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The Film Music of Chico Hamilton


Teasing the Korean

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No idea what's going to be on that one and if it will have the soundtrack from 'Repulsion' (don't think the music made it to disc) but I'm sure it will have the music from this remarkable film:

fc_1_b.JPG

Would that it reproduced that cover, too.

"I'd hate to take a bite out of you. You're a cookie full of arsenic."

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Guest youmustbe

Of course, the sub plot, not overtly rendered in those days, was it was a Guy thang!!! You know, Queers, Fags, Homos, Queens,...!!!

That's what that wa ALL about it!!!! Re Walter Winchell.

But, you had to hint, and everybody got it anyway, except jazz folks,who are ever so innocent!!! Even to this day!!!

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I remember that Hamilton does have a speaking part in the film which is one of my favorites (the film, not Hamilton's speaking part, although he is fine).

"God I love this dirty town" J.J. to Sidney as they walk down a street. This line resonated with me when I lived in New york for a couple of years and found parts of it to be much the same as the film. If you drove around enough at night you were to see traffic stopped for a couple of people in a fist fight. Of course there was also plenty of garbage, loud noise and character. It wasn't sanitized to look like a Disneyland.

"Match me Sidney"

"Sidney, I'm going to chastise you" Emile Meyer, playing the "fat cop" whose name I forget.

The script stuck with me much more than the score--Ernest Lehman working with Clifford Odets (on the script)? Hamilton also appeared on one of my favorite albums "Grand Encounter" 2 Degrees East/3 Degrees west.

I would like to see a stand alone Japanese remaster of "Sweet Smell of Success"' soundtrack. Thankfully, "Grand Encounter" has been released multiple times in Japan and also in the US; of course there are plenty more Pacific Jazz albums I would like to see come out somewhere (I know other threads exist for that).

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Always saw this as the Burst Lancaster character caught in a brother-sister sexual thing, too...

Watched the film when it was released and had a fixation on Susan Harrison for a time!

Interesting Brownie, how although we are from vastly different parts of the world, I too had (have) a serious "thing" for Susan Harrison. When this movie was released in Cape Town in 1957, after a great deal of anticipatory publicity in Metronome and Downbeat regarding the Chico Hamilton Quintet contribution, I saw it three times that first week. I now teach this movie every year as a personal indulgence in my "Social Aspects Of Film" class, and I always confess to the class about my fixation on her. (Most of the males in the class just don't get it ... the females recognize her vulnerability, though). It is a real mystery what happened to her ... she just disappeared from the Hollywood scene after doing some television roles. She probably married an insurance salesman, and moved to the Valley, where she is now a grandmother and the general secretary of the local John Birch Society.

This is a very rich film for social and cultural analysis of the period ... from prevailing sexual mores to the blacklist and communism (remember J.J. asks the Marty Milner character if he is a "red'?) ... and we must not forget that director Barry Levinson (who is our age) offers a wonderful homage to the film in his great film DINER ... where one character repeats large sections of dialog from TSSOS.

The fiilm captures a lost world of American fifties culture (perhaps peculiar to Boadway/New York), and requires a great deal of background explanation for today's students. Also, it is very interesting that it was made by a Scotsman, Alexander McKendrick ... perhaps it required someone from outside of the culture to capture it so precisely, much like John Schlesinger did later with MIDNIGHT COWBOY.

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Always saw this as the Burst Lancaster character caught in a brother-sister sexual thing, too...

...

yup, me too... but what do we know, we're all innocent faggotts, I guess... :g

Always saw this as the Burst Lancaster character caught in a brother-sister sexual thing, too...

Watched the film when it was released and had a fixation on Susan Harrison for a time!

Interesting Brownie, how although we are from vastly different parts of the world, I too had (have) a serious "thing" for Susan Harrison. When this movie was released in Cape Town in 1957, after a great deal of anticipatory publicity in Metronome and Downbeat regarding the Chico Hamilton Quintet contribution, I saw it three times that first week. I now teach this movie every year as a personal indulgence in my "Social Aspects Of Film" class, and I always confess to the class about my fixation on her. (Most of the males in the class just don't get it ... the females recognize her vulnerability, though). It is a real mystery what happened to her ... she just disappeared from the Hollywood scene after doing some television roles. She probably married an insurance salesman, and moved to the Valley, where she is now a grandmother and the general secretary of the local John Birch Society.

This is a very rich film for social and cultural analysis of the period ... from prevailing sexual mores to the blacklist and communism (remember J.J. asks the Marty Milner character if he is a "red'?) ... and we must not forget that director Barry Levinson (who is our age) offers a wonderful homage to the film in his great film DINER ... where one character repeats large sections of dialog from TSSOS.

The fiilm captures a lost world of American fifties culture (perhaps peculiar to Boadway/New York), and requires a great deal of background explanation for today's students. Also, it is very interesting that it was made by a Scotsman, Alexander McKendrick ... perhaps it required someone from outside of the culture to capture it so precisely, much like John Schlesinger did later with MIDNIGHT COWBOY.

That post makes me want to see the film again soon! It's really a great one!

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Always saw this as the Burst Lancaster character caught in a brother-sister sexual thing, too...

Watched the film when it was released and had a fixation on Susan Harrison for a time!

Interesting Brownie, how although we are from vastly different parts of the world,

Garth, we seem to have quite a number of things going on together.

My fixation with Susan Harrison started when I saw an article about her in 'Esquire' magazine shortly before 'Sweet Smell of Success' was released, when Esquire was a mighty interesting read!

Her appearance in the film was full confirmation that she was something else!

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Guest youmustbe

Like many people in the Arts, Lancaster had a 'complicated' sex life. A friend of mine, who is a retired vice cop has told me many stories of the 'famous'...not surprising...people in the 'Limelight' do suffer sometimes from the 'Sweet Smell of Success'.....that's why we find them interesting.

As for that period, Red baiting and all...it is more than just a political witchunt...repressed sexuality had a part in it too....

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Susan Harrison...It is a real mystery what happened to her ... she just disappeared from the Hollywood scene after doing some television roles. She probably married an insurance salesman, and moved to the Valley, where she is now a grandmother and the general secretary of the local John Birch Society.

Here she is at STARS OF THE ZONE CONVENTION - The Sequel August 21 and 22, 2004 with her daughter Darva Conger (yes, THAT Darva Conger:

iconfloor41.jpg

http://www.twilightzonemuseum.com/conventi...04/floor/03.php

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Susan Harrison...It is a real mystery what happened to her ... she just disappeared from the Hollywood scene after doing some television roles. She probably married an insurance salesman, and moved to the Valley, where she is now a grandmother and the general secretary of the local John Birch Society.

Here she is at STARS OF THE ZONE CONVENTION - The Sequel August 21 and 22, 2004 with her daughter Darva Conger (yes, THAT Darva Conger:

iconfloor41.jpg

http://www.twilightzonemuseum.com/conventi...04/floor/03.php

WOW! That's an amazing find ... thanks for digging up her picture (and NO PUN INTENDED!) I tried a few years ago to "google" her without success ... so now she is doing the fan circuit. It just goes to show you that Thomas Wolfe was right -- you can't go home again. I can sleep peacefully now!

I was also interested to see that picture on the website of William Windom with a magnificent beard!

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Guest youmustbe

I won't reveal who might friend busted, especailly the 'straights' on the 53rd Street Male hooker bars back in the day...but I'm sure he won't mind me mentioning that Gina Lollbridgida gave him a blow job while he was on special duty at the UN!!!

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