tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post1385057947886179924..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: THOUSAND CLOWNS -- my movie pick of the monthBy Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-56234299768907205162014-10-19T18:46:07.360-07:002014-10-19T18:46:07.360-07:00What ever happened to Mr Douglas Wright ?.I recall...What ever happened to Mr Douglas Wright ?.I recall he was selling old posters at one point and offered to sell some to me many years ago.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-25121404112432475702014-06-29T01:45:01.852-07:002014-06-29T01:45:01.852-07:00Didn't Doug do a screening of "Birth of a...Didn't Doug do a screening of "Birth of a Nation?" This seemed like such a big deal to me at 10 years of age.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-44814321965847454402010-09-29T09:09:51.021-07:002010-09-29T09:09:51.021-07:00JFS is not alone. I also (mis?)spent much of my a...JFS is not alone. I also (mis?)spent much of my adolescence at the Old Movie Theater and Motion Picture Hall of Fame, which was really two upstairs rooms of the Saga Motel on Harbor Boulevard with a wall knocked out. Half of the "theater" was a kitschy museum filled with dubious old movie props (a lamp table from Laurel & Hardy's "Great Guns," a skeleton of a figurine used in "King Kong"). The other half was a 16mm theater--had a shower curtain with pictures of old movie stars at the entrance. Doug's outgoing phone message still plays in my mind's ear. "We offer five cent candy, ten cent popcorn, and lots of fun! Bring a friend who likes to laugh! Starting Monday and continuing for seven full days, the Marx Brothers in 'Animal Crackers'" (Doug had somehow scored a 16mm print of this when it was otherwise impossible to see, and it paid the rent many times.)Randy Skretvedtnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-83655608419990969232010-09-02T13:19:22.191-07:002010-09-02T13:19:22.191-07:00I, too, am a huge fan of this gem of a movie. I r...I, too, am a huge fan of this gem of a movie. I remember when I first saw it - I was a sophomore at Occidental College in L.A. I recall being devastated by the ending at the time - so sad that he was forced back into the faceless crowd - crushed by society's demand that he conform. I was so moved that I encouraged my parents to see the movie. When we got together to discuss it, I was shocked to discover that my parents thought it was a happy ending - how wonderful it was that he "found himself" and "grew up". One of the true tests of a great movie is that it elicits a broad range of emotions and differing viewpoints depending on the viewer. Thousand Clowns is a classic. I still use lines from the movie - "We commnicate by rumor only." and "Is this good news or money?"Katenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-88025397858804603912010-08-06T19:34:57.545-07:002010-08-06T19:34:57.545-07:00Checking back in to see if anyone and anymore info...Checking back in to see if anyone and anymore info on Doug Wright and the Old Movie Theater. Remember the heavily lacquered (?) collage of posters he put out front? <br /><br />I spent a year in the early 80's (grad school) assisting Bob Gitte at UCLA film archives. The archive folks were after some guy in O.C. who was supposed to have an original print of House of Wax. I kept wondering if they meant Wright.JFS in ILnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-37611249544027858652010-05-24T17:07:23.364-07:002010-05-24T17:07:23.364-07:00My favorite movie of all times. I only wish that i...My favorite movie of all times. I only wish that it would come out on DVD.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-10849571775959540292010-04-19T02:04:35.761-07:002010-04-19T02:04:35.761-07:00More than a year after The Old Movie Theater threa...More than a year after The Old Movie Theater thread began, I'm wondering aloud too what happened to Doug Wright and the Motion Picture Hall of Fame. Just to prove how little we've all grown since then, I even remember Doug's sole employee's name - Jay Mandir. Jay did all the outgoing phone announcements for the theater and - are you ready for this? - I can STILL do an impression of the guy! Ah, memories.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-10113710324610469742010-02-12T10:34:18.295-08:002010-02-12T10:34:18.295-08:00what does "1000Clowns" mean?what does "1000Clowns" mean?jasperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12588184823656365713noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-4167637071728184302010-01-04T15:52:43.498-08:002010-01-04T15:52:43.498-08:00I saw the original play on Broadway as a teen. San...I saw the original play on Broadway as a teen. Sandy Dennis had the lead female role but apparently Harris was thought to have a better movie name... l Loved the play (as I remember). My parents took me to many plays back then: Come Blow Your Horn; The Subject Was Roses, and many more I cannot remember. Michael Yagodamike yagodahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08267001308541849321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-63334034611862257382009-11-06T19:56:12.884-08:002009-11-06T19:56:12.884-08:00Douglas Wright and the Old Movie Theater - I start...Douglas Wright and the Old Movie Theater - I started going their as a 11-yr-old Lon Chaney fan when Wright showed Phantom of the Opera. This was before he "expanded". One weekend I showed up to see a Little Rascals set and NO ONE ELSE CAME so he ran all the shorts just for me. I loved that place! I wonder if Peter Jackson scored that brontosaurus form King Kong?JFS in ILnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-42581184680158600262009-10-10T20:38:43.152-07:002009-10-10T20:38:43.152-07:00I picked up on this discussion by googling "o...I picked up on this discussion by googling "old movie theatre." The guy's name was indeed Douglas Wright. I used to ride my bike from east Anaheim frequently to go to his theater. He used to be in an even smaller venue at the Saga Motel. I remember the expansion was a big deal. He had the original Brontosaurus model from King Kong. I thought that was the coolest thing going. <br /><br />I seem to remember he went off to continue the business in Hollywood. For a while in the early 70's, that was the place to be.<br /><br />DaveAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-48301070462481547772009-03-16T17:31:00.000-07:002009-03-16T17:31:00.000-07:00A Thousand Clowns is, without a doubt, my favorite...A Thousand Clowns is, without a doubt, my favorite movie of all time. It kind of bothers me when people tag Murray as simply being "immature" and/or "refusing to grow up". Murray does NOT merely refuse to grow up, he refuses to give in, he refuses to allow himself to be depersonalized, and he is struggling with the many ugly, soul-killing side effects of life in the working world. We all struggle with these issues and no other film deals with them as thoroughly and successfully as A Thousand Clowns. It happens to be a truly major issue in our lives that seldom, if EVER, is dealt with in fiction. We NEED A Thousand Clowns, and films like it. And the debate is not one-sided, Albert, the social worker, gives Murray a fairly accurate and deserved dressing down and so does his brother, who states the position of those who accept the burdens of working life just as accurately as Murray states the position of those who resist it and find it deadly. Like most of us, I work a job, but find it challenging in the same ways Murray does, so where do you turn when you feel the bastards are winning? A Thousand Clowns, that's where! Everyone I show it to loves it and find much to identify with. I used to work with a guy named Charlie who was an engineer on a nuclear sub in the sixties, and he once told me that they somehow owned a print of this film and it was their favorite, they watched it over and over again. A Thousand Clown... on a nuclear sub... fathoms beneath the ocean surface! That speaks to the universal nature of this great film. And malarkey to people who don't like the filmic bits - they work wonderfully! Rosenblum did a fantastic job editing this movie! He opened it up. And Robards is a truly GREAT film actor, whoever expressed doubts here was talking out the side of their neck.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-33252757479742717922009-02-23T12:52:00.000-08:002009-02-23T12:52:00.000-08:00Wow -- two other people who remember Doug Wright&#...Wow -- two other people who remember Doug Wright's Motion Picture Hall of Fame, right behind the Saga Motel in Anaheim, and directly across the street from Disneyland. When I was in high school and living in Newport Beach, a friend and I would drive up there every Wednesday night, when the program changed. Marx Brothers, Laurel & Hardy, King Kong, Chandu the Magician -- stuff you couldn't see anywhere else, in those pre-cable, pre-VHS/DVD days. I wonder what happened to Doug?Robert of San Franciscohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10197396256929590508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-54262690816142387702009-02-16T18:37:00.000-08:002009-02-16T18:37:00.000-08:00Channel 13-the PBS station in New York City-will b...Channel 13-the PBS station in New York City-will broadcast A THOUSAND CLOWNS this Saturday, February 21st-at 9PM.scottmchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00482605047309863052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-82724939592139184452009-02-16T18:33:00.000-08:002009-02-16T18:33:00.000-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.scottmchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00482605047309863052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-9276629399878428852009-01-26T23:42:00.000-08:002009-01-26T23:42:00.000-08:00Is anyone in NYC who knows when it might air again...Is anyone in NYC who knows when it might air again? My video store closed and it had a VHS copy. I bought a copy years ago, loaned it out and never saw it again. It's in my top 10 of all time. Is this the only Best Picture nominee to not be released on DVD????Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-80103075935591184302009-01-22T15:06:00.000-08:002009-01-22T15:06:00.000-08:00God, is that soundtrack annoying.Word=angst. Who k...God, is that soundtrack annoying.<BR/><BR/>Word=angst. Who knew?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-61688707707669826592009-01-21T14:50:00.000-08:002009-01-21T14:50:00.000-08:00Copyright problems, thus no DVD release. MGM does ...Copyright problems, thus no DVD release. MGM does release its back catalogue, but this film has problems.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-50593193052685568182009-01-21T13:14:00.000-08:002009-01-21T13:14:00.000-08:00One of the things you might want to note about thi...One of the things you might want to note about this film is that there is really no villain in it. The screenplay sets people up in that role, and then reveals them to be as human and as vulnerable as anyone else. I think part of the message of the film is that the need to paint oneself as a kind of shallow hero is itself a problem of immaturity. The main character grows up when he is forced to recognize and accept the human qualities of those around him.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-87625693449451630712009-01-20T18:11:00.000-08:002009-01-20T18:11:00.000-08:00A THOUSAND CLOWNS was released by United Artists, ...A THOUSAND CLOWNS was released by United Artists, which should mean that rights are currently held by MGM, in which case, good luck ever getting a DVD of the movie out of them.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-7000819181857741552009-01-20T14:28:00.000-08:002009-01-20T14:28:00.000-08:00if you know how to operate a bittorrent client, se...if you know how to operate a bittorrent client, search the usual places, it's there.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-40917149492828550432009-01-20T06:46:00.000-08:002009-01-20T06:46:00.000-08:00Ken- certain PBS stations (not all of them) may be...Ken- certain PBS stations (not all of them) may be airing A Thousand Clowns in February and March. <BR/>WTTW in Chicago has A Thousand Clowns scheduled on February 1 at 12:25pm. <BR/>If you want to see it, check your local PBS listings. They may have acquired the rights to air this film this winter.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-63283513467383707072009-01-20T06:20:00.000-08:002009-01-20T06:20:00.000-08:00'A Thousand Clowns' may be my favorite movie/play ...'A Thousand Clowns' may be my favorite movie/play of all time. As noted, it is not currently on DVD. However, it is scheduled to be telecast on a number of PBS stations later this month/early next month. Among the many priceless lines/scenes: when picking up a ringing telephone Murray(Robards) says "Is this someone with good news or money? No, goodbye" and he hangs up.<BR/>When explaining why he doesn't want his nephew to leave he says " ... and I want him to know the subtle,sneaky,important reason why he was born a human being and not a chair'.<BR/>The film was edited by legendary editor Ralph Rosenbloom. In his book 'When The Shooting Stops...the cutting begins' Rosenblum details the post production work Gardner and he did on the film. It is a wonderful book. (The book also details the behind the scenes story of 'The Producers'-the film, not the musical.) A THOUSAND CLOWNS was running on Broadway on September 11th. For the first performance after 9/11 Gardner wrote a curtain call speech that was read by Tom Selleck(the revival's 'Murray'). It was as marvelous an expression of theatre, freedom and the magic of an audience that I have ever heard. (Gardner also wrote the play 'I'm Not Rappaport' and the film 'Who is Harry Kellerman and Why is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me'.)scottmchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01352460299215137130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-89753065128450536892009-01-19T14:24:00.000-08:002009-01-19T14:24:00.000-08:00"Dave said... 2) Speaking of revival houses j..."Dave said... <BR/>2) Speaking of revival houses jammed into tiny spaces, did anyone else ever go to The Old Movie Theatre and Motion Picture Hall of Fame that lived in, like, two rooms of the Saga Motel across Harbor Blvd. from Disneyland in the 70s?<BR/><BR/>The movie I remember the most there was a screening of "Animal Crackers" when it was still held up in litigation. (The run was announced with a no-title flier that made it obvious what the movie was without giving anything away.) It wasn't too long after that Universal re-released it, which led me to believe it was a test run to see if there was any interest.<BR/><BR/>It was a great place and unique as far as I know."<BR/><BR/>Hello? Were YOU the guy I was sitting behind? I remember the so-called "Motion Picture Hall of Fame" in Anaheim, and spent many an evening sitting on the metal folding chairs watching 16mm prints projected, as I recall it, on a sheet, in that little room in that hotel east of Disneyland and north of Melodyland. And yes, it was the first place I ever saw ANIMAL CRACKERS, as I recall, juts a few months before Universal got the rights problems ironed out, and it was released for real. The guy who ran it was named Douglas something-or-other, a fact I only remember because my name is Douglas also, so I tend to remember Douglases. He also ran the occasional autograph conventions that prefigured the Has-Been Conventions we have these days. (My memory is trying to tell me that his name was Douglas Wright, but I could be wrong about "Wright".)<BR/><BR/>I seem to recall a double-feature there one night of THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES with Basil Rathbone & THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY.<BR/><BR/>There was no projection booth of course. It was a small hotel showroom, not a theater, so Doug was in the room with you, running the 16mm projector himself. He had no staff at all. And after the show, he always encouraged audiences to suggest films for him to book.<BR/><BR/>Man, I hadn't given Doug (Wright?) and "The Motion Picture Hall of Fame" a thought in 35 years.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-1262520708556630332009-01-19T12:11:00.000-08:002009-01-19T12:11:00.000-08:00Blood Simple, the first Coen Bros. effort is, appa...Blood Simple, the first Coen Bros. effort is, apparently, on DVD but not on Netflix (although it can be selected as a "save" whatever that is).<BR/><BR/>Get that, too.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com