New York Magazine: Michael McKeever- 'Watch a Private Eye Fact-Check Detective Movies'

Source:Vulture- NYC private eye Michael McKeever & Humphrey Bogart in The Big Sleep. 

“In Vulture’s video series, Expert Witness, we ask scientists, historians, and other professionals to give Hollywood movies a good old-fashioned fact-check.

Private eyes are one of Hollywood’s greatest legacies. From the likes stone-cold Philip Marlowe to bumbling clown Gene Parmesan, private detectives have long been a source of drama, comedy, and everything in between. But would a real PI really break through a window to get evidence? Would they really ride a bus to avoid being tailed? We talked to veteran New York City private investigator Michael McKeever to expose some of the biggest movie myths about private eyes.”

From New York Magazine

This video gets off to a perfect start for me at least in the first few seconds with a clip from The Big Sleep with Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart. Because you have Slim and Bogie together in the same movie, but when I think of great movie detectives I start with The Big Sleep with Bogie playing private eye Phil Marlowe in that great film noir movie.

Source:Gifer- Slim & Bogie in The Big Sleep 

Bogie plays a guy who is simply out to do his job and solve the case that he's working on and doesn't play the saint or devil in that movie, but a guy who is a lot more complicated than that who plays a no nonsense ( except for the great quips and wisecracks ) detective who is working on a case. And of course Lauren Bacall, is Lauren Bacall I would watch her driving a bus in a movie simply to watch her because she's Lauren Bacall and a chance to see her gorgeous, adorable, sharp witty self doing anything.

And I think Michael McKeever is right where he says that you can't assume the truth and that people are telling you the truth that what private eye and police detectives have in common is that they have to know what's going in the case and know about the important players and the key evidence, simply because it's their job. The detective profession is the last of the romantics and idealists where you would find people who are always looking for the best out of everyone and everything they see. Similar to reporters it's their job to know exactly what's going and make the best possible case about the case that they're working on and then to report to who they're working for whether it's a private citizen or organization or a detective lieutenant or sergeant exactly what they found out.

When I think of great movie detectives I think of Humphrey Bogart and James Caan who both played Phil  Marlowe, but in different movies. Bogie, played Marlowe in The Big Sleep and Caan played Marlowe in a not nearly as famous movie Poodle Springs from 1998. Where they both play guys who are simply out to do their jobs and aren't looking to change the world and are very unromantic with who they go about their business.

The great TV and movie private detectives go about their business and do their jobs. This is their assignment, this is the important facts and evidence, these are the important players in the case. And it's their job to find out what happened and how it happened and then report what they found out and turned up back to the people they're working for. My two favorite TV detectives are Joe Mannix ( from Mannix ) and Jim Rockford ( The Rockford Files ) for the exact same reasons.

I think the main problem with current TV private eye shows and movies is what Michael McKeever ( New York City real-life private detective ) is talking about which gets to realism. When you're talking about Hollywood they have TV shows and movies to sell and for them to do that they have to be popular and for them to be popular they have to be cool or awesome. And for that to happen their characters have to be cool or awesome with a lot of young viewers.

And for that to happen that means their shows and movies might have to look unrealistic with heavy usage of new technology, expensive style and taste, a lot of violence, the detective physically getting involved with one of the key players in the case, heavy focus on their perusal lives, etc or young hipsters won't be into the show or movie. Back in the day these shows and movies were less fashionable, but better simply because they were more believable and the actors and material was also much better. 

Joan Collins Archives: Mark McMorrow- 'Film Flashback: Rally Round The Flag Boys (1958)'

Source:Joan Collins Archive- Joan Collins and Paul Newman in Rally Round The Flag Boys.

"This comedy from 1958 features Joan with good friends Paul Newman & Joanne Woodward.. Read more in my film archive!"

Source:Joan Collins Archives

“Rally ‘Round the Flag, Boys Full Movies.”

Source:James Neff- Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman, in Rally Round The Flag Boys. (1958)

From James Neff

Unlike Seven Thieves which I blogged about a couple weeks ago Joan Collins and Paul Newman, really are the only two reasons to watch Rally Round The Flag Boys. Joanne Woodward is pretty cute and funny in it, Jack Carson is great as the stumbling awkward U.S. Army Captain who tries to come off as a lot tougher than he actually is. Jack Carson is simply one of the top comedic actors of his generation.

But the first hour of this movie is pretty funny with Joan playing this beautiful (if not gorgeous) rich housewife in this small town about an hour outside of New York City who really only has one problem. Her wealthy business executive husband never sees her. The man is either working all the time at the office, out-of-town on business (or with his mistresses's) or going out with his mistresses. I added the mistress part myself to make it sound funny, but the point being the man is never around and never seen with his beautiful adorable wife Angela Hoffa (played by Joan Collins) in the entire movie. And Joan can get kinda prickly about little things like never seeing her husband. Even if he gives her an allowance that makes her a millionaire.

But Angela comes across Harry Bannerman (played by Paul Newman) early in the movie when he gets to the train station in their small town coming back from work and his wife is too busy to pick him up. Angela just happens to be there perhaps thinking this might be the night where she actually gets to spend some time with her husband, but of course he's still not there and still at work. And offers to drive Harry home. And that is where Angela and Harry who are neighbors get to know each other a little bit and find out that they have something in common. Which is they don't get to see their spouses very often.

Harry's wife Grace Bannerman (played by Joanne Woodward) is the busiest housewife in Putnam's Landing if not America as a whole. Except she's not very busy at home (if you get my drift) but instead is more like a First Lady and is involved in every civil activity known to man. At least in Putnam's Landing and isn't around much for her husband Harry, but he works a lot as well and doesn't see his wife a lot either. They have a townhall meeting in Putnam's and the Mayor there announces that the U.S. Army wants to open a base there, but won't tell them why they need the base there. And his wife is appointed to run a new committee to deal with the new Army base coming to town. And appoints her husband to be the liaison between the town and U.S. Army about the base coming to town. Harry just happens to work in public relations and is in the U.S. Naval Reserve so is very qualified for this job.

To get back to Joan Collins which is really the only reason why I'm writing about this. There are two very hysterical scenes in this movie where Joan is her usually adorably funny self. Perhaps three with her picking up Paul Newman early in the movie and driving him home. But the first one being where Paul drives Joan home from the meeting because his wife stays late at the meeting and Joan invites him in to her home. And they have a hilarious but innocent party where they get drunk and do a lot of dancing and fall back down the stairs together after trying to go upstairs.

The other scene being where Joan follows Paul to his hotel in Washington where he's there to talk to the Pentagon about his new role in Putnam's and gets to his hotel room and Joan is there waiting for him. Harry makes it real clear that he's happily married and doesn't want to get involved, but Angela doesn't take no at least not very easily and makes a big play for him. And Harry's wife arrives there and sees them together. After that the movies gets really silly and looks more like musical comedy than anything else.

I saw this movie a few months ago and have it on DVD and tweeted that and shared that on Google+ as well that the only reason I saw this movie was to see the adorably funny Joan Collins in it. Joan actually saw that and liked it. Saw this movie over the weekend to refresh my memory about it and to prepare for this piece. Take Joan Collins out of this movie and replace her with a much more ordinary woman who doesn't have Joan's comedic ability and talent like a Deborah Kerr or someone like that (no offense to Deborah Kerr) and I don't have much incentive to watch this movie, at least not a 2nd time. This movie is an example where a great actress and actor can pull the movie together by themselves. Especially if that actress is as beautiful, adorable, sexy, and funny as a Joan Collins. 

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Joan Collins Archive: Mark McMorrow- 'Legendary Dame! Film Flashback: Seven Thieves 1960'

Source:The Joan Collins Archive- Hollywood & British Goddess Joan Collins, in Seven Thieves.

"This exciting heist caper from 1960 features Joan with a cast of Hollywood heavyweights including Edward G Robinson, Eli Wallach & Rod Steiger.. Read more in my film archive here!!
60's Focus : SEVEN THIEVES .. 1960 .. FOX ..

From Joan Collins Archive

"A shrewd and classy caper film set amid the beautiful cities of Nice and Monte Carlo and the glorious French Riviera.  Elder professor, Theo, tells young criminal, Paul, that he wants one more triumph before ending his highly controversial career.  Even though he is reluctant, Paul takes physical charge of the criminal operation which mastermind Theo has meticulously planned; Theo has just finished what he terms as a "three year rest," meaning a prison term.  Melanie, a stripper, and her mentor, saxophonist Poncho, are also recruited onto the seven person team for the event.  The master plan calls for the robbery of the Grand Casino of Monte Carlo on the night of the Governor's Ball.  When the caper moves into full swing, obstacles abound.  Will the seven thieves be able to pull it off?"

Source:FOX- Edward Robinson, Rod Steiger, and Eli Wallach.

From FOX

Source:The Daily Review- Edward Robinson, Rod Steiger, Joan Collins, and Eli Wallach.

Just to be personal for a minute: I've been thinking about this movie a lot lately, because I really love Joan Collins the entertainer. The great actress, the great wit, etc. The beautiful baby-face, voice, keen intelligence, and honesty as well.

She reminds me a lot of Ava Gardner and Elizabeth Taylor who all had those qualities as well. I have 3-4 Joan Collins movies on DVD and got the urge to see one of her movies and was also thinking about Ocean's Eleven from 1960, (the original and best Ocean's) and decided to look at Seven Thieves again. Saw the movie about two weeks ago and saw this blog piece about it on Joan's blog and that is why I'm writing about it now.

I swear other than maybe Brigitte Bardot, Joan Collins must have been the cutest woman in France when this movie was made. She's her always beautiful, adorable, and witty self in this movie. And she relates very well with Rod Steiger. (The lead on the caper in the movie) If you're familiar with Ocean's Eleven 1960 and like that movie, you'll like Seven Thieves as well. Except this time in Seven Thieves the beautiful lead actress (Joan Collins) has a major role in the movie. Angie Dickinson had an important, but fairly small role in Ocean's. You only see Angie for maybe 10 minutes in Ocean's.

Joan is not just the lead actress in Seven Thieves, but she's in most of the movie. She's part of the planning of the caper and in on the caper, as well as escape later on in the movie. With Edward Robinson playing the mastermind of the caper and Rod Steiger as his director sort of like a head coach for a football team reporting to a general manager.

If you like a movie full of stars, a star-studded affair (so to speak) then you'll also like Seven Thieves. Ed Robinson as the mastermind of the caper. Rod Steiger playing the manager of it. Eli Wallach as the top lieutenant. And of course Joan Collins as the beautiful and adorable distraction and serving as the lookout so the men can get into the safe and get the money out of it before they're caught.

And again to get back to Ocean's Eleven where in Ocean's they crew there is in Las Vegas to rob several casinos all on the same night, which granted lets say takes a lot more balls and more ambitious (to be cleaner) Seven Thieves takes place on South France on the Mediterranean. Where all the members of the crew are from somewhere other than France.

But the crew other than Rod Steiger has been there for a while specifically to case the joint (so to speak) and prepare for this job. And like in Ocean's where the whole crew is from somewhere other than Las Vegas and even Nevada, the crew in Seven Thieves are not even French.

I believe Seven Thieves is a great caper heist type movie. One of those movies where the brains of the operation (played by Ed Robinson) where the crew that is put together is working with each other for the very first time and you have the lead character as far as the man running the operation (played by Rod Steiger) who doesn't know anyone in the crew other than the man who hired him and is put in a tough situation. Doesn't know who he can trust and what each member brings to the operation. And keep in mind all the crew members are criminals. Which is never the most trust worthy bunch. (To say the least) Not even criminals tend to trust criminals.

And the manager of the crew is having to get to know all his members while the process of the caper is put in place. The preparation and then the execution of the caper. And also any movie that has Ed Robinson, Eli Wallach, Joan Collins, and Rod Steiger as well, you're going to get a lot of good humor in. (The nature of the characters) Which makes for a very entertaining movie. 

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Paramount Movies: Sunset Boulevard (1950)- Starring William Holden and Gloria Swanson

Source:Percy's Seattle- A Billy Wilder classic. 

“The film’s working title was A Can of Beans. Although most contemporary and modern sources refer to the film asSunset Boulevard, the opening title card is a street sign that reads Sunset Blvd. The opening scene of the film is accompanied by offscreen narration spoken by William Holden as his character, “Joe C. Gillis.” “Gillis” informs the viewer that the crime scene is situated on Sunset Blvd. in Los Angeles, CA, where the murder of a lowly screenwriter has occurred at the home of a major screen star. Although Gillis is the murder victim, he refers to himself in the third person. He then switches to the first person as the film flashes back to six months earlier.”

From Percy's Seattle

“Director Billy Wilder music from Salome by Richard Strauss.”

Source:Adam Bell- William Holden in Sunset Boulevard.

From Adam Bell

I don’t like using the word-perfect that often, because perfect is almost never seen and heard of, but Sunset Boulevard along with North by Northwest, is about as close to a perfect movie as anyone could ever see.

Great plot about a young almost wannabe screenwriter who at this point is desperate for work, so he can make his car payment. Whose on the run from repossessors and stops off at what he believes is an abandoned house only to discover that one of the top actress’s ever in Hollywood lives there. Which is how Joe Gillis (played by William Holden) meets Norma Desmond, (played by Gloria Swanson) otherwise they probably never meet each other.

Joe Gillis, is considering giving up Hollywood and going back to Ohio and getting a blue-collar job. Norma Desmond, hasn’t worked in a while and the Hollywood studios no longer want her.

Norma Desmond, finds out that Joe Gillis is a Hollywood writer, struggling at that and owes three months back rent on his apartment, as well as a car he can’t afford. She knows he needs money, which is what she has plenty of and needs a job, which she has one for him.

She’s not working now as an actress and doesn’t have any roles coming her way and decides to write her own script and get back into movies that way. And hires Joe to be his proofreader and to fix up her script so someone would take it and make a movie from it.

Joe, is not impressed with the script so far, but believes he can work with it. Still has friends in Hollywood and has one his friends Betty Schaefer (played by Nancy Olson) help him rewrite the script and they work on it together.

Norma Desmond, is lonely and desperate to get back into movies and doesn’t want to live off her royalties and investments. She wants Joe to perhaps help her get back into the movies, but what I at least believe she’s looking for is male companionship and believes her script will get her back into movies.

I don’t think it is ever clear that she thinks Joe Gillis, someone who she’s never heard of who can’t afford either his apartment or car and hasn’t worked in a while, is a talented writer and someone who has a future in Hollywood. Joe, needs a job obviously as well as money and I see them as basically using each other to meet their short-term interests. I don’t see them as a writing team that is going to write their own movie together.

Gloria Swanson, has just turned 50 at this point and so has her character in Sunset Boulevard. But Hollywood already sees her has washed up and way past her prime. Gives you an idea of how Hollywood sees the world different at least in the 1940s and 1950s than the rest of us.

And in many ways this movie is pretty sad, because it shows how Hollywood treats its stars once they believe they no longer have any use for them and almost treat them like strangers and as people they don’t want to be seen with anymore.

Gloria Swanson, is her beautiful and brilliant self now playing someone who s past her prime, but as an actress she still has everything going for her and is still the star of the movie. Bill Holden, is his usual charming and even funny self who mixes in clever humor in a very serious if not dark and depressing, but a great movie. 

You can also see this post at The Daily Times, on WordPress.

George Seaton: Airport (1970)

Source:Turner Classic Movies- Left to right: Dean Martin, Jacqueline Bisset, and Helen Hayes.

"Mel Bakersfeld, general manager of Lincoln International Airport, is beset with problems during one of the worst snowstorms in the history of the Midwest. A disabled jet has blocked the major runway, and the auxiliary runway is too short for takeoffs in bad weather conditions, forcing Mel to call maintenance chief Joe Patroni to solve the crisis; Mel's wife, Cindy, informs him that she wants a divorce; and Tanya Livingston, the Trans Global Airlines passenger agent with whom Mel is having an affair, is distracted by the mischievous Ada Quonsett, an elderly woman who is trying to stow away on a jet to Rome. 

Meanwhile, the emotionally disturbed D. O. Guerrero comes on board with a bomb in a briefcase, intending to blow up the plane so that his wife, Inez, can collect on the life insurance policy he has just purchased. 

The jet is piloted by Mel's brother-in-law, Vernon Demerest, who has just learned that his lover, stewardess Gwen Meighen, is pregnant. Shortly after departure, he is warned that Mel and Tanya have determined that Guerrero is carrying a bomb. With Ada's help, Vernon attempts to get the briefcase, then nearly succeeds in persuading Guerrero not to open it, but Guerrero runs into the bathroom and explodes the bomb. 

Guerrero is blown out of the jet, Gwen suffers a serious eye injury, and the aircraft is severely crippled, but Vernon and co-captain Anson Harris manage to land on Lincoln's runway, which Patroni has just cleared. As the passengers and crew enter the terminal, Vernon's wife, Sarah, observes her husband's obvious concern for Gwen and realizes that he has been unfaithful." 

From Turner Classic Movies 

"Burt Lancaster and Dean Martin head an all-star cast in this classic disaster film from producer Ross Hunter, for which Helen Hayes received her second Oscar. On the ground, manager Mel bakersfeld (Lancaster) juggles lover Jean Seberg and wife Dana Wynter while coping with a blizzard, aided by mechanic George Kennedy (who returned in all three sequels). 

In the sky, Capt. Vern Demerest (Martin) must maintain control of a 707 with his pregnant stewardess girlfriend (Jacqueline Bisset), a sly stowaway (Hayes), and a bomb-toting maniac (Van Heflin) aboard. Often imitated but never equaled, this box office hit was adapted by Academy Award winner George Seaton (Miracle on 34th Street, The Country Girl) from the best seller by Arthur Hailey (Hotel).

MPAA Rated PG for some intense sequences of adventure violence and language.

Produced by Ross Hunter Productions. Released by Universal Pictures, an division of NBCUniversal, an Comcast company." 

Source:The Baltimore Movie Trailer Park- Jean Seaberg and Burt Lancaster in Airport (1970) No Wonder Mel never goes home to his wife. LOL

From The Baltimore Movie Trailer Park 

"Trailer from the 1970 movie : Airport" 

Source:Trailer Tajm- a trailer from Airport (1970)

From Trailer Tajm 

The 1970s, was a crazy and very entertaining even with how gloomy and depressing a decade that it was with the bad economy, Vietnam War, high crime rate and everything else. But one of few great things about that decade was the entertainment, especially movies and TV. 

Terrorism was on the mind of millions of Americans in the 1970s, as well as what could happen if something went wrong with an airplane when it was in air and thousands of miles from a nearest airport. Soap operas were also very popular and common in the decade, as well as movies that combined several different genres and stories in one movie. 

Airport, isn’t a pure action movie, or action/thriller, or action/drama, or action/comedy, or soap opera. It was all of those things into one movie. With a great cast and a great director.

Airport, is essentially about what good decent intelligent people, who all have their own issues and problems outside of work, do when they’re all under extreme pressure: 

Like having a passenger on the plane who is so desperate, who is out-of-work and can’t hold onto a job, who needs money and believes there is nothing left he can do, but have himself killed so his wife can collect his life insurance. Van Heflin, plays a man named Guerro (apparently he wasn't born with a first name) who manages to get a bomb on the plane. 

The General Manager (played by Burt Lancaster) of the airport, is no longer in love with his wife and as a result is now a workaholic who doesn’t want to go home at night, because he’s happier working all the time. 

Jacqueline Bisset, plays a head stewardess who is having an affair with a married pilot and is now pregnant with his baby. Dean Martin, plays the father of the head stewardess’s baby and his married and having an affair with that stewardess.

You have all of these decent intelligent people who are all very good at their jobs, but are all under enormous pressure and are all now dealing with an airplane that has a bomb on board by a man who is suicidal and wants to set the bomb off and the bomb does go off. So you have all of these people who are already under enormous pressure now having to deal with a potential airplane disaster in horrible Upper Midwest weather in the winter, leaving from Chicago. And now also have to deal with the possibility of hundreds of people dying in a horrible plane crash. 

This is a very entertaining and very funny movie. Perhaps not so believable with all the side soap operas in it. But even great soap operas tend not to be very believable. And it is very entertaining and pretty funny movie with very funny people in it and a an all-star cast. 

You can also see this post at The Daily Post, on Blogger. (No pun intended)

You can also see this post at The FreeState, on Blogger.

4 For Texas (1963) Starring Anita Ekberg, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin & Ursula Andress

Source:Alamy Stock Photo- Anita Ekberg, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Ursula Andress.

"EKBERG,SINATRA,MARTIN,ANDRESS, 4 FOR TEXAS, 1963" 

From Alamy Stock Photo

“Four For Texas Official Trailer #1 (1963) – Frank Sinatra Movie HD. Frank Sinatra plays a tough guy who hooks up with fellow rat packer Dean Martin to open a casino in this western.” 

“Zack Thomas and Joe Jarrett separately are heading for Galveston in 1870 and witness a stagecoach attack by a gang on horseback led by Matson, a local gunslinger. After repulsing the bandits, Zack discloses a bag containing $100,000, but Joe relieves him of the money at gunpoint and proceeds to an orphanage where he was reared. He later deposits the loot in a bank run by Harvey Burden, a crook who has supported Zack in his efforts to become the town’s gambling boss. Zack learns that Joe is in Galveston, and he arranges a meeting but is interrupted when Matson attempts to kill Zack. Joe wounds the bandit, thus saving his rival’s life, and then goes off to see Maxine Richter, owner of a riverboat which Joe plans to refurbish as a gambling saloon. Outraged that anyone would dare to give him competition, Zack plans for his gang to take over the boat on opening night. Unknown to both men, however, Burden has decided to let the gangs destroy each other so he can move in with Matson’s bandits and take control. Maxine and Elya Carlson, Zack’s devoted girl friend, persuade the two gamblers to join forces. As a result of the alliance, Matson’s gang is defeated, Burden is arrested, and the women get their reward at a double wedding.” 

Source:Turner Classic Movies- perhaps you are already familiar with these two gentlemen.

From Turner Classic Movies 

"Frank Sinatra plays a tough guy who hooks up with fellow rat packer Dean Martin to open a casino in this western."

Source:Movie Clips- Swiss-German Goddess Ursula Andress, starring in 4 For Texas. (1963)

From Movie Clips Classic Trailer Vault

To be completely honest with you: I only saw 4 For Texas and really only like it because Anita Ekberg Ursula Andress are in it and both look great in it. Anita Ekberg, Marilyn Monroe without the childish immature baggage of Marilyn and yet physically almost as adorable and might even be sexier. Because similar body and yet she comes off as a grown up. The same thing with Diana Dors, who is probably comparison with Anita then Marilyn.

Not as familiar with Ursula, other than as Cat Woman from Batman, but she’s also a gorgeous sexy baby in this movie. Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, are both funny in this movie, but what else is new, especially when they’re together. And they both have goddess’s for girlfriends. Frank, has Elya Carlson (played by Anita Ekberg) and Dean, has Maxine Richter. (Played by Ursula Andress) Good luck finding a movie where either Frank and Dean weren’t in where they weren’t working with a goddess.

As far as the movie: Frank and Dean, both play bank robbers in Texas. Both going after the same hundred-thousand-dollars that is being transported by stagecoach in the 1870s in Galveston, Texas. Both have dreams of opening up their own casinos and going straight. (So to speak)

The problem is they both want the same hundred-grand and don’t want to share it. Another problem that they have is that there’s this outlaw named Matson, (no first name given) who is after the same money. So Zach (played by Frank) and Joe (played by Dean) decide to become partners temporarily to knock off the Matson Gang.

Again this is not a great movie, but because of the four stars in it and then add Charles Bronson and Victor Buono, the Three Stooges make a cameo and you’re talking about a very entertaining and even funny movie. But without Anita Ekberg and Ursula Andress, I’m probably not watching much of it. 

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You can also see this post at The New Democrat, on WordPress.

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Paramount Pictures: Where Love Has Gone (1964) Susan Hayward & Mike Connors Star

Source:TCM- Where Love Has Gone, from 1964.

“Contractor Luke Miller returns to the San Francisco home of his ex-wife, sculptress Valerie Hayden, after learning that their 15-year-old daughter, Dani, has been arrested for the murder of Valerie’s lover. His plane is met by lawyer Gordon Harris, who callously engineered Luke’s divorce and deprived him of the right to visit his daughter. Now, however, Harris asks Luke’s help in providing a favorable family setting for the juvenile court hearing but discourages any hopes of gaining Dani’s custody once the case is resolved. Luke’s return revives memories of his former life with Valerie and her domineering mother, Mrs. Gerald Hayden. When Luke and Valerie are married, he aspires to become an independent architect, but Mrs. Hayden forces him into a business partnership with her. Valerie, ignorant of her mother’s underhanded ways, blames Luke for being weak; his subsequent drinking problem and her adultery combine to destroy the marriage . Terrified that her mother might be awarded custody of the child, Valerie takes moral responsibility for the murder at the hearing; in addition, she blames her failure as a mother on her own sorry upbringing, a disclosure that both discredits and humiliates Mrs. Hayden. Freed at last from her mother’s domination, Valerie commits suicide, making possible a reunion between Dani and Luke.”

From TCM

"The most wonderful thing about this marriage ... I'm not a Hayden anymore ... I'm a Miller

Source:Paramount Pictures- Mike Connors & Susan Hayward.

Source:Lorre B

“Despite the fact that Susan looks sensational at 47, her flashbacks as a blushing bride and new mama are a stretch. Mike Connors as the young war hero/groom, at 39, was pushing credibility, too. It’s to Susan’s no-nonsense credit that she didn’t draw outside the lines of nature with makeup and become a caricature of herself like many golden era divas.”

Source:Rick's Real Reels- Hollywood Babydoll's Joey Heatherton and Susan Hayward. 

Hollywood Babydoll’s Joey Heatherton and Susan Hayward. Joey is actually like 18 at this point, but seems more like 12-13 in the movie. And Susan even at 46-47 (depending on when this photo was taken) looks and acts like 20 year old in the movie, because she was always so cute and beautiful and immature.

From Rick's Real Reels

I haven’t thought about this, until I just read it, but if you’re familiar with the great Lana Turner, (as an actress and goddess) and you’re familiar with Where Love Has Gone from 1964, the story about Valerie Hayden’s daughter Danielle Miller (played by Joey Heatherton) who ends up killing her mother’s boyfriend, is very similar to Lana’s daughter Cheryl Krane, who ends up killing her mother’s boyfriend Johnny Stompanato. 

The Stompanato killing, happened in real-life and both killings happened when the killer’s mother is involved in a dispute with their boyfriend. I’m not an expert on Lana Turner, most of what I’ve learned about her has been in the last two years. But she lived a crazy life as if she was always drunk or something and didn’t know what the hell she was doing. Valerie Hayden, (played by the great Susan Hayward) lives a similar life as Lana in this movie.

As far as this movie: great movie! It is very dramatic, if not traumatic when you’re talking about a family that is led by a very overprotective mother, (played by Bette Davis) who is always making moves regarding her daughter’s life and makes those moves on her behalf and rarely if ever consults her daughter about what she’s doing for her. 

And as a result her daughter even though she’s this gorgeous, baby-faced, sexy, intelligent, talented woman, ends up being somewhat immature and irresponsible. Because her mother has a lot of control over her own life. She meets World War II U.S. Army hero Luke Miller (played by Mike Connors) and falls in love with and perhaps hoping she can find some independence from her mother. They get married, but now Mrs. Hayden, (played by Bette Davis) wants to control her daughter and her new son-in law. And has him blacklisted so he has no other choice, but to work for her company.

Again, this is a very dramatic if not traumatic movie and yet its pretty funny as well. And maybe that just because of Susan Hayward, who had this Liz Taylor quality of being able to combine drama, with comedy and humor. Who plays a very adorable and immature irresponsible woman, who goes too far, because now she’s married to man who has just gotten out of the U.S. Army and fought in World War II. Whose use to giving orders, not taking them. Who doesn’t have any patience for the games and soap opera tactics of her wife and mother in law. 

This was never a relationship that was designed to work out. The Miller’s, get divorced, Luke is out of the picture and has no input with how his daughter is raised and Valerie (played by Susan Hayward) finds a new man before she dumps her husband and that is how her boyfriend gets killed. Because she has a fight with him with her daughter stepping in to end the fight and kills her mother’s boyfriend.

I think Where Love Has Gone, is also a very entertaining and funny movie, especially if you’re familiar with life of Lana Turner, especially in the 1950s and 1960s. Gorgeous, adorable, talented and yet immature and irresponsible woman. Whose always involved with the wrong man while having young daughter to take care of. In Lana’s case, Italian gangster Johnny Stompanato. 

Valerie, gets involved with a man after Luke Miller, who isn’t a good man and he ends up being killed by her daughter. Luke Miller, by most accounts is a good man, but he only gets back in his daughter’s life after she’s charged with her murder of her mother’s boyfriend. This movie looks like a great soap opera. With a lot of great drama, writing, acting and humor, which all great soap operas have and I’m a big fan of it. 

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Marilyn Monroe History: 'Backstory- The Making Of The Seven Year Itch'

Source:Marilyn Monroe History- Tom Ewell & Marilyn Monroe.

"Marilyn Monroe - The Making Of The Seven Year Itch."

From Marilyn Monroe History

The Seven Year Itch is not one of my favorite movies. It’s a very good funny movie that is at least ten-years ahead of its time, but it’s not one of my favorites. But what I think I like most about it is that it’s a 1950s movie that takes on the 1950s.

Here is this country called the United States of America that’s supposed to be this great land of freedom and everything and yet Americans back then weren’t free to be Americans. They couldn’t be themselves and didn’t have the freedom to be who they were and talk about what they were interested in and live their own lives for fear of censorship. And perhaps not being able to find jobs if they were who they actually were and moved away from the 1950s culturally conservative box where all Americans were supposed to be the same way.

Sex and adultery and of course humor about those things, of course they went on back then. They just weren’t done in public at least on TV and in films. The Seven Year Itch changed that by bringing out adultery and sex in the public. To show how men act and what they think about when their wife is out-of-town and they’re home alone and there’s a hot sexy woman nearby whose very friendly. And who would essentially let the guy do whatever he wants with her, because she’s open to practically anything.

The Seven Year Itch didn’t end the culturally conservative bubble of the 1950s. But it did show Americans that these things happen even though everyone knew that and that there wasn’t anything wrong with talking about it. The political correctness movement back then was basically dominated by what would be called the Christian-Right today and The Seven Year Itch took them on.

You could have a man with the most beautiful wife possible, who loves her and loves his kids and doesn’t want to lose them, or his wife. But we all think about other women especially hot sexy women like Marilyn Monroe, or anyone else and when our girlfriend, or wife is not there for whatever reason like perhaps visiting family out-of-town and another hot sexy woman comes into the picture and she’s very friendly and shows an interest in him, or course the guy is going to think about her. And throw out ideas like, “I’ll have her over for one drink, who’ll be hurt by it? I’ll invite her out for dinner. It will be very neighborly. Besides my wife will never know anyway.”

And that is what the Tom Ewell character does in this movie. He essentially fantasizes about what would life be like with another beautiful woman. 

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AMC: 'Myra Breckinridge Backstory (2001) 'The Making of a Legendary Comedy'

Source:Classics At Dusk- left to right: the absolutely hilarious & off the wall Mae West & and her great comedic sidekick, the absolutely hilarious and off the wall Raquel Welch. Even if I'm just one of 5 people who like this movie, these two women alone by themselves make it worth loving the movie the movie for me.

"MYRA BRECKINRIDGE Backstory with Raquel Welch, Gore Vidal, Rex Reed, David Brown and Michael Sarne" 

From Classics At Dusk

"This making of special aired in 2001.

This making of special aired in 2001. Don't watch this if you haven't seen the movie. It gives the whole storyline away.

This special on model Gia Carangi [1960-1986] aired in 2001. The audio and video is very bad on this one. I'm sorry about that. This copy is all that I have.

Myron Breckinridge flies to Europe to get a sex-change operation and is transformed into the beautiful Myra. She travels to Hollywood, meets up with.

This interview aired in 1990 about an etiquette manual Ms. Barrows had written called Mayflower Manners." 

Source:AMC- Part of the cast for Myra Breckinridge.

From AMC 

“Myra Breckinridge 1970 trailer”

Source:AMC- Hollywood Goddess Raquel Welch as Myra Breckinridge.

From Agrimenso 

"It's too awful for that dubious distinction. But American Movie Classics featured the film and advertised it as such in its half-hour AMC "Backstory" series recently. 

Doubtless, worse movies have been made, but they're so inconsequential they've been forgotten, or they have become kitsch, that is to say so pretentiously dreadful they're beyond consideration.

In terms of money spent, importance of cast, publicity, major studio participation and chutzpah, "Myra Breckinridge" (1970) is in a class by itself as cinematic refuse.

The film is and always has been a terrible, miserable, obscene, unsanitary waste of celluloid by people who should know better.

Producers Richard Zanuck and David Brown thought it would be a sexy, daring comedy from which 20th Century-Fox would earn millions to refill studio coffers emptied seven years earlier by the "Cleopatra" disaster.

Instead, "Myra" plunged the studio into worse debt, nearly destroying Fox and ruining the careers of almost everyone involved.

Zanuck and Brown went on to make subsequent hits of "The Sting," "Jaws" and "Driving Miss Daisy."

"Myra," however, was the nadir of their careers and the definitive loser in Hollywood history." 

From UPI  

To respond to the story from UPI: Myra Breckinrdige was way ahead of its time, maybe even 10 years. Even in the Cultural Revolution of the late 1960s and early 1970s, I just don't think there were enough Americans, even enough hippie Baby Boomers and Beatnik Silent Generation babies to even understand the movie, let alone enjoy it. And if was made today, it would probably be killed by radical feminist political correctness warrior and be called sexist and homophobic. 

This movie really was a sort of a sexual fantasy of what life would be like if radical feminists were running the world and you that in the very first scene of the film, with Myra (played by Raquel) arriving on a beach somewhere (perhaps in Los Angeles) with her radical feminists warriors, there to try to take over the world. 

Myra Breckinridge is one of those movies that looks better as it ages, because it was so ahead of its time. I think the makers of the film calculated wrong thinking that this is a 1970 movie probably made in 1969 and that this movie would be perfect for its time in the 1960s and the cultural and sexual revolutions. With young Americans experimenting and trying all sorts of different things even when it came to their sexuality.

But very few people were talking about transgender sexuality and sex changes back then. It was very new and then you throw in all the pornography in the movie (which I personally don’t have a problem with) and it was a tough movie for a lot of people to see which is why it was a financial flop when it came out.

If this movie came out 25-30 years later perhaps even 20 years I think this movie would have been very successful. (Especially on Cinemax) I’ve seen this movie like ten times now and have blogged about it multiple times and it was one of my favorite comedies. I’m laughing through most of this movie with Raquel Welch being at her hottest, sexiest and cutest, and perhaps funniest, all in the same movie.

Raquel was so funny in this movie and this is where you really get to see her sense of humor and great comedic timing. John Huston playing Buck Naked, I mean Buck Loner in this movie a sex starved, or sex addict head of an acting school. (Of all things) Getting blow jobs and sexual massages on the job and trying to run his school at the same time.

And of course you can’t talk about Myra Breckinridge without talking about Mae West. Where she also plays a sex starved star in the movie a man-loving woman who can’t spend more than five seconds with a young stud (Tom Selleck) without making a pass at him. And of course you get to see Mae sing Hard to Handle which was perfect for her and her character in this movie.

And of course Gore Vidal with without his book with the same title this movie isn’t made. (Which might not have been a bad thing) But his great comedic ability and willingness to take big risks is how he writes the book that he did and how this movie gets made. I believe movies are judged by how they look as the years go by and later in history. And Myra Breckinridge to me looks like a great comedy.

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