Fake Bands, Reel Music Part 3 - Fake Headliner Bands

Thursday, April 16, 2020, at 4 pm I'll be hosting a special program for the WTJU Rock Marathon. I'll be featuring music -- and the artists that perform it -- specifically for movies and TV shows.

Fake Headliner Bands -- Movies 

A fictional band -- or artist -- can be the subject of a serious film. "That Thing You Do!" is a 1996 film that tells the story of the Wonders, a one-hit-wonder band from Pennsylvania. The movie perfectly captures the pre-British Invasion pop scene of 1964. The Wonder's hit (written by Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne) became a legitimate hit in 1996, peaking at #22 on the Billboard charts.



The film also captured the styles of other early 1960s' genres. "My World is Over" mimics Dionne Warwick's Burt Bacharach/Hal David songs, and is sung by Jackie DeShannon. Surf guitar, girl group ballads -- even TV show crime jazz is referenced.

In "Eddie and the Cruisers," a reporter tries to solve the mystery of what happened to Eddie Wilson. This 1983 film featured music from Eddie's group, ca. 1963. John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band played Eddie and the Cruisers for the soundtrack.

The 1991 movie "The Commitments" tells the story of Irish working-class youth Jimmy Rabbitte. He manages to put together a soul band with local talent. The group almost makes it, but falls apart due to lack of, well, commitment. Even though all of the songs are covers of 1960s soul, it's just too well-done not to include.



The 1970 "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls" was originally meant to be a sequel to the 1967 "Valley of the Dolls." But it soon changed into something else. It tells the story of three young women who make up The Kelly Affair, a rock trio. They come to Los Angeles and fall prey to the rock-n-roll lifestyle. The group renames themselves the Carrie Nations and almost makes it to the top before the overwrought drama brings everything crashing down.

The Kelly Affair/Carrie Nations tunes were written by Stu Phillips (best known for "Knight Rider"). The Strawberry Alarm Clock also appeared in the film an on the soundtrack album.

Fake Headliner Bands -- Live-Action TV

Sometimes, the fictional group is front-and-center, their name embedded in the title. TV versions are easy to name. Live-action candidates include The Monkees and the Partridge Family. In both cases, members of these groups had stronger chops than critics gave them credit for.

With the exception of Mickey Dolenz, the other three Monkees were all experienced musicians. Mike Nesmith was perhaps the most successful, having written "Different Drum" for the Stone Poneys (with Linda Ronstadt).

The core of the Partridge Family was Shirley Jones and her stepson, David Cassidy. Jones had a long career in musical theater and movie musicals. Cassidy was starring in a Broadway production when tapped for the TV show, a career he resumed after it was canceled.

A lesser-known TV show band was the 1882 Fox series The Heights. The eponymous band was a group of twenty-somethings trying to escape their blue-collar jobs through music. It only lasted one season, canceled just as a song from the show became a hit. "How do you talk to an angel" credits The Heights as the band, with Jamie Walters (who played Alex O'Brien) singing lead.



One of the most bizarre live-action series featuring a band was Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp. This 1970 Saturday morning kids' show featured chimpanzees. Lancelot Link, agent of A.P.E. battled the forces of C.H.U.M.P. in two ten-minute adventures each week. Each episode also included a musical number by Link's band -- the Evolution Revolution.

Fake Headliner Bands -- Cartoons!

While there have been a number of cartoon bands (all voiced by studio musicians), not all meet my criteria. The Archies were certainly the most successful, but the characters only played together in music segments between the stories -- the series wasn't about a band per see.

A better case might be made for the Hardy Boys. In this 1969 series, the main characters of the books are all in a band, who solve mysteries on their way to various gigs. Each story included both a mystery and a musical segment. The songs were released as an album "Here Come the Hardys" in 1969, with four singles that modestly charted.



The Banana Splits were a shameless ripoff of the Monkees, dumbed down to what the producers thought young children would find hilarious.

Josie and the Pussycats work on all levels. The show was about the band itself, and each story featured a musical number. The franchise also translated well to the big screen.

Rachael Leigh Cook, Tara Reid, and Rosario Dawson play modern versions of the characters, the music updated from late 60s bubblegum to early aughts alt-rock. Kay Hanley (Letters to Cleo) provided lead vocals for the soundtrack.

And now a word from our sponsor 

Perhaps the oddest fake group to qualify is the Glass Bottle. The group was formed for a 1970 ad campaign. Glass manufacturers wanted to get kids to switch from aluminum cans to glass bottles -- really.


In addition to doing some super-hip ads, the band also cut an album. "I Ain't Got Time Anymore" reached #36. A real hit from a fake band.

Fake Bands, Reel Music Part 2 - Fictional bands and biofics

Thursday, April 16, 2020, at 4 pm I'll be hosting a special program for the WTJU Rock Marathon. I'll be featuring music -- and the artists that perform it -- specifically for movies and TV shows.

Fictional groups as characters

A fake band can serve various roles in a film.

"Animal House" was set in 1963. Soul band Otis Day and the Knights perform for a white fraternity party. Later, some of the brothers see them advertised at a roadhouse. They burst in, not realizing it's an African-American establishment. Hilarity (of a sort) ensues.

Frankie Avalon's head was often turned in the American International beach movies. In 1965's "Beach Blanket Bingo" it was Linda Evans. Evans played Sugar Cane, a singer doing publicity stunts to promote her latest album. She performs numbers from it backed by the Hondells in the movie. Jackie Ward provided Evan's singing voice.


A more curious example is found in 1964's "Bikini Beach." In answer to the British Invasion, Frankie Avalon plays two roles; Frankie the surfer, and Peter Royce Bentley, AKA Potato Bug. Both via for Annette Funicello's attention. The Potato Bug is an amalgam of the Beatles. His songs pastiche the sounds of "I Want to Hold Your Hand." At one point both Frankie and Potato Bug sing a duet, each in their own style.



In the 2007 rom-com, "Music and Lyrics," Hugh Grant plays Alex Fletcher, still trading on his fame as a member of PoP. Based on Wham!, the group's sole hit "Pop Goes My Heart" is performed in the opening credits in an 80s-style music video.



"Groupie Girl" is a 1970 UK drama, based on the memoirs of former groupie Suzanne Mercer. The heroine falls in with a number of bands. English Rose (created for the film) gets an extended sequence for their song "Yesterday's Heros."

Biofics - thinly disguised biographies 

Sometimes an artist will play a slightly fictionalized version of themselves. In "Purple Rain," Prince plays The Kid, but really -- it's Prince. And the rest of the cast also plays basically themselves. Apollonia Kotero as Apollonia; Morris Day as Morris, Jerome Benton as Jerome and so on.



Eminem plays Jimmy "B-Rabbit" Smith, Jr. in "8 Mile." The story of Jimmy is essentially Eminem's as well.

But biopics don't have to be autobiofictional. Several movies have told fictionalize versions of very real artists.

Bette Midler played Mary Foster Rose, a self-destructive singer. This 1979 movie was reworked when the Janis Joplin Estate denied the producers the rights to her story. Songs of the era are mixed with original music, all lending themselves to Midler's Joplin-like delivery. "The Rose" was written by Amanda MickBroom.

"Grace of My Heart" was a 1996 film starring Illeana Douglas. Her character, Denise Waverly has a life quite similar to Carole King's. Both start as songwriters and eventually emerge as performing artists with the release of a seminal album in the 1970s.

The score imitates the various eras -- early 60s pop, mid-60s California sound, and of course, the piano-based sounds of Carole King's "Tapestry." Score contributors included Burt Bacharach, Elvis Costello, Joni Mitchell, and Jill Sobule.



"Dreamgirls" was a smash Broadway musical, becoming a film in 2006. In this case, the fictional biography is of a group. The Dreamettes are based on the Supremes. Henry Krieger and Tom Eyen wrote the Broadway score, rearranged by Harvey Mason Jr. and Damon Thomas for the film. The end result is a score that parallels the historical development of the Motown sound. The rock-solid cast included Jennifer Hudson, Beyonce Knowles, and Jamie Fox.




In "Almost Famous," the biographical basis for the movie isn't the band, but the reporter who followed it. Director and writer Cameron Crowe had been a journalist for the Rolling Stone in his teens. The movie tells the story of a teenage journalist covering a band on tour, trying to get a cover story for the Rolling Stone.

In real life, Crowe covered the Allman Brothers Band, Led Zeppelin, Poco, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Those bands are blended together to create Stillwater for the film.

A Star is Born (again and again)

The first version of this film was made in 1937 with Janet Gaynor and Frederic March. Gaynor's trying to break into movies, and March is a matinee idol. Her star rises while his fades, dooming their romance. The 1954 version (Judy Garland and James Mason) made it a musical.

The 1976 version transformed it further. The lead characters became musicians rather than actors. Barbra Streisand played Esther Hoffman Howard to Kris Kristofferson's self-destructive rock star John Norman Howard.



In 2018, Lady Gaga as Ally Campano and Bradley Cooper as alcoholic Jackson Maine play the leads. In both these versions, the stars performed -- and in some cases -- wrote the songs their characters sing.

Next: Fictional Bands as headliners

Fake Bands, Reel Music Part 1 - Mockumentaries

Thursday, April 16, 2020, at 4 pm I'll be hosting a special program for the WTJU Rock Marathon. I'll be featuring music -- and the artists that perform it -- specifically for movies and TV shows.

Fictional musicians were a staple of the movie industry since the introduction of sound. Al Jolson played Jakie Rabinowitz, a fictionalized version of himself in 1927's "The Jazz Singer." But with the advent of rock and roll, the concept of fictional artists grew and expanded.

"Fake Bands, Reel Music" takes a look at how fictional groups really rocked.

Mockumentary Movies

When asked to name a mockumentary about music, many people respond, "Spinal Tap." And rightly so. What made Carl Reiner's 1984 film such a masterwork is the obsessive attention to detail. The movie features songs by the band from the early 60s, the Summer of Love, and into heavy metal. And each track is stylistically correct, sound exactly like the era its meant to invoke.



Guest, McKean, and Shearer would become part of a repertoire company who collaborated on a number of successful documentaries, such as "For Your Consideration" and "Best in Show."

One of their films, "A Mighty Wind" (2003) follows three folk music groups as they gather for a tribute concert. The Folksmen (McKean, Guest, and Shearer) are based on the Kingston Trio. Their misguided attempt to go electric couples the Byrd's jangly guitar with earnestly flawed lyrics.


Also featured are Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara as Mick and Mickey, an Ian and Sylvia soundalike.

John C. Reilly starred in 2007's "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story." The film is a comedic take on documentaries about Johnny Cash, Roy Oberson, and other early sixties stars. The film's unusual in that it mixes real celebrities (played by others) with the fictional musicians. Marshall Crenshaw and Van Dyke Parks contributed to the ostensively decade-spanning score.

The Rutles began as a skit created by Eric Idle (Monty Python) and Neil Innes (Bonzo Dog Band). This Beatles pastiche, with songs written by Innes, soon took on a life of its own. The group toured and had two UK hits.

Their 1978 TV movie "All You Need is Cash" is a satirical mockumentary of the Beatle's career. Included in the cast was George Harrison as the interview, Ron Wood, John Belushi, and Dan Aykroyd. Mick Jagger, Paul Simon, and Roger McGough appear as themselves.

Small Screen Mockumentaries

"Documentary Now!" is a half-hour mockumentary series starring Fred Armisen and Bill Hader. Each episode parodies a famous documentary film, with a keen eye to detail.

"Gentle & Soft: The Story of the Blue Jean Committee" mirrors "History of the Eagles." Armisen and Hader's Blue Jean Committee is a perfect amalgam of the Eagles, America, Steely Dan, and the 70s So-Cal sound.



"Final Transmission" was based on the Talking Heads documentary "Stop Making Sense." Armisen and Hade, with help from Maya Rudolph, nail the New Wave sound of their inspirations.

John Mulaney plays a version of Stephen Sondheim for "Original Cast Album: Co-Op." It's based on the documentary of the recordings sessions for "Company." The episode features several Sondheim-like numbers that all ring true -- and explain why "Co-Op" was canceled (according to the story) after one performance.

At the height of the boy band craze, MTV produced "2Gether," a mockumentary TV movie. The title group was a by-the-numbers boy band, each member selected to fill an archetype; the heartthrob, the shy one, the cute one, the older brother, and the bad boy. 2Gether became a TV series, running on MTV for two seasons. They also released two albums.


All of the actors sang for the recordings.

Their single "The Hardest Part of Breaking Up (Is Getting Back Your Stuff)" charted on the Billboard Hot 100, and in 2000 they opened for Britany Spears on her summer tour.

Next: Fictional groups as characters

"Up in the Air" makes Mantan Moreland fall flat

It's been a while since I've written about 1940s film star Mantan Moreland -- but I've been watching his films all along. I've always been impressed with not only how good his performances are, but how much they played against the racial stereotypes of the day.

In many films for poverty row studio Monogram Pictures, he was teamed with Frank Darro. Like Abbott and Costello, or Laurel and Hardy, the two played the same basic characters time and again. Frank was the young man always full of energy and ambition, impetuously plunging head-long into trouble (or sometimes danger).

Mantan Moreland was the level-headed one, always expressing misgivings about Frankie's ideas, and only participating reluctantly and when forced. Often such African-American characters were portrayed as lazy -- but Moreland never gave that impression. His character wasn't lazy -- he just wanted to avoid trouble. And often Frankie's hare-brained schemes worsened rather than improved his character's situations.

These are films of their times, however. Darro always addresses Mantan's character by his first name (usually Jeff, short for Jefferson). Mantan always addresses Darro as "Mister Frankie." Their characters may be friends, but they're not equals.

Mantan Moreland had been active in vaudeville before moving to pictures. He and his vaudeville partner Ben Carter brought one of their routines to the screen. Since many B pictures (such as virtually all of Monogram's output) was only screened once, popular routines could be recycled. As was the case with "Incomplete Sentences." This running gag relies on split-second timing and delivery to pull it off.


It appears in a few of Mantan's 1940s films, almost always in dialog with Carter. But then there's "Up in the Air."

This 1940 film, a murder mystery set at a radio station, is on par with other Moreland/Darro pix. The plot moves along briskly, the competent cast of character actors is doing a credible job. Moreland and Darro are playing their respective roles.

And then comes the unfortunate -- and unnecessary -- scene at 31:41. That's when Darro and Moreland audition for a spot as a comedy duo for a radio show. It's Mister Frankie's idea, of course. They do the "Incomplete Sentences" routine, with Frankie Darro speaking in "dialect." And worse yet, in blackface (so effective on the radio).



Of course, it's horribly racist, and incredibly insulting to Mantan as a performer. But it's also illuminating. Because to me, the skit falls flat. Darro just doesn't have the comedic chops to hold up his part. The timing's off, and I get the sense that the actor had to concentrate so much on delivering his lines in "dialect" that his attention to timing slipped.

I still enjoy watching Mantan Moreland perform in these old movies. But this film really brought home just how little say black actors had in Hollywood in the 1940s -- even with their own material. I can only hope things are different now.

Beach Blanket Bingo - the DJ set

The station I volunteer for, WTJU, is co-sponsoring a summer film series in Charlottesville, VA with the Virginia Film Festival. Our role is to provide a DJ before the movie. This Friday, the VFF is screening Beach Blanket Bingo -- so of course, I volunteered to DJ. 

Last post (Beach Blanket DJ) I detailed the various elements I considered in assembling the set list. Below is the finished set list, with some additional commentary. The time scheduled is 90 minutes. I actually have 110 minutes programmed, in case I need to start early, and/or I need to drop a track in reaction to the crowd.

The Set List

1 Beach Blanket Bingo (opening credits) - Frankie Avalon/Annette Funicello - this is the movie they've come to see, seems like a good way to start

2 Surfin' USA - The Beach Boys - the audience will expect some Beach Boys, so here they are

3 Miserlou - Dick Dale & His Del-Tones - another familiar track, and Dick Dale was in several of the beach party movies (just not the one we're showing)

4 The Lonely Surfer - Jack Nitzsche - an instrumental classic of the era, plus it's slower, to calm things down a bit

5 Cycle Set - Donna Loren - this track is featured in the movie, sung by the Hondells. Donna Loren is also featured in the movie. I went with this one because female vocals add variety

6 Surf Party - The Astronauts - a surf guitar instrumental, and the Astronauts were featured in many of the beach party movies

7 Sandy - Ronny & The Daytonas - a slow number (and top 40 hit) with a Beach Boy-like sound

8 Andele - PJ & The Galaxies - an uptempo surf guitar instrumental

9 Hawaii - Bruce & Terry - Bruce Johnson and Terry Melchor helped developed the beach music sound. Bruce Johnson would later join the Beach Boys. I chose this track because it had the Beach Boys vibe. I wanted to use the actual Beach Boys tracks sparingly.

10 Muscle Bustle - Donna Loren - from the soundtrack of "Muscle Bustle," another American International beach party movie. An uptempo track contrasting with the chill medium tempo "Hawaii."

11 Little Honda The Hondells - The Hondells are featured in "Beach Blanket Bingo." This was their biggest top-40 hit, and should be familiar to the audience.

12 One Mint Julep PJ & The Galaxies - a mid-tempo surf guitar instrumental for contrast

13 Girls On The Beach - The Beach Boys - this slow number was a top-40 hit, so it should be familiar

14 Pajama Party - Annette Funicello - from the soundtrack to "Pajama Party," another American International beach party movie. It's uptempo and female vocals contrast with the previous track. Plus, Annette Funicello's in "Beach Blanket Bingo," so I'm setting the stage with this track.

15 Summer Means Fun - Bruce & Terry - an uptempo Beach Boys-like track. This may be cut for time considerations.

16 Heartbeats - Dick and Dee Dee - from the beach party movie "Wild, Wild, Winter" from Universal. Great contrast to the previous track.

17 Surf Jam - The Beach Boys - an uptempo instrumental from the Beach Boys. This may be cut due to time considerations.

18 California Sun - The Rivieras - a top 40 classic

19 The One You Can't Have - The Honeys - a fun, uptempo number. This female group was produced by Brian Wilson (who also wrote their songs), so it's the distaff version of the Beach Boys

20 Surfin' And A-Swingin' - Dick Dale - this is from "Beach Party" -- and it's Dick Dale, so two good reasons to play it.

21 Remember (Walkin' in the Sand) - The Shangri-Las - a top-40 favorite, complete with beach sound effects. This is a slow song with female vocals. Nice contrast, but may be cut for time considerations

22 Walk, Don't Run - The Ventures - a great almost-surf-guitar top 40 instrumental

23 409 - The Beach Boys - another top 40 hit that audiences should enjoy

24 Our Love's Gonna Snowball - Jackie and Gayle - a great track from "Wild, Wild, Winter," I chose this for the contrast of female vocals in the mix

25 Hot Rod Roadster - The Rip Chords -  an uptempo track

26 School's Out - The Sandals - a soundtrack selection from the Sandals. It's a surf guitar mid-tempo track. I may cut it for time considerations

27 I Get Around - The Beach Boys - a top 40 favorite

28 Beach Blanket Bingo - Donna Loren - we should be about halfway through set at this point. So for those who came in late, here's the theme song for tonight's feature

29 Bikini Drag - The Pyramids - a surf guitar instrumental from the soundtrack to "Bikini Beach"

30 Little Miss Go-Go - Gary Lewis & The Playboys - a Beach Boy-like uptempo track 

31 Secret Surfin' Spot -Dick Dale - from the soundtrack to "Beach Party" 

32 He's A Doll - The Honeys - female vocals for contrast, Beach Boys sound for familiarity

33 Two of a Kind - Jay & The Americans - from a Universal beach party soundtrack - uptempo track with contrasting non-beach sound.

34 The Little Old Lady (From Pasadena) - Jan & Dean  - a top 40 favorite, and way to continue the Beach Boy vibe without the Beach Boys.

35 Beach Party - Frankie Avalon - from the soundtrack to "Beach Party"

36 New Love- Donna Loren - a mid tempo ballad from "Beach Blanket Bingo." Contrasting female vocals and tempo to "Beach Party's" up tempo track

37 G.T.O. Ronny & The Daytonas - a top 40 favorite, and an uptempo track

38 Pipeline - The Chantays - a surf guitar and top 40 classic

39 I'll Never Change Him - Donna Loren - featured in "Pajama Party," it's a mid tempo track that I might cut due to time considerations

 - the rest of this line up is to get the audience primed for the main event - 

40 Theme From The Endless Summer - Sandals - a slow instrumental surf guitar classic.

41 Don't Stop Now - Frankie Avalon - uptempo track from "Beach Party"

42 Record Run - The Pyramids - uptempo track from "Bikini Beach" 

43 It Only Hurts When I Cry - Donna Loren - mid tempo ballad featured in "Beach Blanket Bingo"

44 I Live For The Sun - Sunrays - uptempo surf and top 40 classic

45 Gotcha Where I Want You - The Exciters - uptempo track from a beach party film

46 Wipe Out - The Surfaris - uptempo surf and top 40 classic

47 Bikini Beach (opening credits) - Cast - uptempo track from "Bikini Beach"

Beach Blanket DJ

The station I volunteer for, WTJU, is co-sponsoring a summer film series in Charlottesville, VA with the Virginia Film Festival. Our role is to provide a DJ before the movie. This Friday, the VFF is screening Beach Blanket Bingo -- so of course, I volunteered to DJ.

Actually, I would have preferred to give the pre-screening lecture, but they said providing some music would be fine.

So what would you play for the 90 minutes before the movie starts? Perhaps an all-Beach Boys set would work, but that's lazy and wrong. Here's why:

A little movie background

The music featured in the early 1960s beach party movies only partially overlapped with the surf guitar and beach music genres. The genre took its name from the first of American International's beach movies, "Beach Party." It starred Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello, whose names would become synonymous with the genre. 1964s Beach Blanket Bingo, (5th in the series) is where all the elements came together. When people refer to beach movies, this is the one film they're probably thinking of.

 

A little movie music background

Beach party movies don't necessarily feature beach music. Beach Blanket Bingo, for example, features songs by Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello that are simply pop tunes (and heavily orchestrated at that). Donna Loren sings a top 40-friendly ballad, and Linda Evan's two songs (lip synching Jackie Ward) wouldn't be out of place in the Brill Building. The Hondells do provide some Beach Boys-like beach music, but those are only two out of seven songs.

Great song -- but not especially "beachy."

Other American International beach pictures feature more authentic music, such as surf guitarist Dick Dale, the Astronauts, and the Pyramids. And they also feature Littel Stevie Wonder, Nancy Sinatra, and the Kingsmen.

A little music background

So what music would be appropriate for a pre-screening of Beach Blanket Bingo? Most of the audience won't have a deep knowledge of the variety of music found in beach party movies, so playing Stevie Wonder, Nancy Sinatra, and the Kingmen selections wouldn't set the right mood.

Beach music would be nice -- but what kind? Folks in the southeastern coastal states are well familiar with Carolina beach music. This style is rooted in 1950s soul, and doesn't prominently feature the guitar. Playing Bill Deal and the Rondells and the Tams would stir some memories, but would be a big disconnect wit the aesthetic of the film.


Great song for shagging (Carolina beach dance)-- but not West Coast enough

West Coast beach music has two subgenres -- surf guitar and beach music. In the early 1960s there were many southern California bands that had no vocalists. The lead guitar carried the tune. Its distinctive voicing can be heard in Dick Dale's music, as well as that of the Ventures, and the numerous one-hit-wonder groups who charted with surf music classics, like "Wipeout" and "Pipeline," (both surfing terms).


Dick Dale and the Deltones from "Muscle Beach Party." Now we're on the right track.

The Beach Boys took the surf guitar sound and softened it quite a bit. And they added the falsetto harmonies that became the signature sound of what many people consider beach music. Jan and Dean, the Hondells, and many others mimicked this sound, like Bruce and Terry (below).



The beach party movies do have representatives of both surf music and beach music, so tracks from these two genres would be appropriate -- and familiar to the audience.

Pick and choose

I created my final mix by blending selections from:

1) Songs from the soundtracks of the beach party movies
2) Surf guitar classics
3) Beach music classics
4) Related top-40 tracks.

Tomorrow: my set list

The Plymouth Adventure

Happy Thanksgiving!

Many American families have Thanksgiving stories and traditions, mine included. And ours is perhaps a little unusual, as my ancestors include three men who sailed on the Mayflower: William Brewster, spiritual head of the Pilgrims; Stephen Hopkins, a sailor and adventurer; and Thomas Rogers, a Pilgrim and a cloth merchant.

The story of the Pilgrims coming to the New World and celebrating the first Thanksgiving, has grown large in the retelling as years have passed. The historical truth of the founding of P.ymouth Colony is far removed from the national myth. And understandably so -- the myth is much more appealing.

One of my favorite versions is the 1953 all-star epic "The Plymouth Adventure." The men are noble, the women glamorous, the passion overheated -- in other words, a typical Hollywood movie of the period.


But it's still a lot of fun. Two of my ancestors are represented -- although it's unlikely William Brewster looked much like Barry Jones, or Stephen Hopkins Don Dillaway (I know -- who?).

Taken as myth, it's rollicking entertainment. And the film has two other things going for it -- the ship and the music. The model of the Mayflower was one of the most detailed ever constructed, and is part of the reason the film won an Oscar for best special effects.

And who wouldn't enjoy an epic film with a Miklos Rozsa score? Rozsa did his research. The hymn you hear at the beginning isn't "Simple Gifts," it's actually "Confess Jehovah Thankfully," by Henry Ainsworth. Ainsworth's Psalter (collection of hymns), was published in 1612 and was taken to Plymouth by the Pilgrims.



Family stories don't have to be true, as long as they entertain. Ours got the MGM treatment. Very little of it is true, but it is entertaining!

The New Metropolis

I had an opportunity to watch the restored version of Fritz Lang's "Metropolis" over the weekend. I've always loved the 1927 silent film for its visual beauty, but not the story.

This 2-and-a-half-hour film was not treated kindly by its distributors, and shortly after its premier was chopped down to a more "manageable" run time of under two hours.

I've enjoyed the 2001 Kino version, which had pulled together and restored as much of the surviving footage as they could find. There was still a substantial amount of the film that remained missing until a copy was discovered in Brazil in 2008. The additional 25 minutes don't completely restore "Metropolis," but it comes close -- and redefines many of the relationships between the characters in the process.

One of the most menacing figures in the film, Fritz Rasp as the Thin Man, had his role reduced to almost nothing in the early edits. Restoring his scenes makes a world of difference. Rasp had a knack for portraying dangerously powerful men on screen (check out his role as Colonel Jellusic in "Spies").

In "Metropolis" he plays the eyes and ears of Joh Fredersen, the CEO of Metropolis. He's assigned the task of trailing Jon's impulsive son Freder, a job he does with quiet efficiency.

The still at left is from the restored footage. Look at the cold menace in Rasp's face. But note something else. That flat-brimmed hat reminded me of Jack Nicholson's portrayal of the Joker. Except the Thin Man is far scarier.

The restored footage clarifies the conflict between the mad scientist Rotwang and Joh Fredersen, and also offers a better reason for the creation of the robot. In the edited version, Fredersen wanted something to replace the workers with, a motive that doesn't make much sense with his later actions. In the original version. Rotwang creates the robot as a reincarnation of Hel, the woman he lost to Fredersen (which also explains their conflict).

Also changing roles is Josaphat, an administrator fired by Joh Fredersen. In the edited version, it appears that he drops to the lower working class, showing up later in overall and togs. In the original version, he instead is hired by Freder to be his eyes and ears.

The worker's clothes he dons are only a disguise. Josaphat remains (thanks to Freder's employ) part of the very small middle class. The restored version is the only place we see a hint of this middle class.

If you've ever seen any version of "Metropolis," and didn't think much of it, give this restored version a view. It's different enough that it make change your mind. And if you've seen "Metropolis" and enjoyed it despite its flaws, The Complete Metropolis should justify your faith in the potential of this sprawling opus.

The Spanish Cape Mystery

I watched The Spanish Cape Mystery last night. This 1935 picture marked the first on-screen appearance of Ellery Queen, the king of deductive detectives. It was an interesting and entertaining enough film, although viewing it some 75 years after release gave it an added twist or two.

As I watched, I wondered how many of the detective story tropes I saw had descended into cliche even by 1935. The story (which varies from the original novel by the same name) involves a group of hangers-on in a mansion attempting to gain their share of a multi-million-dollar inheritance. Not only is everyone apparently capable of murder, but they dislike each other enough that they all have sufficient motive to bump off any of the others -- which of course begins to happen.

There's a significant red herring that draws everyone's attention (why does the murderer dress the victims in their bathing suits?) but only Queen can see the true reason. Which leads to the second cliche; the baffling solution. Ellery Queen provides the puzzled sheriff with a cryptic clue, "look for the man with black spots before his eyes," but never explains to the police exactly what that means -- or who he's referring to.

It's great for a story, but while he's being clever, two more people get killed.

I did enjoy watching it, but The Spanish Cape Mystery is in no way great art.

And, looking at it through the lens of time, part of my enjoyment came from the awareness of just how much storytelling has evolved in film. In this movie, scene changes are done by fading completely to black, and then slowly fading back in. Far too slow for today's tastes. And the dialogue, while moderately witty, was delivered at a very measured pace: line (pause) response (pause) next line (pause) next response.

As I watched the story unfold (slowly), I kept wondering if a little judicious editing wouldn't help pick up the pace.

There was one plus to this film, though, that modern franchise movie makers should take note of. The movie starts with Ellery Queen in mid-career. There's no long origin story. The movie starts with the ninth book in the series with Ellery Queen going on vacation to get a break from all that crime-solving!

So to all you comic-book movie auteurs, forget the scene one/day one mindset. Just start the story and go. The fans are already up to speed, and everyone else will be familiar enough with the character to stay with it.

Really.

In praise of lesser men and women

I was watching an episode of "Have Gun Will Travel," late 1950's western starring Richard Boone. As with a lot of vintage TV shows and movies, part of the fun is seeing Famous stars back in their salad days as extras or members of the supporting cast.

In this particular episode the guest star was John Abbott, a character actor I had seen many times before. Character actors don't seem to get much attention with the general public. After all, they're never the stars of the show, and often just have a scene or two. And they basically play the same part over and over.

John Abbott was such an actor, usually appearing as an urbane villain or eccentric intellectual, always speaking with a cultured British accent. In the episode "Shot by Request," he plays a scholar who, for self-preservation, learns to handle a gun and ends up earning a reputation as a gunfighter (so this was one of those eccentric intellectual roles).

On a whim, I decided to look him up to see what other films I had seen him in. And what I got was a little surprising. Because this person who I had never really thought much about had a long and distinguished career beyond his typecast roles.

John Abbott (1905-1996) was a well-respected Shakespearean actor before coming to the United States in the 1940's and started working in films. He was as cultured in real life as he appeared on screen -- in addition to working with some of the greatest classical actors of his day (such as Laurence Olivier), Abbott served with the British Embassy in Moscow when the Second World War broke out.

He worked extensively on stage (and was to have originated the lead role in "Harvey"), and actually had a play written in verse for him -- by Tennessee Williams. And he also taught the art of acting to a rising generation of future stars (and character actors). And he also did voice over work, appearing as the wolf in Disney's "The Jungle Book."

It was an impressive career.

And that got me thinking:

John Abbott was but one of many actors who appear fleetingly in films, TV shows and stage dramas that never reach "stardom."

How many others are there whose creative lives were far richer than their stereotyped roles might suggest?

I'll be paying even more attention than ever to those "other" actors!

Shutter Island's Classical Score

In my last post, "Dead music, dead issue," I said that I didn't accept the notion that atonal, dodecaphonic and other forms of "modern" music are alien to contemporary audiences -- they've been used in movies since the 1940's.

And now there's "Shutter Island." As Tim Smith pointed out his Baltimore Sun article, the movie's soundtrack CD is chock-full of contemporary classical music.

"And I'm talking seriously contemporary, as in fabulously atmospheric pieces by John Cage (including "Music for Marcel Duchamp"), Morton Feldman (the otherworldly "Rothko Chapel 2"), Krzysztof Penderecki, Alfred Schnittke, Gyorgy Ligeti, Lou Harrison (a movement from the haunting Suite for Symphonic Strings), John Adams (the eerie, riveting "Christian Zeal and Activity"), and Giacinto Scelsi. For good measure, a youthful work by Gustav Mahler, his darkly lyrical Piano Quartet, is in the mix, too."

According to BoxOfficeMojo, the movie ranked #1 on its opening weekend, so all of that crazy classical music isn't scaring away too many people (I think the scaring happens once they're inside the theater).

Sure, no one's flocking to the film because of the music, either.

But that's not the point. Clearly, the filmmakers chose these works because they expressed the right emotions for the scenes they support.

Will it lead to this music being played more? Possibly. Look what happened when the 1967 film "Elvira Madigan" used the slow movement from Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major, K. 467 --still, today is known as the "Elvira Madigan" concerto.

According to ticket sales figures, over seven million movie-goers have been exposed to Morton Feldman and lived to tell the tale. As opposed to how many in the concert hall?

- Ralph

BTW - It's really difficult to tell what's on the soundtrack album by any of the online listings. They follow the standard format for pop music, so it's title/artist -- no composers. "Symphony No. 3 - Passacaglia" by itself is not very helpful at all.

The Suicide Squad - An Appreciation

As the sky dumped twenty-two inches of snow on my central Virginia home, I spent some time revisiting a collection of Emile C. Tepperman's "Suicide Squad" stories. Tepperman may not have been a very prominent author, but he certainly was a prolific one. He wrote over 260 short stories, novelettes and full-blown novels between 1933 and 1943.

Tepperman definitely captured the pulse of the time -- readers of pulp magazines wanted action and plenty of it. Tepperman didn't disappoint. His stories are fast-paced thrill rides that pull the reader along from chapter to chapter.

The Suicide Squad -- Johnny Kerrigan, Stephen Klaw, and Dan Murdoch -- were the subject of twenty-two 15,000 word novelettes that ran in "Ace G-Man" magazine between 1939 and 1942. As Tepperman describes them:

Kerrigan and Murdoch and Klaw. The three Black Sheep of the F.B.I.--three men who were never sent on a regular routine assignment, but who always rated the calls where death was almost a certainty. Not so long ago there had been five of them. Now there were only three. Tomorrow there might be only two--or one--or none.

The Suicide Squad was reckless, and often deliberately walked into traps just to spring them to get the villains to tip their hands. With Tepperman's break-neck pacing, once the Squad gets involved (usually about three paragraphs into the story), the villain's master plan starts to unravel.

But what plots they are! In the Adventure House collection of wartime adventures I just finished the Suicide Squad takes on a 9,000 man-strong Japanese Expeditionary Force hidden in rural Maryland, a gang-run city, a saboteur with a cadre of Korean fire-archers, and the Undertaker, who returns all who go after him in a casket -- embalmed!

What makes the stories interesting is the dynamic between the three lead characters. There's an easy camaraderie and byplay between them, and (within the world of the pulps) some differences between the three. It's suggested that Stephen Klaw overcompensates for his youthful looks and short stature by being overly aggressive (even by Squad standards). Dan Murdoch is more concerned about organization and planning, even when it has to be done on the fly. And Johnny Kerrigan is the glue that holds these two opposites together.

Often times one of the Squad take the lead in the adventure, and the story takes on the dynamic of his personality. But action is always the watchword of the day, and in the end, the Suicide Squad always gets their men -- if they're still standing.

Here's a sample from the 1940 story "Suicide Squad - Dead or Alive!" Stephen Klaw has allowed himself to be captured. And, according to plan, Kerrigan and Murdoch enter at just the right moment.

Roy Fenn ripped out an oath, and went for his gun. At the same time, the two gorillas who were holding Steve Klaw let go of him and swung their own weapons to shoot at Kerrigan and Murdoch.

Dan Murdoch, with that grim smile still upon his dark and handsome face, fired once. The big gun jumped in his hand, and the hoodlum on Stephen Klaw's right was hurled backward as if he had been struck by a ten-ton sledgehammer.

Simultaneously, an automatic appeared in Klaw's right hand, and somehow its muzzle was up and belching flame at the second thug. The shot caught the man in the left shoulder and spun him around like a weather-vane, with his arms outstretched. He went sliding across the floor and ended up against a desk, huddled on the carpet, and moaning. Klaw's gun and Murdoch's had barked almost in unison.

A split-second later, Johnny Kerrigan reached Rory Fenn in a flying leap. Fenn had his gun out of its holster. Johnny smashed down with his revolver, struck Fenn's wrist. The big bruiser let go of the gun, uttering a cry of pain. He stood disarmed, staring vindictively at Kerrigan.

Johnny chuckled, kicked the fallen gun over toward a corner. Then he looked at Klaw and said, "Hello, Shrimp. Looks like these lads aren't so tough after all."

If you enjoyed the non-stop action and retro feel of the first Indiana Jones film, you might like the Suicide Squad stories. They would have made a great series of B pictures.

Emile C. Tepperman remains somewhat of a cypher. There's no biography of him anywhere that has more than his professional life up through the late 1940's. Nevertheless, he left behind a body of work that, while not great literature by any definition, can still deliver entertaining thrills seventy years after its publication.

And that's not a small accomplishment.

- Ralph

Now This - The Story of WJMA

One of the coolest things about the media revolution is that resources formerly only available to professionals are now accessible to all.

I'll be attending the premier of a new documentary film on September 28. "Now This" will be shown at the Orange County Historical Society. It's a movie outlining the history of the first 35 years of WJMA, a station that holds a special place in the Orange community.

In the bad old days, this movie would have never happened. The focus is far too narrow, the potential audience far too small to justify the investment of production. But current cameras and video editing tools mean that folks who are interested in the history of this remarkable radio station can produce their own film. And from the trailer, it looks to be a fine film.


- Ralph

Day 150 of the WJMA Podwatch. (Will any of the of the current owners be at the premier? Don't know, but I'm sure they were invited.)

The Great Race and Steampunk

When it comes to any creative work, the reference point of the audience changes over time. I thought of that while watching "The Great Race." This 1965 Blake Edwards comedy chronicles a mythical 1903 New York to Paris road race. Tony Curtis (the Great Leslie) and Jack Lemon (Professor Fate) represent good and evil in a way that was meant to mirror the conventions of silent movies of the 1920's -- although Professor Fate seemed to be more a cross between Snidely Whiplash and Wile E. Coyote.

Blake makes his intentions clear, right from the opening credits. He's paying homage to early film comedies of the 1920's.



The movie featured imaginative and retro-looking automobiles, including Professor Fate's formidable Hannibal 8. This vehicle had everything needed for Fate to win the race by cheating. It came with a smoke screen, a heat cone, a retractable cannon (!), and a body that could be raised and lowered (as you can see below).

For 1965 audiences, the quaintness of turn-of-the-century technology and actions was amusing. But when I watched this movie in 2009, I had a different thought. Professor Fate's inventions are straight-up steampunk.

There's an entire sub-genre of science fiction devoted to retro-futurism, extrapolating devices from late nineteenth and very early twentieth century technologies. Which is exactly what Blake Edwards does in "The Great Race." It seems to me this film potentially could attract a whole new audience from steampunk devotees, many of whom the film predates by at least twenty years.

Reference points change over time. Has the time come for "The Great Race" to be popular again -- for slightly different reasons?

- Ralph

BTW - Henry Mancini's ballad "The Sweetheart Tree" alone is worth the price of admission.

Mantan Moreland and You're Out of Luck

I recently watched "You're Out Of Luck" (1941) one of the eight films Frankie Darro and Mantan Moreland did for Monogram Pictures. As I've noted before in my review of "The Irish Luck," these films aren't great art, but they're definitely entertaining.

Darro and Moreland played virtually the same roles in each film. Darro was the young, impulsive eager beaver ready to leap headlong into trouble, while Moreland was the more cautious and practical -- and definitely wanted to avoid trouble at all costs.

Sure, it's the same relationship Mel Gibson and Danny Glover play in the "Lethal Weapon" franchise but there's a difference. In the early 1940's it was rare for an African-American to be an equal partner to a white man -- even on film.

In the movie , elevator operator Frankie O'Reilly (Darro) and janitor/handyman Jeff Jefferson (Moreland) work at the Carlton Arms hotel, where they witness the murder of a gangster. Frankie's brother, the police detective assigned to the case, asked Frankie to help keep any eye on some of the suspects in the hotel. And of course, Frankie not only agrees but also volunteers Jefferson's help.

Mantan was rumored to ad-lib many of his lines and was actually a big enough star to get away with it. In this first audio clip, Jefferson protests always being dragged into another mess. But listen carefully to what Mantan actually says. It sounds to me like a very subtle commentary on the role he was forced to play. (And is he referencing "King of the Zombies" which he also starred in the same year?)

You're Out of Luck - Jeff's complaint

Mantan Moreland was an accomplished stand-up comedian with an impeccable sense of timing. In this next scene, Frankie tries to gather more clues by bluffing. His brother's been demoted from detective for various setbacks in the case, and Frankie wants to help. Jeff has his own opinion about what's going on.

You're Out of Luck - Jeff's observation

I'm not saying that a film as slight as "You're Out of Luck" is worthy of serious post-modern analysis. But, as always, Moreland's performance gives this breezy little mystery just enough substance to make it worth watching even today.

- Ralph

Joan Woodbury - Gangs, Inc.

Gangs, Inc." (1941) provides a wonderful showcase for the queen of "B" pictures, Joan Woodbury. I've written about Woodbury before, but this is the first film I've run across where she really carries the picture.

Make no mistake: like the majority of files cranked out in the 1930's and 1940's, "Gangs, Inc." was never meant to be great art. It was just another commonplace entertainment that the studio hoped would turn a profit -- and to ensure success, the budget was kept as low as possible.

That's not to detract from the film. Producer, Maurice King does such a good job telling his story that one hardly notices the limited number of sets, sparing use of extras, and the supplemental use (but not overuse) of stock footage.

I have to admit when the film started, I thought I knew where it was going, but it played against expectations enough to keep me engaged to the end. Ten-year-old Rita Adams witnesses her criminal father's death after he turns states' evidence. Is the movie about a child running from the murderers who want to silence her? Nope.

Rita ends up in an orphanage, where she becomes friends with Bob Elliot, who builds model airplanes, and Mickey Roman who wants to make dough the easy way. Fast forward 10 years, and the adult Rita Adams (played by Joan Woodbury) is working in a factory; Bob Elliot's in aviation, and Mickey Roman's a gangster (of course). So is the story about Bob and Mickey fighting over Rita? Nope.

Rita's roommate, Donna Andrews (Linda Ware) is an aspiring singer, who Mickey thinks is swell. So is there a romance between the singer and the mobster? Nope, just friends.

But all of those story elements are important to the plot.

Rita is involved with an alcoholic playboy. While they're on a date, he drives while drunk and runs down a pedestrian. His family's lawyer (through the playboy) convinces Rita to take the blame to avoid scandal. Despite assurances that she'll only get probation, she's sentenced to a year in jail -- during which time, the playboy, who was never serious about the relationship, dumps her.

It's a hardened Rita that comes out of the slammer. Especially after Mickey produces evidence he stole from the lawyer's office that Rita was intended to take the fall all along. Rita sets off on a secret life of crime, and when Mickey moves to the big city, Rita and Donna relocate as well -- Donna, because Mickey's found her a job as a nightclub singer, and Rita, because the father of her ex-boyfriend (who died in a car wreck), is heading the Reform Party against the city's racketeers.

Rita takes charge. She makes a deal with the racketeers, and through blackmail pulls DeWitt into the newly-formed crime syndicate that runs the city through politics (the original title for the film, "Paper Bullets," refers to the use of ballots as weapons). In the meantime, Bob Elliot renews their relationship (unaware of her double life), and eventually Bob and Rita marry.

But all is not well. While Donna doesn't fall in love with Mickey, she does with his associate, Jimmy Kelly (Alan Ladd) who is actually an undercover cop. When the lid blows off, Rita's once again standing before a judge, along with the rest of the syndicate.

The film gives Joan Woodbury an opportunity to show a lot of range. Here she is early in story portraying a typical working girl.

After a stint in the big house, Rita turns to crime. She disguises herself for her robberies, posing as a different kind of working girl. Woodbury gets to play two different characters here.

The now hard-as-nails Rita meets with the racketeers....

...then after forging a deal, visits the man who ruined her life.

But there's another side to Rita, and Woodbury does an admirable job portraying it. In this scene, she reconnects with childhood sweetheart Bob Elliot.

The two are married right when trouble hits. Watch the domestic Rita take the blow, and then the hard-boiled Rita take over to end scene.

"Gangs, Inc." isn't a great film, but one that was definitely better than it had to be for the market. And one that I enjoyed watching. Now playing at (for free) at Archiv.org!

- Ralph

Day 52 of the WJMA Podwatch

Joan Woodbury and A Walking Nightmare

"A Walking Nightmare" (AKA "The Living Ghost") is a 1942 Monogram Pictures production, starring B-movie headliner, Joan Woodbury. I've been having fun uncovering movies by this under-appreciated actress and have always been rewarded with a good viewing experience.

Woodbury had real screen presence, and "A Walking Nightmare" is perhaps the best I've seen her (so far). The plot involves a murder mystery, but not really much of one.

Prominent banker Walter Craig disappears and eventually returns with his mind temporarily fried (there's some bafflegab psychology, but it's one of those medical conditions devised solely to serve the plot). 

Who could have done such of thing? And why? There's plenty of suspects in the banker's mansion, including his wife, his friend, business partner, secretary, daughter, daughter's fiancee, etc.

But the mystery isn't really the point of the film. It merely provides the backdrop to the real story, which is mordantly tart banker's secretary Billie Hilton (Joan Woodbury) caustically observing the investigation by detective Nick Trayne (James Dunn). During the course of said investigation, (of course) they fall in love. Actually, Trayne falls first. It takes Hilton a lot longer (the rest of the film) to figure it out. 

Woodbury and Dunn have a real chemistry, and a both have a flair for comic timing, which makes this light-weight film so entertaining. Hilton and Craig's friend Ed Moline (Paul McVey) come to Trayne's office to persuade him to take the case.

Since Trayne has quite being a detective, Moline suggests to Hilton that doubting his talent will get his friend to take the case out of wounded pride. Hilton gives as good as she gets -- and then some. 

Woodbury wasn't Bettie Davis or Katherine Hepburn by any means, but in this movie, she more than rises to the occasion. "Walking Nightmare" runs a little over an hour, and originally was meant to be sort of the warm-up picture to the feature presentation at a Saturday matinee.

It's light, breezy fun with Woodbury and Dunn keeping things humming along. And there's even a short bit by double-talk artist Danny Beck. Double-talk was a form of humor that flourished very briefly in the 1940's. The art was to string together nonsense syllables that almost sounded like words.

For an hour's entertainment, I recommend "Walking Nightmare" over a third viewing of "Law and Order" any day.

 - Ralph

Day 16 of the WJMA Podwatch.

Mantan Moreland and the Irish Luck

"Irish Luck" (1939) is not a great film -- but very few movies from Monogram were. But many of the productions from this B-picture studio are still very entertaining -- especially those with Mantan Moreland. (I've talked about this under-rated African-American actor before.)

In the late 1930's he was teamed with Frankie Darro for a series of films where they, in essence, played the same characters. Darro was the enthusiastic kid, always getting the pair in trouble by impulsively plunging into trouble. Moreland played the most level-headed of the pair, who was always dragged into predicaments by Darrow against his better judgement.

What I find interesting about these films is that Moreland is treated pretty much as an equal. In "Irish Luck" for example, Moreland plays a janitor (Jefferson) to Darro's bellhop (Buzzy O'Brien) -- both employed in menial jobs. And Jefferson's reluctance to go along with Buzzy's hairbrained amateur sleuthing has nothing to do with racial stereotypes of the day. He simply wants to keep his job and out of trouble with the police. In fact, Jefferson's relationship to Buzzy is very much like that of Ethyl Mertz to Lucy Ricardo.

The difference is that Moreland, a gifted comedian, gets all the best lines (many of which he either wrote or ad-libbed for himself).

This opening scene gives an idea of the movie's pacing. It's fast, glib, and never meant to be taken very seriously.



When we meet Jefferson, he's (as usual) helping out Buzzy who's taken it upon himself to single-handedly capture some crooks in the hotel. Buzzy's plan? Have Jefferson use a dummy to fake a suicide attempt so the hotel would be surrounded by police and firemen! Detective Steve Lanahan (Dick Purcell) at first treats Jefferson as a madman (but without racial condescension). When he finds out that the son of his dead partner's at it again playing detective, sparks fly.



Here's Mantan Moreland in a typical scene with Frankie Darro.



Here are Moreland and Darro towards the end of the film, when Jefferson's just about had enough of Buzzy getting them both into trouble.



"Irish Luck" was never meant to be anything more than a Saturday afternoon diversion. This breezy little mystery is about as challenging and fraught with danger as an episode of "Murder She Wrote." But the chemistry between Darro and Moreland make this (in my opinion) much more fun to watch.

"Irish Luck" is in public domain, and is readily available from Archive.org. Not a great movie, but not a bad one to have on your iPod to while away an hour.

- Ralph

Day 8 of the WJMA Podwatch. They added the word "news" to the title. Still not helpful, still not getting it. The watch continues....

"Rashamon" for the Video Age -- "Vantage Point" Review

The family and I sat down with the DVD for Vantage Point the other night. It's always nice to be pleasantly surprised by a movie, and VP did the job for me. Start with a simple thriller story, add a boffo car chase and a few surprise twists and you've got the makings of the standard Hollywood fare. But here's what makes “Vantage Point” stand out -- as in the classic Kurakawa film, Rashomon, you see the action that occurs in the movie numerous times, but from a different perspective each time.

No spoilers from me, but the action, involving the assassination of an American President, is shown and reshown from 8 different perspectives, with as many subplots as there are characters and viewpoints. Starring prominently are several video cameras, which serve as a convenient way to replay the action for the characters and the viewers. Our vantage points run the gamut -- from an American tourist to a compromised Spanish cop, to a gang of terrorists, to a twitchy Secret Service agent, and even to the President himself.

Performances are solid throughout. Dennis Quaid brings nervous energy and a “never give up” attitude to his role as a Secret Service agent, Forest Whittaker (The Last King of Scotland) is vulnerable yet resilient in his role as the tourist, and William Hurt puts in a good turn as the President.

Vantage Point will keep you guessing to the end, but thanks to first-time director's Pete Travis’ able work, you're intrigued and surprised, not frustrated, by the numerous plot twists. As you'd expect, all the loose ends wrap up into a tidy bundle by the end, but that's just fine. It's an enjoyable ride, and one you won't mind taking.

Put it on your Netflix queue. Ken's rating: 3-1/2 out of 5.

Ken

"42nd Street" and Hard Times

The recent battering the economy’s taken has had one positive outcome –- it’s increased my appreciation of movies from the early 1930’s. The common conceit is that movies made during the Great Depression were designed as escapist fantasy. Perhaps, but the reality of what people were going through was always there under the surface.

Take the 1933 MGM musical “42nd Street.” It’s primarily known for its extravagant Busby Burkeley production numbers. I think for years the film was looked upon as a quaint relic from an earlier time. The story of a young ingénue who takes over when the star gets injured has become a cliché, as has its most famous line, “You’re going out a youngster. But Sawyer, you’ve got to come back a star!"

Watch the movie today, though, and you get a different impression. The story, first and foremost, is about Julian Marsh, Broadway’s leading director (played by Walter Baxter). His health is wrecked, but he forces himself to sign on for one more show, "Pretty Lady."

But not for art. As he tells the producers in the first scene, he’s in it for the money. The producers express surprise. Isn’t Marsh loaded from all his past hits? Listen to the edge in his voice as he delivers these lines:

"I ought to be but I’m not. Did you ever hear of Wall Street? This time I’m going to sock my money away so hard that they’ll have to blast to find enough to buy a newspaper."

Who can’t relate to that sentiment today?

As the story progresses, the sugar daddy for the production, kiddie car magnate Abner Dillon (Guy Kibbee) has a falling out with Dorothy Brock (Bebe Daniels), the star of the show and the object of his affections. He threatens to pull his backing the night before the premier if Brock isn’t replaced.

Marsh tries to reason with Dillon, pointing out he’ll lose his investment. Dillon, drunk, sneers that it doesn’t matter. It’s his own funeral. Listen as Marsh pleads his case. As he points out, it’s not just Dillon’s funeral.

"Yes, the funeral of 200 other people besides. Chorus girls, boys, electricians... You wouldn’t be that mean, would you?"

If this show closes before it opens, then Marsh doesn’t know where his next meal will come from – and he knows that’s the situation of everyone in the “Pretty Lady” company.

Brock sprains her ankle in a brawl, and young Peggy Sawyer (Ruby Keeler) has to carry the show. With no options left, Marsh works with her the day of the performance – all day long – to get her as ready as possible for the lead. Listen to the urgency in Marsh’s voice as he talks to Peggy right before she goes on.

"200 people. 200 jobs. $200,000. Five weeks of grind and blood and sweat depend upon you. It’s the lives of all these people who’ve worked with you. You can’t fall down, you can’t! Because your future’s in it, my future and everything all of us have is staked on you."

The desperation that gives Marsh’s speech it’s edge seemed to be more melodramatic in more complacent times. But in an age when anyone’s job could disappear at any time? I think it has a lot of real emotion – emotion that I'm more than familiar with these days.

So if you watch “42nd Street” be dazzled by the Busby Berkeley magic. But pay attention to the story. When the film premiered audiences knew just where Julian Marsh was coming from. I think current viewers will too.

- Ralph


Day 150 of the WJMA Web Watch. (Say, is anyone home?)