When The Movie Plays With the Studio Logo

Posted on January 27, 2015 at 8:00 am

I got a big kick out of the post by Matt Singer from Screen Crush about movies that begin before the beginning by amending the studio’s opening logo. Most recently, of course “The LEGO Movie” did the logo in Legos. But before that, movies like “Scott Pilgrim,” “Cat Ballou,” “Alien 3,” and “Waterworld” all brought their special spin to the studio’s identifier. Here’s one of my favorites, very appropriate for a movie based in the world of computer games. Love that music!

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List: Comedy Westerns

Posted on May 28, 2014 at 3:59 pm

Movies and westerns were made for each other. Hollywood came along not long after the era of westward expansion and access to the stunning landscapes of Monument Valley and endless vistas of desert and sagebrush was nearby. The earliest commercial films were cowboy stories and by the time Hollywood hit its stride in the 1930’s-50’s the western was the perfect metaphor for the American experience. Most were action films and dramas, but there were a few comedies, like this week’s “A Million Ways to Die in the West.” Some of the best include:

Cat Ballou Jane Fonda stars as a young woman determined to get revenge for the murder of her father (John Marley, the horse head in the bed guy from “The Godfather”).

A Big Hand for the Little Lady This neglected gem has an all-star cast and one of the greatest plot twists ever, in the story of a devoted wife and mother (Joanne Woodward) who takes over for her ailing husband (Henry Fonda) in a high-stakes poker game.

The Paleface and Son of Paleface star Bob Hope, Roy Rogers, and Jane Russell in a pair of western spoofs, with the Oscar-winning song “Buttons and Bows.”

Ruggles of Red Gap Charles Laughton plays a very proper gentleman’s gentleman who teachers the rough westerners a few things about their own heritage. It was remade with Bob Hope and Lucille Ball as “Fancy Pants.”

Blazing Saddles Mel Brooks’ classic is one of the funniest films ever made, funnier every time you watch it. My favorite part is Madeline Kahn as the dance hall girl.

Tribute: Frank Pierson

Posted on July 25, 2012 at 4:12 pm

One of Hollywood’s most distinguished and influential writers, Frank Pierson, died this week at age 87. He won an Oscar for “Dog Day Afternoon,” and was nominated for the comic western “Cat Ballou.” The American Film Institute included his line of dialogue as 11th on their all-time great list: “What we have here is a failure to communicate.” Pierson also served as the President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and was a devoted mentor to aspiring screeenwriters.

The New York Times obituary has a telling story about his work on “Dog Day Afternoon” that sheds light on his exceptional insight and character:

Mr. Pierson said he struggled mightily with that script — and he later used his struggle as a teaching tool. He told students that he had been unable to capture the essence of the central character, the leader of an inept gang of bank robbers who winds up taking hostages.

He broke through after concluding that the thief, based on a real-life robber and played by Al Pacino, was a pleaser, someone trying in his flawed way to make others happy.

I spoke to Mamie Mitchell, who worked with Pierson, and told me of his graciousness, generosity, and class. She said,

I had the great good fortune to edit the book A Nation Lost And Found: 1936 America Remembered by Ordinary and Extraordinary People, for Frank Pierson and Stanley Sheinbaum, in 2000-2002. At our first lunch meeting to discuss the overview of the book, I took the opportunity to ask Frank who he thought were the best screenwriters in Hollywood. Mind you this was summer 2000. He said, “Aaron Sorkin, David Milch….there are many good screenwriters, the problem is that there are hardly any people left in Hollywood that can recognize good writing”.

Frank had great hope and passion for this book….unfortunately 9/11 coincided with the release of “A Nation Lost and Found” and it was glossed over. In this current time in the history of our country, it would be wise reading to reflect back on 1936 and the resilience, engagement, awareness and perseverance of the people at that time. The book holds up.

Pierson, who began his career as a journalist, had a reporter’s ability to observe and eye for detail. His films reflect a broad and compassionate humanity. May his memory be a blessing.

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