1972 - THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE, corny but entertaining Irwin Allen foolishness

Another film in our Gene Hackman memorial film festival.  The Poseidon Adventure is an Irwin Allen production with all of the good and bad stuff that Allen was noted for.  The Poseidon Adventure marks the beginning of the 1970's disaster cycle.  Take an improbable situation, in this case a luxury liner tipping upside down after a tidal wave knocks it over and focus on a group of survivors trying to escape before it sinks.

Producer Irwin Allen assembled what would back then be called an all star cast.  Gene Hackman is a defrocked minister who leads a motley bunch of has been movie and TV actors out of the Poseidon.  Ernest Borgnine is an LA cop on vacation with his former hooker wife played by Stella Stevens.  Red Buttons is a Haberdasher who is a lonely single guy.  Shelly Winters and Jack Albertson are a Jewish couple on their way to Israel to see their grandson and because this is a 1970's film there is an annoying little kid played by Eric Shea who you wish somebody would drown.  Naturally since this is the 1970's we get a couple of women stuck running around in hot pants in lots of gratuitous derriere shots. 

 

The director Ronald Neame who in a past life had been associated with David Lean and had filmed a lot of quality English dramas and comedies signed on for this nonsense and was probably responsible for keeping the focus on the story.  Apparently true to form Gene Hackman was not a happy camper on this production but who can blame him as he had to get doused with water and avoid explosions and fires throughout the production.  Still he turns in an excellent performance.

 

This is an enjoyable film, it keeps you watching but it's pretty dumb when you stop to think about it.  The characters are basically a bunch of stereotypes but as the film goes on you do get kind of get a vested interest in what will happen to them.  The producer Irwin Allen was really hot after this film and reached his professional peak with The Towering Inferno but it was all downhill from there.  His brand of entertaining schlock had finally worn out it's welcome.

The Poseidon Adventures has two excellent screenwriters, Wendell Mayes and Stirling Silliphant but you would never know it watching the collection of cliches they put together.  Still the  film is fun to watch.

The running time is 117 minutes, it made a lot of money.

1966 - GAMBIT, a heist comedy

Gambit is a comedic variation on the famous Jules Dassin film Rififi.  In that film we meet a group of professional criminals who plan and execute a jewelry store heist with almost military precision.  In fact the heist runs about 30 minutes.  Rififi is considered a classic in the crime thriller genre, while not a classic on the level of Rififi, Gambiit is a clever and at times very funny spin on the Rififi heist idea.

The film stars Michael Caine in one of his early roles as the would be master criminal.  Shirley MacClaine is his chattering accomplice who just won't stop talking.  Herbert Lom is the rich guy they intend to steal a priceless statue from.  Even though this film is almost 60 years old it's best not to reveal to many of the entertaining plot details or spoilers.

 

The director was Ronald Neame who was a solid professional behind the camera.  He had originally worked with the mercurial David Lean as a cinematographer .  From there he worked himself up in the British film industry as a producer, screenwriter and finally director.  He was a no nonsense kind of a guy, always very well organized and prepared when on a film set.

 

 Neame had a long career in the film industry and is chiefly remembered as the guy who got a film out of what was apparently a disorganized mess of a production called The Poseidon Adventure.  Neame also directed Judy Garland in her final film, Garland was at this time in her career, difficult to work with.  Neame was a battle scared veteran of the film business.  Gambit must have seemed like a vacation.

The film has an excellent screenplay by Alvin Sargant and Jack Davis,  the running time is 109 minutes.

1963 - I COULD GO ON SINGING, Judy Garland's last film

Judy Garland's final film is an OK drama with some musical sequences.  

The film is kind of a soap opera story of Judy trying to start a relationship with the son she abandoned years ago for a career in entertainment.  The father is played by Dirk Bogarde.  

Apparently Judy was a real handful on the set.  The director Ronald Neame and the star Dirk Bogarde had to deal with a moody high strung prima donna who couldn't be counted on to show up to film her scenes. Some critics have said that her angst ridden performance reveals the true Judy Garland.   Watching the film there may actually be some truth to that.   

Apparently Dirk Bogade was practically a co-director, he spent a lot of calming the high strung Garland.  The rumor was that it was the only way the film got made.

99 minutes, written by Mayo Simon.

1962 - ESCAPE FROM ZAHRAIN, very entertaining chase film.

A very good action/adventure film from a decent director, Ronald Neame.

 

Yul Brynner is the leader of an Arab group attempting to bring reforms to his repressive Middle Eastern country.  Yul's escaping in an ambulance across the desert from the troops of his country's repressive government.  Along the way he picks up an eclectic group of people which includes character actor Jack Warden who is very entertaining.  OK the film is essentially a rehash of John Ford's Stagecoach but if you are going to steal steal from the best.

Ronald Neame was known for well made entertainments and this film fits the bill.  It's fast paced, well photographed and edited.  

A modest film that just happens to be an entertaining one.

93 minutes, credited screenplay, Robin Estridge.