View From the Phlipside - RIP Sidney Lumet

My name is Jay Phillippi and I've spent my life in and around the media.  TV, radio, the movies and more.  I love them, and I hate them and I always have an opinion.  Call this the View from the Phlipside.

Over the weekend we lost one of the great film directors of our time.  It’s also possible that he’s the greatest director that most people have never heard of.  If you’re “into” the movies then you know the name Sidney Lumet.  If you’re more casual about them then the name may only ring a bell or it may mean nothing to you at all.  My bet is that Lumet might have been OK with that.

Sidney Lumet was born into a theater family.  His parents were both veterans of the Yiddish theater and Lumet made his debut as a performer at age 4.  He performed right up to his service in World War II then came home and founded his own off- Broadway theater company.  In the 1950’s he became a TV director working first for his friend Yul Brynner and then becoming a highly respected director on his own.  In 1957 he was offered the chance to direct his first major motion picture.  It’s worth taking a moment to look at that first movie.

It’s one of the Lumet movies you probably know.  12 Angry Men starring Henry Fonda and a boat load of top character actors.  But think about this - for your first movie you get a script that has 12 guys trapped in a room.  And pretty much all they do is talk.  And talk and talk.  The movie is a wonder, a personal favorite.  For that to have been his very first is even more amazing.  That it picked up 3 Oscar nominations is pretty special as well.  But then his movies could be special.  Check out this list: 12 Angry Men, Murder on the Orient Express, Dog Day Afternoon, Network, Equus, The Wiz, and The Verdict.  Seven movies of his that earned at least 3 Oscar Nominations.  Network grabbed 10.  That doesn’t even include other worthy Lumet films like The Pawnbroker, Serpico or A Long Day’s Journey Into Night.

Lumet was at his best when he three things going for him.  If the story was set in New York City because he had a profound love of the Big Apple, when he had great actors to work with, because he could draw out of them legendary performances and when the story had a deep social conscience.  When those star aligned he produced movies that are worth watching over and over again.

Lumet was nominated repeatedly for Oscars for his direction but never won.  In the end such awards are irrelevant because Lumet simply did the work so much better than almost anyone else.  In 50 years he directed 50 movies.  Any of which would be worth your time to watch.  Just know that when you see the credit that says Director - Sidney Lumet you have seen the work of one of the best ever.

Sidney Lumet died last week at age 86.

Call that the View From the Phlipside

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Copyright - Jay Phillippi 2011