Television Review: CRAZY LIKE A FOX: "Some Day My Prints Will Come" (1985)

CRAZY LIKE A FOX: "Some Day My Prints Will Come" (Sony/CBS-TV 1985)  Original Air Date: December 1, 1985.  Starring Jack Warden as Harry Fox, John Rubenstein as Harrison Fox, Penny Peyser as Gail Fox, Robby Kiger as Josh Fox.  Guest Stars: Norman Fell as Vern, Russ Marin as Jerry Clouser, Ja'net DuBois as Idee, Theodore Wilson as Eddie, Harry Moses as Donald Woodley, Al Ruscio as Tony, Barrie Ingham as Crime Boss, Herman Poppe as Henchman, Joe Renteria as Mendez, Joe E. Tata as Ralph Moss, Sandra Gould as the Landlord.  Written by Sid Dorfman, Philip Saltzman, Harvey Weitzman and David R. Toddman.  Directed by Paul Krasny.


Introduction to the 1984-86 CBS series CRAZY LIKE A FOX is at this link.


Working for his son on his latest case, Harry Fox hits the jackpot when he captures photographic proof of insurance scammer Moss not only out of his wheelchair, but running.  Unfortunately his pictures are mixed up with another customer's at Idee's Photo Shop.  Stuck with snapshots of the docked Wanderer at the pier, Harry asks questions to find the owner that he presumes is the holder of his needed evidence.

Unfortunately for the senior Fox, the shutterbug was Mendez, who is investigating drug traffickers tied to the vessel and the disappearance of its original possessors.  Harry's questioning leads the crime boss to surmise that the two investigators are working together, making both of them targets--along with their perceived co-conspirator: the con artist in Harry's prized photographs.

One simple mixup turns a refreshingly mundane (and realistic) case into one more worthy of Harry Fox's talents.  While the twists that follow in Some Day My Prints Will Come might not be all that surprising for veteran FOX watchers, the story goes into slightly grittier territory than usual once drug lords are involved.  Even comedically nimble Norman Fell keeps a tight jaw and a stone face, no matter how annoyed his cop is to learn that there's a Fox on his case.

Not that the humor suffers: on the contrary, Harry's street savvy serves him well in solving the overall puzzle (as even Detective Vern grudgingly admits),  but his smaller hunches hilariously fail him at some crucial moments (famous almost last words: "They'll never know where the shots are coming from!"). 

Harrison and Harry Fox are both on the same case, and both are in their respective day jobs for once--at the outset.  But of course, the junior Fox is forced into the real action, yet again ending up in the middle of gunfire and a wild car chase.  With his father behind the wheel, it's a tossup as to which experience is more harrowing.

It's always great watching the verbal sparring of old pros Warden and Fell, but there are other delights in a guest cast that's deeper than usual.   Joe E. Tata is at his weaselly best as the fraudster (though it is hard to believe he falls for that trick in the open), and in another surprise, Al Ruscio isn't part of the mob in an episode revolving around it.  Ja'net Dubois' prime time appearances were sporadic in the mid-1980's, so it's a shame she only has two scenes as the harried Idee.

The fate of Some Day My Prints Will Come was a microcosm of the show's sophomore season.  After being pre-empted on consecutive weeks, CRAZY LIKE A FOX returned to its 9 PM time slot on December 1st--the same night and time that NBC premiered the highly anticipated Perry Mason Returns, the week's top-rated program.  The ensuing 15.2 Nielsen rating was the series' lowest to date.  Too bad: those who opted for Raymond Burr and friends (27.2 and a 39 share) missed another fun ride with the Foxes. (*** out of four) 

CRAZY LIKE A FOX airs Monday through Thursday at 9 A.M. Central on getTV.

Film Review: THE RAT RACE (1960)

 



"Why the Hell isn't this on DVD yet?" -- Number 96





THE RAT RACE (1960 Paramount) Starring Tony Curtis, Debbie Reynolds, Jack Oakie, Kay Medford, Norman Fell, Don Rickles, Marjorie Bennett, Hal K. Dawson, Gerry Mulligan.  Written by Garson Kanin.  Directed by Robert Mulligan.

Straightlaced, naive Curtis buses from his native Milwaukee to New York City to pursue his dream of making it as a jazz saxophonist in the big city.  The fresh-faced newcomer ends up platonically sharing a cramped one room apartment with taxi dancer Reynolds, who is far less trusting after years in the Big Apple.  They begin to grow close while facing their respective obstacles: guileless Curtis becomes familiar with the hard knocks Reynolds has already experienced while she becomes deeply indebted to her shady boss Rickles.

The sophomore effort from director Mulligan (TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD), THE RAT RACE doesn't approach the authenticity of Curtis' earlier SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS, with Pittsburgh standing in for the Big Apple.  Despite some thugs and thefts, it isn't as cynical either, with the mutual poverty of the film's protagonists never reaching (say) the Ratso Rizzo level. 

Since he was thirty-five and perhaps Hollywood's quintessential native New Yorker at the time, Curtis would seem to be miscast as a transplanted Milwaukeean who is barely out of school.  Nevertheless, the actor was credible and gave THE RAT RACE his all, learning how to play both the clarinet and the saxophone for the role.  You can only learn so much in a crash course, though, as Curtis' playing was dubbed by Gerry Mulligan (who has a cameo).

THE RAT RACE also offered Reynolds a chance to play against type as well.  Essentially it was the reverse of her co-star's situation, giving the usual ingenue a chance to play a lady with rough edges: using her wiles to get by while trying to retain her dignity.  Taxi dancers were almost extinct in NYC by 1960, but it was probably the closest profession Kanin could use to making Reynolds an "adult" entertainer by the Hollywood standards of the time.  (It's clear by her rebuffs of Rickles, Fell and others that prostitution was not a consideration for this worldly, yet prideful lady.)

I beat out Brando AND Pat Harrington Jr. for this part!

Not everyone Curtis meets is a soul-crushing taker.  Oakie has some good lines and a perpetual smile as a kind bartender and brusque landlord Medford proves to have a heart of gold underneath.  Otherwise, though, this is one rough town.  Norman Fell is very funny as a telephone repairman and would-be make-out artist with eyes for Reynolds.  With only two scenes even he has time to punch Curtis in the jaw.

Fell isn't alone in having the hots for the dancer.  It is Don Rickles who gives THE RAT RACE's most memorable performance as Reynolds' slimy boss who wouldn't mind taking what she owes in "trade".  There's barely even a hint of humor to this menacing portrayal, which is probably the comedian's best on the big screen.

The atypically cast leads are good instead of great, and THE RAT RACE doesn't quite reach the level of the definitive hard edged NYC films of its era (THE APARTMENT, the aforementioned SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS), but it is still a worthy effort that benefits from Mulligan's typically humanistic touch.   Ostensibly about the difficulties of succeeding in New York, THE RAT RACE is at heart a romantic drama about two opposites slowly attracting.

So...why isn't this on DVD?

THE RAT RACE actually wasn't cutting enough for later generations seeking the darker side of NYC once The Code was out and films like MIDNIGHT COWBOY and TAXI DRIVER were in.  Also, you can probably blame Paramount's spotty history with its archive material once again.

Why it should be on DVD:

A lot of first-rate talent on both sides of the camera.  Elmer Bermstein's jazzy score, Kanin's solidly developed characters, and Mulligan's iron fist/velvet glove presentation behind it; Curtis, Reynolds, Oakie and Rickles all good-to-excellent in front of it.  While Pittsburgh was the primary location for filming, one can spot a few authentic NYC sites of the era (i.e. Jack Dempsey's Restaurant) in some shots.

And, take note, Mrs. Roper: Norman Fell is a playa!

THE RAT RACE is currently streaming on Netflix Instant.

Film Review: PATERNITY (1981)

 


"Why the Hell isn't THIS on DVD yet?" -- Number 69

PATERNITY (1981 Paramount) Starring Burt Reynolds, Beverly D'Angelo, Norman Fell, Lauren Hutton, Juanita Moore, Elizabeth Ashley, Paul Dooley, Peter Billingsley.  Directed by David Steinberg.

Reynolds is a single, successful Madison Square Garden manager who realizes at 44 that he wants a child to carry on his name.  He also wishes to remain foot loose and fancy free, so he opts to hire a surrogate mother "with no strings attached".  Friends Fell and Dooley help him interview prospective "applicants", with Burt eventually deciding that waitress D'Angelo is his best choice.  Since D'Angelo is saving to move abroad and study music, she agrees--for $50,000 towards her goal.  Burt continues to woo the likes of Ashley and Hutton while his bun is in the oven, but it soon becomes obvious that D'Angelo might be right for him in more ways than one.

The last of Paramount's "sensitive Burt" trifecta, PATERNITY was the least successful of the three with critics.  As noted in the ROUGH CUT review, Reynolds alternated good ol' boy action films and chick flicks annually during the final years of his heyday. The former resulted in financial successes but critical brickbats while the latter succeeded on both fronts with STARTING OVER (1979) but struck out afterward.  Despite a good supporting cast, PATERNITY is pretty tepid from the get-go.  The cloying, Razzie Award winning song "Baby Talk" opens the movie--a harbinger of things to come.

On projects directed towards his female audience Reynolds almost exclusively worked with proven (and often Oscar-nominated) directors: Don Siegel (ROUGH CUT), Blake Edwards (THE MAN WHO LOVED WOMEN), Alan J. Pakula (STARTING OVER) and Norman Jewison (BEST FRIENDS).  By contrast, comedian David Steinberg was making his directorial debut with PATERNITY.   Steinberg fails to build momentum in the hour and a half that precedes the curt finale.  After one more failed feature (GOING BERSERK) he would find a niche on TV, directing classic episodes of SEINFELD, CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM and Burt's own EVENING SHADE among many others.  Screenwriter Charlie Peters (BLAME IT ON RIO) was also doing his first feature, and he saddles Steinberg with a script that is way too light on humor and presents Burt's character as unlikably narcissistic much of the time.

Reynolds had done the "selfish man seeing the error of his ways" bit a year earlier in a terrible fit for that subject matter, SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT II.  While the sequel to Burt's biggest hit had a built-in audience that ensured brisk ticket sales, many moviegoers felt that SMOKEY II lost the breezy fun of the first film with the focus shifting to the Bandit's (rather sudden) egomania and insecurity.  The attempt to present an often unsympathetic protagonist might have worked here with assured direction and a strong script, but PATERNITY lacked both.

Mr. Roper agrees.  No marriage!

Burt Reynolds experimented far more during his career peak than he was given credit for and the results were frequently interesting, but PATERNITY is a real snooze.  By this time only his action comedies were making the top 10 grossers at year's end.  He would return to critics' good graces with SHARKY'S MACHINE a few months later, but the film's mildly disappointing box office helped send him back to good ol' boy land.  The resulting STROKER ACE was one trip too many to that well. 

So...why isn't this on DVD yet?

PATERNITY is probably the most forgettable film of Reynolds' peak years, and the target audience is more likely to root for his comeuppance than for him and D'Angelo to get together. 

Why it should be on DVD:

Even when not wholly successful, Reynolds' chick flicks usually had points of interest.  Burt gave terrific performances in THE MAN WHO LOVED WOMEN and ROUGH CUT and both STARTING OVER and BEST FRIENDS are well crafted, funny films (the latter has some hilarious moments).  But I can't make much of a case for PATERNITY, which is strictly for the actor's completists.

Missing No Longer: CLEOPATRA JONES AND THE CASINO OF GOLD (1975)

Tamara Dobson's sequel is now out on DVD!

The Warner Archive strikes again and makes us all happy here at The Horn Section with today's DVD release of Number 32 in our series, CLEOPATRA JONES AND THE CASINO OF GOLD (1975).

Reviewed here last year as part of our tribute to the late, great Tamara Dobson, CASINO OF GOLD has been arguably the most glaring absence from the blaxploitation era.  It's certainly been a long time coming.  An exciting mixture of James Bond, Run Run Shaw and the aforementioned blaxploitation, it may be flawed, but it is never boring. 

You'll join me in wishing that Cleo had at least as many sequels to choose from as Rocky Balboa and Paul Kersey, and you'll also get to see Norman Fell flashing his famous grin into the camera and playing Cleo's boss, "Stanley"---foreshadowing the signature TV role on THREE'S COMPANY that would follow his fine work here.

Here's hoping the Warner Archive keeps up the fine work, as they've now brought three of the Horn Section's most wanted to DVD for the first time in the past year alone.   Next up, number 47!

Film Review: CLEOPATRA JONES AND THE CASINO OF GOLD (1975)

"Why the Hell isn't THIS on DVD yet?" -- Number 32










CLEOPATRA JONES AND THE CASINO OF GOLD (1975 Warner Brothers) Starring Tamara Dobson, Norman Fell, Stella Stevens, Tanny, Albert Popwell, Caro Kenyatta. Directed by Charles Bail.


U.S. agents Popwell and Kenyatta are missing in Hong Kong following an unsuccessful sting on ruthless, drug-dealing lesbian casino owner Stevens. Dobson's title character arrives to investigate, with nominal assistance from government superior Fell and more substantial help from sympathetic local Tanny. Once Dobson realizes who's behind the disappearance, she plots to turn the tables on Stevens, but it won't be easy--she's rich, powerful and an expert with a sword.

The second and (sadly) final CLEOPATRA JONES has, on the surface, much in common with the classic first film. Once again we have a blonde lesbian drug lord (though Stevens is a lot easier on the eyes than Shelley Winters) for Cleo to battle while she's working overseas to undermine the drug trade in the United States. Dobson, Popwell and Kenyatta all reprise their roles, and Dobson continues wearing outrageous 1970's fashions and displaying proficiency in martial arts.

The change to the sexier but equally campy Stevens as villainess is only one indicator of an increase in the Bond influence and a lighter tone this time around. Max Julien is out and William Tennant takes over full writing duties and there's no scene as gritty as the first film's disturbing portrayal of withdrawal symptoms. In addition, J. J. Johnson (SHAFT, TROUBLE MAN, THE FUZZ BROTHERS, WILLIE DYNAMITE among others) is out and western/TV specialist Dominic Frontiere (BARQUERO) is in as composer, and the theme song "Playin' with Fire" sounds nothing like the typical soundtrack for a Dobson (or Grier, or Williamson...) film. CASINO OF GOLD feels more like a Run Run Shaw production (he co-produced with Tennant) than a blaxploitation entry and if not for Dobson's presence, this one likely wouldn't get lumped into the genre at all.

Not to say this is a bad film, not at all---just an odd duck. I'd estimate it at 2/5ths Bond, 2/5ths Shaw and 1/5th blaxploitation. It's still a lot of fun to see Dobson being such a wiseass to everyone (especially Fell) and there are nifty action sequences on a ship, in the titular casino, on a deserted street and inside Tanny's apartment. Just be sure to suspend your disbelief a few times: I can't understand why Tanny would leave her door unlocked and open before taking a shower (she and Dobson have been followed already!) and the 'insurance' that Popwell and Kenyatta take with the money seems like overkill to me, for starters.

Dobson's clothing is always a highlight, but the gorgeous 6'2" model isn't looking quite as foxy as she did in the first JONES---too much unnecessary silver eye shadow IMO. The actress did her own makeup according to the credits, so Cleo isn't perfect. Still, Dobson winks to the camera almost as effectively as Roger Moore and seems to be having a lot more fun with the role the second time around. It is a real shame that Dobson didn't have the opportunity to star in a third JONES adventure. But with this film, FRIDAY FOSTER and SHEBA, BABY all disappointing at the box office within a few months in 1975, Dobson and Pam Grier were both back in supporting roles in their subsequent features.

So....why isn't this on DVD yet? (In the U.S.)

Dobson never did nudity, and pushed for a reduction in sex and gore in her films, so CASINO OF GOLD doesn't quite have the titillation factor of Pam Grier's films. Coincidentally or not, all of Grier's 1970's AIP-ers are out on DVD, with 3 available in the "Fox in a Box" set. In addition, Cleopatra doesn't even have a boyfriend this time out, so all exploitation elements are left to the "adopted daughters" of Stevens, in brief scenes as they attend to the needs of Popwell and Kenyatta.

A rather ambitious mixture of genres exploring the global nature of Ms. Jones' job, CASINO OF GOLD was misleadingly promoted as blaxploitation when released, which may have contributed to subpar box office returns--the genre was fading commercially by 1975.

Why it should be on DVD:

The first CLEOPATRA JONES film is slightly better IMO, but they should both be on DVD for sure. Dobson is no Pam Grier in terms of acting ability, but she is charismatic and statuesque, and her only two starring vehicles should be widely available--though the 1973 original is out on DVD, it's not easy to find.

It's just too easy to picture this one on Wal-Mart shelves as part of a "2 for 1" with the first CLEOPATRA JONES. I mean, why hasn't this happened yet? Come on!

The out of print VHS is full screen only, and this unique, exciting film could use a widescreen digital remastering.

It's a lot of fun to see: Stella Stevens' camping (Shelley Winters was over the top in the first film; Stevens is a big improvement); Norman Fell giving us an early version of the 'Fell Take' at the conclusion of his first scene

and further foreshadowing his immediate future by playing a character named...Stanley; and Dobson's wisecracking, particularly in the casino scene, in which Cleo tells the intrigued Stevens what brought her there: her "beautiful money!".