Radio review – BBC - “Rumpole Redeemed” by John Mortimer ***

Rumpole loses out on a brief involving a Molloy, one of the rivals to the Timson family, but can’t help investigating. Strong story and a really nice thematic line running through about redemption.

Radio review – BBC - “Rumpole and the Primrose Path” by John Mortimer

BBC play version of a story from the popular series, with Timothy West making a fair fist of the title role. Rumpole is sent off to a retirement home, which is a great concept, as is the fact someone winds up dead there prompting a murder. A decent story and a likeable new character in Luci Gribble, head of chambers marketing who actually turns out to be a bit of a Rumpole fan.

Movie review - "The Unforgiven" (1960) **

Really irritating Western that came as a major disappointment to me because of the quality of people involved: Lancaster, Hecht Hill Lancaster, Maddow, Hepburn, Huston, Le May, Bickford and Audie Murphy. But not only is it un-exciting it’s patronizing, unexciting and not a bit dumb.

The story is a switch of The Searchers, with an Indian girl raised by a white family. But instead of showing all that up front and having the drama play out, this one holds off the reveal that Audrey Hepburn is an Indian until around half way through and everyone starts wailing and carrying on as if it’s 1941 Germany and she’s a Jew.

And instead of The Searchers' heavily multi-cultural world with its mixture of Swedes, Confederates, Indians, half-Indians and Anglos, this depicts a world where apparently the worst shame is to be Indian. When its revealed that Audrey has red blood the townsfolk get whipped up into a hysterical fury, her own brother Murphy rants and raves like she’s an alien. I get that people were racist along the frontier, I’m sure they were, but this didn’t ring true – that people would be so shocked at this time in American history that an adopted girl was Kiowa, that they would shun and carry on so much about a girl they’ve known their entire lives. It all ran false. The Elvis movie Flaming Star dealt with this material so, so much better.

None of the characters are that likeable or interesting – Burt Lancaster’s patriarch, harbouring incestuous feelings for his sister Hepburn (it’s okay apparently because they’re not blood relatives… sorry, but it was a little too close to Scarface for me) and ordering an Indian who wants to parley to be shot dead; Audie Murphy’s racist brother (never given a really good reason for his hysteria inducing reaction to Indians except they killed his paw – incidentally he’s meant to be a goodie who comes to the rescue at the end); Doug McClure’s bland younger brother  (no character at all and one wonders why he’s in the film), Lilian Gish’s pop-eyed mother (though the bit where she causes Joseph Wiseman to be hung is one of the best in the movie). 

Audrey Hepburn is pretty and likeable as always but she’s not that convincing as an Indian, looks too old, and is stuck with a nothing part – entirely passive (she seems bullied into staying with the whites more than anything else, there’s never a moment where she explores her Indian heritage). At the end of the movie you feel sorry for her more than anything else, stuck in this semi-abusive relationship with her brother. There’s some hammy acting, too.

Also for a movie that is supposed to shed light on American racism, it’s racist in its depiction of the Indians – who are once again mostly depicted as savages in the distance with only a few lines of dialogue. They whoop whoop and fire arrows and charge on a building – but they are never allowed to show humanity, or humour. John Saxon has the biggest part, as a white allied Indian, but it’s not much of a role.

The central idea of an Indian raised by a while family is a good one and there are some effective moments: I always like Charles Bickford in Westerns, Dimitri Tomkin’s score is interesting, the final siege isn’t bad, and Joseph Wiseman is fun as a crazed white settler. Audie Murphy does some effective hysteria acting – it’s not his fault his character doesn’t really make sense (why didn’t they give him more of an Indian fighting backstory? Make allowances for his age? Why make him a hero at the end?) But it doesn’t ring true and it just plain annoyed me.

Radio review - Suspense - "Another Man's Poison" (1951) *** (warning: spoilers)

Two of Suspense's strongest elements - a nervous middle aged man and a bag of cash. Charles Boyer discovers it, and wants to claim it despite police advice - it gets advertised so lots of people go looking for it including a bank robber. Some excellent acting and spooky threats over the phone, with Boyer being particularly superb. Loses points for Boyer getting out of gaol with a deux ex machina confession.

Radio review - Suspense - "Overdrawn" (1951) ***

Very strong central idea: Dick Powell is a bank teller longing for cash who takes advantage of a bank robbery to pocket some takings. A junior teller spots him.I think they should have brought back the bank robbers but this is a pretty good installment of the series and Powell is strong as always. Written by Blake Edwards!

William Goldman Top Ten

My top ten works by William Goldman
1) The Season (1969, non fiction) - a simply wonderful book about Broadway, the best on theatre I've ever read
2) All the Presidents Men (1976, script) - I re-read this script every year it's so good, and people who believe Robert Redford's claims that Goldman didn't write any of it are idiots
3) Adventures in the Screen Trade (1982, non fiction) - marvelous memoirs, my first exposure to Goldman
4) The Princess Bride (1973, novel) - the film is lovely, the screenplay terrific but the real charm and heart come from the novel
5) Marathon Man (1974, novel) - pulpy, harsh, exhilarating writing
6) Heat (1985, novel) - a favourite of mine because of its description of Las Vegas and lead character, even though it was poorly filmed
7) Tinsel (1979, novel) - highly enjoyable Hollywood novel
8) Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969, script) - Goldman overdoes the references and the middle bit is dull but so much of this is wonderful, including the first third and the end - and it's great to read
9) The Big Picture: Who Killed Hollywood and Other Essays (2001, essays) - collection of entertaining pieces, a bright (if also depressing) description of Hollywood in the 1990s
10) Boys and Girls Together (1964, novel) - thought provoking and gripping novel, although flawed - I think Goldman was better at genre pictures but this is something different

Fabian Top Ten

My top ten Fabian works - no kidding.
1) Hound Dog Man (1959, film) - actually a sweet little slice of Americana, well directed by Don Siegel, with an enjoyable theme song
2) North to Alaska (1960, film) - great fun and maybe Fabian's best performance
3) Tiger (1959, song) - a genuinely catchy little ditty which I liked a lot more than "Turn Me Loose", his other big hit
4) "The Lion Walks Among Us" (1961, TV episode) - Fabian and Robert Altman result in a show that was mentioned in Congress.
5) Mr Hobbs Takes a Vacation (1962, film) - surprisingly sweet family comedy movie with Fabian in a small role, but quite good
6) Kissing and a Twistin (1960, song) - incredibly tacky lame song that I for some reason have a real affection for
7) The Longest Day (1962, film) - Fabian in a small role but an impressive war film
8) Thunder Alley (1967, film) - superior entry in the late 60s stock car racing cycle much better than Fireball 500
9) Ride the Wild Surf (1964, film) - a more serious beach party movie, very enjoyable with pleasing footage
10) This Friendly World (1959, song) - sweet ballad from Hound Dog Man, which suits Fabian's voice, something not many songs did