This year marks the 50th anniversary of the release of “3 AM.” What, you never heard of “3 AM”? Well, if you’re an Orson Welles fan, you’ll recall that film was directed by Gary Graver, the cinematographer on Welles’ “The Other Side of the Wind” – Graver needed to take on the skin flick job to because he couldn’t cover his bills working on Welles’ on-again/off-again project. As a favor to Graver, the Big O did uncredited work in editing a steamy masturbatory shower in “3 AM.”
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Yesterday’s Academy Award nominations generated the annual debate over who was nominated and who was snubbed. But when it comes to Oscar snubs, a surprisingly large number of classic films were ignored by Academy voters.
In my humid opinion – yes, humid, because I don’t do humble – here are my picks for the 10 films that were shockingly denied access to Academy Award nominations. Mercifully, none of these films suffered in reputation for lacking acknowledgement for Oscar consideration.
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BOOTLEG FILES 858: “Gentlemen Marry Brunettes” (1955 musical starring Jane Russell and Jeanne Craig).
LAST SEEN: On YouTube and DailyMotion.com.
AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.
REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: Most likely because of music rights clearance problems.
CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Not likely.
Despite its similar title, the vaguely identical plot involving two American showgirls in Paris and the presence of Jane Russell, the 1955 “Gentlemen Marry Brunettes” is not a sequel to the 1953 “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.” Yes, the source material – Anita Loos’ 1927 novel “But Gentlemen Marry Brunettes” – is a sequel to her 1925 “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,” but the film does not use the plot of the Loos book.
Indeed, the two films should not be mentioned in the same breath. “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” is one of the greatest musical comedies of all time – a witty, stylish, rollicking classic that offered Russell and Marilyn Monroe their best screen roles. “Gentlemen Marry Brunettes” doesn’t come close to the first production’s greatness at any level.
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This coming Sunday, movie lovers will be watching the Academy Awards telecast and betting on which films and creative artists will take home the celebrated prize. Oddly, the history of the Oscars is heavy with classic works that failed to snag a single nomination – and the reasons for the omissions are among the great mysteries of movie history.
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What can be said about Marilyn Monroe that hasn’t already been said? In this episode of “The Online Movie Show,” actor/writer Joe Mannetti shares a distinctive view of Marilyn Monroe’s talent and film canon, creating a provocative challenge to the stereotypes associated with her life.
Jane Russell’s stardom was engineered by Howard Hughes’ fervid imagination, and her initial publicity overemphasized her remarkable physique. But she was a genuinely talented performer adept at light comedy and melodrama. In this episode of “The Online Movie Show,” actor/writer Joe Mannetti returns to offer a tribute to Jane Russell’s iconic place in Hollywood history.
BOOTLEG FILES 663: “The Apple-Knockers and the Coke” (1948 stag film).
LAST SEEN: On YouTube.
AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: Not believed to be included in any commercial release.
REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: A naughty film that circulated underground for decades.
CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Not likely at this time.
For a number of years, rumors circulated that Marilyn Monroe appeared in pornographic movies. Much of the fuel for that belief came from her 1949 nude calendar art photo shoot, for which she only received $50. After all, if the great MM could disrobe for a still photographer during the period when she was a struggling actress, why wouldn’t she go one step further and go clothing-free for an adult film?
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