fort tilden is a 2014 american independent , comedy film , written and directed by sarah-violet bliss and charles rogers , starring bridey elliot , claire mcnulty , neil casey , alysia reiner , and peter vack .

the film had its world premiere at sxsw on march 8 , 2014 , where it won that year 's grand jury award .

the film was acquired by revived orion pictures and was released on august 14 , 2015 , in a limited release , and through video on demand .

fort tilden ( film )

fort tilden ( film ) <EOT> fort tilden is all the hipster satire you can handle , and maybe more .

a film review on friday about “fort tilden” misidentified the actor who plays the “concerned citizen . ” he is jarreau carrillo , not reggie watts . ( mr . watts plays himself in the film . )

the debut feature film of directors sarah - violet bliss and charles rogers , “fort tilden” is a hilariously insightful look at the consequences of extended adolescence .

after winning the grand jury prize for best narrative feature at the 2014 sxsw film festival , “ fort tilden ” is finally getting ready to premiere in theaters this summer .

the film premiered a year ago at sxsw and later won the special jury prize for narrative feature at the independent film festival of boston .

a dvd of fort tilden , an exciting hi - res behind - the - scenes digital production still and a big thank you on facebook , twitter , and the fort tilden website . a cornucopia ! !

bridey elliott , left , and clare mcnulty in " fort tilden . " ( brian la / orion )

looking for movie tickets ? enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing fort tilden near you .

“fort tilden” was produced by mollye asher and geoff mansfield . exec producers are ariana ciri bernstein and zach gerbarg .

there are no featured audience reviews yet . click the link below to see what others say about fort tilden !

clare mcnulty , left , and bridey elliott as new yorkers embarking on a picaresque bike ride in “fort tilden . ”

orion releasing will distribute “ fort tilden , ” last year’s sxsw grand jury prize winner for best narrative film , in the u . s . and latin america theatrically and on vod in august .

public film contact adam kersh brigade marketing adam @ urltoken 646 . 862 . 3122

an executive producer credit on the film ! oh my god , thank you .

film reviews : opening this week ( aug . 10 - 14 , 2015 )

the film will be released in new york on august 14 and in los angeles in mid - august , with a national release to follow . check out the bright , angsty poster for “fort tilden” above .

movie news , screening invitations and reviews from the world of independent film and beyond .

director natalia leite’s ambition and accompanying uncertainty give the film its unruly and resonant energy .

" fort tilden " is cringe - worthy but true . maybe that ' s why it ' s so uncomfortable to watch .

it’s hard to get accepted by the south by southwest film festival — especially if you’re not from new york . this year’s festival features eight films , chosen from 1 , 324 submissions , and more than half of them have roots here : the heart machine , directed by village voice film critic zachary wigon ; wild canaries , lawrence levine’s brooklyn - based film ; the mend , set in harlem and directed by john magary , who attended columbia university’s graduate film program ; brooklyn resident leah meyerhoff’s i believe in unicorns ; and the world premier of fort tilden , about two girls’ “needlessly complicated” bike ride from williamsburg to rockaway’s fort tilden beach , co - directed by two nyu mfa film candidates . keep reading »

“fort tilden” is rated r ( under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian ) . nudity , drug use and acutely ribald language .

orion releasing will distribute “fort tilden , ” last year’s sxsw grand jury prize winner for best narrative film , in the u . s . and latin america theatrically and on vod in august . “fort tilden , ” written and directed by sarah - violet bliss and charles rogers , stars bridey elliott and clare mcnulty as two slacker brooklynites experiencing mishap after mishap on [ … ]

presents a new installment of “rockaway ! , ” its annual outdoor art programming at fort tilden . for this year’s edition , the internationally acclaimed german artist

with that , let ' s consider some of the things you could do in the 1 . 5 hours it would take you to watch fort tilden .

" no kittens were harmed during the making of this film . they enjoyed their time with us . "

reviewed at sxsw film festival ( competing ) , march 9 , 2014 . running time : 96 min .

fort tilden is a movie starring bridey elliott , clare mcnulty , and neil casey . a comedy about allie and harper and their needlessly difficult journey to the beach .

whether it ' s parody or ironic self - parody or post - parody , many of us work hard to avoid this contingent of brooklyn every day , but it ' s even spread to queens , where fort tilden actually is located , by the way . and if we ' re to watch fort tilden drown in hipster cliches on film , an additional something must be brought to the table . witty repartee would be an appropriate starting place , but i ' d take a twist ending , or even a cleverly placed goat head . fort tilden offers nothing . the nagging desire to throttle both characters is unabating until the end .

fort tilden ' s quite charming , though filmmakers sarah - violet bliss and charles rogers never let their charmless subjects . . . gain too much of their audience ' s sympathy .

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the tomatometer score — based on the opinions of hundreds of film and television critics — is a trusted measurement of critical recommendation for millions of fans . it represents the percentage of professional critic reviews that are positive for a given film or television show .

at sxsw , fort tilden took home grand jury award for best narrative film , artsbeat reports . the festival ' s other big winner was called the great invisible , a documentary about the 2010 deepwater horizon oil spill . none of us will see that , though—not when there ' s a new girls episode on .

sarah - violet bliss and charles rogers are filmmakers based in brooklyn who met at nyu graduate film school . they have each written and directed award - winning short films that have screened at festivals such as telluride , sarasota , and aspen shortsfest . fort tilden was conceived and produced last summer and is their first collaboration .

with " fort tilden , " writer - directors sarah - violet bliss and charles rogers have created two women who are drawn so vividly and so viciously , they ' re hard to dismiss .

subscribe to indie & film festivals : urltoken subscribe to trailers : urltoken subscribe to coming soon : urltoken like us on facebook : urltoken follow us on twitter : urltoken fort tilden official trailer 1 ( 2015 ) - comedy movie hd a comedy about allie and harper and their needlessly difficult journey to the beach . you ' re quite the artsy one , aren ' t you ? fandango movieclips film festivals & indie trailers is the destination for . . . well , all things related to film festivals & indie films . if you want to keep up with the latest festival news , art house openings , indie movie content , film reviews , and so much more , then you have found the right channel .

“ fort tilden , ” written and directed by sarah - violet bliss and charles rogers , stars bridey elliott and clare mcnulty as two slacker brooklynites experiencing mishap after mishap on a journey to the beach .

“fort tilden” makes no secret of these characters’ shallowness — indeed , allie’s chances of surviving war - torn liberia when she can hardly manage bushwick form one of the better running jokes — but their repartee is far less witty than the film seems to think it is , and these two generate ever escalating levels of annoyance that never quite cohere into satire .

we promise to deliver on these fun rewards ! and considering that fort tilden has already been shot , you needn ' t worry about your donation not going to use . your help will make a big difference !

if you dug fort tilden as much as we did , you’ll be psyched to hear that a couple of its creators are involved in a new film opening locally at cinema village today . co - produced , co - written , and starring tilden ‘s executive producer ariana bernstein and edited by its writer - director sarah - violet bliss , delusions of guinevere lacks some of the earlier film’s satirical edge , but it has a similarly dark take on the new york dating scene and the staring - at - their - reflection - in - the - iphone - screen narcissism of kids these days . keep reading »

the girls talk a lot about karma , and their karma catches up with them . after all their whining and sense of entitlement , their comeuppance is earned . that ' s the thing that ultimately humanizes the two — and salvages the film . " fort tilden " is cringe - worthy but true . maybe that ' s why it ' s so uncomfortable to watch .

a carefree day off turns into the beach day from hell in the sun - blasted , acid - tongued send - up of millennial culture " fort tilden , " written and directed by sarah violet - bliss and charles rogers .

" the ballad of narayama " is a japanese film of great beauty and elegant artifice , telling a story of startling cruelty . what a space it opens…

“clara’s ghost” bridey elliott is is an actress , writer , and director . she starred in the sxsw grand jury prize winner “ fort tilden . ” her other acting credits include “ battle of the sexes ” and “ mosaic . ” her directorial debut , the short comedy “affections , ” premiered at the 2016 sundance film festival , and went on to win the special jury prize at the independent film festival of boston . “clara’s ghost ” will premiere at the 2018 sundance film festival on january 19 . w & h : describe the film for us in your own words . be : the film is a portrait of a family over one drunken night in their home in connecticut where a spirit is beckoning clara , the matriarch of the family , to step out of the shadow of her self - obsessed family members . w & h : what drew you to this story ? be : well , it’s a very personal story . i wrote it about my family and they play themselves in some sense .

unfortunately , the film’s uneven tone is largely the result of the filmmakers choosing to fudge this distinction—whether harper and allie are vapid and ineffectual incompetents or self - absorbed - but - insightful truth - tellers—depending on the scene . considering this is a film about quarter - life crises , these fluctuations in maturity make sense to a point , but this blurring of how we’re supposed to perceive harper and allie isn’t helped by the fact that the tone of the film and the quality of the dialogue also vary scene to scene—even line to line . this film is a giant mood swing : at times in hysterics ; at others distracted and impatient .

how will it play ? with the sxsw grand jury prize undoubtedly luring some distribution interest , “fort tilden” is likely to receive a solid theatrical release , although its lack of stars and mixed word of mouth will limit its mainstream commercial potential .

exclusive : new york - based producer mollye asher [ pictured ] is gearing up for a summer 2016 shoot of her next production you & me both . jennifer cho suhr will direct the film from her own script . the story follows two estranged korean - american sisters ( one of whom is a recovering drug addict ) who , after the death of their adoptive mother , take a road trip from iowa to alaska to find their birth mother . the film will soon cast for a summer 2016 shoot , possibly in canada standing in for the us . carolyn mao is also producing . as an independent producer , asher’s credits include sundance and cannes selection songs my brothers taught me , fort tilden and she’s lost control . you & me both was selected for a tribeca all access grant in 2015 and nalip’s diverse women in media residency lab 2015 . mao also went through film independent’s producing lab . asher is attending goa’s film bazaar representing new york - based gamechanger films , which focuses

with a $ 20 , 000 grant from the national endowment for the arts , and in honor of the centennial of the national park service , the rockaway artists alliance presents a summer street art show which extends across its gallery and outdoor walls on fort tilden’s grounds . the exhibition includes the works of 14 invited artists , which are inspired by the environment and history of the fort and jamaica bay .

the lower east side film festival | made with ♥ in new york . | © 2018 all rights reserved . info @ urltoken | 181 north 11th street # 401 brooklyn , ny , 11211

some movies comment on a generation by virtue of the colorful personalities who epitomize it , with richard linklater’s “slacker” still the paragon of the genre . others take the simpler route of turning their characters into symbols of the times . “ fort tilden , ” directors sarah - violet bill and charles rogers ’ goofy portrait of self - involved millenials over the course of a problematic brooklyn day , falls into the latter camp . while frequently very funny and sustained by a pair of boldly unlikable female protagonists , “fort tilden” adopts the glorious stupidity of its stars , and echoes their gratingly obnoxious temperaments .

despite harper and allie ' s hellish struggles , the film has an easy , funky groove and captures the sweaty perfection of a new york city summer , where things always look better on instagram .

the film owes as much to romy and michele’s high school reunion as it does to lena dunham ’s girls , its characters mired in extended adolescence as they blunder toward the challenges of adult independence and responsibility . but there’s also a pleasing air of 1990s french comedies like cedric klapisch ’s when the cat’s away wafting through fort tilden , with its steady pileup of delays and mishaps , its depiction of thorny individuals who don’t quite fit into their designated group , and its portrait of village life within a sprawling metropolis .

the idea of literally and figuratively exposing harper and allie in the final scenes might not be subtle , but it’s still effective—a sight gag with some bite . for all its exquisite theater - of - cruelty viciousness , fort tilden is finally a work of empathy about people whose own supplies are running on empty .

in the cheerfully caustic comic odyssey fort tilden , two privileged , 20 - something williamsburg slackers , harper ( bridey elliott ) and allie ( clare mcnulty ) , decide they deserve a day off from doing nothing and head across brooklyn in their rompers on bikes to the beach at fort tilden , where they plan to meet up with cute guys ( jeffrey scaperrotta and griffin newman ) they chatted with at a rooftop concert and take molly and get laid . the movie is broad and mean and for a while very funny , but even when it goes sour — when the world slaps them in the face for their sins — it doesn’t lose its momentum .

take the potty - mouthed , woman - centric millennial sensibility of hbo’s “girls , ” turn down the drama and turn up the comic amorality , and you have “ fort tilden , ” the highly amusing debut feature from sarah - violet bliss and charles rogers . rarely has a movie so humorously illustrated the meaning of “frenemy . ”

outrage over the weekend shutdown of rockaway’s city beaches made the cover of the daily news ( excuse to put a bikinied hardbody on the front page , much ? ) , but fans of patti smith and james franco found more welcoming sands over at fort tilden during the kickoff of the “rockaway ! ” art festival . keep reading »

“ fresh off the boat ” star constance wu has come on board the independent drama “ you and me both , ” variety has learned exclusively . the film is the debut feature for writer - director jennifer cho suhr . production is expected to begin in the summer . wu will play a struggling addict who , along with her estranged sister , embarks on a road trip from iowa to alaska in search of their birth mother . exploring themes of grief , forgiveness and belonging , the film centers on the bond between siblings and the resilience and humor necessary to overcome trauma — and is aimed at showcasing the breadth and range of the asian american experience with complicated and deeply human characters . “ you and me both” is produced by carolyn mao ( “ good enough ” ) and mollye asher ( “ songs my brothers taught me , ” “ fort tilden ” ) . the project is supported by tribeca all access , nalip and film independent . wu , 33 , is a taiwanese - american who was raised in virgina .

and that could very well explain why it won the grand jury prize at the sxsw film festival , which attracts a large crowd from the same demographic as allie and harper : the movie works so hard to make a statement about modern personalities that it bludgeons viewers into accepting it . watching “fort tilden , ” one can feel trapped in the redundant cycle of their lives even while laughing at its crass extremes . in its closing scene , allie refers to a cutesy indie rock melody as “tediously adorable , ” but by then there’s no doubt who she’s really talking about .

“ fort tilden , ” sarah - violet bliss and charles rogers’ day - in - the - life chronicle of two vapid twentysomethings on an ill - fated odyssey through “deep brooklyn , ” contains several scenes that manage to skewer the infantile predilections of the williamsburg jet set with truly ruthless , subtle precision . unfortunately , it fails to find much humor in them , and its potent sense of place and underlying ideas never compensate for the tiresome millennial musings that constitute most of its runtime . future festival play seems likely , though the film may well alienate more audiences than it seduces .

i ' ve seen people hound down this film , trying to say it ' s a hipster collage . that is untrue ; this film is really a quite detailed , funny and critical view of the today of near - teenaged , white , monied persons who are lost in solipsism while being . . . spoiled brats , would actually be a good generalisation . the two headliners try to get to fort tilden by bike , which isn ' t as easy as it sounds ( to them ) . this is like " the warriors " without the physical violence . as they make their way they find stuff out about themselves while seemingly learning nothing . it ' s an epic film , in the true sense of the word . i ' ve also gotta say , the scene where one of the lead characters picks up david foster wallace ' s " infinite jest " and drops it onto a visible part of her apartment to increase her chance of getting laid later as she hopes to drag a guy back to her apartment is brilliant to a dfw geek like myself .

this is not to say that fort tilden goes easy on its characters . one of the script’s structuring motifs is that harper and allie end up throwing out every item they acquire over the course of the film , culminating in an absurdly awful bit of business involving a litter of stray kittens . ( though it’s a measure of the film’s intelligence that it’s possible to see these lost little furballs as analogues for the human characters who discover them rather than their victims . ) even when bliss and rogers stray perilously close to the edge of generational portraiture—the sort of urban - ethnographic satire practiced weekly on girls — they manage to keep things specific and complex , aided by their stars’ expertly modulated double act . a long interlude featuring four topless female characters offers up the sort of smartly confrontational staging that lena dunham often attempts but only rarely brings off .

" in the midst of their respective quarter - life crises , allie ( clare mcnulty ) struggles to prepare for the peace corps , while harper ( bridey elliott ) awaits checks from her father to fund her artistic dreams . but the two friends quickly shun responsibilities for the day when a pair of cute guys invite them along for a carefree fort tilden afternoon . "

last week , we caught a glimpse of katharine grosse’s installation at fort tilden– part of ps1’s “rockaway ! ” series– while it was in progress . the german artist had spent the past days spray - painting the skeleton of a building on the former army base with colors that call to mind either the sunset or david bowie’s aladdin sane makeup . the piece , which had been roped off and guarded by security as if nike missiles had returned to tilden , opened to the public sunday with an outdoor reception that was really more of an insta pose - fest .

drew barrymore and toni collette are best friends dealing with pregnancy and cancer in this ho - hum british dramedy female friendship is a dynamic that is so rarely touched on screen and even when it is , the topic of conversation usually revolves around men . it’s why the bechdel test exists . so it’s worth celebrating a particularly ripe time in both tv and film with shows such as broad city and girls and films like mistress america , fort tilden and clouds of sils maria all providing depth and humour to an under - served audience . related : i saw the light review : tom hiddleston electrifies dull hank williams biopic continue reading . . .

a restaurant and bar dedicated to promoting surfing , rockaway beach surf club also offers an extensive calendar of cultural events , including live music , dance parties , and the new york city women’s surf film festival . be sure to check out the exhibitions below while you’re there .

“fort tilden , ” sarah - violet bliss and charles rogers’ day - in - the - life chronicle of two vapid twentysomethings on an ill - fated odyssey through “deep brooklyn , ” contains several scenes that manage to skewer the infantile predilections of the williamsburg jet set with truly ruthless , subtle precision . unfortunately , it fails to find much humor in them , and its potent sense of place [ … ]

after such a messy trajectory , it’s a small comfort to find that “fort tilden” arrives at one especially shrewd image : allie , topless on the beach , holding up her cell phone and getting an earful from her peace corps contact . the movie plays fast and loose with its ironic outlook , but in that fleeting image , it finally offers a lucid statement about the disconnect between the recklessness of youth and burgeoning adulthood .

if you happened upon a grimy , abandoned barrel sitting on the street , your first thoughts might run to , ew , or even , how many spiders does that probably contain ? in this very important way , you are different from deliriously privileged hipsters harper ( bridey elliott ) and allie ( clare mcnulty ) , whom we follow in the new comedy fort tilden ( out this friday in new york ) . these two brooklynites spy that street barrel and immediately respond to its " wear " — how authentic ! — and start making an overpriced deal with the dude who just happens to be sitting next to it . their hilariously blinkered perspective led our critic david edelstein to call fort tilden a " cheerfully caustic comic odyssey , " even if satirizing hipsters is a little bit like shooting fish in a . . . well , you know .

harper and allie are indeed damsels in distress , and not just because they can’t efficiently navigate the way from a brooklyn loft to the rockaways ( a disastrous , distended day trip to hook up with some boys , which makes up the film’s entire plot ) . they’ve been shaped by a parentally subsidized lifestyle that permits neo - bohemian arrogance without the threat of actual starving - artist poverty ; their family ties simultaneously insulate them from harm while rendering them defenseless against the smallest challenges to their egos and routines . far from the exercise in vicarious hipster - voodoo - doll skewering its basic setup suggests , fort tilden is at once less sentimental and more incisive about privilege and its discontents than the recent films of noah baumbach .

all of these journeys track , emotionally and thematically , providing a strong backbone to an interrogation of the lives of these two women . but…if we rewind back to that scene in the store ? the dialogue is only fine . underserviced . despite strong performances from elliot and mcnulty and an easy , fraught chemistry between them , there are just too many scenes where the dialogue is only okay for fort tilden to get a no - reservations recommendation .

) . “we like to showcase people who innovate with things other than money , ” says castle . “you know , there’s something endearing about watching a film where you can understand how they put it all together , in a really imaginative way . ” music to the ears of struggling filmmakers everywhere .

although it has already drawn numerous pre - screening comparisons to a certain hbo program featuring wry brooklyn hipsters of the same age and gender , “ fort tilden ” takes a far dimmer view of its subjects , and clearly derives its plot structure from martin scorsese’s “after hours , ” as 25 - year - old roommates allie ( clare mcnulty ) and harper ( bridey elliott ) are perpetually waylaid while trying to make it to a date across town .

orion releasing has acquired u . s . and latin american distribution deal for fort tilden , the comedy that premiered at the 2014 sxsw . an august 2015 release in theaters and vod is planned . written and directed by sarah - violet bliss and charles rogers , the pic stars bridey elliott and clare mcnulty who play two slacker brooklynites experiencing mishap after mishap on a journey to the beach . bliss and rogers now write on netflix’s upcoming series wet hot american summer .

moments like these keep popping up , the actors and filmmakers achieving a sort of comic omniscience ; jokes keep revealing facets of both the teller and receiver . when harper boldly insults the sex appeal of her and allie’s neighbor , saying that “fucking him would be like being trapped under a cold sack of mashed potatoes , ” one’s not primed to laugh at the sad sack we’ve just met , who exhibits more decency than anyone else in the film , but at harper’s panicky cruelty , which springs from allie’s potential moving out , and at the originality of elliott’s delivery , which allows us to see that harper’s revising her put - down mentally as she goes along . this touch is characteristic of the film’s delicacy ; it’s smart without making a show of it . harper and allie are often obnoxious , but their obnoxiousness has stature . the women are insufferable partially because they have the soul to understand they’re stuck and compromising both themselves and society . they know the boat of girlhood has sailed , which is never more apparent than at the heartbreaking climax where harper and allie actually find fort tilden .

“the distress is authentic , ” harper ( bridey elliott ) says , describing a barrel on a beach , admiring its organically worn qualities in contrast to a similar barrel that she and bff allie ( clare mcnulty ) impulse - bought on a brooklyn street corner mere hours before . of course , that barrel now sits at the bottom of their stairs , devoid of umbrellas or whatever it is they feel like filling it with , while this one rests freely on the sand , a somehow superior bit of nothing . is it a spoiler to say that these two broke girls do in fact make it to fort tilden when the entire plot of “ fort tilden , ” insomuch as there is one , concerns their misguided day - long adventure to locate said beach ? perhaps it’s a tad trite to say that the journey matters more than the destination , but in the case of sarah - violet bliss and charles rogers ’ comedy , it really does .

a few weeks ago , we received a press release for a film called fort tilden , a " comedy " set to debut at sxsw . wading through an avalanche of cringe - inducing press releases is one of the drags of the job , but this one caught our attention when we realized our teeth were grinding audibly and blood was trickling from the corners of our eyes . the premise , it said , follows two williamsburg - based 20 - somethings struggling to get to the beach , coping with " creepy neighbors , unpredictable traffic patterns , indignant cabbies , and each other . " was it ironic ? tongue - in - cheek ? or just hideously stupid ? we couldn ' t tell . we couldn ' t look away . here ' s an excerpt , which has it all :

directors sarah - violet bliss and charles rogers keep the timing brisk and have the taste to make even their whiniest , silliest characters deliciously whiny and silly . i loved the toxically dweebish neighbor ( neil casey ) , the dealer–cult figure of prospect park ( peter vack ) , the pair of insufferably do - gooding teachers ( desiree nash and becky yamamoto ) , and the final foursome at fort tilden . there are so many trenchantly observed hipster types that it’s a surprise when a bit actually misses .

just as it’s difficult to decide whether to like or hate harper and allie , it’s hard to determine whether the end of “fort tilden” offers a moment of hope or resignation . as much as bliss and rogers are indicting the worst qualities of today’s post - collegiate generation , they also seem interested in exploring how young people use cynicism or cruelty to deflect their own insecurity or fear of responsibility . when allie describes a song as “tediously adorable , ” the intriguing contradiction is all - too fitting .

“sometimes , you have to live a little to know who you are , ” one of the women says , but in “fort tilden” they can’t seem to get that process started . by its end , they’re perpetually trapped in a cartoonish loop of sophomoric indecisiveness . it’s a blunt observation , made with far subtler touches in recent portraits of young new yorkers ranging from “tiny furniture” to “appropriate behavior , ” but no precedent in this topical subgenre goes as much out of its way to make its subjects so incredibly contemptible .

it’s especially frustrating because the scenes that do work do so incredibly well—and holistically speaking , the structure of this film is impeccable . the underlying theme of the clothing store scene is that harper and allie , both of whom seem to live at the pleasure of harper’s rich father ( harper directly , and allie probably by not really having to pay rent ) , are giddy to find fashionable clothing at such low prices , while surrounded by women of color and working - class women . of course , by the time they get to the register , they’re already second guessing the clothes they were so excited about only moments ago , and events later on in the film prompt them to abandon the garments altogether without a second thought . that they do so adjacent to a scene where they find a barrel on the beach that is identical to the one they purchased much earlier in the film , “only it’s naturally distressed , ” shows how well crafted the plot of this film is : everything is disposable for harper and allie ; they invest lots of meaning in their goals ( to get to the beach ; to have sex ; to make art ; to buy clothes ; to join the peace corps ) , but once they attain them they feel empty inside . they’ve both learned that it’s better to stay in the attainment process , permanently , because at least there’s something to tell people you’re working towards .

it’s difficult to create enjoyably unlikable characters ; a fine line separates hilarity and hostility . for all its bull - in - a - china - shop crassness , larry david ’s persona is a delicate thing to pull off well . with “fort tilden , ” writer - directors sarah - violet bliss and charles rogers have created two women who are drawn so vividly and so viciously , they’re hard to dismiss . and with great chemistry and – ultimately – vulnerability , co - stars bridey elliott and clare mcnulty bring them sharply to life .

roommates harper ( bridey elliott ) , dim and mean , and allie ( clare mcnulty ) , dim and whiny , set off for the beach at fort tilden in the rockaways of new york ' s long island , hoping to meet up with a couple of cute boys . as harper and allie ' s journey becomes increasingly arduous — they ' re broke , their bikes are stolen and they ' re stranded without reliable cab service — their snarkiness reveals itself to be bitter and abusive , a stark contrast to their cutesy romper outfits .

amidst quarter - life crises , allie struggles to prepare for the peace corps , while harper awaits checks from her father to fund her artistic dreams . but the two friends quickly shun responsibilities for the day when a pair of good - looking guys invites them along for a carefree fort tilden afternoon . as the two young women board their bikes and embark on a lengthy journey to the beach , they quickly realize that , akin to their confusing , transitioning lives , they neither know where they’re going nor how they plan to get there .

" the golden venture " by comic and mural artist christopher cardinale . the legend reads : " on jun 6 , 1993 , around 2am , the golden venture , a cargo ship carrying 286 refugees from the fujian province of china , ran aground on the beach at fort tilden . they had been at sea for 112 days on the boat operated by smugglers known as snakeheads . ten people drowned in their attempt to get to shore . for the survivors this was just the beginning of their efforts to seek asylum in the usa . "

and then they’re off , wandering deeper and deeper into the bowels of brooklyn , whining and sniping at everyone in their reach . with its one - note progression , bill and rogers’ straightforward narrative is oddly conventional in spite of the ongoing attempts to make harper and allie into utterly contemptible beings . at its best , the movie works like an indie riff on “romy and michele’s high school reunion , ” turning the plight of its clueless leads into an amusing romp in tune with their perspective . but “fort tilden” struggles to express their neuroses with much ingenuity .

“it’s authentically distressed , ” says allie ( clare mcnulty ) of the barrel she and her friend harper ( bridey elliott ) find lying in the sand near the end of fort tilden . like so many lines in sarah - violet bliss and charles rogers’ caustic comedy , it’s a sharply double - edged observation . not only is the chipped wooden container in question more genuinely weathered than the one the women had already purchased as a conversation piece before beginning their trip to the beach , but allie’s observation also stands as a piece of inadvertently pointed self - analysis .

when we first meet harper and allie , they’re trading insulting texts while enduring their friends’ rooftop acoustic guitar performance , which is ( admittedly ) shrill and self - indulgent . but the night isn’t a total waste : they end up meeting a couple of guys ( jeffrey scaperrotta and griffin newman ) whom they awkwardly flirt with and make tentative plans to meet the next day at the beach at fort tilden . ( awkwardness , by the way , is the name of the game throughout as the ladies stumble from one uncomfortable situation to the next – usually of their own making . )

throughout , harper and allie have been fighting an early assertion that they are basically twins , employing the argument that their personalities are so different that the distinctions are obvious . the film’s end suggests that while each woman’s interpretation of and explanation for her actions are wildly different from the other’s , their actions ( or inactions ) end up being effectively the same . yes , the assertive one helps the spineless one be more assertive and the compassionate one helps the harsh one be more compassionate , but in fort tilden this typical character arc only serves to prove that harper and allie are the twins they’ve been mocking . one romper is plain ; one’s floral—they’re still just rompers , as a multitude of characters point out . the final scene puts a lovely button on all of this , but it’s another example of how thoughtful and confident bliss and rogers can be as filmmakers . there’s just a little too much chafe for the strong parts to overcome , even if those strong parts are really worth a viewing .

let’s be honest : no one desperately needs another comedy about desultory twentysomething white brooklynites waiting for their grownup lives to begin . but fort tilden , the debut feature co - written and directed by sarah - violet bliss and charles rogers , showcases a satirical voice so dyspeptic it’s almost endearing , never letting the abrasive lead characters - - or anyone else for that matter - - off the hook for their self - absorbed entitlement . a mini - road trip that nudges its protagonists outside of their bubble , where the portrait of generational inertia ain’t pretty , this minor - key comedy of discomfort has a bittersweet bite .

the comedy stars clare mcnulty and bridey elliott as allie and harper , two millennials struggling with their quarter - life crises , who decide to blow off their responsibilities for the day to go to a secluded beach with two guys . throughout the film , allie procrastinates preparing to join the peace corps and harper waits for money from her father to pursue her unclear artistic dreams , all while facing new challenges along the way .

there’s a wicked strain of equal - opportunity awfulness running through characters across multiple age ranges here , whether it’s the smug gen - x parents of cobble hill , the self - justifying millennials or the obscenely confident late teens , next to whom 25 suddenly seems ancient . but the writer - directors and their cast maintain a light touch that prevents even their cruelest observations from curdling . one of fort tilden ’s strengths is that , even as harper and allie’s respect for themselves and one another deteriorates , and the summer skies give way to cloudy chill in the final section , bliss and rogers never deny their affection for the characters .

it’s a shame that parts of the movie aren’t as fleshed out as they might be , because it seems the filmmakers have some really interesting things to say about identity and responsibility . harper and allie do eventually make it to the beach , but by the time they get there their nerves have been frayed to the point where they lash out at one another , and this is before coming to the harsh realization that the two boys they were looking to hook up with aren’t what they expected . then , in one of fort tilden ’s finest moments , the denouement sees allie growing a spine while cracks appear in harper’s acerbic mask .

the first hour or so of the williamsburg comedy “ fort tilden ” is an endurance test . watching aimless hipsters harper ( bridey elliott ) and allie ( clare mcnulty ) snipe at each other and everyone around them is rather like being forced to listen to a loud and inane conversation between two nasty idiots on the bus . by the fifth time the two start whining about how they need coffeeeee soooooo baaaaad ( like , omg ) , you start hoping writer - directors sarah - violet bliss and charles rogers will do you a solid and have their defiantly unlikable characters hit by a truck . stat . unlikability is a tricky game .

yet the filmmakers display such reckless confidence in their comedy that “fort tilden” can’t help but nail its punchlines from time to time . elliot , in an effectively snotty performance , plays off mcnulty’s pouty - eyed gaze with constantly bubbly results . the comedic high point arrives when the duo encounter a group of catty gay men — they deserve their own spin - off — who trade barbs with the women in the midst of a drug deal . the beach - set finale , in which one character makes an awkward pass at another while the drugs slowly kick in , effectively brings the various misconceived ingredients into a fully realized calibration of awkward humor .

before that misadventure kicks off , “fort tilden” elaborates on its leading ladies’ selfish existence : hoping to get lucky , the moody harper rearranges their apartment’s furniture ( “i want the place to be sex - ready , ” she asserts ) and makes a phone call to her millionaire businessman father , who offers to send her more money ; allie anticipates an upcoming trip to libera to join the peace corps while dodging texts from her superior ; she nabs a bike from the next door neighbor by taking advantage of his evident crush on her , rolling her eyes the whole time . the script never hesitates to remind us that we’re watching monsters of privilege preying on everything around them .

when harper ( bridey elliott ) , the petulant , chronically impulsive daughter of an affluent father , and allie ( clare mcnulty ) , her comparatively responsible but equally self - obsessed roommate , meet two guys at a rooftop party in williamsburg , brooklyn , they resolve to bicycle the next day to the fort tilden beach in queens to meet them . but en route , they encounter assorted distractions : an errand to score drugs , shopping opportunities , a failed quest for good coffee , a stolen bicycle , a fickle livery - cab driver and a bike collision with a baby carriage whose occupant has parents even more demanding than the young women . ( a concerned citizen is played by jarreau carrillo . )

though the characters leave something to be desired , both leads have a great deal of chemistry — at their best , allie and harper manage to suggest a sort of sociopathic romy and michele — and the actresses embrace their more loathsome qualities with an admirable lack of vanity . ( one scene even manages to challenge “before midnight” for the title of longest sustained unerotic topless scene . ) well photographed and edited , the film looks quite good for its budget , and manages to dig into all sorts of underexplored corners of the city .

allie and harper ' s , um , journey starts out innocuously enough—the opening scenes feature the two mocking their friends ' rooftop guitar performance via vitriolic texts , bandied between their cell phones as the the two sit wordlessly beside each other . but any initial sense of warmth or camaraderie between them ( and the viewer ) dissipates in the coming minutes . their interminable journey to the beach swiftly reveals both characters for what they are : helpless , whiny asshats , their indignation perpetual and their pouty lips curled into permanent moues of either rage or disgust . the film is around 1 . 5 hours—the mouths of both harper and allie spend the entire time rankled .

unlike the perceived losers and wannabes that surround them , these bored antiheroines are convinced they have the reins of their destinies in hand , their bond fortified by elliott and mcnulty’s relaxed chemistry . harper feels sure that she’s only one big idea and another handout from daddy away from taking the art world by storm , while allie is heading for liberia with the peace corps for two years before studying law or acupuncture or something . the shallowness of these half - baked growth plans is steadily exposed as they trek to the rockaways beach that supplies the film’s title , intending to rendezvous with two guys from the party , russ ( jeffrey scaperotta ) and sam ( griffin newman ) .

1 ) update your iphone 2 ) commit apostasy 2 ) craft six truly hilarious tweets 3 ) gain a rudimentary understanding of cricket 4 ) start a car fire 5 ) drown a litter of kittens . ( which , by the way , they do in the film . ) 6 ) watch 83 percent of 12 years a slave 7 ) write and publish a ' why i ' m leaving new york ' essay for thought catalog . 8 ) cultivate a perfectly raked tabletop zen garden , ensuring that not a grain of sand escapes its assigned concentric ring ( 1 hour , 29 minutes , 36 seconds ) . smash the garden with your closed fist . ( 24 seconds . ) 9 ) file for divorce 10 ) go to jones beach

a late wake - up leads to a scramble to find bikes ( neil casey appears briefly and amusingly as the needy upstairs neighbor who helps them ) . every decision they make before they leave the house is inspired by vanity : no breakfast , no sunscreen and a carefully placed copy of david foster wallace’s “infinite jest . ” then there’s a side trip to prospect park to get some molly from harper’s hot ex ( peter vack ) , who ends up being the voice of reason even though he’s the most outwardly vapid person in the film . ( “ are you a hat person now ? ” he asks derisively of harper’s style choice for the day . ) and on and on it goes through various neighborhoods on a palpably steamy late summer day in brooklyn .

this year’s sxsw film festival is currently raging in austin , texas , complete with a packed slate that should keep festival attendees pretty happy in between bouts of chowing down breakfast tacos and basking in the good ol’ texas sunshine . as ever , the festival features a strong lineup of both fresh premieres and festival favorites , new and returning stars , and plenty of opportunities for talent to break out on the festival stage . from filmmakers to actors ( and , sometimes , both at the same time ) , familiar faces looking to try a new craft to total newbies , this year’s festival has plenty of stars on the rise to look out for ( ouch , so bright ) . read more : sxsw 2017 : 13 must - see films at this year’s festival who’s going to break out in a big way at this year’s festival ? we’ve got some ideas . ansel elgort , actor , “ baby driver ” if you

but long stretches of the movie lack ( funny ) jokes entirely , as if a punch - up writer only got around to 30 % of the dialogue . a mid - film shopping montage featuring harper and allie asking a series of rote questions about each other’s style falls flat , like the brainstorm session for funny things williamsburg hipsters might say and do in a discount clothing store in a working - class brooklyn neighborhood got cut short in production and nobody thought to reschedule it . this lack of interesting content especially drags after a similarly limp scene in which harper and allie—both of whom seem shallow and self - absorbed ; neither of whom seem stupid—try to get iced coffee from a small bodega that clearly doesn’t sell iced coffee , but also after an incredibly sharp and interesting moment where harper surveys the entire neighborhood only moments before and is “inspired” to start a new art project called “dollhouse ghetto . ” this movie isn’t afraid to hang its two main characters out to dry as horrible people , which makes it weird when it occasionally chooses to present them as merely stupid , often in the service of half - assed jokes in half - assed scenes .


panama hattie is a 1942 american film produced by arthur freed and directed by norman z. mcleod .

substantial retakes were directed by roy del ruth with choreography by danny dare and musical numbers staged by vincente minnelli .

the film used only four of porter 's songs and substituted other songs .

the cast featured red skelton as red , ann sothern as hattie maloney , rags ragland as rags , ben blue as rowdy , marsha hunt as leila tree , virginia o'brien as flo foster , alan mowbray as jay jerkins , dan dailey as dick bulliard and lena horne as singer in phil 's place .

songs used in the film are as follows : " hattie from panama " ( roger edens ) - chorus " i 've still got my health " ( porter ) - ann sothern " berry me not " ( phil moore ) [ instrumental , danced by the berry brothers ] " just one of those things " ( porter ) - lena horne [ from jubilee ] " fresh as a daisy " ( porter ) - virginia o'brien " good neighbors " ( edens ) - red skelton , rags ragland , ben blue and chorus " let 's be buddies " ( porter ) - sothern with jackie horner , and o'brien with alan mowbray " hail , hail , the gang 's all here " ( arthur sullivan ; theodore f. morse ) [ instrumental ] " did i get stinkin ' at the savoy " ( e. y. harburg and walter donaldson ) - o'brien " the sping " ( moore and j. legon ) - horne [ danced by the berry brothers ] " the son of a gun who picks on uncle sam " ( harburg and burton lane ) - company

panama hattie ( film )

panama hattie ( film ) <EOT> panama hattie ( 1942 ) - - ( movie clip ) just one of . . .

panama hattie ( 1942 ) - - ( movie clip ) i ' ve . . .

a nightclub owner in panama takes on nazi spies in panama hattie ( 1942 ) , starring ann sothern , red skelton & lena horne .

a nightclub owner in panama takes on nazi spies in panama hattie ( 1942 ) , starring ann sothern , red skelton & lena horne . >

panama hattie ( 1942 ) - - ( movie clip ) i ' ll dip . . .

there are no featured audience reviews yet . click the link below to see what others say about panama hattie !

the wartime musical / comedy panama hattie was a hit on broadway for songwriter cole porter and its star ethel merman .

the film was adapted from the broadway musical panama hattie , which opened at the 46th street theater in new york october 30 , 1940 and ran for 501 performances .

hattie maloney runs a saloon in panama where assorted characters congregate where they frequently sing and dance cole porter numbers . an upper class gentleman arrives and sparks fly between him and hattie . they try and overcome complications betweens songs .

with the headline : the screen ; ' panama hattie ' - - or what is left over of a musical comedy - - with ann sothern , opens at the capitol theatre .

hattie maloney runs a saloon in panama where assorted characters congregate where they frequently sing and dance cole porter numbers . an upper class gentleman arrives and sparks fly between . . . see full summary »

" panama hattie " was finished last fall . at several sneak previews , it cast a great pall . metro revised it , with scissors and pen , but it couldn ' t put " panama hattie " together again . and the consequence is that the conversion of this musical comedy stage hit is just a jumble of songs and dull slapstick , as it finally reached the capitol yesterday . view full article in timesmachine »

opening scene with the chorus then ann sothern in the title role , with a cole porter tune ethel merman sang in the broadway production , red skelton , rags ragland and ben blue her admiring sailors , in mgms panama hattie , 1942 . >

this video is from the motion picture ' panama hattie ' ( 1942 ) . the clip is probably most famous because of the ' balcony scene ' . remember the berry brothers is the only dance act who could rival . . . the nicholas brothers ! enjoy !

. sequels were fairly uncommon in classical hollywood film . it is minnelli ' s last film in black and white .

turner classics movie ( the best cable channel around…or do you prefer bet ? ? ? ) has announced that they will devote their lineup on friday may 21st to films starring or featuring lena horne including the duke is tops the 1938 black “race” film which was her first film , cabin in the sky and panama hattie . unfortunately her most famous film stormy weather is not included because it was a 20th century fox film and therefore unavailable to tcm . still here’s a perfect opportunity to see the legend and why they just don’t make them like her anymore .

title character ann sothern with pal flo ( virginia obrien ) plans to impress gerry ( jackie horner ) , the snooty young visiting daughter of her canal zone - based soldier fiancè dick ( dan dailey ) , whos brought butler jerkins ( alan mowbray ) from philadelphia , in panama hattie , 1942 . >

is clearly designed to be a pro - black film . are the film ' s sometimes stereotyped characters simply a minor flaw ? or are they a serious problem , enough to condemn the film ?

a quick look inside : madison , indiana - in popular culture , louis b . mayer - mgm boss , 1958 in film - events , 1962 in film - notable films released in 1962 , 1970 in film - notable films released in 1970 , forest lawn memorial park , glendale - m , dean martin - solo career , peggy king , panama hattie - film , 1954 in film - notable films released in 1954 , 1963 in film - notable films released in 1963 , eva marie saint - mid - career , orry - kelly - costume design credits , yolanda and the thief , julian eltinge - in popular culture , richard widmark - broadway and films , film noir - parodies , l . a . confidential ( film ) - pre - production , academy award for best director - multiple nominations , an american in paris - use in film , 1944 in film - notable films released in 1944 , cultural depictions of vincent van gogh - film and television , ingrid thulin - partial filmography , the cobweb ( film ) , undercurrent ( 1946 film ) , on a clear day you can see forever ( film ) , vincente minnelli - personal life , olga lehmann - film , television , and theatrical design , film noirs - parodies , the long , long trailer , finian ' s rainbow ( film ) - critical reception , 1952 cannes film festival , directors guild of america award for outstanding directing - feature film - 1950s , the long , long trailer - reception , lester gaba - new york career , john saxon ( actor ) - career , and much more . . .

a stand - alone scene featuring no other cast members , so that theater owners in the south could remove it if they chose , lena horne as herself happens to appear at the club in the canal zone , with a cole porter tune , her first scene in her first mgm picture , from panama hattie , 1942 . >

( 1943 ) is a musical film in black - and - white - the last musical vincente minnelli would make that is not in color . most of this film is not very good . minnelli thought it was his worst film .

. the resemblance is discussed in more detail in the article on that film .

. and the narration is like the narration of that film . the killer in

( 1964 ) is a comedy . perhaps vincente minnelli ' s worst film ,

( and tracy ' s nightmare of sinking into the floor in that film ) .

of other minnelli films return here , also playing a kinetic role in the film .

. both men are film directors , just as van gogh and gauguin are painters .

hattie maloney ( ann sothern ) is a gaudy , good - hearted nightclub singer who tends to love above her station . this time , it ' s pedigreed officer dick bulliet ( dan dailey , jr . ) , and it ' s for real . but there ' s one little problem : he ' s got a small daughter so ladylike she makes emily post look like tugboat annie - - and she ' s not impressed with hattie ' s bangles and bows . and hattie ' s got a trio of protectors , three goofball gobs who think that maybe hattie ' s too good for dick . this world war ii musical sparkles with cole porter numbers like " just one of those things , " classic buffoonery from red skelton , ben blue and rags ragland as hattie ' s spy - hunting sailor pals and - - last but not least - - the screen debut of miss lena horne . can a salt - of - the - earth gal capture a society guy ? of course she can - - and getting there is half the fun !

( 1945 ) is a strange , whimsical film musical . it shows plenty of talent , and some superb visual stylings from director vincente minnelli , but the film also has problems .

. it suggests and affinity between his family , and the one in the earlier film .

also ophulsian : the way one gets a servants ' view through much of the film .

- but it does have the brilliant red decor of the garage in that earlier film .

it is hard to think of parallels to this film in today ' s american cinema .

. the first shots of the film , show bulbs being planted in round flower pots .

she died tonight at a hospital in manhattan where she lived . she was 92 . the modern - day world knew her best as a singer . but lena horne was the first black performer signed to a long - term contract by a major hollywood studio - - in 1942 she appeared in panama hattie for mgm where she languished in mostly musicals , her film career thwarted by the color of her skin . she started in the chorus at the cotton club , graduated to broadway and then the movies . her last film was 1978 ' s the wiz . she came back to broadway to win a tony award for [ . . . ]

wallace beery rides armored mobile forts in a scene from the film ' the bugle . . .

, about the dutch painter van gogh , and his work in france . the whole film of

. they also bear candelabra , as in the previous film . they are more explicitly men in

on broadway , and who would go on to star in minnelli ' s film . in both

in all of these things , illegitimate children resemble gay people . the film never makes such parallels explicit . but so many similarities are developed in the film , that it is hard not to see such a resemblance . one suspects that it is intended as a subtext of the film .

proverbial for the collision between rich and poor . the symbolism was perhaps extended in the liberal film

american actress rita hayworth ( 1918 - 1987 ) in a publicity still for the film . . .

frank morgan holding dice in a scene from the film ' any number can play ' , 1949 .

although this film is a musical , it also has strong elements of mystery . in this it resembles

, he expressed huge reservations about the cultural tradition embodied by burton ' s character in the film .

. it is far from the standard armor worn by european knights , at least in old movies ! minnelli armor is decorative and complex . it varies from film to film , and seems utterly distinctive .

( follow the link ) . this discussion will concentrate on some additional aspects of this rich film .

. he cuts forwards and backwards far more often than he did in the earlier film . and while

these shows all began as movies that eventually became broadway musicals that were adapted once again for film .

against all this must be set the largely positive racial portrayals of most of the film . it was a major step up in 1943 hollywood , to have a film featuring blacks in richly developed lead roles .

wallace beery rides armored mobile forts in a scene from the film ' the bugle sounds ' , 1942 .

, in which great care was taken to make the film ' s uniforms be as varied as possible .

they are one of the few scenes in film history since the early silent days to criticize child labor .

heroes who start out with goals at the beginning of a film , and a film whose story ends with success or failure at that goal , constitute what bordwell defines as the standard paradigm of classical hollywood storytelling .

in comic books and film . they are often worn by refined young men from upper middle class families .

. but she is perhaps an unsympathetic character - and the hero dismisses her ideas . the film also seems to object to " working women " , in a way atypical of minnelli . however , because of the film ' s wavering and vague viewpoints , it is hard to tell what the film is really saying .

gets inspired by the producer , as do to a lesser degree the director and writer in that film .

otherwise poor musical has some good dance numbers directed by vincente minnelli , as an apprentice starting hollywood film making .

patricia neal and gary cooper looking at blueprints in publicity portrait for the film ' the fountainhead ' , 1949 .

a group of dogs that take turns playing the role of lassie in a scene from the film . . .

. the eye - popping visuals of a minnelli film can in fact make them resemble a dream or reverie .

. that film was a musical ; this is a drama . that film was shot on the backlot of metro in hollywood , this one is shot on location in france . the film seems completely personal for minnelli . yet at the same time , it seems to use different techniques from many earlier minnelli films . the sets look different .

i lean towards an approach that tries to recognize this film ' s many positive accomplishments - but which does not try to obscure its failings . on the whole , i think the film ' s positives greatly outweigh its negatives .

taylor makes his first appearance in the film , when doors are opened , and he is seen in the background .

is correctly called a " biographical film " , its thorough grounding in a technical subject should be highlighted as well .

libby flashes light from a mirror onto theron in the study . this is the best light art in the film .

. here these are the flames of war , and have a much more sinister meaning than in the earlier film .

other changes in the play and film reflect the treatment of gayness . the word homosexual could not be used in the movies , nor could gays be shown , according to the production code . the film sticks to these restrictions . i am not trying to defend these censorship rules , which were clearly designed to belittle gay people . but the pro - gay film

american actress rita hayworth ( 1918 - 1987 ) in a publicity still for the film ' cover girl ' , 1944 .

discussions of this film all state that the colors here are influenced by vincent van gogh . unfortunately , i just don ' t see this in the film itself . van gogh rarely painted such glamorous urban scenes as those found in this sequence .

. it ' s a film i ' ve never been able to like , and am baffled by its enthusiastic reception .

( 1965 ) is one of vincente minnelli ' s most underrated films . the film deals with many familiar minnelli subjects .

the tomatometer score — based on the opinions of hundreds of film and television critics — is a trusted measurement of critical recommendation for millions of fans . it represents the percentage of professional critic reviews that are positive for a given film or television show .

red skelton ( red ) ann sothern ( hattie maloney ) rags ragland ( rags ) ben blue ( rowdy ) marsha hunt ( leila tree ) virginia o ' brien ( flo foster ) alan mowbray ( jay jerkins ) dan dailey , jr . ( dick bulliet ) jackie horner ( geraldine bulliet )

on broadway june allyson was seen in sing out the news , very warm for may , higher and higher , panama hattie , best foot forward and forty carats . her numerous film credits include " good news , " " till the clouds roll by , " " girl crazy , " " best foot forward , " " all girl revue , " " the prisoner of swing , " " sing for sweetie , " " dime a dance , " " ups and downs , " " the stratton story , " " the glenn miller story , " " strategic air command , " " little women " and " the shrike . " ms . allyson died july 8 at her home in ojai , california . she was 88 .

several of the guests are dressed in costumes based on objects . a somewhat similar approach is in a non - minnelli film ,

the film is often fascinating in its visual style , however . much of it is highly inventive , in its visual techniques .

the film has a series of sympathetic supporting characters , such as the dentist and the actor . these anticipate similar supporting characters in

lacks any obvious political commentary . the presence in the film of the liberal in real life katherine hepburn and the conservative robert taylor does not align with any political orientation in the film . the washington setting of part of the tale , and the political prominence of taylor ' s character suggests that some political commentary is about to emerge , but it never materializes . the film also resembles somewhat

is an example of a non - noir film , that thus employs tactics familiar in film noir , such as a narrator . flaubert ' s narration has something of the same effect as a flashback - although it is not strictly speaking a flashback at all .

other minnelli imagery runs through the film : statues , fancy uniformed soldiers , candelabra , flowers . there is a car wreck , anticipating

employs techniques most often used in film noir . it has a narrator , and a flashback structure . there is a dream sequence .

( 1976 ) is the last film directed by vincente minnelli . he reportedly experienced much interference during its production , from the studio .

the word " gay " is one of minnelli ' s favorite words . it recurs in film after film , in which a character will state that being gay is the goal towards which they are striving . it is ambiguous : it can mean either joyful or queer .

a group of dogs that take turns playing the role of lassie in a scene from the film ' sun comes up ' , 1949 .

after the wedding - film sequence , the dispersing crowd includes a technician who is holding some sort of machine that generates a small flame .

. it is the first of vincente minnelli ' s non - musical comedies to be shot in color . the film is stylistically remarkable .

however , there are other color schemes in the film , as well . these tend to be subdued . i could find no trace in

we see a glass - walled building lit up at night , at the studio , while they are taking out the film cans for the preview . probably it is some sort of sound stage or photographic facility , maybe like the early , greenhouse - like film stage buildings seen in

are a mixture of minnelli enthusiasts , who regard the film as a highbrow example of cinematic art , and starstruck fans of the rat pack : frank sinatra and dean martin . this gives the film an unusually broad constituency . this delightful film can be enjoyed on both of these levels , and others too . it is a product of an era when filmmakers tried to use their creativity to give audiences pleasure in multiple ways .

flaubert ( james mason ) serves as narrator . and the main film unrolls as his telling the story of his novel on the witness stand .

, british actors or scenes of any sort are largely missing in his films . when he did finally make a film with richard burton , in

. but a few women in each film are in very pales shades of some color , such as a very light blue . the women in

later in the film , the hotel switchboard operator gets involved in a second deception . a switchboard will later play a role in the mystery in

hunting is also ambiguous . partly pure macho fun in a traditional culture - partly destruction rather than creation . the film sees it as both .

the contessa is another vincente minnelli character who disappears near a film ' s end , prompting a search by the other characters . the search in

( 1955 ) is a drama set in a high - toned psychiatric asylum . the film is overwhelmingly grim , and cannot really be recommended to casual viewers looking for light entertainment . still , the visual style and dramatic events are impressive , and the film is a key vincente minnelli work .

: the sexism of the society the film depicts . this society would be enough to cause anyone intense anxiety in their attempts to cope with it .

. he reportedly also did the many tall ornamental finials and wands carried by people in the film . they do not resemble much of anything else in film history . the way they can be carried and moved around reminds one a bit of the kinetic art aspects of minnelli ' s other films .

the orange in the film is sometimes provided by actual orange clothes : in the finale , there are people with orange shirts moving in the crowd .

however , some passages in the film regard the contessa more sympathetically than madame bovary ever was . emma bovary gets condemned , the contessa gets celebrated .

( 1945 ) , another serious dramatic film in which katherine hepburn marries a politically prominent man with country estates , and in which mysterious situations abound . cukor ' s film is as political as minnelli ' s is apolitical . the tone of the two films seems similar ; the political content does not .

( 1945 ) is a non - musical romance film , set in new york city during world war ii . robert walker plays a serviceman with 48 hours leave , who meets secretary judy garland . the film tells of their romance , and little adventures while they explore the city . it is vincente minnelli ' s first non - musical film , and the first set against a fairly " realistic " background , as opposed to his richly stylized musical films .

this is part of the emerald city section of the film , which is entirely designed in bright green , anticipating minnelli ' s lavish use of color .

, ordinary people think in terms of high technology communication . when taylor disappears in the middle of the film , tracy conducts the search via telephone . such

. that film also showed men as obsessed with standards , and doing everything they could to condemn and hurt others that do not live up to them .

is full of stars that have strong appeal to men , frank sinatra and dean martin , and many of the issues explored in the film are about men ' s lives . the film also mixes serious drama with glamorous settings , photography and clothes , another example of the broad mix of genres and approaches here .

principal cast : ann sothern ( hattie maloney ) , dan dailey ( dick bulliet ) , red skelton ( red ) , marsha hunt ( leila tree ) , virginia o ' brien ( flo foster ) , rags ragland ( rags ) , alan mowbray ( jay jerkins ) , ben blue ( rowdy ) , lena horne ( herself ) , joe yule ( waiter ) .

what would have been defeat at any other studio , however , was just the signal to get back to work at mgm . freed got studio head louis b . mayer to give him another $ 300 , 000 to fix the film . then , while discussing changes with sothern on the set of her next film ,

the two actors who play john and lon also look alike . both also look much like john kerr , who starred in minnelli ' s much later film ,

lon has the relationship with john that esther wants . lon does everything he can to help her . the film shows the two relationships as equivalent and parallel .

mitchum ' s disappearance is handled differently . his vanishing stretches out over many years of story time , and over much of the run time of the film .

the characters repeatedly move down stairs , while minnelli ' s camera follows them . late in the film , the camera also follows taylor partly up the stairs .

confetti is thrown indoors , and rice outside , during the wedding . the opening of the film shows the set covered with confetti , making fascinating visual patterns .

in film and comic books . al is seated next to a spray of lilacs on the table , whose pale purple echoes the deep purple of his sweater .

. the fog roiling through sulfur bottom is also a version of the colored smoke minnelli loves . in this film too , it is associated only with death .

towards the beginning of the film , there is a long sequence showing the hero and heroine falling it love . it recalls a similar and much celebrated sequence in

the dance at the barbecue , at the film ' s start , is a traditional dance , in which men dance with other men . such dances also permeated

in film and comic books . the hero is also booted : something not too common in minnelli , outside of military uniforms , or the fox hunting garb in

who is tootie ? what is she like as a person ? what is the film trying to tell us , by including her ? these are not easy questions .

many of these locales are places of high dramatic tension . they are also places of public encounters . they do not include any of the film ' s bedrooms .

is overwhelmingly designed in " red and green " , a favorite minnelli combination . at least fifteen locales in the film are in this color pattern . many walls in

. the film opens with a boom shot , traveling over the astonishing recreation of penn station built for the film . then a moving camera shot on the ground picks up walker , moving through the crowds . the first person walker meets is played by the film ' s producer , the legendary arthur freed . freed was in charge of the freed unit that made the famous mgm musicals of the 1940 ' s and 1950 ' s , including minnelli ' s . freed offers walker a book of matches . it seems symbolically important that freed will open the series of encounters that walker has in the film . he stands at the entrance of this complex studio - created world of

the first jewelry lesson ( right after the lunch ) is then in pink , green and gold . this color combination had just been used by minnelli in his previous film

( 1963 ) is usually described as a comedy . actually , it is often an extremely grim film , about the aftermath of the death of a wife and mother .

. much of the earlier film revolves around ugly issues of money : finding a well - to - do husband , spending vast sums on an ostentatious wedding . by contrast ,

? this is a tricky question , and i will argue that the film is ambiguous on this issue . one might note that well - known critics disagree : serge daney thought

, and also in the telephone call in that film . both of these scenes were associated with romance . many of the overhead shots here also have elements of romance and adventure .

mitchum is introduced wearing a leather jacket . it too looks as if it might be brown , although it is hard to tell in a black - and - white film . in

betty hutton : annie get your gun and dancing with fred astaire ( photo : betty hutton in annie get your gun ) [ see previous post : " betty hutton movies : ' it had to be you . ' " ] betty hutton ’s career would reach its peak in 1950 : top billed , she danced with fred astaire in norman z . mcleod ’s aptly titled let’s dance . though not a great movie , the pairing with astaire signaled prestige ; the rko - turned - mgm star was certainly more well - regarded than the likes of sonny tufts , john lund , don defore , or macdonald carey . that same year , betty hutton replaced a problematic judy garland in mgm’s george sidney - directed film version of irving berlin ’s annie get your gun . of note : on broadway , the role of annie oakley had been played by none other than hutton’s panama hattie nemesis , ethel merman . annie get your gun was to be one of mgm’s biggest productions of the year . hutton was even featured on the cover of time magazine ,

the wife becomes a missing person . there is some dialogue about this , at the start of the film - but we don ' t actually see a search . this is unlike other minnelli films with disappearing characters - the search is usually extensive , and the climax of the film . the disappearance here , and reconciliation afterwards , are in the rain - as in

this film is more " realistic " than most other films , in recording a major social event that was occurring , but which was taboo to mention . it echoes other such notices in minnelli . minnelli is often ( correctly ) thought of as an aesthete . yet , minnelli is one of the few film makers to record to ugly reality of child labor , in

these three sections are not explicitly marked in the movie - i . e . there are no title cards , chapter marks or intermissions separating them . but the film seems strongly structured along these lines . for example , as soon as theron enter the film , we move from a prologue centering on the parents and rafe , to a story strongly centered on theron .

( 1989 ) , minnelli came up with the basic idea of this number - but did not create the version in the film , and disliked what had been done with his ideas .

men in the film often wear blue suits , or red ties ; these contribute towards the color scheme . gray suits are also common ; these are part of the neutral background colors .

the italian film producer , is set against a background of a blue striped couch . his blue and grey clothes make a color harmony with this background , a familiar effect in minnelli .

( 1955 ) , another celebrated film photographed by alton . but while that film noir was in black and white , this ballet sequence is in color - and how ! alton does astonishing things , apparently with colored lights and filters , to make this scene full of non - naturalistic colors and lighting effects . the smoke here also recalls the fiery pirate number in minnelli ' s

started life as a 1953 broadway play , a major hit . the play was extensively reworked for the screen , in part to meet the strict film censorship restrictions of the time . ever since , it has been a cliché to suggest that the movie is simply a watered down , bowdlerized version of the play . a comparison of the play and film suggests a drastically different conclusion .

( 1954 ) , and systematically by such contemporary film makers as pedro almodóvar , danny boyle and gus van sant . minnelli will use this color scheme in other films as well , such as

the army trucks , with their thin pillars on their sides , also recall the moving pavilions of that film . and the leaf camouflage on the pillars recalls the garlanding in earlier minnelli films .

at her screen test , a camera follows the heroine from back stage , while she moves through a corridor full of film lights . this recalls judy garland ' s procession from back stage in

" is it a crime ? " is a modest musical number . it is a pleasant song , but not as good as the first - rate numbers that remain in the film . its simple staging is also pleasant - but - not - notable . one is glad it survives , and can be seen today . but the filmmakers were perhaps right to cut it from the film .

the servicemen throughout the film are also of a certain type . they tend to be good looking , romantic leading men types . like most of the extras in the film , they seem refined and well mannered , in a sophisticated new york mode . few if any are the sort of macho roughnecks one often sees in uniform in hollywood films , such as robert mitchum in edward dmytryk ' s

. in a _ film _ by , both brad stevens and joe mcelhaney discuss " rumors " that vincente minnelli directed the finale of this thriller . brad stevens says that it resembles the finale of

contains a mystery of identity . the heroine has to figure out who her husband ' s first girlfriend was . she does this by piecing together a number of clues , throughout the film . like

minnelli sometimes places his camera at a slightly bigger angle to a wall of a room . when he does this , oftentimes there is a piece of furniture in the shot that is exactly parallel to the frame of the film . for example , in the brother ' s office , the green chair is in exact alignment with the film frame , while the wall is somewhat at an angle .

by todd garbarini robert z . leonard ’s 1940 film pride and predjudice , which stars lawrence olivier , edmund gwenn , marsha hunt , greer garson , and maureen o’sullivan , will be screened at the the royale laemmle theater in los angeles . based upon the novel by jane austen , the 118 - minute film will be screened on tuesday , december 8th , 2015 at 7 : 00 pm . actress marsha hunt , who played mary bennet in the film , is scheduled to appear in - person to discuss the film and answer audience questions . from the press release : this lush , oscar - winning film from the heyday of mgm is the most entertaining of the many screen adaptations of jane austen ’s best - loved novel . laurence olivier plays mr . darcy , greer garson is elizabeth bennet , and they give definitive performances as the archetypal battling lovers who set the model for almost every rom - com of the future . the supporting cast includes edmund gwenn , mary boland , edna may oliver ,

later , they eat a green salad , also as in the long , long trailer . the dialogue calls the salad " green " : unfortunately the film itself is in black - and - white .

the number is in red , a gray - that - approaches - blue , and white . this links it to the red - blue - and - white " by strauss " earlier in the film .

. as in that film , these colors are mixed in with neutral backgrounds , such as whites and off - whites , as well as an occasional cool , refreshing green . as discussed in the article on

the climax of the film has montand performing a psychic search for the heroine in new york city . this is shown in the song " come back to me " , and gets an ingeniously stylized treatment .

. a sequence is set in venice . after all the glowing references to venetian art in earlier minnelli films , it is great to see the director at last getting a chance to make a film there .

) . in these scenes , the costume is modified right on the actress . the costume designer is working in three dimensions , with the costume worn exactly as it will be used in the film to come .

. the set even has the repeated arched doorways of the previous film . the contrasting colors of green and purple keep showing up throughout the whole ballet , as they did in the early part of the finale of

there are brilliant red objects scattered throughout the film . these tend to be small , fiery and highly conspicuous ; they concentrate an extreme of the red - orange part of the color scheme into a small space .

is a film in which people stand around and talk about their relationships . today , such films , when they are made at all , are aimed at an exclusively female audience : " chick flicks " . yet

this is the only time vincente minnelli was able to direct his daughter liza minnelli in a film . also , unlike his mgm period where vincente minnelli often directed the same actors repeatedly , most of the cast of

says that it depicts an idealized america . in some ways this is certainly true : the peaceful life shown in the film must have seemed intensely nostalgic to war time audiences . but in other ways , the society in

there is a queer interpretation : we are seeing expressions of gay or bisexual behavior . cross - dressing will recur in minnelli ' s gay lib film tea and sympathy , as well as the ballet in the bandwagon .

( 1948 ) also opens with the heroine looking at a series of paintings that tell the back - story of the film , and there is a similar suggestion that one is involved in a world described by painting .

- although the film goes out of its way to establish that she is not a " floozy " , and that she was good at school . this makes her far more respectable and educated , than the heroine of

right before the dancing tobins ought to film a new production , his wife tells freddy tobin that she ' s pregnant . so the producer desperately has to seek a replacement and starts a . . . see full summary »

is related , but different . it has two people searching for each other , rather than one missing person being looked for by lots of people . and it occurs in the film ' s middle , not the end .

. two similar long tall window panels are to the right , also like the windows in the house in the earlier film . the repeated men in their red coats also form strong repeated verticals , like the standing soldiers in

" dancing in the dark " opens with that minnelli favorite , a ride in an open carriage . here it is not in a historical film , but in a modern day setting , new york ' s central park .

the white collar husband encounters a lot of working class men throughout the film . these relationships are always polite - but they usually involve the husband paying out cash to the men , for services rendered for the trailer . in

in minnelli . it also has a moving wheel on top . the huge swinging gates of the mine yard are also kinetic art . later on in the film , the weavers ' looms will also be kinetic art objects .

the film was directed by norman z . mcleod , roy del ruth , and starring red skelton , ann sothern , rags ragland among others , with special features by james , warren and nyas berry of the berry brothers .

the director is the only character in the film to develop a successful family life , with marriage and children . his dining room has an ellipse - shaped mirror on the wall , like a similar mirror in the dining room in

some critics have seen buchanan ' s character to be a satire on vincente minnelli himself , with his various highbrow aspirations in american film . the red smoke that fills buchanan ' s faust sequences seems like a minnelli signature , after

. the film begins with sung narration , first by an unseen chorus , then joined by an unseen soloist . minnelli films often experiment with different methods of narration . this is one of the most unusual and avant - garde .

the kitchen , seen early in the film , also has reddish decor and green food . ( later , during the big revelation between theron and his mother , the kitchen is stripped bare of all but its pinkish wood . )

, something condemned by that film . if it ' s bad for gigi to learn how to extract presents of jewelry from wealthy men - and i agree that it is - shouldn ' t it be bad for the heroine of

has perhaps used them to advantage , somewhat paradoxically . the play had two characters who represented evil adult homosexuals . this has been removed from the movie version . because of this , while the play depicted gayness as evil , the movie does not . by any standards , this is a big step up , morally and politically . the change is particularly striking in the treatment of the coach , an obnoxious villain in both play and film . in the play , he is a repressed gay . the revelation about these yearnings at the play ' s end is treated as a big , guilty secret , showing how evil and rotten he is . all of this has been toned down , perhaps eliminated in the film . the coach in the film seems to be heterosexual . he is still rotten to the core . but the film traces his viciousness to his rigid adherence to macho norms . in the film , these norms are seen as a sick part of mainstream heterosexual culture . the coach is seen as representing heterosexuals at their worst . he is a person who spends much of his time enforcing macho norms , and persecuting anyone who falls outside of them .

there are two long take sequences at the party . the first occurs during the musical number " skip to my lou " . it starts when esther enters the shot carrying a tray of drinks , and eventually ends much later when john sings " lost my partner , skip to my lou " . this sequence is immensely complicated . the camera movements are all coordinated with the dance numbers in the film . the camera sometimes soars over the dancers ' heads . it can move rapidly and forcefully , or make small adjustments . the most intricate dancing in the film takes place here , an ensemble piece that also contains many individual brief numbers for small groups of dancers . i cannot imagine how hard this was to rehearse . it is unclear whether this moving camera sequence in the work of minnelli , or of charles walters , the film ' s choreographer . walters would soon go on to be a director himself . his first film ,

. startling plot revelations follow immediately after the bildungsroman ends , and theron comes home after his first sexual encounter . the whole focus of the film changes . there are no longer any goals : the story keeps moving in unexpected directions .

( 1956 ) is a biography of the painter vincent van gogh . the film is an example of vincente minnelli trying to bring high culture to a mass audience . it also shows his love of france , as a center of art .

the beat actor ( frank gorshin ) gets spoofed for his casual clothes . but the film seems to respect his talent as an actor . he is also presented as a person with sincere feelings . minnelli will return to a bohemian milieu in

is also minnelli ' s first film of religion - based fantasy . this is a genre to which minnelli would return throughout his career . many of minnelli ' s realistic , non - fantasy films , will also include the christian imagery prevalent in

( 1944 ) is a romantic comedy , mainly directed by and credited to alexander hall . hall had to leave to start another film a few weeks before this one finished . vincente minnelli was reportedly brought in to direct the last few weeks of

is that i wanted to make them more " visible " to viewers . these comments might seem " obvious " to anyone who watches the film . but it is clear that many people are ignoring or not seeing this aspect of the movie .

is full of mirrors , and scenes are often staged in front of them . mirrors are one of the main motifs in film noir , so perhaps these mirrors reflect the genre . they also recall minnelli ' s other films with mirror sequences .

. the fathers in that film are frighteningly efficient . they take one look at a situation , size it up accurately , and make a non - negotiable demand on their sons to take some macho - driven course of action . the father in

. this song is a musical version , of the sort of frantic hunt for a missing person that often forms a climax in minnelli . it takes place at night and around water , anticipating the desperate search in minnelli ' s next film ,

guétary is always dressed to the teeth . throughout the film he is dressed in a series of beautifully tailored double - breasted suits . he is a " dandy " , a man who takes great pleasure in being dressed well . the film suggests that this gives great pleasure to everyone around him , too . the dandy has a long tradition in both life and art . he is clearly a figure whom minnelli celebrates . many of minnelli ' s young men are also dandies , such as those in

the garage late in the film where the husband discusses alternate routes , is filled with red color harmonies . light orange brick and light pink brick walls , are behind bright red machinery . the husband ' s blue jacket forms the sole contrasting touch .

both heroines in the film are in orange clothes on their introduction . martha hyer is in a refined , glamorous evening gown whose color is a soft , restrained orange - pink , while shirley maclaine shows up in a blinding red - orange outfit .

the skyscraper building where montand sings " come back to me " , has some sort of polygonal shaped roof . ( it is hard to tell exactly from the view in the film , whether it is a hexagon , an octagon , etc . )

, though it is less elongated than those in previous minnelli . instead of being elongated , it is close to being a circle . the contessa has a long elliptical mirror on a dressing table , one more used in the bulk of the film .

( 1956 ) is vincente minnelli ' s look at men who do not fit into gender norms . the hero is a male prep school student who is deeply female like . it shows his ferocious persecution by adult authority figures in the school , his male classmates , and by his own father . the film constitutes a detailed record of the war on gays that was fought from the 1930 ' s through the 1970 ' s in the united states . this war was fought in media silence - the media of the time were not supposed to notice it was going on , or record any of it . so the fact that a film like this was made at the time is fairly amazing , and one wonders how it ever got by film censorship .

the black and white ball towards the end of the film is one of minnelli ' s richest scenes . the screen is so overloaded with detail , that even with the stop motion capabilities of today ' s film machines , that it is virtually impossible to take in all the detail . walter plunckett created a huge variety of costumes here , his only contribution to the film . these are rich , sensuous and complex . they have the flattering quality of his finest work . one wonders what it would be like to wear such wonderful clothes in real life . the clothes of both guétary and kelly have a look evoking adventure films , a genre in which plunckett specialized . minnelli had previously included the black and white costumed dance number of " la traviata " in

there is a beautiful still life of breakfast , at the start of the film . minnelli loves such still lifes of food . many of the plates on the table are geometric . once again in minnelli , the food is soft : grapefruit and poached eggs .

sandra dee ' s young english girlfriend has a crush on one of the soldiers at buckingham palace . minnelli includes the " changing of the guard " ritual in the film . he ties in with the other glamorized men in uniform in minnelli , in films like

some of the movements in the boar hunt show first the boar , and later the hero , moving towards the camera . at the film ' s end , the hero disappears by moving away from the camera , in a reverse echo of the earlier hunt .