The following titles are available exclusively at the Warner Bros. Archive official site.

Richard Rush's FREEBIE AND THE BEAN is a study in mayhem. Police detectives Freebie (James Caan) and Bean (Alan Arkin) are on the verge of a career-making bust of organized crime kingpin Red Meyers (Jack Kruschen), but the D.A. (Alex Rocco) won't even think about an indictment until the boys secure a witness to decode the rubbish-stained ledger sheet they've snagged from Red's trash; unfortunately, their witness isn't due back in town until Monday, which means Red's free to roam the city streets while a gaggle of hit men try to rub him out. His only line of defense: Messrs. Freebie and Bean - who, to keep him alive, must destroy the city of San Francisco. Depending on whom you ask, Rush's cop caper is either the pioneering buddy-cop movie or an excessive, hateful bit of nonsense that's best left buried in the 1970s. I mean to honor it for being both. Though some dutiful cinephile will undoubtedly find an earlier version of the mismatched-lawmen-who-hate/love-each-other-and-kill-a-lot-of-bad-dudes-while-working-through-their-issues formula, FREEBIE AND THE BEAN is definitely the first high-profile film of its type. Given the San Francisco setting and its racially insensitive banter, its influence (direct or indirect) on Walter Hill's 48 HRS. couldn't be clearer; as for the wanton destruction of property and endangerment of innocent civilians, it's difficult to imagine Shane Black writing LETHAL WEAPON without the reckless example of Rush's picture - which works best as a fourteen-year-old's fan-flick answer to DIRTY HARRY (a noted Black favorite). This juvenile spirit generally allows Rush to get away with Freebie's random, epithet-laden outbursts, most of which are directed at Bean, who - despite being played by the remarkably Jewish Arkin - is Mexican. In other words, "spic" is just a brusque term of endearment for Freebie. Granted, this doesn't excuse his tirade against Bean's preference for shirts manufactured by "gooks" in Taiwan, but Rush and screenwriter Robert Kaufman (working from a story by Floyd Mutrux) are hardly celebrating the guy's racism. Freebie's just an Archie Bunker-esque crank (a point hammered home by a direct reference to ALL IN THE FAMILY late in the film); it's not like he spends his downtime studying MEIN KAMPF and plotting pogroms. (Actually, in light of his casually perverse binding-up of an albino informant's nubile girlfriend, it's possible that Freebie does some off-the-clock trawling of his city's many S&M clubs.) If you can get past - i.e. accept as an extreme character flaw - Popeye Doyle blurting out "Never trust a nigger", you should have no trouble with Freebie's harmlessly knuckleheaded tantrums. But if you do want to take offense at the treatment of Christopher Morley's transvestite villain, particularly in the film's closing moments (which I'll not spoil for the uninitiated thousands who are ordering FREEBIE AND THE BEAN from the Archive store right this instant)... eh, you might be justified; from his bubble-bath introduction to his climactic Candlestick Park antics, he's clearly supposed to make our skin crawl. However, because I'm an idiot, I'm more interested in how his portrayal links up with Jane March's gender-hopping character in Rush's COLOR OF NIGHT. This might prove a big ol' dead end, but I've been desperately/sheepishly looking for an excuse to revisit the director's intensely reviled follow-up to the critically-acclaimed THE STUNT MAN for years now. Rush remains a fascinating director due primarily to that audacious 1980 triumph - which came out of nowhere for critics who wrote off FREEBIE AND THE BEAN as a callous, undisciplined mess and simply dismissed his earlier, quite solid work for AIP as puerile junk. The thing is, THE STUNT MAN is plenty raucous and low in its own right; it's just got the prestige of three Academy Award nominations (Director and Adapted Screenplay for Rush, Actor for Peter O'Toole) to keep its reputation from tumbling (though some who've revisited the film over the past decade have noted that it's not quite the virtuosic work it initially seemed to be). As an admirer of chaotic moviemaking, I'll happily enter a vote for FREEBIE AND THE BEAN as the apotheosis of Rush's aesthetic. From start to finish (with the exception of one lengthy marital spat between Arkin and a garishly-accented Valerie Harper), it's essentially the cinematic equivalent of a bratty kid flinging his Matchbox cars all over the living room and breaking every vase, window and decorative plate in sight. That bodily harm and, occasionally, death figure into the proceedings is basically just an obligatory acknowledgment that these are the things that happen in grown-up movies; save for a surprise third-act shooting, you're not supposed to feel anything but exhilaration as Freebie and Bean lay waste to San Francisco. If you can excuse the non-stop political incorrectness and police brutality, you might find that FREEBIE AND THE BEAN is one of the most relentlessly entertaining movies of the 1970s (in which case you'd be in agreement with Stanley Kubrick, who was allegedly a fan*). Two of its protracted car chases (most notably the one that concludes with Freebie losing control of his car on the freeway and crashing it into the third floor of an apartment building) are in the pantheon alongside classic scenes from BULLITT, THE FRENCH CONNECTION, VANISHING POINT, DIRTY MARY, CRAZY LARRY, TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A. and DEATH PROOF, while the mumbled banter between Caan and Arkin is exquisite despite being borderling indecipherable (sometimes, their dueling cadences alone are hilarious). If this was a childhood favorite, rest assured that it holds up and then some. And if you've never seen it, treat yourself because you're never going to see anything like it again (outside of BAD BOYS II). Also new from the Warner Archive this month is Nicholas Ray's 1958 classic PARTY GIRL. Much as I love FREEBIE AND THE BEAN, this CinemaScope masterpiece from the esteemed director of REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE, IN A LONELY PLACE and THEY LIVE BY NIGHT (to name a very few) is undoubtedly the must-own title of the month.

Set in 1930s Chicago, this colorful, decadent and shockingly violent gangster flick - possibly the bloodiest movie shot for a major studio pre-1960 - stars Cyd Charisse as Vicki Gayle, an aging nightclub dancer who falls for mob attorney Thomas Farrell (Robert Taylor). Both of these characters are fed up with their dead-end gigs: Vicki yearns for a respectable dancing career (or, at the very least, the opportunity to solo at the club), while the crippled Farrell wants nothing more to do with saving unrepentant murderers from the electric chair. They recognize in each other a kindred weariness, which blossoms into a touching romance that - due to the possessiveness of their shared benefactor, the vicious mobster Rico Angelo (Lee J. Cobb) - seems fated for a tragic end. Even when the film resorts to genre convention (which is surprisingly often for the director of the defiantly unconventional JOHNNY GUITAR), it remains engaging thanks to Ray's stunning widescreen compositions and the heartbreaking performances from Charisse and Taylor. Interestingly, Charisse's flatness (she was never a particularly strong dramatic actress) works to her advantage here: her lack of warmth is stunningly offset by her two red-hot dance numbers, which are as erotically charged as anything I've ever seen in any medium. She's so untamed that you can't help but fear for Farrell's well-being, particularly after he undergoes an expensive procedure to assuage his physical crookedness (right at the same time he's seeking to go straight as an attorney, of course). Either they don't make women like Charisse anymore, or we're just lacking the kinds of directors who know how to showcase this kind of overpowering femininity. Frankly, I'd buy either argument. The good folks at the Archive also sent over Sidney Lumet's BYE BYE BRAVERMAN this month, which a former coworker of mine would always bring up as a forgotten classic of the 1960s. Well, Kyle, I finally watched it, and, despite a very intelligent screenplay from Herb Sargent (based on what I'm told is a "satiric" novel by Wallace Markfield), I'm afraid this movie nearly drove me to violence.

It's the performances, and Lumet's tone-deaf direction, that make BRAVERMAN such a chore to sit through. Though the tale of four middle-aged Jewish intellectuals bumbling through Manhattan and Brooklyn on their way to a friend's funeral might work splendidly on the page (and Sargent's script is witty enough that I'm tempted to suggest a remake**), it often plays like caricature. Maybe that's the point. And maybe my growing up in the midwest around spectacularly un-ethnic dullards - as opposed to "remarkable" Jews like Alan Arkin, or, in BRAVERMAN, George Segal, Jack Warden, Joseph Wiseman and Sorrel "Boss Hogg" Booke - instilled in me a low tolerance for over-the-top kvetching. As a lifelong fan of Woody Allen (and as someone who's dated more Jews than gentiles), I don't think this is the case - but Filmbrain says this movie "makes Woody Allen look like a sheygets", so maybe this is that next-level Jewishness to which a goy like me just ain't privy. There are moments: I rather enjoyed Segal and Warden discussing death and Hitchcock movies while they wait for Booke to show up in his beloved VW Beetle, and Lumet almost pulls off a great, dizzying shot as Segal wades into a sea of ghost-white gravestones (only to cut just so he can rush into a lazy visual gag). As is the case in lesser Lumet, there's a slapdash quality to BYE BYE BRAVERMAN; it's like he knew the film wasn't working early, and couldn't wait to move on to the next one. I felt the same way watching this, and only stuck with it out of respect. Here's the rest of the Warner Archive's May offerings. Lots of Tarzan and John Garfield on the menu. Synopses courtesy of WB. WARNER ARCHIVE LEX BARKER TARZAN SET Available for the first time on DVD through the Warner Archive Collection, bring home these five Lex Barker Tarzan films. Featuring appearances by Hollywood legends Raymond Burr, Dorothy Dandridge, Elmo Lincoln and many more!

TARZAN'S MAGIC FOUNTAIN 
Tarzan penetrates a hidden valley reminiscent of "Lost Horizon" where no one ages -- unless they leave. An aviatrix entered the land of the fountain of youth years earlier after a plane crash, but now must return to London to free her fiancee from a prison sentence. The original Tarzan, Elmo Lincoln, has a cameo. TARZAN AND THE SLAVE GIRL 
A tribe of lion-worshippers called the Lionians seek to repopulate its numbers by kidnapping women as slave-brides. Among those kidnapped: Tarzan’s Jane (Vanessa Brown, "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir"), making Tarzan an easy target for the alluring Denise Darcel ("Vera Cruz"). TARZAN'S PERIL 
The arrival of gunrunners in the jungle can mean only one thing for Tarzan: trouble, and plenty of it! Armed with rifles acquired in exchange for gems, the warlike Yorongan people overwhelm the proud, peaceful Ashuba tribe and its beloved queen (Dorothy Dandridge). The loin-clothed Lord of the Apes plunges into action to restore order in an adventure that has him swooping from tree to tree; plunging over a waterfall; confronting a giant, flesh-eating plant; liberating captives and taking on the Yorongan king in a knife-edged death match. Lex Barker portrays the legendary Ape-Man (the star’s third of five vine-swinging roles) in this matinee rouser that, rare for the series, includes scenes shot on location in Africa. TARZAN'S SAVAGE FURY 
English bwanas wind their way through uncharted territory toward the homeland of the hostile Wazuri. There, they hope to lay hands on diamonds they say are needed for Britain’s armaments. But the entire safari is a ruse. Its leaders are jewel thieves who’ve duped Tarzan into being their guide. The Ape-Man has a fierce fight on his hands in this fourth Tarzan film starring Lex Barker. TARZAN AND THE SHE-DEVIL 
Emmy-winner Raymond Burr ("Ironside," "Perry Mason") co-stars with Monique Van Vooren ("Ash Wednesday," "Andy Warhol's Frankenstein"), the beautiful captain of a band of ivory thieves who enslaves a warrior tribe, leading them into territory teeming with huge elephants. Lex Barker's last appearance as Tarzan.

PRIDE OF THE MARINES Oscar-nominated story based upon the real-life U.S. Marine Al Schmid who was blinded while fighting the Japanese and struggled to adapt to civilian life. Starring Oscar-nominees John Garfield ("The Postman Always Rings Twice," "Gentleman's Agreement") and Eleanor Parker ("Interrupted Melody"). SOLDIER IN THE RAIN His own soda pop machine. Air conditioning. The finest cotton underwear. Someone else doing the work. That’s M/Sgt. Maxwell Slaughter’s (Jackie Gleason) game – and man, can he play it. Just ask Supply Sgt. Eustis Clay (Steve McQueen), who idolizes the big, shrewd, supremely self-confident older man. Maybe someday they can go into business together. In the meantime, how about a hot double date? So Clay fixes Slaughter up with a teenybopper named Bobby Jo (Tuesday Weld), a move that sets off a chain reaction of laughs and drama. Gleason and McQueen make a surprisingly engaging comedy team in this overlooked gem (co-scripted by Blake Edwards, who at this time was also embarking on The Pink Panther movie series) that showcases both stars’ unique talents. JOHNNY EAGER Lana Turner ("Peyton Place," "The Postman Always Rings Twice") stars as the daughter of a prominent D.A. who is manipulated by gangster Robert Taylor ("Ivanhoe," "All the Brothers Were Valiant") when she falls head over heels for him. Van Heflin ("Shane," "The Three Musketeers") received an Academy Award as Taylor's alcoholic confident. With Edward Arnold ("Mr. Smith Goes to Washington"), Robert Sterling ("Show Boat"), Emmy-winner Glenda Farrell ("Kissin' Cousins"), and Barry Nelson ("The Shining"). Directed by Oscar-winner director/producer Mervyn LeRoy ("The Wizard of Oz," "Little Caesar"). CASTLE ON THE HUDSON Oscar-nominee John Garfield ("The Postman Always Rings Twice," "Air Force") plays a hardened crook behind bars who comes up against a reform-minded warden. Trouble erupts when Garfield's character encounters the man responsible for his imprisonment. Also starring Ann Sheridan ("Angels With Dirty Faces") and Pat O'Brien ("Some Like It Hot"). Directed by Oscar-nominee Anatole Litvak ("Anastasia," "The Snake Pit"). SKIN GAME Posing as master and slave, likable swindlers Quincy (James Garner) and Jason (Lou Gossett) ride into backwater prairie towns in 1875. And after Quincy intones and Jason moans, Jason is sold to the highest bidder. Quincy later springs him loose and they split town, split the cash and head down the road to the next sucker. It’s an effective scam for these smart and nimble schemers – until they cross paths with an equally clever con woman (Susan Clark) and an irate former customer (Edward Asner). “What could have so easily been the most tasteless picture of the year turns out to be one of the funniest,” the Los Angeles Times said about this comedy with a conscience. Enjoy the fun as two beloved and award-winning actors play roving rogues who put bigots in their place, all part of the Skin Game ALL THE BROTHERS WERE VALIANT Swashbuckling screen legends Stewart Granger ("King Solomon's Mines") and Robert Taylor ("Ivanhoe") star as feuding New England whaling brothers. Their fraternal loyalties are tested when Granger leads Taylor's crew to mutiny in an effort to steal sacred pearls from island natives. Oscar-nominee Ann Blyth ("Mildred Pierce") costars. With Kurt Kasznar (TV's "Land of the Giants," "Lili"). Produced by Academy Award-recipient Pandro S. Berman ("Ivanhoe," "Top Hat," "Father of the Bride"). THE GREAT GARRICK The inn’s service is rude, even quarrelsome. Is this any way to treat a guest who is the most respected Shakespearean of his day? It is if you’re part of a theatrical group posing as innkeepers and trying to give the renowned but pompous David Garrick his comeuppance. Garrick, however, is aware of the ruse. And he’s convinced that the young, recently arrived countess who seems to be falling in love with him is the worst actress of the bunch. But that’s where the great one goes wrong: She’s not part of the troupe at all. All the world’s a stage and there are many fine players in it in this gleeful backstage costume comedy: Olivia de Havilland (as the countess), Brian Aherne (Garrick) and a clever ensemble. Have a great time! BILLY THE KID A misunderstood youngster turns into one of the West's most notorious outlaws. Billy the Kid. Say that name in the 1880s New Mexico Territory and some folks whoop for joy. Other folks reach for their guns. ABOVE AND BEYOND Robert Taylor ("Ivanhoe") delivers a powerful performance as the pilot of the Enola Gay who dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Troubled by his actions, he struggles to cope with his guilt and his marriage. Based on the true story of Col. Paul Tibbets. Co-starring Oscar-nominees James Whitmore ("Battleground") and Eleanor Parker ("Interrupted Melody"). THE FALLEN SPARROW Ex-Spanish Civil War POW Kit McKitrick (John Garfield) is investigating the death of his childhood pal. But the brutality he endured at the hands of his fascist captors has left more then physical scars. Maureen O’Hara, playing an elusive beauty who knows more then she’s telling, matches her cool elegance with Garfield’s electric intensity in this highly regarded psychological thriller. As Kit careens from swank Manhattan soirees to covert Nazi spy nests, he discovers if he does have the guts to confront men who lie, torture and murder in the service of Germany’s crazed Führer. HARD TO GET Society girl Margaret Richards, in full snit, has roared off in the family valet’s car without a cent in her pocket. But now there’s a matter of $3.48 to be paid at the gas station and the attendant isn’t buying her promise of payment tomorrow. He insists she pay by cleaning rooms in the station’s adjoining motel. Dick Powell plays the gas jockey, a college grad who plans to put his engineering degree to use by someday establishing a chain of auto courts. Meanwhile, Olivia de Havilland plans sweet revenge over that $3.48 indignity. Complications aplenty follow in this easy-to-like screwball romance. FOUR DAUGHTERS Oscar-nominated drama stars Oscar-nominee John Garfield ("Gentleman's Agreement") in his feature debut as a rebellious musician whose romance with one of a small-town patriarch's four daughters causes conflict. Co-starring Oscar-winner Claude Rains ("Casablanca"). Followed by two sequels. Nominated for Best Picture, Screenplay and Supporting Actor (Garfield). PRINCESS O'ROURKE Oscar-nominated drama stars Oscar-nominee John Garfield ("Gentleman's Agreement") in his feature debut as a rebellious musician whose romance with one of a small-town patriarch's four daughters causes conflict. Co-starring Oscar-winner Claude Rains ("Casablanca"). Followed by two sequels. Nominated for Best Picture, Screenplay and Supporting Actor (Garfield). Faithfully submitted, Mr. Beaks

*I say "allegedly" because I've never been able to track down a decent source on this. There's no mention of his FREEBIE-love in the two Kubrick biographies I own, **Sample dialogue: "He had integrity. He didn't ask for it, he didn't want it, but he had it. The way some people have b.o., he had integrity."