tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post6100824270780139268..comments2024-03-26T05:01:57.793-07:00Comments on DREAMS ARE WHAT LE CINEMA IS FOR...: PLAY MISTY FOR ME 1971Ken Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-6868634492245748552023-01-07T20:21:59.123-08:002023-01-07T20:21:59.123-08:00Hey Robert - "The clearest indication that Je...Hey Robert - "The clearest indication that Jessica's Evelyn Draper is a psychopath is that she thinks that 'do' looks good on her" Ha! <br />Unless there is someone I'm overlooking, I have to agree with you when you say that Jane Fonda was the only individual capable of pulling off that shag haircut. Even personal fave Judy Carne looked odd in the shag haircut she sported in the UK "Thriller" episode from 1973 "Someone at the Top of the Stairs" co-starring the ubiquitous Donna Mills.<br />And although I never watched a single episode of "Knots Landing," I did (and perhaps still do) harbor quite the crush on lipless William Devane, who radiated so much sexual heat as Roy Scheider's lover in "Marathon Man." To my adolescent eyes, certainly one of the hottest screen duos of the '70s.Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-1879136896525711362023-01-05T10:48:07.154-08:002023-01-05T10:48:07.154-08:00Only Jane Fonda seemed to be able to pull off the ...Only Jane Fonda seemed to be able to pull off the Shah hairstyle, Donna Mills is defeated by it while the clearest indication that Jessica's Evelyn Draper is a psychopath (other than that she is obsessed with Eastwood's aggressively unprepossessing Dave) is that she thinks that "do" looks good on her. <br /> Ah, Knots Landing! That was like crack to me; bear in mind I was watching it in the later seasons yet (Donna was gonezo). Of course, the last season didn't have Val in it so was immediately a lesser thing. (Gosh, I sound like the Joan Van Ark Fan Club! Did I particularly enjoy watching Valene 'n' Gary and William Devane's fantastic, lipless, lizardly, but intensely watchable Greg Sumner? *cough* No comment. I don't want to condemn juvenile me out of my own mouth!)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-13791586250473223302019-11-12T11:28:40.809-08:002019-11-12T11:28:40.809-08:00Fascinating observations you make on the relative ...Fascinating observations you make on the relative weakness in the construction of those films! It does help to remember that both movie and TV screens were overflowing with cop drams post BULLITT, and by the time DIRTY HARRY hit it big, many struggled for distinction.<br />I don't recall the bad dubbing in Wayne's film, but I do know how distracting it can be. All the scenes in Audrey Hepburn's CHARADE involving that little French boy annoy me a bit because his voice is so disembodied.<br /><br />I never saw GRAN TORINO, but I'll head over to YouTube to check out the song you mentioned. Oh, and thanks for referencing that SIMPSON's version of PAINT YOUR WAGON!! <br />Great voice casting on that one.Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-4535682948933780892019-11-12T10:31:42.288-08:002019-11-12T10:31:42.288-08:00Hi Ken. I think "The Laughing Policeman"...Hi Ken. I think "The Laughing Policeman"'s emphasis on the procedural element kind of doomed it, since Jack Webb and his shows made that angle well-trod by 1973. "The Enforcer" kind of had a similar plot, but that film also had the element of two previous movies (with Harry), and time devoted to him and Kate warming to each other and getting along. <br /><br />Likewise, "McQ" had scenes devoted to the criminal Wayne suspects of being the mastermind of the scheme, while "Laughing"'s main villain was barely seen until the end shootout. What Matthau does get to do (unfortunately), is get saddled with cliche lines about how the villain was "the one who got away", and slap around the dead detective's girlfriend simply for her nude photos found in the detective's desk. (Yikes!)<br /><br />If there is one terribly bad element in "McQ", it's the godawful dubbing for McQ's daughter in her only scene. I don't know how bad the actress's voice could have been during filming (the character can't be more than fourteen), but what replaced it was no unnatural, it seemed only one step up from the dubbing in "Inchon". <br /><br />"McQ"'s screenwriter was Lawrence Roman, whose best known work is "Under the Yum Yum Tree", of all things. Talk about contrast!<br /><br />As for "Paint Your Wagon", "it got under my skin, but not by invitation" is indicative of only one thing for me: Clint Eastwood's singing. The end credits of "Gran Torino" did that for me as well. Also, you can imagine my disappointment when "Wagon" was nothing like "The Simpsons" had portrayed it. Chynna Moorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01857709217067584091noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-1844055895230866862019-11-11T20:43:51.832-08:002019-11-11T20:43:51.832-08:00Hi - Sorry it took me so long to get to your terri...Hi - Sorry it took me so long to get to your terrifically engaging comments here! Yes, Eastwood really was sort of everywhere in the '70s. It certainly was the time of the male action here/anti-hero. <br />Although I personally can't take much of John Wayne in anything but True Grit and possibly when he's cast alongside Maureen O'Hara, your comments and memory of his foray into Eastwood territory is very fair-handed, taking in both what you see as the pluses and minuses.<br />I saw THE LAUGHING POLICEMAN just once, but it turns out to be one of those films I have absolutely no recollection of (the only thing I do remember are all the local SF newspaper articles that were written during filming in fear that this and all those other violent tough SF cop movies would give people ideas).I should check it out again to see why I found it so forgettable!<br />I enjoyed the scope of your comments, the food-for-thought observations you make, and your familiarity with these films and the genre. <br />As for PAINT YOUR WAGON, I hope I do get around to covering it some day. It occupies an unusual space in my heart because I DID see it many times, but largely because of my sister. So it got under my skin, but not by invitation.<br />Thanks for commenting and visiting these older posts!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-35463642504008893182019-11-03T14:53:27.852-08:002019-11-03T14:53:27.852-08:00Hi Ken,
Looking back on that period where I watch...Hi Ken,<br /><br />Looking back on that period where I watched as many Clint movies as possible, it's only now struck me now insanely prolific he was in the 70s. "Thunderbolt and Lightfoot", "The Gauntlet", and to a lesser extent "Escape from Alcatraz" are other standouts from that decade for me. I even watched "Any Which Way You Can", likely the silliest movie he's ever done.<br /><br />I love the story about your sister and this movie. Nowadays seeing a body like that onscreen is almost unheard of. It's certainly not a "dad bod" by any means either.<br /><br />I will stand up a bit for "McQ", the first of John Wayne's "Harry-esque" films. ("Brannigan" I've yet to see.) With its premise and title, I was expecting a cringe-filled experience that only served as an excuse for Wayne to beat up a litany of younger people. Instead, it turned out to be well-shot, somewhat three-dimensionally-written, and had a great supporting cast. While it was hard to believe McQ's ability to beat anyone up (brief as it was), the story also had some decent twists, and John Sturges' direction was excellent. With its Seattle locations, it was also as close as any cop movie's gotten to my neck of the woods. I was even shocked to see a female cop guarding in a hospital scene. You don't even see that in movies today.<br /><br />Compare that to the crime drama I saw before it, "The Laughing Policeman", which, after its great opening, I found to be an abysmal disappointment. The only things I really liked about the rest of it were Lou Gossett Jr.'s character, and Bruce Dern's scenes with Joanna Cassidy's character, who's all but outright stated to be a lesbian, but is never mistreated or made the butt of a joke. Walter Matthau unfortunately gets little to do and is pretty unlikable, while the main villain gets little to no characterization. While the source material was based in Stockholm, I think it was a mistake to set the film in San Francisco, seeing as both "Bullitt" and "Dirty Harry" did much better jobs gelling their stories with the feel of the city. ("Mixed Nuts" I think made the same mistake in moving the story from Paris to L.A.. The "concrete jungle" factor tends to have a claustrophobic effect on characters' dispositions, especially in crime dramas.)<br /><br />Sorry to go off on a tangent there. A part of me wants to see you cover "Paint Your Wagon", seeing as it's Clint's only musical, and underwent a vast amount of changes getting to the screen. Chynna Moorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01857709217067584091noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-49171632177383700252015-03-31T02:41:17.859-07:002015-03-31T02:41:17.859-07:00Hi Pearl
I'm not as familiar with the films of...Hi Pearl<br />I'm not as familiar with the films of Antonioni to offer much input, but I think you might have something there on the topic of montages. The European influence in early 70s films was considerable, so it wouldn't surprise me if Antonioni's movies were responsible for the surge in these interludes in virtually every early-70s romance film that came down the pike.<br />i like that they appeal to you and feel like an integral part of the flow and mood of a movie. I'm not sure i feel that way about montages, but I know I've never been as averse to that other 70s movie trend - the flashback and flash forward - as so many fans of classic film are.<br />Interesting too are your favorite film eras! Nice to see such a broad scope...rare in a classic film fan.<br />Great hearing from you Pearl, and thanks for the revisits. Very flattering!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-36604773040609846592015-03-14T03:16:00.204-07:002015-03-14T03:16:00.204-07:001971 was a great year for films, eg : Willy Wonka...1971 was a great year for films, eg : Willy Wonka, Twiggy's The Boyfriend, Play Misty For Me, & c. It was also the final year wherein I was a true weekly cinema-attendee. ( By late 1972, I was far too busy with work in LA, to which I had just moved, & disenchanted with the increasing violence & blood & gore of the films. I have watched the Godfather films solely on commercial telly in a presumably censored form ; the talk of a detached horse's head & insanely long queues at the cinemas was enough to deter me. But I digress & stray. ) <br /><br />You broached the subject of the musical-montage interludes. I've always thought of them as ' Antonioni interludes ' & have oft wondered if they might not be tributes by Eastwood to Michelangelo Antonioni's famous trilogy of L'Avventura, La Notte, & L'Eclisse. It might not be & might just be a coincidence. Antonioni influenced, oft banefully, many film-makers of the 60s & 70s. I write banefully, for many potentially promising films were marred by indulging in this technique. It was experimental, nouvelle vague, new wave, &, like a wave, should have been allowed to dissipate naturally. Indeed, I have no interest in Antonioni's later 60s films.<br /><br />When I 1st watched the film in 1971, my reaction to the interludes was similar to yours. I viewed their presence as a faux pas. With the passage of the years, though, I have become quite fond of them. They are pauses of dolce far niente, sweet-to-do-nothing montages & interludes, which effectively present the mise-en-scene of Carmel & the Monterrey jazz Festival. They are a time machine. I once ate at that Sardine-Factory restaurant.<br /><br />1959-1971, 1984-1997, & 1923-30 June 1934 are my favourite film periods, & this is part of the close of a great era for films. It's an impressive 1st film for director Eastwood. <br /><br />Ciao ! --Pearl ( via IMDb, naturally ! )<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-65477049454891500412015-02-04T15:13:25.497-08:002015-02-04T15:13:25.497-08:00I know what you mean about the 70s...i don't a...I know what you mean about the 70s...i don't always remember them being as ugly as films like this remind me they were.<br />Such an interesting point you make about Walter's character's "mixed" signals (free love / commitment) and how this fits in with the general confusion of the sexual revolution clashing with the women's movement and shifting gender roles.<br />That's why I always think horror films do such a great job of conveying cultural anxiety. They always present themselves as escapist entertainment, but they invariably reveal what we as a culture are struggling with.<br />The other great point you make is what (if anything) is signified by the gender switch of oppression in these stalker movies. You're right, they don't reflect reality, that's for sure.<br />The 70s always strike me as the decade of the romantic montage, and indeed, it's very likely that, given the looser style employed by filmmakers at the time, these sequences didn't distract as much as they seem to now.<br />I know I could certainly stand contemporary thrillers taking more time to show me more of the lead characters' world that is about to be thrown into chaos. Thanks for reading this older post and commenting! Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-5501943058570355062015-02-04T10:09:22.357-08:002015-02-04T10:09:22.357-08:00I recently saw this film (on DVD) and was struck, ...I recently saw this film (on DVD) and was struck, first, by those awful hair styles and clothes (and also the horrible decor, all that low furniture and dangly bead things - how did we ever survive the 70s!); and then by how it captured the unease of a paradigm shift - the free love and liberation movements of the late 60s breaking down the old monogamous tradition. My impression of Walters's character is that she's, in part, someone acting the swinger but who really wants the monogamous-paradigm; she can't manage the shift and goes ballistic, to put it in crudely simplistic terms. My other impression was how the film does a turnaround in male-female terms: the majority of stalkers (particularly the dangerous ones) are men, but this film (as does Fatal Attraction) shows the woman as the problem. (A grad student once pointed out to me how, during the 90s when office sexual harassment of women by men became an issue, Hollywood came out with Disclosure, which of course depicted helpless Michael Douglas(!) being sexually harassed by mean Demi Moore.)<br /><br />I agree that, seen today, the montages of David with Tobie and of the jazz festival are distracting and slow the pace, but it's interesting to see how Eastwood was breaking in what was then the emerging 70s slasher genre; he's still operating by the more free freewheeling narrative techniques of the 60s, when films would take the time to offer dreamy montages set to romantic music, or capture the live feel of a topical event. As the slasher genre evolved, the later films became tighter and nastier and more violent (just compare the effects of Fatal Attraction), the body count goes up, and the 'monster' becomes harder to kill. Eastwood was more interested in characters and 'place' than in efficient plot mechanics, which then took over the genre.Grand Old Movieshttp://grandoldmovies.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-66867425318318371152014-05-16T08:02:22.468-07:002014-05-16T08:02:22.468-07:00Hi Mark
That's really great you're such an...Hi Mark<br />That's really great you're such an Eastwood fan, especially in that you like his western phase as well as his urban cop period.<br />Of all the action stars that came up through the 60s, 70s, and 80s, Eastwood remains my favorite simply due to his fearlessness, image-wise.<br />The disc jockey movie is an interesting idea for a subgenre. My vote would go to the deep-voiced Adrienne Barbeau in "the Fog". Loved her in that!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-41329970502736818372014-05-16T02:54:46.716-07:002014-05-16T02:54:46.716-07:00Clint Eastwood--one of my favourites! There have b...Clint Eastwood--one of my favourites! There have been relatively few actors and directors whose works I have most eagerly anticipated to arrive at cinemas, but Eastwood is one of them. Now speaking for myself, I do like Eastwood the actor-director, but I must say, Ken, even if Eastwood wasn't the reason, I would still be attracted to his films because, as you so rightly mentioned, they tend to be such interesting ideas.<br /><br />(I must say, I'm a HUGE fans of Eastwood in the "Dollars" trilogy, not to mention his work as "Dirty Harry", moreso the first two films than the later installments).<br /><br />It would be fun to compile a list of "disc jockey" movies--I think this would make for an intriguing subgenre. Ken, you already know of my adoration for "WUSA" (1970), but one thing that this "disc jockey" film lacks is that Paul Newman having any sort of relationship or interaction with his listeners (surprising, considering that Newman's character works for an extremely reactionary, terribly racist radio station in poverty-stricken, largely black-inhabited New Orleans--what, no irate callers who disagree with WUSA's "point of view"?). Whereas in "Play Misty for Me", Eastwood has a relationship with a particular listener that is the crux of the film. On a much less serious note, I would add "Cheerleaders Wild Weekend" (a.k.a. "The Great American Girl Robbery", 1979) to the list because of its Joyful Jerome character (Leon Isaac Kennedy) who is such an important part of the film, acting as the connection between the kidnappers and the detectives. I'm sure there are many others to be considered in the "disc jockey" subgenre. Think of all the themes and subtext that can be explored in "disc jockey" films.<br /><br />Thanks for pointing out Clarice Taylor, Ken: I didn't know that was her in "The Cosby Show" all those years later! Mark Vanselownoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-69909892482161981802014-05-16T02:01:22.217-07:002014-05-16T02:01:22.217-07:00I agree, I've no idea why boxer shorts are so ...I agree, I've no idea why boxer shorts are so popular these days, nor why men wear them so high on their hips. This sort of stuff used to be reserved for geriatrics.Mark Vanselownoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-39540723218328708482014-05-14T03:13:29.173-07:002014-05-14T03:13:29.173-07:00Hi Chris
Once again, it appears as if we channel s...Hi Chris<br />Once again, it appears as if we channel similar tastes in film, this also being my fave Eastwood film of so many. All of Clint's attributes you note are on fine display in this movie. He was indeed very handsome during this period, and he had an ideal voice for a radio DJ. It's odd that I never developed a crush on him. Perhaps I sensed my sister would have pulled an "Evelyn" on me had I ever gave voice to such feelings.<br />Interesting point you bring up about blacks in 70s films. Almost as if to keep in step with the more assertive, Black Power times, more films were featuring black supporting players. Almost always in domestic or subordinate roles (still), yet often amusingly aware and vocal about the power inequities. Always amazes me how the status quo is so staunchly adhered to, no matter how much the world shows signs of moving on.<br /><br />The camp element you speak of in Walters performance is really evident when watching this film with an audience. Her character is almost regarded like the shark in "Jaws" or that little boy in "The Omen"...everybody just seems to take so much delight in the havoc she wreaks. And indeed, when it played here in LA in the 90s, it was paired with Fatal Attraction. both movies have essentially become comedies to a certain audience.<br />Although I knew of Eastwood's mayoral run and his love of Carmel, I never made the connection with the locations in "Julie"! I love that movie and have seen it many times, but didn't know where it was shot.<br />Good to hear from you Chris, and thank you for the kind words!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-52789882431177463402014-05-12T13:36:30.068-07:002014-05-12T13:36:30.068-07:00What a wonderful essay on a film that grows on me ...What a wonderful essay on a film that grows on me more each time I see it. Never a fan of westerns or of his Dirty Harry series, I first acknowledged Clint Eastwood's talent and star power when I saw Escape from Alcatraz as a teenager. Then I came upon Play Misty on a late late show and realized what a looker Mr. Eastwood was, too. Positively dreamy, and that voice!...pure velvet. In the 80s I enjoyed him in the comedies that spoofed his mach image, like Every Which Way But Loose (wasn't Ruth Gordon his mom in that one?) Then, later, as he became known and respected as a film director, I realized that he had directed Play Misty...and I have seen it many times since. It's my favorite of all his films. <br /><br />I love, as you point out, that he really lets the great talents around him shine, particularly the fantastically talented Jessica Walter, and Clarice Taylor in that delicious small role of the no-nonsense housekeeper. (Sooo 1970s...I'm reminded of the wonderful actress who played Barbra Streisand's acerbic cleaning lady in For Pete's Sake. African-Americans were still playing domestics, but they started to talk back, pointedly!!) Walter really pulls out all the stops in her role as the wild-eyed woman scorned. It's almost camp the way she rushes around with that bag of groceries, determined to cook dinner for Clint, but oh so entertaining! Though her role is indeed thankless, Donna Mills has great chemistry with Eastwood, and she's already displaying star quality.<br /><br />The iconic Carmel location shots are among the most beautiful in any film of that era...Eastwood's love of the town he would one day become the mayor of is evident. His friend and neighbor Doris Day used the same locations for a film she produced in 1956, her own stalker epic called Julie, but that was in black-and-white. Eastwood's Carmel is an absolutely stunning backdrop for this pure escapist fare. <br /><br />Looking forward to seeing this one again, and again. It's a perfect double feature with one of my other faves you mentioned, Fatal Attraction. Great post, as always, Ken!!<br />angelman66https://www.blogger.com/profile/16471674180789592940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-87740633836503117092014-05-12T05:39:03.643-07:002014-05-12T05:39:03.643-07:00My mother LOVED this film and used to talk about i...My mother LOVED this film and used to talk about it, but as I was four when it came out, I had to wait until later to see it. I think it still holds up as a thriller even in the wake of so many more graphic and involved ones later to come (though I think of "Fatal Attraction" as the gold standard of this particular type, owing as it does to "Misty!") The Flack song is so richly simple/involving that it makes for a nice, short-cut way to demonstrate Eastwood and Mills' relationship. I might be old-fashioned, but I like montages, be they even the God-help-us-all type from "The Adventurers" with Candice Bergen and whatsisface to the deliberately hilarious one with Leslie Nielsen and Priscilla Presley in "The Naked Gun." The Monterrey Pop Festival is harder for me to take because it seems so random, but at least it makes for a neat time capsule of that event in that moment in time. On Mills' eyes, even here in their unadulterated form Eastwood manages to make good use of them near the climax. On his underwear... oh lord... Can those be called "tighty"-whities?? Maybe more like "saggy-waggies" but, you know what? I'd rather have a real human being playing an everyday type of person on display like this than be confronted with a buffed, waxed, sprayed, chiseled, bronzed beautifully-lit mannequin preening around in $100 underwear and be asked to accept that this is an authentic character. That's part of the magic of the '70s cinema - that everything is very "as it was" in most cases, take it or leave it. Taylor is a total hoot, of course, and it was nice to see 1930s actress Irene Hervey as Eastwood's business associate who Walter claims, "couldn't get laid in a lumber camp!" a great line!! Hervey was the mother of singer Jack "The Love Boat" Jones! Thanks again for yet another engrossing examination of a fun film.Poseidon3https://www.blogger.com/profile/10465785002285422594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-55725011161318654902014-05-11T19:04:51.817-07:002014-05-11T19:04:51.817-07:00Hi Joel
One of these days you'll have to let m...Hi Joel<br />One of these days you'll have to let me know about your Zellweger/Kidman aversion (my partner avoids Zellweger too. For me, it's Nicolas Cage and Adam Sandler).<br /><br />You've contributed a heap of very entertaining comments, my friend! <br />I think your descriptions of the unique qualities of Lee Remick and Jessica Walter (love the "tense coiled spring" line) are quite on the money. Even if the original script was quite different (which I sense it was, if Dana Wynter could be a candidate) I just cannot picture Lee Remick. Eastwood mentions this on one of the DVD interviews.<br />I'd heard the Steve McQueen thing, and that is one of the few areas where I will give it up for Eastwood. Can't think of another action star that allowed his machismo to be upstaged by women. His Dirty Harry films with Bujold, Tyne Daly, and Sondra Locke are almost subversive in their having characters who confront Eastwood's/Callahan's sexism.<br /><br />I also got a big kick out of your comments about Donna Mills, principally because you brought up something I had excised from an earlier draft of this post (a reference to my associating her with industrial-strength eye makeup later in her career).<br />Oh, and of course, I adore the Geraldine Page line! One of the things about "The Beguiled" that stays with me is the casting of Elizabeth Hartman. Such a favorite of mine, she reminds me of a certain kind of Eastwood "type". His co-stars, Hartman, Sondra Locke, and Frances Fisher all remind me of one another.<br /><br />Even when our tastes in films don't align, you always have interesting, knowledgeable comments to contribute. Thanks, JoelKen Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-43912775672624274752014-05-11T09:56:03.478-07:002014-05-11T09:56:03.478-07:00I enjoyed this when I watched it but it's not ...I enjoyed this when I watched it but it's not something that I harbor any deep affection for and I don't think I've seen it since. I'm not a big fan of Eastwood. He's not someone whose films I avoid because of his presence like Renee Zellweger or Nicole Kidman but his participation isn't a draw. <br /><br />However with all the movies you review you pointed out fun things I hadn't noticed or didn't know. I knew that Steve McQueen had been interested in Clint's part before his involvement in the project. He declined because the woman's part was stronger than the man's and that wasn't something that McQueen would ever be willing to have happen in one of his films. But I had no idea Lee Remick was under consideration for Evelyn if only by the studio. I adore her but can't envision her in the part, she had a sedate, level headedness that always shone through whatever role she played. Usually that added to her performances but in this it would have clashed with the cuckoo craziness of the part. Jessica Walter however has always possessed that tense coiled spring component within her acting even when she plays well adjusted or friendly characters so she's perfect for this.<br /><br />I had never noticed how much Donna Mills resembled Susannah York in this with their similar haircuts. Their individual looks diverged so much later as Donna became a cyclone of glamour and the queen of eye makeup on Knots Landing and Susannah remained an attractive but more down to earth lady. In that picture you included she certainly throws off that Susannah vibe. Hers is the best of the two versions of the shag, a style I'm no fan of. Even Jane Fonda's famous shag which complimented her more than most, I thought was less becoming than most of her other looks through the years.<br /><br />I'm glad you mentioned The Beguiled, now that is a trippy movie! Filled with eerie atmosphere and a cast of great actresses it's something that would never be made today. I have read that he and Geraldine Page did not hit it off during filming of the picture leading to Miss Page's acerbic quote "Yes I have acted with Clint Eastwood. Or rather, I have acted opposite Clint Eastwood."<br /><br />As you said Clint has always been willing to try different things and does seem to understand what will work for him within his limited range and how to test it out in different genres. Like you I'll try his films because they have varied themes. I'll have to give this one another look, it's been years, with your perspective in mind.<br /><br />joel65913https://www.blogger.com/profile/14526657073681774683noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-64626959884426059172014-05-10T02:19:50.606-07:002014-05-10T02:19:50.606-07:00Hello Eve
Thank you for recounting what the experi...Hello Eve<br />Thank you for recounting what the experience was for those who saw "Play Misty for Me" at the theater! I thought it was just because I was young, but it WAS really violent for the time, and rather harrowing as far as the tension building to the big, scary ending.<br />I remember the cheering you speak of being 100% identical to what I heard when I saw "Fatal Attraction" with an audience so many years later.<br />This was one of those movies everybody at school was trying to get their parents to take them to see (the R rating and all).<br />And yes, Mills definitely sports the cooler shag (Fonda's will always be my favorite, but Susannah York in "X, Y, & Zee" has the most AMAZING shag!)<br /><br />And thank you for for bringing up the lovely Roberta Flack song. For years I thought this movie debuted the song and wondered why such a popular tune (you couldn't escape it on the radio, back in the day) failed to get an Oscar nomination for best song. Only much later did I learn that Flack had actually released the song as far back as 1969, and that Eastwood heard it on the radio and purchased the rights. <br />I had just taken for granted that Roberta Flack wrote the song, but in researching this post, I was amazed to learn it was actually a 1957(!) folk song and Flack's iconic recording a cover that followed on the heels of people like Peter, Pal, & Mary, and the Kingston Trio. What a shock! (I tell you, every now and then, this Internet thing redeems itself.)<br />Lastly, i so much appreciate your compliment! You write so beautifully (and prolifically!) I'm always flattered when you stop by and take the time to comment. Cheers!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-30489619603317469862014-05-10T02:00:25.212-07:002014-05-10T02:00:25.212-07:00Hi Sufiya
Ha! Yes, perhaps her real reason was tha...Hi Sufiya<br />Ha! Yes, perhaps her real reason was that "it' wasn't big enough, but what she told me was that after imagining what an Adonis physique he must have been hiding under that poncho for so many years, it came as quite a shock to see her matinee idol rocking a thoroughly average, hairless body, and strutting about in JC Penny jockey shorts with a saggy bottom. (I didn’t include a rear-view screencap, but suffice it to say that the sight of it inspired some Berkeley Barb type newspaper of the day to write: “The residents of Carmel have taken up a collection to buy Mr. Eastwood an ass.”) <br />And I'm with you, I don't think boxers are sexy at all (although I've never heard that term you used !) And movie actors aren't fooling anyone with that colored underwear gambit... it camouflages the goods. <br />Mr. Eastwood was a star of the "Let it all hang out!" generation and that's the way it should be...droopy drawers or not.Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-40068945983605426552014-05-10T01:35:15.523-07:002014-05-10T01:35:15.523-07:00Hey there, Mark!
That is such a cute story about y...Hey there, Mark!<br />That is such a cute story about your dad taking your mother to see Clint's spaghetti western on a date!! But your tale brings up an aspect of Clint Eastwood's appeal that I forget. <br />As young Hollywood was embracing the "anti-hero" who thumbed his nose at conventional notions of masculinity and eschewed violence and "hawk vs dove" wartime aggression, Clint Eastwood had taken up the John Wayne mantle for a new generation (Wayne had turned down "Dirty Harry" and later regretted it, then wound up doing two terrible, Eastwood-esque copycat cop dramas - one of which, "Brannigan" was shot in London- trying to hold onto his unwillingly-abdicated crown).<br />Your comment reminded me that Eastwood was one of the few "new" stars who appealed to the older generation. <br />I lived in San Francisco during much of his "Dirty Harry" reign, and I tell you, as much as he made a fortune for the city, the right wing, pro-gun, anti-hippie attitude of his films never set very well with the younger , "peace and love" crowd.<br />Like you, I came around to appreciating Eastwood when he began making some amazing "against type" acting decisions that didn't endear him to his action film fanbase, but made him into a much more interesting actor and director. Thanks for the compliment, Mark!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-29063769279734096832014-05-09T21:35:58.400-07:002014-05-09T21:35:58.400-07:00I may be a few years older than you, Ken, but I sp...I may be a few years older than you, Ken, but I spent a good part of watching "Play Misty for Me" for the first time with my hands over my eyes, peeking through my fingers. I'll never forget the cheer that went up among the guys in the audience when Dave finally dispatched Evelyn over the balcony with his fist. And I remember being impressed with Tobie's shag (though not Evelyn's). I also remember that this was the film that introduced Roberta Flack's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," wasn't it? Huge hit song of the time.<br /><br />Wonderful review, Ken. You have a such a keen eye and are so nimble words, and I love being given something to think about and consider while being entertained.<br /><br />The Lady Evehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11963115499930520653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-77056117641110942282014-05-09T21:14:01.640-07:002014-05-09T21:14:01.640-07:00That part about the tighty-whities made me laugh o...That part about the tighty-whities made me laugh out loud! But why was she disenchanted? Wasn't 'it" big enough? or did she just not like the way they looked? I don't think the coloured sort had "caught on' as yet, and the only thing that could look worse is BOXERS. Too funny the way today's kids think "boxers are sexy"- in my day they were ol' grampy-gotchies". and I STILL think of them as 'grampy-gotchies"Sufiyanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-14576463169373161992014-05-09T16:37:49.074-07:002014-05-09T16:37:49.074-07:00Excellent review Ken! It took me a while to 'g...Excellent review Ken! It took me a while to 'get' Eastwood, thanks in no small part to him being a favourite of my mum and dad (my dad took my mum on a date to see The Good The Bad And The Ugly, oh the romance!) and we always start out resisting what our parents like I guess! But some time in my 20s he started to click for me and he's made a good many films I enjoy, this being one of them. And you're totally right, I really like how he never seemed to be afraid of the roles or stories he chose, this and The Beguiled (another favourite of mine) are really subversive affairs that I would imagine other A listers of the time running away from. And I agreem Jessica Walter is amazing in this.Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14569732807130090838noreply@blogger.com