The Writer's Life 5/29

Yesterday Antenna TV's schedule consisted of war films. There was an unusual pairing from eight to midnight: Sahara (1943) and Castle Keep (1969). The former was made during WWII and is rife with propaganda. Humphrey Bogart is the leader of a band of heroes stranded in the desert, desperate for water. There are several notable elements beyond its exciting action. Lloyd Bridges does a turn as a British soldier. Younger viewers might remember his memorable portrayal of the aged exercise guru on Seinfeld ("Mandelbaum! Mandelbaum!"). J. Carroll Naish received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He plays an Italian prisoner who gives the film's main anti-Nazi speech. Dan Duryea, for once, plays a heroic figure, so unlike the sniveling weasels he did to perfection throughout his career. The highlight, though, is the tackling of the issue of race, seen through an African career soldier whom a German prisoner berates and Bogie defends. I'm not sure this was handled as frankly in previous Hollywood fare. To my chagrin, I was unable to figure out the actor's name among the credits at IMDB. I actually think it was left out. Sahara was directed by Zoltan Korda, whose most famous work is Jungle Book (1942).

Somehow I had never gotten around to viewing Castle Keep. Now I know why. It is too surreal for prime time TV. It is par for the era, when the iconoclastic was hip. It seemed gobbledygook to me, an opinion that would rile its supposedly avid cult following. They must be smarter than me. The only notable elements were an appearance by Michael Conrad, the original Sarge on Hill Street Blues ("Let's be careful out there."), and a bizarre turn as a conscientious objector, leading a group that frequently breaks into song, by the always reliable Bruce Dern. While I would not call the film an insult to combat veterans, it was certainly an odd choice for Memorial Day. Sidney Pollack directed. He did 36 films, most notably the critically acclaimed Tootsie (1982) and Out of Africa (Best Picture Oscar 1985), both of which I find vastly over-rated. My favorite Pollack film is The Yakuza (1974), starring Robert Mitchum.

My thanks to the folks who made purchases at the floating bookshop, especially my most faithful customer, Susan, who bought David Eggers memoir, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius.

Visit Vic’s sites:
Vic’s Third Novel (Print or Kindle): http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic’s Website: http://membershttp://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic’s Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic’s 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic’s 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic’s Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f