COVID19 shelter-in-place viewing has led to a reliance on satellite TV to bring obscure, potentially interesting things to my attention. (Yeah, I also have Netflix, but I watch precious little new material.) One of my high-def movie channels recently dredged up the 1973 western movie
Showdown, which I swear I never even knew existed! It's stars, Rock Hudson and Dean Martin, are perhaps not my
very favorite, but they are interesting enough to me that I wanted to see the pairing (and, they are, after all, members of the imaginary Disaster Movie Club.) While watching the opening sequence of the film, I was immediately struck with a sense of deja vu. What makes that all the more intriguing I will get to in just a moment...
As a train choo-choos its way across the western terrain, Martin is seen wearing a sheriff's badge and transporting a prisoner who's shackled to the overhead luggage rack. When the train is stopped by a pile of logs on the track, it's clear that a robbery is about to happen and Martin stands up to plead with the passengers to hand over their valuables to him for safe keeping. Something about this moment set off a bell in my head (oh, there are plenty up there... Ha ha!) Can you guess where I'm going?
Yes, I have to say that the way Martin stood in the aisle with the passengers on the train turned and looking reminded me of a similar moment in
Airport (1970) when Martin, as the pilot of a passenger aircraft, was forced into pleading with a despondent man to resist setting off a bomb he's carrying which would blow the plane and everyone in it to smithereens! Both moments were featured in publicity stills for the respective films. Still not convinced? See below:
But what's more intriguing is that
Showdown was directed by George Seaton. It was the final film of the seasoned director (who won an Oscar for writing
Miracle on 34th Street, 1947, which he also directed.) He's seen here coaching Martin for the scene in question.
And guess what?
Airport was
also directed by Seaton! He's seen here on the set of that film giving direction to Martin, who he obviously enjoyed working with enough to bring him back for his next project. How nice for Martin that his blocking didn't wind up being demonstrably different for the first scene in
Showdown! He'd already gone through the motions on
Airport.
Airport was, of course, a gargantuan hit that spawned three follow-ups while
Showdown virtually descended into the nether regions. I hope you found this little moment in the cinema firmament amusing. I'll be back soon with something else that grabs me.
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Double the Deano. Makes for interesting bookends.
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Have you ever been tested for photographic memory? The costume thing is your superpower but this is impressive as well. I guess Directors have a vision and if they like something why not use it again. I am struck by what a difference 3 years makes to a man that age (probably younger than I here) he is hot in 1970 still, enough to knock up Jaquilene Bisset anyway, but three years later the shaggy 70's are doing him no favor. And boy do I know what you mean about new stuff/Netflix. None of it sticks with me. I even watched three episodes of a new soap called "Filthy Rich" with Kim Cattrell and already forgot about it completely until I saw it written on a note to myself to watch it, and that was like a week ago. The old stuff holds my attention, even if it's not great.
ReplyDeleteIve had deja vu like that before. One I remember was realizing the moment when Jimmy Stewart cracks the door to the florist to peer at Kim Novak, is curiously similar to when Dorothy opens the door to Oz.
ReplyDeleteNice catch! I LOVE Airport but Showdown while not in the same class was an amiable enough Western if I recall correctly. There are certainly worse star driven 70's pictures out there.
ReplyDeleteGingerguy, I only have a photographic memory regarding things I'm obsessed by. Otherwise I can't remember what I did 30 seconds ago! LOL I thought the EXACT SAME THING about Dino. Seemed like he aged 10 years in 3! But I always say a clean, neat haircut is like a male facelift. It just peels away the years. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteShawny, that's a great point! There has ALWAYS been something naggingly familiar and special about that moment in "Verigo" to me, too! I'll have to take a look at it. Thank you.
There are, Joel, but I don't think it was a particular high note for Seaton to go out with. And, though I don't know the details, apparently Rock and Dean (both known to be friendly on sets) didn't hit it off at all...! They certainly didn't convince me that they could have been childhood friends. It had its moments. But to come off the smashing success of "Airport" for this had to have been a shock. I mean, it has its detractors, but "Airport" set a whole new box office record for Universal. Thanks!
That very first picture of Dean on the train, I thought of him on his TV show singing and standing in that same gesture. Was I surprised that the post was abut him using that same stance in 2 different movies! In my mind I put him in a tuxedo and big bow tie singing Everybody Loves Somebody and reaching out to the audience the same way. Maybe he could be in his motor coach with the Golddiggers lined up on either side of him like the passengers!
ReplyDeleteThat is a big change in looks for only 3 years! While I was never attracted to him I did feel he grew in to his looks in the years pictured, even with the scruffy hair. He was never appealing in his younger years with Jerry Lewis and around the time of Bells Are Ringing. Now the guy in the lower left corner in some of the Airport pictures is another story! I hope he made it off that flight OK!
BrianB