The Godfather Part II (1974)

The saga of the Corleone family continues as the story of young Vito Andolini growing up in early 20^th century Sicily and New York is juxtaposed with Michael Corleone in the 1950’s as he expands the family business into Las Vegas, Cuba and Hollywood.

Well, we’ve finally arrived: this is my favorite film of all time. “Whoa, you mean you like Part II more than Part I?” Absolutely. With a bigger budget, more studio support and the confidence and audacity to bring an even more ambitious film to the screen, The Godfather Part II is the definition of lightning striking twice. The parallel telling of Vito seizing the American Dream by the throat as his youngest son Michael is tearing it apart decades later makes this uniquely American story a tragedy of Greek proportions. As Michael fools himself into thinking his family will be legitimate in a matter of years, he has become so out of touch with his Italian roots that the band hired to play music for his son’s first communion does not know any traditional Italian music. Michael’s increasing isolation and paranoia is evidenced by the completely locked-down Corleone compound he has built for himself and his need to completely eliminate his enemies- it would seem that the destruction of the Five Families at the conclusion of the first film merely scratched the surface of Michael’s bloodlust that his father would have never allowed.

In addition to absolutely flawless direction, writing and cinematography, this film features the finest ensemble acting you will ever see. While it’s criminal that Pacino did not win an acting Oscar for this film, nearly the entire cast was nominated including wins for De Niro and Gazzo. De Niro perfectly recreates and reinvents the gravitas and mannerisms of fellow winner Brando for the same character, and Gazzo’s scene at the prison with Duvall before his demise is just as chilling as the Judas kiss between Michael and Fredo. Cazale brings a vulnerability combined with a simmering under the surface that makes all of his scenes incredibly powerful- his declaration of frustration over his station in the family and his subsequent banishment by Michael is one of the greatest scenes in any film.

While the climax of the film mirrors the more action-packed baptism finale of the original Godfather, this ending is the quiet knife that is far more intimate and ultimately much more destructive to Michael’s already-dwindling spirit. Despite his mother’s claims that one cannot truly lose their family, Michael commits the ultimate sin after her death which ensures that his family and his soul will be forever shattered. The final shot of an aging Michael alone in a park contemplating his choices and his mortality while the leaves fall around him is one of the most memorable and powerful in all of cinema. Those that prefer the original Godfather will claim that it’s the original and it has Brando and more memorable quotes so it has to be better, but I feel that this film has more room to breathe and tell it’s story without establishing the characters and the traditions or rules of the Mafia- essentially, the original Godfather is necessary for this film’s greatness but Part II also makes Part I better. 1990’s controversial and less-appreciated The Godfather Part III is actually an excellent character study of Michael, and him coming to grips with the consequences and inevitability of his choices despite his efforts to redeem himself. I highly recommend it to everyone despite a more negative reputation; nevertheless, The Godfather Part II remains for me the heart and backbone of the greatest trilogy of all time and the finest film I have ever seen.

I don't really have very much to add.  I think I really like part one better but part two is pretty darn good too.  Now that I've seen the Godfather (all three parts) a lot more references in many movies make so much sense to me.  Since watching it, I have noticed that references for this film are everywhere!  We see mirrors in plot in many modern ways.  If you have time, I wrote a post about how Arrested Development is basically humorous, non-violent Godfather that you might find interesting… however, I understand you just read quite a bit about the film already!!! http://katie-wolf.blogspot.com/2011/10/godfather-meets-arrested-development.html

Originally the actors in the flashback scenes wore pants with zippers. One of the musicians pointed out that the zipper had not been invented at that time, so some scenes had to be re-shot with button-fly trousers.

Michael Corleone: There are many things my father taught me here in this room. He taught me: keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.

The Sting (1973)

In 1930s Chicago, a young con (Redford) teams up with Henry Gondorff, the master of deceit, to swindle an evil Irish banker, Lonnegan.

This is one of my very favorite movies.  It's wonderful!  The twist and turns keep you guessing until the very end, even if you've seen it before! The movie does get a little dark in places BUT it's mostly just a great time.  The cons keep on coming.  My favorite part is when two of the guys working for Neuman and Redford go into an office building dressed as painters.  They kick the gentleman working in the office out because they say they will paint it.  They change their clothes from painter to businessman, change around some photos around and viola!  They have a seemingly legit office space.  Once Lonnegan sees that they are legit, the two con men bail leaving the room half painted for the poor office guy to return to. It's just a really well thought out film.  The Sting has been a Wolf Family classic, so much so that my brother Josh could be heard playing the film's theme, "The Entertainer" on the piano at all hours of the day.  I can still hear it when it's really quiet….

What a pleasure it is to see the perfect chemistry of Newman and Redford back together again for The Sting. This is like the original Riggs and Murtaugh or the best example of a “buddy movie” I can think of, second only to their own Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Everyone seems to remember the lighter-hearted moments and the toe-tapping score of Scott Joplin’s ragtime but I had almost forgotten that there are some intense moments, too. Robert Shaw’s Doyle Lonnegan is a scary dude that kills several people- it’s a little like his later Jaws character except without humor or charm and extra helpings of crazy. Several humorous double-crosses and tricks between cops and robbers lead to the big con, a very satisfying, surprising and enjoyable conclusion that ensures this film’s classic status. I’d say more, but I don’t want to spoil the surprises and the fun of this great film.

Just prior to Elizabeth Taylor's presentation of the Best Picture Oscar for this film, the streaker Robert Opel darted across the stage as David Niven was introducing her. (see photo above)It was this incident (among others) that inspired singer Ray Stevens to write the song "The Streak" that went to the top of the US charts the month after the awards. 

Luther: How much did you lose?

Johnny Hooker: [winces] All of it.

Luther: In one damn night? What are you spraying money around like that for, you could've been nailed.

Johnny Hooker: I checked the place first. There were no dicks in there.

Luther: But you're a con man! And you blew it like a pimp!

The Godfather (1972)

If you need a plot summary for The Godfather, I pity you. Nevertheless, here it is: Don Vito is the head of the Corleone crime family in New York. His youngest son Michael returns from the war to attend his sister Connie’s wedding but vows never to be a part of his family’s criminal organization. When Vito refuses to be a part of drug trafficking, he is nearly killed and Michael steps in to fulfill and seal his fate as the doomed heir to the Corleone family legacy.

I still have a photographic memory of watching a preview of The Godfather trilogy on my Dad’s VHS of Star Trek: First Contact and being completely fascinated by it. So I asked for the trilogy on VHS and received it on my birthday during a family reunion in Minnesota when I was about 13 or 14. While everyone was off doing other things, I started the first film and was awestruck not only at the film but how my family member seemed to congregate one by one until almost all of us were watching it after the first hour. It’s been said many times before, but everything seems to perfectly fit in this film that crosses all demographics and would become the golden standard of crime dramas for all time. The Godfather has become so embroiled in American pop culture that you likely know several lines and plot points even if you’ve never seen it, and if you haven’t, it’s in your best interests not to admit it for the verbal badgering you will likely receive. The flawless writing, structure and performances combine to make a film that even bests its own source material; the screenplay wisely eschews some irrelevant material about Sonny’s mistress and her doctor from the book, some of which would be cleverly worked into Part III. There’s not really anything more to say about this incredibly rich and beautiful film without forcing in a tired quote, so I’ll just leave it at this: It’s The Godfather. See the damn thing already.

Everybody loves big romantic gestures, like Lloyd Dobbler in "Say Anything" holding the speaker up outside Ione Skye's window or when Harry runs to Sally during the New Year's Eve party in "When Harry met Sally" to tell her how much he loves her.  Well, all I had to do was watch all three Godfather films in one day and my fate was sealed.  How better to woo a man than to watch his three favorite movies?  For Tim Pipinich, there really isn't. I really liked the Godfather.  Before Tim, I didn't see myself watching it after hearing that a real horses head ends up in an enemy's bed in the movie (sure, it's a spoiler but you should know aHEAD of time!! Get it... a HEAD??) It's an amazing movie with outstanding performances.  There is this really interesting theory about how oranges are present whenever something bad is about to happen in the trilogy.  I do love me some symbolism, intentional or not. Interested?  Check out this link!  http://www.jgeoff.com/godfather/oranges.html

For the scene where Clemenza is cooking, Francis Ford Coppola originally wrote in the script, "Clemenza browns some sausage". Upon seeing this, Mario Puzo crossed out "browns" and replaced it with "fries", writing in the margin, "Gangsters don't brown."

Peter Clemenza: Leave the gun. Take the cannoli.

The French Connection (1971)

Alcoholic but dedicated New York police officer “Popeye” Doyle (Gene Hackman) and his partner Buddy Russo (Roy Scheider) find themselves pursuing one of the biggest narcotic smuggling rings in the world when refined Alain Charnier (Fernando Rey) attempts to facilitate major heroin shipments to New York from France.

Following the example set by In The Heat of the Night, The French Connection explores the gritty, seedy parts of urban life propelled by William Friedkin’s brave, pull-no-punches direction that elevates what could have been an exploitative thriller into art. This may be the only balls-to-the-wall action movie to win Best Picture; it’s fraught with foot chases and a righteously famous car chase that is one of the best you will ever see. The handheld camerawork (many years before Jason Bourne) brings an element of urgency and excitement to the film rarely seen before, and the acting and attention to detail are so authentic you would swear that a documentary is unfolding in front of you. After some minor TV appearances and a brief but memorable breakout performance in Bonnie and Clyde, Gene Hackman’s Oscar-winning performance would make him a big star for the next several decades. He hasn’t been in a film since 2004, and I really wish he would come back soon. To be completely honest, I think that fellow nominee A Clockwork Orange is a better film that lost over being too gratuitous and ahead of its time for many people and that Dirty Harry from the same year is arguably more intense and powerful. But there’s no denying The French Connection and its far-reaching influence on virtually every cops and robbers drama in film or TV today.

First time seeing this film as well and it is very evident that many action films used this as a template.  The chase scene in particular was very suspenseful.  So suspenseful that it actually caused a real  unplanned car accident.  Gene Hackman is basically trying drive thru traffic in New York and beat the subway system to catch a perp at the next stop.  Needless to say, he was driving like a maniac.  Throughout this whole movie you are wondering if Gene Hackman is really the good guy.  He's definitely a loose cannon and while he has good cop moments, he also has some shitty cop moments.  The ending is what makes the movie a game changer.  It ends so much differently than you would expect.  When it's over, you'll be scratching your head but it leaves you thinking about Hackman's morality.  At the end of the day, he's not really a good guy and he might not even be a good cop.  It's pretty unexpected and interesting.  I recommend it!  Definitely worth a watch or two.   

The car crash during the chase sequence, at the intersection of Stillwell Ave. and 86th St., was unplanned and was included because of its realism. The man whose car was hit had just left his house a few blocks from the intersection to go to work and was unaware that a car chase was being filmed. The producers later paid the bill for the repairs to his car.

Jimmy 'Popeye' Doyle: Now I'm gonna bust your ass for those three bags and I'm gonna nail you for picking your feet in Poughkeepsie.

Patton (1970)

This film tells the story of General George S. Patton, tank commander and controversial military genius during his WWII career, including the invasion of Europe and the end of the Third Reich.

Half biopic and half war movie, Patton is a great film that is more interesting and entertaining than I remembered. Scott’s charismatic Oscar-winning performance is fantastic, even if he spends the majority of it calling everyone a bastard or a son of a bitch. In many ways, Patton the man feels like the opposite of Best Picture compatriot D.H. Lawrence of Lawrence of Arabia. Lawrence was a reluctant and self-conscious man that never wanted to be an icon. Patton conversely wants the heroic spotlight as often as possible (I mean seriously, he fires a revolver at a fighter jet and made Nicholson’s Joker firing at the Batwing look like a pansy) and believes through reincarnation that he has been a warrior through the ages. His arrogance rubs some people the wrong way and he finds himself in the wrong decade when he faces immense fallout after kicking a “coward” out of a military hospital, and Patton’s faults and rude awakening at the changing of the times are the soul of this great film, even if it feels more like a throwback to films of decades past than a film of it’s own time. Even so, I highly recommend you check it out… you bastard.

Patton.  I was very self-conscious on how to say it.  PaTTon, Pa'en (like cockney style), Paddon, I don't know.  It was hard for me.  I'm not going to lie, I also was sick of war movies.  I dislike Oliver! but at least that was a change from all the war movies.  Because of this, it took a while for us to get to this movie.  I simply needed a war break.  This was a very good movie that started with the iconic scene of George Patton standing in front of an American flag, calling people bastards and giving them a memorable pep talk.  So any time you see a pep talk in front of a flag (a humorous looney tunes episode comes to mind), you know where it comes from. Patton also disliked or mistrusted anyone who wasn't american.  He's not a man who enjoys diversity and that leads to his demise.  I'm not sure if I'll watch it again but it was definitely worth viewing once.  

The movie begins without showing the 20th Century Fox logo, or any other indication that the film is starting. At military bases across the U.S., theater owners reported that soldiers in the audience would often stand up and snap to attention when they heard the movie's opening line ("Ten-hut!"), assuming it to be a real call to attention. 

Patton: Now I want you to remember that no bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country.

Midnight Cowboy (1969)

 Cowboy wannabe Joe Buck (Jon Voight) comes to New York to be a hustler only to become a victim of the city’s unsympathetic, dog-eat-dog sensibilities. These qualities are mirrored and refracted by streetwise transient Ratso Rizzo (Dustin Hoffman), whose relationship with Buck grows as Buck’s very troubled backstory unfolds.

This is the first and only X-rated film to win Best Picture, and while it’s pretty tame and easily in R-rated territory by today’s standards, this film remains a very tough pill to swallow. The plot summary reads like a relatively standard “two people from different sides of life find common ground and become friends against all odds” but there is far more depth and less conventionality to be found. Even if there wasn’t, this film is less a showcase of plot than of acting, and Voight and Hoffman deliver some of the best you will ever see. There’s no guarantee of a happy ending or that the characters will be made better by their situation, and the outcomes for Buck and Rizzo are not equal or fair. The first time I saw this movie, I was only 14 or 15 and far too young to appreciate it or detect the nuances. While it occasionally falls victim to the ‘60’s (like the overlong Warhol party scene), Midnight Cowboy is even today a brave, unique and unforgettable film that brought themes of homosexuality to the Academy Awards decades before Brokeback Mountain. Everyone deserves to see this film, and although it can be a road with rough terrain, the journey is worth it.

This was my first time seeing this movie and I didn't really know what to expect.  The first hour is a silly, optimistic comedy about this bright-eyed country boy going to score some rich cougars in the big city.  Sounds great, right?  Well I think he goes to New York with about $60.00.  Clearly that doesn't last very long.  There is even a scene where Buck actually gives the woman he slept with $20.00 for a cab... Not super lucrative.  The second half of the movie really changes things up and it gets pretty real when they have to squat in a condemned building just trying to get by.  However, it still maintains some humor throughout.  I agree with Tim, pretty tame for an R rated movie but groundbreaking at the time.  Highly recommended! 

In one particular scene, Ratso and Joe get into an argument over cowboys. Ratso states that "Cowboys are fags!" Joe's response is "John Wayne is a cowboy! Are you calling John Wayne a fag?" Coincidentally, Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight were nominated for the Best Actor Oscar for their roles as Ratso and Joe, respectively. They lost out - to John Wayne for his role in True Grit. 

Ratso Rizzo: I'm walking here! I'm walking here!

Oliver! (1968)

This musical adaptation of Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist is about an orphan who is constantly hungry.  He asks for some more gruel at the orphanage.  They kick him out.  Then he picks a pocket or two with the help of the Artful Dodger.  

First, this movie BEAT Funny Girl! What the heck?  This in no way, shape, or form compares to the quality in Funny Girl.  FG is much more polished.  AND BARBRA! She's brilliant!! Her single performance in FG is better than the entirety of Oliver! So why do I dislike Oliver!? WELLLL first of all, the musical is bogus.  The book is not a fun, light book.  It's depressing.  Trying to make a fun musical about orphans is weird but in the last thirty minutes shit gets real.  I mean dying whores real!  It really is the most bipolar musical.  Annie really takes this idea and perfects it.  I mean it's a hard knock life but the end of Annie is so happy.  ANd it's just too cute to be sad.  Oliver! just ends... and not with an exclamation mark.  Before you think that I am ripping Oliver! to shreds, I was in this play.  AND I had to listen to the music every day for one whole summer.  I mean, I was the Rose Seller... VERY VERY important!  Jeeeeez! And if you are ever bored and want to try and find a video online with me doing an Oliver meets Elephant Man impression, I'm pretty sure it's why Tim fell so deep in love with me...

Where to begin? First of all, Oliver! is a perfectly okay film but the show itself is doomed at the drawing board. Most of the works of Charles Dickens don’t seem to lend themselves well to musicals and even in the narrow realm of musicals about beggars are there many better options, like Annie or The Newsies. Sure, these may be the happiest poor people since Burt in Mary Poppins but of course they’re hungry; think of all the calories that are needlessly burned by all that singing and dancing. Katie’s claim that this film is bipolar is best represented by how the fun and jaunty “Oom-Pah-Pah” song is almost immediately followed by Nancy being beaten to death by Sikes. The chase for Sikes goes on about ten minutes too long and oddly feels like the end of Frankenstein with all the torches and yelling. All this aside, there is one upsetting fact that ruins the whole film: Mark Lester, the child who plays Oliver, did not do his own singing in the film because he couldn’t carry a rhythm or a tune. He was overdubbed by the daughter (!?) of the music arranger/supervisor of the film. So this kid was cast as the titular character of a musical, stepping over the dozens of talented boys in the cast and they couldn’t even overdub him with one of those kids. Once you know this fact, you can’t ignore how Oliver’s thin singing voice is a girl and the movie is ruined. There may be a reason why a musical didn’t win Best Picture for 34 years after this. Ultimately, this film is more memorable but also far more frustrating than Gigi and I will be hard pressed to watch it again.

The first film with an MPAA rating to win an Academy Award for Best Picture. 

Oliver Twist: Please sir, I want some more.

In the Heat of The Night (1967)

In the small town of Sparta, MI, a wealthy and important local businessman is found dead in the middle of the street. Detective Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier) of Philadelphia, on his way out of town from visiting his mother, is arrested for the crime simply because he is a black man with money. Tibbs’ name is quickly cleared but his boss and his pride demand that he stay and lend his expertise to local police chief Gillespie (Rod Steiger). As the compelling case is revealed, Tibbs is forced to confront not only the prejudices of southern United States and Gillespie but also his own.

Since we started this blog, I couldn’t wait to arrive here because Katie had never seen this film and it is one of my all-time favorites. On top of being a powerful character study and just a great suspenseful mystery, In the Heat of the Night is a relevant character study and parable about discrimination that makes fellow Best Picture nominee Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner seem quaint. That film was considered a “big deal” because a black man is involved in an interracial relationship- imagine the gasps that came from an audience in 1967 in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement when Tibbs is slapped by a plantation owner and Tibbs slaps him back. That scene alone brings my jaw to the floor every time and ensured that this film had no plans to make its impact quietly. The grainy cinematography that lays bare the gritty, urban landscape defined the cinematic look of the ‘70’s and would become standard in many of the finest films of the next 15 years. This film would spawn a sequel and a TV series but nothing could ever recapture the power of the original, which still stands as one of the greatest films of all time.

This was my first viewing of the movie and anytime it would come up in conversation, Tim would get so excited.  "AHHH SOOO AMAZING!! AHHH AHHH!"  Right before we started the movie, Tim was hoping he hadn't ramped it up too much.  AND he hadn't.  It's a damn good movie.  The slap that Tim talks about it without a doubt the climax of the movie.  When Mr. Tibbs leaves, the plantation owner is on the verge of tears because of two very important things.  1. Poitier packs a man-sized slap. 2. This man's whole way of life is over and that slap made him see that real quick.  I don't think I will ever love this movie as much as Tim but it I did really enjoy it! 

According to Sidney Poitier, Tibbs' retaliation slap to Endicott was not in the original script nor in the novel on which the film is based. Poitier insisted that Tibbs slap Endicott back and wanted a guarantee that the scene would appear in all prints of the film. According to Stirling Silliphant, the slap was in the original script though not in the novel.  

Virgil Tibbs: They call me MISTER Tibbs!

A Man for All Seasons (1966)

In 16^th century England, Sir Thomas More’s convictions are tested when he refuses to approve King Henry VIII’s divorce from Catherine of Aragon in his obsessive desire for a son and an heir to the throne.

I was worried that this would be a generic uptight period drama, like a Tom Jones that wasn’t remotely funny. I was pleasantly surprised (but not blown away) by A Man for all Seasons, a film that at best nearly recreated the splendor of Olivier’s films and at worst resembled a bland BBC telecast. Perhaps    A Man For All Seasons was better left on stage but it had some good moments. I enjoyed Robert Shaw’s interesting turn here as Henry VIII, even if most of his dialogue was shouted at the top of his lungs while within an arm’s reach of the person he was speaking to (he must have been prepping to yell at a shark a few years down the road). I was pleased to see that this film acknowledged that Henry VIII was a man that enjoyed humor and music, which were basically the only things he had time for during the rare instances that he wasn’t eating, having sex or killing one of his wives. Many other performances were not as memorable except for an early performance from a young and goofy-looking John Hurt and a heart-wrenching Wendy Hiller as Alice More. But Paul Scofield as Thomas More is truly the star of the show and the glue that holds it together, and he carries this film into the ages (and into the somewhat abrupt “here’s-where-they-are-now” ending a la American Graffiti except everyone dies or becomes jailed). While not one of my favorite of the Best Picture winners, I’m glad I could experience it and can recommend it to most people I know. 

I don't think I enjoyed this movie as much as Tim did.  I didn't hate it.  But boy, I thought a lot of it was boring.  It was kind of vanilla to me.  Seeing an extremely young Vanessa Redgrave as the misunderstood Anne Boleyn was pretty interesting.  She couldn't be more than 17 years old in the  movie.  Not only that but Orson Welles played the obese cardinal and a young John Hurt with a scraggly beard played More's friend turned foe.  It was fun to see all these people in the film... but I didn't really take a lot from it.  There were great acting moments but their weren't a ton of memorable ones.   I personally enjoyed fellow nominee "Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf?" more. 

But it does make me think of this:

Orson Welles used an exact duplicate of Cardinal Wolsey's official seal, as well as authentic sheepskin parchment and a quill pen. 

Sir Thomas More: "I do none harm, I say none harm, I think none harm. And if this be not enough to keep a man alive, in good faith I long not to live."

The Sound of Music (1965)

The Sound of Music is based on the Rogers and Hammerstein musical.  It's about a nun in Austria who doesn't quite fit in at the convent, so she is sent (willingly) to a naval officers home to become the governess for his six children.  There are also nazis.  And, of course, there is music.

If you were to ask my parents some of their favorite memories of me as a youngster, they would of course talk about the time when I was no more than three, standing on the coffee table, singing (at the top of my very well developed lungs), "CWIMB EVERWE MOUNTAIN!!!!!!!"  Needless to say, this is one of my very favorite movies.  I just love it!  Christopher Plummer portrays the hard, militant Captain Von Trapp who falls deeply in love with the musically gifted, home-wrecking nun.  Because, she was a home-wrecker!  That changes the nun's pristine image, doesn't it??   He was engaged to the lovely Baroness and he starts batting his lovely lashes Maria's way and they both leave him.  However, the nun comes back and they are so happy that they sing and make-out.  Their marriage scene still seems REALLY long to me.  But after that, the nazis become more central to the plot, which isn't boring.  They also manage turning Liesl's Aryan beau, Rolf into a huge chode and a nazi.  It is a fantastic film and anytime Christopher Plummer sings "Edelweiss," I get oddly emotional.    

The bar was set high with My Fair Lady, and The Sound of Music knocks it out of the park. It’s almost impossible to hate this movie unless you can’t stand musicals or three-hour films in general. And let’s get this out of the way: Julie Andrews is not only a fabulous singer and actor but a truly gorgeous lady. If this and Mary Poppins were the only films she was ever in, her legacy would still be as strong as it is today. The songs from The Sound of Music are all incredibly memorable and well-performed (you know, when I could hear them above Katie’s singing) especially “Do-Re-Mi”, also known as “God’s gift to music teachers.” Seriously, it not only helps to teach solfege but it also illustrates the importance of scales and tips on how to compose based on them. Thank you so much Rodgers and Hammerstein! While this film does fall victim to the “Third Act Slump” (see our The Broadway Melody post http://timandkatiesworkingtitle.blogspot.com/2012/08/broadway-melody-1929.html for clarification), The Sound of Music is an undeniable classic. On one last side note, the Blu-Ray transfer for this film is just magnificent. So if you can that’s the way to see it. 

The house that was used as the Von Trapp home was actually owned by actress Hedy Lamarr. 

Liesl: I'm Liesl. I'm sixteen years old and I don't need a governess.

My Fair Lady (1964)

My Fair Lady is the film adaptation of the stage play by the same name which is an adaptation of the book, Pygmalion.  A lot of adaptations!  This is the story of the low class flower girl, Eliza Doolittle, who is begrudgingly taken in by a snobby phonetics professor.  He spends the movie striving to make her as respectable as a duchess.  

AAAAAOOOOOOWWWWW!!! I'm a good girl I am!!! -  Well that summed up the first half hour of the movie.  Well, mostly kidding.  Audrey Hepburn's performance as a street urchin is very obnoxious yet so charming.  I have a hard time with this movie. I really like it but I'm so sad that a lot of Hepburn's singing was dubbed over by the same gal who sang Maria's part in West Side Story.  Once you know it's the same voice, you just hear Maria in the part.  It's very strange.  Hepburn sings some of her stuff and it's so sad because she didn't know they were planning to dub her voice.  Her beau in the movie, Freddy, his voice is dubbed too by Prince Philip from Sleeping Beauty (which only makes me swoon a little).  He sings the lovely "On the street where you live."  My favorite part is Eliza's silly drunk father who sings "I'm getting married in the morning." He kinda flits between bars AND women trying to get money for his next glass of whiskey.  He's such a gem.  All in all, just a delightful movie. 

After the mild disappointment of the similar Gigi, My Fair Lady is a return to form of the musicals of the previous decade and features many more memorable songs and performances. It’s endlessly charming watching Audrey Hepburn struggle with her words and sounds as Rex Harrison makes fun of her incessantly. In fact, if this film has a major weakness, it’s that the story loses some of its charm and humor after Eliza becomes “civilized.” Much like Breakfast at Tiffany’s also starring Hepburn, this version deviates from its source material significantly at the end when Eliza forges a “truce” with Higgins instead of leaving him on his pompous ass. At least there is a nod to that in a great scene near the end when Doolittle stands her ground and asserts that she can live without him; nicer clothes and better phonetics were all that had changed for her heart was good when she was just a lowly flower girl and it was Higgins that needed her help in that respect. All in all a good film but one that is not quite a top-tier musical for me. Check out our next post for an example of a musical that is truly top tier. 

Rex Harrison was very disappointed when Audrey Hepburn was cast as Eliza, since he felt she was badly miscast and he had hoped to work with Julie Andrews. He told an interviewer, "Eliza Doolittle is supposed to be ill at ease in European ballrooms. Bloody Audrey has never spent a day in her life out of European ballrooms." Nevertheless, Harrison was once later asked to identify his favorite leading lady. Without hesitation, he replied, "Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady." 

Eliza Doolittle: Come on, Dover, move yer bloomin' arse!

Tom Jones (1963)

Tom Jones begins life under unusual circumstances when he is abandoned at the doorstep of Squire Allworthy. He grows to be quite the lady’s man, competing for the lovely Sophie with the jealous and manipulative Blifil, the legitimate heir of Allworthy.

Well, that was a surprise. After a few consecutive historical war epics and sweeping musicals, Tom Jones is a pretty cheap-looking Monty Python-esque comedy that’s only one poked eye or jabbed rib away from being slapstick. The film is silly as hell but luckily it’s silly on purpose and it is legitimately charming and funny until it overstays its welcome in the last half hour or so. I’ve always wondered what a young Albert Finney would look like and he’s a sharp-looking guy- he has to be for this comedy of errors to work. Lessons learned from Tom Jones? It seems that all you needed to do to get laid in 18^th century England was pelvic thrust behind a woman without permission and push her into the hay, and if that didn’t work then just drunkenly stumble into the forest until you find a wandering whore. Those are just a few of the misadventures that lie in store for you with Tom Jones. It’s worth the trip for a few good laughs at least, but enter at your own risk if you’re not a fan of goofy British antics or harpsichord.


Tim pretty much summed it up.  Play boy Tom Jones gets all the sex.  The slogan for this movie is, "The Whole World Loves Tom Jones!"  And boy, do they.  In the woods - mostly.  The restoration of this movie was the worst of any best picture winner so far and I bet ever.  There are scenes when it's so grainy it looks very green and shadowy.  This movie was funny and kitschy but kind of a weird best picture.  I mean, it definitely was refreshing.  I would much rather watch this than yet another three hour WWII film.  They were good... but come on.  It was crude, vulgar, and pretty funny.  Quite a welcome surprise!


Susannah York (Sophie Western) and David Warner (Blifil) would later play Superman's biological Kryptonian parents, though not in the same production. York played Lara Lar-Van in Superman and Superman II and Warner played Jor-El in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. 

Narrator: [after Tom celebrates Squire Allworthy's recovery with too much wine] "It is widely held that too much wine will dull a man's desire. Indeed it will... in a dull man."

Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

Enigmatic and controversial T.E. Lawrence is a British intelligence officer that goes from observing the Arab-Turk conflict to leading a guerrilla force against the Ottoman Empire during World War I. 

A few years after his excellent Bridge on the River Kwai, David Lean returns to Oscar glory by practically dwarfing that film’s ambition with Lawrence of Arabia. Peter O’Toole’s magnetic performance has stood the test of time as the strong but "accidental" leader of an "accidental" revolution. That's probably the best aspect of this movie- that leaders and heroes are in fact flawed, indecisive and very human; they are not fully aware of what they are supposed to do or what they will mean to people as decades pass and Lawrence is no exception (actually, he has a pretty major flaw in that he's a bit trigger-happy and enjoys killing people- no, seriously, they acknowledge in the film that he likes killing people). Maurice Jarre's score is also likely the best from the era since Ben-Hur and seems to be the musical basis for every Middle Eastern/desert scene of any kind since. There’s not much to say about this film that hasn’t already been said except that the film is an undeniable classic. If you can tolerate three-hour films with overtures, intermissions and the occasional white-person-painted-to-be-ethnic, Lawrence of Arabia is the film for you. 

In the opening scene of Lawrence of Arabia, we see T.E. Lawrence, Peter O'Toole's character, die in a motor cycle accident.  At his funeral, people start talking about his life and most people didn't really know him - and the people that did thought he was kind of a dick.  The rest of the movie shows Lawrence's adventure through flashback, which I think is brilliant.  First of all, you see him die in the beginning, so during this crazy revolutionary Ottomon war that he's sort of leading, we know that he, in fact, lives.  During his daredevil-ish motor cycle crash, we also see his need for excitement, thrill, and danger.  If the crash happened at the end of this huge epic movie, I personally would feel cheated.  It's like, well what the heck did I watch all this for?  But with the crash in the beginning, you accept that before you hear about his past.  I think O'Toole's performance is brilliant and watching it on DVD with his baby blue eyes and the desert, it's pretty cool looking.  But seriously.... look at him, he's so pretty!

Although 227 minutes long, this film has no women in speaking roles. It is reportedly the longest film not to have any dialogue spoken by a woman. 

T.E. Lawrence: "I pray that I may never see the desert again. Hear me, God."

West Side Story (1961)

Inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the feuding families are re-imagined as rival gangs in a racially charged turf war in New York City. When Tony and Maria from opposite sides meet and fall in love, their secret threatens to tear everyone’s lives and worlds apart. 

The first time I saw West Side Story was in a middle school theater class, and I will never forget how mesmerized I was by the opening scene. It remains my favorite film musical because not only is the dancing and choreography outstanding, but it actually means something and serves the plot instead of just singing and dancing “because it’s a musical and that’s what you’re supposed to do.” The dichotomy of dangerous tough guys that dance propelled by a jazzy Leonard Bernstein score combined with a social commentary about how society deals with minorities and juvenile delinquents makes for a near-perfect movie experience. Why near perfect? Because some of the male chorus singing is shaky at best; at the beginning of “Tonight,” some of them even sing the wrong words. I may never get over that.

When I was kid, I got confused about why Maria and Tony couldn't be together.  Because let's face it... Maria doesn't look Puerto Rican AND Tony doesn't really look white... he's really tan.  and I don't know... he didn't look white.  Other than that...the movie is pretty good.  I do have issues with Romeo and Juliet in general because I believe the show was written to be a satire about how kids are dumb and impressionable and their parents are closed minded.  I mean it's all about young love.  Young, stupid love.  The character of Rosalind in Romeo and Juliet is the key reason why this show should be viewed as more of satire.  I mean Romeo is whining about the loss of Rosalind and going on and on about how much he loved her... ten minutes later, his pain is healed when he's making out with Juliet.   I think West Side Story really changes the tension when Rosalind doesn't exist.  And with a change in ending, it really winds up being an inspiring, but sad ending about hope and change. 

For your viewing pleasure, Sassy Gay Friend has similar ideas!

Riff and Tony repeat an oath of loyalty to each other: Riff says "womb to tomb" and Tony answers "birth to earth." On stage Tony's original answer was "sperm to worm," but this was changed for the movie because it was beyond the censorship standards of the time. 

"I love the island MANHATTAN!" - Anita "I KNOW YOU DO!!!" - other Puerto Rican chick.