Cliff Robertson, Genevieve Bujold & John Lithgow in Obsession (1976)

Obscurity factor: 6

Hitchcock was, reportedly, furious when this film was released. It does bear a striking resemblance to Vertigo, but there are unique twists and turns that make it quite different, and, ultimately a great deal more shocking. Michael Courtland (Cliff Robertson) is a New Orleans businessman preparing for a big project. He and his wife Elizabeth (Genevieve Bujold) are hosting a party to celebrate it. After the party Elizabeth and their daughter are kidnapped and held for ransom. In a botched attempt to get them back they're lost in an automobile accident. Jump ahead 15 years and Michael hasn't gotten over the loss. He's built an enormous monument to his family on the highly prized plot of land he and his partner (John Lithgow) were planning to build a development on and still lives alone (save for a housekeeper that's been in the family for years) in the big house he shared with his wife and daughter. A business venture offers an opportunity to go to Rome, and his partner convinces him to go. While there he meets Sandra (also Bujold), who is the spitting image of his dead wife. He becomes completely obsessed with the young girl, but surprises await him when he brings her home to New Orleans.

This stylish thriller, directed by Brian De Palma, has all the twists and turns you'd expect in an homage to Hitchcock and is beautifully shot on location in New Orleans and Rome by Vilmos Zsigmond.

Obsession was released on DVD in 2001, but is currently out of print, so it's a bit pricey at Amazon. You can, however watch it as an On Demand title there. The trailer is above, uploaded to YouTube by liuczek. The poster is available at MoviePoster.com.

Obscurity factor: 6 (available on DVD, known to De Palma buffs)

Cloris Leachman & Nick Nolte in Death Sentance 1974

Obscurity factor: 8

Susan Davies (Leachman) is delighted to have been selected to serve on the jury of murder suspect John Healy (Nolte), even though it interferes with her plans for a vacation with her husband (Lawrence Luckinbill). As the trial progresses she becomes more and more convinced of Healy's innocence, but an alternate theory of the crime begins to seep into her consciousness - a theory that at first seems so preposterous that she rejects it out of hand. But over time, the evidence for her theory starts to mount and seems to prove that her husband is the culprit. This Aaron Spelling production was one of those ubiquitous movies of the week that were run on all the networks back in the 70's, and while it's not a great film, it is an enjoyable little thriller. It's wonderful to see Cloris Leachman in a role so different from the comedies that made her famous, and also delightful to see Nick Nolte in a small role, so fresh and full of promise. Look for TV veterans William Shallert and Alan Oppenheimer as the attorneys in the case.

This film was released on DVD, spuriously touting Nick Nolte as the star back in 1999 and it can still be found on Amazon for pennies. If you're not expecting it to be a Nolte vehicle, it can be quite watchable. It's also available on YouTube in one big file. The post is above, uploaded by filmisnow.

Obscurity factor: 8 (available on DVD, almost totally forgotten)

Didi Conn & Alan Sues in Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure (1977)

When Marcella is given a glamorous French doll as a birthday gift, she puts Raggedy Ann (Didi Conn) in charge of her safety. This responsibility weighs heavy on Raggedy Ann's shoulders, and when Babette is kidnapped by The Captain (a pirate freshly released from his snow globe prison) she feels she must venture out into the world to rescue her. She's accompanied by Raggedy Andy, who is determined to protect her. They meet many friends and foes on their journey to save Babette, including the camel with the wrinkly knees, a gelatinous blob who wants to eat Raggedy Ann's candy heart and the Loonie Knight (Alan Sues) who is procuring victims of practical jokes for King Koo Koo, who is tiny until he laughs at people, then parts of him expand.

This film is one of the strangest, most subversive children's movies ever made. The double entendre is thick and obvious throughout the film, with strange sexual and drug innuendo mixed with happy-go-lucky children's fare. Considering that it was produced by Bobbs-Merrill, which was a division of Corporate giant ITT, it's even more odd. It's worth a watch, if only to marvel at how much they got away with.

The film has yet to be released on DVD, though there are VHS copies floating around out there. It's also uploaded in full to YouTube by TheThiefArchive. The upload is from a restored 35mm print and is in wide screen format and very clear and colorful. The poster above is available from MoviePosterShop.com.

Obscurity factor: 7 (hard to find, though has something of a cult reputation. Not on DVD, available on YouTube)

Burt Lancaster in The Swimmer (1968)

Obscurity factor: 1

On a beautiful, mid-summer day Ned Merrill (Lancaster) emerges from the woods, wearing nothing but swimming trunks, at the home of the Westerhazys. He's given a warm reception and offered a drink. As he sits there talking, he realizes that, thanks to a string of swimming pools that stretch across the county, he can swim the 8 miles back to his home. He's very pleased with this idea, and leaves the Westerhazys to attempt to do just that. As he goes from house to house, he encounters friends and parties and an increasing sense of something gone awry in his life. His memory fails him as he hears hints of his misfortunes and what began as innocent fun becomes an obligation that Ned can't abandon.

This film, based on a short story by John Cheever, is a surreal journey from youth and innocence to disillusioned middle age. It explores how we get our identities from social status, wealth and relationships. Once you see this film, it's difficult to forget because of the strong emotions it brings up. There are lots of cameo performances to look for - Kim Hunter, Joan Rivers, Marge Champion and John Cheever himself as a party guest.

The Swimmer was released on DVD in 2003, but is pricey on Amazon. They do have it available to watch instantly, however. The trailer for it is above, uploaded to YouTube by CyanArea. The poster is available at MoviePosterShop.com.

Obscurity factor: 1 (well known among film buffs, available on DVD, not high in general awareness)

Eve Arden & Kaye Ballard in The Mothers-In-Law (1967 - 1969)

Obscurity factor: 7

I don't usually cover series television on this blog, but I'm currently wading through the complete series of The Mothers-In-Law on DVD and thought I'd write it up.

Eve Hubbard (Eve Arden) and Kaye Buell (Kaye Ballard) are neighbors and the mothers of Jerry and Suzi, who are married. Their relationship is sort of a love/hate one. Kaye and her husband Roger (Roger C. Carmel in season 1 and Richard Deacon in season 2) are easy going and earthy, while Eve and her husband Herbert (Herbert Rudley) are more formal. They have one thing in common though - they love to meddle in their children's lives, which is easy, because the kids live in a converted garage apartment behind the Hubbard's house.

Photo courtesy: shareTV.org

This series has the distinction of having been produced by Desi Arnaz and having been written by the primary writers for I Love Lucy - Bob Caroll Jr. and Madeline Pugh Davis. It has a lot of the same zany qualities and plot points of the more famous fore-bearer, and though much of the more outlandish moments don't hold up that well, there's still a lot to enjoy.

Above is an edited down minisode of the show featuring a fun little show-within-a-show. The entire series is available on a DVD collection that was released last summer. The series has faded into obscurity, though is still remembered by a cadre of hard core fans.

Obscurity factor: 7 (available on DVD, largely forgotten, never screened on TV)

Richard Widmark, Lauren Bacall & Gloria Grahame in The Cobweb (1955)

Obscurity factor: 2

This film is a wonderful psychological study of the lives of the patients and doctors and their families at a prestigious psychiatric clinic. The trouble centers around a new set of drapes for the library. Three solutions are put forward by three different parties, and due to a communication breakdown of monumental proportions the conflict leads to near tragedy. Vincente Minnelli and the cast do an excellent job of making that breakdown in communication seem to naturally stem from the flawed characters of the principal players. The subject matter of neuroses is sensitively handled, and what could have been cartoonish and unbelievable comes off as genuine and heart wrenching.

This film has something of a cult following, and is notable also for its soundtrack, which is composed in twelve tones and is quite striking. The cast is also stellar. In addition to Widmark, Bacall and Grahame look for Lillian Gish, Charles Boyer, Oscar Levant (in his last film role) a young Susan Strasberg, Mabel Albertson and the great Fay Wray in a small part as Charles Boyer's wife.

This film was just released on DVD in January of this year. It's currently out of stock at Amazon, but should be somewhat easy to find in the future. It's not available on YouTube. The trailer above is from TCM. The poster is available at MoviePosterShop.com

Obscurity factor: 2 (well known among film buffs, available on DVD)

Mitzi Gaynor in Razzle Dazzle, The Special Years (2008)

Obscurity factor (3)

This special, which came out a few years ago, is a comprehensive overview of the 8 television specials Mitzi made between 1968 and 1978. She and her team really knew how to make good variety television. the numbers showcased in this special are spectacular in their execution and concept, and just delightful in their production values, which seem so far removed from today's style. The special was produced for public television and includes interviews with Mitzi and many of the members of her team, including the legendary costume designer, Bob Mackie. Additionally, the bonus features include 8 full length numbers from the specials and a long conversation with Mackie, showcasing the glamorous costumes he designed for her.

 

Though this was released recently on DVD, it's now out of print. Copies can be found fairly easily on Amazon and elsewhere, though they are a bit pricey. The trailer is above, uploaded to YouTube by scamardo. You can find a few of the original specials on DVD at iOffer.com.

Obscurity factor: 3 (recently released, available on DVD, somewhat hard to find)