Tag: Music

Songs and singers I like

#Oscars: “Babylon” (2022) starring Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Diego Calva, Jean Smart, Jovan Adepo, & Li Jun Li

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A tale of outsized ambition and outrageous excess, it traces the rise and fall of multiple characters during an era of unbridled decadence and depravity in early Hollywood. -Tagline

Aging actor Jack Conrad (Brad Pitt) is based on John Gilbert, a leading MGM star of the 1920s. He had a soft voice and dashing on-screen persona which didn’t match up w/ talkies. As his starring roles became few, Gilbert developed a drinking problem and died from a heart attack in 1936 (just aged 38). Gilbert’s story also inspired the screenplay for Singin’ in the Rain (1952). Emma Stone was originally cast in the role of ingenue Nellie LaRoy, which was announced to be based on Clara Bow, but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts after the production was delayed b/c of COVID. After Margot Robbie replaced Stone, the role become more fictional in nature. Olivia Hamilton’s character is based on Dorothy Arzner, one of the 1st female directors in early Hollywood, and the inventor of the boom mic. (FYI: Hamilton is also the wife of the writer/director, Damien Chazelle).

WTF did I see!? OMG, that is 3 hrs. 9 mins. that I’ll never get back! As this came from the mind of Chazelle, I didn’t have high hopes; I wasn’t a fan of La La Land (and haven’t seen his other work). He was given $80M to make the movie- wow! The opening (coke-fueled/orgy-like party) sequence is over 30 mins. long. Warning: If you’re more of a sensitive viewer (or consider yourself squeamish), avoid this movie! Several critics commented that there are maybe 3 great scenes- NOT a harsh assessment.

This movie boasts a large/diverse cast, but two of the most interesting characters, the Black trumpeter Sidney Palmer (Jovan Adepo) and Chinese-American writer/singer Lady Fay Zhu (Li Jun Li), could’ve been developed much more. In the early days, the movies were NOT considered classy/respectable; POC, women, and queer individuals played various parts (behind and in front of the camera). Pitt is phoning it in; he did better in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Robbie can tackle what she is given; she got to show her stuff on Nellie’s 1st day on set and the (stressful) 1st day making a talkie. The audience surrogate is the young/ambitious Manny Torres (Hollywood newbie/Spanish actor) Diego Calva. I learned that Calva has a big role in the Netflix series Narcos: Mexico. (I’m finishing up S1 of Narcos co-starring Pedro Pascal). Things just happen to Manny; he doesn’t get much character development. In the 3rd act, Tobey Maguire pops up; he plays a (cartoonish) rich/evil/villain. (FYI: He’s one of the movie’s producers.)

Is there anything I was impressed by here? Yes, Jean Smart does a terrific job (as usual); her gossip column writer and Pitt have on of the best scenes. The production design (Oscar-nominated) is great; the audience is taken into the (wild/crazy) past of early Hollywood. The cinematography (esp. in the early war/epic scene) is beautiful. The (jazzy) soundtrack suits the action; it was composed by Chazelle’s friend/former college roomie- Justin Hurwitz. This is one of the (many) cases of style over substance and self-indulgence (by the filmmakers) common in modern entertainment. Don’t watch it, b/c you MAY get mad at yourself!

#Oscars: “Elvis” (2022) starring Austin Butler & Tom Hanks

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The life of American music icon Elvis Presley, from his childhood to becoming a rock and movie star in the 1950s while maintaining a complex relationship with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker. -Synopsis

While Aussie director Baz Luhrmann was going over auditions, incl. Austin Butler’s audition for Elvis Presley, Denzel Washington called the director to recommend Butler. Washington and Butler had co-starred in the Broadway play The Iceman Cometh. Washington told Luhrmann (who he’d never met): “You’re in for a surprise when you see the work ethic of this young man.” Butler stated that one of the aspects about Elvis that stood out to him was that he lost his mother at a young age, too. Butler also lost his mother at age 23, just as Elvis had. Butler took tap dancing and swing dancing classes to perfect the dance moves. Though his hair was dyed dark brown, and he wore dark brown or jet black wigs in some scenes, Butler is a natural blonde. Elvis was also a natural blonde. Butler and Elvis are 16th cousins twice removed; Elvis’ father (Vernon) and Austin’s mother (Lori) share a common ancestry- wow! Ansel Elgort, Miles Teller, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Harry Styles also auditioned and screen-tested for the lead. Maggie Gyllenhaal and Rufus Sewell were cast as the parents before the production was shut down (due to COVID-19); 6 mos. later, both dropped out when productions resumed due to scheduling conflicts. This past SUN, Butler (who has an Oscar nom) won Leading Actor across the pond at BAFTA.

[sees an excited girl at Elvis’s first performance]

Col. Parker: [narrates] Now, I don’t know nothing about music. But I could see in that girl’s eyes, he was a taste of forbidden fruit. She could have eaten him alive!

Elvis ended up dethroning Top Gun: Maverick at the box office last Summer. This is the 1st big-screen (theatrical) biographical film about Elvis; it was made for $85M and shot (over a year) entirely in Queensland. Australia. The real “Colonel” Tom Parker was born on June 26, 1909, in The Netherlands as Andreas “Dries” van Kuijk. At age 19, he entered the US illegally. After a few mos, he enlisted in the Army and took the name Tom Parker; he thus forfeited his Dutch citizenship (becoming a stateless person). In reality, he spoke w/ a Southern American accent. At one point in the film, re: money issues, Parker comments that Elvis loved to spend on “hillbillies.” Elvis was generous to a fault (though it isn’t depicted here).

Elvis: If I can’t move, I can’t sing.

Elvis did NOT live up to it’s hype when I saw it recently (on HBOMax). Luhrmann’s direction failed to draw me in, though I’ve liked some of his previous movies. Butler does a fine job in ALL the musical numbers, BUT doesn’t seem to feel the weight of the heavier scenes. I think he has potential- he’s V young still. Parker is basically a caricature (w/ no redeeming qualities) here; IF you’re a big fan of Hanks, then you’ll be greatly disappointed. The opening 30-40 mins come across as messy/chaotic. Scenes somehow felt drawn out and fleeting at the same time. There is little time give to Priscilla, Elvis’ fellow musicians/peers, his friends, and other supporting characters. Some critics (incl. Black Americans) commented that race and civil rights issues were dealt w/ in a simplistic manner. We do see some up-and-coming/young actors: Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Power of the Dog), Dacre Montgomery (Stranger Things), and Kevin Harrison, Jr. (who plays B.B. King). Luhrmann is (oddly) more interested in Parker than Elvis; the iconic pop star remains mostly a mystery. The dialogue is nothing special- perhaps most disappointing of all!

[1] While of course he is a central character in the Elvis Presley story, I felt telling the story through such an unsympathetic character was unnecessary, and I found Tom Hanks Dutch accent and his prosthetic nose a little irritating at times.

[2]. The film feels almost like a bad fever dream, arbitrarily switching from scene to scene with little to no connection. Too much attention is put in Parker/Hanks, when he’s not narrating he’s the focus of every scene he’s in.

[3] For the first two hours it felt like I was watching the longest music video of all time. It was all over the place and extremely rushed. And what was up with the soundtrack?

[4] Firstly Austin Butler was great, he could actually be Elvis as he looked so much like him and clearly worked hard to do Elvis justice, but I didn’t really enjoy the movie, but can’t put my finger on why. The main actors did a good job, but I couldn’t really get an emotional connection with them or the story line until the very end.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews

“Young Man with a Horn” (1950) starring Kirk Douglas, Lauren Bacall, & Doris Day

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Put down that horn, jazz man… I’m in the mood for love! -Tagline on the movie poster

A lonely/orphan boy in LA, Rick Martin, learns he has a gift for music and falls in love w/ the trumpet. A talented Black trumpeter, Art Hazzard (Juano Hernandez), takes the boy under his wing and teaches him ALL he knows. The issues of identity and race come up in this story, as it’s focus is on a white man playing (traditionally) Black music; the undercurrent of racism (against the Black artists) is present also. The adult Rick (Kirk Douglas) struggles for a time, as his volatile personality and desire to play jazz (rather than standard dance tunes) land him in trouble. Soon, he becomes a star trumpeter featured in a NYC band and makes good money. Rick meets a young socialite studying to be a psychiatrist, Amy North (Lauren Bacall). In the novel by Dorothy Baker (upon which this film is loosely based) the characters of piano player/Rick’s best pal, Willie “Smoke” Willoughby (Hoagy Carmichael), and the singer, Jo Jordan (Doris Day), were African-American.

Rick: I don’t play for people. I play for myself!

Art: Look, boy, a man’s got a lot of living to do in this world. But, you, you’re kind of locked up inside yourself. You’re like a – like bird trying to fly on one wing. You’ll stay up for awhile. Then you’re going to fall.

Douglas’ trumpet licks were performed by Harry James, who also taught Douglas the correct fingering of the instrument. Carmichael was a friend of the real-life jazz musician, Bix Beiderbecke, and helped Douglas w/ his role. Carmichael received a thank-you letter from the director, Michael Curtiz, for his valuable input in several areas of production. Carmichael co-starred previously in Bacall’s 1st film, To Have and Have Not (1944). This was only the 4th film for Day; Curtiz was impressed enough w/ her work to recommend that Warner Bros. consider casting her in a dramatic role. Day gets to sing 3 popular standards, With A Song In My Heart, The Very Thought of You, and Too Marvelous for Words.

Amy: People try to find security in a lot of strange ways. You seem to have solved your problems – at least while you’re playing that trumpet.

Rick: I don’t understand a word you’re saying, but I love the sound of your voice. It’s got a wonderful rough spot in it.

Douglas and Bacall were close friends; they’d gone to drama school together (and have great onscreen chemistry). Bacall recommended Douglas to director Lewis Milestone; he got his first movie role in the noir classic- The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946). One viewer commented that this was the rare movie where Bacall played “a bad girl.” Rick is socially isolated, yet content w/ his life, as long as he has his horn/music. Jo is interested in him, though he is oblivious. Later, Jo introduces Rick to Amy; he doesn’t understand a LOT of what she’s saying, BUT is intrigued. Amy treats Rick V coldly after they’re married. The film contains a reference to homosexuality, although the Hays Code required any mention to be subtle. Amy is a lesbian; she leaves Rick to go to Europe w/ an artist (a woman). Decades later, Bacall told TCM that the reference was so subtle, and being was young/naive, she didn’t understand this until years later! If you like this story, you may want to check out Paris Blues and ‘Mo Better Blues.

[1] The directing from Michael Curtiz is as you would expect very tight to the drama, and the photography from Ted McCord captures the smoke filled nature of jazz clubs perfectly. The acting from the cast principals is never less than above average. […] The music of course is excellent, and as long as one is prepared for the melodramatic turn of events, this is a very rewarding piece.

[2] …the cinematography in this black & white film was amazing–very, very artistic and just beautiful. It reminded me a lot of Film Noir combined with the sensibilities of Ansel Adams.

[3] …film’s outstanding support performance comes from Juano Hernandez who runs the emotional gamut from confidante and advisor to dependent and admirer with his usual dignity and assurance.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews

“I Walk Alone” starring Burt Lancaster, Lizabeth Scott, Kirk Douglas, & Wendell Corey

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Two things I can handle baby… guns and dames! -A tagline for the movie

Frankie Madison (Burt Lancaster- one of my faves since I was a kid) returns to NYC after 14 yrs in prison. Noll Turner (Kirk Douglas), Frankie’s former partner in bootlegging, is now a successful nightclub manager/owner. Frankie is expecting him to honor a verbal “50-50” agreement they made before he was caught; Noll luckily got away. The two men’s friend, Dave (Wendell Corey), is the bookkeeper at the club. The club’s singer is Kay Lawrence (Lizabeth Scott); she is also Noll’s L/T gf. Mrs. Alexis Richardson (Kristine Miller) is the society lady w/ her eye on Noll.

Alexis: You know, you’re quite an attractive man.

Frankie: Keep goin’.

Alexis: How far do you want me to go?

Frankie: I’m at the plate. You’re doing the pitching.

This movie has great dialogue; the screenplay was written by Charles Schnee from a play by Theodore Reeves (The Beggars Are Coming to Town). Some viewers have called it a BIT “too wordy.” Schnee also wrote the screenplay for a must-see film noir, The Bad and the Beautiful (1952), which also starred Douglas. The director, Byron Haskin, worked his way up from commercial movie photographer to cameraman, then became an assistant director (AD) at Selznick Pictures. Haskin was a cinematographer in the silent era; he helped develop the tech that brought sound to the film industry. He began directing in the late 1920s at Warner Bros. Haskin made Disney’s 1st live-action film, Treasure Island (1950).

Alexis: [in Noll grabbing her by the arm] You’re hurting me.

Noll: And you love it.

As the hosts on Out of the Podcast commented: “You can tell everyone is young and hungry in this one.” This is Lancaster’s 5th film at age 33; the actor (6’2″ tall/classically handsome) started out as an acrobat, which explains his strong physical presence. He can fight (and make it look believable), as we see in this movie! Douglas (5’9″ w/ a striking face) came from the theater world and studied The Method; this is his 4th film at age 30. It MAY seem strange to some viewers to see Douglas as a villain; this was the case in his early roles. This is the 1st of 7 movies that Lancaster and Douglas made together; they also became close pals.

Noll [to Kay]: Sure, that’s why men take women to dinner – to have someone to talk about themselves to.

The husky-voiced Scott (who is NOT the most confident/versatile actor) raises her game here, perhaps b/c she is cast opposite (future) Hollywood heavyweights. Scott acted w/ Lancaster and Corey in Desert Fury (a weird movie, BUT may interest noir-istas). Frankie and Kay have strong romantic chemistry; Lancaster looks at Scott in a sweet/gentle way. Kay’s songs were NOT sung by Scott; her voice was dubbed. I loved ALL of Kay’s outfits (chosen by Edith Head); they are classy and seductive. Check this movie out!

[1] It’s the kind of movie where the stars are more memorable than the story.

Scott and Douglas, for example, really shine. Scott does some of the best acting of her career as the conflicted glamour girl. But I especially like Douglas’s slimy version of a smooth-talking mastermind who’s so self-assured, you can’t wait to see him get what he’s got coming.

[2] There’s a lot to like in the film- particularly the acting. In addition, the camera-work is great, as is the beating scene… The street scenes late in the film had a great use of shadows- a film noir trademark.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews

John Garfield’s 1st Movie: “Four Daughters” (1938)

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Adam Lemp (Claude Rains), the Dean of the Briarwood Music Foundation in upstate NY, has passed on his love of music to his 4 young adult daughters – Thea (Lola Lane), Emma (Gale Page), Kay (Rosemary Lane) and Ann (Priscilla Lane)- who live w/ him and his maiden sister, Aunt Etta (May Robson), in their loving/cozy family home. Thea plays the piano, Emma plays the harp, and Ann plays the violin. It’s Kay who shows the greatest promise- she’s the singer. The girls exasperate their father w/ their love of popular music, since he loves classics (esp. Beethoven). The sisters support each other and share clothes. Each girl is an individual w/ her own distinct personality and wants, incl. the type of man each wants as a husband. Emma (practical, but secretly romantic) has been courted by their next door neighbor/shy florist- Ernest Talbot (Dick Foran). Thea (who calls herself “the clever one”) wants to marry Ben Crowley (Frank McHugh), a middle-aged/upwardly-mobile banker. The youngest sister, Ann, thinks she doesn’t want to get married. Their lives change when 2 new men come into their lives. The first is Adam’s old friend’s son, popular music composer, Felix Deitz (Jeffrey Lynn), quickly gets a job at the foundation using his natural charm/enthusiasm. The second is a scruffy/cynical musician from NYC, Mickey Borden (25 y.o. John Garfield in his big screen debut/1st Oscar nom), who Felix hires to orchestrate a new composition.

It took me some time, BUT I realized that I’d seen a version of this story before! My parents used to re-watch the 1954 musical remake (Young at Heart); Mickey was played by Frank Sinatra and Ann was played by Doris Day. Four Daughters was to be a big-budget production starring Errol Flynn (fresh from his success on The Adventures of Robin Hood), BUT was re-worked into a modest domestic drama. It was designed as a vehicle for Priscilla Lane, which also happened to have roles for her sisters- Lola and Rosemary. Warner Bros. gave this movie to director Michael Curtiz as a small assignment to tide him over as Angels with Dirty Faces (1938) was coming together. Surprisingly, Curtiz delivered a film that was critically acclaimed and a box office success, earning 5 Academy Award noms!

Mickey [telling his life story to Ann]: They’ve been at me now nearly a quarter of a century. No let-up. First they said, “Let him do without parents. He’ll get along.” Then they decided, “He doesn’t need any education. That’s for sissies.” Then right at the beginning, they tossed a coin. “Heads he’s poor, tails he’s rich.” So they tossed a coin… with two heads. Then, for a finale, they got together on talent. “Sure,” they said, “let him have talent. Not enough to let him do anything on his own, anything good or great. Just enough to let him help other people. It’s all he deserves.” Well, you put all this together and you get Michael Bolgar.

Mickey was originally written w/ actor Van Heflin in mind; he could’ve done a good job. Garfield (who’d been studying the craft of acting since HS) based Mickey on his friend/musician- Oscar Levant; to see them together, check out Humoresque (1946). When Lynn did his screen test to play Felix, he was also shown Garfield’s screen test; he predicted that the newcomer would steal the show. Looking at this film w/ our (modern) sensibilities, it doesn’t take long to realize who is the real star. In any other case, the (tall/slim/conventionally handsome) Lynn would be the draw. Next to the (naturalistic, yet dynamic) performance of Garfield, he doesn’t stand a chance! As one astute viewer commented: “Mickey shows up loaded with bruised charisma to burn and pulling the focus of the story to him without even trying.” Check this movie out- you may enjoy it!

[1] The role was superbly played by John Garfield, and it brought him not only stardom but also, and perhaps more important, won for him his place in cinema history as the screen’s first rebel hero.

[2] Unlike some actors who appear in several films before their screen image gels, Garfield established his immediately, with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth and talk of the fates being against him.

[3] How opposites attract is part of the ploy for touching the quick of the viewer’s imagination. Ann is the eternal optimist, even when she and Mickey are down and out. She always looks on the bright side and like so many caught in the pliers of the Great Depression in those days, she saw prosperity just around the corner. Mickey recites an entire list of bad things that have happened to him seeking company in his misery from Ann, which Ann refuses to do. Mickey expects to go out with a bolt of lightning striking him dead as he rounds the corner of life. Mickey has meager talent as a composer; Ann has talent to spare as a singer and musician. Ann is big on beauty; Mickey is big on personality in a warped sense of a way.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews