The Love Bug.

Review #2395: The Love Bug.

Cast: 

Dean Jones (James "Jim" Douglas), Michele Lee (Carole Bennett), David Tomlinson (Peter Thorndyke), Buddy Hackett (Tennessee Steinmetz), Joe Flynn (Havershaw), Benson Fong (Tang Wu), Joe E. Ross (Detective), Barry Kelley (Police sergeant), Iris Adrian (Carhop), Gary Owens (Announcer), Chick Hearn (Announcer), and Andy Granatelli (Association President) Directed by Robert Stevenson (#1415 - Mary Poppins)

Review: 

You might remember Robert Stevenson was an Academy Award-nominated director. But I suppose that's what happens with the strange magic of Mary Poppins (1964), because Stevenson was a veteran director who Walt Disney Productions liked enough to use for nineteen movies. Stevenson had written scripts since the late 1920s and graduated to directing by 1932, which later included movies such the 1937 version of King Solomon's Mines. He even got to do some Hollywood films with David O. Selznick and RKO and got into the television kick before, well, working for Disney for two decades, starting with Johnny Tremain (1957). He directed into his seventies and closed it out with The Shaggy D.A. (1976); he died in 1986 at the age of 81. The movie cites the use of the story "Car, Boy, Girl" by Gordon Buford as its adaptation material. The screenplay was written by Don DaGradi and Bill Walsh (who also produced the film). The movie made its premiere in late 1968 but did not go into wide release until March of 1969 and would you believe it was a major hit on release? Seriously, it was the second-highest grossing movie of that year, so clearly there were follow-ups, albeit with different cast members. Stevenson directed the first follow-up with Herbie Rides Again (1974); Jones returned for just the second follow-up (and the TV projects) with Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977) before Herbie Goes Bananas (1980) and the TV show Herbie, the Love Bug (1982) sent the series into a slumber for a time.*

Honestly, it is a bit hard to resist the charms of Herbie. Sure, it probably isn't as whimsical as say, Mary Poppins, but there really is something that makes me smile about the charms that come around with a silly car and hijinks that is infectious. It has a breezy sense of enthusiasm that manages to ride along with hit-or-miss gags that puddle together for a slap-bang feature, at least for those who go with it knowing what they will get with a friendly-seeming Volkswagen (note the fact that you never hear the brand named in the film**) from the man that also churned out The Absent-Minded Professor (1961) in terms of "light stuff that ended up getting further returns". Jones had done a bit of Broadway and bit roles for MGM before his role in Ensign O'Toole (1962-63) and Under the Yum Yum Tree (1963) led on to getting signed for Disney film productions that started with That Darn Cat! (1965), which was the first of nearly a dozen collaborations with Disney. He plays it basically as ordinary as one can do when fit into a formula that demands a bit of commitment with a smile without going into say, overacting or complete listlessness. Him and Lee are mostly just pleasant, but the highlight is more on hijinks and the presences of Hackett (who inspired the "Herbie" nickname) and Tomlinson. Hackett and his schtick involving a bit of "New Age" syrup and banter with the car (remember that early in the film one bit posits that we put so much love and time into our tech that machines probably think it *is* somebody) that is a bit twee. But at least Tomlinson is delightfully arrogant enough to basically ham it up for chuckles, as one does. The movie probably toils a bit too long at 108 minutes, and it probably has a few wonky effects (depending on how one views say, splitting a car in half), but there are those moments that are neat enough to tickle my funny bone, such as the pursuit sequence, as one does when searching for a sentient car, which naturally leads to both teetering at the Golden Gate Bridge. You know where it's going to go with its vrooms and booms, but at least Herbie is something you'll watch rather than some generic car, I suppose. In general, it is a candy-coated type of movie, one that might be worth a check if in a comfortable mood that takes what they see and just rolls with its sweet chuckles.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

*Dean Jones returned for a TV movie of The Love Bug in 1997 before folks saw Herbie: Fully Loaded in 2005 in theaters. Not sure if my mom watched any of them, but she seemed fine with The Love Bug, so there's that.

**Do you really want to look up the origins of the Beetle in relations to Germany? 

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.

Review #1413: It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.

Cast: 
Spencer Tracy (Captain T.G. Culpeper), Edie Adams (Monica Crump), Milton Berle (J. Russell Finch), Sid Caesar (Melville Crump), Buddy Hackett ("Benjy" Benjamin), Ethel Merman (Mrs. Marcus), Dorothy Provine (Emmeline Marcus-Finch), Mickey Rooney (Ding Bell), Dick Shawn (Sylvester Marcus), Phil Silvers (Otto Meyer), Terry-Thomas (Lt. Col. J. Algernon Hawthorne), Jonathan Winters (Lennie Pike), Eddie "Rochester" Anderson (a cab driver), Jim Backus (airplane owner Tyler Fitzgerald), William Demarest (Aloysius, Chief of the Santa Rosita Police Department), Jimmy Durante ("Smiler" Grogan), Peter Falk (a cab driver), and Paul Ford (Col. Wilberforce) Produced and Directed by Stanley Kramer (#139 - Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, #228 - Inherit the Wind, and #1402 - On the Beach)

Review: 

"Why do actors think they're so goddamn important? They're not. Acting is not an important job in the scheme of things. Plumbing is."

I have seen a few films that have had big ambitions before, but this one certainly takes the cake any day. There aren't as many films as bold to utilize such a cavalcade of comedians and actors as this one, and it only seems fitting that such bold action would be taken by a director with a keen eye for tough subjects. This was the seventh of fifteen films directed by Stanley Kramer, who wanted to make "the comedy to end all comedies", which stands in contrast to the films done before and after this one. It was part of a string of noted hits for Kramer that took place in the 1950s and 1960s, although his popularity would later wane as a reflection of the times, and he would muse about the changing times for filmmaking, describing technique as cover for a "multitude of sins". It was written by William and Tania Rose, with the former being known for scripts such as The Ladykillers (1955) and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967). This was filmed in widescreen through Ultra-Panavision 70, a widescreen process that could be filmed with one camera (as opposed to Cinerama and its three) that could be projected on a Cinerama screen. For such a large film, it is amazing to note the fact that it doesn't even exist in the way it was originally screened. The original cut was 210 minutes, but it eventually was cut to 192 for the premiere. It then was cut to 161 for theatrical release, reportedly to fit in more screenings. However, restorations were done in recent years to try and get close to the intended vision by Kramer, with a 1991 cut running 183 minutes that had footage found in a warehouse set to be destroyed. A restoration was done with the approval of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer that was released by Criterion Collection in 2014 that tried to reconstruct and restore the footage (which is derived from 70mm) that runs at 197 minutes, which also includes an overture and intermission (if one is into that sort of thing). It's interesting to see how the footage looks in contrast to the normal footage, whether as little bits by parts already in the film or as audio-only parts or parts that have Asian subtitles superimposed onto the print. 

In a normal film, one could make a comedy jell with one duo and a group of supporting characters, but this is one with multiple pairings and supporting characters, complete with their own versatile backgrounds. One could start with the comedienne/TV star/clothing designer Adams, or perhaps talk about the long-time comedian in show business of clubs, film, radio and television for eight decades in Berle, or TV pioneer stars in Caesar and Silvers. In a film of excess, why stop at those mentions? One can't forget about comedian character actors like Winters, Thomas, and Shawn or an esteemed singer of musical comedy stage in Merman to go along established actors of the Hollywood Golden Age like Rooney and Tracy (who at this point in his life and career could only film for four hours a day due to failing health, with this being his penultimate film before his death in 1967). One has to stop at that point, since you can't go on and on to note the importance of cameo appearances that range from Jack Benny to Buster Keaton to the Three Stooges to Don Knotts. Really one could summarize the performances by separating them into tiers, with Winters and Thomas making up the first one, the second goes to Berle, Caesar, and Silvers, the third goes to Hackett, Rooney, and Merman, and the fourth being Shawn, Adams, and Provine. This certainly seems to be a film where people enjoyed themselves, where one doesn't have to wonder if the best moments are by the smallest parts or wonder if someone is chewing the scenery too much (they all do). There are gags that pile on other gags that can and will be drawn out to the longest point imaginable. Tracy doesn't even encounter the others until about two hours in (one does not exactly think about things like time and pacing with something like this, really). He does a fine job in serving for some small gags and plot details with care expected of his natural versatility. Perhaps the only fitting way to note the gags and which ones work best is to do a list, so here are five highlighted ones:

1. The Three Stooges (comprised of Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Curly Joe DeRita), dressed up as firemen with axes that don't say one word but drive a laugh regardless from the fact that they are there.

2. A masterful destruction of a gas station by Winters, with Marvin Kaplan and Arnold Stang being present as people to be pushed around all of the equipment that ends with one great big collapse.

3. The ladder sequence for the climax, which had help in animation from famed effects man Willis H. O'Brien (who died before the release of the film), a captivating end to a madcap buildup.

4. Airplane antics with Hackett and Rooney, whether that involves crashing into a sign or buzzing by windows.

5. Jimmy Durante, in his last film role, setting the stage of events with a face considered by Kramer to be fitting in being funny and tragic at the same time - which proves correct in the long run.

Perhaps this film's closest relative is Around the World in 80 Days (1956), which stuffed itself to the gills with cameo appearances when the word wasn't even a cliché yet that also had roadshow release. This is a maniacal effort for its era in a time that razzles, dazzles and bedazzles from scene to scene to make a tremendously long and winding road film befitting anyone who enjoys a good time with a laugh, right down to the last banana peel. There aren't many films like this one, that much is for sure. It wasn't the be all end all comedy to outdo them all (nor the one to end the idea of doing a big search for money with a big cast), but it certainly stands today as a comedy big enough for all people to enjoy in some fashion.

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.

The Music Man.

Review #1410: The Music Man.

Cast: 
Robert Preston (Harold Hill), Shirley Jones (Marian Paroo), Buddy Hackett (Marcellus Washburn), Paul Ford (Mayor George Shinn), Hermione Gingold (Eulalie Mackechnie Shinn), Pert Kelton (Mrs. Paroo), Ron Howard (Winthrop Paroo), Susan Luckey (Zaneeta Shinn), Timmy Everett (Tommy Djilas), Harry Hickox (Charlie Cowell), and The Buffalo Bills (Vern Reed, Al Shea, Wayne "Scotty" Ward, Bill Spangenberg as The School Board) Produced and Directed by Morton DaCosta.

Review: 
Showmanship can go a long way when it comes to musicals, for better or worse. This film was adapted from composer/conductor/bandleader/playwright Meredith Willson's Broadway musical of the same name, which he co-wrote the book (alongside Franklin Lacey), music and lyrics for based on his boyhood in Mason City, Iowa. After years of trying to get producers on board for it and revisions and cuts to songs, the production premiered on Broadway in 1957, running for four years with stage and film actor Preston (chosen after numerous others rejected it, such as Gene Kelly) in the lead role, and it would garner Tony Award wins the following year, winning awards such as Best Musical and Best Actor for Preston. Further productions have been done in London alongside revivals, with one being planned for later in this year on Broadway. When Warner Brothers bought the screen rights for the play, they wanted a prominent figure for the lead role, with the first choice being Frank Sinatra and another consideration being Cary Grant. Willson held firm to his preference for Preston, and he prevailed eventually in this regard; DaCosta, who had directed the play on Broadway, would serve as director and producer with the intent of being as faithful to the original as possible, which is reflected in its 151 minute run-time.

When it comes to grand old musicals, this is one firmly in the middle of average and great, fairly memorable in its rendition of songs and its Americana spirit that makes for a pleasant time for those who are into that sort of thing. On the one hand, I applaud the efforts to maintain the spirit of the play into a film with plenty of design and beat, complete with having Preston helm the ship as lead. On the other hand, it generally seems to hit its mark only just enough to make it worth one viewing and that is it. The enjoyment of said film rests on one's patience for its matter of singing and its small-town trappings and humor, which do fine in parts. If one desires songs and plenty of people to go along with it and inspire jokes that hit with that sensibility of a folksy spring, this will likely pan out. Preston is the best aspect of the whole film, relentless in his façade with plenty of charm and capability to sing and talk as well as anyone. Jones (a trained singer who was the only person signed to a personal contract by Rodgers and Hammerstein) accompanies him with her own share of pragmatic grace that makes for a capable chemistry with Preston to go with fine singing. Hackett makes for a capable comic relief and a decent dancer (despite my reservations about "Shipoopi" as a whole). Ford and Gingold each contribute a few courtly laughs, while child TV star-turned-future director Howard makes a fine bright presence. There are quite a few highlight moments and songs, with "Seventy-Six Trombones" being a particular entertaining one to listen to, and the film does land itself with fair rallying spirit that entertains its audience without drowning in too much sentimental hokum to wither the fun. This is a fair show to seek out for those who like some Americana spirit from way back when that entertains to this very day.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.