Man without a country Marlon Brando is
dispatched on secret mission to sabotage a German freighter hauling precious
rubber to Axis ports. This was,surprisingly for 1965 and 20th Fox,
black-and-white and 1.85. There was also monkeying with the title post-release
so as to juice interest (Saboteur: Code Name Morituri), but getting back an
extravagant $5.9 million spent on the negative was past hope in a market
crowded with spy and impossible mission yarns. Morituri took only three million
in worldwide rentals and posted a $4.1 million loss, Fox's worst for that year
next to The Agony and The Ecstasy. Was Brando a right fit for action/adventure?
He's too genteel in SS officer disguise, despite being told by command officer
Trevor Howard that he must display cruelty in accord with enemy habit. Morituri
is notches below war exploit done elsewhere, the 60's being a boon forthese
what with WWII veterans willing to leave their TV's now and again to buy a
ticket. An Operation Crossbow or Von Ryan's Express could thus click, but
Morituri by its very title was non-specific as to setting and theme, dooming
the show to arid attendance.
Thanks. Good on Joan. Of course, today she would get busted for being with a minor.
Years ago a very good looking fellow I knew had low self esteem due to size.
He disappeared for a couple of years. He had met a much older woman who taught him it's not what we have but what we do with what wee (deliberate) have. It was amazing watching him enter a room. Every woman in it automatically moved towards him. Of course, his low self-esteem vanished. In these days when just about every second junk email offers to make bigger what nature has given us I encourage young men to find older women who can teach them the same lesson.
After attending a 'sneak prevue' of "MORITURI" at SAN DIEGO'S CALIFORNIA THEATRE (COMPLETE with opinion cards), I also questioned the format not being 'scope, which, as you know, defined most ALL FOX PICTURES during that period until 1967. The theatre palace was packed full of BRANDO fans who LOVED it! HOWEVER, the INFAMOUS, UNWARRANTED AND RIDICULOUS RE-TITLING, complete with STICKERS FOR THE POSTERS (to be slapped over the original title), WAS A RATHER HASTY, LAST- MINUTE- PANIC for all those who were concerned with instant profits. It was movie milestone for me, however....because THAT NIGHT, I became a true fan of JERRY GOLDSMITH, WHO DID THE MAGNIFICENT MUSIC SCORE.
Oh, yes, I forgot to mention that I love this flick; it seems these days(2017) Marlon Brando has NOT been around in general. I reckon he was the best until his cake iced with "THE GODFATHER", AFTER WHICH my interest in the man fell, as he whipped thru the REST of his career making pretty -icky ego- laced junkers, 'till the end, WITH BRANDO'S BEST FILMS MADE BEFORE "THE GODFATHER"-- IN THE-- 1954-1972 BLOCK--, SO, HELLO NEW CRITICS.! A LOT OF THEM finally saw thru the dismal depressing sagas that most critics of the time praised--- only to virtually IGNORE anything made after "WATERFRONT !. I still have great affection for this beautiful complex and insane icon; a true good guy who had to pay some kind of price(?) for the behemoth 'icon' label.-- But he was swallowed up with all 'best of show-biz-glories-offered to him. Marlon thought best I think, to give his best reflection of characters up on the screen for all of us to admire,then leaking from those were the characters he played OFF-SCREEN to us A merged combination, causing confliction with his true self, resulting somehow with the horror of 'that self' quite alone dancing with some his inner- demons TOO CLOSE-as well as- TOO FAR-to the edge, perhaps resulting his tragic last years. ALL OF THIS tragedy media-covered with the most STALE UNSALTED POPCORN offered in the awful reports given. Maybe then, it was just another starring role next, playing the actor who, after a loss in the spotlight fooled us all with his 'I just work for the cash' attitude in pictures. How about those of us who would STILL throw a few bucks in - and who would STILL DRIVE A LONG WAY out to a THEATRE for repeated views of ANYTHING HE WAS IN- JUST TO BE OF A MIND TO CATCH ONE OF HIS FILMS THROWN ONTO A BIG -SCREEN WITHOUT any QUESTION CONCERNING A CRAZY KIND OF ADDICTION to the man's CHARACTERS WITH INCREDIBLE anxiety of wondering JUST -WHO- he would present to us NEXT TIME.
5 Comments:
Okay, so I haven't got a copy of Jackie's memoirs and you are driving me NUTS!
Please either post the details for us all or send me a private email (preferably for all).
I like MORITURI.
You can get a taste of the Cooper-Crawford relationship here: http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20489077,00.html
Thanks. Good on Joan. Of course, today she would get busted for being with a minor.
Years ago a very good looking fellow I knew had low self esteem due to size.
He disappeared for a couple of years. He had met a much older woman who taught him it's not what we have but what we do with what wee (deliberate) have. It was amazing watching him enter a room. Every woman in it automatically moved towards him. Of course, his low self-esteem vanished. In these days when just about every second junk email offers to make bigger what nature has given us I encourage young men to find older women who can teach them the same lesson.
After attending a 'sneak prevue' of "MORITURI" at SAN DIEGO'S CALIFORNIA THEATRE (COMPLETE with opinion cards), I also questioned the format not being 'scope, which, as you know, defined most ALL FOX PICTURES during that period until 1967. The theatre palace was packed full of BRANDO fans who LOVED it! HOWEVER, the INFAMOUS, UNWARRANTED AND RIDICULOUS RE-TITLING, complete with STICKERS FOR THE POSTERS (to be slapped over the original title), WAS A RATHER HASTY, LAST- MINUTE- PANIC for all those who were concerned with instant profits. It was movie milestone for me, however....because THAT NIGHT, I became a true fan of JERRY GOLDSMITH, WHO DID THE MAGNIFICENT MUSIC SCORE.
i
Oh, yes, I forgot to mention that I love this flick; it seems these days(2017) Marlon Brando has NOT been around in general. I reckon he was the best until his cake iced with "THE GODFATHER", AFTER WHICH my interest in the man fell, as he whipped thru the REST of his career making pretty -icky ego- laced junkers, 'till the end, WITH BRANDO'S BEST FILMS MADE BEFORE "THE GODFATHER"-- IN THE-- 1954-1972 BLOCK--, SO, HELLO NEW CRITICS.! A LOT OF THEM finally saw thru the dismal depressing sagas that most critics of the time praised--- only to virtually IGNORE anything made after "WATERFRONT !. I still have great affection for this beautiful complex and insane icon; a true good guy who had to pay some kind of price(?) for the behemoth 'icon' label.-- But he was swallowed up with all 'best of show-biz-glories-offered to him. Marlon thought best I think, to give his best reflection of characters up on the screen for all of us to admire,then leaking from those were the characters he played OFF-SCREEN to us A merged combination, causing confliction with his true self, resulting somehow with the horror of 'that self' quite alone dancing with some his inner- demons TOO CLOSE-as well as- TOO FAR-to the edge, perhaps resulting his tragic last years. ALL OF THIS tragedy media-covered with the most STALE UNSALTED POPCORN offered in the awful reports given. Maybe then, it was just another starring role next, playing the actor who, after a loss in the spotlight fooled us all with his 'I just work for the cash' attitude in pictures. How about those of us who would STILL throw a few bucks in - and who would STILL DRIVE A LONG WAY out to a THEATRE for repeated views of ANYTHING HE WAS IN- JUST TO BE OF A MIND TO CATCH ONE OF HIS FILMS THROWN ONTO A BIG -SCREEN WITHOUT any QUESTION CONCERNING A CRAZY KIND OF ADDICTION to the man's CHARACTERS WITH INCREDIBLE anxiety of wondering JUST -WHO- he would present to us NEXT TIME.
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