Westerns: Sergio Leone and Peter Fonda

One of my favorite films of all time started streaming on Netflix Watch Instantly this past weekend: Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in the West.  Possibly the most flamboyant and operatic of Leone's westerns, and even more contemplative than his "Dollars Trilogy," this film simply has great scene after great scene, with a fantastic cast led by Charles Bronson in one of the few films I like him in.  Henry Fonda, cast against type, plays one of the great screen villains of all time.  Whenever I come across this on cable television I usually stop what I'm doing and watch it from that point until the end.  If you haven't seen it, set aside some time, sit up close to the screen, turn the volume up, and enjoy.

If you're in the mood for other subsequent responses to the Western genre from the 1970s, you might also look at the Leone's Duck, You Sucker (sometimes re-titled as Fistful of Dynamite or Once Upon a Time...the Revolution to capitalize on the Leone earlier successes) and Henry's son Peter Fonda's post-Easy Rider directorial debut, The Hired Hand.

Once Upon a Time in the West (Sergio Leone, USA/Italy, 1968, 165 minutes) 
Netflix: This Sergio Leone classic, a tribute to Hollywood Westerns, stars Henry Fonda as Frank, a deft gunslinger hired by the powerful owner of a railroad conglomerate to kill anyone who derails the project. But Frank contends with the wrong person when he murders Brett (Frank Wolff), a landowner, prompting Brett's wife (Claudia Cardinale) to hire two renegades (Charles Bronson and Jason Robards) to go after Frank. Netflix link. 

Duck, You Sucker (Sergio Leone, USA/Italy, 1971, 156 minutes)
Netflix: While on the lam in Mexico, Irish Republican Army demolition expert John Malloy (James Coburn) hooks up with Juan Miranda (Rod Steiger), a crass, stogie-chomping bandit with designs on the Mesa Verde Bank. Reluctant partners with differing agendas, they find themselves caught up in the turmoil of the Mexican revolution when their heist nets more than gold in director Sergio Leone's sprawling 1971 Western. Netflix link.

The Hired Hand (Peter Fonda, USA, 1971, 91 minutes)
Netflix: Harry Collings (Peter Fonda) has been traveling around with his fellow drifter and friend Arch Harris (Warren Oates). Disturbed by thoughts of the wife (Verna Bloom) and child he left behind so long ago, Harry decides to attempt a reunion with them by working on the family farm. All is well until Arch is taken prisoner by a past enemy; now, Harry must choose whether to uphold his responsibility to the family or save his longtime friend. Netflix link.

Paul Newman: The Hustler, The Sting, The Verdict and other Classics

Inspired by the addtion of The Hustler (1961) to Netflix Watch Instantly last week, here is a collection of films starring Paul Newman.

The Hustler (Robert Rossen, US, 1961, 134 minutes)
Netflix: Paul Newman scores as pool shark "Fast Eddie" Felson, who tours the country hustling games -- even challenging reigning champion Minnesota Fats (Jackie Gleason) -- in this brooding drama that explores the synergies between good and evil, love and desperation. The film won a pair of Oscars for its cinematography and art direction, while Newman and Gleason both earned Academy Award nominations for their performances. Piper Laurie co-stars. Netflix link.
For those unfamiliar with the history of the character Fast Eddie Felson, Newman also plays him in his sole Oscar-winning performance in Martin Scorsese's The Color of Money (1986).

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Richard Brooks, US, 1958, 108 minutes)
Netflix: Members of an avaricious Southern clan scramble to curry favor with dying, wealthy patriarch Harvey "Big Daddy" Pollitt (Burl Ives) in this Oscar-nominated adaptation of playwright Tennessee Williams's sizzling stage drama. Paul Newman stars as alcoholic ex-football star Brick Pollitt, whose self-pity and drunken malice jeopardize not only his inheritance, but also his marriage to the seductive Maggie (Elizabeth Taylor). Netflix link.

The Long Hot Summer (Martin Ritt, US, 1958, 116 minutes)
Netflix: Director Martin Ritt combines two William Faulkner stories into a smoldering drama starring Paul Newman as Ben Quick, a wandering handyman who arrives in Frenchman's Bend, Miss., where menacing rumors about his past begin to circulate. Soon enough, the self-made town despot (Orson Welles) warms to the drifter and takes him under his wing, giving him a job at his store and setting him up with his daughter (Joanne Woodward). Netflix link.

Hud (Martin Ritt, US, 1963, 111 minutes)
Netflix: Martin Ritt successfully transforms a Larry McMurtry novel into a contemporary Western set on a Texas ranch where Cadillacs, cattle and transistor radios threaten to displace time-honored cowboy ways. Paul Newman stars as arrogant, rebellious farmhand Hud Bannon, who's constantly at odds with his old-school father, Homer (Melvyn Douglas, who won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar). Patricia Neal also won an Oscar for her role in the film. Netflix link.

Hombre (Martin Ritt, US, 1967, 110 minutes)
Netflix: More 1960s than 1860s, Hombre takes a hard look at racial injustice in the Old West. Paul Newman is a half-breed Indian shunned by his fellow -- white -- stagecoach passengers until a holdup forces them to trust him as he finds a way out of the desert. Frederic March and Barbara Rush co-star, with Richard Boone turning in one of his patented badass performances. Netflix link.  Note: This will leave Netflix Watch Instantly on June 30 (24 days after this post).

Sometimes a Great Notion (Paul Newman, US, 1971, 114 minutes)
Netflix: Paul Newman directs and stars in this rough-and-tumble drama about Hank Stamper, who is trying to keep his family's logging business afloat despite the complications caused by his gruff father, Henry (Henry Fonda), and ne'er-do-well younger brother, Leeland (Michael Sarrazin). While Leeland becomes romantically involved with Viv (Lee Remick), Hank's neglected wife, Hank fights back against the violent tactics employed by the striking local union  Netflix link.

The Sting (George Roy Hill, US, 1973, 129 minutes) 
Netflix: After rookie grifter Johnny Hooker (Robert Redford) tracks down veteran flim-flam man Henry Gondorff (Paul Newman) in 1930s Chicago, the duo plans to fleece a homicidal racketeer (Robert Shaw) through a phony racetrack scam involving a string of double and triple crosses. The Sting picked up seven Academy Awards, including Oscars for Best Picture, Best Directing (George Roy Hill) and Best Original Screenplay (David S. Ward). Netflix link.

For those who would like to see perhaps the most curious casting in a sequel to a major motion picture, check out The Sting II (1983), in which Jackie Gleason and Mac Davis play the same characters created by Newman and Redford.

Quintet (Robert Altman, US, 1979, 118 minutes)
Netflix: Essex (Paul Newman) struggles to survive in a bleak, frozen city of the future. Director Robert Altman's existential film pulls no punches in presenting a withering vision of a postapocalyptic world in which inhabitants of the city play a puzzling cat-and-mouse game called Quintet, with death awaiting the player who makes a misstep. Bibi Andersson, Fernando Rey, Vittorio Gassman and Nina Van Pallandt co-star in this chilling sci-fi thriller. Netflix link.

The Verdict (Sidney Lumet, US, 1982, 129 minutes)
Netflix: A washed-up, ambulance-chasing attorney (Paul Newman) gets a chance at redemption when his friend (Jack Warden) tosses him an open-and-shut medical malpractice case. But instead of accepting an easy cash settlement, he takes the powerful defendant to court. James Mason plays the opposing counsel, whom his legal adversary calls "The Prince of Darkness," in this courtroom drama from director Sidney Lumet. Netflix link.

This was also mentioned in my post on the films of Sidney Lumet, but is worth mentioning here as one of Newman's finest performances.




In the interest of completeness, Netflix Watch Instantly is also streaming From the Terrace (1960), Winning (1969), The Towering Inferno (1974), The Hudsucker Proxy (1994).  InstantWatcher currently lists Slap Shot (1977) as streaming, but that is incorrect (which is a shame, because I'm sure that would be one of the more popular titles in this post).

Howard Hawks: Scarface, Rio Bravo, Ball of Fire

Short on time today, so lets go for a classic auteur who needs little introduction: Howard Hawks.  Unlike some directors who specialized in genres, Hawks directed several classic films in diverse genres.  In the list below there's a gangster film, a romantic comedy, a musical, and a western. For those of you unfamiliar with Hawks (although you probably are more familiar with him than you realize) check out this essay at Senses of Cinema.

Scarface (Howard Hawks, USA, 1932, 93 minutes)
Netflix: Mobster Tony Camonte (Paul Muni) seizes control of Chicago's bootlegging racket in this classic crime drama, which also stars George Raft, Boris Karloff and Osgood Perkins (Anthony Perkins's father). From director Howard Hawks and producer Howard Hughes, Scarface set the benchmark for future gangster films. Karen Morley portrays Camonte's love interest and Ann Dvorak the gangster's beloved sister. Netflix link.

Ball of Fire (Howard Hawks, USA, 1941, 111 minutes)
Netflix: Gary Cooper plays a serious but lovable English professor working with his colleagues on a dictionary of American slang. When a red-hot nightclub singer (Barbara Stanwyck) on the run from the mob takes refuge in their house, she also finds a place in their hearts. But where there's a ball of fire there's bound to be trouble, and before they know it, the professor and his cohorts are learning a lot about language -- and life. Howard Hawks directs. Netflix link.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Howard Hawks, USA, 1953, 91 minutes)
Netflix: Two American showgirls in the mood for love board a luxury liner to Paris. Engaged to be married, fair-haired Lorelei (Marilyn Monroe) is unknowingly tracked by a private investigator who was hired by her future father-in-law. But the detective only has eyes for her brunette friend, Dorothy (Jane Russell). Based on the Broadway musical starring Carol Channing, the film features the memorable tune "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend." Netflix link.

Rio Bravo (Howard Hawks, USA, 1959, 141 minutes)
Netflix: Sheriff John Wayne has a problem: He must keep killer Claude Akins from escaping the town lockup (with outside help from his brother and a cadre of hired guns). The only people Wayne can call on for support are an alcoholic Dean Martin, a well-meaning Angie Dickinson, a crippled Walter Brennan and an eager Ricky Nelson. Netflix link.