Just some thoughts on current happenings:

Classic film screenings from around the world is returning this month in a limited capacity. Due to the Corona virus pandemic, please contact the theatre of choice regarding any restrictions including vaccination requirements, masks, social distancing, limited seating or last minute cancellations.

In London, United Kingdom The Prince Charles Cinema will present Blast from the Past (1999, a 35mm print) Monday, April 4, Out of the Blue (1980, a 35mm print) Thursday, April 7 and Friday, April 8, Heat (1995, a 35mm print) Friday, April 8, Casino (1995, a 35mm print) Saturday, April 9, The Public Enemy (1931, a 35mm print) Tuesday, April 12, Sweet Smell of Success (1957, a 35mm print) Saturday, April 16, Citizen Kane (1941, a 35mm print) Sunday, April 17, and The Conversation (1974, a 35mm print) on Friday, April 29.

Click on the film’s respective image for more information. To see April’s complete programming, click on The Prince Charles Cinema banner above.

In Bergen, Norway The Cinemateket i Bergen will present Possession (1981) Tuesday, April 5 and Wednesday, April 20, and The Ascent (1977) on Thursday, April 7 and Tuesday, April 19.

For more information on each film’s showing, click on the movie’s image above. For more information on the other films showing at The Cinemateket, click on the banner image above.

In Los Angeles, California The Beverly Cinema will present a double bill of Rio Bravo (1959, a 35mm IB Tech print) and Assault on Precinct 13 (1976, a 35mm print) Tuesday, April 5, Wednesday, April 6 and Thursday, April 7, a double bill of The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938, a 35mm print) and Captain Blood (1935, a 35mm print) Thursday, April 14 and Friday, April 15, a double bill of The African Queen (1951, a 35mm IB Tech print) and The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948, a 35mm print) Tuesday, April 26 and Wednesday, April 27, Goldfinger (1964, a 35mm print) Friday, April 29 (at 2 pm only), and King Kong (1933, a 35mm print) on Saturday, April 30 (at 2 pm only).

Click on the film’s respective image for more information. To see the rest of April’s schedule, click on The Beverly Cinema banner above.

In New York City, New York, Film Forum is presenting SIDNEY POITIER & HIS TRAILBLAZING CONTEMPORARIES a 4- Week, 47 film festival tribute to Poitier and Black Actors of His Generation to Thursday, April 28. Just a few of the highlights include The Killing (1956, a 35mm print) Tuesday, April 5 and Saturday, April 16, The Defiant Ones (1958, a 35mm print) Wednesday, April 6, Sunday, April 10 and Thursday, April 21, In the Heat of the Night (1967) Friday, April 8, Sunday, April 10 and Monday, April 25, Intruder in the Dust (1949, a 35mm print) Friday, April 22, and The Liberation of L.B. Jones (1970, a 35mm print) on Thursday, April 28.

For information on these or the other films in this series, click on the corresponding image above. For information on all of the films playing this month, click on the Film Forum banner above.

In theatres across the U.S. Flashback Cinema is presenting The Godfather (1972, as part of this film’s 50th Anniversary) Wednesday, April 6, Rear Window (1954) Sunday, April 17 and Wednesday, April 20, and Pride & Prejudice (2005) on Sunday, April 24 and Wednesday, April 27.

Click on the respective poster image for more information. To see the entire month’s programming, click on The Flashback Cinema banner above.

In theatres across the U.S., TCM and Fathom Events are presenting Singin’ in the Rain (1953, as part of this film’s 70th Anniversary) on Sunday, April 10 and Wednesday, April 13.

Click on the film’s poster image for more information. To see this month’s entire schedule, click on The Fathom Events banner above.

In Melbourne, Australia The Astor Theatre is presenting The Hawks and the Sparrows aka Uccellacci e uccellini (1966, as part of a tribute to the film’s director Pier Paolo Pasolini) Monday, April 11 and Wednesday, April 13, Solaris (1972, a 35mm print, as part of this film’s 50th Anniversary) Thursday, April 14, Casablanca (1942, a 4k digital presentation, as part of this film’s 80th Anniversary) Sunday, April 17, The Grim Reaper aka La commare secca (1962) Wednesday, April 20, and The Thing (1982, a 4k digital presentation, as part of this film’s 40th Anniversary) on Friday, April 22, Saturday, April 23 and Sunday, April 24.

Click on the film’s image for more information. To see the rest of April’s schedule, click on The Astor Theatre banner above.

In Valencia, Spain, Culturarts Generalitat IVAC – La Filmoteca at the Edificio Rialto will be presenting El anacoreta aka The Anchorite (1976, a 35mm print) Wednesday, April 13 and Thursday, April 21, Tales of Ordinary Madness aka Storie di ordinaria follia (1981, as part of a tribute to the San Sebastian Film Festival’s 70th Anniversary) Saturday, April 16 and Sunday, April 17, and City Lights (1931, as part of a tribute to the film’s director Charles Chaplin) on Sunday, April 17 and Tuesday, April 19.

Click on the respective film’s image for more information on each screening. To discover the entire month’s programming, click on the banner image above.

In Auckland, New Zealand Academy Cinemas is presenting Blade Runner: The Final Cut (1982/2007, as part of this film’s 40th Anniversary) Wednesday, April 13, The Long Good Friday (1980) Friday, April 15, a double bill of The Holy Mountain (1973) and The Devils (1971, the X-rated UK version) Saturday, April 16, and Elmer Gantry (1960) on Sunday, April 17.

To obtain more information specifically on each of these programmes, click on the corresponding image. To see the entire month of April’s programming, click on the Academy banner above.

In Los Angeles, California Secret Movie Club is presenting at The Million Dollar Theatre Au Hazard Balthazar (1966, a 35mm print) on Saturday, April 16.

For more information on this special screening, click on the above movie image. To discover other screenings organised by this group, click on the above theatre image.

There are 16 recommended films to watch on Turner Classic Movies in the U.S. this month:

One of my past TCM recommendations, reviewed here, is The Lost Weekend. Billy Wilder's portrayal of a struggling alcoholic contains a powerhouse performance by Ray Milland. The bottle can be found on TCM Wednesday, April 6 at 5 pm PDT.

In case anyone reading this hasn’t seen the first in a succession of sequels, remakes, reboots, even a TV series, TCM can remedy that by revisiting 1968’s Planet of the Apes, reviewed here and arriving Thursday, April 7 at 5 pm PDT.

(From left) Charlton Heston, Jeff Burton, Robert Gunner

My next, somewhat half-hearted, recommendation is a crime film, surely enjoyed by die-hard fans of the genre for its craftsmanship but admittedly lacking in meaningful revelation. Sam Peckinpah's The Getaway, formerly reviewed here, will bond viewers with moments of supreme adrenaline rush and takes off Monday, April 11 at 5:45 am PDT.

My next recommendation is classic film noir: Out of the Past, one of the category’s finest and most highly praised here. She will arrive Monday, April 11 at 9:45 am PDT.

Bonnie and Clyde is a seminal gangster saga heavily influenced by the French iconoclast Jean-Luc Godard. A prior review here includes a special contribution from Bob DiMucci who informatively reports on some of the film's critical responses at the time of its release. Following that, are my personal recollections at the age of 12 upon seeing this radically-new expeditious approach to American cinematic storytelling. The Barrow Gang will strike Monday, April 11 at 1:15 pm PDT.

Next, we return to another one of film noir's finest, Gun Crazy, previously reviewed here. Noir's most distinguishing feature, a focus on their criminal participants' psychology, marks a major shift regarding motive. In the earlier "gangster" films, money and power provided enough reason for the pursuit of illegal gains whereas in noir, the internal cause behind the action is paramount, and runs so much deeper... and darker. See for yourself, Monday, April 11 at 3:15 pm PDT.

Does anyone notice anything peculiar in this shot considering this film was made during the Production Code?

Make way for the rapturous Stanley Donen directed musical Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, reviewed here, Wednesday, April 13 at 8:45 am PDT.

The caper film first laid its roots in The Asphalt Jungle previously reviewed here. The depth of its characters and their fascinating interactions as the drama builds to a cathartic resolution, is why this film has become one of America's finest cinematic achievements. The 'planning' will start on TCM the morning of Thursday, April 14 at 9:15 am PDT.

(From left) Sterling Hayden, Brad Dexter, Louis Calhern, Sam Jaffe

Director Howard Hawks excelled at capturing the exciting elements in all genres: gangster films, Scarface (1932), film noir The Big Sleep (1946) and westerns Red River (1948) just to name a few. Offering further proof of this is the hilarious Bringing Up Baby, previously reviewed here. The antics will begin on TCM Monday, April 18 at 9:15 am PDT and again on Friday, April 29 at 9:45 pm PDT.

Raoul Walsh's Colorado Territory is the impassioned director's artistically superior western remake of his previous film noir High Sierra. Readers can discover why I make this claim here, and for those familiar with the earlier Humphrey Bogart vehicle, decide for themselves when Colorado Territory is explored Friday, April 22 at 10:45 am PDT.

Friday evening, TCM is showing one of the most astute explorations of small town American life, The Last Picture Show, previously reviewed here. This is one of the finest films of the ‘70s and can be seen Friday, April 22 at 7 pm PDT.

(From left) Timothy Bottoms, Ben Johnson, Sam Bottoms

From the same director who brought us Citizen Kane comes another kind of cinematic hero (of sorts). Michael O'Hara, like the deeply flawed Kane, is flawlessly played by his creator Orson Welles. Unlike Citizen Kane, however, this film fell under its producer Harry Cohn's butchery with considerable footage lost and destroyed forever. Nevertheless, what survives is vastly entertaining and not to be missed. The Lady from Shanghai was previously recommended here and will reappear on TCM Saturday, April 23 at 10:30 am PDT.

“What a story! Everything but the bloodhounds snappin' at her rear end.”

All About Eve is really all about the spoken word and is a prior TCM recommendation here. She will make her appearance Sunday, April 24 at 10:30 am PDT.

A really bad day is in store for anyone who encounters Them! (the giant mutant ants that is). The motion picture, however, is one of the best creature features ever made, and a previous recommendation here. Them! will march on TCM Wednesday, April 27 at 6:15 am PDT.

If a rambling narrative, coupled with an irreverent attitude is not your thing, you’ll probably want to skip my next TCM recommendation this month, Robert Altman’s California Split, previously reviewed here. The “plot” if one can call it that, concerns a couple of freewheeling gamblers played by Elliott Gould and George Segal who some may find, as I do, charismatic enough to make their camaraderie highly infectious and escapades entirely engaging. The split will happen on TCM Wednesday, April 27 at 10:45 pm PDT.

(In foreground from left) Elliott Gould, George Segal

Kelly’s Heroes (1970) is a quasi-effective heist/adventure, war time drama/absurdist comedy which, as one might have guessed by my description, doesn’t really come together in a cohesive manner. The filmmakers' scattershot approach to narrative development lacks the visionary overview of more purposeful cinema sharing the topic of war's insanity such as M*A*S*H or even Catch-22 both of which were released the same year as Kelly's Heroes. Plus, at 2 hours and 24 minutes, it’s a long haul for those unwilling to go along with its numerous shifts in tone. Alternatively, viewers who are largely taken in by the unconventional characters, their mission and encountered obstacles, will probably find plenty of compensational riches in all of the diverse aforementioned aspects of this spirited yarn.

More than once, Lieutenant Kelly (Clint Eastwood playing it straight) makes a convincing case for getting something for himself and his unit of enlisted men out of a war (WWII) he doesn’t either fully comprehend, maintain a greater conviction for fighting and risking his life, or both. These declarations in particular provide a solemn, practically anti-war, reason for capturing a large gold deposit behind enemy lines, the seriousness of which is undermined when witnessing his fellow recruits’ (especially those played by Don Rickles and Donald Sutherland) * often bumbling, wildly eccentric and outrageous repartee and antics. If the viewer can accept this explosion of incongruity observed throughout, right from the opening credits mind you, when the catchy but out of place song “Burning Bridges” ** is heard on the soundtrack as artillery shelling is happening all around, there are some pretty humorous character enriching moments to treasure along the way to its “heroic” finale.

(From left) Donald Sutherland, Clint Eastwood

Brian G. Hutton, even after directing Where Eagles Dare, is still blowing things up as ace cinematographer Gabriel (The Pearl, Nazarin) Figueroa captures the striking imagery in vivid technicolor. The imaginative, idiosyncratic and sprawling screenplay is by Troy Kennedy Martin. Composer Lalo Schifrin gives his all in trying to bridge the film’s many tossed about oppositional characteristics and perspectives. His brief homage to Ennio Morricone when Kelly and two of his “heroes” confront a German tank commander is delightful (as is the scene itself). Director Quentin Tarantino has returned the favour by giving Schifrin a small tribute by reviving a bit of this 1970 score (“Tiger Tank”) in his 2009 WWII film Inglourious Basterds. Kelly’s Heroes will be called into action on TCM (updated) Monday, May 29 (2023) at 1:15 pm PDT.

* One would be hard pressed to find a more anachronistic character in all of cinema than Donald Sutherland’s “Oddball”: a futuristic 60’s hippie complete with long hair and full beard, who lays about in the sun, speaks of love, positivity and beauty, in keeping with a WW II divisional tank commander who strategises mowing down the enemy just for his own possible materialistic success. (Still, he has his moments!)

** (a passage from the song):

Joey tried to help me find a job
A while ago
When I finally got it I didn't want to go
The party Mary gave for me
When I just walked away
Now there's nothing left for me to say

TCM's current monthly schedule can be confirmed by clicking on any of the above TCM related images. For those who live in parts of the U.S. other than the western region, the time zone can be adjusted in the upper right-hand corner of TCM's programme.

April's Soundtrack recommendation is Men in War, with music composed by Elmer Bernstein.

Master composer Elmer Bernstein captures all of the ominous intensity prevalent in Anthony Mann’s superb war drama, the film previously heralded here. This is a limited edition soundtrack (only 1000 units made) released by Kritzerland and still currently available from Screen Archives Entertainment. Click on the accompanying image for more information, music samples and ordering.

This month's Happy Birthday shout out goes to Italian born actress Adriana Asti who turns 91 on April 30th.

Some of the films she has enlivened with her special talent include Accattone (1961), Before the Revolution (1964), The Visionaries (1968), For Love One Dies (1972), Ludwig (1973), A Brief Vacation (1973), The Phantom of Liberty (1974), Zorro (1975), The Inheritance (1976), A Simple Heart (1977), Black Journal (1977), Caligula (1979), Chimère (1989), The Seventh Room (1996), The Best of Youth (2003), Pasolini (2014) and Nome di donna (2018).

April’s Blu-ray recommendation contains 2 World War II films, both starring Clint Eastwood and directed by Brian G. Hutton and both of which have been reviewed here at The Cinema Cafe: Where Eagles Dare (1968) and Kelly’s Heroes (1970). This twofer issued by Warner Home Video is available from Screen Archives Entertainment by clicking on the accompanying image.

A.G.

The Cinema Cafe

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