Monday, 15th JULY 2002 TROUBLE AT HOME!
featuring: THE BATTLE OF THE SEXES (1959) Man-eating efficiency expert, Angela Barrows, is sent by her US company to Edinburgh to investigate export opportunities. She meets businessman Robert MacPherson en route,who persuades her to help bring his company “the House of MacPherson”, renowned producers of fine tweeds, into the 20th century. Having been with the company for 35 years, mild-mannered head clerk, Mr Martin and his equally experienced staff have their own, albeit ancient, system of tracking accounts, content with the quiet harmony in which they work. Cultural clashes lead to war in the Tweed business as Barrows enters their world intent on replacing old methods with noisy, new-fangled machines. Mr. Martin sabotages the filing system, intercoms & adding machines in the hope that the old system will be re-implemented & Barrows sent packing. His measures fall short, however, when faced with the smitten boss- the bumbling head of the Tweed empire whose portly figure towers over his frail employees as they await his next disastrous decision.
Unthinkably, MacPherson seriously considers Barrows suggestion that the company make synthetic tweed. Synthetic tweed? Indeed! Martin sets off to kill Barrows and save the House of MacPherson, leading to the most hilarious scene in the movie, the attempted murder. Peter Seller is very funny playing a tweedy little man with a plan- the mouse-like Mr Martin, shocked to the core by brash Miss Barrows and driven by his devotion to the family to protect tradition at all costs ! It is a role that Sellers mostly improvised,a delicious mix of dry comments, cultural clashes & devious expressions. Classic British humor with wonderful actors .Running through the film is a nostalgia reminiscent of the Ealing comedies for British quaintness threatened by American efficiency and momism. Based on the short story "The Catbird Seat" by JAMES THURBER.. NY TIMES REVIEW . Prod Co:Monja Danischewsky Productions. Written and Produced by MONJA DANISCHEWSKY ) Dir: CHARLES CRICHTON Cinematography:Freddie Francis. 84 mins. NFVLS Cast: PETER SELLERS (Mr. Martin) ROBERT MORLEY (Robert MacPherson) CONSTANCE CUMMINGS (Angela Barrows) ERNEST THESIGER (Old MacPherson) JAMESON CLARK (Andrew Darling) DONALD PLEASENCE (Irwin Hoffman) MOULTRIE KELSALL (Graham) ALEX MacKENZIE (Robertson) RODDY McMILLAN (Macleod) JAMES GIBSON (Night Watchman)
THEIR PURPLE MOMENT (1928) The first film in which Laurel & Hardy are married (and not to each other!) Stan and Ollie withhold part of their pay packet from their wives,sneaking out to go to a nightclub. The boys pick up two young women who have been stood-up,and run up a huge tab treating them to dinner. They don't know that Mrs. Laurel substituted her grocery coupons for Stan's money.... Dir: JAMES PARROTT. Cast: STAN LAUREL, OLIVER HARDY. 22 mins. NFVLS. Prod:Hal Roach. Dir:James Parrott. Supervisory director:Leo McCary. Photographer:George Stevens. Cast:Stan Laurel,Oliver Hardy.
INCONTINENCE: A DIARRHETIC FLOW OF OBVIOUS MISMATCHES (1978) Experimental film dealing with film editing & the visual image. Contains seven individual sequences of mismatching dialogue/actors/scenes with all scenes based on actual dialogue from "Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf?". However, a comic nightmare takes place and a healthy disregard for the text creates quite a bizarre interpretation of this well-known piece of literature. Prod Co:De Landa. Prod/Dir:Manuel De Landa. Cast:Dina Paisner, Ken Burns, Patrick Gerstle, Susan Schneider. 16 mins. NFVLS. A UNICORN IN THE GARDEN (1953) "There's a unicorn in the garden," he said. "Eating roses." She opened one unfriendly eye and looked at him. "The unicorn is a mythical beast," she said, and turned her back on him. Brrr! UPA's animated version of a satirical short story by JAMES THURBER. Why wasn't this nominated for an Academy Award? This cartoon is simply delightful! Written by James Thurber & animated in Thurber's artistic style, it is his world come to life! If you like James Thurber, you'll love this cartoon. Highly recommended..... story Prod:Stephen Bosustow. Director:William T. Hurtz. Production manager:Herbert Klynn. Music:David Raksin. Animation:Phil Monroe, Rudy Larriva, Tom McDonald. 7 min. THE KISS (1896) In 1896, Thomas Edison filmed May Irwin & John C Rice re-enacting a scene from a Broadway play, The Widow Jones. The film ran for 22 seconds and captured a close up of a kiss. "It shocked audiences, who felt that public displays of affection of this type were inappropriate" Prod Co: Edison Company. Producer: Thomas A. Edison. Cast:May Irwin, John Rice, Gilbert Sarony.
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