Sunday, May 27, 2007

cinema obscura: Peter Bogdanovich's "At Long Last Love" (1975)


Criminally maligned - and mostly by people who haven't even bothered to see it - Peter Bogdanovich's sublime homage to the '30s film musical, "At Long Last Love," is ripe for a little rediscovery and some decided re-evaluation.

But this is unlikely to happen, given that its releasing studio, 20th Century-Fox, has kept the film buried and off home entertainment for more than three decades now. Exacerbating matters is the fact that Fox recently saw fit to give Walter Lang's rather embarrassing "Can-Can" (1960) the deLuxe, two-disc DVD treatment.

Driven by a rich Cole Porter score (of familiar standards and melodies more esoteric) and filled with an affable cast of good sports - Burt Reynolds, Cybill Shepherd, Madeline Kahn, Dulio Del Prete, Eileen Brennan, John Hillerman and Mildred Natwick as playboy Reynolds' dowager mother - the film is a classic still waiting to be discovered.

Bogdanovich was arguably at his most creative on this movie, filming it in color but designing it largely in black-and-white, so that the only colors in the film are his actors' skin tones. He also enlisted his cast of game, nonprofessional singers to perform their songs live, every one of them, and despite the hasty assumptions that were made at the time of the film's release, the singing is fine here - more than fine actually, given that Shepherd, Kahn and Del Prete all sport trained voices, while Reynolds affects a soothing Dean Martin-style croon.

To complement the stress-free singing, choreographer Rita Abrams kept her dance routines light and easy-going. The result is that the dancing here has the off-the-cuff, scratch-pad casualness of the in-between numbers in the Astaire-Rogers films. The film doesn't feel choreographed.

"At Long Last Love" is clearly an attempt to impersonate the movies of Fred and Ginger, with Bogdanovich affecting the unobtrusive directorial style that George Stevens and Mark Sandrich brought to the dancing team's films. It is decidedly old-fashioned in its artificiality, but "At Long Last Love" is also post-modernist, mixing in a neo-realist musical style pioneered by both Vincente Minnelli and Stanley Donen. It's a daring experiment that works - again, despite what you've heard.

Curiously, several versions of the film exist. Under the gun to get "At Long Last Love" out in the summer of 1975, Bogdanovich delivered a print clocking in at 118 minutes. Following the disasterous critical reaction, the film was cut down to 105 minutes. Two versions of it, in fact, played Radio City Music Hall. The film that opened there was not the same movie that closed. (Regarding the critical reaction, I hasten to add that there were/are several reputable critics who actually like "At Long Last Love.")

The syndicated TV version is even shorter, although it reinstates some fleeting, charming musical bits that were originally cut for time. The 16mm version of the film, which runs roughly 130 minutes, presents "At Long Last Love" in its most complete form and includes the two numbers that originally opened the film - a terrific "Down in the Depths" by Kahn and Del Prete's "Tomorrow." (As conceived, each of the four lead characters had an introductory song, although Kahn's and Del Prete's were excised just before the film's release.) Still missing, however, is Mildred Natwick's "Kate the Great" number.

Given that Fox has no interest in the film, it would be great if it handed it over to Criterion, so that Bogdanovich could put together a definitive archival edition.

If only.

Cinema Obscura is a recurring feature of The Passionate Moviegoer, devoted to those films that have been largely forgotten. Suggestions welcome.

(Artwork: Original artwork for Fox's "At Long Last Love")

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Anyone interested in perusing some 2060 of my film reviews, dating back to 1994, can do so by simply going to RottenTomatoes.Com

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

I always liked this movie, too, and could never understand the animosity. There's nothing wrong with it. It's more than good. But at the time it came out, that was the beginning of People magazine and celebrity coverage. The press covered Bogdanovich and Shepherd, the way they cover Jolie and Pitt today. Things haven't changed. They got worse.

Anonymous said...

I believed that Ebert always liked the film. Can you share what other critics support it? Needless to say, I agree. Good movie, great musical.

joe baltake said...

Marybeth. It wouldn't be kosher for me to mention names because you never know if the critic in question would be embarrassed. But believe me, I know several whose taste I trust and who definitely admire the film.

dino martin peters said...

Hey pallie Joe, you have like gotten me so curious 'bout this flick comparin' Burt's singin' to our great Dino's croonin'. Gonna have to check this out.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the recomendation - and the reminder. I’ve been looking for this title. Maybe eBay

Anonymous said...

At long last, indeed. "At Long Last Love" is a GREAT film. I agree. It should definitely be re-evaluated and rediscovered by a new generation of moviegoers.

Anonymous said...

MaryBeth,

I am one of the crtiics who loved ALLL. It cemented my professional and personal friendship with Joe B.

Anonymous said...

A Criterion Edition of At Long Last Love? What's next, Armageddon? Seriously, I remember liking this movie a lot when I caught it on TV... there's something endearing about people with ordinary voices breaking out into song because there's no other way to express their feelings. I also remember it being almost oppressively stylized, distancing me from it emotionally.

joe baltake said...

Godard/David Gorgos--

I recommend that you take the time to watch it again. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. Honest. Thanks for sharing your view. BTW, I enjoy your insights on the TLA Attack the Movies web site.

--Joe

Anonymous said...

I'm a new visitor and absolutely dig your blog, Joe.

It's uncommon to find someone giving a passionate defense of movies that were critically sacked upon release, whether this one or The Break-Up, because of stuff in the press that has nothing to do with the movie.

Great job of taking the road less traveled!

joe baltake said...

Joe--

Thanks for "getting" what I'm all about and what this blog is all about. A road less traveled says it all. Your comment means a lot to me.

Anonymous said...

I have a promotional use only 2 lp album of this soundtrack. On the cover John Hillerman signed it" TO GANG~AT LONG LAST A COPY OF THIS TURKEY~P.S. IT WAS STILL FUN TO DO JOHN HILLERMAN 2/4/78" Now I have a better understanding.thanks to your blog, what he meant.Well it's off to Ebay if anyone is interested. Perhaps Fox? LOL

Jesse Hawthorne Ficks said...

Not only do I agree completely with your comments about this ahead-of-its-time masterpiece, I am screening a beautiful 35mm print as part of a eight film Peter Bogdanovich tribute beginning on Friday March 7th at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco!! Peter as well as Cybill will both be attending the screening which begins at midnite after TARGETS (7pm) and THE LAST PICTURE SHOW (9pm). Please go to my website for more info: www.midnitesformaniacs

Chris Baker said...

I made that screening and I'm a new of fan of this film! It was wonderful! I applauded after about four of the musical numbers because I was so exhilirated!

And thank you Passionate Moviegoer for the spirited defense, very well done!

-Chris Baker