Turkish Films: Four Istanbuls and a Golden Fleece

Way back in December of last year, I commented on a Yabangee article about films shot in Istanbul/Turkey and complained about the obviousness of the films selected.

So now you get to read about some of my recommendations, which is particularly apropos as I find myself with more time on my hands.

Let’s start with four different films all called “Istanbul.”

If you are one of the top Hollywood leading ladies of the ‘30s and ’40 and once married to top silent film star John Gilbert as his career was on the decline, what should you do in the 1950s to resuscitate your career as you enter your forties? Well, Virginia Bruce (not a member of MENSA) decided the wise move was to move to Turkey and marry Turkish writer, producer, and director (and future jailbird) Ali Ipar (and she married him twice) who was best known in Hollywood for the terrible Poverty Row Nazi-noir film “Women in the Night” (famous for the line: “You are stamping on ze Fuehrer!” And good news: It’s on Youtube!). In “Istanbul” (aka Salgın/aka Epidemic Istanbul)(1954)(and allegedly the first Turkish color film), Virginia plays a nurse in the Red Crescent who fights to save people during a plague. The film is virtually unknown in the U.S. I haven’t seen it, nor has anyone else. After divorcing Ipar for a second time, Virginia fled back to the U.S. and Hollywood and to a career in TV. However, her final film was Andy Warhol’s “Madam Wang’s” directed by Paul Morrissey. It’s about a sadomasochistic East German who comes to L.A. looking for Jane Fonda to help lead the revolution and featuring many L.A. punk bands, including The Mentors (with El Duce!). Like “Salgın,” it is nearly impossible to see anywhere in the world). Remember: Virginia Bruce is Madame Wang…

The second “Istanbul” (1989), a Swedish production, stars Timothy Bottoms and former supermodel Twiggy and features veteran English character actor Robert Morley in his final role in a film. The plot is totally incomprehensible and includes illicit arms dealing ring, murder, and a Turkish government developed assassination scheme… Bottoms’ career started at the top with Dalton Trumbo’s “Johnny Got His Gun” and Peter Bogdanovich’s Oscar-winning “The Last Picture Show.” But ever since, his career has been sliding downhill as he always seems to be somewhat comatose in his roles. His son Bartholomew has his own show on National Geographic TV (“The Adventures of Dr. Buckeye Bottoms”) showing his (real) true-life adventures as a veterinarian in the Hawaiian Islands. At least once per show, Bartholomew can be seen up to the elbow in some animal’s rectum; perhaps, if his dad could be seen like this in “Istanbul” (re: Twiggy), it would’ve been a far more interesting film. Unfortunately, it mainly takes place in various hotel rooms in the city. There are two varieties of Turks in the film: evil Turks who don’t speak English, and the very evil Turks who do. It really sucks. Until recently, it was available on Youtube.

The third “Istanbul” (1985) stars everyone’s favorite character actor Brad Dourif as Martin, a totally screwed up American wandering around Belgium where he meets a local, Willie, who he talks into traveling to Istanbul with him. As they hitchhike around Belgium, they get involved in numerous hijinks, including kidnapping a cute eight-year-old girl. This is a very strange, yet compelling film that is worth watching. Available on Youtube.

The fourth “Istanbul” (1957) stars a sober (not characteristic at this point in his career), Errol Flynn. Although bearing a certain similarity to “Casablanca,” it is actually a remake of the dreadful “Singapore” (1947), which starred Fred MacMurray and Ava Gardner. Flynn’s character returns to Istanbul after 5 years (he was booted out for diamond smuggling). Romantic. Nostalgic. I wanted to see this film for a long time. Now, I have. At least “Istanbul” has the great Nat King Cole singing “When I Fall in Love.” Available on Youtube.

Filmed in Turkey and Greece and based on the popular cartoon character created by Hergé, “Tintin and the Mystery of the Golden Fleece” (1961), is great fun. The star, Jean-Pierre Talbot, a non-actor who only appeared in this film and one more Tintin film, is absolutely fantastic and did all of his own stunts. Tintin’s pal Captain Haddock inherits a ship: the Golden Fleece so they travel to Istanbul and find that the ship is a rust bucket; however, for some reason, slippery lawyers, ex-pirates, and an array of gangsters all want the ship. As it turns out, they are all after treasure and the adventure ensues. To my great surprise who should turn up but Izmir’s own Dario Moreno, who had moved to Paris and become a singing sensation whose best-known song “Mustapha” was covered by my oldest friend on an album 40 years later. The only other actor in the film that was familiar to me was Marcel Bozzuffi, best known in the West for “The French Connection” (1971), “Z” (1969) and “Illustrious Corpses.” The BFI in England has released the film on DVD (in absolutely radiant color) with an extensive booklet. I loved this film!

More to come, so stay tuned!