St. Ives (1976 film)

Last updated
St. Ives
St. Ives.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by J. Lee Thompson
Written byBarry Beckerman
Based onThe Procane Chronicle by Oliver Bleeck
Starring Charles Bronson
John Houseman
Harry Guardino
Harris Yulin
Dana Elcar
Maximilian Schell
Jacqueline Bisset
Cinematography Lucien Ballard
Edited byMichael F. Anderson
Music by Lalo Schifrin
Distributed by Warner Bros.
Release date
  • July 23, 1976 (1976-07-23)(Chicago) [1]
Running time
94 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$2.3 million [2]

St. Ives is a 1976 American crime thriller film directed by J. Lee Thompson and starring Charles Bronson, John Houseman, Jacqueline Bisset, and Maximilian Schell.

Contents

The film was the first of nine collaborations between Bronson and director J. Lee Thompson.

Plot

Abner Procane hires Raymond St. Ives, a crime reporter and ex-policeman, to return five ledgers stolen from his safe.

St. Ives becomes embroiled in the task and the deaths of those involved in the theft. The ledgers are eventually returned minus four pages, and St. Ives is drawn into robbery to try and right the situation.

Cast

Production

The novel The Procane Chronicle was published in 1972 written by Ross Thomas under the pen name "Oliver Bleeck". The New York Times said "it should find ready acceptance among readers who like sophistication amid the welter." [3] Film rights were bought in 1972 by Warner Bros who announced it would be made by director Dick Richards as the first of a two-picture deal (the other being W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings . [4] Stanley Canter and Sidney Beckerman were to produce. [5]

The film took a number of years to be made. Eventually Charles Bronson signed to star, with J. Lee Thompson to direct. They later worked on eight other films together, including The White Buffalo , Caboblanco , 10 to Midnight , Murphy's Law , The Evil That Men Do , Death Wish 4: The Crackdown , Messenger of Death and Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects .

Bronson's wife Jill Ireland had appeared in a number of his films but decided not to appear in St Ives. [6] The female lead went to Jacqueline Bisset, who said the film "was less violent than most of Bronson's films, there is more of a romance." [7]

According to Phil Hardy in his book The Overlook Film Encyclopedia: The Gangster Film, Ingmar Bergman visited the set of the film and reported that Charles Bronson was "scandalously underestimated". [8]

The movie is also notable for early film cameos by Michael Lerner, Jeff Goldblum and Robert Englund. Goldblum again portrayed a maniacal street punk, as he had in Death Wish (1974).

Reception

Critical response

The film's box office performance was described as "modest". [2] On Rotten Tomatoes it has an approval rating of 44% based on 9 reviews. [9]

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film 2 stars out of 4 and called it "an ambitious Charles Bronson picture that looks good but finally doesn't quite work. It's got atmosphere, an interesting cast and some nice action scenes. But it bogs down in those speculations that are the bane of all crime mysteries." [10] Richard Eder of The New York Times wrote a modest recommendation, stating that the film "takes itself neither too seriously nor too lightly. Its occasional wit avoids heavy parody; its action avoids heavy reliance on violence, car chases and other such mechanical paraphernalia ... [Bronson] manages a pleasantly tried skepticism while the bodies fall all around." [11] Arthur D. Murphy of Variety wrote that the film "merely confirms a point: Eliminate gratuitous, offensive and overdone violence from a dull and plodding film story, and all you've got left is a dull and plodding film." [12] Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune gave the film 1.5 stars out of 4 and wrote, "The pace of the film is as lethargic as the acting." He added, "'St. Ives' is the kind of picture that introduces critical off-camera incidents at will. It's a mystery that doesn't play fair. It is neither possible to solve nor worth trying." [13] Charles Champlin of the Los Angeles Times wrote that the film "is what the trade calls a Charles Bronson starrer. It is also what the trade calls a program picture, competent, familiar and uninspired." [14] Gary Arnold of The Washington Post wrote that the film was "easy enough to string along with in an undemanding mood," though "Charles Bronson never seems remotely plausible as the sort of literary Shamus Raymond St. Ives is purported to be." [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacqueline Bisset</span> British actress

Winifred Jacqueline Fraser BissetLdH is a British actress. She began her film career in 1965 and first came to prominence in 1968 with roles in The Detective, Bullitt, and The Sweet Ride, for which she received a Golden Globe nomination as Most Promising Newcomer. In the 1970s, she starred in Airport (1970), The Mephisto Waltz (1971), Day for Night (1973), which won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, Le Magnifique (1973), Murder on the Orient Express (1974), St. Ives (1976), The Deep (1977), The Greek Tycoon (1978) and Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? (1978), which earned her a Golden Globe nomination as Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Bronson</span> American actor (1921–2003)

Charles Bronson was an American actor. Known for his "granite features and brawny physique," he gained international fame for his starring roles in action, Western, and war films; initially as a supporting player and later a leading man. A quintessential cinematic "tough-guy", Bronson was cast in various roles where the plot line hinged on the authenticity of the character's toughness and brawn. At the height of his fame in the early 1970s, he was the world's No. 1 box office attraction, commanding $1 million per film.

<i>Day for Night</i> (film) 1973 film by François Truffaut

Day for Night is a 1973 romantic comedy-drama film co-written and directed by François Truffaut, starring Jacqueline Bisset, Jean-Pierre Léaud and Truffaut himself. The original French title, La Nuit américaine, refers to the French name for the filmmaking process whereby sequences filmed outdoors in daylight are shot with a filter over the camera lens or also using film stock balanced for tungsten (indoor) light and underexposed to appear as if they are taking place at night. In English, the technique is called day for night.

<i>The Gambler</i> (1974 film) 1974 film

The Gambler is a 1974 American crime drama film written by James Toback and directed by Karel Reisz. It stars James Caan, Paul Sorvino and Lauren Hutton. Caan's performance was widely lauded and was nominated for a Golden Globe.

<i>Telefon</i> (film) 1977 spy film

Telefon is a 1977 spy film directed by Don Siegel and starring Charles Bronson, Lee Remick and Donald Pleasence. The screenplay by Peter Hyams and Stirling Silliphant is based on the 1975 novel by Walter Wager.

<i>Boxcar Bertha</i> 1972 film directed by Martin Scorsese

Boxcar Bertha is a 1972 American romantic crime drama film directed by Martin Scorsese and produced by Roger Corman, from a screenplay by Joyce H. Corrington and John William Corrington, Made on a low budget, the film is loose adaptation of Sister of the Road, a pseudo-autobiographical account of the fictional character Bertha Thompson. It was Scorsese's second feature film.

<i>The Deep</i> (1977 film) 1977 adventure film by Peter Yates

The Deep is a 1977 adventure film based on Peter Benchley's 1976 novel of the same name. It was directed by Peter Yates, and stars Robert Shaw, Jacqueline Bisset and Nick Nolte.

<i>The Mechanic</i> (1972 film) 1972 American action thriller film by Michael Winner

The Mechanic is a 1972 American action thriller film directed by Michael Winner from a screenplay by Lewis John Carlino. It stars Charles Bronson, in his first collaboration with Winner, Jan-Michael Vincent, Keenan Wynn, and Jill Ireland.

<i>The Thief Who Came to Dinner</i> 1973 film by Bud Yorkin

The Thief Who Came to Dinner is a 1973 American comedy film directed by Bud Yorkin. Based on the novel by Terrence Lore Smith, the film stars Ryan O'Neal and Jacqueline Bisset, with Charles Cioffi, Warren Oates, and in an early appearance, Jill Clayburgh.

<i>The Valachi Papers</i> (film) 1972 film by Terence Young

The Valachi Papers is a 1972 Italian-French crime neo noir directed by Terence Young. It is an adaptation of the 1968 non-fiction book of the same name by Peter Maas, with a screenplay by Stephen Geller. It tells the story of Joseph Valachi, a Mafia informant in the early 1960s who was the first ever mafioso to acknowledge the organization's existence. The film stars Charles Bronson as Valachi and Lino Ventura as crime boss Vito Genovese, with Jill Ireland, Walter Chiari, Joseph Wiseman, Gerald S. O'Loughlin, Guido Leontini, Amedeo Nazzari, Fausto Tozzi, Pupella Maggio, and Angelo Infanti.

<i>The Greek Tycoon</i> 1978 film by J. Lee Thompson

The Greek Tycoon is a 1978 American biographical romantic drama film, of the roman à clef type, directed by J. Lee Thompson. The screenplay by Morton S. Fine is based on a story by Fine, Nico Mastorakis, and Win Wells, who loosely based it on Aristotle Onassis and his relationship with Jacqueline Kennedy. Mastorakis denied this, instead stating "We're not doing a film about Aristotle Onassis. It's a personification of all Greek Tycoons." The film stars Anthony Quinn in the title role and Jacqueline Bisset as the character based on Kennedy. Quinn also appeared in Thompson's picture The Passage, released the following year.

<i>Death Wish</i> (1974 film) 1974 American vigilante action thriller film

Death Wish is a 1974 American neo-noir vigilante action thriller film loosely based on the 1972 novel of the same title by Brian Garfield. Directed by Michael Winner, the film stars Charles Bronson as Paul Kersey, an architect who becomes a vigilante after his wife and daughter are attacked during a home invasion with his wife dying from her wounds. This was the first film in the Death Wish film series; it was followed eight years later with Death Wish II and other similar films.

<i>The White Buffalo</i> 1977 film by J. Lee Thompson

The White Buffalo is a 1977 fantasy Western film directed by J. Lee Thompson and starring Charles Bronson, Kim Novak, Jack Warden, Slim Pickens and Will Sampson.

<i>The Ritz</i> (film) 1976 film by Richard Lester

The Ritz is a 1976 British-American comedy farce film directed by Richard Lester based on the 1975 play of the same name by Terrence McNally. Actress Rita Moreno – who had won a Tony Award for her performance as Googie Gomez in the Broadway production – and many others from the 1975 original cast, such as Jack Weston, Jerry Stiller, and F. Murray Abraham, reprised their stage roles in the film version. Also in the cast were Kaye Ballard and Treat Williams. The film, Jack Weston, and Rita Moreno all received Golden Globe nominations in the comedy category. It opened to mixed reviews.

<i>Love and Bullets</i> (1979 film) 1979 film by Stuart Rosenberg

Love and Bullets is a 1979 action crime film directed by Stuart Rosenberg. and starring Charles Bronson, it is based on a screenplay by Wendell Mayes and John Melson.

<i>Hustle</i> (1975 film) 1975 film by Robert Aldrich

Hustle is a 1975 American neo-noir crime thriller film directed by Robert Aldrich and starring Burt Reynolds and Catherine Deneuve.

<i>Harry and Walter Go to New York</i> 1976 American comedy film

Harry and Walter Go to New York is a 1976 American period comedy film written by John Byrum and Robert Kaufman, directed by Mark Rydell, and starring James Caan, Elliott Gould, Michael Caine, Diane Keaton, Charles Durning and Lesley Ann Warren. In the film, two down-on-their-luck con men try to pull off the biggest heist ever seen in late nineteenth-century New York City. They are opposed by the greatest bank robber of the day, and by a crusading newspaper editor.

<i>Plaza Suite</i> (film) 1971 film

Plaza Suite is a 1971 American comedy film directed by Arthur Hiller. The screenplay by Neil Simon is based on his 1968 play of the same title. The film stars Walter Matthau, Maureen Stapleton, Barbara Harris and Lee Grant.

<i>The Seven-Per-Cent Solution</i> (film) 1976 film by Herbert Ross

The Seven-Per-Cent Solution is a 1976 Oscar-nominated British-American mystery film directed by Herbert Ross and written by Nicholas Meyer. It is based on Meyer's 1974 novel of the same name and stars Nicol Williamson, Robert Duvall, Alan Arkin, and Laurence Olivier.

<i>Norman... Is That You?</i> 1976 film by George Schlatter

Norman... Is That You? is a 1976 American comedy film directed by George Schlatter and starring Redd Foxx and Pearl Bailey. It is based on the play Norman, Is That You? The film version changes the locale from New York City to Los Angeles and substitutes an African American family for a Jewish family in the original play.

References

  1. "St. Ives (Advertisement)". Chicago Tribune . July 22, 1976. Section 3, p. 6. "The action starts tomorrow, exclusively at Roosevelt."
  2. 1 2 SECOND ANNUAL GROSSES GLOSS Byron, Stuart. Film Comment; New York Vol. 13, Iss. 2, (Mar/Apr 1977): 35-37,64.
  3. Criminals At Large By NEWGATE CALLENDAR. New York Times 30 Jan 1972: BR24.
  4. MOVIE CALL SHEET: Henry Fonda to Play CIA Agent in 'Snake' Los Angeles Times 01 Sep 1972: d12.
  5. MOVIE CALL SHEET: Saxon Will Start in 'Hands' Murphy, Mary. Los Angeles Times 2 Oct 1972: d15
  6. For Bronson, Piecework Is a Virtue: Movies Piecework a Virtue for Charles Bronson Piecework a Virtue for Bronson Warga, Wayne. Los Angeles Times 2 Nov 1975: o1
  7. Jacqueline Bisset: Film Survivor Murphy, Mary. Los Angeles Times 8 Dec 1975: f18.
  8. Collection (1998). Hardy, Phil (ed.). The Overlook Film Encyclopedia: The Gangster Film. Contributions by Jeremy Clarke ... [et al.] ; illustrations by the Kobal. New York, New York: The Overlook Press. p. 365. ISBN   0879518995.
  9. "St. Ives". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  10. Ebert, Roger (August 2, 1976). "St. Ives". RogerEbert.com . Retrieved December 21, 2018.
  11. Eder, Richard (September 2, 1976). "'St. Ives' Is Entertaining Crime Film". The New York Times . 24.
  12. Murphy, Arthur D. (July 21, 1976). "Film Reviews: St. Ives". Variety . 22.
  13. Siskel, Gene (July 26, 1976). "It's the same old Bronson in 'St. Ives'". Chicago Tribune . Section 5, p. 6.
  14. Champlin, Charles (August 25, 1976). "Bronson Programmed in 'Ives'". Los Angeles Times . Part IV, p. 16.
  15. Arnold, Gary (August 14, 1976). "'St. Ives': Bronson and Bisset In a Mild Mystery Melodrama". The Washington Post . C7.