list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around The Front Page on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/The_Front_Page/12662/default.aspx Title: The Front Page
Year: 1974
Director: Billy Wilder
Plot: This third film version of the 1928 Ben Hecht/Charlie MacArthur Broadway hit The Front Page was the first one permitted to utilize all the salty profanities in the original play. Director Billy Wilder cast his two favorite leading men, Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau, as ace reporter Hildy Johnson and ruthless newspaper editor Walter Burns, respectively. The plot of the Hecht/MacArthur play remains intact: Burns pulls every underhanded game in the book to prevent Johnson from leaving his Chicago paper to get married, and in so doing the two journalists uncover a cesspool of political corruption, centered around the planned execution of anarchist Earl Williams (Austin Pendleton). Carol Burnett has an extended cameo as Williams' tart girlfriend, Mollie Malloy. The Front Page was remade for a fourth time in 1988 as Switching Channels. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Number of Lists: 2
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Number of discussion threads: 1
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Tue, 09 Sep 2008 20:01:08 GMTThe Front Page1974Billy WilderThis third film version of the 1928 <a href="/players/P____93876/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Ben Hecht</a>/Charlie MacArthur Broadway hit The Front Page was the first one permitted to utilize all the salty profanities in the original play. Director <a href="/players/P___116768/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Billy Wilder</a> cast his two favorite leading men, <a href="/players/P____99306/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Jack Lemmon</a> and <a href="/players/P____46456/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Walter Matthau</a>, as ace reporter Hildy Johnson and ruthless newspaper editor Walter Burns, respectively. The plot of the Hecht/MacArthur play remains intact: Burns pulls every underhanded game in the book to prevent Johnson from leaving his Chicago paper to get married, and in so doing the two journalists uncover a cesspool of political corruption, centered around the planned execution of anarchist Earl Williams (<a href="/players/P____55888/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Austin Pendleton</a>). <a href="/players/P_____9666/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Carol Burnett</a> has an extended cameo as Williams' tart girlfriend, Mollie Malloy. The Front Page was remade for a fourth time in 1988 as <a href=/films/33866/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>Switching Channels</a>. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide2213http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t58053f39dn.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/The_Front_Page/12662/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/9/9/34950.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 9/9/2008 4:01:08 PM
Body: Anticipating the worst from Diane English’s new remake of The Women is not just typical low expectations regarding remakes in general. My dread is specifically based on dissatisfaction with remakes and updates of films from the 1930s, arguably the best decade in cinema (it is certainly my favorite). While I may recognize and appreciate some favorable redos, such as DePalma’s Scarface (of which I’ve never really been a fan), Mazursky’s Down and Out in Beverly Hills and the multiple repeats from Hitchcock, I am more often disappointed with attempts to recreate ‘30s classics, even when I approach them with already low standards. Worst, for me, doesn’t necessarily have to do with the quality of the film alone, especially when related to remakes and updates. The titles and versions I’ve selected are hardly the worst in terms of craft or production value — you’ll note there are no Dracula movies on this list — and a few would almost be acceptable if they were more unique or solitary works. 10. Return to Oz (1985) I begin with a film that is not a remake in any form but tone. Yet I still see it as a kind of response to and update of the far more popular classic The Wizard of Oz (1939), which was viewed by some as not faithful enough to the source literature of L. Frank Baum.  It was a bit of a guilty pleasure for me growing up, but I lost regard for the film after suffering through a professor’s defensive screening of it on the last day of a film history course. Sure, it’s truer to Baum and the illustrations of W.W. Denslow and John R. Neill, but as MGM’s beautiful 1939 interpretation shows, it’s better to be imaginative than loyal when translating works between mediums. 9. The Front Page (1974) Billy Wilder’s version of the Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur play, which was first adapted to film in 1931, is plenty hilarious thanks to stars Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau, as well as to a slew of terrific character actors, including Vincent Gardenia, Charles Durning, Austin Pendleton and Dick O’Neill. Also, the film’s homosexual innuendo is an interesting way of acknowledging Howard Hawks’ 1940 gender altering redo, His Girl Friday. I’d definitely choose Wilder’s film over the subsequent big screen version, the 1988 update Switching Channels, but compared to earlier adaptations and to Wilder’s earlier work, the ’74 Front Page is still quite a dissatisfying effort. My biggest problems are with the film’s artificial look, particularly its use of costumes that look more appropriate for a costume party than a period film, the gaudiness of the dialogue, especially the double entendres, and the miscasting of both Carol Burnett and Susan Sarandon (though my annoyance with the women in the film provide further acceptance of the gay undertones). 8. The Distinguished Gentleman (1992) This loose and uncredited reworking of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) could have been a worthy update had it included more laughs and more of a bite. The concept of placing a small-time con man in the big-time con of politics is ripe for good comedy and satire, plus it makes me think of the respectable crook/crooked respectability angle of Lubitsch’s Trouble in Paradise. Too bad the script was unsatisfactory (not surprising given it came partly from the screenwriter behind Leonard Part 6) and star Eddie Murphy was at the awkward moment of his career when he somehow lost his usual talent for comedy. 7. Flash Gordon (1980) I have to admit that I do actually love this movie. Well, to be fair, I only really love Queen’s score, Brian Blessed’s voice and Max Von Sydow’s makeup. The rest I just like. Anyway, despite my guilty pleasure in watching the thing on television throughout my childhood, it’s neither a good movie nor a successful update. It doesn’t really do the ‘30s Flash Gordon serials justice by being either a big-budget improvement or a tonally and narratively faithful throwback (comparatively, Star Wars succeeded at doing both). 6. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) Disney’s idea to animate Victor Hugo’s novel was of questionable taste, but the studio’s need to so closely imitate William Dieterle’s 1939 adaptation was of questionable creative judgment. When I watch Disney’s Robin Hood, I’m not reminded of how much better Michael Curtiz’s 1938 version is; similarly, I’m able to appreciate the animated Beauty and the Beast and Alice and Wonderland without thinking of previous adaptations. Especially given the controversial lewdness and the simplification of the story, Disney’s version of Hunchback seems an insult to the source novel, Dieterle’s film and Charles Laughton’s characterization. 5. Meet Joe Black (1998) I’m a hypocrite to criticize anyone’s inability to be concise, but a three-hour remake of a 78-minute film (1934’s Death Takes a Holiday) displays a level of excess that even my meandering can’t compare to. Don’t get me wrong, though; I’m no hater of long films. But if you can make a long story short, it’s preferred that you do so. 4. The Mummy (1999) There’s no problem with reimagining a classic horror film as a blockbuster action movie, but taking something so iconically frightening as Boris Karloff’s Imhotep (in the ‘32 version) and updating the look with laughably cartoonish CGI is unfortunate. I know I’m on the other side of the fence from the moviegoers who made this a hit, but I would have actually enjoyed it more if the villain were depicted as a guy wrapped in bandages. 3. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1994) Of course, CG may have been better than this. In fact, the only thing worse than Robert De Niro as the Creature would have been a hand-drawn animated Frankenberry in the role. 2. King Kong (2005) Technically, the 1976 remake with Jeff Bridges is a worse film, but that version at least took some interesting liberties in updating the 1933 classic. Peter Jackson’s intention seemed to be only to faithfully recreate the original with better special effects. And given the fact that many of the CG sequences are embarrassingly awful, I have to say this film was a more monumental failure in terms of purpose and promise. Jackson gave me yet another reason for questioning the point of filmmakers remaking their favorite films. 1. Mr. Deeds (2002) Other than the minor way in which this comedy updates the conservative message of Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936), there is really no reason for Capra’s film to have been remade, especially with such broad, immature comedy from Adam Sandler. While the original Mr. Deeds completely speaks to and of its time, this includes no topicality, no compelling historical or contemporary relevancy and no lasting cultural significance. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Tue, 09 Sep 2008 20:01:08 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com9/9/2008 4:01:08 PM Anticipating the worst from Diane English’s new remake of The Women is not just typical low expectations regarding remakes in general. My dread is specifically based on dissatisfaction with remakes and updates of films from the 1930s, arguably the best decade in cinema (it is certainly my favorite). While I may recognize and appreciate some favorable redos, such as DePalma’s Scarface (of which I’ve never really been a fan), Mazursky’s Down and Out in Beverly Hills and the multiple repeats from Hitchcock, I am more often disappointed with attempts to recreate ‘30s classics, even when I approach them with already low standards. Worst, for me, doesn’t necessarily have to do with the quality of the film alone, especially when related to remakes and updates. The titles and versions I’ve selected are hardly the worst in terms of craft or production value — you’ll note there are no Dracula movies on this list — and a few would almost be acceptable if they were more unique or solitary works. 10. Return to Oz (1985) I begin with a film that is not a remake in any form but tone. Yet I still see it as a kind of response to and update of the far more popular classic The Wizard of Oz (1939), which was viewed by some as not faithful enough to the source literature of L. Frank Baum.  It was a bit of a guilty pleasure for me growing up, but I lost regard for the film after suffering through a professor’s defensive screening of it on the last day of a film history course. Sure, it’s truer to Baum and the illustrations of W.W. Denslow and John R. Neill, but as MGM’s beautiful 1939 interpretation shows, it’s better to be imaginative than loyal when translating works between mediums. 9. The Front Page (1974) Billy Wilder’s version of the Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur play, which was first adapted to film in 1931, is plenty hilarious thanks to stars Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau, as well as to a slew of terrific character actors, including Vincent Gardenia, Charles Durning, Austin Pendleton and Dick O’Neill. Also, the film’s homosexual innuendo is an interesting way of acknowledging Howard Hawks’ 1940 gender altering redo, His Girl Friday. I’d definitely choose Wilder’s film over the subsequent big screen version, the 1988 update Switching Channels, but compared to earlier adaptations and to Wilder’s earlier work, the ’74 Front Page is still quite a dissatisfying effort. My biggest problems are with the film’s artificial look, particularly its use of costumes that look more appropriate for a costume party than a period film, the gaudiness of the dialogue, especially the double entendres, and the miscasting of both Carol Burnett and Susan Sarandon (though my annoyance with the women in the film provide further acceptance of the gay undertones). 8. The Distinguished Gentleman (1992) This loose and uncredited reworking of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) could have been a worthy update had it included more laughs and more of a bite. The concept of placing a small-time con man in the big-time con of politics is ripe for good comedy and satire, plus it makes me think of the respectable crook/crooked respectability angle of Lubitsch’s Trouble in Paradise. Too bad the script was unsatisfactory (not surprising given it came partly from the screenwriter behind Leonard Part 6) and star Eddie Murphy was at the awkward moment of his career when he somehow lost his usual talent for comedy. 7. Flash Gordon (1980) I have to admit that I do actually love this movie. Well, to be fair, I only really love Queen’s score, Brian Blessed’s voice and Max Von Sydow’s makeup. The rest I just like. Anyway, despite my guilty pleasure in watching the thing on television throughout my childhood, it’s neither a good movie nor a successful update. It doesn’t really do the ‘30s Flash Gordon serials justice by being either a big-budget improvement or a tonally and narratively faithful throwback (comparatively, Star Wars succeeded at doing both). 6. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) Disney’s idea to animate Victor Hugo’s novel was of questionable taste, but the studio’s need to so closely imitate William Dieterle’s 1939 adaptation was of questionable creative judgment. When I watch Disney’s Robin Hood, I’m not reminded of how much better Michael Curtiz’s 1938 version is; similarly, I’m able to appreciate the animated Beauty and the Beast and Alice and Wonderland without thinking of previous adaptations. Especially given the controversial lewdness and the simplification of the story, Disney’s version of Hunchback seems an insult to the source novel, Dieterle’s film and Charles Laughton’s characterization. 5. Meet Joe Black (1998) I’m a hypocrite to criticize anyone’s inability to be concise, but a three-hour remake of a 78-minute film (1934’s Death Takes a Holiday) displays a level of excess that even my meandering can’t compare to. Don’t get me wrong, though; I’m no hater of long films. But if you can make a long story short, it’s preferred that you do so. 4. The Mummy (1999) There’s no problem with reimagining a classic horror film as a blockbuster action movie, but taking something so iconically frightening as Boris Karloff’s Imhotep (in the ‘32 version) and updating the look with laughably cartoonish CGI is unfortunate. I know I’m on the other side of the fence from the moviegoers who made this a hit, but I would have actually enjoyed it more if the villain were depicted as a guy wrapped in bandages. 3. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1994) Of course, CG may have been better than this. In fact, the only thing worse than Robert De Niro as the Creature would have been a hand-drawn animated Frankenberry in the role. 2. King Kong (2005) Technically, the 1976 remake with Jeff Bridges is a worse film, but that version at least took some interesting liberties in updating the 1933 classic. Peter Jackson’s intention seemed to be only to faithfully recreate the original with better special effects. And given the fact that many of the CG sequences are embarrassingly awful, I have to say this film was a more monumental failure in terms of purpose and promise. Jackson gave me yet another reason for questioning the point of filmmakers remaking their favorite films. 1. Mr. Deeds (2002) Other than the minor way in which this comedy updates the conservative message of Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936), there is really no reason for Capra’s film to have been remade, especially with such broad, immature comedy from Adam Sandler. While the original Mr. Deeds completely speaks to and of its time, this includes no topicality, no compelling historical or contemporary relevancy and no lasting cultural significance. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/6/2/30349.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 6/2/2008 5:00:44 PM
Body: Even before Annaliese Griffin at the Vulture blog detailed why Sex and the City is the female equivalent of superhero movies, a genre mostly appealing to men, a female friend of mine noted the same. It’s apparently an obvious parallel, despite the fact that earlier this summer the supposed gender battle between Iron Man and Made of Honor resulted in the awareness that many women are in fact fond of some superheroes. Nevertheless, Griffin’s post made me think of the conversation in Sleepless in Seattle in which real-wife married couple Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson discover the connection between An Affair to Remember and The Dirty Dozen. Of course, Hanks’ character was probably joking about crying at the end of the latter film, but he still had a point. There are certain equivalents between specifically female film genres and specifically male film genres, as you can see from the following list: Melodrama (female) = War Film (male) - Already touched on with the aforementioned Sleepless in Seattle scene, there is a correspondence between tearjerking melodramas and gutwrenching war films. Maybe it’s because of the similar focus on death and/or other crippling tragedy. Maybe it’s because the female spectator weeps for her ego ideal, who is often the terminally ill or wronged woman character, and the male character weeps for his ego ideal, who is often the hero that lives yet suffers the experience of viewing the demise of his brothers in arms. Dance Film (female) = Martial Arts Film (male) - Much has been written about the connections between dance and martial arts, and it’s an obvious enough equivalence that I don’t need to point to examples. The fact that choreography is a word associated with both should sum it up nicely. Plus, a number of martial artists, such as Jackie Chan, had training in ballet. Just don’t tell any macho guys about all the scholarship written on the homoerotic subtexts of Kung Fu films. Romantic Comedy (female) = Buddy Films (male) - Another parallel that might suggest too much homoerotic subtext. I guess the genre preferences are because women are more interested in finding a mate, while men are more interested in finding a mate (as in Australian for buddy). Just notice how in the 1980s the screwball comedy convention of two people who initially hate each other who eventually fall in love became the structure for male-male buddy cop films. Or just watch His Girl Friday and Wilder’s remake of The Front Page back to back. Musicals (female) = Science Fiction (male) - This one is less obvious and even less valid, but I notice parallels, beginning with the idea that musicals may be associated with opera and a number of science fiction films are called space operas. On top of that, we have the idea of spectacle. For women, it’s the costumes and the set design and the dance numbers. For men, it’s also the costumes (as in alien costumes rather than dresses and such) and special effects. Crime Thrillers (female) = Slasher Films (male) - What may seem too similar to be compared as equivalents, there is a distinct difference that makes one a more female-geared genre and the other a more male-geared genre. Both of them typically feature a female protagonist (at least of late — the thriller genre seemed to become synonymous with Ashley Judd in the ’90s), but thrillers are often centered on her as the main character, while slasher films are more concentrated on the male antagonist (aka the killer or monster). Women are more likely to find enjoyment in the empowerment of the female protagonist in thrillers, while men are more likely to find enjoyment in the sado-masochistic idea of punishing the whore figure while being punished by the virgin figure. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Mon, 02 Jun 2008 21:00:44 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com6/2/2008 5:00:44 PM Even before Annaliese Griffin at the Vulture blog detailed why Sex and the City is the female equivalent of superhero movies, a genre mostly appealing to men, a female friend of mine noted the same. It’s apparently an obvious parallel, despite the fact that earlier this summer the supposed gender battle between Iron Man and Made of Honor resulted in the awareness that many women are in fact fond of some superheroes. Nevertheless, Griffin’s post made me think of the conversation in Sleepless in Seattle in which real-wife married couple Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson discover the connection between An Affair to Remember and The Dirty Dozen. Of course, Hanks’ character was probably joking about crying at the end of the latter film, but he still had a point. There are certain equivalents between specifically female film genres and specifically male film genres, as you can see from the following list: Melodrama (female) = War Film (male) - Already touched on with the aforementioned Sleepless in Seattle scene, there is a correspondence between tearjerking melodramas and gutwrenching war films. Maybe it’s because of the similar focus on death and/or other crippling tragedy. Maybe it’s because the female spectator weeps for her ego ideal, who is often the terminally ill or wronged woman character, and the male character weeps for his ego ideal, who is often the hero that lives yet suffers the experience of viewing the demise of his brothers in arms. Dance Film (female) = Martial Arts Film (male) - Much has been written about the connections between dance and martial arts, and it’s an obvious enough equivalence that I don’t need to point to examples. The fact that choreography is a word associated with both should sum it up nicely. Plus, a number of martial artists, such as Jackie Chan, had training in ballet. Just don’t tell any macho guys about all the scholarship written on the homoerotic subtexts of Kung Fu films. Romantic Comedy (female) = Buddy Films (male) - Another parallel that might suggest too much homoerotic subtext. I guess the genre preferences are because women are more interested in finding a mate, while men are more interested in finding a mate (as in Australian for buddy). Just notice how in the 1980s the screwball comedy convention of two people who initially hate each other who eventually fall in love became the structure for male-male buddy cop films. Or just watch His Girl Friday and Wilder’s remake of The Front Page back to back. Musicals (female) = Science Fiction (male) - This one is less obvious and even less valid, but I notice parallels, beginning with the idea that musicals may be associated with opera and a number of science fiction films are called space operas. On top of that, we have the idea of spectacle. For women, it’s the costumes and the set design and the dance numbers. For men, it’s also the costumes (as in alien costumes rather than dresses and such) and special effects. Crime Thrillers (female) = Slasher Films (male) - What may seem too similar to be compared as equivalents, there is a distinct difference that makes one a more female-geared genre and the other a more male-geared genre. Both of them typically feature a female protagonist (at least of late — the thriller genre seemed to become synonymous with Ashley Judd in the ’90s), but thrillers are often centered on her as the main character, while slasher films are more concentrated on the male antagonist (aka the killer or monster). Women are more likely to find enjoyment in the empowerment of the female protagonist in thrillers, while men are more likely to find enjoyment in the sado-masochistic idea of punishing the whore figure while being punished by the virgin figure. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/groups/Filmspotting/Re_Top_5_Journalism_Movies/304/11740/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Aegis
Post To: Filmspotting
Post Date: 6/22/2007 5:09:04 PM
Body: Here's my list ...1. Front Page (Best newspaper movie ever!)2. The Paper3. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas4. Salvador5. Broadcast NewsMore journalism movies I like ... Almost Famous, Citizen Kane (pantheon), All The President's Men (pantheon), Capote.
]]>Fri, 22 Jun 2007 21:09:04 GMTAegisFilmspotting6/22/2007 5:09:04 PMHere&#39;s my list ...1. Front Page (Best newspaper movie ever!)2. The Paper3. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas4. Salvador5. Broadcast NewsMore journalism movies I like ... Almost Famous, Citizen Kane (pantheon), All The President&#39;s Men (pantheon), Capote. http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/friendship/MemberTagFilms.aspxfriendship
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