Richard Patterson Movies

This salute to the famous comedy team of the Marx Brothers is narrated by actor/director Gene Kelly. Shown are clips from many of their best-known films, including Duck Soup, Horse Feathers and Animal Crackers. Also shown are rare outtakes from their films and interviews with them, in addition to reminiscences and tributes by Dick Cavett, Robert Klein, David Steinberg and others. ~ Brian Gusse, All Movie Guide

Calisthenic breakdancing and big, bold graffiti art were in top form and popularity in the U.S. in the early and mid-'80s, and this documentary extols the spirit and the talents of a variety of New York youngsters who were expert in either one or both of these challenging pastimes. Public reactions are wildly varied. On the one hand, the youth brave a police crackdown on graffiti and face barbed-wire fences and guard dogs in the railroad yards where they spray paint subway cars with oversized lettering. On the other hand, their art is shown in a municipal gallery and analyzed with the same seriousness as a Rembrandt or a Renoir. Whether viewers judge the graffiti an "eyesore" or a bit of post-modern expressionism, it is true that both the art and the dancing are incisively presented in this hour-long exploration. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

That certifiable Firesign Theatre bunch, led by Philip Proctor and Peter Bergman, is back on the job in J-Men Forever. This time the Firesigners get their mitts on miles of footage culled from several Republic Pictures serials of the 1940s and 1950s. The dialogue emanating from the Republic actors has virtually no relation to what they were really saying. Instead, the footage had been re-edited and dubbed over to form a cockamamie scenario concerning an invading Lightning Bug, which will take over the world by utilizing insidious rock 'n' roll music unless the J-Men get their rears in gear. Like Woody Allen's What's Up, Tiger Lily?, J-Men Forever is a one-joke movie, but that one joke is worth a million laughs. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Gentleman Tramp utilizes clearer-than-usual vintage filmclips to trace the life and career of comedy giant Charlie Chaplin. This made-for-TV documentary was produced in the wake of Chaplin's "special Oscar" win of 1972 and the subsequent renewal of interest in his work. Walter Matthau provides the low-key narration, thankfully allowing Chaplin's silent comedies of 1914-1928 to speak for themselves. There really isn't anything new here, but Gentleman Tramp is an acceptable primer for those unfamiliar with Chaplin's genius. Those interested in Chaplain should also see Kevin Brownlow and David Gill's 1983 brilliant multiparter The Unknown Chaplin; most every other Chaplin documentary pales in comparison to that awesome achievement. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this sexy comedy an affianced woman decides to sow one last wild oat before becoming a devoted wife. She therefore dresses up in a slinky black number and goes to her company Christmas party. The shapely lass impresses both her boss and a sales manager for the cosmetic company. The manager then sends her a new dress and she goes to his hotel room to have a little lunch. When he makes a pass, she flees and returns to the party and spikes the punch. When her fiance shows up, they all kick him out. Soon the drunken party-goers begin cozying up to one another. The girl realizes she has gone too far and sets off the company sprinkler system to sober them up. Things are suitably dampened and the partiers begin getting rather glum until they hear that one of the employee's wives has given birth. Later, the troublemaker makes nice with her fiance and they leave. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide