Main Cast: Paul Muni, David Wayne, Betsy Palmer, Luther Adler, Joby Baker
Release Year: 1959
Country: US
Run Time: 100 minutes
Plot
In danger of losing his job, TV-producer David Wayne hopes to cook up a real ratings winner by building a network special around the life and work of elderly doctor Paul Muni. For the past 45 years, the iconoclastic Muni has run a free clinic in the slums of Brooklyn. Muni has no time for television, however, so Wayne tries to get Muni's lifelong friend Luther Adler to talk the doctor into appearing before the cameras. Adler agrees, on the proviso that Wayne's network promises to build a nice home in the suburbs for the physician and his wife (Nancy R. Pollock). Going to work on Muni, Adler convinces the old man that a coast-to-coast special will permit him to vent his spleen on the subject of the mercenary medical profession. On the night of the broadcast, Muni discovers that one of his slum patients, Billy Dee Williams, has been arrested for car theft. Leaving Wayne high and dry, Muni rushes down to the police station, where he is pressed into service to save a life. While doing so, he suffers a fatal heart attack, with the weeping Adler at his side. Wayne finally realizes that Muni's selfless idealism was of greater value than any commercially-motivated television program, and says as much when he hands in his resignation. The Last Angry Man turned out to be the cinematic swan song for veteran-actor Paul Muni; he died eight years later. Based on a novel by Gerald Green, The Last Angry Man would be remade for television with Pat Hingle in the Muni role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
Daniel Mann's film adaptation of Gerald Green's novel about an idealistic physician is notable for an outstanding performance by the great Paul Muni in his last screen appearance. The film tells the story of a selfless doctor who has dedicated his life to serving the poor; when a television producer (David Wayne), who has read of his work, asks him to appear on his show, the doctor initially refuses, but is coaxed into agreeing by a friend (Luther Adler). Although the script is simple and overly rhetorical, and the criticism of television's rank commercialism seems toothless, the film is worth seeing for Muni alone. Even in his sixties, his presence is electric, and when he launches into one of scathing jeremiads against commerce, one fears for the objects of his scorn. As a bonus, he's joined by Adler, another towering figure of the Yiddish theater. Others in the impressive cast include Billy Dee Williams as a needy hood, Cicely Tyson, Godfrey Cambridge, and David Wayne. ~ Michael Costello, All Movie Guide
Jean Louis - Costume Designer, Daniel Mann - Director, Charles Nelson - Editor, George Duning - Composer (Music Score), Morris W. Stoloff - Musical Direction/Supervision, Clay Campbell - Makeup, Carl Anderson - Production Designer, James Wong Howe - Cinematographer, Fred Kohlmar - Producer, William Kiernan - Set Designer, Gerald Green - Screenwriter, Richard Murphy - Screenwriter, Gerald Green - Book Author
In 1977, ex-Love Affair singer Ellis recorded an album called The Last Angry Man with producers Tony Meehan and Dave Courtney. When Meehan and Courtney had a dispute, the album was withdrawn, although some cassette copies were issued by Ariola briefly in 1978. This CD marked the first time the album was widely available, with the addition of seven previously unreleased bonus tracks recorded in 1983. Ellis was in the tradition of British rock/soul/blues belters such as Steve Marriott (his closest vocal counterpart) and Rod Stewart, and there are also traces of Robert Plant and Van Morrison. He was not nearly in the same league as any of those singers, mind you, but he was OK. A couple of name guitarists (Albert Lee and Henry McCulloch) contributed to the sessions on The Last Angry Man, which yielded average though unobjectionable mainstream late-'70s rock with shades of folk-rock, mellow singer/songwriting, blue-eyed soul, and hard rock riffing. The seven 1983 songs (subtitled as the Basement Days portion of this disc) are again generic 1970s-type British rock, though the material is weaker, and the style by this time not at all in sync with what was either hip or commercial. The most interesting aspects of this archival release, to be honest, are the thorough liner notes, which cover Ellis' entire career dating back to the Love Affair days. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
Eazy-E (Producer), Albert Lee (Guitar), Roger Chapman (Vocals (Background)), David Courtney (Synthesizer), David Courtney (Piano), David Courtney (Producer), David Courtney (Mixing), Tim Hinkley (Organ (Hammond)), Tony Meehan (Arranger), Barry Morgan (Drums), Brian Odgers (Guitar (Bass)), Brian Robertson (Guitar), Henry Spinetti (Drums), Mel Taylor (Bass), Mel Taylor (Producer), Steve Ellis & The Starfires (Vocals), Steve Ellis & The Starfires (Producer), Steve Ellis & The Starfires (Mixing), Henry McCulloch (Guitar), Nick Watson (Remastering), Steve Ellis (Main Performer)
