In addition to being the debut film for Clifton James, 1957's THE STRANGE ONE was also the first film for star Ben Gazzara and supporting players George Peppard and Julie Wilson. In this drama of students at a military academy, James played "Colonel Cliff Ramey," the officer in charge of Southern Military College. Jack Garfein directed the film. Kenyon Hopkins' score was released on a Coral Records LP, but has not been re-issued on CD.
Although the advertising for 1959’s THE LAST MILE makes the film look like another gangster film, it’s actually a prison picture. Mickey Rooney stars as “Killer Mears,” a convict on death row. The film was based upon a 1930 stage play of the same name by John Wexley. The play was an early, critical success for actor Spencer Tracy, who starred as "Killer Mears" on Broadway. And Clark Gable garnered attention from Hollywood film studios when he starred as Mears in the Los Angeles run of the play. For his part, Rooney gives an intense and sometimes brutal performance. Clifton James plays "Harris," a young prison guard taken hostage by Mears during an escape attempt.
THE LAST MILE was produced by Max J. Rosenberg and Milton Subotsky, who would go on to form Amicus Productions and produce a string of horror and science fiction films in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Howard W. Koch directed the film. Van Alexander provided the unreleased score.
SOMETHING WILD told the story of a young rape victim (Carroll Baker) who tries desperately to pick up the pieces of her life, only to find herself at the mercy of a would-be rescuer (Ralph Meeker). Clifton James played Detective Bogarde, and received his first poster credit for the 1961 film. Jack Garfein (THE STRANGE ONE) directed James for the second time. Carroll Baker was married to Garfein at the time they made this film (they divorced in 1969). Aaron Copland's score was released by Varese Sarabande in 2003.
In the 1962 thriller EXPERIMENT IN TERROR, James played "Capt. Moreno" of the San Francisco Police. Blake Edwards directed the film. Henry Mancini's score was re-recorded for an RCA LP, which was re-issued on CD most recently in a 2014 Mancini box set. The original soundtrack has only been released as an isolated score track on the 2013 Twilight Time Blu-ray of the film.
I hope this isn't perceived to be in bad taste, but I'm constantly surprised by the amount of people who have looked as if they were on the verge of a heart attack throughout their entire lives, and who make it into their 90s. Just recently was Don Rickles, and the one that stood out from a few years ago was Ernest Borgnine. They all looked as if they'd lived on a diet of lard and beer. In a strange way it's heartening to know.
R.I.P. Clifton James. I first remember him from his role in THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN.
Amazing. Just three days ago, I was watching an episode of "Cain's Hundred" with James a guest star. Of course, I assumed he was already dead. This happens a lot because I watch so much old stuff.
I hope this isn't perceived to be in bad taste, but I'm constantly surprised by the amount of people who have looked as if they were on the verge of a heart attack throughout their entire lives, and who make it into their 90s. Just recently was Don Rickles, and the one that stood out from a few years ago was Ernest Borgnine. They all looked as if they'd lived on a diet of lard and beer. In a strange way it's heartening to know.
R.I.P. Clifton James. I first remember him from his role in THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN.
Not so much Ernie, but I've noticed that too. Abe Vigoda is another example.
The 1962 drama DAVID AND LISA was the emotional story of a young man in a mental institution for teens (Keir Dullea) who finds intimacy with a young woman (Janey Margolin) suffering from dissociative identity disorder. Clifton James had a small role in the film, as "John." DAVID AND LISA was Frank Perry's directorial debut. The score by Mark Lawrence was issued on an AVA LP, and was re-released on CD (paired with A PATCH OF BLUE) by Mainstream in 1991 and Soundtrack Listeners Club in 1993.
In the 1964 exploitation drama BLACK LIKE ME, "John Finley Horton" (James Whitmore), a white Southern newspaperman, darkens his skin and begins to live as a black while writing a series of magazine articles about his experiences for editor "Eli Carr" (Clifton James). Carl Lerner directed the film, which has an unreleased score by Meyer Kupferman.
James had a small role as "Tuttle" in the 1964 Yul Brynner western INVITATION TO A GUNFIGHTER. Richard Wilson directed the film. David Raksin's score was released by Film Score Monthly in 2007 as part of the box set "Classic Western Scores from United Artists."
Clifton James had a small role as the hot-headed drunken redneck "Lem," among the all-star cast of the 1966 Southern melodrama THE CHASE. Arthur Penn directed the overheated proceedings. John Barry's score was released on a Columbia LP, and was re-issued on CD by Sony/Legacy in 2004.
In his third and last film for producer Sam Spiegel, Clifton James had the role of "O'Reilly" in the comedy-drama THE HAPPENING. Elliot Silverstein directed this 1967 tale of a quartet of hippies (Michael Parks, George Maharis, Robert Walker, and Faye Dunaway) who "go with the flow" and end up kidnapping a retired Mafia kingpin (Anthony Quinn). Frank De Vol's score was released on a Colgems LP, but has never been reissued on CD.
Clifton James played "Philippe Lemoins," a Turkish hit man, in the 1967 heist film THE CAPER OF THE GOLDEN BULLS. Russell Rouse directed the thriller, which was filmed in Pamplona and Madrid, Spain. Vic Mizzy's score was released on a Tower Records LP, and expanded on a CD issued by Percepto in 2002.
Clifton James played the prison floorwalker "Carr" in COOL HAND LUKE. The 1967 Paul Newman classic was directed by Stuart Rosenberg. Lalo Schifrin's score was released on a Dot LP, and expanded by Schifrin on an Aleph CD in 2001.
In 1968's WILL PENNY, James played the crude farmer "Catron." The Charlton Heston western was directed by Tom Gries. Seventeen minutes of David Raksin's score appeared on a compilation LP from Dot Records, but it has never been reissued on CD.
In the Steve McQueen adaptation of William Faulkner's THE REIVERS, Clifton James plays "Sheriff Butch Lovemaiden," whose racial slurs against "Ned" (Rupert Crosse) lead "Boon" (McQueen) to defend his friend violently. Mark Rydell directed this piece of Americana. John William's score was released on a Columbia LP, and re-released on CD with one extra track by Legacy in 1995.