prometheeus

As Peter called it his Director's Cut and this was also a World Premiere. It was completely in black in white in a movie theatre for the first time ever. PB said he hadn't seen it ever on the big screen in this new and preferred way either. What a wonderful ode to the way that it was back in the 1910's.

I laughed frequently to the gags, film in-jokes, and silent film style action. Period detail was fun to see with the clothing, cars, white face for silent scenes, and silent inter-titles between scenes. All around this is one of those fun movies that's filled with a lot of info layered into the story. Even more so to those fans that know what it took to create and record performances on the first motion picture film stocks. The film score by Richard Hazard sounded like it was lifted from one of the Keystone Kops films. The cinematography by Laszlo Kovacs was superb. I loved the closing credits sequence showing a studio of glass with bright lights at night and showing the filming of soldiers marching through the set and then coming outside to go around again and again. The level of authenticity was undeniable and enjoying both at the same time. A Rare Feat.

Within the film it would show people watching silent films and what it took for those employees of that theatre to recreate with the in house orchestra and sound / special effects to be heard alongside the audibly silent film performance.

I miss John Ritter, Jane Hitchcock was gorgeous, James Best in his western garb, George Gaynes (the Commandant who got blown away in Police Academy 1), Harry Carey Jr, M. Emmet Walsh, Brian Keith, and the juicy Stella Stevens.

* Before the movie started there was a Q&A. Among the facts before the screening were these: Peter stated that the studio wouldn't let him use Cybil for this film (even though it was written only for her) or that if she would do Nickelodeon they would NOT let her do Taxi Driver. Also Peter wanted to go with Jeff Bridges in Burt's role.

That the then head of Columbia said it would be OK to film it in color and then we'll let you release it black and white. The studio also forced him to remove a scene of Ryan romancing Ritter's girl Stella. It was nothing more than Ritter seeing Ryan go into Stella's room and close the door. Ritter in that moment had Tatum at his side.

The copy we saw last night was on a Beta type tape. So there was a delay of perhaps 15 seconds in the theatre for switching the tapes. It came from the acting Columbia library mgr within the last few months. PB had only seen this print once before at Quentin Tarantino's house. QT has the gadgets necessary to play this apparently rare type of Beta stock. QT's quote for last night's theatrical screening was "It's F'ing Rad"; although QT was not in attendance.

Peter said that he hopes that there will be a future director's cut release onto DVD here in the states. As the abused Columbia release is so far only on DVD in the UK. I told him I'd love to hear his commentary for the movie. What a movie!!!

Joan Leslie was 18 when this movie got released. She'd already worked with Bogart at 15 in High Sierra, Cooper at 16 in Sergeant York, and Cagney at 17 in Yankee Doodle Dandy. This was her first film following Yankee.

Ida Lupino the Brit born actress who owned her part as the Big Wicked Sister from Hell in this film. Ida won the NY Film Critic's Circle Award for Best Actress with her performance herein.

Along with wonderful cinematography by the legendary James Wong Howe.

Gladys and Paul were really good with their roles. Dennis was perfect as Jack's show biz partner. Same with Sam who played the father to the Joan and Ida in his small role as a hard working man without much money.

But Jack Carson was poignant, powerful, and completely believable as Joan's suffering husband. You could feel that he wanted to make it on his own but that his own ego also wouldn't let him get a free ride by living off of Joan's newfound, popular, and increasing fame.

All that got shown in this film version of behind the scenes backstabbing is well acted out. Everyone knows that this environment does exist.

I saw this film last Friday night Jan 25 with Joan in the audience. Before this movie started she got interviewed on-stage. What an exciting life she's had. She even mimicked Ida's Britsh accent for a few moments having us in the audience laughing along with her.

The last thing she was given before she walked off the stage was for everyone in attendance ~probably more than 1,000 ~ to stand up and sing to her "Happy Birthday to Joan" since the Sat Jan 26th was her 83rd birthday.

Hopefully, Warner Bros. will give this great film it's proper release soon! The fans that keep coming out more and more in droves to watch Film Noir are wanting more a whole lot more.

I just saw this film play in a 16mm copy last Friday night ~Jan 25 '08. The brochure stated that there were no usable 35mm prints good enough for playing on a big screen.

It played at The Castro Theatre in San Francisco. Also playing with another unreleased to DVD Joan Leslie movie "The Hard Way"

This well thought out movie has it all. It doesn't sell out the possibilities that could go wrong or against you if you were living it.

The main actors in this stylish film noir romp all were credible in their motives and actions. Seeing Natalie Schafer from Gilligan's Island fame was funny playing a scheming and controlling diva of the arts world. Tom Conway as "everybody's big brother" had a part that he owned. Louis Hayward as the cheating husband and Virginia Field who was playing along with the dangerous and cheating fun. You could tell that there were sparks between them. Those same sparks were missing in the married relationship with Joan.

Basehart was great in his first film role. There were some outrageous corny lines of dialogue that had the audience laughing along with the scene when it wasn't supposed to be funny on screen. But, overall he nailed it in a crucial part.

I hope that this comes to DVD soon while Joan is still around. It would be even more astounding if she herself gave a running commentary to it!!!