Well, dear readers, it’s hard to believe that just a mere week ago I was in New York doing the first of three performances of The Last Starfighter. I mean, where in tarnation did this week go? It flew by like a gazelle in a garter belt. Have you ever seen a gazelle in a garter belt? It’s quite entrancing. In fact, it’s so entrancing I feel like running and dancing for joy, just like Miss Natalie Wood. And, in a mere two weeks from today I shall be back in New York to record the Emily and Alice concert, that is if I can find someone to record it. The next two weeks will be incredibly busy, because I must be completely prepared to begin rehearsals for The Brain the day after I return from New York. But, as long as I think of a gazelle in a garter belt, all will be well and well will be all. Speaking of well, yesterday was quite a day. I began by getting up. That’s always a nice thing to do. I jogged early, then met with my musical director briefly to hand off the script and score. After that, I did some things that needed doing, and then I went over to the mail place where I was more than pleased to find that the books had arrived. So, I went home, packed up all the book orders and got them all shipped out. That took a while, and then I had to go off to a dinner meeting at the Cheesecake Factory. I must say, as annoying as that restaurant can be, crowd-wise, it’s never been less than great, meal-wise, and this was no exception. After that, I came home, where I sat on my couch like so much fish, completely sated and unable to move.
Last night, I watched two count them two motion pictures on DVD. The first motion picture on DVD was entitled Murder, Inc. It’s a serviceable little programmer from 1960, and is most notable as the first major film role for Peter Falk, who is wonderful. The film also stars Stuart Whitman and Mai Britt. It has some nice things (like the score by DeVol), but it’s too long for its own good (105 minutes, when ninety would have been much better). I then watched the second motion picture on DVD, which was entitled High Noon. I don’t think I saw High Noon during its original run, as I would only have been three or four, but I know I saw it at some point in the mid-fifties, probably on TV. I thought it great then, and I think it even greater now. It’s one of the most perfectly paced, taut films ever made, clocking in at a near real-time eighty-one minutes. And every one of those eighty-one minutes is perfection. There is not a wasted shot or line of dialogue in the film. The direction, which on the surface may seem very simple, is brilliant, and all the more brilliant because it never ever calls attention to itself. And what a company of players. Mr. Gary Cooper has always been one of my favorites and he’s at his best here. Grace Kelly is lovelier than lovely as his new wife, Katy Jurado is a force to be reckoned with, Lloyd Bridges does very well, and then there are the brief turns by the likes of Thomas Mitchell, Otto Kruger, Lon Chaney, Lee Van Cleef, Harry Morgan, and many others. The score by Dimitri Tiomkin is one of the greats – just a wonderful and evocative work that perfectly compliments Mr. Zinneman’s and Mr. Floyd Crosby’s images, and the editing of Elmo Williams and Harry Gerstad. I know there is the urban legend about this film having a disastrous preview and that major surgery had to be done and that credit is given to the editors for saving the day by inserting all sorts of shots of the clock to give the film needed urgency and suspense, and I simply don’t buy it at all. The reason is simple – every time there is a cut to a clock it is motivated by a look, or it is literally part of a continuous shot. I think what happened is that the film previewed without its score and title song – the film is unthinkable without those two elements. So, I believe the legend is bogus and that Mr. Tiomkin did his thing and the film worked. And would you like to know what won Best Picture for 1952? The Greatest Show On Earth! It won over High Noon, Ivanhoe, Moulin Rouge, and The Quiet Man. Can you imagine? More importantly, can you imagine that Ivanhoe and Moulin Rouge were nominated over The Bad And The Beautiful, The Man In The White Suit, The Lavender Hill Mob, Viva Zapata, and Carrie? More importantly can you believe that Singin’ In The Rain only received two nominations – one for Jean Hagen and one for Lennie Hayton? It is to wonder. I’ve had both of the Republic DVDs issued through Artisan. I hadn’t seen that DVD since I bought it many years ago, but my memory was that it was decent. Paramount has issued a new DVD, but only overseas in other regions (region 2 and 4). Sadly, Paramount has given Lion’s Gate the Republic catalog here in the US, and that’s not good. In any case, I bought the region 2 from France. After watching it last night, I put on the Artisan DVD and it was indeed decent – if you think a film looking like a worn-out VHS is decent. The new DVD is spectacular – a gorgeous brand spanking new transfer that makes the film look like it was shot yesterday. It is sharp with amazing contrast and I cannot recall even my 16mm original print looking anywhere near what the new DVD looks like. The sound is excellent, too. I couldn’t have been more pleased and if you love this film and have a multi-region player, then I’d pick this up in a heartbeat if I were you (and I am).
What am I, Ebert and Roeper all of a sudden? Why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button whilst we all conjure up an image of a gazelle in a garter belt.
Which reminds me, perhaps I should tell the story of The Randy Vicar and the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. Perhaps not.
Today, I shall be shipping out a few other items, doing errands, writing, and then attending the opening night of two one-acts at LACC. Speaking of LACC, we’ll be doing our meet and greet and first read-through this coming Monday, which was the only time we could get everyone in the cast in the same room at the same time until the week we begin run-throughs. I’m really looking forward to it.
Now wait just a darned minute – we’d all better put on our pointy party hats and our colored tights and pantaloons, we’d all better break out the cheese slices and the ham chunks, we’d all better dance the Hora or the Monkey, because today is the birthday of dear reader JMK. So, let’s give a big haineshisway.com birthday cheer to dear reader JMK. On the count of three: One, two, three – A BIG HAINESHISWAY.COM BIRTHDAY CHEER TO DEAR READER JMK!!!
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, jog, write, drive about in my motor car, bitch-slap a few people from here to eternity and hell and back, and then attend an opening night. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday – what is currently in your CD player and your DVD/video player? I’ll start – CD, the big Elmer Bernstein Film Music Society 12 CD set, some of which is quite marvelous. And after that, I have a whole slew of soundtracks from Universal France to listen to, including Nino Rota’s Purple Noon, a compilation of very early Michel Legrand Nouvelle Vague soundtracks, and several others. DVD, currently in the middle of a Phil Karlson noir entitled Tight Spot, which will be followed by the classic Brit gangster film Brighton Rock. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, and don’t forget about the gazelle in the garter belt, an image worth carrying with you for the entire livelong day and night.