FILMS OF 1973
Elliot Gould as Marlowe and Arnold as Arnold in The Last Goodbye
Robert Altman's take on Phillip Marlowe with Elliot Gould as the detective I think may appeal more to Robert Altman devotees more than Raymond Chandler fans. I think Gould does a pretty good job as the grouchy detective who never seems to let anything ruffle his feathers too much. One Altman touch in The Long Goodbye is that he really lets his actors go on with their dialogue longer than anyone this side of John Casavettes. One oration by Sterling Hayden did make me ask if this scene would ever end! Hey, but got to appreciate any movie with a supporting part from Ball Four author Jim Bouton and an early role for Arnold Schwarzenegger as a hood!
Bob Dylan shows his angry side in Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid
Probably
the most prominent role in a feature film for Bob Dylan is the part of Alias in
Sam Peckinpah's Western, Pat
Garrett and Billy the Kid. In the screen shot above, we have Dylan performing
perhaps the only action scene of this movie career, knocking out a bad guy in
front of Sheriff Pat Garrett… (His major action scene only if you don't count
his rage over who broke the glass in Don't
Look Back). And what Dylan fan can ever forget the scene when Alias is forced
to name all the cans on the general store shelf?
I think the film looks good
overall, as most Peckinpah films seem to date well to me. They were often
criticized for their violence during their initial release, but do they even
come close to the violence in a Tarnatino movie? I think his violence is well
played and the way he handles it is effective. James Coburn and Kris
Kristofferson star in the title roles to good effect. Thanks 1001 book for
including this one and Bring
Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia!
The
Long Goodbye and Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid made
the 1001 list. Here are some other movies from 1973 that I've seen in the past
that did not make the 1001 cut.
1.Godspell
Hippie
Jesus musical, Part 1…This sort of retelling of the Christ story in a contemporary
early 70’s setting may seem a little dated today, but I still think the
last supper with Dixie cups is kinda groovy. I haven't seen it since
it premiered on television in the 70's..and it may be one to see again. I did
watch the video for the signature song of the film, Day by Day this morning and currently
have an earworm because of it.
2. Jesus Christ, Superstar
Hippie Jesus Musical, Part II…Norman Jewison's take on
Andrew Lloyd Webber is high on the hippie factor, but misses the boat on most
of the music. I wasn't a fan of the musical until I saw it on stage in the late
90's (With original movie Jesus Ted Neely still playing the role!). I also like
the 2000 theater adaptation available on a youtube screen near you.
Ted Neely as Jesus in Jesus Christ, Superstar-
He resurrected (sorry) the role for the stage
in a 1997 stage adaptation I went to.
3. Bang the Drum Slowly-Pretty
cool to see Robert De Niro as a young, hick baseball player. Also, pretty depressing
to see Robert De Niro as a young, hick, terminally ill baseball player. It's sad, but has something to say about
unlikely friendships and coming through for your mates. (Sorry if that sounds
cornball, as Michael Moriarty's character from the movie says about the song The Streets of Laredo). And don't call it a baseball version of Brian's Song or I'll
have to throw you one high and inside.
Now catching
for the New York Mammoths...Bobby De Niro!
in Bang the Drum Slowly
4. Scarecrow
Probably the prototype of a
low-budget, early seventies, indie-type, character study picture with big stars
in humble roles (Gene Hackman and Al Pacino in this case). I’ve seen this again
recently and it wasn’t bad, but honestly didn’t blow my away, but I think it's
still worth a watch.
Hackman! Pacino! Scarecrow!
5. O, Lucky Man!
If you have a friend of whom you think you can rely
you are a lucky man...Alan Price in O, Lucky Man
you are a lucky man...Alan Price in O, Lucky Man
6.Cinderella
Liberty
One of those that been so long
since I've seen it that I don't remember that much about it other than I really
liked Marsha Mason in it.
James Caan and Marsha Mason
in Cinderella Liberty
in Cinderella Liberty
7. Battle for the Planet of the
Apes
The fifth and final leg of the
original Planet of the Apes film series brings back memories of
diminutive singer Paul Williams singing a romantic ballad on The Tonight Show
decked out in full ape makeup.
Not the best of the series, but it does at least tie things together fairly satisfactorily.
Roddy McDowell, Austin Stoker and Paul Williams
in Battle for the Planet of the Apes
in Battle for the Planet of the Apes
All the ape movies were satirized in Mad
in the March '73 issue.
in the March '73 issue.
8. Ssssss
And NOW…(imagine this followed by a
hissing sound)…That's what I remember about the introduction to the network
premiere of this film about a guy that turns into a snake...I think. I don't
remember too much about this, but I have seen the 50's B-film Alligator
People fairly recently and it
seems like roughly the same plot.
Ssssss...reminding me a bit of Tod Browning's
Freaks in this still.
Freaks in this still.
9. Class of '44
The largely forgotten sequel to Summer of '42, features the boys from the original
film (Gary Grimes, Jerry Houser, and Oliver Conant) making their way to college
this time out. This sequel has seemed to largely be forgotten, though the fact
that it was parodied in MAD magazine in 1973 as Clods of '44 is worthy of note.
Life after Jennifer O'Neill...Gary Grimes looks for love
in Class of '44
in Class of '44
9. Magnum Force
10. Manson
Insightful documentary on the
Charles Manson murders that really couldn't have been made the way it was if it
had come out later than 1973, as it still had a certain “hippie” vibe to it. Former
Manson follower Paul Watkins embodies this in his admission that he followed
Manson because he thought Charlie was Jesus Christ! But Paul turned against Manson and
even performed a folk song in the documentary. We also get to see several at
large Manson girls interviewed, including the pretty darned frightening Squeaky
Fromme, a couple of years before she attempted to shoot Gerald Ford.
Manson: Squeaky Fromme and friend during her post Manson family,
pre-assassination period
pre-assassination period
11. Theatre of Blood
I don't remember the context of this scene
with
Vincent Price from Theatre of Blood,
but it definitely makes me
want to revisit.12. The Paper Chase
Drama about one student's (Mr.
Hart) rigorous first year of Harvard law school and his dealing with larger
than life legal professor, Kingsfield. One of my favorite films of the
seventies and I also watched the series of the same name which began on network
TV in the late 70's and finally got Hart graduated on Showtime during the late
80's. Also, check out Scott Turow's book, One L, for a real life version of The Paper Chase.
Kingsfield gives Hart a dime to call his mother
in one of my favorite moments from The Paper Chase
13.
Sisters
Hey! This Brian De Palma movie had
me at Margot Kidder as Siamese Twins!
Margot Kidder and friend
in Sisters
14. The Neptune Factor
Ernest Borgnie, Yvette Mimieux and Ben Gazzara discuss
different acting techniques in The Neptune Factor
15. Soylent Green
Futuristic tale based on Harry
Harrison's Make Room, Make
Room depicts a future where
there are immense shortages of food…But everybody sure seems to like these Soylent Green bars! Charlton Heston stars in one of
several Sci-Fi films he made during this period. Edward G. Robinson (in his
last film) has a death scene that I found quite moving and is probably the best
scene in the whole movie.
Edward G. Robinson and Charlton Heston
discuss the limited dinner options in Soylent Green
discuss the limited dinner options in Soylent Green
16. Westworld
Michael Crichton's original
"amusement park gone horribly wrong" movie was a film that I was
very excited about seeing at the time. After my most recent viewing, it didn’t
quite hold up as well as I would have liked, but how can you beat Yul Brynner
as the robotic gunslinger? It's definitely better than the sequel, Futureworld.
"Draw!" Yul Brynner is Westworld
17. Walking
Tall
Joe Don Baker as the ass-kicking
sheriff Buford Pusser was definitely a movie to go to at the time. Joe Don
magically disappeared from the sequels (I guess to make Mitchell?) and Bo Svenson took
over the ass-kicking sheriff role.
For lack of a more acceptable term, I called the 70’s movie genre of Walking Tall…redneck movies. Maybe they
were a counterweight to blaxpotation movies of the same era. Burt Reynolds was
in most of them, but a few of them, like Dixie Dynamite, Sixpack
Annie and High-Ballin’ were Reynoldsless.
Joe Don! Walking Tall! Any Questions?
18. White
Lightning
...and speaking of rural heroes...You can't list movies
from 1973 without having at least one Burt Reynolds movie. Burt is Gator
McKlusky in White Lightning and is an
ex-con moonshiner going after redneck sheriff Ned Beatty (Burt and Ned have a
different interaction dynamic here than in Deliverance,
of course). Gator survives his ordeals
in this film and returns in a 1976 sequel just called Gator.
Note on Bo Hopkins: It really seemed liked actor Bo Hopkins
popped up with great frequency in many a movie and TV show during the
seventies. He almost always seemed to play a ne'er do well with a cigarette
hanging out of his mouth (Like below). Bo's most memorable role to me is as the
leader of the gang that harasses Richard Dreyfuss in American Graffiti. Also look
for Bo in The Wild Bunch,
Midnight Express and a slew
of TV shows.
Burt and Bo in White Lightning
Bo Hopkins doesn't like that Richard Dreyfuss was
sitting on the hood of his car in American Graffiti.
19. Paper
Moon
I'm a bit surprised Peter Bogdanavich's nostalgic black and
white ode to a father and daughter con team didn't make the 1001 movie book.
Tatum O'Neal and Ryan O'Neal in Paper Moon
Tatum picked up an Academy Award for this at age 10
The 1974 TV show version of Paper Moon
starring Christopher Connelly and Jodie Foster
lasted 13 episodes. Foster's Academy Awards
would have to wait for a few years.
Like Class of '44, Paper Moon made the cut
for being satirized by MAD magazine.
The cover of my January 1974
issue of Mad magazine
which featured a classic
Siegel/Drucker satire
of Paper Moon.
This issue also features a
Torres/De Bartolo satire
of Kung Fu...but I digress
20. The
Last Detail
Speaking of movies that should have made the 1001 movie
cut...How about this Hal Ashby comedy with Jack Nicholson as a foul-mouthed
sailor on leave film for inclusion next time?
Introspective Jack Nicholson in
The Last Detail
21. Charlotte’s Web
The beloved E. B. White classic
found an animated home in this film which featured Debbie Reynolds as
Charlotte, Henry Gibson as Wilbur the pig, Paul Lynde as Templeton the mouse
and Agnes Moorehead as The Goose. Waltons creator Earl Hamner Jr. is listed
in the screenplay credits. For extra credit read the book. For extra EXTRA
credit read The Elements of
Style by E. B. White and
William Skrunk Jr.!...Or at least watch Babe again.
Animal Farm...I mean Charlotte's Web
22. The World’s Greatest Athlete
This had to be about the only
Disney movie from the era that didn't have either Kurt Russell or Dean Jones in
it. It did have John Amos and Tim Conway as a couple of coaches who discover
Jan-Michael Vincent in Africa who they recruit to become the titular character.
He comes equipped with a pet tiger and develops a romantic interest (Dayle
Haddon, who of course is named Jane). When I first saw it, I still remember the
biggest laugh of the movie comes when Howard Cosell has a basket of trash
dumped on his head.
This might not be one to rewatch...I don't know if the positive memories will
hold up.
White men can run.,.
Jan Michael-Vincent in The World's Greatest Athlete
23. Robin
Hood
Disney's animated take on Robin
Hood was one I missed the first time out, but I saw it plenty of times years
later with my son when he was little (Ah, the magic of VHS). It's fun,
highlighted by Phil Harris bascially resurrecting his Balou the Bear role from The Jungle Book as Little John.
Robin Hood and Little John appear to be about
to sing The Bear Necessities in Robin Hood...but
I'm pretty sure they aren't
to sing The Bear Necessities in Robin Hood...but
I'm pretty sure they aren't
24. Live and Let Die
My first theatrical James Bond
experience was a double feature of Live and Let
Die and The Man With
the Golden Gun...Roger Moore's first two go rounds as 007. I still like
Moore in the role, though he certainly has his detractors. (Yes, you can like
Roger Moore AND Sean Connery. You can even like Timothy Dalton if it
pleases you to do so!) I did think it interesting for the time that the
heavies in Live
and Let Die were black.
25. Lost Horizon
I'm sure doing a musical adaptation
of Lost Horizon seemed like a good idea at the time.
I'm sure having Michael York,
George Kennedy, Peter Finch and Sally Kellerman (pictured below) in a musical
seemed like a good idea at the time. I'm sure having award winning composers
Burt Bachrach and Hal David doing the music seemed like a good idea at the
time. I'm sure having successful producer Ross Hunter at the helm seemed like a
good idea at the time....But they were wrong...I do want to see it again just
to see if it somehow looks better after all this time.
Lost Horizon: Bobby Van (far right) at least had some musical background
Lost Horizon did get the Mad Magazine (Least Horizon) in the December 1973 issue.
This MAD issue featured a spoof
on Lost Horizon AND Class of '44!
Wish I still had my copy.
26. My Name is Nobody
After listing this...I realized I
might be thinking of another Terrence Hill spaghetti Western call They Call Me Trinity or Trinity Is Still My Name starring Hill
and his longtime screen partner Bud Spencer. My Name is Nobody co-starred Henry Fonda...just a couple of years removed
from this great villainous performance in Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in the West.
Bottom line is I need to see My Name is
Nobody soon and remove all doubt!
Terence Hill's name is nobody...or is it Trinity?
27.
Scenes From a Marriage
Ingmar
Bergman's Scenes From a Marriage came
out as a multi-part television show in 1973 and was edited down for theatrical
release the following year. The DVD I had had both versions, but I found the
full TV version pretty dramatically and emotionally riveting. I'd like to get
my wife to watch it with me soon. I may need a better way to sell watching it to her than a five hour Swedish
television series about a dissolving marriage. We'll see
28. The Devil in Miss Jones
The infamous X-rated movie from
this era not titled Deep Throat. I
saw it in the late 80's on the Playboy channel which basically meant it was an
R-rated version of an X-rated movie. It didn't really make a lasting impression
on me, to be honest.
Like, Ssssss before it,
The Devil in Miss Jones does involve a prominent scene
with a snake.
The Devil in Miss Jones does involve a prominent scene
with a snake.
29. The Three Musketeers
Richard Lester actually made a pair
of musketeer films together, the latter being The Four Musketeers which was released the year after The Three Musketeers. I made
the mistake of going to see The Four
Musketeers at the theater before I ever saw The
Three Musketeers and quickly realized I should have watched them in order.
Richard Lester's fab four of
Reed, Chamberlain, York and Finlay
Reed, Chamberlain, York and Finlay
30. The Day of the Jackal
Frederick Forsyth's top-notch spy
thriller about a lethal killer hired to assassinate Charles De Gaulle is
adapted very well in this Fred Zinneman action piece. Part of the fun (if fun
is the right word) is piecing together the clues to hunt down the assassin and
Edward Fox is well-suited as the cold blooded killer.
Edward Fox about to fire in The Day of the Jackal
Goodbye, 1973. There were some happy moments
to be had here.
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