Darker than Amber (film)
Encyclopedia
Darker than Amber is a 1970 film adaptation
of the John D. MacDonald
novel Darker than Amber
. It was directed by Robert Clouse
from a screenplay by MacDonald and Ed Waters
. It starred Rod Taylor as the main series character: Travis McGee
. Darker than Amber remains the only McGee novel adapted to the big screen as of 2010. Prior to her death in 2011, and with the exception of a documentary appearance in 2007, this film was the last made by actress Jane Russell
.
to investigate the still-continuing murderers, who work in male/female pairs and lure rich, lonely men traveling on Caribbean
cruises
in to their confidence. The climax of the story involves McGee and Meyer dismantling the operation.
were Jack Lord
and Robert Culp
. John D. MacDonald
pushed for Steve McQueen
or Vic Morrow
. The movie was shot on location in Florida
and Nassau
.
as "a surprisingly good movie". The New York Times
also gave the film reserved praise, stating that the screenplay lagged in parts despite the good material to work from (in the original novel), and that the real star of the film was its Florida
setting.
It is a cult film
, due to its scarcity, and to the fact it is almost never shown on broadcast or on cable TV, and when it is, the fight scene is edited to some extent. If and when a print can be located, there are almost always missing minutes. Though many cuts of this film exist, pristine American prints disappeared years ago.
The film played a rare theatrical screening at Anthology Film Archives
in New York City
, New York
, on August 14, 2009.
, it later became rated PG. the film was considered graphically violent for its time, especially the fist fight scene that ends the film, between Rod Taylor's Travis Mcgee and the film's villain, Terry (played by William Smith
). With the cameras rolling one actor accidentally struck the other (no one has ever revealed who struck the first real blow), the second threw a retaliatory punch, and a staged fight scene became a real fight, with real wounds, real lost teeth, and real blood all over their clothing.
After Darker Than Amber ran its course in theaters, both Rod Taylor and William Smith
would reportedly be considered for the part of Caucasian martial artist Roper in the 1973 Bruce Lee
blockbuster Enter the Dragon
, which would also be helmed by Darker Than Amber director Robert Clouse
. The role would ultimately go to John Saxon
, however.
Film adaptation
Film adaptation is the transfer of a written work to a feature film. It is a type of derivative work.A common form of film adaptation is the use of a novel as the basis of a feature film, but film adaptation includes the use of non-fiction , autobiography, comic book, scripture, plays, and even...
of the John D. MacDonald
John D. MacDonald
John Dann MacDonald was an American crime and suspense novelist and short story writer.MacDonald was a prolific author of crime and suspense novels, many of them set in his adopted home of Florida...
novel Darker than Amber
Darker than Amber
Darker than Amber is the seventh novel in the Travis McGee series by John D. MacDonald. The plot begins with McGee and his close friend Meyer are fishing underneath a bridge and a young woman, bound and weighted, is thrown over the bridge. It was also adapted in to a 1970 film of the same name....
. It was directed by Robert Clouse
Robert Clouse
Robert Clouse was an American film director and producer, known primarily for his work in the action/adventure and martial arts genres. He died on February 4, 1997 in Oregon of kidney failure....
from a screenplay by MacDonald and Ed Waters
Ed Waters
Ed Waters was an American screen scriptwriter.He co-wrote Sorority Girl.-External links:...
. It starred Rod Taylor as the main series character: Travis McGee
Travis McGee
Travis McGee is a fictional character, created by prolific American mystery writer John D. MacDonald. Unlike most detectives in crime fiction, McGee is neither a police officer nor a licensed private investigator; instead, he is a self-described "salvage consultant" who recovers others' property...
. Darker than Amber remains the only McGee novel adapted to the big screen as of 2010. Prior to her death in 2011, and with the exception of a documentary appearance in 2007, this film was the last made by actress Jane Russell
Jane Russell
Jane Russell was an American film actress and was one of Hollywood's leading sex symbols in the 1940s and 1950s....
.
Plot summary
The film largely stays true to the plot of the novel. It begins with McGee and his close friend Meyer moored underneath a bridge while fishing, when a young woman (who we later learn is an ex-prostitute named Vangie) is thrown over it weighted with a cement block wired around her ankles. McGee dives in and saves, only to be surprised when she adamantly insists that there be no contacting the police. She admits that the reason for the murder attempt was her involvement in a prostitution ring and a murder scheme. The trio eventually travels to NassauNassau, Bahamas
Nassau is the capital, largest city, and commercial centre of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. The city has a population of 248,948 , 70 percent of the entire population of The Bahamas...
to investigate the still-continuing murderers, who work in male/female pairs and lure rich, lonely men traveling on Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
cruises
Cruise ship
A cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way...
in to their confidence. The climax of the story involves McGee and Meyer dismantling the operation.
Production
Other actors considered for the role of Travis McGeeTravis McGee
Travis McGee is a fictional character, created by prolific American mystery writer John D. MacDonald. Unlike most detectives in crime fiction, McGee is neither a police officer nor a licensed private investigator; instead, he is a self-described "salvage consultant" who recovers others' property...
were Jack Lord
Jack Lord
John Joseph Patrick Ryan , best known by his stage name Jack Lord, was an American television, film, and Broadway actor. He was known for his starring role as Steve McGarrett in the American television program Hawaii Five-O from 1968 to 1980. Lord appeared in feature films earlier in his career,...
and Robert Culp
Robert Culp
Robert Martin Culp was an American actor, scriptwriter, voice actor and director, widely known for his work in television. Culp first earned an international reputation for his role as Kelly Robinson on I Spy , the espionage series in which he and co-star Bill Cosby played a pair of secret agents...
. John D. MacDonald
John D. MacDonald
John Dann MacDonald was an American crime and suspense novelist and short story writer.MacDonald was a prolific author of crime and suspense novels, many of them set in his adopted home of Florida...
pushed for Steve McQueen
Steve McQueen
Terrence Steven "Steve" McQueen was an American movie actor. He was nicknamed "The King of Cool." His "anti-hero" persona, which he developed at the height of the Vietnam counterculture, made him one of the top box-office draws of the 1960s and 1970s. McQueen received an Academy Award nomination...
or Vic Morrow
Vic Morrow
Victor "Vic" Morrow was an American actor whose credits include a starring role in the 1960s TV series Combat!, prominent roles in a handful of other television and cinema dramas, and numerous guest roles on television...
. The movie was shot on location in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and Nassau
Nassau
- Placenames :Germany*Nassau, Germany, a town in Rhineland-Palatinate founded in AD 915, after which all the following are named, directly or indirectly*Nassau Castle, ancestral seat of the House of Nassau...
.
Critical reception
Though it did not gross well in the box office, the film was praised by such critics as Roger EbertRoger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
as "a surprisingly good movie". The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
also gave the film reserved praise, stating that the screenplay lagged in parts despite the good material to work from (in the original novel), and that the real star of the film was its Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
setting.
It is a cult film
Cult film
A cult film, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a highly devoted but specific group of fans. Often, cult movies have failed to achieve fame outside the small fanbases; however, there have been exceptions that have managed to gain fame among mainstream audiences...
, due to its scarcity, and to the fact it is almost never shown on broadcast or on cable TV, and when it is, the fight scene is edited to some extent. If and when a print can be located, there are almost always missing minutes. Though many cuts of this film exist, pristine American prints disappeared years ago.
The film played a rare theatrical screening at Anthology Film Archives
Anthology Film Archives
__notoc__Anthology Film Archives is a film archive and theater located at 32 Second Avenue on the corner of East Second Street in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City devoted to the preservation and exhibition of experimental film. It is the only non-profit organization of its...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, on August 14, 2009.
Fight scenes and rating
Initially rated R in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, it later became rated PG. the film was considered graphically violent for its time, especially the fist fight scene that ends the film, between Rod Taylor's Travis Mcgee and the film's villain, Terry (played by William Smith
William Smith (actor)
William Smith is an American actor who has appeared in almost 300 feature films and television productions.Smith began his acting career at the age of 8 in 1942...
). With the cameras rolling one actor accidentally struck the other (no one has ever revealed who struck the first real blow), the second threw a retaliatory punch, and a staged fight scene became a real fight, with real wounds, real lost teeth, and real blood all over their clothing.
After Darker Than Amber ran its course in theaters, both Rod Taylor and William Smith
William Smith (actor)
William Smith is an American actor who has appeared in almost 300 feature films and television productions.Smith began his acting career at the age of 8 in 1942...
would reportedly be considered for the part of Caucasian martial artist Roper in the 1973 Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee was a Chinese American, Hong Kong actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and founder of the Jeet Kune Do martial arts movement...
blockbuster Enter the Dragon
Enter the Dragon
Enter the Dragon is a 1973 Hong Kong martial arts co-production with Golden Harvest and Warner Bros. studios, directed by Robert Clouse; starring Bruce Lee, Jim Kelly and John Saxon. This is Bruce Lee's final film appearance before his death on July 20, 1973...
, which would also be helmed by Darker Than Amber director Robert Clouse
Robert Clouse
Robert Clouse was an American film director and producer, known primarily for his work in the action/adventure and martial arts genres. He died on February 4, 1997 in Oregon of kidney failure....
. The role would ultimately go to John Saxon
John Saxon (actor)
John Saxon is an American actor who has worked on over 200 projects during the span of sixty years. Saxon is most known for his work in horror films such as A Nightmare on Elm Street and Black Christmas, both of which feature Saxon as a policeman in search of the killer...
, however.