-
What’s your favourite movie?
It’s one of those questions we can all be asked from time to time, especially if – like me – you are friendly with people who love films.
My response is generally ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.’ I saw it first when it came out. I was a teenager and it introduced me to the work of screenwriter and author William Goldman. I’ve been a fan ever since.
- Certainly, my affection for the film has dimmed slightly now I know there was a cruel horse stunt involved. It’s during the final shoot-out and the Flying W rig was used to bring the animal down as if it had been shot. It entails pulling the front legs from under it with wires. I can’t watch that now without wincing and I wish they hadn’t done it.However, it made me a fan of Newman and Redford. And every time I see it I fall in love with Katherine Ross all over again. And it introduced me to the cinematography of Conrad Hall.
And it has Strother Martin in a supporting role.
You may not know his name but you should know his face. He was never a huge star but he was always good.
He was the horse trader who verbally sparred with Mattie Ross (Kim Darby) in the original – and best – version of ‘True Grit.’ He was the train driver in ‘Shenandoah’ who pleads with James Stewart to spare his train. He was one of Lee Marvin’s sidekicks n ‘The Man Who Shot Liberty Vallance.’ He was the prison camp governor who realised they had a failure to communicate in ‘Cool Hand Luke.’
In ‘Butch Cassidy’ he’s Percy Garris, the colourful mine boss who hires the heroes as payroll guards while they’re trying to go straight. And he has a line I love – ‘Morons! I’ve got morons on my team!’ Doesn’t seem much when you read it but when he says it, it’s like Shakespeare to my ear.
-
I’m a huge film fan so there are many, MANY titles I love. But if you were to ask me right now what my top ten would be, this is what I’d say.
If you ask me again tomorrow, it would be different.
These are in no particular order of preference, despite what I’ve put first.
- Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid – Smart script, great acting, superb photography. Burt Bacharach’s shining moment in movies. Shame about that horse stunt.
- Dirty Harry – I’ve mentioned before how much I like this movie. Clint has never been better. Director Don Siegel knew how to tell a story. Andrew Robinson was chilling as Scorpio. And Lalo Schifrin’s score was cool and highly effective.
- To Kill a Mockingbird – Adapting a book for the screen is a real skill and Horton Foote’s screenplay for this was simply magical. It’s one of my favourite books but I never feel cheated if some part of it was missed out. And Elmer Bernstein’s music is wonderful. I read recently that it was John Williams played the piano. Don’t know if it’s true, but wouldn’t it be great if it was?
- The Magnificent Seven – Speaking of Elmer Bernstein. I mean, what a score! And that cast! Brynner, McQueen, Bronson, Vaughn, Coburn, bad guy Wallach, the other two who everyone forgets (I haven’t – it’s Dexter and Buchholz). The film’s never been bettered. I hear they are due to remake it. I’ll approach with caution.
- Angels With Dirty Faces – I like a black and white movie and I like James Cagney. These Warner Brothers gangster flicks had a look all of their own. And this one has the most talked about ending in the genre. Was Rocky Sullivan granting the wish of his old pal and pretending to be craven as he walked to the chair? Or did he really lose his bottle?
- The Godfather – Not really a surprise, is it? Again, another superb adaptation, losing all the Hollywood bollocks about Johnny Fontane and his pal, the Dean Martin soundalike, and concentrating on the Family. I also love Godfather two and even three.
- The Adventures of Robin Hood – Errol Flynn. Basil Rathbone. Olivia de Havilland (be still my beating heart). And a cracking score by Erich Wolfgang Korngold. I wonder how it would’ve turned out if James Cagney had played the title role? Oh – and the horse Maid Marion rides in Sherwood Forest was later bought by Roy Rogers and renamed Trigger. Just thought you’d like to know.
- Legends of the Fall – Not many laughs but my God, feel the emotion. Aided greatly by James Horner’s magnificent score, this is big Hollywood – a sweeping storyline with high drama, tragedy and Julia Ormond weeping.
- Rocky – I love an underdog story and I love a sporting underdog story. Stallone is under-rated in many ways. He’s a better actor than people give him credit for and his script for this is masterful. I like most of the Rocky movies – 3 and 4 are my least favourites – and I thought Rocky Balboa was a fitting end to the series. Even though Apollo Creed is due out.
- Shane – What can I say? Great source material in Jack Schaefer’s book, an excellent adaptation by AB Guthrie, scenery I could look at all day, music by Victor Herbert that just soars and pounds in equal measure, and director George Stevens at the top of his game. If there is one book/film which has influenced me more than any other, it’s this. In many ways, the character of Davie McCall is nothing more than Shane comes to Glasgow.
So there we are. As I said, ask me tomorrow and it’ll be different.
Tomorrow, hell. Ask me in half an hour….I’ve already thought of more…
