Wild Guitar | |
---|---|
Directed by | Ray Dennis Steckler |
Screenplay by | Arch Hall Sr. (as Nicholas Merriwether) Bob Wehling |
Produced by | Nicholas Merriwether [1] |
Starring | Arch Hall Jr. William Watters Cash Flagg Nancy Czar |
Cinematography | Joseph C. Mascelli |
Edited by | Anthony Lanza |
Color process | Black and white |
Production company | Fairway International Pictures |
Distributed by | Fairway International Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 93 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $30,000 (estimated) |
Wild Guitar is a 1962 American comedy-drama musical film directed by Ray Dennis Steckler [2] and starring Arch Hall Jr., Arch Hall Sr. (credited as William Watters), Ray Dennis Steckler (credited as Cash Flagg), and Nancy Czar. [1] [3] The film was produced by Arch Hall Sr. The film was targeted towards the drive-in market, and is generally regarded as a B-movie, but has become infamous as part of a series of films made by Arch Hall Sr., which starred his son, Arch Hall Jr.
Bud Eagle (Arch Hall Jr.), a young singer-songwriter, arrives in Hollywood on a motorcycle. At Marge's Koffee Kup Cafe, he meets Vickie (Nancy Czar), an aspiring dancer, who quizzes him about his "gimmick" and promises to give him the "inside dope" on the music industry. He attends her performance at a television variety show later that night. When the scheduled saxophonist is unable to perform, Bud steps in with a ballad that earns him a standing ovation.
Bud's performance also earns the notice of talent scout Mike McCauley (Arch Hall Sr.), who offers him a record deal. Bud accepts the McCauley's proposal. McCauley immediately installs Bud in a penthouse apartment, providing him with tailored suits, a Fender Jazzmaster, a mini tape recorder, and a new backing band ready to record his songs. Bud's music career takes off in spite of his mounting doubts about the unscrupulous McCauley, who pays high school students to promote his music at their schools. Bud attempts to leave McCauley more than once, but relents when McCauley reminds him of the money he's owed. Bud performs "Vickie" (also heard in the less contextually-appropriate Eegah ) live on television, and Vickie sees the broadcast. She runs to the television studio where they joyfully reunite. They spend the night ice skating in Vickie's uncle's rink, Nancy Czar being a former figure skater. [4]
When Bud returns to his penthouse apartment, he is confronted by Don Proctor, McCauley's previous client. He warns Bud that McCauley is cheating him, and manipulating him. McCauley's henchman, Steak (Ray Dennis Steckler), arrives with a girl, Daisy, who begins to dance seductively, distracting Bud while Steak and Proctor go outside to fight. Steak throws Proctor down a staircase. As Daisy kisses Bud, Vickie walks in, and runs out again in tears. Bud chases after her but is kidnapped by a trio of comical bums from Marge's Koffee Kup Cafe.
Eager to take advantage of McCauley, Bud helps the kidnappers to plan the crime, encouraging them to ask for more ransom money. They try to share the money with him, but he refuses. Steak breaks into the kidnappers' hideout, the group scatters, and Bud goes into hiding. He takes a job as a dishwasher at Marge's Koffee Kup Cafe, where he and Vickie reconcile, but are quickly apprehended by McCauley and Steak, who threaten violence if Bud does not return to them.
After a climactic fist fight between Steak and Bud, Steak flees, and Bud demands that McCauley reform his dishonest business. McCauley refuses. Bud reveals that he has recorded the incriminating conversation using the mini tape recorder, and he threatens to make the recording public. McCauley relents, promising to manage Bud's career fairly from now on. The film closes with scenes of Vickie and Bud dancing together on the beach as Bud sings "Twist Fever."
The screenplay was written by Arch Hall Sr. (under the name Nicholas Merriwether), Joe Thomas, and Bob Wehling, [5] and the musical director was a high school friend of Arch Hall Jr., the young Alan O'Day, who went on to record a number 1 pop hit called "Undercover Angel" in the 1970s. [6]
In 2005, the film was featured in an episode of Deadly Cinema. [7] [8]
Nicolas Winding Refn is a fan of the film as well to the point of restoring and featuring it on the Black Deer Film Festival in 2019. [9] [10]
Heat is a 1995 American crime film written and directed by Michael Mann. It features an ensemble cast led by Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, with Val Kilmer, Tom Sizemore, Diane Venora, Amy Brenneman, Ashley Judd, Wes Studi, Jon Voight, Ted Levine, Dennis Haysbert, and Danny Trejo in supporting roles. The film follows the conflict between an LAPD detective and a career criminal while also depicting its effect on their professional relationships and personal lives.
Leonard Michael Maltin is an American film critic, film historian, and author. He is known for his book of film capsule reviews, Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide, published annually from 1969 to 2014. Maltin was the film critic on Entertainment Tonight from 1982 to 2010. He currently teaches at the USC School of Cinematic Arts and hosts the weekly podcast Maltin on Movies. He served two terms as President of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, and votes for films to be selected for the National Film Registry.
Who's Harry Crumb? is a 1989 American comedy-mystery film featuring John Candy as the title character. Paul Flaherty directed the film, which co-stars Annie Potts, Jeffrey Jones and Shawnee Smith. An uncredited cameo appearance is made by Jim Belushi. The story concerns the often incompetent, sometimes brilliant, private investigator Harry Crumb, who searches for a kidnapping victim.
Ray Dennis Steckler, also known by the pseudonym Cash Flagg, was an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor best known as the low-budget auteur of such cult films as The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies. In addition to Cash Flagg, Steckler was also known by the pseudonyms Sven Christian, Henri-Pierre Duval, Pierre Duvall, Sven Hellstrom, Ricardo Malatoté, Harry Nixon, Michael J. Rogers, Michel J. Rogers, Wolfgang Schmidt, Cindy Lou Steckler, R.D. Steckler, Ray Steckler, and Cindy Lou Sutters —- this last his "porn name".
The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies is a 1964 American monster movie produced and directed by Ray Dennis Steckler. Steckler also starred in the film, billed under the pseudonym "Cash Flagg". Upon release, the film received negative reviews and is regarded by some critics as being one of the worst movies ever made. The film was lampooned in a 1997 episode of the cult sci-fi TV series Mystery Science Theater 3000.
Eegah is a 1962 American horror film directed by Arch Hall Sr. and starring Arch Hall Jr., Marilyn Manning and Richard Kiel.
Francis Wayne Sinatra, professionally known as Frank Sinatra Jr., was an American singer, songwriter, and conductor.
Arch Hall Jr. is an American former actor.
Nicolas Winding Refn is a Danish film director, screenwriter, and producer.
James Sherwin "Bud" Ekins was an American professional stuntman in the U.S. film industry. He is considered to be one of the film industry's most accomplished stuntmen with a body of work that includes classic films such as The Great Escape and Bullitt. Ekins, acting as stunt double for Steve McQueen while filming The Great Escape, was the rider who performed what is considered to be one of the most famous motorcycle stunts ever performed in a movie. He was recognized for his stunt work by being inducted into the Stuntmen's Hall of Fame.
Dance with Me, Henry is a 1956 American comedy film directed by Charles Barton and starring Abbott and Costello and Gigi Perreau. It is the final film that they starred in together, although Costello starred in one more film before his death, The 30 Foot Bride of Candy Rock.
Archibald Williams Hall, known as Arch, was an American actor and filmmaker, best known for making a series of B-movies in the early 1960s starring his son, Arch Hall Jr. Hall used various names throughout his career including Nicholas Merriwether, William Waters, and Archie Hall.
Macabre is a 1958 American horror film directed by William Castle, written by Robb White, and starring William Prince and Jim Backus. The film falls into both the horror and suspense genres.
Talk About a Stranger is a 1952 American film noir directed by David Bradley and starring George Murphy, Nancy Davis and Billy Gray. The motion picture was shot by noted cinematographer John Alton, A.S.C. and was based on Charlotte Armstrong's short story "The Enemy", which was published in the May 1951 issue of Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine and was subsequently chosen for the top prize in the Mystery Magazine's yearly selection of best stories.
The Pack is a 1977 American horror film directed by Robert Clouse about a pack of abandoned dogs who turn against humans by killing them for food at Seal Island.
His Brother's Ghost is a 1945 American Western film directed by Sam Newfield.
I Want You is a 1951 American drama film directed by Mark Robson taking place in America during the Korean War. Gordon E. Sawyer was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Sound.
Deadwood '76 is a 1965 American Techniscope Western film directed by James Landis and starring Arch Hall Jr. and Jack Lester.
Blues Summit is the thirty-third studio album by B.B. King released in 1993 through the MCA label. The album reached peak positions of number 182 on the Billboard 200, and number 64 on Billboard's R&B Albums chart. The album won a Grammy Award in 1994 for Best Traditional Blues Album.