Any fans of The Swimmer (Burt Lancaster)

We all know that most comedians are really sad souls at heart. Think about Robin Williams for one....

 

"Atlantic City" was pretty good.

 

So was Local Hero, Lawman, Scorpio....there's some good work after Swimmer, albeit sometimes in smaller, supporting roles.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000044/?ref_=nv_sr_1

 

The film sticks with you - probably not the one to watch if having a midlife crisis. I suppose the film is about denial and also the social games people play ( or don't when they've had enough of someone) - the second aspect being an interest with me. A fine performance by Burt, for sure - up there with SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS.

 

Burt was wonderful as the ballplayer-turned-doctor "Moonlight" Graham in the baseball/fantasy classic "Field Of Dreams"(1989)...his younger self was played by the veteran actor Frank Whaley...

 

I'd never heard of this movie until a couple of months ago when the BD was reviewed in Shock Cinema, and I just watched it tonight. Very existential sort of film that makes me wonder how much of it was happening in The Swimmer's imagination vs. reality, and I liked the structure of having the layers of denial stripped away one by one with each encounter. A bit put off by the fakeness of the staging and effects in the last 5 minutes or so, but that's a symptom of evolving standards of movie reality I suppose. Well worth a repeat watching soon, perhaps after reading the short story for comparison.

 

Thanks for taking the time to watch this movie, as I feel that everyone should see it at least once, as it is a "timepiece" in both visuals and lifestyles. No doubt that this movie is slow and sometimes uneventful in presenting it's case, but it all eventually pays off, watching Burt becoming one of his most worn and beaten characters by the end, much like he did in "Elmer Gantry" and it's fascinating, in a weird '60's kind of way, seeing it all unfold.

 

Watching it again, the only bit that I don't like is the montage sequence of Lancaster and the girl jumping about.

Yeah, that was a great film.

 

So sad to see his rse in Go Tell The Spartans.

 

You watch it for free on Movies tv network.
It looks stupid from clips I seen my friend saw a month on that channel
He 's babyboomer and found strange and no plot.

 

I always get frustrated when I talk about The Swimmer, because, inevitably, I end up talking about...myself.

 

It's the best classic film transfer I've seen in recent memory. The Blu-ray looks absolutely beautiful like proper vintage film should.

 

I dunno about that...I may get flamed for this, but if a remake was to go ahead I could totally see George Clooney in this role. He's a good-looking, fit 50something whom I could easily see transitioning from the somewhat naive wonder of the opening scenes to the impotent rage of the conclusion.

 

I can see Clooney doing it for sure. But he's no Burt Lancaster, but then again nobody is - Burt was truly one of a kind.

I still haven't watched by bluray yet, I had the dvd and had watched it a few times so I need to wait a bit yet.

I've got the paperback tie-in for The Swimmer I picked up somewhere for like a dollar 10 years or so ago in a box somewhere - never read it. This pic is from the Amazon site but it's about the condition my copy is in. Now I want to read it!

From an Amazon review:
"This book is an adaptation of Eleanor Perry's screenplay for Frank Perry's film, "The Swimmer." The original short story by John Cheever must have been hard to adapt into a full-length film, but the result made for an interesting movie with Burt Lancaster. This book is a good record of the movie. Doesn't add much, but if you're a fan of the movie, this would be a good book to add to your collection."

http://www.amazon.com/THE-SWIMMER-Movie-Tie-In-Lancaster/dp/B000KF3Y0S

 

That actors got no soul.
Looks a clothes horse compared to Burt Lancaster.

 

Kirk Douglas could have handled this role nicely then as well.

 

One of the extras is 2 hrs. 28 min. !?!?!? Jeez.

 

I noticed this. What does this extra consist of exactly?

 

20 free laps in the pool.

 

"The Story of 'The Swimmer'" (148:53, HD) is a miraculous five-part documentary from Innis that dissects the feature in full, with specific attention to Lancaster's star power and the BTS strife that almost prevented the movie from being released. Enthusiastic interviews with Michael Hertzberg (1st Assistant Director), Ted Zachary (2nd Assistant Director), Joanna Lancaster (Burt's daughter), Janet Landgard (Actress), Bob Horn (Swim Coach), Marge Champion (Actress), Joan Rivers (Actress), Sidney Katz (Editor), and Marvin Hamlisch (Composer, recorded in 2010) are richly detailed with anecdotes and memories, most recalling the star's presence and director Frank Perry's inability to connect with his leading man, creating a contentious attitude on-set fueled by producer Sam Spiegel, who played both sides to preserve his enormous ego. While Lancaster is sufficiently revered (only Rivers is honest about the star's history of undermining directors), the candor put forth here is outstanding, generating a riveting tale of a Hollywood tug of war, with evidence in the form of letters and quotes, painting a portrait of an ambitious production that was derailed by control issues, leading to Perry's dismissal, extensive reshoots from Sydney Pollack, and a two-year release delay. It's an exhaustive documentary, but there's never a dull moment.

http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-Swimmer-Blu-ray/80153/#Review

 

I can imagine the Blu-Ray would look good as the negative and original elements probably haven't been out of storage or handled much since 1968.

 

Does anyone have the soundtrack on cd Film Score Monthly released back in 2006? It's oop now and quite expensive...

 

Never heard of Bob Horn, but this must be the guy. Water polo player and coach in the right time period:

" played in the 1960 Rome Olympic Games. Then I became a teacher/coach for two years at Cerritos J.C. before going to UCLA for 28 years. I served as water polo coach from 1963-1991, and swimming coach from 1963-1974. I had a great time at UCLA tutoring student athletes including many All-Americans and Olympians. Our teams won three NCAA Titles and 13 league titles. I also served on the coaching staff for the '68 Mexico City and '72 Munich Olympic Games during my tenure. "

http://www.csulb.edu/alumni/goldengrads/profiles/bob_horn.html

 

I wish This Property is Condemned would get a blu-ray release like The Swimmer. What a double-feature that would be!

 

I can recall seeing this film in 1987. I was twenty years old and it gripped me from the beginning. I found the ending quite devastating, though I sensed what was coming early on (one of the girls in the first house indicates that 'something' has happened to Ned.

I read the Cheever short story a few years later: a very slight tale indeed. For once, I preferred the film.