52 PICK UP

US, 1986, 110 minutes, Colour.
Roy Scheider, Ann- Margret, Vanity, John Glover, Robert Trebor, Lonnie Chapman, Kelly Preston, Doug Mc Clure, Clarence Williams III, Herschel Savage, Ron Jeremy.
Directed by John Frankenheimer.

52 Pick Up is based on a novel by Elmore Leonard. Leonard is probably one of the main writers of top pulp fiction. He has been providing stories for films since the 1950s and moved into screenwriting himself. Some of his early stories include 3.10 to Yuma and Hombre. He began writing screenplays in the 1970s for Clint Eastwood in Joe Kidd and Charles Bronson in Mr Majestyk?.

His novel, 52 Pick Up, was used as the basis for the 1984 film The Ambassador with Robert Mitchum, Ellen Burstyn and Rock Hudson. It was transferred from the sleazy world of Los Angeles to the political world of Israel and its conflict with the Palestinians, Robert Mitchum playing the ambassador and Ellen Burstyn his unfaithful wife. 52 Pick Up returns to the original location featuring Ann- Margret as a political candidate and Roy Scheider as her unfaithful husband.

Ann- Margret has a strong role in this film as does the model Vanity. John Glover is, as so often, a sinister villain. Kelly Preston has a small role in a pornographic context – and the pornographic director and actor, Herschel Savage and Ron Jeremy appear in party scenes.

John Frankenheimer started a career in cinema in the late 50s with a range of strong films after his work in live television. He was celebrated during the 1960s with such films as Birdman of Alcatraz, The Train. He then moved to directing rather big and spectacular films like Grand Prix. By the mid-‘70s he directed French Connection II and then Black Sunday. The subsequent twenty-five years of his career were very mixed indeed with some interesting films like the telemovie The Burning Season and some terrible films like the remake of The Island of Doctor Moreau.

1.This Los Angeles world, seedy and sleazy, tough and violent? Audience interest in immersing themselves in this kind of world?

2.The writing of Elmore Leonard, his skills, characters, sleazy situations, violence and crime? The work of John Frankenheimer and his interpretation of Leonard?

3.The film’s structure as a thriller: Harry and his life, his work, his lies, the seats? His relationship with Barbara? His relationship with Cynthia and the trap? His being caught, the threat to his wife’s politics, their discovery, the blackmailers, his turning the tables, cross-action, outsmarting the villains? His achievement by the end?

4.Roy Scheider as Harry, in himself, impressions on the audience, on people? Wealth, the factory, the trucks, the work? Barbara and his deceiving her? The relationship with Cynthia, the irony of being caught? The blackmailers and his reaction, the video, the issues of money? His consulting, telling Barbara and her response? Playing the game but not paying? The murder video and its effect? His being framed? Going to the photographer, going to Doreen, the interrogation? Leo? Finding Raimy and confronting him in the projection room? Consulting about the books and the money? Setting Leo against Raimy? Barbara being kidnapped? Persuading Leo, the final set-up, the clash with Raimy, the explosion? His character, values and lack of values, behaviour, expectations? Interaction with friends? Money? The effect of this experience on him and his wife? His anger, turning the tables? Achievement by violence?

5.Ann-Margret as Barbara, professional, her love for her husband, her campaign, decisions, distancing Harry? His telling her the truth, the pain? Her decisions, the separation? Encountering Raimy, the truth, her making her own decisions? Fear, the intrusion, the kidnapping, her being drugged? The achievement at the end?

6.Raimy as villain, masked and cynical, the video, the party and the porn camera, murder, the theatre, games with Harry? The books, the room and his treatment of Leo and Bobby? His past? Mad and cruel, clashing with Leo, inciting Bobby, the plan for Harry? To kill Barbara and win – and the ending and the car and explosion?

7.Bobby and his role, Doreen? The smothering? Leo and the killing? Raimy and the gun, the incitement, in Harry’s home? The persuasion and his being shot?

8.Leo, his role, work, friendship, sweating? Fear and greed, betrayal? Harry’s visit, giving evidence, going to leave, dying?

9.Doreen, the girls, the models, the parties, pornography, the types at the party, society, the men and the prostitutes, the set-ups and the blackmail? Cynthia, her life, the party, the affair, collapse, her death?

10.The impact of the murder video?

11.The role of the law, justice? Advice to Harry, his deciding on his own justice and violence?

12.A glimpse of a particular aspect of Los Angeles society – and this moral and amoral world?