Monday 6 August 2018

Next Stop Greenwich Village (1976 Paul Mazursky & scr)

1953. Wannabe actor Lenny Baker moves out of home, to the psychotic consternation of mother Shelley Duvall - father Mike Kellin is more phlegmatic (The Boston Strangler, Banning, The Wackiest Ship in the Army). Joins group of wacky friends including free-spirited Dori Brenner,  enigmatic Chris Walken (very good), gay Antonio Fargas, suicidal Lois Smith (nice nun in Lady Bird) and reliable Ellen Greene. And bumps into Jeff Goldblum along the way, whilst Bill Murray is an uncredited guy with a moustache in the background. Lou Jacobi is the deli owner.

Most enjoyable, well acted by everybody. Shot by Arthur J Ornitz and edited by Richard Halsey. Good 1950s production design by Philip Rosenberg. Talking of Rosenbergs, the two mentioned who were executed were Julius and Ethel, convicted of spying for the Russians.

Baker was primarily a theatre actor who had a few smaller film roles. He died of AIDS in 1982, aged 37 (same year as Kellin, who was himself only 61).



Characters seem to me very real and believable.

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