BEDAZZLED (Twilight Time Blu Ray) Fox 1967

BEDAZZLED (Twilight Time Blu Ray) 20th Century Fox,1967 Color. 104 mins. Region Free (A/B/C) $29.95

https://www.twilighttimemovies.com/bedazzled-blu-ray/

“You fill me with inertia !”

 

 

1967 was a year for wonderfully twisted comedies. THE PRODUCERS (Embassy)THE FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS(MGM), THE GRADUATE (Embassy,1967), and GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER(Columbia) were among the gems released that year.

 

Perhaps the most twisted and yet still funny as all get out film of the bunch was BEDAZZLED. Peter Cook and Dudley Moore were two giants of the boom in British comedy and satire in the 1960s, with anti-establishment humor endearing them to the young of the time

The pair of Peter Cook and Dudley Moore first shot to international fame with their performances in both the U.K. and ten a successful two-year run in NYC in a satirical review called BEYOND THE FRINGE. Also, n the cast was playwright Alan Bennett (the play THE MADNESS OF KING GEORGE) and Jonathan Miller (later to run the Old Vic Theatre).

The four intelligent young men were the heirs of absurdist humor previously popular in England due to programs like THE GOON SHOW (Spike Milligan, a very young Peter Sellers, Harry Secombe, and Michael Bentine) and their creative intelligent wit mixed with surreal silliness made them the forerunners of MONTY PYTHON’s FLYING CIRCUS.

 

Several popular appearances on the BBC, with shows like NOT ONLY…BUT ALSO (1964,1966,1970) helped increase their popularity. The pair also successfully appeared major supporting roles in the big budget comedy THE WRONG BOX (Columbia ,1966), and so studios were open to the idea of pairing them in a starring project.

 

Meanwhile, American director Stanley Donen (who passed away two days after this Blu Ray release) had been MGM ‘s top director of musicals in the 1950s (SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN.1952 and SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS ,1954). After leaving MGM to free-lance at other studios, Donen spent the 1960s living in England, directing and producing several films there.

 

 

After a few box office disappointments, Donen was back on track with CHARADE (Universal,1963), a fun thriller often referred to as “the Best Hitchcock movie that Hitchcock never made”, starring Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn. He followed this with the similar ARABESQUE (Universal,1966) starring Gregory Peck and Sophia Loren, which was nearly as successful as the previous film.

These two hits allowed him to experiment a bit, and so he did TWO FOR THE ROAD (Fox, 1967) and the film under review here, BEDAZZLED (Fox,1967).

 

With a screenplay by Peter Cook (based upon a story by Cook and Moore), director Donen (no stranger to devils, having directed DAMN YANKEES in 1958 for Warner Brothers) gets into the style and mood of the swinging sixties to tell this modern reworking of the Faust legend. Moore and Cook build upon their established persona from previous routines, with Moore being the slower witted, usually taken advantage of by the fast talking, gleam in his eye Cook.

 

Stanley Moon (Moore), a short order cook, moons over Margaret Spencer (Eleanor Bron, most famous for appearing in the Richard Lester Beatles vehicle HELP, U.A. 1965, as well as appearing in Donen’s ONE FOR THE ROAD that same year), a waitress who barely acknowledges his existence at the Wimpy’s Burgers Restaurant at which they both works. Indeed, one of her gentlemen pick her up from work just as Stanley gets the courage to ask her out, driving the Stanley to abject despair.

 

Poor Moon  doesn’t notice the customer with the small sunglasses and wearing an opera cape sitting at one of the tables, watching all this with great intensity.

Returning home, Moon wants to hang himself from a pipe in his ceiling, and only succeeds in breaking the pipe, causing water to fall into his tiny flat. Stepping into the apartment comes the stranger from the restaurant, who identifies himself as George Spiggott (Cook).

 

Spiggott then admits that is but one of the many names he has, for he is the Devil himself. To prove it, he will grant Moon one wish, save for Margaret Spencer. Thinking Stanley asks for an ice lolly. Sure enough, they go board a bus, and, using Stanley’s money, purchases an ice lolly. Not believing that Spiggott is anything more than a looney, Spiggott sighs and with the magic phrase “Julie Andrews”, they are whisked across London to a less reputable part of town, melting the ice lolly in transit. It is here that Spiggott has his seedy club that he works out of.

The bouncer, Anger (Robert Russell, superlative a year later as Vincent Price’s evil sidekick in WITCHFINDER GENERAL; Tigon/AIP,1968), tosses Stanley out, but Spiggott escorts him back in. Within the club, Stanley will also meet among others Envy (Barry Humphries, before he donned drag to gain international fame as Dame Edna. Cook had befriended and even helped support Humphries early in his career), Vanity (Alba), who walks around with a mirror in front of him, and of course, Lust (personified with a Southern Belle accent by Raquel Welch, the actress being featured upon almost all the advertising and posters).

 

Japanese film poster

Basically, Spiggott offers Moon the standard contact of seven wishes upon which to win his true love. Sadly, for Stanley, the Devil is truly in the details, as each attempt at a new life to win Margaret Spencer ends in disaster for the love besotted chef.

 

 

Along the way, it seems that the police believe that Moon has succeeded in his suicide attempt, with Inspector Clarke (Michael Bates, later the sadistic Chief Guard Barnes in the Stanley Kubrick masterpiece, A CLOCKWORK ORANGE, WB,1971) starting to woo the young Miss while they try and find Moon’s corpse!

 

The wonderfully whacky film also explores with fittingly fiendish delight the modus operandi of the Devil, whether it be scratching records before they are sent off to sale, or exploring good and evil .Along the way, a strange friendship develops between Moon and Spiggott ,though in the end they both know after the seven wishes granted to Stanley his soul will belong to Spiggott. Spiggott must gain 100 Billion souls to regain his entryway into Heaven and sit again as God’s favorite. The friendship works in a mysterious twist at the end, costing Spiggot to lose is bet with the Almighty. The film ends with an unseen God laughing in a deep voice, almost insanely as the end credits roll. Maybe the Devil indeed has a right to be angry.

 

A few bits from earlier sketches by the pair are woven into the episodic storyline , the most famous and obvious being from NOT ONLY…BUT ALSO , “The Leaping Nuns of the Order of St Beryl” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiO_9UIUx7M .

 

 

 

The film sparkles with wit as well as silliness (to get out of a failed wish, Stanley needs to make a “raspberry “sound) that keeps it moving swiftly over the course of 103 minutes.

 

 

Austin Dempster had been camera operator on ARABESQUE and TWO FOR THE ROAD for director Donen, but BEDAZZLED was his first credit as cinematographer. At one point, the film switches to black and white to recreate an early television studio broadcast (as well as perhaps reference films like A HARD DAY’S NIGHT (UA,1964)). This leads into one of the most fun sequences, where fans including an awe-struck Margaret Spencer go nuts for rock star Stanley (who basically screams “Love MEEEE”), until Drimble Wedge and the Vegetation sing an emotionless version of “Bedazzled “. The fickle fans run to the latest flavor of the moment and abandon poor Stanley ,trying to blow a razzberry as fans nearly trample him to reach their new idol. The music, by the way, for the film was composed by Dudley Moore. Several artists have done covers of the “Bedazzled” song, most notably Nick Cave and Anita Lane: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPJWkQudhPo .

 

The film when released received mixed reviews but made a profit in the United States.

Since its release, BEDAZZLED has continued to increase its cult following due to late night tv showings as well as various releases on Beta, VHS and in 2007 on DVD by Fox Entertainment.

Now TWILIGHT TIME has released the best-looking release of this film on home media, perhaps even since its original release. Another marvelous 1080p HD transfer, some of the colors are more vibrant than I’ve ever seen in this film, particularly the red of Spiggott’s inner cape lining or Raquel Welch’s tiny bra and panties she wears while hopping into bed with Stanley. Some reviewers have mentioned a slight elongation of the figures, but I didn’t notice any of this when I viewed the film.

 

The disc has two English only audio selections: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and DTS-HD Master Audio Mono, the sound is clear and clean, with no noticeable sound pops, and does justice to the quippy fast delivered dialogue as well as Moore’s music.

For the hearing impaired, there are clean easy to read optional subtitles.

As an extra, you can listen to the isolated music and sound effects track, so you can enjoy the clever jazzy score and songs.

 

The Blu Ray cover sleeve shows us a photo of Cook as Spiggott (which for some reason reminded me of Peter Cushing in DR TERRORS HOUSE OF HORRORS (Paramount, Amicus,1965).

 

Twilight Time also commissioned a very fun illustration for a cover as well.

Julie Kirgo provides her always welcome liner notes in a separate booklet included with the disc, concentrating a great deal on director Donen.

Extras carried over from the 2007 FOX DVD are

Two trailers for the film,

A 2007 interview with director /comedian Harold Ramis, who directed the unnecessary 2000 remake of BEDAZZLED. Ramis waxes poetic about how wonderful the film and indeed the comic pair of Moore and Cook were.

An excerpt from THE PAUL RYAN SHOW , a 1977 British talk program ,where the pair of Moore and Cook reveal that there were tensions  between them  ,due to their different attitudes on dealing with things (oddly, IMDB.com only lists Moore and not Cook, but since Moore only appeared on the show once, we must assume episode 109 was the one featured here). One wishes there was the whole broadcast of this here, but we are grateful indeed to get a glimpse of this black & white rarity.

 

I cannot recommend this wonderful original comedy enough.

The press run is limited to only 3,000 copies, so get yours now- before George Spiggott makes all of them vanish on you.

Get BEDAZZLED 

HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION .

-Kevin G Shinnick

 

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Tony Rome & Lady in Cement (Fox) (TWILIGHT TIME BLU RAY)

Tony Rome & Lady in Cement (Fox) (BLU RAY) original release Nov 10,1967 and November 20,1968 respectively. Blu Ray. Region Free. August 16,2016. Twilight Time. (color) Rated M (now PG). 203 MINUTES. $29.95. Limited to 3,000 print run.

http://www.twilighttimemovies.com/tony-rome-lady-in-cement/

I must admit that I am not a person who is blown away by Frank Sinatra. I know it is nearly blasphemous for anyone who lives next to Hoboken, NJ (Ol’ Blue Eyes birthplace) to admit this. There was always something about him that I just found off putting.

However, as I have gotten older, I am discovering what an amazing natural actor. His performance in THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (U.A., October 24,1962) is superb, and he holds his own in this classic political thriller. Sinatra also shows strong acting chops and his own strong persona works in his favor in these two Tony Rome stories, as well as the unrelated THE DETECTIVE (20th Century Fox, May 28,1968), not included in this release. The three films were released previously in nice but frill free DVDs from Fox.

Sinatra had a certain no-nonsense style and weariness when he played detectives, ending with THE FIRST DEADLY SIN (Filmways, October 3,1980), which was also his final starring role in a film. He turned down the role of Dirty Harry due to fibromatosis crippling his hand. It’s interesting to think of how he might have played the part. Another bit of trivia: thee was a sequel written to THE DETECTIVE written by its author Richard Thorp in 1979. It was called NOTHING LASTS FOREVER (W.W. Norton & Co.,1979). Sinatra turned down the idea of the sequel when it was broached to him. It was finally made in 1988 as a film starring Bruce Willis (who had an uncredited bit in THE FIRST DEADLY SIN) called DIE HARD (Fox, July 20,1988).

• Now TWILIGHT TIME has given TONY ROME and LADY IN CEMENT a marvelous 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 single disc Blu Ray release.
•
• Tony Rome is an ex Miami cop who has seen it all. He now spends as much time as he can on his boat, making money by doing private detective work. His ex-partner Ralph (Robert J. Wilke,an actor who was best known for appearing in westerns, having appeared in films since 1936.He was one of the outlaws from HIGH NOON ( U.A. July 24,1952)) asks Rome to escort a young woman, Diana Pines (Sue Lyons ,the original LOLITA(MGM,June 13,1962) home after she was left passed out in a hotel room.

Her father, Rudolph Kostleman (Simon Oakland, best known as Vincenzo, the boss of Kolchak from T.V.’s THE NIGHT STALKER (ABC, January11,1972) is a powerful rich man who is worried about his daughter. She has been acting strangely of late, and he hires Rome to find out why. Diana and her stepmom Rita (Gena Rowlands, soon to win a well-deserved Oscar nom for her star turn in A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE (Cine-Source, November 18,1974) also hire Rome to fins a missing piece of jewelry.

Rome ends up getting beaten up, a murder takes place, and Rita is almost killed as well. Can Rome solve the case, and perhaps end up with the lovely Ann Archer (Jill St. John, who had appeared previously with Sinatra in the comedy COME BLOW YOUR HORN (Paramount, June 5,1963))?

TONY ROME was based upon the novel MIAMI MAYHEM by Marvin H Albert (New York: Pocket Books, 1960.). Screenwriter Richard L. Breen (Oscar winner for his screenplay for the 1953 TITANIC (Fox, April 11,1953)) did a faithful adaptation of the story, with all its little twists and turns.

Director Gordon Douglas was a former child actor who could jump genres with a straightforward no nonsense style (THEM, WB, June 19,1954; STAGECOACH, Fox, June 15,1966; SKULLDUGGERY, Universal, March 6,1970). Obviously, he and Sinatra got along, as he directed TONY ROME, LADY IN CEMENT, as well as THE DETECTIVE.

Extras for this feature include an audio commentary by film historians Lee Pfeiffer, Scarlet friend Paul Scrabo and Anthony Latino. The three keep up a fact filled dialogue about the film as well as director Gordon Douglas (who had directed Sinatra in the comedy ROBIN & THE 7 HOODS (WB, June 24,1964) as well as Sinatra’s film career. They drop little tidbits as that Sinatra was performing at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach at night, and that they used it as a location during the day. That hotel still exists, but it seems many of the other locales are gone.

The original sound track is available to hear on an isolated music and sound effects track. Composer Billy May had worked with Sinatra since his album, COME FLY WITH ME (January 6,1958, Capitol Records), and the soundtrack has that reflects that brassy sound. Daughter Nancy Sinatra sings the title song.

The original Theatrical Trailer is also an extra.

Sadly, some of the behind the scenes documentaries shot at the time are not added as extras, perhaps due to legal reasons or poor source material. They are available to see on YOUTUBE:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-AS1OT-aQA with Shecky Greene, who plays Catleg in the film, is a behind the scene look at filming. Shecky was a comic who played a lot of club circuits.

Also, a brief b&w silent sequence exists:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gr8RoJYxCxw

By the way, future LAND OF THE GIANTS (Fox,1968-1970) star Deanna Lund, who appears on the poster, was so embarrassed by her role that she asked for her name to be removed from the credits.

TONY ROME was successful enough for the studio to make a sequel a year later.

LADY IN CEMENT was based upon Marvin H Albert’s second Tony Rome novel (LADY IN CEMENT, Robert Hale, London, 1961. hard cover) was adapted for the screen by Albert and Jack Guss (this seems to be his only theatrical screenplay, working mostly on television shows like DANIEL BOONE (1964-1970, Arcola/NBC. Arcola was one of the producers of the Tony Rome films, so that may be how he connected to the project. Indeed 70 minutes into LADY IN CEMENT, you see DANIEL BOONE playing on a hotel T.V. set.).

Sadly, this film is a big drop in quality from the previous film. While sexism was more to the forefront of the detective films of the period, LADY IN CEMENT seems to revel in it as well as strong homophobia. The film manages to be sleazier yet less interesting than the first film.

In this one, Rome(Sinatra) and a police man friend go diving from Rome’s boat looking for treasure. What Rome finds is a dead nude blonde woman (Christine Todd, of whom this seems to be her only film appearance) underwater, her feet encased in cement.

He alerts the authorities and think his involvement is done. However, a big ex con Waldo Gronsky (Dan Blocker, best known as “Hoss” for T.V.’ s BONANZA (NBC FILMS,1959-1972)*) wants to hire Rome to find Sandra Lomax, who happens to be the dead woman .Gronsky is a likeable lug, and the plot at times echoes FAREWELL MY LOVELY by Raymond Chandler (Alfred A. Knopf ,1940). Indeed, Blocker is one of the best things in the film, and makes the film worth watching until the end.

Also in the film is tough guy Richard Conte (returning from TONY ROME as Police Lt. Dave Santini),Richard Deacon (known from T.V.’s DICK VAN DYKE SHOW, Sheldon Leonard Productions,1961-66)as a pervy artist, singer actress Lanie Kazan as a stripper who ends up dead after talking to Rome , and the main reason people remember this film, Raquel Welch. Welch was now an international sex symbol, due to her appearances in FANTASTIC VOYAGE and ONE MILLION YEARS BC (both Fox,1966). Here, she is given little to do but look beautiful, which she does.

The soundtrack by Hugo Montenegro (best known for scoring such shows as THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY(Paramount,1970-74), to put it mildly, is grating and repetitive of the level of elevator music ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ywuJh19U5w) and distracts from the action rather than moving it along.

The film just kind of lurches along until the ending with the actors trying gamely to make something of it. The budget was estimated to be about $3,500,000(a bit more than the previous film) and had mixed reviews and middling box office. Due to that, a third Tony Rome novel MY KIND OF GAME (New York, N.Y.: Dell, 1962) remains unfilmed.

The only extra for LADY is the original theatrical trailer.

TWILIGHT TIME’s BLU RAY does a superb job with the two films. TONY ROME looks a bit sharper, with LADY IN CEMENT appearing a bit grainier. The sound is superb and hiss free. Once again, Twilight Time’s subtitles are clear and follow the action precisely.

Julie Kirgo once again provides nice info in a small enclosed booklet ,illustrated with some fine photos and posters .

Limited to only a 3,000 disc printings, I would recommend it mostly because of TONY ROME to fans of hard boiled detectives and Sinatra fans.

–Kevin G Shinnick

*Another in -joke, they have BONANZA ‘s opening playing on T.V. with Dan Blocker watching. Indeed, both films are full of in jokes.

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