Film composer Maurice Jarre and B Western star Monte Hale both recently passed on.
Maurice Jarre passed on March 28 at the age of 84. He won three Academy Awards as a composer and contributed considerably to the nature of music in epic films.
Maurice-Alexis Jarre in Lyon, France on September 13, 1924. Unlike many musicians, he came to it late. He dropped out of La Sorbonne, where he had been studying engineering, to enrol in the Conservatoire de Paris to learn music. As a composer he started in the theatre, writing for the Theatre National Populaire. His first score for a film was for the French documentary short "Hotel des Invalides" in 1952. His first work in a feature film would be on Henri Decoin's Le Feu aux poudres. It would be the film Les Dimanches de Ville d'Avray (released in English as Sundays and Cybele) which would bring him to the attention of producer Sam Spiegel. Spiegel hired him to write the score for Lawrence of Arabia. With the score to Lawrence of Arabia, Jarre helped define the musical language of the Hollywood epic. Prior to Lawrence of Arabia, he had worked on The Longest Day, his first work on an English language film.
Jarre would go onto compose scores for such films as the 1963 remake of Judex, The Train, Doctor Zhivago, The Professionals, Grand Prix, The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean, and Crossed Swords. He later shifted to more subtle, often electronic scores, writing scores for such movies as Dreamscape, Witness, Fatal Attraction (an awful movie, but with a great score), and Ghost.
Maurice Jarre largely redefined the epic movie music score as it was known. As a percussionist, he increased the use of drums and percussion from what had previously been heard in epic movies. He also had an uncanny knack for perfectly capturing the mood of any film. If the the theme to Doctor Zhivago became ever present in our society for a time, it may have been because it fit the movie so well.
Legendary cowboy actor Monte Hale died 29 at the age of 89.
Monte Hale was born Samuel Buren Ely on June 8, 1919 in San Angelo, Texas. He may well have been born to be a singing cowboy. As a child he not only started playing guitar, but was a huge fan of cowboy star Ken Maynard. With money he earned from picking pecans and cotton, Hale bought his first guitar. He performed at county fairs and by 13 he was playing in clubs. During World War II he joined the Stars Over Texas Bond Drive. It was perhaps inevitable he would appear in film. He appeared in bit parts in such films as The Big Bonanza (1944) and Oregon Trail (1945).
Strangely enough, Hale's first major film role would not be in a Western, but in a sci-fi chapterplay titled The Purple Monster Strikes from 1945. He played Dr. Harvey in two chapters of the serial. He went onto appear in supporting roles in such films as Bandits of the Badlands (1945) and California Gold Rush (1946). His first starring role, as a character named Monte Hale, was in Home on the Range in 1946. Monte Hale would star as, well, Monte Hale, in nine more movies, from 1946 to 1949. While his films featured less singing than those of Gene Autry and Roy Rogers, they featured considerably more action. Monte Hale continued to appear in B Westerns until the form died out in the early to mid Fifties, playing such roles as Bat Masterson in Prince of the Plains in 1949 and Pat Garrett in Outcasts of the Trail that same year.
Once the B Westerns died out, Hale returned to singing at clubs, fairs, and rodeos. He did continue to act, appearing in the movie Giant in 1956. He also made guest appearances on the TV shows Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok, Tales of Wells Fargo, The Texan, Honey West, and Gunsmoke.
Monte Hale never quite had the singing career that either Gene Autry or Roy Rogers had, although he made up for this in comic books. He appeared in Monte Hale comic books from 1948 to 1956, as well as such titles as Cowboy Western Comics, Movie Comics, Real Western Hero, and Six-Gun Heroes. Comic books featuring Monte Hale would eventually be published in 27 different languages.
Monte Hale was pivotal in founding what would become the Autry National Centre of the American West. His friend Gene Autry had often expressed interest in founding a museum dedicated to the Old West. One night in the early Eighties, Monte Hale pointedly asked when he would found the museum. Monte Hale's wife, Joanne Hale would hold the post of executive director from the museum's beginnings until she retired in 1999. Monte Hale would serve on the museum's board until his recent death. He would also greet guests at the museum, donated his own white hat, guns, and gun belt, and encouraged other cowboy stars to contribute material for the museum's movie gallery.
Monte Hale was perhaps the last, great singing cowboy. And alongside Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, and Tex Ritter, he was arguably one of the best. His movies tended to be more action packed, which always appealed to me more as a boy than singing. And he had a bit more versatility than other cowboy stars, able to play a U. S. Marshal or a bank clerk with equal ease. He was also pivotal in seeing to it that the B Westerns of yesteryear were remembered. He not only co-founded what would become the Autry National Centre of the American West, but saw to it that its film gallery had some of the most legendary props from the genre. Monte Hale's passing is sad simply because it means the passing of an era, but because he was among the very best in his profession.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Andy Hallett R..I.P.
Singer and actor Andy Hallett, best known for playing the demon Lorne on the TV series Angel, passed on Sunday at the age of 33. He had suffered with congestive heart disease for the past several years.
Andy Hallett was born in Osterville, Massachusetts on August 4, 1975. He attended Barnstable High School and Assumption College in Worcester, Massachusetts. He loved singing as a child, but feared doing so publicly until at a concert Patti LaBelle invited him onstage to sing "Lady Marmalade" with her. Hallett moved to Los Angeles, where he was a runner for an agency, a property manager, and then personal assistant. He was performing in a Universal City blues revue when he met and became friends with Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel.
Whedon persuaded Hallett to try out for the role of Krevlornswath of the Deathwok Clan, more simply known as Lorne or The Host, on Angel. Lorne was an anagogic demon who could read people whenever they sang. He was the greeter at and owner of the karaoke bar Caritas. In all Hallett appeared in 76 episodes of Angel.
Andy Hallett was also the voice of the Cricket in the animated feature Geppetto's Secret.
Sadly, Hallett's career as a singer and actor would be cut short by his health. It was about a month after the last episode of Angel was shot that Hallett developed a tooth infection which led to cardiomyopathy. Hallett did not return to acting save for his voice work on Geppetto's Secret, although he continued to sing and appear at conventions.
I must say I am exceedingly sad at Andy Hallett's passing. Angel was among my favourite series of the early Naughts and much of this was because of its cast. Despite his inexperience in acting, Hallett proved to be an enormous talent. Lorne became one of the most beloved characters on Angel, appearing on the show from his first appearance in the second season to its final scene. What is more, Hallett was an exceedingly good singer with a great voice, as would befit the greeter at and owner of Caritas. He actually sung twice on Angel. It is sad that he had to die so young, before his career could really blossom.
Andy Hallett was born in Osterville, Massachusetts on August 4, 1975. He attended Barnstable High School and Assumption College in Worcester, Massachusetts. He loved singing as a child, but feared doing so publicly until at a concert Patti LaBelle invited him onstage to sing "Lady Marmalade" with her. Hallett moved to Los Angeles, where he was a runner for an agency, a property manager, and then personal assistant. He was performing in a Universal City blues revue when he met and became friends with Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel.
Whedon persuaded Hallett to try out for the role of Krevlornswath of the Deathwok Clan, more simply known as Lorne or The Host, on Angel. Lorne was an anagogic demon who could read people whenever they sang. He was the greeter at and owner of the karaoke bar Caritas. In all Hallett appeared in 76 episodes of Angel.
Andy Hallett was also the voice of the Cricket in the animated feature Geppetto's Secret.
Sadly, Hallett's career as a singer and actor would be cut short by his health. It was about a month after the last episode of Angel was shot that Hallett developed a tooth infection which led to cardiomyopathy. Hallett did not return to acting save for his voice work on Geppetto's Secret, although he continued to sing and appear at conventions.
I must say I am exceedingly sad at Andy Hallett's passing. Angel was among my favourite series of the early Naughts and much of this was because of its cast. Despite his inexperience in acting, Hallett proved to be an enormous talent. Lorne became one of the most beloved characters on Angel, appearing on the show from his first appearance in the second season to its final scene. What is more, Hallett was an exceedingly good singer with a great voice, as would befit the greeter at and owner of Caritas. He actually sung twice on Angel. It is sad that he had to die so young, before his career could really blossom.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Voice Artist Bob Arbogast Passes On
Bob Arbogast, known in Los Angeles, California as a radio personality but known elsewhere as a voice artist on cartoons and commercials, as well as a comedy writer, passed on March 21 at the age of 81. The cause was cancer.
Bob Arbogast was born in Bellingham, Washington on April 1, 1927. He attended John Marshall High School in Los Angeles, California. Following graduation he served in the United States Navy in 1944. He attended the Los Angeles City College and the University of Arizona following World War II. He was hired by WHB in Kansas City after its programme director heard Arbogast on the University of Arizona radio station. Arbogast would spend the next several years in radio, at WMAQ in Chicago, KSFO and KFRC in San Francisco, California, and KMPC, KLAC, KFI, and KGBS in Los Angeles. While at KLAC he wrote for Gary Owens, later to become famous as the DJ on Laugh In. Arbogast also appeared on KTTV in Los Angeles as well.
While working in radio, Bob Arbogast also worked in comedy. He created the Question Man while still at WHB in Kansas City, which would later be incorporated into The Steve Allen Show, albeit without Arbogast's permission. In 1958 Arbogast and future television writer Stanley Ralph Ross wrote the record single "Chaos, Parts 1 and 2." Although initially popular, radio stations would soon stop playing it when they figured out it was a parody of Top 40 radio. It was later revived by Dr. Demento. Arbogast and Ross also the book peak When You Hear the Beep and the album of parody songs My Son, the Copycat. He also wrote Jay Ward's unsold, live action pilot The Nut House. He also wrote for Sesame Street, The Pat Paulsen Show, and the notorious one night wonder Turn On.
Arbogast also worked as a voice artist. In fact, he may well have been most famous as the voice of General G.I. Brassbottom on the carton Roger Ramjet. He also provided additional voices for The Jetsons, voices for the short The Ruby Eye of the Monkey-God, the voice of Doc Warren on Hot Wheels, the voice of the Parrot and the Undertaker in the animated special Carlton the Doorman, and the voice of Theo on The Adventures of the American Rabbit. He also did a good deal of work in commercials, including the voice of the animated Granny Goose in Granny Goose commercials, and the first voice for the original "What would you do for a Klondike Bar?" advertising campaign.
Bob Arbogast had a varied career and excelled at most everything he did. He was arguably one of the best voice artists around, providing thousands of hours of voice overs and voices for cartoons. In fact, while he primarily played General Brassbottom on Roger Ramjet, he also provided the voices of Noodles Romanoff and Ma Ramjet on the cartoon--three characters who sounded very different. It is little wonder that he was a legend in LA radio and fondly remembered by cartoon fans everywhere.
Bob Arbogast was born in Bellingham, Washington on April 1, 1927. He attended John Marshall High School in Los Angeles, California. Following graduation he served in the United States Navy in 1944. He attended the Los Angeles City College and the University of Arizona following World War II. He was hired by WHB in Kansas City after its programme director heard Arbogast on the University of Arizona radio station. Arbogast would spend the next several years in radio, at WMAQ in Chicago, KSFO and KFRC in San Francisco, California, and KMPC, KLAC, KFI, and KGBS in Los Angeles. While at KLAC he wrote for Gary Owens, later to become famous as the DJ on Laugh In. Arbogast also appeared on KTTV in Los Angeles as well.
While working in radio, Bob Arbogast also worked in comedy. He created the Question Man while still at WHB in Kansas City, which would later be incorporated into The Steve Allen Show, albeit without Arbogast's permission. In 1958 Arbogast and future television writer Stanley Ralph Ross wrote the record single "Chaos, Parts 1 and 2." Although initially popular, radio stations would soon stop playing it when they figured out it was a parody of Top 40 radio. It was later revived by Dr. Demento. Arbogast and Ross also the book peak When You Hear the Beep and the album of parody songs My Son, the Copycat. He also wrote Jay Ward's unsold, live action pilot The Nut House. He also wrote for Sesame Street, The Pat Paulsen Show, and the notorious one night wonder Turn On.
Arbogast also worked as a voice artist. In fact, he may well have been most famous as the voice of General G.I. Brassbottom on the carton Roger Ramjet. He also provided additional voices for The Jetsons, voices for the short The Ruby Eye of the Monkey-God, the voice of Doc Warren on Hot Wheels, the voice of the Parrot and the Undertaker in the animated special Carlton the Doorman, and the voice of Theo on The Adventures of the American Rabbit. He also did a good deal of work in commercials, including the voice of the animated Granny Goose in Granny Goose commercials, and the first voice for the original "What would you do for a Klondike Bar?" advertising campaign.
Bob Arbogast had a varied career and excelled at most everything he did. He was arguably one of the best voice artists around, providing thousands of hours of voice overs and voices for cartoons. In fact, while he primarily played General Brassbottom on Roger Ramjet, he also provided the voices of Noodles Romanoff and Ma Ramjet on the cartoon--three characters who sounded very different. It is little wonder that he was a legend in LA radio and fondly remembered by cartoon fans everywhere.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
"Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" by The Who
Tonight I am feeling a bit under the weather, so I am not up to a full fledged blog entry. In lieu of one, then, I thought I would leave you with a clip, courtesy of YouTube, of The Who performing "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" on Ready Steady Go! from 1965. I have to warn you--the video quality isn't the best.
"Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" is interesting as the only time that a song was credited to both Peter Townshend and Roger Daltrey. It was not the first song to use guitar feedback, as The Beatles had previously used it on "I Feel Fine." That having been said, it is believed to be the first to use feedback in a guitar solo. "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" has been covered by David Bowie, The Flaming Lips, and Ocean Colour Scene.
"Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" is interesting as the only time that a song was credited to both Peter Townshend and Roger Daltrey. It was not the first song to use guitar feedback, as The Beatles had previously used it on "I Feel Fine." That having been said, it is believed to be the first to use feedback in a guitar solo. "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" has been covered by David Bowie, The Flaming Lips, and Ocean Colour Scene.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Mister Peepers
Members of my generation most likely remember Wally Cox as the voice of Underdog and his many appearances on television and in movies. Members of younger generations might not remember him at all. But Baby Boomers and older folks might well remember Wally Cox as high school science teacher Robinson J. Peepers.
Mister Peepers debuted on July 3, 1952 on NBC as a summer replacement only meant to last eight weeks. As often happens, however, the best laid plans of networks and men go awry. Doc Corkle, the regularly scheduled sitcom which debuted in Mister Peepers' place that fall, proved an abysmal failure, lasting only three episodes. Mister Peepers had proven incredibly popular to the point that it had caused dismay among viewers when it left the air. NBC then replaced Doc Corkle with Wally Cox's popular sitcom. The show would run three years in total.
The reason for the success of Mister Peepers may well have rested primarily with its cast. In fact, those who have not seen the show may be shocked to know how many well know television actors appeared for the first time on the show. Of course, Mister Peepers was Wally Cox's first regular series. Cox played Robinson J. Peepers, a painfully shy teacher whose childlike wonderment at science made him a favourite of his students. Not only was Mr. Peepers a bit naive, but he could also be incredibly clumsy--much of the humour on the series emerged from his struggles with inanimate objects or other similarly embarrassing situations.
Although undoubtedly the star of the show, Cox was supported by one of the greatest casts in the history of sitcoms. Indeed, Mr. Peepers' best friend, history teacher Harvey Weskit, was played by none other than Tony Randall. Weskit was similar in some ways to the sort of characters Randall would later play in Sixties sex comedies, a handsome and confident ladies man who was a sharp contrast to his shy best friend. Marion Lorne, perhaps best known as Aunt Clara on Bewitched, played the principal's wife and English teacher Mrs. Gurney . Mrs. Gurney was very similar to Aunt Clara--soft hearted, sweet, and incredibly absent minded. Jack Warden, later known for his roles in movies and the TV shows N.Y.P.D. and Crazy Like a Fox, appeared as athletic coach Frank Whip. Reta Shaw, who would go onto play Aunt Hagatha on Bewitched, played Mr. Peepers' Aunt Lil.
Mister Peepers was also gifted with some of the best writing of the time. David Swift, who would go onto write the screenplay for the classic How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, wrote the majority of episodes. James Fritzell, who would go onto write for The Andy Griffith Show and M*A*S*H, wrote nearly as many episodes. In the end the series would be nominated for eight Emmy Awards, including Best Situation Comedy, Best Supporting Actress in a Regular Series (for Marion Lorne), Best Written Material for a Comedy Series, Best Male Star of Regular Series (for Wally Cox), and Best Series Supporting Actor (for Tony Randall).
While Mister Peepers is often described as a gentle comedy, this is not quite the case. While it did not rely on the slapstick of I Love Lucy or My Little Margie, it did feature its share of physical comedy. It might be more accurate to describe the comedy of Mister Peepers as more subtle, more whimsical, than many of its contemporaries. Indeed, in one episode Superintendent of Schools Mr. Bascomb comes to inspect the school the very day that Mr. Peepers asked his students to bring their pets to school, leaving him to figure out a way to hide the biggest pet--a full grown cow. In another episode the machine which marked lines on the volleyball court went haywire, running all throughout the school. Given its cast, much of the humour also emerged from the characters, particularly the painfully shy, extremely kind hearted Mr. Peepers. While other comedies of the time relied largely on slapstick, Mister Peepers was very much an intellectual comedy, relying on comedy that was slightly left of centre.
Sadly, Mister Peepers would not last. In 1954 the show would receive its highest ratings ever when Mr. Peepers finally married his romantic interest, school nurse Nancy Remington (Patricia Benoit). Unfortunately, this episode precipitated a decline in the ratings which resulted in its cancellation. The show would leave the air in 1955.
Mister Peepers was broadcast live and filmed on kinescope for later broadcast. This would be unfortunate for future generations, as would mean that Mister Peepers would be largely unseen for many years. The quality of kinescopes are inferior to that of film, on which more and more series were being shot as the Fifties progressed. Although as great a classic as I Love Lucy, if not greater, then Mister Peepers would not be rerun the way I Love Lucy has been, simply because it was not filmed.
Indeed, I must warn anyone out there who would like to see the show that its production values are not going to be comparable even to concurrent, filmed series such as I Love Lucy. Being filmed live, the actors do occasionally make mistakes. The lighting is not always the best and there is sometimes some awkward bits of direction. Regardless, the very quality of the writing and the performances make such things easy to overlook.
Curiously, Wally Cox despised the character of Robinson Peepers, referring to him as "Mister Goodboy." Although typecast as the character for at time, Cox maintained he was nothing like Mr. Peepers. Indeed, on Hollywood Squares Cox was soft spoken, but at the same time possessed of biting wit and sarcasm that would have shocked Robinson Peepers. Sadly, Mister Peepers would be the last success Wally Cox would see playing the lead in a regularly scheduled, live action TV show (the animated Underdog was arguably his most successful show). During the 1956-1957 season Cox starred in the inventive, but short lived The Adventures of Hiram Holliday. It ran only twenty episodes. Cox never again played the lead in a live action series, instead making guest appearances on numerous TV shows, appearances in movies, appearing as a regular on Hollywood Squares, and providing the voice for Underdog.
For those who are interested in seeing Mister Peepers, the first two seasons are available on DVD. I rather suspect the third season of the show will come out eventually. I would seriously recommend it to anyone interested in classic television, classic comedy, Wally Cox, or Tony Randall. Mister Peepers is a true classic that deserves to be seen much more often.
Mister Peepers debuted on July 3, 1952 on NBC as a summer replacement only meant to last eight weeks. As often happens, however, the best laid plans of networks and men go awry. Doc Corkle, the regularly scheduled sitcom which debuted in Mister Peepers' place that fall, proved an abysmal failure, lasting only three episodes. Mister Peepers had proven incredibly popular to the point that it had caused dismay among viewers when it left the air. NBC then replaced Doc Corkle with Wally Cox's popular sitcom. The show would run three years in total.
The reason for the success of Mister Peepers may well have rested primarily with its cast. In fact, those who have not seen the show may be shocked to know how many well know television actors appeared for the first time on the show. Of course, Mister Peepers was Wally Cox's first regular series. Cox played Robinson J. Peepers, a painfully shy teacher whose childlike wonderment at science made him a favourite of his students. Not only was Mr. Peepers a bit naive, but he could also be incredibly clumsy--much of the humour on the series emerged from his struggles with inanimate objects or other similarly embarrassing situations.
Although undoubtedly the star of the show, Cox was supported by one of the greatest casts in the history of sitcoms. Indeed, Mr. Peepers' best friend, history teacher Harvey Weskit, was played by none other than Tony Randall. Weskit was similar in some ways to the sort of characters Randall would later play in Sixties sex comedies, a handsome and confident ladies man who was a sharp contrast to his shy best friend. Marion Lorne, perhaps best known as Aunt Clara on Bewitched, played the principal's wife and English teacher Mrs. Gurney . Mrs. Gurney was very similar to Aunt Clara--soft hearted, sweet, and incredibly absent minded. Jack Warden, later known for his roles in movies and the TV shows N.Y.P.D. and Crazy Like a Fox, appeared as athletic coach Frank Whip. Reta Shaw, who would go onto play Aunt Hagatha on Bewitched, played Mr. Peepers' Aunt Lil.
Mister Peepers was also gifted with some of the best writing of the time. David Swift, who would go onto write the screenplay for the classic How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, wrote the majority of episodes. James Fritzell, who would go onto write for The Andy Griffith Show and M*A*S*H, wrote nearly as many episodes. In the end the series would be nominated for eight Emmy Awards, including Best Situation Comedy, Best Supporting Actress in a Regular Series (for Marion Lorne), Best Written Material for a Comedy Series, Best Male Star of Regular Series (for Wally Cox), and Best Series Supporting Actor (for Tony Randall).
While Mister Peepers is often described as a gentle comedy, this is not quite the case. While it did not rely on the slapstick of I Love Lucy or My Little Margie, it did feature its share of physical comedy. It might be more accurate to describe the comedy of Mister Peepers as more subtle, more whimsical, than many of its contemporaries. Indeed, in one episode Superintendent of Schools Mr. Bascomb comes to inspect the school the very day that Mr. Peepers asked his students to bring their pets to school, leaving him to figure out a way to hide the biggest pet--a full grown cow. In another episode the machine which marked lines on the volleyball court went haywire, running all throughout the school. Given its cast, much of the humour also emerged from the characters, particularly the painfully shy, extremely kind hearted Mr. Peepers. While other comedies of the time relied largely on slapstick, Mister Peepers was very much an intellectual comedy, relying on comedy that was slightly left of centre.
Sadly, Mister Peepers would not last. In 1954 the show would receive its highest ratings ever when Mr. Peepers finally married his romantic interest, school nurse Nancy Remington (Patricia Benoit). Unfortunately, this episode precipitated a decline in the ratings which resulted in its cancellation. The show would leave the air in 1955.
Mister Peepers was broadcast live and filmed on kinescope for later broadcast. This would be unfortunate for future generations, as would mean that Mister Peepers would be largely unseen for many years. The quality of kinescopes are inferior to that of film, on which more and more series were being shot as the Fifties progressed. Although as great a classic as I Love Lucy, if not greater, then Mister Peepers would not be rerun the way I Love Lucy has been, simply because it was not filmed.
Indeed, I must warn anyone out there who would like to see the show that its production values are not going to be comparable even to concurrent, filmed series such as I Love Lucy. Being filmed live, the actors do occasionally make mistakes. The lighting is not always the best and there is sometimes some awkward bits of direction. Regardless, the very quality of the writing and the performances make such things easy to overlook.
Curiously, Wally Cox despised the character of Robinson Peepers, referring to him as "Mister Goodboy." Although typecast as the character for at time, Cox maintained he was nothing like Mr. Peepers. Indeed, on Hollywood Squares Cox was soft spoken, but at the same time possessed of biting wit and sarcasm that would have shocked Robinson Peepers. Sadly, Mister Peepers would be the last success Wally Cox would see playing the lead in a regularly scheduled, live action TV show (the animated Underdog was arguably his most successful show). During the 1956-1957 season Cox starred in the inventive, but short lived The Adventures of Hiram Holliday. It ran only twenty episodes. Cox never again played the lead in a live action series, instead making guest appearances on numerous TV shows, appearances in movies, appearing as a regular on Hollywood Squares, and providing the voice for Underdog.
For those who are interested in seeing Mister Peepers, the first two seasons are available on DVD. I rather suspect the third season of the show will come out eventually. I would seriously recommend it to anyone interested in classic television, classic comedy, Wally Cox, or Tony Randall. Mister Peepers is a true classic that deserves to be seen much more often.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
The Warner Archive
For those of you who follow the classic film blogs, this might well be old news. Warner Brothers is releasing 150 back catalogue movies on DVD for $19.95 (plus shipping and handling) by special order or by download for $14.95. Many of the films have never before been released on DVD or digital download. Furthermore, they will only be available though the Warner Archive. One will not be able to find them at the local WalMart. All within a week, the DVDs will be manufactured. packaged, and shipped to customers.
The movies being released are of a wide variety, ranging from the Silent Era to the Eighties, from classics to schlock. Among the movies, by decade are:
The Twenties: The 1929 silent film The Smart Set, starting William Haines and directed by Jack Conway.
The Thirties: Love on the Run, the 1936 film starring Clark Gable and Joan Crawford as rival newspaper reporters.
The Forties: Mr. Lucky, perhaps the gem of the Warner archive so far. This is the 1943 movie staring Cary Grant as a gambler and a grifter.
The Fifties: The Mating Game, the classic sex comedy featuring Tony Randall in one of his few starring roles, as a tax collector and Debbie Reynolds as the daughter of a farmer delinquent on his taxes. A must have.
The Sixties: Kaleidoscope, a caper film featuring Warren Beatty in an outrageous plot to break the bank of every casino in Europe.
The Seventies: Doc Savage, The Man of Bronze, the campy film adaptation of the classic pulp hero, produced by George Pal. Although often anathematised by fans, it is a fun film when one overlooks how disloyal it is in its flavour to the pulp novels.
The Eighties: Wisdom, was rightfully drubbed by the critics, but it is historic as one of the few films to acknowledge the recession of the era.
Warner Brothers is currently planning to add about twenty movies a month to the Archive. In fact, when going to the site the user is greeting by a pop up survey asking which of a few movies should be the next to be released to the Archive. If Warner Brothers does meet its goal of adding 20 movies a month to the Archive, they will have 300 movies available on the site. This is a drop in the bucket, given Warner Brothers owns over 6,800 movies, of which only 1,200 have ever been released on DVD.
At any rate, the Warner Archive would appear to be reason for fans of classic and not so classic films to rejoice. For the first time many movies will be available on DVD that were never available before. Of course, it also seems to be the newest way for movie buffs to go broke...
Among the films are a few silents, such as the 1929 movie The Smart Set, starring William Haines and directed by Jack Conway. From the Eighties is the critically drubbed Wisdom (one of the few films to acknowledge the recession of the time). The Seventies is represented by George Pal's camp interpretation of the classic pulp hero, Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze. From the Sixties is the Warren Beatty caper movie Kaleidoscope.
The movies being released are of a wide variety, ranging from the Silent Era to the Eighties, from classics to schlock. Among the movies, by decade are:
The Twenties: The 1929 silent film The Smart Set, starting William Haines and directed by Jack Conway.
The Thirties: Love on the Run, the 1936 film starring Clark Gable and Joan Crawford as rival newspaper reporters.
The Forties: Mr. Lucky, perhaps the gem of the Warner archive so far. This is the 1943 movie staring Cary Grant as a gambler and a grifter.
The Fifties: The Mating Game, the classic sex comedy featuring Tony Randall in one of his few starring roles, as a tax collector and Debbie Reynolds as the daughter of a farmer delinquent on his taxes. A must have.
The Sixties: Kaleidoscope, a caper film featuring Warren Beatty in an outrageous plot to break the bank of every casino in Europe.
The Seventies: Doc Savage, The Man of Bronze, the campy film adaptation of the classic pulp hero, produced by George Pal. Although often anathematised by fans, it is a fun film when one overlooks how disloyal it is in its flavour to the pulp novels.
The Eighties: Wisdom, was rightfully drubbed by the critics, but it is historic as one of the few films to acknowledge the recession of the era.
Warner Brothers is currently planning to add about twenty movies a month to the Archive. In fact, when going to the site the user is greeting by a pop up survey asking which of a few movies should be the next to be released to the Archive. If Warner Brothers does meet its goal of adding 20 movies a month to the Archive, they will have 300 movies available on the site. This is a drop in the bucket, given Warner Brothers owns over 6,800 movies, of which only 1,200 have ever been released on DVD.
At any rate, the Warner Archive would appear to be reason for fans of classic and not so classic films to rejoice. For the first time many movies will be available on DVD that were never available before. Of course, it also seems to be the newest way for movie buffs to go broke...
Among the films are a few silents, such as the 1929 movie The Smart Set, starring William Haines and directed by Jack Conway. From the Eighties is the critically drubbed Wisdom (one of the few films to acknowledge the recession of the time). The Seventies is represented by George Pal's camp interpretation of the classic pulp hero, Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze. From the Sixties is the Warren Beatty caper movie Kaleidoscope.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Rich People and Theorists: Will Recession Affect Movies?
Before this evening's entry, I have to mention that as guest blogger I wrote today's post at Kate Gabrielle's Silents and Talkies as a birthday to tribute to Steve McQueen. Silents and Talkies is only a few months old, but it is already one of the best movie blogs around. Kate Gabrielle does a really good job with its posts, with every one accompanied by one of her paintings, pen and ink drawings, or pencil sketches. I recommend it highly!
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The current recession and even the Great Depression have apparently been on the minds of many bloggers of late. A while back Serena Whitney did a post on "How to Save Money on Movies during the Recession" at her column at KillerFilm. Katie Richardson at Obscure Film Classics wrote a similarly, if more humorous post entitled "Tips from the Classics in These Tough Economic Times", drawing upon classic films from the Great Depression for tips on how to survive this depression. In Out of the Past Raquelle examined the effect of the Great Depression on movies of that era in a post titled "Food from the Great Depression," even cooking a recipe she obtained from the series of videos entitled Great Depression Cooking with Clara. Movie bloggers have certainly taken notice of the current economic woes.
It was in replying to Raquelle's post that I pondered whether or not the current recession would have an impact on movies being made now. As both Katie at Obscure Film Classics and Raquelle at Out of the Past both ably demonstrated, the Great Depression had an impact on the movies of that era. Raquelle cited the rather insubstantial meals which characters had in both Our Blushing Brides and Gold Diggers of 1933. In her article Katie cited a number of different films ranging from Bed of Roses to Public Enemy to Man's Castle. In the Thirties and even into the early Forties the movie industry certainly took notice of the hard times and incorporated into their films.
Indeed, the Great Depression is pivotal to some of the most famous films of all time. Fans of classic horror films will recall that in King Kong unemployed actress Anne Darrow (the great Fay Wray) was so desperate for food that she was actually going to steal an apple from a street side grocer. Producer Carl Denham, seeking a star for his latest film, actually gets a meeting with her simply by paying for the almost stolen apple and buying her a meal, which she eats as if she has been starving (which she probably has). In the classic screwball comedy My Man Godfrey, socialite Cornelia Bullock (Carole Lombard) hired a homeless man, Godfrey (William Powell), as the family butler. Of course, Godfrey wasn't always a derelict...
Other films would go even further in incorporating the Great Depression into their plots. The plot of Harry Beaumont's Dance, Fools, Dance is set in motion by the Stock Market crash of 1929. In Our Daily Bread down on their luck workers from the city seek to make a living by setting up a farming community based on the economic philosophies of Edward Gallafent. Almost every movie in the gangster cycle of the Thirties, particularly Angels in Dirty Faces, took into account the poverty of the era as a cause of crime. Of course, perhaps no other film delved as deep into the economic woes of the time as The Grapes of Wrath, directed by John Ford and based on the novel of the same name by John Steinbeck. The Grapes of Wrath followed an Oklahoma family who lost their farm through a combination of the ongoing Depression and the concurrent Dust Bowl. While the United States economy had somewhat recovered by 1939 (when The Grapes of Wrath) and 1940, there were still enough people struggling to get by that in Sullivan's Travels director John Sullivan wanted to chronicle the plight of the downtrodden so much that he would even make himself one of them (here I must note, the title for this post comes from Sullivan's Travels).
Here it must be pointed out that the Great Depression was not the only period of economic unrest in the United States. Those of us over the age of thirty five probably remember the recession of the Eighties. Although nowhere as severe as the Great Depression, the recession of the Eighties was one of the worst economic periods in the history of the Untied States. Unemployment was wide spread, farm foreclosures were at a record high, and homelessness was even on the rise. Curiously, however, very little notice was taken of the economic woes of the time in the films of the day. The Farm Crisis was recognised in a few films of the era. Country, released in 1984, followed a family in danger of losing their farm to FHA loans and the effect that has on the family. The River, also released in 1984, mined much of the same territory, although natural disasters played a much larger role in that film.
The movie Wisdom was not only based in the Farm Crisis, but in the crisis faced b y other Americans unable to pay back loans and mortgages. In the movie unemployed John Wisdom makes himself a Robin Hood figure, going from bank to bank and destroying loan and mortgage records. Raising Arizona also faced the economic crisis of the Eighties head on. In the film Hi (Nicholas Cage) falls victim to the economic hardships of the era, all the while his wife Edwina (Holly Hunter) wants to have a baby. Raising Arizona makes no bones about laying the fault of the recession of the Eighties at the feet of the presidential administration of the time--at one point in the movie Hi says, "I tried to stand up and fly straight, but it wasn't easy with that sumbitch Reagan in the White House. I dunno. They say he's a decent man, so maybe his advisors are confused." The science fiction movie They Live also dealt with the recession of the time, only homeless construction worker John Nada (Roddy Piper) learns its true cause (as well as that of pollution, greed, and a number of other modern woes) have produced by aliens in an effort to control our world! The cult classic Repo Man also takes into account the economic hardships of the time.
During the Great Depression it is actually hard to find a movie that was not somehow affected by the economic woes of the era, even if it was only in minor ways. This can be contrasted by the films made during the recession of the Eighties, which for the most part refused to acknowledge that any economic hardship was taking place at all. It is then difficult to say how this the movie industry will deal with the current recession. Will they portray it realistically in films as the movies of the Great Depression did? Or will they entirely ignore it as most films of the recession of the Eighties. It is difficult to say which path the movie industry will take. My own hope is that they will acknowledge the economic hardships of the time. In fact, I would think that if they do not, then audiences will find it hard to believe in any movie set in the present day. After all, how can the average movie viewer accept a film where everything is fine when he or she might go home to only a meagre meal and worrying about the mortgage? As to whether the movie industry will tackle the current recession, I suppose we will have to just wait and see.
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The current recession and even the Great Depression have apparently been on the minds of many bloggers of late. A while back Serena Whitney did a post on "How to Save Money on Movies during the Recession" at her column at KillerFilm. Katie Richardson at Obscure Film Classics wrote a similarly, if more humorous post entitled "Tips from the Classics in These Tough Economic Times", drawing upon classic films from the Great Depression for tips on how to survive this depression. In Out of the Past Raquelle examined the effect of the Great Depression on movies of that era in a post titled "Food from the Great Depression," even cooking a recipe she obtained from the series of videos entitled Great Depression Cooking with Clara. Movie bloggers have certainly taken notice of the current economic woes.
It was in replying to Raquelle's post that I pondered whether or not the current recession would have an impact on movies being made now. As both Katie at Obscure Film Classics and Raquelle at Out of the Past both ably demonstrated, the Great Depression had an impact on the movies of that era. Raquelle cited the rather insubstantial meals which characters had in both Our Blushing Brides and Gold Diggers of 1933. In her article Katie cited a number of different films ranging from Bed of Roses to Public Enemy to Man's Castle. In the Thirties and even into the early Forties the movie industry certainly took notice of the hard times and incorporated into their films.
Indeed, the Great Depression is pivotal to some of the most famous films of all time. Fans of classic horror films will recall that in King Kong unemployed actress Anne Darrow (the great Fay Wray) was so desperate for food that she was actually going to steal an apple from a street side grocer. Producer Carl Denham, seeking a star for his latest film, actually gets a meeting with her simply by paying for the almost stolen apple and buying her a meal, which she eats as if she has been starving (which she probably has). In the classic screwball comedy My Man Godfrey, socialite Cornelia Bullock (Carole Lombard) hired a homeless man, Godfrey (William Powell), as the family butler. Of course, Godfrey wasn't always a derelict...
Other films would go even further in incorporating the Great Depression into their plots. The plot of Harry Beaumont's Dance, Fools, Dance is set in motion by the Stock Market crash of 1929. In Our Daily Bread down on their luck workers from the city seek to make a living by setting up a farming community based on the economic philosophies of Edward Gallafent. Almost every movie in the gangster cycle of the Thirties, particularly Angels in Dirty Faces, took into account the poverty of the era as a cause of crime. Of course, perhaps no other film delved as deep into the economic woes of the time as The Grapes of Wrath, directed by John Ford and based on the novel of the same name by John Steinbeck. The Grapes of Wrath followed an Oklahoma family who lost their farm through a combination of the ongoing Depression and the concurrent Dust Bowl. While the United States economy had somewhat recovered by 1939 (when The Grapes of Wrath) and 1940, there were still enough people struggling to get by that in Sullivan's Travels director John Sullivan wanted to chronicle the plight of the downtrodden so much that he would even make himself one of them (here I must note, the title for this post comes from Sullivan's Travels).
Here it must be pointed out that the Great Depression was not the only period of economic unrest in the United States. Those of us over the age of thirty five probably remember the recession of the Eighties. Although nowhere as severe as the Great Depression, the recession of the Eighties was one of the worst economic periods in the history of the Untied States. Unemployment was wide spread, farm foreclosures were at a record high, and homelessness was even on the rise. Curiously, however, very little notice was taken of the economic woes of the time in the films of the day. The Farm Crisis was recognised in a few films of the era. Country, released in 1984, followed a family in danger of losing their farm to FHA loans and the effect that has on the family. The River, also released in 1984, mined much of the same territory, although natural disasters played a much larger role in that film.
The movie Wisdom was not only based in the Farm Crisis, but in the crisis faced b y other Americans unable to pay back loans and mortgages. In the movie unemployed John Wisdom makes himself a Robin Hood figure, going from bank to bank and destroying loan and mortgage records. Raising Arizona also faced the economic crisis of the Eighties head on. In the film Hi (Nicholas Cage) falls victim to the economic hardships of the era, all the while his wife Edwina (Holly Hunter) wants to have a baby. Raising Arizona makes no bones about laying the fault of the recession of the Eighties at the feet of the presidential administration of the time--at one point in the movie Hi says, "I tried to stand up and fly straight, but it wasn't easy with that sumbitch Reagan in the White House. I dunno. They say he's a decent man, so maybe his advisors are confused." The science fiction movie They Live also dealt with the recession of the time, only homeless construction worker John Nada (Roddy Piper) learns its true cause (as well as that of pollution, greed, and a number of other modern woes) have produced by aliens in an effort to control our world! The cult classic Repo Man also takes into account the economic hardships of the time.
During the Great Depression it is actually hard to find a movie that was not somehow affected by the economic woes of the era, even if it was only in minor ways. This can be contrasted by the films made during the recession of the Eighties, which for the most part refused to acknowledge that any economic hardship was taking place at all. It is then difficult to say how this the movie industry will deal with the current recession. Will they portray it realistically in films as the movies of the Great Depression did? Or will they entirely ignore it as most films of the recession of the Eighties. It is difficult to say which path the movie industry will take. My own hope is that they will acknowledge the economic hardships of the time. In fact, I would think that if they do not, then audiences will find it hard to believe in any movie set in the present day. After all, how can the average movie viewer accept a film where everything is fine when he or she might go home to only a meagre meal and worrying about the mortgage? As to whether the movie industry will tackle the current recession, I suppose we will have to just wait and see.
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