Tuesday, April 21, 2009
FAST TRAIN RIDE
Today's NYTimes Best 1176 Film was
with John Barrymore as a broadway producer and Carole Lombard as his estranged discovery/protegé.
In 1978, we saw the broadway musical production of this same story. John Cullum had the producer role and Madelyn Kahn was the protegé. The production also had Imogene Coca as the religious nut and Kevin Kline as Ms. Kahn's gigolo (after she split from the producer).
Here we go into the complex plot which culminates in farce on the Twentieth Century Limited, a train that used to run from Chicago to New York and back again.
Much door slamming, running in and out of cars and so on.
The movie is slow to start but gets rolling in the second act on the train.
It is a great story written originally by Ben Hecht, Charles MacArthur.
Very good.
Barrymore is in his prime here as a comedian mocking himself, actually. He is funny. His timing is perfect and is hair has a supporting role.
I will give it a 3 out of Netflix5 and it is time to get the original cast recording of the musical out again if I have it.
Labels: best films
