It's Casting Coup Tuesday, where we dream-cast an imaginary adaptation of a beloved work. All month long, we're celebrating the Queen of Crime as she and her works appeared on screen, in anticipation of the November 10th release of Murder on the Orient Express. Now, if that movie's a success, they're gonna do a follow-up. May we suggest another Poirot? Just yesterday, we talked about The Alphabet Murders, a slapstick comedy version of an Agatha Christie novel, with only the faintest resemblance to the original work. That work was The ABC Murders, which pits Poirot's wits against those of a serial killer, all the while receiving mocking letters from the murderer.
Published in 1935, it's a chilling puzzler, sure, but some of the best chapters describe the many conferences held by law enforcement officials who, at a loss for what else to do, gather together to dissect and repeat every detail and theory about the unknown maniac. There are a number of chapters, too, dedicated to witnesses and leads that go nowhere, contribute nothing to the investigation.
Frankly, such chapters are what make the novel genius. With the law, one feels the impotency of not knowing, the need for people to feel like they're doing something, anything. With the leads and witnesses, Christie explores England's class system and the resentments that come with it; public panic in the face of national crisis; casual xenophobia; and the desire for 15 minutes of fame, no matter the context. It's a little bit Zodiac, a little bit Drop Dead Gorgeous.
Which makes it perfect for a film.
The cast after the jump. All italicized descriptions come from the Cast of Characters on page 9 of the Black Dog and Leventhal hardcover edition.
Best Art Direction-Set Decoration - John Box/Ernest Archer/Jack Maxsted/Gil Parrondo/Vernon Dixon (WON)
Best Costume Design - Yvonne Blake/Antonio Castillo (WON)
And so we come to this.
Nicholas and Alexandra is a handsomely-mounted, old-fashioned epic bio from the producer of Lawrence of Arabia. I admire much of it -- the production value, most of the performances, the way the screenplay tries to tell the full story of the Revolution. It's a movie I might like to revisit -- though I will say Janet Suzman is not the most exciting actress to watch, and the film tends to drag in its attempts to justify a three-hour-plus length.
You know what I love most, though? As always? The all-star cast! And here, I hoped to repeat that same magic for our final Casting Coup of 1971.
Some of the biographical elements of the real people may seem a bit muddled, as I wrote first my memory of their characters, then checked them out on Wikipedia -- and discovered that some of their roles in the film may have been a wee tweaked. So, scholars of Russian history, do not scoff too loudly. After all, this is about the cast.
My last Retrospective was a direct result of Barry Lyndon. Last May, my place of employment -- the ArcLight Hollywood, home to the world-famous Cinerama Dome -- was snubbed for the releases of The Avengers and Dark Shadows. With this two-week drought, we brought out the big guns: classic films screening in our biggest theater: Doctor Zhivago (missed it), 2001: A Space Odyssey (missed it), Gone with the Wind, The Shining, a lot of others...and this. I caught Barry Lyndon with a friend after we screened Gone with the Wind, which was really quite risky considering one's three hours and the other four. But it mattered not: while I already was firmly in the Gone with the Wind, I found another great love in Barry Lyndon.
I don't remember when I realized this, exactly, but I know it must have been around middle school. While my fourth grade teacher playing a Vincent Price-hosted clip show of classic horror on Halloween excited me, I was a Chaney, Sr. man then, and a Lugosi faithful by the end of elementary school. Somehow, though, as my adolescence began and my knowledge of film grew past 1941, Price took over.
Do you think it might have been the films? Not to sound unsophisticated or anything, but much as I admire Chaney's silent-era physicality and Lugosi's early-sound histrionics, Price got to ham it up in the colorful 60s and 70s, when bare breasts began bouncing on-screen alongside close-up gore effects and bizarre Hollywood concepts of the drug scene. His movies were campy and dark, funny and violent, sexy and...sexy?
We could talk for ages about his Wm Castle flicks (The Tingler, House on Haunted Hill), his Poe vehicles for Roger Corman (House of Usher, The Tomb of Ligeia), his work in more prestigious fare (The Song of Bernadette, The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex), or his contributions to early Tim Burton ("Vincent", Edward Scissorhands). But I think any Price fan worth his or her salt knows that nothing beats his one-two punch of Dr. Anton Phibes and Edward Lionheart, the anti-heroes of 1971's The Abominable Dr. Phibes, 1972's Dr. Phibes Rises Again and 1973's Theatre of Blood. Both men seek to avenge perceived wrongs by murdering those he begrudges in the most creative ways possible. In the first Phibes, it's according to the Plagues of Egypt. In Theatre of Blood, it's the works of William Shakespeare.
It's really quite a phenomenal idea for a film: Vincent Price as a hammy Shakespearean actor who attempts suicide when the Critics' Circle Awards snub him in favor of a young Method actor. Unbeknownst to everyone else, he survives, and he plans his revenge on the nine members of the jury according to the plays he performed in his final theatrical season. And in between killings, he performs scenes from those very plays to a rapt audience of homeless drug addicts who "rescued" him from his botched drowning.
This is my favorite Vincent Price film, and I've always loved that it was his, too. Of course, it was here that he met his third wife Coral Browne, and realized his dream of performing Shakespeare on film. I am not lying or exaggerating when I say that I always just heard Hamlet's soliliquoy in legitimate film versions of the Bard's work; only with Price's recitation after losing the coveted prize did I fully "get" the import of the words, and the beauty of the writing.
Lionheart goes from a darkly comic villain to a tragic hero, a man who only wants to be recognized for his hard work and dedication, to be celebrated for pursuing his dream with such single-mindedness...and they laugh at him. These people who dare not try their hand at performing, who make their living scoffing at struggling performers and eviscerating the efforts of hard-working craftsmen, these butchers (as Edwina puts it) laugh at him. Perhaps Lionheart puts it best:
And if those two scenes aren't enough to convince you of this movie's greatness:
So awesome.
But Price isn't the only one with a great part. The critics are a colorful ensemble of pompous prigs, the policemen are the right balance of competent and befuddled, and Lionheart has a beautiful daughter (played by Diana Rigg) who may or may not be working with him. It's a film ripe with character parts, which is why I'm a little surprised no one's tried to remake it. There was a stage version a few years back, with Jim Broadbent and Rigg's daughter Rachael Stirling as the Lionhearts, but otherwise, no one else dares to touch the film. Is it the daunting task of even equaling Price's performance? The difficult tone? The logistics of rounding up an ensemble not only willing to do a slasher flick but giving said flick an air of legitimacy and class?
Perhaps. But this is Casting Coup Tuesday. We gotta try. But let's at least do it after the jump:
Mary Poppins! Thank my oldest sister for my love of Mary Poppins -- when it was released on Disney Special Edition VHS, she was quick to purchase a copy and watch it with us. Even as a little boy, I found Mary pretty hot, and my sister said that I could distract Mary while she goes after Bert. I guess the songs and everything were good too, but mainly I remember Mary in that Nanny outfit. I'll take more than a spoonful, know what I mean?
So, about ten years pass, and I decide maybe it's time to revisit the film for my Retro Hollmanns. And I know I'll like the songs, but because I barely remember the essentials, I'm scared to discover (a) Andrews is too treacly, and (b) it's one of those "boo parents should be more FUN" kind of rides.
I was wrong. Andrews' Mary is sweet and beautiful, but she is also quite stern. And while the parents should be more fun, the kids should also be more understanding and gracious. It's a well-balanced narrative, great fun, actually moving. Haven't we all been brought to tears by "Feed the Birds"? Do we not, all of us, wish to spend a "Jolly Holiday" with Mary? Is it so unreasonable for us to "Love to Laugh"?
I can't even justifiably call Mary Poppins escapist, not when there's a performance like David Tomlinson's. As Mr. Banks, he gave my favorite performance of that year, and one of the best of all time. It's a light but effective portrayal of a man whose expectations conflict with reality, so he tries to adjust everything to fit his vision. There's something absolutely lovely about a film that holds up living chalk drawings as more "real" than a stuffy bank. Life needs humor and color and spontaneity; Mr. Banks' learning this is as touching as it is amusing. And again, it comes without holding up the children to esteem, for they have to earn their adventures.
Clearly, Oscar voters saw the same thing I did all those years ago, as it was My Fair Lady's chief opponent for the Academy Awards. With thirteen nominations, Mary Poppins was just one tick away from tying All About Eve for most-nominated film EVARR (Titanic made it first). It may have lost Adapted Score, Sound, Director, Picture, Art Direction, Cinematography and Costume Design to My Fair Lady. It may have been defeated at Adapted Screenplay by Becket. But it did come away with five Oscars: the Sherman Brothers brought home trophies for both Best Substantially Original Score (yes, it qualified for both Score categories) and Best Original Song, "Chim Chim Cher-ee". Peter Ellenshaw, Hamilton Luske and Eustace Lycett won for Best Visual Effects -- and when you see a flying Mary, floating smoke stairs, and animated penguins dancing with Dick Van Dyke, you know why. Cotton Warburton won Film Editing, and newcomer Julie Andrews famously was named Best Actress in a Leading Role, forever earning her place among the pantheon of Great Performances.
How, then, to compete? Well, I don't compete, I just do what I can and hope it passes muster. Does it?
THE BIRD WOMAN
Who is She: A poor woman who sits on the steps of St. Paul's, asking passersby to spare some change in in order to help feed the birds. A symbol of unselfishness.
Originally played by: Academy Award Winner for Best Supporting Actress (The Grapes of Wrath)
Jane Darwell (Gone with the Wind, Captain Tugboat Annie)
My Choice:
Patricia Routledge ("Keeping Up Appearances", "Hetty Wainthropp Investigates")
Despite the size of the role, Disney was determined to get one of his favorite character actresses to play the Bird Woman in what turned out to be her swan song performance. Now, I don't expect Routledge, who I've been a fan of for years, to up and die soon, but she is one of my favorite character actresses, and I would love to see her in this most beloved and crucial of cameos.
MR. BINNACLE
Who is He: Admiral Boom's first mate. He fires the daily cannon from their roof. Where does that thing land, anyway?
Originally played by:
Don Barclay (Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man, Disney's Alice in Wonderland)
My Choice:
Paul Shane ("You Rang, M'Lord?", "Oh Doctor Beeching!")
I'd like to thank PBS for airing all those great Britcoms of the 70s, 80s and 90s. It exposed me to a number of great British character actors, and Shane was among my favorites. His subtle reactions would be hilarious for a quietly funny role like Mr. Binnacle.
ADMIRAL BOOM
Who is He: A neighbor of the Banks', Admiral Boom is a retired Navy man who still behaves as though he were on a ship. He fires a cannon on the hour from his rooftop, having decorated it with a mast and bow. He may be a little nutty, but he's harmless. Except for that cannon. Really, someone in the park is getting hurt.
Originally played by:
Reginald Owen (A Christmas Carol, Mrs. Miniver)
My Choice:
Donald Sinden (The Island at the Top of the World, TV's Marple: The Blue Geranium)
With his distinct voice and noble bearing, Sinden's been typecast for years as Sir This and Colonel That. He's got a wonderful sense of timing, too.
CONSTABLE JONES
Who is He: The copper what's in charge of this particular neighborhood.
Originally played by:
Arthur Treacher (Satan Met a Lady, Star Spangled Rhythm)
My Choice:
Adrian Scarborough (Gosford Park, The King's Speech)
MR. DAWES
Who is He: Senior president of the Dawes, Tomes, Mousely, Grubbs Fidelity Fiduciary Bank. Hasn't laughed in years.
Originally played by:
Navckid Keyd
My Choice:
on the R: Frank Thorton (Are You Being Served?: The Movie, Gosford Park)
Of course, I could always have Bert play Mr. Dawes, but why not give Mr. Thornton a chance? He's still alive, still active in film, television and the theatre. He's Captain Peacock, for Heaven's sake!
YOUNG MR. DAWES
Who is He: Mr. Banks' immediate superior, the son of Mr. Dawes.
Originally played by:
Arthur Malet (Halloween, Hook)
My Choice:
Eric Sykes (Theatre of Blood, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire)
Get it? Because he's the same age as Frank Thornton? HAHAHA!
KATIE NANNA
Who is She: The children's previous nanny, a very serious, stern woman who quits after they run off...yet again.
Originally played by: Academy Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actress (Come to the Stable, Witness for the Prosecution), Golden Globe Winner for Best Supporting Actress (Witness for the Prosecution)
Elsa Lanchester (The Bride of Frankenstein, Murder by Death)
My Choice:
Joanna Lumley (James and the Giant Peach, Cold Comfort Farm)
Lumley can pull off that haughty, no-nonsense character when she's in the mood, and she's always a hoot.
MRS. BRILL
Who is She: The cook, often at odds with the maid.
Originally played by:
Reta Shaw (Picnic, Escape to Witch Mountain)
My Choice:
Julia McKenzie ("Fresh Fields", Notes on a Scandal)
ELLEN
Who is She: The housemaid, often at odds with the cook.
Originally played by: Academy Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actress, BAFTA Award Nominee for Best British Actress (Room at the Top)
Hermione Baddeley (Scrooge, "Maude")
My Choice:
Elaine Paige (TV's Cats, TV's Marple: A Murder is Announced)
UNCLE ALBERT
Who is He: An uncle of Mary's. He frequently gets into fits of laughter that cause him and his possessions to levitate. He can't help it; he just loves to laugh!
Originally played by: Academy Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actor (The Diary of Anne Frank), BAFTA Award Nominee for Best Foreign Actor (The Great Man), Golden Globe Nominee for Best Supporting Actor (The Great Man)
Ed Wynn (Cinderfella, That Darn Cat)
My Choice: Academy Award/Golden Globe Winner for Best Supporting Actor (Iris), BAFTA Award Winner for Best Supporting Actor (Moulin Rouge), SAG Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actor (Iris) and Best Ensemble (Little Voice, Moulin Rouge)
Jim Broadbent (Arthur Christmas, The Iron Lady)
With his rotund physique, jolly laugh and passable vocals, Broadbent is the most obvious choice to take on Uncle Albert. And sometimes, the most obvious is the best.
MRS. BANKS
Who is She: The mother of the Banks children. She adores her husband, though worries that he's too serious. She loves her children, but doesn't know how to deal with them. What she does know is that women deserve the right to vote. Mrs. Banks leads the suffragettes, inspiring her servants while still kow-towing to her husband.
Originally played by:Academy Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actress (The Sundowners), Golden Globe Nominee for Best Actress - Drama (The Chapman Report)
Glynis Johns (The Ref, Superstar)
My Choice:
Rachael Stirling (TV's Tipping the Velvet, The Young Victoria)
Classy, funny, lovely, and a singer (like her talented mother, Diana Rigg). Stirling is one of those actresses that goes under-appreciated in the United States, but could really be effective with the right role. She would make the part her own without losing the original magic.
MR. BANKS
Who is He: The very serious patriarch of the Banks household. A bank manager, Mr. Banks is very proud of his work, keeping everything at home as exact and by the book as at the office. Banks may need to loosen up, but he is a gentle, caring man who is more befuddled by his children than angry or neglectful.
Originally played by: Hollmann Award Winner for Best Supporting Actor (Mary Poppins)
David Tomlinson (Tom Jones, Bedknobs and Broomsticks)
My Choice: SAG Award Nominee for Best Ensemble (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
Jared Harris (Igby Goes Down, Lady in the Water)
I agonized over who could play this role more than I did Mary. Then, while watching "Mad Men", it suddenly hit me. Here's an actor who gets the comedy and the drama all at once, who can make a very serious suit into a loose, funny lover, who can present the flaws without passing judgment. Make it a Harris role.
BERT
Who is He: An old friend of Mary's, a new friend of the children's, a mischievous local who works as a busker, an artist, a chimney sweep... Bert is a fun-loving, all-around solid guy.
Originally played by: Hollmann Award/Golden Globe Nominee for Best Actor [Musical/Comedy] (Mary Poppins)
Dick Van Dyke (Cold Turkey, Night at the Museum)
My Choice:
Benedict Cumberbatch (Atonement, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy)
Oh, it's only a matter of time before he owns the world. Such a great actor, charming, boyish, yet so...so adult.
MARY POPPINS
Who is She: A magical nanny who keeps everything spit-spot, practically perfect in every way.
Originally played by: Hollmann Award Nominee for Best Actress (Mary Poppins, The Tamarind Seed), Academy Award Winner for Best Actress (Mary Poppins), BAFTA Award Nominee for Best British Actress (The Sound of Music, The Americanization of Emily), Golden Globe Winner for Best Actress - Musical/Comedy (Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music, Victor/Victoria)
Julie Andrews (Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Princess Diaries)
My Choice:
Laura Michelle Kelly (TV's Marple: Nemesis, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street)
I wanted a relative unknown, pretty, old enough to be a commanding presence but young enough for the children to trust. She needed to be a great singer and, most importantly, have a presence. And I tried to find someone else, because Kelly has already won a Laurence Olivier Award for her playing this role on stage, but then...I mean, if she's already mastered it, why not give her the film role?
FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION
Best Actor: Benedict Cumberbatch
Best Actress: Laura Michelle Kelly
Best Supporting Actor: Jared Harris, Jim Broadbent
1. Familiar Faces Boy, everyone was in this episode. Steve Pemberton from The League of Gentlemen, Jemma Redgrave (niece of Vanessa and Lynn), David Haig (The Thin Blue Line, Two Weeks Notice) and his Four Weddings and a Funeral costar Anna Chancellor, Benedict Cumberbatch (rapist in Atonement), Lyndsey Marshal (Poirot: Cards on the Table), Sylvia "Mrs. Richard Attenborough" Syms, Hugo Speer (SAG Ensemble Nominee for The Fully Monty), Shirley Henderson (Moaning Myrtle) and of course Julia McKenzie as Miss Marple.
2. Va-Va-VOOM Look, I am a red-blooded male, okay? When I see a hot chick, I react. And oshkosh b'gosh, Margo Stilley is just sexy.
3. Tip of the Hat ...to Stephen Churchett. Although his screenplay bears as much resemblance to the original novel as I do to Angela Bassett, it was still fun and fascinating. He played fair with the clues, made the motive more believable, let murders that took place before the novel occur during the action, and once again played the coroner. Good work.
4. Wag of the Finger ...to the last shot. I can see nothing. Why is everything so out of focus? Miss Marple reassuring Luke that he and Bridget will meet again: sweet, felt like an ending. But then that last shot of an out-of-focus Miss Marple walking off with luggage. Unimaginative.
5. Ghost Town Apparently short on extras, the entire village is literally made up of all twelve characters we are introduced to. No one else is in church, or at the funerals. Only a few others are at the inquest. And the law is represented by one constable. Crazy.
6. Bridget's Car It's freeking sweet.
7. Jemma Redgrave She rocked this. The character is the caricature of the batty lady, but Jemma plays it with such a sense of fun that it feels more entertaining than contrived. And appletinis!
8. The More You Know Apparently, there is a plant that induces abortions. I didn't know this, and I suppose it to be true since making that up would constitute not playing fair. And god forbid Stephen Churchett not play fair.
9. What a Mess Eight victims, including two that get it off-screen. That is so many. And with only twelve people in the village, I can see where there's pressure on the young doctor and his girlfriend to get married. I like me a pile of bodies. It always makes things more interesting.
10. Ah, That's the Marple I Know and Love So, Miss Marple gathers everyone for the solution, names whodunnit, and is about to discuss why. The suspect begs Marple not to reveal their shame. Miss Marple agrees, saying the secret being kept is shameful, and can barely be spoken aloud. Then she tells everyone in the village without batting an eye. Ruthless, cold, unfeeling Jane -- yay!
