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Why You'll Never See Bette's Greatest Performance on TCM
Permlink Replies: 98 - Pages: 7 [ Previous | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ] - Original Post: Feb 8, 2012 1:54 PM Original Post By: princessananka Threads: [ Previous | Next ]

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Re: Why You'll Never See Bette's Greatest Performance on TCM
Posted: Feb 8, 2012 5:24 PM   in response to: finance in response to: finance
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It seems interesting that people who judge themselves or their own work often see things very differently than the rest of us. I know I read about James Stewart trashing some of his own movies (mostly blaming his own performance), I can't recall just which movies he referred to. I also remember James Mason on the Johnny Carson Tonight Show really ripping one of his own films (again can't recall which one). Mason was talking about burning every print of it, please no one should ever see it, etc. And yet, I am sure that there are people out there who really like the movie in question and don't understand the actor's thumbs down opinion.

Edited by: mrroberts on Feb 8, 2012 6:37 PM

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Re: Why You'll Never See Bette's Greatest Performance on TCM
Posted: Feb 8, 2012 5:04 PM   in response to: princessananka in response to: princessananka
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Who are these "many fans" and a"growing number of film historians"? Could you be a little more specific? Bette was an objective, honest judge of her own work.

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Re: Why You'll Never See Bette's Greatest Performance on TCM
Posted: Feb 8, 2012 5:04 PM   in response to: hlywdkjk in response to: hlywdkjk
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As always you help inject some sound reasoning into a discussion. I just don't understand why people wish to assume some type of 'evil' motive (or often political one), for something TCM does or doesn't do.

I can understand that someone might not have access to the type of information you do, but again, why then assume the worst (or something very silly) instead of just asking what those reasons might be.

As to ther performance; I will admit to being tainted by Bette's own comments about this movie. I have never seen it but if TCM ever does show it I'll be there. It may be like watching a train crash, but what a train crash!

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Re: Why You'll Never See Bette's Greatest Performance on TCM
Posted: Feb 8, 2012 3:54 PM   in response to: misswonderly in response to: misswonderly
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LOL. It's a shame. It's one of my favorite "It's so bad, it's good" movies with Bette hopelessly miscast, but giving her all (in spades!) So many great lines. Here's hoping it turns up again someday. One of Max Steiner's noisiest scores........

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Re: Why You'll Never See Bette's Greatest Performance on TCM
Posted: Feb 8, 2012 3:27 PM   in response to: hlywdkjk in response to: hlywdkjk
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The reason Beyond the Forest is not popular at TCM is because the businessmen who own the rights to it visited TCM's offices some time ago to negotiate, took one look around, and declared,
"What a dump."

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Re: Why You'll Never See Bette's Greatest Performance on TCM
Posted: Feb 8, 2012 2:48 PM   in response to: princessananka in response to: princessananka
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"Come on TCM? Tell us why "Beyond the Forest" will never be included in Bette's list of classics!" - pricessanaka

The reasons why Beyond The Forest hasn't been seen can be many and complicated.

Being released in 1949, the film does sit on the cusp of the WB films which were controlled by Ted Turner and those that weren't. But it probably was never part of what was the "Turner Library" from the beginning.

"Authors" of the original material have often kept films like The Constant Nymph, The Story Of Temple Drake and Porgy and Bess out of the public sphere. The same could be true with this film. Or it may be something all together different.

For an example of the potential problems, see the wiki page for The Constant Nymph -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Constant_Nymph_(1943_film)
or for Porgy And Bess -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porgy_and_Bess_(film)

In recent years the channel has worked hard to resolve the issues that keep many "high-profile" films off the channel. It is often a very time-consuming process. It is a matter of figuring out who to talk to, how to get it done and finding the money to fund that legwork. Happily, both "Nymph" and "Temple Drake" finally debuted on TCM during the past year because the channel put forth the effort necessary to resolve the issues keeping the films from being seen.

It isn't that TCM doesn't want to show the film, it is because legally it can't. I don't know if the channel is actively working on obtaining the necssary clearances to allow the film to be shown on TCM but I wouldn't be surprised if it were.

Kyle In Hollywood

Edited by: hlywdkjk on Feb 8, 2012 2:36 PM

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Re: Why You'll Never See Bette's Greatest Performance on TCM
Posted: Feb 8, 2012 2:10 PM   in response to: princessananka in response to: princessananka
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Yes, I think it's a rights issue too.

We used to discuss this a lot on this board.

I think lzcutter knows about this film.

I saw it years ago and thought it was boring.

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Re: Why You'll Never See Bette's Greatest Performance on TCM
Posted: Feb 8, 2012 2:06 PM   in response to: princessananka in response to: princessananka
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From what I've gathered there's some sort of rights issue. (Abend decision??) TCM used to show it, but hasnt in quite awhile. I wish I'd made a copy of it when I had the chance........

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Why You'll Never See Bette's Greatest Performance on TCM
Posted: Feb 8, 2012 1:54 PM
bette ,  davis ,  max ,  steiner ,  tour-de-force
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Next time TCM treats us to a Bette Davis film celebration, check the titles and there's one movie you've never seen and never will.

And that's l949's much maligned "Beyond the Forest" that contains what many of her fans and a growing number of film historians believe could contain her most powerful performance as the sluttish, murderous, hip-swinging, cigarette puffing Rosa Moline--or, as some reviewers have referred to her as a Small Town Emma Bovary.

Directed at a feverish pace by master King Vidor, Bette is gives a tour-de-force performance in a magnificent production by Warner Brothers with legendary talent: Max Steiner gives us one of his most powerful scores, Edith Head designed the sexy, clinging wardrobe for la Davis, beautiful photography and a great supporting cast. The whole movie hums with an intense sense of eroticism and Bette has never looked more volputuous or sexy in her dark tresses, revealing frocks and skirts.

Yet, Bette never missed a chance of bashing her performance, giving endless interviews where she declared that "Forest" was "the worst movie ever made...totally horrible...a horrible flop." Her relentless attacks encouraged no-talent comedians to join in laughing about it. "Forest' is always included in "The Worst Movie Bombs of All Time!...The Biggest Movie Turkeys fo All Time" they're written mostly by men who've never even seen "Forest"--but you see, they can prove they're onto "camp" sensibility.

Is this why TCM has never shown "Beyond the Forest"? Is this why it's not even available on DVD and copies of of it on VHS are now rare? When I watched it at a revival movie house in NYC, the mostly young audience jumped up and cheered, shouting "Bravo" at Bette's operatic fate at the end.

Come on TCM? Tell us why "Beyond the Forest" will never be included in Bette's list of classics!

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