July 7 - Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Today’s movie is a fantasy adventure film with a scene that happens on July 7.  Watch it tonight and enjoy.

CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG   

Car #3 wins several Gran Prix races, including the French Gran Prix on July 7, 1908 [1:07 to 4:10]. After a crash it ends up in a junkyard. When the owner plans to sell it for scrap, Jeremy and Jemima Potts beg their eccentric inventor father Caractacus Potts to buy the car. The Potts family meets Truly Scrumptious and Caractacus almost sells his musical candy “Toot sweets” to her father, Lord Scrumptious until a dog invasion of the factory in response to the sound. Caractacus’s hair cutting machine fails, but he makes enough in tips as a musical performer to buy the car, which he rebuilds into a splendid machine, which they name “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”. The Potts family and Trudy go on a picnic at the shore, where Caractacus tells a story about Baron von Bomburst of Vulgaria, who wants to steal Chitty. Pirates working for Bomburst attack, but Chitty becomes a boat and they escape. Agents of Bomburst kidnap Caractacus’s father. While giving chase Chitty drives off a cliff and converts into a flying car. They fly to Vulgaria, where children are illegal. The Potts family is hidden by the toymaker, but Chitty, Jeremy and Jemima are captured and taken to the Baron’s castle.  Caractacus and Trudy are smuggled into the castle disguised as life size dolls. They, along with the kingdom’s children, freed from the dungeons overcome the Baron. They fly back home in Chitty and the children finish the story with Caractacus and Truly getting married. Caractacus demurs due to their different class status until Lord Scrumptious offers to buy the “toot sweets” as a dog treat.  Caractacus proposes to Trudy and they are engaged. As they return to tell the children the news, the car rises into the air and begins to fly.

              

If my memory is correct, this is the very first movie I was ever taken to see in a theater.                     

Director - Ken Hughes                       

Screenwriters - Roald Dahl and Ken Hughes

Awards – The film was nominated for the Best Song Oscar at the 41^st Academy Awards

Runtime – 2 hours 24 minutes                         

Released – December 16, 1968

Starring –

Dick Van Dyke as Caractacus Potts

Sally Ann Howes as Truly Scrumptious

Adrian Hall as Jeremy Potts

Heather Ripley as Jemima Potts

Lionel Jeffries as Grandpa Potts

Gert Fröbe as Baron Bomburst

Anna Quayle as Baroness Bomburst

Benny Hill as the Toymaker

James Robertson Justice as Lord Scrumptious

Robert Helpmann as the Child Catcher

Barbara Windsor as Blonde

Davy Kaye as Admiral

Stanley Unwin as the Chancellor

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015.

July 6 - Flushed Away

Today’s movie is a comedy adventure with a scene that happens on July 6. Watch it tonight and enjoy.

FLUSHED AWAY     

On July 6, 2007 [00:27 to 3:51] Tabitha leaves for a holiday, leaving her pet rat, Roddy St. James alone. The next day Sid, a sewer rat comes up through the pipes and flushes Roddy into the sewer. Roddy finds the underground rat city and meets Rita, skipper of the Jammy Dodger, who might be able to take him home. She’s hiding out from the Toad’s henchmen, Spike and Whitey and after Roddy helps them find a ruby Rita has taken from The Toad, both are taken to The Toad. After Roddy accidentally destroys The Toad’s collection of royal memorabilia, the Toad decides to freeze Rita and Roddy in liquid nitrogen. The pair escape and take the master cable with them from The Toad’s base in an abandoned sewer control station. Roddy gets the mistaken idea that Rita and her family are going to turn him over to The Toad in return for the reward and steals her boat. Rita catches him and they make up and escape The Toad’s henchmen again. The next day, after yet another confrontation with The Toad’s men, the Jammy Dodger is destroyed, but Rita and Roddy parasail into his old home in Kensington. He gives her two jewels as payment then she returns to the sewers. A comment by Sid enables Roddy to grasp The Toad’s plan. The Toad plans to open the floodgates, so that when everyone uses the toilet at the same time at the start of half-time in the England versus Germany FIFA World Cup match, the rat city will be flooded, allowing his numerous offspring to settle the city. Roddy gets Sid to flush him again. The Toad, who uses the master cable to open the floodgates, has captured Rita. Roddy rescues Rita and together they use the liquid nitrogen to freeze the wave just before it destroys the city. Rita buys the Jammy Dodger II and she and Roddy sail off together.   

                     

A calendar @34:40 shows the World Cup match on July 8 (a Sunday @6:15), so the movie starts two days before.

Directors - David Bowers and Sam Fell   

Screenwriters - Dick Clement, Ian La Frenais and Simon Nye

Runtime – 1 hour 25 minutes

Released – November 3, 2006

Voice Cast - 

Hugh Jackman as Roderick "Roddy" St. James

Kate Winslet as Rita Malone

Ian McKellen as The Toad

Jean Reno as Le Frog

Andy Serkis as Spike

Bill Nighy as Whitey

Shane Richie as Sid

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015.

July 5 - Fortress

Today’s movie is a combat film with a scene that happens on July 5. Watch it tonight and enjoy.

FORTRESS    

On July 5, 1943 [1:20 to 10:16] a B-17 bomber called Lucky Lass based in Tunisia participates in an air raid on Gerbini, Italy. The pilot Pops and crew members Jake and Joe are killed.  Michael is assigned as the new co-pilot and the current co-pilot, Wally is promoted to pilot. Tom and Oliver are the new waist gunners. During the next mission Wally gets ptomaine and when Michael gets lost they have to combat enemy fighters and abort the mission. They have to abort the next mission due to an engine failure. The engines are repaired when it is discovered there was sand in the oil pumps. Lucky Lass goes on a raid on Rome. They are hit by another B-17 after it is hit by anti-aircraft fire.  Lucky Lass ends up at a very low altitude, is hit and Wally and Tom are killed. After they cross the African coast all the crewmen except Michael and Archie, who had been acting as co-pilot bail out. Archie’s parachute has been destroyed, so he pushes Michael out to safety and then the shot up plane disintegrates.   

                       

The date is given in the film at1:35.

                       

Producers - Julian Moss, Jason McKinley, Brian Thompson, Jerry Buteyn and Adam Klein

Director - Michael R. Phillips


Screenwriter -  Adam Klein


Runtime – 1 hour 45 minutes


Released – April 1, 2012


Starring –

Bug Hall as Michael

Donnie Jeffcoat as Wally

Sean McGowan as Archie

Chris Owen as Burt

Edward Finlay as Philly

Manu Intiraymi as Charlie

John Laughlin as Base Commander

Howard Gibson as Caparelli

Joseph Williamson as Eddie

Tony Elias as Oliver

Tim Hade as Al

Jeremy Ray Valdez as Tom

Jamie Martz as Pops

Mark Doerr as Briefing Officer

Matt Biedel as Monroe

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015.

July 4 - Winchester '73

Today’s movie is a western with a scene that happens on July 4. Watch it tonight and enjoy.

WINCHESTER ’73   

Lin McAdams and his pal High-Spade Frankie Wilson ride into Dodge City Kansas, looking for Dutch Henry Brown. They see Lola Manners run out of town by Marshall Wyatt Earp. On July 4, 1876 [ 7:55 to 21:05] Dodge City, Kansas holds a shooting contest, with a perfect Winchester rifle as the prize. Lin McAdams wins, but Dutch Henry and his men ambush Lin and steal the rifle.  Dutch Henry loses the rifle to Lamont, an Indian gunrunner. Lamont is killed and the rifle stolen by Young Bull, an Indian chief. Young Bull’s tribe attacks Lola and her new fiancé Steve Miller and he abandons her. He does return when he sees a cavalry troop ahead. Lin and High-Spade also reach the cavalry encampment. An Indian attack is beaten off. Afterwards a Sergeant finds the rifle and gives it to Miller. Miller and Lola travel to Mrs. Jameson’s house. Waco Johnnie Dean and his gang show up. He eventually goads Miller into drawing on him. Waco kills Miller and takes the rifle. When a posse attacks the house, only Waco and Lola escape. Waco meets Dutch Henry at their hideout and Dutch Henry takes back the rifle. Dutch Henry and his gang plan to rob a bank in Tascosa. Lin shows up and Lola points out Waco, who Lin forces to tell about the robbery. When the robbery happens, Lin kills Waco. Dutch Henry wounds Lola and Lin pursues him. High-Spade tells Lola that  Lin and Dutch Henry are brothers and that Dutch Henry killed their father. Lin and Dutch Henry fight it out and Dutch Henry is killed. Lin and Lola embrace when he returns with the rifle. 

The date is given in the film at 1:55

Director - Anthony Mann

                     

Screenwriter - Borden Chase and Robert L. Richards

Runtime – 1 hour 32 minutes

Released – July 12, 1950

Starring –

James Stewart as Lin Macadam

Shelley Winters as Lola Manners

Dan Duryea as Waco Johnnie Dean

Stephen McNally as Dutch Henry Brown

Millard Mitchell as High-Spade Frankie Wilson

Charles Drake as Steve Miller

John McIntire as Joe Lamont

Will Geer as Wyatt Earp

Jay C. Flippen as Sgt. Wilkes

Rock Hudson as Young Bull

Tony Curtis as Doan

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015.

Juky 3 - The Doors

Today's movie is a biographical film with a scene that happens on July 3. Watch it tonight and enjoy.   

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 for days on end and show up late for 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

Starring -

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

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015

July 2 - The Secret Life of Bees

Today’s movie is a period drama with a scene set on July 2. Watch it tonight and enjoy.  

THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES      

In a flashback, we see that four year old Lily acidentaly kills her mother when her mother returns to get her things and Lilly, prior to leaving her husband, Ten years later on July 2, 1964 [3:49 to 10:27] it is Lily’s birthday. Lily, who is white and their maid Rosaleen, who is African-American walk to town, where Rosaleen is beaten up and arrested. Lilly and Rosaleen run away and end up at the home of the African-American August Boatwright and her sisters May and June. They raise honey and August agres to let Lilly and Rosaleen stay and work for them. Lilly becomes friends with Zach, a boy who also works with the bees. When he and Lilly go to the movies, Lilly sits in the “colored” section. Zach is kidnapped by a racist mob. News of this causes the emotionally unstable May to commit suicide. August tells Lilly she did know her mother. Zach returns, having been just beaten. Her abusive father comes looking for Lilly, but in the end lets her stay with the Boatwrights. 
.                        

The date is given in the film at 6:45 and in Bearing the Cross by David J. Garrow (William Norton & Co., NY, 1986) at page 338

                  

Producer - Lauren Shuler Donner, James Lassiter, Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith and Joe Pichirallo

Director - Gina Prince-Bythewood

Screenwriter - Gina Prince-Bythewood

Runtime – 1 hour 50 minutes

Released – October 17, 2008

Starring –

Queen Latifah as August Boatwright

Jennifer Hudson as Rosaleen "July" Daise

Alicia Keys as June Boatwright

Dakota Fanning as Lily Owens

Sophie Okonedo as May Boatwright

Paul Bettany as T-Ray Owens

Hilarie Burton as Deborah Owens

Tristan Wilds as Zach Taylor

Nate Parker as Neil

Shondrella Avery as Greta

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015.

July 1 - Jaws

Today’s movie is a horror film with a scene that happens on July 1. Watch it tonight and enjoy.

JAWS      

On July 1, 1974 [1:13 to 5:07] Chrissy is killed by a giant great white shark during a nude midnight swim on Amity Island. However, the mayor of the island bullies the medical examiner and Chief of Police Martin Brody into ruling her death an accident so they will not close the beaches. However, after the shark kills a young boy, his mother offers a reward. A local shark hunter, Quint and marine biologist Matt Hooper team up to get the beast. There is a false alarm at the beach on the Fourth of July. Quint (who survived the sinking of the USS Indianapolis in World War II), Hooper and Brody go after the shark. Quint harpoons the shark, but it is so strong that it drags the boat and water floods the engine. Hooper puts on scuba gear and from a shark-proof cage tries to inject the shark with strychnine. The beast crushes the cage and then attacks the boat. While Hooper escapes, Quint is killed. Brody stuffs an air tank into the shark’s mouth and with a rifle shot makes it explode killing the shark. Hooper and Brody paddle back to shore.  

The date is given in the film at 9:29.

Producers - Richard D. Zanuck and David Brown

Director - Steven Spielberg

Screenwriters - Peter Benchley and Carl Gottlieb

Awards – The film won the Best Film Editing, Best Original Score and Best Sound Oscars. It was also nominated for Best Picture at the 48^th Academy Awards.

Runtime – 2 hours 4 minutes

Released – June 20, 1975 

Starring –

Roy Scheider as Chief Martin Brody

Robert Shaw as Quint

Richard Dreyfuss as Matt Hooper

Lorraine Gary as Ellen Brody

Murray Hamilton as Mayor Larry Vaughn

Carl Gottlieb as Meadows

Jeffrey Kramer as Deputy Lenny Hendricks

Susan Backlinie as Chrissie Watkins

Peter Benchley as Reporter

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015