the chase and swordplay scenes, but his character is more passive than the usual toga heroes played by Steve Reeves and Gordon Scott. Where Hercules and Goliath usually led the revolts against evil kings in their movies, Dario is swept up in a plot hatched by others. Frayling says that Leone modeled the character on Cary Grant’s urbane Roger Thornhill in “North by Northwest,” to tease the usual conventions of the genre. Just as Grant’s accidental spy was trapped on the giant Presidential heads of Mt. Rushmore, Dario scrambles around on the Colossus to evade pursuing enemies, in what appears to be an impressive matte effect. The 220 B.C. costuming requires Calhoun to wear a short skirt and white sandals that Frayling likens to “Go-Go socks.” In fairness to the actor, he doesn’t look much sillier than Brad Pitt or Colin Farrell in similar garb in the more recent epics “Troy” and “Alexander” (both from 2004). There’s plenty of wrestling and hand-to-hand fighting in the story, with choreography only a little phonier than the average WWE smackdown, but except for one prolonged scuffle, it’s mostly executed by the Italian actors and stunt men who play the rebels and not by Calhoun.

Cinema Retro has received the following press release from Park Circus:

Park Circus is delighted to announce that it will have two classic films feature in the line-up at Festival de Cannes 2019.

A stunning new 4K restoration of Moulin Rouge (1952) will screen as part of the Cannes Classics programme, with road movie classic Easy Rider (1969) also screening. Presented half a century ago on the Croisette, in Competition at the Festival de Cannes, the film won the Prize for a first work. Co-writer, co-producer and lead actor, Peter Fonda, will be in Cannes at the invitation of the Festival to celebrate this anniversary.

Set in the 19th century, Moulin Rouge is the story of the crippled artist, Toulouse-Lautrec (José Ferrer). He forgets his worries by drinking and mingling at the Moulin Rouge nightclub in Paris, where he sits and sketches the scenes he sees. Lonely and convinced his crippled state means he will be alone forever, he is delighted to meet Marie (Colette Marchand), a young girl in need of help. The two become lovers, but he soon learns she is being unfaithful. Crushed, he throws her out and attempts to carry on with his life.

The film scooped a host of awards, including two Academy Awards® in 1953 for Best Picture and Best Costume Design.

Moulin Rouge has been restored by The Film Foundation in collaboration with Park Circus, Romulus Films and Metro Goldwyn Mayer with additional funding provided by the Franco-American Cultural Fund, a unique partnership between the Directors Guild of America (DGA), the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), Société des Auteurs, Compositeurs et Editeurs de Musique (SACEM), and the Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW).

Restored from the 35mm Original Nitrate 3-Strip Technicolor Negative. 4K scanning, color grading, digital image restoration and film recording by Cineric, Inc. Colorist Daniel DeVincent. Audio restoration by Chace Audio. Film processing and printing by FotoKem. Restoration Consultant Grover Crisp.

Presented in proud partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment, Easy Rider is a landmark road film which chronicles the search for freedom by two motorcycle-riding drifters (Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper, who also directs) who meet up with an alcoholic lawyer (Jack Nicholson) in a southern jail. The lawyer gets them out and then joins them on their liberating journey. This unconventional classic, nominated for an Academy Award® (1969) for Best Original Screenplay, is a compelling mixture of drugs, sex and armchair politics, which continues to touch a chord with fans everywhere.

Easy Rider directed by Dennis Hopper (1969, 95 minutes, USA). Restored in 4K by Sony Pictures Entertainment in collaboration with Cineteca di Bologna. Restored from the 35mm Original Picture Negative and 35mm Black and White Separation Masters. 4K scanning and digital image restoration by Immagine Ritrovata. Audio restoration from the 35mm Original 3-track Magnetic Master by Chace Audio and Deluxe Audio. Color grading, picture conform, additional image restoration and DCP by Roundabout Entertainment. Colorist Sheri Eisenberg. Restoration supervised by Grover Crisp.

Reflecting on the line-up, new Park Circus CEO Mark Hirzberger-Taylor commented:

*Park Circus is once again honoured to be a part of the Cannes Classics line-up. Together with our studio partners we are privileged to present two seminal classics to the 72nd Cannes Film Festival. We also look forward to meeting our many exhibition and distribution partners, with whom we are delighted to partner to bring so many wonderful films back to the big screen worldwide*

BY DOUG OSWALD

James Garner is an American Army intelligence officer who is one of the men behind the planning of D-Day when he’s kidnapped by the Germans in neutral Portugal just days prior to the invasion of Normandy in “36 Hours,” released on Blu-ray as part of the Warner Archive Collection. Major Jefferson Pike (Garner) is sent on a routine intelligence gathering mission to Lisbon, but it turns out to be a ruse by the Germans to kidnap Pike in order to get him to reveal the invasion plans. They drug him and transport him to Germany where Pike wakes up six years later in a U.S. Army hospital suffering from amnesia. It’s 15 May 1950 and the war has been over for several years, but Pike can’t remember anything after his night in Lisbon.

In reality, it’s still a few days before D-Day and the Germans have created an elaborate deception in order to convince Pike he’s receiving treatment at a military hospital in American occupied Germany. The Allied invasion was victorious and the war is over. Pike’s doctor, Major Walter Gerber (Rod Taylor), is in reality a German psychiatrist who developed the elaborate plan in order to gather the invasion plan date and location for Nazi Germany. A base camp filled with fake Americans and German nationals are roaming the grounds to set Pike at ease and disorient him at the same time, but also to convince him he is indeed located at an American military hospital in Germany. The Germans have gone to elaborate steps to make the trap work by dying the edges of his hair gray and putting drops in his eyes to trick him into believing he needs prescription glasses in order for Pike to accept he has aged six years. There are fake newspapers in his room, pictures of his parents, American books and a fake radio station plays American “oldies” from the 1930s and early 40s. He also learns he’s married to Anna Hedler (Eva Marie Saint), his nurse for all these years and a Jewish concentration camp survivor. Gerber has 36 hours to complete his plan, but he is under extreme pressure from Gestapo agent Werner Peters (Otto Shack) to use torture in order to retrieve the information in Pike’s head.

The movie plays like an episode of the television series “Mission: Impossible” which started production two years later in 1966. The switch here is the bad guys perform a sting operation on the good guy. Things begin to unravel after Pike discovers an important detail the Germans overlooked in the charade. Character actor John Banner, a familiar face from television’s “Hogan’s Heroes,” appears as a local German border patrol agent who plays a key role in the finale.

I remember my first viewing of this WWII mystery classic on television in the late 1970s, before cable, satellite dish and home video. I love how the movie creates tension with knowledge of history ever on our mind and knowing this is a mystery rather than science fiction for we know the Nazi mission will fail. Or will it? Maybe Pike will reveal the D-Day invasion plans. Or maybe he will reveal too much and the German’s will not believe his statements. Either way, the viewer is like a fly on the wall - a voyeur of sorts following the action in secret as everything sorts itself out. There’s tension because we care about the protagonists and want them to succeed.. The film is directed by George Seaton, who also wrote the screenplay based on a story by Carl K. Hittleman and Luis H. Vance. Unknown to the production team, the plot for “36 Hours” was similar the short story “Beware the Dog” by Roald Dahl. As a result the production had to pay Dahl to avoid a lawsuit. As previously stated, the movie itself can be seen, in hindsight, as an influence on the style of “Mission: Impossible” with elaborate deceptions, disguises and triple crosses.

Garner is terrific as always. He had the ability to play likeable Jim Garner with his everyman masculinity while giving a believable and sympathetic portrayal to each unique character. Rod Taylor is equally likeable, even when playing a Nazi doctor. It’s hard not to root for him just a little despite the fact that his plan, incredible as it is, is so ingenious. Eva Marie Saint is an actress who appeared in a variety of movie roles through the 50s and 60s and an Academy Award winner as Best Actress for “On the Waterfront.” She’s always believable and understated with her natural acting style if not a little too glamorous in the role of a Nazi concentration camp survivor in this movie. She would team with Garner again in the 1966 classic racing movie “Grand Prix.” Otto Shack is terrific as the obligatory Nazi Gestapo agent ready to use torture to get the D-Day information. The supporting cast and sets work well enough to make the viewer believe that Pike would be convinced he was behind enemy lines.

Released in 26 November 1964 by Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer in the UK (27 January 1965 in the US), the movie features an outstanding score by Dimitri Tiomkin and terrific widescreen black and white photography by Philip H. Lathrop. The light, dark and shadows give the movie a dream-like feeling as we join Pike in his nightmarish vision and possible alternate version of history. Yosemeti National Forest in central California stands in nicely for the Bavarian forest on the Swiss border. The production company had to remove any evidence they were in the park or that they transformed the Wawona Hotel into the military hospital in order to secure permission to film on location in Yosemeti. Certainly this was a cost saving measure, as filming on location in Bavaria may have been a budget issue. The movie clocks in at tight 115 minutes. The only extra on the disc is the trailer. This is a great addition on Blu-ray for James Garner fans and anyone looking for a well told mystery.

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BY LEE PFEIFFER

On April 28, director Francis Ford Coppola appeared at the Tribeca Film Festival to unveil "Apocalypse Now: Final Cut" which he feels is the definitive presentation of his landmark 1979 film. Coppola, looking trimmed down and very fit at age 80, was greeted by an enthusiastic sold-out audience at Manhattan's historic Beacon Theatre. The event inexplicably got off to a delayed start of almost 40 minutes as eager cinephiles began to grow restless. However, once Coppola took the stage to introduce the film, all was forgiven. He made a few brief remarks and indicated that he felt the original cut of the film was too short and his 2001 "Redux" version was too long. Then to the delight of the audience, he introduced an actor who had appeared in numerous Coppola films- Robert Duvall, who earned an Oscar nomination for his performance as the self-described "goofy fuck", Lt. Colonel Kilgore. Duvall only spoke briefly, joking that he is grateful he is still around to see the 40th anniversary screening of the film. He then got a cheer from the audience when he shouted in parting, "Charlie don't surf!", a key Kilgore line from the film.

(Photo copyright Tony Latino. All rights reserved.) 

When the film began, it became apparent that the sound system would greatly enhance the magnificent visuals. When explosions occurred, seats vibrated in the manner not seen since the days of Sensurround. There was a slight problem with the sound mixing for this presentation. In at least some parts of the theater, the background sounds often overwhelmed the dialogue, making it muffled and sometimes unintelligible. It appears that it was eventually corrected as the second half of the film did not demonstrate this issue. The sound mix was indeed impressive during the famous helicopter attack set to Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries".  The visual components were truly stunning with the viewer gaining even more appreciation for the ingenious achievement of cinematographer Vittorio Storaro.

How does "Final Cut" compare with previous editions? The following observations assume the reader has at least a general knowledge of the film. I first saw the movie in its opening engagement at the Ziegfeld Theatre in Manhattan. The presentation contained no opening or closing credits. Instead, attendees received an illustrated program listing the names of cast and crew. However, unions complained that participants were being denied proper credit in the film itself. Additionally, theater owners worried that when the movie was to go into general release, audiences would be perplexed by having the film end "cold" without any end credits. Thus, for the film's subsequent engagements, Coppola used fiery footage at the end of the film, representing the destruction of Kurtz's compound over which credits were unfurled. In 2001, Coppola reissued the film in the "Redux" version, adding significant scenes that had been deleted from the original cut. "Final Cut" leaves intact most of these scenes:

• Extended footage of Kilgore's mad quest to initiate surfing amidst a raging battle and Willard's prank of stealing Kilgore's beloved surfboard. He also keeps in a later scene in which the voice of Kilgore can be heard from a helicopter demanding the return of the board, as the men hide below in their boat, obscured by the jungle.
  
• The extended French plantation sequence in which Willard and his team come upon heavily-armed members of a proud French family who are determined to retain control of their beloved mansion and plantation. The soldiers are welcomed in to stay the night and Willard allows himself to be seduced by a glamorous widow who smokes cigars in an elegant manner.
  

David Picker and his wife Sandy at a book party for release of his memoirs in Beverly Hills, 2013. (Photo copyright Cinema Retro, all rights reserved.)

BY LEE PFEIFFER

David V. Picker, whose tenure at major film studios and as an independent producer, made him a legend in the film industry, has died from colon cancer in New York at age 87. The Picker family lived and breathed movies and in the 1950s they ran United Artists under the leadership of Arthur Krim. Under Krim and the Pickers, UA entered a "Golden Age" of achievements. David, who was named head of production at an early age, showed an uncanny ability to attract top talent and produce films that were popular and critical successes. He was ultimately named President and COO of the company. During his tenure, UA brought to the screen films that were diverse in content including "West Side Story", "The Magnificent Seven", "The Great Escape", "In the Heat of the Night", "Judgment at Nuremberg", "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" and many others. He also thought outside the box by green-lighting "Midnight Cowboy", making it the only "X-rated" movie to win a Best Picture Oscar. He also backed director Bernardo Bertolucci's controversial film "Last Tango in Paris" and developed a gradual distribution roll-out that used the movie's notoriety as a marketing took, making the film a sensation. When he heard about a director named Sergio Leone having great success with the European Western "A Fistful of Dollars", Picker ignored conventional wisdom and struck a deal to release the film in English-language markets. The Leone trilogy of films with Clint Eastwood made both men international celebrities and went on to become acclaimed as classics despite their modest production values. Picker also struck a long term production deal with Woody Allen, resulting in many highly acclaimed films.

Picker also saw early potential in the Beatles before they became household names internationally. He arranged a multiple picture deal and hired young director Richard Lester to helm "A Hard Day's Night". The film became a sensation. Perhaps his greatest success was arranging a deal with James Bond producers Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman to bring Ian Fleming's 007 novels to the big screen after Columbia passed on the opportunity. Picker foresaw the potential of a long-term franchise but later admitted no one could have foreseen it thriving after a half-century. It was Picker who arguably salvaged the Bond franchise after Sean Connery retired from the role after his fifth Bond film, "You Only Live Twice" in 1967. Unknown actor George Lazenby took over the role for "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" but he, too, quit, leaving the franchise in disarray. American actor John Gavin was signed for the role for "Diamonds are Forever" but Picker had second thoughts about his viability to play Bond. He arranged to meet Connery for a game of golf in Spain and convinced him to return for one more Bond movie, agreeing to the highest salary ever paid to an actor. The film's success proved there was still a major market for James Bond and allowed Connery's successor Roger Moore to thrive in the role of 007.

Picker left UA in the 1970s and became an independent producer. One of his great successes was Bob Fosse's 1974 film "Lenny". He also produced the acclaimed comedy "Smile" and the disaster thriller "Juggernaut". At various times he was wooed back to take top level positions at various studios including Paramount, Columbia and Lorimar. He oversaw some major successes as well as flops but his low-key personality didn't often mix well with the hyper-activity in the New Hollywood. Ultimately, he returned to independent producing and brought Steve Martin to the big screen with the enormous hit "The Jerk". Picker also served for a time as President of Hallmark Entertainment Productions.

Picker, who was a modest and reserved figure in an industry strewn with big egos, rarely gave interviews but he was a contributor to Cinema Retro, enlightening readers with behind the scenes stories pertaining to specific films. He told us that during his days at United Artists, he and his fellow production executives were conscious of the fact that the company had been founded by actors: Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford. Thus, it became the corporate philosophy to not interfere with a director or producer once a movie had been given the green light. The first time the UA brass often saw any of the film was when it was completed and screened. There were exceptions when a production was deemed to be in trouble and over-budget. Picker admitted he made a mistake when he greenlit director George Stevens' biblical epic "The Greatest Story Ever Told" largely on the basis that he had grown up idolizing the filmmaker. The movie proved to be a boxoffice disaster and the studio only recovered because of the success of "Help!" and "Thunderball". Picker had also given the go-ahead for the big budget adaptation of James Michener's "Hawaii". When the budget started hitting the stratosphere, Picker went to the location and personally cut out the last half of the script in an attempt to salvage what became a boxoffice disaster. He also had to inform director/star John Wayne that he had to trim considerable footage from the roadshow presentations of "The Alamo" when the film went into wide release in order to ensure profitability. Wayne complied without complaint but when the same situation arose with Stanley Kramer's "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World", it resulted in bad feelings between the two men. Picker always claimed that although the film is beloved by many, he couldn't stand to watch it because it brought back so many negative memories of feuding with Kramer.

Picker had been involved in politics throughout his adult life along with other prominent members of his family who promoted liberal candidates and causes. His uncle Arnold was  named in the first spot on President Nixon's notorious "secret" list of personal enemies. In a note below Arnold's name, Nixon indicated that the resources of the federal government should also be considered to be used  illegally against David Picker and United Artists as a corporation. Picker said that when the list became public in the midst of the Watergate scandal, he hung it on his wall with pride.

Picker was arguably the last major studio head from a Golden Age of Hollywood film production. His 2013 memoir "Musts, Maybes and Nevers" is an essential read for anyone who likes classic movies. Cinema Retro is grateful for his friendship and contributions to our magazine and we extend our sincere condolences to his wife Sandy and the entire Picker family.

BY DARREN ALLISON

It’s probably fair to say that a great deal of music that surfaced from the Spaghetti Western genre eventually merged to become something of a cliché. Clearly inspired by the Morricone sound and style, many of the scores came to bear the same signature traits and failed to obtain any real, individual identity. In short, it became an elaborate mixing bowl in which the finished results were served up as individual, but very familiar servings.

In some respects, one could argue the same for Gianni Ferrio’s Un Dollaro Bucato (One Silver Dollar) (1965). Also released as Blood for a Silver Dollar, producer Bruno Turchetto was quick to jump on the whole ‘Dollar’ bandwagon. Leone’s A Fistful of Dollars had only been in the can for a year, so the genre was both fresh and ripe for harvesting.

The film’s soundtrack began life rather quietly; it was first released as a single on the Fonit label in 1965 and featured the song ‘‘A Man... A Story’’ performed by genre regular Fred Bongusto and was coupled with an instrumental version performed by the Ferrio orchestra. The single was re-released in Japan by King Records, where the film was received well. Philips also released it in Japan as part of an EP containing A Fistful of Dollars, For A Few Dollars More and Django, so the music was certainly keeping good company – and deservedly so.

Despite the obvious influences, there’s certainly no denying, Un Dollaro Bucato remains a terrific score. Ferrio’s music is fluid and doesn’t just root itself firmly within the western genre. In fact, certain cues wouldn’t sound out of place in a spy thriller - another genre that was finding its feet with the emerging Bond franchise. Aside from the more regular, stylistic western cues, there’s plenty of mystery and tension, and Ferrio makes great use of brass horns to build the drama. So yes, Morricone inspired for sure, but there’s also a great deal more.

Silva Screen Records have chosen well. Ferrio’s Un Dollaro Bucato remains a hugely popular title. In more recent times, cues have found their way into Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds (2009), and been featured in the Red Dead Revolver video game series. Silva Screen has created a stunning vinyl package containing 21 beautifully produced tracks. It’s a stand out example, and obvious that a great deal of thought has gone into this project. Not only does the sleeve contain some creative, new artwork, but at the same time it maintains the retro style reflective of the much loved 60s genre. Best of all perhaps is the 12” platter, an eye catching piece pressed in a stylish silver & red coloured vinyl, an element which ties in rather perfectly with the ‘silver’ and ‘blood ‘of the film’s alternative title. It’s a shimmering example of how vinyl can (and should) be produced for the ongoing revival. Long may it continue to shine!

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http://www.silvascreen.com/sillp1579-un-dollaro-bucato/

BY LEE PFEIFFER

The art of still photography has played an important role in the promotion of motion pictures since the inception of the medium. However, most photographers who capture the images on set labor in anonymity. It has only been in the last few decades that studios even identified the photographers of publicity photos by name on the press materials that are so widely distributed. As readers of Cinema Retro know, we have long promoted appreciation of the stills photographers and have showcased their work in our magazine. This is why we are quite excited by a new book, "Through Her Lens" (published by ACC Art Books) by Eva Sereny, who broke through a glass ceiling when she started capturing on set images in the 1960s in what was a male-dominated profession. Sereny had an exotic background: she was born of Hungarian parents in London, moved to Italy and took up photography before returning to London where, on a whim, she submitted some sample photos and ended up being hired by legendary publicist Gordon Arnell as a "Special Photographer" on the set of Mike Nichols' "Catch-22". In this capacity, Sereny differed from the unit stills photographer who was employed by the studio throughout the shoot. Instead, Sereny had independence and freedom to capture only those moments that intrigued her most. Her work revealed an astonishing intimacy whether it was photographing posed subjects or candid moments between takes. As Sereny's reputation grew, she gained greater access to interesting movie productions, though she still often had to contend with tempestuous stars. She initially annoyed Raquel Welch but years later the iconic star befriended her. On the set of "Last Tango in Paris", Marlon Brando forbade her from photographing him but ultimately relented and gave her complete artistic freedom to shoot him even when he was unawares.

Marlon Brando lights up director Bernardo Bertolucci on the set of "Last Tango in Paris".

Kate Capshaw, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and Harrison Ford on the set of "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade".

On "The Assassination of Trotsky", she had to tread carefully to photograph Elizabeth Taylor, who was visiting Richard Burton on the set. More pleasant was her experiences on the set of three Indiana Jones movies, including taking an iconic publicity photo of Harrison Ford and Sean Connery in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade". There are craggy veterans such as John Huston and Richard Harris, hunky guys like Warren Beatty, Robert Redford and Michael Caine and elegant glamour symbols such as Audrey Hepburn, Barbara Bach and Jacqueline Bisset. (Bisset, along with Charlotte Rampling, provides a foreword for the book.)  The volume is divided into chapters each dedicated to a film or a personality with Sereny providing anecdotes about her experience on the production. Other stars such as Clint Eastwood and Paul Newman are photographed in their private lives but no less remarkably than Sereny would have done on a film set. The book's large size, hardback format and superb reproductions of so many remarkable photos make this a "must" for retro movie lovers.

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BY TODD GARBARINI

Film historian Douglas Dunning has informed Cinema Retro that Laemmle’s Playhouse 7 and Ahrya Fine Arts will be presenting the 50^th anniversary screening of Sam Peckinpah’s influential 1969 film The Wild Bunch and special guests are scheduled to appear at both locations. The film stars William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Ryan, Edmund O’Brien, Warren Oates, L.Q. Jones, Jaime Sanchez, Bo Hopkins, Strother Martin, Albert Decker, Emilio Fernandez, and Alfonso Arau and runs 145 minutes.

PLEASE NOTE:

Screening #1 is on February 26^th at the Playhouse 7 at 7:00 pm, and at press time W.K. Stratton, the author of a new book, The Wild Bunch: Sam Peckinpah, a Revolution in Hollywood, and the Making of a Legendary Film, will participate in a discussion after the screening. He will also sign copies of his book at the theater.

Screening #2 is at the Ahrya Fine Arts on March 2^nd at 7:30 pm. Mr. Stratton is also scheduled to be on hand. In addition, screenwriter Walon Green is scheduled to appear. He won an Academy Award in 1971 for directing the documentary, The Hellstrom Chronicle. He went on to write such films as Sorcerer and The Brinks Job for director William Friedkin and The Border for Tony Richardson.

Actor L.Q. Jones is on the list, too. He worked on several other Peckinpah movies, beginning with Ride the High Country, along with Major Dundee, The Ballad of Cable Hogue, and Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid. He co-starred in Hang ‘Em High, Hell Is For Heroes, and Martin Scorsese’s Casino.

Actor Bo Hopkins is also scheduled to appear. He co-starred in Peckinpah’s The Getaway and The Killer Elite, and he also appeared in such films as The Day of the Locust, American Graffiti, Midnight Express, and The Newton Boys.

From the press release:

The Wild Bunch

Part of our Anniversary Classics series. For details, visit: laemmle.com/ac.

THE WILD BUNCH (1969)

Laemmle Theatres and the Anniversary Classics Series celebrate the 50th anniversary of one of the iconic and groundbreaking movies of the '60s, Sam Peckinpah’s The Wild Bunch. This graphically violent and poetic film exploded the very concept of the traditional Western by focusing on a brutal group of outlaws trying to survive at the dawn of the 20th century. Featuring four Oscar-winning actors—William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Ben Johnson, and Edmond O’Brien—along with a startling supporting cast, the film clearly established Peckinpah as one of the top directors of the era.

The director’s classic 1962 Western Ride the High Country had demonstrated his talent, but he ran into conflicts with producers on subsequent projects in the '60s. The Wild Bunch marked his triumphant return to filmmaking. He wrote the Oscar-nominated screenplay with Walon Green, from a story by Green and Roy N. Sickner. It is set in 1913, on the eve of World War I and in the midst of the Mexican Revolution. A botched robbery in the opening sequence leads the outlaws to seek refuge in Mexico, where they continue to be pursued by a group of bounty hunters hired by the railroad company they have robbed. Robert Ryan, cast as a former friend of Holden’s character, leads the pursuers.

The supporting cast includes Warren Oates, L.Q. Jones, Jaime Sanchez, Bo Hopkins, Strother Martin, Albert Decker, Emilio Fernandez, and Alfonso Arau. Lucien Ballard provided the rich cinematography, and Jerry Fielding wrote the Oscar-nominated score. But perhaps the most crucial creative collaborator was editor Lou Lombardo, who worked closely with the director to perfect an innovative editing style that incorporated quick, almost subliminal cuts masterfully interspersed with slow motion shots.

The film’s violence was shocking to many viewers at the time, and some critics denounced the film. Others, however, saw the violence as reflecting the disruptions in American society, along with the chaos of the Vietnam War. Life magazine’s Richard Schickel called the film “one of the most important records of the mood of our times and one of the most important American films of the era.” The New York Times’ Vincent Canby hailed the film as “very beautiful and the first truly interesting American-made Westerns in years.” When cuts that had been made shortly after the film’s release were finally restored for a 1995 reissue, critics were even more ecstatic. Writing in The Baltimore Sun, Michael Sragow declared, “What Citizen Kane was to movie lovers in 1941, The Wild Bunch was to cineastes in 1969.” The film was added to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress in 1999.

The Playhouse 7 is at 673 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91101.l The phone number is (310) 478 – 3836.

The Ahrya Fine Arts Theatre is located at 8556 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90211. The phone number is (310) 478 – 3836.

Click here for tickets.

RETRO-ACTIVE: THE BEST ARTICLES FROM CINEMA RETRO'S ARCHIVES

By Lee Pfeiffer

Sony has released the 1955 crime drama 5 Against the House as a burn-to-order DVD. The little-remembered film is interesting on a number of levels and boasts an impressive, eclectic cast. The low-budget flick depicts four young ex-G.I.s who fought in Korea who return to the States and enroll in college. Al (Guy Madison) is a straight-as-an-arrow type who is engaged to sultry nightclub singer Kay (Kim Novak). Ronnie (Kerwin Matthews) is a brainy upstart with delusions of grandeur and a superiority complex. Roy (Alvy Moore) is an affable joker who is very much a follower, not a leader. Brick (Brian Keith) is the most troubled of the group. He bares psychological problems from his combat experience and has a hair-trigger temper. The guys' only vices are taking an occasional trip to Reno, Nevada and engaging in some minor gambling and womanizing. However, Ronnie concocts an audacious plan to prove he can outwit the authorities and rob a casino. He suggest that the plan be put into operation with the intention of returning the money to the casino after the fact. Ronnie wants to build his ego, not his bank account. Roy and Brick sign on to the plan, but when Al balks, Brick's anger comes through. He threatens his friends with a gun and forces them to pull off the incredible scheme. The film, deftly directed by Phil Karlson, makes effective use of on location shooting in Reno at a place called Harold's Casino. The movie works best as a character study and the performances are all first-rate, with the exception of Madison, who is a bit of a stiff in the lead role. Novak is her usual sexy self and Keith, long-underrated for his dramatic capabilities, gives a powerful performance. The film is one of the earliest to take a sympathetic look at the emotional toll war takes on returning veterans. 5 Against the House is engaging throughout and although it is unremarkable in the long run, it represents the kind of overlooked gems that  the burn-to-order DVD format is rescuing from complete obscurity. 

An original trailer is included.  

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By Lee Pfeiffer

I have to admit that I hadn't a clue as to what Intruder in the Dust was about until I viewed the DVD released through the Warner Archive. The film is a powerful indictment of the horrors of racism, filmed by MGM during a period when the American Civil Rights Movement was just beginning to heat up. We have a tendency to accuse Hollywood studios of relegating African-American actors to being mere window dressing in films of this era, or worse, casting them as comic relief in often degrading ways. However, this 1949 achievement should be much higher on the radar of retro movie lovers. While most studio productions steered clear of the problem of racism in the American South during the period when segregation was still law, this excellent film addresses the issue head-on. There were some talented people who brought the story to the screen in 1949. Esteemed director Clarence Brown was behind the camera and the screenplay was written by the great Ben Maddow, based on a novel by William Faulkner.

The film was shot on location in Oxford, Mississippi and centers on the murder of a local white businessman who was shot in the back. The prime suspect is Lucas (Juano Hernandez), a middle-aged black farmer who has incurred the wrath of local bigots because he is proud and independent and fails to take on the subserviant persona of the "good Negro". Causing more resentment is the fact that Lucas owns his own farm, a prime piece of land that invokes jealousy from less successful local whites. Lucas maintains his calm demeanor even when he is jailed and is awaiting the inevitable murder at the hands of a mob. His one white friend comes to his aid: a teenager named Chick Mallison (Claude Jarman Jr.). Chick convinces his uncle, lawyer John Stevens (David Brian) to defend him. Stevens agrees because he doesn't want a murder committed, but even he believes Lucas is guilty. He tells the seemingly doomed man that he can't get a fair trial, that he doesn't believe he is innocent and that he should have shown proper deference to the bigots at all times. This attitude is what passed for enlightened thinking during this period. Ultimately, Stevens becomes convinced that his client is being framed and the plot turns to to who-dunnit as an oddball group of progressives fights against time to find the real murderer before Lucas is lynched or burned alive. The only whites in town who will assist Stevens and Chick are an elderly woman (Elizabeth Patterson) and the local sheriff (Will Geer), who has a condescending attitude towards blacks but is courageous enough to stand up to the worst elements of the population.

This ad appeared in Boxoffice magazine in April 1968 extolling the longevity of Fox's three big roadshow presentations. For the unenlightened, "roadshow" films were big budget productions that played in grand movie palaces in select cities. It could often be many months before these films came to neighborhood theaters nationwide. What is remarkable about this ad is that it illustrates that even after such films went "wide" to hundreds of other theaters, people still paid top dollar to enjoy seeing them in the roadshow presentations. Consider that "The Sound of Music" opened in 1965 and "The Sand Pebbles" and "The Bible" both opened in 1966. Yet, years later, the roadshow venues were still showing these films. Today, even blockbuster movies aren't in theaters very long because so much of the profit comes from a quick turnaround onto video and streaming services. However, in those days when movie theaters provided the only forum in which to see favorite blockbusters, fans would patronize theaters to see them repeatedly. This afforded them the opportunity to see the movies in their original versions, as studios often cut considerable footage when releasing them to local theaters.

Click here to order Cinema Retro's Movie Classics edition devoted to Roadshow movies of the 1960s.

(Note: this interview with conducted to coincide with the 40th anniversary of Close Encounters of the Third Kind in 2017.)

By Michael Coate

Ray Morton is the author of “Close Encounters of the Third Kind: The Making of Steven Spielberg’s Classic Film” (Applause Theatre & Cinema Books, 2007). He is a screenwriter, script consultant, and senior writer and columnist for Script magazine. His other books include “King Kong: The History of a Movie Icon from Fay Wray to Peter Jackson” (Applause Theatre & Cinema Books, 2005), “Amadeus: Music on Film” (Limelight, 2011), “A Hard Day’s Night: Music on Film” (Limelight, 2011), “A Quick Guide to Screenwriting” (Limelight, 2013), “A Quick Guide to Television Writing” (Limelight, 2013), and “A Quick Guide to Film Directing” (Limelight, 2014).

Cinema Retro: How would you like “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” to be remembered on its 40th anniversary?

Ray Morton: As a wonderful, entertaining movie.

As the first true Steven Spielberg movie. “Jaws” is a magnificent film, but in a way an atypical film for Spielberg in terms of genre and subject matter. “Close Encounters” is the first of Spielberg’s movies to contain many of the elements that would become closely associated with him in the years that followed: an uplifting sci-fi/fantasy narrative infused with a tremendous sense of wonder; a focus on children; an exploration of life in the American suburbs; broken families; a fascination with World War II; a highly sophisticated use of visual and special effects; the use of a powerful John Williams score to create a powerful emotional response; cinematography that emphasizes backlighting; and Spielberg’s trademarked “push in” close-ups onto the awed faces of his characters. “Jaws” made Spielberg hot, “CE3K” made him a brand name.

As one of the two films that transformed science fiction and fantasy from vaguely disreputable “B” genres into “A” movie material in the eyes of both the public and the film industry. The other was, of course, “Star Wars.”

As the masterwork of Douglas Trumbull, Richard Yuricich, and their great team of visual effects magicians at Future General.

As one of the most intense and honest depictions ever filmed of obsession and of the rewards and costs of pursuing a dream.

As one of the most authentic, non-idealized, and non-stereotypical depictions of American suburban life ever shown on screen.

Cinema Retro: Can you recall your reaction to the first time you saw “Close Encounters”?

Morton: I can absolutely recall the first time I saw “Close Encounters”—it was the most significant movie-going experience of my life. I saw it in December 1977 at the Ridgeway Theater in Stamford, Connecticut—on a school night with my sisters Kathy and Nancy.I loved the movie as a movie—it was intriguing, thrilling, frightening, funny, awe-inspiring, thought-provoking, and ultimately extremely moving. But the effect “Close Encounters” had on me went well beyond the simple enjoyment of a very good film. By the time “CE3K” opened, I had already been a film fan for a few years, but “Close Encounters” is the movie that awakened me to the true power of cinema. Until that night, if you had asked the very young me what the most important ingredients in a movie were, I would have said dialogue and performance. Those things are certainly present in “CE3K,” but they are secondary. The storytelling in “Close Encounters”—especially in its final thirty minutes—is accomplished primarily through the manipulation of the core elements of cinema: imagery, sound effects, and music. Watching the film for the first time, I found myself having a profound emotional response to Spielberg’s masterful orchestration of light and sound—I was filled with feelings of awe, wonder, and joy so intense they were almost spiritual. When the movie ended, I just sat staring at the screen, enraptured and unable to move as I processed the overwhelming intensity of what I had just experienced. I sat there so long that my sisters finally lost patience with me. “Wake up!” my sister Nancy snapped. “The movie’s over!” That brought me back to the world, but I still hadn’t come back to Earth.I realized then and there the powerful effect that movies could have on an audience — that in the right hands they could transcend mere storytelling and impact viewers on a much deeper and more profound level. Driving home that night (in a heavy fog that filtered the headlights of oncoming cars in ways that mimicked much of the imagery in the movie we had just seen), I knew I wanted to do something more than just watch movies—that I wanted to make a life in the cinema as well.

Cinema Retro: Is there any significance to “Close Encounters”?

Morton: Well, it’s one of the best sci-fi movies ever made, both creatively and from a production stand-point. And, as I mentioned earlier, it’s one of the films that made sci-fi into a respectable genre.

Beyond those two points, however, it was the first major sci-fi film to depict first contact as a potentially positive experience—that a meeting between mankind and beings from another world could be a joyous, peaceful, uplifting event—something that could be good for us—rather than an occasion of invasion and horror. In the years following “CE3K” and especially “E.T.” that became a commonplace idea, but in 1977 it was pretty revolutionary.

Cinema Retro: Which edition of “Close Encounters” do you like best?

Morton: I prefer the 1977 theatrical cut, in part because it’s the first version of the movie I saw and the one that made such a strong impression on me. But I also prefer it because it’s the most subtle version of the film. As an example, in the scene in which Roy has his initial close encounter at the railroad crossing, as he drives off in pursuit of the UFO, the 1977 version cuts to a long shot of Roy’s truck driving across the landscape and in the sky above you see a little point of light moving along. Is it a UFO? Or is it just an airplane or a satellite? We’re not 100% sure and that adds some mystery and intrigue to the picture—was what we just saw happen real or did Roy perhaps imagine it? We’re not sure and neither is Roy until the three UFOs come flying around the corner in the Crescendo Summit scene a few minutes later. In the Special Edition and the 1997 Director’s Edition, that shot is replaced by the shadow of an impossibly large UFO zooming across the landscape—all of the ambiguity is gone and the point is hit right on the head that what we saw was real and that UFOs are real before they are revealed to us at Crescendo Summit. It takes a little bit of the magic out of it for me.

As technically wonderful as it is, I feel the Cotapoxi scene has similar problems. The jeeps leaping over the sand dunes in 1-2-3 formation and the helicopters zooming low across the desert feel like they belong in a slightly broader, slightly less real film than the theatrical cut is. One of the things I like so much about “CE3K” is that the fantastic events occur in a very real setting—Roy’s world and Jillian’s world all feel very authentic and real to me—but when people are zooming around like they are in an action movie, some of that reality gets lost for me. And, as cool as seeing the ship in the desert is, the scene is really just a repeat of the opening sequence in which the airplanes are discovered, so it’s a bit repetitious. I do like some of the family strife material that was put back in for the Special Edition and the Director’s Edition and some of the editing in the second act is tighter and less raggedy. But I still prefer the 1977 version. Following that I would choose the 1997 cut and then the Special Edition. (I think going inside the Mothership was always a mistake.)

Cinema Retro: Where do you think “Close Encounters” ranks among Steven Spielberg’s body of work?

Morton: Near the top, along with “Jaws,” “E.T.,” “Raiders,” “Schindler’s List,” and “Empire of the Sun.” It has always struck me as being one of his most personal movies.

"The Man from U.N.C.L.E." was not only a TV phenomenon in the 1960s but the mania also extended to the big screen. MGM produced eight feature-length movies derived from two-part episodes of the series. (Some included extra "bonus" footage that would deemed to be too sexual or violent for network broadcast.) These lazily-compiled efforts were astonishingly profitable, especially in England where some house records were set at theaters. (Only three of the feature films were released theatrically in the USA: "To Trap a Spy", "The Spy with My Face" and "One Spy Too Many". "One of Our Spies is Missing" was planned for American release but we've yet to substantiate that it actually was.) This trailer is suitably hokey, mod, cheesy and fun as we once again watch Robert Vaughn and David McCallum save the world from the threat of Thrush! 

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE COMPLETE "U.N.C.L.E." MOVIE COLLECTION FROM THE CINEMA RETRO MOVIE STORE

BY LEE PFEIFFER

"The Secret Partner" is yet another unheralded gem from the cinematic past that has been made available through the Warner Archive. It's a fairly low budget British film noir that nevertheless is completing engrossing and will have viewers guessing throughout. Stewart Granger is John Brent, a successful executive at a London shipping company who we find in great distress from early in the film. It seems Brent is being routinely blackmailed by his milquetoast dentist, Beldon (Norman Bird). We don't know what he has on Brent until much later in the story, a clever device used by screenwriters David Pursall and Jack Seddon that only increases the interest of the viewer. Brent understandably despises Beldon but is intimidated enough by him that he continues to pay astronomical sums of money to buy his silence. In the interim, Brent can't explain to his wife Nicole (Haya Haraeet) why their money is disappearing almost as fast as he can earn it. She logically suspects that he is seeing another woman and their marriage very publicly goes on the rocks when she moves out. Meanwhile, Beldon himself is subject to the terrors of blackmail when a masked man with a gun demands that he follows explicit instructions to administer a drug to Brent during his next dental visit. While under the influence of sleeping gas, Brent is injected with a truth serum that results in his telling Beldon the combination of his company's safe. Additionally, Beldon follows instructions to remove Brent's office keys and make a clay impression of them. The masked man promises Beldon a payoff of 15,000 pounds if he complies- and death if he doesn't. Beldon pulls off his end of the scheme and Brent appears to be none the wiser. Predictably, the office safe of Brent's employer is rob of 130,000 quid and he is the logical suspect. The case falls into the lap of Det. Superintendent Frank Hanbury (Bernard Lee), a veteran cop who is counting the days until his imminent retirement. He questions Brent but when Brent realizes he is about to be arrested for grand larceny, he flees. Hanbury relentlessly pursues him even as his investigation leads him to believe that Brent might have been set up as a fall guy. Hanbury repeatedly interviews Nicole and discovers that she is apparently having affairs with some of Brent's most trusted friends and co-workers. Meanwhile, Brent is trying to avoid the police while he conducts his own investigation, desperate to prove he is innocent.  

"The Secret Partner" is a prime example of the kind of efficient, low-profile films that used to be turned out regularly decades ago and this one is top notch throughout. It's impressively directed by the ever-capable Basil Dearden, who helmed other gems like "Woman of Straw" and "Khartoum". Granger, who should have been a much bigger star, is dashing and determined as a leading man and he plays well off of the great British character actor Bernard Lee. Lee's slow, unemotional approach to solving the case is a joy to watch, as he patiently absorbs the facts and tries not to jump to conclusions even as he smokes what must be a record number of cigarettes ever consumed by one actor in one film. The film is peppered with fine performances from an impressive supporting cast with Harareet especially enticing as Brent's sexy, estranged wife. Even the smallest roles are well-performed (keep an eye out for Paul Stassino, the ill-fated NATO pilot from "Thunderball" as a pimp!). There is also a funky if somewhat bombastic jazz score by Philip Green and some nice period photography around London. The real pay off is a surprise revelation near the end of the film that I doubt even the most astute viewer will see coming.

"The Secret Partner" is a thoroughly enjoyable film that represents the cliche "They don't make 'em like that any more!" 

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Cinema Retro mourns the passing of our friend and colleague Nick Redman, film historian and Oscar-nominated documentary maker as well as recognized scholar of the works of Sam Peckinpah. Nick passed away after a long illness we all had hoped he would prevail over. The film industry has lost a major champion of classic cinema. Nick and Brian Jamieson were the founders of Twilight Time, the boutique video label that puts out first rate limited editions of retro movie classics. Nick and Paul Seydor were nominated for documentary Oscars for their 1996 film "The Wild Bunch: An Album in Montage". Our heartfelt condolences go out to Nick's wife Julie Kirgo.

The world is a sadder place today.

Cinema Retro has received the following press release:

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RETRO-ACTIVE: THE BEST FROM THE CINEMA RETRO ARCHIVES

BY LEE PFEIFFER

It may seem hard to believe in an era in which every personality on screen seems to be wearing a cape and tights but there are some intelligent films still being made for discriminating, mature viewers. The problem is that you often have to search to find them. Case in point: "The Lady in the Van", a 2015 British comedy/drama that found its intended audience but was relegated largely to the art house circuits in big cities. The movie is about as off-beat as you can imagine in terms of the central premise but we are told that it is mostly based on fact. Alex Jennings plays the film's real-life British playwright Alan Bennett, on whose experience the screenplay is based. Jennings was an aspiring playwright in 1974 when he moved to a relatively upscale neighborhood in London's Camden Town section. Bennett was enjoying some success with a show on the West End and was leading a fairly comfortable existence, though - at least in the film- he was frustrated by the fact that he no significant other. As a gay man, his unease was understandable- until 1969 homosexuality was a felony crime in Britain. Coming out of the closet was not something most gay people felt comfortable doing. The film presents Bennett creating his own live-in companion- an imaginary alter-ego with whom he trades barbs and discusses problems ranging from writers block to everyday household chores. His life takes an unexpected turn when a homeless woman arrives on his street driving a barely operable old van. She identifies herself as Mary Shepherd and is about as lovable as a tarantula. Mary becomes the talk of the posh neighborhood, moving her van occasionally to park in front of various houses. Some of the locals are kindly to her while others clearly disdain her, but all of them tolerate her presence and gets used to her. Mary keeps her "alternate side of the street" lifestyle going for several years. The van is her abode and she defends it with pride. She accepts handouts from neighbors but her prickly nature never results in her uttering the words "Thank you". Alan, like most of the locals, regards her with a bit of frustration as well as fascination. When a parking ordinance forces her van off the street, Alan offers his driveway as a place she can park "temporarily". You know how these things go. Before long, Mary has not only established the driveway as a permanent residence but is also making various demands on Alan to allow more privileges. Slowly, the months turn into years and both become accustomed to the bizarre living arrangements.(Mary never enters his home and the resulting effect on her hygiene is played for laughs).  The two have a sometimes uneasy relationship but the gentle, meek Alan begins to care about her more than he will even admit to his alter-ego. He is wracked by guilt because his own aging mother is slowly deteriorating both mentally and physically and he feels guilty about having to have her committed to a nursing home. He uses Mary has her proxy so that an act of kindness towards her might help Alan alleviate some of his guilt about his mother. 

Ultimately Alan's relationship turns to caregiver. Some of Mary's demands are reasonable (jury-rigging wires from his house so she can watch TV in her van) while others are too extravagant to comply with (constructing a tent so she can indulge in more hoarding of useless objects.) He also learns what the viewer has known from the opening, shocking frames: that Mary is hiding a terrible secret and lives in constant fear of being arrested. She, too, is wracked by guilt because she once killed a motorcyclist in an accident and fled the scene. We also learn that she is being blackmailed by an eyewitness (Jim Broadbent) to the event. Gradually, Alan sees her as a source of material for a writing project. He tracks down her only living relative, a brother who is somewhat estranged from her. He relates some remarkable details about her once-promising life and how it all went wrong when she sacrificed a musical career in order to join a convent. (The Catholic Church and religion play key roles in her life.)  Nothing overly dramatic takes place in the leisurely-paced story but there is something remarkable the fact that Alan Bennett allowed this eccentric woman to spend a full 15 years residing in his driveway until her death in 1989.

Bennett published a journal about the experience titled "The Lady in the Van". In 1999, he adapted it into a play starring Maggie Smith. It was a major hit, running over 900 performances on the West End.  The play's director, Nicholas Hynter, is a frequent collaborator of Bennett's, having worked with him on adapting Bennett's plays "The History Boys" and "The Madness of King George" for the screen. In 2015 they finally brought "The Lady in the Van" to the screen as well with Maggie Smith reprising the title role. Smith was now of an age where she could be even more convincing as the elderly eccentric and Bennett  ensured that the movie was shot in the very house in Camden Town where the actual events took place. For all its charming aspects and the fact that the production presents two extraordinary performances by Smith and Alex Jennings, the end result is a mixed bag that you expect to move you in a more emotional way than it actually does. This is largely because Smith's character remains crusty, self-centered and pretty much an ingrate throughout. In the film's final moments, which details her death, Bennett and Hytner do manage to convey a softening of her persona in the final moments of her life but they then attempt to make her more lovable with an ill-advised funeral sequence in which we see the ghost of Miss Shepherd assuring us that she has found happiness in Eternity. The scene smacks of being a well-intentioned gimmick and seems somewhat out of place with the rest of the film.  Jennings, known primarily as a stage actor, gives a marvelous performance as Bennett and manages the considerable achievement of not being overshadowed by the great Dame Maggie. The film starts off rather weakly but becomes more engrossing and satisfying if you stick with it. This is largely due to Bennett slowly unveiling key details about Miss Shepherd's challenges in life and the fact that she missed out on a promising musical career. Although Smith is very amusing in the comedic sequences, she is even more impressive in these dark, dramatic scenes. The end result is a mixed bag. The film is to be commended for presenting that rarest of screen experiences nowadays: an intelligent story aimed at adult audiences who seek fine performances and dialogue rather than mindless explosions. There are uneven and unsatisfying patches throughout but the performances alone merit it for recommended viewing.

Sony has released an impressive special edition Blu-ray of "The Lady in the Van". There are numerous featurettes including extensive interviews with Maggie Smith, Alan Bennett, Alex Jennings and Nicholas Hytner that give some interesting perspectives on the long history of the real life events that inspired the play and film. There is also a director's commentary with Hytner and some deleted scenes, some of which clearly show that Miss Shepherd is actually nt only extremely eccentric but is also  suffering from dementia, as evidenced by her belief that she can be elected Prime Minister.  

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The web site Curbed provides an informative guide to 15 classic movie theaters in Los Angeles, each of which is distinguished not only by its design but also by an eclectic schedule of programming that any retro movie lover will appreciate. Click here to read.

RETRO-ACTIVE: THE BEST FROM THE CINEMA RETRO ARCHIVES

“BLOOD AND PRESTIGE”

By Raymond Benson

(Portions of this review are reprinted from the article “Playboy Goes to Hollywood,” by the same author, which appeared in Cinema Retro, Volume 2, Issue #5, 2006.)

The Criterion Collection has seen fit to release on Blu-ray and DVD (separate packaging) Roman Polanski’s striking film adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, originally released in 1971. Not very well received at first, the picture’s reputation has grown over the years such that it is now arguably considered the definitive version of the “Scottish play” on celluloid (although Akira Kurosawa’s 1957 Throne of Blood is certainly a contender). Gritty, realistic, and violent, Polanski’s vision is dark and troubling—as the story is meant to be.

It’s possible that some of the negative press it received in 1971 was due to the fact that it was the first major motion picture produced by Playboy Productions, with Hugh M. Hefner serving as executive producer, while Playboy executive Victor Lownes II served as assistant executive producer (Andrew Braunsberg, a close friend of Polanski’s, was credited as producer). The film came about as a result of the friendship between Polanski and Lownes. The director had been recovering from the tremendous amount of grief he had suffered after the murder of his wife Sharon Tate at the hands of the Manson family in 1969—he needed something that would help purge himself of the ugly and violent images in his head and heart. Shakespeare’s controversial and bloody play seemed to be the right vehicle. (Some say the play is unlucky—there are still theatre people who refuse to refer to it by name.)

Indeed, making the film was something of a catharsis for Polanski—there were a few occasions in which he unwittingly referred to the lead actress as “Sharon.” Adapted by renowned playwright and critic Kenneth Tynan, Polanski’s Macbeth became a poster child for the handful of ultra-violent pictures to be released in 1971—the same year as A Clockwork Orange, Dirty Harry, and Straw Dogs. The blood flows freely in Macbeth—a decapitation is even presented most realistically—but to focus solely on the film’s violence does not do it justice. The film is a remarkably faithful adaptation of the play.

“Corporate was initially against the idea,” Hugh Hefner said in a 2006 interview for Cinema Retro. “It was not a very commercial undertaking, and I knew it wouldn’t make any money. Victor made a strong case to do it and I agreed with him. It was more of a prestige thing for Playboy. Playboy and Shakespeare? Who would have thought?”

The film was made in Scotland, of course, and featured mostly unknown but highly talented stage actors—Jon Finch as Macbeth, Francesca Annis as Lady Macbeth, Nicholas Selby as Duncan, Stephen Chase as Malcolm, Martin Shaw as Banquo, and Terence Bayler as Macduff. At one point during production, Polanski ran over schedule and over budget, causing the insurance backers to drop the guarantee. Hefner had to fly to London, take stock of the situation, and personally guarantee the completion of the film with Playboy Productions’ money.

Back home in the States, Hefner viewed the dailies at the Playboy Mansion. Hefner remembered, “For my birthday that year, the cast—on film—suddenly stopped the action of a scene and began singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to me.”

The film did receive a number of very positive reviews and a few awards, too—it won Best Picture from the National Board of Review and won a BAFTA for Costume Design. “Of course, as I predicted, it didn’t make any money,” Hefner said. “In fact, it lost money. But we didn’t really care. It was a good picture and I’m proud of it. I believe since its release the film has gone into the black.”

Criterion’s new 4K digital restoration, approved by Polanski, with 3.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack is assuredly the best possible presentation of this remarkable film. The dreary Scottish landscapes are gorgeous in their own way, and you can feel the mud and slop in every scene. Extras include a new documentary featuring interviews with Polanski, Braunsberg, Lownes, and actors Annis and Shaw; a 1971 documentary featuring rare footage of the cast and crew at work; an interview with Kenneth Tynan from a 1971 episode of The Dick Cavett Show; and a segment from the 1972 British TV series Aquarius featuring Polanski and theatre director Peter Coe. Critic Terrence Rafferty’s essay in the booklet rounds out this exceptional package from The Criterion Collection.

Grab it! Just don’t ever pronounce the name of the play aloud!

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BY LEE PFEIFFER

At the time of its release in 1962 critics treated director J. Lee Thompson's "Taras Bulba" as just another action epic. Well, back in those days, every week seemed to see the release of a worthwhile action epic. However, retro movie fans have long held this film in a place of honor. It has an intelligent script, fine performances and sequences that are truly magnificent in their scope- all set to the legendary Franz Waxman's superb, Oscar-nominated score. The film is unusual on many levels beginning with the period of history it covers: the battles between the Cossacks and Poles for control of the Ukraine Steppes in the early 16th century. When the film opens, the Cossacks are fighting with the Poles to thwart an invading Turkish army. However, the Poles double-cross their allies after victory has been achieved, slaughtering many of the Cossacks, whom they fear will be a future threat. The mantle of Cossack leadership falls to the courageous warrior Taras Bulba, who vows revenge against Poland no matter how long it takes. The Cossacks spend many years rebuilding their strength. During this time, Bulba fathers two sons: Andrei (Tony Curtis) and Ostap (Perry Lopez), both of whom do instill him with pride for adapting the rough-and-tumble ways of the Cossack warriors. When tensions ease with the Polish government, Taras instructs his sons to attend university in Kiev, ostensibly to get an education. In reality, he wants them to study Polish customs and habits, all the better to serve in the forthcoming war against them that he is planning. While in Kiev, the boys suffer the indignities of ridicule, beatings and hazings. (There is an amusing, if unintended,homo erotic aspect to some of these scenes, with sweaty, shirtless men whipping each other.)  Andrei finds it's all worthwhile when he catches a glimpse of Natalia Dubrov (Christine Kaufmann), a beautiful young Polish girl who is from an influential family. Against all odds, he manages to catch her eye and ingratiate himself to her. The would-be lovers find ways to secretly meet to carry out their forbidden romance. (The notion of a Polish noblewoman carrying on a love affair with a crude Cossack warrior may seem far-fetched, but if the Cossack is Tony Curtis, I guess anything is possible.) When Andrei's interest in Natalia is discovered by her brother, a sword fight ensues in which Ostap mortally wounds the Polish army officer. The brothers escape back to the Steppes and the arms of their mother and father but Andrei still pines away for his lost love. Taras rallies the various Cossack tribes to join him in an assault on a city held by Poles. After a vicious battle, he bottles up his enemies inside the walls of the town and begins to starve them out. However, Andrei learns that Natalia is within the city and when plague breaks out, he makes an ill-fated decision to attempt to rescue her. This leads to the film's dramatic and very emotional climactic seen between Taras and Andrei.

"Taras Bulba" has been released on Blu-ray by Kino Lorber Studio Classics. The transfer is outstanding and is so clear that some of the film's technical weaknesses appear more prominent than they probably did on the big screen. The scenes within Kiev are clearly achieved through the use of studio sets and matte paintings. Some scenes have a noticeable graininess to them and in certain cavalry charges, you might observe horsemen moving at sped up motion in the manner of the Keystone Cops. Nevertheless, this is an epic film indeed when it comes to the action sequences. One scene in particular is literally thrilling: the joining of the Cossack warriors on the open plain, all galloping at high speed to Franz Waxman's addictive musical score. The performances are also first-rate with Brynner giving a larger-than-life interpretation of Bulba in  manner that no other actor of this era could achieve. Tony Curtis once again overcomes a New York accent (as he did in "The Vikings") and somehow appears completely credible. (An interesting footnote: Bulba's right hand man Shilo is played by Brynner's "Magnificent Seven" co-star Brad Dexter.)  Christine Kaufmann was only 16 years old at the time of filming and the on-screen love affair with Tony Curtis replicated itself in real life: they began dating on the set and ended up getting married, though they divorced in 1968. 

The Blu-ray disc includes an original trailer that absurdly proclaims, in the typical hyperbole of the day, that the film should be added to the list of "Wonders of the World"! Not quite. But say this for "Taras Bulba": it represents the kind of first rate action adventure epic of which it is often said "They sure as hell don't make 'em like that anymore."

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Director Guy Hamilton accepting the Cinema Retro Lifetime Achievement Award, 2008. (Photo copyright Mark Mawston, all rights reserved.)

In this BBC article from February, 2017, director Guy Hamilton's suspense-packed adventures in WWII are recounted, though the late filmmaker was loathe to discuss his wartime experiences. Hamilton, who died in April, 2016,  was in the Royal Navy, landed some secret agents on a beach in occupied France, only to find that his escape route had vanished when the ship that brought them departed suddenly. Hamilton joined the agents in evading German troops and managed to make contact with members of the Resistance, who housed the men at risk to their own lives. The amazing story rivals anything seen in the four James Bond films that Hamilton would go on to direct.

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BY LEE PFEIFFER

Any retro movie lover would be forgiven for thinking there would be a multitude of pleasures in The Great Scout and Cathouse Thursday, a 1976 Western comedy top-lining such considerable talents as Lee Marvin, Oliver Reed, Robert Culp, Kay Lenz, Elizabeth Ashley, Sylvia Miles and the always watchable Strother Martin. Sadly, the film is a complete misfire with nary a true guffaw to be found throughout. The movie is directed by Don Taylor, who helmed some fairly good films including Escape From the Planet of the Apes, Damien: Omen II and The Final Countdown. However, comedy is not Taylor's strong suit, as evidenced by the over-the-top elements of the movie. The quasi plot finds Marvin as Sam Longwood, an eccentric plainsman who is partnered with Indian Joe Knox (Oliver Reed) and  Billy (Strother Martin) in an attempt to track down their former partner Jack Colby (Robert Culp) who fled with the haul the gold hoarde the four men had discovered years before. Colby has used the stolen loot to establish himself as a respectable politician. Sam, Joe and Billy concoct a scheme whereby they will blackmail Colby into returning their share of the money by kidnapping his wife Nancy Sue (Elizabeth Ashley), a loud-mouthed and obnoxious woman who has had romantic ties to Sam in the past. For reasons far too labored to go into, the trio of men are also accompanied by a seventeen year-old prosititute named Thursday (Kay Lenz) who is seeking to escape the clutches of her former madam (Sylvia Miles).

The film has boundless energy but the non-screenplay leads the characters to dead-ends. Taylor inserts numerous slapstick comedy bits that bring out the worst in Marvin, as he goes into his over-acting mode routinely. Most embarrassing is the bizarre casting of Reed as a Native American. Cursed by having to wear a mop-haired wig and grunting "Me Tarzan, You Jane"-style dialogue, Reed does the most harm to the image of the Indian since the massacre at Wounded Knee. The film lurches from extended fistfights to boring chase sequences, all designed to mask over the fact that the script is a bland, pasted together conconction. There is also a jaunty musical score by John Cameron that is played almost non-stop, causing you to keep the remote on "mute" mode. The only people to emerge relatively unscathed are Lenz, Culp and Martin, who provided whatever wit and charm the film boasts. On paper, the project probably looked promising, but in terms of any genuine laughs...well, they went that-a-way.

Kino Lorber has released the film on Blu-ray with a good transfer and an abundance of trailers (including one for this movie) that prove to be far more entertaining than the main feature. 

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BY TIM MCGLYNN

“Life’s a banquet, and most sons of bitches are starving to death!”

The Warner Archive has just released the Blu-ray version of Mame, 1974’s film version of the hit Broadway show. The musical itself was based on the play Auntie Mame starring Rosalind Russell, also a film and also available from the Warner Archive.

On paper, this movie had “hit” written all over it with Mame’s Broadway director Gene Saks on board along with Bea Arthur (Saks’ wife) and Jane Connell reprising their stage roles. The popular score by Jerry Herman was augmented with a new song, Loving You. Phillip H. Lathrop was the cinematographer, Onna White staged the production numbers and veteran composer/arranger Fred Werner supervised the music.

The casting of the title role created controversy at the time as the star of the Broadway version of Mame, Angela Lansbury, was overlooked in favor of television and film legend Lucille Ball. It was decided at the time that Ms. Ball would draw a larger audience as film musicals had been sputtering at the box office. Previous efforts such as Paint Your Wagon, Hello Dolly and Lost Horizon had been financial disasters, and the studio wanted to stack the deck in favor of Mame breaking this trend.

Lucille Ball had never been known as a singer and at age 63 she may have not been as nimble on her feet as she was in earlier musicals. One just has to remember her taming the cat dancers with a whip in MGM’s Ziegfield Follies in 1946. Ms. Ball’s performance as Mame Dennis is still enjoyable and, if anything, is somewhat restrained. Scenes involving a comic foxhunt with Mame riding sidesaddle and a disastrous stage debut could have turned into Lucy Ricardo style slapstick, but were wisely held in check by director Saks. Ms. Ball conveyed warmth, strength and gentle humor in her performance as the eccentric, but lovable aunt.

The story follows the young and recently orphaned Patrick Dennis being sent to New York to live with his only living relative: his father’s sister Mame, a free-spirited bachelorette socialite. Mame instantly takes a liking to her nephew and vows to show him all the culture and unconventional personalities of Manhattan during the late 1920s. Her friends include a stage actress of dubious talent, the headmaster of a Bohemian nudist school, a less- than- successful stockbroker and a loyal houseboy.

Mame’s escapades with Patrick are made aware to his guardian, a conservative bank president, who sends the child to boarding school. Despite this setback, Auntie Mame remains the main influence on her nephew’s upbringing, and the story tracks their relationship through Patrick reaching adulthood and his preparations to marry. Along the way Mame encounters the stock crash of 1929, employment in customer service, marriage to a Southern aristocrat and a sudden tragedy. Her one constant through everything is her loving relationship with young Patrick.

A fantastic supporting cast includes Bea Arthur as actress Vera Charles, Jane Connell as Patrick’s nanny Agnes Gooch, Robert Preston as Mame’s love interest Beauregard Jackson Pickett Burnside, George Chiang as the houseboy Ito, Joyce Van Patten as Southern belle Sally Cato, Bruce Davison as the adult Patrick and John McGiver as Mr. Babcock, Patrick’s guardian.

Musical highlights include the beautifully staged title number sung by Robert Preston, a touching duet, My Best Girl, between Mame and Patrick, the hilariously wicked Bosom Buddies, where Mame and Vera confirm their lifelong friendship and a genuine holiday moment with the charming We Need a Little Christmas.

The script by Paul Zindel does drag a bit in the second act as adult Patrick contemplates marriage. There is an awkward jump as one wedding is called off and another takes place. Zindel does include many of the one-liners that made the stage version so humorous. Chiang, the houseboy answers a call from Mame’s financial adviser asking “he wants to know what to do with your stocks before he jumps out the window.” Vera enters the room after an all-night binge and declares: “Somebody has been sleeping in my dress!”

Cinema Retro has received the following press release:

Kevin Costner stars in and directs the triumphant cinematic masterpiece Dances with Wolves, based on the novel by Michael Blake. Available November 13th, 2018 from Shout! Factory, this breathtaking three-disc Steelbook Collector’s Edition includes the original theatrical cut for the first time on Blu-ray, an extended cut of the film and an entire disc of bonus features. 

Winner of seven Academy Awards®, including Best Directing and Best Picture, this modern classic tells the story of Lt. Dunbar (Costner), a Civil War hero who befriends a tribe of Native Americans while stationed at a desolate outpost on the frontier. What follows is a series of unforgettable moments — from Dunbar’s tender scenes with Stands With A Fist (Mary McDonnell), to the thrilling, action-packed buffalo hunt. Experience the excitement, emotion and sweeping beauty of this cinematic treasure as never before on Blu-ray!

Dances with Wolves Bonus Features

Disc One: Theatrical Cut

Disc Two: Extended Cut

·        Audio Commentary with actor/producer/director Kevin Costner and producer Jim Wilson

·        Audio Commentary with director of photography Dean Semler and editor Neil Travis

Disc Three: Bonus Features

·        A Day in the Life on the Western Frontier

·        The Original Making of Dances with Wolves

·        The Creation of an Epic - A Retrospective Documentary

·        Music Video

·        Five Vignettes (Second Wind, Confederate March and Music, Getting the Point, Burying the Hatchet, Animatronic Buffalo)

·        TV Spots

·        Theatrical Trailer

·        Poster and Photo Galleries

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BY JOHN M. WHALEN 

How you’ll feel about MGM’s “The Last Hunt” (1956), a grim depiction of the decimation of the buffalo herds out west in the 1880s, depends on how you feel about actually seeing buffalo shot down before your eyes while the cameras rolled. Writer/director Richard Brooks wanted the film to be a searing indictment of the men who ravaged the western frontier, especially those who made their living hunting bison. For the sake of authenticity, he and producer Dore Schary went out on location to Custer National Park, South Dakota, where they still have a small herd of buffalo. They got some spectacular footage of the buffalo stampeding over the Black Hills and had government permission to film during the annual “thinning of the herd,” when sharpshooters are invited to kill a limited number of buffs to keep them from overpopulating. As a result. there are scenes in “The Last Hunt” in which we see buffalo hunters Charlie Gilson (Robert Taylor) and Sandy McKenzie (Stewart Granger) shooting down a dozen or more of the majestic beasts as they sit peacefully unaware by a watering hole. It is isn’t a reenactment. It’s real and it’s disturbing to watch.

But that was Brooks’ intent. He wanted to show how greed and hatred of the Indian brought the buffalo to near extinction. Buffalo hides not only brought the hunters a good price but in their minds a dead buffalo meant less meat for the Indians. Brooks personifies these attitudes most vividly in the psychopathic Charlie Gilson. He is a man who hates everything, especially buffalo and Indians. He gets a real kick out of killing, too. He says it makes him feel alive. Taylor is convincing as a truly bad man, although his performance is somewhat one-dimensional. In most of the scenes, he’s either drunk and surly or just plain mean and surly.

On the other hand, McKenzie is a gentler soul who only agrees to go on the hunt when his small herd of cattle is wiped out by a buffalo stampede. He has no animosity against Native Americans and keeps telling Charlie he needs to chill out. Granger gives a good performance as a nice guy, but he’s almost too nice to be believable. Also in the hunting party are Lloyd Nolan as Woodfoot, a skinner with a peg leg and Russ Tamblyn as Jimmy, a redheaded half-breed, whom Charlie can barely tolerate. Woodfoot could have been an Ahab-type character with a grudge against buffalo for losing his leg, but he’s more philosophical than that. He’s seen a lot. He explains Charlie’s hatred for Indians to Jimmy by showing how much alike they are. He says Charlie eats without a fork, just like an Indian, he’s free with his women just like an Indian, he even blows his nose in his fingers like an Indian. “But you see, Charlie don’t like himself very much,” Woodfoot says, “so it’s only natural he’d hate Indians.”

The four men manage an uneasy coexistence until their pack mules are stolen one night by a small band of roving Indians. Sandy and Woodfoot are willing to let it go, but Charlie rides off after them with blood in his eye. He tracks them down, kills them and wounds an Indian Girl (Debra Paget) traveling with a small boy. He brings the girl and boy back to camp and beds down with her, much to Sandy’s dislike. Charlie gets drunk and mistreats the girl, while Sandy seethes, but remains silent. Sandy and the Indian girl begin to get closer, however, when Charlie’s not around or just passed out and tension slowly builds.

Things come to a head when Sandy hesitates to shoot a white buffalo because he knows it has religious significance to the Indians. Charlie has no such qualms. He knows the hide will bring a price of $2,000. He kills it and now both the Indian girl and the white buffalo hide become the sources of conflict that eventually leads to a violent and chilling climax.

“The Last Hunt” is an interesting film made by an interesting director. Like some of Richard Brooks’ other films, such as “In Cold Blood” and “Bite the Bullet,” it’s hard-hitting, almost merciless, in its portrayal of the darkness that lies just below the thin veneer of civilization. It could have been a classic, but it has become a victim of the era in which it was made. It’s not likely that any major studio today would release a film showing the deliberate killing of live animals, no matter what the reason. For one thing PETA would make life miserable for the film makers, and today’s audiences would most likely condemn it as well. The casting of Debra Paget as the unnamed “Indian Girl” is another strike against it. The casting was not Richard Brooks’ fault. Movie studios in 1956 never cast Native Americans in major roles. Indian characters were usually played by Mexican actors like Delores Del Rio or Gilbert Roland. Paget does a great job, but it’s a false note in a film that tries so hard to be authentic.

But the biggest problems with “The Last Hunt” is its slow pace. The film focuses too much on the five main characters bogged down in their own personal conflicts. It takes forever for McKenzie to finally have his fill of Charlie’s constant bullying and mean-tempered treatment of the woman and the half-breed. He’s too mild-mannered and when the final showdown does happen it’s a long, drawn out affair that lacks suspense.

“IT WAS SOMETHING ELSE, ALL RIGHT!”

By Raymond Benson

The tag-line on the theatrical poster for Brewster McCloud, Robert Altman’s 1970 black comedy, proclaimed, “Something Else from the Director of M*A*S*H.”

It was something else, all right.

M*A*S*H, of course, was a surprise hit earlier in the year, catapulting Altman into the A-List in Hollywood. The picture was an irreverent commentary on the Vietnam War (although the story takes place during the Korean War). It radically bucked the system in terms of the sound recording and overlapping dialogue, and it initiated the director’s penchant for using an ensemble cast and an improvisatory, free-for-all sensibility. This was a new kind of cinema, an entry in what film historians call New Hollywood.

Released for Christmas the same year, Brewster McCloud was Altman’s anticipated follow-up. Most critics and audiences felt it was very different from M*A*S*H—a zanier, loosely-plotted ramshackle of a film that was considered weird and unlike anything seen before. In retrospect, however, and especially considering Altman’s further career of making large, unconventional and improvisatory ensemble pictures, Brewster seems very much in keeping with the auteur’s stylistic and thematic traits that populated nearly all his movies.

Brewster is the story of a young man (played by Bud Cort) who lives in a secluded area of the recently-built Houston Astrodome, and he is building a wing-apparatus that will enable him to fly. He’s encouraged and protected by a beautiful guardian angel (fallen, perhaps?) named Louise (Sally Kellerman), but Brewster is infatuated with a pretty Astrodome tour guide, Suzanne (Shelley Duvall, in her debut film role). Meanwhile, there are serial killings going on around Houston being investigated by hotshot detective Frank Shaft (Michael Murphy). The common “fingerprint” in the murders is that each victim is covered in bird droppings. On top of these proceedings are classroom scenes in which a very odd “Lecturer” (Rene Auberjonois) instructs us about ornithology as he slowly becomes birdlike himself throughout the film.

That is indeed an eccentric premise for a movie, and Robert Altman excels with it. Make no mistake—this is an inventive, funny, bewildering, and fascinating picture. I consider it to be one of Altman’s best films, one that solidified not only his haphazard way of shooting a movie, but his use of a repertory company of actors (many of the cast from M*A*S*H appear here, along with newcomers who would continue to work with the director in the future, such as Duvall).

Speaking of the cast, they all play colorful characters right out of a modern urban fairytale on acid. Even Margaret Hamilton, the famed Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz shows up wearing ruby slippers. The performances are excellent, especially that of Duvall, Murphy, and good old John Schuck, who plays a traffic cop caught up in Shaft’s investigation (Schuck was the “Painless” dentist in M*A*S*H and worked with Altman several more times).

Warner Archive has upgraded their previously-released DVD version of the film to a region-free Blu-ray in 1080p High Definition with DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono. There is a lot of grain present in the darker scenes, but that is to be expected with the film stock from this era. There are no supplements other than the theatrical trailer.

If you’re an Altman fan, or can appreciate wacky, trippy comedies that smoothly slip into theatre of the absurd, then Brewster McCloud is for you. Frankly, this “something else” is a gem.

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Cinema Retro has received the following press release:

Universal City, California, November 1, 2018 – Five of some of the most timeless holiday films come together on Blu-ray™ and DVD in The Original Christmas Specials Collection: Deluxe Edition available now from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Featuring all-new bonus features and unforgettable characters, experience these five classic holiday specials with your whole family.

‘Tis the season to enjoy the timeless holiday classics in The Original Christmas Specials Collection: Deluxe Edition featuring 5 unforgettable stories.  Produced by the legendary Rankin/Bass, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town and The Little Drummer Boy feature iconic Animagicâ„¢ stop-motion animation and Frosty the Snowman and Cricket on the Hearth are beautifully illustrated. Starring the voice talents of Fred Astaire, Jimmy Durante, Mickey Rooney, Danny Thomas, Burl Ives and many more, these favorites also feature some of the most beloved songs of the season and are sure to entertain audiences of all ages for generations to come!

The Original Christmas Specials Collection: Deluxe Edition includes Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964), Frosty the Snowman (1969), Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town (1970), The Little Drummer Boy (1968), Cricket on the Hearth (1967). Along with The Original Christmas Specials Collection: Deluxe Edition, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman and Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town are also available in individual new Deluxe Editions on Blu-RayTM and DVD.

BONUS FEATURES:

·        The Animagic World of Rankin/Bass: An all-new documentary celebrating the legacy of the holiday specials created by Arthur Rankin, Jr. and Jules Bass including interviews with filmmakers and historians.

·        Restoring the Puppets of Rudolph: Discover how the puppets from the beloved special were restored.

·        Reimagining Rudolph in 4D: A behind-the-scenes look at the making of the new Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer attraction film.

·        Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Attraction Film: A short stop-motion film originally created for a Rudolph 4D experience.

·        T.E.A.M. Rudolph and the Reindeer Games: A video storybook including the untold story of the Reindeer Games

·        Frosty the Snowman Original Pencil Test

·        Commentaries on Frosty the Snowman and Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town

·        And much more!

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