A Jack Starrett/William Smith double feature to screen in Philadelphia on 7/26

Hey there! I'll be at the Philadelphia Mausoleum of Contemporary Art on Friday, July 26 to introduce 16mm screenings of two movies starring William Smith and directed by Jack Starrett: RUN, ANGEL, RUN! (1969) and HOLLYWOOD MAN (1976). The show starts at 7:30 pm. The event site is here, the press release is below. I hope to see some of you there! -- Chris Poggiali

FINAL FRIDAY FILMS AT THE MAUSOLEUM

Introducing a new monthly 16mm double-feature from Exhumed Films and Cinedelphia.com

Exhumed Films, Philadelphia’s long-running genre film programmers, are teaming with Cinedelphia.com, the online center of Philadelphia’s film community, to present a monthly double-feature of rarely screened films. The series will be held on the final Friday of every month and will feature thematically-related movies projected on 16mm.

The ongoing series debuts on Friday, July 26 and will feature two films from director Jack Starrett and star William Smith:

RUN, ANGEL, RUN! (1969)

Motorcycle gang member Angel reveals the secret inner workings of his club to a journalist and is then forced to go on the run with his girlfriend in tow. Actor Jack Starrett’s directorial breakout hit and William Smith’s first role in a biker film, a genre that he would go on to dominate.

HOLLYWOOD MAN (1976)

Smith stars as Rafe Stoker, a movie producer who gets mixed up with the mob while trying to raise completion funds for his new biker picture. Co-written by Smith, the film is a somewhat autobiographical tale of the toils and tribulations that come with working in the low-budget biker movie industry.

Philadelphia Mausoleum of Contemporary Art (PhilaMOCA)
531 N. 12th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19123

http://www.philamoca.org
http://www.exhumedfilms.com
http://www.cinedelphia.com

Movie Ad of the Week: THE DION BROTHERS in Philadelphia (1975)

Philadelphia, PA
January 17, 1975

Now that Columbia Pictures is releasing catalog titles as on-demand DVD-R’s, it’s safe to say that we'll never get a special edition DVD of THE GRAVY TRAIN/THE DION BROTHERS (1974). Because Bob Plante and I have no idea when we'll be finishing our book Racing with the Devil: The Action Cinema of Jack Starrett, we offer this quick hit of GRAVY/DION history, with an article about the making of the movie to follow before the end of the year. Original director Martin Scorsese dropped out to make ALICE DOESN’T LIVE HERE ANYMORE and was replaced by Starrett, hot off the success of CLEOPATRA JONES. Screenwriter Terrence Malick, fancying himself an auteur thanks to BADLANDS, removed his name from the credits (Contrary to what is reported as "trivia" on the IMDb, he was never slated to direct THE GRAVY TRAIN). A role rewritten for William Smith ended up being filled by one-time Tarzan Denny Miller. After a disappointing three-week run in New York in June of 1974, executive producer Roger Gimbel - afraid that moviegoers were confusing THE GRAVY TRAIN with the popular dog food of the same name (!) – instructed Columbia to change the title to THE DION BROTHERS. New title snipes were affixed to existing publicity materials until an updated ad campaign could be created. Sporting THE DION BROTHERS title and bland artwork depicting the titular characters in silhouette, the new and "improved" campaign piled on glowing quotes from film critics as a lazy last-ditch attempt to lure in ticket buyers (Meanwhile, the promo art Columbia chose for the film’s stateside Spanish-language release kicks ass -– a beautifully rendered painting of the film’s climactic dodge-the-wrecking-ball shootout -– and would’ve sold the film in a big way to urban and rural audiences). The ad above illustrates the studio's lack of interest in the movie: Relegated to second banana status, THE DION BROTHERS opened first-run in Philadelphia in January 1975 -- six months after its New York debut -- as a co-feature to another Columbia throwaway, the British sex comedy CONFESSIONS OF A WINDOW CLEANER.

The Critics Rave: A SMALL TOWN IN TEXAS (1976)

To celebrate the first home video release of Jack Starrett's A SMALL TOWN IN TEXAS in its proper Panavision 2.35:1 aspect ratio (available now from the MGM Special Edition DVD-R library), and to observe the 23rd anniversary of Starrett's passing (March 27, 1989), we've collected a few review quotes from the film's theatrical release.

“A pleasantly jolting surprise, A SMALL TOWN IN TEXAS is a reminder that an unpretentious movie, cleverly made, can be one of the true pleasures of filmgoing.”
                                                    --After Dark

“…a tightly paced little melodrama distinguished by excellent acting.”
                                                    -- Louisville Courier-Journal

"The fine acting by Bottoms and Hopkins as two strong egos pitted against each other puts this film a notch above others of the genre."
                                                    -- Boxoffice

“While it deserves a generous helping of abuse for its all-around shoddiness, ‘A Small Town in Texas’ has a curious sort of appeal.”
                                                    -- Grand Rapids Press

"...starts off as a potentially interesting modern western character study, but veers off into cheap B-picture elements."
                                                    -- Variety

“If you dig action films with chase scenes, like to see cars smashed up, don’t mind beatings and stompings and want to see the cops get what’s coming to them, this is probably your cup of tea.”
                                                    -- Albuquerque Journal

“…addresses itself to the corruption of a sheriff and the destruction of so many cop cars with their flashing lights that you begin to wonder if Texas has any left.”
                                                    -- New York Post

“For a small town in Texas, they sure have a well-equipped police force. At least that’s what this reviewer thought after watching an even dozen cop cars bite the dust during the 90 minute running time.”
                                  -- John H. Fahey, Charleston News and Courier

“The best performances are those by the crashing police cars.”
                                                    -- Boston Globe

“…long on screeching tires and short on believability.”
                                                    -– Norfolk Virginian-Pilot

“I’m just a crushed fender or two away from grouping these car crash epics along with pornos, kung-fu flicks and blaxploitation on my Don’t Even Bother to Review list.”
                                                    -- Eric Gerber, Houston Post

“…another piece of grisly trash…wastes its not inconsiderable talents in a deplorably brutal way.”
                                                -- Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times

“All you need to know about the story are the first names of some of its characters: Poke, Duke, Boogie, Lenny, Cleotus, Tiny, Bull, Junior.”
                                                    -- Gene Siskel, Chicago Tribune

“A few questions remain, as we slog through what looks like a long, hot summer of Good Ol’ Movies. Are all Southern lawmen inevitably corrupt, venal, sadistic and bad drivers? Do Southern girls ALL look wide-eyed and clean-scrubbed and have two first names? Is it a union requirement that one bluegrass band appear in every film?”
                                                    -- Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

The Endangered List (Case File #63)

THE YOUNG SINNER (1965)

STARRING
Tom Laughlin (as Chris Wotan)
Stefanie Powers (as Ginny)

with
William Wellman, Jr. (John)
Robert Angelo (Priest)
Linda March (Tury)
James Stacy (Chris’ Friend)
Chris Robinson (Chris’ Friend)
Dennis O’Flaherty (Chris’ Friend)
Bob Colonna (Chris’ Friend)
Roxanne Heard (Joan Meyers)
Jack Starrett (Head Football Coach)
John Burns (Athletic Director)
Ed Cook (Football Coach)
Jane Taylor (Tury’s Girl Friend)
Connie Van Dyke (Joan’s Girl Friend)
Julia Paul (Tury’s Mother)
Charles Heard (Chris’ Father)
Dorothy Downey (Chris’ Mother)
Harry Zumach (Principal)
Clint Gunkel (Tury’s Father)
A.C. Pagenkoff (Professor)

also
Charles Stobert
Marlene Kelly
Terry Thompson


Written, Produced and Directed
by
Tom Laughlin

Musical Score Composed and Played
by
Shelly Manne

Assistant Director
Herb Willis

Todd-A-O Sound
Charles Cooper

Production Manager
Ellen Laferty

Assistant to the Producer
Don Henderson

Camera
Ed Martin
Sven Walnum

Lighting
Howard Maxwell

Dialogue Director
Bruce Kessler

Music Editor
Lloyd Young

Costumes
Dolores Taylor

Sound
LeRoy Robbins

Film Editor
Don Henderson

Wardrobe
Ruth Lewis

A T.C. Frank production
A Laurel Films release

Filmed in Milwaukee in 1960. Originally intended as the first part of a trilogy to be known as "We Are All Christ."

Pre-release titles: CHRISTOPHER WOTAN and AMONG THE THORNS

Briefly handled by United Artists as LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON (1961)


SYNOPSIS

Chris Wotan (Tom Laughlin) is a high school star athlete gone wrong. With an alcoholic father and no self-discipline, he finds himself in trouble at home, at school, everywhere. Lashing out at the world in a sudden rage of blind fury, he expends his hatred and defiance in a Catholic church, screaming profane oaths.

The events leading up to this outburst begin when Chris buys an ancient fire truck at a used car lot, drives it down the street collecting a group of high school friends who climb aboard, bent on finding excitement.

At the municipal plunge, the gang of boys meets two girls, daughters of the town’s wealthier families. One of them, Tury (Linda March) goes on the make for Chris. They all decide to sneak into the closed-down plunge and have an illicit swim.

An athletic director arrives, surprises the gang and orders them to leave. Chris defies the instructor, for which he is brought before the dean. Instead of being suspended for insubordination, however, Chris is put on probation with a warning.

It has been Chris’ ambition to win a college football scholarship. Tury promises to introduce Chris to her father, who has the necessary influence to sponsor him for a scholarship.

But Chris has been going steady with another girl, Ginny (Stefanie Powers) who takes a dim view of Chris’ meetings with Tury. Chris climbs to Ginny’s bedroom window to talk with her late at night. She tells him she positively won’t tolerate his association with Tury any longer.

Chris and his gang are loitering on the school campus when a 14-year-old nymphomaniac known as the Meyers girl (Roxanne Heard) comes along and tries to be friendly with Chris. He brushes her off.

Tury invites Chris to a party (in her parents’ absence from town) and, during the party, persuades Chris to leave with her and drive to her parents’ summer cottage on the lake where they can be alone.

The next morning, as Chris and Tury lay asleep in adjoining beds, Tury’s parents arrive unexpectedly.

This episode cancels out any chance Chris might have had of being sponsored for a scholarship.

The scene changes to the main street of town where a gang of youths are piled high on Chris’ fire truck as they seek a means of celebrating the upcoming “big game.” Someone suggests a raid on the drug store for free refreshments. The gang piles off the fire truck and into the store, wrecking the place, but Chris waits outside.

The same athletic director sees Chris and brings him before the dean who promptly expels him from school.

Chris goes in search of the Meyers girl for solace. She takes him to the choir loft of the church to make love. But revulsion sweeps over Chris and he drags the girl down the stairs and leaves her at the head of the aisle and rushes out into the street, nearly knocking down a priest as he charges out the door.

Chris’ n’er-do-well father pleads with the school’s head football coach to straighten the boy out and the coach delivers a scathing lecture to both father and son.

The church has a side entrance and a bell which anyone may ring should he or she wish to go to confession. Chris finally finds himself and rings the bell. The young priest (Robert Angelo), whom Chris encountered in his dash from the church, accompanies him to the confessional where Chris makes a general confession as the first step to patch up his errant life.

$5,000 reward for HOUSE OF ZODIAC

Our friend Gary Crutcher (THE NAME OF THE GAME IS KILL) is offering a $5,000 reward for the negative and/or a print of HOUSE OF ZODIAC, the unreleased, long-lost psychedelic nudie that Jack Starrett directed in 1969 based on Gary's original screenplay. "HOUSE OF ZODIAC was the biggest cinematic disaster next to THE RED BADGE OF COURAGE that ever occurred," Gary says with a laugh. "It was based on a five-day bum acid trip I had taken, about the same time Nicholson wrote THE TRIP. We had thirteen beautiful girls in it, including Rita Murray (RUNAWAY RUNAWAY) and Lavelle Roby (FINDERS KEEPERS, LOVERS WEEPERS), each one representing a sign of the zodiac. Craig Rumar, Jack Starrett, Richard Compton and I were all involved as producers. We shot it on weekends for very little money and we were stoned out of our heads, but we did get the film made. There was an answer print and I saw it at a screening room on the Sunset Strip with Paul Koslo, who was the lead, and Crosby, Stills & Nash, who were going to do the music. But we ran out of money before we could finish it, and the story goes on and on and on from there. If anyone can find a print of it for me, they got $5,000. I really would love to see it again, and I could probably get it out on DVD."

Hear that, film hunters? Five thousand bucks! Get searching!

20 years ago today

"Anybody wants to know what I’ve done for a living just has to look up there on the screen.”

JACK STARRETT
November 2, 1936 - March 27, 1989

Above: Starrett (seated) with Max Julien on the set of CLEOPATRA JONES

RACE WITH THE DEVIL: Starrett (center) on location with producer Paul Maslansky (left) and star Peter Fonda

Destructible Dog: RACE WITH THE DEVIL (1975)

Over at Destructible Man, the Flying Maciste Brothers have put out a call to all bloggers to present their favorite Animal Dummy Deaths ever committed to film for the first-ever Destructible Blogathon. "We want everybody to bundle up," say Howard and Kevin Maciste, "dig deep into the recesses of their consciousness, fiddle about a bit and then go over to your laptops by the fireplace and post about the cinematic ANIMAL dummy death that you covet the most!"

Chris Poggiali & Robert Plante proudly present...

Ginger, The Destructible Dog

and other goodies from

RACE WITH THE DEVIL

Once upon a time there was a writer-director named Lee Frost...

...who wrote a screenplay with his co-writer/producer partner Wes Bishop entitled...

..."So Mote it Be."

A car chase/horror hybrid about two vacationing couples in an RV who witness a human sacrifice and must outrun what has to be an entire county of devil worshippers, the film was set up at 20th Century Fox with Alan Ladd, Jr. and went into production as RACE WITH THE DEVIL.

Not long after the cameras started rolling, however, Frost and Bishop were replaced by director Jack Starrett and producer Paul Maslansky.

Starrett had originally been cast as Sheriff Taylor, one of many law enforcement roles the Texas-born actor-director took over the years. Maybe you've seen him as Deputy Fred in THE BORN LOSERS (1967)...

...as Sergeant Bingham in HELLS ANGELS ON WHEELS (1967)...

...and its sequel, ANGELS FROM HELL (1968)...

...as the Sheriff in THE GIRLS FROM THUNDER STRIP (1966)...

...or as Deputy Sergeant Galt in FIRST BLOOD (1982), among others.

When Starrett took over as director, R.G. Armstrong stepped into the Sheriff Taylor part. So many substitutions so soon into production!

I've always thought this shot was a missed opportunity. Imagine the sweet foreshadowing substitution/deception we would've been blessed with if that sheriff's badge had only five points instead of six.

OK everyone, quiet on the set! I'm ready for my closeup!

Uhhhh, wait a sec -- why does that prop guy have a rope?

Roger (Peter Fonda), his wife Kelly (Lara Parker), Alice (Loretta Swit) and husband Frank (Warren Oates) return from dinner to find that the locals have given them...

...well...

...not exactly a warm reception.

What goes up, must come down.

Ginger belonged to Kelly, so former Dark Shadows femme fatale Parker gets to have an emotional moment with the fluffy doggy dum-dum.








Captain America and John Dillinger quickly take control.




Buckle yourselves in.

Comin' through.

Rigor mortis already?

Nah, this must be the one they got from the taxidermist.

Into the fridge you go.

One of the film's most memorable and effective moments has the two couples being attacked by deadly snakes that have been placed in their RV by the dastardly devil cultists. It's a beautifully edited sequence utilizing real snakes...

...dummy snakes...

...and the shadows of dummy snakes.














During the climactic chase there is a more traditional but just as satisfying dummy appearance.

Low bridge ahead.

Frank honks the horn...

...alerting Roger, who's climbed up on the roof to take care of a meddling cultist.


The fall guy.

Hey you! Dummy!

Who, me?




Hey, why are you doing that?

Uhhhhhhhh--

-- ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh



Stunt man or dummy?

Definitely a dummy.

Stunt man.



Dummy.

That's all for now. Have a good night. Drive safely.

And try not to die like a dog.