SCFZ

Polling the films of director Joseph H Lewis

The rules:

- your list can include no more than half of the Lewis films you've seen, up to a maximum of 5. So if you've seen seven of his films, for example, you can list only a top 3. It's only if you've seen ten or more of his films than you can list the maximum of five.

- i'll assume ballots are ranked unless you tell me otherwise. unranked ballots are fine.

- deadline for ballots: next Friday, in seven days, whatever day that is

- if anyone is watching films for these polls, then i'll extend the deadline up to three days, if someone requests an extension

- next poll: whoever posts the first ballot in this thread is free to nominate the director we poll next, unless you've nominated in this round already (everyone should get a chance). Already nominated this round: greg x, wba, greennui, umbugbene, ofrene, mesnalty, john ryan, silga, mrcarmady, evelyn

umbugbene created an index on letterboxd of all of our previous polls here: letterboxd.com/umbugbene/list/index-of-all-scfz-director-polls/

one rule for nominees: at least 3 scfzers need to have seen 10+ of a nominee's films, or at least 4 scfzers need to have seen at least 8 of the nom's films, so if it isn't clear if that will be the case, we'll confirm that's true before moving forward

if 24 hours pass after a poll opens, and no one eligible to nominate has posted a ballot, then i'll nominate someone, and then we'll start over, and everyone will be able to nominate again

if i'm recalling correctly, lewis was a bit borderline as far as viewership goes, so i think it makes sense to use the extended rules:

- if you have seen an odd number of lewis films, you can round up instead of down when determining the length of your ballot (so if you have seen 5, say, you can vote for up to 3 instead of 2)

- you can extend your ballot past 5 films if you have seen more than 10 lewis films, using the same rules, up to a maximum ballot length of 8 films. so if you have seen 13 by lewis, you can vote for up to 7 films

The Big Combo
The Undercover Man
My Name is Julia Ross
Gun Crazy

seen 8

Seen 2.

Terror in a Texas Town

2.

The Big Combo

the big combo
terror in a texas town
so dark the night
gun crazy

trying to figure out which of his rifelman episodes i've seen, remember there being some really good ones there

seen 5

Gun Crazy
My Name is Julia Ross
The Big Combo

the big combo
terror in a texas town
so dark the night
gun crazy

I don't know who this mans is but apparently I've seen Gun Crazy, which was unmemorable... crazy though it may be...

Seen 2

1. Gun Crazy

Evidently I've seen 9. Not among my favorite directors, or even among my favorite Hollywood "B"s, but a competent craftsman who was occasionally capable of elevating mediocre material to something somewhat better than mediocrity.

1. Terror in a Texas Town
2. The Big Combo
3. The Halliday Brand
4. A Lawless Street

The Big Combo
Gun Crazy
Invisible Ghost

I thought about adding Minstrel Man as #4 (seen 8) but I'd have to watch it again to make sure it's not cancel-worthy.Right now, I have my doubts...

seen 3

terror in a texas town
gun crazy

The Big Combo
Gun Crazy
Invisible Ghost

I thought about adding Minstrel Man as #4 (seen 8) but I'd have to watch it again to make sure it's not cancel-worthy.Right now, I have my doubts...

Holymanm wrote: ↑Fri Jun 19, 2020 10:22 pm crazy though it may be...

"Gunmemorable" just doesn't have that audience-grabbing hook...

Seen 10

1. Gun Crazy
2. Terror in a Texas Town
3. The Big Combo
4. A Lady without a Passport
5. The Undercover Man

Seen one (The Big Combo), but it wasn't memorable, so I can't vote.

A Lady Without Passport
Gun Crazy

seen 4

nrh wrote: ↑Fri Jun 19, 2020 4:37 pm some really good ones there

nrh, you can pick our next director if you like!

just read that joel schumacher died today, he's someone we haven't done yet

flip wrote: ↑Tue Jun 23, 2020 12:40 am nrh, you can pick our next director if you like!

just read that joel schumacher died today, he's someone we haven't done yet

what about demme? i have 15

nrh wrote: ↑Tue Jun 23, 2020 3:29 pm

flip wrote: ↑Tue Jun 23, 2020 12:40 am nrh, you can pick our next director if you like!

just read that joel schumacher died today, he's someone we haven't done yet

what about demme? i have 15

Seen 2 Jonathan Demme, 1 Ted Demme

Seen 9 of Jonathan Demme. Sorry , can`t remember any films of Joseph H Lewis.

i assume that's jonathan demme, it sounds like he should have enough views, so i'll start that poll now

Seen only 3, but liked them all

Gun Crazy

Somehow I've only seen four Lewis films, with most others never really showing up where I might run into them. Boringly, the two of them I liked a lot are the standard favorites. One of the others, Desperate Search, was pretty forgettable and the last, So Dark the Night, was more interesting in attempt than successful in execution, as the resolution of the central dilemma was telegraphed a bit too much, but more importantly wasn't followed through as well as it might be had it been made later. Still, points for effort on going that route. I've obviously no deeper opinion on Lewis for having seen so few of his movies, but he at least made a couple top notch works and showed an aptitude for pushing the genres.

Big Combo
Gun Crazy

greg x wrote: ↑Wed Jun 24, 2020 12:03 pm Somehow I've only seen four Lewis films, with most others never really showing up where I might run into them.

I think you'd find his work really interesting! His early B films before he broke out with My Name Is Julia Ross are exceptionally well-shot and it's definitely the kind of elevated interesting low-budget genre filmmaking that I gather you have a taste for. Many of those early movies are on YouTube, though not all. I recommend his westerns in particular, such as The Silver Bullet and Arizona Cyclone. Not implying you need to watch 'em now obviously, but just a recommendation for if and when they strike your fancy.

Finished up another excursion through Lewis's filmography for the poll. He's become one of my personal favourite directors: working on B films for major minors and Poverty Row studios, he elevated the material into something like visual art with a remarkable eye for the striking image. Very much my kind of thing. Seen 16 now, so a top 8 below.

1. The Silver Bullet (1942)
2. The Man from Tumbleweeds (1940)
3. Arizona Cyclone (1941)
4. The Return of Wild Bill (1940)
5. Bombs Over Burma (1942)
6. Gun Crazy (1950)
7. Courage of the West (1937)
8. Invisible Ghost (1941)

Gun Crazy is probably the best of the movies I've listed, but I like to give the lesser-known titles a chance in the poll, and there's something to be said in favour of Lewis's early films being the more impressive by virtue of how much he does with such limited resources, stock screenplays, and no reputation yet to his name.

I didn't during this poll period, but I plan to delve into his filmography over time, as what you described loving about his work is exactly what I got out of Gun Crazy many years ago. Not much I love more than classic b-films done with excellence.

The Big Combo

I've only seen 2 movies directed by Lewis.

three films dominated the voting, i suspect because other lewis films just haven't been seen by many people. there's a five-way tie for 5th place, which isn't ideal - i'll count late ballots in the hope that the tie will be broken:

results

1. The Big Combo (1955) -- 26 pts
2. Gun Crazy (1950) -- 18.5 pts
3. Terror in a Texas Town (1958) -- 18 pts
4. The Silver Bullet (1942) -- 5 pts
4. My Name is Julia Ross (1945) -- 5 pts
6. So Dark the Night (1946) -- 4 pts
6. The Undercover Man (1949) -- 4 pts
6. A Lady Without Passport (1950) -- 4 pts
6. The Man from Tumbleweeds (1940) -- 4 pts
10. Arizona Cyclone (1941) -- 3 pts
11. The Return of Wild Bill (1940) -- 2 pts
11. The Halliday Brand (1957) -- 2 pts
13. Invisible Ghost (1941) -- 1.1 pts
14. A Lawless Street (1955) -- 1 pt
14. Bombs Over Burma (1942) -- 1 pt
16. Courage of the West (1937) -- 0.3 pts