It's not easy being green, even scarier when it's Dean

It's official: Dean Stockwell was as creepy-scary in 1948 as he was in 1986. Filmbrain learned a bit too late about the Joseph Losey retrospective at Lincoln Center's Walter Reade Theater (ending this Sunday), which is a shame as Filmbrain is lacking in his Losey. The few films he has seen, including Accident, Galileo, Mr. Klein, Modesty Blaise and the extremely odd Elizabeth Taylor - Mia Farrow vehicle Secret Ceremony are so incredibly different from each other, that it's almost hard to believe they came from the same director. Losey directed films in at least four countries (most in the UK) though he originally hailed from Wisconsin. Filmbrain recently checked out Losey's first feature, 1948's The Boy With Green Hair, staring a young Dean Stockwell. It's an odd little film that's basically an anti-war and anti-racism piece, and has much to say on the effects of war on children. Stockwell plays Peter, a boy whose parents have been killed in the war, though he's unaware of it. He resides in a small town with a kindly old man he refers to as 'Gramp' (the singing, dancing, always loveable Pat O'Brien) and the living is easy. That is until Peter's hair suddenly turns green one morning. After a brief, initial fascination, the town quickly turns against the boy, and hysteria rules the day. Peter becomes an outcast and.....well, you'll just have to see the film (the film's tagline implores us not to reveal why his hair turned green.) Though not as complex as his later features, the film does have its merits. The message, while a bit heavy-handed, is admirable, considering when it was made. (Filmbrain can't think of too many anti-racism films from the late 40's.) The film's musical theme is the haunting Nature Boy (used liberally by Baz Luhrmann in Moulin Rouge) and it is very fitting here. Pat O'Brien turns in a great performance, and Stockwell is very good as the young outcast cum nihilist. He is a bit creepy though, and Filmbrain couldn't help but be reminded of his performance as Ben ("Here's to your fuck, Frank.") in David Lynch's Blue Velvet, crooning Roy Orbison's In Dreams into a work light. There's an archive print of the film being shown at the Walter Reade on 27 May at 7:30 and on 30 May at 2:00.

Comments

[Sean]

If I had the chance, I would make a concerted effort to see Losey's version of M, if only because it's been out of circulation for quite a while (for mainly legal reasons, I believe), and that it's garnered a weird reputation because of it. Some have called it "abysmal", and some say it's a "taut thriller". One mustn't go in thinking that it's going to stack up against Lang's original, but Losey's version is a curiosity at the very least. Shot at the time when the Hollywood red hunt was picking up steam, this dark time of political finger pointing apparently provided a subtext to this story of incrimination and manhunt. Of course, a lot of the cast and crew of the film eventually ended up on the blacklist, Losey included.

[Filmbrain]

Filmbrain is making every effort to catch the 9:30 show this Thursday.

[Aaron]

Ugh, I've had the same problem but much less of an excuse. I've known about the series since it was announced, and even though I live on the UWS, I just haven't brought myself to get over there, and now I don't know if I'll get to anything. My Losey is lacking far more than yours, and I actually did want to try to see GALILEO because I'm fascinated by all the American Film Theater productions. Hmmm ... M tomorrow ... maybe ....

[Filmbrain]

Aaron -- Galileo is available on DVD, as is The Servant and Mr. Klein. Not the same as seeing them on the big screen, but at least it's something.

[Marleigh]

Awww, cut Dean Stockwell a break. I mean, sure he's creepy and a bit weird—but he was on "Quantum Leap"! Being on a show with Scott Bakula automatically ups your cool factor by at least 30 points.