'The Cat Burglar' (1961) / 'Batman' (1966)
Apr 7, 2024 0:04:15 GMT
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Post by petrolino on Apr 7, 2024 0:04:15 GMT
'The Cat Burglar' (1961 - William N. Witney)
In the low budget crime programmer 'The Cat Burglar' (1961), private secretary Nan Baker (June Kenney) attempts to track down a missing briefcase that's been stolen by small-time thief Jack Coley (Jack Hogan). During active pursuit, Nan uncovers the pages of a mystery that must be protected on pain of death.
"62 perfect minutes of B-noir. A cat burglar, a pawnshop owner, a lying boyfriend, a nasty landlady, a couple of thugs, and a nice lady caught in the middle. Criminal idiocy in the Elmore Leonard style, only this was made in 1961."
- Kevin Royal Johnson on 'The Cat Burglar', Letterboxd
'The Alley Cat Song' - Peggy Lee
Filmmaker William Witney did fine work on the 'Dick Tracy' film series in the 1930s and 1940s. 'The Cat Burglar' was made during a period in which Witney produced some of his most challenging work in the crime genre. This includes 'The Bonnie Parker Story' (1958) which informed Arthur Penn's 'Bonnie And Clyde' (1967), as well as John Milius' 'Dillinger' (1973), Sam Peckinpah's 'The Getaway' (1973), Steve Carver's 'Big Bad Mama' (1974) and Robert Altman's 'Thieves Like Us' (1974). 'The Bonnie Parker Story' and 'The Cat Burglar' are my joint favourite crime films of those I've seen from Witney, one of independent cinema's great visual stylists.
"A specialist in outdoor action and stunt direction, William Witney directed or co-directed 23 of Republic’s best-known serials between 1937 and 1946, including “The Lone Ranger,” “Spy Smasher,” “Perils of Nyoka,” “Drums of Fu Manchu,” “Adventures of Captain Marvel,” “Zorro’s Fighting Legion” and “Dick Tracy vs. Crime, Inc.”
Witney also directed 27 Roy Rogers westerns from 1946 to 1951, a period in which he diminished the musical content of the Rogers films in favor of more serious story lines.
“Everybody considers Bill Witney the greatest action director in B movies,” said Boyd Magers, editor and publisher of Western Clippings magazine. “He just knew how to put things together for the screen -- the fights, the wagon wrecks, the falls off the cliffs, whatever; they were just expertly done.”
Witney’s Republic serials served as the inspiration for Steven Spielberg’s “Indiana Jones” movies."
“Everybody considers Bill Witney the greatest action director in B movies,” said Boyd Magers, editor and publisher of Western Clippings magazine. “He just knew how to put things together for the screen -- the fights, the wagon wrecks, the falls off the cliffs, whatever; they were just expertly done.”
Witney’s Republic serials served as the inspiration for Steven Spielberg’s “Indiana Jones” movies."
- Dennis McLellan, The Los Angeles Times
'The Cat Burglar' (1961 - William Witney)
{ : shared by filmmaker Donald P. Borchers, as recommended by filmmaker Quentin Tarantino : }
Small touches illuminate the storytelling in 'The Cat Burglar', like when stern landlady Mrs. Prattle (comedienne Billie Bird) shifts tone during a phone call with pawnbroker Pete (Gene Roth), or when deadbeat drunk Muskie (Bruno VeSota) asks Nan to turn around so he can adjust his clothing - the entire framing of this sequence by cinematographer Taylor Byars is inspired, from the use of ground shots and obscured framing to a shot using a mirror, signalling the quality of his work to come on 'The Intruder' (1962). With terse, punchy dialogue exchanges cleverly constructed by tough guy screenwriter Leo Gordon and typically inventive art direction by Daniel Haller, 'The Cat Burglar' has all the elements required for a freewheeling excursion in to hard-boiled territory, as assembled by producer Gene Corman.
"In his hometown next month, MoMA will host the second-half of its exhibition, “Martin Scorsese Presents Republic Rediscovered : New Restorations from Paramount Pictures.” The defunct studio Republic Pictures churned out 3,000 films and series, all of which are now property of Paramount. In January, Paramount’s chairman and CEO, Jim Gianopulos, announced that his company had preserved more than 800 of the films. For the MoMA retrospective, which commenced in February and was underwritten by the museum’s Annual Film Fund, Scorsese selected a collection of his 30 favorites, restored by Paramount and his own Film Foundation.
“From the ’30s through the ’50s, the different studio logos at the head of every picture carried their own associations and expectations,” he said in a statement. “And for me, the name Republic over the eagle on the mountain peak meant something special. Republic Pictures was what was known as a ‘poverty row’ studio, but what their pictures lacked in resources and prestige they made up for in inventiveness, surprise, and, in certain cases, true innovation.”
Here are the 16 Republic films Scorsese selected for the series’ conclusion :
“Three Faces West,” directed by Bernard Vorhaus (1940)
“Strangers in the Night,” directed by Anthony Mann (1944)
“I, Jane Doe,” directed by John H. Auer (1948)
“Moonrise,” directed by Frank Borzage (1948)
“Wake of the Red Witch,” directed by Edward Ludwig (1948)
“Surrender,” directed by Allen Dwan (1950)
“Champ for a Day,” directed by William A. Seiter (1953)
“Fair Wind to Java,” directed by Joseph Kane (1953)
“Laughing Anne,” directed by Herbert Wilcox (1953)
“Hell’s Half Acre,” directed by John H. Auer (1954)
“Make Haste to Live,” directed by William A. Seiter (1954)
“The Outcast,” directed by William Witney (1954)
“A Man Alone,” directed by Ray Milland (1955)
“A Woman’s Devotion,” directed by Paul Henreid (1956)
“Come Next Spring,” directed by R.G. Springsteen (1956)
“Flame of the Islands,” directed by Edward Ludwig (1956)
Here are the 16 Republic films Scorsese selected for the series’ conclusion :
“Three Faces West,” directed by Bernard Vorhaus (1940)
“Strangers in the Night,” directed by Anthony Mann (1944)
“I, Jane Doe,” directed by John H. Auer (1948)
“Moonrise,” directed by Frank Borzage (1948)
“Wake of the Red Witch,” directed by Edward Ludwig (1948)
“Surrender,” directed by Allen Dwan (1950)
“Champ for a Day,” directed by William A. Seiter (1953)
“Fair Wind to Java,” directed by Joseph Kane (1953)
“Laughing Anne,” directed by Herbert Wilcox (1953)
“Hell’s Half Acre,” directed by John H. Auer (1954)
“Make Haste to Live,” directed by William A. Seiter (1954)
“The Outcast,” directed by William Witney (1954)
“A Man Alone,” directed by Ray Milland (1955)
“A Woman’s Devotion,” directed by Paul Henreid (1956)
“Come Next Spring,” directed by R.G. Springsteen (1956)
“Flame of the Islands,” directed by Edward Ludwig (1956)
“Martin Scorsese Presents Republic Rediscovered : New Restorations from Paramount Pictures, Part 2,” runs from August 9 — 23, 2018. View the full schedule online."
- Jenna Marotta, IndieWire
Quentin Tarantino discusses William Witney's 'I Escaped From Devil's Island' (1973) [Pure Cinema Podcast]
Jack Hogan projects a strong screen presence in 'The Cat Burglar' as career criminal Jack Coley. It's easy to see why Hogan was a core member of Witney's stock company. June Kenney pads a feline crease between right and wrong as an imperiled woman on a mission, wrapping herself seductively around Buddy Bregman's hothouse jazz score during the film's early scenes, then developing a steely determination to get to the truth that generates direct energy on screen. Kenney was a key member of both Roger Corman and Bert I. Gordon's stock companies, with the kind of skill set Witney dug.
"Over the years, Quentin Tarantino has highlighted his love for directors that frequently work in the action genre, such as Brian De Palma. However, he always jumps at the opportunity to discuss William Witney, the filmmaker he believes to be “the most underrated action director in the history of Hollywood”. Born in 1915, Witney was a prolific director of movies and television, working from the 1930s until the 1980s, best known for his Republic Pictures action movies and serials.
Tarantino says : “I’ve found directors I like, but William Witney is ahead of them all. I think it’s so cool that he began as the king of cowboy serials and ended with a black exploitation film. That’s a career, man”. Furthermore, he once stated that “William Witney is […] the one whose movies I can show to anyone, and they are just blown away.”
During an interview with Conan O’Brien on the podcast Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend, Tarantino discussed his love for Witney even further. He said that “one of my favourite directors is this old western director named William Witney,” elucidating that “anytime I ever meet somebody who worked with William Witney I always make a point to ask them about him.” Therefore, when Tarantino met Burt Reynolds, he questioned the actor about working with Witney on the show Riverboat.
He explained to O’Brien : “I’m positive nobody since the 1950s has brought up William Witney to him.” Tarantino told Reynolds : “I think he’s one of the most underrated action directors in the history of Hollywood”, to which the actor responded : “You’re right. He is.” With that, Reynolds told Tarantino that Witney “worked under the assumption that there was no scene ever written that could not be improved by the addition of a fistfight.”
The conversation conveys Tarantino’s intense love for the filmmaker, who he chose to write about for an article in The New York Times, discussing the film The Golden Palomino. According to the director, Witney’s greatest movies also include The Bonnie Parker Story, The Golden Stallion, Stranger At My Door, and Paratroop Command.!"
Tarantino says : “I’ve found directors I like, but William Witney is ahead of them all. I think it’s so cool that he began as the king of cowboy serials and ended with a black exploitation film. That’s a career, man”. Furthermore, he once stated that “William Witney is […] the one whose movies I can show to anyone, and they are just blown away.”
During an interview with Conan O’Brien on the podcast Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend, Tarantino discussed his love for Witney even further. He said that “one of my favourite directors is this old western director named William Witney,” elucidating that “anytime I ever meet somebody who worked with William Witney I always make a point to ask them about him.” Therefore, when Tarantino met Burt Reynolds, he questioned the actor about working with Witney on the show Riverboat.
He explained to O’Brien : “I’m positive nobody since the 1950s has brought up William Witney to him.” Tarantino told Reynolds : “I think he’s one of the most underrated action directors in the history of Hollywood”, to which the actor responded : “You’re right. He is.” With that, Reynolds told Tarantino that Witney “worked under the assumption that there was no scene ever written that could not be improved by the addition of a fistfight.”
The conversation conveys Tarantino’s intense love for the filmmaker, who he chose to write about for an article in The New York Times, discussing the film The Golden Palomino. According to the director, Witney’s greatest movies also include The Bonnie Parker Story, The Golden Stallion, Stranger At My Door, and Paratroop Command.!"
- Aimee Ferrier, Far Out
June Kenney in Roger Corman's 'Sorority Girl' (1957)
'The Cat Burglar' is available on dvd as part of the MGM Limited Edition Collection, a film archive that produces discs on demand. I hope there's a blu-ray release somewhere down the line.
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'Batman' (1966 - Leslie H. Martinson)
In the crime fantasy 'Batman' (1966), superhero Batman (Adam West) and his puzzle-solving sidekick Robin (Burt Ward) pledge to take down a crime ring run by a quartet of diabolical supercriminals - The Catwoman (Lee Meriwether), The Joker (Cesar Romero), The Penguin (Burgess Meredith) and The Riddler (Frank Gorshin). Batman and Robin must be careful to conceal their true identities at all times, something they've been enabled to do with the backing of Police Commissioner Gordon (Neil Hamilton) and his sidekick Police Chief O'Hara (Stafford Repp). If their true selves are ever revealed to the public, it could be curtains for the crimefighting duo.
"The imagery of Batman, and the TV series from which it originated, has become an essential part of popular culture, referenced in everything from Only Fools And Horses to The Simpsons. In comic-book cinema, this comedic and campy approach has fallen out of favor in recent years, as we strive to place the character of Batman within modern-day concerns. And perhaps that’s for the best. As Joel Schumacher ably demonstrated, it’s not easy to replicate that feeling of sixties excess without losing all sense of perspective. Batman was produced in a time of counter-culture and social dislocation – the same year that The Beatles released Rubber Soul and the United States intensified its involvement in the Vietnam War. Perhaps the disorienting madness of Batman stands as the perfect record of that era."
- Mark Allison, Den Of Geek
'Bat Macumba' - Os Mutantes
The companion feature film 'Batman' is a spin-off from the television series 'Batman' which originally aired from 1966 to 1968 and ran for three seasons. It's an adaptation of the comic 'Batman' which was published by DC Comics. 'Batman' was the creation of comic book artist Bob Kane and comic book writer Bill Finger. Director Leslie Martinson also worked on the television series which was developed by screenwriter Lorenzo Semple Jr. who became noted for his work on conspiracy thrillers in the 1970s.
"Some of the angles of that rectangle is too monstrous to contemplate."
'Batman' asks the audience to consider whether Batman and Robin are official law enforcers or common vigilantes. Press intrusion threatens the identities of these secret avengers so they maintain an uneasy relationship with journalists. 'United Underworld' are looking to create the greatest criminal empire the world has ever seen. With all four supervillains having had previous run-ins with Batman and Robin, they'll stop at nothing to take them out.
The 'United Underworld' populate a lair that houses a secret laboratory that's lowlighted by smoke effects. In contrast, the Batcave, where Batman and Robin reside, is highlighted by flash bulb effects. Martinson's comic book panels are shot in De Luxe Color and feature skewed camera angles and kaleidoscopic transition screens, creating a psychedelic time capsule befitting of the period. Batman and Robin are able to get around using special vehicles like the Batmobile, the Batcopter and the Batboat, giving them a presence on land, air and sea.
'Nothing's sacred to these deviants."
Leslie Martinson's constant misdirection ensures 'Batman' remains a puzzle without answers. A flowing underscore composed by Nelson Riddle lends itself well to proceedings. 'Batman : The Complete Television Series' (1966 - 1968) is available on blu-ray through the studio Whv. 'Batman : The Movie' has been made available on blu-ray by Twentieth Century Fox.
