The Gilded Intermission, Issue #6
Two Films from 1974: Crime, Glam Rock, and Disguises Galore!
Today’s Gilded Intermission takes us into the earth-colored excesses of 1974 and the Majestic Theatre in Dallas. It is here that we’ll take some inspiration for Halloween costumes that stand out from the Burtoneque variety. Nobody will confuse you for a Juice Demon while wearing a brown herringbone jacket á la Walter Matthau in The Taking of Pelham One-Two-Three. Likewise, everyone will be thoroughly confused (but delighted!) if you go as the Phantom of the Paradise as depicted in Brian De Palma’s 1974 rock opera.
By coincidence (or kismet), both films were released in October 1974. One was successful and remains a paragon of its genre. The other was only popular in exactly one place: Winnipeg, Manitoba. I’ll let you wonder which one is which.
It’s almost movie time, so we’ll start with an on-topic short feature.
You’re in Funky Denim Wonderland
I’m a forever fan of eccentric (and prolific) British singer-songwriter Robyn Hitchcock. As a Fegmaniac, I’ve got a Hitchcock song for every occasion. This seems like the perfect time to trot out 1974, a standout track from the Jonathan Demme film Storefront Hitchcock (1998), which later appeared as a studio recording on the album A Star for Bram (2000). It’s a song bemoaning 1974 as a confusing and stagnant year when a lot of things from the previous decade came to an end. It should put you in the mood for plenty of bellbottoms, earth tones, and grit.
The Subway Heist Movie You Didn’t Know You Needed
Do you like heist movies? Do you like disaster films? Do you like ensemble casts with grumpy old white men in trench coats? Do you like movie depictions of the NYC subway system? Have I got the picture for you! The Taking of Pelham One-Two-Three (1974) has those things, plus all the wide ties and fake mustaches you can handle. Oh, it has Jerry Stiller, Walter Matthau, Martin Balsam, and Robert Shaw!
Without giving away too much, the story follows a group of four criminals as they execute a detailed plan to hijack a New York City subway train for the princely sum of one million dollars. A million in 1974 would be just over six million dollars today, but is that enough to risk running afoul of the MTA? It’s either easy money or desperate living.
Pelham is an engaging film that combines the best 1970s action tropes: tension, grit, gunfights, and criminals. The hijacked MTA car is a Noah’s Ark of NYC stereotypes: a pimp, a gay man, a Spanish-speaking mom and her kids, a white hippy woman, and an undercover cop disguised as a hippy. The hostages and their conductor are at the mercy of the robbers, trapped in a downtown subway car that’s not on time and not stopping any time soon.
It should be noted that despite the forward-thinking diversity of the cast, the outdated language does take the quality down a few notches. Some appropriately placed slurs are uncomfortable for modern ears but work in the historical context and undergird the qualities of the characters that say them.
The action and pacing of this film are masterful. No wonder Pelham was remade for television in 1998 and again for the big screen in 2009. For me, the best part of this excellent crime flick is the outdated 1970s MTA control room technology and the authentic NYC subway cars, which were shot on location. It boggles the 21st-century mind to think that NYC kept its subway system going with landline telephones, bells, and switches that turned on boards of flashing lights.
To get the Pelham look for Halloween, be sure to raid your local thrift store for grandpa jackets and wide polyester ties and apply a fake mustache. Remember, the look is very earthy, very tan, very brown.
Greasers, Phantoms, Faust, Pills, and Beef: a Visual Feast
On the flip side of 1974 is the highly stylized, melodramatic rock opera Phantom of the Paradise. Horror director Brian de Palma’s musical predates the cult rock opera The Rocky Horror Picture Show by one year and his film Carrie by two years, so it was a wee bit ahead of its time. Not only is it a rock opera, but it also stars legendary songwriter Paul Williams. Yes, you read that right. And, of course, Williams penned all of the brilliant songs for this film. That alone should warrant a watch!
In the era of superstar music producers and record label owners with god-like status, Paul Williams portrays music mega-mogul Swan, the all-powerful head of Death Records. At the end of a show by his latest money-making group, The Juicy Fruits, singer-songwriter Winslow Leach appears on stage and impresses Swan with his original composition. Plotting to use his song for the opening of his new rock palace, The Paradise, Swan sends his A&R man, Philbin, to steal the sheet music. A series of terrible events ensue, and Winslow is left with a mangled face and vocal cords while Swan lines up groupies to “audition” for both the casting couch and a chance to sing Swan’s new song. The whole thing is a mashup of Faust, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and The Phantom of the Opera. It’s just as looney as it sounds, and it is glorious.
Be sure to read The Gutter Review’s excellent synopsis for a bit more depth.
No, Paul Williams, No!
I’ll get the burning question out of the way: the music is good. Rocky Horror’s tracks are more instantly iconic, but Williams’ work for Paradise is subtle yet obvious and, above all, brilliant. Great vocalists bring his lyrics to life throughout the film, and the songs never take over the focus of the film. It’s an interesting middle path for a rock opera.
But how does Paul Williams as an actor? His Swan is brooding, cold, and calculating but not significantly different in tone from his appearance on The Muppet Show several years later. I spent a lot of time shouting “No, Paul Williams, no!” at the screen in response to Swan’s evil banality while simultaneously loving his fashion excesses.
All the Phantom Ever Wanted Was a Break
Brian de Palma centers the film around the tragedies and squalid life of Winslow Leach, the doomed songwriter who becomes the Phantom. Much like Carrie, in his 1976 adaptation of the Stephen King novel by the same name, Winslow is talented and full of ideas but struggles to be seen. He is repeatedly belittled, abused, and tortured by those he seeks approval from. Spoiler alert: Winslow does exact his revenge, and it’s tragic, but he does sport an entirely iconic look once he breaks bad.
A Phoenix Rises Above a Sea of Groupies and Cases Full of Pills
This is the 1970s record industry, so there are Rolls Royce! Record-shaped desks! Hundreds of hopeful groupies endure SA and abuse from Swan’s minions! Tons of pills and cocaine! It’s a lot and sprinkled throughout the film like glitter on David Bowie.
Rising above it all is earnest chanteuse Phoenix, played by a golden-voiced Jessica Harper. She’s not in it for the sex or the drugs. She just wants to sing and do it well. When she’s finally given a chance to audition, she steals the show (and Swan’s heart, much to the Phantom’s dismay). Get her 1974 casual look by pairing gorgeous denim flares with a Chinese silk jacket.
Where’s the Beef?
If you’ve seen the trailer for Phantom of the Paradise, you’ve seen about all there is to see of glam rock character Beef. This is unfortunate because he’s a campy diva, and the fact that he’s sort of bad at his job is endearing. His mug is beat, but his togs are trashy… he’s trashy, and I wish there was more Beef. He’s a bit shock rock, a bit glam rock, and a whole lot of… big lummox. Get his look with a full glam face and whatever crazy stuff you can throw together from the bottom of your closet. Theatrical blood is optional.
The Majestic Theater Stands in for The Paradise
Originally built as a Vaudeville theater in the early 1920s, the Majestic Theater in Dallas plays the role of titular Paradise. Designed by prolific movie palace designer John Eberson, itt operated as a movie theater from the 1930s until 1973 and was closed to the public. Brian de Palma shot Phantom at the Majestic during its closure in 1974. Thanks to a revitalization campaign and local support, the theater was reopened to the public in 1983 and remains a motion picture theater and live venue today.
If you’re lucky enough to be in Dallas this coming Saturday, October 26, the Majestic will host a very special 50th Anniversary screening of Phantom, featuring a Q&A with Paul Williams.
See you during the next Gilded Intermission!