Movies Til Dawn

By the spring of 1945, the truth had gradually dawned on Adolf Hitler and he realized that the party he'd thrown around the globe was finally over. Word spread among the German High Command that Adolf had chosen to remain in Berlin, where he would face certain death, spending his last days preparing for his wedding/suicide (not the first man to consider the two events to go hand in hand).  (Forget I said that). This technically made Hitler 'incapacitated to govern' as the Nazi constitution called it, which meant that Hitler's successor was now up to bat. Second in command was fat, art-collecting, morphine-addicted Hermann Goering, who was hiding out in one of his castles, understandably not all that eager for the gig. But he had no choice--he was afraid that if he didn't, his rival, Martin Boormann, would seize power and execute him. Additionally, if he refused the post he'd be accused of treason and probably shot immediately. (This is known in business as a l...

Here he is discussing 'Night Falls On Manhattan' in 1996, giving candid views on cops, wearing jeans and denim on the set and paying compliments to my pal Andy Garcia. I especially like the subtitles, even though I don't understand them. But they give the clip an extra air of cineaste credibility...   Subscribe in a reader

Above is a somewhat creaky teaser-trailer for 'The Verdict' which was clearly made before the film's release for promotional purposes. But for whom? Where was it shown? I don't know. The hell with it. The year is 1983 and we have a lovely interview with James Mason, a strange one with Paul Newman (he appears to be a little medicated...at least to my eyes) and none at all with Sidney Lumet (perhaps he was busy?) But there is nice on-set footage of Lumet and stirring, 1980s narration by somebody who probably doesn't remember getting hired for the gig...   Subscribe in a reader

Here's a curious little three minute doc on Sidney Lumet that apparently was commissioned by Paramount Pictures as some sort of accompaniment piece to "Night Falls On Manhattan" but was then abandoned and rediscovered in the Pacific Film valuts. It's only a fragment of something larger and I wish the something larger could be found as its quite interesting. David Mamet tells a great little tale of his discovery that Lumet was a child star in the Yiddish theater (with accompanying photo!) and there's a nice moment on the set of NFOM of Lumet addressing Richard Dreyfuss, who listens carefully and then disagrees with Lumet's direction. More on why this is interesting to me over the next days...weeks...months...   Subscribe in a reader

We seem to be above traffic here, on the second story of a mysterious vehicle that floats eastbound on a very familiar looking Hollywood Blvd., on a long-forgotten day in 1965.   Subscribe in a reader

My guess is that this is a rear-projection plate, designed for that very late-40s shot where the camera is in the back of the car staring at the backs of the heads of the two mysterious men in the front seats who are heading for something no good. Once that car makes a left on Highland Avenue and pulls up to the curb, we cut outside to the man in the passanger seat exiting the car and heading into the barber shop, gun carefully concealed in his inside jacket pocket. The driver stays put, engine running...   Subscribe in a reader

Here's another mystery reel of random shots of urban life from the past. Today we're looking at the Sunset Strip in the 1940s, shot for no apparent reason by nobody we know anything about. The interesting thing about these views of old LA in color is how very similar the vibe of the place was to the way it is now (you dig my use of vibe, Jack?). I mean the odd combo of chic, kitsch, suburban, semi-urban, mountains, bleary sun, nice cars, sub-tropical climate etc. John Houseman in his memoir writes about seeing LA from the plane descending into the airport and the feelings it provoked in him; despite having lived there on and off for half his life and quite liking many things about it, the predominant sensation was one of sadness and nausea. I get what he means. And it's not just airsickness. Despite my rather enjoying life in LA and views of old LA like this one, it also makes me want to puke and cry.   Subscribe in a reader

In the mid 1950s, along with acquiring a new young wife, Groucho Marx (do I really need to give his last name?) also acquired a new Beverly Hills spread in the then brand-spanking-new development called Trousdale (formerly the Doheny ranch that was attached behind the Greystone Mansion). Here's a very nice presentation of the house in Groucho's day and with recent renovations, which helped it sell for 8.5 million last year. Frankly, I'm not mad for it in either of its incarnations, but then I didn't like 'Mad Men' either.   Subscribe in a reader

Here's a nifty little find. Somebody (Chico? Zeppo? Gummo? Harpo? Ducko?) shot a little 16mm film of Groucho and his family cavorting in front of their house. The year is 1933 so I imagine this is the house they built that very year at 710 North Hillcrest Drive in the flats of Beverly Hills. Groucho's first wife Ruth exits the house with six year-old daughter Miriam and sends her off to nowhere. Next comes son Arthur (then twelve) who was already a smashing good tennis player who would go on to a short pro-career just a few years from when this was shot. He too is sent off-camera. Finally Julius Marx, the man of the house, exits and performs a little pantomime with the wife, having to do either with a piece of paper or a bill of some kind. He is sans moustache but has a half-smoked cigar in his mouth and seems to walk at about half-slouch. He runs off with his kids, skipping down a very empty Beverly Hills block, with dwarf palm trees lining the street. It's a lovely look ...