- Joined
- Feb 8, 1999
- Messages
- 18,272
- Real Name
- Robert Harris
Casting in a greatly unappreciated art.
Those who do it well, generally have huge CVs, with great credits, but most lovers of cinema wouldn't know their names.
Jennifer Shull is one of those names. Her credits include Funny Lady, For Pete's Sake, The Conversation, Somewhere in Time, and many others.
One of those titles is a 1975 production directed by Herbert Ross, and produced by Ray Stark. It was based upon the Broadway play of the same name. Neil Simon created the screenplay, based upon his own work.
The film was The Sunshine Boys -- about a couple of aging vaudevillians (they'd work together for 43 years), brought together again for a TV special. The kicker is, they hate each other.
The role of Al Lewis was originally signed to Jack Benny, who was forced to give up the role due to health reasons. A makeup test is included on the new Blu-ray, along with another test of Phil Silvers, testing as Willy Clark. Unfortunately the test of Mr. Benny and Mr. Matthau was shot MOS. I'd love to be able to hear the dialogue. Sadly, even at the time of the test, Mr. Benny was appearing unhealthy.
I bring up casting, as it's interesting to look at the actual ages of those who tested, and the two gentlemen who, fortuitously for us, ended up in the film.
Mr. Benny was 80, when he did his makeup tests. Mr. Silvers was 64.
While Mr. Burns, who replaced Mr. Benny was basically the same age, Mr. Matthau was only 55.
Mr. Burns' film career is also interesting. While his background was in vaudeville, and later radio, his film career, after some shorts (1929-33), and a string of feature appearances from 1933-39, his major career really didn't take off until The Sunshine Boys, for which he received an Academy Award. After 1975, he appeared in another six films.
None of this has anything to do with the textures that you'll find on Warner Archives new Blu-ray, which is magnificent.
The overall look of the cinematography by David M. Walsh, much shot on location in NY, is gritty, grainy and beautiful. The Blu-ray gives us a full sheen of grain.
Contrast on a couple of shots at the opening appears just a touch heavy, but beyond that, the Blu-ray is magnificent and film-like.
For those who have never experienced The Sunshine Boys, you're in for a treat.
Image - 4.75
Audio - 5
Pass / Fail - Pass
Highly Recommended
An aside...
I was seated next to Mr. Burns on a flight from LA to NY in 1981, and we chatted on and off for those hours. When I mentioned that I'd been working at Zoetrope in Hollywood, where he had an office, had often passed his office door, and had always wanted to meet him, his answer was, "You couldn't knock?"
Yet an other aside...
Supervising film editor was Margaret Booth. Look her up!
RAH