The Gypsy Moths

Last updated
The Gypsy Moths
Gypsymoths.jpg
The Gypsy Moths Movie poster
Directed by John Frankenheimer
Screenplay by William Hanley
Based onThe Gypsy Moths
1964 novel
by James Drought
Produced byHal Landers
Bobby Roberts
Edward Lewis (executive)
Starring Burt Lancaster
Deborah Kerr
Gene Hackman
Scott Wilson
Cinematography Philip H. Lathrop
Edited byHenry Berman
Music by Elmer Bernstein
Production
companies
Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date
  • August 28, 1969 (1969-08-28)
Running time
107 min./110 min.
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Gypsy Moths is a 1969 American drama film, based on the 1955 novel of the same name by James Drought and directed by John Frankenheimer. The film tells the story of three barnstorming skydivers and their effect on a Midwestern American town, focusing on the differences in values between the town folk and the hard-living skydivers.

Contents

The Gypsy Moths stars Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr. The film also features Gene Hackman; and Bonnie Bedelia in her first film role. Kerr had worked previously with Lancaster in From Here to Eternity (1953) and Separate Tables (1958). The film had the only nude love scene in her film career. [1]

Elmer Bernstein composed the score.

Plot

A skydiving team called the Gypsy Moths visits a small town in Kansas (Benton) to put on a show for the Fourth of July weekend. Their leader, Mike Rettig, is accompanied by his partners, Joe Browdy and Malcolm Webson.

The skydivers stay at the home of Malcolm's uncle and aunt, John and Elizabeth Brandon. Mike becomes romantically involved with Elizabeth, and her husband overhears them having sex. Malcolm falls for local student Annie Burke, a boarder in the Brandon house, while Joe takes an interest in a topless dancer.

Mike eventually asks Elizabeth to leave town with him, but she declines. During the next skydiving exhibition, Mike performs a spectacular "cape jump" stunt but fails to pull the ripcord, intentionally falling to his death. Although nobody wants to discuss it, they suspect that he committed suicide. That night, Annie consoles Malcolm, and they have sex. Before the team leaves for good, they have to bury Mike. To pay for the funeral, Malcolm does the same stunt that killed Mike. He leaves by train that night, without attending Mike's funeral.

Cast

Production

James William Drought's 1955 novel, The Gypsy Moths – A Fable, was originally acquired by Kirk Douglas and Edward Lewis' film production company Douglas and Lewis Productions in April 1966. [2] The plan was for Douglas to play the lead and the partners immediately hired David Heilweil to write the screenplay. [2] [3] John Frankenheimer, who had been directing and co-producing films in partnership with Douglas and Lewis since 1962 through his own film production company, John Frankenheimer Productions, was to direct the film from the start. [2] [3]

After Douglas and Lewis broke off their partnership in December 1966 (after eleven years of working together), Lewis formed his own film production company, Edward Lewis Productions, and took with him several of the properties that he had acquired and developed with Frankenheimer. [4] In January 1967, Lewis and Frankenheimer announced that they had together signed a four-picture financing and distribution deal with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, for a co-production deal between Edward Lewis Productions and John Frankenheimer Productions, including The Gypsy Moths. [5] The screenplay had been re-written by William Hanley and the film was to be co-produced by Hal Landers and Bobby Roberts (who formed their own film production company Landers-Roberts Productions), directed by Frankenheimer and with Lewis functioning as executive producer. [5] [6]

In September 1967, Burt Lancaster was announced as the lead and the film was scheduled to be filmed in the Midwest starting in May 1968. [7] [8] John Phillip Law was originally in the cast, but Scott Wilson replaced him after Law broke his wrist. [9]

The aerial sequences in The Gypsy Moths were filmed at locations in and around Benton, Kansas, with a Howard DGA-15 (N22418) used as the jump ship, flown by David Llorente and Larry Perkins. [10] After decoding the "DGA" designation of the aircraft, Browdy (Gene Hackman) jokes that "You're much better off jumping out of it, than taking a chance on landing it." [11]

At the time, the sport of skydiving was in its infancy, yet the film featured an extreme variation of the sport, the use of "batwings", a precursor to modern wingsuit flying. Jerry Rouillard was a key technical advisor and stunt double for Lancaster. Carl Boenish and Jay Gifford were responsible for the aerial photography, including photographing the jumps with a 35 mm camera mounted on their helmets, while they jumped with the stunt doubles, a team of a half dozen skydivers; Mike Milts, Garth Taggart, Russ Benefiel, Dave Thompson, Bill Ledbetter and Jerry Rouillard. [12]

Reception

The Gypsy Moths ran in limited release in the U.S., with few theaters giving it extended showings. Frankenheimer was depressed and felt that a recent management change at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer resulted in the film only being partially re-edited "so it could debut at family-friendly Radio City Music Hall, where it promptly bombed. Only in Hollywood could dealing with clueless studio executives be more frightening than jumping out of an airplane into free fall." [13]

In his review for The New York Times , Vincent Canby noted that The Gypsy Moths had the semblance of an "action film," but "if this were a real action movie, I would be required to do little except look up at the sky and squint. Unfortunately, there isn't that much skydiving." [14]

After its initial showings, the film was lengthened to 110 minutes and the rating changed to M for mature audiences. This rating was an early version of the later PG. [15] As soon as it appeared, The Gypsy Moths disappeared. Director Frankenheimer claimed the film did not get the same attention as his thrillers,[ clarification needed ] like Seconds (1966) and The Manchurian Candidate (1962). Despite this, he would call The Gypsy Moths one of his two favorite films. [16]

The Gypsy Moths was widely seen in Australia, with a local skydiving fraternity quick to seize the opportunity to promote their sport, showing a 16 mm print at many club meetings. [17]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burt Lancaster</span> American actor (1913–1994)

Burton Stephen Lancaster was an American actor and film producer. Initially known for playing tough guys with a tender heart, he went on to achieve success with more complex and challenging roles over a 45-year career in films and television series. He was a four-time nominee for the Academy Award for Best Actor, and he also won two BAFTA Awards and one Golden Globe Award for Best Lead Actor. The American Film Institute ranks Lancaster as #19 of the greatest male stars of classic Hollywood cinema.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gene Hackman</span> American actor (born 1930)

Eugene Allen Hackman is an American retired actor. In a career that spanned more than six decades, he received two Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards, four Golden Globes, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and the Silver Bear. Hackman's two Academy Award wins included one for Best Actor for his role as Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle in William Friedkin's acclaimed thriller The French Connection (1971) and the other for Best Supporting Actor for his role as "Little" Bill Daggett in Clint Eastwood's Western film Unforgiven (1992). His other Oscar-nominated roles were in Bonnie and Clyde (1967), I Never Sang for My Father (1970), and Mississippi Burning (1988).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Frankenheimer</span> American film and television director (1930–2002)

John Michael Frankenheimer was an American film and television director known for social dramas and action/suspense films. Among his credits were Birdman of Alcatraz (1962), The Manchurian Candidate (1962), Seven Days in May (1964), The Train (1964), Seconds (1966), Grand Prix (1966), French Connection II (1975), Black Sunday (1977), The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996), and Ronin (1998).

<i>Deliverance</i> 1972 film by John Boorman

Deliverance is a 1972 American thriller film produced and directed by John Boorman, and starring Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, and Ronny Cox, with the latter two making their feature film debuts. The screenplay was adapted by James Dickey from his 1970 novel of the same name. The film was a critical and box office success, earning three Academy Award nominations and five Golden Globe Award nominations.

The year 1969 in film involved some significant events, with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid dominating the U.S. box office and becoming one of the highest-grossing films of all time and Midnight Cowboy, a film rated X, winning the Academy Award for Best Picture.

<i>Seven Days in May</i> 1964 political thriller film directed by John Frankenheimer

Seven Days in May is a 1964 American political thriller film about a military-political cabal's planned takeover of the United States government in reaction to the president's negotiation of a disarmament treaty with the Soviet Union. The film, starring Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Fredric March, and Ava Gardner, was directed by John Frankenheimer from a screenplay written by Rod Serling and based on the novel of the same name by Fletcher Knebel and Charles W. Bailey II, published in September 1962.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wingsuit flying</span> Variant of skydiving

Wingsuit flying is the sport of skydiving using a webbing-sleeved jumpsuit called a wingsuit to add webbed area to the diver's body and generate increased lift, which allows extended air time by gliding flight rather than just free falling. The modern wingsuit, first developed in the late 1990s, uses a pair of fabric membranes stretched flat between the arms and flanks/thighs to imitate an airfoil, and often also between the legs to function as a tail and allow some aerial steering.

<i>The Train</i> (1964 film) 1964 film by John Frankenheimer

The Train is a 1964 war film directed by John Frankenheimer and starring Burt Lancaster, Paul Scofield and Jeanne Moreau. The picture's screenplay—written by Franklin Coen, Frank Davis, and Walter Bernstein—is loosely based on the non-fiction book Le front de l'art by Rose Valland, who documented the works of art placed in storage that had been looted by Nazi Germany from museums and private art collections. Arthur Penn was The Train's original director, but was replaced by Frankenheimer three days after filming had begun.

<i>Drop Zone</i> (film) 1994 American film

Drop Zone is a 1994 American action thriller film directed by John Badham, starring Wesley Snipes, Gary Busey, Yancy Butler, Michael Jeter, Sam Hennings, Luca Bercovici and Kyle Secor. When a U.S. Marshal has to break up a drug smuggling gang, he has to take to the skies. Drop Zone was released by Paramount Pictures in the United States on December 9, 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bonnie Bedelia</span> American actress (born 1948)

Bonnie Bedelia is an American actress. After beginning her career in theatre in the 1960s, Bedelia starred in the CBS daytime soap opera Love of Life and made her film debut in The Gypsy Moths. Bedelia subsequently appeared in the films They Shoot Horses, Don't They?, Lovers and Other Strangers, Heart Like a Wheel, The Prince of Pennsylvania, Die Hard, Presumed Innocent, and Needful Things.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carl Boenish</span> American BASE jumper

Carl Ronald Boenish, considered the father of modern BASE jumping, was an American freefall cinematographer, who in 1978 filmed the first jumps from El Capitan using ram-air parachutes.

Charles Davenport Champlin was an American film critic and writer.

<i>Ripcord</i> (TV series) 1961–1963 American television series

Ripcord was an American syndicated television series starring Larry Pennell, with Ken Curtis, which ran for a total of 76 episodes from 1961 to 1963 about the exploits of a skydiving operation of its namesake.

<i>Cutaway</i> (2000 film) 2000 American TV series or program

Cutaway is a 2000 American action television film about skydiving, co-written and directed by Guy Manos. The term "cut-away" is used frequently in the film, in reference to parachuting and also in reference to life in general. Cutaway stars Tom Berenger, Stephen Baldwin, Dennis Rodman, Maxine Bahns, Ron Silver, Casper Van Dien and Thomas Ian Nicholas. This was Rodman's third film. It aired on the USA Network on October 3, 2000.

<i>99 and 44/100% Dead</i> 1974 film

99 and 44/100% Dead!, released in the UK as Call Harry Crown, is a 1974 American action comedy film directed by John Frankenheimer and starring Richard Harris. The title is a play on an advertising slogan for Ivory soap.

James William Drought was an American author, magazine editor, speech writer and press officer for the Office of Public Relations.

<i>Separate Tables</i> (film) 1958 film

Separate Tables is a 1958 American drama film starring Rita Hayworth, Deborah Kerr, David Niven, Burt Lancaster, and Wendy Hiller, based on two one-act plays by Terence Rattigan that were collectively known by this name. Niven and Hiller won Academy Awards for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress respectively for their performances. The picture was directed by Delbert Mann and adapted for the screen by Rattigan, John Gay and an uncredited John Michael Hayes. Mary Grant and Edith Head designed the film's costumes.

The Laurel Awards were American cinema awards that honored films, actors, actresses, producers, directors, and composers. This award was created by the Motion Picture Exhibitor magazine, and ran from 1948 to 1971.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward Lewis (producer)</span> American film producer and writer (1919–2019)

Edward Lewis was an American film producer and writer. As producer, he worked on nine films in partnership with actor Kirk Douglas; from 1958 to 1966, Lewis was Vice-President of Kirk Douglas film production company, Bryna Productions, as well as its subsidiaries, Brynaprod, Joel Productions and Douglas and Lewis Productions. He also produced nine films directed by John Frankenheimer. Lewis also wrote several books.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacques Fonteray</span> French designer

Jacques Fonteray was a French costume designer active in the film industry. Amongst his credits were the costumes for the 1968 film Barbarella.

References

  1. ↑ Capua 2010, p. 152.
  2. 1 2 3 "Archival Resources in Wisconsin: Descriptive Finding Aids". digicoll.library.wisc.edu. Retrieved 2021-05-24.
  3. 1 2 Variety 1966-06-08: Vol 243 Iss 3. Internet Archive. 1966-06-08.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  4. ↑ "Los Angeles Evening Citizen News from Hollywood, California on January 27, 1967 · 26". Newspapers.com. 27 January 1967. Retrieved 2021-06-03.
  5. 1 2 "Los Angeles Evening Citizen News from Hollywood, California on January 27, 1967 · 26". Newspapers.com. 27 January 1967. Retrieved 2021-06-03.
  6. ↑ "The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California on January 4, 1967 · 72". Newspapers.com. 4 January 1967. Retrieved 2021-07-04.
  7. ↑ "Daily News from New York, New York on September 1, 1967 · 102". Newspapers.com. September 1967. Retrieved 2021-07-04.
  8. ↑ "The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California on October 3, 1967 · 58". Newspapers.com. 3 October 1967. Retrieved 2021-07-04.
  9. ↑ Armstrong 2013, p. 35.
  10. ↑ Rouillard 1969, p. 33.
  11. ↑ Bushell 1987, p. 41.
  12. ↑ Rouillard, p. 10.
  13. ↑ Tatara, Paul. "Articles: 'The Gypsy Moths' (1969)." Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved: May 20, 2022.
  14. ↑ Canby, Vincent. "Movie Review: 'The Gypsy Moths; (1969); The Screen: Barnstorming parachutists." The New York Times, August 29, 1969.
  15. ↑ "Notes: 'The Gypsy Moths' (1969)." Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved: May 20, 2022.
  16. ↑ Champlin 1995, pp. 117–118.
  17. ↑ Swann, Steve. "The Gypsy Moths." Youtube, October 21, 2013. Retrieved: July 18, 2015.

Bibliography

  • Armstrong, Stephen B. John Frankenheimer: Interviews, Essays, and Profiles. Washington D.C.: Rowman & Littlefield, 2013. ISBN   978-0-81089-057-2.
  • Bushell, Sue J. "Some Damn Good Airplanes". Air Enthusiast, Thirty-two, December 1986-April 1987. Bromley, UK: Pilot Press, pp. 32–44.
  • Capua, Michelangelo. Deborah Kerr: A Biography. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, 2010. ISBN   978-0-7864-5882-0.
  • Champlin, Charles. John Frankenheimer: A Conversation with Charles Champlin. Ashland, Oregon: Riverwood Press, 1995. ISBN   978-1-88075-613-3,
  • Rouillard, Jerry. "Will the REAL 'Gypsy Moths' Please Stand Up?," Parachutist magazine, November 1969, pp. 10–12.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.