3 on 3: Gangster Films

Each week this month, the Cafe will present a "3 on 3 panel" in which three experts will answer three questions on a single classic film topic. This week, the Cafe poses three questions on gangster films to three of our favorite classic movie bloggers:  John Greco from Twenty Four Frames; ClassicBecky from ClassicBecky's Brain Food; and R. D. Finch from The Movie Projector.

1. What's the most influential gangster film of the 1930s?

Paul Muni in Scarface.

John: I will have to go with Scarface: Shame of a Nation. Most obviously because of the De Palma reimagination with Pacino and "his little friend," however I think there is more than just that. Hawks' film is almost epic in its filming and thinking. On the surface, the film is a reworking of Al Capone (like Capone, Tony Camonte, a small time hood comes to Chicago from New York to work for a Chicago boss) but screenwriters Ben Hecht, W.R. Burnett and three others go further, bringing in the Borgia family, incest, sexual fetishism and of course...violent murder. The film was so blatant in these areas many state censor boards from all over the country banned the film. Hawks and his screenwriters made Camonte a Neanderthal thinking killer with raw basic instincts rubbing out anyone who gets in his way. The brutal behavior and violence is offset by dark arty camerawork which I think truly separates it from other gangsters films of its time. As Camonte, Muni is bestial, lustful, and dangerously comical. He is sexually stimulated by his bosses' mistress (Karen Morley), his trampy sister (Ann Dorvak) and his machine gun. The film's influence can be seen in works as diverse as Coppola's The Godfather and Wilder's Some Like it Hot. In Wilder's film, George Raft as Spat Columbo pays tribute to his earlier role in Scarface when he asks another gangster who's flipping a coin: "Where did you pick up that cheap trick?"

James Cagney is The Public Enemy.

ClassicBecky: I chose the original Big 3, Scarface, Little Caesar and The Public Enemy, in determining the most influential 1930's gangster film. My intellect says that Paul Muni's Scarface is actually the best of the three, and holds the unique position of progenitor of future gangster films to come decades later. My emotions tell me that Little Caesar is the best performance of an actor as mobster, with Edward G. Robinson bringing to life the true sociopathic gangster, frightening and amoral. However, as a movie historian, I believe that in the context of most influential gangster film of the 1930s, Public Enemy fills that bill best. James Cagney's performance as Tom Powers is the one that flowered into the tough but sympathetic mobster, with characteristics of mannerism and personality that appealed to audiences and became the prototype for classic era gangster films.

Edward G. Robinson in Little Caesar.

R.D. Finch: Three gangster films of the early 1930s, all made about the same time, had a huge influence on later movies of this type: Little Caesar, Public Enemy, and Scarface. Their great innovation was to elevate the gangster from mere villain to main character, and to cast magnetic actors in these focal roles. Those films followed the trajectory of classic tragedy—the rise to power, the corruption from excessive egoism, and the inevitable fall—and treated their gangster characters almost as tragic figures, as victims of their own character flaws as well as outside forces. These men did bad things and came to a bad end, yet viewers felt a kinship with them in a way they never did with traditional villains, like those in Westerns. The thing I find most interesting about those early gangster movies is that motivation—what drove the characters to become criminals—wasn't explored too deeply, nor was the psychology of antisocial behavior. I have to wonder if the social conditions of the time were responsible for the filmmakers' belief that audiences would accept the behavior of men like Rico, Tom Powers, and Tony Camonte without questioning motivation too closely. This was a time of great despair, with the effects of the Depression really beginning to be felt in 1930-31. The Hoover administration's hands-off attitude toward the crisis encouraged cynicism about authority, and gangster movies allowed the viewer the vicarious satisfaction of doing something rebellious in an environment where authority had become the enemy. In a subversive way, these films embodied the Great American Belief that with hard work anyone can be successful. If there were no opportunities to use innovation, ambition, and independence to get ahead lawfully, then you had to do it outside the law.

2. Where would you rank The Godfather trilogy among the classic gangster films?

John: Considering that I rank The Godfather and The Godfather Part II as two of America's greatest films they certainly would rank toward the very top of the classic gangster film spectrum. The third film in the trilogy was a bit of a letdown though upon a second and third viewing its stature has improved. The first two films are perfect (has anyone ever seen The Godfather Saga, Coppola's re-edited version of the first two films made for TV?). In these films FFC merges art and commercialism, high and low art, turning pulp fiction into an epic tale of the American dream. It became the film that all future gangster films would be compared against. I have to admit I have a love/hate relationship in numerically ranking films. Styles, taste change with time, altering one's feelings and judgment. Along with the first two Godfather films though, I would include Angels With Dirty Faces, White Heat, Hawks' Scarface, The Roaring Twenties, GoodFellas, Mean Streets and The Public Enemy among the best. I think it's a fairly common list except possibly for Mean Streets. You will note these are all urban gangster films as opposed to the more rural outlaw films like Bonnie and Clyde and They Live By Night. That would be a whole other list.

The first of The Godfather trilogy.

ClassicBecky: I have to admit that I always think of The Godfather films as a fantastic duet of original and sequel. I thought Godfather Part III strayed way too far away from the first two. It had good things in it, mostly the addition of Andy Garcia's character, but it was definitely substandard in my opinion. The original Godfather and Godfather Part II rank very highly as a modern example of a new and fresh gangster genre that started a wave of films like GoodFellas, Casino and the cable series The Sopranos. In that respect, The Godfather trilogy represents the same kind of influence to modern audiences as the Big 3 of the '30s did to audiences of their day.

R.D. Finch: At the absolute top. They're (well, the first two parts anyway) not just great gangster films but among the greatest films of any type.


3. After the 1970s, the traditional gangster film genre all but disappeared except for occasional films like GoodFellas, Bugsy, Mobsters, and Carlito's Way. What do you believe led to the downfall of the gangster film?

John: There have been a few others (Casino, A Bronx Tale, Donnie Brasco) that I can think of, so I am not sure that the public has lost interest as much as the money men rather bet their dollars on comic book heroes, and endless sequels than take a chance on a gangster film, or say a western, which seems to be in a similar boat. They don't make this kind of film and it is rubber stamped as out of fashion. Then again, the majority of the movie going public seems to continually be getting younger and younger and the films getting made are geared toward their interests; over blown video game style violence and special effects. Al Capone may not seem like such a super villain compared to mutants, intergalactic evil doers and other extraordinary villains. Even Lex Luther from Superman may seem like a pussycat when compared. Will the gangster film ever make a comeback? I think so. When? That, I don't know, but there are some signs. Boardwalk Empire is scheduled to come back for a second season on HBO, and according to IMDb, Al Pacino, John Travolta and Joe Pesci are in a pre-production stage on the making of Gotti: In the Shadow of My Father. The near future may rest on how well these two works perform.

ClassicBecky: This is definitely the toughest question. Although 1980-2010 did have famous mobster movies (Scarface remake, Untouchables, Once Upon A Time in America, The Godfather Part III, GoodFellas, Casino, Road to Perdition, The Departed), they were not in my eyes true gangster films, except perhaps for Scarface (I hated it), Godfather III (hated that too) and GoodFellas (bloody but good). The others I mentioned are either nostalgia-based or personal struggle-type stories. I think perhaps the growing emphasis on marketing to younger audiences was partly responsible for this. Especially in the 80s, the sexual revolution was in full swing, and movies like Flashdance, Basic Instinct, etc. were popular. Light romantic comedies, the Indiana Jones movies, the Rocky movies, Star Wars sequels, Rambo, and the beginning of a proliferation of family Pixar-type movies seemed to be the wave of the future.

R.D. Finch: I don't think I can fully agree with this statement. Of course, part of it depends on how broad the definition of "gangster film" is. Other popular genres of the thirties like screwball comedy and musicals have all but disappeared, but the gangster film seems to have been more adaptable. Movies about professional criminals and organized crime are still being made regularly and sometimes successfully, although the gangster figure isn't always the exclusive focus of the film and, of course, there's far more awareness of the role of abnormal psychology in criminal behavior. Here are some that come to mind: De Palma's Scarface, Prizzi's Honor, Miller's Crossing, Quentin Tarantino's early films, Donnie Brasco, Cronenberg's A History of Violence and Eastern Promises, Michael Mann's movies like Heat and the recent Public Enemies, and of course Scorsese's many excursions into the genre, most notably GoodFellas and The Departed.

The 5 Best Bing Crosby Performances

We had such fun last July with our "5 Best" lists at the Cafe that we've decided to continue them on a biweekly basis. So, welcome to the first 5 Best Friday! In this installment, I'll list my picks for Bing Crosby's five best performances. There are some unusual choices here, but I'll stand by them...having seen most of Mr. Crosby's movies.

1. Man on Fire - Bing got greater recognition for playing an alcoholic in The Country Girl. However, his best dramatic performance is in this seldom-shown drama about a man recovering from a bitter divorce and fighting for sole custody of his son. I always wondered if Man on Fire was the inspiration for the later novel (and film) Kramer vs. Kramer.

2. The Bells of St. Mary's - Yes, Bing won an Oscar for playing Father O'Malley in the earlier Going My Way. Yet, he's even better in the sequel, as evidenced by his poignant scene with Ingrid Bergman in which he reveals why she's being sent away from the school she loves. (I know...Bing had some great scenes with Barry Fitzgerald in Going My Way...so you can substitute that film here if you want!)

3. Road to Utopia - Bing was an underrated comedian, especially in the Road movies where he kept pace nicely with Bob Hope in his prime. You could easily plug The Road to Morocco into this slot, if you prefer--but Utopia and Morocco clearly are the best of the Road series.

4. White Christmas - Let the controversy begin! I'm sure many Crosby fans would rate his performances in Holiday Inn, Blue Skies, Mississippi, Little Boy Lost, or others above this popular musical. However, I always thought that one of Bing's gifts was his ability to bring out the best in his co-stars. I think that's one of the reasons White Christmas ranks high in the filmographies of Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, and Vera-Ellen.

5. Dr. Cook's Garden - Crosby sought out the part of a seemingly gentle small-town physician with a very dark secret. This 1971 made-for-TV film was based on a play by Ira Levin (Rosemary's Baby, The Stepford Wives) which folded after barely a week. Burl Ives played the Crosby role on stage.

Honorable Mentions: The Country Girl (I'm not as big a fan as some, but it still includes some potent scenes); Stagecoach (a rickety remake, but Bing is good in the Thomas Mitchell role); and Pennies from Heaven (hey, it was my Dad's fave).

3 on 3: Disney Animated Films

Each week this month, the Cafe will present a "3 on 3 panel" in which three experts will answer three questions on a single classic film topic. This week, the Cafe poses three questions on Disney animated films to:  Brandie from True Classics: The ABCs of Classic Film; Alex from The Disney Films; and Toto, our resident Disney authority at the Cafe.

1. What is your favorite Disney animated feature-length film and why?

Alice in Wonderland.

Brandie: Alice in Wonderland (1951). I'm well aware that this is not a popular choice, but it has been one of my favorites since childhood. Even though many literary purists would likely disagree with me, I think Disney's Alice is faithful to the anarchic, satirical spirit at the heart of Carroll's work. Everything about the movie, from the gorgeous animation to the numerous musical snippets to the seemingly random organization of the film's segments, speaks to the innate playfulness embedded in Carroll's original stories. It's a surrealistic piece of pop culture candy, and I enjoy every "mad" minute of it.



Alex: While my answer is partially sentimental, my favorite Disney animated film is Peter Pan. The artistic influence of Mary Blaire is very apparent in the color scheme of Neverland, the characters are memorable and the animation is top notch. It also breaks with convention from other Disney animated films. For starters, Captain Hook is a comical villain. When compared to more sinister antagonists, such as Lady Tremaine from Cinderella or Scar from The Lion King, the obstacles in this film somehow never feel as high, but this adds to its charm. And the fact that the comical villain has a goofball sidekick adds to his appeal. Romance is nowhere to be found in this film. Wendy obviously has a crush on Peter, but the feelings are not reciprocated and his fairy companion Tinker Bell displays her disdain for having another girl around since she too has feelings for the boy who will never grow up. It may not have the emotional weight of some of the other classics, but the ending certainly leaves the viewer with chills when stern Mr. Darling, who wants nothing more than for his children to grow up fast, sees clouds in the form of a pirate ship over the moon and reflects “I have a strange feeling I’ve seen that ship before… when I was a small boy.” It is never established if Neverland was real or a dream, similar to Wonderland, which adds to its appeal.

Beauty and the Beast.

Toto: From its bookend storybook stained-glass window frames where we are introduced to the selfish prince and the curse placed upon him, Beauty and the Beast captured a place in my heart. Belle is a lovely girl who adores her father, reading, and singing. Gaston is a puffed up muscular bore. And we meet a host of charming personalities in the enchanted castle where Belle chooses to live with the Beast to save her father (including dear Mrs. Potts the tea pot, Chip the young cracked cup, Lumiere the charming candlestick, Cogsworth the proper clock, and the dog-like footstool). The music and lyrics by the profoundly gifted team of Alan Menken and Howard Ashman are perfection, especially the Busby Berkeley-like “Be Our Guest,” “Something There,” and the title song numbers. I was surprised at how well I liked Robby Benson as the prince/Beast and was delighted that Broadway performer Paige O’Hara was cast as Belle. Animation studios typically seem to think it is imperative to cast movie stars as their lead vocal talent. I was a little apprehensive about viewing Beauty and the Beast because I love Jean Cocteau’s exquisitely atmospheric La Belle et La Bete. But I learned a very important lesson a few years earlier with Disney’s The Little Mermaid. I adore Hans Christian Andersen’s story and avoided that Disney film because I was afraid it would ruin the classic work. When I finally saw The Little Mermaid and really enjoyed it, I learned how important it is to regard each work separately. Every book or film should stand on its own merits. Disney’s movie ends very differently than Andersen’s and really should.


2. TIME magazine movie critic Richard Corliss recently listed his top 25 best animated films. Most of the list was dominated by recent films. How do you believe the digitally animated films of today compare with the traditional classics of the past?

Brandie: I think Pixar proved back in 1995 with the first Toy Story film that digital animation has the potential to have as much heart and artistic value as the traditionally-animated films that preceded such technological innovation. That being said, not every studio that jumps on the digital animation bandwagon can produce the same level of films as such stalwarts of animation history as Pinocchio, Bambi, Cinderella, etc. As beautiful and thrilling as digital animation can be, if the story is not strong (Alpha and Omega, Igor) and the characters are uninteresting (Space Chimps, Planet 51) or too broadly comedic (Open Season, Over the Hedge, Madagascar), all the technical "razzle dazzle" in the world is not going to make such movies stand the test of time like their predecessors. But movies like Up, WALL-E, The Incredibles and Ratatouille (both of which Corliss ridiculously left off his list), Finding Nemo, the first two Shrek films, and the three Toy Story movies--all of which combine great characterization and storytelling with wit and sheer joy--will, I believe, be among those that will be considered undisputed classics in the future.

Alex: The Walt Disney Animation Studio throughout the years seemed to have their finger on the pulse of what moviegoers wanted to see until about the mid-late 1990’s. Many cite The Lion King as the end of the second golden age. I personally love all of the films from the 1990’s and feel the decline really started in the early 2000’s. I wouldn’t say that any of those films are truly bad (yes, I even enjoy aspects of Home on the Range), but the quality of these films certainly doesn’t match up to most of their predecessors. Even though Pixar is owned by Disney, Walt Disney Animation Studio seemed to be competing with mediocre pictures like Chicken Little and Meet the Robinsons. Now the John Lasseter oversees both studios, this seems to have stopped and Disney is getting back to making films that people want to see. I think a few of the more recent films could go on to become classics, particularly Lilo & Stitch and Tangled. Bolt and The Princess and the Frog were good, but left something to be desired. They could, however, grow in popularity over the years and become true classics. After all, Alice in Wonderland and Sleeping Beauty were both box office bombs when first released. Only time will truly tell.

Toto: Story and direction will win out over flawless look for me any time. Sometimes the pristine quality of digital films can be marred by old or damaged theatre screens.


3. If you could spend a day with one Disney animated character, who (or what) would it be?

Brandie: Genie from Aladdin (1992). I want those three wishes, man!

Alex: I’ve always been intrigued by characters from Fantasia since they never speak (except when Mickey Mouse approaches Deems Taylor). In particular, Yensid, the sorcerer whose name is Disney spelled backwards. I’d love to know his story and how Mickey came to be his apprentice. His face is so stern that he could almost be a villain. While he may not be as fun as some of the more loveable characters in Disney’s cannon, I expect he would be interesting (and hopefully I could try on his really cool hat!).

Toto: I would love to spend a day with the beautiful horse, Maximus, from Tangled. He is brave, intelligent, and faithful. Unlike other Disney animals, Maximus doesn’t speak, yet he is a very good listener and excellent judge of character. He also has a most endearing personality. I think I would have a wonderful day with him and would have to share my time with my sisters Jane and Shelley and nieces Nina and Kara, who all love horses.

Trivia Time - Part 91

Sorry for missing last week... We are in the midst of moving from CA to ID and I'm posting this from an undisclosed hotel in the greater Boise area as we wait for our furniture to arrive!

Anyway, here are the answers to the unanswered or partially answered questions from TT90:

Who Are We? One of us (person #1) had a very public fist fight with Errol Flynn in the front yard of a big producer and studio head. Person #1 was also throttled and then punched out by person #2 during the making of a movie directed by person #1 and starred in by person #2. Who Are We?

Answer: Becks already figured out that person #1 is John Huston. Person #2 is John Wayne, who got mad at Huston during the making of The Barbarian and the Geisha.

4. Who was the star of the TV series, Quark, and what was his character's occupation?

Answer: Richard Benjamin, who played Adam Quark, the captain of a United Galactic Sanitation Patrol ship (i.e., he was a garbage collector).


5. Name the other series the star of Quark appeared in, and his co-stars.

Answer: Richard Benjamin starred in He & She, co-starring Paula Prentiss and Jack Cassidy.

6. Name a film in which Eddie Albert, Orson Welles, and Trevor Howard all appeared. Name the stars and the director.


Answer: The Roots of Heaven (1958), starring Errol Flynn and Juliette Gréco, directed by John Huston.

8. Who was John Huston's first choice to play Allison the Marine in Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison?

Answer: Marlon Brando

And here is Trivia Time 91:

Who Are We? A ten-year-old actress saw a handsome young man walking down a hallway at 20th Century Fox. Reportedly, she turned and told her mother, "I'm going to marry him someday." And she did. Who Are We?

Who Said This in Which Film? "Nothing's riding on this except the, uh, First Amendment to the Constitution, freedom of the press, and maybe the future of the country. Not that any of that matters, but if you guys (bleep) up again, I'm going to get mad. Goodnight." Who Said This in Which Film?

Who Said This in Which Film? "They didn't shoot a real horse, just a costume with two waiters in it." Who Said This in Which Film?

1. Name the film in which Una O'Connor faints into Robert Young's arms, and Rags Ragland tries to revive her by patting her hand.

2. Name the studio's first choice for the role of Darcy in Pride and Prejudice (1940).

3. Name the famous actress who wanted but did NOT get the part of Elizabeth Bennett in the film in the previous question.

4. Where is Errol Flynn buried? And where did he actually WANT to be buried?

The 5 Best Train Movies

Trains in films began with Edwin S. Porter's film, The Great Train Robbery (1903). A few years later, D.W Griffith's film, The Lonedale Operator (1911), was the first to have villains tie up heroine on the railroad tracks, to wait for the speeding oncoming train, then to be saved just in time from their doom. Thankfully, train movies have become more entertaining over the years.

The following titles show some of my favorite five train movies:

Twentieth Century (1934). Comedy. Directed by Howard Hawks. Cast: John Barrymore and Carole Lombard, Walter Connolly, Roscoe Karns and Edgar Kennedy.

The story begins when, writer Oscar Jaffe meets lingerie model, Mildred Plotka and makes her the star of his latest play, despite how his two assistants, Oliver Webb and Owen O'Malley, feel about her talent. Oscar transforms her into the actress "Lily Garland", and both she and his play are a huge successes. Over the next three years, they have three more huge hits.

Feeling smothered, Lily tries to break off their relationship. Oscar talks her out of it, promising to give her more freedom. He secretly hires a private detective, McGonigle, to follow her. When she finds out, she leaves for Hollywood and becomes a great movie star on her own.

Without Lily, Oscar's plays are huge flops and he disguises himself to avoid creditors aboard the luxurious Twentieth Century Limited train, travelling from Chicago to New York City's Grand Central Station. By chance, Lily Garland also boards the same train at a later stop. Oscar sees a chance to get her to sign a contract with him. However, Lily is on her way to see Max Jacobs, to star in his play. Knowing that Lily maybe his last chance at success, he tells her that he wants her to play Mary Magdalene, in his new play. Oliver thinks he has found someone to finance Oscar's project, not realizing that his new partner Clark is a escapee from a mental hospital. When Oscar is wounded in a fight with Clark, he pretends to be dying...will he trick Lily into signing a contract?

A wonderful pairing of John Barrymore and Carole Lombard and a story which moves almost as fast as the train.

The Palm Beach Story (1942). Romantic comedy. Written and directed by Preston Sturges. Cast: Claudette Colbert, Joel McCrea, Mary Astor and Rudy Vallee. Victor Young contributed the musical score, along with a variation of the William Tell Overture for the opening scenes.

This is a very cute story about a wife Gerry, who decides to divorce her husband, Tom, and marry a rich man to get the money to finance Tom's invention. While on the train, Gerry meets one of the richest men in the world. When Tom goes to confront the man, Tom is introduced to his man-obsessed sister, who wants Tom to be husband number 6.

Colbert is perfect as Gerry. McCrea is wonderful playing her husband, but Vallee and Astor really steal the show as the eccentric millionaire and his sister. Also enjoyable to watch are the Ale and the Quail club and Dudley the old Wienie King.

The Train Robbers (1973). Western. Cast: John Wayne, Ann-Margret, Rod Taylor, and Ben Johnson. The movie was written and directed by Burt Kennedy. Mrs. Lowe wants the half million U.S. dollars in gold her late husband stole during a train robbery. Lane wants $50,000 reward, so he decides to help her, asking some old friends to help him. The men of the deceased husband of Mrs. Lowe also want the gold and will do anything to take the money from them.

Wayne and the rest of the weather worn cast perform well in this Western. Some of the scenes will remind you of a beautiful western painting.

The Train (1965). Cast: Burt Lancaster, Paul Scofield, Jeanne Moreau. As the Allied Forces are fast approaching Paris, German Colonel Von Waldheim, is taking France's most famous paintings to Germany. He manages to find a train to transport the valuable art. The French resistance wants to stop them from stealing their national treasures, but have received orders from London that they are not to be destroyed. The station master, Labiche, is enlisted to help make it all happen, but he is also part of a small group of resistance fighters trying to keep the train from ever leaving Paris.

The big star of the film is the train, shown in amazing detail, to keep you in suspense.

Strangers on a Train (1951). A psychological thriller produced and directed by Alfred Hitchcock, who was an expert when it came to using trains in his movies. Cast: Farley Granger, Ruth Roman and Robert Walker, and features Leo G. Carroll, Patricia Hitchcock and Laura Elliott.

Bruno Antony, thinks he has come up with the perfect plot to kill his father when he meets tennis pro Guy Haines on a train. His plan is to have Guy kill his father and in trade he would kill Guy's wife Miriam, freeing him to marry Anne Morton. Guy does not think he is serious, but Bruno goes ahead with his half of the 'deal' and gets rid of Miriam. Guy can't believe it and Bruno makes it clear that he will plant evidence to implicate Guy in the murder if he doesn't kill Bruno's father. How will Guy deal with Bruno's madness?

Strangers on a Train, a dark wonderful comedy and is one my favorite Hitchcock's films.

The Day the Earth Stood Still: Do You Remember the Three Words to Save the World?

If there were a Hall of Fame for Timeless Movies, then one of its founding members would be The Day the Earth Stood Still. I've probably watched it at least once every decade since I first saw it on NBC's Saturday Night at the Movies in the 1960s. When I was a youngster, the film's fantastic elements--and Gort, the coolest robot on celluloid--appealed to me. When I was a teen, its stern warning about the perils of nuclear war resonated with me. With each subsequent viewing, The Day the Earth Stood Still has revealed something new: presenting itself as a Biblical analogy, an editorial on the influence of media on public opinion, a portrait of fear of the unknown, etc.

The films opens with Klaatu (Michael Rennie), a visitor from another planet, and his robot Gort making an unannounced spaceship landing in Washington, DC. When Klaatu exits from his ship and reaches into his space suit, a nervous soldier shoots him. While recovering in Walter Reed Army Hospital, Klaatu meets with the President’s secretary, Harley. The alien explains he must deliver a critical message to all the leaders of the world. Harley explains that’s impossible because of global political tensions. Klaatu confesses that he does not understand human conflict. He decides he needs to learn more about Earthlings from living among them. He escapes discreetly from the hospital and, as “Mr. Carpenter,” takes a room in a boarding house.

The success of The Day the Earth Stood Still hinges, in large part, on the casting of Klaatu. Producer Julian Blaustein and director Robert Wise originally considered Claude Rains, but his stage schedule made him unavailable. 20th Century-Fox head Darryl F. Zanuck suggested Spencer Tracy, but Blaustein worried that a well-known star would be a distraction (interestingly, that concern didn't apply to Rains). It was Zanuck who eventually "discovered" Michael Rennie, who was peforming in the British theatre. The tall, low-key Rennie brought conviction to the role, but his greatest accomplishment was making the alien visitor seem human. This is no small feat, as evidenced by a scene in which Klaatu reads the words of Lincoln and wants to meet him. This sequence could easily have come across as hokey, but Rennie makes it quietly effective and even heartfelt (since Klaatu has finally found someone who gives him hope about the human race).

With a human-like alien, it was left to the robot Gort to bring an eerie, other-worldly quality to the film. To make the robot as physically imposing as possible, the producers hired Lock Martin, a 7' 7" doorman at Grauman's Chinese Theater. To make Gort even taller, Martin wore 4-6" platform shoes. Walking in the heavy rubber suit in high heels was physically exhausting. There were two suits, one that laced on the front and the other in back. Martin changed suits depending on the camera angle, so that it looked like Gort had no "seams." In some shots, a static model of the robot was used. That Gort model was later bought by Larry Harmon, overhauled so it didn't look much like Gort, and used in Harmon's Bozo the Clown television show.

In addition to its visual impact, The Day the Earth Still even sounds other-worldly thanks to composer Bernard Herrmann's innovative use of a theremin (shown on right). One of the first electronic instruments, the theremin is "played" by moving one's hands in front of it to change sound frequencies. Its distinctive sound became almost a cliche through repeated use in other sci fi films of the 1950s. Still, Herrmann' score remains an impressive achievement today.

Loosely based on the Harry Bates story "Farewell to the Master," The Day the Earth Stood Still features strong religious undercurrents. Klaatu becomes a Carpenter (if in name only). He performs a "miracle" of global proportions. He brings a message of peace, but is largely misunderstood. And, of course, he is murdered and resurrected. Producer Blaustein credits screenwriter Edmund H. North for adding these provocative layers on top of a traditional science fiction tale.

The cast, music, and richness of themes contribute mightily to the film's timeless quality. But it's the story--along with that awesome robot Gort--that makes The Day the Earth Stood Still popular with viewers of all ages. I love to watch it with young people and tell them that they will need to memorize the film's classic phrase and repeat it at the appropriate point in the film...or the Earth will be destroyed. You'd be amazed at how many different variations I've heard of: "Klaatu barada nikto!"

My 100 Favorite Films: From 40 to 31

This month’s countdown list features a double dose of Sidney Poitier and two very different science fiction films. As always, please keep in mind that these films are not what I'd consider the best 100 movies ever made. They are simply one classic fan's favorites. (An underlined title means there's a hyperlink to a full review at the Cafe.)

40. Out of the Past- My favorite film noir has Robert Mitchum as a man who has put his shady past behind him and found love with a good woman in a small community where he operates a gas station. But, as is often the case in the movies, his past catches up with him when a former acquaintance passes through town. With its contrasts of bright lights and dark shadows, Out of the Past is a visual feast. It’s also a compelling tale of a man pulled back into the shadows of his past—no matter how hard he tries to escape them. Kirk Douglas nails the manipulating villain; too bad he didn’t play more bad guys. Yet, despite the presence of Mitchum and Douglas, the film belongs to Jane Greer, an underrated and under-utilized actress who created one of the genre’s best femme fatales.

39. The Andromeda Strain – This superior science fiction outing pits four dedicated scientists against a microscopic menace capable of destroying all life on Earth. Its critics have labeled it slow-moving and overlong, but I find it intellectually exciting. Its thrills come not from action sequences (though there’s a doozy at the climax), but from the time-sensitive need to determine: What is the Andromeda Strain? How can it be destroyed? Why did a 69-year-old man and a six-month-old baby survive when Andromeda wiped out a New Mexico town of 68 people? Part of the appeal for me is that The Andromeda Strain includes one of my favorite plot devices: the forming of a team in which each member is introduced to the audience.

38. Lilies of the Field – A quiet film that has grown in my affection, Lilies contains my favorite Sidney Poitier performance. His Homer Smith is a stubborn man who is delightfully at odds with himself… and with a savvy Mother Superior. A drifter, Homer stops at a small farm run by nuns in the Arizona desert. He agrees to do a small roof repair and winds up building a chapel. The gentle conflict between Homer and the Mother Superior (wonderfully played by Lilia Skala) forms the heart of the film. But I also love how Lilies captures the flavor of the community, encapsulated in my favorite scene in which some local workers gradually force their assistance on Homer as he builds “his” chapel.

37. In the Heat of the Night - This racially-charged mystery, 1968’s Oscar winner for Best Picture, has aged gracefully over the years. The secret to its success can be attributed to its many layers. Peel back the mystery plot and you have a potent examination of racial tension in the South in the 1960s. Peel that back and you have a rich character study of two lonely police detectives, from completely different backgrounds, who gradually earn each other’s respect. Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger shine in the lead roles and Sidney delivers one of my all-time favorite lines of dialogue.

36. Executive Suite - The president of Tredway, the nation’s third-largest furniture manufacturer, dies unexpectedly in the opening scene. With no successor named, the company falls into the hands of five vice-presidents with equal authority. Since Wall Street viewed Tredway as a one-man company, the VPs realize the criticality of naming a a new president over the weekend—thus creating a high stakes battle for company control. The all-star cast (which includes Holden, March, and Stanwyck) is in fine form. However, it’s the film’s theme of quality vs. profit that always intrigued me. Indeed, I first saw this film in a college business course. It’s often compared to Rod Serling’s Patterns, another corporate drama made in the 1950s. It’s very good, with a killer ending, but Executive Suite is more entertaining.

35. To Kill a Mockingbird – For many fans, this film’s appeal lies with its literary origins and Gregory Peck’s powerhouse performance. While that’s also somewhat true for me, my favorite part of Mockingbird is its portrait of a time and a place through the eyes of a child. I don’t think any movie has done a better job of that (my runner-up is the French two-part film My Father’s Glory/My Mother’s Castle). Additionally, Mary Badham and Phillip Alford give incredibly naturalistic performancea as the children. Badham was equally good in This Property Is Condemned. Mockingbird is full of magical moments, with my favorite being Atticus’s formal introduction of Boo Radley.

34. Von Ryan’s Express - Released in 1965, just two years after The Great Escape, Von Ryan’s Express also tells the tale of a daring escape from a prisoner-of-war (POW) camp during World War II. While both films split their running times between scenes inside the camp and outside the fence (once the prisoners break out), the similarity ends there. A near-perfect blend of suspense, intense action sequences, and occasional humor, Von Ryan’s Express takes off when the prisoners hijack a German train. OK, I admit I’m a sucker for train movies—but this one is a gripping thriller with a flawed hero well-played by Frank Sinatra. I always thought Sinatra was an odd star, capable of excellent performances (here and in The Manchurian Candidate) and truly awful ones (The Detective).

33. Picnic – William Holden stars as a handsome drifter who wanders into a small town to see old chum Cliff Robertson…and inadvertently steals his girlfriend Kim Novak. Based on William Inge’s play, Picnic is about taking chances, whether it’s in the pursuit of passion (and perhaps love) or whether it’s two lonely middle-aged people willing to take a chance on each other. I know film buffs who may cringe when I say it, but Picnic is at heart a big screen soap opera—and that’s not a bad thing. My Mom loved this genre and when I watched these soaps with her as a kid, I called them “people stories”—apparently because characters talked a lot instead of engaging in swordfights, hunting vampires, etc.

32. The Leopard Man – Set in a small New Mexico town, this fascinating Val Lewton-produced suspense film concerns a black leopard that escapes during a foolish publicity stunt. When a young girl is found clawed to death, the leopard is blamed—but was it the killer? Leopard Man is justly famous for what Exorcist director William Friedkin once called "one of the greatest horror sequences ever filmed." However, it’s more than a one-trick pony. I’m surprised that film critics rarely note its complex, interweaving narrative structure in which the plot sometimes zigs and zags as the characters interact. I can’t think of many other films like it, except for La Ronde, in which the narrative device is much more obvious.

31. Quatermass and the Pit – Construction workers uncover the ancient skulls of “ape men” while working in a deserted underground subway station in the Hobbs End area of London. A scientist dates the ape men’s remains as five million years old, making them the earliest known ancestors of humans. His work comes to a sharp halt, though, when the excavations unearth a large metallic-like object in the rock. Is it a bomb? A spacecraft? And what does it have to do with stories of former Hobbs End residents claiming to have heard odd noises and experienced visions of “hideous dwarfs”? Writer Nigel Kneale hatched this incredibly inventive melding of science fiction and horror, the third film in the Quatermass series. Too many films are labeled “one of a kind,” but this little gem truly fits the definition.

Next month, I’ll count down the next ten, which include a gimmicky mystery, the greatest color film ever made, and a whole lotta dogs.

The 5 Best Episodes of the Original "Star Trek"

What a great example of ensemble casting:
William Shatner as Captain Kirk, Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock, George Takei
as Sulu, Nichelle Nichols as Uhura, Walter Koenig as Chekhov, Majel Barrett
as Nurse Chapel, James Doohan as Scotty and DeForest Kelley as Dr. McCoy. 

In his excellent article posted yesterday, "The Five Best Episodes of "the Fugitive", Rick expressed what I feel about my post today ... it is so hard to pick just 5 favorites of a series you love.  I am a rabid fan of Star Trek.  I've never been to a convention or paid $60 for the script of Episode 23 (more about that later in this article) ... I just know most episodes by heart, that's all.  There are so many that are memorable, famous, even just awful.  So I decided to pick the five episodes that really caught my mind, my heart or my funnybone.

The Conscience of the King (Season 1):  A troupe of Shakespearean players offers to perform Hamlet for the Enterprise, featuring Anton Karidian (Arnold Moss) and his beautiful daughter (Barbara Anderson).  Captain Kirk falls in love with Karidian's daughter, but he believes that Karidian may actually be Kodos the Executioner, a brutal dictator from Kirk's childhood who ordered the mass killing of some of his subjects and then disappeared.  Murders begin to take place on the Enterprise, and Kirk must find out who Anton Karidian really is.  Excellent episode with a fine climactic ending.



City on the Edge of Forever (Season 1):  Written by Harlan Ellison, and a Hugo award winner, this episode is considered by many to be the best of the series.  The Enterprise is taken back in time to 1930's America. Kirk falls in love with Edith Keeler (Joan Collins), an advocate for world peace.  However, Edith's impending death is known to Kirk, and he wants to save her, thus risking complete change of the future.  Spock and Dr. McCoy must help him through his heartbreaking dilemma. Fine acting and a great story prove this episode's award-winning status.

Wolf in the Fold (Season 2):  Women are stabbed and killed on a peaceful, welcoming planet.  Scotty appears to be the prime suspect, found each time with the dead women. He cannot remember anything.  A psychic senses the presence of a great evil, calling it Redjack. The lights go out-Scotty is found over her body. He is put on trial, with wonderful character actor John Fielder as an official convinced of his guilt. Kirk asks the computer to research the name Redjack-several meanings come up, one of which ... well, you'll have to find out.  Written by Robert Bloch, this is a favorite of mine.


The Trouble with Tribbles (Season 2):
Shatner shines in this funny episode with the adorable little Tribbles sold by slippery salesman Cyrano Jones (Stanley Adams). Kirk is supervising delivery of a special grain for an annoying official (Herbert Anderson, Dennis the Menace's father), a man who Kirk cannot help goading. The Trouble is that Tribbles reproduce in incredible numbers and love to eat the grain.  One of Star Trek's funniest memorable lines is from this episode:  "Who put the Tribbles in the quadrotritcale?"

Assignment: Earth (Season 2):  This episode was fun and starred Robert Lansing-I had a teen crush on him, which may be why I like this one. The Enterprise goes back in time to 1960's Cape Canaveral where they find a man from the future who has come to stop the successful launching of a rocket.  Lansing is Gary 7, the mysterious man with an interesting pet black cat.  A young Teri Garr plays his young and clueless secretary.  Who is Gary 7 and why is he trying to stop the rocket, which will change the future?  Designed as a pilot for a spin-off series, the story was not picked up by the network.  But it is a lot of fun.

Runner-up Episodes, pictures first:

Charlie and his first love, Yoeman Rand

Khan and Kirk



The Horta

Mirror, Mirror







   

Journey to Babel

Runner-up episode favorites:  Space Seed (featuring Ricardo Montalban as Khan); Charlie X (featuring Robert Walker Jr. as a teenager with lethal powers);  Journey to Babel (featuring Mark Lenard and Jane Wyatt as Spock's parents); The Devil in the Dark (featuring the ugliest alien ever, the Horta); and Mirror, Mirror (featuring an alternate universe in which Kirk, Bones, Scotty and Uhura switch places with their counterparts on a completely opposite Enterprise, a dictatorship where everyone plots to move up the hierarchy execution-style.  We get to see Spock as a logically ruthless science officer with a Mephistopheles-style goatee!)

 

Star Trek /Galaxy Quest - Even a rabid fan has to laugh! 

No discussion of Star Trek would be complete without a mention of a great spoof made in 1999, Galaxy Quest, with Tim Allen as the Captain, Alan Rickman as alien science officer and Sigourney Weaver as a bimbo communications officer.  Jokes aimed at Star Trek abound, with Allen as the egotistical Captain who still believes he was the reason the show succeeded, always being sure he got to take his shirt off in each episode, Rickman hilarious as the classically trained actor who hates the typecasting he has endured, and Weaver as the actress who resented her part as the sex object who did nothing but repeat what the computer said.

And now for the piece de resistance.  William Shatner spoofs himself in one of Saturday Night Live's funniest episodes.  It caused some stir among the fanatic convention group, but most viewers got one of the biggest laughs SNL ever presented, even for Star Trek lovers like me.  Just click on the link to experience a very entertaining comedy sketch featuring Shatner as a really good sport.  You'll love it!
http://dai.ly/bSllXC

The 5 Best Episodes of "The Fugitive"

The Fugitive, which aired from 1963-67, frequently appears on lists of the greatest U.S. television series ever broadcast. Its reputation is well-deserved. The first three seasons are so strong that it's difficult to pare down its best episodes for a top five list. Still, here's how one Fugitive fan would rank them:


Kimbles tries to avoid capture...again.

1. Landscape With Running Figures – Unofficially known as “the episode with Mrs. Gerard”, this season 3 two-parter has Kimble narrowly evading Lieutenant Gerard…only to come to the aid of a temporarily-blind Mrs. Gerard (Barbara Rush). The exceptional script provides a rare glance into Gerard’s private life and the impact of his obsession to capture Kimble. At one point, a frustrated Marie Gerard casually remarks: “Life without Kimble…what a pretty dream that used to be.” Barry Morse, whose character is often used to simply further the plot, takes advantage of an opportunity to shine here.

Suzanne Pleshette as the
concerned mother.

2. All the Scared Rabbits – A divorced mother (Suzanne Pleshette) hires to Kimble to drive her and her daughter from Iowa to California. What they don’t know is that the little girl has stolen a rabbit from her father’s laboratory—and it’s infected with a lethal strain of meningitis. This gripping, suspenseful episode is a great example of an episode where Kimble’s plight takes a backseat to the events surrounding him.

3. Moon Child – When the police pursue Kimble during a manhunt for a serial killer, the fugitive takes refuge in a dilapidated structure filled with dark passageways. At his wit’s end, Kimble is befriended by a young mentally-handicapped girl. This taut episode balances its chilling moments (involving the real killer) with Kimble’s touching relationship with the young girl.

4. Corner of Hell – On the run from Gerard, Kimbles stumble into the hideout of a family of moonshiners. At first, they want to get rid of him, but their plans change when he proves his worth. However, when Gerard tracks Kimble to the moonshiners’ hideaway and flashes his police badge…well, they don’t take kindly to the arrival of the law. This is one of the best of several episodes that placed Kimble in a moral quandary. In this case, does he flee, knowing that Gerard is certain to be murdered? Or does he help the man trying to capture him?

Gerard, bound in a chair, watches as Kimble (far right)
makes a plea to save his nemesis.

5. Dark Corner – Kimble finds a sanctuary on a farm where he is befriended by a young blind woman (Tuesday Weld), who must cope with a devious sister…but all is not what it appears to be. Plot twists weren’t commonplace during The Fugitive’s run and when they did appear, they were typically twists of irony. This atypical episode goes for the shock value and succeeds nicely.

Tuesday Weld plays the blind young woman who
shelters Kimble in "Dark Corner."

Honorable mentions: “The Witch” (a young girl make false accusations against Kimble); “Dossier on a Diplomat” (Kimble finds sanctuary in a foreign embassy); "The 2130” (a businessman uses a computer to track Kimble's whereabouts); and “Nightmare at Northoak” (Kimbles attains unwanted celebrity status when he saves children from a burning bus).