A British film with the American star Dana Andrews parachuted in for the international market., to play alongside home grown Peggy Cummins. Night of the Demon is a 1957 black and white horror where the gloomy picture is, I guess, deliberately spooky. The setting is Lufford Hall which is actually Brocket Hall in Hertfordshire. But the action starts at an amazingly deserted British Museum. Here we see a vision that is at the centre of the story. There are discussions about witchcraft and the supernatural.
But soon we are off that country mansion where we find the overpowering Dr Carswell played by Niall MacGinnis, the owner and spooky occultist. We hear about "the conflict between rationality and superstition". Director Jacques Tourneur keeps us wondering right until the end about whether we will see that vision again.
You know from the introductory music by Franz Waxman that this is a thriller. I had no idea of the plot, never having seen the musical version of Sunset Boulevard. It starts with that classic image of a body in the pool, an iconic image that David Thomson uses on the front cover of his huge book Moments That Made The Movies. Thomson loves the opening of the film, especially the voice over. I'm not so keen. Especially when he is dead. Thomson tells us that director Billy Wilder was slapped by the head of MGM for this daring conceit.
It's William Holden as Joe Gillis and Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond, the aging, or should I say aged, star who spar with some of the best dialogue of the time, even if it's a little over the top. Nearly all taking place in her crumbling mansion on Sunset Boulevard. It has a pool. I cannot remember ever seeing Gloria Swanson before, but she is terrific. There are no locks on any of the doors and Joe wonders if he should worry. There is one scene where she plays bridge with some other past it stars that is superb. Then that New Year's Eve party with full orchestra in her home with only one guest! What has Joe got himself into? Can he escape?
There are two other fine performances from Erich Von Stroheim as Norma's faithful butler and Nancy Olson as a young writer. In another of David Thomson's books, Have You Seen ..... , he says "this breathtaking portrait of Hollywood failure (both the leads) is wrapped up rueful ruined success". And "it is Wilder's virtue that he keeps the picture comic". Thank goodness.
Another film where I had no idea of the story is Five Easy Pieces. I thought we were in for something great when the first song starts: It's Tammy Wynette singing Stand By Your Man. What a voice! Here is Jack Nicholson as Robert (Bob) Dupea in the shadows entering his shack. He seems like your typical uncouth working class guy working on the oil rigs. His friends are all the same, including his latest girlfriend Rayette played by a superb Karen Black. So we are very surprised when a call from home about his failing father takes him back to his family's island mansion near Washington.
We know Bob can play piano, but he could have been a classical master. He almost finds some warmth there with a much more sophisticated woman. She tells him "Your a strange person, Robert". And he is. Torn between his rich roots and a penchant for women and drink, his cultured family are in stark contrast to the trailer trash that pulls him away. The film is well directed by Bob Rafelson from a decent screenplay by Adrian Joyce. However it has all the hallmarks of it's 1970 heritage. Would it get made today? Probably not. The strangest of endings is just typical.
Tammy Wynette's songs on the soundtrack also include D.I.V.O.R.C.E, Don't Touch Me and Where there's a Fire in your Heart. There are also five piano pieces by Mozart , Chopin and Bach. The contrast says it all.
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