Very good look at the explosions in big budget musicals that followed the success of Sound of Music. The big ones get their own chapter - there were genuine successes like Thoroughly Modern Millie, Oliver! Funny Girl, Fiddler on the Roof, Jesus Christ Superstar and Cabaret; half successes like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and On a Clear Day You Can See Forever; films that were okay but lost huge amounts of money: Half a Sixpence, Camelot, Dr Doolittle, Hello Dolly; films few people remember, like Song of Norway, The Happiest Millionaire, The Great Waltz or Goodbye Mr Chips; surprise flops like Sweet Charity; legendary money losers like Paint Your Wagon, Star!, Man of La Mancha and Darling Lili; surprisingly profitable enterprises like Finian's Rainbow and Son of Norway.
My take out from reading this book:
*Musicals have never stopped being popular. They've never stopped being popular on Broadway and came back in a big way in the animated world. Many of the notorious flops in the book were among the years biggest films eg Camelot. But...
*Musicals need to be made for a price. It's astonishing how needlessly expensive many of these films were. Camelot is basically three people in a castle. Darling Lili is two people, one of whom performs occasionally in a music hall. Goodbye Mr Chips is about a man who teaches at school. But they cost too much money to ever have a real chance of being profitable. Sometimes the film's over production made it less enjoyable eg Hello Dolly, Paint Your Wagon. Part of this is because musicians and technicians used to be under contract and now they aren't... but I think also these filmmakers got panicky and threw money at problems, hoping spectacle would save them.
*Musicals need to be cast well. I don't want to be wise after the event - but the leads of musicals should be able to sing, and suit the parts. Audiences don't mind if they're not film stars - look at the acceptance of Ted Neely, Topol, Mark Lester. Absolutely it won't always work - the public didn't go to see Robert Morse reprise his role in How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying, for instance. But if you can't get a movie star who suits the part, then cast the Broadway star. There were so many better suited Hollys than Barbra Streisand; the leads in Paint Your Wagon were ridiculous, ditto Redgrave and Franco Nero in Camelot and Man of La Mancha.
*What was really killed in the late 60s was the teen musical - the unpretentious programmer, like the Donald O'Connor musicals of the 40s for Universal, or Elvis' musicals, or the Beach Party films. These seemed to dry up despite the glorious music of the time - even in the early 1960s Hollywood studios would sign up teen idols but this seemed to stop. In particular I can't believe there weren't more blaxploitation musicals.
*These roadshows I feel definitely scared off big screen adaptations that should have happened by now. I get why no one's tried to film Oh Calcutta! But it's a shame there hasn't been films of Wicked, 42nd Street (the newer version), The Book of Mormon, Avenue Q, La Cage Aux Folles, Spamalot, Matilda, Promises Promises, They're Playing Our Song, Into the Heights.
An entertaining book, full of fun anecdotes and interesting analysis.
Thursday, October 05, 2017
Wednesday, October 04, 2017
Movie review - "Bride of the Gorilla" (1951) **
I was prompted to re-watch this after reading Tom Weaver's book on the film. It's engaging and silly and not that good but the basic story is fine and the cast a delight. Raymond Burr is very good in the Lon Chaney Jnr type part as a sweaty plantation foreman in love with the boss' wife (Barbara Payton) - shades of The Letter. He kills the boss then starts turning into a creature.
Payton isn't very good - she's pretty and has a knockout figure but her eyes are dead. She never seems committed to a scene or the moment - I don't think she was that into acting, more her personal life. She does have a nice romantic scene with Burr.
Lon Chaney Jnr is on hand to play a local policeman and Tom Conway is lots of fun as a doctor. The movie lacks sympathetic characters that were so prevalent in The Wolf Man - that had Chaney, Evelyn Ankers and Claude Rains. This has murderer Burr, cheating Payton, sweaty Chaney.
We also don't get much killer animal stuff. A few scenes, but not a lot. Still, it's fun, unpretentious stuff.
Payton isn't very good - she's pretty and has a knockout figure but her eyes are dead. She never seems committed to a scene or the moment - I don't think she was that into acting, more her personal life. She does have a nice romantic scene with Burr.
Lon Chaney Jnr is on hand to play a local policeman and Tom Conway is lots of fun as a doctor. The movie lacks sympathetic characters that were so prevalent in The Wolf Man - that had Chaney, Evelyn Ankers and Claude Rains. This has murderer Burr, cheating Payton, sweaty Chaney.
We also don't get much killer animal stuff. A few scenes, but not a lot. Still, it's fun, unpretentious stuff.
Monday, October 02, 2017
Script review - "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" by William Goldman
I've read an awful lot about this script, in part because Goldman often refers to it - it's got his idea character intros, and ending, and was so successful.
It's weird to read it - there's a lot of empty spaces and the script clocks in at over 180 pages. It's got a wonderful central relationship, a bromance, with the girl in there as well but the boys are into each other more than her. Full of casual, witty by play.
It does go on a long and there's lots of bits that aren't so great - endless chase scenes, hanging out at a brothel; even the South American sojourn was longer than I remembered; the bifocals line.
But the classic bits remain strong: the intro, meeting Sundance, the kick in the balls; the robberies; the finale; Etta leaving. I think I prefer All the President's Man for Goldman's screenplays but this is very good.
It's weird to read it - there's a lot of empty spaces and the script clocks in at over 180 pages. It's got a wonderful central relationship, a bromance, with the girl in there as well but the boys are into each other more than her. Full of casual, witty by play.
It does go on a long and there's lots of bits that aren't so great - endless chase scenes, hanging out at a brothel; even the South American sojourn was longer than I remembered; the bifocals line.
But the classic bits remain strong: the intro, meeting Sundance, the kick in the balls; the robberies; the finale; Etta leaving. I think I prefer All the President's Man for Goldman's screenplays but this is very good.
Book review - "Bride of the Gorilla" by Tom Weaver
No one really likes(d) Bride of the Monster, not even the people who made it or John Landis who did the introduction to this book or even Tom Weaver who wrote this book. But it's such an engagingly silly piece it's hard not to feel some affection for it - at least, for those who like gorilla movies.
It was written and directed by Curt Siodmak, a major writer of horror films whose reputation as director is much less imposing. It has in interesting cast including Raymond Burr, Barbara Payton, Tom Conway, Woody Strode and Lon Chaney Jnr. It's also got a decent story which as Weaver points out is like an early draft of The Wolf Man.
This book packs a lot in for a slight movie - there's an account of the making, of course, and reviews etc... but also the script, a detailed look at the music, an account of the final days of Siodmak (the world of horror fans can be catty!), an interview with Tom Neal's son, a look at the life of Chaney, and much more.
The one debit of the book for me was Weaver make the occasional cheap crack at Payton, which felt mean. But the book was a lot of fun.
It was written and directed by Curt Siodmak, a major writer of horror films whose reputation as director is much less imposing. It has in interesting cast including Raymond Burr, Barbara Payton, Tom Conway, Woody Strode and Lon Chaney Jnr. It's also got a decent story which as Weaver points out is like an early draft of The Wolf Man.
This book packs a lot in for a slight movie - there's an account of the making, of course, and reviews etc... but also the script, a detailed look at the music, an account of the final days of Siodmak (the world of horror fans can be catty!), an interview with Tom Neal's son, a look at the life of Chaney, and much more.
The one debit of the book for me was Weaver make the occasional cheap crack at Payton, which felt mean. But the book was a lot of fun.
Movie review - "The Secret Place" (1956) ** (warning: spoilers)
Clive Donner's debut feature also gave early leading roles to Belinda Lee, David McCallum and Ronald Lewis. They're all quite good actually.
Rank Films had this reputation for old fashioned movies but this is quite snazzy and hip, starting with it's rock and roll song over the title credits. And the cast's performances are young and method-y especially David McCallum as a young teen. I think it helps that Donner was so young - he doesn't look down on his characters.
The story falls into that crime film sub-genre - the one where the protagonist is an adoring younger boy. This had a vogue in British cinema of the time with The Fallen Idol, Hunted, The Kidnappers, Moonfleet.
Here the boy has a crush on Belinda Lee, very good - but she plays the criminal's girlfriend, which means her link to the crime is more tenuous. I wish she'd gotten to take part in the heist herself. Lewis is effective in a villainous part. I'm surprised McCallum's role wasn't bigger.
As the film goes on it gets less interesting. The gang are constantly thwarted in their efforts to get the diamonds - things keep happening. I couldn't put my finger on it why this wasn't working for me - maybe it was the lack of a new element or development in what was going on. I guess the kid finds out the girl knows crooks - but that didn't feel very strong. I wasn't sure what happened to Lewis' character or Lee's a the end - or even the kid.
Still, worth watching.
Clive Donner interview side 7 here says Donner was an editor but he wanted to direct. He was going to Group Three but John Davis offered him a contract. Donner wanted to make Room at the Top but Rank refused bc they didn't like the book. He pitched Secret Place, liked that, and that was approved. Donner called the film a mixture of Pinewood establishment solid movie making and something that was fresher and newer and freer and dealing with ordinary people. He called it "an emotional thriller".
Donner in interview side 8 wanted to cast a cockney girl but Davis refused bc of her accent - she was Anne Archer. Donner knew Davis wanted to use Rank contract artists so picked Belinda Lee. Said she was young, lovely, her family was well to do. Called her unpretentious, relatively innocent, sweet. In love with Cornwell Lucas who did stills that looked as though they came out of never never land. Donner did tests with her. Says she worked fantastically hard and she was good. Donner says the picture was well received and he's proud of it. He talks about Lee's life briefly - the affair, moving to Europe, said she did well "big hair big tits", says she was going to Hollywood and was only there a short time when she died.
Donner talks about her in side 10 - recaps what he said earlier, went to see her play Rosalind in the Park. Donner argued to Rank she wasn't convincingly working class. He did a test of Barbara Archer but Davis had his heart set on Belinda.
TV review - "Bright Little Lies" (2017) ***1/2 (warning: spoilers)
Enjoyable melodrama - that's not a back handed compliment. It's well done though perhaps stretched out at 7 one-hour eps... there's lots of filler, with scenes of kids running around and other such montages.
It reminded me of Ross Hunter/Douglas Sirk 1950s melodramas, with its combination of lust, unhappy marriages, aspirational lifestyles (the Monterey coast), good female roles. Instead of Lana Turner and Jane Wyman there's Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon and Shailene Woodley - plus Laura Dern and Zoe Kravitz.
It's extremely well done across the board - acting, costumes, etc. Nicole gets the juiciest part, being slapped around and having self destructive sex. Her scenes with the shrink are particularly well done and must have been what got her the Emmy.
Dramatically really Reese's character could have had the affair on screen - I'm guessing they made it flash back so she'd be more sympathetic? Builds to a tense ending. Still I kept feeling it could and should have been condensed into a great two hour movie. Such is modern Hollywood!
It reminded me of Ross Hunter/Douglas Sirk 1950s melodramas, with its combination of lust, unhappy marriages, aspirational lifestyles (the Monterey coast), good female roles. Instead of Lana Turner and Jane Wyman there's Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon and Shailene Woodley - plus Laura Dern and Zoe Kravitz.
It's extremely well done across the board - acting, costumes, etc. Nicole gets the juiciest part, being slapped around and having self destructive sex. Her scenes with the shrink are particularly well done and must have been what got her the Emmy.
Dramatically really Reese's character could have had the affair on screen - I'm guessing they made it flash back so she'd be more sympathetic? Builds to a tense ending. Still I kept feeling it could and should have been condensed into a great two hour movie. Such is modern Hollywood!
Sunday, October 01, 2017
Script review - "A Bridge Too Far" by William Goldman
Not recognised as one of Goldman's classics even though in Adventures in the Screen Trade he spoke highly of the experience and the resulting film - he seemed to have only good things to say about Butch Cassidy and Bridge - I think later Princess Bride and Hearts of Atlantis were added to this.
It's done in that lively Goldman style very easy to follow and read, with little asides (eg "he's four days away from becoming a legend") and some bright dialogue. He was hamstrung by the fact many of the principals were still alive. Montgomery died in 1976 - I presume that's why he's not in the film at all, only mentioned. Lord Browning - who died in 1965 - has to take on some of the mistakes (eg ignoring intelligence reports that Germans were in the area), which for me was the main flaw of the film. It felt unfair.
I did struggle to tell the characters apart on the page - this was less of an issue on screen because the main roles were played by stars. There are some lively cameos - the sergeant who drives his "dead" captain to a hospital; the Americans going across the river to take the bridge; Major Frost and Urquhart's adventures behind enemy lines.
Some characters threaten to become interesting but don't, like that bridge-building captain (I think Elliot Gould played him) and the Irish guards officer Vandeleur (Michael Caine). Others are annoying like the Polish general, Sosabowski who whinges all the time.
Structurally although the film takes place over several days it feels like one afternoon - I know films sometimes struggle with that and wasn't sure how to fix it, it's just the reaction I got. Also it didn't feel as though it built - towards the end when the Poles started their attack, I was getting impatient.
Still some very effective moments - the siege, the build up, the death of the old lady and the little boy. And it gets points for being a British-American film about a big defeat. There aren't that many apart from Tora Tora Tora.
It's done in that lively Goldman style very easy to follow and read, with little asides (eg "he's four days away from becoming a legend") and some bright dialogue. He was hamstrung by the fact many of the principals were still alive. Montgomery died in 1976 - I presume that's why he's not in the film at all, only mentioned. Lord Browning - who died in 1965 - has to take on some of the mistakes (eg ignoring intelligence reports that Germans were in the area), which for me was the main flaw of the film. It felt unfair.
I did struggle to tell the characters apart on the page - this was less of an issue on screen because the main roles were played by stars. There are some lively cameos - the sergeant who drives his "dead" captain to a hospital; the Americans going across the river to take the bridge; Major Frost and Urquhart's adventures behind enemy lines.
Some characters threaten to become interesting but don't, like that bridge-building captain (I think Elliot Gould played him) and the Irish guards officer Vandeleur (Michael Caine). Others are annoying like the Polish general, Sosabowski who whinges all the time.
Structurally although the film takes place over several days it feels like one afternoon - I know films sometimes struggle with that and wasn't sure how to fix it, it's just the reaction I got. Also it didn't feel as though it built - towards the end when the Poles started their attack, I was getting impatient.
Still some very effective moments - the siege, the build up, the death of the old lady and the little boy. And it gets points for being a British-American film about a big defeat. There aren't that many apart from Tora Tora Tora.
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