VALLEY OF THE DOLLS (1967) was based on the top selling novel of 1966 by Jacqueline Susann, who pulled much of the material from her time as a stage and struggling wanna-be film actress, and her behind the scenes look at the entertainment world thanks to her marriage to Irving Mansfield, a renowned PR expert.
Judy Garland was originally cast as Helen Lawson, but was replaced by Susan Heyward after the producers became frustrated with Ms. Garland’s behavior. Oddly, Judy Garland kept her costume from the movie and was often seen wearing the sequined pantsuit at her live concert performances.
Lead actress Barbara Parkins (as Anne Welles) also starred in the TV series “Peyton Place” (1964-69)
Director Mark Robson also directed the film version of Peyton Place (1957)
Composer John Williams received the FIRST of his 45 Academy Award nominations for this film. He is considered a front runner for another nomination in 2012 (War Horse, The Adventures of Tintin).
Richard Dreyfuss made his big screen debut in this film
Raquel Welch was originally offered the role of Jennifer North. When she turned it down, Sharon Tate was cast. Of course, in 1969 Ms. Tate became a victim in the notorious Tate-LaBianca murders carried out by the Charles Manson “family”. At the time of her murder, Ms. Tate was pregnant with the child of her husband, director Roman Polanski.
The film is often listed among the Worst Films of all-time, as well as the Campiest Films of all-time … but despite the brutal lashing it took from critics, it was a huge box office success.
UNIVERSAL PICTURES and STUDIOS – founded in 1912 by Carl Laemmle
now owned by NBC, Universal is the second oldest movie studio … Paramount is one month older
Laemmle broke with tradition and started giving credit to the actors within the movies, thereby helping create the star system
Lon Cheney became a breakout star for Universal thanks to his work in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923) and Phantom of the Opera (1925)
Known as a low-budget film studio, Universal struggled financially for decades. Even during the “studio period”, Universal often had to borrow stars from other studios.
In 1942, it became the last studio to contract with Technicolor and released Arabian Nights (1942) and an update of its own hit Phantom of the Opera (1943)
In 1958, MCA purchased Universal’s giant back lot for its TV production. The studios were modernized and slowly more stars were signed to Universal contracts (Cary Grant, Alfred Hitchcock, Doris Day)
Though never previously successful in consistenly producing film hits, the 1970’s brought such movies as: Airport (1970), The Sting (1973), American Graffiti (1973) and the biggest fish yet … Jaws (1975). Later came such franchises as Back to the Future (1985), Beethoven (1992) Jurassic Park (1993), Meet the Parents (2000), The Fast and the Furious (2001), and The Bourne Identity (2002).
Universal has movie-related theme parks open to the public in southern California, Orlando Florida and Singapore.
STAGECOACH (1939) directed by John Ford (his first with sound), is the movie that turned John Wayne into a star.
The film was nominated for 7 Academy Awards, including Best Picture … winning for Best Supporting Actor (Thomas Mitchell) and Best Score
The box office success of Stagecoach is credited for pulling the western genre out of the B-movie rut and back into the mainstream
Orson Welles watched this film in private at least 40 times in preparation for filming Citizen Kane. He claimed the film taught him how to direct.
First movie made in Monument Valley (and one of seven Ford classics that he filmed in the area)
John Wayne eventually appeared in 24 John Ford movies (plus 3 TV episodes), and almost 250 movies in total. He won an Oscar for True Grit (1969). He died in 1979.
John Ford directed approximately 140 films, including documentaries and shorts. He won 6 Academy Awards and is often called “The Great American Director”. He died in 1973
RAYMOND BURR starred in two long-running TV series: “Perry Mason” (1957-66) and “Ironside” (1967-75). He also had recurring roles on “The Red Skelton Hour” (1963-70). Many also remember his Lars Thorwald as the murder suspect at the other end of James Stewart‘s binoculars in Alfred Hitchcock‘s classic Rear Window (1954).
Burr went on to star in a slew of made-for-TV Perry Mason movies in the 1980’s and 90’s, the last two of which aired in 1993 … the same year he died of liver cancer.
Burr had been considered for the role of Matt Dillon in “Gunsmoke”, but the producers deemed his weight to be unacceptable for the role. He also appeared in Godzilla (1977).
Burr had served in the Navy at Okinawa during WWII and was sent home after being shot.
Though Burr was once married for four years, his official SAG biography listed another marriage and a child (each of whom had supposedly died). This fabrication was to cover up the fact that he was gay and had a life partner of 35 years at the time of his death.
Greetings again from the darkness. Caught an early screening of this one and my quick description is that it’s a mash-up of The Bourne Identity, Salt, and the original “Mod Squad” (it has a kind of retro feel). In other words, it’s a fun ride featuring stunning fight scenes filmed with an artistry that only director Steven Soderbergh can achieve.
Newcomer Gina Carano stars as Mallory Kane, an independent contractor … the type who handles dirty work for governments and the powerful people who must keep their hands somewhat clean. She gets double-crossed on a Barcelona job and becomes the target herself while in Dublin. So this lethal weapon goes on a globe-trotting mission of revenge and messes up people and hotel rooms in the process. If you think a woman can’t carry action scenes, then you don’t realize Ms. Carano is an MMA fighter. She is the real deal. Her physical skills are on full display and leave little doubt as to her deadly talent.
Since this is a Soderbergh film, you know the cast is well-stocked. We get Michael Douglas, Antonio Banderas and Ewan McGregor all at their smarmy best. Additionally we see Michael Fassbender, Channing Tatum and Bill Paxton (as Mallory’s father). Trust me when I say not all of these character fare so well in their showdowns with Mallory. Though the script from Lem Dobbs is pretty basic, Soderbergh’s way of telling the story is compelling enough to keep us interested between Carano’s fights.
The color palette alternates between the brown/gold Soderbergh used for Traffic, and the blue/gray from his “Ocean’s” franchise. The jazzy score from David Holmes is a wonderful compliment to the wide variety of scenes and locations, and the tongue-in-cheek humor is expert enough to keep you smiling through the all too serious business chats. A perfect example of the wry humor is that the movie begins and ends with the same one syllable word (begins with an “S”).
Soderbergh is one of the few directors who refuses to get pigeon-holed into making a certain type of movie. Never short on style or visual flair, he touches many genres and here proves he can twist the action-thriller in a new, fun to watch direction. If you kick back and go for the ride, Haywire will show you a great time.
a note of trivia:Gina Carano is the daughter of former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Glenn Carano
SEE THIS MOVIE IF: you are a fan of Salt and the “Bourne” movies OR you want to see a woman totally capable of kicking ass
SKIP THIS MOVIE IF: you are going to take it too seriously and expect a dose of heavy-handed Soderbergh filmmaking (he seems to actually have fun with this one)
QUENTIN TARANTINO has four Academy Award nominations: writer and director for Inglourious Basterds (2009), and writer (won) and director for Pulp Fiction (1994)
His first feature film, Reservoir Dogs (1992), received immediate critical acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival, and he was hailed as the next great auteur in Hollywood.
His films frequently feature some or all: briefcases, suitcases, “car trunk shots”, close-ups of a woman’s bare feet, tributes to under-appreciated TV series, B movies and underground music. He is also a master of the long take … a single take of several minutes that follows one or more characters without a break.
Known for writing rapid-fire dialogue scenes … and that’s how he speaks in real life.
Reportedly has an IQ of 160 and an encyclopedic mind for music, movies and TV history
My own tip of the cap to him for reviving the careers of Michael Parks, Michael Madsen, Pam Grier and David Carradine (prior to his passing)
His next film is Django Unchained and it stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Jamie Foxx, Kurt Russell, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Samuel L Jackson, Kerry Washington, Sacha Baron Cohen, Christoph Waltz, and Don Johnson. Expected release date is Christmas Day, 2012
Greetings again from the darkness. This film was nominated for seven Academy Awards (no wins), including Best Picture. Watching it today, it seems clear that the courtroom scene with Humphrey Bogart in the chair as Lt. Cmdr. Queeg drove this film to the heights it reached. That few minutes is as powerful as anything Bogart ever did on screen. Unfortunately, he would pass away (esophagal cancer) less than three years later.
The first part of the film is solid enough as we meet newly graduated (mama’s boy) Ensign Willie Keith (Robert Francis). His first Navy assignment is aboard a minesweeper (junkyard Navy) and the veteran officers quickly note his disappointment at not being stationed on a more prestigious carrier. Those veteran officers are played by quite a list of actors: Van Johnson plays no-nonsense Lt. Steve Maryk, Fred MacMurray plays the cynical wannabe novelist Lt. Tom Keefer, and Tom Tully plays Cmdr. DeVriess, who irritates young Willie with his laid back approach to command. We also see Lee Marvin and Claude Akins as part of the ship’s rag-tag crew.
A shift occurs once Queeg replaces DeVriess. Queeg brings a tough old school Navy approach to the ship and is easily thrown by the sight of an untucked shirt. Over a short amount of time, the officers begin taking note of the odd behavior of Queeg. MacMurray’s character acts as an armchair psychologist, and more importantly, an instigator for the other officers. He is convinced Queeg is unstable and unfit for duty. The climax occurs during a typhoon and Lt Maryk (Johnson) takes the abrupt step of relieving Queeg of his duties … an action that’s never actually occurred aboard a Naval ship.
Soon Maryk and Willie are brought up on charges of mutiny. At about the 90 minute mark, their attorney makes his first appearance. Jose Ferrer plays Lt. Greenwald, the only naval attorney who would take the case against the highly decorated Commander. Watching Queeg (Bogart) on the stand is just about as good as acting gets. Ferrer is exceptional as well.
This film is about the character of men and their reactions to situations in which they are trained to act otherwise. It’s based on the Pulitzer Prize winning WWII novel by Herman Wouk, and the screenplay is by Stanley Roberts. The film is directed by Edward Dmytryk, who you may know as one of the “Hollywood Ten”. Dmytryk spent time in prison for his lack of cooperation with HUAC, and his previous involvement with the communist party. The score is outstanding and was composed by the famous Max Steiner, who was also responsible for a couple of other films you may have seen: Casablanca and Gone with the Wind. It should also be noted that this was the second of five total films made by Robert Francis (Ens Willie Keith) and the 25 year old up-and-coming actor was killed in a plane crash the year after this film was made.
*note – Edward Dmytryk retired from filmmaking and for a few years taught film theory at the University of Texas. I was fortunate enough to be a student in a couple of his classes. His insight was remarkable.
*note – an aspiring young actor named Maurice Micklewhite was so inspired by the movie and Bogart that he changed his name to … Michael Caine
*note – pay special attention to the number of ticks/quirks that Queeg display (his use of Chinese Baoding Balls for stress, his use “K” as a form of communication, his facial contorts in moments of indecision, etc)
here is the original trailer (the volume level is very low):
PAUL NEWMAN was an actor, director, racer and philanthropist. He was nominated for 10 Academy Award, and won for The Verdict (1982)
At the time of his death in 2008, he had been married to actess Joanne Woodward for 50 years (pictured together in 1960)
He is one of only five performers to be nominated for an Oscar twice for playing the same role in two separate films. He played as Fast Eddie Felson in The Hustler (1961) and The Color of Money (1986), Peter O’Toole as Henry II in Becket (1964) and The Lion in Winter (1968), Al Pacino as Michael Corleone for The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather Part II (1974), Bing Crosby as Father O’Malley in Going My Way (1944) and The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945) and Cate Blanchett as Elizabeth I in Elizabeth (1998) and Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007).
Is one of only five actors to be nominated for acting honors by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences over five decades (1950s, 1960s, 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s). The others are: Laurence Olivier (1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s), Katherine Hepburn (1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1980s), Jack Nicholson (1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and 2000s) and Michael Caine (1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and 2000s).
Since Robert Shaw is so terrific in the role, it’s difficult to believe that Newman turned down the role of Quint in Jaws (1975)
Cars, his final movie, was the highest grossing film of his career. He voiced “Doc Hudson”
An avid racer, he finished second in the 1979 24 Hours at Le Mans race
His company, Newman’s Own (salad dressings, spaghetti sauces) has donated every dollar of profit to charity (more than $100 million)
In 1988, he founded The Hole in the Wall Gang, a charity for sick children. The foundation now serves more than 20,000 children and families each year.
Greetings again from the darkness. Four strong actors in one upper crust Manhattan condo for 79 minutes is a good first step. A script adapted by the director Roman Polanski and the original playwright Yasmina Reza makes for a strong second step. So why isn’t this film more effective? The belief here is that this one simply works better as a play. That’s not to say the dialogue and flow aren’t impressive, it’s just that as a viewer, we are distracted by the look and feel of a play being presented on screen rather than live on stage.
The story opens with four well-groomed adults huddled around a computer putting the finishing touches on a joint statement regarding a playground incident between their two 11 year old sons. The Longstreet’s (Jodie Foster, John C Reilly) son ended up getting whacked in the face with a stick by the Cowan’s (Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz) son. We witness the incident from a distance over the opening credits, totally oblivious to the spoken words from the boys involved.
After one minor compromise on wording, the statement is complete and the Cowan’s move to make a graceful exit from the Longstreet’s home. Instead, we get the first of four or five “almost” escapes as one after another particularly irksome claim or accusation is made by one of the participants, and the war of words moves back inside. The genius of the story comes from watching the gradual dismantling of social graces as these four people work through the full spectrum of human emotions related to, not just their son’s actions, but also the words and actions of each other. Think of it as an updated yuppie version of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
We see homemade cobbler transition to coffee and finally to whiskey. Each change coincides with personality changes and a constant shifting of alliances within the group. These are four normally civilized people play-acting like this emotional topic can be handled without emotion. One particular occurrence is quite off-putting for both the viewer and our on screen party of four. It creates quite a mess on the coffee table, and immediately intensifies the level of apologizing and philosophizing.
There are at least three interesting social commentaries being made here. First, parents tend to defend their own children no matter the situation. Second, today’s parents mistakenly believe that 11 year olds should behave like mature adults. They have forgotten that social and coping skills are learned through playground disputes. Third, no matter how educated or well-mannered we show on the outside, we all have the need and desire to be respected and deemed correct in our judgments.
You may not learn a great deal from this one, but I bet you find yourself paying particular attention to your own debate strategy the next time you are in a social environment. It is certainly a treat to watch four standout actors having such a good time with words.
SEE THIS MOVIE IF: you want to see adults arguing like teenagers while pretending to be acting like adults.
SKIP THIS MOVIE IF: a harsh dose of human nature is not why you head to the movies.
Posted by David Ferguson 
Movie Reviews from the Dark 