Another List: My top five Lee Marvin Films

​Another week, another blog post. For all of those interested in blackmailing me, videos of my 1988 performance on “Comedy Club Network” have just become available on Amazon Prime. Originally part of Showtime, each show features comedians such as Adam Sandler, Rosie O’ Donnell, Tim Allen, and, of course, me. Most performers went on to greater things. Some of us remained behind to sweep up. I appeared in Season 2, Episode 7 and 8. I believe there is one more episode, but I have not found it yet. The episodes are free if you have Amazon Prime or .99 cents per. You can also purchase a whole season for a song. Spoiler: There is a chicken McNuggets joke. What can I say, the classics never grow old.
 
We still have some “Son of Ravage” Tanktop tees available for sale. Supplies are limited so leave a note if you are interested. The cost is $20.00.
 
Moving on:

I have decided it was high time to rank my five favorite Lee Marvin films of all time. Sounds random, right? Not really. We have a very special guest coming very soon to jplinde.com and I want to be ready. Besides, I think it is high-time we give this under-appreciated actor his due.

For a little history, Marvin was one of the top action stars of the sixties, cutting his teeth in early television and films as either a sadistic killer or hard-boiled cop. Among his early television roles are Dragnet with Jack Webb, Wagon Train and his own show, “M Squad.” Moving to film, he made quite an impression in “The Big Heat,” “The Comancheros” and John Ford’s “The Man Who Shot Liberty Vallance.” Marvin was a decorated marine serving with distinction in the Pacific Theatre in World War II and one of my favorite action stars of all time. 

Cat Ballou. 1965. Directed by Elliot Silverstein. 

My first Lee Marvin film at ten years old. The gusto of his comedic performance of Kid Shelleen is something to behold. Marvin won an Academy Award for this performance and it is well deserved. I can’t think of a better way to be introduced to an actor with such a broad range of talent.
 
Kid Sheleen:
Yeah, it's all over in Dodge, Tombstone, too, Cheyenne, Deadwood, all gone, all dead and gone. Why, the last time I came through Tombstone, the big excitement there was about the new rollerskate rink that they had laid out over the O.K. Corral. I'll tell you something else, I used to work for the Buffalo Bill Wild West Show and a Congress of Rough Riders. And I rescued many stagecoach passengers from road agents and drunkard injuns... in the nick of time! Twice a day, three times on Saturday.

The Dirty Dozen 1967 Robert Aldrich

​This film is unlucky as it is placed near the bottom because the other films in the list are so damn good. A great war film, if not a bit overlong. The great softcore king Russ Meyer always insisted in interviews that the idea for the film did not come from the author of the book of the same name. But that it came from him and a story he heard while serving in WW II.
 

The Professionals 1966 Richard Brooks. 
 
This is one of my top action films of all time. Who needs a dozen soldiers when you can get it all done with four. A brilliant film and one of the top box office pictures of the year. All of the actors in this film give top-notch performances and it never gets old.

​J.W. Grant:
You bastard.

Rico:
Yes sir. In my case an accident of birth. But you, you're a self-made man.

 
Point Blank 1967 John Boorman
 
This could have been the winner if not for the film below. Point Blank is eerie, moody, violent, dream-like and the performance of Marvin is stellar as a criminal hell-bent for revenge. This is one of Boorman’s finest films and I return to it regularly for the other worldly atmosphere. An incredible support cast featuring Angie Dickenson, John Vernon and Carroll  O’ Conner.
 

Monte Walsh 1969 William A, Fraker
 
Yep, Number One is a film most people do not even know about. Funny, subtle, and bittersweet are not attributes one commonly associates to a Lee Marvin film. This western concerns the end of the cowboy life and Marvin is extraordinary in the title role of Monte Walsh. Jack Palance, Marvin’s co-star in “The Professionals” is outstanding as Walsh's long- time friend.  This film is a must-see for Marvin fans.

Monte Walsh : Cowboys don't get married, unless they stop being cowboys.

That was fun and be sure and stay tuned for more concerning Lee Marvin!