The Caddy (1953)

About eight or ten years ago, I walked into my local Blockbuster and spent a few minutes looking through the racks.  It wasn't a large store, but seemed to have a pretty nice variety just the same.  I finally spotted a sales associate at the counter and asked her if she could help me.  I asked if they had any of the Martin and Lewis films.  She looked like a high-schooler and had the typical bored teenage attitude.  She gave me a blank stare as if I had spoken French.  She turned up her nose and asked, "who?" and that's when I knew I was in trouble.  Of course Blockbuster didn't have any of the Martin & Lewis films, so why should the staff know about them?  I left soon after and went home.  I felt disappointed, not because they didn't carry the films, but that most people today have no idea who these guys were.  If you had asked someone back in the late forties and fifties, he or she would probably have told you all about the Italian singer from Steubenville (Dean Martin) and the skinny Jewish comedian from Newark (Jerry Lewis).  You might even hear about Times Square.

But since this is 2011, I'll tell you about Times Square.  There are very few times in history when New York's Times Square has been completely shut down by a crowd of people.  I'm not including New Year's, either.  No, I'm talking about swarms of people gathering and physically shutting down the intersection.  It happened back when Martin & Lewis were on top - they were the number one act in America and growing in popularity around the world.  The story goes that the guys were performing in Times Square and had gone to their hotel room in one of the places on the Square.  They were leaning out the window and all their fans saw them and began to crowd in to see them.  I don't know if they threw fliers for their show or autographed photos or what from their window, but they drew one of the biggest crowds in New York's history.  If you can't imagine it, the footage of the event was kept and integrated into one of their films - 1953's The Caddy.  

I just finished reading an incredible book by Mark Rotella called Amore: The Story of Italian American Song.  I can't give it enough stars.  It chronicles not only the history of Italian American singers, but also provides a history of where that music started and the journey and hardships of Italian immigrants as they came to settle in America.  The book mentions the film The Caddy for a number of reasons.  The movie focuses on an Italian American family in San Francisco, where the father is a fisherman.  His son, Joe Anthony (Dean Martin), hates fishing and tries his hand at playing golf, hoping to win enough money to support his family.  His soon-to-be brother-in-law Harvey (Jerry Lewis) is the son of a pro-golfer, and takes on the job of Joe's caddy.  The Caddy references Joe DiMaggio's real life, as he too was a son of Italian immigrants.  His father was also a fisherman, he grew up in San Francisco, and he later left the family business for a life in sports.  My favorite line in the film comes from Joe's first introduction to a group of upper-class golfers at the country club.  The group (all very wealthy and noticeably with a WASP background) asks Joe what business his family is in, to which Joe replies "fish."  An English gentleman asks "exporting or importing?"  Joe, without missing a beat, replies just as arrogantly, "catching."       

Did you know that Joe DiMaggio refused to eat garlic?  He refused to eat it later in life because he didn't want the stereotypes that went with such an "Italian" smell.  While the movie's Joe Anthony didn't have that problem, you can't help but notice the "Americanization" of the name Joe Anthony.  That name change is common with many Italian-American singers; even Dean Martin was born Dino Crocetti.  The only one that I've read about who kept his given name was a blue-eyed crooner from Hoboken named Francis.  But I'm getting off track.  The second reason Mark Rotella discussed The Caddy in his book was because it features the very first time Dean Martin ever sang "That's Amore."  The scene (and the song) is so stereotypical that it borders on insulting, which is why Dean Martin initially refused to record the song.  In the movie, Joe's family throws him a huge welcome home celebration at the family restaurant.  A feast of traditional Italian foods is served and the guests are all clearly Italian families (with the exception of Harvey).  Joe's mother asks him to sing and he obliges, belting out the song, "That's Amore."  The song would not only sell millions of copies, but would define both Martin's career and the image of Italians in America.  Italians knew about love.  They knew how to laugh at their own stereotypes.  They weren't just the garlic eating laborers; they were the opera stars, baseball heroes and entertainers who could stop traffic in Times Square.

I know Martin and Lewis weren't the first comedy team to try the crooner-comedian formula.  Crosby and Hope had perfected it years earlier when they began making their "Road" pictures.  And Martin and Lewis aren't the most memorable of all comedy duos.  I wonder if that girl at Blockbuster would have recognized Laurel and Hardy or Abbott and Costello.  But what Dean and Jerry had really was magical - the right balance of comedy, music, and good old fashioned fun, not to mention a great working relationship.  And they knew their audience.  That being said, today we might cringe at some of Jerry's clowning (and heaven knows his fake voice is like nails on a chalkboard at times).  During the peak of their popularity, they made The Caddy.  It isn't a monumental film or even a great one for that matter, but it is a wonderful slice of history.  It shows us what made people laugh in the 1950s and also captures something in the course of Italian American history.  The presentation of the Anthony family is a horribly stereotyped character sketch, but one thing hits home - Joe's ability to transform from the son of immigrants to a famous celebrity.  It's the American dream, served up with an unforgettable song.

*A note on the photo -  I couldn't figure out how to format a caption, so here's the story.  The church is Sts. Peter & Paul Church in the Italian neighborhood of San Francisco.  It's the church where Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe posed for wedding photos (they had been married in the courthouse).  I made sure to find the church and snap a photo during my trip there.  So not only could the son of an Italian fisherman become an American hero, he could also marry the most desired actress in Hollywood.

Marty (1955)

I had no idea Ernest Borgnine could be so lovable!

Intro.

I never really liked Ernest Borgnine before, probably because I had always seen him cast as bad guys, most notably as "Fatso" in From Here to Eternity.  But the write-up of Marty in the television listings sounded simple but charming, so I gave it a shot.  The write up said: Love comes to a shy, heavyset Bronx butcher.  Oscars for Screenplay, Director, Lead Actor and Best Picture.

Overview
Marty Piletti is a heavyset 34-year old butcher living at home with his mother.  He's constantly reminded by his customers (mainly Italian-American wives and mothers) and family that all five of his siblings, both older and younger, are married.  "You should be ashamed of yourself," most of the women say.  But it's not like Marty can help it; "I've been looking for a girl every Saturday night of my life."  And this Saturday is no different; he and his friend Angie (Joe Mantell) heed his mother's recommendation and go to a dance club called the Stardust Room.  Marty gets the brush off from girls, as usual, and he gets a bit disheartened.  Then something incredible happens - this fellow approaches him, explains that he's on a blind date with a girl who's a dog and he's met up with some girl and wants to ditch his date.  He offers Marty $5 to take his place on the date, but Marty being a very kind hearted gentleman calls the guy out for being a huge jerk.  The guy goes off and Marty sees the girl alone.  She looks so fragile and sad and when she goes out onto the fire escape to cry, Marty follows her.  She's not a dog at all, though she's not as attractive as some of the other women at the club.  Her name is Clara (Betsy Blair) and pretty soon she and Marty are inseparable.  They dance, they confide in each other, they go out for coffee and wind up talking for three hours.  What they have in common is that they've both nearly given up on ever finding love.  Yet here they are, a perfect match.  That is, until Clara meets Mrs. Piletti and disagrees with the family situation - Mrs. Piletti's sister Catherine is being kicked out of her son and daughter-in-law's house because the two women can't get along.  So Mrs. Piletti, who's been after Marty to get married, refuses to like the girl he's finally found.  Marty's friends aren't any help either, saying that Clara's a dog.  Angie even gets jealous because Marty won't be spending time with him anymore.  Will Marty take a chance on Clara or will he let what might be his only chance for true love pass him by?

Highlights 
As I said in the tagline, I had no idea that Ernest Borgnine could be so lovable.  This is one of the few (and possibly the first) times he was cast against his bad-guy type.  And he's wonderful!  Right from the opening lines we can see how kind and patient he is, even against the constant barrage of "when are you gonna get married?"  We can see his close relationship with his family, which makes his decision much harder.  Borgnine does a great job and it's easy to see why he won Best Actor (though I would've been torn on the Committee because he was up against Frank Sinatra in The Man with the Golden Arm).

What works so well is the simplicity of this story.  A reviewer on IMDb wrote that this was the time when we didn't need special effects or action scenes to make a great and unforgettable story.  And we don't just have the story of Marty and Clara.  Just as impressive is the story of Aunt Catherine (Augusta Ciolli) and her fight with her daughter-in-law.  Two women trying to rule the same house is difficult and it's a real shame that they can't get along.  The fight that results between the daughter-in-law, Virginia, and her husband Tommy is realistic and an interesting perspective on married life.  The scene where that fight unfolds is after they move Aunt Catherine into her sister Mrs. Piletti's house.  They're on the porch and Marty's trying to ask Tommy about a business idea - he wants to buy the butcher's shop.  He asks a question, but Tommy replies instead to Virginia about the situation with his mother.  They finally leave, telling Marty that he's stupid to want to get married.  Meanwhile we also get this lovely exchange between sisters Catherine and Teresa (Mrs. Piletti).  They talk about growing old and feeling unloved and unwanted by their children.  For these women, their children were their whole lives and although they are happy to see them married, they are also facing  loneliness.  The heart of the film lies in this loneliness, both for the women and for Marty and Clara, and how it can be overcome.       

Clara is also really well played by Betsy Blair (who is anything but ugly, but made up to look less attractive).  She has a college education, a loving home with her parents and a job offer waiting for her, but the one thing she wants most is the one thing she can't have.  Her confession to Marty that she'd been to the Stardust Room before and sat alone for an hour and a half without a single dance request (guys even came to her table then changed their minds) is really important and truly heartbreaking.

I don't want to get too personal here, but watching this film made me feel better about myself.  If Marty and Clara can find love, then so can anyone.  That's what really made this film stand out to me - hope.  There really is someone for everyone.  It's what makes us human, this desire to love and be loved.  No wonder it won best picture.  Everyone can cheer for Marty and Clara.     

Two stories to end with: First, although television was a huge threat to the film industry in the fifties, this film crossed the line between the media.  Marty was originally a television drama featuring Rod Steiger.  But Burt Lancaster's production company bought the rights and made it into a feature film.  When it won Best Picture, the news left a big impact on the industry.  Television wasn't just the low-class enemy anymore.  And a funny story: I was on the phone with my friend Catherine trying to explain this story.  She asked, well, how ugly is the guy who plays Marty?  Is he really ugly?  I said, "well, it's Ernest Borgnine, so...."  I don't know that I'd call him the ugliest actor in Hollywood, but he's a very far cry from say, Cary Grant.  However, Betsy Blair I think was too pretty to play a "dog".  It also made me smile when she said no one would dance with her because her real life husband was Gene Kelly.

Review and Recommendation

I love this movie.  I know I've already said that, but I want to say it again.  I can always tell when I really liked a movie when I get really upset that it ends too soon.  In this case, I wanted to see the rest of it - Marty and Clara dating more, getting married, having a family.  But it was cut short!  Still, the way it ends is probably Borgnine's finest moment on film.  I definitely recommend Marty to everyone, especially to shy, single folks like me who have just reached the age when our group of single friends shrinks rapidly and we starting to get invitations to weddings.  If Marty and Clara can find love, so can we!  

Black Hand (1950)

Intro.

Can you name any films Gene Kelly made where there was no singing, dancing or music of any kind?  It's a bit hard, isn't it?  But Gene Kelly was a phenomenal actor in straight dramas too - I loved him in the film version of Inherit the Wind.  So when I saw Black Hand on the TCM lineup, I decided to watch.  All I knew was that it dealt with crime in New York City during the early 1900s.

Overview
Gene Kelly leads the film as Johnny Colombo, a boy who returns to Italy with his mother when his father is killed by the Black Hand in New York City.  Eight years later he returns as a grown man with a vow to avenge his father's death.  He soon reunites with some old friends like Isabella Gomboli (Teresa Celli) and meets an honest cop named Naish (Louis Lorelli).  Together Johnny tries to build a resistance to the Black Hand, but is sorely outmatched.  Finally a great idea comes to Johnny and Naish when a notorious mafia leader in New York is on trial (and winning because he intimidated all the witnesses).  The trial ends only because he is extradited to Italy, where he is wanted by the police.  Naish travels to Naples in order to check outstanding Italian warrants against men he knows to be mafiosos in New York.  He sends the photos and incriminating paperwork back to Johnny, only to have it used as ransom for the life of Isabella's little brother.  The film takes a few more twists as Johnny has to face off with the men who killed his father.

Highlights

IMDb has this film listed as a Thriller, Crime film and Film Noir.  Black Hand delivers on all three.  Gene Kelly is wonderful in his role, and now I am interested in catching a few more of his dramas.  He steps into the film noir like a natural, easily helping the film move through some of the more complicated plot points.  He becomes the heart of the story, as does his relationship with Isabella.  The only problem I had with this film was the opening when Gene Kelly is returning from Italy.  He cannot carry an Italian accent, though he tries.  I'm a bit ashamed to admit that I was laughing when his first lines were in flowing Italian that was thick with the accent of an Irishman from Pittsburgh.  I would have loved to have heard what Gene's friend Frank Sinatra thought of this film, but I digress.  Once Johnny gets back into New York, the accent slips away and he seems more comfortable.

I think what struck me the most in this film was the fine line between stereotype and an actual look at racism against Italians.  I think one of the most striking parts of the film comes during the trial of the mafia leader who has scared away all but one witness.  That lone witness is terrified on the stand and refuses to testify.  Naish comes up to him and gives this speech: "Carlo, did you ever go uptown, out of the district, and try to rent a room somewhere.  You couldn't get it.  They got it in their heads we're not as good as other people.  All they ever hear of us in the newspapers is murder.  All they ever see of us is in the slums or in gangs of pick-shovel men digging the subway.  They think it's because we're not good enough for anything else.  Those newspapermen out there - what are they gonna write about in tomorrow's papers?  'Scared witness refuses to testify'?  Would you like that?  Or maybe 'Brave Italian defies Black Hand warning'?  That would be better, huh? Are we an inferior race like they say, Carlo?"  To which Carlo responds by looking at the lawyer: "Ask me again."  What a great scene and a terrific speech!     

I could go on about the nuances of the film and the history of Italian immigrants, but this post would be far too long.  I did appreciate the line Isabella had in the beginning when she suggests to Johnny that he form a league for protection like they did in New Orleans.  New Orleans had been in 1891 the scene of a mass lynching of 11 Italian Americans.  (Read more about it here).  Meanwhile, groups like the Order of the Sons of Italy were founded to help Italian immigrants find jobs, get settled, learn English and become citizens.  So it made me proud to see Johnny fight the Black Hand in an honest way.  That I think is what defines this film.              

Review and Recommendation
There are some articles online suggesting that this film inspired The Godfather Part II, and after seeing Black Hand, I have to agree it must have been a strong influence.  While not as powerful or well-done a film as The Godfather Part II, this film has its merits.  It's an intriguing thriller and a good solid noir.  If you can make it past Gene Kelly speaking Italian, I have a feeling you'll enjoy it.  


P.S. Also, funniest line in the film?  The bartender, after hearing Kelly sing, says "A man with a voice like that comes here to drink, not to sing."

The Godfather (1972)

Intro.

Never has a film had such a powerful opening line as The Godfather.  It opens on a black empty screen and then you hear a voice heavy with a Southern Italian accent and a strong conviction: "I believe in America."  As the speaker continues, we begin to see his face and eventually more light brings into focus the rest of the room.  His name is Bonasera, and he has come to the one man who can give him justice that the government has denied him - Don Vito Corleone.  Right from that first moment, you know this is going to be a powerful movie.

I was fortunate enough to see The Godfather in a theater this past weekend, and one of my friends made an interesting comment - it was a very good movie, he said, but it was really predictable.  As I thought about the time it was released, The Godfather could really be called the first modern gangster movie.  So many films and other media outlets have borrowed, stolen or parodied it.  It has become a part of our essential culture, whether we like it or not.  How many times have we heard "I'll make him an offer he can't refuse" or "he's sleeping with the fishes"?  It became the icon of the mafia and an example of outstanding film making.

Overview
At a length of about three hours, The Godfather has many, many plot points that I won't be able to cover in a summary.  Basically the film follows the lives of the Corleone family, one of the Five Families in the New York City mafia of the late 1940s.  The don, Vito (Marlon Brando) is the thoughtful, strong, traditional father.  Santino, called Sonny (James Caan), is the headstrong, womanizing, fiery-tempered eldest son; lawyer Tom Hagan (Robert Duvall) is the level-headed orphan taken in and raised as a son by the Corleones; Fredo (John Cazale) is the sheepish, clumsy, easy-going middle son; Michael (Al Pacino) is the favorite youngest son - a reserved outsider who never joined the family business.  The film opens with their sister Connie's (Talia Shire) wedding.  No Sicilian can resist a favor asked of him on his daughter's wedding day, so everyone comes to see Don Corleone.  It sets up the tone of the film as Michael explains to his girlfriend Kay how his family works through violence and intimidation.  "That's my family Kay," he says, "it's not me."  That will eventually start to change though, as a big drug supplier comes to the city looking for support from the Five Families.  When Vito refuses, an attempt is made on his life.  An all out war begins and escalates when Michael steps out of his civilian status in order to get justice for his father's shooting.  He hides out in Italy, but the violence even catches up with him there.  A few deaths and plot twists later, and Michael returns home to take over as the new Don.  A huge blood-bath finale brings to a close one of the most gripping films of all time.   

Film History & Highlights
Over the years, I've read a lot about The Godfather.  The film itself has become so steeped in myth there are all kinds of stories.  First, the horse's head in the bed.  The entire story begins with Vito's godson Johnny (Al Martino) coming to the wedding.  He's a famous crooner down on his luck, and asks his godfather to help him get a part in a new film in Hollywood.  He says the part is written for him - he can just be himself and it would get him back on top.  Vito sends Tom to talk to the famous director.  The director says he hates Johnny and refuses to give him the part because it will make him a star.  The next morning, the director awakens with blood all over his silk sheets and pulls back the blanket to discover the bloodied severed head of his prized stallion.  The screaming alone sends chills through the audience.  It's worse still when you read afterward that it was a real horse's head from a butcher shop in New Jersey.  But what I find most interesting is that the story is itself a myth based on the great comeback of Frank Sinatra.  In 1952, Sinatra faced a horrible low point in his career.  Feared that he was a has-been crooner, he heard about the part of Angelo Maggio in From Here to Eternity.  The role was perfect - he wouldn't even need to act.  But he couldn't get the role.  Now with his many friends who were in the mafia, there were all kinds of rumors, but according to an interview with Ava Gardner, the real secret was that Frank agreed to do the picture for free.  That's what did it - no decapitated horse.  Audiences watching The Godfather in 1972 would probably have remembered Sinatra's comeback Oscar win, and adding that kind of American legend to a film already rich with the myths of the Italian mafia's power only heightens the film's overall stunning effect.      

The Godfather is the perfect capstone for the already amazing career of Marlon Brando.  He is brilliant in his subtle performance of Vito.  He is real, he is a man of the people, he is above all, a sympathetic hero.  You almost forget that he can have someone killed with the nod of his head.  He's a family man and always spends time with his children and grandchildren.  The film also helped make the other actors into stars - who knew at the time that young Al Pacino would rise to such iconic status?  The Godfather was only his third film!  I am always especially impressed with James Caan, who captures the hot-headed temperament of Sonny perfectly.  The supporting cast is equally wonderful (I mean, who can not love Clemenza with his line "Leave the gun; take the cannoli"?).       

I do have to admit that the film is long and feels long in some parts.  Really, it is trying to encapsulate the long, complex story of Mario's Puzo's book, and some first-time viewers may not understand all that happens.  Trust me, watch a second or even third time and you will enjoy it more each time.  The beauty of Coppola's style is that the characters and their conversations are all so realistic.  They aren't stylized, they aren't gangsters - they are family members with a fierce loyalty to one another.  Family is what the film is really about - family loyalty and the dark side of the American dream.  There is much more I could say and if you'd like to discuss it further, feel free to leave comments.

Review and Recommendation

Sometimes as a descendant of Italian immigrants, I feel ashamed to enjoy this film.  The Godfather served to fuel the negative stereotypes that groups like the Sons of Italy have fought against for generations.  But I feel that some of the underlying themes of the film are what really draw me into it and make it something Italian-Americans can value.  Devotion and love of family are central to the film's core.  Even with Santino's poor morals when it comes to adultery and murder, he will not sit still one moment when it comes to the abuse of his sister by her husband.  Vito's last talk with Michael really say a lot about immigrants the world over - "I never wanted this for you," he explains.  "I wanted you to be the one holding all the strings someday."  He wanted Michael to go farther, to live an honest, important life.  I think this depth and humanity, above all else, is what makes this film a standout from all other traditional gangster films.  Undoubtedly, The Godfather is one of the most influential films of all time across genres.  If you want to see how all our mafia cliches really started, watch this film.  You will see magnificent acting, directing, cinematography - truly every aspect is great.  As I said, it runs long and a bit slow at times, but the many breathtaking, edge of your seat scenes and haunting end sequence will show you why this film is a true classic.