“Don’t Let the Bastards Get You Down!”

by Kimberly Lindbergs | November 17, 2011

Categories | Movie Reviews, Actors, British Cinema, Karel Reisz, Tony Richardson

I recently got the opportunity to discuss the work of British screenwriter and novelist, Alan Sillitoe with members of The Alan Sillitoe Committee, including Alan’s son David. The name might not be familiar to many film fans but Alan Sillitoe is responsible for writing SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING (Karel Reisz; 1961) and THE LONELINESS OF THE LONG DISTANCE RUNNER (Tony Richardson; 1962). He gave a voice to Britain’s “angry young men” and helped define a generation.

Both SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING and THE LONELINESS OF THE LONG DISTANCE RUNNER are films that are near and dear to my heart and undoubtedly two of the best films to emerge from the British New Wave in the ’60s. I’ve briefly mentioned both movies on numerous occasions but I haven’t given them as much attention as I’d like. SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING will be airing on TCM this Saturday (Nov. 19th) so I thought it would be a good time to rectify my negligence. You can find my interview with members of The Alan Sillitoe Committee at the Movie Morlocks and I thought I’d share some of my thoughts about the film here.

In SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING, Albert Finney made his incredible screen debut as a young man by the name of Arthur Seaton. Arthur is a working-class lad raised in Nottingham who lives with his parents. He has a dead-end factory job that pays the bills but it leaves little room for much else. He spends the work week looking forward to his Saturday nights and Sunday mornings. During these weekend breaks Arthur fishes with friends, drinks himself into a stupor and seduces any willing lady that catches his eye. When he clashes with his boss and is accused of being a ‘red’ (communist) or gets beaten up for sleeping with a married woman, Arthur doesn’t let it faze him and lives by the motto, “Don’t let the bastards get you down!” while making it known that, “I’m out for a good time - all the rest is propaganda!” Arthur is much too smart and much too curious to be satisfied with the life his parents have accepted. Unfortunately his rough existence has made him a little mean and he doesn’t suffer fools lightly. But underneath all that false bravado is an angry young man with a volcanic size chip on his shoulder that could explode at any moment. Despite the underlying tension that filters through every frame of SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING, the film seems to end on a somewhat upbeat note with Arthur denouncing his parents (”They have a TV set and a packet of fags, but they’re both dead from the neck up.”) and realizing that he’s his own man, able to make his own way in the world, even if that world seems determined to hold him back.

“And trouble for me it’ll be, fighting every day until I die. Why do they make soldiers out of us when we’re fighting up to the hilt as it is? Fighting with mothers and wives, landlords and gaffers, coppers, army, government… Well, it’s a good life and a good world, all said and done, if you don’t weaken, and if you know that the big wide world hasn’t heard from you yet, no, not by a long way, though it won’t be long now.”
- Arthur Seaton from Alan Sillitoe’s ‘Saturday Night and Sunday Morning’

Watching SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING again recently, I was reminded of how poignant and powerful the film’s underlying message still was. Few films address the concerns of young working-class people so directly and so well. As I said earlier, it’s one of the most important movies that emerged from the British New Wave and it features a literal ‘who’s-who’ of British cinema at the time including the fabulous Albert Finney, as young Arthur. Finney swaggers through the film like a beautiful bulldog always keenly aware of everything going on around him. The film made Finney a star and it’s easy to see why. He’s a handsome man but it’s more than just looks that make young Finney so irresistible. He’s truly committed to the role of Arthur Seaton and he was able to harness the kind of rough and tumble working-class spirit that is so hard to find in today’s young actors. He’s a genuine tough guy and you don’t want to mess with him but he’s just soft enough to win a woman’s heart.

SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING was directed by Karel Reiz who brought a real authenticity to the film. Reiz was part of the British Free Cinema movement and his documentary background gave him the ability to truly capture the Nottingham local. He gave the film a real sense of place and purpose. The celebrated cinematographer Freddie Francis also helped shape the look of the film and there are some truly beautiful scenes that showcase Albert Finney and his costars (including award-winning actress Rachel Roberts and Shirley Anne Field) in the most flattering light imaginable. These lush moments can occasionally take you out of the film but Reiz and Francis quickly return you to the gritty streets of Nottingham. SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING was also edited by Seth Holt (THE NANNY) and produced by Tony Richardson (THE LONELINESS OF THE LONG DISTANCE RUNNER) along with Harry Saltzman (LOOK BACK IN ANGER). And last but not least, it features an amazing jazz riddled score by John Dankworth (THE SERVANT).

If you’d like to learn more about this terrific film please follow the link to the Movie Morlocks. It will take you to my interview with members of The Alan Sillitoe Committe where we discuss Sillitoe’s work in film.
- “Don’t Let the Bastards Get You Down!” @ TCM’s Classic Movie Blog

I also wanted to give a special shout-out to fellow film blogger and Alan Sillitoe Committee member Neil Fulwood who agreed to answer questions and went out of his way to contact Alan’s son David. Cheers, Neil! Please stop by his terrific film blog, The Agitation of the Mind and tell him I sent ya.

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Klaus Kinski as Ahmed Kortobawi

by Kimberly Lindbergs | October 18, 2011

Categories | Movie Reviews, Actors, Jess Franco, Klaus Kinski, Dennis Price

Today would have been Klaus Kinski’s 85th birthday if he were still alive. I’ve written birthday tributes to Klaus before but today I thought I’d share a little something about one of my favorite Klaus Kinski films, Jess Franco’s remarkable Venus in Furs aka Paroxismus (1969).

From the DVD box:
“Of all the twisted hits from cult director Jess Franco (SADOMANIA, 99 WOMEN), this is the one that fans and critics alike call his masterpiece! James Darren (THE GUNS OF NAVARONE, DEEP SPACE NINE) stars as a traumatized trumpeter sucked into a whirlpool of psycho-sexual horror along with his sultry girlfriend (singer Barbara McNair), a kinky lesbian (Margaret Lee of THE BLOODY JUDGE), a depraved playboy (the legendary Klaus Kinski) and the mysterious, insatiable beauty (luscious Maria Rohm of JUSTINE) who may lead them all straight to Hell.”

If that description doesn’t grab your attention, nothing will! As stated above, Kinski plays a wealthy sadist named Ahmed Kortobawi who’s obsessed with sexual pleasure that finally erupts in an act of bloody violence. After he participates in the kinky murder of a beautiful woman (Maria Rohm), Kinski and his cohorts (Dennis Price & Margaret Lee) are haunted by her ghost (or are they?). Franco’s incredibly sensuous and decadent film isn’t a straightforward horror movie but imaginative viewers should appreciate the supernatural elements of Venus in Furs. As Cathal Tohill & Pete Tombs explain in their book Immoral Tales, Franco was inspired to make his film after a conversation with jazz legend, Chet Baker. The acclaimed trumpet player discussed how getting lost in musical improvisation could create images in your head that explode in flashes of memory. Franco used this idea for the basis of his story and Venus in Furs unfolds in a series of flashbacks and flash-forwards that lend it a surreal quality accentuated by the fantastic nature of the film, the creative set design and the director’s ability to create awe-inspiring imagery. As usual Klaus Kinski manages to steal every scene he appears in and his final screen moments are unforgettable. The jazz infused score was composed by British beat artist Manfred Mann who also makes a brief appearance in the film as a musician. With its lengthy nightclub and party scenes, decadent fashions and groovy soundtrack, Venus in Furs is a film that begs for multiple viewings.

One of my favorite pieces on Franco’s Venus in Furs was written by Mike Kitchell and can be found on his blog, Esotika Erotica Psychotica. And for more on Jess Franco and his fabulous films please visit Robert Monell’s blog I’m in a Jess Franco State of Mind

You can expect to see more of Kinski @ Cinebeats soon!

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The House That Screamed… “Murder!”

by Kimberly Lindbergs | October 6, 2011

Categories | Movie Reviews, Actors, Horror, Spanish Cinema, Thrillers, Gay Interest

Mod Macabre continues over at The Movie Morlocks today where I take a look at Narciso Ibáñez Serrador’s horrific thriller The House That Screamed (1969) featuring a great cast that includes Lilli Palmer, Cristina Galbo, Mary Maude and mod wonder boy, John-Moulder Brown. Here’s a brief description of The House That Screamed from my post:

“THE HOUSE THAT SCREAMED takes place at an isolated boarding school where troubled young women are being taught by a sadistic headmistress called Madame Fourneau (Lilli Palmer) who enjoys disciplining her female students with a whip followed by a tender kiss. After an attractive young French girl named Theresa (Cristina Galbó) enrolls and is given a tour of the grounds, it quickly becomes apparent that something odd is going on at the school. Unseen eyes seem to follow Teresa’s every move and the tense atmosphere is punctuated by the headmistress’s cursory behavior. The other young women at the school immediately take an interest in Teresa and she becomes an object of adoration and scorn for one particular student by the name of Irene (Mary Maude). Irene is Madame Fourneau’s right-hand girl and she enjoys helping the headmistress discipline ill-behaved girls. Adding to the tension is the addition of Madame Fourneau’s handsome son, Louis (John Moulder-Brown) who is kept at the school due to his poor health. His mother insists on isolating him from the young women who she feels aren’t “good enough” for him. The headmistress wants her son to meet someone like herself who will look after him and keep him safe but Louis isn’t interested in following her advice. It soon becomes apparent that he’s been spying on the girls at the school as well as starting up relationships with a few them. So when an unknown killer begins stalking the students it’s easy to assume that Louis might be the murderer but he’s not the only suspect. There’s the lurking gardener (Vic Israel) who seems to also enjoy spying on the students and of course the headmistress herself comes under scrutiny along with the cruel Irene. Director and co-writer Narciso Ibáñez Serrador keeps the audience guessing until the film’s final moments and the plot’s unpredictable twists and turns should surprise many viewers.”

Pictured: Teresa Hurtado and John-Moulder Brown (1969)

To read more just follow the link:
- The House That Screamed… “Murder!” @ TCM’s Classic Movie Blog

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Mini Monday #9

by Kimberly Lindbergs | September 12, 2011

Categories | Actors, Terence Stamp, Mini Mondays

Terence Stamp tries to get a lift from a Mini driver in The Mind of Mr. Soames (1970)

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Celebrity Vinyl

by Kimberly Lindbergs | September 1, 2011

Categories | Movie Reviews, Books, Actors, Actresses, David Hemmings, Richard Harris, Anthony Perkins, Brigitte Bardot, Dirk Bogarde

My latest post at TCM’s Movie Morlocks takes a look at some of my favorite celebrity albums recorded by classic film stars. Did you know Robert Mitchum recorded a calypso album? Have you ever heard Eddie Albert sing a Bob Dylan song? Or listened to Dirk Bogarde talk his way through “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes”? These are just a few of the celebrity albums you’ll find if you make your way over to the Movie Morlocks!

- Celebrity Vinyl: Classic Actors Sing @ TCM’s Classic Movie Blog

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Shammi Kapoor 1931-2011

by Kimberly Lindbergs | August 14, 2011

Categories | News, Actors, Musicals, Bollywood

From India comes the sad news that the beloved Bollywood star Shammi Kapoor has died at age 79 due to kidney failure. Kapoor has been called the “Bollywood Elvis” and his films helped define the swinging sixties in India. I’ve only seen a few of the movies that Shammi Kapoor appeared in but An Evening in Paris (1967) is a personal favorite. It features some fantastic musical numbers and it’s just a terrific looking production full of stylish ’60s era costumes, great period details and eye-popping stage designs. After poking around Youtube I came across some of my favorite musical numbers from An Evening in Paris featuring Shammi Kapoor and his female costar SharmilaTagore that I thought I’d share here and links to news articles about the actors death are posted below. Enjoy!

Recommended Links:
- Star Whose Moves Defined India’s Swinging Sixties @ The Hindu
- Shammi Kapoor: The original Rockstar of Indian cinema @ Indian Express
- India’s beloved Junglee No More @ Times of India

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They said WHAT?!

by Kimberly Lindbergs | August 11, 2011

Categories | Actors, Actresses, Richard Harris, Dirk Bogarde, Movie Morlocks, TCM, Oliver Reed, Bette Davis, Monica Vitti, Michael Caine

Dirk Bograde & Monica Vittii in Modesty Blaise (1966)

From my latest piece at the the Movie Morlocks:

“In June actor Harrison Ford made news after publicly calling, Shia LaBeouf, his young costar from INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL (Steven Spielberg; 2008) “…a f–king idiot.” Since then I’ve been thinking about insults that actors have hurled at other actors over the years and a recent piece at Flavorwire titled “The 30 Harshest Filmmaker-on-Filmmaker Insults In History” compelled me to compile a list of 30 of the worst actor-on actor insults I’ve come across. Some of them are surprisingly crude so I thought I should worn potential readers before they plunge ahead. Let the war of words begin…”

A few choice examples:

Bette Davis on Joan Crawford: “I wouldn’t piss on her if she was on fire.”

Dirk Bogarde on Monica Vitti: “I’ve fallen deeply in love with every woman I’ve ever worked with except Monica Vitti. She was a beast.”

Oliver Reed on Jack Nicolson: “Nicholson? As far as I’m concerned, he’s a balding midget. He stands five-foot-seven, you know. He tries to play heavies and doesn’t quite make it.”

Richard Harris on Michael Caine: “An over-fat, flatulent, 62-year-old windbag. A master of inconsequence masquerading as a guru, passing off his vast limitations as pious virtues.”

Want to read more actor-on actor insults? Make your way over to the Movie Morlocks!
- They said WHAT?! Classic Insults from Classic Actors @ TCM’s Classic Movie Blog

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The Many Faces of Rochester

by Kimberly Lindbergs | August 6, 2011

Categories | Actors, Movie Morlocks, Michael Fassbender, TCM, Orson Welles

Top: Colin Clive and Orson Welles
Bottom: George C. Scott and Michael Fassbender

First I want to apologize for the lack of original content lately. I haven’t been feeling well and my computer’s been acting up so I’ve been neglecting Cinebeats. Hope to post a few more updates soon.

In the meantime I recently watched the latest film adaptation of Jane Eyre (Cary Fukunaga; 2011) starring Michael Fassbender who is becoming a household name. It’s been fascinating and fun to watch him go from obscurity to super stardom so quickly. I can still remember doing a Google search for Fassbender’s name after seeing Hunger (Steve McQueen; 2008) and finding next to nothing about him online. What a difference a few years has made! He deserves all the recognition he gets but he seems to be taking any and every role that comes his way. Hope he gets a bit more selective soon. I enjoyed Michael Fassbender’s performance as Rochester, the brooding romantic hero of Jane Eyre, but he didn’t seem particularly invested in the part. It’s a beautiful production though and well worth your time. After watching Fassbender’s interpretation of Rochester I started thinking about all the other actors that have portrayed the character over the years. I decided to compile a little collection of clips featuring some of the most notable actors who have played Jane Eyre’s love interest for the Movie Morlocks this week. As always, follow the link if you’d like to read more.

- The Many Faces of Rochester – Jane Eyre’s Romantic Hero @ TCM’s Classic Movie Blog

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What’s It All About, Alfie?

by Kimberly Lindbergs | June 21, 2011

Categories | Books, Actors, Terence Stamp, Klaus Kinski, Sean Connery, Michael Caine

Michael Caine was one of the coolest actors working during the ’60s and ’70s but he was also incredibly sexy. He had unconventional good looks and I love the thick black glasses he used to wear that often hid his eyes and amazingly long lashes. Michael Caine may have played a British tough guy on numerous occasions but he had some of the loveliest eyes I’ve ever seen on an actor. He’s also incredibly talented and appeared in a lot of terrific movies including The Ipcress File (1965), Alfie (1966), Gambit (1966), Funeral in Berlin (1966), Billion Dollar Brain (1967), Deadfall (1968), The Magus (1968), The Italian Job (1969), Get Carter (1970), Sleuth (1972) and John Huston’s remarkable epic adventure, The Man Who Would Be King (1975), which was recently re-released on DVD and Blu-Ray a few weeks ago, just to name a few. Caine’s lengthy filmography is incredibly impressive, which is why he’s a living legend today. If you’re interested in learning more about the actor I highly recommend his 1992 autobiography “What’s It All About?” I recently picked up a copy for 50 cents at my local Goodwill store and it was a fast and fun read. Michael Caine writes with the same sense of humor that is apparent in many of the interviews he’s done. Here’s a few choice quotes from his book…

“One of the biggest movie companies in Britain at the time was Associated British Pictures, who ran their operation like an old Hollywood studio, with a rota of actors under contract. I was sent to see their chief casting director, a very powerful man called Robert Lennard… “My son is an accountant.” he said, “and he has more chance of success in this business than you do.” I sat there quite numb but smiling. He went on, “This may sound unkind, but you will thank me in the long run. I know this business well and I can assure you that you have no future in it. Give it up, Michael.”

“Terry (Stamp) and I made a pact at the beginning of the year. Because our profession was so unpredictable and we never knew who was going to be making any money, we promised each other that whichever one of us was working, if the other one could not pay his share of the rent, the one with the money would cough up. We shook hands on the deal, a sign of the true bond and depth of our friendship, and that is how it remained until we eventually made enough money for flats of our own.”

“The sixties had arrived in London. The Beatles were playing endlessly on the radio, The Rolling Stones were gathering fans and David Bailey was taking pictures of what he called “Dolly Birds.” This particular breed was brand new and all of a sudden more numerous than the London sparrow. All at once it seemed that every pretty girl with no tits was modeling clothes and every pretty girl with big tits was modeling those.”

“I had never imagined that Alfie would be released in the US and had played the role in a very thick Cockney accent with lots of slang words that would have made it impossible for an American to understand. Shelly Winters once told me many years later that she had never understood a single word I said to her in Alfie, and had just waited for my lips to stop moving and taken that as her cue to speak.”

“Working with Sean (Connery) was an absolute joy for me. I had rarely worked with an actor who was so unselfish and generous, so much so that you could experiment and take chances and not expect to find a knife in your back if it went wrong. We did all sorts of improvisations, which are less easy in films than in the theatre because of the technology involved, but it was all done in a completely relaxed atmosphere, because John (Huston) trusted us and we trusted each other.”

“There used to be a hardware store right on Beverly Hills Drive* where you could buy mundane things like nails and string, but where you could see the most extraordinary people buying them. I once saw Fred Astaire buying sandpaper and Danny Kaye buying one light bulb. The most frightening sight I ever saw during my whole stay in America was in that hardware store. I hid behind a shelf of tools and watched Klaus Kinski buying an axe. It cleared the store.”

*I believe Michael Caine is referring to Hollywood’s historic Pioneer Hardware store on Crescent Dr. in Beverly Hills, where you can still purchase some sandpaper or an axe if the need ever arises.

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