Stanley Donen 1967-1984 (The Old Man is Still Alive, Part 13)

How does an artist once perceived to be ahead of his time fall behind the times? The choreographer/director of Golden Age classics like Singin’ the Rain and Funny Face left Hollywood for all the 60s and the first half of the 70s, perfecting a certain brand of sophisticated comedy/romance abroad with films like Charade , Bedazzled and Two for the Road . His rough Hollywood re-entry was marked by exercises in nostalgia for eras gone by (Lucky Lady , a movie about Prohibition Era gangsters starring Burt Reynolds and Liza Minnelli; the 1930s spoof Movie Movie ) and attempts to give audiences of the 80s what it was assumed they wanted (the sci-fi debacle Saturn 3 , the sex comedy Blame it on Rio) . (00:00) What Makes Donen Fascinating (07:56) Charade (15:39) Two for the Road (26:19) Bedazzled — The Gold Standard Stoner Comedy (30:18) Staircase, Funny Face, and The Little Prince (35:38) Lucky Lady (47:16) Movie Movie (57:36) Saturn 3, “A piece of shit” (01:02:42) Blame It On Rio