Month: December 2018

#298) The Sound of Music (1965) 

OR “Nun Better”

Directed by Robert Wise

Written by Ernest Lehman. Based on the stage play by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. Music and Lyrics by Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II.

Class of 2001

Thanks, Neil

We have one of the all-time classics on this list, so buckle down: it’s a two-parter.

The Plot: Based on some parts of a true story, Maria Rainer (Julie Andrews) is a postulant at Nonnberg Abbey in Salzburg during the late ‘30s. Deemed too free-spirited by the nuns, the Mother Abbess (Peggy Wood) sends Maria to be governess for the children of naval Captain Georg von Trapp (Christopher Plummer). A widower with seven children, Captain von Trapp runs his house with firm discipline, a style that clashes with Maria’s sunny Julie Andrews-ness. But the children love her, and Georg eventually warms up to Maria. With a possible marriage to the Baroness Elsa von Schraeder (Eleanor Parker), and the Third Reich invading/annexing Austria, the Captain must stand by his ideals and his homeland, and falls for Maria in the process. Oh, and it’s a musical.

Why It Matters: The NFR calls it “[o]ne of the most popular movie musicals of all time” and then gives a detailed plot summary.

But Does It Really?: Well I see why this movie is so popular. “The Sound of Music” is not only one of the most delightful musicals ever, but one of the most delightful movies, period. The film is infectiously joyous, with a never-better Julie Andrews leading the way. Robert Wise and Ernest Lehman make one intelligent decision after another, and transform a good play into an excellent film. Time has only aided this film’s popularity, and “The Sound of Music” continues to be entertaining, warm, and uncomfortably relevant in these Nazi-reboot times we live in. “The Sound of Music” is a near-perfect movie, and the NFR should be ashamed it took 12 years to add it to the Registry.

Everybody Gets One: Most of the supporting cast, notably three-time Oscar nominee Eleanor Parker and longtime stage and film veteran Peggy Wood.

Take a Shot: Man oh man, do we have a title number for you.

Seriously, Oscars?: By the time the Oscar nominations rolled around, “The Sound of Music” had surpassed “Gone with the Wind” as the highest grossing movie of all time. “Sound of Music” tied for the most Oscar nominations of 1965 (10) with another epic blockbuster: David Lean’s “Doctor Zhivago”. The two films were neck-and-neck, ultimately winning five apiece, but “Sound of Music” took home Best Picture and Director. Julie Andrews, the previous year’s Best Actress winner for “Mary Poppins”, lost to another Julie – Christie for “Darling”. The only part that baffles me is how Ernest Lehman didn’t get an Adapted Screenplay nomination.

Other notes

• Though based on a true story, several details were altered when creating the original stage version, hence why Maria von Trapp’s original memoir is not cited in the credits. There are, however, a few ideas lifted from the 1956 West German film “Die Trapp-Familie”, whose screenwriter George Hurdalek gets a special thanks in the opening credits.
• Now this is how you open up a play! That’s not an opening number, that’s an IMAX movie!
• Shoutout to Marni Nixon, dubbing artist to the stars, finally getting some on-camera time as Sister Sophia.
• How can you not love Julie Andrews? If she didn’t blow you away with the title number, “I Have Confidence” will put you in Maria’s corner for the rest of the film. Speaking of, look out for the real Maria von Trapp as Julie Andrews approaches the von Trapp manor.

• I get it, Christopher Plummer: You want everyone to know you are so much more than Captain von Trapp. A stage veteran with a handful of film credits, Plummer only accepted the role if he was allowed to make the Captain more dimensional. And so he did: Plummer is giving a wonderfully subtle performance under the character’s limited range.
• This must be the part of Austria where no one has accents.
• Here’s how good this movie is: There’s a plotline involving Nazis and it’s still a perennial family classic.
• Like “West Side Story”, Lehman and Wise knew that adapting a musical to a film requires changes. A few songs were deleted, while others were moved to different scenes. An example of the latter: “My Favorite Things” is now what Maria sings to calm the children during the thunderstorm, which is a more natural fit than “The Lonely Goatherd”. All of Lehman’s alterations make for a stronger musical.

• I’m glad Maria didn’t listen to her friend Carol Burnett when she made clothing out of the curtains.
• Even the brilliant songwriting team of Rodgers & Hammerstein couldn’t come up with a more clever way to describe “la”, other than “a note to follow so”.

• During the “Do Re Mi” montage, Julie Andrews sings while pedaling a bike. Someone didn’t skip leg day.
• Eleanor Parker never gets the credit she deserves with the Baroness. Her performance makes the character flawed, but not evil. Well, except for the boarding school part. That’s Evil Stepmother 101.
• Was Tony Randall unavailable to play Max? Richard Hayden finds the right decibel level with a character you could very easily play over-the-top.
• I got genuine chills when the children sing the “Sound of Music” reprise.

• “The Lonely Goatherd” is the closest this film gets to a superfluous number, but Bil Baird’s puppetry spices things up. I just want to know how much furniture Maria cannibalized to make those marionettes.

• “Edelweiss” is my favorite song in the score. Simple, beautiful, powerful, and the last song Rodgers & Hammerstein wrote together. Special mention to Bill Lee, dubbing Christopher Plummer.

• First rule of adapting a stage musical to film: If you cut a song, put it in the underscore. Robert Wise decreed that Max and the Baroness would not sing in the film, so their duet, “How Can Love Survive?” appears only as an instrumental during the Captain’s party.

And just like in the film, here is where we take our act break. Part 2 coming soon. In fact, right now.

#297) The Fall of the House of Usher (1928)

OR “Pardon the Expressionism”

Directed by J.S. Watson Jr. and Melville Webber

Based on the short story by Edgar Allan Poe

Class of 2000

The Plot: Are you vaguely familiar with Poe’s “Fall of the House of Usher”? Great, because this movie is one loose adaptation. This silent short takes the overall themes of “Usher” and presents them in some purely visual storytelling. It’s still about Roderick Usher (Herbert Stern), his mysterious ailment, his catatonic sister Madeline (Hildegarde Watson), a visitor (Melville Webber), and a decaying manor, but all of this is conveyed using some really out-there camera effects.

Why It Matters: The NFR praises this “startlingly stylized” film, though accidentally calls it “avant-arde”. So close. There’s also an essay by silent film expert/NFR go-to Scott Simmon.

But Does It Really?: Sure, why not? I give this film a pass for its representation of its filmmakers, and a reminder that not all film adaptations of books need to follow the text too faithfully, or at all. This is a true adaptation of a story from written text into visual images. If you want Poe’s detailed, macabre text, there’s always the book. If you want a fascinating visual variation on the story’s themes, this is your movie.

Everybody Gets One: Part of the film’s unique style comes from the fact that neither of the directors were filmmakers. James Sibley Watson was a medical doctor and editor of “The Dial”; Melville Webber was an art historian. The two became friends while at Harvard, and developed a fascination of experimental films. They selected “House of Usher” as their film project because neither had read it in a long time, and therefore wouldn’t be slavish to the text.

Other notes

• First thing you’ll notice about this film: no intertitles. The entire film is expressed visually. Pretty gutsy move, but they pull it off.
• Nice zig-zag optical effect. In fact, all the effects in this movie are really great. Like, surprisingly great considering this was a low-budget experimental film. Well done, everyone.
• In one of the tried-and-true Hollywood casting procedures, Madeline is played by James Watson’s wife Hildegarde.
• Are the stairs just being shot artistically or does this house have escalators?
• The only text in the film (aside from an opening shot of the book) is a series of one-word effects pertaining to Madeline in her tomb. Think ‘60s “Batman” meets alphabet soup.
• Thanks for showing up, alleged narrator character. Where the hell have you been?
• Not being familiar with the source material, I made it a point to actually read “House of Usher” prior to my viewing of this film. And thank God I did, otherwise I would have been so lost.

Legacy

• Watson and Webber only made two other films, but one of them is called “Lot in Sodom”, so have fun with that.

• There have been several adaptions of “The Fall of the House of Usher” over the years, including the Roger Corman feature-length “House of Usher”, which would find its own place on the NFR. A feature-length adaptation of a short story: what could possibly go wrong?

• For those looking for a more faithful version of “Usher”, look no further than this 2012 animated version, narrated by Christopher Lee.

Further Viewing: The other 1928 “Fall of the House of Usher” silent film adaptation. A French film directed by Jean Epstein, and co-written by future director Luis Buñuel. Apparently it’s pretty great too.

#296) Roman Holiday (1953)

OR “Veni Vidi Vespa”

Directed by William Wyler

Written by Ian McLellan Hunter and John Dighton (and Dalton Trumbo). Story by Hunter Trumbo.

Class of 1999

The Plot: Princess Ann’s (Audrey Hepburn) goodwill tour of Europe culminates in Rome, where she has a breakdown of physical exhaustion. When she is told she must keep to her relentless itinerary, Ann sneaks out of the embassy at night, and has a chance encounter with American reporter Joe Bradley (Gregory Peck). Only after they part ways does Joe realize she is the princess everyone is trying to interview. With the help of his wisecracking photographer friend Irving (Eddie Albert), Joe attempts to get an exclusive interview with Ann without her finding out who he is. There’s laughs and love aplenty in Rome’s unofficial tourist video.

Why It Matters: The NFR calls it “a quick pace, light-hearted comedy” and praises Trumbo, Hepburn, and Albert.

But Does It Really?: “Roman Holiday” won me over pretty quickly. Trumbo’s well-crafted script is further boosted by the star power and chemistry of Hepburn and Peck. Hepburn is confident and radiant in her first leading role; Peck is charming and funny in his rare excursion outside of heavy drama. Throw in the polished storytelling skills of William Wyler and some beautiful and expertly chosen locales, and you have two of the most enjoyable hours in film history.

Everybody Gets One: Although there were many writers and various drafts, the final credit for the “Roman Holiday” screenplay goes to screenwriter Ian McLellan Hunter and playwright John Dighton. The story, while credited to Hunter, was written entirely by the infamously blacklisted Dalton Trumbo. Hunter agreed to be a front and gave Trumbo his salary for the project. Trumbo, Hunter, and Dighton all passed away before Trumbo could receive proper recognition for his work on “Roman Holiday”.

Wow, That’s Dated: The film starts with a meta-reference to the long-gone Paramount newsreels. Also, can you imagine Princess Ann trying to go incognito amidst TMZ and smartphones?

Seriously, Oscars?: One of the biggest hits of 1953, “Roman Holiday” received 10 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. The film lost several awards to the unstoppable “From Here to Eternity”, but did manage to pick up three: Best Actress for newcomer Audrey Hepburn, Best Costume Design for Edith Head, and Best Story for credited writer Ian McLellan Hunter. 40 years later, Dalton Trumbo received a posthumous Oscar, as well as a proper listing in the film’s opening credits.

Other notes

• “Roman Holiday” was the first Hollywood movie shot entirely in Rome. This made a sizeable dent in the film’s already tight budget, forcing Wyler to shoot “Roman Holiday” in black and white. In addition, Wyler had to cast an unknown as Ann, rather than a preferred star such as Elizabeth Taylor or Jean Simmons.
• I do love me some non-verbal character development. Never has so much been said about a character by one shoe.

• The film makes a point to never say which European nation Princess Ann hails from. My guess: West Dakotastan.
• I love Audrey Hepburn, but playing hysterics isn’t necessarily her strong suit, at least not at this point in her career. Thankfully it’s only for one scene early on.
• Shoutout to Hartley Power as Joe’s editor Hennessey. The scene where he calls Joe’s bluff is the funniest in the movie.
• Before we go any further, a readout from the Michael Douglas Scale. Gregory Peck is 13 years Audrey Hepburn’s senior. Charming as they both are, I’m going to have to give “Roman Holiday” a written warning. I don’t make the laws, I just enforce them.
• This movie really takes its time (Ann doesn’t actually explore Rome until about an hour in), but Hepburn and Peck are so appealing you really don’t mind. The two-hour running time goes by faster than some shorter movies.
• Those are two of William Wyler’s daughters – Cathy and Judy – as the children Joe tries to steal a camera from.
• Eddie Albert is a lot of fun in the standard “rom-com best friend” role, but an Oscar nomination? That’s a bit much, don’t you think?
• The Vespa ride is justifiably iconic, and one of many fun sequences during the actual “holiday” part of the film. I am, however, very disappointed that it doesn’t end with Ann and Joe crashing into either a fruit stand or two guys carrying plate-glass.

• Surprise cameo by Olmec from “Legends of the Hidden Temple”. But seriously, the Mouth of Truth scene is just delightful. Hepburn allegedly didn’t know what Peck was going to do, and the result is one of the most endearing moments in this or any movie.

• The most impressive thing about “Roman Holiday” is how good the actual storytelling is. There’s not a lot of dialogue, and much of the story is told visually. I suspect that if it had been made 30 years earlier, “Roman Holiday” would have been an equally enjoyable silent movie.
• Audrey’s performance is definitely not the flashiest to ever win an Oscar, but she’s just so effortlessly alluring. Is it any wonder generations of filmgoers have fallen in love with her?
• I was steeling myself for the film’s inevitable Hollywood ending, and was pleasantly surprised when it didn’t happen. “Roman Holiday” opts for a realistic ending that, while it denies its audience a traditional happy ending, does manage to conclude on a satisfying note.

Legacy

• Although not her film debut, “Roman Holiday” is the film that turned Audrey Hepburn into a bona-fide movie star. She would reunite with William Wyler for the underrated “How to Steal a Million”.

• Practically every romantic comedy has been influenced by “Roman Holiday”, some right down to the Vespa ride.

• “I’m also just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to acknowledge what a blatant rip-off this movie is of ‘Roman Holiday’.”

• Rumors of Peck and Hepburn reuniting for a sequel in the ‘70s never amounted to anything. Still, part of me is intrigued by the squandered potential of a “Before Sunset”-esque follow-up.
• Don’t worry, they remade “Roman Holiday” for TV in 1987, starring Tom Conti and “Dynasty” star/daughter of an actual princess Catherine Oxenberg.

• There’s been a stage musical floating around for a while with a score of repurposed Cole Porter tunes. I just…why?

Further Viewing: Audrey Hepburn’s now-famous screen test. Wyler discreetly told the camera and sound technicians to keep rolling after he called “Cut”, and Hepburn’s ensuing spontaneity won her the role of Ann.

#295) Easy Rider (1969)

OR “From L.A. to LA”

Directed by Dennis Hopper

Written by Hopper & Peter Fonda & Terry Southern

Class of 1998

The Plot: Los Angeles motorcyclists Wyatt, aka “Captain America” (Peter Fonda), and Billy (Dennis Hopper) use their money from a drug deal to fund a trip to New Orleans to celebrate Mardi Gras. With custom-built choppers and a well-chosen soundtrack, the two ride across the country, taking in the sights and a lot of marijuana. Among those the two meet along the way are a hitchhiker/commune inhabitant (Luke Askew), ACLU lawyer George Hanson (Jack Nicholson), prostitutes Karen and Mary (Karen Black and Toni Basil), and a string of locals who clearly don’t approve of their lifestyle. It’s the road trip movie on LSD, perhaps literally.

Why It Matters: The NFR calls it “a fascinating time capsule”, and praises Nicholson, cinematographer László Kovács, and the score. The write-up does, however, take the time to call the film “[o]casionally banal and dated”. Come on, NFR, it’s your pick! The essay by film critic William Wolf is only slightly more supportive.

But Does It Really?: “Easy Rider” is to film what “Hair” is to musical theater: the Generation Gap from the younger perspective, with the creative freedom to show the world their viewpoint. As a viewing experience almost 50 years later, “Easy Rider” is very much of its time, but still accessible. At times it feels like a documentary. “Easy Rider” isn’t a great film, and the culture it showcases may be lost on those who weren’t there, but this is the right film at the right time, and its historical impact (and therefore its NFR induction) cannot be denied.

Everybody Gets One: Son of Henry and younger brother of Jane, Peter Fonda found his motorcycle-riding counterculture persona thanks to Roger Corman’s “The Wild Angels”. Fonda next appeared in “The Trip”, a B-Movie about LSD featuring Dennis Hopper and a screenplay by Jack Nicholson. The germs of what would become “Easy Rider” started on the set of “The Trip”.

Wow, That’s Dated: Ev-er-y-thing. If you want to distill the counterculture movement of the late ‘60s into 95 minutes, “Easy Rider” is your movie.

Take a Shot: After allowing “It’s Alright Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)” to be featured in the film, Bob Dylan wrote the first verse of “The Ballad of Easy Rider” before handing it off to the song’s eventual composer/performer Roger McGuinn.

Seriously, Oscars?: “Easy Rider” was one of the biggest hits of 1969 and solidified New Hollywood’s standing as the status quo, but Old Hollywood still dominated the Academy, so the film only received two Oscar nominations. The writing team lost Original Screenplay to “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”, and breakout star Jack Nicholson lost Supporting Actor to overdue veteran Gig Young for “They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?”

Other notes

• Some films on this list are known for their difficult or troublesome production, but “Easy Rider” takes the cake. Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda fought constantly on the set, to the point that Fonda tried to use his producer status to kick Hopper off the film, and both of them – as well as Terry Southern – all have differing stories over who actually wrote the script (or if there even was a script). And the alleged amount of drug intake both on-and-off-camera begs the question: Does anyone involved actually remember this shoot?
• Coincidentally, Terry Southern also wrote Jane Fonda’s counterculture movie: “Barbarella”.
• Are we starting in the middle of the film? Apparently Dennis Hopper’s original cut was three times longer, and among the trims was an entire opening sequence showing Wyatt and Billy at their day job: L.A. stunt riders.
• Who better to lead the Hollywood revolution than Henry Fonda’s son? Wyatt and Billy even ride through Monument Valley at one point.
• Before They Were Infamous: That’s legendary record producer/future murderer Phil Spector as The Connection.
• Four words: “Born to Be Wild”. At a time when films rarely used popular music, this film’s needle-drop of the Steppenwolf song set the mood of not only this film, but also of many films to follow.

• Whoa, these transitions are a trip. Shoutout to editor Donn Cambern and whoever was supplying the drugs that week.
• Be on the lookout for Peter’s daughter Bridget Fonda as one of the children in the commune.
• Jack Nicholson was fresh off his stints with Roger Corman and “The Andy Griffith Show” when Dennis Hopper asked him to play George after Rip Torn dropped out (but that’s another story). It’s great to see Jack in a performance before he became a self-parody, and George helps add a bit of dimension to the proceedings.
• Hey no fair, you can’t change songs mid-montage! You damn hippies and your flouting of conventions!
• If the Mardi Gras footage seems out-of-place, it is. The sequence was shot before principal photography began, on 16mm (rather than the higher quality 35mm) and with a different crew than the rest of the shoot.

• So many Catholic overtones in this movie, especially once Wyatt and Billy are on their bad trip. Which one of the screenwriters was Catholic?
• I know a lot of locals were cast in smaller roles for authenticity, but the two truck drivers at the end are not actors.
• Well that’s a real downer of an ending. What point were Hopper et al trying to make exactly?

Legacy

• “Bonnie and Clyde” and “The Graduate” loaded the bases, but “Easy Rider” was the home run that proved New Hollywood was here to stay. The big studios spent most of the ‘70s trying to make another “Easy Rider”.
• Dennis Hopper was given free rein on his next movie: long-time passion project “The Last Movie”. The film was a flop, and Hopper’s directing career was essentially over.

• Jack Nicholson became the breakout performer of “Easy Rider”, and his leading role in 1970’s “Five Easy Pieces” solidified his standing as a movie star.

• Peter Fonda would go on to star in the motorcycle safety film “Not So Easy” (get it?).

• Thanks to some computer wizardry, Dennis Hopper appeared in this 1998 Ford Cougar ad with…Dennis Hopper from “Easy Rider”!

• Filmmaker Phil Pitzer somehow obtained the sequel rights and, along with Dustin Rikert, created the completely unnecessary (and illogical) sequel “Easy Rider: The Ride Back”. Honestly I’m doing everyone a disservice by mentioning this film even exists.

• I can’t end on that note: how about “Born to Be Wild” again?