As many local followers of Mid Century Cinema are aware, we are opening up a branch office in Boston. To cut the ribbon on the new regional headquarters we thought we’d give a quick shout out to our ten favorite films shot in the local area (remembering always the Andre and Wally rules about all such lists). And so here they are, David Letterman style:
10)The Boston Strangler (Fleisher 1968). The title pretty much sums it up. A fantastic cast includes Tony Curtis, Henry Fonda, George Kennedy, Hurd Hatfield, Jeff Corey, Murray Hamilton, and Sally Kellerman. Strangler is attractively shot, with many fine scenes and an occasional smart turn of phrase. And it’s a nice showcase for Curtis, who gets a chance to stretch.
9)The Brink’s Job (Friedkin 1978). Another one where the title covers the story—and another great cast: Peter Falk, Peter Boyle, Allen Garfield, Warren Oates, Gena Rowlands, Paul Sorvino. Pretty much paint by numbers stuff—but if you like the players, you’ll probably enjoy the show.
8)Coma (Crichton 1978). From the best-selling novel, headlined by Michael Douglas and Geneviève Bujold, but don’t underestimate Richard Widmark and Rip Torn, who we’d watch read the phone book. Plays well to our fears of doctors and bureaucracies, and has great reveal at the end.
7)The Thomas Crown Affair (Jewison 1968). Snazzily shot by the great Haskell Wexler, this one has a nice set up, Steve McQueen at peak too-cool-for-school, plus Faye Dunaway as well. And deftly executes some moments of suspense. But Crown is limited by the questionably-plausible motivations of its main characters, and not quite bringing it, caper-wise. Or as Roger Ebert put it: “When McQueen finishes his phone calls and Wexler finishes his multiple images . . . all Crown’s plan amounts to is that he calls a lot of guys in different places and they go to a bank and rob it.”
6)The Carey Treatment (Edwards 1972). More intrigue at local hospitals (it is a company town, after all). Blake Edwards tried to have his name removed from this film—so, not surprisingly, it’s a mixed bag. But for much of the movie, it’s not an altogether bad mix, initially promising and often thoughtful, and with strong location work that nicely foots the bill here. And James Colburn, as always, is reliably way-cool. But after the first two thirds . . . well, our notes say “falls off the table.”
5)The Last Detail (Ashby 1973). Hal Ashby’s exceptional New Hollywood classic is actually our second favorite film on this list, but that has to be weighed against the fact that the Boston footage is relatively modest. A special film, Detail features Jack Nicholson and Otis Young as navy lifers escorting a young Randy Quaid to prison; Robert Towne wrote the screenplay, Michael Chapman was on board in his debut effort as DP—and both these talents shine here. All that and a little Carol Kane, too.
4)Mystery Street (Sturges 1950). A fine film noir, and a teaming of detectives and forensic science that predates Quincy by a few decades (not to mention all those CSI shows). Ricardo Montalban (then 30!) plays a detective on his first big case; Elsa Lanchester shines as one of those movie-perfect landladies with a taste for small power and an eye for everybody’s business. And so much location work you could make it a drinking game.
3)The Verdict (Lumet 1982). Paul Newman as an alcoholic lawyer with a shot at redemption. Stanley Kauffmann notes, with some understatement, “As he often is, Lumet is skillful with his actors.” Janet Maslin speaks more plainly, observing that Newman provides “as shrewd and substantial a performance as he has ever given.” Also in top form are Charlotte Rampling, Jack Warden, and Mr. James Mason. So fine we’re willing to overlook the happy ending.
2)Mystic River (Eastwood 2003). One of Clint Eastwood’s finest moments as a director, reflecting his late career shift from the celebration of cardboard-cutout violence to assessments of its lingering consequences on complex, compromised characters. Here Eastwood orchestrates a stellar cast that includes Sean Penn, Tim Robbins and Kevin Bacon. A. O. Scott is worth quoting at length: “Mr. Penn, his eyes darting as if in anticipation of another blow, his shoulders tensed to return it, is almost beyond praise . . . one of the definitive pieces of screen acting in the last half-century, the culmination of a realist tradition that began in the old Actor’s Studio and begat Brando, Dean, Pacino and De Niro.”
1)The Friends of Eddie Coyle (Yates 1973). Number 1 on this list and it’s not even close. A great movie and a New Hollywood landmark, Yates, whose strong suit was location work, provides the most atmospherically Boston movie of this set. And he also brings the greatest of Robert Mitchum’s long, extraordinary career. We’ve written about Eddie Coyle previously—it’s one for the time capsule.
Peter Boyle and Richard Jordan in The Friends of Eddie Coyle