When Men "Were Men as Men Should Be"

I saw it as The Son of Hercules
in the Land of Darkness.

While growing up in North Carolina in the 1960s and 1970s, I frequently watched the Sunday afternoon movies on WSOC Channel 9 in Charlotte. That's where I first saw all the Basil Rathbone-Nigel Bruce Sherlock Holmes movies as well as the Charlie Chan series. It was also where I watched--for what seemed like countless months--the Sons of Hercules movies. Each film would start with a male chorus singing:

The mighty Sons of Hercules

Once thundered through the years

These men of steel could never feel

The curse of a coward's fears

The Mighty Sons of Hercules

Were men as men should be

They burned with dreams

 And turned their dreams into history

A hundred giants, brave and bold

They ruled the world in days of old

The Mighty Sons of Hercules

You can listen to this classic song on YouTube. I didn't have to--I can still remember the tune and the lyrics. After all, these guys were "men as men should be" and that's pretty manly stuff.

Kirk Morris as Maciste...probably.
Because he was blonde in some movies,
he's also known as the "Blonde Hercules."

There are at least a dozen of these Sons of Hercules movies, pitting the title character against Medusa (who looked like a rubber tree), the Devil of the Desert, the Mole Men, Fire Monsters, the Terror of Rome, and more! Most of the time, the hero was played by an unknown Italian actor, but sometimes the lead went to better-known, second-tier muscle men like Kirk Morris, Dan Vadis, and Mark Forest. Made in the early-to-mid 1960s, these films weren't very good...but I still watched them and my Dad even joined me occasionally (I swear...there's something hypnotic about that song).

Here's the kicker, though. Years later, when my wife and I were doing some film research, we learned that there were no Sons of Hercules movies. These films were actually about Maciste, with an occasional Hercules or Goliath movie tossed in. A savvy producer had simply packaged them for TV, retitled them all so they appeared to be a Sons of Hercules series, and added that catchy song.

Yes, I was disillusioned. I consoled myself, though, by humming the famous theme song. It didn't matter if the hero was really Maciste or Goliath or even the original Herc. They were all "men as men should be."

Mythmaking of the Worst Kind: Triumph of the Will

This 1934 “documentary” of the sixth Nazi Party Congress at Nuremberg by director Leni Riefenstahl is considered by many to be the most important propaganda film ever made. The director, who at one time had been a somewhat popular actress, was commissioned by the Fuhrer himself, Adolf Hitler, to film countless hours of Nazi glorification and then produce a film that would show both Germans and the world the greatness of the Nazi Party. It is both a visually stunning film and a troubling reminder of the dangers of hero-worship—especially when said “hero” was a raving racist who wanted to “cleanse” the world of undesirables and mongrels.

The film opens with the “hero” of our film riding through the clouds as Wagner’s “Die Meistersinger von Numberg” plays in the background. This image is no doubt harkening back to the glories of Valhalla and is Riefenstahl’s attempt to anoint Hitler the Messiah of the German people. One might ask here why she chose Wagner over Handel—Hitler had a penchant for loud and ostentatious German composers, such as Wagner (Hitler’s all-time fave). Whereas Handel’s more refined, and oh my goodness, Old Testament-based compositions were a tad out of line with the Nazi hatred of anything Jewish. And so this is the image the viewer is dealt from the beginning. The rest of the film is a “celebration” of the “greatness” of the Nazi Party and the adulation of its Fuhrer (which means in German, leader).

I am often shocked how few of my students know that Hitler was asked to become Chancellor of Germany in 1933. He didn’t take power or lead some grand revolution. In reality, the money people in Germany saw in him a man that could capture the interest of the people and a man that they could control—they were wrong about controlling him, but absolutely right about his power to transfix the nation. And this is what Riefenstahl focuses on: Hitler’s almost Svengali power over his people.

Literally hundreds of thousands of people are filmed by Riefenstahl adoring and saluting their leader with their echoing “Sieg Heil". Every type of German is captured here: the soldier, the worker, and most importantly to me, the young--because they are the future of the nation and to watch their unwavering adoration of such a monster is something that you never forget. Did those so young and impressionable young minds really stop loving their Fuhrer when he killed himself in May 1945 or when the Allies put them through denazification training? Just a question that I ponder every time I teach this time period in my classes…

As for the merits of the film, though it is difficult to admit, there are some. Riefenstahl had a gift for creating masterfully designed images. Once seen, no one can forget the overhead shots of the enormous crowds and marching soldiers at the rally. There is some sort of sinister symmetry to these images—like she has captured the most-ordered society known to man, but at the same time the viewer knows that the world is headed for utter disorder. I suppose watching these images that many can’t help but have mental juxtapositions of the reality Riefenstahl was trying to create against what we now know was nothing more than a monstrous mythmaking endeavor. You pair these masterful shots with extremely adept rapid editing and you have a piece of pure propagandist art.

It is too bad that a woman with such an artistic eye fell under the influences of such evil people.  When the war was over Riefenstahl found herself the guest of Allied prisons for four years and saw a once promising career as a director ruined. It should be noted that she vehemently claimed that her work was an example of cinema vertie and served as a historical record of the times.  Perhaps if she hadn’t used concentration camp prisoners as “extras” or been such a force in the Goebbels’ propaganda machine people would have been more apt to believe her.

Revenge is Best Achieved with a Sword in “Red Sonja”

Queen Gedren (Sandahl Bergman) seeks a powerful talisman which can only be touched by a woman. Before priestesses can destroy the talisman, Gedren has them slaughtered. Lord Kalidor (Arnold Schwarzenegger) takes one of the women, Varna (Janet Agren), who has escaped but is mortally wounded, to her sister, Sonja (Brigitte Nielsen). Sonja, having already suffered at the hands of the evil queen, who killed her parents and brother, begins a journey to eradicate the talisman before its effects put an end to the world. Along the way, she is joined by the young prince, Tarn (Ernie Reyes, Jr.), and his servant, Falkon (Paul Smith), all of whom are trailed by Kalidor, who claims to be protector of the talisman.

Red Sonja (1985) was based on a comic book character created by writer Ray Thomas and illustrator Barry Smith and who first appeared in Robert E. Howard’s Conan the Barbarian (though the film credits the character solely to Howard, as Thomas was purportedly inspired by the character of “Red Sonya” from Howard’s 1934 historical fiction, “The Shadow of the Vulture”). In many respects, the film is another sequel to Conan the Barbarian (1982), to follow Conan the Destroyer (1984). Most fans consider it an unofficial sequel, since Schwarzenegger, who played Conan in the two previous films, is portraying a slightly more sophisticated Conan as Lord Kalidor. Director Richard Fleischer, who’d also helmed Conan the Destroyer, revamps certain elements -- picking up allies during a trek, similarly choreographed sword battles, a rest around a fire presenting opportunities for romantic interludes, or something more specific, like having to push against a heavy gate to allow for escape or entry. To further connections to Conan, Bergman appeared as Conan’s love, Valeria, in Conan the Barbarian.

By most accounts, Red Sonja is an unexceptional film, but it’s one for which I’ve always had a fondness. I’ve long had an affinity for both strong female characters and women with red hair. The film, by extension, is draped in red, which most often represents Sonja’s anger and vengeance. One lord, with a bright red band in his hair, makes the mistake of underestimating Sonja. Interestingly, Kalidor himself is covered in red attire through half of the film, during which time Sonja rejects his offers to aid in her quest. As Sonja’s feelings for him ease, Kalidor is eventually adorned in darker colors. By contrast, Queen Gedren wears black and gold, the latter which seems to be an expression of greed and vanity. This is most clearly defined by Gedren’s gold mask (to hide a scar made by a resisting Sonja and which the queen considers more offensive than the murder of Sonja’s family), though Prince Tarn is also clothed partly in gold, as he initially displays identical characteristics.

Nielsen, in her film debut, was critically panned, but I found her performance more than adequate. She’s offered very little in terms of drama, but she displays a lithe quality when swinging a sword. The same year that Red Sonja was released, Nielsen married Sylvester Stallone and co-starred in his film, Rocky IV, appearing with Stallone again in the action film, Cobra, in 1986. (Cobra was reportedly a revised script from Stallone, from a story that eventually became 1984’s Beverly Hills Cop, after the studio decided to cast comedian Eddie Murphy in lieu of Stallone. Nielsen had a role in Beverly Hills Cop II in 1987, the same year that she and Stallone divorced.) Nielsen eventually moved to B-movies, but garnered some fame around the mid-2000s with appearances in reality shows such as The Surreal Life and Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew. She found moderate success in European countries with a musical career in the late 80s to early 90s, also releasing some tracks in 2000 and 2001 as Gitta.

Reyes, Jr., though his Red Sonja performance is weak, is an accomplished martial artist, even showcasing his abilities at the meager age of 13. He fared a little better on his short-lived TV series, Sidekicks, in 1986-87, and has since moved on to smaller but memorable roles, including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991) and The Rundown (2003), opposite Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. He’s also performed motion capture stunts for computer-animated films such as James Cameron’s Avatar (2009) and Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland (2010).

Fleischer’s father and uncle, Max and Dave Fleischer, were animators and owners of Fleischer Studios, which, among other things, brought the comic strip character of Popeye to theater screens. Robert Altman’s 1980 live-action adaptation featured Red Sonja star Smith as Bluto. Smith is perhaps best known as the malicious prison warden in Alan Parker’s Midnight Express (1978).

In 2008, filmmaker Robert Rodriguez announced a Red Sonja remake with his then-partner, Rose McGowan, in the title role, even exhibiting promotional posters boasting a 2009 release. Since the couple’s public split, the remake has been delayed, while reports of a cancellation have been quashed. In the meantime, McGowan will make an appearance in the new Conan film, set for release this summer.

Films of the sword-and-sorcery variety belong to one of my favorite subgenres, and it admittedly requires a diminutive effort on my part to uncover prevailing attributes. I unashamedly acknowledge my adoration of films such as The 13th Warrior (1999), Pathfinder (2007), or the more overtly titled The Sword and the Sorcerer (1982), movies that more often than not struggle to find critical acceptance. My appreciation of Red Sonja moves beyond nostalgia, as I still enjoy watching it today. I think Nielsen’s interpretation of Sonja stays true to the character’s more basic ingredients: she’s honorable, able-bodied, fearless and courageous. She is a redheaded woman whom I would follow on any adventure.

Carrying the Weight for Family in Elia Kazan’s “America America”

Elia Kazan’s 1963 saga, America America, will be released on DVD today, February 8th. Though it had previously been available in a box set of the director’s work, this is the film’s debut as a DVD single, courtesy of Warner Home Video.

In the late 19th century, a young Greek man, Stavros (Stathis Giallelis), and his family are living in a poor Turkish village. Wanting a better life for all, Stavros’ father sends his son to Constantinople (which would be named Istanbul years later), with the hope that Stavros will earn enough money to send for the rest of his family. Stavros, a compassionate man who gives his shoes to a peasant (Gregory Rozakis), is soon burdened by hardships in the course of his arduous journey. By the time he reaches the shop run by his father’s cousin, he has lost his family’s fortune and nearly all of his possessions. Though Stavros initially rejects the cousin’s idea of marrying the daughter (Linda Marsh) of a wealthy man (Paul Mann), the adversities of living on the streets leave him a desperate man. Nothing, however, can deter Stavros from his dream of living in America.

One of the most rewarding qualities of America America is that much of the story is told not with characters or dialogue, but with the camera. With Stavros’ village in a mountainous region, Kazan often frames the characters in long shots. As a consequence, Stavros, particularly in the film’s beginning, seems small against the massive backdrop. Even in Constantinople, he’s a meek character overshadowed by gigantic boats at the port and easily absorbed by huge crowds. It’s a visual component to express that his desire to make it to America is a seemingly impossible feat. As the film progresses, however, Stavros regularly appears inside smaller places, like rooms and restaurants. Later in the movie, Stavros, cramped among passengers aboard a ship, stands out in his straw hat, an adornment he has deemed American.

Kazan, who also produced and wrote the screenplay, based the story on his uncle’s life. The director introduces and closes the film with a voice-over. He filmed the movie in Greece and Turkey with a largely unknown cast. Though leading man Giallelis had no previous acting experience, his performance is both natural and sympathetic. The remainder of the cast is equally good, particularly Marsh and Rozakis.

The film earned Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay (written directly for the screen, although Kazan had published a book of the same name in 1962). Gene Callahan won an Oscar for Best Art Direction (black-and-white) -- he was also nominated the same year for Art Direction (color), with Lyle Wheeler, for Otto Preminger’s The Cardinal. Kazan and Giallelis both won a Golden Globe (Director and New Star Of The Year), as well as nominations for Marsh, Mann, Rozakis, Giallelis (for Actor/Drama), and the film for Best Picture/Drama and the now defunct category of Promoting International Understanding (retired the same year that America America was nominated).

The Warner Bros. DVD presents a worthy transfer, the resplendent black-and-white photography pronounced in the anamorphic presentation. The DVD’s sole feature is a superb and highly informative commentary from film historian Foster Hirsch, who considers America America Kazan’s “greatest achievement.” The film is indeed an achievement, an account of a man who, in spite of oppression and tribulations, never retreats. The title is derived from Stavros’ time living on the streets, as the men would call out, “America, America,” when there was a heavy load that no other man would carry. Stavros suffers the burden for his family, but his letters back home are not grievances. He offers his family words of encouragement, so that they will hold onto what Stavros refuses to let die: hope.

Warner Bros. provided a copy of this DVD for review. You can read about this release and other titles on the company’s website.

Trivia Time - Part 70

OK, last week for TT 69, several people did give it a good try, but no one even touched any of the "Who" questions. We decided to answer those questions which had already been partially answered:

10. In 1955, Flynn did two films that, when released in the United States, had the original titles changed. Give both the original titles and the U.S. titles.

Answer: Lilacs in the Spring, released in USA as Let's Make Up.

11. Name at least 5 actors who were considered for the part of Dr. Peter Blood before they finally got around to Errol Flynn.

Answer: Robert Donat, who was actually signed as the lead but had to bow out due to health problems.

Now, since you guys left SO many of the previous week's questions, it seemed reasonable to recycle some of them. So here's a mixture of old and new questions for TT 70. Have fun!

Who Said This? "She was Cinderella with a husky voice" Who Said This?

Who Are We? One of us is an Academy Award winning director who appeared as an actor in this director's third feature film. Who Are We?

Who Said This? "I love my country and I love my slippers." Who Said This?

Who Am I? Born in England, I began my career on the English stage. In film I had a long career as a character actor, frequently portraying doctors, professors, or military officers. I was privileged to work with Howard Hawks, Claude Rains, Gary Cooper, Ernst Lubitsch, Barbara Stanwyck, Carole Lombard, Michael Curtiz, Vincent Price, Joseph L. Mankiewicz, and Joan Crawford, among many others. Who Am I?

Who Said This? person #1: "Shall we drink to a blitzkrieg?"; person #2: "No, I prefer a slow encirclement." Who Said This?

Who Said This? "I'll kick you bow-legged!" Who Said This?

1. Name the lady to whom Who Said This? #1 was referring.

2. Believe it or not, Chuck Norris worked with three Oscar winners in this film. Name the film and the Oscar-winning actors.

3. Who Said This? #4 was once (among many other actors) offered the part of Henry Higgins in the movie My Fair Lady. What was the reason he gave for turning it down?

4. This "Road" picture boasts performances by three Oscar winners. Name the film and the Oscar-winning actors.

5. Who composed the famous Warner Brothers fanfare? Name the film it was originally composed for and the year.

6. Name the actor who crossed swords with both Errol Flynn and Basil Rathbone, and who danced with Alice Faye. (hint: he was also in a movie with Roland Young.)

Conan the Barbarian, a Guilty Pleasure

Before he was the Governator or the Terminator, Arnold Schwarzenegger was Conan the Barbarian (1982).  A role that required him to show off his heaping muscles and sport a loin cloth, and occasionally mangle the English language with some interesting dialogue. Though it is somewhat cheesy by today’s standards, this film was a favorite of mine and my siblings—it even made by dyslexic brother read as many books and comics about the character as he could find.

The pulp writer Robert E. Howard created Conan in 1932. The most famous barbarian in fiction first appeared in the short story “People of the Dark” in the pulp magazine Strange Tales of Mystery and Terror. While he wasn’t the main character in this story, he did capture his creator’s interest. So much so that Howard would go on to craft whole stories centered around his heroic barbarian creation. As the stories grew popular, collections were compiled and other authors even took up the pen and carried on Conan’s quest.

The film opens rather ominously, with a young Conan being instructed by his father that the only thing in the world he can trust is his sword. Soon Thulsa Doom (James Earl Jones) is killing all of the adults in Conan’s village and taking all of the children to the slave market—he also takes that trustworthy sword.
Flash forward some years, and we find Conan being bought by a man who trains fighters.  Just a human specimen of physical strength, Conan does well in this world. When he is freed by his master, Conan sets off into the cruel world and meets many creatures that want nothing more than to kill him.  One of the more interesting of these happens to be a witch/demon (Cassandra Gava) who seduces him (yes, there is a sex scene) and she finds herself thrown into the fire. After this bit is done, Conan finds what one can only assume to be an earlier conquest of the witch behind her hut--Subotai (Gerry Lopez). A thief, Subotai, proves useful to Conan and so they join forces.

Still looking for the man who killed his family, Conan makes inquires across the countryside about a man who wears a serpent symbol (Doom).  When they are pointed in the direction of the temple of a serpent worshiping cult they make plans to raid it. It is around here that they join up with the thief Valeria (Sandahl Bergman). The three thieves make out quite well at this temple—although they have to kill a very large snake in the process. This brings them to the notice of King Osric (Max von Sydow…who obviously hadn’t had enough with cheesy sci-fi flicks yet, see: Flash Gordon), whose daughter (Valerie Quennessen) has ran off with Doom. Osric offers them a large reward to return his daughter and kill Thulsa.

With reward and revenge on his mind, Conan sets off to the Mountain of Power (creativity?). On the journey he meets a wizard (Mako) who warns him about Doom’s power.  They concoct a plan where Conan disguises himself as a cult member. When he is discovered, Doom orders Conan to be nailed to the Tree of Woe. You’d think somebody would wait to see him die from asphyxiation(even the Romans did that with Christ!), but they don’t, and so Subotai and Valeria rescue him. This sets up two very memorable showdowns between Doom and Conan. 

In the first Doom reveals himself to be a shape-shifter by turning himself into a snake and escaping through a tunnel. He also kills Valeria with some very potent snake arrow.  In the second, and best showdown, Conan confronts Doom while he is conducting a sacred snake ceremony (I just had to say it).  It is quite a sight to see Conan behead Doom and then hold it up for all the followers to see…but the best is when he tosses it on the steps and it just rolls and rolls.

Quite honestly, I don’t know why I like this film.  Although there are some stellar actors in the film (Sydow and Jones), the overall performances leave something to be desired. The story, written by Oliver Stone and John Milius (who also directed), is a rather predictable hero story—even with Valeria dying. Yet, it has a nihilistic feel to it (one of the themes in the Howard stories) that I enjoy watching. I also like sword-play films, and there is a lot of that in here. I also know that I love Basil Poledouris’ music—this might be the best thing about the entire film.

I just suppose it is just a guilty pleasure of mine.  It must have been a guilty pleasure of others too, because they made a sequel, Conan the Destroyer (1984) and this year a remake of the original Conan is coming out starring Jason Momoa, Ron Perlman, and Rose McGowan.

John Dall is the Cafe's Underrated Performer of the Month

He received an Oscar nomination opposite Bette Davis, played a key role in a Hitchcock picture, and starred in a famous cult film. And yet, John Dall never achieved stardom and, in fact, appeared in only eight films during a 15-year acting career.

Born John Jenner Thompson in New York City in 1918, he studied acting at the Theodora Irvine School of the Theatre, whose alumni include Anne Baxter, Marsha Hunt, and Cornel Wilde. (Note: The school is erroneously listed as Theodore Irvine in some sources; it's also known as the Theodora Irvine Studio of the Theatre and the Theodora Irvine Drama School).

Dall made his Broadway debut in 1941 and got his first lead role in Dear Ruth, which ran from 1944 to 1946. When Paramount made the play into a 1947 film, William Holden was cast in Dall's Broadway role as Lieutenant William Seacroft.

Dall with Bette Davis in The
Corn is Green.

In the meantime, Warner Bros. signed Dall for The Corn Is Green, which starred Bette Davis as a schoolteacher in a small Welsh mining town in 1895. Dall plays Morgan Evans, a young man in whom Davis' Miss Moffat sees the potential to earn a college degree. Dall earned a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his performance, but lost the Oscar to James Dunn for A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

Dall's follow-up was Something in the Wind, a Deanna Durbin musical in which he played the romantic leading man. He got a juicier part as a Civil War veteran in Another Part of the Forest, Lillian Hellman's prequel to The Little Foxes. Dall's star seemed to be on the rise when he was offered Rope in 1948.

He and Farley Granger played
murderers in Hitchcock's Rope.

Rope was based on a 1929 play, which was inspired by the chilling Loeb-Leopold "thrill murder" of 1924. Dall and Farley Granger played a pair of upper-class intellectuals who believe they can commit the perfect murder--and then host a dinner party with the corpse hidden in a trunk. With Hitchcock at the helm and James Stewart as the star, Rope has all the makings of a big hit--but it was a boxoffice disappointment. It has since become required viewing for film buffs due to Hitchcock's self-confessed "stunt" of using ten-minute takes to make the film look like one continuous shot.

Rope marked the end of Dall's Hollywood career. After a two-year hiatus, he appeared in the "B" film Deadly Is the Female (better known by its alternate title Gun Crazy). Dall stars as a young man fascinated with guns from childhood. When he meets Annie Laurie Starr (Peggy Cummins), a carnival sharpshooter, it's love at first sight. The only problem is that Annie's desire to lead the good life leads to a crime spree that leaves a few dead bodies in its wake. As the doomed lovers, Dall and Cummins generated plenty of sparks, but Gun Crazy flopped. It would take a couple of decades for it to be recognized as a classic film noir.

Dall and Peggy Cummins play newlyweds
pondering a life of crime in Gun Crazy.

Sadly, Dall's career stalled after Gun Crazy. He made just three more films: The Man Who Cheated Himself (1950); Spartacus (1960); and Atlantis, the Lost Continent (1961). On Broadway, he starred in a revival of The Heiress in 1950 and the farce Champage Complex in 1955, although neither play lasted for longer than a month. He guest-starred on television sporadically, including four appearances on Perry Mason with Raymond Burr.

By 1965, his acting career was over. He died seven years later, age 52, from either a punctured lung or a heart attack (the accounts vary).

A talented actor with good looks, Dall seemed destined to become a star. Instead, he leaves us with three memorable performances and a reminder that acting is a fickle business where success can often be attributed to being in the right movies at the right time.

Joseph E. Levine's "Hercules" Muscled Its Way to Blockbuster Status

In 1959, producer and distributor Joseph E. Levine bought the U.S. rights to an Italian film called Le fatiche di Ercole (translated as The Labors of Hercules). The film's stars, former "Mr. Universe" Steve Reeves and former fashion model Sylva Koscina, were hardly household names in the U.S. However, Levine recognized box office potential where no one else did.

He retitled the film simply Hercules and concocted a massive marketing campaign, flooding theatres with prints of Hercules while advertising heavily in newspapers and television. The movie became a surprise smash and Levine fared even better with a sequel featuring the same stars called Hercules Unchained. Seen today, it's hard to comprehend Hercule's massive success and impact on the industry--it spawned dozens of imitations as well as a genre known as "sword and sandal epics."

A iconic image from the film's climax.

The plot weaves elements of the Labors of Hercules and the quest for the Golden Fleece, with most of the time spent on the latter. In the opening scene, Hercules (Reeves) rescues Princess Iole from an out-of-control chariot. It's practically love at first sight. Unfortunately, Iole's brother Iphitus is a worthless wimp and her father, King Pelias, has stolen the throne. Hercules tries to tutor Iphitus in the art of combat, but when the prince meets an untimely end, Hercules is partially blamed. When the King's heroic nephew, Jason appears, he is quickly dispatched to recover the long-ago stolen Golden Fleece. Hercules accompanies his new friend on the perilous voyage, hoping to return in triumph for Iole.

Steve Reeves and Sylva Koscina.

Hercules lacks the sense of adventure (and colorful creatures) of the later Jason and the Argonauts (1963). The narrative plods along all too often, especially during an extended visit with the Amazons. The film is also hampered with horrible dialogue dubbing (especially for Koscina) and a dreadful translation. When Iphitus is struggling at his archery lessons, he tells Hercules: "Prove to me you haven't got muscles in your head as well."

Still, the scenery is attractive, both the landscapes and the two stars. Enzo Masetti's music score hits all the right notes, except for a weird electronic theme employed whenever Herc is about to display his exceptional strength. Visually, Hercules is often stunning, which is no surprise given that its cinematographer was future director Mario Bava (Black Sunday).

"Hercules" at a Boston theatre in 1959.

In the end, though, the film's success can be attributed to Levine's marketing prowess and the attractiveness of its two stars. Joseph Levine got his start in the film industry as a theatre owner, which provided him with insight to both sides of the distribution business. After the success of the Hercules films, he imported art films, such as 8 1/2,  to the U.S. and executive-produced major motion pictures such as The Lion in Winter and The Graduate. He also founded Embassy Pictures which he eventually sold to Avco.

Steve Reeves was born in Montana and had earned several bodybuilding titles before trying his hand as an actor. He was offered many similar roles after Hercules, with his best film probably being Duel of the Titans, the tale of muscular brothers Romulus and Remus (former Tarzan Gordon Scott). According to some sources, Reeves turned down the roles of James Bond and The Man With No Name, although it's hard to imagine him in either part (though he did make a Spaghetti Western called A Long Ride from Hell). Reeves retired from acting in 1969 and spent the remainder of his life at his ranch in California. He died from lymphoma in 2000.

The fetching Sylva Koscina enjoyed a long film career after Hercules, often starring in international films. She took a shot at Hollywood stardom in the late 1960s, starring with Kirk Douglas in A Lovely Way to Die and opposite Paul Newman in The Secret War of Harry Frigg. Success in the U.S. eluded her, though she remained a major star overseas. She died from breast cancer in 1994 at age 61.

Let the Countdown Begin! My 100 Favorite Films: From 100 to 91

The idea of listing one's 100 favorite movies seems daunting, unrealistic, and a wee pompous. First, I find it almost impossible to settle on a "top 100"--I'm always thinking of a fave I forgot to include. Furthermore, the definition of "favorite" seems to fluctuate based on my age and state of mind. And yet...I admit that I'm intrigued with lists, especially the countdown variety. I guess I'm just a list kind of guy.

During the Christmas holidays, I found a list of my favorite movies, which I'd compiled many years ago. To my surprise, about 70% of the films were still ones I enjoy watching every year or two. I thought it might be amusing to revise my list and do a monthly series of posts where I count down my faves from #100 to #1. Several of the films are ones I've reviewed at the Cafe, while others are pretty obscure.

My film tastes are pretty eclectic, so my favorites feature performers as diverse as Errol Flynn, Spencer Tracy, Deborah Kerr, Hayley Mills, and Bruce Lee (in fact, I list at least two films by each of those stars). There are Hammer films, foreign-language films, Disney, and Hitchcock. And there are robots, gargoyles, soldier ants, and even "humanimals." Let me stress that these are not what I consider the greatest films ever made (though some of them are). Rather, they are just one film buff's favorites.

Sadly, there were a handful of movies that just missed out on a place on the list. These honorable mentions include Trinity Is Still My Name, Young and Innocent, The Flim Flam Man, Body Heat, The Fury, Cornered, The Five Man Army, Repeat Performance, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and Random Harvest. And now, it's my proud pleasure to count down 100-91:

100. Ten Little Indians (1965)/John Carpenter’s The Thing - I know, I've already cheated by starting with a tie so I could squeeze in 101 favorite films. But the truth is that these two films both feature a setting and premise that have always appealed to me: an isolated snowy location and a murderer that could be anyone. I know plenty of movie lovers are aghast that I didn't pick the more renowned And Then There Were None. However, it's not set on a snow-covered mountain...and doesn't have a "murder minute."

99. Rocky - The variable quality of the sequels doesn't diminish the original, which presents a gritty, winning underdog story. Whenever it's on TV (which is a lot), I find myself compelled to watch it from whatever point I join the plot.

Natalie Wood recites Wordsworth.

98. Splendor in the Grass - OK, I admit it...I first saw this on the late show when I was around 18 and got the sniffles during the bittersweet closing scene. Natalie Wood is painfully vulnerable as an emotionally fragile young woman in love with Warren Beatty (who has problems of his own) during the late 1920s. A poignant script by the marvelous William Inge has Natalie quoting Wordsworth's Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood (the source of the title).

97. My Cousin Rachel - Atmospheric adaptation of Daphne du Maurier's haunting novel stars Richard Burton as an intense young man who falls in love with his new aunt (Olivia de Havilland)--even though he suspects her of murdering his uncle. Set among the rocky beaches of Cornwall with its crashing waves (I strongly recommend watching it at the beach).

Diane Lane in Streets of Fire.

96. Streets of Fire - Walter Hill's “rock n’roll fable” is a stylized blend of action, romance, and terrific music set in “another place, another time.” The plot seems lifted from a 1950s biker film, but the sometimes corny dialogue recalls “B” Westerns of the same period. Ignored for years, it's finally been recognized as a cult film, which is a small victory for dedicated fans like me.

95. Inherit the Wind - I love a good courtroom drama (there will be others on my list) and this is one of the best. The case, based on the "Scopes Monkey Trial" of 1925, certainly holds one's interest. However, what lingers are the brilliant performances of Spencer Tracy and Fredric March--plus the film's fascinating portrait of public opinion and the men that try to shape it.

94. The Best Man - Gore Vidal's sharply-observed look inside American politics stars Henry Fonda and Cliff Robertson as rivals fighting for their party's presidential nomination circa 1964. Both candidates harbor secrets that can destroy their political aspirations and their loved ones. This gripping drama features a stellar cast and a most satisfying and realistic conclusion.

Peggy Cummins as the carnival sharp-
shooter with more ambitious plans.

93. Gun Crazy (aka Deadly Is the Female) - Bart (John Dall) is a young man who has been obsessed with guns. After a troubled childhood, he appears to have gotten his life in order when he falls head over heels for Annie Laurie Starr (Peggy Cummins), a carnival sharpshooter who's nothing but trouble. This classic "B" film noir was the career highpoint for both its stars, who are simply marvelous and generate plenty of sparks. An obvious inspiration for the later Bonnie and Clyde...though I much prefer Gun Crazy.

92. Greyfriars Bobby - This forgotten British Disney film may be the finest examination of the special bond between humans and dogs. The plot is based on the amazing true story of a loyal Skye Terrier who slept on his master’s grave in an Edinburgh cemetery every night for 14 years. The low-wattage cast, featuring Donald Crisp and Laurence Naismith, gives sincere performances and the heartfelt story never turns maudlin.

Scary-looking and hard to kill...
because they're dead!

91. Jason and the Argonauts - The first 45 minutes establishes the backstory for this version of the Greek myth about the Golden Fleece. It's all quite well done, but once our heroes set foot on the island of Bronze, the movie becomes a magical experience courtesy of Ray Harryhausen's sensational special effects. Every fan has their favorite Harryhausen sequence, but my top two are both from Jason:  the capture of the winged Harpies and Jason's dual with the "dragon's teeth"--or as I call it--the breath-taking swordfight with the skeletons.

Next month, I'll count down 90-81, which will include the first of multiple list appearances by Alfred Hitchcock and Hammer Films, plus the place I'd like to take my wife for a second honeymoon.

Trivia Time - Part 69

Last week was another great week...you guys got all but one question in TT68, and I have to admit, this one is a bit obscure:

3. Name the series that took place in the Australian outback and starred Richard Denning.

Answer: The Flying Doctor

Hope you all are ready for this one...we're loaded with questions this week! Some are easy, some are not so easy, and some are....well, just plain nasty!

But we'll let you be the judges....enjoy!

Who Are We? One of us is an Academy Award winning director who appeared as an actor in this director's third feature film. Who Are We?

Who Said This? "I love my country and I love my slippers." Who Said This?

Who Am I? Born in England, I began my career on the English stage. In film I had a long career as a character actor, frequently portraying doctors, professors, or military officers. I was privileged to work with Howard Hawks, Claude Rains, Gary Cooper, Ernst Lubitsch, Barbara Stanwyck, Carole Lombard, Michael Curtiz, Vincent Price, Joseph L. Mankiewicz, and Joan Crawford, among many others. Who Am I?

Who Said This? person #1: "Shall we drink to a blitzkrieg?"; person #2: "No, I prefer a slow encirclement." Who Said This?

1. Name the two future TV stars who appeared in a movie with Whit Bissell and Joey Heatherton.

2. Name the stars of the film in the previous question.

3. Name the actor who crossed swords with both Errol Flynn and Basil Rathbone, and who danced with Alice Faye.

4. Name two Capra films featuring both Thomas Mitchell and Edward Everett Horton.

5. Name the thing(s) these films have in common: The Odessa File, Day of the Jackal, The Medusa Touch.



6. Believe it or not, Erich Wolfgang Korngold did not win the 1940 Oscar for Best Score for The Sea Hawk. Who did and for which film?

7. Name the thing(s) these films have in common: Airport, The Magnificent Seven, Never So Few, The Caine Mutiny, Spencer's Mountain.

8. Name a multiple Oscar winning film featuring Vincent Price, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Charles Coburn and Thomas Mitchell.

9. How many Westerns did Errol Flynn make?

10. In 1955, Flynn did two films that, when released in the United States, had the original titles changed. Give both the original titles and the U.S. titles.

11. Name at least 5 actors who were considered for the part of Dr. Peter Blood (in Captain Blood) before they finally got around to Errol Flynn.

12. Who was originally offered the part of Arabella in Captain Blood?

A Summer Place: Old Love Rekindled and New Love Set Aflame

Fans of Delmer Dave’s glossy New England soap opera are sharply divided between those who revere it as a classy, nostalgic sudser and those who regard it as camp. I hold the former view, for in spite of occasional plunges into overwrought drama, A Summer Place evokes a genuine warmth with its tale of old love rekindled and young love flaming for the first time.

The plot focuses on two families: the once rich, but now middle-class, Hunters and the once poor, but now wealthy, Jorgensens. The families cross paths when Ken Jorgensen (Richard Egan) takes his family on vacation to posh Pine Island, where Bart Hunter (Arthur Kennedy) has turned his family’s mansion into a hotel. The Maine island holds fond memories for Ken, who worked as a lifeguard there twenty year earlier and—unknown to almost everyone—had a passionate affair with a young socialite. The identity of Ken’s former lover becomes apparent when he exchanges longing glances with Bart’s wife Sylvia (Dorothy McGuire).

During a rainy afternoon in the attic, Ken confesses to Sylvia that his real purpose for returning to the island was to see her again. Trapped in a loveless marriage, he had never forgotten his one true love. His only reason for staying married to his wife Helen (Constance Ford) was that he feared losing custody of teenage daughter Molly (Sandra Dee). Sylvia returns Ken’s affections and admits that she remained with her lazy, alcoholic husband solely because of their teenage son Johnny (Troy Donahue). Cherishing a chance at happiness again, Ken and Sylvia begin a passionate affair.

Meanwhile, Molly and Johnny become interested in each other romantically. When their boat capsizes during a storm, they must spend a night alone on a nearby island. Molly’s sexually-repressed mother accuses her daughter of making love with Johnny. She even has a doctor conduct an examination to ensure that Molly is still a virgin. This act sends Molly into shock, prompting Johnny to threaten to murder Molly’s mother. As both families try to address these problems, secrets are revealed, relationships are fractured, and acceptance triumphs over all.

Thematically, A Summer Place explores forbidden love (Ken and Sylvia) and innocent love (Molly and Johnny) through a subtle form of voyeurism. Everybody seems to be secretly watching everyone else. Johnny first sees Molly with a telescope and she watches him simultaneously with binoculars. Later, Helen spies on Johnny and Molly kissing in the garden. The hotel’s handyman spies on Ken and Sylvia and reports back to Helen. When Molly returns to boarding school, a gossipy classmate fortuitously sees Johnny kissing Molly outside a church. Even when the teens are cuddling in a private spot on the beach, a group of rowdy boys happen by to whistle at them.

Constance Ford as Helen.

The frank discussions about sex undoubtedly shocked audiences of the late 1950s. Peyton Place, released a year earlier, broached the topic of teen sex, but without the bluntness of A Summer Place. Early in the film, Molly confesses to her father how she knowingly undressed in front of her window so the boy next door could watch her. Helen constantly chastises her daughter for her “cheap behavior” (e.g., letting Johnny kiss her). She also tries to dress Molly in childish clothes that hide the girl’s figure. Her worst moment, though, is when she has the physician examine Molly after telling her daughter: “I’m not asking for the truth because I know you’d lie.”

Dorothy McGuire as Sylvia.

Though not a "woman's picture" along the lines of Douglas Sirk's Imitation of Life (also released in 1959), A Summer Place clearly revolves around strong female characters. Sylvia is obviously the one who runs the hotel--not her self-pitying husband Bart. Once Sylvia leaves the island, the hotel falls into disrepair. Helen may be a sexually-repressed, domineering woman, but perhaps her drive helped transform Ken from a lifeguard into a successful businessman. Molly, meanwhile, displays a more quiet strength--defying her mother when she writes to and secretly meets Johnny. Ultimately, her strength leads to the happy ending that eluded Sylvia and Ken for much of their adult lives.

No review of a Summer Place would be complete without mentioning composer Max Steiner's haunting, lyrical musical score. Steiner interweaves two melodies, one for the Ken and Sylvia and another for Molly and Johnny. The theme for the older lovers also opens the film as the main title. However, it’s the music for the young lovers that Percy Faith recorded in 1960 as The Theme from “A Summer Place.” The instrumental piece became a million-selling record and spent nine weeks at number one on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart.

A beautifully restrained Dorothy McGuire and a wonderfully over-the-top Constance Ford (as perhaps the decade’s bitchiest mother) give the best performances. However, A Summer Place is remembered as the film that launched the careers of Donahue and Dee (both had appeared in supporting roles in Imitation of Life). Director Daves and Donahue would reteam for three more films: Parrish (1961), Susan Slade (1961), and The Rome Adventure (1962). The best of the three was Parrish, an entertaining soap with several similarites to A Summer Place (e.g., it also features an older romance and a younger one).

Dee and Donahue would remain screen fixtures throughout the 1960s, although Dee became a bigger star (Donahue drifted into television, appearing in the series Hawaiian Eye and Surfside Six). Sandra Dee’s abrupt retirement from acting in the early 1970s contributed to her cult status among teen idols of the 1960s. On the other hand, Troy Donahue was relegated to minor roles in major films (The Godfather Part II) as well as direct-to-video features.

"Honey West" Kicked Open the Door for Female Action Stars on American TV

Cathy Gale (Honor Blackman) of The Avengers created a sensation on British television in the early 1960s with her fighting skills and stylish sense of fashion. Thus, it was inevitable that a U.S. television network would follow suit and launch its own action series with a strong heroine.

To test the concept, private eye Honey West (played by Anne Francis) was introduced in a 1965 episode of the Gene Barry detective series Burke's Law. The character had first appeared in the Honey West novels written by Gloria and Forest Fickling under the pseudonym "G.G. Fickling." There were eleven Honey West books, starting with 1957's This Girl for Hire.

Honey gets a massage from Sam
as she ponders a case.

Hoping to catch lightning in a bottle, ABC introduced the half-hour Honey West series on Friday nights in the fall of 1965. Francis headlined as Honey, who owned a private detective agency and shared a home with her Aunt Meg (Irene Hervey) and a pet ocelot named Bruce. John Ericson played her partner (and pseudo-boyfriend) Sam, whose overprotective nature is put to the test with Honey's confidence and independence.

Anne Francis was working mostly in television when she signed on to do Honey West. Still, she was big enough a star on the silver screen that she could snare an occasional lead role (The Satan Bug) or a juicy supporting part (Funny Girl). She had the charisma, spunk, and likability factor to make Honey West a success. It didn't hurt either that she looked great in her all-black sleuthing outfit.

Ericson's good looks and easy-going manner keep him steadily employed in television throughout the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. He guest-starred in everything from Shirley Temple Theatre to The Fugitive to the Love Boat. He and Anne Francis had appeared together earlier, as brother and sister, in the 1955 Spencer Tracy classic Bad Day at Black Rock.

Unfortunately, the Honey West series lacked the clever plots and witty banter that made The Avengers a fan favorite. At times, Sam seems almost condescending in his treatment of Honey, which is odd considering that she's technically his boss and she's capable of pummeling the bad guys on her own. Meanwhile, Aunt Meg and Bruce rarely get involved in the plots, their roles relegated mostly to making amusing remarks and purring, respectively. Still, the series improved as the season progressed, with some of the best episodes being written by William Link and Richrad Levinson, the team later responsible for Columbo and Murder, She Wrote.

Bruce had a rare meaty part in
the episode "A Stitch in Crime."

It's unfair, of course, to compare Honey West  to The Avengers. Taken on its own terms, Honey West is a diverting half-hour detective show. The gadgets are fun (e.g., Honey and Sam frequently communicate with tiny transmitters) and the use of homonyms during scene transitions is borderline brilliant. And when the plots start to sag, there's always Ms. Francis to keep the action percolating.

Although Honey West was cancelled after just one season, its impact was almost immediate. In 1966, ABC began broadcasting the Diana Rigg episodes of The Avengers and NBC spun off The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. with Stefanie Powers. The female action star was here to stay and future series such as Get Christie Love, The Bionic Woman, and even Alias owe some of their success to Honey West.