The Movie That Saved a Franchise--Star Trek II:The Wrath of Khan

I recently watched all six of the Star Trek films featuring the original cast. That experience confirmed what I had long suspected: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan may be the best sequel to follow a mediocre first film. To be fair, Star Trek: The Motion Picture wasn’t as bad as I remembered—but it’s a lumbering journey to “where no man has gone before.” There’s too much stately footage of the starship Enterprise and the new characters (weakly played by Stephen Collins and Indian actress Persis Khambata) lack interest. Despite critical drubbing and much Trekkie criticism, the film was a boxoffice smash and so Paramount gave the green light for a sequel.

Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry was ousted from the project and the reins were handed over to producer Harve Bennett. A non-Trekkie, Bennett watched every episode of the TV series and determined that the first film lacked two ingredients: (1) a dynamic villain and (2) an emphasis on the on the “triangle” of Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, and Dr. McCoy.

The Wrath of Khan resurrects one of the series’ most memorable bad guys, the supergenius Khan (Montalban), who attempted to take over the Enterprise in the TV episode “Space Seed.” After being thwarted by Kirk and crew, Khan and his followers were marooned on an unpopulated planet and given the opportunity to start again. Alas, in The Wrath of Khan, we learn that the destruction of a neighboring planet has turned Khan’s world in a deadly desert and that Khan’s wife has perished as a result. When a starship on a scientific mission inadvertently provides Khan with a means to escape, the mad man seeks his vengeance on Kirk.

Khan lures the Enterprise to a scienctific station working on the Genesis Project, an experimental device that can create life on a planet with no life—but which can also used as a devastating weapon. It just so happens that the Genesis project leaders are one of Kirk’s former flames…and the son Kirk has never seen.

The coincidental aspects of the story are a bit hard to swallow, but co-writer/director Nicholas Meyer zips the plot along so speedily that one has little time to notice. I really like how he crosscuts from Kirk to Khan to the Genesis team as they all converge on the same location.

The Kirk-Spock friendship forms the heart of the film (McCoy is used primarily for comic relief). Their closing scene together is the best in all Trek films and also provides the most memorable line of dialogue: “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few—or the one.”

With its back-to-basics approach, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan laid the groundwork for the rest of the Trek films and pretty much saved the Star Trek franchise. It also forms a trilogy with the Star Trek III: The Search for Spock and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (their plots are connected, whereas the last two films are stand-alone adventures).

In addition to Wrath of Khan, writer-director Nicholas Meyer was also involved in the next two best series entries in the series: The Voyage Home (an amusing time travel adventure) and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (an effective mix of politics, sci fi, and mystery). Meyer, whose filmography is surprisingly short, also directed another time travel tale: the classic Time After Time.

Trivia Time - Part 47 - the Answers

Well, the only two remaining unanswered questions are #4 and #8...good work, all!

#4: Austin Pendleton (it was tricky, I know)

#8: Arthur Treacher

See you tomorrow! You've been warned, LOL!

Bride of Frankenstein -- Unique In Every Way

Bride of Frankenstein (1935) is such a staple for classic film lovers and horror movie lovers that it is difficult to add anything to the many reviews and articles written over the years. From the time that director James Whale designed the look for the monster in 1931’s original Frankenstein and directed it to perfection, all the way up to the present day, Mary Shelley’s novel has been a favorite for each generation of movie-makers. Everyone wants to put their own personal stamp on this exciting story, some quite good, others just plain awful.

Bride of Frankenstein is different. There has only been 1 attempt of which I am aware at re-making it, a really dreadful movie called The Bride, with Sting and Jennifer Beals. (Remember Mystery Science Theatre 3000? They would have had a hey-day with that one!) As far as other serious attempts, I know of only two that are worth mentioning. These were movies about the entire Frankenstein story, a made-for-TV movie with Jane Seymour as the bride, and Kenneth Branagh’s version featuring Helena Bonham Carter. However, those two can’t really be considered re-makes, as they were trying to film the entire novel.

I think it would be impossible to re-capture the wonderful dark humor infused into the original bride story that was mostly responsible, in my opinion, for its unique nature. Bride of Frankenstein was written by William Hurlbut and John Balderston, and also incorporated James Whale's brand of side-glancing, off-beat humor which was his personal stamp. When I was a kid, I thought the story was deadly serious, and believed I should see it that way. After I had a few years under my belt, I realized how really funny this movie is. It still has the pathos of the poor monster’s loneliness and solitude, it has the wonderful eerie atmosphere of light and shadow, that fabulous laboratory, and lots of lightning. But it also has Ernest Thesiger as Dr. Praetorius with his little human menagerie, O.P. Heggie as the violin-playing blind hermit, and of course Elsa Lanchester with the hair!

As for the storyline, the movie opens with Mary Shelley, Lord Byron and Percy Shelley at the famous villa where Mary wrote the novel "Frankenstein." She explains that the story was not finished, and begins to tell the rest. The monster is back on the rampage, having escaped the fiery windmill in the first story. (In the opening scene, Boris Karloff fell into a well which was part of the set and broke his leg. The metal rods that held his legs rigid for his distinctive walk helped keep the bone in place until he got to a doctor.) The monster frightens people everywhere, is misunderstood in his intentions, and longs for someone like himself to be his friend. He comes upon a hut in the woods and hears the music of a violin. The hut is inhabited by a blind man, who welcomes the monster without fear since he can’t see him. The monster learns some words, and the two men sit down together to eat dinner. When the blind man strikes a match to light a cigar, the monster screams because of his fear of fire. The blind man explains to him that fire is good, and offers him a cigar. “Smoke is good!” the blind man says, and the monster inhales and says “Smoke….good.” (In these days of political correctness, we may yet see this scene cut out, although the rampaging and killing will of course be left in.) Some villagers come by, and since they are not blind, they panic, attack the monster and drive him away.

Meanwhile, Dr. Praetorius is insinuating himself into Dr. Frankenstein’s life (Colin Clive reprises his role, looking a bit the worse for wear during the 4 years since the original Frankenstein. Clive had also broken his leg just as shooting began on the film, and is shown in seated positions throughout.) Ernest Thesiger is wonderful as the mad Dr. Praetorius, with his long, skeletal face and clipped British accent. He plays Praetorius in a threatening but gleeful way, prancing at times and clapping his hands together. Frankenstein is not interested in trying to re-animate dead tissue anymore, but Praetorius piques his interest by showing him his new brand of re-animation, or rather, creation of life. Praetorius displays his collection of tiny people kept in glass jars, a king, a queen, a bishop, a ballerina, a mermaid, alive and well and playing pranks. (The famous little person, Billy Barty, was to have been part of the menageries, but his scenes were cut.) When the tiny people speak, it is with tiny squeaks like cartoon mice. Frankenstein is horrified and interested, but still does not want to go back into the body-building business. Later, the monster finds Praetorius sitting in what looks like an open-air crypt, drinking gin and relaxing. When the monster realizes that it would be possible for Dr. Frankenstein to create a female, Praetorius is able to enlist him to kidnap Frankenstein's wife and hold her hostage until he agrees to do so.

The female is created in the same laboratory (that’s pronounced laBORatory) where the monster was brought to life. Her shroud is much more stylish, though, well-fitted and displaying a fine figure. (It was so well-fitted that Elsa Lanchester was unable to move. She had to be carried around the set.) The bride opens her eyes – the next scene shows her standing, dressed in a widely-shaped, floor-length, long-sleeved white dress. (Lanchester was 5'4", and was put on stilts to make her much taller.) Her hair is done up in a very chic updo, dark with lightning-shaped white hair on either side. She sees Dr. Frankenstein and likes him, sees the monster and hates him, and utters a few distinctive echoing cries. The monster sees that she refuses his overtures, and decides he has had enough rejection in his life. He grabs a lever. Dr. Praetorius cries “Don’t touch that lever. You’ll blow us all to atoms!” Why such a lever would be installed in the first place is never explained. The monster, in an unusual mood of love for his creator, tells him to leave – “You live! We belong dead!” Then of course, he pulls the lever, and Dr. Praetorius’ warning comes true.

I just cannot write about Bride of Frankenstein without paying tribute to two movies where it plays major roles The first is Gods and Monsters, a biographical film about James Whale with Ian McKellan, In a flashback for Whale, we see him shooting the scene where the bride stands in her finery. The actor who plays Praetorius turns to Whale and says “Are Colin and I supposed to have done her hair?” Gods and Monsters is a tremendous movie and you shouldn’t miss it.

The second movie is, of course, Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein. For any lover of the Frankenstein movies, this is a must. It takes elements from Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein and Son of Frankenstein. It is one of the greatest comedy films I have ever seen. The wonderful Madeline Kahn plays the woman who becomes the bride, and the scene where she comes out of the bathroom to her new husband, with her hair in that style, is not to be missed. Cloris Leachman as Frau Blucher, Peter Boyle as the monster, Marty Feldman as Igor (that's pronouced Eye-gor), Gene Hackman as the blind hermit (a scene with an ending line I'll never forget),Terri Garr as the voluptuous laboratory assistant and the marvelous Gene Wilder as Dr. Frankenstein (that's Fronk-en-steen) are an unbelievably funny ensemble. Frankly, I can never watch any of the Frankenstein movies anymore without the hilarious Young Frankenstein always in my mind. Make a really fun weekend for yourself. Watch these movies in order. It will be an experience you won't forget.

People-eating Plants Stalk Howard Keel and Janette Scott in "The Day of the Triffids"

British author John Wyndham provided the literary basis for two of the most compelling science fiction films of the 1960s: Village of the Damned and The Day of the Triffids. While the former film has a more prestigious reputation, Triffids has its share of admirers. While a low budget often prevents it from achieving its aims, The Day of Triffids remains an intriguing, satisfying vision of life on Earth after a different kind of alien invasion.

As in Village of the Damned, an inexplicable, seemingly harmless phenomenon ultimately threatens the existence of the human race. In this case, it’s a worldwide meteor shower touted by the media as a “once-in- lifetime spectacle that must be seen.” Unfortunately, the glare from the meteors severs the optic nerve—leaving most of Earth’s population blind. To make matters worse, the meteors activate exterrestrial seeds that had been dormant for years. The seeds quickly sprout into Triffids, giant man-eating plants that can uproot themselves and seek their human quarry.

The film’s main protagonist is Mason (Howard Keel), a first mate who can see only because he was recovering from eye surgery on the night of the meteor shower. As Mason travels throughout the ruins of Europe looking for answers, his story is intercut with the Goodwins. Tom Goodwin (Kieron Moore) is an alcoholic marine biologist battling Triffids in a remote lighthouse laboratory off the coast of Cornwall with his long-suffering wife (Janette Scott).

When I first saw The Day of the Triffids, I was struck by the film’s unusual structure, for the two plots (Mason and the Goodwins) never converge. Years later, I learned that the footage of the Goodwins was filmed by famed cinematographer and occasional director Freddie Francis after principal photography was completed. The reason: the film’s original running time was too short! Ironically, it’s the most interesting plot because of what it doesn’t tell us. We never learn why Tom started drinking or why Susan stays with her self-centered husband. It’s almost a snapshot of a faltering marriage, with no beginning and no end.

The film’s strength, though, lies with its frightening premise. Forget the Triffids (who are too lumbering to be a real threat). Imagine what would happen if most of the world’s inhabitants suddenly went blind. Day of the Triffids explores this theme with several chilling sequences: a airplane full of panicked passengers; blind people groping frantically when they learn a young girl can see; and escaped convicts who take advantage of the visually impaired. It’s too bad that the variable, low-budget special effects (by Wally Veevers from Night of the Demon) lessen some of the impact.

Those who have read Wyndham’s novel deride the 1962 version of The Day of Triffids. They tend to favor the 1981 British miniseries, which I've never seen. It may be very good, but the original Triffids will always remain a favorite: a well-done, low-budget feature that rises above the ordinary on the basis of its ingenuity.

An Interview with Silent Screen Star John Gilbert's Daughter...coming soon

One Sunday night last January I turned on Turner Classic Movies and happened upon the documentary, Rediscovering John Gilbert. One of Gilbert's great silent classics, Bardelys the Magnificent (1926, directed by King Vidor), had aired earlier, and though I'd missed it, I watched the documentary beginning to end.

Prominently featured in the film on Gilbert was his daughter Leatrice who, I learned, had written a biography of her father in the mid-1980s: Dark Star: The Untold Story of the Meteoric Rise and Fall of the Legendary John Gilbert. Interested, I decided to pick up the book and tracked down a copy on Amazon.

In the course of all of this I also managed to make contact with Leatrice Gilbert Fountain and we began a friendly correspondence. For example, when I read in Dark Star that John Gilbert had attended Hitchcock Military Academy for a time and realized that the school had been located in the town where I live, I shared this with Leatrice (and later let her know that I'd found the spot where it once stood).

A blog that I posted here at the Cafe, "Blue Angel of Mercy? Another view of Marlene Dietrich," was inspired by a section in Dark Star on Dietrich's relationship with John Gilbert and about her relationship with young Leatrice following Gilbert's death. Both Leatrice and I were very happy when Movie FanFare asked to republish the blog.

And then last month I received TCM's schedule for August and discovered that John Gilbert was to be honored with his own day as part of the annual "Summer Under the Stars" showcase. I contacted Leatrice and we eventually decided to do a phone interview to be published here at the Cafe. Our conversation was a delight...and Leatrice is a jewel - intelligent, articulate, amusing and very warm and kind.

Leatrice Gilbert Fountain's interview will post here on August 23. My hope is that the blog does as much to pay tribute to Leatrice, who has devoted many years to restoring her father's reputation, as it does to promote viewing the films of John Gilbert on TCM, Tuesday, August 24, beginning 6am Eastern/3am Pacific.

Trivia Time - Part 47

Who am I? In my first English language film one of my co-stars was Ethel Barrymore. Among many other roles, I have played a prince, a playboy, an uncredited narrator for a Billy Wilder film, a tutor, and a judge. Who am I?

Which film is this? The supporting cast includes Tommy Sands, Kay Medford, Larry Hagman, Peter Marshall, and James Coco. Name the film.

1. For Which Film is This?, who were the three top-billed stars?

2. What was the first film in which both Jessica Tandy and Hume Cronyn appeared?

3. Who was the star and who was the director of the film in #2?

4. What do the films What's Up Doc?, The Muppet Movie, and Catch 22 have in common?

5. In which film did Who Am I? play a judge?

6. Directed Ronald Reagan in Bedtime for Bonzo, but is best known for producing a long-running talk show. Who is this person and what was the name of the talk show?

7. The brother of the star of the talk show in #5 was the director of a competing talk show; name the brother and the show.

8. Who was the "sidekick" of the star of the show in #7?

9. Who was the "sidekick" of the star of the show in #6?

10. Name the game show hosted by the star of the show in #6.

Trivia Time - Part 46 - the Answers

First, thanks for playing, Lady Eve, Classic Becky and Dawn!

The answers to the rest:

1. Car 99 1935; Fred MacMurray
3. The scores were all composed by Jerry Goldsmith
5. Frank Tashlin
6. Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? 1957
7. Tony Randall, Jayne Mansfield
8. John Ridgely
9. Alan Hale

The Invaders: "The Ivy Curtain"

The first season of The Invaders ranked with the best sci fi on television in the 1960s. The premise was a canny mixture of Invasion of the Body Snatchers and The Fugitive (only in reverse).

Roy Thinnes stars as architect David Vincent, who accidentally spies an alien spaceship landing on Earth when he pulls off the road late one night to get a cup of coffee at Bud’s Diner (which, from the looks of it, has been long out of business). Vincent quickly discovers that the human-looking aliens aren’t friendly—their mission is to make Earth their home. When his incredible story meets with the expected skepticism, Vincent sets off in pursuit of the Invaders, determined to collect evidence and thwart them whenever possible. Whereas Richard Kimble was the hunted in The Fugitive, David Vincent becomes the hunter in The Invaders. It’s no coincidence that executive producer Quinn Martin and producer Alan Armer were driving forces behind both shows.

One of the finest episodes during Season 1 is “The Ivy Curtain.” It opens with an airplane malfunctioning in-flight during a thunderstorm. During the subsequent emergency landing, a large piece of cargo falls on top of one of the executives on board. The pilot rushes to help his passenger—but despite a huge gash in the executive’s arm, there’s no blood…no wound…no pain. The passengers surround the pilot like a pack of wolves ready to pounce on their prey. The title credits roll.

The focus then shifts to Vincent, who has arrived in a small New Mexico town on the heels of William Burns. The narrator (a Quinn Martin staple) informs viewers that Burns is an educator and business administrator—who has been on “planet Earth for less than a year.” Vincent trails Burns to Midland Academy, where the architect is captured by the aliens.

Vincent quickly escapes and learns that Midland Academy is one of several training camps for new alien visitors to Earth. They take college-like classes where they are taught the “language of emotion" (they even practice simulating fear). In one classroom, alien students are hooked to a computer that downloads Earth’s historical data into their brains (wish I’d had one of those machines in college!). The most intriguing “course” has young aliens learning how to blend in at a simulated (but still groovy) 1960s dance joint. In between doing The Twist, the teen Invaders huddle around tables and spout hip dialogue designed to inspire human anarchy.

The rest of the plot takes a more conventional approach in examining the failing marriage between a pilot (Jack Warner) and his restless wife (Susan Oliver). Yet, even this subplot is well-played by the guest stars, especially Oliver who convincingly portrays a woman who loves her husband, but needs more excitement than he can provide.

The best Invaders episodes, though, spotlight the menacing aliens. They are typically suave, intellectual villains who have ingrained themselves into the fabric of humankind. They are executives, doctors, educators, scientists, and politicians. It’s hard to tell them apart from the good guys—even their henchmen seems to dress like CIA agents in black business suits, sunglasses, and shoulder holsters.

Roy Thinnes anchors the show with an appealing presence and the requisite passion to stop the alien invasion. Still, he lacks the depth of character that David Janssen brought to The Fugitive (e.g., no one gained more mileage from a crack of a smile).

Apparently, though, the producers of The Invaders worried that Vincent’s one-man mission would prove wearisome as the series progressed. In Season 2, Vincent found and joined a group of fellow alien hunters called The Believers. It was an interesting concept that failed to live up to its potential except for a handful of episodes. Or, perhaps, The Invaders was just running out of fresh ideas as do all TV series. Still, at its best—as in episodes like “The Ivy Curtain”—The Invaders was a fascinating, sometimes thought-provoking TV series that lived up to its intriguing premise.

Man vs. Machine in Fritz Lang's "Metropolis"

The Metropolis is a huge, expansive city with skyscrapers and elevated railways. This is where the rich live lavishly and play in beautiful gardens, carefree and content. Well below where the wealthy reside is the “workers’ city,” where laborers work long, hard hours to maintain the city above them. Fredersen (Alfred Abel), “Master of Metropolis,” runs the city with cold determination. His son, Freder (Gustav Fröhlich), enjoys his buoyant lifestyle, but one day, he follows a young woman to where the workers work underground. Horrified by an accident which leaves a number of laborers deceased, Freder hurriedly tells his father what he has witnessed. Fredersen, however, is upset that he’s been informed of the incident by his son (in lieu of an employee) and is more concerned with “plans” that a foreman discovered on two of the dead workers. The papers found are actually maps to a place in the city’s catacombs, where workers congregate to listen to Maria (Brigitte Helm), the woman with whom Freder has become obsessed.

Meanwhile, Freder returns to the workers’ city and swaps places with one of the laborers. As Maria tells the workers that a “Mediator” will essentially be the savior and establish balance between the planners and the laborers, Freder believes that he is to be the Mediator. Fredersen convinces inventor/scientist Rotwang (Rudolf Klein-Rogge) to make his Maschinenmensch (“machine-man”) in the likeness of Maria, to instill doubt among the workers’ faith in the woman. Rotwang, however, has a sinister purpose, as he and Fredersen were once in love with the same woman, who married Fredersen and died giving birth to Freder. Rotwang sends the Maria-machine to spark a revolution among the laborers, hoping to destroy Metropolis and murder Fredersen’s son.

One of the most significant qualities of Fritz Lang’s 1927 silent film, Metropolis, is a bleak view of capitalism. It is doubtless from the beginning that the extravagant metropolis could not exist without the work of the men below. These are not men who go into work each day, heads held high. In fact, they literally hang their heads and hide their faces, a slow march to and from work. The movie opens with a shift change, and the audience follows the men unto what looks to be a freight elevator and leisurely descends into the depths of the city. The workers appear to be on their way to prison, which, in many respects, they are. After one of Fredersen’s men is fired, Freder rushes to the man’s side and stops him from putting a bullet into his head. Such an act implies that, without employment, however burdensome, death is the only viable option.

A common fear that is frequently expressed in sci-fi films (e.g., James Cameron’s Terminator series) is a general uneasiness of machines taking over the world. Metropolis makes such a somber concept even darker with a man who intentionally creates a machine to destroy his own kind. And in the end, potential destruction is not at the hands of the machines, but the hands of the men, as the Maschinenmensch is instructed to coerce the workers into destroying themselves. This coincides with an image Freder has following the accident, one of Moloch, a machine to which the laborers are sacrificed. It’s a frightening idea not just because of the implication of men working to their deaths, but, in Freder’s vision, the men willingly walk up the steps into the mouth of Moloch.

There are men vs. machine comparisons throughout Metropolis. In addition to the Maria and Maschinenmensch duality, the men, in the process of labor, are staged and choreographed to look like machines. Their movements are sharp and precise and, most notably, monotonous, to the point where, if watched long enough, the men will truly resemble machinery. This goes back to an appraisal of capitalism, in that the political ideal is not a construction of equality, but a hierarchy, with the wealthy high in the sky and the laborers nothing more than cogs in the machinery.

Klein-Rogge is the titular doctor of Lang’s Dr. Mabuse films (1922 and 1933), the first film which also featured his Metropolis co-star, Abel. Although she is completely unrecognizable, actress Helm was actually playing the part of the Maschinenmensch. There are various prints of Metropolis with multiple running times. This is partly due to some of the footage reportedly being lost after its premiere in Germany, but also from the speed of the frame rate (or frames per second), long a source of debate among film historians and enthusiasts.

Metropolis is a much loved sci-fi classic, and deservedly so. When the film was released in 1927, the year of the movie’s setting, 2026, was nearly a century away. Now, in 2010, we are much closer to the time of Metropolis, and the film’s impact has not diminished in the slightest. It’s an expression of societal classes that can be applied to what is happening in the present, as well as a fear that may still lurk in our hearts today.

The Search for Humanity in Ridley Scott’s “Blade Runner”

In 2019, the Off-world colonies are utilizing androids known as replicants as slave labor. When several of the Nexus-6 models escape, four of the replicants are believed to have made it to Earth, where their presence would be a violation of the law. Deckard (Harrison Ford), a former blade runner, part of a unit commissioned to detect and kill replicants (an act which has been termed “retirement”), is enlisted to track down and retire the renegade androids. In the course of his investigation, Deckard learns that replicants, for fear that they might develop emotional responses and make them harder to identify, were given a four-year lifespan. As Deckard draws closer, the apparent leader of the replicants, Batty (Rutger Hauer), seeks a way in which to prolong his existence.

Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner (1982) is a sci-fi film with a clear focus on humanity and questioning what makes a being human, a characteristic it shares with its source text, Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? A number of movies of the science fiction genre deal with what the genre title suggests: an advancement in technology and an extraordinary future. Scott brings the human element into the film, implying that the world of the future is not a product of technology and is instead defined by the people who reside within it. Blade Runner doesn’t simply show its audience what it hasn’t yet seen; it shows us what hasn’t been seen and what has already been abandoned. The future is not technology at its prime. It’s technology in various stages, some of it fresh and new, and some of it in decay.

The movie opens with a beautiful view of a city, with huge, overpowering buildings and vehicles in flight. Scott then takes the viewers into a dark, ordinary office room, where the only thing apparently unconventional is the Voight-Kampff device, a machine used for detection of replicants. As a man (Brion James) undergoes an assessment, the blade runner administering the test, Holden (Morgan Paull), seems to be indifferent to not only his test subject but the machine itself. Considering that the device is almost hidden in shadow in a room of low lighting (the Voight-Kampff is usually regulated with little light), technology is certainly not highlighted. Most of the futuristic machinery is presented in this manner, exemplified by Deckard yawning during a 10-second elevator ride to the 97th floor of his apartment. The world is populated by people who have become accustomed to all of this. The science is not new to them, almost as if Scott were attempting to drop the “fiction” from science fiction.

In the same vein, the world itself has outlived its vitality. Underneath the buildings and bright lights is the subterranean society, the people of the city hiding from the rain, where the sun rarely shines. But inside those buildings are vast, empty spaces, and those flashing lights are little more than advertisements, typically endorsing the Off-world colonies. There is a scene in the film where a replicant, Pris (Daryl Hannah), asks Sebastian (William Sanderson) about his illness, and then questions if it is the reason he is still on Earth, which he confirms. This more than insinuates that Earth is comparable to the seemingly deserted machines and buildings, that life on the colonies established on other planets is preferable. The film can be regarded as a critique of consumerism, that the idea of substance holds more weight than any actual substance.

Humans attempt to survive in this forlorn, barren world, but who are the humans? More to the point, it seems, what is the definition of humanity? Replicants were designed to be identical to humans, save for emotional response. But the short lifespan safeguard was ineffective, as the escaped replicants truly want one thing: to live. Survival and fear of death are base components of humanity. And while the deadpan Deckard shows little emotion, the replicants, in addition to fear, express anger, apparent confusion, and, it seems, happiness. However, an audience can identify more with Deckard, a world weary man just trying to complete his job. Blade runners have been trained to detect a replicant by lack of empathy, but in the film, the replicants’ emotional resonance is what ultimately reminds viewers what they are: artificial. Batty’s smiles are maniacal, Pris’ trepidation when meeting Sebastian gives the impression of having been learned, and Zhora (Joanna Cassidy) has a perpetual expression of anticipation, as if she were continually seeking the proper way to react.

Many of the actors in the film have an appropriate stoic quality, particularly James, Sean Young, and the outstanding Edward James Olmos as Gaff, who assists Deckard in the investigation. Some of the actors portray characters known to be replicants, but others are not necessarily androids, and it is difficult not to wonder about their humanity or lack thereof. In fact, Scott directly addresses the idea of Deckard himself possibly being a replicant (a concept taken from the novel), in a small but significant sequence that was excised from the original theatrical version. Ford underplays Deckard but to great effect, and having garnered success with the first two Star Wars films (1977 and 1980), as well Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), he proved that he was a versatile and capable actor.

Sci-fi novelist Dick was supposedly upset with early drafts of the screenplay. However, he was pleased after seeing a rewrite and viewing an advanced cut of Douglas Trumbull’s special effects (David Dryer completed the project as “special effects supervisor”). The author died a few months before the film’s release, and Blade Runner was dedicated to him. The title of the film was taken from Alan E. Nourse’s 1974 novel The Bladerunner, as well as a screen treatment by fellow novelist William S. Burroughs. In Nourse’s book, “bladerunner” refers to someone running medical supplies (e.g., scalpels) on the black market. As the treatment was not chosen for further development, Burroughs adapted it into a novella, Blade Runner (a movie), in 1979. The rights to both titles were purchased for Scott’s film.

It’s interesting to view the technology envisioned in 1982 with technology of today. While some of it seems dated (hefty monitors vs. today’s flat screens, etc.), other aspects are equivalent to modern standards. In one scene, Deckard examines a photograph by enhancing the image to better see the picture. The device that he uses not only employs voice recognition, but Deckard also gets a printout of the enlarged image. Later, Deckard makes a call to Rachael (Young) on a Vid-Phōn, a videophone version of a public phone booth.

The 10th year anniversary of Blade Runner was celebrated with a “Director’s Cut.” The cut that was shown to test audiences in 1982 was screened in 1990 and 1991 and purportedly inspired this version, which reinstated the aforementioned cut sequence, removed Deckard’s voice-over, and changed the studio-altered ending (which opted for a more upbeat conclusion). While the voice-over worked in establishing a film noir tone for Blade Runner, it was intrinsically superfluous and detracted from the solid cinematography and beautiful score, courtesy of Vangelis (who had just won an Academy Award for 1981’s Chariots of Fire). The studio ending likewise was out of place, shifting the overall feel of the movie. While the “Director’s Cut” was completed without Scott’s involvement, the director authorized the “Final Cut,” which was released in 2007.

Blade Runner is a film of humans and non-humans alike examining what it means to be human. The blade runners expose the replicants by revealing an absence of emotion. The motto of the Tyrell Corporation (the corporation responsible for replicants) is “More Human Than Human.” Do the replicants, then, try too hard to be human? With implanted memories and a desire for longer life, the replicants do a fairly good impression of humans. “Quite an experience to live in fear, isn’t it?” Batty asks of Deckard near the film’s end, and perhaps this is the fear of which Batty speaks: that humanity is a learned trait, and that something other than humans is doing a better job of it.

Trivia Time - Part 46

Who Am I? After winning a beauty contest sponsored by a studio, I was signed as a contract player and immediately put to work. I had 18 different parts in works of every genre (drama, comedy, musical, western, etc) during my first year as a professional actress, most uncredited. In that first hectic year, I worked with Ida Lupino three times, Cary Grant twice, and Gary Cooper once. Who Am I?

Who Am I? I originally planned to become a concert pianist, but could not resist the lure of the stage. I turned down a marriage proposal from Winston Churchill because I thought (at the time) that he had no future. Although I began on the stage, I did make a number of movies during my career as well. Who Am I?

1. In which movie did Who Am I? #1 have her first leading role and who was the male lead?

2. Name the movies that Who Am I? #1 made with Errol Flynn, in order.

3. What do the films Lilies of the Field, In Harm's Way, and Lonely are the Brave have in common?

4. Which two Paramount stars have uncredited parts in My Favorite Brunette?

5. Which director made the leap from cartoons to live action features, only to return to cartoons at the end of his career?

6. What was the best known live action film of the director in #5?

7. Who were the stars of the film in #6?

8. Who played pilot Tex Hill in God is my Co-Pilot?

9. Name the actor who had planned to be an opera singer, but eventually became a very busy character actor, working with Dennis Morgan, Claudette Colbert, William Lundigan, Ronald Reagan, Alexis Smith, John Ridgely, Clark Gable, and Fredric March, among many others.

10. Name the movie which brings together Bette Davis, Gilbert Roland, Gale Sondergaard, and Claude Rains.

11. Name at least 5 films in which James Cagney "buys the farm" on film.

Trivia Time - Part 45 - Answers

The only question Eve didn't get in in the first part was the first Who Am I?. The answer is Richard Jaeckel.

As for the bonus round of Trivia Time:

11(a) is Felix Bressart, 11(b) is Susan Peters, and the movie that brought these two together along with Darryl Hickman is Song of Russia (MGM, 1944).

12. The lead of Song of Russia was Robert Taylor.

13. The other future '50s star was Richard Carlson.

14. Carlson's show was I Led 3 Lives.

The Tag Line Game

The goal of this game is to make up a tag line for an actual movie. This week's spotlight film is 2001: A Space Odyssey. One of its original tag lines was: "An epic drama of adventure and exploration." Now, here are couple of new ones courtesy of yours truly:

"HAL are you doing today?"

"In space, no one can hear you shout at a computer."

"What's it all about, Stanley?" (sung to Alfie)

I know you can do better than the lame attempts above, so please add your own tag lines as comments. Also, you don't have to limit yourself to this week's spotlight film. If you think of a tag line for another film, feel free to list the movie and your own creative tag line.

The only rules are to keep it clean and have fun!

San Francisco's 2010 International and Silent Film Festivals

Luchino Visconti's Senso (1954) - 53rd San Francisco International Film Festival, May 2, Castro Theatre

While working on a Strangers on a Train blog for the Cafe earlier this year, I took a side trip into the career of one of its stars, Farley Granger. I'd been barely aware of his work, so when TCM devoted an evening to films "Starring Farley Granger" in April, I recorded and watched them all. But one film eluded me, a film that is among Granger's own favorites, along with Hitchcock's Strangers... and Nicholas Ray's They Live by Night (1949) - Luchino Visconti's lavish period spectacle, Senso. Soon fate kindly stepped in and tossed a bit of synchronicity my way. A few days after TCM's Granger showcase, I received a pair of passes to this year's San Francisco International Film Festival. Leafing through the program, I was surprised to find Senso listed among the screenings.

The well-established 53-year-old San Francisco's International Film Festival primarily focuses on contemporary films from around the world; this year 150 films from every corner of the globe were featured as well as events honoring Robert Duvall, Roger Ebert, Walter Murch and others. 57-year-old Senso (newly restored) might seem an unlikely entry, but the film is of elemental significance to the festival; its U.S. premiere took place at the inaugural San Francisco International Film Festival in 1957.

Opulent, operatic and visually rich, Senso is set in Venice during the 1860's, when Italy was occupied by Austria, and tells the tale of an Italian countess (Alida Valli) whose intense illicit affair with an Austrian military officer (Granger) ends in betrayal and mad revenge.

It is said that Italian neorealism began with Luchino Visconti 's Ossessione (1943). With Senso, Visconti made his first departure from the genre he helped pioneer. And what a departure - grand and grandiose, vivid and sensuous. This is a truly beautiful film (three-strip technicolor), an epic of passionate romance and passionate rebellion...accented with wit and humor. Though Alida Valli's performance as the excitable countess is at times near hysteria, Granger delivers one of his best performances as her good-looking and manipulative good-for-not-very-much lover.

Visconti has been credited with influencing great filmmakers of later generations and there were moments during the film when his profound influence on Francis Coppola was never more apparent.

In introducing the film, a festival VIP declared that Senso should only be seen at the Castro Theatre. I couldn't agree more; the film and theater together created an experience of unforgettable grandeur.

(Screenwriter Suso Cecchi D'Amico who worked with Visconti on all but two of his screenplays passed away last Saturday at age 96; D'Amico collaborated on Senso)

G.W. Pabst's Diary of a Lost Girl (1929) - 15th San Francisco Silent Film Festival, July 17, Castro Theatre

Louise Brooks has interested me since the early '80s when I first read her book Lulu in Hollywood. I picked up the Criterion Collection's Pandora's Box (1929) a few years ago and quickly understood the brouhaha over Brooks on film. Beautiful and charismatic, she's an eye-magnet who naturally commands the screen. Her life was legendary...but that's another blog. Her film career was erratic and relatively brief, but her starring roles in Pandora's Box and Diary of a Lost Girl (1929), two films she made under the direction of G.W. Pabst in Germany, endowed her with a timeless mystique.

Diary of a Lost Girl headlined the 15th San Francisco Silent Film Festival's Saturday night program. Set in Germany's Weimar era and replete with cruelty, betrayal and debauchery, the melodrama follows an innocence-downfall-redemption trajectory.

The film opens as Thymian Henning (Brooks) celebrates her day of confirmation - but the festivities come to an abrupt end when a just-fired servant takes her own life. Undone by events and their implications, Thymian is seduced by her father's assistant (Fritz Rasp). Sent to a reformatory run by proto-Nazi grotesques, she escapes to a brothel and goes on to become a countess by way of a dissipated (and disinherited) aristocrat. Miraculously, a transformed Thymian eventually takes charge of the reformatory where she was once locked away.

Pabst, the story goes, actually had a very different plan for the film's ending. His original intent was for Thymian to become a wildly successful madam, a woman who scoffed at the German bourgeoisie...

G. W. Pabst's cinematic mastery and intelligence along with Louise Brooks' star power envigorate a potentially trite tale. Supporting players Fritz Rasp, Andrews Engelmann and Valeska Gert enrich Pabst's dark potion. Brooks navigates Thymian's travails from naive girl to worldly woman with lithe physicality and subtlety. She and Dietrich could together have ruled the femme fatale corner of cinema for years, if only...As it was, Brooks functioned as Pabst's muse in two of his best-known works and, decades later, achieved screen immortality.

The world famous Mont Bela Motion Picture Orchestra premiered its new score for Diary of a Lost Girl at this screening. The chamber ensemble orchestra is dedicated to reviving the authentic period sound of the silent film orchestra.

A Brief History of the Castro Theatre, "an acre of seats in a palace of dreams"

The Castro was built in 1922 by San Francisco theater pioneers, the Nasser brothers. It was designed by well-known Bay Area architect Timothy Pflueger. The theater's exterior design suggests a Mexican cathedral and the interior is decorated in the Spanish Renaissance style with Moorish Tent, Oriental Zodiac and Art Deco touches.

From 1922 to 1976, the Castro showcased first and second run mainstream films. In 1976 the theater, under new management, began to present repertory cinema, foreign films, film festivals and special first run presentations. This continues today with the Castro's ongoing schedule of special programs.

In 1977 the theater was designated San Francisco's registered landmark #100 and in 1982 the Castro's Conn organ was replaced with a "mighty Wurlitzer."

In 2001 the Nasser family took over operation of the theater once again and made extensive improvements and upgrades.

Fantastic Voyage: A Li'l Sci Fi Fun

An assassination attempt by the "other side" leaves scientist Dr. Jan Benes in a coma with a critical brain injury. When security expert Grant (Stephen Boyd) inquires why Benes is so valuable, the cryptic response is: "He's the only scientist who knows the answer to what we're after." Unfortunately, there's no way to operate on Benes' brain without killing him...at least not by conventional means. As a result, the CMDF is called into action.

That stands for the Combined Miniature Deterrent Force, which has the technology to reduce anything in size. As General Carter (Edmond O'Brien) explains to Grant: "We can shrink an army and put it in a bottle cap." The CMDF plans to shrink a team of surgeons, place them aboard a submarine called the Proteus, and inject them into Benes' bloodstream. Their mission is to travel to the scientist's brain and use a laser to relieve pressure from a blood clot. There's only one catch: the team will return to their normal size within sixty minutes--and there's also a suspected saboteur on board.

What I admire the most about Fantastic Voyage is the way its outlandish--but highly imaginative--premise is handled. Every cast member plays it straight; there's not a knowing wink to be found. Even Grant, the initial skeptic with whom the audience identifies, accepts the miniaturization technology without much of a fuss. As a result, the movie gets down to business and that, of course, is a mix of suspense, action, and special effects.

The sources of the film's suspense are definitely unusual. For example, when a strong current propels the Proteus off-course, the only new route to Benes' brain is through the heart chamber. Earlier in the film, we learn that the heart chamber is the one place the Proteus must avoid because the pumping blood would crush the little ship. So what to do? General Carter, who has been drinking a lot of coffee (with massive amounts of sugar) suggests that Benes' heart be stopped long enough for the Proteus to get through the chamber. The catch is that once the heart is stopped, Bene must be revived within sixty seconds or he may not get revived at all. And, according to Carter's slide-rule calculations, it will take the Proteus crew 57 seconds to navigate the route. Hmm...three seconds to spare is cutting it pretty close!

As expected, the Proteus faces numerous obstacles along the way, from angry white corpucles to loud noises in the inner ear to sabotage. It might seem episodic except that sequences move swiftly once the CMDF team enters Benes' body. Fantastic Voyage may not be as good a movie as director Richard Fleischer's other submarine movie--Disney's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea--but it's more exciting overall and, in my opinion, more entertaining as a result. The special effects are spotty, even though they won an Academy Award (the film also won for Best Art Direction). The scenes where things become small or big are pretty woeful, especially by today's computer-generated standards. In contrast, once the Proteus is cruising through the circulatory system, Fantastic Voyage still looks pretty impressive. But then, the 20th Century-Fox special effects team, led by L.B. Abbott, had a pretty good handle on submarine scenes, having working on the film and TV versions of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.

The cast has been called wooden, but actually it's quite servicable. Boyd makes a good no-nonsense hero, Donald Pleasance is quite fun, and Arthur Kennedy delivers the film's worst dialogue with sincerity. The only cast member that seems out of place is Raquel Welch. At that point in her career, one suspects she was cast for her looks, but, ironically, she's covered in a non-flattering full body suit for almost the entire film. Acclaimed science fiction author Isaac Asimov wrote a novelization based on the screenplay. The ending in Asimov's book is slightly different and accounts for a scientific discrepancy in the film version. Asimov also penned a sequel called Fantastic Voyage II: Destination Brain. Over the years, numerous directors, such as James Cameron, have considered producing a big budget remake. Joe Dante's 1987 film Innerspace, starring Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan, is a lighthearted variation. It also won an Oscar for special effects.

The "Errol Flynn Adventures" DVD Box Set

As of August 4, Warner Home Video/TCM Spotlight is releasing to the public the 4th boxed set of Errol Flynn DVDs, “Errol Flynn Adventures”. It might better have been titled “Errol Flynn War Movies” since the 5 films are all set during and about World War II. This reviewer has been eagerly awaiting this release, and the wait was worth it.

The movies have been beautifully restored and are crystal clear in quality. I prefer letterboxed films now that I know about them, but I am not schooled enough to know if that is really necessary with these older films. In any case, although they are not letterboxed, they look and sound as they must have in the theatres of the 40’s. To further bolster that feeling, the extras are just fantastic. If you watch the extras, then the movies, you have the feeling of seeing it in its original time. War newsreels, Warner Brother cartoons, military band shorts, theatrical trailers of movies coming up, then the movie itself – just a wonderful experience.

The 5 films are a picture of an era and of Hollywood’s propaganda in bolstering the morale of a suffering citizenry. Some are more realistic than others, but all share a common bond of hope and determination to win that terrible war. Errol Flynn took some heat due to the fact that he did not fight in the war, and it did not help that the studio did not want it to be known that Flynn had tried every branch of the service and was turned down. He had a bad heart, malaria, history of tuberculosis and an injured back. The studio did not want their macho star’s image tarnished with any kind of disability, and this was a source of embarrassment to Flynn through the war years. It was his desire to make films to help the war effort, and he did so very effectively with the following movies:

Uncertain Glory (1944) is the story of Jean Picard (Errol Flynn), a thief and murderer sentenced to the guillotine in Nazi-occupied France. Inspector Bonet (Paul Lukas) has been chasing him down for years and is determined to bring him to justice. Through a series of circumstances, Picard and Bonet find themselves on the same side of a very strange exploit. In my opinion, this movie, although not very well known outside of classic movie buff circles, is one of Flynn’s finest performances. He is not dashing, not very charming, unshaven most of the time, a thoroughly reprehensible man. Flynn really shows his acting chops and gives a marvelous performance.

Director: Raoul Walsh. Music: Max Steiner

Edge of Darkness (1943) is the story of Gunnar Brogge (Flynn), a fisherman in a small village in Nazi-occupied Norway. Along with his love Karen (Ann Sheridan), her doctor father (Walter Huston), and the rest of the small village, underground activities against the Nazis are the focus of their lives. A really nasty Nazi Captain (Helmut Dantine, probably the most beautiful male villain on screen) has no conscience in his desire to blot out all patriotism and hope in these people. This film is strong, serious and very spiritual in nature.

 Director: Lewis Milestone. Music: Franz Waxman
(An interesting aside:  Helmut Dantine was a young Austrian who worked tirelessly in the Vienna anti-Nazi movement.  He was imprisoned for it, but family got him out and sent him to America for safety.  In his acting career, however, he played many Nazi parts in movies during these years.  It must have been satisfying to him to portray them as the monsters they were for all the world to see.  That's Hollywood for you!)

Objective Burma (1945) was Errol Flynn’s favorite of his movies. A stirring and true story of a squadron trapped in the Burmese jungle trying to make their way out for rescue, the movie is hard-edged and quite realistic for the time. James Brown and Henry Hull co-starred. Flynn enjoyed it because he did not have to be a romantic lead this time, just a man in a man’s world. The remarkable scene of soldiers parachuting over the jungle to spine-tingling music is truly something to see.

Director: Raoul Walsh. Music: Franz Waxman

(As an interesting aside, this movie was banned in England because the British were angry that their part and the part of the Australians were minimized so much in the story of this operation.)

Desperate Journey (1944) is probably the most propaganda-type of any war movie I ever saw. It’s a Hogan’s Hero type of romp through the German countryside by a group of flyers trying to get out of Germany. Flynn, Ronald Reagan, Arthur Kennedy and Alan Hale are comrades in arms.  Most of the Germans are pretty stupid and easily tricked by our guys. Even the great Raymond Massey as a Nazi Major is made to look foolish. Even so, I just love this movie. It is full of humor, has enough pathos to keep it respectable, and is so unrealistic that I still remember the last line of the movie with an eager Flynn in the cockpit of a plane saying “Now for the Pacific and a crack at those Japs!” I didn’t know it was so easy to change from the German campaign to the Japanese campaign, but if anybody could do it, Errol Flynn could.

Director: Raoul Walsh. Music: Max Steiner/Hugo Friedhofer

Northern Pursuit (1943) has Flynn playing Steve Wagner, a Canadian Mountie who stumbles across a Nazi colonel (Hollywood's favorite Nazi, Helmut Dantine again) who has landed in Canada to mount an offensive. Wagner’s fiancée (Julie Bishop) becomes entangled with an interesting plot. The film is quite lovely in its portrayal of a snowy, icy Canadian wasteland, and the story is well-done.

Director: Raoul Walsh. Music: Adolph Deutsch
(A personal aside: It must have been really difficult to live in America during World War II with the name Adolph Deutsch!)

These movies have it all – great character actors, creative cinematography and sets, soaring music that usually includes La Marseilles, American anthems and God Save the King, and especially patriotism in its purest form. And of course, Errol Flynn. Treat yourself and get this set. It will be an exceptional addition to your movie collection.

(Some of these and many other Flynn movies will be showing on Turner Classic Movies for Errol Flynn Day on August 7.)

Trivia Time - Part 45 (bonus round)

AKA It's All Your Fault, Eve!

LOL!

Since Lady Eve has blown away all 10 questions plus one out of two Who Am I?s (as of the time of this post), I decided to offer a bonus round for those who have not yet had time to play:

11. Name the film that brought these three together:
a) A remarkable character actor (a refugee from Nazi Germany) who died only 5 years after this film was made.
b) A young actress (nominated once for Best Supporting Actress) who died only 8 years after this film was made.
c) The elder brother of the actor who was Zelda's love in a late '50s-early '60s TV sitcom.

12. Name the lead actor in the film in #11.

13. Name the two future '50s TV stars who were in the 1941 Abbott and Costello movie Hold That Ghost.

14. Name the shows for the stars in #13.

Trivia Time - Part 45

Who Am I? My career started in the 1940s and continued into the '90s. I worked with Preston Foster, William Bendix, John Wayne, Lee Marvin, Dana Andrews, Lloyd Nolan and Robert Urich, among others. Who am I?

Who Am I? I've been a Ford dealer in Redondo Beach, and also had an acting career spanning more than fifty years. I've worked with Tyrone Power, William Wellman, Judy Garland, Mary Astor, Alan Young, and Nicolas Cage, among others. Who am I?

1. In 1969, MGM released two science fiction films. Name them.

2. Who were the stars of the films in #2?

3. Robert Horton did another Western after Wagon Train; name the series and the network.

4. Name the film in which Sig Ruman played a French sergeant.

5. Name the leads of the film in #4.

6. Name the 1943 MGM film in which Felix Bressart, Reginald Owen and Basil Rathbone all played key parts.

7. Who was the star of the 1959 TV series Men Into Space?

8. Name his character (#7).

9. Name the network (#7 and 8).

10. What was Joan Crawford's last contract film at MGM?