Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway and John Huston in the Roman Polanski movie ‘Chinatown’

A favorite movie of friend Airport Friend is the Roman Polanski film noir film Chinatown (1974). The storytelling includes intrigue, emotionally compelling drama and a mystery around elements of who did what and why. Robert Towne and Polanski each were writers for this movie, with formal credit granted to Towne.

(From left, Jack Nicholson as J.J. ‘Jake’ Gittes and Faye Dunaway as Evelyn Cross in the Roman Polanski movie Chinatown).

At the center of Chinatown as arguably the protagonist, and definitely as the primary point-of-view through which we as the audience relates, is J.J. ‘Jake’ Gittes, as portrayed by Jack Nicholson. Gittes is hired to follow Hollis Mulwray by a woman he’s told is Evelyn Mulwray. It’s only later, after Gittes’ team photographs Hollis Mulwray in the company of a younger woman that the real Evelyn Mulwray confronts Gittes with a lawsuit. Gittes encounters former police colleague Lieutenant Lou Escobar of the Los Angeles Police Department investigating Hollis Mulwray’s apparent drowning at a reservoir controlled by the water authority of Los Angeles, California.

(From left, Darrell Zwerling as Hollis Mulwray and Perry Lopez as Lieutenant Lou Escobar in the Roman Polanski movie Chinatown).

Faye Dunaway portrayed the true Evelyn Cross. Darrell Zwerling portrayed Hollis Mulwray. Perry Lopez portrayed Lieutenant Lou Escobar. J.J. ‘Jake’ Gittes began working for the legitimate Evelyn Cross following the death of her husband, Hollis. Gittes is warned off the investigation Claude Mulvihill and Man the Knife, as portrayed by Roy Jenson and Roman Polanski, respectively.

(From left, Jack Nicholson as J.J. ‘Jake’ Gittes and Roy Jenson as Claude Mulvihill in the Roman Polanski movie Chinatown).

Ida Sessions, as portrayed by Diane Ladd, admits to bringing Gittes into this caper from the beginning. More pieces of the bigger mystery are revealed when she shares that Hollis Mulwray had been in business with Evelyn Cross’ father, Noah Cross. John Huston portrayed Noah Cross. Additional film noir elements are offered to deepen the intrigue in play.

(From left, Joe Mantell as Lawrence Walsh and Diane Ladd as Ida Sessions in the Roman Polanski movie Chinatown).

The Ida Sessions tip leads to additional investigation into land dealings in the San Fernando Valley, northwest of Los Angeles. Gittes and Evelyn Cross visit a nursing home with the intention of pursuing some unusual activity with property transfers northwest of Los Angeles, which leads to additional heat for Gittes when the nursing home director brings this to the attention of Claude Mulvihill.

(From left, Belinda Palmer as Katherine Cross and John Huston as Noah Cross in the Roman Polanski movie Chinatown).

Whatever romantic and financial interests exist between J.J. ‘Jake’ Gittes and Evelyn Cross exist changes leads to later conflict for Noah Cross, Evelyn Cross and one Katherine Cross. The truly bizarre circle of the relationships for the three Crosses, and their meaning for the death of Hollis Mulwray, the subject of what the full story means to J.J. ‘Jake’ Gittes, brings a full-throated scream of the depths that can be included within the film noir genre.

(Director Roman Polanski as Man the Knife in the Roman Polanski movie Chinatown).

The fact that there is a substantial story in the film noir genre represents perhaps the biggest success for the movie Chinatown. The dramatic and mysterious moments that reveals themselves with deliberate, intentional storytelling, with a punch in the bringing the different themes of the tale together at the end, elevate the product further. I grant Chinatown as directed by Roman Polanski 4.5-stars on a scale of 1-to-5.

Matt – Saturday, July 16, 2022

Clint Eastwood, Telly Savalas, Don Rickles and the movie ‘Kelly’s Heroes’

In sharing some thoughts on movies recently, an intelligent and fundamentally humorous uncle of mine suggested that I take a look at a movie that he enjoyed from back in the day. Given that this conversation occurred over Memorial Day weekend in the United States, where those who have died in the country’s wars are honored, movies about war are sure to appear on television. Given the confluence of Memorial Day with the Uncle California suggestion, let us look at the movie Kelly’s Heroes (1970).

(From left, Clint Eastwood as Private Kelly, and Telly Savalas as Master Sergeant Big Joe in Kelly Heroes).

Kelly’s Heroes tells the story of a group of World War Two American soldiers who go AWOL to rob a bank behind enemy lines. The plan is the brainchild of Private Kelly, played by Clint Eastwood, who enlists the crew of Master Sergeant Big Joe, as played by Telly Savalas, to support the operation. Kelly himself is quite capable of leading the operation alone, yet had been unjustly kicked back to private as an act of bureaucratic discretion that made Kelly want to stick it to the man.

(Donald Sutherland as Oddball and Don Rickles as Supply Sergeant Crapgame in Kelly’s Heroes).

Don Rickles played the role of Supply Sergeant Crapgame was recruited by Kelly to get the guns and other supplies that were needed to get behind enemy lines. Add Donald Sutherland as a hippie tank platoon commander Oddball with three M4 Sherman tanks to the shenanigans. The mission itself is clearly established without the benefit of offical military planning, with the men pursuing a fight and riches through theft for their own accord.

(From left, Carroll O’Connor as General Colt and Gavin MacLeod as Moriarty in Kelly’s Heroes).

Kelly and the heroes who join him take clear risk and suffer real loss on their way, yet the squad level mockery of senior military leadership is demonstrated through General Colt, as played by Carroll O’ Connor. The tribulations of the journey getting through enemy lines and the silliness that ensued are provided in humorous relief with the support of Gavin MacLeod as Moriarty, Gene Collins as Babra, Stuart Margolin as Little Joe, Dick Balduzzi as Fisher, and Perry Lopez as Petuko.

(From left, Gene Collins as Babra, Stuart Margolin as Little Joe, Dick Balduzzi as Fisher, Perry Lopez as Petuko, and Telly Savalas as Big Joe in Kelly’s Heroes).

Overall, Kelly’s Heroes worked for me as a decent mix of satire combined with heist caper and battlefield action. Definite star appeal existed in the casting for the era of this film. While not the best of any individual elements mentioned as included with the film, I offer the movie Kelly’s Heroes 3.75-stars on a scale of one-to-five.

Matt – Saturday, June 6, 2020