June 12 - Escape from Alcatraz

Here is a movie with a scene that happens today - June 12. I hope you enjoy it and watch it tonight. 

ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ

Morris arrives in Alcatraz and works in the library, then the carpentry shop. When he resists Wolfe’s homosexual advances both are locked in solitary. “Doc” a fellow prisoner has his painting privileges revoked and chops off his fingers with an axe. Morris uses a home made knife to enlarge a vent and get out of his cell into a service area. He climbs to the top of the cellblock and cuts his way into a vent shaft that leads to the roof. There is a shakedown of his cell, but his camouflage of the opening is not discovered.  Wolfe’s second attempt to kill him is stopped. The Anglin brothers and Morris exit their cells, leaving papier-mâché dummy heads in their beds to fool the guards. They climb to the roof of the cellblock, up the vent shaft and onto the roof. Early in the morning of June 12 1963 they clamber down the side of the building, cross the fence and enter the water on a raft made of raincoats. [1:32:58 to 1:49:18]  The escape is discovered, but no trace of the three escapees is ever discovered.

A good escape story that holds your interest. The director does a good job of trying to get you to sympathize with the escapers and not the guards. Leaves unanswered the question of whether the three got away.

Breaking the Rock by Jolene Babyak (Ariel Vamp Press, Berkelry, Ca, 2001) pps. 199-217

Director -  Don Siegel

Producer - Don Siegel

Screenplay - Richard Tuggle

Running Time – 1 hour 52 minutes

Released - June 22, 1979

Starring -         

Clint Eastwood as Frank Morris

Larry Hankin as Allen West

Jack Thibeau as Clarence Anglin

Fred Ward as John Anglin

Patrick McGoohan as  Warden

Paul Benjamin as  English

Frank Ronzio as  Litmus

Roberts Blossom as  Chester "Doc" Dalton

Bruce M. Fischer as  Wolf Grace

Fred Stuthman as  Johnson

David Cryer as  Wagner

Madison Arnold as  Zimmerman

 watch an Escape from Alcatraz trailer

June 11 - The Whole Wide World

Here is the movie with a scene that happens today - June 11. I hope you enjoy it and watch it tonight. 

THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD

In rural 1930's Texas, schoolteacher Novalyne Price is introduced to pulp writer Bob Howard. When he doesn’t return any of her calls, she goes to see him. They hit it off, as both are interested in writing, even though they have totally different writing styles.  He writes about a fantasy world, while she wants to write about ordinary people. They begin a relationship that seems to be developing. The first problem appears when Bob refuses to go to a Christmas party with Novalyne. He gives her a copy of the salicious works of Pierre Louys in order to shock her. Bob tells her of his plans to write a historical novel about Texas. Novalyne gets accepted into the Masters program at LSU and meets Truett Vinson. Bob happens to see Novalyne and Truett at the movies. Bob takes her for an early morning drive and they have a fight.  Bob accuses  her of hiding her friendship with Truett. Novalyne writes him a hate filled letter, but tears it up and sends him a more conciliatory one. Bob is very attached to his mother who suffers from a a debilitating disease throughout the film. Bob and Novalyne go out to dinner and Bob embarrasses her. She confronts him, asking why he came to see her, but he can’t answer. After a time he asks to go to the movies, but his mother has an episode and he’s delayed. They argue about him stopping writing to take care of his  mother and they part, but later make up. Novalyne goes to LSU but on June 11, 1936 gets a telegram telling her that Bob Howard committed suicide. [1:33:56 to 1:35:37] and Novalyne is heartbroken. She learns from his father that after Bob found out his mother was not going to recover from her illness he killed himself.    

A bittersweet love story. Novalyne and Bob were totally different, but they still loved each other. Unfortunately he was not able to overcome some inner demon that plagued him. 

At 1:35:34 the telegram gives the date.

Producer - Carl Colpaert, Dan Ireland, Vincent D'Onofrio and Kevin Reidy

Director - Dan Ireland

Screenplay - Novalyne Price Ellis and Michael Scott Myers

Runtime - 1 hour 46 minutes

Released - December 20, 1996

Starring -

Vincent D'Onofrio as Robert E. 'Bob' Howard

Renée Zellweger as Novalyne Price

Ann Wedgeworth as Mrs. Howard

Harve Presnell as Dr. Howard

Benjamin Mouton as Clyde Smith

Michael Corbett as Mayor Booth Adams

Helen Cates as Enid

Chris Shearer as Truett Vinson

watch The Whole Wide World

June 10 - From Russia With Love

Here is the movie with a scene that happens today - June 10. I hope you enjoy it and watch it tonight. 

FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE

Kronstein and Klebb are summoned to a meeting with SPECTRE’s mysterious Number One to discuss a plan to steal the Lector decoding machine from the soviets and lay the blame on the British. On June 10, 1963 [11:14 to 13:59] the killer, Grant gets recruited by Klebb. She also recruits Tatiana Romanova, a clerk in the coding section of the Soviet consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. M, the head of British intelligence tells James Bond agent 007 that Tatiana has sent a message that she will defect with the lector if Bond is the one who helps her. Q gives Bond his briefcase with a hidden knife, gold coins and gas grenade inside. Bond flies to Istanbul where he meets Ali Kerim Bey MI6’s man in the city. An attempt is made to kill Bey and they observe the Soviet consulate through a hidden periscope. Bey takes Bond to a gypsy camp to hide out, but it is attacked by  Krilencu and his men.  Back at his hotel Bond finds Tatiana in his bed and unknown to them their amorous interlude is secretly filmed. Bey and Bond set off a bomb under the Soviet consulate and use the confusion this creates to get the lector and Tatiana. They plan on traveling on the Orient Express. Grant is on board and makes it appear Bey and a Soviet agent killed each other. Grant meets Bond impersonating a British agent he has killed. Grant drugs Tatiana and overcomes Bond, taunting him by telling him of SPECTRE’s plan to set the Soviets and British at each other’s throats. Grant tells him that when Bond and Tatiana are dead he will plant film of their erotic encounter and a forged blackmail letter that will make it look like a murder-suicide, further damaging Anglo-Soviet relations. Bond, however tricks Grant into opening the briefcase and detonating the gas grenade and after an epic fight Grant is killed. Bond and Tatiana leave the train and after destroying the helicopter and boats SPECTRE sends after them reach Venice. Number One is very unhappy the plan has failed and after killing Kronstein sends Klebb to finish off Bond. She gets the drop on Bond, but Tatiana attacks and finally shoots Klebb. Bond and Tatiana relax in Venice. 

Many people, including me think this is one of the best Bond films. It focuses on the people not fancy sci-fi gadgets, as so many of the later films do. It is played straight and has a script with a plot that actually makes sense.

From Russia, With Love by Ian Fleming (Penguin Books, New York, 2003) at page 3 gives the date of this event

Producer - Harry Saltzman and Albert R. Broccoli

Director - Terence Young

Runtime – 1 hour 55 minutes

Released – October 19, 1963

Starring -

Sean Connery as James Bond, Agent 007.

Daniela Bianchi as Tatiana Romanova (voiced by Barbara Jefford), the bait for Bond

Pedro Armendáriz as Ali Kerim Bey: British Intelligence Station Chief in Istanbul.

Lotte Lenya as Rosa Klebb: Chief Operations Officer for SPECTRE

Robert Shaw as Red Grant: Cunning SPECTRE assassin

Bernard Lee as M : Chief of British Intelligence.

Walter Gotell as Morzeny: SPECTRE thug who trains personnel

Vladek Sheybal as Kronsteen: Chief Planning Officer for SPECTRE.

Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny: M's secretary.

Desmond Llewelyn as Q : Head of 'Q' Section

Eunice Gayson as Sylvia Trench: Bond's semi-regular girlfriend.

Francis de Wolff as Vavra: Chief of a Gypsy tribe used for dirty work by Kerim Bey

George Pastell as the Orient Express train conductor.

Fred Haggerty as Krilencu: A Bulgarian assassin who works as a killer for the Soviets .

Aliza Gur and Martine Beswick as Vida and Zora, respectively: Two jealous Gypsy girls

Nadja Regin as Kerim Bey's lonely girlfriend.

watch a trailer for From Russia With Love

June 9 - Duel

Here is the movie with a scene that happens today - June 9. I hope you enjoy it and watch it tonight. 

DUEL

On June 9, 1972 [the entire film] a salesman David Mann leaves his California home on a business trip. He passes, is passed by and re-passes a dirty Peterbuilt tanker trunk. Mann stops at a gas station and calls his wife, who is upset that he did not confront a friend of his who had made a pass at her. The station attendant tells Mann he needs a new radiator hose, but Mann does not believe him and leaves. Mann gets behind the truck again, which blocks all his attempts to pass. When Mann finally does get around the truck, it’s driver begins to tailgate him at high speed, causing Mann to finally crash into a fence opposite a diner, while the truck keeps going. After using the restroom, Mann is shocked to see the truck parked outside. Mann has an inner discussion with himself in which he tries to pick the  driver out from the diner’s patrons and  berating himself for just sitting there. When he thinks he has identified the driver he confronts him, but the man leaves in a different truck, followed shortly thereafter by the tanker. Leaving the café, Mann stops to push a stopped school bus, but flees when the truck reappears and pushes the bus. When Mann has to stop at a railroad crossing the truck appears behind him and tries to push him into the train.  Mann stops at Sally’s Snakerama to call the police, but the truck returns and destroys the booth, with Mann just barely escaping. Mann parks behind an embankment and the truck passes him. However when Mann starts up, he sees the truck waiting for him just around the bend. Again Mann can’t pass the truck, but when he does a chase begins. Several people along the way either can’t or won’t help him. Near the top of a long uphill climb, Mann ‘s water hose bursts and he barely makes the summit to coast down the other side. Mann drives onto a dirt road and places his briefcase on the accelerator and heads towards the pursuing truck, leaping out at the last second. The tanker hits the car, which bursts into flames partly obscuring the driver’s vision, as too late he realizes the truck is headed for a high cliff. The truck and burning car plunge over the side as Mann sits tossing pebbles while the sun sets. 

This film is an early Spielberg classic. This story of an average guy getting caught up in an extraordinary situation brings North by Northwest to mind. And like a good Hitchcock film, Spielberg gradually builds the suspense with the most apparently mundane shots. Weaver is excellent as the ordinary guy who is finally pushed far enough to fight back.   

In the film at 2:50-54 the scores of baseball games that occurred the previous day are given.

Producer - George Eckstein

Director - Steven Spielberg

Screenplay - Richard Matheson

Awards – The film won the Outstanding Achievement in Film Sound Editing Emmy and

                 was nominated for the Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography for  

                 Entertainment Programming – For a Special or Feature Length Program Made

                 for Television Emmy at the 24^th Emmy Awards.

Runtime – 1 hour 30 minutes

Released - November 13, 1971(original version), October, 1972 (extended version)

Starring –

Dennis Weaver as David Mann

Jacqueline Scott as Mrs. Mann

Carey Loftin as The Truck Driver

Eddie Firestone as Café owner

Lou Frizzell as Bus driver

Eugene Dynarski as Man in café

Lucille Benson as Lady at Snakerama

Tim Herbert as Gas station attendant

Charles Seel as Old man

Shirley O'Hara as Waitress

Alexander Lockwood as Old man in car

Amy Douglass as Old woman in car

Sweet Dick Whittington as Radio interviewer

watch Duel

June 8 - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

Here is the movie with a scene that happens today - June 8. I hope you enjoy it and watch it tonight. 

THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD

In 1881 the James brothers recruit a gang of petty thieves to assist them in robbing a train, which turns out to have much less money than supposed. Frank James leaves for Baltimore. Wood Hite and Dick Liddil go to Kentucky to see Hite’s father. While there Liddil became involved with Hite’s step-mother, angering Hite.  Bob stays with Jesse for a time then returns to stay at his sister, Martha Bolton’s farm with his brother Charley, Wood Hite and Dick Liddil. Dick tells Bob that he and Jim Cummins, another gang member are plotting to capture Jesse for the large reward.  Jesse goes to see Ed Miller, another gang member, who unintentionally hints that Cummins is plotting against Jesse. Jesse kills Miller then he and Dick Liddil go out to find Cummins and Jesse even beats up a young cousin of Bob Ford’s to try and get info out of him. Liddil returns to the Bolton’s farmhouse and gets into a confrontation with an angry Wood Hite in which Hite ends up being killed by Bob Ford and his body is hidden in the woods. Bob approaches the police and after suggesting Dick Liddil’s arrest makes a deal with Missouri governor Crittenden in which he has ten days to kill or capture Jesse. Charley Ford persuades Jesse to take Bob into the gang and they start planning a crime spree. Bob  shoots and kills Jesse, for which he gets $10,000.00 [the equivalent of $12.8 million today] The brothers for a time become celebrities, re-enacting the death of Jesse on the New York stage. Bob later experiences regret and writes letters of apology to Jesse’s widow that he never mails. On June 8, 1902 [2:29:55 to 2:32:06] Robert Ford is murdered in the saloon he owned by Ed O’Kelly, who was later pardoned.

A low key, but effective movie. More of a character study than and action film. Both Bob Ford and Jesse James are examined to try and determine what makes them tick.

Encyclopedia of World Crime: Criminal Justice, Criminology and Law Enforcement Vol. II by Jay Robert Nash (Crime Books, Inc., Wilmette, Ill, 1990) at page1197 gives the date of the murder

Producer - Ridley Scott, Jules Daly, Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner and David Valdes

Director - Andrew Dominik

Screenplay - Andrew Dominik

Awards – The film was nominated for the Best Supporting Actor(Affleck) and the Best 

                  Cinematography Oscars at the 80^th Academy Awards.

Narrator - Hugh Ross

Runtime  - 2 hours 40 minutes

Released – September 21, 2007

Starring –

Brad Pitt as Jesse James

Casey Affleck as Robert "Bob" Ford

Sam Shepard as Frank James

Jeremy Renner as Wood Hite

Sam Rockwell as Charley Ford

Paul Schneider  as Dick Liddle

Garret Dillahunt as Ed Miller

Mary-Louise Parker as Zerelda "Zee" James

Zooey Deschanel as Dorothy Evans

Alison Elliott as Martha Bolton

Kailin See as Sarah Hite

Ted Levine as James Timberlake

James Carville as Governor Thomas T. Crittenden

Michael Parks as Henry Craig

Michael Copeman as Ed O'Kelley

Watch a trailer for The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

June 7 - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Herer is the film with a scene that happens today - June 7. I hope you enjoy it and watch it tonight. 

HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN

When his Uncle Vernon’s sister Madge comes to visit and makes disparaging remarks about Harry’s parents, he curses her, causing her to inflate and float away. Harry leaves and catches the Knight Bus, a magic transport for witches and wizards which takes him to the Leaky Cauldron at Diagon alley.  On the way he learns about the mass murderer Sirius Black, who has escaped from the wizarding prison of Azkaban. At the Leaky Cauldron  Harry meets Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic and to his surprise is not punished for illegally using magic. Mr. Weasley tells Harry Sirius Black wants to kill him. On the train to Hogwarts, new professor R. J. Lupin saves Harry from a dementor attack. The dementors, which usually guard Azkaban now guard Hogwarts. Hagrid’s first class as a professor goes wrong as Buckbeak, the hippogriff bites Draco Malfoy. Harry sneaks into the village of Hogsmede using his invisibility cloak and learns that Sirius Black betrayed his parents and killed their friend Peter Pettigrew. Harry learns how to defeat dementors and Buckbeak is ordered executed. On the day of the execution, Hagrid refuses to let Harry, Ron or Hermione watch, but they observe from afar. A black dog attacks Ron and drags him to the shrieking shack, where Sirius Black appears. Harry is about to kill Sirius, when Lupin appears and disarms Harry. The two tell the three friends that it was actually Peter Pettigrew who betrayed Harry’s parents and has been hiding as Ron’s rat, Scabbers ever since.  On the way back to the castle to turn Pettigrew in Lupin turns into a werewolf and Pettigrew escapes. Harry follows Sirius and both are attacked by dementors. Someone drives them away. Sirius is caught and sentenced to have his soul sucked out by the dementors. Hermione and Harry use her time-turner to go back three hours. They hide Buckbeak so he’s not killed. It was Harry who saved himself and Sirius from the dementors. He and Hermione use Buckbeak to rescue Sirius. The next day June 7, 1994 Lupin resigns and leaves Hogwarts. [2:05:50 to 2:09:35]

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling (Scholastic Inc., New York, 1999) pages 418-428. We are told that the execution of Buckbeak was set for June 6 (page 400). Lupin leaves “the next day” (page 421)

Producer - Chris Columbus, David Heyman and Mark Radcliffe

Director - Alfonso Cuarón

Screenplay - Steve Kloves

Awards – The film was nominated for the Best Original Score and Best Visual Effects

                 Oscars at the 77^th Academy Awards. 

Runtime – 2 hours 22 minutes

Released – May 31, 2004

Starring -

Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter

Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley, Harry's best friend.

Emma Watson as Hermione Granger, Harry's other best friend

Robbie Coltrane as Rubeus Hagrid, Care of Magical Creatures teacher

Michael Gambon as Albus Dumbledore, the Hogwarts Headmaster

Richard Griffiths as Vernon Dursley, Harry's Muggle uncle.

Gary Oldman as Sirius Black, an escapee from the Wizarding prison Azkaban

Alan Rickman as Severus Snape, the Potions master at Hogwarts

Fiona Shaw as Petunia Dursley, Harry's Muggle aunt

Maggie Smith as Minerva McGonagall, the Transfiguration teacher at Hogwarts

Timothy Spall as Peter Pettigrew, a friend of Harry's parents

David Thewlis as Remus Lupin, the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher

Emma Thompson as Sybill Trelawney, the  Divination teacher at Hogwarts.

Julie Walters as Molly Weasley, the Weasley matriarch and a mother figure to Harry

watch Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban trailer

June 6 - The Americanization of Emily

Here is today's film with a scene that happens today - June 6. I hope you enjoy it and watch it tonight. 

THE AMERICANIZATION OF EMILY

It is shortly before D-Day in England. Charlie Madison is a womanizing, cynical ‘dog-robber’ who, as an aside to Admiral Jessup, ensures his boss gets the best food and throws the best parties around by bribing/threatening supply officers to get what he needs. His new driver Emily, a English widow is both fascinated and repulsed by Charlie. In spite of this she agrees to attend a bridge party when Charlie ends up a girl short. Admiral Jessup is in Europe to ensure that the Navy’s role in the upcoming Normandy invasion gets more press, so that after the war Congress won’t reduce the Navy’s budget. He comes up with the idea that the first dead man on Omaha beach must be a sailor. Charlie and Emily begin a sexual relationship. The Admiral wants a movie made about the Naval demolition units that precede the troops onto the beach. Charlie tells Emily he’s a coward and she says she approves of this as her husband, brother and father have all died in the war and she couldn’t love a man who might be killed. When Charlie tells the Admiral he doesn’t like the movie idea, the Admiral puts Charlie in charge of it. Charlie’s best friend Bus Cumings cuts orders sending Charlie and Emily on a vacation in Sussex, ostensibly to scout filming locations. Charlie is then assigned to an underwater demolition unit, but the Admiral has nervous breakdown. However, he has written the President about the film. To keep the fact that Admiral Jessup has flipped out the Navy brass decides the film must be made. Cummings sees this as his last chance for military glory and refuses to let Charlie out of the plan. When they leave to join the unit, Emily says she does not want to see Charlie again, as she has decided honor and duty are important and can’t stand Charlie’s cynical attitude.  At the port they learn the ship with the underwater demolition teams sailed two hours before (a fact known to Charlie, but not Cummings). However, since the invasion is postponed, the next day they are put on the correct ship in a timely manner. On  June 6, 1944 Charlie and Bus land on Omaha beach where Charlie is shot by Bus when he won’t go on the beach. A shell burst knocks Charlie down and everyone thinks he is dead. [1:28:48 to 1:35:57] The Navy builds Charlie up into a huge posthumous hero. Emily now realizes she really did love Charlie and misses him terribly. The Admiral recovers and is dismayed when he learns his actions caused Charlie’s death. Then word comes that Charlie is alive. The Admiral wants him in Washington to testify before Congress. Charlie announces he going to tell the truth about what happened, even if it means being jailed for cowardice. Emily convinces him to go along with his heroic status so they can be together.

This movie is about as cynical as they come. It has a very hard edge and its biting sarcasm can’t be matched. Both Garner and Andrews give excellent performances of characters who are out of their usual comfort zone.

The Third Reich at War by Richard J. Evans (The Penguin Press, New York, 2009) at page 620 gives the invasion date

Producer  - Martin Ransohoff

Director - Arthur Hiller

Screenplay - Paddy Chayefsky

Awards – The film was nominated for the Best Art Direction and Best Cinematography

                  Oscars at the 37^th Academy Awards.

Runtime – 1 hour 55 minutes

Released – October 27, 1964

Starring –

James Garner as Lt. Cmdr. Charles E. "Charlie" Madison

Julie Andrews as Emily Barham

Melvyn Douglas as Admiral William Jessup

James Coburn as Lt. Cmdr. Paul "Bus" Cummings

Joyce Grenfell as Mrs. Barham

Keenan Wynn as Old Sailor

Edward Binns as Admiral Thomas Healy

Liz Fraser as Sheila

William Windom as Captain Harry Spaulding

John Crawford as Chief Petty Officer Paul Adams

Douglas Henderson as Captain Marvin Ellender

Edmon Ryan as Admiral Hoyle

Steve Franken as Young Sailor

Alan Sues as Petty Officer Enright

watch The Americanization of Emily trailer