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Another of the great ladies of The Group (1966) has left us. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/jessica-walter-dead-arrested-development-archer-actress-was-80-1262068

The name combination has a law firm ring to it. Sydney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre appeared in 9 films together, most of which are currently streaming on WatchTCM (with April 23rd expiration dates) - The Maltese Falcon (1941) Casablanca (1942) Background to Danger (1943) Passage to Marseille (1944) The Mask of Dimitrios (1944) The Conspirators (1944) Hollywood Canteen (1944) Three Strangers (1946) The Verdict (1946) Always love seeing TCM runs like this one. Got a favorite film with the combo? Recommendation? I'm not sure if the two were even friends but one would assume so given the number of movies they did together within a 6 year period. Having only watched Casablanca I'm looking forward to viewing the rest over the next month.

The Shocking Miss Pilgrim Who's Minding the Store? My Favorite Year Carry On Regardless Soapdish Battle of the Sexes (1960) Ever Since Eve Hot Millions The Hudsucker Proxy Take a Letter, Darling The Secret of My Success It's a Living Just Shoot Me Our Miss Brooks Are You Being Served? Superstore Less Than Perfect The Office Spin City Victoria's Closet The Ann Sothern Show Throb The Shop Around the Corner

Not a great week for fans of BYE BYE BRAVERMAN...

yes ma'am ...

I would also add Passage to Marseille as a 5th film worth seeing. Not a great Bogie film, but a good one and a fine example of the Warner Bros studio "A" team which used WB contract employees like Michael Curtiz as Director Casey Robinson as Screenwriter Max Steiner as musical director James Wong Howe as cinematographer And the fine WB contract actors (other than Loree and Greenstreet), of Claude Rains, George Tobias, Helmut Dantine, Victor Francen, Vladimir Sokoloff, Edurado Ciannelli, and just starting out, Dudley Do-Right, Hans Conried.

This reminded me of something Angela Lansbury wore in The World of Henry Orient: And another with Angela Lansbury

I realized I should include some actual bonnets, so here's various actresses playing Queen Victoria wearing bonnets:

His Gal Friday 1940 How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying 1967

My Dear Secretary 1948 The Apartment 1960 Working Girl 1988

I watched the wraparounds for MFL last night. Was pretty pathetic. It was obvious they were stuck coming up with comments about the film because some higher up chose it. They mostly focused on the ending. Hey, the film didnt come up with the ending! It's an adaption of a BROADWAY MUSICAL. That's how it ended! Poor Audrey had 3 objectionable films in the series. 2 back to back last night!

1937

Barbara Stanwyck

Forever Female

Jory, Victor

The Devil and Miss Jones (1941) Broadcast News (1987) Clockwatchers (1997) Taxi WKRP in Cincinnati

Larry McMurtry was an incredible writer who created many memorable stories and characters. I'm saddened by his death. Rest in Peace.

Exactly. It's the persona that Norman becomes. It has zero to do with the sex of that person.

I still don't buy the Psycho argument. It's explained that Norman created Norma after he killed her due to guilt, not a desire to be a woman.

Faye, Alice

Saturday, March 27/28 Noir Alley with Eddie Muller 12:15 a.m. Pepe Le Moko (1937). Later remade as Algiers (1938) with Charles Boyer and Hedy Lamarr. The was virtually shot-for-shot and they used the exact same location establishing shots.

Good night JESSICA, you were unforgettable.

All That Jazz 1979

NO MAN OF HER OWN (1950)

The Prizefighter and the Lady Next: Edward G. Robinson, Ruth Donnelly & Jane Bryan

Cushing, Peter

Well, I certainly won't be trading my 1952 Mickey Mantle rookie card for this one, anyway!

CLOAK AND DAGGER (1946) with Gary Cooper CLOAK & DAGGER (1984) with Henry Thomas

MR. HOLLAND'S OPUS (1995)

Yeah, not bad at all. (...looked a bit like John Cassavetes in fact...and who ironically also died at too young an age)

EGR reminds me of an English bulldog--ugly-cute when seen from a certain perspective. (We need a masculine counterpart for jolie-laide.) But then one night I found Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle curiously attractive, so obviously I know nothing.

I'll always remember her as the long-suffering wife of Charlton Heston in the 1969 pro football drama "Number One" (also known as "Pro"). Heston played Ron "Cat" Catlan, an aging New Orleans Saints quarterback who became involved in an affair with a model-turned-business owner (Diana Muldaur).

THEY DRIVE BY NIGHT (1940)

PLAY MISTY FOR ME (1971) Next: Taina Elg, Kay Kendall and Mitzi Gaynor

Testament (1983) Next: prize livestock (not horses)

Bertrand Tavernier died today on the 25th of March.He was a very important French director .lemonde.fle-realisateur-bertrand-tavernier-est-mort_

Sad news. She started out in films, but she had a long and very successful tv career. Her film debut was in The Group along with a bevy of other young actresses

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA (2006)

I should also add that I got the chance to meet, and get photos with Russ Tamblyn and George Chakiris (West Side Story, of course) at the Mid Atlantic Nostalgia Convention in Maryland in 2018. Also met and got autographs from Shani Wallis (played Nancy in Oliver ! (1968) - and no, no relation to Hal), and Mark Lester who played Oliver in Oliver ! at the same show. They were doing a nationwide tour celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Oliver ! and this convention was one of their stops. Funny anecdote: It was around 1 PM time when I approached their table in the exhibition hall and Mark Lester was getting ready to break for lunch. He said to me: "I'm taking a break, but will be back in about an hour." Being the wisecracker that I am, I quickly summoned my sardonic muse, and shot back: "OK. You can go, but be back soon ! "(stealing a major line one of the title songs from Oliver !) He must have had his mind on lunch, because it didn't get a mild raise or even a reply. Brits have a difference sense of humor, I guess. So not getting a reply from him, I just "carried on." /sarc Other celebs I have met at the Mid Atlantic Nostalgia Convention (MANC) include Brit Eklund and Maude Adams of James Bond fame, Nancy Kwan, Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, and Dawn Wells of Gilligan's Island fame (recently passed).

Compared to Don Knotts Tom Lester was Cary Grant. Say what you will about Mary Grace Canfield, but she had a pretty nice rack.

More hats from YANKEE DOODLE DANDY: every chorus person gets a great hat in the title song production number, with picture hats for the ladies, top hats for the men, and busker hats for the buskers!

https://deadline.com/2021/03/jessica-walter-dead-actress-arrested-development-1234721873/ Jessica Walter Dies: Emmy-Winning ‘Arrested Development’, ‘Archer’ Actress Was 80 Jessica Walter, the award-winning actress whose career spanned five decades, passed away in her sleep at home in New York City on Wednesday, March 24. She was 80. Walter’s career included everything from a standout turn in Clint Eastwood’s directorial debut, Play Misty for Me, to The Flamingo Kidand her Emmy-nominated turns on Trapper John M..D. and Streets of San Francisco. For her performance as Lucille Bluth in Arrested Development, Walter earned yet another Emmy nomination (Outstanding Supporting Actress) and two SAG nominations. Walter won an Emmy starring in Amy Prentiss, an Ironside spinoff in the mid-1970s about a young San Francisco police detective. She also voiced Malory Archer on FXX’s animated series Archer. Speaking of SAG, Walter served as 2nd National Vice President of the Screen Actors Guild, and was an elected member of the SAG Board of Directors for over a decade. Walter began her career in her hometown of New York City where she appeared in numerous Broadway productions including Advise and Consent, Neil Simon’s Rumors, A Severed Head, Nightlife and Photo Finish, for which she earned the Clarence Derwent Award for Most Promising Newcomer. Also on stage, Walter worked at New York’s Playwright’s Horizons and the Los Angeles Theater Center, where she starred in Tartuffeopposite the late Ron Leibman, her Emmy- and Tony-winning husband. She also starred in the Broadway revival of Anything Goes, which picked up several Tony Awards. Walter is survived by daughter Brooke Bowman, who is SVP Drama Programming at Fox Entertainment, and grandson Micah Heymann. Bowman said in a statement: “It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of my beloved mom Jessica. A working actor for over six decades, her greatest pleasure was bringing joy to others through her storytelling both on screen and off. While her legacy will live on through her body of work, she will also be remembered by many for her wit, class and overall joie de vivre.” In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Guiding Eyes for the Blind.

I remember watching her as Pernell Roberts' cagey ex-wife on Trapper John M.D. Then she turned up as Robert Mandan's cagey ex-wife on Three's a Crowd. It wasn't until years later that I saw any of the films she made. She's great in PLAY MISTY FOR ME (1981):

My favorite is: The Mask of Dimitrios (1944). It allows Peter Lorre to demonstrate what a fine actor he is when free from bad scripts or secondary roles.

Mid 1980s to mid 1990s I was a waiter at The Russian Tea Room in NYC. At the time the RTR was a major destination for celebrities and other entertainment biz people. That aspect of the job was really fun and energizing. Because I am a fan of classic movies, my most memorable interactions with celebrities were with the older ones who came to the restaurant and two have always stood out: Robert Stack I think this was about 1990. Mr. Stack and his lovely wife came in for dinner. Mr. Stack greeted everyone he came into contact with (coatcheck girls, busboy, maitre d', bartender, even other customers) like an old friend- with a smile, a hello, some handshakes, friendly pats on the arm. They were seated at Table #20 which was one of the showcase booths, up front facing the rest of the dining room. I was lucky enough to have that table in my section that night. Mr. Stack may have been the kindest celebrity I ever served- every time I was at the table he made eye contact, smiled and made friendly chit chat. I think he may have asked me how I was enjoying my night, more often than I asked them! At one point he stood to go the restroom, which was on the second floor. As he made his way though the packed dining room he had a hello and a smile for every customer, waiter, busboy he came into contact with. Occasionally during dinner, customers passed by his table and tried to get his attention to say hi, and he took time for every single one of them. This was not common for stars (the Terminator for example would never acknowledge people doing this). Towards the end of his dinner, Mr. Stack chatted with me for a minute or two, told me that his meal and experience at the restaurant had been wonderful, and asked me if I could share that with the rest of the staff. I told him of course, I was under orders from a federal agent! He laughed. Later as he and his wife left, again he took a moment to thank everyone on the staff that he encountered. One of them was a Dominican busboy who asked me "quien (who is that)?" I said "Roberto Stack". He sort of mimed "who?" I said "Untouchables!" He pointed his fingers like guns and said "Pow pow pow?" "Si!" Kirk Douglas This was on a Wednesday afternoon (Broadway matinee day!) in the late 1980's. Mr. Douglas and maybe one other person were having lunch with Sam Cohn (mega agent, regular customer) on #40 (Mr. Cohn's booth). Table #31 was semi-adjacent, actually the back of one of its chairs was about 6 feet away from Mr. Douglas' back and right shoulder. At table #31 sat four elderly women (70's I guessed), Jewish (definitely), from Long Island (definitely) who came to the city for lunch at The Russian Tea Room and a 2:00PM show. They were already on their way to a great day. It got better. Kirk Douglas, I should mention may have been the most fit and handsome 70ish year old man that I have ever seen. Strong face and chin, immaculately dressed (well-tailored sportcoat and well-chosen necktie). Still broad at the shoulder and narrow at the hip. The four ladies on #31 were in awe, swooning. They never took their eyes off of him, even while eating. They actually rotated chairs periodically so that each could stare directly at him. Mr. Douglas and Mr. Cohn were talking business so they were engrossed and I didn't think that Mr. Douglas noticed the attention he was getting from the four ladies on #31. As their waiter, it was almost difficult to serve the ladies because they were so distracted "My God, he's so handsome!" "He still looks like Spartacus!" "Better!". Mr. Douglas at one point, stands, turns right and walks right past #31 without acknowledging the four ladies swooning at him. He walked through the dining room, towards the stairs to the second floor (restrooms). The four ladies twisted and contorted themselves to watch Mr. Douglas and continued to focus their attention towards the back stairs awaiting his return. Several minutes later, the four ladies are still watching the back stairs... and I see Kirk Douglas coming back from the front stairs. He actually snuck up on the four ladies while they were looking away, stood directly at their table, and said "Hi, how are you?". All four spin their heads back and the shock and awe on their faces was unforgettable. All four were basically speechless and paralyzed with shock. "I'm Kirk, it's nice to meet you. What are your names?" Mr. Douglas then spent a few minutes chatting with them and gave each one a hug. He then returned to his lunch with Mr. Cohn. As I approached #31, the four ladies were delirious (like a post-coital bliss?). I tried to renew their focus so they could have dessert and still make their curtain time, but it was difficult.

Was also a target of parody in several old WB cartoons, either in voice, appearance, or both. That was my first introduction.

Brian Keith

What makes a great movie? What makes great art? Why are Rembrandt and Marc Chagall great artists? I find knowing about art, its history and schools helps in understanding what a director is doing in a movie. That and a lot of film courses I took. Community colleges and continuing education programs offer courses if you are interested. You can probably also find something on the internet. A book called The Cinema As Art, by Ralph Stephenson and J. R. Debrix is a great overview of filmmaking, from sound and lighting to cinematography and editing. It was published in 1965, but is available used. It doesn't cover many decades of movies, but the basics it covers are still the basics today. Here are some examples of what I think are how directors show their brilliance. Clarence Brown to me is the equal of any director. One of the things I like about his movies is how he uses light and shadow to create atmosphere. It might be said it was the cinematographer that did it, but I see the same things in his movies with different cinematographers, so that tells me it is Clarence Brown that is responsible for it. Here's a shot from The Yearling (1946): The standard way would be to light the scene from sources all around the set. Brown uses light from the candle and fire as natural sources to create a warm affect for the home. See also how he uses a downward spot to show the candle's light, eliminating the usual shadow of the candle stick by a side light. In The Thing From Another World (1951), Howard Hawks dazzles us with minimalism. He has people wander around a frozen waste and all without warning forming a ring: By having us come to the same realization that it's a flying saucer under the ice at the same time as the characters, he pulls us into the story. Identifying more with the the players heightens the power of the events in the movie. All with just a few dark points moving across a featureless plane. It always thrills me to see this. One last example and I'll have done. It's also from Hawks, from Only Angels Have Wings (1939). He was the master of what I call ensemble scenes. You see them from time to time in his movies where he assembles a group of people in a space. This is his best. It starts out simple with a small group around a piano: Static. Not much energy. Sparsely populated. Other groups focused elsewhere. But as the scene goes on, more people join, the energy grows until at the end the screen is packed, tiers of people into the background, vibrant, celebrating. This is what I look to see in movies. I hope this gives you an idea of how to decide how good a job the director has done.

They are only "problematic" to a very small minority of "cancel culture" extremists. NOT, the rest of us who are dedicated, faithful viewers of TCM. You should know your viewers better, like Robert Osborne did.