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What else? Yankee Doodle Dandy starring New York boy, James Cagney, with songs by (who else?) George M. Cohan (along with Rodgers and Hart [see below]). The backstage story of the theatrical Cohan family, told in flashback by George M. to FDR, is directed by one of the great, immigrant, studio-contract directors, Michael Curtiz (The Adventures of Robin Hood, Mildred Pierce, Casablanca).
When we finally see Cagney's Cohan play FDR in "Off the Record," the President not only walks, he dances:
When I was courting Eleanor, I told her Uncle Teddy,
I wouldn't run for President, unless the job was steady.
Don't print it. Strictly off the record.
Ripe for a decent remake, 1973's The Day of the Jackal is still excellent entertainment. Based on Frederick Forsyth's popular novel, the cinematic hunt for the would-be assassin of Charles de Gaulle is directed by one of the great, versatile directors of old (or older) Hollywood, Fred Zinnemann (Oklahoma!, High Noon). The English actor Edward Fox, probably best known for his role as the Jackal, shows the right amount of slickness, sinew, and detachment as the one-minded hitman.
P.S. See if you can spot a young Derek Jacobi (hey, he doesn't stutter!) in a supporting role.
From 1975, Antonioni's The Passenger. Few actors, other than Nicholson, could sustain such a spare, disjointed filmic exercise. But as a documentary reporter who, inexplicably, wants to be somebody else, Nicholson does.
There are viewers who will find the existential tone of the movie pretentious, but I had to rewatch it as soon as it was over.
Need breakneck-speed dialogue and funny-looking women's hats? Here's your movie: Howard Hawks's His Girl Friday, a sexed-up remake of the journalistic screwball comedy, The Front Page.
Hawks evidently encouraged (or simply tolerated) ad libbing and private jokes on the set by his two stars, Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell. For example, see if you can spot Cary Grant reference his real name.*
Closed captioning is highly recommended, if not urged.
*...which is?
Poster image from Wikipedia and reproduced under fair use law.
In Ace in the Hole, Billy Wilder (Some Like it Hot) shows his dark side by examining the phenomenon of the media circus.
An ambitious, East-coast reporter, Chuck Tatum (Kirk Douglas) becomes trapped in Alburquerque, New Mexico—a consequence of his own personal failings. But as an inveterate opportunist, Tatum eventually comes to exploit the story of a nearby mountain cave-in, which half-buries a local treasure hunter. And Tatum isn't the only one who intends to profit from the man's misfortune.
Tatum critiquing the local paper: "Even for Albuquerque, this is pretty Albuquerque."
Henry II, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and their sons Richard (the gay Lionheart), Geoffrey, and John. To say this family is messed up is one historical understatement. For starters, Dad (Peter O'Toole) lets Mom (Katherine Hepburn) out of prison for Christmas, and they spend the holiday fighting in front of the kids (Anthony Hopkins, John Castle, Nigel Terry) over England's next successor.
Originally a play, The Lion in Winter showcases lengthy, razor-sharp dialogue that's delivered incomparably by the two acting legends. A TV remake in 2003 featured Glenn Close as Eleanor; and while Close is no acting slouch, her performance shows what a master Hepburn was.
Eleanor: What would you have me do? Give out? Give up? Give in?
Henry: Give me a little peace.
Eleanor: A little? Why so modest? How about eternal peace? Now there's a thought.
There are dozens of excellent war/anti-war movies to watch during the Memorial Day weekend (Paths of Glory, The Bridge on the River Kwai, The Great Escape), but if only one must be chosen, the Pathophilia blog recommends the brilliant and heartbreaking All Quiet on the Western Front. Just be sure to view the 1930 version (and good lord, not the Richard Thomas version) that was restored by the Library of Congress.
Poster image from Wikipedia and reproduced under fair use law.
From 1970, Bernardo Bertolucci's Il Conformista (The Conformist) is the story of a 1930s Italian assassin who simultaneously courts and abhors the bourgeoisie. For the average American viewer, the film may languish a bit too long in the gorgeous cinematography of Vittorio Storaro,* and its Fascist symbolism (such as blindness) may be heavy handed; but it is Italian cinema, after all.
Be sure to note the actor Gaston Moschin, who plays the thug Manganiello; he shows up 4 years later in The Godfather: Part II as the Black Hand, Don Fanucci.
*Storaro went on to win DP Oscars for Apocalypse Now, Reds, and Bertolucci's The Last Emperor.
The companion to the 1946 version of The Killers is Don Siegel's heavily revamped remake from 1964, starring Lee Marvin, Angie Dickinson, John Cassavetes, and future President Ronald Reagan (in his last film). Completely unlike the noir version, Siegel's movie—originally intended for TV—has all the production quality of a special "Batman" episode, which makes for a very high-camp viewing experience indeed. And yes, composer Johnny Williams is John Williams.
Poster image from Wikipedia and reproduced under fair use law.
Can't get enough of that funky noir stuff. This week's recommendation is The Killers* from 1946, based on Hemingway's 1927 short story. Edmond O'Brien (D.O.A.) investigates the hit of a down-on-his-luck ex-boxer played by Burt Lancaster in his film debut. An ingenue from North Carolina is the femme fatale, making her transition into movie star Ava Gardner.
*Not to be confused with The Killing, Raphe.
Poster image from Wikimedia and reproduced under fair use law.
