Saturday, 18 September 2021 19:27

Bloodhounds of Broadway





BLOODHOUNDS OF BROADWAY

US, 1989, 93 minutes, Colour.
Josef Sommer, Madonna, Tony Azito, Jennifer Grey, Rutger Hauer, Matt Dillon, Stephen Mc Hattie, Julie Hagerty, Anita Morris, Randy Quaid, Alan Ruck.
Directed by Howard Brookner.

Bloodhounds of Broadway is based on Damon Runyon's stories - echoes of Little Miss Marker, Guys and Dolls, Pocketful of Miracles. The recreation of New Year's Eve, 1928, is done with great attention to detail.

The film was directed and co-written by Howard Brookner, a documentary film maker. He died before the film was released.

The film has a very strong cast - however, the film is brief, and they are able to give only cameo performances. In fact, while the atmosphere of Damon Runyon is there, the film seems peculiarly paced - at times too slow in action, at times too fast with the multiplicity of characters and plots. The success of the film will probably depend on the mood of the audience.

1. The popularity of Damon Runyon's stories? New York stories and eccentrics? Guys and Dolls? Prohibition, night clubs, gambling? The down and out, the rich?

2. The recreation of the period: New York and Broadway, the speakeasies and the restaurants, the homes and the streets? Decor? Costumes? The musical score? The songs?

3. The title and its tone? The actual bloodhounds and the murder investigation? The people and the way that they were characterized?

4. The complexity of the plot? The various subplots? Interwoven? The voice over by the journalist? His perspective on things? Audience ability to follow the characters, the plots? The blend of the serious and the humorous?

5. The focus on the Brain and Regret? At the restaurant? Their friendships? The Brain and his henchmen, his bodyguard? The man about town, the attack on him by Red, the stabbing? His going to his various girlfriends and their turning him away? Widow Mary and his giving her the money for the rose? Her taking him in? Caring for him? His death? The reaction of the bodyguard? Widow Mary and her kindness?

6. Regret, his gambling, his only success? The man about town? His love for Lovey Lou? The interactions with her? His looking at other women? Her disappointment in him? The attack and the shooting? His being blamed? The Bloodhounds tracking him down? Lovey Lou and her shooting of the man who insulted her and her sister? Defending Regret? The happy ending?

7. Feet and his friendship with Regret? His giving his body to the Doctor? His big feet and their help for Science? His infatuation with Hortense Hathaway? Around the speakeasies discussions with the journalist? His playing and gambling, winning the jewellery? Giving it to Hortense? Her attraction towards him? Her song and dance routines? Her not wanting the jewellery but wanting security and business? The plan for them to get married? Hortense Hathaway and her performances in the chorus?

8. Harriet MacKyle?, the society woman, hanging around with the gamblers, with handsome Jack? With Basil Ballantyne? Going to her own apartment, her party and all the guests? Her parrot and the shooting of the parrot? Basil Ballantyne as a wimp, his love for Harriet? His getting the gun, the setup with handsome Jack? The threat to shoot him? Red giving him the gun - with real bullets? The confrontation, the shooting, Lovey Lou being wounded? Harriet and Basil going on the lam to the Riviera?

9. Handsome Jack and his Associates, hanging around the speakeasy, his presuming he is the man about town? The party, anger, shooting of the parrot? The confrontation with Basil and the plan?

10. The journalist. his observations about the situation, writing up his articles? The difficulties with the police, the murder, the Bloodhounds, the searching out of the culprit? His continuing to observe - the Runyon point of view?

11. Next Lovey Lou, her being around the speakeasies, the insult to her family, her love for Regret, her feeling betrayed, his laying himself down for her, the happy reconciliation?

12. Miss Missouri and the speakeasy, managing people, her verve, vitality, her song and dance routines?

13. The picture of life in the speakeasies? The violence and fights - the shooting - and the man not dead? The stabbing and Brain dying?

14. A blend of the oddball, the eccentric, the New York tradition? Runyon's perspective on eccentric human beings?