Certain movies fall through the cracks, go lost for decades. Such was the case with
Something Wild (1961), starring the lovely Carroll Baker, which I watched last night courtesy of Netflix. Shot in black and white, mostly in Manhattan, it is the story of the rape of a college student on her way home from classes at City College. She keeps it to herself. There are long stretches without dialogue, something I've always loved as long as sound accompanies it. It is easy to empathize with what the young woman is thinking and feeling. The best scene occurs during a morning after commute on a packed subway car, fueled by the pulsating score of Aaron Copland, one of the 20th Century's most renowned composers. The music during the opening credits burst from the speakers, and it immediately had me wondering who was behind it. I paid a lot more attention to the soundtrack than usual. The first hour or so of the narrative focuses entirely on the psychological effects of the ordeal. It takes an odd turn when the character is saved from jumping off a bridge by a mechanic played by Ralph Meeker. Are the ensuing circumstances plausible? I think so, given that the young woman has not sought counseling. Who's to say how she would behave? The major flaw is the lack of development of the male's character. The leads are outstanding. Meeker has always been under-rated. The supporting cast features several Hollywood stalwarts. Mildred Dunnock and Clifton James play the parents, left by the young woman without a word or trace. Jean Stapleton plays a wacky neighbor, Doris Roberts a co-worker. It is a solid, interesting film worth resurrecting. Based on the novel by Alex Karmel, who co-wrote the screenplay with Jack Garfein, who directed, it runs a bit less than two hours. The pace is deliberate. 61 users at IMDb have rated
Something Wild, forging to a consensus of 6.8 on a scale of ten. The title, which suggests something light, does not fit the ultra-serious tone of the scenario. Perhaps something was lost in its adaptation from book to screen. Garfein, who met Baker at the famed Actor's Studio and later married her, has an interesting history. Born in Czechoslavakia, he survived Auschwitz, where he was sent at 15. He has only four screen credits, two of them in TV. He also directed plays. His union with Baker lasted 14 years and produced two children. Born in Johnstown, Pa. in 1931, Baker's real name is Karolina Piekarski. She had a solid career that spanned 50 years and included an Oscar nomination for
Baby Doll (1956). She has 83 titles listed under her name at IMDb. Here's a great quote attributed to her: "When Clark Gable kissed me, they had to carry me off the set." That was in
But Not for Me (1959). She retired to care for her third husband, and has not taken a role since 2003. Here's a still from the film. Meeker passed away in 1988 at 67.
My thanks to Jonathan's mom, who allowed him to select
The Last Jihad by Joel C. Rosenberg and
Licence To Kill by John Gardner, a novelization of the film starring Timothy Dalton, one of the 16 Bond novels the author did. Jonathon, 14, will be attending Brooklyn Tech in September. He has grown past six feet. I asked if he will be playing football. He said no. The coach will be very disappointed. It was another tough session weather-wise. I hope the forecast, which predicts an end to the heat wave, is right.
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