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Oct 16 10 2:17 AM
Dennis and I indulged in another double feature Movie Night.Our first feature was a Universal on demand DVD of TELL THEM WILLIE BOY IS HERE. I had seen this film theatrically and then, maybe, on network TV. It had been a long time since I'd seen it. The key element I remembered was Conrad Hall's Panavision cinematography, the on location backlit compositions that he was so fond of and good at photographing. This was Abraham Polonsky's first directorial effort following his blacklisting during the McCarthy era of the 1950s. Like most of Polonsky's films it is a message picture, this one about racism with elements that hint at the Vietnam War then still in progress, but fashioned as a thought provoking entertainment. It's 1909 and the White Man has invaded the traditional tribal grounds, sequestering the original population into reservations where they can be more easily controlled with little to no regard for their tribal customs or way of life. Headstrong Willie Boy (Robert Blake) returns to his home grounds seeking the hand of raven-haired Lola (Katherine Ross). Her father will not condone the pairing and, to make a long story short, Willie kills Lola's father in self defense. According to tribal law and custom this automatically makes her his wife. But when they run it is construed as a kidnapping by misguided Indian sympathist Dr. Arnold (Susan Clark) and she goads her lover, Deputy Sheriff "Coop" Cooper (Robert Redford), into forming a posse to pursue the couple.Based on Harry Lawton's book, the film purports to tell a true story. Though Redford is top-billed, there are several roles in the film and screen time is divided up among them in a manner not usually seen in "Star" vehicles. Actually, Redford's true stardom was just beginning given that BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID was released in October and WILLIE BOY hit screens in December. This simply means that the latter film was already in the can before the former film sent Redford's stock skyrocketing. It was just a lucky coincidence that Reford's co-star, Ross, was also in the film. Had it been made later, after the box office success of BUTCH, we might have seen a different approach with more screen time for Redford and Ross possibly in the Susan Clark role.There are several pleasures to be had in the supporting cast. Barry Sullivan and Charles McGraw are welcome sights. Appearing in smaller roles are Charles Aidman, John Vernon, Lou Frizzell and a few more familiar faces. Dave Grusin provides an interesting film score, one that would make a nice addition to a soundtrack collection. The print quality of this anamorphic DVD was very good.Our second feature was SOLDIER IN THE RAIN with Steve McQueen and Jackie Gleason. Blake Edwards and Maurice Richlin adapted William Goldman's novel about the relationship between Master Sergeant Maxwell Slaughter (Gleason) and Sergeant Eustis Clay as they go about their (shady) business on a military base. Ralph Nelson directs McQueen in one of his most overtly comical performances to good effect. Gleason actually has the more serious role of the two. Tuesday Weld is fun as Bobby Jo Pepperdine just as she was fun playing Thalia Menninger on THE MANY LOVES OF DOBIE GILLIS. Tony Bill gets to play extreme goofy and Tom Poston has his moments in a small role. Ed Nelson has a great role as a mean-spirited MP who has his eye on McQueen's antics. This was possibly his most memorable role in an "A" picture up to that time and it would only be another year before he would become famous as Dr. Rossi on the TV series PEYTON PLACE. As MP James Priest he goes from being a merely stern authority figure out to catch McQueen breaking the rules to an outright bad guy. A bar fight in which he and a buddy unfairly gang up on McQueen is a stunner. Nelson's autobiography, Beyond Peyton Place, relates that it was on this film that he and Tom Poston became friends. We learn that Poston was allergic to onions, which caused his throat to swell up. Nelson also offers Poston's solution should someone spill red wine on your clothing -- douse it in salt (the salt absorbs the wine).Henry Mancini's score is fine (another good candidate for CD release) and the picture quality of this disc looks fine.
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