strictly dishonorable is a 1951 romantic comedy film written , produced and directed by melvin frank and norman panama , and starring ezio pinza and janet leigh .

it is the second film to be based on preston sturges ' 1929 hit broadway play of the same name after a pre-code film released by universal pictures in 1931 with the same title .

strictly dishonorable ( 1951 film )

ezio pinza and janet leigh kiss in a scene from the film ' strictly dishonorable ' , 1951 .
william ricciardi is the only actor who also appeared in the broadway production of strictly dishonorable .
ezio pinza and janet leigh kiss in a scene from the film ' strictly dishonorable ' , . . .
strictly dishonorable was in production from mid - january to mid - march 1951 , and was released on 3 july of that year .
this story is supposedly set in the 1920s , yet the fashions and hairdos are strictly from 1951 .
with the headline : the screen in review ; ' strictly dishonorable , ' starring ezio pinza and janet leigh , new feature at capitol .
we don ' t have enough data to suggest any movies based on strictly dishonorable . you can help by rating movies you ' ve seen .
in 1951 , harold lloyd received a golden globe nomination as
best motion picture actor - musical / comedy
, and the film was nominated for grand prize at the 1951 cannes film festival . [ 6 ]
preston sturges approached mgm with the idea of doing a remake of strictly dishonorable with ezio pinza , and received $ 60 , 000 for the rights , but was disappointed when he was not hired to write the screenplay .
( 1950 ) - supposedly judy and ezio pinza were
discussed
for this film , released in 1951 with janet leigh and pinza .
crew : ( b & w ) extract of a review from 1951 . running time : 94 min .
title strictly dishonorable genre film notes - 1951 records by ezio pinza of orig cast .
everything i have is yours ,
i ' ll see you in my dreams
( 45 / rca 49 - 3395 , alb - 1608 , alb - 2212 , alb - 2345 ) ( production and recordings information ) - from : show music on record by jack raymond - loc . natlib . smor . 1951 - 21 ( digitalid ) description film . 1951 records by ezio pinza of orig cast .
everything i have is yours ,
i ' ll see you in my dreams
( 45 / rca 49 - 3395 , alb - 1608 , alb - 2212 , alb - 2345 ) ( production and recordings information ) . from : show music on record by jack raymond additional metadata formats metsxml record
review , top ticket prices were $ 1 . 50 at the criterion theatre in ny , where the film enjoyed a four - week minimum run . in 1951 , m - g - m released
pinza’s short - lived movie career began with the 1951 film , mr . imperium . a piece of mgm hokum about a playboy prince and a hollywood star , it matched pinza up with lana turner .
. at liberty in chicago , he started by writing two lines of dialogue :
what are your intentions ?
strictly dishonorable .
he wrote the play quickly , in about six days of work , and called it originally
come , come , isabelle .
he gave the ingenue his grandmother ' s maiden name , isabelle perry .
pinza’s second feature film was far superior , the preston sturges romp , strictly dishonorable . in this one , pinza got to play a womanizing opera star ( no comment ! ) , which gave him licence to sing an eclectic assortment of material , including the two numbers featured here , i’ll see you in my dreams ( isham jones –gus kahn ) and everything i have is yours ( burton lane–harold adamson ) .
( 1951 ) at the studio . pinza had left the metropolitan opera a few years earlier and transitioned to broadway with his famous performance as emile de becque in
gus offers to put isabelle up for the night , assuring her that his intentions are
strictly dishonorable
. the judge warns isabelle about gus , but she is adamant about staying , since she has fallen in love . so , too , has gus : overwhelmed by isabelle ' s sweetness and innocence , he spends the night in judge dempsey ' s apartment .
since metro ' s first try at starting ezio pinza on a screen career in an item called
mr . imperium
turned out something of a flop d ' estime ( which the company withheld from distribution after a few dismal dates here and there ) , it is actually launching the singer and middle - aged glamour - boy in his second film made for metro ,
strictly dishonorable .
view full article in timesmachine »
( 1951 ) - another musical biopic , this time based on the life and music of sigmund romberg . no doubt freed had judy on his early lists of guest star appearances . a screenplay was delivered by joseph fields on december 2 , 1951 . the project was turned over to roger edens and released in 1954 as deep in my heart .
the following 2 decades exemplified a significant upsurge in theatre adapted for the big screen . and hollywood began contracting notable playwrights for their burgeoning production teams . after preston sturges ’ string of broadway hits and successful film adaptations like strictly dishonorable ( 1931 ) and child of manhattan ( 1933 ) , he was contracted out as a writer - for - hire for several hollywood studios , before going on to become one of the most prolific filmmakers of his generation .
lloyd was never to star in another film , turning instead to production , and releasing compilation films featuring his earlier silent film work .
although the film explicitly connects the character of harold diddlebock to that in the freshman , in the earlier film his surname is lamb .
( 1951 / 1953 ) - paul henried wanted to make this film , based on the 1948 emily harvin novel about a husband who has his wife put in an insane asylum just to get her out of his life . that would have been interesting .
, but the current film was released first , so it marks his dramatic acting debut . pinza went on to make only one more film ,
offers came from film world , so sturges picked up some fast money by writing film scripts . shortly after , a play from his trunk ,
among her films :
act of violence
( with van heflin ) ,
little women ,
holiday affair
( robert mitchum ) ,
strictly dishonorable
( ezio pinza ) ,
the naked spur
( james stewart ) ,
living it up
( martin and lewis ) ,
jet pilot
( john wayne ) ,
bye bye birdie
( dick van dyke ) ,
safari
( victor mature ) .
( universal - 1932 ) - this universal film starring zasu pitts is the earliest known feature film that judy ( then still frances gumm ) was considered for . her role was played in the finished film by cora sue collins .
sturges , meanwhile , started his own film career , writing many fine screenplays through the 1930s and becoming a director in 1940 , after which he turned out some of the best film comedies of all time . by 1951 , his power , popularity and output were nearing the end . he had an inkling , however , that mgm might be interested in launching a musical remake of
a film poster for the 1940 british screen adaptation of patrick hamilton’s celebrated play .
( 1939 ) - a title suggested for a possible judy and mickey film .
( 20th century - fox - 1961 ) - judy was always mentioned in various talks about bringing the 1951 musical version of the famous book by betty smith to the screen . judy would have played
aunt cissy ,
played on broadway by shirley booth . the musical never made it to film .
soon after , his works were being snapped up by film studios , and his screen adapted works dominated the hollywood model , including the glass menagerie ( 1950 ) , a streetcar named desire ( 1951 ) , the rose tattoo ( 1955 ) , cat on a hot tin roof ( 1958 ) , orpheus descending ( under the film title the fugitive kind ) , and the night of the iguana ( 1964 ) .
future learning and skills – giving everyone the opportunity to build a lifelong relationship with film .
the wizard of oz a month later . this title was never made into a film .
( with bing crosby ) - the film was made with crosby and jane wyman in 1952 .
( 1951 ) , indeed starred pinza as well as 24 - year - old janet leigh in a comic , musical story of a may - december romance between an opera star and the wide - eyed southern gal who has idolized him since childhood . the posters declared :
( mid - 1950s ) - judy was supposedly considered for the role eventually played in the 1960 film by elizabeth taylor . taylor won the first of her two best actress oscars for this film .
in 1923 , silent film producer thomas h . ince paid a whopping usd 35 , 000 for the screen rights to eugene o’neill ’s 1921 play anna christie ( the first of three film adaptations ) .
a film that carried many a curse . john huston , marilyn monroe and arthur miller on set for
, but the song ended up being performed by george murphy and eleanor powell in the final film .
william ricciardi was the only actor from the broadway cast to play his role in the 1931 film adaptation .
- this was a project that freed wanted to make from the late 1930s into the 1950s . it was based on the 1935 stage hit
billy rose ' s jumbo .
freed planned to star judy and mickey , then in 1948 and 1951 he planned to pair judy with frank sinatra ( joseph fields turned in a screenplay dated october 2 , 1951 ) . mgm made the film in 1962 , produced by joe pasternak starring doris day , stephen boyd , and jimmy durante . durante was in the original 1935 stage version . the 1962 film recreates his famously hysterical comedy bit of attempting to sneak jumbo off the circus grounds . he ' s stopped by a sheriff who asks
where are you going with that elephant ?
and durante delivers the punch line as only he could :
what elephant ?
( 20th century - fox - 1950 ) - fox had an exclusive agreement with rodgers & hammerstein as their studio of choice for any film project , especially adaptations of their stage successes . the team supposedly first came to fox with the idea for an original musical film version of
anna & the king of siam
in 1950 . the project never materialized , and it ' s possible this is just rumor or wishful thinking on the part of rodgers & hammerstein . a short while later
rodgers & hammerstein ' s the king and i
opened on broadway in 1951 with yul brynner and gertrude lawrence . too quick of a turnaround to axe a garland project in 1950 and have it reformatted for the stage , ready to open on broadway in 1951 with a new cast , songs , and rehearsal / tryout period .
into production , a lengthy opening
mini - musical
version of
show boat
was created , with lena horne in the role freed was to give to judy in a full - length film version : the tragic singer
julie .
the full - length film version wouldn ' t get made until 1951 , after judy had left the studio . garland fans have always speculated on how different the role and the film would have been if judy had the chance to play the role . it had also been argued ( with some validation ) that if judy had stayed at mgm , her status as the studio ' s premiere musical leading lady would most likely have prevented her being cast in a secondary role that basically disappears from most of the last half of the story . audiences would have wanted
more judy .
in the end , ava gardner gave a wonderful performance as
julie
in the 1951 version .
the popular “cowboy”songs of the period are reflected in a pair of numbers pinza recorded with the sons of the pioneers in 1951 : the little ol’ state of texas and the wind is a woman . in one photo of the period , you can even find pinza sporting a highly inappropriate ten - gallon hat .
judy was never seriously in the running for this film . it was planned for production at the same time as
( 1951 ) - this project really was a cause for alarm . the producer , tom lewis , wanted judy for the lead . loretta young was lewis ' wife and wanted the role . a lot . it ' s hollywood legend that she had a lawyer threaten to sue lewis on the grounds of discrimination because he wouldn ' t give the role to her . she got the role . the film is forgotten today .
( 1937 ) - the mgm music department records show that judy recorded
who knows ?
for the film on august 27 , 1937 . the recording has not survived . the final film starred eleanor powell and nelson eddy .
in may , it was reported that hughes was running a contest for his employees to find a shorter name for the film , with the winner to get $ 250 ; the next month , after it had only played in three cities , the film was pulled from circulation and its name changed to mad wednesday , because of concerns that the word
sin
in the title would hold back the film ' s box office from the
family trade
. it was intended to return the film to distribution as soon as october , and a special effects crew was sent to san francisco to film process shots to be used in the film ' s re - editing . [ 1 ]
amrit nahata ' s kissaa kursee kaa , the film which will never be released =
kissā kursī kā
.
from an analytical standpoint , we need to look at the theatre space and the film set as two separate entities .
( embassy pictures - circa , 1963 / 64 ) - it was reported in contemporary papers that judy was considered for lead in the film version of the popular 162 musical . to date , no film of the show has been made .
, preston sturges unofficially endorsed the film version of his highly successful play in a letter to carl laemmle . a october 1932
. the play was sturges ' second broadway production , and the first of his plays to be made into a film .
david o . selznick , 1941 ) - judy expressed interest in starring in the film version of the 1939 book
claudia : the story of a marriage
and its subsequent broadway play . the play ran from 1941 - 1943 and starred dorothy mcguire , who recreated the title role for her film debut in the 1943 film version made by 20th century - fox .
( 1969 ) - in their january 1 , 1969 issue ,
variety
reported that director barry mahon was negotiating to have judy provide the narration for this film . the deal fell through , but the film was made - without narration .
the tomatometer score — based on the opinions of hundreds of film and television critics — is a trusted measurement of critical recommendation for millions of fans . it represents the percentage of professional critic reviews that are positive for a given film or television show .
il ritorno di césare is a fictitious opera created by mario castelnuovo - tedesco for the film , and staged by vladimir rosing .
the completed film , reuniting astaire and rogers after 10 years , opened on may 13 , 1949 and was a huge success .
( circa , 1965 / 66 ) - columnists listed judy as one of the potential stars for the film version of thomas berger ' s 1964 novel . the film was made and released in 1970 starring dustin hoffman and faye dunaway and directed by arthur penn .
the canny , self - promoting pinza parlayed his success as de becque into a multi - tasking empire as a recording and film artist . he even ventured into television , with a 1951 variety series ( “the ezio pinza show” ) as well as a short - lived live 1953 sitcom called “bonino” . where he played a widowed opera singer with five children . ( one of them was a ten - year - old named van dyke parks , who later went on to a successful music career . )
20th century - fox , circa 1937 ) - a sequel to judy ' s feature film debut was suggested , but never made .
she wrote in her autobiography that the manchurian candidate was
a dynamite film ,
though she had worried about working with frank sinatra .
would include
buddy ebsen and judy garland .
judy ' s part was written out before she began any work on the film .
the judy garland database features a promotional photo of judy from the 1940s used in connection with this film , but nothing else is known .
( 1967 ) - judy was considered for the role of
mrs . robinson ,
played in the finished film by anne bancroft .
– but the reception by the general public was no better the second time around . a few critics consider this film a masterpiece of comedy .
( 1939 ) - the film adaptation of rachel crothers ' 1937 broadway hit was originally going to star greer garson as
susan
with frederick march and judy as susan ' s daughter . the film was eventually made with joan crawford , march and rita quigley in the daughter role .
( circa , 1965 / 66 ) - judy was considered for a cameo in this world war ii film , released by columbia in 1967 .
lux radio theatre broadcast a radio adaptation of the film on december 8 , 1952 , with janet leigh reprising her role and fernando lamas replacing pinza .
but the failure of pinza’s various film and television projects , as well as changing public tastes , caused interest in his work to decline after that .
judy ' s instincts were usually spot - on , and she no doubt realized this was a quickie production ( filmed on tape for transfer to film , no less ! ) meant to compete with another film about harlow with angela lansbury as harlow ' s mother and carroll baker as harlow . it was rogers ' last film appearance . neither film did very well , coming off as highly fictionalized soap opera . too bad , as jean harlow was one of the greatest stars of the 1930s and deserved better . in a better production judy could have done some justice to harlow ' s story .
the film premiered in miami , florida on 8 february 1947 , and went into general release on 4 april . despite sturges ' later claim that the film
got the best reviews i ever received ,
the notices were mixed and commented on the unevenness of the comedy , perhaps the result of the falling out between sturges and lloyd . sturges claimed that producer howard hughes used the reviews as an excuse to re - make the film . [ 1 ]
, where he had made his most popular films , but the film was not successful in its initial release . it was quickly pulled from distribution by producer
this movie was the only credited feature film appearance of frances ramsden ( 1920—2000 ) , whose role is important enough that she could have received second billing .
more recently , such playwrights as david mamet and tony kushner have had fruitful careers in screenwriting and film directing , earning much praise in both creative industries .
the sin of harold diddlebock is a 1947 comedy film written and directed by preston sturges , starring the silent film comic icon harold lloyd , and featuring a supporting cast including jimmy conlin , raymond walburn , rudy vallee , arline judge , edgar kennedy , franklin pangborn , j . farrell macdonald , robert dudley , robert greig , lionel stander and jackie the lion . the film ' s story is a continuation of the freshman , one of lloyd ' s most successful movies .
crowther , bosley .
above and beyond , film review .
the new york times , january 31 , 1953 . retrieved : february 6 , 2010 .
a film biography of buddy desylva ( with bing crosby ) paramount wanted judy to co - star with bing crosby and
hopalong cassidy
in a western .
in the event , because of hughes ' re - editing of the film and re - shooting of some scenes – sturges said that hughes
[ left ] out all the parts i considered the best in the picture , and adding to its end a talking horse
– the film was not ready for re - release until 1950 . united artists backed out of their distribution deal with hughes , so after hughes bought rko , he used his new studio to release the film , now cut from 89 to 76 minutes , on 28 october 1950 . the total cost of the film was estimated to be $ 1 , 712 , 959 .
with ezio pinza , and received $ 60 , 000 for the rights , but was disappointed when he wasn ' t hired to write the screenplay for the film .
( warner bros . , 1944 ) - warner bros . supposedly wanted judy for the lead . the film was released in 1946 starring gary cooper and ingrid bergman .
( 1942 ) - judy wanted to be in the film adaptation of pearl s . buck ' s novel . it was made by mgm in 1944 starring katherine hepburn .
when initial reviews came in , taylor ' s performance in above and beyond was considered the
finest performance of his career to date
. [ 12 ] taylor was also proud of his accomplishments in the film and urged mgm to allow him to promote the film on television . taylor and tibbets appeared together on ed sullivan ' s toast of the town show in order to promote the film , an unusual step at a time when the major hollywood studios disapproved of its stars appearing on television , which they saw as a threat . [ note 5 ] although the studio was hesitant about the television appearance , the publicity gained was important to the film ' s initial success . [ 12 ]
according to mgm records the film earned $ 660 , 000 in the us and canada and $ 221 , 000 elsewhere , resulting in a loss of $ 664 , 000 .
the film was suggested by screenwriter beirne lay , jr . , a colonel in the air force reserve , to general curtis lemay , then commander of the strategic air command ( sac ) , who had discussed with lay the problem of the high rate of divorce among flight crews . a film depicting the problems might help raise morale . [ 6 ]
( 1934 ) - not to be confused with the proposed mgm film of the same name as noted below , this earlier mgm version would have included judy and her sisters .
( circa 1950 ) - originally slated for judy and gene kelly , the completed 1953 film starred debbie reynolds , bob fosse , marge & gower champion , and kurt kaznar .
this 1954 musical was highly successful at the time , but has never been successfully revived and the 1961 film version ( with charles boyer in pinza’s role ) eliminated all of the music .
the blonde beauty enjoyed a long and distinguished career , appearing in such films as the 1962 political thriller the manchurian candidate and in orson welles ' 1958 film noir classic touch of evil .
( circa 1938 ) - another film for judy , mickey rooney , & freddie bartholomew from a screenplay by f . scott fitzgerald based on his 1929
saturday evening post
story .
the handsome matthews for me was the most empathetic to the style of performing perfected by the actors who worked with sturges in film after film . he steamrolled through his dialogue with verve , exploded in futile anger with just the right level of indignation and even took a nice pratfall . if sturges were around , he ' d make sure matthews worked in his next project as well .
many of sir peter shaffer ’s plays saw screen reincarnations , most notably sleuth ( shaffer’s 1970 tony award winning play , and joseph l . mankiewicz ’s last directed film ) , equus ( 1977 ) , and amadeus ( 1984 ) . shaffer would receive the 1984 oscar for best adapted screenplay for the latter of the three . the film would take home 8 academy awards in total .
( 1948 / 49 ) - allegedly some of the existing musical outtakes from various mgm musicals were compiled by george murphy and
shown privately
with the idea to make a feature film .
( 1957 ) - united artists had judy on their wish list for this project . the final film was released in 1957 with betty hutton playing the role of margaret
maggie
brewster .
( stage 1961 ) - on may 5 , 1961 hedda hopper reported that chuck walters intended to direct judy in the film version of the 1954 dorothy fields broadway musical ( not to be confused with the fields / kern project listed above ) about a coney island boarding house owner in the early 1900s that had starred shirley booth . no film of this show has ever been made .
contrary to crowther and other reviewers ' reactions , above and beyond was named one of the year ' s 10 best films by the national board of review , and celebrity and film columnist louella parsons , chose it as the
best drama of the month
in cosmopolitan . [ 2 ] leonard maltin considered the film ,
a meaningful account
of an important event . [ 18 ] a more tepid later review by alun evans , noted the film was
pretty boring fare , but the right kind of hollywood fodder for the days of mccarthy and stalin .
[ 19 ]
above and beyond is a 1952 american war film about lt . col . paul w . tibbets , jr . , the pilot of the aircraft that dropped the atomic bomb on hiroshima in august 1945 .
pigskin parade came along , which was a better showcase for her talents than an our gang film would have been . or , maybe they just decided not to loan her to the hal roach studios .
warner bros . wanted judy for the lead role in this breezy technicolor musical . obviously mgm wasn ' t about to loan her out at this point in her career , so doris day got the part , making her feature debut and beginning her own phenomenal film career . one wonders what magic judy could have brought to day ' s big hit song from the film
it ' s magic .
orriss , bruce . when hollywood ruled the skies : the aviation film classics of world war ii . hawthorne , california : aero associates inc . , 1984 . isbn 0 - 9613088 - 0 - x .
holds the dubious distinction of being the first film that judy could not complete due to her physical and mental frailties . barkleys was conceived as judy and fred astaire ' s follow - up to the huge success of
( 1943 ) - the final film was produced by joe pasternak and released in 1945 starring gene kelly , frank sinatra and kathryn grayson . in 1943 it was on the idea list for judy and gene kelly .
( 1952 ) - louis b . mayer was fired from mgm not long after judy . he attempted to make independent films , and on his list was a film version of this lerner & lowe musical to star judy . that never happened , and the musical was finally made in 1969 starting lee marvin and clint eastwood . yes , they both
sing
in this colossal film musical flop . mayer also wanted to make
( 1963 - 1970 ) - this project was envisioned as the grand finale of the careers of arthur freed , vincente minnelli , and irving berlin . it ' s been suggested that in the projects early stages freed wanted judy to star in the film . the story of the attempts to get the film made is a good example of how much hollywood filmmaking had changed after the fall of the studio system in the 1950 ' s .
after howard hughes re - edited the film , rudy vallee ' s part was almost entirely cut out , and he did not receive screen credit on the re - released film , mad wednesday , nor did georgia caine . also , lloyd ' s billing was moved from above the title to below , provoking lloyd to file a $ 750 , 000 lawsuit in 1953 against rko and california pictures , claiming breach of contract . [ 1 ]
according to mgm records the film earned $ 2 , 647 , 000 in the us and canada and $ 1 , 333 , 000 overseas , resulting in a profit of $ 1 , 037 , 000 . [ 1 ]
with the advent of sound in cinema , film culture was rapidly being fashioned by the likes of the marx brothers and king vidor . these ‘talkies’ of the 20’s were also introducing opera and musical theatre to a new audience .
( 1961 ) - judy was supposedly in the running for the film version of the 1960 broadway musical . the show made it to the screen in 1963 without the songs and co - starring jack lemmon and shirley maclaine .
janet leigh , whose shocking murder in the classic alfred hitchcock thriller psycho was credited with making generations of film fans think twice about stepping into a motel room shower , has died at her beverly hills home . she was 77 .
his most notable film adaptations were the big knife in 1950 , and the fritz lang directed clash by night in 1952 . odets also wrote the 1957 screenplay to sweet smell of success , which starred burt lancaster and tony curtis .
if history is of any indicator , the public’s insatiable appetite for film adaptations of theatre pieces isn’t likely to sedate any time soon . with many creative figures being heralded for their work in both spheres , the proven working combination of playwright and film director has added another dimension to the way we look at cinema . and , similarly , as films have began to be adapted to the stage , the relationship is changing the way we look at the theatre .
( rko - 1950 ) - another patriotic all - star salute to the armed forces , this time featuring stars entertaining troops for the u . s . o . ( united service organization ) . the film was never made .
( united artists , 1940 ) - it ' s reported that director george marshall wanted to borrow judy from mgm and co - star herr with james steward . the film was released in 1941 co - starring stewart with paulette goddard .
after writer - director preston sturges left paramount pictures in 1944 , he and millionaire howard hughes formed california pictures , and in july of that year it was reported that sturges had tempted one of his idols , harold lloyd , out of retirement to become a producer - director at the new studio , with his first project to be
the sin of hilda diddlebock
, a story written by sturges about a girl ' s adventures in hollywood , and their second project a film called
the wizard of whispering falls
( lloyd had not appeared on film since 1938 ' s professor beware ) . even after lloyd became the lead character , he was promised by sturges that he could direct part of the film , but this never happened . [ 1 ] although the project began as a labor of love between sturges and lloyd , the two had a falling out over creative differences , which affected the quality of the finished film . [ 3 ]
working predominantly in london , harold pinter crafted 27 film scripts in total for cinema and television . his work with british director and close associate joseph losey brought him considerable fame in film and theatre circles . despite being adaptations from novels , pinter and losey’s 3 collaborations the servant ( 1963 ) , accident ( 1967 ) and the go - between ( 1971 ) still bare strong elements of the theatrical and the melodramatic … testimony to the stage backdrop from which pinter was essentially birthed .
from that film , we hear a number that harold arlen and dorothy fields composed for pinza , let me look at you as well as more spanish sentiment , this one by augustin lara and ray gilbert , called you belong to my heart .
taylor and parker were rumored to be lovers , and this conjecture helped the film ' s
box - office grosses .
[ 2 ] recently divorced taylor and parker going through a divorce , were tabloid fodder during the production . [ 16 ]
mississippi belle isabelle and her hard - headed , quick - tempered jersey fiancé henry arrive at an italian speakeasy in new york . they meet an amiable retired judge there , but henry ' s back is up immediately anyway . henry leaves as his car is parked illegally . isabelle likes the opera , and it happens that her favourite singer , di ruvo , is a bar patron that evening .
gus
, as he prefers to be known , is very charming . henry returns to find the pair dancing . a row ensues ; henry leaves . isabelle accepts gus ' s offer to retire to his apartment even though he warns her his intentions are
strictly dishonourable
. but henry has told officer mulligan that isabelle has been
kidnapped by villains
. . .
, a romantic comedy , opened on broadway in september 1929 . an instant hit , it ran for 557 performances and became the longest - running broadway play up to that point . hollywood came calling , and sturges sold the film rights to universal for a whopping $ 125 , 000 . he also asked to write the screenplay . but universal declined his request and went on to make the film without his involvement ; released in 1931 , it starred paul lukas , sidney fox and lewis stone , directed by john stahl .
touch of evil was
a great experience ,
she said in 1984 , but she was disappointed with the end result :
universal just couldn ' t understand it , so they recut it . gone was the undisciplined but brilliant film orson had made .
around the same time patrick hamilton was to sell the screen rights to his plays rope and gaslight that made him a rich man by his mid - twenties . the film adaptations would go on to be box - office successes for george cukor and alfred hitchcock respectively .
( circa , 1962 ) - judy would have been amazing as the loved and respected , legendary stage actress laurette taylor . director george cukor and even the late taylor ' s daughter , marguerite courtney , wanted judy for the role . the film was never made .
( paramount - 1966 ) - judy was considered to play natalie wood ' s mother in this film version of the tennessee williams play . kate reid played the role in the final version , released in 1966 co - starring wood , robert redford and charles bronson .
both versions of the film , as originally released and as altered by hughes , still exist . according to all movie guide ' s hal erikson , the shorter version plays better for audiences , while the original is richer in its comic invention and characterizations . [ 3 ]
, so it ' s unlikely that there was any serious thought to having either star appear in the film outside of some very early ideas to star the duo with shirley temple ( which may have been the bait freed used to get mayer to purchase the property ) .
( mid - 1950s ) - not to be confused with the late 1930 ' s mgm project of the same name . this is the version that eventually became
funny girl
starring barbra streisand on broadway in 1964 ( and the 1968 film version ) . it was originally a film musical idea for judy from producer ray stark , who was the late brice ' s son - in - law . the screenplay for that version was by isobel lennart who later adapted it for the stage musical . judy ' s loss was barbara ' s gain .
( 1969 ) - a controversial project and a part of the garland legend from day one . in march 1969 , judy ' s husband mickey deans entered into an agreement with european concert promoter arne stivell and his music artists of europe company to film a documentary about judy titled
above and beyond received generally favorable reviews , [ 14 ] however , the new york times critic bosley crowther found the military elements of the film superior to its focus on the relationship between tibbets and his wife . he liked taylor in the military scenes , but not in the scenes concerning his marriage and found parker to be
utterly theatrical .
[ 15 ] [ note 6 ] reviewer robert parish considered the film a comprehensive if lengthy account that was a
too meticulous detail - by - detail presentation ,
and considered parker ' s performance
overwrought .
[ 7 ] although considered an aviation classic due to its subject matter focusing on the mission of the
enola gay
, aviation film historians noted that the flying sequences were limited , and that the romance scenes
got in the way .
[ 17 ]
film . soundtrack . music : josef myrow . words : mack gordon . orch & cond : alfred newman . cast : dan dailey , betty grable , mona freeman , lee patrick , chick chandler , imogene lynch , connie marshall . ( classic international filmusicals 3008 , . . .
the roaring 20’s saw a string of notable silent film adaptations of theatre , like victor sjöström’s he who gets slapped ( 1924 ) , cecil b . demille’s chicago ( 1927 ) , and frank borzage’s 7th heaven ( nominated for outstanding picture at the 1st academy awards in 1929 ) .
judy turned down this role in 1956 . she would have been incredible , but it ' s been speculated that perhaps the thought of digging into her own inner demons for this film may have scared judy away . joanne woodward was given the role and won the 1957 best actress oscar .
( 1949 ) - with words and music by irving berlin , direction by moss hart , and book by robert e . sherwood the broadway production opened on july 15 , 1949 and ran for 308 performances . considered a disappointment , freed still wanted to make a film version starring judy .
1962 ) - judy was one of several stars mentioned for the pivotal role of
mama rose
the film version of ethel merman ' s broadway triumph . other actresses mentioned : merman , judy holliday , ann - margaret ( as
gypsy
) . rosalind russell got the role .
film . album ( c 1947 ) by charles kullman of orig cast . music : nicolai rimsky - korsakov , arranged by miklos rozsa . words : jack brooks . cond : julius burger .
song of india ,
hymn to the sun ,
gypsy song ,
. . .
review : preston sturges ' smash stage comedy is well done in this film version , showcasing the talents of opera singer pinza and the looks of leigh . he plays , strangely enough , an opera singer , known not only for his lungs but also for his love for women . leigh arr… ( more )
freed had always wanted to make a biopic about irving berlin , but berlin resisted any film about his life story . freed then suggested a film built around berlin ' s career and titled it after one of berlin ' s songs
say it with music .
the wheels were set in motion , with berlin agreeing to write six new songs , and ( after much negotiation ) receiving a $ 1 million paycheck ( payable over a ten - year period ! ) with 12 1 / 2 percent of the film ' s profits . berlin delivered the six new songs :
( it ' s ) always the same ,
a guy on monday ,
a man to cook for ,
one man woman ,
outside of loving you , i like you ,
the p . x . ,
the ten best undressed women in the world ,
and
whisper it .
preston sturges ' smash stage comedy is well done in this film version , showcasing the talents of opera singer pinza and the looks of leigh . he plays , strangely enough , an opera singer , known not only for his lungs but also for his love for women . leigh arrives on the scene straight off a
in january 1936 with an april 1936 release date . the film would star robert montgomery and jessie matthews , and
baby [ as judy was still called by her family ] plays opposite buddie [ sic ] ebson [ sic ] a 6 foot 2 comedian that made a big hit with his sister in the new b
as noted above , any filmmaker or studio preparing a musical film invariably wanted judy as a star or guest star . even in the years when judy ' s reputation for unreliability was at its highest , filmmakers still ( if only wistfully ) considered her for various projects . after she left mgm and found triumph on the stage and her oscar nominated 1954 film comeback in a star is born , producers and directors of dramas increasingly wanted judy for her acting abilities . her subsequent oscar nominated supporting role in judgment at nuremberg and triumph at new york ' s carnegie hall , both in 1961 , made judy garland a hot property , again !
( 1946 ) - another freed idea , this time a musical version of the 1931 oscar winner for best picture to co - star judy and gene kelly . it never got past the idea phase , but was remade in 1960 by mgm as a straight dramatic film starring glenn ford , maria schell , and anne baxter .
( 1940 ) - another title suggested for judy and mickey . the original gershwin musical was a big hit on broadway in 1927 starring fred astaire and his sister adele . astaire finally got to make a film version in 1957 co - starring audrey hepburn and featuring judy ' s great friend ( and liza ' s godmother ) kay thompson stealing the show . the 1957 stanley donen project was originally planned as an mgm musical but when the studio wouldn ' t finance it , the cast and crew went to paramount , producing the only
mgm musical
made at a different studio . a sign of the times for film musicals in the late 1950s .
film . 1946 records by dick haymes of orig cast .
another night like this
( 78 / dec 23731 , alb - 299 , alb - 397 )
mi vida
( 78 / dec 23731 , alb - 299 ) ( production and recordings information ) . from : show music on record by . . .
, scott beal was born in quinnesec , michigan . after gaining some experience as a stage actor , he headed to california to break into the film industry . although he did find a few jobs as an actor , most of his work was behind the camera , as an assistant director , camera operator and director . . . .
but in the end , neither of the two pictures gave pinza a hollywood career .
fate never intended me to be a film star ,
he later reflected .
it is difficult to say exactly what went wrong with my films . being human , i shall blame others first , and then myself . the build - up i was given placed me at an extreme disadvantage both as a singer and as an actor . i was pinza the great lover , god ' s own gift to the aging man , mr . middle - aged sex himself ! all that was necessary , the film executives must have thought , was to place me in amorous situations before the camera with some enticing female - - and a terrific success was certain . . . . but the scripts were without humor or style or the slightest opportunity for acting . the big mistake of the film executives was to order me to generate sex appeal , rather than create character . my mistake was to try to fill the order .
with all that being said , however , good drama always reigns penultimate with respect to both crafts . testament to this are a good number of worthy filmmakers who have managed to successfully adapt the playwright’s script for the screen . simultaneously , more than a handful of those that wrote for the theatre had promising careers as screenwriters and film directors .
for me and my gal , producer arthur freed wanted to film the oscar hammerstein / jerome kern show
very warm for may
starring judy with ray mcdonald and marta eggerth or kathryn grayson . but the plot was too similar to the three previous
let ' s put on a show !
films ( about the singing and dancing daughter of show people who wants to quit school and go on the stage ) . freed wanted to keep moving forward with the advancement of the film musical and this plot would be a step backwards . he eventually turned it over to fellow mgm producer jack cummings and it became 1944 ' s broadway rhythm starring ginny sims and george murphy .
( 1967 ) - the title role of
mame
and the role of
mama rose
in
gypsy
are two roles that to this day garland fans still talk about as being potential crowning achievements to judy ' s film career . songwriter jerry herman had always wanted judy for
mame ,
but in the late 1960s judy was considered too high of a liability risk due to the perception of her inability to sustain the grueling weekly schedule of a big broadway musical . judy had stated on a few occasions that she wanted to replace angela lansbury on broadway . judy was never seriously considered for the film adaptation , made after judy ' s death in 1974 with lucille ball .
film . 1947 records by betty hutton of orig cast . music & words : frank loesser .
poppa , don ' t preach to me
( 78 / cap 380 , alb - 285 , alb - 1014 , alb - 1635 , alb - 2123 )
the sewing machine ,
i wish i didn ' t . . .
one could quite rightfully argue that cinema shares it’s genealogical roots with theatrical stage performances , and the early vaudeville acts of the 19th century . silent filmmakers drew inspiration from the grand theatre halls and amphitheaters that performed to packed houses and captivated the modernising world . and soon enough film producers were scrambling to obtain the screen rights to a plethora of theatre plays .
this is the first known film project that judy was considered for after signing with mgm in september 1935 . the 1975 book
young judy
by david dahl and barry kehoe features the contents of a letter from october 1935 in which judy ' s father , frank gumm , relayed to their family friend john perkins in lancaster , california that judy was to start production on
( 20th century - fox - 1957 ) - there was talk of making a film musical version of the 1950 oscar winner for best picture that starred bette davis and anne baxter . judy would have played the role made famous by davis ; margo channing .
eve
was to be played by peggy king . another idea consisted of having cole porter write the songs .
( 1967 & 1968 ) - in a march 1967 interview with radie harris , judy said she wanted to play mcpherson ' s mother in a biopic about the evangelist . meanwhile , george cukor allegedly wanted judy for a biopic of french singer edith piaf who was sometimes referred to as
the french judy garland .
cukor intended to film judy in concert singing songs piaf made famous .
much of the information below has been compiled from researching the many film reference books and biographies published over the last fifty years , home media liner notes & booklets , and websites . notable resources include :
judy garland - the day - by - day chronicle of a legend
by scott schechter published in 2002 ;
judy
by gerold frank published in 1975 ;
get happy - the life of judy garland
by gerald clarke published in 2000 ;
young judy
by david dahl and barry kehoe published in 1975 ;
mgm - when the lion roars
by peter hay published in 1991 ;
the world ' s greatest entertainer
by john fricke published in 1992 ;
judy garland - a legendary film career
by john fricke published in 2011 .
lay suggested a film based on the experiences of colonel paul tibbets , commander of the 509th composite group during world war ii . lemay approved , and after writing an outline , lay handed over scriptwriting duties to melvin frank and norman panama . [ 7 ] although tibbets gave his full approval and support to the film , he felt he was too closely involved to be objective , and suggested lt . col . charles f . h . begg , commander of the nuclear ordnance squadron , and charles sweeney , [ 8 ] pilot on the follow - up nagasaki mission , as technical advisors . [ 4 ] ultimately , begg , major norman w . ray ( ret ' d . ) and major james b . bean served as usaf technical advisors . [ 5 ] [ note 4 ]


taxi zum klo is a 1981 film written by , directed by , and starring frank ripploh .

the story of a schoolteacher and the contrasts between his public and private lives , the film documents pre-aids gay culture in west berlin in the early 1980s .

the name literally means taxi to the toilet ( or " taxi to the john " , etc. ) , that being a place for casual gay sex .

taxi zum klo

looking for movie tickets ? enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing taxi zum klo near you .
' ' taxi zum klo ' ' will be shown tonight at 9 : 30 and sunday at 2 at the new york film festival .
taxi zum klo treats sex seriously without sacralizing it ; throughout the film , ripploh reveals a wry intelligence about the eternal dilemma of monogamy versus promiscuity .
taxi zum klo is screening as part of metrograph a to z , a collection of films we think everybody should see . click here for more info .
in 2011 , taxi zum klo was resubmitted to the bbfc for a cinema and dvd re - release and was passed 18 uncut , with all previous cuts waived .
a refreshingly non - judgemental and amusing portrait of homosexuality in the pre - aids era , taxi zum klo matter - of - factly addresses the mundane and the perverse .
the village voice hailed it as ' the first masterpiece about the mainstream of male gay life ' . taxi zum klo tied with beau - père in winning the 1981 boston society of film critics award for best foreign language film .
the village voice hailed it as ' the first masterpiece about the mainstream of male gay life ' . taxi zum klo tied with beau - père in winning the 1981 boston society of film critics award for best foreign language film . ( wikipedia )
taxi zum klo is a truthful film , revolutionary in its time , about love , the pleasures of promiscuity and the fears of the fading of desire . shot just before the great aids scare of the early 1980s , it now has a peculiar place in social and cultural history .
a ground breaking film to challenge the taboo of the german culture . made with a shoestring budget , taxi zum klo is a marvelous film looking at the struggles ripploh himself faces as a public school teacher in the day , but an active hustler at night . the explicit content was sure to shock many , i thought the use of jumpcuts with vintage pornography was quite a clever twist in terms of editing . taxi zum klo was also hilarious to watch with its use of awkward comedy . perhaps not for everyone but certainly an interesting piece of art house gem .
frank ripploh emerges from ' ' taxi zum klo ' ' ( ' ' taxi to the john ' ' ) as a funny , cheerful , sympathetic fellow . in view of the fact that mr . ripploh , who directed the film while also starring in it , has graphically filmed himself doing such things as undergoing a rectal examination at a vd clinic , this is no small accomplishment .
taxi zum klo
does not contain much explicit sex , but the sex it does portray is graphic and will probably shock some viewers . ripploh believes he could not make an honest film of his life without showing us all of it , and his frankness redeems even his most scatological scene .
ripploh wrote , directed , and starred as himself in taxi zum klo , a movie documenting the life of mr . ripploh in west berlin . a schoolteacher by day , and sexually free and obsessed homosexual by night and sometimes day . the film opens with frank waking up naked and sneaking across the…
' ' taxi zum klo , ' ' which is very sexually explicit even by pornomovie standards , is also a believable and sometimes touching portrait of a german homosexual schoolteacher and his circle of friends and lovers . it ought to be believable , because mr . ripploh acknowledges it to be almost entirely autobiographical .
on its first release , taxi zum klo ( 1980 ) was seized by us customs . the film ( its title translates as taxi to the toilet ) was written and directed by frank ripploh who also takes the lead role of a schoolteacher who likes sex . he marks student essays while sitting on cottage toilets , picks up garage attendants , tells his homebody boyfriend that he’s going to clubs to pick up strangers .
aside from making this a film not recommended to the puritanical or fainthearted , the nudity and explicit sexual activity in ' ' taxi zum klo , ' ' although not gratuitous , do constitute a failure of imagination . like any kind of explicitness , the kind on which mr . ripploh relies is the most obvious representation of attitudes and behavior that might have also been represented in other ways . the sex and nudity will undoubtedly account for part of the film ' s popularity with some audiences , but they will also put off others . and ' ' taxi zum klo ' ' is of sufficient quality and interest for that to be a shame .
german native frank ripploh directs and stars in his 1980 feature taxi zum klo , which follows the public and domestic life of a gay schoolteacher residing in west berlin in the eighties . frank ripploh stars as the eponymous protagonist , along with bernd broaderup as bernd , orpha termin , and hans - gerd mehrtens as the leather boy . urltoken
taxi to the john ( taxi zum klo ) , directed by frank ripploh ; screenplay ( german with eng - lish subtitles ) by mr . ripploh ; photography by hor st schier and johannes geyer ; edited by gela - marina runne and mathias von gunten ; music by hans wittstadt ; produced by mr . ripploh , horst schier and laurens straub ; a promovision international films ltd . release . at alice tully hall , part of the 19th new yo rk film festival . running time : 92 minutes . thi s film is not rated .
the intention was that the new category would allow ' sex ' films to be shown in sex clubs , such as those in soho , as well as allowing more explicit material than usual to be shown in more serious cinema clubs . the effect of this legislation was that , from 1983 , it would be necessary for taxi zum klo to obtain an r18 certificate if it were to continue screening in cinema clubs .
in watching a 33 year old movie about homosexuality , i realized just how old some of the struggles within gay culture are . it ' s easy for a younger generation to think that certain struggles are newer because some of the situations and adaptations that have developed are newer . but , by recording a specific culture so personally , as frank ripploh did in taxi zum klo , the macroscopic problems show up in different forms .
taxi zum klo
wird auch unter dem genre komödie eingeordnet , was beim ( heutigen ) publikum wohl eine falsche hoffnung wecken könnte . wer dumpfen heteronormativen
tuntenhumor
erwartet ( looking at you ,
( t ) raumschiff surprise
) , der wird ebenso enttäuscht wie jene , die meinen , mit solch einem label würde es nicht zur sache gehen . hier ist der sex echt , ungeschönt und eben schwul . heutzutage ist man geneigt , diesem umstand nicht allzu viel bedeutung beizumessen , aber mit dem blick des ( mainstream - ) publikums des jahres 1980 rückt sich
taxi zum klo
in eine andere perspektive . am ende des tages ist eine sexszene zwar
nur
eine sexszene , egal , welches geschlecht die beteiligten haben , aber die selbstverständlichkeit , mit der der geschlechtsakt hier gezeigt wird , entbehrt nicht des
muts
, der dem film…
taxi zum klo ( translated
taxi to the toilet
) brushes right past sexual freedom , unquestioned as vital , and starts with the question : now what ? as men unrestrained by traditional structures of marriage , children , religion and monogamy ( let alone ideas of shame and self - loathing that dominated american queer films of the era being seen as completely in the rear - view ) the world is wide open but you still need to pick a direction . to try to do everything you want at the same time is for the children , and leads to madness .
in 1994 , taxi zum klo was formally submitted for video classification . on this occasion , the distributor was more amenable to cuts and cuts were therefore made to remove the material that had proven legally problematic in 1981 as well as to the more explicit sexual and genital detail . ultimately the film was passed 18 for video release after one minute 43 seconds of cuts . subsequent to this , the film was submitted for video classification by film four channel in 2005 .
the triumph of
taxi zum klo
is that , in the midst of its portrait of isolation , frank ripploh himself emerges as a cheerful , open man , willing to reveal his weakness , willing to hope that things will take a turn for the better . the movie is about a person , not about his sex life . it understands that all of our identities and lifestyles are just hopeful strategies in the search for a sense of belonging , usefulness and love .
taxi zum klo
is an unsparingly honest film , documentary matched with ( i assume ) docudrama , in which ripploh reveals himself fearlessly . the revelations that must have taken the most courage are not the ones about his homosexuality , but the ones about his unhappiness , his sense of inadequacy . he appears in this film to be seeking a life of openness , love , beauty and loyalty to a lover - - and at the same time he marches on a treadmill of futile promiscuity .
disc # 1 - - taxi zum klo 1 . rough morning [ 8 : 49 ] 2 . cruising [ 7 : 12 ] 3 . a woman in trouble [ 11 : 33 ] 4 . a future together [ 7 : 15 ] 5 . parent teacher conference [ 8 : 40 ] 6 . dealing with infidelity [ 4 : 17 ] 7 . doctor ' s appoitment [ 8 : 33 ] 8 . third - class patient [ 5 : 57 ] 9 . from the taxi to the toilet [ 7 : 28 ] 10 . coffee at irmchen ' s [ 6 : 33 ] 11 . queen ' s ball [ 5 : 36 ] 12 . roll the dice [ 8 : 13 ]
taxi zum klo , perhaps the best semi - autobiographical gay german film of 1982 , is being re - released to satisfy what we can only presume is a horny and unfazeable public desperate to see more ultra - realistic ( yet grainy ) shots of bearded men screwing in public toilets . ho hum . lent a desperately sad innocence by its pre - aids dismissal of the health risks of going at it with whoever turned up , this has aged unusually but very well . worth a watch if it happens to be on in your area .
meanwhile , ripploh gets fired from his job ( for staying out too late after a drag ball and imprudently turning up in his classroom in drag ) . he contract hepatitis , is hospitalized , and , in the movie ' s saddest scene , leaves the hospital bed in his patient ' s gown , and hails a taxi to take him to a rendezvous with an anonymous stranger ( hence the title ' s english translation ,
taxi to the toilet
) .
taxi is an unusual film which demands a lot of its viewers . some will resent those demands . but it ' s a film that is too uninhibited , too honest , too good , too well made , to ignore or dismiss . it deserves to be seen .
i watched ' taxi zum klo ' in 1985 , at my uni times , at age of 18 . that version was a wildly mutilated one , but i had the option of getting the complete version of it much later . back in 1985 , it was the first time i realized i could live a regular life being gay , enjoying it , sharing it . after watching it i told my friends , family and people i loved . never regretted it . so , this film made a huge impact in my life . i guess there is a small chance of anybody who toke part in the making of this film to read this comment ( sadly , not it ' s director ) . if yes , thanks for this film . twenty years later , i ' m more a frank than a bernd ( lol ) , but . . . thanks anyway .
i suspect bruce labruce ' s take on taxi to the toilet is the one most worth reading if you ' re interested in knowing just what this movie is about , and how well it is handled , by someone with a familiarity with the time and what was being expressed .
frank ripploh ' s autobiographical study of a homosexual teacher was first submitted to the bbfc in september 1981 . the film focusses on the tension between the central character ' s professional life as a school teacher and his personal life in which he engages in gay sex with strangers , often in and around public lavatories ( the film ' s title translates as ' taxi to the toilet ' ) .
i ' m at a point where i wonder if reading this against ( the almost certainly directed by wes craven ) the fireworks woman , an explicitly ( straight ) pornographic film from a half - decade prior , would be fruitful . the fireworks woman is about a brother and sister who have sex until the brother enters the priesthood , at which point the sister wanders through sexual encounters ( including an extended rape scene ) before reuniting with him . taxi to the toilet is…
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urltoken
best film editing ( awarded in memory of karen schmeer ) - daniel p . hanley and mike hill for rush
note : this year ' s awards are dedicated to the memory of robin dougherty , a former boston phoenix film critic who passed away this summer .
note : this year ' s awards are dedicated to the memory if david brudnoy , one of the society ' s founding members and gracious host of the meetings for many years .
best cinematography - olli barbé ; michel benjamin , sylvie carcedo - dreujou , laurent charbonnier ( i ) , luc drion , laurent fleutot , philippe garguil , dominique gentil , bernard lutic . thierry machado , stéphane martin ( i ) , fabrice moindrot , ernst sasse , michel terrasse and thierry thomas ( i ) for peuple migrateur , le
best actor - tie : brian cox ( i ) for l . i . e . and denzel washington for training day
best supporting actor - tie : william h . macy for pleasantville and billy bob thornton for a simple plan
best screenplay - curtis hanson ( i ) and brian helgeland for l . a . confidential
best supporting actor - edward norton ( i ) for the people vs . larry flynt ( and for primal fear and everyone says i love you )
special award - liane brandon , boston independent filmmaker ( how to prevent a nuclear war , et al . ) special award : richard williams , animation director on who framed roger rabbit ? best discovery or rediscovery : the manchurian candidate ( frankenheimer ) , frankenweenie ( burton ) , lacombe , lucien ( malle ) , the magic garden of stanley sweetheart ( johnson ) , blood feast ( lewis ) best film series : hollywood b . c . / before the code ( brattle ) , the hollywood musical : a tribute to irving berlin ( boston public library ) , dennis hopper : from method to madness ( ica ) , re : vision film festival ( brattle , ica , hfa , and boston film / video foundation )
special commendation - orson welles cinema , cambridge . for making available to the public controversial films that might otherwise not have been shown in the boston area , such as ' je vous salue , marie ' ( 1985 ) and the gay and lesbian film festival . jean - luc godard ' s
je vous salue , marie
was removed from the sack theatres schedule last fall after protestors objected to its present - day treatment of the nativity story . scheduling difficulties were cited as the reason the gay and lesbian film festival was dropped from the nickelodeon lineup . brazil , norman garwood . for achievement in production design , recognizing its nightmarish depiction of a disintegrating totalitarian city .
special commendation to george mansour - the
repo man award
to the film booker for the nickelodeon cinema , for repossessing repo man from consignment to television .
best director - steven spielberg ( i ) for e . t . the extra - terrestrial
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urltoken
a powerful testimonial to a fading way of life . rating : * * * *
18 cert , 94 min . dir : frank ripploh ; starring : frank ripploh , bernd broaderup and orpha termin .
these adventures , intercut with scenes of vintage porn , are shot naturalistically with ( literally ) warts - and - all candour and a good deal of droll humour . the film , far from being degenerate filth , is a loving document of pre - aids berlin , and a touching comedy about the human desire for and struggle to achieve intimacy .
in pictures - the story of love and romance : from adam and eve to tinder and chemsex . compiled by martin chilton
was shown in several cinemas under club conditions without a bbfc certificate , i was lined up to give evidence for the defence were it to be prosecuted for obscenity . my services were not required and the film now stands as a milestone in the history of both free speech and the representation of gays in the cinema .
what helps it retain its vitality is that writer - director frank ripploh ( who died of cancer in 2002 at the age of 52 ) treats his life as
a normal , tired , neurotic polymorphous - perverse teacher
in berlin with the same witty , generous , self - denigratory honesty as clive james and simon gray brought to their heterosexual exercises in confessional autobiographies .
© 2018 guardian news and media limited or its affiliated companies . all rights reserved .
basically the story of a man forced to finally see the injustice around him . riley’s movie is designed to do the same thing to you . …
the ballad of narayama
is a japanese film of great beauty and elegant artifice , telling a story of startling cruelty . what a space it opens…
roger ebert ' s speech on empathy for the
11th hour
series on april 9th , 1994 , being republished here in honor of his birthday june 18 .
roger ebert was born on this day in 1942 , and died a little over five years ago . i owe a good part of my success…
a look back at robert zemeckis ' half - animated classic , who framed roger rabbit , on its 30 - year anniversary .
a tribute to the late tab hunter , a gay matinee idol and hollywood trailblazer .
as the film opens , ripploh is a schoolteacher in west germany . he seems to be a pretty good teacher , cheerful and frank with his students . after hours , he cruises the gay bars and public meeting places , seeking anonymous sex , often with a sadomasochistic flavor . he ' s particularly drawn to gay sleaze , to the bars specializing in the theatrical flaunting of sexual identity , to the places in the big city where sex is mixed with danger .
he meets a young man , berndt , whom he values more than most of his partners . they become lovers . they move in together , and ripploh tries to break his pattern of addictive sex and to be faithful to one person . the movies best scenes involve frank and berndt trying to work out the ground rules of a relationship .
how does he feel about his sex life ? judging by the movie , he finds the sex itself an exciting addiction , but fears his promiscuity is training him to see persons as objects . the end of the process is clearly a great , bleak loneliness , and it is against his loneliness that he seeks protection with berndt .
an interview with terry gilliam , director of
the man who killed don quixote .
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the film has the candor of a journal , as it details the daily routine of the teacher , called ' ' frank ' ' by some of his friends and ' ' peggy ' ' by others , and affects an intentionally humdrum tone . but it also has the artfulness to shape seemingly unremarkable incidents in a telling manner . the way in which a jigsaw puzzle that bernd , frank ' s faithful and fastidious lover , has been working on is inadvertently knocked over or bernd ' s irritation at frank ' s messy table habits reveal as much about their relationship as a more direct and emphatic narrative might .
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most unnecessary line of dialogue any recent film has had to offer : frank ' s telling bernd , while putting on his black leather regalia and swallowing a tablet of lsd : ' ' and don ' t wait up for me . i ' ll be late tonight . ' '
with : frank ripploh , bernd broaderup , gitte lederer , hans - gerd mertens , irmgard ladem - acher , beate springer , ulla topf , franco papadou , hans jurgen moller , tabea blumensche in and magdalena montezuma .
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the distributor indicated that their intention was to show the film in cinema clubs ( to which members only were admitted and for which no bbfc certificate was required ) and then , when club distribution was exhausted , to exhibit the film in commercial cinemas , for which a bbfc classification would be required .
the bbfc examined the film carefully , also seeking input from legal advisers including qcs . an extensive list of cuts was drawn up that would be required before an x certificate could be granted ( mainly to remove sight of erections , penetration , whipping and close up sight of an anal examination ) . however , the bbfc also informed the distributor that its legal advisers had flagged up two scenes as potentially problematic , even if the film were shown without a certificate in members only cinema clubs .
( 2 ) another scene showing unsimulated urolagnia ( urination onto another person during sex ) .
these laws applied equally to club screenings and to screenings in public cinemas . accordingly , the distributor cut these two scenes on the board ' s advice before releasing the film ( without a certificate ) in cinema clubs . however , given the extent of additional cuts required to obtain an ' x ' classification for national distribution , the distributor decided not to proceed with formal bbfc classification at that time .
in 1982 , the local government ( miscellaneous provisions ) act was introduced . amongst other things , the purpose of the legislation was to close down the existing loophole that allowed members only cinema clubs to exhibit films without the permission of the relevant local council or the bbfc . in future , any cinema club would have to be licensed by the relevant local authority and exhibit only films permitted by the council or by the bbfc .
given the specialised and self - selecting membership of such cinema clubs it was recognised that films shown in such clubs might legitimately be more explicit than those permitted in a public cinema , although what was shown would still have to remain within the law . in accordance with this , the bbfc introduced a new classification of r18 ( restricted 18 ) in 1982 which would allow more explicit material than what was permitted in the x category ( simultaneously renamed the 18 category ) , provided that the film was shown only in licensed clubs .
initially the bbfc had felt that it would be possible to pass the more graphic sexual material in the film at r18 . however , discussions with the relevant enforcement agencies quickly showed that any sight of unsimulated sex was likely to be considered obscene under the
. accordingly , when the film was resubmitted to the bbfc in 1983 in order to obtain an r18 classification , the bbfc had little alternative but to offer a long list of cuts similar to that originally demanded for an x classification .
although some of the more borderline material ( such as the whipping ) was allowed to remain at r18 , all sight of erections and sexual penetration would have to be removed . however , given that the film had already been showing in club cinemas for over a year without legal intervention , neither the film ' s distributor nor its director could understand the need for additional cuts . therefore the film was withdrawn altogether from the classification process and from club cinemas . in the meantime , the film had been released on vhs in its marginally cut club version and remained available on video , nearly uncut , until after the introduction of the
vanished from the shelves of video shops and from the repertoire of licensed cinema clubs . contrary to the original intention of club licensing , it was found that only sex films ( as opposed to ' arthouse ' films ) were commercially viable in a club environment and that the prohibition on more explicit material at the r18 category ( under the terms of the
) ultimately led to the death of cinema clubs in favour of illegal distribution on the more convenient medium of vhs .
rules , film four were not allowed to show uncut versions of films that had been cut by the bbfc . however , if the bbfc would pass the film uncut according to contemporary standards - and this could be demonstrated by resubmitting the film to the bbfc - it would be possible to screen the film .
. given that explicit sight of real sex had been passed at 18 in those films it would be indefensible to require cuts in the case of a similarly serious and worthwhile film . the explicit images were justified by the wider content of the film , which comprised a serious and compassionate examination of one man ' s sexual life and the tensions this created . in terms of the other material previously censored ( even for club screenings ) the bbfc similarly felt that legitimate arguments could be made for their retention .
was unlikely to be found obscene . whereas a sex work with similar material might be found to be in breach of the law , the fact that
had a different purpose to a ' sex work ' ( ie its purpose was not merely to sexually arouse ) meant that , as an illustration of a particular lifestyle ( rather than an attempt to ' sell ' or eroticise that lifestyle ) , it was unlikely to render the work as a whole obscene .
and managed to obtain assurances from the relevant german educational authorities that no child had been mistreated in the making of that film . in fact , an adult woman had been used in the close shots showing hands on thighs and a hand entering a man ' s trousers . so there was no breach of the
was passed ' 18 ' uncut in 2005 , albeit only for television screening .
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the tomatometer score — based on the opinions of hundreds of film and television critics — is a trusted measurement of critical recommendation for millions of fans . it represents the percentage of professional critic reviews that are positive for a given film or television show .
movies and tv shows are certified fresh with a steady tomatometer of 75 % or higher after a set amount of reviews ( 80 for wide - release movies , 40 for limited - release movies , 20 for tv shows ) , including 5 reviews from top critics .
this very frank german film is a study of the life of gay elementary school teacher frank ripploh . the teacher ' s multitude of sexual adventures are thoroughly and explicitly detailed . those willing to tough it out will be in for a remarkable experience , laced with wit , humor , and poignancy .
[ a ] strong current of humour belies a serious engagement with the general , perhaps intractable problem of whether our impulses toward intimacy and unaccountability can ever be reconciled .
ripploh left teaching when disciplinary action was taken against him , and devoted himself full - time to filmmaking . this , his first feature , was made on a shoestring but the result is a mature work , perfectly controlled and finely photographed .
first released three decades ago , this self - produced portrait of frank ripploh ' s excursions into berlin ' s gay world is curiously sexless seen in 2011 .
a milestone in the history of both free speech and the representation of gays in the cinema .
three decades ago , this was seen as a challenging
issue
movie . now it looks more like a daring , acid black comedy filmed on the hoof .
a loving document of pre - aids berlin , and a touching comedy about the human desire for and struggle to achieve intimacy .
now , post - aids , the film is a museum piece , but nonetheless enjoyable . sadly , after making an unsuccessful sequel , ripploh faded from view .
this isn ' t a moral tale : it ' s rather a frank and open appraisal of the german gay scene of the time , sometimes roughly made yet invested with humour and irony .
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frank ripploh is a bit of a rascal : he ' s a bearded and shaggy - haired teacher , and he ' s gay with a very active sex life and an interest in making films . he keeps his personal life and . . . see full summary »
lakeith stanfield and his sorry to bother you crew reveal their most soul - crushing jobs in our freewheeling interview .
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young and handsome sergio works the night shift as a trash collector in lisbon , portugal . he can ' t force himself to connect with his pretty female co - worker fatima , who displays an avid . . . see full summary »
a homophobic ex basketball star is forced to face the reality that he himself is gay .
french sailor querelle arrives in brest and starts frequenting a strange whorehouse . he discovers that his brother robert is the lover of the lady owner , lysiane . here , you can play dice . . . see full summary »
reassigned to a lowly outpost , a roman guard ' s christian beliefs clash with his gay commander ' s desire for closeness . being tortured becomes pleasurable .
mathieu , 18 , spends the summer at his mother ' s summer house , in brittany . on the beach , he meets cédric , a boy his age . a love - story begins between the two boys .
two prisoners in complete isolation , separated by the thick brick walls , and desperately in need of human contact , devise a most unusual kind of communication .
summertime . a cruising spot for men , tucked away on the shores of a lake . franck falls in love with michel , an attractive , potent and lethally dangerous man . franck knows this but wants to live out his passion anyway .
lawrence jefferies and hugh greerey have just met . they both have had girlfriends in the past . . . they ' re both straight . thirteen or so minutes later , however , something ' s happened and things have changed .
sasha is a piano prodigy under pressure to gain admittance to a prestigious music school . what is really stressing sasha is his emerging sexuality , plus his piano tutor is moving away , because sasha is in love with him , and no one knows .
an unusual ghost story set on the peruvian seaside ; a married fisherman struggles to reconcile his devotion to his male lover within his town ' s rigid traditions .
high school senior ben secretly lusts after bad boy classmate johnny . after ben gives johnny a ride home one night , the boys end up in johnny ' s swimming pool and have an encounter that breaks the rules and blows ben ' s mind .
frank ripploh is a bit of a rascal : he ' s a bearded and shaggy - haired teacher , and he ' s gay with a very active sex life and an interest in making films . he keeps his personal life and teaching separate , but he sometimes corrects student papers in public toilets as he waits to score . he cruises constantly , and one evening , he meets bernd . they become lovers . while bernd is attentive and caring , frank gets bored and continues his polymorphously perverse ways . for how long will bernd and frank tolerate each other ' s habits , and for how long can frank keep his sexual orientation out of the classroom ? things come to a head during berlin ' s annual queen ' s ball and the morning after .
banned in britain upon its original release due to its graphic gay sex scenes .
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frank ripploh is a bit of a rascal : he ' s a bearded and shaggy - haired teacher , and he ' s gay with a very active sex life and an interest in making films . he keeps his personal life and . . . see more »
frank ripploh is a bit of a rascal : he ' s a bearded and shaggy - haired teacher , and he ' s gay with a very active sex life and an interest in making films . he keeps his personal life and teaching separate , but he sometimes corrects student papers in public toilets as he waits to score . he cruises constantly , and one evening , he meets bernd . they become lovers . while bernd is attentive and caring , frank gets bored and continues his polymorphously perverse ways . for how long will bernd and frank tolerate each other ' s habits , and for how long can frank keep his sexual orientation out of the classroom ? things come to a head during berlin ' s annual queen ' s ball and the morning after . written by
banned in britain upon its original release due to its graphic gay sex scenes . see more »
featured in classics from the vault : changing attitudes toward homosexuality ( 2011 ) . see more »
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frank ripploh tries to keep his professional and personal life separate . during the day , he is a dedicated school teacher . at night and on the weekends , he is a gay man who is always on the prowl for anonymous sex often in public places . things may change when he meets bernd , a movie theater clerk . bernd quickly moves into frank ' s flat and the two talk of their future life together , bernd dreaming of them living together on a farm . but frank , despite loving bernd , feels restless and continues his quest for anonymous gay sex .
ah , the evergreen gay storyline : two men get into a relationship , but one can ' t deal with the other ' s cruisey compulsions .
i ' ve seen this story dozens of times , but what stands out here is the way that ripploh uses myra breckinridge - esque stag inserts to seemingly present these urban gay mainstays - - gloryholes , leather , stand - up sex - - as learned behaviors . i don ' t know much about german gay culture , but there ' s probably some truth to that idea - - that sex films , if just by being the only medium that allowed gay men to see themselves and their sexuality on the screen , shaped the progression of gay culture in the lead - up to the simultaneous outbreaks of aids and home video . is he saying that ' s a bad thing , though ?
i don ' t think i ' ve ever seen a piss scene that long in any other ' arthouse ' movie .
queer couples complaining about the number of straights at gay events ; mocking the neo - nazis on tv who wish them harm . the more things change .
week 30 . a film featured in the new queer cinema : the directors cut by b . ruby rich .
the experimental touches were hit or miss and motivations were sometimes difficult to follow , which i find annoying in a character study , but it was so exhilarating to see a movie older than me where a queer character is living unapologetically outside the boundaries of cis / hetero respectability and isn ' t punished for doing so .
a collection of queer characters , representations , and sensibilities on film . from queer masterpieces to camp classics , documentaries to romantic comedies , …
this list collects every film from the starting list that became they shoot pictures don ' t they ' s 1000 greatest films . this…
it shocked and delighted audiences the world over . it was seized by us customs , restricted to screenings in private clubs in london and paris and terrified the mary whitehouse establishment . welcome to the aftermath of frank ripploh–school teacher , film director and insatiable sex addict !
this film is not currently playing on mubi but 30 other great films are . see what’s now showing
i love how this film has a satirical vibe to it : at the same time it goes deep into underground gay life , it goes graphic and stereotypical . tell me about brave lgbt films that were way ahead their times - this must have been a shock . i ' m impressed , it ' s definitely a must see in cinema .
a curiously beguiling exercise in honesty and frankness . it ' s very much of its time and provides a bolder and more interesting variant on the similarly themed nighthawks made around this time .
like the perfect woody allen movie , only with water - sports and a graphic ( medical ) anal exam .
falls into a lot of 70s gay cliches , but it ' s entertaining , it ' s got heart , and i found it really invigorating . it doesn ' t hurt that the last 30 minutes or so are easily the strongest part of the film .
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writer - director ripploh also inhabits the lead role in this landmark film of german queer cinema , playing an elementary school teacher whose days in the classroom are followed by seamy nights cruising the public toilets for anonymous hook - ups , grading papers in the john as he waits for his next likely prospect—a cozily compartmentalized arrangement that’s shaken up when he meets commitment - minded bernd .
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at the irish box office , the golden rule is that comedy trumps darker subject matter every time , writes tara brady . but will your vote support her theory ?
never mind the awards and the critical wows : once again the great irish film love tester has demonstrated our undying love for broad comedy . this year , national patron saint colin farrell moved into the banana - skin sector with no little elan fright night and horrible bosses , bridesmaids became the indisputable box - office champ in the republic , and the guard became the biggest - grossing independent irish production of all time . budding film - makers take note : the guard’s high concept , folkloric antihero and potty - mouthed comedy proved an irresistible draw .
it’s not rocket science ; most of the indigenous titles that have made mainstream waves – man about dog , intermission , the guard – are big , sweary carry - ons . not to be confused with native black comedies . put people on a train at gunpoint and they still won’t go to those . don’t say it won’t happen . have you seen the new begging laws ?
elsewhere , hot stuff coming through : that’s the official irish times health warning on michael fassbender . the actor straddling – and we believe that is the right word – the tippy top of the love tester may well make the oscar shortlist for his performance as a sex addict in steve mcqueen’s shame . an academy award would make a fitting encore to a year that’s seen fassebnder play magneto in x men : first class and rochester in jane eyre .
in recent times ireland has sunk manpower and money into european co - productions with little to show for it . finally , however , the country’s questionable long - distance relationships have yielded gongs and festival hits in as if i am not there and the cannes - conquering this must be the place .
it’s nice to be part of the european movieverse when we’re not exactly the continent’s choice in other realms , but this year we’re really missing those smaller kissable irish titles . austerity ireland calls for smarter , austerity pictures . where have all the micro - budget initiatives gone when we need them most ? the best things about irish film have , in recent years , been found in tiny packages such as once and his & hers . would it kill somebody to cook up a decent indigenous found - footage flick ?
as if further proof were needed , 2011 demonstrated that if you want irish audiences to say “ho hum” , give them a black comedy or social commentary . like adam and paul and a film with me in it before , sensation was the latest ill - deserving victim of the curse of the irish black comedy . if you want even fewer friends at the box office , then by all means , start banging on about the state of the nation . it’s the golden rule of irish movie products : shut up and don’t mention the housekeeping .
seriously . for more than five years the irish movie punter has carefully steered clear of films pontificating about , well , ireland . so it doesn’t matter that parked should have spoken to the masses . darragh byrne’s fine debut feature was greeted with the same chilly reception once afforded the tiger’s tail , alarm and 8 . 5 hours . global economic meltdown and empty political promises are all very well on the wireless but , in this country , folks have decided they’re not putting up with this sort of thing at the multiplex . the people have spoken . again . cinemas are for going to see bridesmaids , not for speechifying .
our biggest cold - fish turn - offs are costing the nation cold , hard cash , diddling us out of choice at the cinema and wasting valuable resources . arthouse projects in cork and galway are stuck in various stages of development hell ( we’re told that work is set to resume on the latter after a whopping 16 - month delay ) .
at least in the capital we have the lovely light house cinema , right ? wrong . it’s bad enough that light house operators neil connolly and maretta dillon fell foul of unrealistic pre - recession rent agreements in april . but it’s worse that tumbleweed continues to blow across smithfield square . as long ago as last august , curzon artificial eye cinemas submitted the highest bid to reopen ireland’s most kubrickian picture house . so why are we still waiting for the doors to open again ?
review : the film’s freaky visuals are peak psychedelia . the songs aren’t bad either
note : many of our articles have direct quotes from sources you can cite , within the wikipedia article ! this article doesn ' t yet , but we ' re working on it ! see more info or our list of citable articles .
in the period in which it was made . ripploh has stated that much of the film was autobiographical .
hailed it as ' the first masterpiece about the mainstream of male gay life ' .
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all things considered , our predictions for march were pretty much bang on the money – we were perhaps too optimistic about the tempest and the adjustment bureau , and a turtle’s tale definitely had us fooled , but we didn’t do too bad a job . therefore , you should definitely continue to tentatively put your faith in us and see approximately 75 % of the films we approve in this blog . cool ? cool .
april gets off to a fine start with a weekend of releases including harrowing drama oranges and sunshine . based on the true story of the social worker who discovered that hundreds of thousands of british children had been uprooted from ‘unfit’ families and fostered abroad , it boasts not only a stellar cast ( emily watson , hugo weaving ) and ken loach’s son jim in the director’s chair ; it’s also packing a coveted 5 * rating from bff . we’re not messing around , this is one to watch even if you have to , for example , kill bono to do it .