Dirty Little Billy (1972)
“You were a bum in New York, and you’re a bum here! You’re useless — understand? Useless!”
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Review: Redeeming Qualities and Moments: Must See? Links: |
“You were a bum in New York, and you’re a bum here! You’re useless — understand? Useless!”
Synopsis: |
Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:
Review: Redeeming Qualities and Moments: Must See? Links: |
“Go ahead, lieutenant — prove yourself a hero!”
“An Indian without land loses his soul; his heart withers.”
“Wars are waged by kings; we are ordinary, simple folk.”
“He wants you to spend until you’re sick of it — he wants you to learn to hate spending money!”
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Review: Dennis O’Keefe does an admirable job in the title role, handling the fast-paced dialogue with ease, and remaining sympathetic (not an easy task) until the very end. Performances by the rest of the cast — especially Eddie ‘Rochester’ Anderson (Uncle Peter in Gone With the Wind) as Monty’s raspy-voiced employee; Helen Walker as Monty’s understandably frustrated fiancee; and June Havoc as an aspiring dancer who misinterprets Monty’s motivations in funding her theatrical production — are fine as well. Unfortunately, however, it’s hard to really sit back and relax when watching Brewster’s Millions, given that we can’t help feeling anxious about both Monty’s troubles and the confusion his loved ones feel; plus, we’re kept in suspense about the outcome of Monty’s plight until literally the last few seconds of the film. As much as I enjoyed this well-made comedy, I won’t be coming back to it (or any other version of the story) anytime soon — I’m too exhausted! Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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“After eight years of marriage, it seems we don’t know anything about each other.”
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Review: Not much happens, plot-wise, in Voyage to Italy: Katharine visits tourist destinations on her own, while Michael petulantly heads off to Capri and attempts an affair with a married woman. Rossellini is primarily concerned with showing how each spouse deals with the dawning realization that their marriage may be over — and how Italy, with its ancient history and dramatic landscapes, contributes to this awareness. Things finally come to a head in the movie’s final climactic moments — which, though a little too overly “neat” for my tastes, necessarily represent simply one frozen moment in the protagonists’ story; as in life, who knows what will come next? Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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(Listed in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die) Links: |
“I couldn’t sell Flip for any price.”
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Review: Haas uses his simple story as a chance to deftly satirize the values and social mores of upper class society. Without resorting to cliches, Haas cleverly contrasts Valentin’s life on the streets (which is tenuous, but filled with love and friendship) with that of his wealthy new acquaintance (who is well-meaning and kind, but mistakenly believes he can buy whatever he wants — including Flip). One of the most amusing moments in the film occurs during a party Valentin is hosting for his friends after earning some much-needed money at a young boy’s birthday party: sounding for all the world like a group of socialites discussing perfume or furs, a group of hardworking women sit around and debate how to get the smell of onion out of their hands, with one woman bragging that there’s only one technique she deigns to use. Unfortunately, the story’s gloomy trajectory inevitably leads downhill; as a result, the final third of the film is incredibly difficult to sit through. There’s nothing more devastating than watching someone who is forced to part from their beloved pet, which is what ends up happening to our luckless protagonist. In keeping with Haas’s social critique, once Valentin gets sick and can’t perform for money, we’re shown that not even the care and concern of his friends can rescue him from dire straits. Haas may have been a B-level director, but each of his films — at least those listed in Peary’s book (such as Pickup, Bait, and Lizzie) — show proof of his unique and impressive sensibility. Peary lists most of Haas’s titles as Camp Classics, but, with the possible exception of Pickup, I don’t see them this way: his films may be low-budget with patchy acting, but are surprisingly touching, and merit much wider appreciation than they’re currently given. Redeeming Qualities and Moments: Must See? Links: |
“I only accepted assignments against the so-called ‘great’: those overblown balloons who just cry out to be popped; I was glad to offer myself as a humble pin.”
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Review: Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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“Gold isn’t money — it’s a religion!”
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Review: Redeeming Qualities and Moments: Must See? Links: |
“I was indissolubly tied to him. For him, I’d forgotten and betrayed all those who were at that moment fighting and trying to achieve a long-cherished dream.”
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Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:
Review: Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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(Listed in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die) Links: |