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One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest


goose
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Cuckoos Nest is one of my favorite films ever. I never the full story of how it got from novel to movie form until I watched this. It was a passion of Kirk Douglas, who had it made into a play that featured Douglas himself. The play was only moderately successful, and it was ultimately his son Michael that got it made into a film. An interesting watch...

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Sf2-H690UY

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9KM8J6S9Vc

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6QTzWfXrKU

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The success of CCR on Fantasy Records prompted late founder Saul Zaentz to branch out into movies according to here.

 

One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest was the first movie project that Zaentz co-produced and financed with Michael Douglas.

 

We can thank John Fogerty for this.

Edited by RushFanForever
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Gene Hackman, Brando, Burt Reynolds all were considered for McMurphy. Among those considered for Nurse Ratched, Ann Bancroft and Angela Lansbury. They all said no, thankfully.
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The success of CCR on Fantasy Records prompted late founder Saul Zaentz to branch out into movies according to here.

 

One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest was the first movie project that Zaentz co-produced and financed with Michael Douglas.

 

We can thank John Fogerty for this.

Cool connection!

 

 

He teamed with fledgling producer Michael Douglas on One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. The Jack Nicholson starrer based on Ken Kesey’s novel earned Zaentz his first Academy Award, which he shared with Douglas. The film took home the top five Oscars, a rare achievement.

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I just finished that first segment. There are some interesting tidbits in there that I had never known.

As it’s one of my favorite movies of all time, I’m looking forward to watching the rest! Nice find goose :cheers:

 

And I just remembered my own connection to Cuckoo’s Nest:

Back in the 90s when I was working in mental health in Portland, some of the clients I served had been residents at that Oregon State Hospital in Salem where a lot of the movie was filmed. Given the timeline and some of my clients’ ages, there’s a good chance that some of them were living there at the time of the movie.

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I should also add that the success of CCR served as a catalyst for Fantasy Records to purchase catalogs of other leading independents according to here.

 

However with the legal artistic and financial battles Fogerty had with Fantasy Records (up until 2004 when Concord Records took over acquisition here); Zaentz made life hell for him.

 

It wasn't my intention to make the initial topic thread go off on a tangent.

 

However it's interesting how a rock band like CCR influenced jazz music and films (especially 'One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest') in a way.

Edited by RushFanForever
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Gene Hackman, Brando, Burt Reynolds all were considered for McMurphy. Among those considered for Nurse Ratched, Ann Bancroft and Angela Lansbury. They all said no, thankfully.

 

Anne Bancroft would have done very well as Ratched, IMO. She had an outstanding acting range. She had a look about her that said she could turn evil at any minute.

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I just finished that first segment. There are some interesting tidbits in there that I had never known.

As it’s one of my favorite movies of all time, I’m looking forward to watching the rest! Nice find goose :cheers:

 

And I just remembered my own connection to Cuckoo’s Nest:

Back in the 90s when I was working in mental health in Portland, some of the clients I served had been residents at that Oregon State Hospital in Salem where a lot of the movie was filmed. Given the timeline and some of my clients’ ages, there’s a good chance that some of them were living there at the time of the movie.

Wow! I really like the section of the documentary where they talk about the cast living with the residents for a period prior to shooting. The commitment to authenticity throughout the project is very impressive and helps explain the film's impact.
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Gene Hackman, Brando, Burt Reynolds all were considered for McMurphy. Among those considered for Nurse Ratched, Ann Bancroft and Angela Lansbury. They all said no, thankfully.

 

Anne Bancroft would have done very well as Ratched, IMO. She had an outstanding acting range. She had a look about her that said she could turn evil at any minute.

I agree with the idea that Bancroft would have been great at projecting evil. Could she have simultaneously projected the conflicting kindness as well as Louise Fletcher did?
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I see that Jack Nitzsche composed the soundtrack for 'One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest'.

 

I first heard of him through his musical collaborations with Neil Young.

From your link...

 

[Nitzche] eventually became arranger and conductor for producer Phil Spector and orchestrated the ambitious Wall of Sound for the song "River Deep, Mountain High"[2] by Ike and Tina Turner. Besides Spector, Nitzsche worked closely with West Coast session musicians such as Earl Palmer, Leon Russell, Roy Caton, Glen Campbell, Carol Kaye and Hal Blaine in a group informally known as The Wrecking Crew. They created backing music for numerous sixties pop recordings by various artists such as the Beach Boysand the Monkees.

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Gene Hackman, Brando, Burt Reynolds all were considered for McMurphy. Among those considered for Nurse Ratched, Ann Bancroft and Angela Lansbury. They all said no, thankfully.

 

Anne Bancroft would have done very well as Ratched, IMO. She had an outstanding acting range. She had a look about her that said she could turn evil at any minute.

I agree with the idea that Bancroft would have been great at projecting evil. Could she have simultaneously projected the conflicting kindness as well as Louise Fletcher did?

 

Bancroft's version of Ratched would have certainly been a bit different. As for it being better or worse, we'll never know.

 

Louise Fletcher can't even watch the film, as she is so turned off by the character of Ratched. You know you did a great job of acting when you can't even bear to watch the evil character that you portrayed.

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