Sunday, October 30, 2005
EARLY KIRK
Seven or eight hours in a squad room with a focus on one tough detective. A NYTimes 1176 Best Film:
William Wyler adapted and directed the Sydney Kingsley play. It looks like theater. It is theater. It is pretty good.
I loved the flow and blocking. The script must be twice as heavy as a conventional piece.
There are a lot of actors as 'stuff' happens constantly. It is a busy place.
Centerpiece is Douglas' sadistic cop. No holds barred. He was a great actor; held the screen and a dubious story together in this one.
Eleanor Parker, William Bendix, Lee Grant in her first role and the young Joseph Wiseman who became Dr. No in the first Bond movie.
Somehow I was always attracted to Wiseman. Yeh, I mean that way. The itch was still there today. And he was almost always a psychopathic killer. So, sue me.
I liked it a lot and will give it a 4 out of Netflix5.
