Haskell Wexler Movies
A Chicago-born amateur filmmaker, Haskell Wexler broke into feature films in 1959 as a cinematographer on the documentary The Savage Eye (1960). Wexler photographed the dramas The Hoodlum Priest (1961), Angel Baby (1961), The Best Man (1964), and later distinguished himself as cinematographer on the Mike Nichols drama Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1965). He worked on such high profile feature films as In The Heat of the Night (1967) and The Thomas Crown Affair (1968), but also produced and directed the documentaries The Bus and Medium Cool (1969), the latter a very successful and controversial look at the violence and strife surrounding the anti-war movement and the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. During the 1980s, he also produced and directed the feature film Latino (1985), which was highly critical of American policy in Central America. Wexler has won Academy Awards for his work in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Bound For Glory (1976), and also worked on such documentaries as Gimme Shelter and The Stones At the MAX. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
The winner of the 1967 Oscar for Best Picture (as well as four other Oscars), In the Heat of the Night is set in a small Mississippi town where an unusual murder has been committed. Rod Steiger plays sheriff Bill Gillespie, a good lawman despite his racial prejudices. When Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier), a well-dressed northern African-American, comes to town, Gillespie instinctively puts him under arrest as a murder suspect. Tibbs reveals himself to be a Philadelphia police detective; after he and Gillespie come to a grudging understanding of one another, Tibbs offers to help in Gillespie's investigation. As the case progresses, both Gillespie and Tibbs betray a tendency to jump to culture-dictated conclusions. Still, the case is solved thanks to the informal teamwork of the two law officers. Based on the novel by John Ball, In the Heat of the Night inspired two sequels, both starring Poiter as Virgil Tibbs. In 1987, a TV series version of In the Heat of the Night appeared, with Carroll O'Connor as Gillespie and Howard Rollins as Tibbs. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sidney Poitier, Rod Steiger, (more)
- 1966
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"You are cordially invited to George and Martha's for an evening of fun and games." Thus read the ad copy for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, which in 1966 went farther than any previous big-studio film in its use of profanity and sexual implication. George (Richard Burton) is an alcoholic college professor; Martha (Oscar-winner Elizabeth Taylor) is his virago of a wife. George and Martha know just how to push each other's buttons, with George having a special advantage: he need only mention the couple's son to send Martha into orbit. This evening, the couple's guests are Nick (George Segal), a junior professor, and Honey (Sandy Dennis), Nick's child-like wife. After an evening of sadistic (and sometimes perversely hilarious) "fun and games," the truth about George and Martha's son comes to light. First staged on Broadway in 1962 with Uta Hagen and Arthur Hill, Edward Albee's play was adapted for the screen by Ernest Lehman, who managed to retain virtually all of Albee's scatological epithets (this was the first American film to feature the expletive "goddamn"). Lehman opened up the play by staging one of George's speeches in the backyard, and by relocating the film's second act to a roadside inn (he also added four lines--"all bad," according to Albee). Thanks to the box-office clout of stars Taylor and Burton, not to mention the titilation factor of hearing all those naughty words on the big screen, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf was a hit, and it won 5 Oscars, including awards for Taylor and Dennis, though it lost Best Picture to A Man for All Seasons. First-time director Mike Nichols lost the Oscar, but this movie gave him a perfect transition from his stage work and established him as a hot young Hollywood director, leading to his acclaimed (and Oscar-winning) work on his next movie, The Graduate. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, (more)
- 1965
This documentary covers the trip made by San Francisco civil-rights activists to the March on Washington. The passengers relate their own experiences in the ongoing, pacifistic fight for their rights under the Constitution. A black man relates his story about the march in Gadsden, Alabama in which the police were called and used brutal tactics in an attempt to disburse the peaceful demonstration. The sound recording is uneven, but the feature does get the message across. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
The satire in Evelyn Waugh's darkly comic novel The Loved One was originally double-edged. The book was not only an attack on the Southern California funeral industry but also a lampoon of Hollywood's "British colony," those clannish, cricket-playing English actors of years gone by who bemoaned the artificiality of Tinseltown while eagerly accepting the demeaning and insignificant movie roles they were offered. The film version of The Loved One, anxious to live up to its ad-campaign promise of containing "something to offend everybody," downplays the British-colony business (save for the presence of the magnificent Robert Morley) and pumps up the "death" gags. Innocent British poet Dennis Barlow (Robert Morse) falls in love with funeral-home cosmetician Aimee Thanatogenos (Anjanette Comer), who in turn is loved by prissy funeral director Mr. Joyboy (Rod Steiger). The latter lives with his obese mother (Ayllene Gibbons), whose eating sequence is far more hilarious (and more tasteless) than many of the film's calculatedly "black" jokes. A huge guest-star cast is headed by Jonathan Winters in a dual role as a funeral home manager and his covetous twin brother, who operates an elaborate pet cemetery. Musician Paul Williams is also on hand as a 13-year-old aeronautics genius who develops a method of sending corpses into "eternal orbit" (a plot device that Waugh neglected to include in his novel). Film historian William K. Everson has commented that The Loved One is one of the best and most underrated comedies of the 1960s. For others, especially those who might feel guilty chuckling at the sight of Anjanette Comer committing suicide with an embalming needle, it's purely a matter of taste...or lack of same. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Morse, Anjanette Comer, (more)
- 1964
Gore Vidal adapted his biting and bitter political satire from his hit Broadway play. Franklin J. Schaffner directed and Haskell Wexler provided the sharp-edged cinematography. The story concerns the political back-biting and smear politics involved in a presidential election year scramble by potential presidential party nominees. Lee Tracy (in an Oscar-nominated performance and his final screen role) is Art Hockstader, a dying president who refuses to throw his support behind any of his party's presidential hopefuls. Hoping to get the nod as the party's presidential candidate is liberal do-gooder William Russell (Henry Fonda). His wife Alice (Margaret Leighton) wants to get a divorce from Russell but is delaying the divorce proceedings until after the party convention. Opposing Russell for the nomination is Joe Cantwell (Cliff Robertson), a slick and unscrupulous political monster who will use any bit of dirt to get ahead in the party. When he discovers that Russell once suffered from mental problems, he threatens to use it against him. Russell then finds out that Cantwell once had a homosexual relationship. Russell, who abhors smear politics, now has to decide whether to use the information against Cantwell or bury the secret and risk losing the nomination. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Henry Fonda, Cliff Robertson, (more)
- 1963
In this melodrama, set in German-occupied Italy during WW II, a Yankee spy is concealed in the attic of an underground contact's house. The contact's wife does not want him there as she is having an affair with the German Officer who is looking for him. He remains in the attic, hidden by the woman's son. Trouble ensues when the American is seen by the woman and her lover. He must escape across the slippery rain-soaked tile roof tops. The German troops are in hot pursuit. They are also after the woman who stands accused of sheltering the spy. Her lover, the German officer, realizing that he could lose it all for consorting with a local, shoots and kills the woman. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rory Calhoun, Marina Berti, (more)
- 1963
Filmmaker Elia Kazan based America, America on the early life of his Greek-immigrant uncle. Stavros Topouzoglow is the young immigrant, whose starry-eyed impressions of America are soon compromised by reality. Despite the casual cruelties, betrayals, and career setbacks, Stavros forms strong and lasting friendships which help him weather the worst. An Oscar went to the painstakingly accurate art direction of Gene Callahan. Despite moments that are not suitable for children, America, America won a rare "bell-ringer" rating from the high-school oriented Scholastic magazines back in 1963; in the years since, it has become a stalwart of the American Movie Classics cable service. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stathis Giallelis, Frank Wolff, (more)
- 1963
In this crime drama, naive Lonnie allows a Spanish revolutionary and his henchman to rent his car. Unfortuantely, the duo use the car to escape after pulling off a diamond heist (the money will be used help support the Spaniard's cause). Lonnie begins investigating and along the way learns that his long-lost love has also joined the cause and works as a hooker to make her own financial contributions. Later, the Spaniard captures Lonnie and makes him drive the boat they commandeered. Also on board is the former owner's lovely daughter, with whom Lonnie falls in love. Together, Lonnie and the girl manage to stop the criminal activities of the "revolutionary" for good. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1962
A young delinquent from a Mexican border town sets out to cross the border and search for his long lost father, in the process befriending a loyal greyhound puppy and a sympathetic priest who helps train the dog to become a champion racer. For Felipe (Roger Mobley), every day above ground is cause for celebration; not only does he have to fend for himself in a small border town, but he dreams of one day crossing into California to track down the father he never knew. After befriending a greyhound pup for companionship, Felipe and his four-legged friend hop a truck headed for the border in hopes of gaining entry into the United States. Unfortunately, an eagle-eyed customs agent spots the Felipe while searching the truck. Just as it looks like Felipe will be heading back to Mexico, the owner of the truck - a kindly priest named Father Dugan (Cesar Romero) - convinces the agent to allow them passage. Later, when driving back to Mexico, the greyhound falls from his hiding spot in the truck and gets badly injured. But while the local vet recommends that the dog be put to sleep in light of his injuries, Father Dugan recognizes the bond he shares with the boy and makes the case for an operation. As the surgery gets underway, the doctors are forced to improvise - using the staff from a statue of St. Michael in order to fix the dog's leg. In light of this unusual development, Felipe names the dog "St. Mike" and begins training him to become a professional racer. Thanks to a little help from Father Dugan, Felipe undergoes a kind of moral rehabilitation while "St. Mike" becomes fast enough to take top prize in an important race. Later, when the dog's original owner appears to congratulate Felipe, the young boy's newfound morals are put to the ultimate test. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cesar Romero, Roger Mobley, (more)
- 1961
Based on Jenny Angel, a novel by Elise Oaks Barber, Angel Baby is a gloves-off study of the faith-healing racket. The title character, played by Salome Jens, is a mute whose speech is ostensibly restored by Bible-thumper George Hamilton. Angel Baby is then exploited on the evangelical circuit by crooked promoter Burt Reynolds (in his feature film debut). She becomes disillusioned, but her faith is restored when she apparently heals a crippled child. Any opportunity to see stage actress Salome Jens in one of her rare movie roles is always to be treasured; in this instance, Ms. Jens is backed up by an equally stellar supporting cast, including Mercedes McCambridge, Joan Blondell, and Henry Jones. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Hamilton, Mercedes McCambridge, (more)
Director Irvin Kershner, better known for his big-budget films like The Empire Strikes Back, joins with scripters and lead Don Murray to create this moving and effective docudrama. The story is based on the experiences of real-life Rev. Charles Dismas Clark (played here by Murray), a Jesuit priest devoted to working with young ex-convicts who face uphill battles in trying to re-integrate into a society that discriminates against them. At focus is the struggle of Billy Lee Jackson (Keir Dullea) with his personal demons as he gets involved in crimes which are not of his doing alone. His case illustrates the nature of the majority of cases, and like the majority, he pays in spades for his "mistakes." A powerful argument for looking at the horror of the death penalty and society's responsibility for crime, this well-wrought story is compelling and consistently effective. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Don Murray, Larry Gates, (more)
- 1960
In this western, a US marshal escorts five female killers across Texas to prison. Along the way, they are ambushed by Indians and by one of the women's outlaw husbands. They must also endure the rugged terrain, weather, and romantic yearnings. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1960
Based on author James T. Farrell's trilogy written between 1932 and 1935 and later combined into a one-volume Studs Lonigan book, this less than two-hour film does not quite do justice to the literary whole. Studs (Christopher Knight) is raised on Chicago's infamous South Side, an Irish kid when prejudice against the Irish was still around and hanging tough was the norm in impoverished neighborhoods. Once he leaves grade school behind and enters high school, a world of "wenching," fights, drinking, and wild parties starts to open up. By 1929, Studs is trapped into a marriage he comes to hate and as the decade of the '30s begins, he is still trying to be as tough as he can. But as he learns, no one can out-tough the Great Depression. At times confusing and histrionic and wordy (not to mention censored to fit a 1960s unspoken coda), Studs Lonigan falls short of the pithy, emotional, rugged world of Farrell's Irish hoodlum. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Knight, Frank Gorshin, (more)
The Savage Eye opens by introducing the camera lens as a "character" who will follow the leading lady (Barbara Baxley) throughout her day. The woman is a recent divorcee who moves to Los Angeles in hopes of jump-starting her life. As she weaves her way through the LA, we share her observations on the various denizens of the street, from religious fanatics to faddists. Except for a smattering of professionals like Baxley, Gary Merrill and Herschel Bernardi, most of the characters in Savage Eye are the genuine article, though they're all too aware they're being photographed and thus can't be taken as completely "real." A mixed-bag attempt at cinema verite, Savage Eye was cocreated by Joseph Strick, the entrepreneur who later tried to film James Joyce's unfilmable slice-of-life novel Ulysses. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Barbara Baxley, Herschel Bernardi, (more)
