And the other .56%?

When it comes to American films of the 1970s, it is often the excesses (stemming from the newfound freedom that directors obtained during the '67-'75 period) that makes them so interesting. Even films that don't begin to approach greatness are, in many cases, infinitely more interesting than 90% of contemporary Hollywood product. This was the period where even established directors took chances — subverting Hollywood genres much in the same way as their French peers in the Nouvelle Vague had, and the influences of Godard, Truffaut Rohmer et al. can be found in the films of Penn, Altman, DePalma, etc. One American director who tried his hand at something different was John Frankenheimer, who in 1974 gave us the wonderful oddity 99 and 44/100% Dead. Lambasted by critics and public alike, it had always been near the top of Filmbrain's "70s-need-to-see" list, and thanks (once again) to the Fox Movie Channel, he's finally been able to scratch it off the list. Though it's a far cry from the brilliance of Frankenheimer's 60s output (The Train, The Manchurian Candidate, or his masterpiece, Seconds), it happens to be a genuinely funny, dark, mélange of genres that was perhaps far too ahead of its time. Its postmodern refusal to root itself in a single genre, tone, or mood no doubt confounded and irritated critics back in '74. From its nonsensical title (a parody of the Ivory Soap slogan) and Roy Lichtenstein-influenced pop-art credits, to its opening sequence of underwater corpses in cement galoshes, it's evident that Frankenheimer set out to create something other than a straightforward gangster film. (That an early shoot-out sequence between rival gangs is set to a playful whistling tune à la The Andy Griffith Show theme only serves to support this claim.) Set in the midst of a gang war between Big Eddie (Bradford Dillman) and Uncle Frank (Edmond O'Brien), the film is centered around our hero, Harry Crown, brilliantly played by Richard Harris. Though not particularly menacing in stature or brawn, Harry is brought in by Uncle Frank to help him win the war. Harry can best be described as a cross between James Bond and Delon's Jef Costello, though one can only wonder how this towhead behind oversized glasses can be the object of every woman's lust, while at the same time generating fear in the hearts of every other gangster. (A scene with a nude Harris preening in front of a mirror is worth the price of admission alone.) He's neither suave nor witty, and he manages to perform his tasks with a minimum of effort — a true PoMo hero. Unlike other gangster comedies, 99 and 44/100% Dead relies not on jokes or comedic situations, but rather an ever-increasing level of absurdity for its laughs. Besides the unlikely casting of Harris as both killer and lady-killer, there's Chuck Conners, who nearly steals the show as Claw Zuckerman, a killer with an artificial limb complete with its own set of attachments, including wine opener, scissors, and feather duster. Harris' women have names like Baby, Dolly, or Buffy (newcomer Ann Turkel), the latter of whom teaches a third-grade class from the inside of a giant inflatable woman. Add to this alligators in the sewers and a magnificent loungecore soundtrack by Henry Mancini, and the result is a fascinating and extremely entertaining ninety-five minutes. What the film lacks in plot (the story couldn't be any simpler), it more than makes up for in style and bravura. Many have claimed that 99 and 44/100% Dead is Frankenheimer at his directorial low point, but that's an unfair assessment. (Reindeer Games, anyone?) Many of his trademark flourishes are present, and though it does have some of that unavoidable cheesy 70s look to it, there's enough signature Frankenheimer to keep it interesting throughout. Not on DVD, it does show up fairly often on the Fox Movie Channel. Pay no attention to its undeserved lousy reputation — this one is sure to appeal to fans of both 70s cinema, and Richard Harris' ass.

Comments

[Anke S]

I watched this on German television about two years ago and even with it dubbed into German it was a fun movie. I do think Richard Harris is sexy, in an unexplainable way.

[phyrephox]

My question is whether or not the FMC is showing this in OAR, because on your recommendation I DVRed Altman's HEALTH and after the credits the 'scope was cropped down to pan and scan.

[Matt Zoller Seitz]

I am so glad you wrote this.

I've seen a lot of Frankenheimer's career output, film and TV, and I think he's one of the most underrated of American auteurs. (Steven Spielberg thinks so, too; in the late 70s he told an interviewer that he owes much of his directorial personality to a careful study of Frankenheimer, particularly his editing -- and if you watch THE TRAIN and SCHINDLER'S LIST back to back, the debt becomes clear.)

If anybody's interested in off-the-radar Frankenheimer, I'd also suggest 52 PICK-UP, maybe the toughest thriller ever made from an Elmore Leonard novel, and his final project, PATH TO WAR, a prismatic, formally daring, 3-hour HBO film about the Johnson administration during Vietnam.

Also, "Richard Harris' ass" would make a great blog name.

[Kza]

Didn't care for this at all, but I liked the attempt. Bradford Dillman (of all people) made for an interesting gangster, and I liked how it was filmed in different places (Seattle, L.A., and I think New York) to obtain an "quintessential city" look.

Also, I kinda thought "Lucky Number Slevin" owes a debt to this flick.

[Filmbrain]

Happy to see there are other fans of the film.

I second Matt's suggestion of 52 Pick-Up though the film oozes with sleaze. Very uncompromising as well.

Haven't yet seen Path to War, but I've heard Gambon is great.

D-Kaz - FMC has been showing it in both LBX and P&S. I pray a DVD is in the works.

Kza - Is Lucky Number Slevin any good? Looks irritating, judging by the trailer.

[la_depressionada]

52 pickup has one of my all time favorite scenes -- ann margaret yakking after a shot of smack. f*cking excellent. plus it's my favorite ann margaret -- the blowsy slutty one. so charmante.

if memory serves -- ann turkel was richard harris's g/f for a significant portion of the 70s. she was pretty hot too. i love rh too. we couldn't get enough of those man called horse movies in brooklyn.

[Kza]

No, "Slevin" slucks. I told people I knew that it was like the lovechild of Tarantino and David E. Kelley, with the worst traits of both. I could be wrong, but yeah, I'd bet you'd find it mighty irritating.

[Like Richard Harris' Ass]

The greatest "quintessential city" look in my mind is Babe II: Pig in the City.

[Richard Gibson]

Interesting post, this film looks well worth seeking out, although to best of my knowledge hasn't been on British TV anytime that I can recall.

[Peter Nellhaus]

Another vote for 52 Pick-Up. I saw 99 and 44/100% Dead at the old Academy of Music theater in NYC not long after it came out. It was a fairly regular outlet for Fox second run films. My own memory is that it pretty much went downhill after the credit sequence. Regarding Mr. Harris, with this and A Man Called Horse he was not shy about showing himself on the big screen.

[ed]

harris was still doing the nude in WRESTLING ERNEST HEMINGWAY '93 -- and yes, by then he's lost the muscle mass and some would say majestic, narcissitic-poetic boor's aura from CAMELOT or MAN CALLED HORSE.

[James]

I haven't seen this Frankenheimer film, but it sounds interesting. Thanks for the tip.

I wonder if we should rethink using the term "subvert" to describe the 70s American cinema or the French New Wave or other filmmaker who experiments with genre conventions or entrenched film style (ie, classical Hollywood). Subvert means 1."to destroy completely; ruin," 2."to undermine the character, morals, or allegiance of," 3."to OVERTHROW COMPLETELY."

Although there are undoubtedly some filmmakers who have set out to do this, I don't think it accurately describes the cinematic practices of either 70s auteurs or the New Wave. It certainly fits into dominant academic discourse which seeks to set up Hollywood as the hegemonic ideological force which must be undermined at all costs, not to mention other academic terms such as "intervene," "interrogate," etc. But the auteur and New Wave films were as much an homage to Hollywood genres as a revision. Plus, film genres have never been stable categories and have always allowed some degree of revision, modification, etc.

This really isn't directed at you so much, Filmbrain, as it is me reacting to certain discourses commonly practiced in academic film studies....

[Filmbrain]

James --

While I don't entirely disagree with you, I do think the term applies if we view the filmmakers of the New Wave in the context of postmodern theory, which is rooted in the subversion of the dominant in modernity.

There was a tremendous respect for the genres by these filmmakers, so, yes, "to destroy" is too harsh a term, but I do believe they wanted to challenge the moral hegemony of Hollywood (among other things). Think of what the Spaghetti Western did to the long-accepted archetypes.

[Rich Drees]

So I go over to Fox Movie Channel's website to see when this is next showing (May 23 at 4 pm in letterbox, btw) and I notice up in their header banner a little animated advert for their Friday Night Triple Play. However, one of the pictures they're using is a COLOR still from YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN. ARGH!