Stanley Donen 1967-1984

Description

How does an artist once perceived to be ahead of his time fall behind the times? The choreographer/director of Golden Age classics like Singin’ the Rain and Funny Face left Hollywood for all the 60s and the first half of the 70s, perfecting a certain brand of sophisticated comedy/romance abroad with films like Charade, Bedazzled and Two for the Road. His rough Hollywood re-entry was marked by exercises in nostalgia for eras gone by (Lucky Lady, a movie about Prohibition Era gangsters starring Burt Reynolds and Liza Minnelli; the 1930s spoof Movie Movie) and attempts to give audiences of the 80s what it was assumed they wanted (the sci-fi debacle Saturn 3, the sex comedy Blame it on Rio).(00:00) What Makes Donen Fascinating(07:56) Charade(15:39) Two for the Road(26:19) Bedazzled — The Gold Standard Stoner Comedy(30:18) Staircase, Funny Face, and The Little Prince(35:38) Lucky Lady(47:16) Movie Movie(57:36) Saturn 3, “A piece of shit”(01:02:42) Blame It On Rio