September 13, 2013

Flashback 1972 - A CLOCKWORK ORANGE, THE GODFATHER...

Looking back along my shelf of 1970s' movie mags, here's some choice images and adverts...





"The New Bond Movie, Diamonds Are Forever" was Sean Connery's last 'official' excursion as 007, though the first time Connery had filmed in America as James Bond. His 'U.S.' scenes in Goldfinger had all been filmed in England. Much more about Diamonds Are Forever here.




Photoplay Film Magazine, February
Tom Baker was playing eccentrics and downright baddies like Rasputin (and the monster mutant man in The Mutants) before he played The Doctor. Here he is in Nicholas and Alexandra, which led to his being cast as Doctor Who. The BBC producers were unsure of his acting range and, luckily, this film was playing in London at the time. They went to see it and cast him as a result. An expensive showreel!




Films and Filming, February
Director John Boorman made a huge, positive impression with his metaphorical eco-thriller Deliverance. Pitting four city-boys (Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty and Ronny Cox) against the forests, and the forest men...




Films and Filming, February
Hammer Films scored the biggest British box office hit of 1971. Not with Dracula, not Frankenstein, not lesbian vampires... but a TV adaption of On The Buses. This full page advert, on the inside front cover, is a taditional way of rubbing it in...




Films and Filming, February
Films and Filming gave A Clockwork Orange a huge photo-article leading into their review. The back cover ran the full-page advert for the initial London release.

Films and Filming, February


A Clockwork Orange then goes on general release, though Film Review softens the violent image of the film with this portrait of Malcolm McDowell on the cover. Here's the splash page inside, that makes Kubrick look as manic as Manson...

Film Review, May




Film Review, May
This publicity photo staged for Film Review brings together three actors who'd all played Sherlock Holmes earlier in their careers. Easy enough to organise, because Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing were filming The Creeping Flesh on the next soundstage to Robert Stephens (right), who was making The Asphyx at the same time.




Film Review, May

The second incarnation of Richard Matheson's novel 'I Am Legend', The Omega Man, finally arrives in Britain, with a pretty poor support feature.
 



Films and Filming, June
Meanwhile, down by the Thames, Hitchcock is back in England and filming the opening scene of his most explicit thriller yet, Frenzy. If you watch the trailer, you'll understand about his little friend.




Photoplay Film Magazine, August
Michael Winner directed Marlon Brando, Stephanie Beacham and Thora Hird in this sadistic prequel to 'Turn of the Screw'.
 
 
 
Photoplay Film Magazine, August

The second of three original John Shaft movies isn't as great a story as Shaft, but is closer to realising the character as a black James Bond. Shaft's Big Score has one of my favourite extended chase scenes ever, practically the last half hour of the movie. All for the sake of an orphanage! And, damn, Richard Roundtree looks good in action leather...




Photoplay Film Magazine, August
Publicity photo of Caroline Munro and Horst Janson during the shooting of Hammer Films' Captain Kronos - Vampire Hunter, I don't think they smiled this much in the movie! Writer/director Brian Clemens injected fresh blood into the vampire genre, obviously intending the character to have a series. Kronos did have a few future adventures in comic strips, on the pages of House of Hammer a few years later.




Photoplay Film Magazine, August
Jerry Lewis famously filmed this tale of 'a clown in Auschwitz' and then refused to show it to anyone. Supposedly, the last print of The Day The Clown Cried resides in his safe. A contemporary interview and a little footage from the rushes caused a wave of interest when it appeared on YouTube last month.





The Godfather opens at four cinemas in central London, which was unusual, unless they were expecting a rush of demand to see it early. I love the above portrait of Brando in character in Dick Smith's subtle, brilliant 'aged' make-up.

Film Review, September




Films and Filming, October
These photos indicate some of the carnage unleashed on Los Angeles as the story of trained killer rats expands city-wide in this sequel to the claustrophobic Willard. More about Ben here, though it still isn't on DVD. And here's a look at the original Willard.




Previous magazine Flashbacks:









No comments:

Post a Comment