#642) Scorpio Rising (1963)

#642) Scorpio Rising (1963)

OR “Look Back in Anger”

Directed by Kenneth Anger

Written by Ernest D. Glucksman

Class of 2022 

Ugh, no YouTube clip I embed here will show the thumbnail image (I keep getting the “Video unavailable” screen). You can watch the film on YouTube here.

The Plot: The avant-garde, occult influenced, homoerotic work of Kenneth Anger is on full display in “Scorpio Rising”. Set to an inspired playlist of ’60s hits, the film follows a biker named Scorpio (Bruce Byron) as he prepares for a night of racing and partying. It’s an experimental examination of the different groups society has deemed outsiders throughout history. Or maybe it’s a condemnation of hero worship. Or maybe Kenneth Anger just thought this guy was cute.

Why It Matters: The NFR gives a heap of superlatives to “Scorpio Rising”, calling it “one of the key works in Avant-Garde/Experimental cinema” and “a one-of-kind, rapid-fire exploration and juxtaposition of symbolism”.

But Does It Really?: Oh sure. “Scorpio Rising” is a great representation of the late legend Kenneth Anger. I would go so far as to say that “Scorpio Rising” is a better representation on this list for Anger than his previously inducted film: 1953’s “Eaux d’Artifice“. While “Eaux” has all the markings of an early experimental film (and is one of those “Staring at Water” movies the NFR loves for some reason), it lacks the hallmarks of Anger’s other films; the surreal blend of pop culture and his own sexuality that he is known for. “Scorpio Rising” fits the bill, and is a testament to one of filmdom’s first openly gay creators.

Shout Outs: I’m pretty sure James Dean’s photo on Scorpio’s wall is from “Rebel Without a Cause“. We also get a very brief shot of a Bela Lugosi-looking vampire.

Everybody Gets One: Richard MacAulay was a biker in Greenwich Village who went by the name Bruce Byron (a tribute to James Dean, whose middle name was Byron). A chance encounter with Kenneth Anger in Times Square led to him appearing in “Scorpio Rising”. Much of the character of Scorpio is taken from Byron’s real life: His Greenwich Village apartment was used for filming, and the photos of James Dean on the wall were really his (as is the Dishonorable Discharge from the Marines). The character’s name came from Byron’s astrological sign, as well as the scorpion amulet he always carried with him. When the film was released, Byron would occasionally show up at theaters to greet audiences.

Title Track: The title “Scorpio Rising” is written in metal studs on the back of a leather jacket. That tells you exactly what kind of movie you are in for.

Seriously, Oscars?: What? No Oscar nomination for “Scorpio Rising”? I’m shocked! (Can you sense the sarcasm?) For the record: 1963’s Live Action Short winner was Robert Enrico’s “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge“, which would go on to be re-edited and aired as one of the final episodes of…”The Twilight Zone”.

Other notes 

  • Part One of this film (known as “Boys & Bolts”) feels like the film adaptation of “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance”. At one point I though the whole movie was just going to be this guy fixing his bike. What is this, “Andy Warhol’s Garage”?
  • Longtime readers know I’m a sucker for a good soundtrack, and “Scorpio Rising” is no exception, with each track masterfully chosen to either comment on or subvert the film’s imagery. In order for “Scorpio” to compete at film festivals without getting pulled for copyright infringement, Anger paid for the clearance rights of each song, which cost about $8000 (about $80,000 today), roughly the same amount it cost to make the film!
  • At one point we hear Bobby Vinton’s rendition of “Blue Velvet”, which reminds me: When is David Lynch’s “Blue Velvet” gonna make the NFR? I remembered to submit it for consideration this year, so hopefully that helps.
  • In Part Two (“Image Maker”) Scorpio is watching a TV airing of “The Wild One”, another movie I’m surprised isn’t on the NFR yet. It’s always odd when an independent film makes the NFR before the more iconic film it’s referencing does. Apparently, “Wild One” just happened to be playing on TV when Anger was filming in Byron’s apartment, but as with any piece of Kenneth Anger trivia I will take that with a grain of salt.
  • Looks like Scorpio picked the wrong week to keep snorting methamphetamines.
  • Anger starts laying on the symbolism pretty thick with shots of Scorpio juxtaposed with clips of Jesus from the ’50s educational film series “The Living Bible”. These images appear while The Crystals’ “He’s a Rebel” plays on the soundtrack. You know, Jesus was something of a rebel himself. Shoutout to Nelson Leigh, the actor playing Jesus in the clips from “Living Bible”. Leigh plays bit parts in fellow NFR films “Lassie Come Home“, “Imitation of Life“, and the aforementioned “Rebel Without a Cause”.
  • And now the great “Art vs. Porn” debate. During the “Living Bible” clip when a blind man kneels before Jesus, Kenneth Anger interjects a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it shot of someone’s penis. This, combined with some of the more overt physical acts at the party led to the film’s obscenity charges (more about those in “Legacy”). Now I’m no expert (I tend to fall on the “I know it when I see it” side of things), but all of the sexual acts in this movie happen so quickly you’d have to really be paying attention in order to find it titillating. But that’s just me; you do you.
  • Speaking of, I assume the debauchery in Part Three (“Walpurgis Party”) is what hard-core conservatives think happen at all liberal parties. Well we used to party like that, but then COVID hit. Safety first, you know.
  • Of course this kind of homoerotic imagery was ahead of its time in 1963, but I got to wondering if it was even too much for the NFR team of 1993, the year “Eaux d’Artifice” was inducted. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was an agreement among the Film Preservation Board that Kenneth Anger should be on the Registry, but that a film like “Scorpio” was too extreme for a list that included the likes of “An American in Paris“. If there’s any gay subject matter in “Eaux”, it’s so subtle that I definitely missed it.
  • Okay I get it, he’s like Jesus! Stop it! I think Anger’s going for a “Let he without sin cast the first stone” deal. Or maybe “Don’t knock it ’till you’ve tried it.”
  • Wait, are the bikers Hitler now? Anger starts using photos of Hitler as well as Jesus in Part Four (“Rebel Rouser”) when the bikers start racing each other. Is this commentary on the danger of hero worship? Also during this part they cut to a shot of a checkers set with swastikas on all the pieces. I definitely did not have “Nazi Checkers” on my list of things to watch for in an NFR film.
  • Another classic film repurposed by Anger: 1935’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”. Mickey Rooney’s Puck makes a quick appearance, a reference to Anger’s production company Puck Film, as well as Anger’s claim that he played the changeling child in the film (a claim repeatedly debunked over the years).
  • The closing shots of a solitary police beacon light flashing in the dark looks like the opening of “Police Squad!” (In Color).
  • That was awesome. Thanks, Kenneth.

Legacy 

  • “Scorpio Rising” premiered in October 1963 at the Gramercy Arts Theater in New York City, and shortly afterwards ran at the legendary Bleecker Street Cinema in Greenwich Village, where it became a popular attraction. The controversy with “Scorpio” began almost immediately when the film was pulled from theaters following a public obscenity charge. Cinema Theater manager Mike Getz was convicted for showing the film, but the case was appealed by the California Supreme Court, creating a precedent for seemingly “pornographic” films containing “redeeming social merit”.
  • Speaking of lawsuits, we have perhaps the funniest bit of trivia I’ve ever read while researching a blog post. In 1964, the American Nazi Party sued Kenneth Anger for defamation because of his use of their flag in “Scorpio Rising”. That story again: The American Nazi Party sued someone for damaging their reputation. Riiiiiight. I can’t find the results of that lawsuit, but I assume the judge’s verdict was several minutes of unbridled laughter.
  • Among the filmmakers who have cited “Scorpio Rising” as an influence are John Waters and Martin Scorsese. You can definitely see the Anger influence on these two: Waters with his subverted look at ’50s pop culture, and Scorsese with his choice needle drops.
  • Kenneth Anger continued making films for the next 45 years, his last being 2010’s “Missoni”. And while he wrote “Hollywood Babylon III” around the same time, the book was never published due to its chapter criticizing the Church of Scientology. Anger passed away earlier this month at the age of 96. And I’m sure wherever he is right now, he’s cursing all of us.

Listen to This: None of the songs in this film have been inducted into the National Recording Registry, though some of their performers have (Elvis, Ray Charles, Martha & the Vandellas, etc.). That means the NRR currently lacks such classics as “Blue Velvet”, “Hit the Road Jack”, “(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave”, “I Will Follow Him”, and “Wipeout”. Now available on two CDs or two cassettes!

#641) Pink Flamingos (1972)

#641) Pink Flamingos (1972)

OR “Divine Intervention”

Directed & Written by John Waters

Class of 2021

The Plot: Divine, alias “Babs Johnson” (Divine), is a criminal living a quiet life in a trailer outside Phoenix, Maryland with her family. She also holds the title of “the filthiest person alive”, which infuriates her rival Connie Marble (Mink Stole), who intends to claim the title for herself. I refuse to go into any further detail of what everyone in this movie does to out-filth each other, suffice it to say that this movie earns its NC-17 rating, and you’ll never look at your dog the same way again.

Why It Matters: The NFR calls the film a “delirious fantasia” and “a landmark in queer cinema”. John Waters is hailed as “Baltimore’s favorite son”.

But Does It Really?: Ah yes, the “Be Careful What You Wish For” movie. For years it surprised me that John Waters wasn’t represented on the National Film Registry, and “Pink Flamingos” seemed the natural choice. So I would nominate “Pink Flamingos”, never once considering that if it made the list I would have to actually watch it. This was – without a doubt – the most difficult viewing experience I’ve ever had for this blog. “Pink Flamingos” is filthy, disturbing, grotesque, obscene…and one of the most culturally significant movies on this list. At a time when American film was just starting to experiment with far how it could push the envelope, John Waters set the envelope on fire, and in the process brought new notoriety to underground filmmaking. In the hands of a lesser director, “Pink Flamingos” would be unwatchable smut, but with Waters’ deft, borderline voyeuristic direction, “Pink Flamingos” is the most entertaining unwatchable smut you’ve ever seen. John Waters is an icon of queer and cult filmdom, and having “Pink Flamingos” on the NFR is overdue and well deserved. Now let us never speak of this again.

Everybody Gets One: John Waters was born and raised in the Baltimore suburb of Lutherville, and among his early cinematic influences were “The Wizard of Oz“, “Lili”, the experimental films of Andy Warhol and Kenneth Anger, and a healthy dose of “tacky” films at his local drive-in. “Pink Flamingos” was Waters’ third feature-length film, shot in and around Baltimore in late 1971. Waters’ parents Patricia and John Sr. funded “Pink Flamingos”, and while they were proud of their son’s achievements, they chose never to watch the final film.

Wow, That’s Dated: There are several references to the Manson Family throughout the film, including in the opening dedication. Waters cited the Manson Family (and the media coverage surrounding their murder trial) as an inspiration for “Pink Flamingos”, though he had intended for these allusions to be “a sarcastic nod”, and ultimately regretted their inclusion.

Title Track: The pink flamingos of the title are the plastic ones outside Divine’s trailer. John Waters named the film “Pink Flamingos” because he wanted a “normal” title to counter the film’s outrageousness.

Seriously, Oscars?: Surprising no one, “Pink Flamingos” received zero Oscar nominations. More surprising, however: John Waters has never been nominated. How about an honorary Oscar, Academy?

As I previously mentioned, “Pink Flamingos” was a tough watch for me, and with all due respect to Mr. Waters, I don’t have the stomach to go more in-depth about the film’s subject matter. In lieu of my typical Other notes section, I’m just going to transcribe verbatim my notes from this film.

  • This is already the weirdest movie.
  • Wow, the C word! Twice!
  • Oh dear god.
  • Oh! Okay then.
  • I don’t know if I can do this.
  • Oh God!
  • Oh Jesus!
  • [Weirded-out noises]
  • Wow.
  • Is he-? Oh he is.
  • Gah!
  • Oh no. Oh nooooo.
  • Aaaaaaaah!
  • Eeeeewwww
  • Good soundtrack though.

Legacy 

  • “Pink Flamingos” premiered at the Baltimore Film Festival in March 1972 before its official New York premiere in February 1973. Critics were mixed about the film, and even the ones who enjoyed it admitted the film is “for the very open-minded.” “Pink Flamingos” found success as one of the first “midnight movies”, playing in New York and Los Angeles for years. By 1980 the film had made more than 500 times its budget at the box office.
  • John Waters’ subsequent filmography includes “Polyester”, “Cry-Baby”, and fellow NFR entry “Hairspray”. My personal favorite is “Serial Mom” with arguably Kathleen Turner’s best film performance.
  • Although Waters hasn’t helmed a film since 2004’s “A Dirty Shame”, he continues to make appearances in documentaries (including “These Amazing Shadows“) and cameos in various movies and TV shows. Like most of my generation, I was introduced to John Waters via his charming performance on “The Simpsons”. “This is a sordid little burg, isn’t it? Makes me sick in a wonderful, wonderful way.”

#640) The Little Mermaid (1989)

Is that the original theatrical poster or are you just happy to see me?

#640) The Little Mermaid (1989)

OR “Fish Outta Water”

Directed & Written by John Musker and Ron Clements. Based on the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. Song score by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken.

Class of 2022

The Plot: Ariel (voice by Jodi Benson) is a teenage mermaid with a fascination for the human world, much to the frustration of her strict father King Triton (voice by Kenneth Mars). When Ariel goes up to the surface, she is immediately smitten with the human Prince Eric (voice by Christopher Daniel Barnes). Desperate to see him again, she makes a deal with the sea witch Ursula (voice by Pat Carroll) to become human temporarily in exchange for her voice. With only three days to get Eric to fall in love with her, will Ariel live happily ever after? Or will she sacrifice her life and turn into sea foam like in the original fairy tale? Seeing as how this is the Disney version, probably not the latter.

Why It Matters: The NFR calls it “an animated film for the ages”, highlighting the score and the “fantastic array of voice artists”. There’s also a quote from Jodi Benson stating that she is “thrilled and honored” that “our very special film” has made the Registry.

But Does It Really?: I’ve nominated “The Little Mermaid” on my NFR ballot several times over the years, so you’ll get no argument from me. “The Little Mermaid” is the end of one era in Disney animation and the beginning of the next. “Beauty and the Beast” is still the grand-slam of Disney Renaissance musicals, but “Little Mermaid” loaded the bases. With its sweet, simple story, great performances, and catchy songs, “The Little Mermaid” brought classic Disney animation to a new generation, and has continued to endure.

Everybody Gets One: John Musker and Ron Clements met while working as animators on “The Fox and the Hound”. Through a series of shuffling following the arrival of Michael Eisner, Frank Wells, and Jeffrey Katzenberg in 1984, Musker and Clements found themselves co-directing “Basil of Baker Street” (later renamed “The Great Mouse Detective”) and a creative partnership was born. During production of “Great Mouse Detective”, Clements pitched an animated “Little Mermaid” after finding a book of Hans Christian Andersen fairy tales in a bookstore. Katzenberg rejected this pitch, citing similarities with “Splash” and its upcoming TV sequel “Splash, Too”, though he changed his mind the next day, with a warning that a “girl’s film” wouldn’t be a box office success.

Seriously, Oscars?: One of Disney’s biggest hits of the decade, “The Little Mermaid” was nominated for three Oscars, winning two. Alan Menken won Best Original Score, and Menken and Ashman picked up Best Song for “Under the Sea” (with “Kiss the Girl” also nominated). “The Little Mermaid” was the first Disney film since 1971’s “Bedknobs and Broomsticks” to win an Oscar (not counting Touchstone films “The Color of Money” and “Who Framed Roger Rabbit“).

Other notes 

  • In the late 1930s, Walt Disney was in talks with Samuel Goldwyn to animate a series of shorts based on Hans Christian Andersen stories – including “The Little Mermaid”- but the project fell through (Goldwyn would eventually produce an all live-action Hans Christian Andersen film in 1952). While Clements and Musker were working on their version of “The Little Mermaid” in the ’80s, they found concept art for the ’30s version by artist Kay Nielsen, who would be posthumously credited in the final film as a Visual Development Artist. They also found transcripts of Walt’s story meetings, where he had coincidentally made the same modifications to the story as Musker and Clements had.
  • “The Little Mermaid” holds the distinction as the final Disney animated film to feature hand-painted characters and backgrounds, and the last one to use xerography to transpose the artists’ drawings directly onto the cels. These techniques were replaced by the computer system CAPS, created by the relatively unknown Pixar company. This traditional hand-painted look is one of the film’s appeals for me. A viewing on an HD screen reveals the animation as not fully polished; character details disappear when they’re in the background, lip movement doesn’t fully match the dialogue, etc., but it gives the whole film a human touch. I also love that the film is still very cartoony. Disney always strives for realism, but it’s nice to see Sebastian and Flounder with bugged-out eyes and jaws dropping to the floor.
  • This film’s other major contribution is the songwriting team of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken. Ashman had been brought on to write a song for “Oliver & Company” and stuck around to work on “Mermaid”, enlisting the help of his “Little Shop of Horrors” co-writer Menken. Previous Disney films had their songs penned either by in-house composers or writers from Tin Pan Alley; Ashman and Menken brought a musical theater sensibility to “Little Mermaid”, imbuing each song with character and story development. This has since become the norm for animated musicals.
  • I feel for Flounder in that opening sequence, I was something of a guppy myself at that age (and for several subsequent ages). Fun Fact: Flounder’s voice actor Jason Marin is also Farmer Peabody’s son in “Back to the Future” (“It’s already mutated into human form! Shoot it!”)
  • Comedian Leonard “Buddy” Hackett gives an endearingly funny performance as Scuttle, the only seagull with a Brooklyn accent. This is Hackett’s second NFR appearance, and as long as I’m still cranking out posts I will lobby to a get a third Buddy Hackett film on this list.
  • This movies loves sea puns: “You give them an inch, they swim all over you.” “Look what the catfish dragged in.” etc. It’s just the right amount without reaching a “Shark Tale”-level of annoyance.
  • Despite Ashman and Menken’s contributions to film musicals, it takes 15 minutes before we get “Part of Your World”, the movie’s first real song (no offense to “Fathoms Below” and “Daughters of Triton”). Like “Over the Rainbow” before it, “Part of Your World” is a quintessential “I Want” song that almost got cut before cooler heads prevailed. Shoutout to Jodi Benson, singing her heart out with the perfect balance of teenage yearning and Broadway belting.
  • As great as “Part of Your World” is, it’s the reprise that features arguably the film’s most iconic shot of the waves splashing against the rock Ariel is leaning on as she hits the climactic final note. Not since “Vertigo” has there been such perfectly timed waves. Plus, it’s a fun nod to the Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen honoring Hans Christian Andersen.
  • There really isn’t a weak link in this voice cast. In addition to everyone mentioned so far, you got Samuel E. Wright bringing a fun little character arc to Sebastian the crab, and old pros like Kenneth Mars, Ben Wright, and René Auberjonois giving fully committed performances. Plus, this is a reminder that Christopher Daniel Barnes (the voice of Prince Eric) would go on to play Greg Brady in the ’90s “Brady Bunch” movies. Groovy.
  • “Under the Sea” is the most fun number in the movie, with maybe the flimsiest connection to the story (Sebastian sings it to distract Ariel from thinking about Eric? Good luck with that.) While we’re on the subject: Am I allowed to still sing this song? It’s hard not to sing along without emulating Sebastian’s Trinidadian accent, and surely that doesn’t fly nowadays. Side note: Also making their only NFR appearance during this number: The Incredible Mr. Limpet!
  • It was not until researching this post that I learned Ursula’s collection of souls are supposed to be polyps, which longtime readers may remember have quite an interesting sex life.
  • And now the Pat Carroll gush-fest portion of this post. Ms. Carroll only has a handful of films on the resume (she was primarily a TV and theater performer), but boy does she make this one count. Original choices Bea Arthur and Elaine Stritch would have been great, but I suspect their inherent wryness wouldn’t measure up to the glorified camp Carroll brings to the part (she described her performance as a cross between Tallulah Bankhead and Maurice Evans). Shoutout to Ursula’s supervising animator Ruben Aquino, matching Carroll’s vocal performance with some knockout animation, as well as Divine, John Waters’ muse who served as inspiration for Ursula’s look and movement.
  • “Oh, Prince Eric’s very popular, Ed. They think he’s a righteous dude.“
  • “Kiss the Girl” enters the “Summer Lovin’” realm of catchy songs with questionable lyrics. In recent years “Kiss the Girl” has sparked conversations about non-verbal consent (as has the film’s whole storyline about a woman changing herself to attract a man). Sure there’s a part of me that wants to just say “it’s a fairy tale” and shrug it off, but that’s admittedly a privileged opinion for me to have. I don’t have kids, but I recognize the importance of parents talking to their kids about the media they consume and the influence it may have, especially if that media is a nostalgic part of their own childhood that may not hold up as well as they remember it.
  • Wow, Ursula just called Ariel “the little tramp!” and I don’t think she means Chaplin. Yeah, definitely talk to your kids before letting them see this movie.
  • It’s his knee. Moving on.
  • The film’s finale is not without its issues. For starters, I’m always put off by things that become bigger than they should (be it Mega-Ursula or the career of Pete Davidson). But my main beef with the finale is that aside from a brief moment where Ariel saves Eric, Ariel is pretty passive during all of this. It’s Eric that kills the villain and saves the day while Ariel just flops around. No wonder the ride at California Adventure skips through this part.

Legacy 

  • “The Little Mermaid” premiered in November 1989, and was an immediate hit. Critics hailed it as a return to form for Disney, and the film quickly became the highest-grossing animated film of all time. The success of “The Little Mermaid” launched what became known as The Disney Renaissance, and the many Disney animated musicals of the ’90s that still live rent-free in your head.
  • John Musker & Ron Clements’ follow-up film was another hit of the Disney Renaissance: “Aladdin”. Subsequent Musker/Clements collaborations were “Hercules”, “Treasure Planet” (a passion project for Clements), “The Princess and the Frog”, and “Moana”.
  • When you’re as big a hit as “The Little Mermaid”, there’s no escaping the Disney Synergy Machine. In addition to the countless toys and merch spawned by the film, “The Little Mermaid” received a Saturday morning TV series, a direct-to-video sequel, a direct-to-video prequel, a Broadway stage adaptation, and several theme park attractions.
  • Disney’s latest trend of live-action remakes continues with a “Little Mermaid” rehash coming out later this month. Look, we all know it’s not going to be as good as the original (it’s 52 minutes longer for god sake!) but can we all agree here and now to leave Halle Bailey alone? She is clearly a very talented individual, and any problems you may have with the movie aren’t going to be her fault. So do us all a favor: take your dog-whistle racism and fuck off.

Further Viewing: I’m always fascinated by adaptations of fairy tales that predate the Disney version. “The Little Mermaid” has a few that skew closer to the original fairy tale, and I’m partial to two TV adaptations: A 1961 episode of “Shirley Temple’s Storybook” and a 1987 episode of “Faerie Tale Theatre” starring Pam Dawber!

The National Film Registry Class of 1989: A Look Back at the First 25!

Today is a milestone day for The Horse’s Head: I have watched and written about all 25 of the films selected for the National Film Registry’s inaugural Class of 1989! Now you may be thinking, “What was stopping you from watching and writing about these films at the beginning and getting them all out of the way early?” That’s a great question, I’ll look into it.

To mark the occasion, I’d like to take a quick look back at these iconic films and their place in the list. As a refresher course, here are the original 25, plus what I said about them in my write-ups.

This class was announced on September 20th, 1989 by then-Librarian of Congress James H. Billington. The announcement of this first batch of films came on the heels of the National Film Preservation Act, passed by Congress in 1988 to combat a rise in film altering, such as colorizing black-and-white movies or pan-and-scanning widescreen images. It comes as no surprise that the main topic of conversation at the time was how these films would be preserved and protected. While many of these films would still be altered over the years (most famously by one of its own directors), they at least now had to carry the legal disclaimer “This film has been modified from its original version.”

Other notes

  • Having only started really studying this list when it was 700 strong, I find it odd to think of the Registry as just these 25 movies. While they are all undoubtedly essential films in our history, it is impossible for them to represent all that American film has to offer. Billington at the time stressed that this was not a “best of” list, and that more films would be added over the next two years (The initial Preservation Act was only good until 1992, but has been reauthorized several times since then, currently through 2026).
  • Although I couldn’t find the NFR’s official press release, I did find two quotes from some of the surviving filmmakers. Billy Wilder told the New York Times he was “absolutely thrilled and delighted” by the inclusion of two of his films, and Gordon Parks wrote this letter to James Billington saying he was “very thankful” that “The Learning Tree” made the cut.
  • When the Class of 1989 was announced, future NFR entries “When Harry Met Sally” and “Sex Lies and Videotape” were playing in theaters (“Do the Right Thing” and “Field of Dreams” had completed their runs, and “The Little Mermaid” and “Roger & Me” would open in the fall). Number one at the weekend box office was the John Candy comedy “Uncle Buck”.
  • Over 40 artists are “double-dippers” with contributions to at least two of these 25 films. Among them: the aforementioned Billy Wilder, actors Humphrey Bogart, James Earl Jones, Buster Keaton, and James Stewart, directors Victor Fleming and John Ford, composers Bernard Hermann and Max Steiner, and costume designer Edith Head.
  • Among the thematic double-dippers shared by these 25: The Civil War from the Confederate viewpoint, the transition from silent films to talkies, a tornado hitting Kansas, Red Scare metaphors, the darker side of San Francisco, solitary cowboys, a Coney Island-esque amusement park, our female lead nearly drowning, and fantasy musicals featuring Adriana Caselotti’s voice.
  • Unsurprisingly, my write-ups on these films are overly positive, with little to no questioning of their place on this first list (words like “essential” and “untouchable” come up a lot). A few titles wouldn’t have made my personal top 25 (“The Crowd”, “Best Years of Our Lives”) but are important nonetheless. “The Learning Tree” was a surprise inclusion even then, but I find it telling of the NFR’s push to include films by people of color. That spot could have gone to anything from “In the Heat of the Night” to “Carmen Jones“, but having a movie about Black characters directed by a Black person is the right choice. While people of color are still underrepresented on the list, “Learning Tree” is a promise that the NFR won’t just consist of the preordained classics you see on every “Best of” list.
  • My favorites of my own subtitles: Keaton’s Laws of Locomotion, Charlie and the Clockwork Factory, Graft Dodger, Hearst Hassle, Follow That Bird, Pier Pressure, Scottie Doesn’t Know, Girls Gone Wilder, and Monomyth…. In…. Spaaaaace!

More of these retrospectives to come as we cross more inductees off the list (the Class of 1990 should be next). In the meantime, thanks for sticking with it, and keep taking care of each other.

Happy Viewing,

Tony

UPDATE: Starting with my recap of the NFR Class of 1990, I’ve included a #1 Billboard song from their respective year in the title. For 1989, there are plenty of contenders: “Every Rose Has Its Thorn”, “Straight Up”, “She Drives Me Crazy”, “Wind Beneath My Wings”, but there was one that made the most sense for this post. So, consider the alternate title for this post “The NFR Class of 1989: We Didn’t Start the Fire”.

#639) The Searchers (1956)

#639) The Searchers (1956)

OR “Duke the Right Thing”

Directed by John Ford

Written by Frank S. Nugent. Based on the novel by Alan Le May.

Class of 1989

The Plot: Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) is a veteran of the Civil War and the Second Franco-Mexican War who returns to West Texas to live with his brother Aaron (Walter Coy) and his family. While Ethan is out trying to rescue a neighbor’s cattle, a nearby tribe of Comanches led by Chief Cicatriz aka “Scar” (Henry Brandon) kill Aaron and his family and kidnap Ethan’s niece Debbie (Lana Wood [younger], Natalie Wood [older]). Joined by Debbie’s adopted brother Martin Pawley (Jeffrey Hunter), Ethan begins a five-year journey across Texas to find Debbie and bring her home. Throughout the mission, Ethan’s open racism towards the Comanche and his need for vengeance starts to overtake his desire to save his niece. It’s as reflective a character study as you can get from a John Ford western.

Why It Matters: The NFR has a lot of feelings about “The Searchers”, calling it “John Ford’s best film” and “equal parts majestic spectacle and soul-searching moral examination”. They also take the time to acknowledge the film’s seemingly ambivalent stance on the main character’s racism. An essay by film historian Scott Allen Nollen is a well-rounded account of “The Searchers” and its production.

But Does It Really?: There’s a passage in the NFR’s “Citizen Kane” essay by Godfrey Cheshire that has stuck with me ever since I first read it. Cheshire theorizes that “Kane” isn’t necessarily the greatest film ever made, but rather the greatest critic’s film. I have reached a similar conclusion with “The Searchers”: its standing as the greatest western is a matter of taste, but it is definitely the greatest western for people who love studying and analyzing film. While most westerns on this list play within the strict good vs. evil morality of the genre, “The Searchers” has some shades of gray to it that have attracted generations of critics and filmmakers. Add to that some iconic cinematography and John Wayne’s best film performance, and you’ve got a movie with an undeniable legacy. I wouldn’t call “The Searchers” an untouchable of film history, but its ongoing inspiration on filmmakers over the decades makes it a natural for the NFR.

Everybody Gets One: Jeffrey Hunter had been a contract player with 20th Century Fox for five years when he successfully lobbied to be loaned out to Warner Bros. for “The Searchers”. Hunter would go on to play Jesus in “King of Kings”, as well as Captain Christopher Pike in the first pilot for “Star Trek” (when Hunter didn’t return for the second pilot, the character was replaced with Captain James T. Kirk/William Shatner). This is also the only NFR appearance for future Bond Girl Lana Wood, cast here as the younger version of her sister Natalie’s character.

Wow, That’s Dated: Because it’s a John Ford western, REDFACE WARNING! Chief Cicatriz is played by Henry Brandon, a German man in full-on Redface. It’s uncomfortable from the get-go. And while John Ford does cast actual Indigenous people as the other Comanches, they are all from the Navajo tribe, complete with Navajo clothing and customs (which makes sense once you learn the film was shot in Utah and Arizona).

Title Track: “The Searchers” is yet another movie I was not expecting to have a title song. Composed by Max Steiner, lyrics by Stan Jones, and performed by Sons of the Pioneer, “The Searchers (Main Theme)” is pretty forgettable. I assume someone at Warner Bros. was itching for a “High Noon” style breakout hit.

Seriously, Oscars?: Despite its critical and commercial success at the time, “The Searchers” received zero Oscar nominations (Warner Bros.’ big Oscar contenders that year were “Giant” and “Baby Doll”). The only accolades “The Searchers” got that awards season were a DGA nomination for John Ford and a Golden Globe to Patrick Wayne for Most Promising Newcomer.

Other notes 

  • This is the first of three films produced by businessman Cornelius Vanderbilt (C.V.) Whitney. C.V. had been one of the first major investors in Technicolor in the 1930s (good call), and was a financier on “Gone with the Wind” (even better call). Whitney’s subsequent films were the less-successful “The Missouri Traveler” and “The Young Land”.
  • You have my attention with that opening shot: Total blackness until a door is opened overlooking the expansive Monument Valley. Shoutout to cinematographer Winton C. Hoch, no stranger to filming beautiful landscapes thanks to his work shooting the “Fitzpatrick’s Traveltalks” series throughout the ’30s and ’40s. This cinematography is definitely putting the “Vista” in VistaVision (on loan from Paramount), to the point that it’s quite jarring when the film switches to filming outdoor scenes on a set.
  • Speaking of the cinematography, there’s an interesting shot near the beginning when the Texas Rangers come to visit the Edwards house. Instead of a series of close-ups and mediums, the first minute of the scene is covered in a single wide shot, with 10 different characters and their various stories interacting and intertwining . It’s an interesting composition, but the overlapping dialogue is a bit cacophonous. You can imagine Robert Altman watching this scene and thinking “what if I made a whole movie of just this?”
  • Uh-oh, one of the characters just called Debbie “Little Debbie” and now I’m hungry. I’ve been watching my diet lately, but I would kill for a Swiss Roll right about now.
  • I wasn’t expecting this movie to have so much comic relief. Apparently many of these were created for the film to help offset the story’s darker elements. You get Ward Bond as a blustery Texas Ranger, Hank Worden as the eccentric Mose, and several comic interludes with the Jorgensen neighbors (because somebody thought Swedes were hilarious). Ultimately, I found these detours unnecessary and tiring, always wondering when we would get back to the main story.
  • Speaking of the supporting cast, shoutout to Ward Bond, longtime John Ford staple who appears in FOUR films in the inaugural NFR class: “Gone with the Wind“, “The Grapes of Wrath“, “The Maltese Falcon“, and “The Searchers”.
  • Wow, Ethan’s really an asshole in this. The guy is racist to the core, even shooting the corpse of a Comanche in the eyes so that (according to their beliefs) it can’t enter the spirit world. John Wayne’s natural screen prescence is the only thing keeping Ethan from being totally repulsive. Side note: That corpse is clearly still breathing when it’s unearthed.
  • For whatever reason, it’s the Warner Bros. movies on this list that make abundant use of stock sound effects. Today’s example is all the classic ricochet bullet sound effects found in this film’s gunfights.
  • Part of the appeal of John Wayne’s performance is that his character is more complex than his usual roster of morally just cowboys. In addition to these subtleties, Wayne also has moments that call for more emoting (His reading of “What do you want me to do, draw you a picture!?” is especially stirring). It helps that Wayne looks even more understated in this film thanks to Jeffrey Hunter’s overacting. No offense to Mr. Hunter, but I wonder what first choice Fess Parker would have done with Marty.
  • Oh right, Vera Miles is in this. The Laurie scenes are part of the distracting Jorgensen family subplot, though it’s nice to see Vera Miles play a character so different than Lila Crane, the role she will forever be associated with.
  • Obviously, it’s hard to listen to everyone talk about a bad guy named Scar and not think of “The Lion King“. Side note: Henry Brandon is also the bad guy in one of my favorite Christmas movies: the Laurel & Hardy “Babes in Toyland”.
  • I love when Ethan calls Martin a “chunkhead”. Ethan is also fond of the put-down “blankethead”, which sounds like an insult aimed at Linus from “Peanuts”.
  • The brief but pivotal role of Emilio Figueroa is played by Antonio Moreno, a Spanish actor and “Latin Lover” from the silent era. Longtime readers may recall him as Clara Bow’s leading man from “It“.
  • Oh hi Natalie. I never realized how little Natalie Wood is actually in this movie, first appearing about three quarters of the way through and only having about 10 minutes of screentime. I suspect if Warner Bros. knew how big a hit “Rebel Without a Cause” was going to be they would have given Natalie a better part.
  • The Wood sisters weren’t the only family affair in “The Searchers”: John Wayne’s son Patrick plays Lt. Greenhill. Patrick was 16 when they filmed “The Searchers”, which explains why he looks and sounds like the Squeaky Voiced Teen from “The Simpsons”. I also appreciated the little moment where Ethan jokingly calls Lt. Greenhill “son”, apparently an ad-lib from John Wayne.
  • There is so much day for night in this movie! I know that was common practice in the day (especially filming in harsh locations like Monument Valley), but man is it distracting.
  • I’m always a proponent of any classic movie that’s under two hours, but “The Searchers” feels so much longer. Maybe it’s the episodic nature of the story or all the subplots, but boy howdy does this movie drag towards the end. Even film critics at the time complained about how long the movie was (Brother, give it about 60 years and you’ll be begging for movies this short again).
  • One more shoutout to the cinematography as we reach the film’s iconic final shot of Ethan standing on the Jorgensens’ front porch, framed by the open doorway with the extensive plains behind him. It’s very much the kind of visual storytelling that only the movies can do so well. Without a single line of dialogue, we understand that this character is destined to be a loner, incapable of conforming to any establishments from a west that’s becoming a little less wild.

Legacy 

  • “The Searchers” premiered in May 1956, with critics at the time calling it the best western since “Shane“, though not necessarily Ford’s best work. The film’s transition from hit to classic was pretty seamless, with auteur/film critic Jean-Luc Godard naming it one of the greatest American movies of the sound era in 1963, earning it some street cred with the New Wave movement. Since then, “The Searchers” has appeared on practically every greatest films list, and saw the biggest increase between the two AFI 100 Films lists, ranking 96 in 1998 and 12 in 2007!
  • Both John Ford and John Wayne considered “The Searchers” among their best films. Wayne enjoyed the experience so much he named his second son Ethan after his character.
  • Pretty much every major filmmaker has cited “The Searchers” as an influence, from Steven Spielberg to Wim Wenders to Martin Scorsese, the latter who routinely ranks it among his favorite movies. Allusions to “The Searchers” (especially its cinematography) can be seen in such varied films as “Lawrence of Arabia“, “The Wild Bunch“, “Easy Rider“, “The Godfather“, and “Star Wars“. Even the “Breaking Bad” finale takes a thing or two from this movie!
  • In addition to its cinematic influence, “The Searchers” has also inspired its share of music acts. For starters, the ’60s British band The Searchers get their name from this movie. Also, it is allegedly Ethan’s repeated utterance of “That’ll be the day” that prompted the Buddy Holly song of the same name. If only John Wayne had kept calling Martin “Peggy Sue”.

Bonus Clip: “The Searchers” was one of the first movies to receive a “Making Of” special in conjunction with its release. Commissioned by John Ford himself, this promotional film aired on the short-lived anthology series “Warner Bros. Presents”.