RIP, Virginia Leith.

Virginia Leith
October 15, 1925 – November 4, 2019

Virginia Leith, who’s known for appearing in Stanley Kubrick’s Fear And Desire (1953) and The Brain The Wouldn’t Die (1962), has passed away at 94.

It’s a shame those two pictures are her legacy, since the model and actress was also in a couple really good movies — Richard Fleischer’s Violent Saturday (1955) and Gerd Oswald’s A Kiss Before Dying (1956). She retired after The Brain The Wouldn’t Die (she was the girlfriend whose decapitated head was kept alive in a pan), but started working again on TV in the late 70s — turning up on stuff like Baretta, Starsky And Hutch and Police Woman.

Blu-Ray News #93: Compulsion (1959).

Directed by Richard Fleischer
Starring Orson Welles, Diane Varsi, Dean Stockwell, Bradford Dillman, E.G. Marshall, Martin Milner

Kino Lorber has announced a Blu-Ray release of Richard Fleischer’s Compulsion (1959), a fictionalized take on the Leopold and Loeb murder trial. Orson Welles shines in a picture filled with terrific performances. William C. Mellor’s black and white CinemaScope photography alone makes this Blu-Ray a real reason to celebrate. It’s coming in March.

Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970).

Directed by Richard Fleischer, Toshio Masuda and Kinji Fukasaku

This being a movie blog, the best way for me to honor the bravery and sacrifice of those who went through the attacks at Pearl Harbor is to encourage you to seek out Darryl F. Zanuck’s Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970), the mammoth Japanese-American co-production that depicts December 7, 1941, from both the American and Japanese viewpoints.

While it’s not as sublimely wonderful as Zanuck’s D-Day epic, The Longest Day (1962), it has scenes that are truly jaw-dropping. You certainly get an idea of the chaos, terror, loss and heroism that marked the “day that will live in infamy.”

I’m in awe of this generation of Americans, and I thank them all for fighting to keep us free — and for setting such a terrific example for us all.

Blu-Ray News #82: The New Centurions (1972).

Directed by Richard Fleischer
Starring George C. Scott, Stacy Keach, Scott Wilson, Rosalind Cash, Erik Estrada, Clifton James

Richard Fleischer’s The New Centurions (1972) is a tough look at the lives of three rookie cops in L.A. — Stacy Keach, Scott Wilson and Erik Estrada — and what the job does to their personal lives. We also get to know the veteran cops who show these rookies the ropes — and try to help them stay alive.

What has always struck me about The New Centurions is how solid the acting is. Given the cast, what would you expect?

This is certainly not Feel Good Hit Of The Year material, folks. But it’s very good and it’s coming to Blu-Ray from Carlotta FIlms out of France.

Blu-ray News #45: The Vikings (1957).

Directed by Richard Fleischer
Starring Kirk Douglas, Tony Curtis, Ernest Borgnine, Janet Leigh, James Donald

Richard Fleischer’s The Vikings (1957) will land on Blu-ray in March of 2016. It’s probably not much for history, but for late-50s epic cool, this is about as good as it gets. Originally released in Technirama and Technicolor, I can’t wait to see what this’ll look like in hi-def.

Armored Car Robbery (1950) At The Forgotten Filmcast.

Directed by Richard Fleischer
Produced by Herman Schlom
Screenplay by Gerald Drayson Adams, Robert Angus, Earl Felton
From a story by Robert Leeds
Cinematography: Guy Roe
Film Editor: Desmond Marquette

Cast: Charles McGraw (Lt. Jim Cordell), Adele Jergens (Yvonne LeDoux), William Talman (Dave Purvis), Douglas Fowley (Benjamin ‘Benny’ McBride), Steve Brodie (Al Mapes), Gene Evans (William ‘Ace’ Foster)

A year or so ago, I had the extreme pleasure of being on Todd Liebenow’s excellent podcast Forgotten Filmcast, which features a film blogger covering a favorite movie they consider under-appreciated. Last time, we covered Last Train From Gun Hill (1959). This time, it’s Richard Fleischer’s terrific crime picture Armored Car Robbery (1950) starring Charles McGraw and William Talman. We recorded it first thing in the morning, so let’s hope I’m halfway articulate.

Screening: Mr. Majestyk (1974) At The New Beverly.

Further proof that I’m on the wrong side of the United States. The New Beverly is running a 35mm print of Mr. Majestyk (1974) on January 28 & 29.

It stars Charles Bronson, Linda Cristal, a Ford F-150 pickup and a Winchester shotgun, supported by Paul Koslo and Al Lettieri. Richard Fleischer directs, from a script by Elmore Leonard.