Sunset (film)

Sunset is a 1988 American action comedy film writtenand directed by Blake Edwards and starring Bruce Willisas legendary Western actor Tom Mix and James Garneras legendary lawman Wyatt Earp.Based on a story by Rod Amateau, the plot has Mix andEarp team up to solve a murder in Hollywood in 1929.[3]Although largely fictitious, the story does contain ele-ments of historical fact. Wyatt Earp did serve as an un-paid technical adviser on some early silent westerns andknew Tom Mix, who would serve as one of the pallbear-ers at the famed lawman’s funeral.[4]

Although Willis received top billing in the film, Garneractually has much more screen time during the movie.This was the second film in which Garner played Wy-att Earp, the first being John Sturges' Hour of the Gun,released in 1967. This was director Edwards’ second col-laboration with Willis, whom he directed in Blind Date,which was released the previous year.

1 Plot

In Hollywood in the late 1920s during the waning days ofthe industry’s transition to sound film, producer and stu-dio head Alfie Alperin wants to produce a great Westernmovie about Wyatt Earp. Tom Mix is cast as the greatUnited States Marshal and the real Earp is on set as atechnical adviser. But while Earp and Mix are involvedin their movie adventure, they also get caught up in a realcase of murder, prostitution, and corruption. Togetherthey try to straighten out the problems of the missing sonof Earp’s former girlfriend, Christina. She is now the wifeof studio boss Alfie Alperin and he isn't amused by Earp’sinvestigations. Alfie’s sister Victoria Alperin is dating anotorious mobster and all three were at the scene of themurder of madam Candice Gerard. Soon Earp unveilsthe true sadistic character of Alfie Alperin. Mix and Earpget to fight a real gunfight at a real isolated ranch, withMix telling Earp “I wish there was a camera here” beforedrawing a real gun... After the death of Christina, mat-ters become personal for Earp, leading to the explosiveclimax between Mix, Alperin, and Earp.

2 Cast

• Bruce Willis as Tom Mix

• James Garner as Wyatt Earp

• Malcolm McDowell as Alfie Alperin

• Mariel Hemingway as Cheryl King

• Kathleen Quinlan as Nancy Shoemaker

• Jennifer Edwards as Victoria Alperin

• Patricia Hodge as Christina Alperin

• Richard Bradford as Capt. Blackworth

• M. Emmet Walsh as Chief Dibner

• Joe Dallesandro as Dutch Kieffer

• Andreas Katsulas as Arthur

• Dann Florek as Marty Goldberg

• Bill Marcus as Hal Flynn

• Michael C. Gwynne as Mooch

• Dermot Mulroney as Michael Alperin

• Jeffrey Briar as Stan Laurel

• Bevis Faversham as Oliver Hardy

• John Fountain as John Gilbert[5]

• Peter Jason as Frank Coe

3 Historical context

Although the film depicts two historical characters, TomMix and Wyatt Earp, who knew each other in Los Ange-les, Sunset is mostly a fictional story. The action takesplace in the year 1929, the year of the first AcademyAwards presentation. It depicts Wyatt Earp arriving (andlater leaving) Los Angeles by train; in fact, Earp had beenliving in the Los Angeles area since about 1910. It depictsEarp as single, in reasonably athletic condition, and carry-ing on a brief romance with young Cheryl (Mariel Hem-ingway); in fact, Earp, who was born in 1848, had longbeen married to Josephine Marcus. It similarly depictsTom Mix as single and carrying on a prolonged and un-inhibited romance with his assistant, Nancy; in fact, Mixwas then, and for years afterward, married to his thirdwife. In the course of the film, Earp says that CalamityJane’s real name was Mary Jane Cannary; her first namewas Martha, not Mary. It depicts Earp as technical ad-visor to a Tom Mix film of the gunfight at the OK Cor-ral in which Mix portrays Earp; Mix made no such film

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2 8 EXTERNAL LINKS

and never portrayed Earp, who served as an unpaid advi-sor, years earlier, on some silent movies. The film depictsEarp attending the first Academy Awards presentation ata late evening dinner; in fact, the awards were presentedat a brunch on May 16, 1929—four months after Earphad died at the age of 80.

4 Production

4.1 Stuntwork

Sunset featured numerous stunts similar to those per-formed in early silent films. The stunt coordinator forthe film was Joe Dunne. Stunts were performed by Ed-die Braun, Roydon Clark, Cheryl Wheeler Duncan, TomElliott, Cindy Folkerson, Allan Graf, Bill Hart, Bob Her-ron, Norman Howell, Jimmy Medearis, Denney Pierce,Jeff Ramsey, Neil Summers, MikeWashlake, TedWhite,Brian J. Williams, Bobby Burns, Linda Fetters, and KeiiJohnston, who was the stunt double for Bruce Willis.[5]

There appears to be running gag throughout the film, thatWyatt Earp cannot drive, though he does so on more theone occasion. James Garner was considered an expertstunt driver and did quite a lot of his own driving on hisTV series, The Rockford Files.

4.2 Filming locations

• Ambassador Hotel, 3400 Wilshire Boulevard, LosAngeles, California, USA

• Bell Ranch, Santa Susana, California, USA

• Culver City, California, USA

• Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, 7000 Hollywood Blvd.,Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

• Melody Ranch, 24715 Oak Creek Avenue, Newhall,California, USA

• Orange Empire Railroad Museum, Perris, Califor-nia, USA (railroad scenes)[6]

4.3 Soundtrack

The musical soundtrack for the film was scored by HenryMancini.[5] The film features the song “Black and TanFantasy” by Duke Ellington and His Orchestra[7]

After filming James Garner said he would never workwith Bruce Willis again. “Willis is high school. He’s notthat serious about his work. He thinks he’s so clever hecan just walk through it, make up dialogue and stuff. Idon't think you work that way.”[8]

5 Reception

Sunset earned negative reviews from critics, as it holds a17% rating onRotten Tomatoes based on 12 reviews. Thefilm was a box office failure, produced on a $19 millionbudget, it made only $4.6 million domestically.

6 Awards and nominations• 1989 Academy Award Nomination for Best Cos-tume Design (Patricia Norris)

• 1989 Razzie Award for Worst Director (Blake Ed-wards)Won

• 1989 Razzie Award Nomination for Worst Support-ing Actress (Mariel Hemingway)[9]

7 References[1] “Box office / business for Sunset”. Internet Movie

Database. Retrieved June 9, 2012.

[2] “Sunset”. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved June 9, 2012.

[3] “Sunset”. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved June 9,2012.

[4] “Earp Buried by Old West”. Los Angeles Times. January17, 1929. Retrieved June 9, 2012.

[5] “Full cast and crew for Sunset”. Internet Movie Database.Retrieved June 9, 2012.

[6] “Locations for Sunset”. Internet Movie Database. Re-trieved June 9, 2012.

[7] “Soundtracks for Sunset”. Internet Movie Database. Re-trieved June 9, 2012.

[8] “James Garner: You Ought to be in Pictures”. Movieline.May 1, 1994. Retrieved 2012-04-19.

[9] “Awards for Sunset”. Internet Movie Database. RetrievedJune 9, 2012.

8 External links• Sunset at the Internet Movie Database

• Sunset at AllMovie

• Sunset at Rotten Tomatoes

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9 Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

9.1 Text• Sunset (film) Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunset%20(film)?oldid=635992292 Contributors: Flauto Dolce, David Gerard, RichFarmbrough, Thefourdotelipsis, YurikBot, Quentin X, Wisekwai, GusF, ExRat, Irishguy, Esprit15d, Mrblondnyc, Bluebot, Zvar, SerAmantio di Nicolao, Dspitzle, Magister Artium, Nehrams2020, Cbrown1023, Usgnus, ShelfSkewed, Cydebot, Treybien, Skymasterson,Ermanon, R'n'B, FMAFan1990, Storyliner, Wool Mintons, Spinerod, Aspects, Polbot, Bede735, Dansham, DragonBot, Cliff1911, Addbot,Sussmanbern, Tassedethe, Luckas-bot, Anne McDermott, Cavarrone, Commander Shepard, Jeffreymoviechen, Xqbot, GrouchoBot, Erik9,Fortdj33, RedBot, Plasticspork, Ripchip Bot, WikitanvirBot, Slightsmile, ZéroBot, MightyArchangel, DeWaine, Johnlongbond, EdoBot,Dutchy85, Alois Kruise, Rustyhills, Dancedom, Connor7617, Bwfcstats and Anonymous: 20

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