The Getaway.

Review #1936: The Getaway.

Cast: 

Steve McQueen (Carter "Doc" McCoy), Ali MacGraw (Carol McCoy), Ben Johnson (Jack Beynon), Sally Struthers (Fran Clinton), Al Lettieri (Rudy Butler), Slim Pickens (The Cowboy), Richard Bright (The Thief), Jack Dodson (Harold Clinton), Dub Taylor (Laughlin), and Bo Hopkins (Frank Jackson) Directed by Sam Peckinpah (#590 - Ride the High Country, #591 - The Wild Bunch, #944 - Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, #1439 - Straw Dogs, and #1685 - The Deadly Companions)

Review: 

“As a filmmaker I must look at both sides of the coin and do my best as a storyteller. I have no absolutes. I have no value judgment. Why does violence have such a point of intoxication with people? Why do people structure their day on killing?”

Admittedly, the prospect of Sam Peckinpah and Steve McQueen is an interesting one to ponder, particularly since their only other collaboration was Junior Bonner (1972), a rodeo rider movie. Actually, the original director for this film was Peter Bogdanovich since The Last Picture Show (1971) had made an impression on McQueen and producer David Foster. Foster had been McQueen's publicist before McQueen had encouraged him to become a film producer, and Foster encouraged McQueen to do the film, since McQueen was apparently looking for a "good/bad guy" role. The movie is based on the 1958 novel of the same name by Jim Thompson, and he was slated to write the screenplay for the film (this was the first film adaptation of one of his works since Paths of Glory (1957)). Disagreements would lead to both departing: Bogdanovich was approached by a different studio to do What's Up Doc? (1972), but McQueen got upset at hearing about this, while Thompson would be replaced as writer by Walter Hill, since McQueen was not particularly keen on the ending of the novel: an imaginary Mexican town filled with criminals that was apparently "surreal" in nature, and Peckinpah described it as "written in the fifties, takes place in the fifties, but...really a thirties story". The Hill script was modified by Peckinpah to add a bit more action and make it a non-period piece; Hill felt it was the far and away the best script he wrote. Oddly enough, due to the deal made between McQueen and First Artists, he had final cut privileges on the film, and Peckinpah felt that the actor played it safe with the "pretty-boy shots", and it probably doesn't help that McQueen once admitted to wanting the film to look and feel like High Sierra (1941). While the film didn't receive great reviews, it did make quite an impact with audiences, and it was the biggest hit of Peckinpah's career, with only Convoy (1978) topping it. A remake of the film, this time having Hill listed as a co-writer (complete with retaining the same ending), was released in 1994.

As a heist thriller for 122 minutes, it proves just fine. It is sometimes a tough little film when it sees two characters spend their time in a garbage truck with a hydraulic compactor. It is more of a greasy thriller than an underdog film that McQueen surely thought he wanted, but since it ended up being a hit for everyone involved, I'm sure that pleased him just fine. It makes for a decent heist and a decent chase film, but it does leave one wanting a bit more from its wandering edges. McQueen makes the role count when it comes to the "tough as nails" elements to a character wrapped into a heist straight out of prison, but the elements where he needs to show some sort of tenderness with MacGraw don't particularly sell as well. MacGraw was known at the time for her role in Love Story (1970). Her next role after this film was six years later with Convoy (1978), oddly enough. It isn't so much that she is the weakest element of the film as it is that there is a variety of talent all around her that generates more energy, where even three minutes of Slim Pickens is worth investing a smile. She just comes off as dry, which makes an "on the run with wife and husband" movie more of an obligation than a big thrill. Hell, Johnson just does a few speeches of spiel and you might remember his time in the film a bit more, although at least Lettieri makes a solid heavy fitting for a chase film. Struthers (in her first key film role and fresh in the minds of folks familiar with All in the Family) makes a solid moll, complete with scenes between Lettieri being quite oddball potent. Bright also makes a worthy shifty man in the middle in terms of flim-flam trickery - the locker swap and train sequence makes for a neatly executed sequence between Bright and the main duo. As a whole, it moves a bit too casually in one particular speed to really make anything more than rip-roaring thrills, but Peckinpah still managed to make a conventionally interesting feature that holds up in the ways that matter after a half century because of the way he cuts his action together.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

Le Mans.

Review #1851: Le Mans.

Cast: 

Steve McQueen (Michael Delaney), Siegfried Rauch (Erich Stahler), Elga Andersen (Lisa Belgetti), Ronald Leigh-Hunt (David Townsend), Fred Haltiner (Johann Ritter), Luc Merenda (Claude Aurac), Christopher Waite (Larry Wilson), Louise Edlind (Mrs. Anna Ritter), Angelo Infanti (Lugo Abratte), and Jean-Claude Bercq (Paul-Jacques Dion) Directed by Lee H. Katzin.

Review: 

You remember the movie Grand Prix (1966), do you? If you don't, that is fine, because I last viewed it eight years ago, but I remember vividly trying to watch it alongside Le Mans as a double-header on cable television late one night. It didn't work out for one half, but the point remains the same. Grand Prix was the John Frankenheimer spectacle about Formula One racing with a wide cast of international actors. At the same time that this film was released, they had a competing group trying to make their own film about racing that involved Steve McQueen (who had rejected an offer to star in Grand Prix) and John Sturges, which was to be called Day of the Champion. This project clearly interested McQueen greatly in the dignity in the sport, one that he felt certain would be a definitive film on motor racing (as described by his wife later). Unfortunately, McQueen could not get the project to actually get on schedule, which led to him starring in other projects; Le Mans (1971), as it would be re-titled, was his first film role since The Reivers (1969). So, what was this race that interested him? The 24 Hours of Le Mans, established in 1923 in France. If you didn't know what the race was (i.e. not watch recent films like Ford v. Ferrari), the race is an endurance match where the winner is determined by what car covers the most distance in 24 hours of racing, complete with dedication taken to keep the car running without failure and driver health to consider (the most recent death in a race was in 2013). McQueen set up his own production company in Solar Productions, which would form an association with Cinema Center Films to make this feature. It should be noted that McQueen was so in love with racing that he even raced under the Solar label for the 1970 edition of the 12 Hours of Sebring (alongside a second driver); McQueen, with a cast on his leg, saw his team finish second to a team driven by Mario Andretti. Alan Trustman was hired to write the script, but troubles with McQueen led to him being fired in favor of Harry Kleiner. However, Sturges would not end up in the director's chair. After time had spent getting a bunch of footage, they fell into trouble with Cinema Center, wanting to take control of the film due to its lack of progress (to the point where they wanted to replace McQueen with Robert Redford); Sturges was quoted as saying he was "too old and rich" to put up with this kind of trouble. Instead, it would be Lee H. Katzin, a Detroit native that was best known for work in television such as Bonanza and Mission: Impossible before he directed his first film in What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice? (1969). Shooting was done during the 1970 edition of the race. The movie, made on a budget of $7.6 million (considerably over budget), could not quite make back its return. McQueen apparently couldn't even race at the historic venue because of insurance issues; during production, driver David Piper got into an accident that resulted in the amputation of his leg. 

A documentary, directed by Gabriel Clarke and John McKenna about the making of the film, was done in 2015 called Steve McQueen: The Man & Le Mans, which includes taped interviews of the time involving McQueen and Sturges alongside recollections done by his wife, his son, and others. Honestly, the one defining aspect of the film in its 106 minutes is its great flawed nature. It is as if McQueen thought that he could make a art house movie for the racing nut, which seems like the strangest combination imaginable. It is no wonder why Sturges couldn't reconcile his differences with McQueen, and it is evident that one doesn't see much of a vision with Katzin, particularly for a movie that doesn't have much of dialogue. The highlight is the racing, pure in all of its gritty and stated form, which will either attract or dissuade a viewer from seeing this curiosity, right down to seeing a few dings in cars and French locale. I appreciate the craftsmanship that comes from the movie, which does eventually build itself into something worth caring about for a race that feels endless in the span of a day. McQueen is basically a cog in a machine that works on the strength of documentary-like footage and not much else. Leigh-Hunt is adequate in a small supporting role that might have been chewed to coaching cliches but is instead just a quiet role for okay credit. Technically speaking, the parts of Grand Prix that worked were just the racing parts, so making a movie about Le Mans that isn't three hours long is probably a compliment, since having a cursory story about a guy who is consumed by racing and not much else (certainly not Andersen, that much is sure) is better than trying to stretch out for things that you might not remember after the movie ends; in other words, all one needs to know is that involves a race between Porsche and Ferrari where anything can happen in a day. It moves on its own pace without going for the easy "Hollywood" turns, right down to its climax with the final three cars gunning for the best position to take, which it handles quite well with few words. As a whole, it is the ultimate average movie, one that is definitely not for everyone but is a useful document of its time for what was ultimately put on the screen in a star-crossed venture. If you can find it, and if you are into what it wants to say about the roar of the engine, it might work for you. 

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

The Towering Inferno.

Review #1447: The Towering Inferno.

Cast: 
Paul Newman (Doug Roberts), Steve McQueen (Michael O'Hallorhan), William Holden (James Duncan), Faye Dunaway (Susan Franklin), Fred Astaire (Harlee Claiborne), Susan Blakely (Patty Duncan Simmons), Richard Chamberlain (Roger Simmons), Jennifer Jones (Lisolette Mueller), O. J. Simpson (Harry Jernigan), Robert Vaughn (U.S. Senator Gary Parker), Robert Wagner (Dan Bigelow), Susan Flannery (Lorrie), Sheila Matthews Allen (Paula Ramsay), Norman Burton (Will Giddings), Jack Collins (Mayor Robert "Bob" Ramsay), Don Gordon (Kappy), Felton Perry (Scott), and Gregory Sierra (Carlos) Directed by John Guillermin (#726 - King Kong (1976) and #1231 - Shaft in Africa)

Review: 
"You know, there's really nothing like an exciting film on a big screen. Hopefully, I've made a few in my career."

Here's an idea: How about a film based on not one, but two books? No wait, here's one better, how about one released by two major studios? This film, adapted from The Tower by Richard Martin Stern and The Glass Inferno by Thomas N. Scortia and Frank M. Robinson, was released in the United States by 20th Century Fox and worldwide by Warner Brothers, as Irwin Allen (who would direct the action sequences) convinced them to make one film together rather than just adapting the novels separately for film. There were numerous disaster films of this era, but The Towering Inferno likely topped them all, despite attempts for others to try to raise the heights, considering 1974's output in this film, Earthquake, and Airport 1975 (the sequel to the original film with familiar disaster star Charlton Heston). Simply put, if something existed that had people nearby, by George would there be a disaster waiting to happen, whether that involved rollercoasters (with Sensurround!), football games (sniper or blimp, take your pick), or meteors. The one fitting to helm a big budget action adventure would be John Guillermin, noted for his intense perfectionist attitudes for his film that crept to his stars and producers for a varied career of distinct hits at times in a career that spanned over three decades.

This is an interesting duo for a film, since both Newman and McQueen apparently have the same amount of lines despite the latter not appearing until forty minutes into a 165 minute film (he actually was meant to star as the architect but lobbied for the architect role and got it). One thing this film certainly has enough of is ludicrous spectacle, a film that builds and builds and builds until it nearly becomes too much about a massive fire that engulfs its audience and stars to make for fair entertainment in parts with enough effects and silliness for a lifetime. It is arguable to say which Allen epic is better with The Poseidon Adventure or this, but it can't be denied that they have had their own types of lasting appeal, with both making plenty of money and receiving accolades (mostly technical awards along with title songs, oddly enough) that make them interesting pieces for their era. Newman (who apparently described the film later as a "turkey" before appearing in another Allen film years later in When Time Ran Out) is quite casual here, rolling with the occasional line about safety and exposition without trouble. McQueen (who appeared in three more films before his death after taking a four-year hiatus following this film) is calm and collected in leading the fire aspects that keeps your attention in a balance that favors the two stars without engulfing them in a scenery-chewing contest. Holden, who described his part as one that spends all the time talking on the phone (while clearly liking the money more than the script), does just fine with a role that doesn't really require too much besides just interacting with the occasional figure in a room - as long as he doesn't seem to be lost in the fun, it works out. Dunaway definitely gets close to being lost in all of this, since she only interacts with Newman for a few scenes before being mostly in the background. There are little highlights within the rest of the cast, such as the kindly professional Astaire paired with the equally kind Jones (in her last role), or a snidely Chamberlain, or even sprinkles of football star-turned-actor Simpson and his rescue of a cat (who then only reappears at the end to give the cat away to a survivor, naturally). One is here to see who will come out of alive, and while there may not be as much of a seeable count of vanquished stars, it still makes for a thrilling film at times, if only because of the thought of a building on fire from below does seem pretty scary. There are plenty of spectacle moments such as the stairwell rescue, the outsider elevator debacle and rescue, the daring attempts to rescue people (and cats) from fires, and a two million gallon water climax. For those who seek out something brimming with spectacle and stars that overflow the pot with mostly satisfaction, you can't quite go wrong with this film - a worthy disaster film highlight for its era.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

The Great Escape.

Review #1412: The Great Escape.

Cast: 
Steve McQueen (Captain Virgil Hilts), James Garner (Flight Lieutenant Robert Hendley), Richard Attenborough (Squadron Leader Roger Bartlett), Charles Bronson (Flight Lieutenant Danny Velinski), James Donald (Group Captain Ramsey), Donald Pleasence (Flight Lieutenant Colin Blythe), James Coburn (Flying Officer Louis Sedgwick), Hannes Messemer (Oberst von Luger), David McCallum (Lieutenant-Commander Eric Ashley-Pitt), Gordon Jackson (Flight Lieutenant Andrew MacDonald), John Leyton (Flight Lieutenant William "Willie" Dickes), Angus Lennie (Flying Officer Archibald "Archie" Ives), Nigel Stock (Flight Lieutenant Dennis Cavendish), Robert Graf (Werner), and Jud Taylor (Second Lieutenant Goff) Directed by John Sturges (#427 - The Magnificent Seven and #1395 - Gunfight at the O.K. Corral)

Review: 
"He had great faith in the actor. He would storyboard everything. He never talked to me about character or about anything. What was in the script was what was shot; what was on the storyboard was the way it was shot."

You can't get much bigger in escapism in entertainment with war dramas like The Great Escape. It has certainly left a mark on popular culture with all of the homages that have been done in the near six decades since the film's release. It was loosely based on the 1944 mass escape of POWs from the German prison camp Stalag Luft III, which Paul Brickhill (who was in the camp but not allowed to be part of the escape due to claustrophobia) wrote an account of in 1950. NBC subsequently adapted it into a live drama episode of The Philco Television Playhouse the following year. Sturges had been interested in the book immediately after reading it, describing it as "the perfect embodiment of why our side won", a presentation of people from different countries with their own makeup that found a way to defeat the Germans with their own organization. It took a few years for Sturges to find producers interested in doing the film (with his attempts at selling it to MGM failing due to a lack of interest in material that would have a downbeat ending), but eventually he found interest with The Mirisch Company (comprised of three brothers in Walter, Marvin, Harold), who produced numerous hits in the late 1950s and 1960s such as Some Like It Hot (1959) and The Magnificent Seven (1960).

The film started production without a fully completed script. Obviously there are differences between the real-life account of the escape and the film, with requests to omit details about help from home countries of ex-prisoners of war about tools in gift packages being a noted example, with another being in making composites based on real people for the characters of the film (the number of escapees however is the same as the events in 1944 with three, which also includes the details of how they successfully made it home). Although James Clavell and W.R. Burnett are credited with writing the screenplay, numerous revisions were made throughout production (with Walter Newman asking to not have his name credited due to disputes with Sturges, which also occurred a few years prior with The Magnificent Seven). Even showing the daily rushes after a few weeks of filming didn't help much, since McQueen (who had made a request accepted by Sturges to feature him in an extended motorcycle chase) felt his character was underdeveloped. It mattered especially for McQueen, who had made a name for himself over the past few years after starting his career in 1953 that gradually led to starring roles like The Blob (1958) and Wanted Dead or Alive (1958–1961), and this sealed his reputation as a "King of Cool". Interestingly, he wanted his character to be the hero without doing anything overtly heroic that contradicted his detached demeanor.

The movie runs at 172 minutes with gradual pacing that builds its group of capable characters with fair precision that builds and builds towards its escape without becoming suffocated in any sort of way. There is plenty of starpower to see here, particularly since over half of them had at least some war experience (such as Bronson, who was also claustrophobic as his character, owing to working in coal mines as a child) and some even had experiences in a POW camp, such as Pleasance, who even produced and acted in plays for the entertainment of his fellow captives. Each of the main group excels in their own way, drawing presence and charm that inspires tension for what goes on. McQueen, whose screen-time increases as the film goes on, proves tremendous as a sardonic and charming presence, highlighted by the film's most celebrated sequence - a motorcycle chase over the countryside and one quick jump over a fence (done by McQueen's friend Bud Ekins) that is dazzling. At helm for the buildup to the escape is a talented collection of international presences such as TV star-turned star Garner and his honest resourcefulness or British star-director Attenborough and his steely commanding resolve or Bronson's resolved ambiguity or Pleasance's well-mannered dignity. Accompanying them with their own concentrated time is a reasoned Donald, a charming Coburn, and a resourceful Messemer and McCallum. There are plenty of interesting moments to highlight, such as a sequence involving homemade moonshine on the 4th of July (complete with drums), or its riveting sequence in the countryside with a view on various escapees trying to pull through by train, motorcycle and even planes that make its ultimate ending just as resounding. All of this makes for a capable entertaining film that invites one into adventure with plenty of interesting presences and intricate designs that stand as a classic to see at least once.

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Thomas Crown Affair (1968).

Review #691: The Thomas Crown Affair.

Cast
Steve McQueen (Thomas Crown), Faye Dunaway (Vicki Anderson), Paul Burke (Detective Eddie Malone), Jack Weston (Erwin Weaver), Gordon Pinsent (Jamie McDonald), Biff McGuire (Sandy), and Yaphet Kotto (Carl) Directed by Norman Jewison (#127 - Rollerball, #273 - The Cincinnati Kid, and #544 - In the Heat of the Night)

Review
In a way, this is a movie made for technical buffs. The movie's use of split screen to show multiple images at the same time was inspire by the Multi-dynamic image technique, originally used for the short film A Place to Stand at the Expo 67 in Montreal. Jewison uses this technique throughout the movie, starting with the opening credits and ending with the ending credits. My favorite use is during the robbery sequence, showing the different points of view which helps tell the story for different points, which is neat. The movie is well photographed, and is pretty to look at. The movie, however tires to be a thriller and a romance movie. Whether it succeeds at both is up to you. For me, it's a marginally successful attempt, that starts to feel slow around the middle, though the ending of the movie is a good twist. "The Windmills of Your Mind" is a song used to great effect, it's a really strange but somehow perfect song for a movie such as this. McQueen and Dunaway have good chemistry together, and the chess scene between them is nice to watch. This is a passable movie that looks nice, has a rough interior, but manages to have a cult following of its own. Judge for yourself.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Bullitt.

Review #506: Bullitt.

Cast
Steve McQueen (Frank Bullitt), Robert Vaughn (Walter Chalmers), Jacqueline Bisset (Cathy), Don Gordon (Delgetti), Simon Oakland (Captain Sam Bennett), Norman Fell (Captain Baker), Robert Duvall (Weissberg), Georg Stanford Brown (Dr. Willard), Justin Tarr (Eddy), and Carl Reindel (Carl Stanton) Directed by Peter Yates.

Review

Bullitt is notable for one thing, and it must be mentioned first, and it's the car chase. A car chase that goes around San Francisco, between McQueen and the two hit men (played by Paul Genge and Bill Hickman), and the chase is the defining moment of this film, the part everyone who watches the film remembers. The editing (by Frank P. Keller) contributes to the chase because it gives the chase an even greater feel of excitement, the chase sequence is a classic that has undoubtedly inspired many others. While the film has that sequence, it's the only sequence, which is welcome by me, as McQueen does a fine job as Bullitt, Robert Vaughn pairs well with McQueen, as does Jacqueline Bisset, as she has a good effective scene with McQueen over what he does an hour in the film. The film takes its time, but the payoff is good enough to make you forget the wait. I've wanted to review this film for months (sadly not doing it on this film's 45th Anniversary date), and it seems that now, on Christmas Eve was the best time to review it. Speaking of which, there will be a review on Christmas Day, so be ready, viewers.

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Magnificent Seven (1960).

Review #427: The Magnificent Seven.

Cast
Yul Brynner (Chris Adams), Eli Wallach (Calvera), Steve McQueen (Vin), Horst Buchholz (Chico), Charles Bronson (Bernardo O'Reilly), Robert Vaughn (Lee), James Coburn (Britt), Brad Dexter (Harry Luck), Vladimir Sokoloff (The Old Man), Jorge Martínez de Hoyos (Hilario), and Rosenda Monteros (Petra) Directed by John Sturges.

Review
The Magnificent Seven is a western style remake of the 1954 film Seven Samurai, which was directed by Akira Kurosawa, a legendary director who had directed 30 films in over 50 years of work. As for this film, the rights were bought for Seven Samurai, and Sturges was brought in to direct, with filming occurring in Mexico, and Elmer Bernstein composing the music score. As for my opinion on the film, it's a well made production. Brynner is effective, doing a fine job in one of the main roles. Eli Wallach is an effective villain, and when he and his bandits meet the Seven about an hour in, the scene is tense, but effective. But Steve McQueen nearly steals the show and while he does have too many lines, he is memorable in his role. The rest of the actors do very well, such as Charles Bronson, but especially James Coburn, who may not say much, but keeps a stone cold image that works well. The scenery is effective, given the tone of the film. This film is entertaining, with good directing by Sturges, and the music score by Elmer Bernstein is one of the best music scores made for film. It's a bittersweet film, and it is an excellent western.

Overall, I give it 10 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Blob (1958).

Review #418: The Blob.

Cast
Steve McQueen (Steve Andrews), Aneta Corsaut (Jane Martin), Earl Rowe (Lt. Dave), Olin Howland (Old Man), Stephen Chase (Dr. Hallen), John Benson (Sgt. Jim Bert), and George Karas (Officer Ritchie) Directed by Irvin Yeaworth.

Review
The Blob opens with probably the silliest of opening themes, and it doesn't really let up from there. It may feel familiar to other horror/sci-fi films (A (insert name here) from (insert name here) enters a small town by (way of transport - ???), (attacks/eats) people, and can only be stopped by (insert whatever here), the end), but unlike others, it's an independently made film (Which was released as a double feature with I Married a Monster from Outer Space), with Steve McQueen in his first leading role (though credited as "Steven McQueen"), who does an alright job. The rest of the actors do okay, though this film focuses more on the characters and the aptly titled blob, and I wonder if the cliche of not believing the person who tells you there's a monster until after they attack you is due to, gee I don't know, going alone and therefore being the only one to see it. Take the person you have with you and let them see the monster (and quietly gloat about it to the previous non believers later), but oh well. The special effects are okay, nothing too great, but they manage to fit a film with a title like this. The scene that probably most people remember is the Blob attacking the Colonial Theatre (while watching Daughter of Horror) as people quickly run out of the theatre, as the Blob oozes out. Its a film that has a somewhat hokey feel delivered fast and cheap, yet it has a irresistible charm, especially in color, which makes the reddish blob stand out more. Take it for what its worth.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Cincinnati Kid.

Review #273: The Cincinnati Kid.

Cast
Steve McQueen (Eric "The Kid" Stoner), Edward G. Robinson (Lancey "The Man" Howard), Karl Malden (Shooter), Ann-Margret (Melba), Rip Torn (Slade), Tuesday Weld (Christian), Joan Blondell (Lady Fingers), Jack Weston (Pig), and Cab Calloway (Yeller) Directed by Norman Jewison (#127 - Rollerball)

Review
Based off the novel by Richard Jessup, the Cincinnati Kid is a good ol' flick. Interesting enough, this is my first film review with Steve McQueen and Edward G. Robinson (Karl Malden has already been reviewed here before: #109 - A Streetcar Named Desire and #110 - On the Waterfront) How are the main leads? They are, without a doubt, good. You feel for both of the characters, not really wanting either one to lose, though the supporting cast's portrayals of the others do help out make the film more defined. It makes poker a bit more interesting then usual in a film that fits in as a good classic.

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.