The Late Show

Summary

“This town doesn’t change. They just push the names around.’” 

The last few years have been a fantastic era for the collection of physical media for those of us who seek out certain niche genres. Warner Archive has done an exceptional job of releasing films of note since their DVD days. Warner Archive always draw my interest when they focus on noir films, mystery films, and more offbeat pictures from the Seventies. With The Late Show, they have checked off the boxes for all those categories I mentioned. This release is an offbeat mystery film with noir trappings from 1977. Fans of Robert Altman’s The Long Goodbye will probably want to check out this picture, because it was actually produced by Altman and has a similar feel. 

The Late Show was written and directed by Robert Benton. Benton was a talented filmmaker who is probably best known for Kramer vs. Kramer (which won Best Picture against Apocalypse Now – my favorite film,) but he had several wonderful pictures in his long career. Robert Benton’s 1994 picture Nobody’s Fool is a film I am particularly fond of, and a very faithful adaptation of the great Richard Russo’s novel. After his early success as a screenwriter with Bonnie and Clyde, Benton wrote and directed the film Bad Company in 1972 (which has recently been given a wonderful release by Fun City Editions.) Five years later, he returned to the writer-director’s chair with The Late Show. The Late Show is an enjoyable film that benefits from strong performances and from a screenplay that draws a direct influence from the classic noir of the Forties as filtered through the Californian aesthetic of the Seventies. As mentioned, I like all those genres so I was more than happy to review Warner Archive’s Blu-ray release.

In a bedroom inside a house, a manuscript on a typewriter bears the title “Naked Girls and Machine Guns.” Private Detective Ira Wells (Art Carney) hears a knock at the door. His landlord (and housemate) Ms. Schmidt announces the arrival of a gentleman standing in the hallway. Wells sees it is Harry -an old associate of his. Harry is dying from a bullet wound. Ira asks Harry who killed him. In his death throes Harry tells Ira that he had a big deal for him that he was working. He does not mention who killed him. Days later, artist Margo (Lily Tomlin) and Hollywood huckster Charlie Hatter (Bill Macy) approach Ira at Hollywood Forever Cemetery after Harry’s funeral. Someone has stolen Margo’s cat Winston when she neglected to pay back a debt of $500. She offers $25 to Ira to find and return the cat. He turns down the job. At the race track, Charlie sits down with Ira and explains that Harry had been working the job on the stolen cat when he got plugged. Ira goes to Margot’s apartment and accepts the job because he wants to nail whoever was responsible for Harry’s death. Brian Hemphill was the man Margo had stolen from who threatened to harm her cat. Ira tells her that, the next time Brian calls on her, to set up a meeting between them. This sets the stage for an unusual alliance between the old school Ira, and the bohemian Margo, as they work their way through the case and bodies begin to pile up.

The Late Show is a well written and well acted private investigator film with some strong comedic elements. Robert Benton had a real love for the noir genre and this picture draws heavily on tropes set in place by Chandler and Hammett’s writing. Benton would return to the genre again decades later with Twilight (written by the brilliant Richard Russo.) I found the picture to be consistently rewarding thanks to Benton’s strong control of the story’s elements. Everything that unfolds in the film clicks together like pieces click together in a rewarding puzzle. The characters are well written and the picture does not push towards sentimentality in any hamfisted way. Benton was a humanist, so his characters act in ways that feel human. The character of Margo at times could occasionally grate on my nerves, but that is also how I felt about Lily Tomlin’s performances in general at times from that era (I loved her performance in I Heart Huckabees though, so I am not discounting her talent by any means.) The character Ira is brilliantly performed by Art Carney, who brings a grittiness and lived-in quality to the role. He is exceptional in the picture and I understand why his performance earned accolades. The film is well directed by Benton with strong cinematography by Charles Rosher Jr., whom had just worked with Robert Altman on 3 Women and with Roger Vadim on Pretty Maids All in a Row. I think that fans of Seventies and Eighties neo-noirs, especially those set in sunny California, will find a lot to enjoy about The Late Show. Check it out!

Video

Warner have done a terrific job on the restoration of the film working from a new 4K scan from the original camera negatives. Presented in 1.85:1 aspect ratio in 1080p with an MPEG-4 AVC encode, the film could not look any better on Blu-ray than it does here. There is a fine level of grain. Fine detail is handled well. The Warner crew can hang their hats on the great job they are doing restoring these films.

Audio

Warner have provided a well done DTS-HD MA 2.0 track that presents the original Mono track in split channels. Dialogue is clear. I did not detect any notable hiss or distortion. The score by Kenneth Wannberg is clearly rendered and sounds good. Action pieces (aside from a notable car chase) are short and to the point, with most of the action taking place in the dialogue spoken between characters. The track handles all of that well.

Supplements:

Theatrical Trailer

Overall Scores:

Video – 4.5/5

Audio – 4.5/5

Supplements – .5/5

Overall – 4/5

The Late Show is a well written and very well acted mystery-comedy by filmmaker Robert Benton. Art Carney is exceptional in the lead role of private investigator Ira, and Lily Tomlin is similarly well cast as Margo. Robert Benton draws solid performances from the talented cast, and the cinematography by Charles Rosher Jr. is great. I have a soft spot for this genre and appreciate that Warner Archive continuously brings to the forefront forgotten gems like this. Warner Archive has done a great job on the technical specs. Fans of Robert Altman’s The Long Goodbye will find The Late Show would make a great double feature. Recommended.