Category: 1960s

“Far from the Madding Crowd” (1967) starring Julie Christie, Peter Finch, Alan Bates, & Terence Stamp

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A willful passionate girl and… the three men who want her! -Tagline

Making this film may have proved to be one of the last chances to film rural England as it looked in the middle of the 19th century. -Richard MacDonald (Production Designer)

Bathsheba is a young woman dealing w/ 3 different men, though NOT knowing what love really is; the audience is caught in the middle of her personal choice and their own thoughts of who’d be her right man. She ignores the shepherd next door, Gabriel Oak (Alan Bates), saying she’s NOT in love w/ him. He gave a good speech re: why she should marry him (and gifted her a baby lamb). Gabriel decides NOT to pursue things further, yet coincidence (common in Thomas Hardy’s works) brings him to the farm she soon inherites. The gentleman farmer, William Boldwood (Peter Finch), seems like a safe choice; he’s rich and devoted. The housemaid, Liddy, tells Bathsheba that Mr. Boldwood has been courted by “sixes and sevens” (a condition of confusion and disarray). He is NOT discouraged, even after Bathsheba tells him “no,” then to wait for her decision. As for the military man, Sgt. Troy (Terence Stamp), their attraction is more about lust than love.

The director (John Schlesinger) created a somewhat (unbalanced) movie. Many viewers (over the decades) commented that they wanted to see more of the Bathsheba/Gabriel’s (slow burn) interactions; however, Schlesinger chose to focus the bulk of the time on the Bathsheba/Troy (love-bombing) relationship. Some felt that Christie was miscast for this role; she didn’t show nuance or exhibit any changes. If you’re near my age (Gen X/Y), you may know Bates as the landlord/patriarch in Gosford Park; Stamp was the villain (Emperor Zod) in Superman II. You may know Christie from Doctor Zhivago and as Gertrude in Kenneth Branagh’s Hamlet. All three actors ended up having prolific careers.

[1] I personally really liked it, though I can see why people might not. It does have a couple of cliché moments and the film is overlong. On the other hand, the film looks gorgeous, the scenery is evocative and the cinematography positively shimmers. The music is hauntingly beautiful, the script is literate and thoughtful and the complex story unfolds slowly and deliberately, is faithful in detail and spirit to the book.

[2] The film is stolen for me though by Peter Finch, who begins a hat trick of devastating performances, here, in The Trials of Oscar Wilde and Sunday Bloody Sunday. His Boldwood is a remarkable creation, so eligible, so tragic, so lost and helpless. […]

The Boldwood plot has a darker outcome here than in the book, which I’m sure Hardy would have approved of.

[3] I just couldn’t believe that Julie Christie was this headstrong 19th century maiden. She looks far too contemporary for me; as she is just the perfect 60s icon in costume (same as in Doctor Zhivago). […]

I felt that Bathsheba didn’t evolve through the film. Julie Christie played the same way from start to finish, in spite of the ordeal she had to go through.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews

Noir City DC 2024

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Introduction

Hey y’all, how is this Winter going (so far)? It’s NOT fun for me; I’m recovering from a bad cough/cold (after Thanksgiving). I’m also way behind on blog posts. As DC area noir-istas know, my local (AFI) theater had a festival in OCT; Eddie Muller (TCM) came to introduce the movies during the opening wknd. This yr, the festival had double features (2 movies) which revolved around the same themes; 5 out of the 6 noirs I saw were new to me.

Thanks for reading!

-EMMA

***

Union Station (1950) starring William Holden, Nancy Olsen, & Barry Fitzgerald

A secretary traveling from Connecticut to NYC, Joyce Willecombe (Nancy Olsen), grows suspicious of 2 men boarding her train. She is referred to Bill Calhoun (William Holden), head of the Union Station police; the no-nonsense Calhoun is initially skeptical, BUT the men (who escape) prove to be involved in a kidnapping case. Calhoun calls in his boss/mentor, Inspector Donnelly (Barry Fitzgerald), BUT the ruthless kidnappers stay one step ahead of them. Most of the action centers around busy/fast-paced Union Station.

Holden and Olson also co-starred in Sunset Boulevard in the same year- 1950. Joyce plays Calhoun’s conscience, concerned that the interests of the victim don’t get overlooked in the hunt for the criminals. This is a (lesser-known/low budget) film noir; Holden was on the cusp of stardom. This was Lyle Bettger’s 3rd film; he played a LOT of baddies in his career. The platinum-blonde/wide-eyed Jan Sterling has a small role as his (TOO loyal) gf. Fitzgerald (who always played Irish cops or priests) brings in the humor. You can find this noir on streaming services (or rent on YT).

Cairo Station (1958)

Qinawi (Youssef Chahine), a physically-challenged peddler who makes his living selling newspapers in the central Cairo train station, is obsessed w/ Hanuma (Hind Rustum), a curvy/pretty young woman who sells drinks. Hanuma treats Qinawi kindly and flirts w/ him re: a possible relationship. However, she’s already engaged to Abu Siri, a burly/macho porter struggling to unionize his fellow workers to combat their boss’ exploitative treatment. The movie has a large cast (portraying Egyptians of disparate classes) and does NOT fall easily into one genre. Some viewers commented that the climactic scenes reminded them of Hitchcock! Chahine (an Egyptian of Christian heritage) also wrote the story and served as director. If you’re familiar w/ the characterization, visual style, and themes often seen in Bollywood, you should check it out.

[1] The work sometimes recalls Jean Renoir’s “La Bete Humaine,” but with more attention to detail. […]

Let’s underline the importance of the wide screen, which makes the director look like an entomologist watching an ant hill with a magnifying glass…

[2] It’s not hard to see why “Cairo Station” was banned for 20 years in Egypt. It gained much recognition in Berlin, being nominated for the Golden Bear…

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews

***

Le Samourai (1967)

In Paris, Jef Costello (Alain Delon) is a solitary hit man who works under contract. He’s hired to kill the owner of a club, and soon becomes the prime suspect of that murder. His gf (Jane), one of her clients (Wiener), and the Black singer of the club (Valerie) are questioned by the police. Jef is chased by henchmen (sent by the same man who hired him) and by cops. He seeks out who has hired him to get revenge. There is NOT much of a plot, characters have little development, and there isn’t much dialogue. I heard of this film yrs. ago, BUT this was my 1st time seeing it. As Gen Z may say, this movie is “all about vibes.” Sorry IF you’re a fan of thing kind of stuff, BUT I didn’t connect w/ it.

This Gun for Hire (1942)

Hit man Philip Raven (Alan Ladd), is kind to kids and feeds stray cats. He kills a blackmailer and is paid off by Willard Gates (Laird Cregar) in “hot” (marked) money. Meanwhile, a young/blonde entertainer, Ellen Graham (Veronica Lake), gf of police Lt. Michael Crane (Robert Preston) is enlisted by a Senator to help investigate Gates. Raven, while seeking Gates, meets Ellen on a train. Their relationship gradually evolves from that of killer and (potential) victim to an uneasy alliance against a common enemy. This is a well-known/low budget noir which I’ve seen before (on the small screen); it’s a quick/well-paced watch.

***

They Made Me a Fugitive (1947)

In this British noir (from Brazilian director Alberto Cavalcanti), a frustrated/cynical former RAF pilot, Clem Morgan (Trevor Howard), joins a criminal gang led by a nasty character nicknamed Narcy (Griffith Jones). On his 1st break-in job, the getaway car crashes and ends up killing a cop. Quickly, Clem is framed as the driver and sent to jail. Seeking revenge, he escapes prison and heads for London. Along the way, he breaks into a suburban home; a housewife named Mrs. Fenshaw (Veda Hope) helps him out, then asks him to murder her husband. Upon reaching London, Clem is sheltered by a blonde/petite dancer named Sally Connor (Sally Gray), who falls for him. He confronts Narcy and the gang in an abandoned warehouse.

[1] There is more attention to sound and camera-work than I’ve noticed in most British movies from the end of the war until about 1956 or so. Warner Brothers gets a huge credit at the start… So, it’s British, but it has American and continental style. […]

It’s scarier than the American gangster movies of the late forties.

[2] The general gloominess (a mainstay of thrillers emanating from the post-war era) is leavened somewhat by its constant flurry of hard-boiled dialogue courtesy of screenwriter Noel Langley. […]

Still, perhaps my favorite scene in the entire film is Howard’s surreal encounter with the zombie-like Vida Hope – in whose household he stumbles while on the run; she turns out to be deranged, and even tries to talk our hero into murdering her alcoholic husband (Maurice Denham)!

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews

Aimless Bullet (1961)

A couple of yrs. after the war in Seoul, a 30-something accountant’s salary is TOO small for him to even get his cavity fixed. He must somehow provide for his PTSD-affected mother, his pregnant wife, a younger brother (who can’t get work after serving in the army), a younger sister (who sneaks out at night to sell herself to American GIs), and 2 young children. This movie was banned in Korea b/c it was so realistically stark in it’s post- war depiction. You could tell that the locations were real; we see urban offices, outdoor cafes (for tea and drinking away sorrows), slums (located on the hilly areas near the city). The character development was V good, though the pacing felt a bit slow at times.

This film is depressing and it drives slowly towards its conclusion. On the other hand, compared to the often over-the-top melodrama present in other films I’ve seen from the era, Obaltan is a stark contrast. Owing more to Italian Neorealism than Hollywood, the film has many moments of mundaneness and potentially existentialist commentary. That Obaltan means “the aimless bullet” should give that away from the start.

-Excerpt from IMDb review

Meet the New Bond: “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” (1969) starring George Lazenby, Diana Rigg, & Telly Savalas

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George Lazenby (an Aussie car salesman/part-time model) steps into the role of James Bond (after Sean Connery refused). Bond meets the 2nd most powerful leader of a criminal org, Marc-Ange Draco (Italian actor Gabriele Ferzetti), and becomes close w/ Draco’s daughter, Tracy (British TV star Diana Rigg). She was 38 y.o. at that time; she looked classy and confident. Bond then heads off to hunt down Ernst Stavro Blofeld (now played by a American TV star- Telly Savalas) in Switzerland, posing as ancestry expert/professor, Sir Hilary Bray (George Baker). The remote facility (supposedly for allergy research) is heavily guarded and managed by a German woman, Irma Bunt (Ilse Steppat). Anglophiles will get a kick out of seeing a V young Joanna Lumley as one of Blofeld’s international ladies; she went on to comedic fame in Absolutely Fabulous.

Actors considered for Bond included Americans and Brits: Adam West (Batman), Jeremy Brett (Sherlock Holmes), John Richardson (a conventionally handsome up-and-coming actor), Oliver Reed (who went on to have a great career- his last role was on Gladiator) and Roy Thinnes (who I know from One Life to Live). Having secured a suit ordered, but uncollected by Connery, and getting a Rolex and haircut like him, Lazenby talked his way into meeting producer Albert R. Broccoli, producer Harry Saltzman, and director Peter R. Hunt. After falsely claiming he had acting credits, he got a screentest. Lazenby then confessed to Hunt that he wasn’t an actor. Hunt laughed and said, “You just strolled in here and managed to fool two of the most ruthless bastards in the business. You’re an actor.”

As of 2021, Lazenby is the youngest actor to portray 007, as he was only aged 29 during filming. We see the only signature gun barrel sequence where Bond drops down on one knee while shooting at the audience. The theme song We Have All the Time in the World was the last song that Louis Armstrong recorded; he died 2 yrs later. Lazenby wanted to do most of his own stunts, but the studio wouldn’t allow him. During one of the stunt scenes, Lazenby broke his arm, delaying the filming of many of his later scenes.

Though Lazenby doesn’t have as much charisma as Connery, he looks good in the outfits and carries himself w/confidence (no doubt b/c of his experience as a model). You can tell that he hasn’t acted before- for sure! Many viewers noted that Lazenby has good chemistry w/ Rigg in their romantic scenes. Savalas (best known as Kojak) does a fine job in his villain role. As for Draco- ugh- he’s a misogynist who thinks his daughter needs to follow his ideas. He tries to arrange a marriage (no joke) between Bond and Tracy- yikes!

What I liked about it, that we’ve tried to emulate in this film [Inception], is there’s a tremendous balance in that movie of action and scale and romanticism and tragedy and emotion. -Christopher Nolan (filmmaker)

There is a freshness and energy here, unlike most of the previous franchise films. It also looks a lot better; it had a $7M budget, a shooting schedule of 9 mos. (half on location), and a crew of 120. These filming techniques appeared for the 1st time: slow-motion (Bond is knocked out in his bedroom), flashback (Bond remembering Tracy being captured), and “breaking the fourth wall” (Lazenby looking into the camera after saying “This never happened to the other fella”).

[1] …this is my vote for the best James Bond film. No, it’s not because I am a George Lazenby fan. Despite this Aussie not being right for the role, this movie deserves kudos for being so intelligently written–possessing a depth that was never equaled in any other Bond film. Bond, for the first time, was human. Another reason I loved this film is because it was a very long and complex film–making it seem leisurely yet exciting throughout.

There are two plots in the film that run concurrently. First, Bond happens upon a very spoiled and confused lady (Diana Rigg). She is an emotional mess and she needs stability in her life. In a very odd choice, she drifts towards the usually irresponsible and shallow Bond–who in his own way needs her as well. Second, Blofeld is back again and he’s up to something–but what this diabolical scheme is, no one knows.

In addition to the exceptional plots and writing, this film also had amazing but appropriate stunt-work. The skiing scenes were amazing…

[2] It is not the best Bond but it is light years away from the worst. George Lazenby may be a tad inexperienced and the least charismatic of the Bonds, but he is still likable and does try hard, that I can see. (…) Terry Savalas is great as Blofeld, and Diana Rigg is splendid as Tracy. The cinematography and scenery are beautiful, and John Barry’s score and Louis Armstrong’s theme song are simply terrific. In conclusion, better than I thought and dare I say underrated.

[3] I’m not going to put 100% of the blame on Lazenby but I really wonder what the hell the producer’s were thinking. I’m sure they did screen tests or something and at some point they must have known that the actor simply couldn’t pull off anything in the role. He didn’t have the look to believed as a sex symbol and he didn’t have the acting talent to pull off some of the darker, more serious moments that the film goes for. I also thought his comic timing was downright horrendous and made for some really embarrassing moments…

[4]Rigg is every spy’s dream: a madly attractive woman with plenty of intelligence and also spirit, as she reveals in the climax when she tackles a thug.

The movie also benefits from some decent, fast-paced action scenes and genuinely funny humour. This was the first time Bond went skiing and his antics on the slopes easily beat those of Moore. The snowbound locales make for plenty of inventively staged set pieces, like the car chase taking place in a stock car race or the high-rise antics around a cable car.

-Excerpts from IMDB movies

Bond Meets Blofeld: “You Only Live Twice” (1967)

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During the height of the Cold War, the US and the Soviet Union lose one spacecraft each, after they are both seemingly swallowed whole by a large UFO. The two superpowers are quick to blame one another, causing tensions to skyrocket. The UK has an alternate theory re: the disappearances; they send top spy- James Bond (Sean Connery)- to investigate in Japan. With the help of the Japanese Secret Service, Bond uncovers a plot more sinister than anyone could’ve imagined.

[James is in bed with a Ling, a Chinese woman]

Bond: Why do Chinese girls taste different from all other girls?

In the pre-credits scene, we hear one of the MOST cringe-worthy lines ever spoken in a movie! FYI: Ling is played by Tsai Chin, who had a long career in both Chinese/English language films (thus avoiding the Bond girl curse). I liked the stuff about Bond pretending to die. Henderson (Charles Gary), the British agent in Japan, has a small role (but was interesting). I learned that Blofeld’s impressive volcano lair cost $1M to create- wow! We (finally) see the super-villain Blofeld (Donald Pleasance) who has a prominent scar on his face. As even some long-time fans have said, this movie hasn’t aged well. Connery looks and sounds bored/tired; he even walks in a different way (sometimes slouching). His hairpiece doesn’t even look good! As one critic commented: “Connery is phoning it in.”

Tiger Tanaka: I must say I am disappointed with the ease with which I could pull you in. The one thing my honourable mother taught me long ago was never to get into a car with a strange girl. But you, I’m afraid, will get into anything. With any girl.

I liked the setting and scenery; also, the mini-helicopter (Little Nellie) was pretty cool. the Japanese Secret Service members are portrayed in a (mostly) positive manner. Tiger Tanaka (Tetsuro Tanba) is in charge; he’s affable and professional. Aki (Akiko Wakabayashi) is the agent who falls for Bond; she has a (very cool) death scene. Too bad that Bond doesn’t even have a minute to mourn her though-ugh! Helga Brandt (Karin Dor) is the assassin who captured Bond for a time, but he (of course) managed to disarm her. Kissy Suzuki (Mia Hama) is the agent posing as a village woman who Bond pretends to be married to. In the last act, Kissy is ONLY wearing a small white bikini. He also pretends to be Japanese for a time and trains to be a ninja- part of Tanaka’s plan.

Blofeld: James Bond. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Ernst Stavro Blofeld. They told me you were assassinated in Hong Kong.

Bond: Yes, this is my second life.

Blofeld: You only live twice, Mr. Bond.

[1] While I grudgingly will admit that the Roald Dahl (yes, THAT Dahl–the “Willie Wonka” guy) script is very exciting and high on the “cool factor”, it is also silly and ridiculous throughout.

[2] This time out, perennial Bond villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld is portrayed by Donald Pleasence in a spirited performance that would provide the inspiration for Dr. Evil in “The Spy Who Shagged Me”, courtesy of Mike Myers. Some of the antics in this picture are pretty ridiculous, like Little Nellie with Bond at the controls taking out four attack helicopters, and James Bond (Sean Connery) himself becoming a Ninja master after three days of training!

[3] Ever since Mike Myers mercilessly mocked You Only Live Twice in Austin Powers, International Man of Mystery, it’s been impossible to take this particular Bond adventure seriously; but to be honest, the film was always pretty ridiculous in the first place, stretching plausibility further than ever before in an effort to up the ante in terms of crowd-pleasing spectacle.

-Excerpts from IMDB reviews

Bond Goes Under the Sea: “Thunderball” (1965)

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James Bond (Sean Connery) continues on his 4th mission; his aim is to recover 2 warheads stolen by the criminal org SPECTRE. The world is held hostage as Bond heads to Nassau in the Bahamas. He is aided by assistant Paula Caplan (Martine Beswick) and faces off against redheaded femme fatale Fiona Volpe (Luciana Paluzzi). Bond makes a connection w/ Domino Derval (Claudine Auger), the girlfriend of a top SPECTRE agent, Emil Largo (Adolfo Celi). “Thunderball” is a military term used by U.S. soldiers to describe the mushroom cloud seen during the testing of atomic bombs. In North America, this was the 2nd highest-grossing movie of 1966, after Doctor Zhivago.

Connery performed the gun-barrel sequence for the 1st time b/c of the new Panavision process used in the movie. Tom Jones sung the title song. Bond’s jetpack was flown by engineer Bill Suiter, as he was one of only two people qualified to fly it. It was originally invented for military use in the 1950s. This is the only Bond movie where we get a glimpse of all 00 Agents in one shot when they’re summoned to M’s briefing. Largo’s yacht, the Disco Volante, was adapted from a hydrofoil vessel which cost $500,000 to acquire in Puerto Rico, then transfer for refitting/refurbishment to Miami. It was given a cocoon shell 50 ft. feet long which could be separated from the main boat (as seen in the finale).

One time, we’d finished filming for the day, and there were hundreds of people milling around on the beach, all roped off watching. Sean called to the set hairdresser, ‘Here, you’, and then he simply pulled off his toupée and threw it at the hairdresser. The hairpiece sailed over like a Frisbee and as the hairdresser caught it, Sean said something like, ‘That’s it, I’m off.’ Everyone just collapsed. It was the funniest thing. -Martine Beswick, recalling a memorable moment from the filming

Julie Christie, Raquel Welch, and Faye Dunaway tried out for the role of Domino; Dunaway was a candidate to be a Bond girl in later films also. Molly Peters (Pat- the nurse in the health club) was the 1st Bond girl to be seen taking her clothes off onscreen; she is (briefly) seen from behind in the steam room. Beswick (who played one of the Gypsy girls in From Russia with Love) is tanned in this movie; before shooting, she was pale (due to years of theater work in England). Before filming, she was required to spend 2 weeks sunning herself to get a tan like that of a native. Fiona derides Bond’s ability to turn women to his side (unlike previous Bond girls). Paluzzi (who does a fine job) first auditioned for the role of Domino. To suit her name, Domino’s clothes are always in black and white. Auger (whose voice was dubbed and acted rather stiff) did her own underwater scenes, being a strong swimmer.

What was memorable re: this Bond movie (now that I’ve seen several in this franchise)? There is a good/realistic fight scene between Bob Simmons (the franchise regular stuntman) and Connery. Simmons (uncredited) plays Col. Bouvard, the man in drag, in the pre-title sequence. I liked the chemistry between Bond and Fiona; I wish she had a bit more to do. Domino and Bond lacked sparks, but she had some fab bathing suits. The various fights in the last 20 mins. (shot underwater) were unique and interesting. Bond’s underwater camera is a Nikonos Calypso I, an evolution of the Calypso-Phot, originally built for Jacques Cousteau- wow!

[1] I’m afraid I don’t consider this among the best of the Bonds, but I certainly don’t it one of the worst. If anything it is a solid if rather middling instalment. My main problems come with the bloated plot which tries to squeeze too many plot twists and high-tech software, pedestrian pacing and… Domino is one of the least memorable Bond girls.

[2] Thunderball has some great underwater cinematography as the forces of SPECTRE battle the US Coast Guard and James Bond on the ocean floor as SPECTRE tries to take the bomb into Miami Beach harbor.

[3] This film could have been called “By Land or By Water” as it would be a fitting title but it would also explain the good and bad here. The bad stuff is pretty much everything on land. When the movie started it just had a “been there, done that” feeling to it that really seemed to sink things and in many ways it just felt like we’ve seen this type of film countless times before and much better.

[4] There is something missing here, a kind of spark that even the great Sean Connery can’t provide.

-Excerpts from IMDB reviews