RAFFERTY AND THE GOLD DUST TWINS

US, 1975, 91 minutes, Colour.
Sally Kellerman, Mc Kenzie Phillips, Alan Arkin, Alex Rocco, Charles Martin Smith, Harry Dean Stanton, John Mc Liam, Louis Prima.
Directed by Dick Richards.

Rafferty and the Gold Dust Twins is a seldom-seen comedy. It is an oddball comedy, a bit like that of many of the films of the 1970s, just a bit off-centre.

Alan Arkin is a driving instructor who is bored with his work and finds himself kidnapped by a woman who thinks she can become a singer and her friend from the road. Sally Kellerman portrays the singer, McKenzie? Phillips her friend. There is an interesting character supporting cast including the singer Louis Prima as himself.

The film is directed by Dick Richards who directed only seven films, probably the best known being his Philip Marlowe story with Robert Mitchum, Farewell My Lovely, released in the same year.

Sally Kellerman had proven that she could act many different kinds of kooky roles, especially in M*A*S*H. Alan Arkin could do both comedy and serious films (The Fixer, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter) and still was doing these roles into the 21st century, finally winning an Oscar for his 2006 performance in Little Miss Sunshine, not entirely different from this role.

1. How interesting and enjoyable a film? It was not popular. Why? Comedy, drama?

2. The title and its significance, emphases, description of the two girls? Themes?

3. The film as a piece of Americana of the seventies? Colour and Panavision? Los Angeles, Las Vegas, the trip across America?

4. The importance of the journey structure, the change in each of the characters, the change in their development, the growing message?

5. How important was the character of Rafferty? Alan Arkin's performance and style, the ordinary man, ageing, his job, the Marines, strengths and weaknesses of his personality, timidity? That nothing had happened? The effect of something happening and the change in him? How convincing was this? What did it represent concerning the ordinary man?

6. The way that he was kidnapped, its effect on him, his being harassed by the girls, changing in sympathy, enjoying his plight, sharing their tricks, helping to rescue them? Achieving a sense of purpose?

7. The presentation of the girls, an aimless way of life, the sequence in the park, hijacking his car, their tricks, the effect on him? The strengths and weaknesses of their characters?

8. Comment on their pranks, for example their effect on each other, and on Rafferty?

9. How engaging a character was Frisbee? Her age, orphan, dependence on McKinley?, relationship to Rafferty? The humour and the importance of her seduction scene and robbing the young boy? The satire in the presentation of the boy? His description of what had happened?

10. The contrast with McKinley?, her self-assurance and hardness? her dominance? What kind of person was she really like?

11. What made the dream come to an end? Why?

12. The presentation of Rafferty as rescuer, his trick with the nun, his being a father to Frisbee? What had happened to him? Its impact on her?

13. What had been achieved by the end of the film? For the principals, for the audience? The values explored and presented?