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RIP: Stanley Donen (Signin' in the Rain, Charade, Damn Yankees)

posted 6 years ago by ecarle (14979)
7 replies | jump to latest

Stanley Donen has passed. At age 94. That's a wonderful life.

Quite a career. Musicals. Thrillers(a couple.) Comedies. Dramas.

Reviewing his list, I was surprised at how many times he was a CO-director: Singin' in the Rain most famously. But also my favorite of 1958(Damn Yankees) and its companion piece Pajama Game(1957)...same team, same songwriters.

Singin' in the Rain, I suppose is the BIG one. But Donen rather has to share the glory on that with Gene Kelly.

Charade has been called "the best Hitchcock film Hitchcock didn't make," but its only kinda/sorta like Hitchcock. Its got a Henry Mancini score for one thing. Hitch fired Mancini off off Frenzy, but Donen used him for both "Charade" and the other (lesser) thriller "Arabesque" and ended up with two thrillers that sounded like Blake Edwards directed them(given that Mancini scored Edwards TV show Peter Gunn and every Edwards movie ever made from Breakfast at Tiffany's.)

Charade is my favorite movie of 1963(when Its a Mad Mad World isn't). We get Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn together, perfectly. Hitchcock always wanted to work with Audrey Hepburn and almost did on "No Bail for the Judge," and certainly never got Hepburn with Grant. We got Walter Matthau in his "pre-star top supporting guy phase"(and he's got the most interesting role in the movie.) We got pre-star James Coburn, he of the lanky walk and the stereophonic deep voice as "Tex" the subvillain. And we got a great romantic thriller.

Damn Yankees is my favorite movie of 1958. ("Verti-WHAT?") Fast on its feet, sexy and with the surefire centerpiece of "Mr. Applegate"(Ray Walston as the Devil, actually) to keep the proceedings macabre and mean. Its also got one of my favorite musical songs of all time: "Heart." As in "You Gotta Have Heart" -- uplift, comedy, barbershop quartet harmonies, the whole nine yards.

One sleeper gem: "The Little Prince" a 70's musical with a very abstract whimsical quality, and two nifty musical cameos -- Gene Wilder (as a fox), and Bob Fosse(as a snake). Each man projects his animal in costume and manner only. Its magical. And the song "The Little Prince" is heartbreaking.

One naughty guilty pleasure(Donen's final film): Blame it on Rio. Michael Caine in his usual British manner, and the underrated Joe Bologna(all macho New Yawk) are male buddies who take their two teenage daughters on vacation in Rio. Caine's daughter is a prim young Demi Moore. Bologna's daughter is va-va-voom, often seen topless and in total sexual pursuit of Caine. Which means if tough guy Bologna finds out -- trouble for Mr. Caine. The father figure sex stuff outraged some critics and the movie isn't very good but -- its on-the-edge sexual and very funny: Caine is perfect as the man who strays and goes nuts trying to cover it up.

One big bomb: Lucky Lady. Top seventies stars Burt Reynolds and Gene Hackman buddy it up, with Liza Minnelli as the woman in between. It was meant to be a "Sting"-like period action comedy about rumrunning; it just played horribly, start to finish. (I blame the husband-and-wife screenwriters, who also wrote bad movies like Howard the Duck and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.)

To linger on the little-known Donens is probably wrong, but The Little Prince and Blame it on Rio were memorable to me(for different reasons) and Lucky Lady saddened me -- and in all three cases, I KNEW Donen was their maker. And I was rooting for the man who made Charade and Damn Yankees.

And that Rain movie.

But this one, too: "Two for the Road" -- Audrey Hepburn and Albert Finney in a very adult tale of marriage and all it entails, with a Mancini score and not a scare in sight in the year Hepburn also made Wait Until Dark.

And this one: Funny Face. I've spoken ill of it, but I don't know why. Only saw it once. I know its pretty major. I know its highly ranked. I know its very sophisticated. Maybe its because Fred Astaire doesn't much send me. Likely its simple: versus the peppy, sexy Damn Yankees, its just TOO sophisticated.

And wait, THIS one: Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. That was on the CBS Friday Night Movie, it seemed, in constant rotation. I remember the big barnstorming dance number in the middle, and how each brother wore a different bright colored outfit. Liked it, didn't love it.

No, its Charade and Damn Yankees for me, personally. And Singin' in the Rain as the Psycho-level acknowledged classic(I love the title number -- its like the crop duster scene of dance.)

And I like that for a year or two as an "old man," Stanley Donen was married to the hot Yvette Mimieux. Good for you, Stanley!

A great career. An interesting man. RIP, Stanley Donen.

[–] twinA (4921) 6 years ago

Excellent recollection of the man and his fine work, ecarle! You obviously have taken a lot of time to craft all your thoughts together. I am not familiar with Mr. Donen or was aware of the level of his involvement in the entertainment scene but recognize a lot of iconic names you list.

Not long ago, I saw "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" with my family. It was vey enchanting with the relationships the family displayed and the challenges they faced. Thank you for creating a personalized approach to his filmography. This is one of the reasons I enjoy exchanges on MovieChat; very knowledgeable people who bring attention to influential filmmakers who do not always necessarily get their due.

~~/o/

[–] Cogerson (102) 6 years ago

Hey twinA.....Donen was a one of the biggest directors working for 20 plus years....he career fizzled out in the late 1970s (Saturn 3) and early 1980s (Blame it on Rio)...but I liked those movies too. Good stuff.

[–] twinA (4921) 6 years ago

Chalk up my lack of familiarity as being young and living under a rock. 20 solid years in the filmmaking industry is still an incredible feat of career endurance today. Why, most professional's careers fall out much sooner, either from overexposure, as is the case for Ellen Page, who has taken up social cause, or go stale, as most of the action stars who made big box office during the late 1980s and 1990s.

~~/o/

[–] ecarle (14979) 6 years ago

Thank you, twinA, for reading my post. There is more to be said about Stanley Donen -- I sort of picked my favorite stuff of his in the main -- but its clear he directed (or co-directed) a lot of great movies. Some not-so-good ones, too, but he was a "working director" dependent on the scripts he got.

There's a great clip of Donen getting his honoroary Oscar in the 90's. Clips from his films, and a charming speech from him.

[–] twinA (4921) 6 years ago

Thanks for recommending the clip. Saw it. Could not help but smile with the rest of the audience in attendance that night at the delight and amusement Mr. Donen could captivate in a room. He may not have been the staunch charismatic guy who could fill the room with the sheer look of presence, but at least, he had brought fun to everyone's faces with manner and dignity; gravitas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMC8kHycgwM

~~/o/

[–] Cogerson (102) 6 years ago

Great comment...I shared this on our website. I agree with lots of what you said. I always thought Blame it on Rio had some funny parts. It plays as a comedy....not sure why people took it as a drama. I am not a huge musical fan....but I do remember the barndance scene...it was quite impressive. As for Lucky Lady the star power of Reynolds, Minnelli and Hackman actually made it hit....14th biggest hit of the year....but one of Donen's worst reviewed movies of his career. Once again...great comment.

[–] ecarle (14979) 6 years ago

Thank you for your kind words, Cogerson. Thank you for reading.

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I agree with lots of what you said.

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And nobody has to agree with everything I say! Not even me(sometimes I look at an older post again and think, "what was I THINKING?)

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I always thought Blame it on Rio had some funny parts. It plays as a comedy....not sure why people took it as a drama.

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Well, the sexuality of the one daughter was seen as "mental illness.. ." Which I don't think matches how the world works, sexually. By playing things as a comedy -- and giving Caine remorse -- the sting was removed. And there WAS some drama, some consequence for "crossing the line." Roger Ebert called the movie "for dirty old men," a phrase I don't much like. Old (older) men can have sexual feelings and the world is filled with older men with younger women -- and older women with younger men.

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I am not a huge musical fan....but I do remember the barndance scene...it was quite impressive.

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Very impressive. Some movies only need one scene...

The movie also had an interesting avalanche scene...using stock footage, alas.

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As for Lucky Lady the star power of Reynolds, Minnelli and Hackman actually made it hit....14th biggest hit of the year....

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Well, they were big stars. Oscar-wise, Hackman won Best Actor in 1971, Minnelli won Best Actress in 1972, and Reynolds was taking off. Reynolds was coming off The Longest Yard, and Hackman wasn't too far removed from The Poseidon Adventure. I guess that accounts for the high box office.

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but one of Donen's worst reviewed movies of his career.

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I think a lot of us showed up knowing who Stanley Donen was and hoping for another "Charade" at least...but we were disappointed.