"AT LONG LAST LOVE" , "Where's Charley?" "Song of Norway" Status on musicals misfires - Page 4

I think the Music Hall itself was enough of a draw even if the movie wasn't so much, as long as the movie was entertaining once you got there. That said, even the hall couldn't save a snoozer like Harry and Walter, Matilda and A Matter of Time. While the hall could do impressive numbers with its huge capacity, its operating expenses (including a huge stage show 4 times a day) may have eaten up much of the profits.

While I shudder to hear Tommy being referred to as a musical, I do agree that Bugsy Malone would probably have done better at the hall than A Matter of Time, which was so bleak and depressing. The allure of Liza and Vincente Minnelli, who had a personal history at the Music Hall, must've been a factor in the booking decision. I wonder if the stuff that was cut from AMoT for the hall's runtime rules made the picture less entertaining. Now it's lost in "sock heaven" with the cut musical numbers from On A Clear Day and Doctor Dolittle and Pia Zadora's career.
Edited by NY2LA - 2/18/12 at 3:04pm

Researching the Hall attractions has led me to believe it was more a Hall of Shame. Most of the films that premiered there were second rate features and none became blockbuster's. THE TAMARIND SEED, FHE BLACK WINDMILL, PAPER TIGER, I admittedly.enjoyed all of these on hbo, but would bog have run out to tbeated to see them.
As for TOMMY, I cherish that movie,1975 was an extraordinary year for.movies.

WOW. Did I just hear a Fox studio exec (right?) agree about something that would take substantial extra effort for a catalog release of a notorious (but entertaining) um, "financial disappointment"?

WOW. Can we lobby for better menus, too?

Radio City Music Hall had one hard and fast rule that did them in eventually: They insisted on absolute exclusivity for like a hundred mile radius. That lost them movies like Grease, Annie, Close Encounters, other blockbusters that could have packed the place.

The point was it was amazing to have someone in your position agree with us on a request for extras on a not-so well-known catalog title where we would normally be told there isn't enough interest in it to spend any extra money.

Also saw The Wind and the Lion at Radio City! It was unexpectedly good, despite Connery's bizarre Scottish accent as a Berber chieftan.

Funny Lady was pretty bad after Babs had all of James Caan's musical numbers chopped out. There's a movie which should be restored to its original edit.

Mame = Turd. Too bad for Lucy's swan song.

Bugsy Malone is loved today?

I discovered on a Streisand fan site how much was cut from Funny Lady. I thought the cuts had been from it having been conceived as a roadshow with intermission like Funny Girl, then having to be reworked as a regular release. How many songs did Caan have? I agree it is problematic but like what is there.

Actually I regard Mame as a guilty pleasure, as miscast as Hello, Dolly! but with enough entertainment value to be diverting. I suppose one has a higher threshold of disbelief suspension with a musical, and some just stretch it further than others.

Never said Bugsy Malone was LOVED today, just agreed that it seemed a better draw for the Music Hall than Matter of Time turned out to be, as the latter turned out so bleak and depressing, while the former was at least cute and amusing.

Are you saying Connery's performance is up there with Bronxy Tony Curtis in Sparticus "I tawt dem de clessiks" or Edward G; Robinson's ganster-egyptian in Ten Commandments "Whaah's ya messiah now?" or John Wayne's Gengis Kahn? It's funny sometimes an incongruous accent is not even questioned, like Julie Andrews playing a small town girl, (originally written as Kansas) in Thoroughly Modern Millie - not mentioning she sounds like that small town was somewhere outside London. She was so beloved and the accent was part of the charm, so I think no one even thought to ask her if she could play American. Suspension of disbelief again, I guess. ; ) But years later they rewrote Sandy as an Aussie for Olivia Newton-John in Grease.
Edited by NY2LA - 2/19/12 at 11:52am

I believe there is still quite a large following for BUGSY MALONE. I was never a fan but loved the title song. I think this could have benefited from a RCMH release as it did have an exclusive NY run at a much smaller theater. It cleaned up inBritain but while it is aBritish productn it is purely American akin to theFrench THE ARTIST.
paramount had quite a few movies in the 70s that bombed badly in tgeaters but became very popular as to almost think they were hits. I was very surprised in my Variety research at what a boxoffice stiff HANDLE WHAT CARE was despite huge support from NY critics. I knowit wasn't a very successful movie un general but had thought at least in Manhattan it was a hit. I was very wrong.
FRATERNITY ROW was also DOA as well as LEADBELLY, THE BIG BUS, POSSE, AN ALMOST PERFECT AFFAIR, REAL LIFE, NIJINSKY, THE OUTSIDER, DANCE OF DEATH, MALICICIOUS, THE DOVE, SECOND HAND HEARTS, LOVE AND MONEY all bombed and many had exclusive runs of which they never branched out.
Recently I was excited by Film Districts exluaive run of the Angelina Jolie directed IN THE LAND OF BLOOD AND MONEY but it too never broke out. WB was very brave to give EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE a 4 week exclusive run in this whizzed bang climate. If that movie couldn't make it in a nurtured run with its two megastars, what is the future of exclusive runs!?

Well we can see the "Platform Booking" style, more common in the past, has worked pretty well for The Artist. Still hanging on in the bigger markets, it hasn't quite yet made it to all the smaller neighborhoods, but I think that approach worked for this very unusual movie to build up a big snowball of positive word-of-mouth before going wide.

As much as I love THE ARTIST, I have a feeling it will top off at 40 million, still an incredible figure. But, platform releases were making 2 times that a decade or more ago, even much more with inflation.
I think Weinstein did a commendable job with THE ARTIST, IRON LADY and MY WEEK WITH MARILYN, but there total crosses combined don't even come close to SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE from 14 years ago...or even BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, 2 films that were also difficult to.market.
I thought something amiss when Judith Dench didn't get a supporting nomiñation for MY WEEK WITH MARILYN (or myriad more nominations for that movie). Harvey may not spending as much as he used to or voters have become more sophisticated. How so you explain a trifle such as CHOCOLAT and a poor adaption such as CIDER HOUSE RULES garner Best Picture nominations?
I do think THE ARTIST may make it yo the winners circle, but don't rule out THE HELP dsneaking in as a surprise. As for Weinatein winning the Best Actor rave, that's a little more assured unless Brad Pitt sneaked in due to split votes between Clooney and his French counterpart, Jean Dujardain. I feel that for the same. Reasons that Michelle Williams may win with Streep and Davis cancelling each other.

Oh I loved The Help. I bought it, as I will The Artist and The Muppets, and if they ever make an unprofitable musical out of The Help, I'll be happy to discuss it here. Not going to speculate on Oscar. Meanwhile, back on topic, have you seen At Long Last Love or Song of Norway?

Ok

The Black Windmill is a damn fine film. Very good Michael Caine.

I've enjoyed THE BLACK WINDMILL more as an adult than a 12 year old. Very underrated and so chilling. Universal did poorly with this but THE GIRL FROM PETROVKA -also at Radio City later that Summer was even more of a disaster at the boxoffice.

I'd like to see both on DVD -my vhs copies arent cutting it anymore.

Keeping on topic though- THE SONG OF NORWAY seemed a perfect fit for the Hall but wasnt premiered there.

Just something to look at...

I can count on less than one hand the number of times a studio's home video art department has come up with anything as good or better than a picture's original key art. (and let's be clear in the case of roadshows, I mean the original roadshow posters, not the "popular price" version) Warners will sometimes clean up or somewhat enhance the original, especially if it's really old, but they most often don't ignore the original art and try to reinvent the wheel by like other studios do. I think this simple and elegant creation very well conveyed the feel of the picture, right down to the title treatment. The director must have agreed, because the title treatment in the film is exactly the same, and all the other film credits look remarkably like those on the poster.


Edited by NY2LA - 2/21/12 at 4:54pm

Some interesting remarks can be found here: http://altscreen.com/06/20/2011/bogdanovichat-long-last-love-1975/ if one hasn't already seen them. On that page you can see a picture of Cybill singing in a marble tub.

Since the picture is cropped a bit closer on the bottom than the film itself as it is running on Fox Movie Channel and Netflix, you can't see the bug crawling around the bottom of the frame while she is singing. Wonder if that was intentional or just supposed to be cropped off the picture...
Edited by NY2LA - 2/21/12 at 4:58pm

A veteran Hollywood publicist, responsible for the tagline on an historic classic blockbuster and close enough to its legendary director to influence the ad campaigns, told me he was a big fan of whitespace on an ad. Only thing I would change here is a more flattering face shot of Cybill.

I remember those ads well. Beautiful creations.