Category: Trivia

“Number 17” directed by Alfred Hitchcock / Z-View

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Number 17 (1932)

Director:  Alfred Hitchcock

Screenplay: Alfred Hitchcock, Alma Reville, Rodney Ackland based on Number Seventeen by Joseph Jefferson Farjeon

Stars: Leon M. Lion, Anne Grey, John Stuart and Ann Casson.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

A detective enters an old, dark house late one evening.  Clues from a diamond necklace robbery have led him there. Once inside the detective discovers a man who claims he’s homeless and was looking for shelter for the evening.  The two discover the body of a man who was recently murdered.  Suddenly a woman falls from above!  As they question her, two additional men and a woman enter the house.  Some, maybe eveand ryone is involved in the diamond necklace theft.  Expect twists and not all will survive to the end.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Alfred Hitchcock wasn’t a fan of Number 17.  It wasn’t a film that he wanted to make.  Number 17 was adapted from a stage play.  Although conceived as a comedy-thriller, the end result fell short of expectations.  Although Hitchcock considered it a “disaster” it’s not as bad as that.

Hitchcock has no cameo in this one.

Number 17 (1932) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“The 39 Steps” (1935) directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Robert Donat & Madeline Carroll / Z-View

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The 39 Steps (1935)

Director:  Alfred Hitchcock

Screenplay: Charles Bennett, Ian Hay based on THE THIRTY-NINE STEPS by John Buchan

Stars: Robert Donat, Madeleine Carroll and Alfred Hitchcock.

Tagline: HANDCUFFED TO THE GIRL WHO DOUBLE CROSSED HIM!

The Plot…

Richard Hannay (Donat) is watching an act called Mr. Memory in a crowded London theater.  When a gunshot goes off in the crowd, the audience stampedes for the exits.  Hannay is surprised when a woman he doesn’t know says she’s frightened and asks to leave with him.  They end up in Hannay’s apartment where the woman claims to be a government agent.  She admits to firing the shots to escape enemy spies who had found her.  She claims to have information that is vital to the nation’s security.  Hannay isn’t sure what to believe.

Later that night the woman bursts into Hannay’s bedroom.  She has been stabbed.  As she dies she warns Hannay he needs to escape.  In her hand is a map with with a building named “Alt-na-Shellach” circled.  Soon Hannay finds himself on the run.  The police think he killed the woman and the enemy agents know he has information to bring them down.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Alfred Hitchcock claimed that The 39 Steps was one of his favorite movies that he directed.

Hitchcock’s cameo comes around the 7 minute mark.  He is the man walking by the bus who throws litter to the ground.

Richard Hannay shows ingenuity in escaping from his apartment (disguised as a milk man) and later at a political rally.

Hannay (Donat) and Pamela (Carroll) spend several scenes on the run while handcuffed to each other.  In a rehearsal Hitchcock had them handcuffed together for several hours since he had lost the key.  In reality, he hadn’t lost the key, but wanted them to get used to being joined by the cuffs.

The 39 Steps (1935) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“The Abyss” (1989) written & directed by James Cameron, starring Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio & Michael Biehn / Z-View

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The Abyss (1989)

Director:  James Cameron

Screenplay: James Cameron

Stars: Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Michael Biehn, Leo Burmester, Todd Graff, John Bedford Lloyd, J.C. Quinn, Kimberly Scott, Adam Nelson, Dick Warlock, Jimmie Ray Weeks, J. Kenneth Campbell, Ken Jenkins and Chris Elliott.

Tagline: Deep below the blue surface, there lies a place no one has ever dreamed of…..

The Plot

A United States military nuclear submarine has an encounter with something deep in the ocean and sinks.  The sub comes to rest near the Cayman Trough, the deepest point in the Caribbean Sea.  Soviet Ships are heading to the location to try to salvage whatever they can.  In an effort to beat the Russians, the US sends in a Navy SEAL team to work with Deep Core crew members.  Deep Core is a civilian company developing deep water vehicles for drilling.  To complicate matters a hurricane will hit the area in hours.

The civilian crew and the Navy Seals form an uneasy alliance that begins to fray when they reach the ocean floor.  The Seals have a hidden agenda… and there is something down there that no one was expecting.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

By all account The Abyss was a difficult shoot.  Tensions were high.  The actors did most of the stunts.  Both Ed Harris and James Cameron were in danger of drowning in different situations.  Both Ed Harris and Elizabeth Mastrantonio have not spoken highly about their experience making the film.

Fluid breathing is a real thing.  The rats used in the movie’s scenes actually breathed the specially treated fluid and were not harmed in the process.

The Abyss features an excellent cast from the stars to the supporting actors.  I was surprised by the turn of Michael Biehn’s character.

The Abyss was nominated for four Academy Awards (Best Cinematography: Mikael Salomon; Best Art Direction-Set Decoration: Leslie Dilley, Anne Kuljian; Best Sound: Don J. Bassman, Kevin F. Cleary, Richard Overton, Lee Orloff and won one for Best Effects, Visual Effects: Hoyt Yeatman, Dennis Muren, John Bruno, Dennis Skotak.)

The Abyss (1989) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“Road House” (1989) Trivia

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Rob Hunter at Film School Rejects posted 29 Things We Learned from the ‘Road House’ Commentary.  Sadly the post is no longer available, but here are three of my favorites from it…

The script called for a blind guitarist who played the instrument in his lap, and it was a direct reference to Jeff Healey who writer David Lee Henry had seen perform in Canada. The film’s music supervisor actually brought in Healey to audition, and he obviously got the job. (It was a plus and added to the film that they were able to get Healey for the film. – Craig)

Elliott initially declined the role of Wade as he felt it was too similar to the one he played in Mask (1985), but Herrington brought him in for a meeting to talk more about the character, and he changed his mind. “I can’t imagine this picture without Sam Elliott.” (Sam Elliott was definitely a plus.  He added gravitas to the film and it wouldn’t have worked as well without him. – Craig)

Keith David plays the new bartender, Ernie, and his original introductory scene — he comes to the bar with his girlfriend, gets into a fight with some rednecks, and is helped by Dalton — was cut from the film as it was already running too long. (Other scenes that were cut include Swayze fighting and Wade explaining his rose tattoo.  An extended cut would be interesting. – Craig)

“Black Dragons” starring Bela Lugosi & Clayton Moore / Z-View

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Black Dragons (1942)

Director:  William Nigh

Screenplay: Robert Kehoe, Harvey Gates

Stars: Bela Lugosi, Clayton Moore and Keye Luke

Tagline: See him pit his terror against Japan’s treacherous agents in the U.S.A.!

The Plot…

Prior to World War II Japan and Germany secretly killed and replaced six top US business leaders.  They did this by murdering the men and replacing them with Japanese agents who had facelifts performed by a Nazi doctor.  The Japanese agents could destroy the USA’s war efforts and provide information to assist the Axis.  When one of the spies is killed, Detective Dick Martin (Moore) is assigned to the case and discovers the evil plan.  It is up to Detective Martin and an unknown ally to bring down the foreign agents.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Filming on Black Dragons began about one and one half months after Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor making it one of the first movie responses.

If you buy the fact that the plastic surgery made the Japanese spies look exactly like the men they replaced, you still have to believe that they had perfect voice matches and knew each man’s personal history (including secrets) so they could fool friends and family.

It’s cool to see The Lone Ranger (Clayton Moore) paired with Dracula (Bela Lugosi).

Keye Luke who played Charlie Chan’s son in several films (and went on to a long Hollywood career) has a small role as one of the agents that Bela Lugosi operates on.

Black Dragons (1942) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“Open Range” – Trivia from Kevin Costner

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Rob Hunter at Film School Rejects posted 45 Things We Learned from Kevin Costner’s ‘Open Range’ Commentary. (Sadly the piece is no longer available.)  Open Range is one of my favorite westerns.  But here are three of my favorite pieces of trivia from the piece and my comments on each…

He (Costner) likes to keep one or two things from a production as mementos, and here it was the chloroform bottle from the doctor’s house. “I also kept my guns.”  (I think it’s cool Costner keeps momentos from his films. It’d be interesting to see what he kept from each movie on his resume. – Craig)

“I’ve always had a thing about reloading in movies,” he says, and he hates when characters shoot off more shots than the gun actually holds. That said, he admits that the start of the shootout sees Charley unload on a guy by “fanning” his revolver and firing more than six shots. “The fanning is such a mythical part of the western, and I hadn’t seen it in such a long time, that I had no way of justifying other than hell’s bells I wanted to do it.” (I agree that heroes that never reload can be irritating, but I absolutely agree with Costner’s choice in this instance.  I’ll bet most folks didn’t even notice. – Craig)

One of the things he felt was important was to follow the main street shootout with a look at the aftermath. “There are consequences for violence. Horses get killed, people are injured, the little girl with the father talking to her, there are psychological repercussions that come from violence, and while conventional wisdom is ‘come on, let’s get on with it,’ I wanted to touch on it.”  (Movies that have a lot of violence without showing the consequences become cartoon-like.  Costner made an excellent choice to give the movie gravitas. – Craig)

“The Hound of the Baskervilles” (1939) starring Basil Rathbone & Nigel Bruce / Z-View

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The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939)

Director:  Sidney Lanfield

Screenplay:  Ernest Pascal based on THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES by Arthur Conan Doyle

Stars: Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Lionel Atwill and John Carradine

Tagline: SPINE-CHILLING! The adventures of Sherlock Holmes on the ghostly moor!

The Plot…

The great detective Sherlock Holmes (Rathbone) and his assistant, Dr. Watson (Bruce) are called to the Baskerville Estate.  The Baskervilles seemed to be cursed.  Over the years many family members have died under unusual circumstances.  The estate is said to be prowled by a huge supernatural hound.  When Sir Charles Baskerville’s corpse was found, there was a giant pawprint near the body.  Now Sir Henry Baskerville has been warned he will be next to die.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The Hound of the Baskervilles was Basil Rathbone’s first outing as Sherlock Holmes.  20th Century Fox was so unsure of his star power Richard Greene was given top billing!  Rathbone as Holmes with Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson proved so popular that they not only returned for 13 more Sherlock Holmes films, they also appeared together on the radio in The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Revolution in the Ring” (2017) / Z-View

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Revolution in the Ring (2017)

Director:  Jason Sklaver

Writer: Jason Sklaver

Tagline: None

The Plot…

Teófilo Stevenson was a Cuban amateur boxer who won Gold Medals in the 1972, 1976 and 1980 Olympics.  Because Cuba outlawed professional sports in 1962, Stevenson was never allowed to turn pro.  With Stevenson’s Gold Medal wins, many wondered how he would fare against the best heavyweight boxers in the world.  Several promoters offered Stevenson one million dollars to challenge Muhammad Ali for the title.  The fight never happened.  Revolution in the Ring is that story.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

A couple of times it appeared that the Ali vs Stevenson fight would be made.  Fight aficionados still debate who would have won. Ali fought the best professionals in the world in battles that went 15 rounds.  Stevenson fought the world’s best amateurs in matches that lasted 3 rounds at most.  The edge would go to Ali in a professional fight.  Yet, if the fight was held in 1977, Ali was past his prime and Stevenson was still in his.  So maybe Stevenson would have the edge.  The fight never happened but the debate will never end.

Revolution in the Ring (2017) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“The League” (2023) / Z-View

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The League (2023)

Director:  Sam Pollard

Writers:  Bob Motley, Byron Motley

Stars:  Hank Aaron, Monte Irvin, Ernie Banks, Willie Mays, Jackie Robinson and Maya Angelou

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

The League details the birth, rise and demise of the Professional Negro Baseball Leagues and the outstanding players who made it popular.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The League shows that black players have been playing baseball since it’s invention.  It wasn’t until the major leagues wouldn’t allow players of color to participate that the Negro leagues came to be.  Cities that had a Negro League team saw their economies improve.  Fans saw a faster paced, more exciting game.

The League does an amazing job of presenting the social issues and history that brought about the formation of Negro Professional Baseball Leagues.  In addition to learning about the stars who played the game we learn about the folks behind the scenes who made the leagues possible.

The League earns my highest recommendation.

The League (2023) earns 5 of 5 stars.

“Lincoln’s Last Day” (2015) / Z-View

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Lincoln’s Last Day (2015)

Director:  Molly Hermann

Writer: Molly Hermann

Cast: William Frasca, Tuesday Beebe, Fritz Klein and William Mark McCullough

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Everyone knows that John Wilkes Booth assassinated Abraham Lincoln.  What many don’t know is that Booth was in a conspiracy that as he killed Lincoln, his associates would also kill Secretary of State William H. Seward and Vice President Andrew Johnson.  Lincoln’s Last Day details the plot as well as an almost hour by hour movement of all involved.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Lincoln’s Last Day is extremely well done.  Seeing actual artifacts worn by Lincoln on his last day as well as the derringer Booth used to kill the President add gravitas.

Lincoln’s Last Day (2015) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“Attack of the Hollywood Cliches!” (2021) hosted by Rob Lowe / Z-View

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Attack of the Hollywood Cliches! (2021)

Directors:  Sean Doherty, Ricky Kelehar, Alice Mathias

Writers:  Dane Baptiste, Ben Caudell, Sean Doherty

Stars: Rob Lowe, Andie MacDowell

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Rob Lowe hosts an exploration of movie cliches like the hero walking calmly away as something behind him explodes, one-man super-soldiers, kissing in the rain, a character coming from the grocery store always has a loaf of French bread sticking out of the bag and more.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

A harmless way to spend an hour.

Attack of the Hollywood Cliches! (2021) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“The Greatest Night in Pop” (2024) / Z-View

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The Greatest Night in Pop (2024)

Director:  Bao Nguyen

Stars: Lionel Richie, Harry Belafonte, Quincy Jones, Cyndi Lauper, Bruce Springsteen, Kenny Loggins, Huey Lewis, Smokey Robinson, Dionne Warwick, Sheila E.,  Kenny Rogers, Dan Aykroyd, Christie Brinkley, Lindsey Buckingham, David Byrne, Kim Carnes, Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Bob Geldof, Daryl Hall, James Ingram, Jackie Jackson, La Toya Jackson, Marlon Jackson, Michael Jackson, Randy Jackson, Tito Jackson, Al Jarreau, Billy Joel, Madonna, Bette Midler, Willie Nelson, John Oates, Jeffrey Osborne, Steve Perry, Anita Pointer, June Pointer, Ruth Pointer, Prince, Diana Ross, Paul Simon, Tina Turner, Stevie Wonder and Waylon Jennings

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

The Greatest Night in Pop chronicles everything from the birth of the idea to the night that dozens of the greatest recording stars in the world came together for a single session to create We Are the World.  The record went on to raise millions for African famine relief.  To this day, the song continues to raise money for the charity.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

It’s amazing that dozens of the biggest singing stars of the era could be brought together for one recording session.  Egos had to be left at the door.  Lionel Richie and Quincy Jones were able to keep the process moving.

At one point Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles both walked to the restroom together.  One of the stars remarked, “That’s truly the blind leading the blind.”

Paul Simon said that if a bomb was dropped on the studio, John Denver would be back on top.

It’s surprising that Madonna wasn’t included.  She was a huge star at the time.  Dan Aykroyd gets to be on the record, but not Madonna?

At one point Stevie Wonder wanted to include some lyrics Swahili.  Quincy Jones and others tried to see if they could make it work.  Waylon Jennings got frustrated with the attempts and left the recording.  Someone ultimately pointed out that Swahili wasn’t the language of the famine area.  The idea was dropped.

Having stars who are star-struck by being in the same room with their idols is fun.  Bob Dylan and others weren’t sure how to sing their solos. Things like that humanized them.  Hats off for having the soloists get parts that made the singers instantly identifiable.

The Greatest Night in Pop (2024) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“Woman in Hiding” (1950) starring Ida Lupino, Howard Duff & Stephen McNally / Z-View

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Woman in Hiding (1950)

Director:  Michael Gordon

Screenplay: Oscar Saul, Roy Huggins (adaptation) based on the story “Fugitive from Terror” by James Webb

Stars: Ida Lupino, Stephen McNally, Howard Duff, Peggy Dow, Irving Bacon, Don Beddoe and Joe Besser

Tagline: Hounded for money … pursued for love … hunted by a KILLER.

The Plot…

After her father falls to his death at his mill, Deborah (Lupino) decides to marry Selden Clark (McNally), her father’s second-in-command.  Soon Deborah learns that Seldon married her for her father’s business.  Seldon has a girl on the side and may have killed her father.

Realizing that Seldon has plans to kill her, Deborah goes on the run… with Seldon in hot pursuit.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Ida Lupino didn’t want to work with co-star Howard Duff.  She thought he was arrogant.  They married a year after the film’s release.

Look for Joe (The Three Stooges) Besser in a small but important role.

Woman in Hiding (1950) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“The Why Files”: Season 3 (2022) / Z-View

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The Why Files: Season 3 (2022)

Creator:  Andrew Gentile

Stars: Andrew Gentile

Tagline: Where Cool Nerds Laugh and Learn

The Plot…

The Why Files started as a weekly Youtube podcast where the host, Andrew Gentile looked at myths, legends, strange phenomena and more.  Gentile approaches each subject with respect and the right touch of humor.  After explaining the subject he then explains what part is true, debunks parts that can be and admits if the truth isn’t known.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Andrew Gentile is an excellent host.  His sidekick is a Hecklefish that adds humor.

Some of my favorite episodes from season three include: Dyatlov Pass Mystery Solved; Edgar Cayce – The Coming Storm; Computer Predicts the End of the World; The Dodleston Time Travel Mystery; The Dead Internet Theory; Alien Bases on the Moon; Why Ancient People Didn’t See the Color Blue; Legend of the Immortal – The Count of Saint Germaine and How a UFO Caused the Battle of Los Angeles.

The Why Files: Season 3 (2022) earns 5 of 5 stars.