The Great Race.

Review #2396: The Great Race.

Cast: 

Jack Lemmon (Professor Fate and Prince Friedrich Hapnick), Tony Curtis (Leslie Gallant III, aka The Great Leslie), Natalie Wood (Maggie DuBois), Peter Falk (Maximillian Mean), Keenan Wynn (Hezekiah Sturdy), Arthur O'Connell (Henry Goodbody), Vivian Vance (Hester Goodbody), Dorothy Provine (Lily Olay), Larry Storch (Texas Jack), Ross Martin (Baron Rolf von Stuppe), Hal Smith (the Mayor of Boracho), Denver Pyle (the Sheriff of Boracho), and Marvin Kaplan (Fisbee) Directed by Blake Edwards (#329 - The Pink Panther, #481 - The Party, #899 - A Shot in the Dark, #1461 - 10)

Review: 

Every couple of years, some folks try to do a homage to the old favorites. But when you are Blake Edwards, why the hell not? The Oklahoma native grew up with a stepfather that was the son of a silent movie director (J. Gordon Edwards). Sure, he didn't become a film production manager like him, but Edwards did jobs as an actor before serving in the United States Coast Guard before becoming a director in the television-friendly 1950s. He became a director worth watching closely with films such as Operation Petticoat (1959), Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), Days of Wine and Roses (1962), and, well, The Pink Panther series, obviously. With The Great Race, it took a few years to get things rolling. Apparently, the idea for the film was conceived by Edwards in 1960 that took inspiration from the 1908 automobile race from New York City to Paris, France. Arthur A. Ross was brought in to develop a story to present that eventually saw him hired to do a more substantial script. While Maurice Richlin was recruited to polish the script, only Ross got credit for the screenplay to go with a story that was credited to Ross and Edwards. Amidst bad weather and overrun that meant a budget of $12 million, the movie was not exactly a considerable success at the time of release in July of 1965*, but at least Edwards kept busy (his next film came with What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? the following year), and he kept going with his slapstick interests with such films as The Party (1968).

The last few years brought folks to view people pop in for a potential chuckle with Around the World in 80 Days (1956) and It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963). So, we have a pretty neat Lemmon, a worthy sidekick to accompany him in Falk, and even a decent time to spend with Wood (to a point). Hell, and then there is Curtis, our hero to try and hold along a wobbly story, fine gags, and plenty of time to consider the scope of movies, I suppose. In short, Great Race is either on par with Around the World or a bit lower. Apparently, there were quite a few names considered for the role ranging from Paul Newman to Charlton Heston. Pity. For whatever reason, Curtis and his performance is akin to someone saying the lines bit-by-bit for a silent movie. Maybe his blandness is supposed to be the point, but my God, his presence is practically eaten by everyone else in the film. The clash between him and Wood that comes up every now and then does not really gel for anything other than cheap gags (get it, get it, a woman trying to stick up for herself). Apparently, Wood only did the film so she could get to play the lead for Inside Daisy Clover (1965). At least she has the grace and chops to try and have fun with the material in all of the bumps on the road for a character that might be thought of as a chore with a lesser actor (for starters, having a character try and rid us of Keenan Wynn's character for even just a bit of time is a foolhardy mistake if we're talking about comparing timing) in a movie with really just five people to see for more than a few minutes of a 160-minute movie. Falk (a regular supporting presence in movies at the time**) is wonderful of course, tagging with Lemmon for worthwhile hijinks, particularly in his expressions and only men of stone find ways to not like Wynn and his timing. The assortment of people who show up are fine for small bits (Provine gets a song while Martin gets to look from afar). The slapstick as a whole is fine, albeit in that dragging sense where you just have to have so much little gags to even get the actual race rolling (it starts with our dastardly villain popping balloons, for example). And then the movie goes into doing an imitation of The Prisoner of Zenda. Sure. The movie wanted to have a great big pie fight akin to, well, you know. It apparently was the longest pie fight sequence in terms of staging and whatever (basically, it took five days and thousands of pies). The quibble I have is that the one person who deserves to be pie'd is Curtis, and he barely gets hit at all. Keep in mind, Lemmon gets double duty with playing two characters as an acceptable ham, but the bland hero? Barely anything, god forbid. Call me a nut for picking and choosing to obsess over plot motivations, but getting from Point A to Point B in the resolution (i.e. the race doesn't end in a true finish because I guess it shows his love or whatever and it couldn't wait until five minutes later) is a bit hokey for a movie called "great race". As a whole, Lemmon and company hold the movie together in what could've just been a crash-out into just making the finish line with the best of intentions. You'll get some chuckles, some interesting visuals and a little bit of everything that could make a worthy candidate among the long-winded epics of its time, if you dare.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

*Evidently at some point in time, the movie made $25 million. The big winner at any rate would be Treg Brown, who won an Academy Award for Best Sound Effects for this film.

**Falk was an Academy Award nominated actor by then, for Murder, Inc. (1960) and Pocketful of Miracles (1961). Of course, Columbo loomed a few years later.

Airport '77.

Review #1720: Airport '77.

Cast: 

Jack Lemmon (Capt. Don Gallagher), Lee Grant (Karen Wallace), Brenda Vaccaro (Eve Clayton), Joseph Cotten (Nicholas St. Downs III), Olivia de Havilland (Emily Livingston), James Stewart (Philip Stevens), George Kennedy (Joseph "Joe" Patroni), Darren McGavin (Stan Buchek), Christopher Lee (Martin Wallace), Robert Foxworth (Chambers), Robert Hooks (Eddie), and M. Emmet Walsh (Dr. Williams) Directed by Jerry Jameson (#1195 - Raise the Titanic)

Review: 

See, one knows they are dealing with a product movie, because what other movie have the year titled on it? Of course, by this point, the Airport films (1970, 1975) have now evolved past even having an airport involved in the actual plot, since now it deals with the Navy helping to find a fancy plane that crashed near the Bermuda Triangle. The true star is Albert J. Whitlock, who provides the special effects within matte paintings, which is probably the most interesting part of the film (besides having scenes shot in a water tank in Florida, I suppose). By this point, the Airport series has managed to ditch the attempt at thrills, really. You know what you are getting into if you've decided to pick the third film of a series dedicated to making planes and flying as boring as humanely possible. Exposition is the true terror of the sky when it comes to stuff like this, and it is probably not surprising that four writers (Michael Scheff, David Spector, H. A. L. Craig, Charles Kuenstle) were hired to do the film. Jameson may have been more of a TV director than a feature film man, but at least he fitted the occasion of helming disaster-fare (such as TV movies involving hurricanes and elevators in trouble). Even The Poseidon Adventure (1972) managed to evoke some sort of interest within trouble in the waters with a sinking ship, mostly because there is more gusto given by the actors along with better time spent in the water.

Apparently, Lemmon took the role because of he thought it would be fun to do a "blatantly commercial cartoon" (of course, he also was coming off a failure with Alex & the Gypsy and apparently told his agent to accept the next high-paying offer, so...). Eh, he is technically better as a pilot in the acting scale than Heston or Martin, in that he isn't beholden to hammy overtones like the others were - him and Vacarro at least look like they want to be there and act together with believability. Of course, Lee accepted his supporting role because he wanted to work with Lemmon. They do get to share a scene together at least, so one can at least consider the contrast of tastes for certain acting presences over others (i.e. I am always curious to see a movie with Lee in it). This is mostly apparent because he shares most of his segmented time paired with Grant, who gets to play the jealous spouse that also gets to panic the most when disaster strikes - yeah, I don't get it either (apparently, the television version adds more of her, so there's that). At least you get to see her get hysterical and be punched out after trying to open a hatch? Why exactly was Kennedy in this movie? He spends about two minutes in the movie, and he also is the only actor to actually spend any screen-time with Stewart, who might as well have filmed his stages in a box. One can't quite tell which actor is phoning it in more, but I imagine Stewart was quite comfortable with making a movie where he didn't have to speak much and could make a check worthy for his grandchildren to enjoy - this was his fifth-to-last role on film, after all. Cotten and de Havilland are okay, but one isn't really here to see traditional actors if McGavin is jawing exposition right in front of you, right? Honestly, although the film doesn't have as much to generate in weirdo character stuff, at least one can appreciate the small role done by Walsh, who actually had been appearing in a handful of films in bit parts for almost a decade (with this being right before better stuff such as Blood Simple).

At least you can say the Navy wouldn't be embarrassed by participating in this film. The credits even list that the rescue operations are actually utilized by the Navy in similar emergencies, so one can at least appreciate seeing the USS Cayuga being used for something that isn't a waste of time (granted, scenes filmed in water isn't exactly the most interesting thing to watch but your mileage may vary). Look, the movie is no better and no worse than the previous two features in terms of mediocrity. Sure, there are probably a few more things to make fun of here, but it is the same kind of blah movie from before that made money in a time where people were ripe for seeing these kind of movies (making over $90 million on a $6 million dollar budget). Naturally, Airport had to continue with The Concorde ... Airport '79 (1979), so one can only wonder where the adventure of mediocrity can go from there.

Overall, I give it 6 out of 10 stars.

Grumpy Old Men.

Review #1505: Grumpy Old Men.

Cast:
Jack Lemmon (John Gustafson Jr), Walter Matthau (Max Goldman), Ann-Margret (Ariel Truax), Burgess Meredith (John Gustafson Sr), Daryl Hannah (Melanie Gustafson), Kevin Pollak (Jacob Goldman), Ossie Davis (Chuck), Buck Henry (IRS Agent Elliott Snyder), and Christopher McDonald (Mike) Directed by Donald Petrie.

Review: 
"It was a very unusual relationship right off the bat, the very first day, because it clicked so totally and easily there was just nothing to it."
"Because it was about a couple of guys in the Midwest, snapping at each other, calling each other names, looking forward to that every day"

It just goes to show you could put almost any director with some name stars and it could work out nicely for itself. Oh sure, Donald Petrie isn't exactly a nameless one-time comedy director (thirteen films is a nice accomplishment for anyone, and this also served as the first screenplay for Mark Steven Johnson), but who are we are kidding here? This was the six of ten films involving actors (and friends) Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau, which consisted of eleven overall films (nine where they starred together, one where they had no scenes together, and one where Lemmon directed Matthau). Both had lengthy careers of versatility that could spring into comedy or drama when needed, with highlights for each actor being films such as Mister Roberts (1955), The Fortune Cookie (1966), The Odd Couple (1968), and Save the Tiger (1973).

Look, sometimes one latches on to a film no matter how obvious it may or may not be about its intent. It has the appeal of an restaurant you return to after a couple of years removed from memories long since past, where you can still see the creaks and bumps that made it what it was, whether with yourself or with friends (good or bad, depending on loyalty) that we can't help but still care about in some sort of way. Whether or not it is like red meat for an older audience in terms of appeal, there is still some joy to be found within its established stars that one cannot help but like to see. I suppose anytime one wants to view actors banter with a mix of obscenities and nonsense could be interesting, but Lemmon and Matthau have the timing necessary to make it consistent in generating a chuckle without being stuck in bland sitcom-land material. Lemmon proves his ground in patience in the art of refined timing, careful in handling a thin story made to give him cheeky things to do, whether that involves a mad ride on a snowmobile or being out in the cold bantering with his fellow "putz". Matthau follows along with just as careful temperament in driving in a long feud together with snappy irascibility. Ann-Margret accompanies the proceedings with flourish and well-needed energy that drives along a few charming smiles. The true highlight among the supporting cast proves to be Meredith, who is quite amusing in small doses with rascally established charm. Hannah and Pollak prove fine in the careful confines of normal counterparts to parents having more fun in older life than they are. Davis does not really have much to do, but his scenes with Lemmon and Matthau are at least worth it. In any case, what we have here is a mostly-decent film that runs with a reliable 104 minute pace with likable characters and a few amusing moments that generally smooths over the creaky predictability and clichés with a decent heart to resonate in decency the whole family can generally get behind and smile just fine.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Apartment.

Review #641: The Apartment.

Cast
Jack Lemmon (C. C. Baxter), Shirley MacLaine (Fran Kubelik), Fred MacMurray (Jeff Sheldrake), Ray Walston (Joe Dobisch), Jack Kruschen (Dr. Dreyfuss), David Lewis (Al Kirkeby), Hope Holiday (Margie MacDougall), Joan Shawlee (Sylvia), Naomi Stevens (Mildred Dreyfuss), Johnny Seven (Karl Matuschka), and Edie Adams (Miss Olsen) Directed by Billy Wilder (#106 - Some Like It Hot, #194 - Ace in the Hole, and #422 - The Fortune Cookie)

Review

Billy Wilder was a fantastic director who always managed to showcase a theme he wanted to get across with memorable characters being the most notable highlight. And in this movie, there is no real exception, the movie is up to par with Wilder's other work reviewed here. Jack Lemmon is enjoyable to watch, especially when he shares scenes with Shirley MacLaine, the two just connect well with each other, they just have a certain spring to them, especially when they play gin rummy with each other, it's a refreshing scene given the preceding scene before it. The movie has a mix of warm and cold moments, essentially having some sadness mixed with layers of hope, it's good to have some sentimentality. The movie is great to look at, black and white film has many possibilities for looking stylish, and the cinematography by Joseph LaShelle looks wonderful. The movie is a good comedy-drama, it has its moments of both, I especially like the scene where Lemmon keeps switching the channels of the TV during a sponsor commercial, only for there to be an "alternate sponsor". The movie is enjoyable along with being clever, and Wilder is the reason for it, and the perfect person to make a movie like this.

Overall, I give it 10 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Fortune Cookie.

Review #422: The Fortune Cookie.

Cast
Jack Lemmon (Harry Hinkle), Walter Matthau (William "Whiplash Willie" Gingrich), Ron Rich (Luther "Boom Boom" Jackson), Judi West (Sandy Hinkle), Cliff Osmond (Chester Purkey), Lurene Tuttle (Hinkle's mother), Harry Holcombe (O'Brien), Les Tremayne (Thompson), Lauren Gilbert (Kincaid), Marge Redmond (Charlotte Gingrich), and Noam Pitlik (Max) Directed by Billy Wilder (#106 - Some Like It Hot and #194 - Ace in the Hole)

Review
It was fun to watch the last two Billy Wilder films reviewed here, and so I came into watching The Fortune Cookie with a lot of optimism. I wasn't that disappointed. Lemmon and Matthau play off each other well, and it's usually fun to have actor reappear in these reviews, especially Matthau. Ron Rich does a good supporting job, likable and enjoyable. Judi West (who apparently only made two other films) is alright, and she works alright when combined with Lemmon, which I suppose is enough. There are fun moments, with some funny bits and most of that is generated either by Lemmon, Matthau or both combined, which works out pretty well, and it gives the film a bit more depth, along with warmth. It manages to override the 90 minute cliche of comedies, which I gladly endorse as long as the comedy works, which it does. It has its moments, and 2 hours isn't much to ask for, so I recommend to give this film a shot. You won't regret it.

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Some Like It Hot.

Review #106: Some Like It Hot.

Cast
Tony Curtis (Joe/Josephene), Jack Lemmon (Jerry/Daphene), Marilyn Monroe (Sugar), George Raft (Spats), Joe E. Brown (Osgood). Directed by Billy Wilder.

Review
This film still holds up after over 50 years (that of course doesn't matter), and the premise still holds up (this premise being used for other films with some good results (One being already reviewed here), and others...Not so good). The film has alright acting (especially in a comedy) and some good jokes that make this film a classic. It doesn't bore you, it actually make you interested in it, serious or not. Nevertheless, this is a good film that deserves every honor it receives even to this day.

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.