That'll Be The Day stars David Essex as Jim MacLaine, a young man in search of his own identity. The film is based on Nilsson's song "1941" and also has some parallels to the life of John Lennon. The movie begins in the late 1950's with MacLaine's father abandoning his family after WWII (a theme which I have seen in several British films set in this era) and ends in the early 1960's with MacLaine abandoning his own family for the world of rock and roll.
After dropping out of high school, MacLaine works a number of dead end
jobs, and while working as a barman at a holiday camp he meets Mike (Ringo Starr) who
becomes his mentor. Ringo is superb in his part, as good as any other actor in the film. I imagine his familiarity with the era helped a lot in making his character so believable. Billy Fury plays Stormy Tempest (based on Rory Storm) in the house band at the camp's bar. The drummer for the band is Keith Moon of The Who, who also has a small acting part. Moon has one of my favorite lines in the film, when asked if he has ever thought about writing his own songs, he replies "you got to be American to write Rock and Roll songs".
Most of the music in That'll Be The Day is on the soundtrack (comparable to the American Graffiti soundtrack), but besides the Stormy Tempest band, there are only two other bands in the movie: a Trad Band and an early rock and roll band (featuring Eugene Wallace as the lead singer). After seeing the rock and roll band, MacLaine/Essex buys a guitar and the film abruptly ends, and MacLaine's story is continued in the film's sequel, Stardust.
I'm not sure when I first bought the book "Candy", but I know it was before the movie came out. For some odd reason, over the years I have always associated the book only with Terry Southern and completely forgotten that it was co-written with Mason Hoffenberg. I had such a fondness for the book that even though the cover is loose and the pages are age tanned, I still have my copy (see photo below). As you can see, it was originally published under the pseudonym Maxwell Kenton.
I'm sure I was excited when they made "Candy" into a movie in 1968 and even more revved up to find that Ringo Starr was going to be in the movie. Besides Ringo, Candy was packed with stars: Richard Burton, Marlon Brando, James Coburn, John Huston, Walter Matthau, John Astin, Sugar Ray Robinson, Anita Pallenberg, and even Buck Henry, who wrote the screenplay.
Since this was Ringo's solo (without any other Beatles) big screen debut, I thought I would give Candy another look all these years later. I was astonished to find that it was out of print (although there are many used copies of the dvd and vhs for sale online). I was able to view a used vhs copy and found that my memories of the movie were better than the movie itself....proving once again, sometimes it's better to leave memories alone.
In case you don't know the plot of Candy (the book is somewhat different): Ewa Aulin plays Candy, an innocent (or dimwitted, depends on how you want to view her) young lady, who brings out the beast in men. Besides the psychedelic opening and New Age closing, the major part ofCandy is a set of vignettes; each one with someone trying, usually successfully, to get into Candy's pants. Richard Burton plays a self important booze soaked poet, Walter Matthau, whose performance shines above everyone else's, plays a maniacal Air Force General, James Coburn plays a famous surgeon, Walter Huston plays a hospital administrator and Marlon Brando plays a guru.
Of course, we're here to talk about Ringo Starr and his part as Emmanuel, the Mexican gardener. Emmanuel is a "good boy" who is going to go into the priesthood. Due to some confusion on his part about what certain English words actually mean, he loses his virginity to Candy. Ringo did a very adequate job but I did hear his Mexican accent slip very briefly a few times; otherwise, he held his own with all of the famous actors.
I'm going to say that Candy was a movie "for and of" its time (1968) and I'm sure I enjoyed it back then. Watching it again, these many years later, I found, for the most part, the movie to be boring with only the Walter Matthau section holding up today. Matthau's performance in my opinion was one of the best I have ever seen him do.
In 1978, when Sextette was made, Mae West was an iconic figure like Bogart and Monroe. The passage of years has dimmed her status somewhat, but I tried to view Sextette in the context of the year it was made. I'm almost sure that I saw this movie in the theater, but the passage of years has also dimmed my memory. I'm sure we were thrilled to see such an icon back up on the big screen in 1978, especially since Sextette threw a couple of bones to the younger generation by including Ringo Starr, Alice Cooper, and Keith Moon among the cast.
Unfortunately, viewing Sextette today all I could see was a creepy looking old woman (I apologize to the memory of Mae West) delivering Mae West's one-liners. While I'm not technically knowledgeable enough to know exactly how the movie was shot, I do know that the make-up used on Mae West caused light to bounce off her face making it appear blurry and washed out at times. I'm not talking about close-up shots where they could put Vaseline on the lens, I'm talking about scenes with other actors where you can clearly see their faces. Instead of achieving the desired effect of making Mae's face look younger, it actually achieved the opposite effect. Another thing that added to Mae looking older was her costuming (credited to Edith Head), it looked like Mae was always wearing something straight out of one of her 1930s movies.
The basic plot of Sextette is that Mae and Timothy Dalton have just wed and they are on their honeymoon. Unfortunately, their plans for the bedroom keep getting interrupted. Mae is kept busy trying to make sure World Peace happens (I'M NOT MAKING THIS UP!), while Timothy Dalton spends most of his time trying to convince people he's not gay. A side note: while Dalton had yet to play James Bond (he had been offered the part several times already) in Sextette it turns out that he's a spy.
As the movie rolls along we get different dance/song numbers and different guest stars showing up throughout the movie. Keith Moon probably has the best guest starring role as a wardrobe dresser, he's flounces about while Mae tries on different dresses delivering one of her famous one-liners with each one. Ringo Starr shows up later in the movie as a movie director, an ex-husband of Mae's, trying to shoot a rehearsal love scene. I thought I had missed Alice Cooper, but he doesn't make his appearance until almost the end of the movie where he sings a disco-like number: "Never Never". Two other music performers of note have brief parts: Van McCoy (who also wrote and sings the theme song "Marlo") appears as one of the peace delegates and Keith Allison of Paul Revere and The Raiders has a very brief scene as a room service waiter, cleverly named Keith. One last music connection that should be noted is Dom De Luise who sings The Beatles "Honey Pie" next to a cardboard cutout (that looks almost as lifelike) of Mae West.
One of my current favorite TV shows is Fringe and the main arc in that series concerns an alternate universe that exists parallel to ours. That other universe is sort of like ours, but has some slight variations. The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash is like watching a documentary from an alternate universe. The characters seem familiar, the songs sound almost like what I'm used to hearing and the history of the group sounds mighty familiar. The only thing that keeps me from being completely convinced that this isn't from another universe is a few spots of broad humor that play out through the movie. These spots sort of give off a Monty Pythonesque: wink, wink, nudge, nudge, which is understandable considering Eric Idle conceived, wrote, co-directed, and stars as Dirk McQuickly (Paul McCartney) The Rutles.
The other three Rutles are Stig O'Hara (George Harrison) played by Rikki Fataar (The Beach Boys drummer), Barry Wom, shortened from Barrington Womble (Ringo Star nee Richard Starkey) played by John Halsey, and best of all Ron Nasty (John Lennon) played by Neil Innes of The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band. Neil not only made a great John Lennon, but also composed the songs for the movie, which are as enjoyable as the original Beatles' songs.
In The Rutles, we have songs such as: "Get Up And Go," "OUCH!", "Hold My Hand", "Piggy in the Middle", "Doubleback Alley" and more. The amazing thing that Neil Innes did is that he didn't just copy the original songs and exchange the lyrics for something silly, but instead he wrote new songs with lyrics that simply remind you of the original songs when you hear them. The songs in The Rutles are so good that listening to the soundtrack is like listening to a "lost" Beatles album.
Anyone that is a fan of The Beatles should enjoy The Rutles. John Lennon and Yoko Ono let it be known that they got a kick out of The Rutles even though the movie really skewers them with Nasty and Chasity's meeting at The Pretentious Gallery, plus their Shower-In For Peace. George Harrison even makes an appearance in The Rutles as an interviewer. With his short gray hair and mustache, I'm sure he could walk the streets without being noticed. An interesting fact from the commentary track is that during the filming of The Rutles, George "the interviewer" was pushed aside, so some fans could ask The Rutles if they were Beatles! I have read that Sir Paul didn't find the movie all that amusing, but that could just be hearsay.
Mick Jagger and Paul Simon are featured in The Rutles, lending even more credence to the fact that you're watching a real documentary. Mick talks about The Rolling Stones rivalry with The Rutles among other things and Paul Simon talks about being on the record charts with The Rutles.
The Rutles have their own web site: The Rutles Tragical History Tour and it includes lots of photos, history of the band, lyrics to all of their songs, album covers, and even a trivia game. So if you want to visit some more into that alternate universe that includes The Rutles, click on the link provided above.
There are lots of Rutles clips to enjoy on youtube, below is a video from The Rutles animated movie "Yellow Submarine Sandwich". It should be noted that The Rutles employed the same artists who did The Beatles "Yellow Submarine"
I decided I would re-watch Help because it had been so many years since I had seen it. What I found out was that I had NEVER seen Help in its entirety. I've seen different clips from the movie, but for some odd reason I had notseen Help from start to finish, no matter what I had previously thought.
At least I'm pretty sure I've seen "A Hard Day's Night" :-) You know what they say about the 60s, IF you can remember them, you weren't there!
I don't imagine I need to go over the plot, but just in case, here's a brief synopsis: Ringo has received a ring in the mail from some fans, who are part of a cult that needs the ring for a sacrificial ceremony. The cult cannot complete their sacrifice without the ring and they set out to steal it. When their attempts fail and they find that the ring is stuck on Ringo's finger, the cult decides Ringo will have to be the sacrificial victim. Along with the cult chasing after Ringo, there is also a mad scientist played by Victor Spinetti who wants the ring for its perceived power. The remainder of the movie revolves around Ringo and The Beatles being chased by this crazy assortment of characters.
The Beatles said they took their inspiration for Help from The Marx Brothers and you can definitely see that influence. There are also a lot of James Bond influences to be seen, which is understandable considering how big the Bond Movies were at the time.
I can't imagine anyone who doesn't like The Beatles or British humor not enjoying Help. The movie includes eight songs and lots of great quips, what more could you want. As for myself, I'm now going to go ponder what other movies I think I've seen, but really haven't :-)
Back when me and my friends were "hip", we didn't think a lot about The Turtles. Their songs were pleasant enough, but when it came time to buy an album (because you know, 45's were for like teenyboppers) we went with Jimi Hendrix, Cream, The Doors, The Mothers of Invention, Moby Grape, Buffalo Springfield, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Jefferson Airplane, etc. Years have passed and I realize that I only liked some of those groups/artists because it was the "hip" thing to do. After watching My Dinner With Jimi, I now have more appreciation for The Turtles, although I still think that they are a better "singles band" rather than an "album band".
I knew nothing about this movie, but ran across the title one day while scrolling through Netflix. The description "Howard Kaylan found fame as the lead singer of the 1960s band The Turtles, as depicted in this autobiographical screenplay. We meet Kaylan (Justin Henry) and his bandmates just as they triumph with their single "Happy Together." The band then heads off to England, where their friend Graham Nash (Steven Soldevilla) introduces them to The Beatles and Kaylan later dines with Jimi Hendrix (Royale Watkins) -- an event that changes his life." intrigued the hell out of me. I not only put it on my rental list, but moved it straight to the top. My Dinner With Jimi did not disappoint, it was everything and more that I thought it would be.
My Dinner With Jimi begins with The Turtles at a magazine promo shoot. John Corbett is the photographer in an almost non-recognizable role. We get introduced to each of The Turtles as they get their photos taken. The magazine writer who is at the shoot to do the accompanying story tells them: "Hope your looks don't hold you back." This goes with some of the commentary on the dvd when Howard Kaylan says he could always buy nice clothes, but it he good never buy "thin".
The Turtles are experiencing their biggest hit single "Happy Together" (which knocked The Beatles "Penny Lane" out of the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100). They're playing the Whiskey A-Go-Go and The Doors are their opening act. There's a great scene after the concert when The Turtles go to Canter's Deli. At the deli we find Frank Zappa and Mama Cass Elliot sitting at a table together, plus Jim Morrison is drunk and walking on tables and being a general goofball. I was also delighted to see the late Wendie Jo Sperber, my favorite actress from from I Wanna Hold Your Hand, in the role of Louella the waitress.
One section of My Dinner With Jimi concerns how Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman are about to get drafted and they get advice on how to flunk their physicals. The advice mainly has them taking massive amounts of drugs plus not sleeping or bathing before they go and being as uncooperative as possible at the draft board. The draft board sequence in My Dinner With Jimi ranks right up there with Arlo Guthrie's in Alice's Restaurant.
When The Turtles get to England they hook up with their friend Graham Nash, who also has Donovan hanging out at his house. Everyone gets stoned and they listen to "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", which won't be released until the next day. After listening to the album Graham takes them to The Speakeasy Club so they can meet The Beatles, who they idolize. Look for the real Howard Kaylan in a cameo as the greeter/doorman at the club.
Inside the club The Turtles find Paul McCartney under the table taking photos, Ringo Starr being his usual laid back self, and George Harrison seeming to be a little embarrassed by the antics of Paul and the sharp tongue of John Lennon. Lennon is drunk and full of insults for The Turtles. Jim "Tucko" Tucker is really crushed by The Beatles and flees the club followed by the other Turtles. There is some conflicting information about Tucker in the movie and what is on the commentary. What truth I can glean is that he definitely did leave the Turtles and didn't play music again. Whether it was due to his disappointment in meeting his heroes or the fact that he couldn't take touring is unclear.
Howard remains behind and before he can reenter the club, he's approached by someone wanting his autograph. He's shocked to find out that it's Brian Jones of The Rolling Stones. In tow with Brian is Jimi Hendrix and the three go back into the club for a meal, but Brian gets sidetracked by some girls and Howard winds up alone with Jimi. I'll let you watch the movie yourself to see how this dinner goes, but will tell you that it starts great, but ends badly.
Since the title is My Dinner With Jimi, it's appropriate that one of the strongest performances in the movie comes from Royale Watkins portrayal of Jimi Hendrix. He really captures that cool laid back vibe that Hendrix always seemed to emit. Although Royale has made a handful of movies and TV shows, he's best known as a stand up comic.
The commentary made a big deal out of how they tried to make everything look as close to possible to how it looked in real life, including the club The Speakeasy. They even used Howard's old house in one scene. While I will agree that everything had the right look of the late 60s, I'm puzzled about the bad wigs and especially about the sideburns used on Justin Henry who plays Howard. In the recreation of The Turtles appearance on The Smothers Brothers Show, the sideburns can actually be seen coming loose. This is the only minor quibble I have with My Dinner With Jimi. Overall, I found the movie very enjoyable and would highly recommend it to anyone.
The second person I associate with Act Naturally, the song that contains the lyrics that are the namesake of this blog is Ringo Starr. I feel it is only appropriate to review one of Ringo's movies as my second blog post.
Ringo produced Son of Dracula and it was done under the banner of Apple Corps. The movie stars Ringo and one his long time friends Harry Nilsson. It has been rumored that David Bowie was originally courted for the Nilsson part and after seeing Nilsson's acting, Bowie would definitely have been a better choice.
Son of Dracula starts with a depiction of a Vampire that is reminiscent of Nosferatu. He is killed, but we learn that he had impregnated a human, and his yet to be born son will become King of the Netherworld in 100 years.
Fast forward 100 years and we find Count Downe (Nilsson) going to England to gain his throne. Merlin (Ringo) is going to assist him by letting him know the exact time that his coronation should take place. Along the way The Count falls in love with a mortal and Van Helsing agrees to help him become human. Dr. Frankenstein wants to thwart this plan or become King of the Netherworld himself. That's the basic plot of Son of Dracula and even though it sounds confusing, it's not really that hard to keep up with while watching.
Son of Dracula also includes a Frankenstein Monster, other Vampires, Mummies, Zombies, a Wolfman, and a woman who can turn into a cat. In other words, a little dash of everything from the old Universal horror movies.
Son of Dracula wasn't a very good movie, the acting was poor, the lighting was bad, and it could have used a better editor. Surprisingly, the songs performed were actually placed in logical situations; however, only two songs "Living Without You" and "Daybreak" actually fit within the movie storyline and "Daybreak" was the only song especially written for Son of Dracula. This movie would probably have been better as a comedy and considering that they named their lead character Count Downe, why they didn't go this route is a mystery (even the original movie poster makes it appear to be a comedy); but Son of Dracula is played dead straight with not an ounce of humor to be found.
Ringo can be a much better actor (The Magic Christian, Candy, That'll Be The Day) than seen here, but maybe he didn't have good direction; but let's face the facts, it was his movie and who was going to tell him anything.
Keith Moon, Peter Frampton, and John Bonham are listed in the credits and I know they were the back-up of musicians in some of the musical performances in the movie. I missed them on this first viewing of Son of Dracula, but unfortunately, I don't think I could stand watching a second time in order to see them.
