Annie Hall 1977

The Film:
  Apparently elephants are not kosher (they do have cloven hooves, but they don't chew the cud!). However there is a great big one in the room when we discuss this film (just like there will be a few more times still to come) - this time in the shape of Woody Allen. I like Woody Allen's work and I'm not going to suddenly not like it because he has at the very least an unsavoury sex-life and has possibly done things that are far more sinister. If I was in the business I probably wouldn't work with him - but, the fact remains, I like a lot of his films. Including this one.

The Academy also liked this one rather a lot - it liked it a lot better than Star Wars. And I'm inclined to agree.....

It's a while since I've seen it so I'm looking forward to seeing it again. It's also one of the original templates for so many New York romcoms, sitcoms and dramas that I spend far too much of my time watching (and re-watching) so I'm expecting to be spotting things left right and centre!

The Ceremony:

It's Oscar's 50th birthday - and a very glitzy affair it was too! April 3rd 1978 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, with a running time of three and a half hours and ratings of just short of 40 million. Most notably, this was the nineteenth and last time that Bob Hope hosted the ceremony - very much the end of an era!

The ceremony was also notable for two main controversies. Firstly, Vanessa Redgrave used her acceptance speech to speak out against ultra-Zionists and Paddy Chayefsky then used his turn at the mic to have a go back. The saddest thing about this is that the same arguments are still going on today.....

Secondly, the live performance of the Best Song was accompanied by (supposedly) deaf children from a local school signing the lyrics. When several members of the public complained that the signing was nonsense rather than actual ASL, the organisers came clean and admitted that the children weren't deaf and they had been taught the signing very quickly for the performance.

Other Notable Winners That Night:

Star Wars won the most awards (six), but they were mainly technical awards (plus one for John Williams' score). Seven of the big eight awards went to either Annie Hall or Julia (which won the other screenplay and both Supporting awards). The other one went to Richard Dreyfuss for Best Actor in The Goodbye Girl - the youngest actor, at the time, to win it - although more people saw him that year in Close Encounters OTTK (which won one award for cinematography).

Jason Robards won Best Supporting Actor for the second year in a row, a feat only managed by a small number of actors.

Surprisingly (to me, at least) the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award was given to Charlton Heston. My first thought was that Hollywood doesn't really have a track record of recognising right-wing gun-toting conservatives as humanitarians - but then I worked out that Heston was probably still (just about) a left-wing liberal civil rights activist at this point.....

 Best Song:

Seriously? This beat the best Bond Theme ever??? Oh dear!

What We Could/Should Have Been Watching:

The force was not quite strong enough in this one.....

The choice was between Neil Simon's The Goodbye Girl (possibly splitting the Jewish New York comedy vote?), ballet drama The Turning Point (another contemporary NYC-set drama) and holocaust drama Julia. Oh, and Star Wars. It's no real surprise that Star Wars didn't win. Firstly, at the time it was just the one film, not the three, or six, or eight, or ten, or more - depending on what constitutes a true Star Wars film - that we have now. We didn't even know who Luke's father was at this point in time. Secondly, it was a big, effects-laden, sci-fi fantasy film. With very few exceptions (all in the 21st Century) the Academy has only rewarded realism for Best Picture. In fact, it's daring enough that there are a couple of sequences in Annie Hall that mess with reality, even only slightly. With hindsight, Star Wars was probably, objectively, the best film that year. It probably should have won, but rather than bemoaning the injustice of it all, we should be really impressed that it even got nominated!

Our Verdict:

As with Rocky, there's been a bit of a gap between watching Annie Hall and writing up this review. In this case, that's probably not a good thing. I've seen Annie Hall at least four or five times now. It's always an enjoyable experience but the finer details of the plot never really stick in my brain for long after watching it. As I said above, I really like Woody Allen films, including his more recent ones (although the recurring older man / younger woman storylines are a tad problematic). I'm not sure Annie Hall necessarily reflects his best writing, or his best directing, or his best acting - but it is where all three work together at their best. The film captures a particular time, place and community really well and it does so with great heart, great humour and a light enough touch that it can get away with several ideas and set pieces that really shouldn't have worked. 

Just a little comedy about two people

Some "firsts" in this film have become so well used
that you hardly notice them....

One of the first of many conversations about nothing in one
of many queues in many romcoms/sitcoms set in New York

The story is very slight. Alvy is a forty year old neurotic Jewish writer (funnily enough!) who meets similarly insecure midwestern WASP Annie. Their relationship plays out through the course of the film in a variety of set-piece scenes that allow them both (but mainly Alvy) to explore their insecurities in witty (and sometimes hilarious) dialogue. It is funny, it's well written and above all it has heart (something lacking in some of Allen's later films). I like Alvy and Annie and I want them to be ok - and that makes all the difference.

Anyone seen a Mantra lying around anywhere?

I am a big fan of New York and of New York sitcoms - particularly Seinfeld. On our only visit to New York - so far - we spent an afternoon with the real Kramer, buying soup from the Soup Nazi and having a big salad in Tom's (aka Monks) Diner. It's extremely unlikely that there would have been Seinfeld (as we know it) without Annie Hall. The scene where they are queuing and Alvy has a whole rant about queues is a classic example of a whole scene that is basically "about nothing", as Seinfeld was. (And, of course, Larry David has since played the Allen-esque character in a Woody Allen film - a perfect match). Annie Hall is also one of the first modern Romcoms - and, imho, is probably only matched by When Harry Met Sally. Although there are now several thousand to choose from! It's also only the second winner to break the fourth wall (the less said about the first one the better, although it was one of the only fairly good things about Tom Jones) and it's done so well. Add into that one short line from an unknown Jeff Goldblum and a blink-and-you'll-miss-it distance shot of pre-fame Sigourney Weaver and Annie Hall manages to pave the way for a lot of 80s and 90s New York comedies whilst remaining quintessentially 70s. It almost certainly wasn't the best film of 1977, but I'm very glad that it won!

Rocky 1976

The Film:

Rocky is an unusual winner, in that it's the only one that was the first in a long (and still growing) franchise of populist box-office-friendly films. We have sequels that have won (Godfather 2, Return of the King), winners that have spawned sequels (Mrs Miniver, Going My Way, In The Heat of the Night, The French Connection, The Godfather - have I missed any?) along with a fair few that were remakes, remade, spawned TV series etc. There were also several Broadway Melody films, but I'm not counting those, as the only link between them was a lack of imagination in naming 1930s musicals! (btw the last one - 1940 - is the best one, because of the Astaire/Powell partnership, with 1938 a close second, because of Judy Garland!).

At the time of writing there have been seven Rocky films, with the eighth in post-production and due out for Christmas. Stallone has written (or co-written) and starred in all of them, and directed half of them. I have to admit that I gave up after number 4 (which was as much a rock soundtrack as it was a film!) and I've been told that Creed is really good so I should probably watch it (not least because some of it was filmed at Goodison - apparently Sly is a big Everton fan!).

I'm not a big fan of boxing - at all! - but I remember really liking Rocky. It's a while since I've seen it so I'm looking forward to seeing it again. Andy's not seen it and is not a fan of the sequels he has seen, but I think he'll be pleasantly surprised....

The Ceremony:

Monday March 28th 1977 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. The broadcast rights moved back to ABC this year, and the ceremony was up against a big basketball game (something that would never happen today with all the concerns about ratings!)

The ceremony ran for 3 hours 38 minutes and was presented, yet again, by several hosts - the interesting quartet of Richard Pryor, Ellen Burstyn, Jane Fonda and Warren Beatty.

The Best Supporting Actress Award was presented by Muhammed Ali, alongside Sylvester Stallone. It's a nice touch that Ali was there the night that Rocky won - although it wouldn't have worked quite as well if one of the others won. (Had someone being doing some selective leaking at Price Waterhouse??)

Other Notable Winners That Night:

Faye and Oscar

The big acting prizes went to the big "serious" films that were nominated this year - three to Network and one to All The President's Men. It was also the first year that an Acting award was given posthumously - to Peter Finch, who had died of a heart attack earlier in the year. Beatrice Straight won her Supporting Actress award for the shortest performance ever to win - just over five minutes (a good few minutes shorter than Judi Dench's win!) These two films also took a Screenplay award each (and they both received more awards than Rocky).

The other notable nominee this year didn't actually win, but is definitely worth remembering. Lina Wertmuller was nominated as Best Director for the Italian film Seven Beauties, becoming the first (of only five to date) female director to be nominated. This came as a big surprise to me as I always thought it was Jane Campion first - with Sofia Coppola, Kathryn Bigelow and Greta Gerwig following. How is her name not mentioned more?

Best Song:

Three versions of "A Star Is Born" and only two Oscars between them (I'm not holding out much hope that Lady Gaga will change that, but I'd be delighted to be proved wrong!). Here's Barbra, soft as an easy chair, getting all soppy with hairy Kris:

What We Could/Should Have Been Watching:

I'm going to defend Rocky to the hilt here, for sentiment and appropriate cheering for the underdog as
much as anything else. I have far less problem than most film buffs with it winning Best Picture. The complaining from others tends to lead people to think Rocky is as unimportant as its many sequels - but its more down to the heavyweight (no pun intended) classics that it knocked out (that one was intended!).

Are we talking to him???

Rocky was up against "All The Presidents Men", "Network" and "Taxi Driver" (along with lesser-remembered Woody Guthrie biopic "Bound For Glory"). Any of those first three could have taken the prize and all are still critically acclaimed today. I can't argue with how good each of them are - but surely a lot of that depends on what you mean by a "good" film. Rocky is also a really good film and people really enjoyed watching it. So there.

If I was to go another way, it would depend entirely on what mood I'm in. "Network" and "All The Presidents Men" were the bigger winners on the night, but I'm still thinking of De Niro from a couple of years back, so let's have Taxi Driver (which shockingly didn't get Marty S a nomination for Best Director!)

Our Verdict:

Obligatory sports-film trainer/trainee shot

It's been a while between us watching this film and me finally writing up this review - I'll blame exam marking, holidays and general inertia! (At the time of writing, we've already watched 1983 - I have quite a backlog!)

For my second time of watching this film I wasn't even slightly disappointed. In really appreciating Rocky, it's important to try and forget the forty-something years that have passed since, the increasing list of really dreadful films that Sly has been a fairly dreadful part of and the gradual melting of his face. He made his masterpiece relatively early in his career!

Filling each other's gaps

One of the best things about Rocky is the fact that it isn't really a Sport Film at all - certainly not in the way that Chariots of Fire is, and not even as much as Million Dollar Baby is. The boxing is the backdrop, not the driving force. Ultimately, Rocky is part drama, part romance. With its gritty, city, working class setting it has some things in common with Midnight Cowboy, French Connection, even The Godfather - although here we're in Philly rather than NYC. Rocky is down on his luck, flawed but ultimately decent and just trying to get through a disappointing life.

Poor cow....

Two key things give him the chance to make things better. One is the big story of the film - although he's pretty much all washed up as a boxer he gets a freak chance to fight the champion. No one thinks he stands a chance, but he gives it his all with one goal - not to win, but just to go the distance. This leads to the iconic scenes in the film - using the hanging carcasses at the meat packing depot where his friend Paulie works as punch bags, and running up the steps as dawn breaks over Philadelphia (as imitated by pretty much everyone who's visited Philly since). These scenes are great. The montages are well shot and edited and the music is superb.

Go the distance!

The other, more subtle but equally important, change in Rocky's life during the story is his developing romance with Paulie's sister, Adrian (Talia Shire being given a lot more to do than in either Godfather film!). She works in a pet store, she's timid and shy - and the gradual development of her relationship with Rocky is beautifully and realistically portrayed. They are both shown to be flawed but basically good and decent people who deserve love, deserve a chance and, ultimately deserve each other - as Rocky says, they both have gaps, together they fill gaps.

Seven films on it's probably not too much of a spoiler to reveal that Rocky does, indeed, go the distance. But one of the best things about the film is that he doesn't win (yet - the sequels exist to spoil that!). The film isn't about winning - it's about trying. Ultimately that's what makes it such a good film.

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest 1975

The Film:

It's the second of only three films so far to win the "Big Five" awards (and the first was way back in the mid-thirties). It's another personal favourite of mine and an absolute masterclass in acting and directing.

Jack Nicholson had already been around for a few years (this was his fifth nomination!) but this was the film that really cemented his place in Hollywood history (filed under "legend"). He is remarkable in this film and I am mainly looking forward to seeing it again for his performance.

My office-mate Mark (who has been mentioned here before, and probably will be again), on hearing that this was next on the list, just said "that's a very sad film". I can't disagree with that, but I do remember laughing once or twice last time I watched it. And it's a film that I enjoy. I'm not sure how those things can fit together.....

The Ceremony:

March 29th at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion - hosted by Walter Matthau, Robert Shaw, George Segal, Goldie Hawn and Gene Kelly. How incredibly 70s is that line-up?!

The whole thing kicked off with a song and dance number led by 72 year old Ray Bolger (sort of like Neil Patrick Harris at the Tonys, but without any irony whatsoever) and ended with Liz Taylor, Gene Kelly and a whole Marching Band! (it's all there on Youtube!)

Somewhere in the middle of all this an honorary award was presented to 83 year old Mary Pickford - one of the first Hollywood Megastars and the first female Hollywood Mogul. She received it from her home - and the footage of this (including a bit of a guided tour) is definitely worth checking out on Youtube!


Other Notable Winners That Night:

Cuckoo's Nest took all the big ones - so what was left for everyone else?

The Big Five (although technically there's only four here -
two producers and no screenwriters!)

To lighten the mood, the two Supporting Acting Awards went to comedy performances - George Burns in "The Sunshine Boys" and Lee Grant in "Shampoo". "Dog Day Afternoon" took the other Screenplay award whilst "Barry Lyndon" and "Jaws" were the only films other than Cuckoo's Nest to take more than one Oscar - the former mainly for artsy categories, the latter for Sound, Film Editing and *that* Score, giving John Williams his second Oscar, but first (of four) for Original Score.

It was also the first time (but definitely not the last!) that a British animator won an Oscar - the great Bob "Roobarb" Godfrey took the Animated Short Film award for "Great" - a half hour musical film about Isambard Kingdom Brunel. I vaguely remember watching it many years ago. Here's an excerpt:

Best Song:

Robert Altman's Nashville was nominated for five awards, including the two big ones. It won one, for Best Song, "I'm Easy" - written and performed by Keith Carradine (and performed with varying degrees of competence at many folkie evenings since!)

What We Could/Should Have Been Watching:

She's dead...

It goes without saying that we had the right winner on the night. I personally don't think any of the other nominees were ever really in contention. There's Altman's "Nashville" - which is one of his best, but is still very episodically Altman and more than a bit marmite because of it. Then there's Kubrick's "Barry Lyndon" - overlong and overboring. "Dog Day Afternoon" is a really good film that still gets rave reviews today, but may have confused some of the Academy back in the day (by its dark "dramedy" tone as much as the transgender storyline). My runner-up award probably should go to Dog Day Afternoon, but I'm going to have to go all populist and give it to the other nominated film - the mighty Jaws. Because people still talk about it and watch it more than 40 years on. I was watching a Netflix thing the other day with Carol Burnett and a bunch of precocious young kids, and one of them (aged about 6) was obsessing about wanting to watch Jaws and be scared, but not wanting to watch it coz it might be too scary. For a film to still have that affect on someone who hasn't even seen it that long after it was released - well, it deserves something!

Our Verdict:

Earning every bit of that Oscar!

I think this is about the fourth time I've seen this film. I can confirm everything I said above - Jack Nicholson is remarkable, it is a very sad film, it made me laugh and I really enjoyed it. The seemingly impossible mix of all of those things is what makes it a truly great film. I have no doubt that I will watch it again sometime in the not too distant future.

Based (loosely and contentiously) on Ken Kesey's novel, the basic premise is that McMurphy is a habitual criminal who pleads insanity to try and get himself an easier sentence for his most recent crimes. He gets sent to a high security mental institution which is run by the cold and compassionless Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher).

Watching the World Series.

The film follows Mac as he gets his head around exactly what he has let himself in for. He meets a varied and interesting assortment of fellow patients (including several played by actors who went on to more famous roles in the 80s - Danny DeVito, Christopher Lloyd, Vincent Schiavelli, Michael Berryman) and he  bonds with them through a combination of treating them all as perfectly reasonable individuals and refusing to blindly follow Ratched's rules without questioning them.

Mmmmm Juicy Fruit!

The interactions with the other patients are brilliantly handled. Whenever Mac leads a little (or slightly bigger) rebellion, I'm willing them all on. Even though we know that Mac is inside for violence and statutory rape it is very difficult to not like him. (This seems to be a recurring theme in the 70s - the fourth year in a row that I'm cheering for criminals!) The relationship he builds up with Chief Bromden is brilliantly done - and a great example of how to deal effectively (Mac) and ineffectively (Ratched) with selective mutism.

The film has a dark note running all the way through it, which is shown subtly in the first half of the film in the character of Nurse Ratched. When Louise Fletcher won her Oscar she thanked everyone for hating her so much - and she plays the role with such coldness and controlled power that she could almost be classed as evil. (Although not quite)

Some villains are not quite as obvious as others -
but no less deadly!

Her attitude towards the patients - and to young Billy Bibbit in particular - leads to several tragedies in the second half of the film. All arguably entirely of her making, and certainly avoidable if she had behaved differently. The fact that we don't know the reason why she behaves the way she does, and that we don't really find out how the events have affected her personally, just adds to the cold and detached nature of the character. That's a credit to the screenwriter, director and actress! (Although there is a small part of me that would love to see a film following everything from Ratched's perspective - I sort of want to feel sympathetic towards her, but I'm given no reason to do so, so I can't. Which is both brilliant and frustrating!)

This film deserved every one of its awards and it is right up there in my Top Ten in this challenge. The ending is almost unbearably sad, but with just enough of a glimmer of hope to make the previous two hours worth every second. A triumph!

The Godfather Part II 1974

The Film:

So here we go. The ongoing debate - Is this the best sequel of all time? (possibly) Is it even better than the first installment? (very much not so, in my opinion). Is it really as good as people say it is.....

Well, it still remains (technically) the only sequel to have won Best Picture - although Peter Jackson sort of spoilt that when the third part of the Lord of the Rings trilogy took the big prize. It is currently ranked third on IMDb - just behind Part 1, with both of them a whisker behind the mighty Shawshank (which I will return to in twenty films' time....)

I've seen this film a fair few times and I'm looking forward to seeing it again. I like it far more than Andy did when I first showed it to him (and he was very disappointed by it) but I'm very much more a fan of the first one and would even go as far as to suggest (controversially) that this one only got the number of awards that it did in order to make up for Fosse and co swiping several of them first time round.

The Ceremony:

As the poster says, the ceremony was held on Tuesday April 8th. It was at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion again and was presented by - wait for it - Bob Hope! Along with Shirley McLaine, Sammy Davis Jr and Frank Sinatra. That's one hell of a line up - just watch the finale below! (sponsored by Ernest and Julio Gallo among others!)

This year holds the distinction of being the only time that all nominees for one award were from the same studio (Costume Design - dominated by Paramount.)

It is also the last time to date that one film has had three nominations in the same acting category - in this case De Niro fought off competition from Lee Strasberg (who didn't do much in my opinion, but don't get me started....) and Michael V Gazzo (a much more worthy contender!).

Other Notable Winners That Night:

A handful of Oscars - do you think he called them
Sonny, Michael and Fredo?

Having had to share the spoils with Cabaret two years earlier, tonight was Francis' night. He personally took three - for Film, Director and Screenplay - putting him in a select group who have done the "auteur triple" (a name I've just come up with!). A fair few films have won these three awards, but all three have only been given to the same person in the same year on seven occasions. We've seen two so far (Leo McCarey and Billy Wilder). Film buffs might be able to guess one of the other four (ok, I guessed!) but I'm surprised by the others (there's one in the 80s, two in the 00s and one in the 10s!)

Although the family pretty much cleaned up, three of the four acting awards went elsewhere - to Art Carney (seeing off Nicholson, Pacino and Hoffman!), Ellen Burstyn and Ingrid Bergman - winning her third Oscar 40 years after her first.

Best Song:

Remember Maureen McGovern going down with the ship singing the Oscar winner two years ago (last time The Godfather won)? This time she's been hired for the opening of The Glass Tower (the one that very quickly becomes an Inferno!). Seriously people, stop hiring Maureen McGovern to sing at your events!

What We Could/Should Have Been Watching:

Ouch - that nose!

A real mix of films in contention this year. Fosse was back with "Lenny", but didn't manage to rain on Francis' parade again this time. "The Towering Inferno" was also nominated - unusually for that type of blockbuster-disaster movie, but it is a particularly fine example of the genre. Coppola was actually nominated twice as producer, with his other nomination coming for "The Conversation". All of them fine films with very fine casts! None of them were ever really likely to cause an upset, but if there was a runner-up prize it would probably have gone to Polanski's "Chinatown", which was joint-most-nominated film that year and is still highly regarded today (despite the current status of its director!). It's a long time since I saw Chinatown. I need to watch it again....

Our Verdict:

Beautiful iconic shot!

Vito and Clemenza, off to find a new carpet.....

 I know I'm going to upset a few people with this one, but the fact remains. I don't think Part 2 is anywhere near as good as Part 1. Maybe it's because the first one stands on its own, but the second one needs you to know the first one. Maybe its because the Michael sections of the second one get needlessly complicated with too many characters and situations - or maybe its because the Vito sections are so good I just keep waiting to get back to them. I've now seen this film nearly as many times as I've seen the original and I still don't love it the way that other fans of the series do.

It's all going to end in tears!

Robert De Niro is by far the best thing in the film and he thoroughly deserved his Oscar (far more than Brando did for playing the same character two years previously). He hardly utters a word of English and yet, even for those of us with very limited Italian, we are able to pick up every nuance and inflection in what he's saying, even as we read the subtitles. He's also amazing at reproducing many of the vocal characteristics and other distinctive tics that Brando gave to the older Vito, without ever actually doing an impression of him. As I said before, the Vito parts of the story are superbly done and, for me, are what makes this film great. Some people prefer to watch the whole saga chronologically, and with the chopping about that goes on here between Vito and Michael I can see the appeal - but watching young Vito with the hindsight of what he becomes adds such rich layers to both the acting and the storytelling.

This, however, is only half of the film, and I'm not as impressed with the other parts, which follow Michael as head of the Family in the late 50s. There's a lot going on and Michael's character - and his gradual rise/fall (however you want to look at it) - is developed really well. The continuing bad decisions from Fredo and the predicaments of Frankie Pentangeli (and the fates of both of them) keep the 50s story going for me, but I keep waiting for the timeline to shift back to young Vito, which sort of spoils things for me.

The birth of a Dynasty.

I'm also disappointed that more wasn't done with Diane Keaton (who had one great dramatic scene and really that was it) and Talia Shire (who was nominated for an Oscar for, basically, having a new hair-do and whingeing a bit). Two good actresses on the rise (we'll see both of them again this decade) and they had very little to do....(I know, be careful what you wish for - Sophia Coppola isn't quite the actress that her aunt is!)

I'm probably sounding far too negative in my review here. This is a great film. If you watch it alongside the first Godfather film, then that's probably the best six and a half hours of cinematic storytelling that's out there - and the time will fly by. However, in comparison to what is possibly the greatest film ever (not my favourite, but the greatest), the sequel falls a little short for me.

The Sting 1973

The Film:

It's another film that I love and know well. Newman, Redford and Hill made two films together. I prefer the other one (Butch and Sundance) as I've said previously, but this is also fab!

It's no surprise that I'm a big fan of Paul Newman - I've been shoehorning pictures of him on this blog where ever I can since the 50s. He doesn't actually get his Oscar for a fair while yet, but he's finally in a Best Picture, so I'm going to make the most of it!

The film itself is one I first knew about because of its soundtrack, which I had on vinyl (and as a piano score!) when I was quite young. A particular guitar-version of Joplin's Maple Leaf Rag is an indelible part of my childhood memories and this soundtrack introduced me to more of his music. It's lovely stuff and is a fundamental part of the whole experience of watching this film. Which I am looking forward to doing for the first time in ages!

The Ceremony:

One of David Niven's coolest moments!

April 2nd at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Hosted by Burt Reynolds, Diana Ross, John Huston and David Niven.

David Niven was the one of these four presenters that secured his place in Oscar history that night, because of his suave, witty and totally unruffled response to a particularly memorable stage invasion.

One of the weirdest cultural phenomena of the 1970s was the "art" of streaking, which reached its peak in US colleges in 1974. Oscar had its own streaker - a photographer named Robert Opel - who ran behind David Niven making a peace sign. Niven's response was superb - "The only laugh that man will ever get in his life is by stripping off and showing his shortcomings"



Other Notable Winners That Night:

Butter wouldn't melt.

George Lucas got his first nominations this year, Glenda Jackson and Jack Lemmon both won their second Oscars and, other than The Sting (which won seven), the awards were fairly evenly distributed among a variety of films.

Best Supporting Actor went to 71 year old John Houseman for The Paper Chase. Best Supporting Actress went to Tatum O'Neill for Paper Moon - who was more than 60 years younger than Houseman. At ten years old, O'Neill is still the youngest ever winner of a competitive Oscar (yes, younger than Anna Paquin!) and, in my opinion, was a very worthy winner. I love Paper Moon and she is the best thing in it. What a shame she reached her peak aged 10....


Best Song:

It's Barbra singing the song that was everywhere that year (and for several years after). It became the go-to song for comedy performances and parodies of really bad singers right through to the eighties (it's the song Doris' mom makes her sing in the film of Fame). It's a Marvin Hamlisch classic, but it's not as good as Live And Let Die which would have got my vote that year! All together now....."Memries, in the corners of our minds....."

What We Could/Should Have Been Watching:

Don't go in there - they're cooking socks in hell!

My vote would have been with The Sting all the way, although there's an interesting mix of nominees this year, including very 70s comedy "A Touch of Class", very Ingmar Bergman "Cries and Whispers" and early George Lucas classic "American Graffiti".

I could possibly have gone for American Graffiti but, following on from the previously-banned theme of a couple of years ago, I'm giving this one to The Exorcist. Aside from it being Dr Kermode's favourite film (and one I have chatted personally with him about!) it is a very good film, a very cleverly made film (pre computer effects - that cold breath is there because they packed the room with ice!) and people still watch it, talk about it, write about it, make documentaries about it, parody it etc today.

Our Verdict:

The lovely Mr Newman

I make no apologies for making the most of the opportunity to share more pictures of one of our leading men here - he is very lovely to look at. He also does a great, understated, job here of keeping the film going and drawing the audience in - almost by under-acting and letting the story and the ensuing action just do its thing.

Although I prefer Butch and Sundance (just about), The Sting is a great film that - like its predecessor - benefits from being such a classy and clever period piece that it manages to throw in contemporary references to the time it was made whilst still being able to stand the test of time and hold up to viewings nearly five decades later.

This film is set in the 1930s and involves two con-men (younger Johnny Hooker and more experienced Henry Gondorff) setting up a long con aimed at bringing down a bigger criminal in revenge for the murder of Hooker's mentor (played by James Earl Jones' dad Robert!). The plot is detailed and, in parts, complicated - but it hooks the viewer in, which makes it an easy, accessible and satisfying watch. I can't say very much more without giving away far too many of the twists and turns....

Gratuitous Newman shot number two

There are three key things that make this film great. Firstly, the pairing of Newman and Redford is such a great one. Redford got a deserved Best Actor nomination in the slightly bigger part, but Newman is also clearly enjoying playing a character who could so easily have become far less sympathetic in less nuanced hands. The supporting cast are also great (including Eileen Brennan who will now forever be Jack's acting coach from Will and Grace in my mind!) but the whole thing is carried by the two superb leads.

I know, I know, but hey....

I'll let Redford get a look in as well!

The second key thing is the period look and feel of the film. It has been criticised for not being authentically mid-30s (as it apparently veers a good decade forward and back from there in its details). However, I don't think that matters. The overall effect is of something that is both of its time and also timeless. And it looks good. The suits, the cars, the hotel rooms, the train carriages, the cocktails. It's all a backdrop to the serious-but-not-too-serious tone of the story.

The third thing is - of course - the music. Scott Joplin was definitely not 1930s (he died in 1917) but his music is used to great effect throughout the film, setting the scene, highlighting tension, tenderness and comedy in all the right places. It made a big hit out of The Entertainer - and it introduced me to Joplin's music which I still love today. (The Maple Leaf Rag and Bethena - neither of which are on this soundtrack - have become big favourites!).

Various critics have questioned the choice of The Sting as a winner over its (arguably) more worthy fellow nominees. It's seen as being a populist choice, as it was a ridiculously big Box Office hit (particularly in Ireland, apparently, where some people went to see it every week for over a year....). However, I love it and I'm very glad that it won - if only so that the Newman/Redford/Hill trinity got the recognition it deserved.

The Godfather 1972

The Film:

Ok. We've made it to the big one. Considered by some to be the greatest film ever made and certainly a strong contender for the best Best Picture winner ever. This film (and its first sequel - which we will return to) is quite extraordinary in its success, influence, enduring appeal and the way it has become woven into modern culture through both "pop references" and more significant cultural references, even today nearly 50 years on.

I've seen The Godfather about half a dozen times before - although I didn't see it for the first time until I was well into my 20s (which was probably a good thing). If someone asks me what my favourite films are, this tends to be one of the ones I mention. It gets better every time I watch it and it deserves every bit of (non-violent) hype it gets.

I took Andy to see it (for the first time) at the cinema when it was on at our local independent a few years back. (He loved it too!) I think this makes it the first of our winners that I've actually seen at the cinema - it's also the last of our winners to have been released before I was born (twenty-five days before I was born, to be precise!). I'm looking forward to seeing it again.

The Ceremony:

Not Marlon Brando

March 27th 1973 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Hosted by Carol Burnett, Michael Caine, Charlton Heston and Rock Hudson (quite an interesting line up!)

The ceremony will be remembered mainly for one person, who didn't actually win an Oscar, or even accept one on someone else's behalf. Marlon Brando refused his Best Actor Oscar (to be fair, he already had one!) and sent Native American Sacheen Littlefeather along to refuse it on his behalf. He sent her along to draw attention to that year's incident at Wounded Knee and as a protest at the negative portrayal of Native Americans in Hollywood movies. Her speech received a mixed reaction from the crowd, but I think Brando made his point.



Other Notable Winners That Night:

Twiddle-dee-dee-dee-dee - two Oscars!

The big winner that night was not The Godfather (which won three - Picture, Actor, Screenplay) but Cabaret which won eight of the ten Oscars it was nominated for, including Best Director for Bob Fosse and Actress and Supporting Actor for its stars Liza Minnelli and Joel Gray. It is still stands as the film that won the most Oscars without winning Best Picture. It is still controversial to some that Joel Grey beat Caan, Duvall and Pacino to his award - but Grey's Emcee is one of my favourite supporting performances ever so I'm more than happy to take sides against the family on this one! 

With eleven awards being snatched up by the two big contenders, that doesn't leave much for anyone else. However, honourable mention needs to go to Charlie Chaplin again. A year after winning his big Honorary Award, he finally won a competitive award for the score of Limelight, which was eligible because it got its first cinema release in LA that year. Possibly winning on a nostalgic technicality, but a nice win nonetheless.

Best Song:

There's a weird thing that appears to have happened on both occasions where The Godfather has won Best Picture. Disaster movies were a big thing in the 70s and so , it would appear, were the theme songs from them, which took Oscars on the same years as The Godfather did. This one is from the Poseidon Adventure, featuring Maureen McGovern as the lounge singer on board the ship that's about to go down. Guess what happens next time we see Maureen McGovern! (Hint - I wouldn't recommend hiring her for an event, it doesn't seem to end well....)

What We Could/Should Have Been Watching:

Money!

It was always a two horse race for the big prize (if you'll excuse the mention of horses in a post about The Godfather!). The Godfather did NOT win Best Director - that went to Bob Fosse for Cabaret, which won in every category it was nominated in, except Best Picture and Screenplay. That's five Oscars more than its rival. There are many other years in which it would have taken the main prize and it also happens to be one of my favourites (although I do still think that The Godfather is the better film!)

We've been very lucky to have seen some great stage productions of Cabaret, particularly one performed in Berlin which (as well as being superb in itself) added all sorts of layers just because of where we were. Andy is less keen on the film than I am - but the staging of the scenes set in the Kit Kat Club are simultaneously joyous, disturbing, vicious and poignant. Bob, Liza and Joel all deserved their awards and - as we now know - Francis will be back again in a couple of years.

Our Verdict:

Proud (God)father and his three sons!

I'm not really sure what to write for this one. There's very little to be said that hasn't already been said somewhere. So maybe I should just say it again. I LOVE THIS FILM. There is no real reason for me to love it in terms of genre (not generally my sort of thing) stars (none that I would say are favourites) or director (sorry Francis, you're a bit hit and miss). However, this is a practically perfect piece of filmmaking in all of the ways I love film. 

The real star of the show

Firstly, this is a character study that manages to study several characters and their interactions, motivations, reactions, emotions etc so cleverly, subtly and (most importantly) interestingly. For me, this story is all about Michael - particularly when you watch the whole trilogy, but also when you just take this film on its own. The line "just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in" doesn't come until Part 3 - but so much of what leads up to it is here in the first one. It shows on his face rather than in anything he says. If anyone could have taken the Oscar from Joel Grey, for my money it would have been Pacino.

The storytelling throughout the film is also brilliant. It isn't too wordy, but it also doesn't rely too much on set pieces action scenes. It blends the two beautifully to tell an evenly paced and sometimes complicated story in a way that sucks you in from the start and keeps you hooked right to the end. The opening scene of Connie's wedding starts things off as they mean to go on. You get to know the family - by being shown them and being told about them (by Michael to Kay) and you get an emotional feel for them as well by joining them at a happy and (usually) typical family occasion. I checked the timer at the end of the wedding and we were already twenty five minutes in. It didn't feel like it - but it made me want to watch more (even when I knew exactly what was coming next)

The point of no return.....

This is a film about very unpleasant, dangerous and violent criminals - and yet I'm sort of on their side, without ever feeling that I need to condone their actions. I'm on Sonny's side when he beats up Connie's husband, I want the Corleones to get one over on the other families - and the only reason that I don't want Michael to find that gun behind the toilet is because it's the point of no return for him, not because I don't want him to kill those b*****ds.

What else is there to mention? The film looks good. The cinematography is great and the colour palette is so effective, particularly in the contrast when Michael goes to Sicily. The acting is superb by pretty much everyone - I would argue, controversially, that Brando is one of the weakest of a very strong bunch. The ending is satisfying if you want to let the film stand on its own, but also works very well as the lead in to a sequel.

Those pesky oranges

There are lots of things about this film that now sound like cliches when you hear them - offers you can't refuse, sleeping with the fishes, taking sides against the family, leaving guns and taking cannolis, freaking out when you see an orange - and various references to horses heads. However, they all still work in the context of a film that, despite being 46 years old, has aged very well indeed. I'm not sure I can quite say the same for myself, but 1972 was a very good year!

The French Connection 1971

The Film:

I'm pretty sure I've seen this one before, quite some time ago. I definitely remember the car chase, but I'm not sure about much else - so I'm looking forward to seeing it (again). I used to get it muddled in my head with Chinatown (which is a couple of years later and a very different film) so maybe I don't really know what I'm about to watch.

I do know that this film won out in two very strong categories (Film and Director). Following on from Midnight Cowboy a few years earlier, it has a very modern, "gritty" style and subject matter and is another example (along with In The Heat of the Night, Midnight Cowboy and the Godfather films that are on their way) of a Best Picture winning film that represents a new and different way of doing things. Welcome to the 70s!

The Ceremony:

This all happened a week before I was born - on 10th April 1972 - so everything after this point is within my lifetime.

It was at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion again, with only four hosts this time - Helen Hayes, Alan King, Sammy Davis Jnr and Jack Lemmon.

The ceremony was notable for being one of the last public appearances of Betty Grable who was suffering from cancer and died the following year.

Nothing else really special to report, except for a certain award given to a certain film pioneer (see below!)

Other Notable Winners That Night:

And about time too!

Best Actor went to Gene Hackman, and Best Actress to Jane Fonda, winning her first Oscar for Klute. Both the supporting awards went to performances from The Best Picture Show (Ben Johnson and Cloris Leachman). The fact that all these are for morally complicated characters in morally complicated films definitely sets down a marker for the 1970s!

The biggest and most popular award of the night by far went to Mr Charles Chaplin who won a long overdue honorary award for his contribution to film-making (he got one in 1929, but with very little fuss or fanfare, and it wasn't a statuette!). Most of his best films and greatest innovations happened before the Awards began (which is a shame - The Kid should have swept the board for starters, except there wasn't a board to sweep!) so he had to wait until his 70s to get his own statuette. He received a twelve minute standing ovation, which is still (and probably will remain) the longest in Oscars history.

I love Chaplin films. He has a strong claim to have invented (at least in Hollywood terms) both Romcoms and the sort of Social Commentary/Political Satire that we still have today. Some of his best films are nearly a century old now and still work for contemporary audiences in both these genres. Hooray for Chaplin!

Best Song:

This year it's all about cool cops strutting around New York. And this is one of the coolest songs ever to win an Oscar! Isaac Hayes may have had a bigger UK Chart hit with his Chocolate Salty Balls several decades later, but this is his finest moment:

What We Could/Should Have Been Watching:

Come to think of it, I don't recall Maestro Pembridge ever
conducting Beethoven's Ninth!

It's a pretty strong category this year - including Nicholas and Alexandra (historical dramas about royalty were on their way out though), Fiddler on the Roof (as were muscials).

I think The French Connection was a deserved winner, but two others could have equally been seen as strong winners. The Last Picture Show is a very good film that has stood the test of time and is in the US National Film Registry (as is The French Connection). However, I'm going to go against my usual instincts and give honourable mention to a Kubrick film for once - A Clockwork Orange is very good, which is probably why it is so problematic, so much so that I'm a bit surprised that it was nominated. It got significantly edited for US release (I'm guessing that was the version that got nominated). It ultimately got banned (by Kubrick himself) in the UK after copycat violence and became one of those films (like The Exorcist) that was a must see for students in the 90s. The Exorcist could be seen in "members clubs" in the 90s (ie. in the SU as long as you paid £1 to join Film Soc) - Clockwork Orange was only available crammed into the room of someone who was cool enough to have an illegal copy. Amazing how times have changed......

Our Verdict:

Good cop, bad cop - all in one!

I enjoyed this film far more than I thought I would. Firstly I was worried that it was going to be an early example of something that has now become formulaic - it is that, but it's such a good example that it stands nicely as the original with everything else (to a greater or lesser extent) an inferior copy. There are several scenes which, by the late 70s / early 80s, had been imitated regularly on the sort of cop shows the US was churning out for Saturday night viewing. But the mastercopies are here and they are brilliant!

Chat et souris - le souris gagne!

Secondly, I was bothered that it was going to be difficult to watch because, given the characters and subject matter, it would have become dated. I was worried mainly about casual racism, sexism, homophobia etc. Some of that was there, but it was so well bound up in the characterisation and scene-setting - particularly in the first twenty minutes or so - that it just about justified its existence.

Thirdly, this sort of cop drama, car chase sort of thing really isn't my sort of film. I wouldn't have chosen to watch it, had it not been on this list, or at least been something which was highly praised by critics. I needn't have worried - I really enjoyed it, and I agree with the critics that it is a very good film indeed.

About as 1971 as any movie scene ever gets!

I generally prefer my films to be character-led with great storylines that develop those characters (hence my love of Wilder, Capra and Mankiewicz!). This doesn't really have any of that. Apart from Hackman's Popeye Doyle, we don't really see into any of the characters at all - and even with Doyle it's snapshots of the various (sometimes very morally dubious) motivations he has as a cop, rather than anything more substantial. We don't even really have that much of a complicated or clever plot. There's some drugs coming in from France, Doyle and Russo are trying to find them. That's basically it! (I know, I'm simplifying things, but not by much)

Russo and Doyle - like an American Carter and Regan

What I liked most about The French Connection were the surveillance and/or chase scenes, of which there were several, all expertly shot and paced. I read somewhere that this film is basically just people watching and chasing other people - and you're never entirely sure if anyone really gets caught (except the ones that get a bullet!). That's probably a fair summary - but its done so well. The scene where the top baddie ("Frog One") is being followed on and off (and on again) a subway train by Doyle is brilliant. And the famous car chase scene, where the car is chasing the train that is travelling above it, is also fantastic - even though the posters weirdly reveal the end of that sequence! It's not too much of a spoiler to reveal that everything comes to a head in an abandoned (and very wet) warehouse, but the ending is wonderfully ambiguous and yet still weirdly satisfying. As an example of the genre, The French Connection is a masterclass - and it still holds up nearly 50 years later.