July 26 - August 2, 2025

 

To answer these trivia questions, please email me at scinema@earthlink.net.

Brain Teasers:

Which Italian Western, starring Klaus Kinski, reused the music from UN UOMO, UN CAVALLO, UNA PISTOLA, aka THE STRANGER RETURNS?

It was LA BELVA, aka THE BEAST.

Which American actress was a celebrated dancer on Broadway before getting into movies, including one directed by Duccio Tessari?

No one has answered this one yet.

Which Italian actress' career began in 1955, but thought she would retire from acting when she married a film director, only to find that he continued to ask her to appear in front of the camera because he needed her?

George Grimes knew that it was Lorella De Luca.

How many children did the previously mentioned actress have with her director husband?

George Grimes knew that it was three.

And now for some new brain teasers:

Which British actress, born in 1934, was considered a "sexy actress" in a 1959 movie before making a film in Italy in 1961?

From what movie was director Vittorio Cottafavi reportedly fired because the French star didn't like him?

Which Italian actor, born in 1927, appeared in movies directed by Mario Soldati, Sergio Corbucci, Lucio Fulci, Federico Fellini, Mario Mattoli, Pietro Francisci, Abel Gance and John Sturges?

Name the movies from which these images came.

Bertrand van Wonterghem, George Grimes and Tom Betts identified last week's photo of Lukas Amann and Giuliano Gemma in I GIORNI DELL'IRA, aka DAYS OF WRATH, aka DAY OF ANGER.

Above is a new photo.

Can you name from what movie it came?

Bertrand van Wonterghem and George Grimes identified last week's photo of Ida Galli, John Drew Barrymore and Suzy Andersen in ROMA CONTRO ROMA, aka WAR OF THE ZOMBIES.

Above is a new photo.

Can you name from what movie it came?

George Grimes identified last week's photo of Nieves Navarro and Frank Wolff in LA MORTE CAMMINA CON I TACCHI ALTI, aka DEATH WALKS IN HIGH HEELS.

Above is a new photo.

Can you name from what movie it came?

George Grimes identified last week's photo of Ruriko Asaoka in GOYOKIN, aka THE STEEL EDGE OF REVENGE.

Above is a new photo.

Can you name from what movie it came?

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I am interested in knowing what movies you have watched and what you enjoyed or not. So please send me an email at scinema@earthlink.net if you'd like to share. Here's what I watched last week:

Mildly enjoyed:

THE ELECTRIC HORSEMAN (1979) - I wonder what Shelly Burton had in mind while penning the story that became this movie. Was it how public heroes become sell-outs in their older years? Was it about how advertising sells falsehoods to the public? Was it about the cost of redemption when a sell-out feels the need to do the right thing? In any case, the resulting film offers some entertaining moments, but ultimately seems pointless. After spending most of the running time making corporate head John Saxon and his minions the bad guys, it ends with no one facing any negative consequences for their actions. Sydney Pollack had stated that he can't make a film unless there is a love story, I wonder if Burton originally envisioned reporter Jane Fonda and horseman Robert Redford falling in love. Especially since Pollack said that he was re-writing the script throughout production, I wonder what was the original intent of the script. The film is notable as the acting debut of Willie Nelson, and if you don't like the song "Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys", then avoid this flick because not only is it sung over the opening credits, it's is also sung by Nelson and Redford while relaxing in a mobile home. Obviously, Pollack and Nelson got along, because Pollack helped to produce HONEYSUCKLE ROSE starring Nelson. At best, this movie works as a prequel to THE HORSE WHISPERER (1998).

Hollywoodism: Jews, Movies and the American Dream (1998) - Based on Neal Gabler's 1988 book AN EMPIRE OF THEIR OWN, this TV documentary by Simcha Jacobovici and Stuart Samuels recounts how a group of Eastern European Jews, who faced antisemitism on the East Coast and Chicago, were able to create their own empire when they moved their operations to a property development in Southern California called Hollywoodland. The premise of the program is that in trying to assimilate into the culture of the United States, they extolled "American" values in their movies, which became the all-pervasive fantasy of life in their adoptive home. The idea is also that many of the conflicts seen in those movies were inspired by the traumas they experienced in the old country - especially pogroms and the destruction of homes by the Cossacks of Russia. Oddly, to illustrate that, the program begins with the massacre of the McBain family at the beginning of ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST, which is not an Hollywood film. Of course all of ONCE...WEST is inspired by Hollywood Westerns, so I won't argue so strongly against it not being appropriate. (I always felt that the massacres in Italian Westerns were inspired by experiences of World War 2, which director Giiulio Questi said was the inspiration of SE SEI VIVO SPARA.) Another odd choice is a clip from THE GODFATHER PART 2 in the section on Jews coming to the U.S. When Nazi Germany began their attacks on Jews, the heads of the movie studios and various contract talent began to organize assistance programs, but where dissuaded from continuing by former U.S. Ambassador to England (and one time Hollywood producer) Joseph Kennedy (who was a notorious Hitler apologist). He argued that if the U.S. were to be drawn into War against Germany, many in the U.S. would accuse the Jews of dragging them into it. Luckily, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor solved the problem of Hollywood criticism of the Nazis. The fact that the U.S. government requested the Jewish studio heads to make movies in favor of the War effort, made many of them feel that they were finally accepted by U.S. society. However, after the War was over, the House Un-American Activities Committee chose to investigate Hollywood for subversion. All the movies made to support our World War 2 allies in the Soviet Union were now considered Communist propaganda. The perspective of this program is that when the Jewish studio heads acquiesced to H.U.A.C., they lost their status as moguls. The program made no mention of television erroding their power. While not enitrely convincing in their perspective, the makers of this documentary certainly found many archival clips to keep things interesting.

The Last of Us season two (2025) - Many fans of the video game hate this second season because it doesn't follow the game's story line. They also complain about changes to the characters. Not being someone who plays the game, I just hate the cliff hanger ending.

NO BLADE OF GRASS (1970) - I think I saw this four times back when it was still in theaters, but the version I recorded off TCM many years ago - and just watched - didn't jibe with my memory. My memory often is flawed, but this copy has obviously been censored for TV with a cussin' word or two missing and the rape scene being shortened. Director Cornel Wilde obviously wanted to deliver a "save the Earth" message along with the action adventure Science Fiction material, and boy did he lay it on thick. The film begins with a theme song by Roger Whittaker which spells out the message followed by a montage of scenes showing industrial pollution of the air, land and water. Such montages pop up frequently in the movie as if the drama being played out isn't harrowing enough. This time I wondered if the irritating Flash-forward clips were part of Wilde's original intention, or were they added later when the film seemed to lag at certain points. In any case, the film is based on John Christopher's (aka Sam Youd) novel THE DEATH OF GRASS and supposes that civilization will descend into barbarism when a virus kills all of the grassy plants (including wheat and rice) around the world. When events start to go bad, Patrick Holt invites his brother Nigel Davenport and his family to come stay with him in his farm in Northern England. John Hamill gets the word that things have gone really bad, so they set off. There are a number of violent incidents on the journey and Davenport ends up leading a larger group of survivors to the walls of his brother's farm. Holt won't take in more than the family he initially invited, so Davenport must decide to either betray those who followed him, or lead an attack on his brother's farm. I went back to see this movie originally because it featured brutal violence, which seems softened in the version viewed. Has it been softened, or has the brutal violence of the current fare just made it seem softer? Hammer Film fans will note that this was Lynne Frederick's first feature film and Christopher Neame had a small role.

THE THREE PENNY OPERA (1963) - Have you ever been in a play and then thought that seeing the movie version would bring back memories of your show? Well, that's never happened for me with THE THREEPENNY OPERA. The show began in 1728 when John Gay wrote a ballad opera with music arranged by Johann Christoph Pepusch called THE BEGGAR'S OPERA. Satirising Italian Opera which was popular in England at the time, Gay used popular ballads for the music. Instead of the grand traditions of Italian Opera, Gay set his show among the denizens of a prison for the poor. As the show denounced the poverty, injustice and corruption of society, it is not surprising that the show appealed to Marxist playwright Bertolt Brecht in 1928 Germany. Working with composer Kurt Weill, Brecht adapted Gay's play, which had been translated into German by Brecht's lover Elisabeth Hauptmann, into DIE DREIGROSCHENOPER, aka THE THREEPENNY OPERA. The play made a star of Weill's wife, Lotte Lenya, and was so successful that it had been translated into 18 languages. In 1933, the Nazis came to power and Brecht, Weill and Lenya had to flee Germany. Director G.W. Pabst made a film version of the show in 1931 - which had very little to do with the play in which I was in. In 1956, Marc Blitzstein translated the show for an Off-Broadway production featuring Lotte Lenya, who won a Tony Award for her performance. Bobby Darin did a Jazzy version of the show's opening song, "Mack the Knife", which won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 1959, which ensured the continued notoriety of the show. When I discovered that there had been a 1963 movie version, I figured that it was based on the 1956 production. I was wrong. Instead, it was a German production directed by Wolfgang Staudte, who had started his career in 1932. How much of this production was done in English and how much in German I don't know, but they only used Blitzstein's version of "Mack the Knife". All of the other songs had new lyrics, possibly by co-screenwriter Gunther Weisenborn. Staudte also re-arranged the order of the scenes, though most everything happened as in the show I knew. Unfortunately, I've only been able to see a very bad TV broadcast of the 1963 movie, but Staudte mostly surrounded his cast with a carnival setting giving the show a theatrical look. Sammy Davis Jr. plays the "Street Singer" so he gets to do his version of "Mack the Knife". If you've ever wanted to see Curt Jurgens, aka Curd Jurgens, as a suave lothario, this is the movie for you. It sounds to me that he sings his songs in English, and I've never before seen him look dashing. Also a revelation is Gert Frobe, a year before GOLDFINGER, giving a very animated performance. It doesn't sound like he's singing his songs or speaking in the English version. Hildegard Knef plays Jenny Diver, but her song "Pirate Jenny" is missing. The production of THE THREEPENNY OPERA in which I appeared is the Marc Blitzstein version, staged at North Dakota State University February 12-15, 1975. My major complaint about the 1963 movie version, is that they screw up my favorite song, "What Keeps A Man Alive?"

TOM HORN (1980) - I've been avoiding this movie for about 35 years. Who wants to see a movie about a "stock detective" who gets framed for a murder and hanged when the Cattleman's Association thinks he is a liability? Well, the movie is downright watchable with a striking performance by Steve McQueen. Reportedly the production was originally to be directed by Don Siegel, who quit. Next came Elliot Silverstein and then James William Guercio. McQueen wanted to direct the film himself, but the Directors Guild ruled that he couldn't. TV director William Wiard ended up with the director's credit, but many believe that McQueen actually did the work. In any case, the final film has much to recommend it, except for the inclusion of a romance featuring Linda Evans. This subplot comes to nothing and feels out of place. Western movie fans should enjoy seeing a supporting cast including Richard Farnsworth, Billy Green Bush, Slim Pickens, Elisha Cook Jr. and Geoffrey Lewis. Thomas McGuane and Bud Shrake get the credit for the screenplay supposedly based on Tom Horn's autobiography. 

Did not enjoy:

ALL NEAT IN BLACK STOCKINGS (1969) - Reportedly acclaimed British Horror/Fantasy novelist wrote this "social realist" novel partly based on her husband's experiences as a window cleaner. I certainly hope that her husband was less of a cad as the guy portrayed here by Victory Henry. Henry is turned on by young women wearing black stockings. But, after causing an uproar at an hospital because of a nurse he spotted while window cleaning, he ends up taking her back to his place where he swaps her for the woman already in his flat mate's bed. He starts to feel serious about virginal Susan George, but after bringing her home, he finds that his flat mate, Jack Shepherd, got in first. When George finds out that she's pregnant, Henry agrees to marry her. She insists that they live with her mother, Clare Kelly. One night, Henry and Kelly get into a tussle and end up having sex. While Kelly makes Henry breakfast and lunch, when George comes home with the baby, it becomes apparent that everyone's miserable. Henry throws away the lunch made for him by Kelly, goes to a cafe and begins flirting with the waitress dressed in black stockings. I guess this is supposed to be amusing, but I found it incredibly dreary featuring characters I don't like doing things I don't like. British TV director Christopher Morahan got his feature film debut when producer Carlo Ponti hired him to make DIAMONDS FOR BREAKFAST with Marcello Mastroianni and Rita Tushingham. That film was also reported to be unfunny. My main interest in ALL NEAT IN BLACK STOCKINGS is that it features two actors from one of my favorite movies, director Michael Reeves' THE SORCERERS. Susan George would go on to become world famous, while Victor Henry would continue to be acclaimed as a stage actor until he was hit in the head by a concrete lamppost knocked over by an automobile in 1972. This put him in a coma from which he never recovered. He died in 1985.

BLACK CHRISTMAS (1974) - I didn't much like this movie when it came out in theaters, and I still don't like it. Since it has become a celebrated Cult Movie, I figured I'd give it another look-see and it has everything in it I don't enjoy: creeping killer camera, an house filled with young women set up to be killed and an ambiguous ending. Basically this is an old dark house murder mystery in which the mystery is never solved. I didn't like the 2006 remake either.

SAW III (2006) - I didn't much like the first two, but this one I really didn't like. Stylistically, this featured every editing trick I loath in current Horror movies especially flash cuts with load sound effects. I also hated that Dina Meyer and Angus Macfadyen were wasted in such a project. Darren Lynn Bousman directed II and this flick. He also directed SAW IV, so I'm not looking forward to watching that.

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Angel Rivera  Enjoyed:

'ROOM 222" (1969-74) Various Episodes!
YouTube is streaming several episodes of the old show. The ones I watched were interesting for their story lines, but were more interesting to me for their guest stars. 
In one episode the female student was portrayed by Linda Haynes, a minor and popular actress of the time ("Latitude Zero" (1969) with Cesar Romero) and her friend a pre-"Laverne and Shirley," Cindy Williams. In another episode, about cheerleaders doing cheers with out bras underneath their cheerleader outfits featuring a post "Lost in  Space" Angela Cartwright as one of the cheerleaders (you really can't see anything, so I guess you're just supposed  to imagine you can see nipples.) Also as one of the basketball team members getting into trouble for ogling Angela is a very young, tall and with a head of blonde hair,  Ed Begley, Jr. Also as a father of one of the students is a post "Star Trek" DeForest Kelley. His episode had to do with his character being falsely indicted on criminal charges and how it affected his relationship with his son. An interesting piece of nostalgia. I think it was one of the first TV series to have two black leads, as well as interesting story lines representing the times; that still holds up today.   

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Bertrand van Wonterghem Highly enjoyed:

 The odd couple (1967, Gene Saks)

Enjoyed:

Shoot out (1971, Henry Hathaway)

Valdez is coming (1970, Edwin Sherin)

Déviation obligatoire (theatre play) (2004, Yves di Tullio)

Posse (1975, Kirk Douglas)

The gunfight at Dodge city (1959, Joseph M. Newman)

Objective : Burma (1945, Raoul Walsh)

A l'arraché (short) (2003, Fred Cavaye)

Mildly Enjoyed

The hunting party (1971, Don Medford)

Jubal (1956, Delmer Daves)

Les poneyttes (1967, Joël le Moigne)

The fatal witness (1945, Lesley Selander)

Plein les poches pour pas un rond (1978, Daniel Daert)

Fun with Dick and Jane (2005, Dean Parisot)

Did not enjoy:

The rear gunner (short) (1943, Ray Enright)

The tanks are coming (short) (1941, B. Reeves Eason)

Terror train (1979, Roger Spottiswood)

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 David Deal Enjoyed: 

HYSTERIA (64)

I'LL SEE YOU IN HELL (60)

THE BALLAD OF WALLIS ISLAND (25) - An eccentric young millionaire, who lives on an otherwise uninhabited island, invites his fave folk duo from years ago to play a gig for him. Completely unassuming comedy that treats its characters truthfully. Witty and charming. And recommended.

THE SCARLET BARONESS (59)

MANNEQUIN IN RED (58) - A model is found dead, an ornate knife in her back, in the display window of fashion house Le Femme. The police investigator's wife goes undercover at the request of the house's owner to ferret out the killer. Soon, more murders occur and a blackmail plot turns out to be integral to the crimes. Swedish director Arne Mattson's mystery thriller is very colorful and modern, and draws strong parallels with Mario Bava's Blood and Black Lace (64). It's a bit long but consistently interesting, visually and otherwise. The same investigative couple feature in Mattson's Rider in Blue, another worthwhile mystery.

LA NOTTE (61)

THE TALL T (57)

GORGO (61)

BACK TO THE WALL (58)

FIRST SPACESHIP ON VENUS (62)

AND GOD CREATED WOMAN (56) - This is better than its reputation.

LUST FOR A VAMPIRE (71) - Gotta wrap up the week with another cerebral entertainment.

Mildly enjoyed:

CAPTIVE OF BILLY THE KID (52) - Five people each hold a piece of a map that leads to Billy the Kid's loot stash. Detective "Rocky" Lane has been hired by one of the five to keep them all safe. It doesn't work because one of the five is the villain of the piece. Fair oater features future Lone Ranger Clayton Moore.

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