Hey Ralphie-Boy!

I don’t know what it is about some movies from the 1970’s that I like so much but I’ve found another great one. The plot behind The Late Show is simple enough - A private detective (Art Carney) is hired by a woman (Lily Tomlin) to find her cat, and stumbles onto several murders. The film, directed by Robert Benton and produced by Robert Altman, works as a late entry noir, a dark comedy, and a gentle human drama. Carney, Tomlin and the rest of the cast are terrific and the dialogue is as good as it gets. Our only copy currently sits in the FBE, but I’ve ordered one with the FBW too.

While on the topic of ‘70s films you might not have seen, here are a few great ones;

Charley Varrick - Walter Matthau's laconic, resourceful bank robber in an outstanding one-man-alone-against-the-mob thriller from director Don Siegel. If you like this one check out Matthau’s The Laughing Policeman and The Taking of Pelham One, Two Three.

The Seven Ups – One of the great car chases in history and a terrific cop procedural starring Roy Scheider and Tony Lo Bianco.

Serpico - Directed by Sidney Lumet and featuring Al Pacino in another brilliant ‘70s role, Serpico is about police corruption and remains as valid today as it was 30 years ago.

Cockfighter - Director Monte Hellman and actor Warren Oates who delivers one of his best performances in a film partially written by Charles Willeford and based on his book.

You could do worse than any of these.

S