Sunset Cinema: The Great Escape

This summer has already yielded seeing five new releases so it was time for our first repertory screening. It would be our third movie in as many days and my favorite of all time, The Great Escape! I've seen the World War II tale of POW's on the big screen twice from a Digital Print but this viewing was coming at you courtesy of The New Beverly Cinema owner Quentin Tarantino's personal 35mm print! A Steve McQueen trailer reel was also touted and the classic men on a mission flick played for a surprising four nights. In an awesome touch there were Japanese programs being handed out along with a giant French poster in the lobby. I was happy to see such a full house for the film that included a former co-worker and an actor I did an interview with the day previously (more on that later).

Why is this my favorite movie? I dunno, it's one of those perfect storm kind of movies. Director John Sturges is my favorite of all time, his The Magnificent Seven comes pretty close behind The Great Escape on my list. Then you have the marvelous cast that includes Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough, Charles Bronson, James Coburn, James Donald, Donald Pleasence, David McCallum, Gordon Jackson, John Leyton and Angus Lennie among many more. The World War II setting is one of my faves and the simple tale of men doing something because they can and because it's their duty in the face of danger and death always spoke to me. It's also a pretty great thing when a movie makes you read a book. While I've actually never read the real life account the film is based on (no clue why not actually) by Paul Brickhill, I've devoured hundreds of pages by the likes of Sturges, co-producer Robert Relyea, producer Walter Mirisch and co-star Garner.

The print was Damme near gorgeous with the colors popping on the over 50 year old flick. A little scratchy in parts but nothing too distracting. Even though Steve McQueen had top billing, I feel this is more or less James Garner's movie. He's so suave and cool as Hendley the scrounger in his white turtleneck while McQueen is a little rougher and goofier as loner Hilts. Behind the scenes it was revealed that McQueen wanted to be the hero but not do anything heroic. Leading to being a bit of an outsider with many scenes focused on him instead of part of the committee. Attenborough has a great part and does a fantastic job as X, leader of the whole escape effort. The camaraderie among the prisoners and cleverness in the diversions and digging methods never gets old. In fact, I enjoy the film's first two hours in the camp more than the last hour when they're all on the run. Something I noticed this viewing I hadn't before was several characters have verbal cues to differentiate them among the physical. McQueen bounces his baseball, Bronson is revealed to be claustrophobic sure but this time out I realized that Pleasence says "splendid" a lot, Garner responds, "of course" in a funny-sarcastic way, Jackson has "brilliant" and Coburn says "bloody" more than a couple times.

After the film and a short break, trailers in various shape for flicks like Love With the Proper Stranger, Bullitt, The Reivers, Junior Bonner, The Getaway, The Towering Inferno and Papillion played back to back. My dad always had a copy of prison escape epic Papillion nearby and apparently it's one of Jean-Claude Van Damme's favorite books. Guess I'll have to add that to the list too.

Con-Man: Long Beach Comic Expo

After a night of birthday celebrating it was down to Long Beach for the Comic Expo on Saturday. This is usually the smaller of the two LB shows but this year expanded so much that they had to move it to another section of the convention center. There was some science technology summit or other happening where LBCC usually is so we were around the back by the Performing Arts Center and Aquarium. Replica cars from Knight Rider, Jurassic Park, The Blues Brothers and Back to the Future welcomed you, it was a breeze to grab tickets and head inside. Right away we saw one Lance Henriksen at the non-RAW, RAW booth with The Lone Gunmen actor Dean Haglund along with a local artist. I immediately searched the floor for NECA's new Bishop figure and took it over to Mr. Henriksen to sign. Having already bought his book last year, The Lance was still just too Damme cool and gracious, chit chatting about Alien 5 (He hasn't heard anything) and how he actually hadn't seen the new figure yet. Again, just a great guy and here's hoping I put together an event he can attend. Why was it the non-RAW, RAW booth? Well convention specialist Mike was on hand, the RAW Studios banner was up, but neither Messrs Thomas Jane or Tim Bradstreet were attending. The Jane is still shooting new show The Expanse up in Canada while Bradstreet was also out of town. Here's hoping the duo return to Long Beach soon as their previous years have been outstanding with screenings and panels.

From there we walked the floor which was nice and padded with carpet checking out comics, toys, arts and crafts, Big Trouble in Little China ReAction figures and Funko's were around. I recognized some vendors from previous shows, guess we're becoming regulars huh? The floor boasted over 165 exhibitors and artists but strangely didn't feel much bigger than previous shows. Star Wars Laser Tag was set up in the back, there was a signing area where Futurama's Phil LaMarr and martial arts heroine Cynthia Rothrock were set up near a new addition, video games projected on a big screen. Street Fighter and Super Mario Brothers action ensued. Writing legend and X-Men mainstay Chris Claremont showed up and had a line at his table the entire day.

11:00 AM marked our first and only panel of the day, G.I. Joe Cartoon Voices! Hosted by combat fatigue clad Flint aka Bill Ratner, the panel included Keone Young (Storm Shadow), Hal Rayle (Deep-Six), Mary McDonald-Lewis (Lady Jaye), Jerry Houser (Sci-Fi) and Neil Ross (Shipwreck). There was a great camaraderie between the actors and they started things off with a reading of a funny G.I. Joe skit where Cobra ninja assassin Storm Shadow is actually trying to help the Joes. The panel included much talk of working for Wally Burr who would push his actors to provide a realistic, non-obvious cartoony performance in sessions that went 7-8 hours versus the typical 4. Basically if you didn't leave blood on the music stand, you weren't doing it right. Burr also strove for authenticity and instead of having an actor play ethnic, he'd just go out and get a person from the community aka Asian or black characters being played by Asian and black actors. Many a tale spoke of Megatron voice actor Frank Welker who would help the young guys while also being able to give you the sounds of a rocking chair or a male or female dolphin! Lewis was proud that her character wasn't fetish-ized and her action figure was the first female toy to have short hair. Lewis was great, very cool, very smart and just a ball of fire. She made sure everyone was involved during the panel and offered some terrific insight into being a positive force in the world. This was Houser's first time at a convention and he was really funny with a voice you swear you recognize but don't know why. Rayle went into Deep-Six and I immediately thought he was doing Charles Bronson, which he was! Rayle based the voice on Bronson as Tunnel King Danny in The Great Escape.

There was some enlightening stuff like the script girl encouraging the cast to buy Hasbro stock as the toy giant knew FCC regulations were changing so the cartoons could have commercials for their products during the run-time essentially make it a 30 minute advertisement. Ratner said if he would have invested $1,000 dollars in 1985, it would have been worth $28,000 just a few years later. Jokes about their figures selling poorly leading to being featured less on the show were common place during sessions of 10-12 voice actors. Houser said Sci-Fi was really good at sitting still in silence...I asked when the panel realized they had jumped generations and started going to cons with Lewis and Ratner saying they'd only known about the show's impact in the last ten years. Frank Welker couldn't make it but doesn't believe people still love the shows 30 years later. Rayle has only been going for a few years and is headed to Australia for a show soon. A few passionate fans spoke of their love for the show and Lewis shared that the percentage of first responders and EMT's in the Joe community is extremely high when compared to the rest of the population. She and Ratner also attended the official G.I. JoeCon where they watched the new live action movies and Lewis mentioned that there wouldn't be cons for those in 30 years. Young was asked about working for supposed tough guy writer-director Kurt Sutter on Sons of Anarchy to which he responded he'd worked with guys like Billy Wilder so Sutter was nothing and that was the point of being a professional. I ran into Young in the hallway after and asked him about Surf Ninjas, he said it was a lot of fun and they shot it in beautiful Thailand. On and on it went, just a really great time, lots of laughs, stories and heart. If that weren't enough, Neil Ross gave next week's Sunbow Celebration a shout out, Yo, Joe!

It was off to get our Dublin Donkey's on across the street at The Auld Dubliner and next door to collectible store Geeky Mamas where they have an awesome selection of toys old and new, accessories and clothes. I totally meant to get a Transformers or Joe shirt for next week but didn't see any good ones...Back at the show we walked the floor some more, checking out artist alley and digging through random boxes. That Hashtag Show is coming to Sunbow Celebration and I introduced myself, cool guys who like Long Beach the same as I do for it's chill vibe, guest approachability and nice surrounding area. Grabbed a few Captain America Annuals and Sgt. Rock issues from a 3 for 1 booth as well as a collection of time traveling mutant soldier badass Cable for a solid $5! Created in "1990, the dawn of the most action-packed decade in comic-book history" by Louise Simonson and wunder-kid Rob Liefeld. "Body-Slide by one". I would have liked to stuck around to see Claremont's panel, it had been a full and fun day so we headed home. Just when I thought Long Beach Con wasn't evolving, they shut my face by putting on a terrific show. Here's hoping to an even bigger one in the fall. Bring on Emerald City!

Gotta See! James Garner Statue

On my way to Austin, I stopped off in Oklahoma City where an old buddy and I would then B'ROadtrip down to Texas. After picking me up from the clean yet empty airport we headed south of the capital to Norman so I could check out a ten-foot tall bronze statue of one of my favorite actors, James Garner! You see, Garner grew up in Norman and was a long time supporter of the local university and it's football team the Sooners. Welcoming you to a strip of picturesque small town America, Garner's statue is just past the train tracks and across from the Sooner Theatre, where Garner watched movies as a young boy. They even renamed the street to James Garner Avenue. Local friends and supporters raised the money, hired sculptor Shan Gray and in 2006, Garner was on hand for the unveiling. Although Garner had great success in films like The Great Escape, on television in The Rockford Files or on the race track as a driver, his role as television's Bret Maverick would always be a signature and the statue depicts him his western costume.

You know how I love to seek out sky high dining, comic shops and arcades, visiting statues of cinematic icons is another great way to see America and the world. With Garner off the list, I can set out to see Arnold's statue in Columbus, Ohio, Stallone's in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Bruce Lee's in Hong Kong and of course, Jean-Claude Van Damme's in Belgium. 

Bronson of the Day: Hard Times

Charles Bronson is one of my favorite on screen personalities but honestly, I don't think he starred in that many great films.  Sure his ensemble work in The Magnificent Seven, Battle of the Bulge, The Great Escape, The Dirty Dozen and Once Upon a Time in the West make each of those films more interesting but in terms of leading man vehicles, I'm hard pressed to rewatch many as they became "Charles Bronson" movies instead of just, movies.  One of my favorites, probably my all time favorite Bronson flick is 1975's Hard Times.  It's just one of those movies I can pop in anytime and still get caught up in.  A few years ago I even got to see it on the big screen with some of the surviving cast attending at The New Beverly. 

Hard Times is the story of a mysterious drifter and street fighter named Chaney (Bronson).  We don't know where he came from and never learn anything about his past.  Rolling into the Depression era streets of Louisiana, Chaney teams up with big boasting hustler and fight organizer Speed (Mag 7 & Great Escape co-star James Coburn) as they set out to make some money.  Chaney's scrapping skills attract the attention of the local shady businessmen and he's forced into a final fight with their hired hitter all the way from Chicago.  Bare knuckle brawling, oyster eating, high stakes gambling, yoked 52 year old Bronson, fox grinning James Coburn, southern man Strother Martin, fish smelling awesomeness ensues.  Chaney picks up a lady friend, Lucy, played by real life spouse Jill Ireland in arguably her greatest performance opposite her husband.  Way better than last Bronson of the Day title Cold Sweat where she overacted being high and screamed a lot.  She peppers him with questions that he somehow never really answers.  Chaney's not looking to bother anyone and doesn't look past the next bend in the road. 

Walter Hill directs a revised script from Bryan Gindoff and Bruce Henstell.  Hill is one of my favorite writer/directors with flicks like The Warriors and Streets of Fire also being examples of exciting, weird flicks set in their own worlds like Hard Times.  The flick is sparse, you could say not a ton happens but it's still somehow extremely engrossing.  The script was the same way, there's a great description of a bar being thick with smoke and losers.  Using the country vistas and industrial landscape of New Orleans (factories, warehouses, docks), Hill creates a downtrodden world without making it mean or empty as he would later do with movies like Johnny Handsome or most recent Bullet to the Head.  A mustache-less Charles Bronson is terrific as Chaney in a performance that blends world weariness and tired eyes mixed with rough and tumble fight scenes where he shows off his muscular, vascular and trim physique in effective cinematic bouts of fisticuffs that are raw, awkward and exciting versus cleanly or overly choreographed.  James Coburn gets to do a lot of the talking as fast and big mouthed Speed with his great big grin, never losing his confidence as the perennial loser.  Strother Martin is great as the strange yet endearing opium addict cut man Poe who still dresses in fine duds and recites poetry.  Barry De Vorzon provides a Cajun-folk infused score that fits the films easy going pace and would later give Hill's The Warriors a memorable, forward charging synth soundtrack.

Reportedly costing $2.7 million clams, Hard Times would be one of Bronson's first American star vehicles post 1974's mega hit, Death Wish, which was a top earner of the year bringing in $22 million.  Hard Times would turn a profit collecting $5 million with Walter Hill receiving participation checks to this day.  Hill and Bronson never worked together again after the actor didn't appreciate the cutting of several of Ireland's scenes.  Hill would remark that Bronson ran very hot and cold in the years after, on some occasions being warm and friendly and others not even acknowledging Hill's presence.  James Coburn was said to have been difficult to work with on the set, maybe feeling disgruntled after co-starring with Bronson on earlier fare, coming into his own as a leading man in films like Our Man Flint, Duck, You Sucker and The President's Analyst but was now second banana to the international action star.  Hill would go on to become a force in the industry during the 80's and 90's, producing the Alien series and directing genre and box office hits like The Warriors and 48 Hours.  Bronson would change genres and eras for follow up western-mystery Breakheart Pass, based on an Alistair MacLean novel while Coburn went on to star in a crazy sounding action flick about rescuing a kidnapped family from a mountain top terrorist lair using hang gliders in Sky Riders.  I need to find me a copy of that!

Ask Me a Question: Halloween @ Beyond Fest

Beyond Fest keeps on kicking with no less than 3 screenings this past Wednesday night.  The centerpiece being a newly restored, 4K version of John Carpenter's seminal indie horror classic, Halloween!  Humans From Earth co-presented the festivities with Geoff Boucher on hand for the pre-film Q&A.  Another sold out crowd, we marked our territory in the balcony this time and hit neighboring Pig & Whistle for a couple of Jameson and Ginger Ales.  Since I had extra tix, I gifted them on some thankful dudes in the Stand-By line.  Inside, Death Waltz had even more vinyl for sale, including a re-mastered version of Carpenter's Assault on Precinct 13 soundtrack.  As the theater quickly filled up, we were treated to some Beyond Fest pre-trailers that were awesomely hilarious.  One was a supercut of dummies filling in for humans falling or getting their heads chopped off.  The next was a riff on Queen's Another One Bites the Dust I believe with screams and handshakes filling in for the beat complete with Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell's epic high five over Teri Hatcher's head in Tango & Cash!  I nearly stood up and cheered.

American Cinematheque and BF programmer and creators Grant and Christian did some quick trivia and tossed out Halloween disks courtesy of Scream! Factory.  Boucher introduced Mr. Carpenter who introduced star Jamie Lee Curtis.  Apparently this is the first time the duo have ever attended a screening of the film together:

- 22 day schedule, $300,000 budget
- Curtis auditioned several times, liked Laurie's role because she got to do more than "be cute"
- Obtained entire wardrobe in one trip from J.C. Penny
- Curtis just remembers the film being fast and fun, young crew, everybody friends with someone else, for example Michael Myers was played by Carpenter's band mate in the Coupe DeVilles, Nick Castle, instead of a stuntman in later installments
- Carpenter didn't realize the film was doing well at first as it rolled out regionally with a few prints, by Christmas, knew it was cooking when some independent producers came to see him
- Most fun film Carpenter ever made as he was young, too dumb to know any better and hadn't been fucked over by the studios yet
- Doesn't mind remakes, it's just part of the deal, studios think audiences are too dumb to see anything original, of course he likes remakes that cut him a check VS ones studios own rights to
- Assault on Precinct 13, Carpenter could afford 1 day at a UCLA studio to create score, on Halloween could afford 3 days
- Curtis is very involved with charity, just got into conventions and made $150,000 in one weekend for her causes
- Auctioning off a replica of Michael Myers' bust signed by every member of the production team

The pair were very complimentary to each other, giving credit for inherent talent and future success.  Carpenter didn't drop his "gotta go see my drug dealer" line to close things out though.

I haven't seen Halloween since high school maybe when I got uber freaked out at a friends house due to all the windows someone could be looking at us through.  The great theme music starts things off in typical Carpenter fashion with credits over black screen, this time with a Jack-O-Lantern off to the side.  One night, young Michael Myers inexplicably stabs his sister to death.  15 years later, he's institutionalized and Dr. Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasance, The Great Escape) wants to keep him there forever, knowing the boy is pure evil.  When Michael escapes, Loomis deduces that he's most likely headed back to his childhood home which has become the local haunted house but is about to be sold by Strode Realty.  Young Laurie Strode goes to the house to drop the key off and soon, she and her friends become Myers' prey as he stalks them over Halloween night.

While over 30 years old, the flick holds up pretty well.  It's pretty funny and dated due to it's low budget stature, mostly inexperienced cast and whatnot but the atmosphere, chills and scares are still there.  Myers is not portrayed as a man but a force of evil so you just take his Boogeyman quality and accept it.  Many a horror flick would take cues from the flicks structure, characters and traits as Halloween went on to spawn 7 sequels over the next 24 years and then a reboot in 2007 that received it's own sequel.  Can't say I've seen a single one though...

The Monster Squad and Snowpiercer next!

Bronson of the Day: Cold Sweat

The last time I took a trip to the Middle East of America I watched Battle of the Bulge on my Kindle.  That pretty decent World War II flick stars Henry Fonda, Robert Shaw and Charles Bronson.  Coincidentally on this trip I viewed another flick starring Bronson only this time he wasn't part of an ensemble but was into his leading man years.  Cold Sweat is a French/Italian co-production released in 1970, directed by James Bond helmer Terence Young and based on a novel by I Am Legend's Richard Matheson.  The film opens calmly enough with the super vascular Joe (Bronson) teaching a guy how to navigate his charter boat.  After a night of gambling with the boys he comes home to his wife Fabienne (Liv Ullmann) and they argue about him always being out and his drinking habits.  The petty squabble is soon interrupted by mysterious phone calls and a home invasion.  It's not a random burglary though as the perpetrator knows Joe and whacks him with the butt of a pistol.  Turns out ol' Joe was in the military, struck an officer, got thrown into the brig and escaped with a crew.  When one of them kills a street cop, getaway driver Joe bolts and the team is captured.  All these years later, it's time to get even.  Using his new wife and step-daughter as collateral, Joe is forced to assist his former comrades in meeting some drug dealers to buy heroin.

Of course, things don't go so smoothly with Bronson playing Joe and he takes out the crew one at a time.  Under the command of Captain Ross (20,000 Leagues Under the Sea's James Mason, Kirk Douglas alert!), the whittled down team ends up fighting each other in a remote cabin while Joe is out with hippie/money carrying Moira (Bronson's spouse Jill Ireland).  At only 93 minutes, Cold Sweat started off intriguingly enough but loses a bit of steam as it goes on.  Mustached Bronson looks lean and mean here in his tight black tee shirt and veiny yet not overly pumped up arms.  His performance isn't particularly iconic but it's not perfunctory either, he's just a guy trying to save his wife and kid.  He's no victim and takes action often, always working another angle.  I was impressed by the cleverness of some of the action bits like Joe kicking out a table leg from under an armed guard or using a car door to disarm someone later.  Towards the end there's a pretty solid car chase as Joe races through town and the mountains with a doctor to tend to a wounded man.  Cars cut each other off with inches to spare and there's plenty of screeching around corners on mountain roads with precarious drop offs only feet away.  James Mason's gravitas and terrific voice are put to good use as the former commander even if he looks a bit goofy in his 70's attire.  I couldn't help but think of actor Richard Jordon from Timebomb (Michael Biehn alert!) and The Yakuza watching Mason and wondered if they ever played father and son in anything...

Car Sequence Stunt Coordinator Remy Julienne would go on to work on multiple Roger Moore era James Bond films as well as a couple of Jean-Claude Van Damme pictures.  Post Dr. No, Thunderball and From Russia With Love director Young would collaborate with Bronson on two subsequent flicks, the highly enjoyable "western action comedy with samurais" Red Sun and the American hit about the mob, The Valachi Papers.  After years of building up a reputation as a solid supporting player in The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape, The Dirty Dozen and Battle of the Bulge where he was paid in the $50,000 range, Cold Sweat finds Bronson in his European star years where audiences appreciated his unconventionally handsome yet unforgettable face and stoic silent strength.  His salary would double and triple on it's way to a massive $5 million in the 80's.  It would still be another five years before American audiences appreciated Bronson and gave him his first all out stateside hit, Death Wish.

If you're looking for that Bronson fix while sitting on a plane, in an airport or in bed, you could do worse than Cold Sweat.

Charles Bronson Thursday

Last week I received a belated birthday present from a dear friend I've known since the 4th grade.  His dad is a big John Wayne fan and that translated to him being able to keep up with my interest in the masculine, loner, doer types of the 60's.  One of his nicknames is Hilts a la The Cooler King aka Steve McQueen while I'm Danny, The Tunnel King aka Charles Bronson from the all-male cast, stick it to The Man, World War II prison camp classic The Great Escape.  The painting by Seattle's Jim Blanchard will be a nice addition to my wall of stuff in the new apartment's Den/Dammage Pit West.  The gift coincided with me reading James Garner's (Charm In Peace) memoirs, The Garner Files where he briefly describes his encounters with the granite faced action star.  This comes on the heels of rereading the musings of other luminaries of the time like director John Sturges, assistant director Robert Relyea and producer Walter Mirisch over the summer.

From the written words of James Garner and Jon Winokur's The Garner Files, 2011:

Garner describes his Great Escape co-star as a pain in the ass with a chip on his shoulder.  The two nearly came to blows over a poker game but years later had a surprisingly pleasant dinner together along with their wives.  Garner wasn't sure if Bronson held a grudge but he sure did.

Assistant Director turned producer turned production executive Robert Relyea wrote of Bronson often in his 2008 book, Not So Quiet on the Set: My Life In Movies During Hollywood's Macho Era, as Relyea worked with Sturges who in turn cast Bronson in Never So Few, The Magnificent Seven and The Great Escape.  Relyea was also on the set of Kid Galahad, an Elvis Presley starring vehicle featuring Bronson as his boxing trainer:

Describes Bronson as a physical specimen seemingly burdened by a permanent chip on his shoulder and prone to sulk and suspicion.  Not mean spirited naturally but at some point put up his guard around people and never let it down.  Relyea mentions Bronson never backing down from a challenge, especially when he's the only one who believes he's been challenged.  During Kid, Bronson warned a co-star "I'll punch your fucking lights out if you don't get out of my face" and contested Elvis' karate skills leading Bronson to break his hand trying to split a board after an impromptu karate demonstration by Presley.  The two partied together often in Mexico on Magnificent Seven and Relyea let Bronson use his German hotel room during Escape not knowing it was to meet with the married Jill Ireland who would eventually become Bronson's wife.

Executive producer of Kid Galahad, The Magnificent Seven and The Great Escape along with titles like West Side Story, In the Heat of the Night and The Pink Panther, Walter Mirisch writes briefly of Bronson in his 2008 memoir I Thought We Were Making Movies, Not History:

Noticed Bronson in 1953's House of Wax and made sure to keep and eye on him, claims it was his idea to bring him on to The Magnificent Seven years later.  Mirisch's company also produced the Bronson starring vehicle Mr. Majestyk in 1974 after being unable to secure Steve McQueen.  By that time Bronson had graduated from supporting roles and was a bonafide star in Europe and Asia.  Budgeted at $2 million with $400,000 and 10% of the gross going to its star.  No mentions of Bronson being a pain in the ass or having a chip on his shoulder here though Mirisch does make a fleeting comment about friction between the star and director Richard Fleischer.

A man who can be given much credit for Bronson's rise in Hollywood is Dammaged Goods Hall of Famer John Sturges, director of Bad Day at Black Rock, Escape From Fort Bravo, Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape and Ice Station Zebra.  Sturges worked with Bronson multiple times when Charlie was up and coming and once when the former coal miner had hit the big time.  From Glenn Lovell's 2008 study Escape Artist: The Life and Films of John Sturges:

Bronson's 2nd on screen performance was a 2-day bit part in Sturges' The People Against O'Hara in 1951. For 1960's Seven, Bronson seemed pitch perfect for the habitually mad at the world Bernardo O'Reilly but Sturges wasn't interested in him playing type.  Instead, the character gets the biggest emotional arc as a hired gun adopted by the village children with a tender soul and need for family.  On set, Bronson hung out with co-star Steve McQueen as they went both kept busy looking for chicks.  For 1963's The Great Escape, a co-star describes Bronson as perpetually pissed off, chewing tobacco and shirtless to show off his muscular physique and impress any would be conquests.  His frequent tales of a poor upbringing eating weed soup were cut off by Sturges who told him those days were over and that he was on his way to becoming a star.  That proved true but by 1973's Chino, Sturges' career was on the decline while Bronson had just been deemed the Number-One Star in the world by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.  Armed with director and script approval, Bronson would frequently take two and half hour lunches with wine flowing on location.  In full prima donna mode, Bronson would emerge from his RV when he felt like it and hold up production regularly.

What is it about these seemingly insecure, opinionated and cantankerous alpha males like Bronson, McQueen, Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas that cemented them into silver screen legends?  While they might have come off as assholes to some, they weren't fucking assholes judging by the fact that Bronson was married to Jill Ireland for decades and brought his 7 children to every movie location to keep the family close.  Once McQueen trusted you, he was your friend and you were not his lackey while Douglas' hard headed attitude and disdain for the status quo helped break the Black List in the 50's.  That charismatic, seemingly selfish yet determined mindset backed by the thought that any of them could deck you if necessary gave us a litany of macho, "get the job done" types that went dormant in the 70's but was resurrected in the 80's with driven descendants Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jean-Claude Van Damme who capitalized on their accents, hyper developed bodies and self belief to create their own sub-genre of film.  Like Frank Sinatra, they did it their way.

Charm In Peace: James Garner

I was saddened to see that James Garner passed away on Saturday night in his Brentwood home at the age of 86 by what can only be deemed natural causes.  I had just watched The Great Escape over 4th of July weekend and was again reminded of what a cool, charismatic, funny and macho presence Garner was.  Arguably his role as smooth talking scrounger Hendley in The Great Escape is richer than star Steve McQueen's Captain Hilts, who got to add some motor cycle chase scenes to give audiences something to remember him for.  Garner was one of the last guys Hollywood had left.  What I mean is that he is one of the last of that era's leading men who could do physical, funny and dramatic without breaking a sweat.  He was a star with presence and personality not just fleeting fame.  A product of a broken family and later a veteran of the Korean War and merchant marines, Garner had that real life experience that many young actors are missing today who simply got into the craft from an early age.  He even went after both Warner Brothers and Universal in court, and won!  Of his Great Escape colleagues, director John Sturges, producer Walter Mirisch, co-stars McQueen, James Coburn, Charles Bronson, James Donald and Donald Pleasance among others have all passed away while other dynamic personalities from the period like Burt Lancaster, Lee Marvin, John Wayne and Robert Mitchum have also ascended to the Hollywood party in the sky.  I figure Kirk Douglas is the last of this strong willed, independent and status quo rejecting lot so I should probably write him to tell him how much I've enjoyed his work on and off screen.

I can't recall where I first saw Garner's work but I never really got into his TV stuff where he became a star on Maverick then cemented his legacy with The Rockford Files.

The Great Escape - Bob Hendley, the smooth talking, tool stealing, document procuring scrounger who looked so dashing in his white turtleneck while trying to escape a German camp.  Word is that a rough cut showcased Garner's character to the point that Steve McQueen walked out on the production causing director John Sturges to fire the actor and rewrite the script to blend his character with Garner's.  Of course The Cooler King stayed on and The Great Escape became one of his signature roles.  McQueen and Garner would become friends, neighbors and racing competitors with McQueen often throwing empty beer cans on Garner's beautifully manicured lawn.

The Americanization of Emily - Charles Madison, a smooth talking naval officer aide with an aversion to combat falls for Julie Andrews and gets sent to fight.  Great dialog from Paddy Chayefsky and wonderful chemistry with Andrews.  James Coburn pops up as his buddy nicknamed Bus, which is just an awesome nick name.

Support Your Local Sheriff - Jason McCullough, a big, burly dude in the west who uses his wits, charm and mouth to get out of most trouble in this western comedy.  Loved the bit where he stops a big fight so he can grab his lunch and eat in peace as well as the scene he sticks his finger into a threatening bandits gun and convinces him it will backfire.  Terrific supporting cast and the sequel, Support Your Local Gunfighter is amusing but not quite as good.  I believe he earned a career high salary for one of the flicks in the $750,000 range.

Tank - Sgt. Major Zak Carey, a loving father and Army legend serving his final tour of duty at a small base in Georgia who runs afoul of the corrupt, local law enforcement.  Uses his personal tank to break his son out of jail then goes on the run.  Funny and random flick from the 80's post Garner's 2nd successful TV run with The Rockford Files' 6 year, 122 episode run which saw the star sue Universal for compensation and profits and walking away with an alleged $14 million bucks.

Maverick - Marshall Zane Cooper, the elder straight arrow lawman to Mel Gibson's hot shot gambler who is afraid of guns Bret Maverick.  It looks like Garner, Gibson and Jodie Foster are having a ball in Richard Donner's update of the television show and that makes it more fun for the audience.  Watch out for cameos from Donner alum Corey Feldman and Danny Glover as well as a nod to Lethal Weapon even though the movie takes place in the 1800's.  James Coburn pops up again opposite Garner in a nice reunion. Apparently producers wanted Paul Newman but after he passed, they came to their senses and back to the man who originated the role.

Space Cowboys - Tank Sullivan, Clint Eastwood credits Garner with paving the way for TV stars transitioning to film after suing WB to get out of his Maverick contract.  Garner anchors a cast that includes Eastwood, Donald Sutherland, James Cromwell, William Devane and Tommy Lee Jones as a former test pilot turned reverend.  The young version of Tank is played by Body Armor's Matt McColm too boot.  The scene where Jones and Garner try to keep up with NASA's young astronauts lifting weights is a great one.

I just watched a documentary that interviewed Kurt Russell, an actor who always seemed like he was having a good time and went into semi-retirement to work on a vineyard.  It reminded me of Garner who was known to consider acting a means to an end, playing roles big and small, never chasing status, just working and happened to get lucky and made it on a bigger level.  The kind of guy who just comes off as a cool dude you'd like to kick back with and shoot the shit with.

John Ford Blogathon: Donovan's Reef

Here's a first for Dammaged Goods, a multi-site blogathon!  The topic?  The films of John Ford.  Co-hosted by Krell Laboratories and Bemused and Non-Plussed, which is run by an old college chum of mine who will forever be in my heart for her love of John Carpenter and buying me Wendy's with her leftover meal stipend.  I've seen a lot of Jack/Coach/Pop Ford's work but I can't say he's one of my favorite directors a la The Great Escape's John Sturges.  But this near week long event seemed like fun and something different than my usual 80's and 90's awesome bullshit.  Perusing through Ford's filmography, obvious titles like My Darling Clementine, Fort Apache, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, The Quiet Man, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance and The Searchers all jumped out at me but were already taken.  Then I realized that his 1963 "WWII buddies who brawl in Hawaii" effort Donovan's Reef was still up for grabs. I didn't realize the flick was one of Ford's last directorial efforts and that the production faced a multitude of issues from the start.  But we'll get into that...

Within the opening minutes of Donovan's Reef we meet wild eyed trouble maker Thomas Aloysius 'Boats' Gilhooley (Lee Marvin) who is scrubbing the decks of a freighter passing the French Polynesian island of Haleakaloha (actually Kauai, Hawaii).  A Navy veteran, Boats has been shanghai'd by the turtleneck clad, blackjack toting captain who gets a mop handle to the face as Boats makes his escape and swims to shore.  Then we meet Michael Patrick 'Guns' Donovan (John Wayne) on a fishing trip with three youngsters, Leilani, Sarah and Luki who are the children of local physician Dr. William Dedham (Jack Warden).  From the simple introduction we can infer that Guns is a good man, a tough guy and a bit of a smart ass.  Next we're introduced to island governor  Marquis Andre de Lage (Cesar Romero) who is tired of the pretty local girls, bland food and sunshine and would rather be transferred to Miami Beach, Florida or Hollywood, California.  As Boats makes his way to shore, horns are sounded and a singing, waving crowd gathers to welcome the seemingly island legend with layers of leis and passionate smooches from the women.  Local law enforcement/French Legionnaire Sgt. Monk Menkowicz (Mike Mazurki) and Father Cluzeot (Marcel Dalio) are ready to kick Boats off the island but are disarmed by his roughneck charm.  Boats and Monk head to Donovan's Reef, a local "men only" joint where we learn that Guns and Boats have partaken in an annual, all out brawl for the last 22 years following their service in World War II on their shared birthday summed up as "The Legion, The Legend and The Crowd".  Guns attempts to call a truce but within minutes the beer bottles and punches fly as the two rumble through the bar.  Doc Dedham breaks up the scuffle and reminds them that nobody even remembers what started their ridiculous birthday donnybrook that happens to fall on the anniversary of Pearl Harbor.

Away from the sun and surf in snowy Boston, we're introduced to Doc's estranged daughter; the upright, high nosed, bespectacled Ameilia Dedham (Elizabeth Allen), heir to a vast shipping company who is worth a very not bad $18 million bucks and wears skirts during snow storms.  Following the death of an elder Dedham who bequeaths lucrative shares to Doc, the family lawyer suggests tracking Doc down to prove he is not of good morals and can then be denied the wills will.  Word hits the island of Ameilia's arrival but with Doc traveling the outer islands for several weeks, Guns and the Marquis don't want to risk an angry daughter being confronted with 3 new siblings and ruin the deal.  Guns then takes Leilani, Luki and Sarah (Jacqueline Malouf, Jeffrey Byron and Cherylene Lee) as his own until Doc can explain the situation which Leilani takes as their father being ashamed of their mixed heritage.  Ameilia arrives and of course starts off on the wrong foot with Guns as they both plummet into the water while transferring vessels and she deems him an imbecile.  But of course Ameilia's cold hearted, business woman facade starts to soften as she interacts with the adorable Luki, Sarah and Leilani, not knowing they're actually related and taking in the slow paced, relaxing lifestyle of the islanders.  And of course Ameilia decides Guns isn't such an imbecile and after some oddly tense, funny, competitive and macho style courting, the two begin to fall for each other.  Upon arrival Ameilia is surprised to find that her father doesn't live in some beach side shack but rather has a grand estate complete with a hospital and church on site.  We learn that Doc, Guns and Boats were all on the same ship during the war which was attacked and sunk.  They managed to reach the island where locals helped them survive and launch a guerrilla war campaign against the residing Japanese troops.  Doc knew of Ameilia's birth but by the time the fighting ended, his wife/her mother had died and no one reached out to him.  Meanwhile, the people of the island needed his help so he stayed on to repay their kindness before marrying the last descendent of island royalty, Princess Manulani, who died during childbirth. 

I've always liked Donovan's Reef but haven't sat down to watch it in quite some time.  The simple and funny premise, the lush ocean, beach and valley landscapes along with fun performances of John Wayne and Lee Marvin were enough to put a smirk on my face anytime I came across the title.  Popping it in today, I realized how short the actual brawl scenes are and how long the movie feels.  Not in a boring way, just a, I thought it was about one thing but it's actually about something else.  You could make ties to racism, capitalism, greed, misogyny and the like but I'm not viewing this film in the context of it's release and can only see it through my eyes some 50 years later where the film stands out due to it's talented cast and crew and amusing run time.  Wayne's Guns Donovan is a nice comedic departure for The Duke between war and western roles in fare like The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, The Longest Day and McClintok!  He's macho, tough yet paternal and likeable as uncle to the children and gets to rock short shorts which probably didn't happen in many of his other films during the time period.  Lee Marvin plays Boats as a near cartoon character with broad physicality, crazy eyes and oblivious charm in what is a surprisingly small role upon repeat inspection.  Apparently Marvin was deep into his drinking days and would show up hungover, thus making the production shuffle filming.  I loved the bit where he has a string tied to a bottle of beer connected to his wrist though.  Marvin was still playing heavies up to this point and was just around the corner from his leading man turns in Cat Ballou, The Professionals, The Dirty Dozen, Point Blank, Hell In The Pacific and PAINT YOUR WAGON!

In the two quick fight scenes, Wayne and Marvin mix it up in only the ways 60's Hollywood could with brutal looking hits, bodies smashing through tables, pianos and windows, chairs being broken over backs and all the best western style, bar room brawling we just can't seem to replicate today.  In the middle of the mayhem, director Ford manages to keep things light with Guns chastising Boats to throw a bottle of beer, not expensive liquor or a broken slot machine finally paying out when someone is punched into it.  I totally forgot that future Used Cars' co-star Jack Warden plays Doc with his great voice and strong demeanor utilized to good effect as the calm headed, responsible adult to Guns and Boats' manchildren.  TV star Elizabeth Allen is fine as the uppity yet not unlikeable heir and estranged daughter who gets to treat the men like idiots, the children like royalty and show off some long slender legs in a bathing suit late in the film to remind Donovan that she is a woman, not an iceberg.  A few years off from playing The Joker on the camp classic television series, Batman, Cesar Romero is dashing as the local authority who looks to woo the wealthy Ameilia while complaining about living in paradise.

Based on a story by Edmund Beloin with a script by frequent John Wayne collaborator Jimmy Grant (Hondo, The Alamo and James Garner's Support Your Local Gunfighter) that was rejected and revised by John Ford ally Frank Nugent (The Searchers, The Quiet Man), Donovan's story takes on weighty issues like the war, disgruntled family and interracial relations with lighthearted ease, never making a bold statement on any topic and using the subjects as jumping off points for our story and likeable characters.  Aging and after years of drinking and his own war time injuries compounding, "Tough Irish Intellect" John Ford's health was said to be in steep decline during the making of Reef which was described as "8 weeks of summer fun" with all his old buddies.  The film still plays as an enjoyable and breezy time that is amusing and funny with bits of action and heart placed throughout with some very fun characters and solid performances from all involved.  Once in Hawaii, Paramount pulled financing but was still on board to distribute leaving Ford to fund the production that didn't have a finalized script.  Released in June of 1963, Donovan's Reef would go on to become a mild success, placing 24th on the years highest earners behind flicks like The Great Escape, Hud, Dr. No, Charade and Wayne and Ford's own McClintok! and How The West Was Won.  Ford's career was nearly at it's end as his next effort, the star studded apology to Native American depiction in film, Cheyenne Autumn, was not a success.  Wayne still had The Sons of Katie Elder, El Dorado and an Oscar for True Grit in his future while Marvin would also win a statue for Cat Ballou 3 years later.  

While it may not be the most "important" work of anyone involved careers, Donovan's Reef is a sun soaked bit of fun that shows off Ford, Wayne and Marvin having a good time and taking us with them.  If it's not used as a a promotional tool to bring tourists to Hawaii, it ought to be.

4th of July Favorite: The Great Escape

Independence Day.  What does it mean to you?  A Roland Emmerich alien invasion film?  BBQ's and baseball games?  Fireworks?  Or thinking back to 1765 when the 13 Colonies decided they'd had enough of the British Empire's absentee ruling?  Rejecting monarchy and aristocracy in favor of liberalism and republicanism, The Colonies set out to change their fate and separate from the British Empire.  Combat troops were deployed to the US in a bid to reestablish control, leading to the American Revolutionary War that lasted from 1775-1783.  In July of 1776, Congress finalized the Declaration of Independence and the independent United States of America was born.  Here we are a few years later where you'll see plenty of American flags, picnics and displays of patriotism if you're fortunate enough to have the day off.  For those in the service industry and Military, keep on keeping things running smoothly.  With so much history directed at our independence, it really irked me when the royal wedding took over the world a few years ago.  Hundreds of millions of dollars spent on what?  Pomp and artificial majesty?  What exactly does the Royal Family do for its country?  Didn't the citizens of 1776 give up their lives so you could be free from royal rule but there we were, celebrating a now hollow monarchy?  I dunno, I just don't get certain things.

Anyways, relaxing over a long weekend after an 11 day work week, I celebrated part of July 4th with a viewing of 1963's World War II POW Camp classic and arguably my favorite film of all time, The Great Escape.  I've managed to see the John Sturges flick twice on the big screen since moving to Los Angeles thanks to The American Cinematheque's Egyptian and Aero Theatres.  Basically, I frigging love this movie.  Really quick: the German Luftwaffe (aerial division) create Stalag Luft III, a giant, new age prisoner of war camp housing only captured officers and built in a remote area where escape by tunneling would be difficult with barracks built off the ground and sandy, weak soil easily noticed and difficulty hidden.  The X Organization commits itself to performing their duty as prisoners to harass, confound and confuse the enemy in order to have more troops and resources dedicated to watching them instead of fighting on the front lines.  A motley prisoner crew of English, American, Australian and more band together to attempt a large scale escape that will have German troops scattered all over the country trying to round them up.

The major American characters, Hilts and Hendley are played by superstar in the making Steve McQueen and oh so handsome in his white turtleneck TV star James Garner.  In what could be the most macho or manliest cast of all time, joining McQueen and Garner are Richard Attenborough (Jurassic Park), James Donald (Bridge on the River Kwai), Charles Bronson (The Magnificent Seven), Donald Plesance (Halloween), James Coburn (Our Man Flint) David McCallum (The Man From U.N.C.L.E.) and many more.  They're not 80's macho or manly in the Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Sonny Landham, Jesse Ventua mold from Predator.  Instead, they're men who are physical, capable, intelligent, responsible and driven.  The Americans are particularly funny in a smart ass kind of way and from the very moment we're introduced to our cast, they're all scheming and itching to get out.  Each character has a particular skill or trait such as scrounging, dispersal, tunneling, forging, diversions and tailor.  McQueen is good at getting into trouble and riding motorcycles.  As we watch our guys plot their escape through clever, dangerous and amusing ways, the message of the film becomes clear: fight the man, at all times, at all costs.  The enemies of freedom must be opposed no matter what and the movie's depiction of real life events and the escape's execution in the face of a small probability of success shows the guts of our previous generations.  And at it's core, it's just about a bunch of cool guys getting shit done, no matter the odds.  And making moonshine out of potatoes to celebrate Independence Day.

Directed by vaunted yet seemingly forgotten "tough guy" director John Sturges, The Great Escape is a 3 hour ride that rarely lets up.  There's thrills, smarts and heart all the way through.  Watching it on the big screen last year, I realized I actually enjoyed the build up of the escape a little more than the actual action and chase filled finale where our crew is scattered across the enemy laden territory, trying to get out of Dodge via planes, trains, buses and bicycles.  The planning of the escape, the ingenuity of their techniques, puts a smile on your face while firing up your brain.  Based on the book by Paul Brickhill with a screenplay by future Shogun writer James Clavell and W.R. Burnett, The Great Escape was a hit upon release, grossing nearly $12 million dollars on a $4 million budget, good enough for #17 on the year's highest earning list.  Come Oscar time the film was nominated for Best Editing.  The film cemented McQueen as a bonafide box office star and he would go on a tear of hits that included The Cincinnati Kid, Nevada Smith, The Sand Pebbles, The Thomas Crown Affair and Bullitt.  Director Sturges already had several hits and an Oscar nomination for Best Director under his belt but would never find the same level of success.  Ice Station Zebra was still in his future, an ensemble cold-war spy thriller that reached #1 at the box office it's 2nd week of release.  And of course Richard Attenborough, James Garner, Coburn, Charles Bronson and company all went on to have lasting, movie star careers.

Mr. Majestic: Charles Bronson

"He was always in a corner playing with a ball...He wasn't speaking to anyone.  

He was a very mysterious man."

     - Claudia Cardinale on Once Upon a Time in the West

co-star Charles Bronson

By many accounts, Charles Dennis Buchinsky, later known as Charles Bronson, was not a happy man.  Stories abound of his stony and standoffish demeanor that saw him dispute Elvis' karate skills, argue and nearly come to blows with Dirty Dozen co-star and fellow badass Lee Marvin to refusing to shake hands with director Walter Hill after the Hard Times helmer criticized the acting performance of Jill Ireland, Bronson's wife.  Socially, he was said to be fine one on one or in small groups but would go silent in a large one.  When he did talk, one of his most discussed topics was a rough childhood where he was the 11th of 15 children of Lithuanian and Russian parents in coal country Pennsylvania.  Bronson's father died when he was only 10 years old and he soon went to work for the local coal company and eventually into the mines before enlisting in the Air Force where he served as an aerial gunner during World War II. 

After the war, Bronson headed out west where he started acting and by 1960, made a splash in John Sturges' seminal western, The Magnificent Seven.  Standing out among a cast that included Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, James Coburn and Robert Vaughn is no small feat but Bronson's portrayal of half Mexican, half Irish gunfighter with a caring paternal side Bernardo O'Reily is one of the millions of highlights the film has to offer.  Throughout the 60's, memorable roles in ensemble pictures like The Great Escape, Battle of the Bulge, The Dirty Dozen and Once Upon a Time in the West followed.  Usually as a quiet soldier with a smart mouth.  West helped launch him as a leading man in European films and by the 1970's, Bronson was one of the world's biggest movie stars.  His mysterious integrity and coiled fury transcended languages and cultural barriers.  Bronson churned out films regularly and each made a profit.  By the mid 70's he was being paid $20,000 a day plus spending cash and a slice of the grosses.  1974's vigilante revenge thriller Death Wish was a huge American hit for Bronson and spawned 4 sequels over the ensuing 20 years.  Now married to Jill Ireland, whom he met in 1962 while working on The Great Escape when she was married to co-star David McCallum.  Apparently Bronson told McCallum he was going to marry his wife and 6 years later, Bronson kept his word.  The two co-starred in 14 films before her death in 1990.  Bronson and Ireland headed a family of 7 children and took the brood to whatever location a film dictated.

Bronson worked with a who's who of tough guy movie fare directors like Robert Aldrich, John Sturges, Terence Young, Don Siegel, Michael Winner, Sergio Leone, J. Lee Thompson and Walter Hill.  Some of my favorite performances from The Chuck include his work with Sturges in Seven as well as a claustrophobic POW nicknamed The Tunnel King in The Great Escape.  Battle of the Bulge finds him as a bored yet rough and ready soldier with the badass moniker Wolenski .  His turn as a betrayed, blowhard yet dimwitted bandit in Red Sun is tons of fun in the Shanghai Noon vein while this column owes it's name to his portrayal as Vince Majestyk in Mr. Majestyk where Bronson plays a charming and easygoing yet tough and fed up melon farmer fighting gangsters.  Arguably my favorite Bronson flick is Hard Times, a Depression era, New Orleans set street fighting tale from 1975.  In it, ol' Granite face plays Chaney, a mysterious drifter who breezes into town and punches his way through the underground fighting circuit.  Magnificent Seven and Great Escape co-star James Coburn plays his big mouthed, born loser manager Speed with scheming, lovable loser and fox like glee.  In his 50's but still showing off a sinewy and striated physique in shirtless fight scenes, Bronson had an impressive muscular build in an era where not many actors were physically imposing.  He's said to have kept in shape through boxing, push ups, isometrics, weight lifting, jump roping, running, archery, squeezing a tennis ball and climbing a knotted rope using only his upper body.

Off screen, Bronson loved to paint and sold many works under the name Buchinsky.  While he claimed to be more interested in his own thoughts than those of others, didn't like to talk about himself much and purposely tried to make himself unapproachable, Bronson's macho yet cool façade made him one of the great onscreen personalities.  Happy Macho Monday, Charlie.

"This ain't ova!"

Summer of Sturges: Gunfight at the O.K. Corral

John Sturges that is. During the 1950's and 60's, John Sturges was one of Hollywood's most prolific directors, churning out critical and commercial hits like Bad Day At Black Rock, Escape From Fort Bravo, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape and Ice Station Zebra. Through his lengthy career he directed a who's who of leading men including Spencer Tracy, William Holden, Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, Frank Sinatra, Clint Eastwood, John Wayne, James Garner, James Coburn and Rock Hudson.

Many of the titles listed above deal with soldiers or police types in the middle of seemingly insurmountable odds. Infiltrating a racist town to uncover a hidden murder, trying to stop a prison escape while defending the innocent, 7 men taking on 40; there isn't a meat grinder Sturges didn't throw his characters into. This is where he excels as a story teller; creating a deft balance between character and action. His films always excite as much as they illuminate the trials, tribulations and thoughts of our heroes.

Perhaps his most seminal work, The Great Escape, is celebrating it's 50th anniversary. Around Los Angeles, a new, 4K restoration digital print premiered at the Turner Classic Movie Festival in April and is playing at the historical Aero Theatre this weekend. Since Sturges' work is never far from my television, I've declared it Sturges week with nightly viewings to prime the pump for the momentous occasion.

1957's Gunfight at the O.K. Corral is a take on an old classic, the story of near mythical lawman Wyatt Earp and his friendship with card playing killer Doc Holliday. The film takes place before, during and after the duo's involvement in the infamous shootout at the O.K. Corral. Where Wyatt, his brothers and Holliday took on local cattle barons The Clantons after business and family tensions boiled into a personal vendetta and eventual war. It's a fun, exciting and well made western yarn full of gunfights, showdowns, love, loss, heartbreak and vengeance.

Another staple of Sturges work is his notion of "minding the gut" of a cast. He felt stars would take care of their own but the middle roles are just as important. Viewers will spot Rhonda Fleming, John Ireland (Spartacus), Earl Holliman (Sons of Katie Elder), a young Dennis Hopper, DeForest Kelly (Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy) and Lee Van Cleef in a small role among many others.

Burt Lancaster plays Earp strong and stern while Kirk Douglas portrays John "Doc" Holliday as charming yet angry beneath the smile. This would be the 2nd of an eventual 7 movies the two played opposite each other. Director John Frankenheimer (Seven Days In May, The Manchurian Candidate, Ronin) described them as professional rivals, like two great boxers always trying to get the best out of the other. In a time before homoerotic (Rocky III), heroic bloodshed (John Woo's The Killers) and bromance (Arnold and Sly in The Expendables), Lancaster and Douglas were just a case of square deal and "I like your cut". Men appreciating other men. According to Douglas' autobiography, their off screen rapport saw them having dinner after shooting and sitting around talking late into the night. Their natural ease with one another even rankled one of the film's producers who just couldn't understand having a friendship like they had.

The film recently played at UCLA's tribute to Burt Lancaster with Kirk Douglas on hand to introduce the film.  Unfortunately an out of town wedding put the kibosh on seeing Corral on the big screen with a living legend.  Ah well, I was a couple feet away from him at a Spartacus anniversary.

Check out this clip where Earp and Holliday confront 20 cowboys: