Cloris Leachman & Martin Balsam in A Brand New Life 1973

Victoria Douglas (Leachman) has a nice life. She's been married to a wonderful man (Balsam) for 18 years, has a good job, good friends... A routine visit to her doctor is about to change all that. Victoria is pregnant. This film takes a look at what that means for a middle aged couple who have settled into a life alone together. Both Cloris Leachman and Martin Balsam give lovely, low key, nuanced performances as the couple facing a big change in this simple story. Look for veteran character actress Mildred Dunnock as Victoria's mother.



This film has been available on DVD since 2005. It was originally a TV movie and consequently has quite a low profile. It's rarely if ever aired on TV now, and there's very little video of it online. The trailer above is from VideoDetective.com.

Obscurity factor: 8 (available on DVD, virtually unknown)

Bette Davis & Robert Wagner in Madame Sin 1972

When it comes to casting apocalyptic females David Greene got it right with Bette Davis. Madame Sin is about a shadowy figure with seemingly unlimited funds out for world domination. She kidnaps a CIA agent (Wagner) and through mind control, forces him to assist her in stealing a Polaris submarine. With distinct overtones of James Bond, this film is high on sleek 70's glamor and bleak 70's pessimism. Bette parades around in the most outlandish wigs, makeup and fashions and exudes some serious evil. This was originally a television movie for ABC. It was intended to launch a series which never happened, so after its initial airing in the states it was released theatrically abroad. Look for Denholm Elliot as Madame Sin's henchman.

The film isn't available on DVD, but there was a VHS release of it years ago - that's how I saw it. It's available on iOffer.com and the trailer above is uploaded to YouTube by DVDFilmFun. It's unlikely it will ever see a television schedule again, so the above options are probably your best shot at screening it.

Obscurity factor: 9 (No DVD, just old VHS copies available, never screened on TV, available on iOffer.com)

Now Hear This 1962

The last in our series of Chuck Jones animated projects, this was produced by Warner Brothers, shortly before Jones decamped for MGM. It's a delightful pastiche of graphic elements, fields of color and fonts and musical ques and sound effects. The story line is ultra simple - an English gentleman who is hard of hearing discards his old ear trumpet for one he happens upon. The new trumpet turns out to be the horn of a devil and causes him no end of very clever problems. It's an exercise in visual and aural jokes and gags that is very sophisticated and enjoyable.

This short, like last weeks is available on a compilation of animated shorts - Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 6. It's rarely, if ever screened on TV and because it doesn't feature any of the signature WB characters it is mostly unknown. The short is above, uploaded to YouTube by xJxPxH.

Obscurity factor: 9 (rarely if ever screened, largely unknown, available on DVD)

Genevieve Bujold & Michael Douglas in Coma 1978

My first experience of this film was seeing the best selling Michael Crichton novel in the thrift shops I haunted as a teenager. Because of the success of the book, it was pretty ubiquitous. The image of the body suspended by wires on the cover was creepy, but it was the kind of creepy you couldn't turn away from.

 

The success of the book pretty much guaranteed there would be a film, and a film there was. It was released in 1978 and was a Michael Crichton project from start to finish - novel, screenplay, and direction. Susan Wheeler (Bujold) is a doctor at the prestigious Boston Memorial Hospital. When a good friend (Lois Chiles) comes in for a routine procedure and ends up in a coma she's devastated and wants to know why. As she starts looking into it she finds that a lot of operations on young, healthy people end up with the patient in a coma. Is this just coincidence or is there something more sinister a foot? Her investigations lead her into the dark heart of a conspiracy and very real danger, but even her Doctor boyfriend (Douglas) has trouble believing her.  Look for Richard Widmark as the head of surgery at the hospital and Tom Selleck in a small role as a patient. In an interesting side note, the executive producer of the film is Martin Erlichman, Barbra Streisand's manager.

This film was a big hit when it was released and there's a lot of media of it out there - it's on DVD, VHS, laser disc... the soundtrack is even available. That being said, it sort of flies under the radar. It's infrequently screened on TV, and is rarely talked about. Still, it's remembered by many as a favorite. The trailer is above, uploaded to YouTube by augustotrek. The poster above is available on MoviePosterShop.com

Obscurity factor: 2 (easily found on many types of media, rarely screened or discussed)

Susan Hayward in Stolen Hours 1963

With the upcoming debut of the Obscurity Factor screening series on Monday featuring The Opposite Sex, the 1956 remake of The Women (1939) I thought we'd take a look at another remake. This film is a remake of the Bette Davis tour de force Dark Victory, also from 1939.

There are a few changes to the details, but the story remains the same. The venue has changed from the North East to England, where Susan Hayward plays Laura Pember, a divorcee. The doctor (played by a beautiful Michael Craig) isn't a research physician, he's a London practitioner who tends to the wealthy. As their romance and marriage develops, Laura convinces him to go home to the seaside town where he was reared and take up the life his father lead - that of a country doctor. While this version doesn't have the fire of the original - you don't get as much of a sense of Laura Pember as a take-no-prisoners party girl as you do with Ms. Davis, it's still a 3 hankie tear jerker, and the ultimate nobility of Laura Pember is nicely portrayed. Look for Diane Baker, looking especially lovely as Ms. Pember's younger sister.

 

There hasn't been a DVD release of this film as of yet, though it is available on VHS with a few copies to be had on Amazon.com. I recently saw this on TCM, so it's occasionally aired on TV. While the entire film hasn't been uploaded to YouTube, there are some scenes to be seen. Above is one from early in the film, uploaded by LorreB. The poster above is available from MoviePosterShop.com.

Obscurity factor: 7 (not on DVD, available on VHS, occasionally aired on TCM, not on YouTube in full)

Walter Matthau & Glenda Jackson in House Calls 1978

Widow Dr. Charley Nichols (Matthau) has just reentered the dating scene. It's the swinging 70's and opportunity abounds. Imagine his surprise when he encounters Ann (Jackson), a charming, intelligent woman who likes him, but has no patience for his fast and loose new lifestyle. Ann is a handful, but then again, so is Charley.

 
This is a charming comedy of manners that is handled deftly by the seasoned cast. Also in the film is Art Carney, Richard Benjamin, Candy Azzara and Dick O'Neill. It wasn't a runaway hit, but it did spawn a television series that ran for three years (1979 - 1982) and starred Wayne Rogers and Lynn Redgrave.

 

There is no video of this film available online, but there is some of the resulting television series. Above is the opening credits for it uploaded by bretmaverick2004. The film is available on DVD, though is mostly only known to hard core fans of Matthau and Jackson. The poster above is available at MoviePosterShop.com

Obscurity factor: 7 (available on DVD, largely forgotten)

Farrah Fawcett & Charles Grodin in Sunburn (1979)

I love this film. It's a great combination of glamor and action, even if the plot is outrageously convoluted and hard to follow. After a man in Acapulco dies, an insurance company hires Jake Decker (Grodin) to investigate. He enlists the help of a model named Ellie to pose as his wife as they go under cover among the chic, monied ex-pat set. He also calls on a friend (Art Carney), another investigator living down there for information and assistance. The investigation leads them into a hornets nest of organized crime, exiled Nazis and a very lusty Joan Collins. Farrah Fawcett changes clothes every five minutes, to great effect and Charles Grodin and Art Carney nimbly handle the comedy. There's a wonderfully choreographed car chase toward the end that finds Farrah tearing around a bull ring in a yellow Datsun hatchback. All this is set to a soundtrack of great 70's top 40 hits from the likes of Wings and 10cc.

In addition to Grodin and Carney, the cast has a great collection of character actors including John Hillerman, William Daniels, Keenan Wynn and Jack Kruschen. It was based on a book called The Bind by Stanley Ellin and was not a huge commercial or critical hit.

It's difficult to find this film. The trailer is above, uploaded to YouTube by Surfstyley4. It's not available commercially on DVD, at least not domestically, though there is a Japanese release out. This was released on VHS and a few are available on Amazon. I discovered it on TV years ago, but haven't seen it on lately. I did, however, find a reliable source for it on iOffer.com. The poster above is available at MoviePosterShop.com.

Obscurity factor: 8 (available on VHS, but not on DVD, rarely screened on TV, not on YouTube)