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Reviews
Mame (1974)
Give Lucy a try as MAME!
I have seen this 1974 film many times and have to say - Lucy makes a good MAME! Lucille Ball was heavily criticized for using her own voice for the Jerry Herman numbers. Can you imagine how they would have tore her apart if she was dubbed? I applaud her for her efforts - No, she is not a singer - but she does pull it off. Her costumes by Theadora Van Runkle are the BEST! Lucy is stunning in everyone of them! Lucy was in her sixties while shooting this musical, not to forget coming off a broken leg - You would never know it. Yes, every trick was used from Hollywood to cover her real age - It worked! Soft focus and all! Robert Preston makes a scene stealing appearance as B. J. Pickett Burnside. His rendition of the title song is beautiful. While I mention it, that number is one of Hollywood's greatest musical moments put on film. Gene Saks does a fantastic job putting it all together. Bea Arthur can do no wrong - Her Vera Charles is priceless! I wish she was on camera a little more. Kirby Furlong is adorable as the young Patrick and Jane Connell as Agnes is at her best, especially the last half of the film. The seventies were not kind to this film, but I think time has been. It's a charming, sweet musical that deserves another look. Please watch it in it's widescreen presentation, you'll enjoy it more. Lucy will always be a favorite of mine, this film confirms why - Froggy voice and all. A piece of trivia - Lucy wanted to make this film so bad, because she felt film-making was in a moral decline in the 70's with all it's realism. She wanted to bring back family film - Doesn't that make you love her just a little bit more? God bless you Lucy!
Staircase (1969)
Not bad and performances by Rex Harrison & Richard Burton worth seeing.
The film came out in 1969 and was based on a popular play by Charles Dyer. The Great Stanley Donen got a hold of it and decided to bring it to the big screen with two BIG stars! The only flaw is it's not really big screen material. Please let me make it clear I enjoyed the film . I'm just not sure even with it's two great stars it was a film for one and all - It's appeal was too limited. That being said it is definitely worth watching for the stars alone. Try to see it in it's wide screen format. Stanley Donen (as always) does a beautiful job directing a story about two gay middle-aged barbers in the back streets of seedy old London. Richard Burton is excellent as the more quite one - His Harry is very sympathetic - Taking care of his bed-ridden mother as well as his long time mate, Charlie (Rex Harrison). He keeps his bald head wrapped in a towel turban to protect his business and is also self-conscious about his weight ( Watch as he tugs at his clothes throughout the film - Nice touch!)which, Charlie loves to tease him about. It's one of Mr. Burton's overlooked roles - Too bad! Now for Rex, I'm biased because he's my favorite actor (Please read my comments on the original Doctor Dolittle) - Rex Harrison does an outstanding job as his role of Charlie - The more showier of the two he really stands out. Things to watch for are his excellent body language - Watch his sway in walk and pulled back shoulders, yet this is a very insecure man. The emotional scenes are right on the money - and he has several of them throughout the film! Donen the director gets a performance out of Rex I've never seen and it's impressive. Remember this is the same man who gave us Caesar in the Burton/Taylor Cleopatra, Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady & the lovable Doctor Dolittle to name a few. Charles Dyer (Screenwriter) gave the character of Charlie this trait in his speech pattern, where he always repeats himself. Normally this would drive me up the wall and to be honest I don't think it was needed. But Rex makes it work - another less seasoned actor (Or any modern actor living today) would not be able to pull it off. The music by Dudley Moore is interesting, It now comes off dated. I'm not saying it doesn't work for the film, I just think I would have liked a more sympathetic score - maybe something from Michel Legrand. I think another reason I enjoy this film is because in 1969 two leading men took a BIG chance going against type and actually pulled it off.
As a film on a whole it's not bad and if your a fan of either star all I can say is - WATCH IT! If your gay - You'll say "Damn, we've come a long way" - If your straight you'll say "Huh?" Just kidding - actually you might say "Not Bad"
Doctor Dolittle (1967)
Adorable Family Musical from the sixties with a flawless performance by Rex Harrison.
My childhood favorite still holds up! In 1967 I remember sitting in the theater in awe of this tall Englishman that could sing & talk to animals.
As an adult I can sit and enjoy another brilliant performance by the Late Great Sir Rex Harrison (God bless him!), this time as the Good Doctor Dolittle.
Leslie Bricusse has done a wonderful job combining some of the Hugh Lofting tales into a Big Hollywood Musical! I only wish that all the songs made it to the screen. Two were cut, I guess for time (Where are the words?, Something in your smile) but show up on the soundtrack record & CD. Robert Surtee's photography is gorgeous! It really should have walked away with an Oscar that year.
Richard Fleischer brings it altogether beautifully. His direction is just the right pace, letting us enjoy all the fantasy that is set in front of us. No quick cuts, loud noises - Hell, everything that audiences today never see. There is nothing wrong with taking time telling a story - I wish the new Hollywood understood that.
The circus number with Sir Richard Attenborough is just as entertaining today as it was in 1967. The Pushmi-Pullyu may not hold up to the digital effects of today but it's still just as lovable.
This family film is a treasure and it certainly is more to what Hugh Lofting envisioned compared to the recent Eddie Murphy films.
If you ever have a chance to see this in a Theater - GO!
The DVD has a beautiful transfer - I do wish the DVD had more extras, such as the two songs they cut for the final release. But it should be in the family collection.
Remember it has Rex Harrison in the title role. That alone should give you a reason to see it - If you haven't already