September 13 - On Her Majesty's Secret Service

Today’s movie is an espionage action film with a scene that happens on September 13. Watch it tonight and enjoy.

ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE    

British Secret Service agent James Bond, Agent 007 saves a woman from committing suicide, in spite of being attacked by four men. He later learns she is Tracy di Vicenzo and saves her from being embarrassed at a casino. Afterwards they have an amorous interlude. On September 13, 1969 [18:41 to 26:43] Bond is kidnapped and taken to see Draco, the head of the Union Corse and Tracy’s father. He offers to pay Bond £1,000,000 to marry her. Bond refuses, but offers to do it if Draco will tell him where Blofeld, Bond’s arch-enemy is hiding. In London Bond is removed from the Blofeld investigation, so Bond goes and courts Tracy. Bond breaks into the safe of a Swiss lawyer and learns Blofeld is seeking the help of Sir Hilary Bray of the College of Arms to establish his right to the title “Comte de Bleuchamp”. Bond, impersonating Bray goes to Blofeld’s hideout, an allergy clinic he is running, located atop Piz Gloria in the Swiss Alps. Bond is eventually caught, but learns that ten female patients at the clinic are being brainwashed into distributing bacteriological warfare agents around the world to destroy domestic plants and animals. Bond makes a breathtaking ski escape from the mountain. He reaches the village of Lauterbrunnen, where he is rescued by Tracy who had been looking for him. They take refuge in a barn where Bond proposes to her. Later trying to get out of the area they are caught in an avalanche caused by Blofeld. Bond escapes, but Tracy is captured. When the UN decides to pay Blofeld off, Bond is forbidden to do anything. He teams up with Draco and launches an attack on Piz Gloria, destroying the facility and rescuing Tracy. Blofeld escapes. Tracy and Bond are married, but on the way to their honeymoon, she is killed by Blofeld and his henchwoman, Irma Blunt.        

                   

Although Lazenby’s performance was widely derided at the time, I think this is one of my favorite Bond films. Lazenby plays Bond as a real person, not a secret agent caricature. Diana Rigg of course is the ultimate Bond girl. After all, she was the only one who ever got Bond to the altar.

In the film at 22:05 Draco says “today is the 13^th”. At 26:34 the calendar shows September.

Producer - Harry Saltzman and Albert R. Broccoli

Director - Peter R. Hunt                    

Screenplay - Richard Maibaum                         

Runtime – 2 hours 20 minutes                            

Released – December 18, 1969                          

Starring –

George Lazenby as James Bond

Diana Rigg as Countess Tracy di Vicenzo Bond

Telly Savalas as Ernst Stavro Blofeld

Gabriele Ferzetti as Marc-Ange Draco

Ilse Steppat as Irma Bunt

Bernard Lee as M

Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny .

George Baker as Sir Hilary Bray

Yuri Borienko as Grunther .

Bernard Horsfall as Shaun Campbell 

Desmond Llewelyn as Q

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2014.

September 12 - The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Today’s movie is a fantasy adventure film with a scene that happens on September 12. Watch it tonight and enjoy.

THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER    

Edmund Pevensie fails in his attempt to join the British armed forces as he’s underage. He and his sister Lucy are staying with their obnoxious cousin, Eustace Scrubb, since their parents and older siblings have gone to America. A picture at Eustace’s house releases a torrent of water and the three kids end up in the seas off Narnia, fortunately near the flagship of the Narnian navy, The Dawn Treader. They are rescued by Caspian X who has undertaken an expedition to find seven Lords, loyal to his father who were banished by Miraz. They go ashore in the Lone islands and are captured by slavers. In jail Caspian and Edmund meet Lord Bern, one of the seven. They see slaves being sacrificed to a mysterious mist. Reepicheep leads a rescue mission and frees them. Lord Bern gives Caspian his sword. They sail on and reach another island where Lucy is kidnapped by the Duffelpuds and forced to enter the wizard’s house and read the spell that “makes unseen things seen”. She takes a spell to make her as beautiful as the one you wish to be. The duffelpuds become visible, enabling Caspian and the Narnians to defeat them. The wizard, Coriakin tells them that the evil dark mist is spreading, but can be defeated by placing the seven swords of the lords, gifts of Aslan at Aslan’s table on Ramandu’s island to which a blue star will guide them. He also warns them that they will be tested. Lucy casts the spell and becomes her sister Susan, whom she envied. Lucy no longer exists. Horrified, she is glad when Aslan restores what was. On September 12, 2306 A.N. [52:56 to 1:08:15] they land on Dragon Island. There they find a pool that turns anything placed in it  to gold, which prompts a fight between Caspian and Edmund, until they realize this is the test. They also find the second sword in the pool. Eustace finds a valley full of treasure, puts on a bracelet and becomes a dragon. In the valley Caspian and Edmund find the third sword. The dragon  convinces them that he is Eustace. They  see the blue star and reach Ramandu’s island towed part of the way by the dragon, Eustace. There they find three of the lords in a trance at Aslan’s table on which they put the six swords they have.  Ramandu's Daughter, Lilliandil appears, points out the Dark Island  and tells them the last sword is there. They sail there, being tempted by the mist and meet Lord Rhoop, who has the last sword. A sea serpent attacks the ship and Eustace attacks it. Lord Rhoop spears Eustace with the sword. Eustace flies back to Ramandu’s island with the sword. Aslan returns him to human form. Eustace places the sword on the table, which gives Wolfsbane, the sword Aslan had give to Peter Pevensie and is now being used by Edmund the power to kill the sea serpent. This causes the mist and darkness to disperse, revealing all the slaves sacrificed to the mist are alive and well. Reepicheep, Caspian, Edmund, Lucy and Eustace sail to the utter east, where they meet Aslan. Reepicheep is allowed to go to Aslan’s country, while Caspian returns to Narnia. The Pevensies and Eustace are returned to England, moments after they left it.  

A fairly good adaptation of the book. The plot is altered somewhat, but not enough to offend purists like me. The special effects are fantastic!

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis (HarperCollins, New York, 2000) at page 75 gives the date

Producer - Mark Johnson, Andrew Adamson and Philip Steuer

Director - Michael Apted

Screenplay - Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely and Michael Petroni

Runtime – 1 hour 55 minutes

Released – November 30, 2010

Starring –

Georgie Henley as Lucy Pevensie

Skandar Keynes as Edmund Pevensie

Will Poulter as Eustace Scrubb

Ben Barnes as Caspian X

Simon Pegg as the voice of Reepicheep

Gary Sweet as Lord Drinian

Shane Rangi as Tavros the Minotaur

Morgan Evans as Randy the Faun

Steven Rooke as Nausus the Faun

Tony Nixon as 1st Mate Rynelf

Liam Neeson as the voice of Aslan

Laura Brent as Ramandu's Daughter, Lilliandil

Bille Brown as Coriakin

Terry Norris as Lord Bern

Bruce Spence as Lord Rhoop

Arabella Morton as Gael

Arthur Angel as Rhince

Nathaniel Parker as Caspian IX

David Vallon as Governor Gumpas

Michael Foster as Gumpas's money collector

Roy Billing as Chief Dufflepud

William Moseley as Peter Pevensie

Anna Popplewell as Susan Pevensie

Tilda Swinton as Jadis, the White Witch    

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2014.

September 11 - Brian's Song (2001)

Today’s movie is a sports biography with a scene that happens on September 11. Watch it tonight and enjoy.

BRIAN’S SONG (2001)            

Brian Piccolo and African-American Gale Sayers meet at the Chicago Bear’s 1965 Training Camp. They rub each other the wrong way as Piccolo thinks Sayers is arrogant, while Sayers thinks Piccolo is a guy who tries to get by on personality, not talent. Sayers and Piccolo are directed to start rooming together. On September 11, 1966, [17:10 to 20:16] Brian Piccolo and Gale Sayers play in the Bears season opener against the Detroit Lions. Sayers later wins the Rookie of the Year award. Sayers is hurt in a game and wants to give up but Piccolo won’t let him, supervising Sayers rehabilitation in the off-season. Piccolo had replaced Sayers during the last five games of the season. Piccolo is made a fullback, but he keeps losing weight and develops a persistent cough. He is removed as a starter. Piccolo learns he has embryonal cell carcinoma. He undergoes several surgeries. Piccolo bravely refuses to yield to the disease and is supported by his wife and Sayers. When Sayers wins the George S. Halas trophy for most courageous player, he tells the crowd the award should have gone to Piccolo. Piccolo dies from cancer. 

A watchable sports bio. Not quite as maudlin as the original, in this one the order of events has been altered for “dramatic purposes”. Still a compelling story of courage on and off the field.

The film says it’s “opening Day” at 17:11 and the opening day game was against Detroit on this date in 1966 as per The ESPN Pro Football Encyclopedia ed by Pete Palmer, Ken Pullis and Sean Lahman (Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., New York, 2006) at page 915

Producer – John M. Eckert and Dave Mace

Director - John Gray

Screenplay – John Gray and Allen Clare

Runtime – 1 hour 28 minutes

Released – December 2, 2001

Starring –

Sean Maher as Brian Piccolo

Mekhi Phifer as Gale Sayers

Paula Cale as Joy Piccolo

Elise Neal as Linda Sayers

Ben Gazzara as Coach Halas

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2014.

 

September 10 - Flight of the Intruder

Today’s movie is a combat film with a scene that happens on September 10. Watch it tonight and enjoy.

FLIGHT OF THE INTRUDER              

On September 10, 1972 [1:30 to 11:52] Lt. Jake Grafton and his bombardier Morgan McPherson are flying their A-6 bomber on a mission over North Vietnam. They hit their target, but on the way back to the USS Independence,  Morgan is hit by a one-in-a-million rifle shot and dies from loss of blood by the time they reach the carrier. “Tiger” Cole comes on board as Morgan’s replacement. Cole, Grafton and two other officers are sent to Subic Bay on R & R to get Grafton’s mind off Morgan’s death. Grafton goes to see Morgan’s widow, but she has already left. He meets Callie Joy, who is packing yje widow’s belongings for her. Callie has a brief affair with Grafton. Cole and Grafton go on a SAM suppression mission where they are chased by a MIG fighter and have an engine flameout. Grafton wants to bomb Hanoi, which is not allowed, but Cole says no. Then Boxman, another pilot is shot down. Cole tells Grafton that he had been shot down and his co-pilot was killed by the Vietnamese. Cole now suggests they bomb SAM city, a missile depot in the heart of the city. They get maps showing its location. On a mission to bomb a power plant, they continue on and even though it takes two bomb runs they hit and destroy SAM city. On their return the Navy announces it intends to court-martial them, but drops the charges as days later the President orders Hanoi to be bombed. Now the whole squadron flies SAM suppression missions. Camparelli is forced to make a crash landing and is injured. Cole and Grafton are shot down and separated. Grafton makes it to Camparelli. Cole tries to evade, but is mortally wounded and calls an air strike on his location, killing him and many Vietnamese.   Grafton is successful in getting himself and Camparelli to the rescue copter and out. Grafton is promoted to Captain.    

Has some good aerial combat sequences. A war movie with a romance grafted on. The storyline seems somewhat clichéd of the guy who takes the war into his own hands after his pal is killed.    

Date given in film at 3:12

Producer - Brian Frankish

Director - John Milius

Screenplay - Robert Dillon and David Shaber

Runtime – 1 hour 55 minutes

Released - January 18, 1991

Starring –

Danny Glover as Cmdr. Frank “Dooke” Camparelli

Willem Dafoe as Lt. Cmdr. Virgil “Tiger” Cole

Brad Johnson  as Lt. Jake “Cool Hand” Grafton

Rosanna Arquette as Callie Joy

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2014.

September 9 - I am Legend

Today’s movie is a science fiction film with a scene that happens on September 9. Watch it tonight and enjoy.

I AM LEGEND                        

A supposed cure for cancer based on genetically modifying the measles virus goes awry, killing 90% of humanity and turning 90% of those left alive into vampire like Darkseekers, who are  violent, sunlight shunning beings who try to kill any remaining normal humans. Robert Neville is a military virologist who witnessed the death of his wife and daughter during the attempt to seal off Manhattan Island. He chose to stay behind and three years later scrounges for food amid the ruins with his dog, Sam. He also conducts experiments towards finding a cure for KV, as the disease is called. He uses animals and captured Darkseekers. One day Neville is caught in a snare and only escapes at dusk, but he is attacked by group of infected dogs. Sam is bitten and later dies. Blinded with rage Neville attacks a group of Darkseekers, but is overwhelmed and is only saved by being rescued by Anna and Ethan, two normals. She says she is going to the safe zone in Vermont, but Neville expresses doubt such a place exists. Unfortunately Anna did not take the precautions Neville usually did to hide his scent and on September 9, 2012 [1:17:33 to 1:29:47] the Darkseekers find and attack Neville’s house. They retreat to his basement lab and discover that his latest vaccine has worked on a captured Darkseeker. He draws some of her anti-body containing blood and sends Anna and Ethan out through a tunnel. Neville then blows up himself and the attacking Darkseekers. Anna and Ethan reach the safe zone, where the fight to cure the rest of humanity begins. 

This is the third time this story has been told, but this version is as good, if not better than the other two. Lots of good action sequences. A good script keeps you on the edge of your seat. 

Date given in film at 1:13:15

Producer - Akiva Goldsman, James Lassiter, David Heyman and Neal H. Moritz

Director  - Francis Lawrence

Screenplay - Mark Protosevich and Akiva Goldsman

Runtime -  1 hour 40 minutes

Released – December 14, 2007

Starring –

Will Smith as Dr. Robert Neville

Alice Braga as Anna Montez

Charlie Tahan as Ethan

Emma Thompson as Dr. Alice Krippin

Salli Richardson as Zoe Neville

Willow Smith as Marley Neville

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2014.

September 8 - MacArthur

Today’s movie is a biographical drama with a scene that happens on September 8. Watch it tonight and enjoy.

MACARTHUR                       

General of the Army Douglas MacArthur is giving a speech at West Point. He thinks back on his career.  After the Japanese attack on the Philippines he moves his headquarters to Corregidor. He is later ordered to go to Australia and says, “I shall return”. He refuses to countenance any further withdrawals and insists on carrying the war to New Guinea. MacArthur’s staff carries on a full-scale press offensive promoting him. He proposes a campaign of bypassing Japanese strong points and cutting them off from supplies.  At a meeting at Pearl Harbor, MacArthur forcefully presses for an early invasion of the Philippines. He is given permission to invade the islands and orders a landing on Leyte. He has a highly publicized landing and advances to the front lines, where he learns he’s gotten his fifth star. Truman becomes president and orders the atomic bombing of Japan. MacArthur presides at the Japanese surrender. On September 8, 1945 [1:18:29 to 1:20:11] MacArthur arrives in Tokyo to take over as occupation leader. He pushes a progressive governmental, economic and social agenda. MacArthur prevents a Soviet move to occupy part of Japan. Then the North Koreans attack the South and MacArthur organizes the resistance. He proposes and carries out a landing at Inchon behind the lines and carries the war into the north. At Wake Island he tells Truman that the chances of a Chinese invasion is minimal. The Chinese do attack and after he makes public statements contrary to US policy, Truman relieves him of command. He receives a hero’s welcome on his return, but soon fades into obscurity.   

A decent bio. However it doesn’t cover any of Macarthur’s pre-World War II biography. It is balanced and avoids being either a coronation or a smear job.

The Years of MacArthur: Triumph and Disaster by D. Clayton James (Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 1985) t page 4 gives the date of his arrival

Producer - Frank McCarthy

Director - Joseph Sargent

Screenplay - Hal Barwood and Matthew Robbins

Runtime – 2 hours 10 minutes

Released – July 15, 1977

Starring –

Gregory Peck as General of the Army Douglas MacArthur

Ed Flanders as President Harry S. Truman

Dan O'Herlihy as President Franklin D. Roosevelt

Ivan Bonar as Lieutenant General Richard K. Sutherland

Ward Costello as General of the Army George C. Marshall

Nicolas Coster as Colonel Sidney Huff

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2014.

September 7 - The Lost Weekend

Today’s movie is a drama with scenes that happen on September 7. Watch it tonight and enjoy.  

THE LOST WEEKEND                   

Don Birnam and his brother Wick are getting set to go to the country for the weekend. Don is a drunk who has been on the wagon for ten days. When his girlfriend Helen shows up he convinces Wick to take her to a concert to which someone has given her two tickets. Wick thinks he has found all of Don’s hidden liquor and left him with no money to buy any, so it’s okay to leave him alone. However, Don steals the money Wick left to pay the cleaning lady. He immediately goes out to a bar to buy liquor. Wick and Helen return and find Don gone. Wick says he’s fed up and leaves for the country. Don returns to his apartment and sneaks in, dodging Wick and Helen. The next morning, on September 7, 1945 [22:04 to 28:40, 36:50 – 38:00, 49:50 – 59:07] he finds a note pinned to his door from Helen asking him to call her. Instead Don returns to the bar. He tells the bartender how he met Helen three years before at the opera. He and Helen start dating and Don stops drinking for a while because he’s so in love with her. When her parents come to New York to meet him, he overhears them discussing him. The anxiety of this causes him to start drinking again, but he confesses his alcohol problem to her. He reveals he’s suffering from severe self-doubt and he tries to scare Helen off, but she won’t go.  Don leaves the bar and goes home to work on his novel. However, the need for alcohol gets to him. He can’t find the bottle he hid last night. He goes out to a bar and steals a woman’s purse to get money to pay the bar tab. She discovers the theft, but seeing he’s a drunk does not press charges.  Back at his apartment he accidentally finds the bottle he hid and drinks it all. The next morning he wakes to the phone ringing, but he ignores it and goes out to pawn his typewriter to get money for booze. He can’t, as all the pawn shops are closed since it’s Yom Kippur. He meets Gloria who was attracted to him yesterday and she gives him some money. He falls down stairs and is knocked out. He wakes up the next day in the hospital detox ward. He manages to escape. Helen, who spent the night in the hallway outside Don’s apartment, is awakened by the landlady and leaves. Don steals a bottle of whiskey from a store. Back at his apartment he drinks the whole bottle while ignoring the phone. He starts to hallucinate. The landlady hears his screams and calls Helen. She stays in the apartment overnight. In the morning he runs away with her coat and pawns it in exchange for a gun.  Helen tries to get the gun from him before he can kill himself. He wrestles it from her. The barkeep arrives and returns his typewriter that he left in the bar. She convinces Don to start writing a novel about his ‘Lost Weekend’.

One of the most realistic accounts of addiction ever filmed. Don will lie, cheat and steal to get alcohol. Fortunately for him he has at least one person who cares for him. Hopefully, he will be able to make a recovery.   

At 1:04:29 he’s told it’s Saturday and on the same day at 1:06:07 that it’s Yom Kippur. This happened in 1945, when the date of Yom Kippur was Saturday, September 8. So the day before is the seventh.

Producer - Charles Brackett

Director - Billy Wilder

Screenplay - Charles Brackett and Billy Wilder

Awards – The film won the Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor(Milland) and Best Screenplay Oscars. It was also nominated for the Best Black and White Cinematography, Best Music Score and Best Film Editing at the 18^th Academy Awards.

Runtime – 1 hour 39 minutes

Released – November 16, 1945

Starring –

Ray Milland as Don Birnam

Jane Wyman as Helen St. James

Phillip Terry as Wick Birnam

Howard Da Silva as Nat

Doris Dowling as Gloria

Frank Faylen as 'Bim' Nolan

Mary Young as Mrs. Deveridge

Anita Bolster as Mrs. Foley

Lillian Fontaine as Mrs. St. James

Frank Orth as Opera cloak room attendant

Lewis L. Russell as Mr. St. James

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2014.