Norman Mailer was a tough guy. The writer behind The Naked and The Dead, The Executioner’s Song and numerous other books was known for not backing down. He always seemed ready for a fight if things couldn’t be settled with words. He was a pitbull with a typewriter. It didn’t seem that unexpected that he’d write a book called Tough Guys Don’t Dance. The bestseller dealt with a real murder case that happened in Provincetown, Massachusetts. Tony Costa was a serial killer who was killing and beheading women on Cape Cod in the late ’60s. My cousin Bill remembers how creepy it was on the news when parents were bringing their kids to the beach to dig for victim’s heads in the sand. Mailer’s books used elements of Costa, but didn’t turn it into a true crime novel like Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood. Mailer’s Tim Madden isn’t a serial killer, but does end up with detached heads in his life. When it came time for the bestseller to be turned into a movie, Mailer found the folks at Cannon Films willing to let him direct his twisted beach tale.
Tim Madden (Barry Lyndon‘s Ryan O’Neal) had a trouble past as a bartender who got busted for dealing cocaine on the side. He has an even more troubled recent past except he can’t remember it. All he knows is his wife has left him, his ex-girlfriend’s name is tattooed on his arm and there’s blood in his car. He tries to sort stuff out except it’s even more confusing. When he was dating his ex-girlfriend (Blue Velvet‘s Isabella Rossellini), the duo went down South to hook up with a couple they encountered from a swinger ad in a magazine (it’s what they did before the internet). Madden had an amazing connection with the wife (Crime Story‘s Debra Sandlund) to the point that she wants to support him in his desire to be a writer. But first she needs to get money so she marries a rich guy and dumps him to get half of his loot. As he sorts out what just happened to him, Madden finds life more complicated since his ex-girlfriend now lives with the town’s new police chief (Vice Squad‘s Wings Hauser). And there’s the subject of a women’s heads popping up in the place where he stashes his drugs. There’s a lot going on in Provincetown during the off season.
Tough Guys Don’t Dance had a rather bad reputation since the film tanked at the box office. But a few years back Adam Hulin revived the film as part of Cinema Overdrive in Raleigh. Seeing it on the big screen made it a very compelling experience. The film was more enjoyable than the critics wanted us to believe. The film is full of weirdness such as Penn Jillette (Penn & Teller) playing a religious minister who likes to swing. Lawrence Tierney (Reservoir Dogs) is O’Neal’s gruff dad. The real star is Wings Hauser as a rather creepy cop. He is feasting on Mailer’s lines and giving the business to O’Neal on screen. Debra Sandlund also dominates the film as the Southern Belle with such a nasty mouth. This duo makes the film cult viewing worthy. Mailer packs a lot of weirdness and crimes into under two hours.
Norman Mailer used to spend a lot of time in Provincetown and is buried in the town. In a sense, this movie is regional filmmaking. Tough Guys Don’t Dance is a twisted love letter to this town that gave him such joy. They shot on location so you see the real beaches where once people brought their families to dig for heads in the sand.
The video is 1.85:1 anamorphic. The transfer brings out the nature of being in Provincetown during the off season. The audio is DTS-HD MA Stereo. The levels bring out the tide and the discovery of heads. The movie is subtitled.
Commentary Track with Historian Justin Bozung gives a background for the book, Mailer and the film.
You Don’t Have to Make Me Any Nuttier (16:55) is a brand new interview with actor Wings Hauser. He gives his real name and vital statistics. Wings grew up next door to Bob Denver. He talks about how he got along with Norman Mailer.
Shooting In Helltown (16:39) meets up with cinematographer John Bailey He was a fan of Mailer’s books so he was happy to get to help the author become a director. He talks of Norman’s approach to the visual aspect. There’s talk of shooting on location in Provincetown. Bailey would go on to shoot Groundhog Day.
My Dad In Motion (5:52) an interview with Michael Mailer, son of director Norman Mailer. He was 21 when his dad was shooting. He would come out on the weekends to help dad. He speaks of the extra cost of shooting in Provincetown since there’s no easy way to get people and equipment in town except driving from Boston around the entire flexing arm of Cape Cod. He enjoys the film.
A Crazy, Wild, Spooky Movie (15:57) is a Skype session with J. Michael Lennon, Norman Mailer’s archivist and biographer. Lennon wrote Mailer a letter after his on TV dispute with Gore Vidal. And Mailer wrote him back. The two met at a book tour and ended up drinking into the wee hours. He talks of Mailer’s relationship with Provincetown. He talks about how its the perfect place to write in the winter since there’s nothing to do but type away. He talks about how Mailer wrote the novel.
Norman Mailer in Provincetown (29:46) is an archival featurette with Mailer talking about the film. He talks about how he thought it would be a good movie as he typed the novel. He discusses adapting his book to a script and the big differences. He loved the film. Mailer passed away in 2007.
Theatrical trailer (1:55) has Mailer discuss the comment cards of his movie. He gives the positive and the negative. This is a great trailer and includes the Maltese Falcon.
Vinegar Syndrome presents Tough Guys Don’t Dance. Directed by Norman Mailer. Screenplay by Norman Mailer. Starring Ryan O’Neal, Isabella Rossellini, Lawrence Tierney, Wings Hauser, Debra Sandlund, Penn Jillette, John Bedford Lloyd and Frances Fisher. Rating: Rated R. Running Time: 109 minutes. Release Date: September 28, 2021.
