Now Screening - What Are You Watching Right Now?

[struth]

Paint Your Wagon , 1969. Directed by Joshua Logan, and starring Lee Marvin, Clint Eastwood, and Jean Seberg.






Lee Marvin accepted the lead role instead of appearing in The Wild Bunch. He received $1 million while Eastwood was paid $750,000. Faye Dunaway turned down the role of Elizabeth before Seberg was cast. Diana Rigg and Julie Andrews were also considered for the role. Eastwood and Marvin did their own singing, while Seberg's songs were dubbed. The early incarnation of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band had a cameo in the song "Hand Me Down That Can o' Beans."

[struth]

The Producers, 1967. Written and directed by Mel Brooks and starring Zero Mostel, Gene Wilder, Dick Shawn, and Kenneth Mars.

The Producers was Brooks's directorial debut. For the film, he won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. In 1996, the film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry and placed eleventh on the AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs list. It was later adapted by Brooks and Thomas Meehan as a stage musical, which itself was adapted into a film.





According to Brooks, after the film was completed, Embassy executives refused to release it as being in "bad taste." The film's premiere in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on November 22, 1967, was a disaster and the studio considered shelving it. However, relief came when Pink Panther star Peter Sellers saw the film privately and placed an advertisement in Variety in support of the film's wide release. Sellers was familiar with the film because, according to Brooks, Sellers "had accepted the role of Bloom and then was never heard from again." The film allegedly was "banned in Germany." The film was screened in New York City in March 1968. The film's wide release would take place on March 18, 1968.

[Pigmy Pony]

Yes, it’s not bad but I understand that it’s a remake of a danish film that’s supposed to be better?

Well I would be happy to watch the Danish one. Trouble is, Mrs. P hates subtitles and I can't be doing with overdubbed dialogue.

[struth]

To Have and Have Not, 1944. Directed by Howard Hawks and stars Humphrey Bogart, Walter Brennan and Lauren Bacall; it also features Dolores Moran, Hoagy Carmichael, Sheldon Leonard, Dan Seymour, and Marcel Dalio.

[Barry]

To Have and Have Not, 1944. Directed by Howard Hawks and stars Humphrey Bogart, Walter Brennan and Lauren Bacall; it also features Dolores Moran, Hoagy Carmichael, Sheldon Leonard, Dan Seymour, and Marcel Dalio.

One of my favourite films. In some ways I prefer it to 'Casablanca'.

[Roy S]

One that wasn't made 100 years ago

Never seen this all the way through, thought I'd give it a go.

[Pigmy Pony]

One that wasn't made 100 years ago

Never seen this all the way through, thought I'd give it a go.

Like this film, seen it a lot. Brick Top is my favourite character, but they're all good.

[Roy S]

Like this film, seen it a lot. Brick Top is my favourite character, but they're all good.

Bit of trivia for you. The line 'I'll cut your f***ing jacobs off' (jacobs crackers - knackers) was initially adlibbed by Bradley Walsh when he auditioned for the part of Brick Top. Guy Ritchie ultimately decided that Walsh's alter ego of game show host might harm the films credibility.

And I still haven't seen it all the way through, fell asleep.

[Barry]

And I still haven't seen it all the way through, fell asleep.

You're not really selling this film Roy.

[Roy S]

You're not really selling this film Roy.

Very true but I was being optimistic about my staying power when I started watching a two hour film at 2 am.