Well, dear readers, what is it that makes books and films about airplanes so damnably compelling? Every time I see a film about an airplane it is damnably compelling, even the lesser films. My love for films about airplanes began in 1954 when my parents took me to the Village Theater in Westwood to see Mr. John Wayne in The High and the Mighty in Cinemascope and stereophonic sound. It was my first film in Cinemascope (the Cinemascope screen at the Village was curved and huge), and stereophonic sound and I was bowled over (no mean feat) by the sensory overload the film provided, not only in its colorful, fun, and suspenseful tale, but with its bombastically brilliant Dimitri Tiomkin score. My second airplane film was The Spirit Of St. Louis, which I saw on its original release, also in Cinemascope and stereophonic sound at my local Stadium theater. Like The High and the Mighty, it was a Warner Bros. production. A couple of years later, Warners was at it again with The Crowded Sky, a barely disguised re-do of The High and the Mighty, and even though I didn’t love it as much, I still found it compelling and fun. The next airplane film I saw was a few years later, this time from Twentieth Century Fox – like The High and the Mighty, it, too, was based on a novel by Ernest K. Gann, who really told good airplane yarns. Unlike all the others I’d seen, Fate Is The Hunter wasn’t in color – it was black and white and Cinemascope, but still I loved every minute of it. Then we had a bit of an airplane picture drought until Universal chimed in with its lavish production of Airport, based on Arthur Hailey’s best-selling book, which I’d read and loved. That was a huge smash and so airplane pictures were back. I saw all the sequels, each one proving the law of diminishing returns, but still I enjoyed them all, even the worst of them. Then came Airplane, which, as funny as it was, effectively ruined the airplane picture genre, probably for all time, unless some bold writer, producer, and director figure out a way to have people take it seriously again.
All that by way of saying that I watched the new Twilight Time DVD of Fate Is The Hunter last night. As most of you know, our very own Mr. Nick Redman is one of the folks behind this new DVD (and soon Blu and Ray) label, so I always worry when I have to write about these things. But he knows me well enough that if I wasn’t happy with something I’d either not talk about it or I’d be honest. First off, Fate Is The Hunter remains a terrific little film, with an excellent cast, good writing, and a spare but effective score by Jerry Goldsmith – all of it well directed by Ralph Nelson. Glenn Ford is great, as always, and I always enjoy Rod Taylor and Suzanne Pleshette. The supporting cast is filled with terrific character actors, but it’s supporting player Mark Stevens who turns in the film’s best performance – what this man does with about six minutes of screen time is a lesson in great film acting. The transfer is a total winner and the black and white scope image is rich, detailed, and looks especially good upscaled. So, if you, like me, are a fan of airplane pictures, this one comes highly recommended by the likes of me. There’s also an isolated score and effects track, a trailer for the film, and trailers for two upcoming Twilight Time releases that play before the main menu comes up – seeing the two trailers is kind of like it used to be sitting in a movie theater before the main feature.
I also finished watching the previous Twilight Time DVD, Violent Saturday, a terrific little programmer with a great cast, including the wonderful Victor Mature, Richard Egan (a very underrated actor), Lee Marvin, Stephen McNally, Ernest Borgnine, Brad Dexter, and other good supporting folks. Like airplane pictures, I’m always a sucker for a good bank robbery film, and Violent Saturday is much more than good. Beautifully shot in Cinemascope and color, directed by the excellent Richard Fleischer and written by Sidney Boehm, the film also sports a great score by the great Hugo Friedhofer. So, what’s not to love? One of the things that one has to accept occasionally, is that when a DVD label like this licenses a title from a studio, they must live with whatever master they are given, so, regrettably, this DVD is not enhanced for widescreen TVs – it is letterboxed in 4.3. Nothing to be done about that until Fox makes a new transfer, which probably won’t be happening anytime soon. The good news is, the image is clean and sharp and the color is perfect, as is the sound. So, if you’re a fan of 1950s scope/color noir, don’t hesitate to get this DVD.
What the HELL happened to the first section of the notes? I just went off on an airplane picture tangent, didn’t I? Well, I can tell you that yesterday was a perfectly okay day. I got up a bit earlier than intended when I got a series of telephonic calls beginning at nine o’clock. After having those conversations, I answered e-mails, listened to some music, and then went and had some wings and a bacon, egg, and mushroom scramble at the Studio Café. After that, I picked up a few packages and shipped on package to the mastering guy. Then I came home and began writing the liner notes for our next release – this took a little longer than usual because it involves two films. I took a break and had a work session with John Boswell. He are such soul mates, musically, that work sessions with him go very fast and are totally painless. We played through everything, made some arrangement choices, and were done in ninety minutes. John will also be working with me on the web series. Then Jason Graae called to say he’d gotten some auditions so our little evening plans were cancelled. I was jiggy with that, frankly, as I didn’t want to really drive downtown.
Instead, I finished the liner notes and got them to the designer, approved the front cover and the cover on the back of the booklet, and then had a telephonic conversation with our very own dear reader Jose – and I’m happy to say that he’ll be musical directing our Lost In Boston show at LACC in November/December. I’m really thrilled about it. I then sat on my couch like so much fish and watched the two movies I wrote about above.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I must try and get a good night’s beauty sleep before an early rising.
Today, I shall arise early and then the helper is coming over to organize all the music that’s been piling up in the garage for our past Gardenia shows. We’ll make a folder for each show, and then if we decide to perform them in other cities all the music will be in one easy to find place. After that, I’ll probably eat something light but amusing, I’ll hopefully pick up a package or three, I’ll do some errands and whatnot, I’ll approve the new CD’s packaging and send it off for approval, and I’m going to try and jog.
Tomorrow is a rehearsal with the thirteen-year-old, followed by an early supper with our very own Miss Alet Taylor. Friday seems like it might just be a light day, although I have to choose the selections I’ll be reading on Saturday’s book signing, which I hope will be well attended, although I never know until I arrive.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, organize music, eat, pick up a package or three, do errands and whatnot, approve packaging, and perhaps jog. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Ask BK Day, the day in which you get to ask me or any dear reader any old question you like and we get to give any old answer we like. So, let’s have loads of lovely questions and loads of lovely answers and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland and ponder the fact that June is now halfway over – can you believe it?