There’s been a couple of flickers of interest from people about the ‘why can’t I see this film?’ category; this tag gets added if a film isn’t on any of the main streaming services, and occasionally a link is provided if the film is on You Tube or Daily Motion. This is tough on film-makers, who presumably are losing out financially by not having their film behind a pay-wall, but the thinking is that the exposure, temporary as it might be, might at least engender enough interest for a re-release or even a restoration.
Both would be desirable for Peter Bogdanovich’s best film, 1979’s adaption of the novel Saint Jack. Reputedly, Orson Welles gave the book to Cybill Shepherd, who got the rights as part of a legal win over Playboy magazine; Hugh M. Hefner produces. In the late seventies, an adult-themed film like Saint Jack was still deemed to have potential at the box-office, although poor distribution kept Paul Theroux’s adaptation of his own book out of mainstream theatres. Ben Gazzara gives a huge performance as Jack Flowers, an ex-pat who runs a Singapore brothel, and turns to an auditor (the great Denholm Elliot) for help, only to find himself out of his depth when the CIA get involved.
Saint Jack is a brilliant character study of a reprehensible man who is also a decent human being; this is a story where the moral messages are not cut and dried. George Lazenby, Rodney Bewes and Joss Ackland round out the cast as ex-pats; Saint Jack dares to point the finger at American and British behaviour abroad, and comes to unsavoury conclusions about human nature.
The gap between the public perception of this film and its quality is remarkable; a portrait of a hustler’s hustle, it’s every bit as good as Mean Streets or Taxi Driver, but the lack of violent catharsis seems to have relegated it to the dustiest drawer in film history.
See it while you can.
and comes to unsavoury conclusions about human nature
What a shocking conclusion! Humans can act badly, even REALLY badly? What would we do without movies?
There goes my weekend of dreaming of utopia 😉
Damn hollywood, spoiling my dreams.
I guess I’ll have to go eat pizza until I pass out. This world is a bill of goods that I was just sold. My new dream is to be a curmudgeon and write rants and nasty comments and generally be a poop head until hollywood gives me my dream back!
I am living the dream…
Of ruining other’s dreams? Or you like living in a sordid and unsavory place?
Or something altogether different?
Making dreams come true. Reshaping the cultural lifeblood that enthuses us all. Even you.
Gotcha.
Well, my extra large, thin and crispy crust cheese pizza just told me that it can make me happy.
Can you top that? I’m taking offers….
Can you top that?
That is a line that could sell pizza, your talents are wasted.
yes they are. Which is why I’m drowning my sorrows in cheese pizza….
Put some on the paper plate, throw in some gravel and drop it off at the van.
Man, those guys are a real bunch of freeloaders, aren’t they? Gravel aint cheap these days!
Do they want old goats milk or raisin water with it?
Got prune juice?
Coming right up!
Glad to see you’re concerned about the health of your spies. You’re a good boss…
I do my best.
I’d make some joke but I’m pretty joke’d out. So this is all you get.
How’s that peace treaty with Alex coming?
I sense a loving, sincere tribute in the works. His admiration seeps from every thing that admiration seeps from.
Not going very well then, is it? I kind of wondered..
Say, isn’t it like 1am over there? Should you be up this late? Friday night or not, that is just plain late!
Yup, bed time, don’t forget the gravel!
For some reason, I had a thought about Keith Floyd whilst reading this. I miss the old days. Sounds great by the way.
I could imagine Denholm Elliott playing Keith Floyd in a film…
I loved Floyd for some strange reason, he just seemed to be enjoying life as much as possible.
Amazed this isn’t readily available. Great film. Gazzara and Elliott exactly the kind of actors you need in a film like this. I remember it having a good bit more depth than you might expect at the time, but i think it had problems even then getting a distribution deal so maybe they were never resolved.
I rarely recommend a bad print, but unless you have £20 + to spare on discs, this is the best option. Tragic to see a good film in disrepair…
Just checked it out on ebay – yes about £20. I might have a copy lying around.
Lucky man!
I had a look at it on the youtube, it needs a remaster, the picture and sound are poor quality, which is a shame as it looks interesting.
Totally. I hate having to watch pitiful copies. This is the best version online. No-one cares about film history, they want to bury films like this because they don’t toe today’s line. 1984 is now.
Bogdanovich could have pushed for a remaster do you think? ( BTW you’ve tagged him as Pogdanovich, might want to change that. And how the hell did you do that anyway? the P is miles away from the B on a keyboard, skillz!!)
Peter Pogdanovich is a rarely mentioned film figure. But he’s probably skint like most other individuals. It’s notable that Amazon make a bomb out of this stuff, yet frequently put lousy unremastered prints up on prime. They dodn’t have this one at all.
Do you think we should make an intervention about Alex? It worries me, him screenshotting severed eyeballs, 25 at a time. Social work should surely be involved? There must be a grown up that could help…
He’ll be fine, he’s French.
No excuse for perversion.
No, but it’s a reason.
Being French is a reason for perversion? Or a result?
Any or all of the above.
Looks like Alex is respectfully dedicating his next quiz to me. An olive branch at last. Peace in our time!
Hmm. Doesn’t actually read that way.
It better.
Bringing up the ever present question: What makes a great story? Do we simply want polished ethical protagonists doing good deeds, or do we want flawed real people who–like ourselves–are capable of limited poor morals and slipshod choices? I have read that the best stories are those that we’re a little bit ashamed of.
Could this thing even get made today, in our age of super heroes and uber sensitivity to offense?
Great comment. This film would not get made today. It has the depth of a novel. It does not virtue signal. It deals with a dishonest character, but treats him honestly. It’s a crime that serious cinema has denigrated to the point it has. Look at this year’s awards films. Do any of them challenge or engage the way this does? Today’s film-makers take the easy way out, lest someone object on social media. The fact that you can’t actually see this film on Prime or itunes is a scandal in itself.