The Turning Point (1977)

#1

The Turning Point (1977)

Posted: 7/22/10 at 12:52pm

I just saw this film again - the first time I've seen it since I've lived in New York. When I was a kid in CT I just assumed that the scenes at the theater and the fight outside the theater on that windy plaza were filmed at Lincoln Center but looking at the footage now - I can't tell where it was filmed.

Anybody know? I Googled but couldn't find anything.
TIA

PS. STRITCH RULZ!!

#2

The Turning Point (1977)

Posted: 7/22/10 at 1:00pm

According to imdb the "fight scene" was filmed in Century City, CA.

The gala was filmed at The Shrine Auditorium 665 W Jefferson Blvd in Los Angeles

Studio filming took place at 20th Century-Fox' Stage 15 in Century City, CA.

Updated On: 7/22/10 at 01:00 PM

#3

The Turning Point (1977)

Posted: 7/23/10 at 1:26pm

I believe that the opening night gala near the beginning of the film was shot in a Broadway theater, though. Can't remember which one -

#4

The Turning Point (1977)

Posted: 7/23/10 at 1:30pm

The scenes for the opening night in New York were filmed in the lobby of the Minskoff.

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#5

The Turning Point (1977)

Posted: 7/23/10 at 2:05pm

The fight scene was filmed at the ABC Entertainment Center in Century City - at the base of both office towers. The movie theatre, shopping center complex & Shubert Theatre were torn down a few years ago. But, the 2 towers are still there.

It's one of my favorite films - and, one of Oscars biggest losers. It was nominated for 11 Oscars, and didn't win anything.

#6

The Turning Point (1977)

Posted: 7/25/10 at 9:13am

I thought that was The Minskoff. Remember those dance places around Columbus Circle and the old Gulf & Western building? I was just a child but my mom carted me around there a few times.

#7

The Turning Point (1977)

Posted: 7/25/10 at 9:47am

Screenplay by Arthur Laurents, based on his novel of the same name.

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#8

The Turning Point (1977)

Posted: 7/25/10 at 10:46am

I had NO idea that Laurents wrote that. Wow -- never would have guessed! (I, too, was pretty young when it came out.)

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#9

The Turning Point (1977)

Posted: 7/25/10 at 11:09am

Incidentally, I recently discovered that Laurents also wrote the sreenplay for the ANASTASIA film with Ingrid Bergman. Some of you may have already known this, but it was news to me.

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Salve, Salve Regina
Ad te clamamus exsules filii Eva
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O clemens O pia

#10

The Turning Point (1977)

Posted: 7/25/10 at 12:35pm

PJ---Laurents was nominated for Best Original Screenplay (written directly for the screen). Perhaps his novelized adaptation followed.

... or perhaps the Academy just screwed up.

Herbert Ross actually directed two Best Picture nominees that year: The Turning Point and The Goodbye Girl. He was nominated as Best Director for The Turning Point.

I'll bet his phone rang a few times after that. Sheesh!

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"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."

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#11

The Turning Point (1977)

Posted: 7/25/10 at 12:57pm

I always hated this movie. Could never quite put my finger on why though. Hated THE GOODBYE GIRL, too.

I think 1977 may have been the year "Hollywood's Second Golden Age" died.

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Updated On: 7/25/10 at 12:57 PM

#12

The Turning Point (1977)

Posted: 7/25/10 at 2:06pm

I had problems with TURNING POINT because I think it reinforced all of the stereotypes that people have about artistic types, and ballet people in particular. Plus the goody-goody let's be friends ending between the two main characters seemed contrived and trivialized the serious problems they each represented. AND, finally, the two young dancing leads couldn't act their way out of a paper bag, so every time they had to carry a non-dancing scene, I cringed. Some nice dancing scenes and the best part was the Ashton solo under the end credits. Really a lost opportunity from my point of view.

Updated On: 7/25/10 at 02:06 PM

#13

The Turning Point (1977)

Posted: 7/25/10 at 2:43pm

It's really a 2 hour cliche-ridden soap opera. I didn't find anything that remarkable about it when I saw it - once was enough for me.

#14

The Turning Point (1977)

Posted: 7/25/10 at 4:55pm

THE GOODBYE GIRL had some pretty bad acting by Marsha Mason and the little girl who played her daughter. I don't know how they got nominated.

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Salve, Regina, Mater misericordiae
Vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra
Salve, Salve Regina
Ad te clamamus exsules filii Eva
Ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes
O clemens O pia

#15

The Turning Point (1977)

Posted: 7/25/10 at 5:36pm

PJ---Laurents was nominated for Best Original Screenplay (written directly for the screen). Perhaps his novelized adaptation followed.

I KNEW you would pick up on that!

Arthur had a little trick that worked for him on both The Turning Point and The Way We Were.

He would write the screenplay and the novel simultaneously and have his agent (Shirley Bernstein, Lenny's fabulous sister) sell the screenplay to Hollywood, saying several publishing houses were bidding on it and submit the manuscript to publishing houses saying that several studios were bidding on it.

His idea was that Hollywood would be less likely to tamper with his screenplay if they knew the novel was being published as the movie was being made, and that they publisher would be more excited about the novel if they knew a movie was about to come out.

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#16

The Turning Point (1977)

Posted: 7/25/10 at 6:00pm

Just another way that Laurents was a genius!

I loved both incarnations of Turning Point, BTW.

#17

The Turning Point (1977)

Posted: 7/25/10 at 6:17pm

PJ, I knew you would have the inside info in this, which is why I didn't "correct' you in my post. I was hoping you'd add an explanation and information. And you didn't disappoint.

*things we'd never know if we weren't on BWW*

Merci.

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"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."

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#18

The Turning Point (1977)

Posted: 7/25/10 at 7:13pm

Both books, by the way, were flops.

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#19

The Turning Point (1977)

Posted: 7/25/10 at 7:19pm

It hasn't aged very well, has it? I always liked the way that Bancroft's character loses her demure proper diction in the big fight scene, slipping into a broad Noo Yawk accent in her rage.

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#20

The Turning Point (1977)

Posted: 7/25/10 at 7:25pm

Bancroft was so slender that she made a credible ballerina, as long as they didn't focus on her technique too closely.

#21

The Turning Point (1977)

Posted: 7/25/10 at 7:27pm

Yes. She stood there and struck poses as every one else danced around her.

#22

The Turning Point (1977)

Posted: 7/25/10 at 8:29pm

It was directed by Herbert Ross, who married Nora Kaye, the ballerina Arthur almost married.

Arthur was fond of saying: "I loved Nora so much I almost married her. But then I realized I was gay. So she married Herbert, who apparently STILL hasn't realized HE is."

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#23

The Turning Point (1977)

Posted: 7/25/10 at 9:14pm

I read the book in high school and was struck by the gay subplots- Shirley go pregnant (and hence married) to prove her boyfriend (later husband) wasn't gay. But now, almost 20 years later, he's still plagued by doubts and while you don't know if he's strayed, he certainly thinks about it a lot.

#24

The Turning Point (1977)

Posted: 7/26/10 at 1:25am

Both books were loosely based around themes and events from the real-life stories of Nora and Arthur and Herbert. Nora Kaye was a beautiful Jewish girl passionate about dance AND politics. Arthur was a Jewish homosexual boy also passionate about writing and politics.

They're much more honest and better written than his disjointed and self-serving memoirs were.

But all his books, fiction and nonfiction (if you could call the memoirs anything but fiction), flopped.

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#25

The Turning Point (1977)

Posted: 7/26/10 at 1:55am

I always found it interesting that Nora Kaye and Jerome Robbins were once engaged to each other. It had gone as far as the families meeting and registering for a silver pattern. ( anyone familiar w Jewish wedding etiqutte of the 50's/60's knows how important the silver was considered to be- second only to the china pattern!)

Kaye always came across to me a a real firecracker so if she married Ross there had to be something in it for her ( other than getting to quit dancing)

That being said, Ross did marry Lee Radziwell and that alone speaks volumes!