Anatomy of a Murder

This is one of the most realistic courtroom dramas on film. No crazy speeches, no lawyers gone wild, no "you're out of order!", just serious drama based on an actual murder case. Anatomy of a Murder follows the true case of an army officer that kills a bar owner in Northern Michigan. He hires a down-on-his-luck attorney, played by Jimmy Stewart, to defend him. Since the killer was seen by many witnesses, his guilt is never in doubt. But how will the trial play out? Can Stewart work some legal magic and get an acquittal or will the State's Attorney, played by George C. Scott, obtain justice?

The film is based on a Robert Traver novel. Traver is the pen name of John D. Voelker. Voelker was a Michigan Supreme Court Justice who worked on the case. This personal involvement leads to a gritty realism in the film. Adding to the realism, the judge in the film was played by Joseph Welch. Welch was the lawyer who represented the U.S. Army in the Army/McCarthy hearings during the fifties. Having such established legal officials involved definitely adds to this film. Director Otto Preminger chose to film on location in Northern Michigan and used many locals as extras and to fill small speaking parts for further realism.

The film has a fine Duke Ellington score. He wrote and performed the music and makes a cameo appearance playing alongside Stewart. The jazz further contributes to the depth of story and character achieved by Preminger and the fine cast. Stewart as the defense lawyer, Ben Gazzara as the defendant, George C. Scott as the State's attorney, Arthur O'Connell as Stewart's partner and Lee Remick as Gazzara's wife are all excellent. Stewart, Scott and O'Connell each received an acting academy award nomination for this film. Anatomy of a Murder was also nominated for Best Picture in 1960, losing out to 'Ben Hur'.

Outstanding courtroom drama without the usual cinema histrionics. Accurate and believable, Anatomy of a Murder is a "must-see" for movie fans.

Filmed in 1959, directed by Otto Preminger, written by Wendell Mayes, starring Jimmy Stewart, Arthur O'Connell, Ben Gazzara, Lee Remick and George C. Scott.

Barefoot in the Park

I must admit to a personal bias towards this piece. I have seen the film about a dozen times plus 3 times on stage. The writing, by famed playwright Neil Simon, is top-notch. Barefoot in the Park tells the tale of young love. Robert Redford and Jane Fonda are newlyweds moving into their first apartment together. Fonda plays Corrie, a wild and free young woman, who falls for stuffy lawyer Paul Bratter (Robert Redford). They quickly marry and honeymoon. Upon their return to New York she has rented them a fifth-floor walk-up apartment. Barefoot in the Park covers their tumultuous first week together.

Redford played the part on Broadway before coming to the silver screen. He does an excellent job. Great timing and delivery are evidence of his hundreds of performances. Fonda was cast to bring more "star and box-office appeal". She replaced Elizabeth Ashley who played Corrie on Broadway. The chemistry between Fonda and Redford works throughout the film. Mildred Natwick, reprising her role as Fonda's mother, steals the show. She gets, and deserves, all the attention while she is on screen. Natwick was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar. Charles Boyer, as the unique neighbor, is also a delight. Director Gene Saks does a wonderful job of allowing cast and script to carry the film. His light touch is most appreciated.

Neil Simon is one of America's great playwrights. From 'The Odd Couple' to 'Sunshine Boys' to 'Brighton Beach Memoirs' his scripts are excellent. He has delighted audiences from Broadway to Hollywood for over 30 years. I make it a personal mission to see everything he has written.

Sit back and allow the dialogue, characters and actors to fill you with joy and laughter. After viewing Barefoot in the Park see if you think, as I do, that tv's 'Dharma and Greg' is a total revisiting of the concept and characters.

Filmed in 1967, directed by Gene Saks, written by Neil Simon, starring Robert Redford, Jane Fonda, Mildred Natwick and Charles Boyer.

Colossus: The Forbin Project

Before Skynet in 'The Terminator'. Before Whopper in 'Wargames'. There was Colossus:The Forbin Project. This is the first computer designed to protect humans that decides to rule instead. This film is done on a small special effects budget. No digital effects, no CGI, no cybernetic organisms. Just a bone-chilling story designed to instill both worry and thought.

The United States builds a supercomputer to take the personal/emotional (i.e. human) decision makers out of the nuclear loop. Only a purely logical, non-emotional computer can be trusted with Armageddon. Of course, once the computer becomes self-aware it decides that it is better than humans and decides to take over the world. Colossus' inventor, Dr. Forbin, must figure out some way to stop this machine.

Eric Braeden portrays Dr. Forbin. He is best known for his 20+ years on 'The Young and the Restless', but at the time he was a bit of a sci-fi star. He was also featured in 'Escape from the Planet of the Apes' and 'Six Million Dollar Man'. He does a very nice job here. He comes across as smug, superior, non-emotional and demanding. Just like the computer he invents. The script, written by James Bridges, is tight and intellectual. The story moves along quickly to a very surprising ending.

Colossus: The Forbin Project is intense and believable. A thriller that relies on intelligence, not monsters and explosions, to create suspense. It was also well ahead of its time. Themes featured in Colossus are still in vogue today. This film deserved better at the box office, but we can enjoy it today.

Filmed in 1970, directed by Joseph Sargent, written by James Bridges, starring Eric Braeden, Susan Clark, Georg Stanford Brown and Gordon Pinsent.

The Grapes of Wrath

Truly magnificent film. Touching, sad and inspirational. The Grapes of Wrath is almost 70 years old, but the emotions and message are as true today as when this film debuted. Based on the classic novel by John Steinbeck, this is the story of the Joad family during the Great Depression. They have lost the family farm in the dust bowl. This story follows the Joads as they move to California in an effort to find work. Upon arriving they find conditions to be little better then where they left. Prejudice, hunger and unbearable conditions pressure the Joads at every stop.

Henry Fonda, as Tom Joad, gives one of the performances of his life. He gives us a window into the soul of someone who has been kicked around by life. He represents all those Americans who lost so much during the Great Depression. Masterfully directed by John Ford. He deserved the Oscar that he won for Best Director. Wonderful touch in what could have been a maudlin story. He got the very best out of the cast, script and crew.

While Fonda was terrific, I feel the best portrayal in the film goes to Jane Darwell. She plays Ma Joad. While Tom Joad can go off and fight the good fight, Ma Joad must stay and care for her large, ragtag family. Darwell is outstanding and received the academy award for Best Supporting Actress. Her character holds the family together and her acting holds this picture together. First-rate!

Compelling, moving and as important today as in 1940. One of the greatest ever.

Filmed in 1940, directed by John Ford, written by Nunnally Johnson, starring Henry Fonda, Jane Darwell, John Carradine and Russell Simpson.

Three Days of the Condor

Robert Redford stars as "Condor", a C.I.A. book reader. He reads mysteries and spy stories for the C.I.A. Not too bad a job, eh? But when his entire office is murdered he becomes a man on the run. What starts as a simple spy story becomes a detailed and sophisticated mystery. Who is after Condor? Why were a bunch of people who read books killed? How can he escape his pursuers? Condor is constantly underestimated. He reads books, he is not a field agent. Perhaps he has turned to the other side? Three Days of the Condor is a solid and intelligent suspense yarn.

Director Sydney Pollack does a fine job of building suspense while keeping a detailed story moving forward. Pollack is one of the finest directors of the last 30 years. Scorsese, Coppola and Spielberg get the attention, but Pollack belongs in that conversation. He shows his skills here. The film features excellent pace, strong characters and twists that are surprises, but believable ones. Solid script was written by Lorenzo Semple Jr. and David Rayfiel. Based on the novel 'Six Days of the Condor' by James Grady. Why the movie is only 3 days while the book is 6 days is a mystery for the ages.

Faye Dunaway gives an attention-grabbing performance as an innocent bystander that Redford uses to escape capture. Redford, Cliff Robertson, John Houseman and Max von Sydow all give fine performances as well.

Suspenseful, intelligent and well written. Enjoy!

Filmed in 1975, directed by Sydney Pollack, written by Lorenzo Semple Jr. and David Rayfiel, starring Robert Redford, Faye Dunaway, Cliff Robertson and Max von Sydow.

Silent Running

I like this movie. I don't know why. It is fairly cheesy, somewhat preachy, the Joan Baez theme is dated and the story very simple. And yet, I really like Silent Running. Somehow, despite its shortcomings, it strikes a cord with me. I care how the story unfolds and what happens to the characters. If you can look past some minor defects I think you might enjoy Silent Running too. The film has quite a cult following. I guess I belong to that cult.

Bruce Dern portrays an astronaut on a special spaceship that contains the last remnants of plant life on Earth. He has cared for these forests for 8 years as people on Earth have "improved" life back home. There is no poverty, no disease, everyone gets along, it is always 75 degrees and most consider it to be paradise. Not Bruce Dern. He likes trees and flowers and squirrels and real fruit. His fellow astronauts think he is nuts. And he is, at least a little. But when Dern receives an order to destroy the ships, and with it all remaining plant life, he can not proceed. Can he save the forests?

Obviously, this is a metaphor for human destruction of our environment. Worries over the fate of humanity and Earth have run strong for a long time. This is a simple look at one man's desperation to do what he can to save the forests.

The writers include some who went on to fame and fortune. Deric Washburn, Michael Cimino and Stephen Bochco co-wrote the script. Bochco is one of television's biggest producers. His credits include 'LA Law', 'Hill Street Blues', 'NYPD Blue' and many more. Washburn and Cimino wrote 'The Deer Hunter' (a truly great and overpowering film) while Cimino directed 'The Deer Hunter' and the ill-fated 'Heaven's Gate'. That's a lot of chops for one cult sci-fi film. Douglas Trumbull debuts as a director with Silent Running. Best known for his special effects he worked on lots of movies including 'Close Encounters' and '2001'.

Silent Running is not a great film, but I find it to be interesting and appealing. I hope you do as well.

Filmed in 1971, directed by Douglas Trumbull, written by Deric Washburn, Michael Cimino & Stephen Bochco, starring Bruce Dern and 3 cute robots.

Red River

This is the film that turned John Wayne from an actor into John Wayne the on-screen force. Before Red River, John Wayne was already a movie-star. Stagecoach had seen to that. And he was an academy award nominee. Sands of Iwo Jima had seen to that. But the persona that we know as John Wayne had yet to develop on screen. Red River changed everything. Wayne portrays Tom Dunson, a hardworking, no b.s. rancher who decides to lead his massive cattle herd on a long cattle drive. His ward Matt Garth (played in his first film by Montgomery Clift) is his lead assistant. When Clift feels Wayne is being dictatorial and oppressive he takes the herd away from Wayne and leads the drive himself. Wayne vows vengeance and pursues Clift and his herd along the Chisum trail.

This film is often called 'The Mutiny on the Bounty' set in the American West. The comparison is accurate, but incomplete. Except for the climactic ending the stories are very similar. But I find Red River to be about opposites. Older & grizzled John Wayne vs. young & attractive Montgomery Clift. Take no prisoners employee management vs. an inclusive management style. Follow orders vs. question authority. Risk vs. reward. Questions that still intrigue us today.

Director Howard Hawks does a fantastic job. The characters are deep and real, the photography is spellbinding and the acting he gets from Wayne and the cast are first-rate. Few critics consider John Wayne to be much of an actor, but he sure does a fantastic job in Red River. Clift, in his debut, is compelling as the heir apparent that rebels against the very man who saved him. Walter Brennan, Noah Berry, Jr. and John Ireland are also featured. The score, by Dimitri Tiomkin, adds a wonderful, western feel.

Even if you are not a fan of John Wayne you should enjoy this film. Red River is a classic American western!

Filmed in 1948, Directed by Howard Hawks, written by Borden Chase and Charles Schnee, starring John Wayne, Montgomery Clift, Joanne Dru, Walter Brennan and John Ireland.