tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18439960.post6792458765607724360..comments2024-03-23T21:46:50.843-04:00Comments on the passionate moviegoer: sinatra's big, beautiful messjoe baltakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11467420961490314339noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18439960.post-57641116219055026282017-03-28T19:55:09.242-04:002017-03-28T19:55:09.242-04:00Kiki- That "god-awful" film was "Sw...Kiki- That "god-awful" film was "Sweet Charity." -Jjoe baltakehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11467420961490314339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18439960.post-62287636393705165882017-03-28T19:47:55.178-04:002017-03-28T19:47:55.178-04:00this is such an interesting column because well, I...this is such an interesting column because well, I Love Paris. I saw the movie when I was 12? 13? No, it must have been later because I remember Nikita Kruschev thought it was disgusting. And, as I recall, I didn't much like it either and always confuse it with Gigi. But I already KNEW the song I Love Paris. . . . but didn't even realize it wasn't in the movie. I thought Shirley MacLaine was so "cheap" in it (I agreed with Kruschev - or maybe I've confused it with Irma La Douche -- same thing) but thought Juliet Prowse was lovely. Yet if you asked me which movie Thank Heaven for Little Girls was from, I couldn't say which. All I recall were Chevalier and Louis Jourdan. Frankly, I don't even recall Sinatra being in it at all. And I've never seen it shown on TV -- or maybe I've confused that with ME ME ME Shirley MacLaine in the musical they made of Nights of Cabiria. God, that was awful. <br />Kikinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18439960.post-16472787070756283812017-03-27T16:19:52.241-04:002017-03-27T16:19:52.241-04:00The sad fact in all of this is that if the footage...The sad fact in all of this is that if the footage actually exits, and it might, no one cares enough to go through the trouble of finding it and doing anything with it. There isn't any monetary worth to it so they don't care. Its a shame as I would love to see that footage.Joeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08396228442241622851noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18439960.post-88403970040741166642017-03-24T18:14:08.078-04:002017-03-24T18:14:08.078-04:00Charlotte- Why? Because either someone is suppres...Charlotte- Why? Because either someone is suppressing the footage or it simply no longer exits. Unlike MGM and Disney, Fox was never known for saving and storing elements from its films.joe baltakehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11467420961490314339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18439960.post-19465095296018974782017-03-24T18:01:28.866-04:002017-03-24T18:01:28.866-04:00If "I Love Paris" can't be seamlessl...If "I Love Paris" can't be seamlessly reinstated into the film, why not at least include the number on a disc as an extra or a chapter stopCharlottenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18439960.post-91690202201069960862017-03-24T17:17:33.936-04:002017-03-24T17:17:33.936-04:00I agree with Chip. I'm sure the powers who cut...I agree with Chip. I'm sure the powers who cut "I Love Paris" ran it by Sinatra first. Or could be, he authorized the cut, as a way to mess with a movie which he was forced into. Otherwise, it just doesn't make sense. vannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18439960.post-32020073525118040552017-03-22T17:21:11.317-04:002017-03-22T17:21:11.317-04:00Andrew. You are so right about the soundtrack albu...Andrew. You are so right about the soundtrack album. For a major film - one starring the singer of the generation - the soundtrack for "Can-Can" seems to have been put together in a really slipshod fashion, as if no one cared. Perhaps they knew they had a major turkey on their hands. That would explain the truncated running time and the sloppy soundtrack album. <br /><br />BTW, the interviews on the 2007 DVD are mostly with historians and a few specialty dancers in the film. Shirley MacLaine is conspicuously by her absence. As Tim K. points out here, no one bothers to even mention the name of the film's director - Walter Lang (who also directed the film version of "The King and I") - and one of the historians here even goes so far to say that "Can-Can" was well-received by the press. Not so. It certainly wasn't well-reviewed by the major press.<br /><br />It was D.O.A. Too bad. A missed opportunity, plus a waste of great material and, as you say, talent.joe baltakehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11467420961490314339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18439960.post-6753525428789014452017-03-22T17:09:29.646-04:002017-03-22T17:09:29.646-04:00You never know - some pretty amazing out-takes sur...You never know - some pretty amazing out-takes surface from time to time. Have you ever seen the "Hidden Hollywood 1" and "Hidden Hollywood 2" dvds? Fox didn't throw everything away. As far as Sinatra approving the cuts - nobody can argue about Sinatra in the recording studio. He was the king - and he had an unmatched ability to assemble the best talent for the purpose of producing unforgettable material. As the leader of a film project, however, he was really not as good. His best film work was done when he was under the control of someone else. When he was in charge, it was just for fun - or to do favors for friends. I think "Can-Can" was the start of this - and it's a pity because with all of the talent assembled for this film, they completely failed to preserve the Broadway show or produce a classic. Sure, they could attempt to do it today - but the talent (Riddle, Lang, Chaplin, Cummings, Kingsley, Lederer, Tucker, Pan, Sharaff, Daniels, Wheeler) and the technology (Todd-AO 70mm, true stereo recording, true color photography) - not to mention the idea of showmanship and the reserved seat engagement are history now. I was really looking forward to the isolated score track on this release because I thought that I would finally be able to create a decent "Can-Can" soundtrack album. The Capitol release HORRIBLY sequenced and doesn't include a lot of the score. I was disappointed to find that the music tracks don't include the chorus. I was really hoping to be able to get the finale - which is a gorgeous arrangement - from this track. Oh well - maybe another day. Andrewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07697987947065329792noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18439960.post-68398632189286741302017-03-22T17:05:47.785-04:002017-03-22T17:05:47.785-04:00Thanks for the terrific comments. I'll have to...Thanks for the terrific comments. I'll have to check out that isolated score. I'd love to know who made the decision to keep the film short - especially the decision to cut the show's most-well-known song, "I Love Paris." Makes no sense. On the one hand, I can't imagine Sinatra putting up with that, but then he had the power to approve it.<br /><br />As for the film being longer, perhaps it was. Perhaps it was truly awful in longer form. I mean, this is a film that I've always wanted to like. But I have to admit, aside from the songs, it's pretty bad. The unfortunate thing is that, if it was longer, that footage is probably long gone. Unlike Disney and MGM, Fox saved nothing in those days joe baltakehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11467420961490314339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18439960.post-36482971450296252312017-03-22T17:02:14.192-04:002017-03-22T17:02:14.192-04:00Another interesting note: at 149:35 on the isolate...Another interesting note: at 149:35 on the isolated score track there is a section of music lasting about two minutes prior to beginning of the "Bal des Quat'z' Arts" sequence of the film. It's almost as though this music accompanied scenes (perhaps at the ball) that occurred prior to the start of the ball scenes in the edited film. Andrewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07697987947065329792noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18439960.post-21810151848864379952017-03-22T16:59:34.127-04:002017-03-22T16:59:34.127-04:00I've just finished watching the DVD release of...I've just finished watching the DVD release of "Can-Can" and was so disappointed that I got onto Google to see if anyone else felt the same way. Your comments touched on every one of my issues - especially the missing "I Love Paris". I'd also like to know whether or not the unedited version of "Just One of Those Things" is in a warehouse somewhere. In addition, it has always seemed a shame to me that, at the end, the Can-Can dance does not start from the beginning. It seems we've been waiting for two hours for this moment to arrive and when it does we join it "in progress". This has always looked like a cut to me. The print is gorgeous, the orchestrations are magnificent, the sound is beautiful, the color (especially in the credits) is stunning - it's a movie you just really want to love but can't. And does anyone know if Fox is going to fix the problem of the last 10 seconds missing from the Entr'acte? Also - regarding a 131 minute movie needing an intermission - I'll bet the running time was more like 150 minutes before the cuts ("I Love Paris", "Just One of Those Things", etc.) were made. Andrewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07697987947065329792noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18439960.post-64170868092935847342017-03-22T16:57:20.265-04:002017-03-22T16:57:20.265-04:00I can't believe that the makers of this awful ...I can't believe that the makers of this awful film thought that "I Love Paris" was ruining it! By the way, no one interviewed on the DVD bonus disc bothers to mention the name of the film's director - no one.Tim K.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18439960.post-25391030615245232012010-01-02T21:09:37.823-05:002010-01-02T21:09:37.823-05:00I can't imagine the studio cutting a song of t...I can't imagine the studio cutting a song of the stature of "I Love Paris" without running it by Sinatra first.Chipnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18439960.post-69469532961860231752010-01-02T19:43:04.952-05:002010-01-02T19:43:04.952-05:00The added musical elements brings its running time...The added musical elements brings its running time to 142 minutes.joe baltakehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11467420961490314339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18439960.post-39698962010671253082010-01-02T19:39:09.721-05:002010-01-02T19:39:09.721-05:00You mention that "Can-Can" runs 130 inte...You mention that "Can-Can" runs 130 intermission, without its overture or exit music. What's its running time with those two additions?Clairenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18439960.post-49102900740376040252010-01-02T11:51:24.587-05:002010-01-02T11:51:24.587-05:00I like Sinatra but he was known to hold a grudge. ...I like Sinatra but he was known to hold a grudge. Maybe he resented being finessed into doing the film. Or it all could be hooey - the problem being that the film wasn't meant to be.Sheilanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18439960.post-25150252635089223292010-01-01T22:28:52.048-05:002010-01-01T22:28:52.048-05:00Bad film, yes. But I still love it. I guess that i...Bad film, yes. But I still love it. I guess that indeed makes it a guilty pleasure.Joel M.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18439960.post-14458264958113695942010-01-01T22:14:30.229-05:002010-01-01T22:14:30.229-05:00Your comments are better than the movie! I always ...Your comments are better than the movie! I always thought it sucked.Gerrinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18439960.post-63283779737345434722010-01-01T19:35:01.024-05:002010-01-01T19:35:01.024-05:00FASCINATING! I never knew most of this about "...FASCINATING! I never knew most of this about "Can-Can". <br /><br />I saw the film for the first time last year and really was excited for it! The cast was so talented, and there was Cole Porter (my most favorite composer)!<br /><br />But, sadly, besides a few good parts, it was quite underwhelming (to say the least)!<br /><br />It actually took me three nights to get through because I kept falling asleep watching it! <br /><br />It really was just disappointing. I adore Frank and Cole Porter! It's just a pity the film turned out like it did!<br /><br />Anyway, really interesting post!Milliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08562702535170134885noreply@blogger.com