British Rock Musicals of The Sixties

Rock 'n' roll originated in the United States, so naturally the rock musical also originated in the United States. Indeed, by 1964 Elvis Presley had already made 14 such films.While Americans had invented the rock musical, there would be a time in the Sixties when the British would dominate the form, when movies starring British bands were in fashion. The turning point came as did for the genre of rock music, with The Beatles. The film was A Hard Day's Night.

To understand how A Hard Day's Night would forever change rock musicals, one had best know something of the history of the rock musical up to that time. The first movie to feature rock 'n' roll was Blackboard Jungle (1955). Although not a rock musical, it featured "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley and the Comets over its opening credits. This would not only help the song climb the Billboard charts, but it would help the genre as a whole. It was not long before rock musicals would emerge. Indeed, the first rock musical may well have been Rock Around the Clock (1956), a film which took its title from the popular song. It was essentially a fictionalised account of the discovery of rock 'n' roll. Rock Around the Clock set the pace for many rock musicals to come, both American and British. It centred on actors rather than musicians, and featured a number of musical acts (in its case Bill Haley and the Comets, The Platters, and so on).

It was later in 1956 that another rock musical would be released that would create another template for the genre. Love Me Tender was the first movie to star Elvis Presley. Essentially a Western with musical interludes, it offered a fictionalised account of the real life Reno brothers. Elvis Presley's next two movies, Loving You (1957) and the classic Jailhouse Rock (1957) would centre on a young singer being discovered, but King Creole (1958) would return to the format of a drama with musical interludes. G. I. Blues (1960) would be his first comedy. Sadly, while many of Elvis Presely's early films were often quite good, the movie Blue Hawaii (1961) would establish a format that would place Elvis in an exotic location in which the plots were little more than excuses for Elvis to sing songs. Strangely enough, the songs were sometimes tailored to these loose plots and hence not very good (a prime example is "Rock-A-Hula Baby" from Blue Hawaii). Sadly, many rock musicals, both American and British, would follow the example set by Blue Hawaii.

Of course, there were British rock musicals prior to A Hard Day's Night. Unfortunately, both before and after A Hard Day's Night, most of the films were of the sort with flimsy plots and a variety of musical acts. Examples of these films were What a Crazy World (1963), which featured Freddie and the Dreamers and other artists, and Just For Fun (1963), which featured Dusty Springfield and other artists. A notable exception to such films were those made by Cliff Richard. A superstar in Britain, Mr. Richard appeared in his first film in 1959 (Serious Charge) and then in Expresso Bongo in 1960. In neither film was he the star, although he did get to perform. It is in 1961 that we can finally speak of a true Cliff Richard Film. The Young Ones (1961). The film featured Cliff Richard as a young man who, with his friends, try to save their youth club from a developer. Despite the slim plot, it was an entertaining film with good songs. The Young Ones was followed by Summer Holiday in 1963. Summer Holiday featured Mr. Richard as a bus mechanic who persuades his bosses to take one of their buses on a cross country trek across the Continent. While the plot sounds like a typical Elvis vehicle, it was well written and entertaining, directed by Peter Yates (who would Bullitt).  Sadly, Mr. Richard's later movies would not match the quality of either The Young Ones or Summer Holiday.

Cliff Richard was not the only British rock 'n' roller to appear in his own film prior to The Beatles. Before The Beatles, Billy Fury was Liverpool's own teen idol. In 1962 he starred in his first movie, Play It Cool. Like many rock musicals of the time, its plot was very loose. In the film Billy Fury plays Billy Universe, who winds up giving an heiress a tour of London after his flight to Brussels for a music festival is grounded. While the movie itself is reportedly not very good, it had some very good songs.

This brings us to 1964 and A Hard Day's Night. Given the enormous success of The Beatles, a movie was inevitable. British rockers Tommy Steele, Cliff Richard, and Billy Fury had all made films. What may surprise many is that A Hard Day's Night was conceived even before The Beatles conquered America. In October 1963 Brian Epstein met with American independent producer Walter Shenson, who was working on behalf on United Artists. Since at the time that there was no expectation that The Beatles should repeat their British success in the United States, United Artists wanted no more than another rock musical quickie to capitalise on the band's success in the UK. In fact, United Artists' primary interest in a Beatles movie was not the movie itself, but its soundtrack album. As to The Beatles themselves, they were a bit leery of starring in a rock musical. They were impressed neither by Elvis Presley's movies, nor the various British rock musicals. Regardless, the film was initially budgeted at only £200,000!

Fortunately, Beatlemania (as the movie was originally titled) would not be another throwaway rock musical. Walter Shenson met with The Beatles and discussed the film with them. He hired director Richard Lester with their approval, an expatriate American who had directed the Peter Sellers short The Running Jumping & Standing Still Film (a favourite of John Lennon). Walter Shenson rejected a number of screen plays before hiring playwright Alun Owen on Richard Lester's suggestion. He had written the teleplay No Trams to Lime Street set in Liverpool, and showed a gift for writing Liverpudlian dialect. The script that resulted was an exaggerated day in the life of The Beatles. The movie was shot at a rapid pace and, unlike many films, in nearly sequential order.

The end result was a rock musical like no other. Not only did Alun Owen's screenplay dispense with the usual contrived plots of rock musicals up to that time, it virtually had no plot at all. The movie simply portrayed The  Beatles as they travelled by train form Liverpool to London to appear on a television show. The film itself was shot in a nearly cinéma vérité style which owed a good deal to the French New Wave and the British kitchen sink dramas. At the same time, however, there touches of surrealism as seen in Lester's own Running Jumping & Standing Still Film and John Schlesinger's Billy Liar, combined with various camera techniques and Marx Brothers style humour.

A Hard Day's Night was released in the United Kingdom on 6 July 1964. It not only did enormous box office on both sides of the Pond, but received sterling reviews as well. Upon its release The Village Voice termed it "the Citizen Kane of jukebox musicals." This assessment has not faded, as it is often regarded as the greatest rock musical of all time. Its influence would be extensive. It not only influenced rock musicals, but music videos, The Monkees (although the series would be more strongly influenced by Help!), and even British spy movies and Swinging London comedies.

Of course, just as traditional Westerns were made after High Noon (1952) and traditional spy thrillers after North by Northwest (1959), more traditional rock musicals were made after A Hard Day's Night. Indeed, a traditional rock musical would be released only a few months after The Beatles' first film. Wondeful Life (1964) starred Cliff Richard and The Shadows as a pop group who find themselves somehow involved in a sword and sandal movie. Sadly, Wonderful Life would not be a entertaining as either The Young Ones or Summer Holiday. Even the songs would not be up to par.

Sadly, the only film to star Gerry and the Pacemakers would also be a more traditional rock musical. Ferry Cross the Mersey would be the first film to star a Beat group other than The Beatles. Produced by the two groups' mutual manager, Brian Epstein, the film's plot concerned Gerry and the Pacemakers preparing for and then participating in a music competition. With a trite plot, the movie is of interest for only two reasons. First, the movie features other artists besides Gerry and the Pacemakers (and The Beatles, of course) managed by Brian Epstein, including The Fourmost and Cilia Black. Second, it was the first film shot on location in Liverpool.  It was released in the United Kingdom on 19 February 1965. Since then it has nearly been forgotten.

While the only film starring Gerry and the Pacemakers wound up being ultimately forgettable, a band once considered The Beatles' chief rivals would make what may have been the best British rock musical of the Sixties besides A Hard Day's Night, Help! (1965), and Yellow Submarine (1968). The Dave Clark Five would be the first band to knock a Beatles song out of the #1 spot on the charts and in the years 1964 and 1965 their success nearly rivalled The Beatles at times. It was then not very surprising when it was announced The Dave Clark Five would star in their own film, The Dave Clark Five Goes Wild. The film's producer , David Deutsch, had been producing movies since 1957, and had even produced the Billy Fury vehicle Play It Cool. Fortunately, The Dave Clark Five's film would be a good deal better. Much of this would be because Mr.Deutsch would recruit real talent to write and direct the film. The screen play was written by playwright Peter Nichols, well known for dealing with serious themes through the medium of comedy. For the director  Mr. Deutch recruited a young director who had was the head of the BBC's Bristol Documentary Unit, John Boorman. Mr. Boorman would one day direct such films as Hell in the Pacific (1968) and Excalibur (1981). The film would be shot on location in London and  Devon.


Eventually The Dave Clark Five Goes Wild would be retitled Catch Us if You Can (1965) and was released in the United Kingdom in April 1965 (for some odd reason it was retitled Having a Wild Weekend, the title of another song on the soundtrack, in the United States). It opened to largely positive reviews on both sides of the Atlantic, in many respects because it was as different from the standard rock musicals made before. Indeed, it was even different from A Hard Day's Night. One thing that separated Catch Us if You Can from other British rock musicals of the time is that The Dave Clark Five did not play themselves, but rather a team of stuntmen (something which Dave Clark had done in real life). It is during an advert for a product called "Meat to Go" that Steve (Dave Clark's character) and a young actress (Dinah Ferris) go AWOL and flee London. While the movie portrays The Dave Clark Five as fleeing London and rebelling against the images and advertising generated against the media, it toys with the idea of what is real and what is ultimately illusion. Compared to other British rock musicals of the time, even The Beatles' movies, Catch Us if you Can is in some ways surprisingly dark. It also happens to be quite funny and even thought provoking and features some of The DC5's best songs (including the title track). I personally think it is a lost gem just waiting to be rediscovered.

Sadly, the next British rock musical that year would be of a much more traditional nature. I've Gotta Horse was the second film starring Liverpool rock star Billy Fury. The film stars Billy as the star of a summer show at a seaside resort and an animal lover who goes out to get a sheep dog and comes back with a horse. Of course, the horse turns out to be a thoroughbred race horse. Even in 1965 the film received bad reviews and it is still not highly regarded today. Like many of Elvis's lesser films, it remains a sad footnote in Billy Fury's career.

Not surprisingly given the quality of Ferry Cross the Mersey and I've Gotta Horse, Catch Us if You Can could have been the best British rock musical of 1965 if it had not been for one thing--1965 would see the release of The Beatles' second film. Tentatively titled Beatles 2, it would soon be called Eight Arms to Hold You. Unlike A Hard Day's Night, Eight Arms to Hold You would have a fairly large budget--£400,000. While A Hard Day's Night  was shot in black and white, Help! was shot in colour. It would also have a much longer shooting schedule, eleven weeks from February 1965 to May 1965. While While Richard Lester returned as director, Alun Owen did not return as screenwriter. Later it would be revealed that Mr. Owen and The Beatles did not particularly get along. Its script would then evolve over time. The idea of Eight Arms to Hold You as essentially a chase fantasy originated in a treatment by Richard Lester and Joe McGrath. The original idea was that Ringo was told by a doctor he only had a short time to live. To spare himself a miserable death, then, Ringo hires a hit man to kill him. Unfortunately, Ringo learns he is not actually terminally ill, but has no means of contacting the hit man. As it turns out, a very similar idea was already being used by a film being shot at the time, Philippe de Broca's Les tribulations d'un Chinois en Chine (1965, AKA Up to His Ears). Richard Lester then approached American Mark Behm to develop the story for the film. Mr. Behm developed the similar idea of Ringo being chased by a cult. It was decided that Mr. Behm's story was not English enough, so Englishman Charles Wood was hired to re-write the script. It was about this time that the title of the film changed. The Beatles disliked the title Eight Arms to Hold You, which among other things would have made for an awkward title song. The title was initially changed to Help (the title of a song John Lennon had written for the movie), which was registered as a trademark in the United States. The exclamation point was then added to the title so it became the familiar Help!

Help! would be a very different film in some respects from A Hard Day's Night. A Hard Day's Night owed something to the realism of the kitchen sink dramas and the French New Wave. By 1965, however, such realism had given way to the fantasy of the Bond movies. Help! was then largely a movie driven by fantasy, at the same time drawing upon the fast and furious humour of A Hard Day's Night while parodying the conventions of the spy films of the day. If anything it contained even more of the Billy Liar style surrealism than A Hard Day's Night, even adding asides and narration in the form of words superimposed on the film or displayed on title cards. Help! was released on 29 July 1965 in the UK and 11 August 1965 in the U.S. While not lauded as greatly as A Hard Day's Night, Help! received generally positive notices. It also did very well at the box office. The Beatles themselves were not especially fond of the film. John Lennon in particular complained that it was as if they were extras in their own movie. By 1980, however, John's opinion of the film had improved, as he pointed out that it was "...a precursor to the Batman "Pow! Wow!" on TV..." Since the Sixties critical opinion has varied with regards to Help! Leslie Halliwell complained, "It looks good but it is too tiresome to entertain." Other critics have been much more charitable. Bill Gibbons of PopMatters referred to Help! as "... a wonderful testament to a time when being a Beatle was still satisfying—at least, on the cinematic surface."

Personally, in some respects I think critics have consistently underrated Help! since the Seventies. Much of this may be because they compare it unfavourably to A Hard Day's Night, which is about as fair as comparing The Magnificent Ambersons to Citizen Kane. Much of it may also be because Help! was about six months ahead of its time. In 1965 the spy spoof was just beginning to emerge. Nineteen sixty four had already seen the release of the classic Hot Enough for June and 1966 would see the debut of television's Get Smart. That having been said, Our Man Flint would not be released until January 1966. Help! then emerged slightly ahead most of the various spy parodies. Of course, it must be pointed out that Help! was not simply a spy spoof. It also parodied war movies, rock stardom, movie serials, and half a dozen other things. As John Lennon quite rightfully pointed out, it was a forerunner to the Batman TV series. Before Get Smart, before Batman, before The President's Analyst (1967), Help! adopted a camp, pop culture approach that sent up the conventions of movie serials, comic books, pulp novels, and other pop culture artefacts. Indeed, its influence would in some ways be more pervasive than that of  A Hard Day's Night. It would have a lasting influence on rock musicals, such as Herman Hermits' Hold On!, The Spencer Davis Group's The Ghost Goes Gear, and others. It would even have an impact on pop musicals, including Spice World (1998). More so than A Hard Day's Night, it would have an impact on the TV series The Monkees, which not only parodied stock plots the way Help! did, but took such techniques as asides displayed on the screen to a whole new level. Needless to say, it would also have a lasting impact on rock videos.

Indeed, the first major British rock musical of 1966 would owe a great deal to Help! Compared to other British Invasion groups of the time, Herman's Hermits were the British Invasion Lite. They played light, listenable songs (sometimes comic in tone) and had a clean cut image. Regardless, Herman's Hermits was highly successful in the mid-Sixties, with seven top forty hits in the United States alone by 1966. By 1966, before starring in their own movie, Herman's Hermits, they had already appeared in two British rock musicals of the sort that featured multiple artists, Pop Gear (1965) and When the Boys Meet the Girls (1965). Given their success, it was inevitable they would appear in their own film. Indeed, Peter Noone, the Herman of Herman's Hermits, had acting experience prior to the band. He had appeared on Coronation Street.

Given the light, somewhat humorous image of Herman's Hermits, it was perhaps natural that their first film would be patterned after Help!. Originally titled There's No Place Like Space, there had even been a song of that name written for Herman's Hermits. Manager Mickie Most and Herman's Hermits both agreed that the song was not the sort they would perform, so songwriter P. F. Sloan was hired to write songs for the film. Retitled A Must to Avoid, Mr. Sloan wrote a song of that title. Ultimately, however, the movie would take its title from another song written by Mr. Sloan for the film: Hold On! The plot was paper thin. While Herman's Hermits are on tour in the United States, American children vote for NASA to name their latest spaceship for the band. Somewhat mystified as to why a spacecraft should be named for Herman's Hermits, NASA official Edward Lindquist (Herbert Anderson) is assigned to accompany the band on their tour to determine if they are worthy of having a spaceship named for them. Hold On! was directed by Arthur Lubin (best known as the creator of Mr. Ed), so one would suspect that it would be funny. It was written by Robert E. Kent, a writer whose biggest claim to fame may be the screenplay for American International's 1962 version of Tower of London. Today not only is the film not highly regarded, it is forgotten to the point that many believe Herman's Hermits only starred in one film (more on that later). That having been said, I know that I watched it when I was seven and enjoyed the movie, and having heard the song's soundtrack more recently, the songs are good.

While Hold On! may not be held in high esteem today, the only movie to star The Spencer Davis Group is held in even lower esteem. Although still highly regarded in the United States today, their success would primarily in the United Kingdom. It was in December 1965 that the band achieved their first British #1 song, "Keep on Running." This success was followed by another #1  song, "Somebody Help Me," in March 1966. The band would have two more top forty hits in Britain in 1966. It is perhaps because of their success that The Spencer Davis Group would star in their own movie, The Ghost Goes Gear. The Ghost Goes Gear borrowed liberally from Help! and could be accused of ripping off The Monkees if not for the fact that it was released in the United Kingdom in September 1966, the very month The Monkees debuted on NBC.

The plot of The Ghost Goes Gear was old even by 1966. In The Ghost Goes Gear, The Spencer Davis Group learns their manager (Nicholas Parson) is not only upper class, but is a heir to a manor. Unfortunately, as it turns out, not only is their manager's family is flat broke, but the manor is haunted. While this could have made for a funny movie, The Ghost Goes Gear is poorly done and decidedly unfunny. Perhaps this should not be surprising given the scant credits of co-writer Roger Dunton and co-writer/director Hugh Gladwish. The only reason to watch the film are the songs of The Spencer Davis Group (one of the best British bands of the Sixties) and to see Steven Windwood when he was very young.

It was in December 1966 that Cliff Richard's fourth movie was released. Unlike Mr. Richard's earlier films, Finders Keepers owed more to Help! than earlier rock musicals. In the movie Cliff Richard and The Shadows are scheduled to perform in a small Spanish town. Unfortunately, when they arrive they find the town deserted. As it turns out, a bomb had accidentally been dropped on the village and has yet to go off. Naturally Cliff Richard and The Shadows decide to find the bomb and save the village. Unfortunately, Finders Keepers would be even worse than Mr. Richard's previous Wonderful Life, with the songs even being less than impressive.

By 1967 the cycle of British rock musicals starring rock groups had run its course. British film had moved more towards Swinging London comedies such as Smashing Time (1967) and more serious looks at Swinging London such as Blowup (1967). Freddie and The Dreamers' first and only movie in which they starred was even then an anachronism.  Freddie and The Dreamers were among the first Beat groups to appear on film, even beating The Beatles to the silver screen, as one of the groups in What a Crazy World (1963). They would appear in two more rock musicals of the sort that featured multiple artists: Just For You (1964) and Every Day's a Holiday (1964). They were also among the biggest Beat groups to emerge in the years 1963, 1964, and 1965.  Unfortunately, while Freddie and The Dreamers were actually quite good as musicians and performers, attention in both the UK and the U.S. increasingly centred on the odd dance (termed "the Freddie") that leader Freddie Garrity did while performing. Freddie and The Dreamers were increasingly viewed as a novelty act and that is exactly what they became. In 1966 they recorded an album of nothing but covers from Disney movies. As a result of being viewed as a novelty act,  their popularity plummeted on both sides of the Pond.

It was not surprising that any movie that starred Freddie and the Dreamers would be a comedy. It is perhaps more surprising that any movie starring Freddie and the Dreamers, by then has-beens, would be released on 16 July 1967 in the United Kingdom. Nonetheless, The Cuckoo Patrol, the only starring vehicle for Freddie and the Dreamers, was. The movie was directed by Duncan Wood, long a producer and director on the classsic series Steptoe and Son. Its screenplay was written by Lew Schwarz, who had written for many Britcoms, including The Army Game. Unfortunately, it would seem neither of their considerable talents were on display in The Cuckoo Patrol. The movie's plot centred on then 31 year old Freddie Garrity and the Dreamers disguising themselves (convincingly in the movie, apparently not so convincingly to audiences) as Boy Scouts and foiling a bunch of criminals. While I have never seen the film (and I am not even sure I want to, even as a pop culture historian), it received wretched reviews from critics in the United Kingdom and bombed at the box office there. In the United States it fared no better, with many theatres refusing  to book it because they felt it belittled the Boy Scouts. Indeed, the movie was apparently bad even by the standards of The Ghost Goes Gear. Some have termed "the worst British film ever made."

If British rock musicals starring rock groups were an anachronism in 1967, they were even more so in 1968. For that matter, so were Herman's Hermits. Although the band would have two top forty singles in the United States and one in the United Kingdom in early 1968, they would be their last hits. The band was past their prime. Regardless, a second Herman Hermits movie would be released that year. Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter drew its title from a song that originated in teleplay The Lads in 1963, sung by actor Sir Tom Courtenay and became a #1 hit in the U.S. for the band in 1965. It was perhaps bad enough that the film was already anachronistic when it was released, but to make matters worse, the movie has a rather directionless plot. It roughly centres on the idea that Herman ( Peter Noone) owns a greyhound named Mrs. Brown (which begs the question of why the movie is titled Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter--Mrs.Brown, the dog had no daughter...) who begins winning races. From there the movie meanders and ends without really ending. Given that the career of Herman's Hermits was largely over and the movie was not very good, Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter died a the box office.

Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter would be the last British musical to star a rock group in the Sixties. Although it is a little bit out of the scope of this article, it is worth mentioning Yellow Submarine (1968). Although it did utilise the music of The Beatles, contrary to popular belief they did not star in the film, appearing in a live action cameo only in the last few minutes of the movie. That having been said, it so captured the essence of The Beatles that many believe they provided their own voices for the film. Furthermore, it was the first animated musical to feature a rock music soundtrack. Not only is it among the greatest rock musicals of all time, it also numbers among the greatest animated films of all time.

Also out of the scope of this musical is The Monkees movie Head (1968). Even though The Monkees were an American band, it is worth mentioning as a classic of the rock musical genre. Head would go even further than A Hard Day's Night in deconstructing the rock musical. A Hard Day's Night has a semblance of a plot, while Head is virtually plotless, with a series of vignettes which parody everything from war movies to sports movies to Westerns, all the while attacking the prefabricated image of The Monkees and rock stars in general. In some respects it was a logical extension of the TV series, which increasingly became freer in form as it progressed.

That a cycle of British rock musicals should arise in the Sixties should not be surprising. The enormous success of A Hard Day's Night and Help! guaranteed there would be many imitators. Less clear is why the cycle had run its course in only three years. Much of the reason may have been the musicians themselves. The Beatles had been less than impressed with Help! Even more importantly, The Beatles' music was becoming more complex, which meant they had to devote more time in the studio. When one considers that at the time of Help! The Beatles still toured, there was little time for making movies. It is for those reasons that The Beatles were naturally hesitant to make another film. There can be little doubt that many rock groups shared The Beatles' concerns, so that making movies ceased to be important to many artists as the Sixties progressed.

Another reason the cycle ended after only three years was most likely the quality of the movies themselves. Beyond A Hard Day's Night, Help!, and Catch Us If You Can, not only did the cycle produce little in the way of classics, but it produced an inordinately number of bad movies. Worse yet, films such as The Ghost Goes Gear and The Cuckoo Patrol bombed at the box office. Given the fact that profit rules both the movie industries in Hollywood and London, it is easy to understand why the cycle ended when it did.

One thing many who enjoy the music of the Sixties, but are unfamiliar with its history might find curious is that many of the major British Invasion bands would not make rock musicals in the Sixties. The Rolling Stones would make only one movie in the Sixties, the documentary Sympathy for the Devil (1968), directed by Jean-Luc Goddard. While The Who would write the medley/mini-opera A Quick One While He's Away and the rock opera Tommy, they made no movies in the Sixties. The Kinks wrote the concept album Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) as the soundtrack of a teleplay to be written in conjunction with novelist Julian Mitchell for Granada Television, but Granada cancelled the teleplay due to its controversial content. It was never made as a teleplay or movie, and The Kinks never made a movie in the Sixties. Here it must be pointed out that, though today they are legendary bands, there are some very good reasons none of them made movies the way their rivals The Beatles did. The Rolling Stones were controversial early in their careers in the UK and even more so in the U.S. It is then doubtful that any studio would have seriously considered a rock musical featuring them. The Who were actually late bloomers as far as the great British Invasion bands were concerned. They would not have their first hit in the UK until 1965, when "Anywhere, Anyhow, Anywhere" hit the British top ten. Success in the U.S. would take longer, until "Happy Jack" hit the top forty in 1966. Even then, superstardom would wait until the single "I Can See For Miles" and the album The Who Sell Out. By the time The Who were big enough for movies, the cycle towards British rock musicals was over. As to The Kinks, they ran afoul of the American Federation of Musicians, who banned them from the States until 1969. At thes ame time The Kinks were well known for their sometime rough and ready behaviour, making them somewhat controversial on both sides of the Atlantic. Even if the American Federation of Musicians had not banned them, it is highly unlikely a Kinks movie could have ever been made in the Sixties.

Regardless, the British rock musicals of the Sixties would have a lasting impact. Their influence would be felt on music video as early as the Sixties, with the various promotional films made by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Who, and others drawing upon A Hard Day's Night and Help! Even after the Sixties their influence would be felt on films. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1976) owes as much to British rock musicals of the Sixties as it does classic horror movies, sci-fi films, and Hollywood movie musicals. Spice World was an attempt to recapture the spirit of the British rock musicals, but in a separate music genre. Today A Hard Day's Night and Help! are considered classics. Although the cycle produced more than its fair share of bad films, it remains well remembered today because of its lasting impact.

Cannibal & The Headhunters Founder Richard "Scar Lopez Passes On

Richard "Scar" Lopez founding member of Cannibal and The Headhunters, passed on July 30 at the age of 65. The cause was lung cancer.

Richard "Scar" Lopez was born on May 18, 1945 in Los Angeles, California. He earned the nickname "Scar" from stitches he had received from a gymnastics accident when he was thirteen. While attending Lincoln High School, Mr. Lopez and Robert Jaramillo decided to form a vocal group. Joe Jamarillo joined the group not long after, initially known as Bobby and The Classics. Frankie "Cannibal" Garcia joined later and became the group's lead vocalist, after which they became known as Cannibal and The Headhunters. Eddie Davis, owner and founder of Rampart Records, discovered Cannibal and The Headhunters and signed them to his label. It was in 1965 that Cannibal and The Headhunters had their biggest hit, "Land of a Thousand Dances." Originally performed by Chris Kenner in 1962, Mr. Kenner's version did not reach the top forty. Cannibal and The Headhunters' version went to #30 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remained on the chart for 14 weeks. It was the first version of the song to feature the famous "na, na, na, na, na, na, na" chorus.

Due to the success of their version of "Land of a Thousand Dances," Cannibal and The Headhunters appeared on Americnan Bandstand, Shindig, Hullabaloo, and other shows. They also opened for the biggest acts of the day, including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Righteous Brothers, and others. Richard Lopez left Cannibal and The Headhunters, reportedly due to a disagreement with Eddie Davis or a money dispute. The group continued as a trio until 1967, after which they broke up.    Frankie Garcia would eventually form a new Cannibal and The Headhunters, even though he was the only original member. This incarnation of the group continued to perform in the Seventies. After leaving Cannibal and The Headhunters, Mr. Lopez held a number of different jobs, among them landscaping parks in Los Angeles.

Cannibal and The Headhunters are significant as one of the very first Mexican American bands (along with Question Mark and The Mysterians) to have a major hit song in the United States. In fact, it could be argued that their version of "Land of a Thousand Dances" is the quintessential one. It was the first to feature the famous "Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na" chorus, which was utilised in nearly every single version ever since. Wilson Pickett may have recorded the most famous version, but arguably Cannibal and The Headhunters better captured the energy of the song.

The Gap Band's Robert Wilson R.I.P.

Robert Wilson, bassist for The Gap Band, passed on August 15 at the age of 53. The cause was a heart attack.

Robert Wilson was born in 1957 on Tulsa, Oklahoma. In 1967 brothers Charlie, Ronnie, and Robert Wilson formed the first incarnation of The Gap Band, under the name The Greenwood, Archer, and Pine Street Band, in 1967. It was in 1973 that the band shortened its name to The Gap Band, so it would stand out better on posters for gigs. Discovered by Tulsa recording legend Leon Russell, The Gap Band released their first album, Magician's Holiday, in 1974. They released their second album, The Gap Band, in 1977. Neither album did well, perhaps because the band's funk sound was out of fashion at the time.They were later introduced to producer Lonnie Simmons, who signed them to his Total Experience Records. In 1979 they released their first album with Lonnie Simmons, also titled The Gap Band. This album actually did well and they had a Top 10 R&B hit with "Shake."

Later in 1979 The Gap Band released the album The Gap Band II. The album veered more towards the sound of that of Parliament-Funkadelic. It went gold and the song "Steppin' (Out)" hit the top 10 on the R&B chart. It would be in 1980 that The Gap Band hit the big time. Their album Gap Band III hit #16 on the Billboard albums chart. From the album they had a top five R&B song, "Yearning for Your Love." Their biggest success would come with Gap Band IV. Released in 1982, Gap Band IV went to #14 on the Billboard albums chart. It produced two hit singles, "Early in the Morning" and, what is widely regarded as The Gap Band's signature song, "You Dropped a Bomb on Me."

Unfortunately, Gap Band V: Jammin', released in 1983, did not do quite as well, but it produced a hit single in the form of "Party Train." Gap Band VI, released in 1985, did not do as well as Gap Band V: Jammin'. For the rest of the Eighties and into the Nineties, The Gap Band recorded four studio albums and two live albums.

As bassist of The Gap Band, Robert Wilson was central to the band's success, providing the underlying bass riffs to all of their songs. Indeed, it was a mark of his skill as a bassist that he was called "the Godfather of Bass Guitar." What is all the more remarkable is that he achieved such skill while very young, recording professionally when he was only 14. Before he had turned 20 he had already played bass with both Billy Preston and Eric Clapton. Mr. Wilson belonged to one of the greatest funk bands of all time, and he was easily the greatest bassist in the entire genre of funk.

Why I Am a Little Disappointed in This Season of Mad Men

Warning: Here There Be Spoilers!!! If you have not yet seen the first few episodes of the 4th season of Mad Men, DO NOT READ THIS POST!!!

I think it is no secret that I love the TV series Mad Men. Not only is it my favourite show currently on the air, but it is one of my favourite shows of all time. This should be hardly surprising as the show is nearly a perfect fit for me. It is set in an advertising agency in the Sixties. What is more, it is one of the very few period pieces with almost no anachronisms. I am almost never disappointed in Mad Men, but I must say I was just a little disappointed in the start of the fourth season.

Those who know me may ask how I was disappointed in this season. After all, I have liked every episode so far. I cannot say I have been disappointed in how the episodes have unfolded. I certainly am not disappointed in any of the plot developments. So what am I disappointed in? Quite simply, this season began in November 1964, nearly eleven months after the end of the third season. In other words, Mad Men skipped most of 1964, one of the most interesting years of the Sixties.

Indeed, as any good Beatles fan knows, 1964 was the year that The Beatles invaded the United States. Given that Mad Men has followed the various cultural changes in the United States from the death of Marilyn Monroe to the assassination of JFK, I thought it would be interesting if the show had acknowledged the arrival of The Beatles. Indeed, I think it would have been interesting to have seen the reactions of the characters to the Fab Four. Would Don Draper have liked The Beatles (for all his coolness, I have a feeling he would not have). How would the reactions of the younger employees of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, such as Peggy, have been different from that of those of the older employees, such as Roger? I rather suspect that in skipping most of 1964, producer and creator Matt Weiner missed a great story opportunity.

Another story opportunity that was missed in skipping most of 1964 is that 1964 was a presidential election year. Now it is true that the series already covered one election year (1960), but the 1964 election of Lyndon B. Johnson versus Barry Goldwater was much more interesting. John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon were at least somewhat in their campaigns. This was not the case with Messrs. Johnson and Goldwater, and the 1964 presidential election saw more mudslinging than ever before or since. In fact, the most controversial political commercial of all time (perhaps the most controversial commercial of all time, period) aired as part of Lyndon B. Johnson's campaign against Barry Goldwater. The official title of the commercial was "Peace, Little Girl," but it is better known by its informal name, "the Daisy Commercial." "The Daisy Commercial" was created by account executive James H. Graham, Sid Meyer, copywriter Stanley R. Lee, producer Aaron Erlich, and legendary sound archivist Tony Schwartz of the advertising firm of Doyle Dane Bernbach. It aired on Labour Day, September 7, 1964 during a showing of the biblical epic David and Bathsheba on NBC Monday Night at the Movies.

"The Daisy Commercial" was in many ways quite simple. It was also a very sophisticated exercise in extreme horror. Shot in black and white, the commercial began innocuously enough with a little girl in a meadow, birds chirping in the background, picking the petals off a black eyed Susan (not a daisy as so often assumed). As she picks the petals, she counts them off, although missing a few numbers. When the little girl reaches the number "9," a rather frightening sounding male voice is heard intoning a countdown, as when a missile is launched. The little girl then turns her head as if to look at something in the sky and the camera zooms into her pupil until it fills the whole of the screen. As the countdown reaches zero, the darkness of the little girl's pupil is filled with the explosion of a hydrogen bomb. It is then that a snippet of one of Lyndon B. Johnson's speeches comes on with the words, "These are the stakes! To make a world in which all of God's children can live, or to go into the dark. We must either love each other, or we must die." The voice of sportscaster Chris Schenkel then comes on and says, "Vote for President Johnson on November 3. The stakes are too high for you to stay home."


LBJ 1964 Election Ad ( Daisy Girl )
Uploaded by DwightFrye. - Classic TV and last night's shows, online.

As political advertisements go, "The Daisy Commercial" was extremely effective. Although Barry Goldwater is never mentioned by name, the commercial clearly implies that he could start a nuclear war. This was a part of the overall strategy on the part of LBJ's camp, who wished to portray Mr. Goldwater as a potential hothead who would reckless use the Bomb. Made just two years after the Cuban Missile Crisis, "The Daisy Commercial" was maximised to capitalise on people's fears regarding nuclear holocaust. Needless to say, it was immediately at the centre of controversy. Republican National Committee Chairman Dean Burch vowed to file a complaint against the advert with both the FCC and the Fair Campaign Practices Committee (FCPC). On September 11, 1964 he singled out "The Daisy Commercial" for attack while at the Sheraton Hotel in Washington D.C. with his Democratic counterpart, John Bailey, to sign a "fairness pledge" for the FCPC. He referred to the commercial as "...the most violent political lie that be told." He filed his complaint the following day, The same day Republican Minority Leader Senator Everett Dirksen wrote the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) alleging that the commercial violated the NAB code of ethics and was unfit for children as well. NAB simply replied that they did not did not consider applying its code of ethics to political advertising because of the uniqueness of the issues involved. Also on September 12, Idaho Governor Robert E. Smylie, Chairman of the Republican Governors Association, demanded the FCC ban "The Daisy Commercial" from ever airing again. Nothing really ever came of the complaints against the advert, not that it mattered. "The Daisy Commercial" never aired again. Its impact in 1964 alone can be demonstrated in that it was featured on the cover of the September 25, 1964 issue of Time, dedicated to nuclear weapons.

I suppose I have digressed a good deal here, but my point is that as Mad Men is set at an advertising agency in the Sixties,"The Daisy Commercial" could have provided grist for an entire subplot of an episode.  What would have been the reaction of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. Would they have admired the work of Doyle Dane Bernbach? Would they have thought the commercial went too far, that it was potentially libellous? "The Daisy Commercial" was a landmark in the history of both television commercials and political advertising, a dubious one, but a landmark nonetheless. And, sadly, in skipping most of 1964, Mad Men missed it.

Another reason I would have liked to have seen Mad Men season four unfold over most of 1964 is that is is right in the middle of what I consider the Golden Age of Television Commercials. In 1962 Ajax introduced there "White Tornado" campaign. In 1963 Ajax introduced their even more successful "White Knight" campaign.This was the era of V8 Cocktail Vegetable Juice's "Climb Out of Your Rut" campaign, the "us Tareyton smokers would rather fight than switch" campaign, the "Things go better with Coke" campaign, and the Noxema "striptease" commercials. Now it is clear that SCDP has expanded a good deal into television. Don Draper even created a commercial for Johnson's Glo-Coat floor wax ("footprints are no longer a hanging offence..."). As someone who admires the commercials of the Sixties, however, I must say it would have been nice to have watched SCDP's conquest of the small screen.

Nineteen sixty four was also the year that New York City announced plans to build the World Trade Centre; the year African Americans and Puerto Ricans boycotted New York City schools in protest against discrimination; the year that 400-1000 students marched in Times Square in New York City and in other cities the first major protest against Times Square; Pacific Air Lines Flight 773 crashed outside San Ramon, California; the year that Gemini 1 orbited the Earth; and it was the year that Bewitched debuted (I think it would have been interesting to see the reaction of SCDP to a show about a fictional account executive married to a witch). Quite simply, even when one discounts the fact that it was the year The Beatles conquered America and the year of a presidential election, 1964 was a very interesting year.

Of course, I realise that if the fourth of  Mad Men had started in, say, February 1964, we would have to sit through the minutiae of Don's divorce (which would not have been pretty), but that is really the only real disadvantage I could see. Indeed, we could have watched SCDP go through its growing pains, as they scrambled to get new clients and continue their expansion into television. It could have provided very good fodder for some episodes. It is right now I really wish I was part of the writing staff of Mad Men, as I would have suggested to Matt Weiner that starting in February would be the path to go. As it is, I feel as if I have missed something.

Here I must point out I am only  a little disappointed in Mad Men because it skipped most of 1964. I am not overly angry they did. I am still very much in love with the show and eagerly await each new episode. While I do think Matt Weiner made a mistake in skipping most of 1964, I do believe that he probably had his reasons for doing so. And who knows? He might reveal how the characters reacted to The Beatles or "The Daisy Commercial" sometime (can anyone say "flashback" episode...). That having been said, now I just hope that when it rolls around, Mr. Weinder does not decide to skip most of 1967....

Movie Title Sequences

Opening credits have been a part of movies from the beginning. In the earliest days there would at least be a title card indicating the movie's title and production company. Over time titles listing the cast, screenwriter, director,. and other crew would be added. Eventually, the opening credits would evolve into what we now know as a title sequence.

Until the 1950's most title sequences tended to be rather simplistic. During the Silent Era, title sequences were literally that--a sequences of title cards listing the credits for the motion picture. This practice would continue well into the Sound Era. A perfect example of this may be the familiar title sequence of It's A Wonderful Life (1946), although it is a good deal more creative than most movies with its opening credits. The title sequence unfolds as a series of Christmas themed cards bearing the credits, one after another. In the Thirties many films would utilise title sequences in which the credits were superimposed against various backgrounds. The perfect example of this may be the familiar opening credits of The Wizard of Oz, in which the credits are superimposed against a scene of moving clouds.

While the practices of showing the opening credits through a series of title cards or words superimposed against some background tended to be very common prior to the Fifties, it would be a mistake to think that there was no sense of invention with regards to title sequences before that time. Indeed, one of the most inventive title sequences of all time was the opening credits of My Man Godfrey (1936). The credits are shown as a series of neon lights on the sides of and atop buildings. Gone with the Wind (1939) had a much less impressive title sequence. As the film opens, the film's title literally moves from right to left across the screen. The credits are then displayed as words superimposed over scenes from about Tara. Sinbad the Sailor (1947) featured a title sequence in which the credits were formed from coloured water which ran into a fountain. Sunset Boulevard (1950) was also creative with regards to its credits. The title of the film was displayed as words printed on the side of a kerb. The camera then followed the street so that the words were superimposed over the street.

Prior to the 1950s often the movies with the most inventive title sequences were musicals and films noir. Showboat (1935) had the title of the film displayed on banner on a paper model of a showboat, then little paper cut-outs of people who held banners on which the credits were, all on a turntable. Released the same year, Top Hat also had an inventive title sequence. It opened with a shot of men in suits, shot from the knees down, who each lower canes in turn. Fred Astaire, also shot from the knees down, then enters dancing. His credit displays beneath him. Gnger Rogers, also shot from the knees down, enters dancing after Fred, her credit displayed beneath her. As the two join together to dance, the movie cuts to a top hat over which the film's title and the rest of the credits are displayed. Ziegfield Follies (1945) had one of the most interesting title sequences. The credits were revealed as pages in a book turned by hand. While musicals could be inventive with their titles, films noir could be even more so. I Wake Up Screaming had a title sequence in which the credits were spelled out in lights superimposed over the New York City skyline.Scarlet Street also had an inventive title sequence, which opened on a streetlight over which the producer, director, and stars' credits are superimposed. The camea then moves down the streetlight so that the film's title is revealed on a sign attached to the light post. The rest of the credits are then simply superimposed on the screen.

While there were several films that utilised inventive title sequences prior to the Fifties, there can be no doubt that a revolution in title sequences began in that decade. That revolution was led by one man, Saul Bass. A graphic designer by trade, in 1954 he worked with director Otto Preminger to design the poster for Carmen Jones (1955). Mr. Preminger was so impressed that he asked Mr. Bass to design the title sequence as well. What Mr. Bass created for Carmen Jones  was truly quantum leap in title sequences. Quite simply, the title sequence for Carmen Jones was the first animated title sequence ever in a motion picture. By today's standards it was extremely simple. It consisted simply of a rose within an animated flame which moved in sequence with the "Prelude" from George Bizet's Carmen (the operetta upon which the musical Carmen Jones was based) and the credits spelled out in Saul Bass's distinctive lettering. Nonetheless, it was different from anything that had come before it. Even compared to such inventive title sequences as that of My Man Godfrey, the title sequence of Carmen Jones looked starkly modern.

Saul Bass would go onto become the first man famous for his title sequences. Indeed, he is the most famous title designer of all time. His titles were always imaginative, and he became known for his use of kinetic typography--text that literally moves on the screen. For Otto Preminger's The Man with the Golden Arm he created a title sequence in which an paper cut out of an arm was the central image, fitting in with the film's theme of heroin addiction. Saul Bass would work with Preminger several more times, notably on Anatomy of a Murder (1959) and Exodus (1960), but the director with whom Mr  Bass would become most identified would be Alfred Hitchcock. Saul Bass first worked with Mr. Hitchcock on Vertigo (1958), for which he first provided an imaginative sequence which combined a woman's eyes and lips with spiral designs evoking vertigo. His title sequence for North by Northwest would become possibly Mr. Bass's most famous title sequence. It was also one of his simplest. It consisted simply of kinetic typography superimposed over the glass windows of a skyscraper. Surprisingly, even though Mr. Bass is closely identified with Mr. Hitchcock, he only worked with him on three films, the last one being Psycho (1960). Over the years Saul Bass created some of the most legendary title sequences of all time, including Ocean's 11 (1960), West Side Story (1961), and It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963).  Mr. Bass would work into the Nineties, his last title sequence being the one for Casino (1995). He died in 1996.

Saul Bass literally revolutionised the title sequence in film, so that kinetic typography, animation, and even sound effects became common place in the opening credits of films. In the wake of Saul Bass would follow a number of legendary title designers. Among them would be Maurice Binder, perhaps best known for the title sequences of  the James Bond movies. Mr. Binder had first worked in the movies as an assistant to the producer on the movie Cry Danger (1951). He would receive his first credit as a title designer for the film The James Dean Story (1957). Like Saul Bass, Mr. Binder was well known for title sequences which utilised a variety of movement, including animation and kinetic typography. For The Mouse That Roared (1959), Mr. Binder used an animated sequence that incorporated imagery of a mouse, the New York City, and, finally, the globe. For Charade (1963) he used a title sequence which made extensive use of kinetic typography. Over the years Mr. Binder would become most famous for the title sequences of the James Bond movies, working on fourteen of the movies in total. It was Mr. Binder who created the famous 007 gun barrel sequence, variations of which have been used in every Bond movie ever since. For the first James Bond movie, Dr. No (1962), Mr. Binder created a title sequence which incorporated moving, multi-coloured circles, the silhouettes of women,  and kinetic typography. Curiously, Maurice Binder did not create the James Bond title sequence that would set the pace for all those came afterwards. Robert Brownjohn, who created the title sequence for From Russia with Love (1963), created a title sequence for Goldfinger (1964) which largely concentrated on the imagery of the girl painted gold. Mr. Brownjohn would come into a disagreement with producer Harry Saltzman and never worked on another Bond film, but his legacy remained in the title sequences which Maurice Binder created for every Bond film until his final one, Licence to Kill (1989). Thereafter ever Bond movie would feature a title sequence in which silhouettes of women either scantily clad or nude would engage in activities ranging from dancing to shooting guns. Although best known for the Bond movie, Maurice Binder worked on many more films, including The Mouse on the Moon (1962), Repulsion (1965), Arabesque (1966), Billion Dollar Brain (1967), Bedazzled (1967), and many others.

With graphic designers such as Saul Bass and Maurice Binder having incorporated animation into title sequences, it would not be long before animators themselves would become title designers. This was the case with the legendary Pablo Ferro, who began his career as an animator. Mr. Ferro made an impressive debut as a title designer, having designed the titles for the movie Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964). For Dr. Strangelove, Mr. Binder created a title sequence in which there was kinetic typography of stylised letters superimposed over shots of bombers in flight. For the title sequence of The Thomas Crown Affair (1968) Mr. Ferro used tinted photographs of the actors, divided up into rectangles, combined with kinetic typography. Although he made only a few title sequences in the Sixties, Mr. Ferro would become very prolific, working on films including Midnight Cowboy (1969), A Clockwork Orange (1971), Harold and Maude (1971), Prince of Darkness (1987), Darkman (1990), L.A. Confidential (1997), and Napoleon Dynamite (2004).


With animation playing a large role in title sequences in the Sixties, it should become no surprise that an animation company would become involved in title design DePatie-Freleng was an animation company founded by legendary animator Fritz Freleng and his partner David Depatie after Warner Brothers closed their animation unit in 1963. Depatie-Freleng would be responsible for one of the most famous title sequences of all time, that of The Pink Panther (1963). The Pink Panther title sequence was essentially an animated cartoon featuring a anthropomorphic, pink panther and an animated version of Inspector Clouseau. The sequence proved to be such a hit that the character of the Pink Panther and the Inspector would be spun off into their own series of theatrical cartoons. Depatie-Freleng would go on to create the title sequences of every Pink Panther movie up to Curse of the Pink Panther (1983), as well as the title sequences for Shot in the Dark (1964) and Inspector Clouseau (1968). They also created title sequences for The Satan Bug (1965), as well as the legendary title sequences of the TV shows I Dream of Jeannie and The Wild Wild West.

One title designer who would make extensive use of animation would be Wayne Fitzgerald. Wayne Fitzgerald began his career in 1951 with Pacific Title and Art, the company founded in 1919 by Leon Schlesinger to create title cards. When Saul Bass revolutionised title sequences in 1955, Pacific Title and Art adapted to the times, and Wayne Fitzgerald may have been their foremost title designer. He began his career creating titles for Glory (1956). As an employee of Pacific Title and Art, Mr. Fitzgerald rarely received credit early  in his career, working uncredited on such films as Silk Stockings (1957), The Fly (1958), Pillow Talk (1959), The Music Man (1962), Send Me No Flowers (1964), My Fair Lady (1964), Cat Ballou (1964), and Any Wednesday (1966). In 1968 he struck out on his own. Mr. Fitzgerald would create title sequences for such films as Alice's Restaurant (1969), Catch 22 (1970), Little Big Man (1960), Chinatown (1974), California Suite (1978), Splash (1984). Mr. Fitzgerald created the memorable title sequence for Pillow Talk (1959), in which a man in a bed and a woman in a bed, separated by a box containing the titles, toss a pillow back and forth. His title sequence for Send Me Now Flowers (1964) featured animated flowers and kinetic typography. Mr. Fitzgerald also designed titles for various TV series, including McCloud, Columbo, and others.

Sadly, the fact that Mr. Fitzgerald went uncredited for his title designs was not unusual in the Sixties. If the title design was credited at all, it was often be the company for whom they worked. The legendary, animated title sequence for Lover Come Back (1961) is credited only to Pacific Title. This is sad, as it would prove to be very influential, with its lovebirds and kinetic typography. Over the years Pacific Title created title sequences for literally hundreds of films. In the Fifties and Sixties it included the title sequences for such films as An American in Paris (1951), That Touch of Mink (1962), Ship of Fools (1965), In Cold Blood (1967) and Hang 'Em High (1968).

Sadly, as the Sixties became the Seventies, the creative title sequences of such men as Saul Bass and Maurice Binder would slowly go out of fashion. That is not to say that there have not been great title sequences since that time. For Seven (1995), title designer Kyle Cooper used stylised letters and such imagery as a notebook being written in, fingers handling a razor blade, words being marked out of a newspaper--apparently the serial killer going about his business. Catch Me If You Can (2002) featured an animated title sequence in the style of those created by Saul Bass, similar to the title sequences of the various caper movies from the Sixties which inspired the film. Similarly, Down With Love (2003) took its inspiration from the Sixties sex comedies upon which it was based in its title sequence, which resembles the title sequences of such films as Lover Come Back, Send Me No Flowers, and The Glass Bottom Boat (1966). In its title sequence Hellboy (2004) featured newspaper reports and footage of Hellboy sightings, as well as comic books. In its title sequence Lord of War (2005) followed a bullet from its manufacture to its final destination as it is fired into some poor bloke's body. Casino Royale (2006) featured a very retro title sequence, which not only drew upon the work of Maurice Binder, but upon the work of such title designers as Saul Bass and as well. Watchmen (2009) had a very inventive title sequence, which followed fifty years of superhero history to the tune of Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are A-Changin'"

Sadly, while the past ten years have seen many remarkable title sequences, many bringing to mind those from the  Sixties, a recent trend in movies has been to simply begin the movie with only the title of the film, skipping any sort of title sequence. Of course, this is nothing new. Citizen Kane (1941) began simply with the title of the film, as did Stars Wars (1977). In 1940 Walt Disney went even further with Fantasia, featuring no opening credits at the beginning, not even the film's title. Among the recent films which have followed this trend have been No Country for Old Men (2007), There Will Be Blood (2007), The Dark Knight (2008), and Avatar (2009).  While beginning without any title sequence does work for some films (I feel it did for No Country for Old Men), it is not something which I would like to see become very common. Title sequences exist primarily to give credit to those who worked on the film, such as the cast, the screenwriter, the director, and so on. While it is true that these credits can be listed at the end of the film, the sad fact is that most people leave the theatre before the closing credits are even over. I suspect at home they simply eject the DVD or Blu-Ray disc from the  player.

Of course, over the years title sequences have come to do more than simply give credit where credit is due. They would come to set the mood for the movie, to let the audience know what the film is about. The animated title sequences of such films as Lover Come Back and Send Me No Flowers, set as they were to Doris Day tunes, let audiences know that they could expect something light and frothy. The somewhat more ominous title sequences of films such as The Manchurian Candidate (1962) and The Satan Bug know that they could expect a very exciting thriller. It was in the Fifties and Sixties that title sequences became an art form all their own, mini-films which were sometimes more entertaining than the movies themselves. They still serve much the same purpose today. Perhaps it is because I am so enamoured of the title sequences of old, but I personally think a film loses something when it lacks a proper title sequence.

The CBS Late Movie

It was in late 1971 that CBS conceived what would be an utterly unique movie anthology series. Unlike other movie anthology series it would air late night--from 10:30 PM CST to 1:30 AM CST (sometimes later). Unlike other movie anthology series it would also air every weeknight. It was simply called The CBS Late Movie. It debuted on February 14, 1972. The first movie it showed was A Patch of Blue (1965), starring Sidney Poitier and Elizabeth Hartman.

The CBS Late Movie would survive for nearly twenty years, although over those years its format would undergo various changes. While best known for showing various B-movies, it did show many box office hits for awhile and also saw the network television debuts of various movies that would not be seen anywhere else on broadcast network television. In the end it would be better remembered than some of the late night hosts who would eventually supplant it.

The origins of The CBS Late Movie go back to CBS's efforts to compete against NBC's monolithic The Tonight Show, which had dominated late night viewing since its debut in 1954. In 1969 CBS offered Merv Griffin his own late night show. At the time it perhaps made perfect sense, as Mr. Griffin had hosted his own highly successful talk show in syndication since 1965. Unfortunately, the deal between CBS and Mr. Griffin would turn out to be a marriage made in Hell. The Merv Griffin Show had only been on six weeks when CBS complained to Mr. Griffin that he had only one guest who had spoken on the air in favour of the Vietnam War, John Wayne, and many more who had spoken against it. Mr. Griffin told them that when they found another celebrity as famous as Mr. Wayne who supported the war, he would book him on the show. This would not be the end of CBS's meddling, as they would continue to do so for the rest of the show's run. Worse yet, the ratings for The Merv Griffin Show never matched that of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and had begun to seriously fall in 1971. Merv Griffin secretly negotiated a deal with Metromedia for his own, syndicated daily show (like the one he had before). As for CBS, they cancelled The Merv Griffin Show.

It was around December 6, 1971 that CBS announced that they would replace The Merv Griffin Show with old movies. In many respects it was a very wise move on CBS's part. By late 1971 it must have seemed obvious that NBC could not be beaten at its own game. ABC had tried with The Joey Bishop Show, which ran only from 1967 to 1969. The Merv Griffin Show on CBS had been a failure. While The Dick Cavett Show currently on ABC had its following, its ratings were still much lower than that of The Tonight Show. Rather than attempt to compete with NBC with a late night talk show of its own, CBS then took the step of programming something entirely different against Johnny Carson and The Tonight Show. As it was, many CBS affiliates already aired late night movies on their own.

It was then in 1971 that CBS began negotiations with MGM, 20th Century Fox, and Warner Brothers for packages of movies to show on their new late night movie anthology series. The CBS Late Movie then officially replaced The Merv Griffin Show on February 14, 1974. From the beginning most of the films The CBS Late Movie showed were movies that had already aired on other primetime movie anthology series, sometimes even on other networks .From the beginning The CBS Late Movie would show a duke's mixture of movies, ranging from classics to B-movies. In its first three years on the air, The CBS Late Movie aired its share of movies now regarded as classics, including An American in Paris (1951), Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954), To Kill a Mockingbird (1963), The Pyjama Game (1957), The Asphalt Jungle (1950), The Dirty Dozen (1967), Oklahoma (1955), and South Pacific (1958). Sixties sex comedies The Glass Bottom Boat (1966) and How To Murder Your Wife (1965) both aired on The CBS Late Movie in its early years. Westerns, both serious and comedic, aired in the early years, including The Left Handed Gun (1958), The Cheyenne Social Club (1970), and Day of the Evil Gun (1968). The CBS Late Movie would also air various cult favourites in its early years, including The Seven Faces of Dr. Lao (1964), The Green Slime (1968), and producer Harry Alan Towers' series of Fu Manchu films starring Christopher Lee, as well as films which would develop cult followings, including Trog (1970) and Willard (1971). From the beginning The CBS Late Movie would show made for television movies, even those made for other networks, but these never outnumbered the feature films.

Starting in March 1973 The CBS Late Movie would start showing horror and, less often, fantasy and sci-fi movies on Friday nights on a semi-regular basis. The horror movies aired on The CBS Late Movie were not the old, classic Universal horror films from the Thirties or Forties, or even the cheesy sci-fi horror movies made in the Fifties, but films of a more recent vintage made in the Sixties and early Seventies. Among the horror movies aired on Friday nights on The CBS Late Movie were classics by American International Pictures, including The House of Usher (1960), The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1970), Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972), The Haunted Palace (1963), Cry of the Banshee (1970), and the not so classic The Dunwich Horror (1970). The CBS Late Movie aired several movies from Hammer Films, including Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde (1971), The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll (1960), Dracula Prince of Darkness (1966), Dracula Has Risen From the Grave (1968), The Mummy (1959), and many others. The CBS Late Movie also showed a variety of other horror movies, including The Creeping Flesh (1973), The Blood Beast Terror (1968), The House That Dripped Blood (1970), The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967), Count Yorga, Vampire (1970), Night of the Lepus (1972), and even the classic The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939). As mentioned above, The CBS Late Movie would sometimes air fantasy and sci-fi movies as well, including the aforementioned The Seven Faces of Dr. Lao, Valley of the Gwangi (1969), Battle Beneath the Earth (1967), the failed television pilot Genesis II, THX 1138 (1971), Moon Zero Two (1968), and Captain Nemo and the Underwater City (1969).

While most movies aired on The CBS Late Movie had aired elsewhere first, a few movies did made their network debuts on the movie anthology series. For the most part these were films whose content (whether due to violence or other controversial content) would make them unsuitable for airing in prime time. Among the movies that made their broadcast network debuts on The CBS Late Movie were The Fearless Vampire Killers, Richard Burton's Doctor Faustus (1967),  Frankenstien Must Be Destroyed (1969), and Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975).

Unfortunately, the first movie to ever make its network debut on The CBS Late Movie would be a source of controversy for the Tiffany Network. Among the films scheduled to air in February 1972, the first month of The CBS Late Night Movie, was The Damned, Luchino Visconti's controversial allegory on Nazism starring Sir Dirk Bogarde and Ingrid Thulin. Upon its initial release in the United States, The Damned  had been rated "X" by the MPAA. It was for this reason that Warner Brothers cut twenty five minutes from the film before it was even offered to CBS. CBS's Programme Practices department then cut an additional eleven minutes from the film.. Between Warner Brothers and CBS, there can be no doubt that nothing that warranted the "X" rating for the film remained. Regardless, the very fact that CBS would air a film which had been rated "X" in the first place, even in late night,  touched off a firestorm of controversy. Both the Southern Baptist Convention and the Christian Life Commission individually sent resolutions to the United States Senate and the FCC protesting CBS' decision to broadcast The Damned and furthermore to ban any future broadcasts of "X" rated movies. The Cleaveland City Council held an emergency vote to ban "X" rated movies from the airwaves in Cleveland. Some affiliates decided not to air the movie at all (surprisingly the Cleavland CBS affiliate, WEWS-TV was not among them). In the end, on February 28, 1972, The Damned aired on The CBS Late Movie as planned, although CBS made sure to precede it with a disclaimer. Regardless, controversy over the airing of The Damned would persist for some time. In March 1972 Senator John Pastore questioned then president of CBS John A. Scheider on the decision to air an "X" rated movie, even one that had been sanitised, in a Senate subcommittee. For seventeen months afterwards CBS received letters from viewers worried that the network had actually bought a series of "X" rated films, something that had never happened. The Damned never again aired on any broadcast network. Ironically, after all the fuss over the movie, The Damned is currently rated "R."

Sadly, The CBS Late Movie would not remain purely a movie anthology series. In September 1976 The CBS Late Movie began airing reruns of Kojak on some nights. In the next few subsequent seasons  other primetime series would be rerun on The CBS Late Movie: M*A*S*H, Harry-O, The Rockford Files, Hawaii Five-O, and various reruns from The NBC Mystery Movie (Columbo, McMillan and Wife, Hec Ramsey, and so on). During this period The CBS Late Movie  would still show movies. The Planet of the Apes series aired, as did the films Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1972), The Wrecking Crew (1968), Alfred the Great (1969), and The Man Who Would Be King (1975).

The 1978-1979 season would see the first original television show (at least as the United States was concerned) to air under the umbrella of The CBS Late Movie. In September 1978 The New Avengers made its debut. It success would change the face of The CBS Late Movie. In the 1979-1980 season The CBS Late Movie would air Return of the Saint. These two series would in turn spark renewed interest in the original series, so that The Avengers would start airing on The CBS Late Movie in the 1979-1980 season and The Saint in the 1980-1981 season. The New Avengers would continue to be a part of The CBS Late Movie  on and off until 1985. Unfortunately, The Avengers, The Saint, and Return of the Saint would only last until the end of the 1980-1981 season.

The CBS Late Movie would continue airing its mixture of reruns and movies for the next few years, with shows such as Quincy M.E., Newhart, Hart To Hart, and others joining the mix. It was in 1985 that the show Night Heat joined the line up of The CBS Late Movie, thereby becoming the first Canadian series to air on any American network. It would prove to be popular, so much so that CBS would import more Canadian series. Adderly debuted on The CBS Late Movie in September 1986. It too proved successful. Night Heat would continue to be a part of The CBS Late Movie until 1989. Adderly continued until 1987. Subsequent Canadian series which aired on The CBS Late Movie, such as Hot Shots and Diamonds would not prove nearly as successful.

Of course, during this period The CBS Late Movie continued to show movies. Deathsport (1978), The Swiss Conspiracy (1976), Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972), The Medusa Touch (1978), and Excalibur (1981) all aired during this period. Perhaps finally realising that The CBS Late Movie had ceased to be purely a movie anthology series, as of September 23, 1985, it became CBS Late Night. It continued under the new name until January 1989, when it was replaced by The Pat Sajak Show. It would not be the end of CBS Late Night, however, as the once and future Wheel of Fortune host's talk show proved less successful than Merv Griffin had on CBS. Originally ninety minutes in length, it was cut back to an hour in February 1990. This marked the return of CBS Late Night, which filled the hour following The Pat Sajak Show. In April 1990 The Pat Sajak Show was cancelled, so that CBS Late Night had the whole two hours from 10:30-12:30 PM to itself.

Just as it had before, CBS Late Night continued to air reruns of older programmes. The Prisoner joined the line up in February 1990. Kolchak: The Night Stalker, which had aired on CBS Late Night starting in 1987, returned to the line  up.  Reruns of Night Heat and old series such as Wiseguy also aired on CBS Late Night. Unfortunately, CBS Late Night was living on borrowed time. It seems that in 1976 when the network decided to air Kojak reruns on The CBS Late Movie, they had let the genie out of the bottle. Over the years various crime series had proven very popular on The CBS Late Movie. In the end it would be those crime series that would kill it. After a run of nearly twenty years, CBS Late Night ended its run on March 28, 1991.

It was replaced by a new programming block called Crimetime After Primetime. Crimetime After Primetime consisted mostly of Canadian imports, such as Tropical Heat, Forever Knight, and Dark Justice. Scene of the Crime (a mystery anthology series) and Silk Stalkings were the only American series in the line up. Unfortunately, Crimetime After Primetime would fall victim to the late night wars the same way that Merv Griffin had nearly twenty years before. It was replaced on August 30, 1993 by The Late Show with Dave Letterman, who has occupied the time slot ever since. Silk Stalkings would survive, running on the USA Network with original episodes until 1999.

Although The CBS Late Movie has been off the air for nearly twenty years now, it is still fondly remembered by many. For its first several years it was utterly unique, the only movie anthology series on the networks to air five nights a week. In those first several years it saw the network debut of several movies, one of which would be the first movie rated "X" to ever air on a network. For some time it was the only place one could see many of the classic Hammer horror movies. Even after it began airing reruns of primetime series it would still be fondly remembered, as it showed such cult favourites as The Avengers and The Saint alongside reruns of more recent American shows. Later it would be fondly remembered for bringing the first Canadian shows to American network television, Night Heat and Adderly. Even in 1990 and 1991, a mere shadow of its once glorious self, CBS Late Night aired such classics as The Prisoner and cult favourites such as Kolchak: The Night Stalker. While I like David Letterman and I love Craig Ferguson, I must admit there are those nights when I wish I could once more tune into CBS and see The CBS Late Movie.

To Sir, With Love (1967)

To this day, among Sidney Poitier's most beloved roles is teacher Mark Thackeray, the "Sir" of To Sir, With Love (1967). It was based on the novel of the same name by E. R. Braithwaite, which in turn was based on his own experiences teaching at a school in the East End of London. While the movie departs from the book in some ways, the central plot of an idealistic teacher's efforts to educate his cynical and sometimes rowdy students. Seen today many might find To Sir, With Love somewhat cliché,  but it is important to realise that the movie virtually invented the entire "inspirational teacher" genre. More so than the earlier The Blackboard Jungle (in which Mr. Poitier played a student), To Sir, With Love set the pace of all such films to come.

To Sir, With Love with take a rather long path to the big screen. The novel had actually been considered as material for a movie years before it was actually made. Indeed, at one point Harry Belafonte had even considered playing the lead role. Eventually it would fall to novelist and screenwriter James Clavell and actor Sidney Poitier to bring the novel to the big screen. James Clavell had not only authored the novel King Rat, which was adapted into a successful motion picture, but had also written the screenplays for such hit films as The Fly (1958) and The Great Escape. Sidney Poitier was then at the peak of his career. He had already starred in such films as The Defiant Ones (1958), Raisin in the Sun (1961), Lilies of the Field (1963), and A Patch of Blue (1965). Despite the fact that Mr. Clavell was on board to write the screenplay and direct and Mr. Poitier to play the lead role, Columbia Pictures apparently had little faith in To Sir, With Love. They only budgeted it at $640,000. As a result of this, Messrs. Poitier and Clavell agreed to work for a portion of the film's profits.

To Sir, With Love was filmed on location in London. Much of the film was shot in Shadwell, including the school (then on Johnson Street) and the Watney Street Market. The film started shooting May 30, 1966 and finished later that summer. The movie's theme song of the same name was was written by Don Black and Mark London, and performed by Lulu, who also appeared in the movie as "Babs" Pegg. Even after To Sir, With Love was finished, Columbia seemed to have little faith in the movie. Although finished in the late summer of 1966, the studio sat on the film until June 1967, when it was finally released in the United States. The film was released in the United Kingdom in October 1967. In both countries To Sir, With Love did spectacularly well. In the States it grossed $15 million and was the eight ranked movie for 1967. Curiously, Columbia Pictures was not only surprised by its success, but a bit puzzled as well. The studio actually did market research to see why Americans flocked to see the film. The answer was simply, "Sidney Poitier."

Although To Sir, With Love received largely positive views (Pauline Kael was a notable exception) and did enormously well at the box office, it must be remembered that it does not accurately reflect life in much of the East End in the Sixties. Much of this is due to the simple fact of when To Sir, With Love was made. Although by 1966 many of the taboos in film had been shattered in both the United States and the United Kingdom, many of them were still very much in place. An entirely accurate portrait of life in one of the more run down parts of the East End was then probably not feasible in 1966.

Among the ways in which the movie To Sir, With Love portrays a somewhat sanitised view of life in East End is the language. The book features much more explicit language than the film (although some of the harsher words are simply represented by the first letter and several dashes). In the movie the harshest words which appear are "damn," "bastard," "bloody, " "bleeding," and "son of a bitch (although the last word is partially obscured by the sound of a passing train)." While many might find this as grounds to criticise the film, it must be pointed out that in 1966 any movie aiming for a wide audience was advised to avoid harsh language of any sort. The very year that To Sir, With Love was filmed, 1966, saw an enormous controversy over the language in the film adaptation of the play Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf. In being adapted for film, the movie had to undergo a few minor deletions of the harsher language, language which by today's standards would still be considered somewhat mild. Indeed, the F-word would not make its first appearance in film on either side of the Pond in the year that To Sir, With Love was released. It was in 1967 that the F-word was first used in the movies Ulysses (an adaptation of the James Joyce novel) and I'll Never Forget What's'isname. Though it might seem odd to think so today, the language of To Sir, With Love was actually pretty explicit for 1966. Had it been any more so, it may not have been released or, at least, received an "X" Certificate in Britain.

 A more glaring departure from the reality of life in the East End in the Sixties is that To Sir, With Love largely  ignores the violence that sometimes took place then. There are multiple references to domestic violence, of  the students and even their mothers being abused, but there is no real reference to the violence of the streets on the East End at the time. Brawls between youths were not entirely unknown in the East End in the Sixties. Although sometimes bloody, youth brawls were not the worst violence to be seen in London's East End in the Sixties. After all, this was the era of such gangsters as the Krays and the Richardsons. In fact, for years the Krays and the Richardsons engaged in a turf war that took place over much of the East End. It is a bit puzzling as to why To Sir, With Love did not do more to address the violence of East End life in the Sixties. It is perhaps understandable why the movie would not have featured the sort of extreme violence that occurred during youth brawls or fights between gangsters, but then it does not even refer to them.

While the language of To Sir, With Love does not entirely reflect the time and place and while the movie only partially addresses the issue of violence, it does address the issue of racism to some degree. Thackeray becomes a teacher only because he has spent the past eighteen months applying for engineering positions. with no success. Although at no point does Thackeray blame his race for not having been hired as an engineer, it is strongly hinted that he has been a victim of discrimination. In the film a few of the characters also make demeaning remarks with regards to Thackeray's race. The issue of race is made clear in the character of biracial student Seales. Seales implies that his black father did the worst possible thing to his English mother--he married her. When Seales' mother dies, the students have to explain to Thackeray that they could not deliver a wreath themselves as it would be thought unseemly for them to enter a black man's home. Having bonded with Thackeray by this point, they do stress they do not mean to offend him. While To Sir, With Love does a fairly good job of addressing the issue of race in mid-Sixties England, it could have gone further. In the book Braithwaite has a romance with Gillian Blanchard, a teacher of English descent. Ironically, that issue was still very much an issue in both the United Kingdom and the United States in the Sixties probably prevented this subplot from being a part of the film.

While To Sir,With Love offers a largely sanitised view of the East End in the 1960's, the accusation that it is overly sentimental, let alone sweet or cloying is wholly unwarranted. While the film's end is indeed sentimental, it never stoops to the level of the many "inspirational teacher" movies that have followed it. Indeed, while its version of the East End in the 1960's is considerably cleaned up and while the movie's end is sentimental, those viewing To Sir, With Love today might be surprised at how intense the movie can be at times. By today's standards To Sir, With Love is rated PG by the British Board of Film Classification, indicating some scenes may be objectionable for children under 8. One can imagine what its BBFC rating must have been in 1967.

To Sir, With Love is aided considerably by James Clavell's intelligently handled script and a very capable cast beyond the usually excellent Sidney Poitier. Judy Geeson (who would go onto appear on Poldark and Mad About You) does very well as student Virginia Dare, as does Lulu as "Babs" Pegg. Where the movie's cast is concerned, viewers may wish to stay alert lest they miss some faces that would later be famous. Patricia Routledge, who would later play Hyacinth on Keeping Up Appearances, appears as teacher Clinty Clintridge. Future rock star Michael Des Barres appears as Williams, the student who never takes off his sunglasses. To Sir, With Love also features an appearance by British rock group The Mindbenders, who peform two songs in the movie.

Over the years To Sir, With Love has taken more than its fair share of hard knocks from those few who view it as overly sentimental or overly simplistic. In many ways I think this may largely be due to some individuals holding To Sir, With Love responsible for the sins of the "inspirational teacher" movies which have followed it. It is true that the movie does not present a particularly realistic view of life in London's East End in 1966, but then it seems likely that any film which did present a realistic view of such in 1966 would have never been made. To Sir, With Love is actually a well done movie which, despite its sentimental ending, can be tough minded at times. It set the pace for every "inspirational teacher" movie to come without sharing in many of those films' flaws.