Kenny Baker R.I.P.

Kenny Baker, best known for playing R2-D2 in the first two Star Wars trilogies, died today at the age of 81 following a long illness.

Kenny Baker was born in Birmingham, England on August 24 1934. His career in show business began in 1950 when he joined a performing troupe called Burton Lester’s Midgets. He later became a DJ with Mecca Leisure Group, an organisation that operated nightclubs, hotels, and other businesses. He worked for Billy Smart's Circus for a time. After leaving the circus he spent several years performing in ice shows and pantomimes. Afterwards he was a founding member of the comedy act The Minitones alongside Jack Purvis.

Kenny Baker made his film debut in an uncredited part in the movie Circus of Horrors in 1960. He guest starred in an episode of Man of the World in 1962. In 1975, immediately prior to being cast in Star Wars, he guest starred on Dave Allen at Large. He made his debut as R2-D2 in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope in 1977 and went on to play the droid in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983), Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999), Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002), and Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005). He also appeared as R2-D2 on TV in The Star Wars Holiday Special and episode of The Muppet Show.

In the Seventies he appeared in the films Wombling Free (1978), Flash Gordon (1980), and The Elephant Man (1980). In the Eighties he appeared in the films Time Bandits (1981), Amadeus (1984), Mona Lisa (1986), Labyrinth (1986), and Sleeping Beauty (1987). On television he guest starred on Ben Elton: The Man from Auntie. He appeared in the mini-series Prince Caspian and the Voyage of the Dawn Treader. In the Nineties he appeared in the film U.F.O. and provided the voice of Captain Orton  in the animated The King and I (1999). In the Naughts he appeared in the films The Cage (2002) and The Battersea Ripper (2006). He guest starred on Swiss Toni and Casualty.

While Kenny Baker will probably always be remembered as R2-D2, he did play other roles in career. While may were bit parts, there were those occasions when he received a good deal of screen time. In fact, I suspect he should be best remembered as Fidgit in the movie Time Bandits. Not only did he receive more screen time in the film, but he gave one of its best performances. Even in the various small parts Kenny Baker played over the years, he showed a good deal of talent. He will will most certainly be always remembered as R2-D2, but he did many other remarkable parts as well.

Godspeed David Huddleston

David Huddleston, who appeared in such films as Blazing Saddles (1974) and The Big Lebowski (1998), died on August 2 2016 at the age of 85.

David Huddleston was born on September 17 1930 in Vinton, Virginia. As a child he performed in church pageants. He attended Fork Union Military Academy in Fork Union, Virginia before serving as an engine mechanic in the United States Air Force. He studied acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City.

Mr. Huddleston made his television debut in an episode of Shotgun Slade in 1960. In the Sixties he guest starred on the shows Harrigan and Son, Adam-12, Then Came Bronson, and The Name of the Game. He made his film debut in a small role in the film All the Way Home in 1963. During the decade he appeared in such films as Black Like Me (1964), A Lovely Way to Die (1968), Slaves (1969), and WUSA (1970). Norwood (1970) presented him with a somewhat more substantial role than the bit parts he had been playing. It was followed by Rio Lobo (1970), in which he also had a somewhat more substantial role. David Huddleston made his debut on Broadway in Woman Is My Idea in 1968.

The Seventies saw David Huddleston's career take off. He was a regular on the shows Petrocelli, How the West Was Won, The Kallikaks, and Hizzoner. He also played the role of Olson Johnson in the classic film Blazing Saddles. Mr. Huddleston appeared frequently on television in the Seventies. He guest starred on such shows as Room 222, Bewitched, McMillan & Wife, Cannon, Medical Centre, Bonanza, The Waltons, The New Dick Van Dyke Show, Ironside, Dirty Sally, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Kung Fu, Emergency!, Hawaii Five-O, Sanford and Son, The Rockford Files, Charlie's Angels, and Vega$. He also originated the role of Sheriff Bridges in The Homecoming: A Christmas Story (1971), from which The Waltons was spun off (on the TV series Sheriff Bridges was played by John Crawford).

Amazingly enough given how often he appeared on television, Mr. Huddleston also appeared in several feature films in the decade. Besides Blazing Saddles they included such films as Fools' Parade (1971), Something Big (1971), Bad Company (1972), Country Blue (1973), McQ (1974), Nightmare Honeymoon (1974), Breakheart Pass (1975), Crime Busters (1977), The Greatest (1977), and Smokey and the Bandit II (1980). He also appeared on Broadway in The Roast in 1980.

In the Eighties David Huddleston played the title role in Santa Claus (1985). He also appeared in the films Go For It (1983), The Act (1984), and Frantic (1988). He guest starred on the shows Trapper John M.D.;The Fall Guy; Magnum P.I.;Blacke's Magic; Our House; J. J. Starbuck; Murder, She Wrote; and Columbo. He appeared on Broadway in The First and Death of a Salesman.

In the Nineties David Huddleston played the lead role in The Big Lebowski (1998). He also appeared in the films Life with Mikey (1993), Cultivating Charlie (1994), Something to Talk About (1995), Joe's Apartment (1996), The Man Next Door (1997), and G-Men from Hell (2000). He guest starred on such shows as The Wonder Years; Star Trek: The Next Generation; Walker, Texas Ranger; The Naked Truth; The Practice; The West Wing, and Gilmore Girls. He appeared on Broadway in Abe Lincoln in Illinois and 1776.

From the Naughts into the Teens he appeared in such films as Reveille (2004), The Producers (2005), Postal (2007), and Locker 13 (2014). He guest starred on the TV shows Gilmore Girls, The West Wing, Andy Parker P.I., and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

David Huddleston was an extremely versatile actor, as comfortable playing comedy as he was drama. He played his share of villains in his career, from the comic (the Big Lebowski in the film of the same name) to the downright frightening (Mayor Riddle in 1974's The Klansman). While Mr. Huddleston was very effective at playing bad guys, he was just as effective playing more lovable roles. He made a good Santa Claus in the film of the same name, and played Gramps Arnold in episodes of the TV show The Wonder Years. A veritable mountain of a man, Mr. Huddleston could play everything from a United States Senator (as he did on The West Wing) to a New York City police Inspector (in the TV movie Sherlock Holmes in New York). He was one of the most talented character actors of his generation and one who was certainly prolific.

Thank You for a Successful Blogathon!

I just wanted to thank everyone who participated in the Third Annual British Invaders Blogathon a success! Barring unforeseen circumstances, there will be a Fourth Annual British Invaders Blogathon. I am tentatively scheduling it for August 4, 5, and 6 (the first weekend of August) of next year.

Don't forget that next month I am hosting the Margaret Lockwood Centennial Blogathon on September 13, 14, and 15.

Hammer Films' The Brides of Dracula (1960)

 (This post is part of "The British Invaders Blogathon" hosted by A Shroud of Thoughts)

The "Dracula" movies produced by Hammer Films from the late Fifties into the Seventies number among my favourite horror movies ever made. And for me it will always be Sir Christopher Lee whose image enters my mind when I think of Dracula. It is then curious that Sir Christopher Lee does not star as Dracula in my all time favourite Hammer Film, Despite its title, not only does Dracula not appear in The Brides of Dracula (1960), but he is only mentioned twice in the whole film. Regardless, The Brides of Dracula remains one of my favourite horror movies of all time and my favourite film Hammer ever produced.

It was in 1958 that Hammer Films released Dracula (titled Horror of Dracula in the United States), their adaptation of Bram Stoker's classic novel. Alongside their earlier film The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), Dracula was one of the earliest Gothic horror movies to be released in colour and both were among the first to inject a healthy dose of sexuality into the proceedings. Dracula proved to be a smash hit on both sides of the Pond. With such success it was perhaps natural that Hammer Films wanted to produce a sequel.

As it turned out, that sequel would not star Sir Christopher Lee. After having played Frankenstein's Creature in The Curse of Frankenstein and Dracula in the film of the same name, as well as having been cast in the title role in The Mummy (1959), Sir Christopher Lee was concerned about being typecast in monster roles. As a result he was reluctant to once more play Dracula. Despite this Hammer Films went ahead with their plans for a sequel. It was in early 1959 that producer Anthony Hinds hired screenwriter Jimmy Sangster (who had already penned X: The Unknown, The Curse of Frankenstein, and Dracula for Hammer) to write a sequel. The end result was Disciple of Dracula, which centred on a follower of the vampire. Dracula was set to only appear at the beginning of the film and the end of the film, at which point he would put the disciple of the title back in line.

By the autumn of 1959 Disciple of Dracula had been retitled Dracula the Damned. Given Sir Christopher Lee did not want to return as Dracula, the screenplay did present Hammer with a problem It was at that time, then, that Anthony Hinds hired Peter Bryan, who had written the studio's adaptation of The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959), to rewrite the script and remove all references to Dracula. Not only did Mr. Bryan remove Dracula from the screenplay entirely, but he also brought back the character of Dr. Van Helsing and made other major changes as well.  Indeed, Peter Bryan is generally credited with the film's ultimate title: The Brides of Dracula. Star Peter Cushing would be responsible for one major change to the script. Peter  Peter Bryan's screenplay included a climax in which Van Helsing calls upon the forces of Hell to destroy the vampiric antagonist with a swarm of bats. Peter Cushing felt that Van Helsing would never stoop to black magic, so the climax was rewritten.

Despite this, after Peter Bryans' completed screenplay was sent to Peter Cushing in November 1959,  the actor refused to do the film. Antony Hinds then hired playwright Edward Percy (perhaps best known for having co-written the play Ladies in Retirement with  Reginald Denham) to rewrite Peter Bryan's screenplay. Edward Percy did not change a lot in the screenplay beyond giving it a more period flavour. Regardless, Peter Cushing finally decided to do the film.

While Peter Cushing had finally elected to once more play Van Helsing, that would not end the problems Hammer Films had in completing The Brides of Dracula. Hammer Films had a delivery date to keep with Universal (who was distributing the film in the United States) and the various revisions to the screenplay had delayed production from late 1959 to early 1960. With time of the essence, Anthony Hinds chose not to submit the screenplay to the British Board of Film Censorship (BBFC) before filming began, but instead to try to head off any problems with the BBFC by rewriting any possibly objectionable material even as shooting started. Amazingly enough given much of the content of the film, the BBFC's only major objection to The Brides of Dracula when the completed film was submitted to them was the staking of vampires. Anthony Hinds told the BBFC that there had been a similar scene in the first movie and so the scenes remained. Apparently there were some other minor cuts to The Brides of Dracula, although they do not appear to have been documented. Regardless, the BBFC passed the film with an "X" certificate.

While today The Brides of Dracula is regarded as a classic and by some as the quintessential Hammer Film, it did not receive the best reviews upon its initial release. In the United Kingdom The London Observer referred to it as "a ludicrous monstrosity". In the United States, in The New York Times, Bosley Crowther wrote of the film, "For here is but another repetition of the standard tale of the vampire bugaboo who likes to sink his oversized dentures into the necks of pretty girls" and "There is nothing new or imaginative about it." The tone of reviews of The Brides of Dracula at the time probably did not surprise Hammer, as they were similar to those the original Dracula (1958) had received. That having been said, like Dracula, The Brides of Dracula also did very well in the box office on both sides of the Atlantic.

Being the product of four different writers (Jimmy Sangster, Peter Bryan, and Edward Percy, with uncredited rewrites done by Anthony Hinds), one would think The Brides of Dracula would have turned out very badly. Fortunately it would turn out to be one of the the best Hammer Horrors (some even consider it to be the best). In The Brides of Dracula Van Helsing (played by Peter Cushing) once more faces off against a vampire, one who this time has an entire girls school to prey upon. While at times the story lags, over all The Brides of Dracula is one of Hammer's most exciting and frightening films.

What is more, in The Brides of Dracula there is no doubt that Peter Cushing is the star. As might be expected, he gives the best performance of any of the cast. What is more Van Helsing is given more to do than he is in perhaps any other Hammer film in which he appears. Peter Cushing gets to be very much the action star, swinging from ropes and dropping from windmills. Van Helsing even gets the closest thing to a love interest he ever had in the Hammer films in the form of French school teacher Marianne (played by Yvonne Monlaur).

The rest of the cast also does quite well. While many have criticised David Peel as Baron Meinster for not quite coming up to the standard set by Sir Christopher Lee as Dracula, it must be pointed out that Sir Christopher Lee set the bar so high that almost no other actor has ever reached it since. I personally thought David Peel did very well in the role. His Baron Meinster is alternately charming and sinister. He is also a very different sort of vampire from Dracula. While Dracula was a taciturn aristocrat, Meinster is Oscar Wilde as a vampire. Meinster is impulsive, hedonistic, and self-absorbed. He truly enjoys being a vampire and as a result he proves to be a worthy adversary to Van Helsing. Martita Hunt also gives a great performance as his mother, the sinister and ultimately tragic Baroness Meinster.

Ultimately The Brides of Dracula takes the Hammer formula further than the original Dracula (1958) did and even some of the later entries in Hammer's "Dracula" series would. Sexuality plays an even bigger role in The Brides of Dracula, to the point that the film even has overtones of homoeroticism and incest. The film also has some truly creepy scenes, including Marianne's initial trip through the woods of Transylvania. What is more, The Brides of Dracula has more action than any other Hammer film save perhaps Captain Kronos – Vampire Hunter  (1974).

The Brides of Dracula is hardly a perfect film and has its fair share of flaws. In the end, however, the film is so exciting, creepy, and entertaining that its flaws are easily overlooked. Ultimately, The Brides of Dracula is definitely a film whose whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Although it must have seemed a difficult task at the time, Hammer succeeded in making a a "Dracula" movie without Dracula.

The Third Annual British Invaders Blogathon

The Third Annual British Invaders Blogathon has arrived! For those who did not see the initial announcement regarding the blogathon, the British Invaders Blogathon is meant to celebrate the best in British classic films. While many think of Hollywood when they think of movies, the fact is that many classic films originated in the United Kingdom. From the Gainsborough melodramas to the Ealing comedies to Alfred Hitchcock to Tony Richardson, the United Kingdom has made many contributions to classic film. The British Invaders Blogathon will last from today (August 5 2016) to Sunday (August 8 2016).

I am glad to say we have a wide range of posts lined up that span the history of British film from the Thirties to the Eighties. For those participating in the blogathon, simply let me know in a comment here, a message on Twitter, or an email and I will add it to the list. And please remember to link to this page using one of the images from the introductory post! I want to thank everyone who is participating!

Anyhow, without further ado, here are the posts:

Realweegiemidget Reviews: "Gormless Gregory gets a girl: Reviewing Gregory’s Girl (1981)"

 Cinematic Scribblings: "Not Any Man’s Property: Far from the Madding Crowd (1967)"

MovieMovieBlogBlog: "Clockwise (1985) – John Cleese in a very well-timed farce"

Thoughts All Sorts: "Great British Comedy: Ask a Policeman"

The Flapper Dame: "Why I love The 39 Steps (1935)"

Crítica Retrô: "Neste Mundo e no Outro / A Matter of Life and Death (aka Stairway to Heaven, 1946)"

The Hitless Wonder Movie Blog: "The British Invaders Blogathon: Cone of Silence (AKA Trouble in the Sky)"

Old Hollywood Films: "Great Expectations (1946)"  

Sometimes they go to Eleven: "It Always Rains on Sunday"

The Midnite Drive-In: "Quiggy Does Musicals?" Rocky Horror Picture Show and Pink Floyd-The Wall"

The Wonderful World of Cinema: "Young and Innocent, a Typical Hitchcock British Film Indeed!"  

Moon in Gemini: "The Kubrick Masterpiece Missed by the Critics: Barry Lyndon (1975)"

A Shroud of Thoughts: "Hammer Films' The Brides of Dracula (1960)"  

Vitaphone Dreamer: "The Red Shoes (1948)"

Prowler Needs a Jump: "So Long at the Fair (1950)"  

Defiant Success: "Local Hero (1983)"

The 50th Anniversary of The Beatles' Revolver

Tomorrow marks the 50th anniversary of The Beatles' album Revolver. It was released on August 5 1966. Revolver is a very significant album for The Beatles in many ways. It has often been considered The Beatles' greatest album, even beating out Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band on some lists. It also often ranks among the greatest rock albums of all time on varioius lists. As for myself, it is my favourite Beatles album of all time and I consider it the greatest rock album ever recorded.

Over ten years ago I wrote a blog post on Revolver. Since I don't think I can really improve upon that post, I am reprinting it here. So in honour of the 50th anniversary of Revolver tomorrow, here is my post form January 28 2006.
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Today I got a copy of The Beatles' Revolver. Alongside Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band and Rubber Soul, it is one of my favourite Beatles albums of all time (which, of course, means it is one of my favourite albums, period). First released on August 5 1966 in Britain, it has since become regarded as one of the greatest albums of all time. In the United Kingdom in 1997 it was ranked as the third greatest album of the Millennium in a poll conducted by HMV, Channel 4, Classic FM, and The Guardian. A 1998 poll conducted by Q Magazine ranked it at number 2. In both VH1 and the survey that resulted in the book Virgin All Time Top 1,000 Albums it did even better--it was named the greatest album of all time.

The reason for all of the acclaim that Revolver has received over the years is not hard to find. The album represented a number of stylistic advancements and hence a new sophistication that had not been seen in a rock album before. Indeed, the album represents the first use of automatic doubletracking or ADT. Using synchronised recorders and an electronic delay, ADT could duplicate a sound instantly, simultaneously, and nearly exactly. This replaced the previous doubletracking technique in which a singer would have to sing a vocal again or a musician would have to play an instrumental piece again, careful to synchronise everything with the original. Beyond the development of ADT, The Beatles also utilised other unusual techniques for the album. On "I'm Only Sleeping" George Harrison played the notes for his lead guitar backwards, then reversed the tape before mixing it. That is what creates the song's rather somnolent mood. Perhaps the most experimental song on the album was Lennon's "Tomorrow Never Knows." The song foresaw the rise of psychedelia, which is even more impressive when one considers it was the first song recorded for Revolver. Its unusual sound was created using a number of tape looping effects, processing John's vocal through a Leslie speaker (generally used for instruments, not vocals), reverse guitar, and compressed drums.

The Beatles' various experiments in recording aside, however, it is the songs on Revovler that make it one of the greatest albums of all time. Arguably, this is the album on which George Harrison really began to shine. Indeed, it is the first Beatles album to lead off with a song by George--"Tax Man." That song was his protest against the British tax policies of the time. He also contributed "I Want to Tell You," a guitar driven ode to an inability to express one's feelings.

By this time the Lennon/McCartney partnership was largely a thing of the past, with the two of them writing their own songs with only a few contributions from the other. Regardless, John Lennon and Paul McCartney did some of their best work on Revolver. McCartney's most impressive contribution may well have been "Eleanor Rigby," possibly one of the most identifiable Beatles songs of all time. In the song McCartney paints images of two lonely people, Eleanor Rigby and Father McKenzie, both doomed to live lives of solitude. It was also to Revolver that Paul contributed his best love song besides "Michelle (possibly my favourite Paul song besides "Back in the U.S.S.R.")"--"Here, There, and Everywhere." The song is a simple, yet haunting expression of affection of a man for the lady he loves. Paul also wrote "Good Day Sunshine," inspired by the bouncy, cheery sound of The Lovin' Spoonful.

While Paul contributed "Eleanor Rigby" to Revolver, John Lennon contributed "I'm Only Sleeping," his paen to, well, sleeping. Not all of Lennon's songs on Revolver were so light hearted. Tomorrow Never Knows takes its inspiration from the Tibetan Book of the Dead, while She Said, She Said sounds like a contemplation on death.

Indeed, it is on Revolver that The Beatles expanded greatly on the subjects considered acceptable on a rock album. On various songs they covered protest against taxes ("Tax Man"), lonely people ("Eleanor Rigby"), death ("She Said, She Said"), and drug dealing physicians ("Dr. Robert"). The days when The Beatles were content to write about holding hands and not being able to buy love were long past.

Revolver was not just revolutionary in the music it featured, but even in its packaging. Nowhere on the cover does the name "The Beatles" appear. Instead, the entirety of the cover is taken up by a collage created by Klaus Voorman, German artist and the bassist for Manfred Mann. Featured in the collage are line drawings of The Beatles by Voorman and various photographs of the band taken from 1964 onwards. Even the name of the album, Revolver (yet another pun of John's--a record being something that revolves...) was revolutionary for the era.

Quite frankly, I have always thought that Revolver was not simply a must have album for Beatles fan, but for any fan of rock music who has a keen interest in the history of the genre. It was truly a groundbreaking album, in some ways more so than the classic Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Band. Indeed, Revolver made the later album possible. Of course, even looking beyond its innovations and stylistic experiments, Revolver is quite simply one of the best albums ever released with regards to musical quality.

Happy 90th Birthday, Tony Bennett

Today is Tony Bennett's 90th birthday. The singer was born Anthony Dominick Benedetto on August 3 1926 in Queens, New York. He had his very first hit in 1951 with "Because of You", which went all the way to number one on the Billboard singles chart. He would have a very successful career in the Fifties, with such hits as "Cold, Cold Heart", "Rags to Riches", and "Stranger in Paradise". His career would decline slightly after the advent of rock and roll, but he continued to have minor hits in the Sixties. The Eighties saw Tony Bennett make a comeback, with the crooner finding a whole new audience in Generation X. Since then he has continued to perform. Even now, after a career spanning sixty five years, Tony Bennett has never retired. Indeed, he is one of the last of his kind, one of the very last of the classic crooners.

In honour of Tony Bennett's 90th birthday here is his very first hit, "Because of You".