July 3 - The Doors

Here is a movie with a scene that happens today - July 3. I hope you enjoy the film and watch it tonight.

THE DOORS

In 1965 Jim Morrison is a film student at USC until criticism of one of his films causes him to quit. He meets Pamela Courson. Morrison starts writing songs and with Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger and John Densmore form a rock band, The Doors. They start performing and soon reach the top of the LA bar scene. This leads to a recording contract. The Doors become hugely popular. They appear on Ed Sullivan, ignoring a request to change the lyrics of their song, “Light My Fire”. Morrison becomes obsessed with his own image as “The Lizard King” and with sex and drugs.  He meets Patricia Kennealy, a journalist who’s into witchcraft and they begin an affair. The band gets tired of Morrison’s alcoholism and drug abuse, which causes him to disappear of days on end and show up late foe concert performances. At a concert in Miami, Morrison’s onstage antics get him arrested for indecent exposure. He was convicted and many of the bands shows were cancelled.  Morrison moved to Paris with Courson and on July 3, 1971 [2:04:19 to 2:06:33] she found him dead.

A strange movie about a strange guy. I must confess I have never been a fan of Morrison or the Doors. This movie goes in for the hallucinogenic style of filmmaking, with visions and symbols showing up throughout. However, I do appreciate that the movie doesn’t try to sugarcoat Morrison’s life. His abuse of alcohol and drugs and the problems it caused him and others are clearly presented. 

Jim Morrison: Life, Death, Legend by Stephen Davis (Gotham Books, New York, 2004) at pages 442-445 gives his death date

Producer - Brian Grazer, Bill Graham, Sasha Harari and A. Kitman Ho

Director - Oliver Stone

Screenplay - Oliver Stone and J. Randall Johnson

Runtime –2 hours 20 minutes

Released – March 1, 1991

Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison

Sean Stone as young Jim

Meg Ryan as Pamela Courson

Kyle MacLachlan as Ray Manzarek

Frank Whaley as Robby Krieger

Kevin Dillon as John Densmore

Kathleen Quinlan as Patricia Kennealy

Floyd Red Crow Westerman as Shaman

Billy Idol as Cat

Josh Evans as Bill Siddons

Michael Wincott as Paul Rothchild

Michael Madsen as Tom Baker

Jerry Sturm and Gretchen Becker as Mr. and Mrs. Morrison

Kelly Hu as Dorothy

Debi Mazar as Whiskey girl

Lisa Edelstein as Makeup artist

Crispin Glover as Andy Warhol

Paul Williams as Warhol

Mimi Rogers as Magazine photographer

Jennifer Rubin  as Edie

Costas Mandylor as Italian Count

Watch a trailer for The Doors