This delightfully dizzy film was part of a two film package deal Warren Beatty made with Columbia Pictures. The second film was Shampoo (1975). This film was supposed to be the hit of the pair. It had a lot going for it - a wacky, likable script, two very bankable stars, and a sensational director (Mike Nichols), however, when push came to shove, Shampoo walked away the winner.
The film tells the story of Frederica Quintessa Biggard (Stockard Channing), an eastern heiress, lured away from home by sexy, but less than swift Nicky Wilson and his equally dimwitted friend Oscar Sullivan. Nicky is married, but loves Frederica... well, he loves her money, actually. Oscar isn't married, and because of the Mann act, which made it illegal to transport a woman across state lines for immoral purposes, Nicky convinces Freddie to marry Oscar, so they can flee to Southern California without risking arrest. Upon arrival, they set up housekeeping in a depressing little hamlet outside LA and Nicky and Oscar start to plot Freddie's demise. There's a wacky, screwball quality to this film and the promotional tag line hits the nail right on the head: "Sexier than the Marx Brothers, Handsomer than Laurel and Hardy, but not as smart as The 3 Stooges." The delightfully clueless quality to the comedy in the film is largely due to Stockard Channing, in her first big screen role.
Though not commercially available on DVD in the USA, copies can be found in the PAL format, which requires a region free DVD player. The whole film is above, uploaded in parts by Beatty001.
Obscurity factor: 9 (not available on DVD in USA, hard to find, available on YouTube)
Hot off the success of Murder By Death, Neil Simon and Robert Moore put this little film together. It extrapolates on the Humphrey Bogart style character that Peter Falk played in the film and pairs him with a bevy of saucy ladies from femme fatales to girls Friday. The film is a parody of the best of the genre, including Casablanca, The Maltese Falcon, Chinatown and even A Streetcar Named Desire.
The production values are very high, it's beautifully shot in smoky rooms with dramatic lighting and the costumes and sets are nicely rendered. They provide the setting for some deftly handled, if at times silly comedy. Also look for Ann Margaret, Stockard Channing, Sid Caesar, Marsha Mason, James Coco, Phil Silvers, Fernando Lamas and John Housman.
In the clip above, Eileen Brennan plays a remarkably funny lounge singer, uploaded to YouTube by SueSnell. The film is available on DVD. The poster above is available from MoviePosterShop.com.
Obscurity factor: 7 (available on DVD, has cult following, but isn't as well known as Murder by Death)
Before there was Carrie and Heathers, there was this TV movie. Written in part by Joan Rivers, it tells the story of Miriam Knight, a poor, schlumpy girl who can't seem to find a boyfriend or even make platonic friends at the many colleges she attends. Her latest school is no different. She tries and tries, but can't seem to find her niche. The men she meets all play cruel tricks on her and the girls are no better. One night, after a particularly unpleasant experience, she runs away and gets into a terrible automobile accident. The plastic surgery she had to have as a result of the accident turns the ugly duckling into a beautiful swan. Now that she's a knockout she returns to school to reap revenge on the dolts who tortured her so. The story line isn't earth shattering but what really makes this film a gem is Ms. Channing. She throws herself into the role and goes through an amazing transformation. She starts out as a genuine ugly duckling, but the makeup is extremely subtle, and I think it's a real testament to her acting as well that she so naturally transforms herself into a credible schlub. When she's revealed after the surgery, it's as if a different actress is playing the part. It's all very impressive, especially for 70's TV. The writing is very nicely done as well. Some of the early scenes could have been extremely painful to watch, but you really get a sense of Ms. River's humor coming through. She and her co writer, Agnes Gallin are able to mix tragedy and comedy in a way that honors both and is very enjoyable. This film is choc full of recognizable faces. Look for Ed Asner, Fred Grandy, Jim Backus, Ruth McDevitt, Larry Wilcox and Annette O'Toole.
This was a made-for-television movie and there is very little video of it available online. The clip above is the only one I could find, and doesn't even feature Ms. Channing. It's uploaded by p0dlingface. The film was released on DVD in 2005, but is currently out of print and highly collectible. The only copies on Amazon go for upwards of $75. You can, however find it on iOffer.com for a lot less.
Update: You can see the film in its entirety right here, thanks to an upload by Charles787980:
Obscurity factor: 8 (on DVD, but very hard to find, not available online)
Before the Airplane franchise that revitalized Leslie Nielsen's career there was this 1976 disaster movie parody. The Big Bus had it all - action, suspense, danger... On the cutting edge of technology, the nuclear powered Cyclops is the first luxury bus. For its maiden run - a non stop trip from New York to Denver - after a bomb wipes out the driver and co-driver the team turns to Dan Torrence (Joseph Bologna), a promising bus driver with a dark incident in his past that kiboshed his brilliant career. The film follows the progress of the enormous Cyclops as it navigates the route to Denver and a minefield of attempts to sideline it by a group of oil sheiks and Iron Man, a diabolical villain in an iron lung. Also featured in the cast are a veritable who's who of 70's Hollywood actors - Ned Beatty, Lynn Redgrave, Sally Kellerman, Larry Hagman, Richard Mulligan Jose Ferrer and the irrepressible Ruth Gordon.
The centerpiece of the action is the bus itself - an articulated double decker affair with 32 wheels, wrap around windows and a graphic, orange and yellow paint scheme. It was fitted out with an amazing assortment of features, including automatic, enroute tire changer and flags of the world that sprang from the roof at the touch of a button. Inside were found a cocktail lounge, captains dining room, swimming pool and bowling alley. Here, in a clip uploaded to YouTube by clipfilmix we see the bus making its first appearance:
If you enjoy disaster movies, or parodies of them, then The Big Bus is a must see.
Obscurity factor: 4 (available on DVD, rarely shown on television, footage available on YouTube, recent enough to still be remembered by many)
