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Ladies in Retirement is, in my opinion, a very effective Gothic thriller, rich in atmosphere with its isolated moor setting, and with Ida Lupino's restrained performance (a real contrast to her flamboyance the year before in They Drive By Night) a highlight in her career. In fact Lupino called it her favourite role. There will also be a suspenseful "ghost" scene that could rank as one of the highlight moments of many a horror chiller. Highly recommended, with solid support from Louis Hayward as an unscrupulous scalawag who suspects a murder has taken place, along with Elsa Lanchester and Edith Barrett as Lupino's two dotty sisters. Character actress Isobel Elsom, in recreating her stage performance here, has one of the best film roles of her career.

KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS -- another movie with beautiful hats from one of my favorite costume eras! gotta zoom in on that hat -- love the arrow shaped hat pin! She always dresses just right, even for archery Both ladies' personalities are shown through their hats. Above we see Edith--tasteful, classy, in-style. Sibella below has loud hats that tell you everything about her -- a nouveau-riche brazen hussy! although this one from Edith is a bit much.... The girlfriend has lovely hats in these, but so does Alec Guinness Alec Guinness' 8 characters wore many great hats, including ladies' hats:

Slaves of Babylon (1953) Biblical mumbo jumbo done on the cheap by Columbia which involves Jews seeking freedom from enslavement in Babylon through an attack on the city by Persians, lead by King Cyrus (D. W. Griffith, far more memorably, covered some of this same territory in Intolerance). There will be a recreation of the prophet Daniel in the lion's den in a less than exciting scene. Richard Conte, of all people, looks more than a little ridiculous in costume attire as a former slave who seeks the attack on Babylon. Conte gives it the old Babylonian college try but it's all a bit of a lost cause (for him as an actor, that is, the attack will take place). Terry Kilburn, who had played the cute little kid who years before said "Goodbye Mr. Chips" to Robert Donat, is all grown up now as a rather callow looking King Cyrus. It's the women in this film that are really of more interest. Linda Christian, playing a fickle princess whom Cyrus desires, had a far more interesting personal life than she did film career, with a slew of relationships with wealthy and often very famous men. At the time this film was made she was Mrs. Tyrone Power. It's easy to see why the Mexican-born lady had such an active social life. My God, she is a beauty in this film! Alas, though, not much of an actress. Also cast in the film is Julie Newmar, then billed as Newmeyer, who has one scene, performing an exotic dance with a saber. The future Cat Woman of Batman fame is pretty impressive doing it. This would lead to a similar specialty dance number for her the following year in another cardboard spectacle, Serpent of the Nile. In that one, though, she would be painted in gold from head to toe, years before a certain James Bond film decided to borrow the same idea, with deadly results, for luscious Shirley Eaton. 2 out of 4

Joan Blondell was in "Smarty", which is the dirtiest pre-Code film I have ever seen, and also really kinky and weird, and I love it so.

Dying alone in a cave helplessly awaiting your lover's rescue is worthy of a Best Actress nod.....it made me weep.

What was strange about the Binoche win was not just that Bacall was ticked, but all of the others, including Binoche, looked saddened about the outcome.

Not sure if I've mentioned this before, but one of my huge regrets in life was when my father went to Cagney's house in Millbrook/Standfordville, NY to talk to him about doing some work there -- and didn't let me know ahead of time! I was a teen at the time, but I knew who Cagney was! Argh...

As for the thread name, here's an irritated cow.....

Take Me out to the Ballgame (1949) Eight Men Out (1988) A League of Their Own (1992)

The Freshman (1925) The Winning Team (1952) All the Right Moves (1983) Varsity Blues (1999)

Everybody's All-American (1988) North Dallas Forty (1979) Bend It Like Beckham (2002) The Replacements (2000) Victory (1981)

Unger, Felix -- played by Jack Lemmon in THE ODD COUPLE (1968)

Fabares, Shelly

We all loved her. (Oh, how I envied that lucky Dick Powell!!!).

I love Julie Newmar too, although more familiar with her from SEVEN BRIDES than BATMAN. Obviously she's the highlight of the film. She's pictured twice while only having one scene! A beautifully proportioned lady, age doesn't effect that. Still beautiful-she's 87, folks.

I decided to pick up a couple of books that were the basis for some well known movies and plays. I'm in the middle of From Here to Eternity, and it's slow-going. I put it aside for awhile to read Isherwood's The Berlin Stories, so now it's back to the slog in Hawaii...

Hey, there are worse places! That bldg could be ANYWHERE. I'd take OH over MS or AL any day!

Dr. No $16 million, From Russia With Love $24.8 million. Goldfinger $51.1 million. The Karate Kid $90.8 million. The Karate Kid, Part II $115.1 million. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of The Black Pearl $305 million, Pirates of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest $423 million Mad Max $8.8 million. Mad Max 2 $36.2 million

Some of Marilyn Monroe's hat looks:

ZEPPELIN

Outperform in money, quality, & awards---- THE PINK PANTHER -- movie 1 is great but the sequels are way funnier -- Return, Revenge, even A SHOT IN THE DARK -- once they figured out Clouseau was the main character Same with the ROAD series -- the sequel ROAD TO MOROCCO, movie #3, is the one on AFI's funniest movies list, and most of us don't even watch ROAD TO SINGAPORE much because it's just not as good BATMAN BEGINS was a hit but DARK KNIGHT-- wow! Even an Oscar win! Most of us consider EMPIRE STRIKES BACK the best of the series, way better than STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE. One obvious reason is Yoda LORD OF THE RINGS: RETURN OF THE KING, the sequel, is the one that won 11 Oscars including Best Picture The sequels to TOY STORY have made more money and have Oscar wins/noms

Lilly Turner 1933

I just thought of Lupe Velez ; another tragic figure. Single and pregnant she was devastated that the father of her unborn child wouldn't marry her and so committed suicide. She was 36. She was also having financial problems. Legend has it that she was found dead with her head in the toilet. Her bizarre death tale (whether it be true or not) was even mentioned in the first episode of the TV series Frasier.

Quick, Ben, played by Paul Newman in "The Long, Hot Summer"

Over the years, Ava Gardner had been in a few of my dreams. (...however, I have a feeling that if I'd go into any more detail about those dreams, the moderators around here might not like it, and so I won't)

Yes. I agree LHF. That grossed me out. I was rather shocked that they showed that. And I'm not a fan of Hemingway and criticized his work in English 101 in school, but the documentary was wonderful.

It may not have been well promoted, but boy, was it good!

I'm in the midst of reading Magic Hour, the autobiography of the great British DP, Jack Cardiff. It is a pure delight and supplies amazing insight into the early movie business in England and his place in that world. Highly recommended, if you can find a copy. (got mine from Larry Edmunds...)

I think Margaret Wycherly's finest performance was as Mother York in Sergeant York, and I think her bonnet would enhance any Easter parade.

I love this hat Celia Johnson wore in BRIEF ENCOUNTER ...and this one is cute, too

GONE WITH THE WIND MEET ME IN ST LOUIS THE GREAT WALTZ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1C5-vznVks EMMA SENSE AND SENSIBILITY LADY AND THE TRAMP ARISTOCATS

As for your "never figured out why WB pushed Lynn": I assume you really know the answer; He was under a multiple year contract; This means he was getting a weekly salary regardless of if he worked (was in a film), or not. I.e. Jack told the WB producers: I'm paying for him,,, use him!!! So the actual question is: why did they sign him to a fixed term contract; From Wiki: Lynn was appearing in a production of Brother Rat in Chicago. He was spotted by a Warners talent scout and given a screen test. In January 1938 they signed him to a long-term contract.[10] Lynn continued to impressed those in Hollywood - From Wiki: After the success of Four Daughters, Lynn was screen tested for the role of Ashley Wilkes in Gone with the Wind (1939). He was considered to be the front runner for the role, partly due to his physical resemblance to the character as written. As for the casting and script of Four Daughters; Yea, alternate universe is a good description. But the role of Mickey was what Garfield needed, helping establish his screen persona as an outsider \ non conventional type. In this way WB made the right casting decision for the future of both actors: Lynn would go on to play a rather bland romantic figure, getting the gal, while the manly man top studio actors, would desire the same gal, but end up dead; The Roaring Twenties (Cagney) and It All Came True (Bogart). Casting Flynn instead of Lynn in these type of roles would have been a waste of his talent. PS: I'm editing this because it may appear too harsh towards Lynn: Lynn did his job well as a secondary leading man or supporting player and as the star in light romantic comedies while at WB. During the studio days, each studio needed different type of actors under contract. Lynn was a contributor during his time at WB and performed as expected. (i.e. WB producers knew he wasn't a Cagney, Flynn, E.G. Robinson, or Bogie, and thus utilized Lynn, like most of their other under-contract actors, well).

GENTLEMAN JIM (1942)...SAN ANTONIO (1945)...MONTANA (1950) Next: Yvonne De Carlo & Rock Hudson

I like both THE PIANO and STRIPTEASE . . . although I've only seen STRIPTEASE once. A few years ago I located and purchased a copy of (I think) the original DVD release of THE PIANO because I'd read that later releases did not have onscreen "subtitles" for the sign language conversations between Ada and her daughter. It definitely is an early DVD because it has the option of watching the movie in widescreen format or in full frame (pan and scan). My mother had a VHS copy (pan and scan) with onscreen captions for the sign language conversations. I've never seen THE ENGLISH PATIENT.

The British actress Helen McCrory, known for her appearances as the evil Narcissa Malfoy in the Harry Potter movie series, died Friday at the age of 52. Her husband, the Primetime Emmy Award-winning actor Damian Lewis ("Homeland"), announced her death from cancer on Twitter. "I'm heartbroken to announce that after an heroic battle with cancer, the beautiful and mighty woman that is Helen McCrory has died peacefully at home, surrounded by a wave of love from friends and family," he said. The couple met in 2003 and married four years later. They became the parents of a daughter and a son. The couple was well respected in acting circles. In 2017, McCrory was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in Queen Elizabeth II's New Year's Honors List for services to drama. Lewis had been honored with an OBE three years earlier. McCrory portrayed Cherie Blair, the wife of British Prime Minister Tony Blair (Michael Sheen) in the 2006 drama "The Queen." Dame Helen Mirren won an Academy Award as Best Actress for her role as Queen Elizabeth II. McCrory was the original choice to play Bellatrix Lestrange in the 2007 sequel "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix." But she was forced to decline because of a pregnancy, and the role went to Helena Bonham Carter. McCrory eventually was offered the role of Bellatrix's sister Narcissa for the final three chapters of the screen series. McCrory again portrayed Cherie Blair -- opposite Hope Davis as U.S. First Lady Hillary Clinton --in the 2010 HBO drama "The Special Relationship." The production about the traditionally close connections between the United States and the U.K. also starred Dennis Quaid as President Bill Clinton. Sheen reprised his role as Tony Blair from "The Queen." Both stories were written by Peter Morgan, who went on to create the Primetime Emmy Award-winning drama series "The Crown." In Martin Scorsese's fanciful 2011 tale "Hugo" -- an homage to the early years of moviemaking -- McCrory portrayed Mama Jeanne, who turned out to be the pioneer French film actress Jehanne D'Alcy (1865-1956). In the 2012 James Bond thriller "Skyfall" -- Daniel Craig's third outing as 007 -- McCrory appeared as the United Kingdom's Home Secretary Clair Dowar, who emerged unscathed during an assassination attempt against M (Dame Judi Dench) at a courtroom proceeding. From 2013 to 2019, McCrory starred in the television drama "Peaky Blinders" as Aunt Polly, the matriarch of a post-World War I Birmingham youth gang. The BBC production was streamed on Netflix in the United States. During Seasons 1 and 2 of the British/American horror series "Penny Dreadful," McCrory appeared as Evelyn Poole (a.k.a. the spiritualist Madame Kali). There was more to her (and her powers) than anyone could have guessed. One of her final roles was Queen's Counsel Sonia Woodley in the 2020 British miniseries "Quiz," the true story of a man accused of cheating on TV's "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire." "There's little to no resemblance between her and what I play — apart from the blonde wig," said McCrory, who met the real-life Woodley on the set. "We got the hair! It was modeled on hers." J.K. Rowling @jk_rowling I’m devastated to learn of the death of Helen McCrory, an extraordinary actress and a wonderful woman who’s left us far too soon. My deepest condolences to her family, especially her husband and children. Simply heartbreaking news. 1:08 PM · Apr 16, 2021·Twitter for iPhone Mark Gatiss @Markgatiss Unbearable and unbelievable that Helen McCrory has gone. A genuine firecracker with an aching vulnerability. A wonderful actor and a wonderful woman. Thoughts with Damian and family. RIP 12:47 PM · Apr 16, 2021·Twitter for iPhone National Theatre @NationalTheatre We're devastated to hear that Helen McCrory has died and will miss her terribly. Our thoughts are with her friends and family at this very sad time. 1:20 PM · Apr 16, 2021·Twitter Web App Julie Owen Moylan @JulieOwenMoylan Great Helen McCrory story from Desert Island Discs 1:11 PM · Apr 16, 2021·Twitter for iPhone

(so........... any sports movie?) PRIDE OF THE YANKEES THE BIG LEAGUER DAMN YANKEES THE BLIND SIDE WE ARE MARSHALL RUDY SAFETY INVINCIBLE

The Good Die Young 1954 next: Anne Baxter, Charlton Heston and Tom Tryon

Keyes, Evelyn

Oh, gimme a BREAK! "Lovely bare shoulders"? Sure. I can imagine a group of guys standing around a street corner and one of them pointing to a girl passing by and telling his buddies; "Wow! Lookit the shoulders on THAT one!" Sepiatone

Harvey

Flying Down to Rio (1933)

Allyson, June

I recognized it immediately from Bewitched.

Lorraine Gary Next: Taxi Driver (1976)

Jameson, Shirley - played by Madge Evans in Fast Life

白日焰火 aka Black Coal, Thin Ice (2014) International Version Chinese Polar Witten and directed by Diao Yinan. 'Daylight Fireworks' (Chinese title) produced by Vivian Qu. The film won the Golden Bear award at the 64th Berlin International Film Festival Cinematography by Jingsong Dong and Music by Zi Wen. Starring Liao Fan as Zhang Zili, Gwei Lun-mei as Wu Zhizhen, Wang Xuebing as Liang Zhijun, Wang Jingchun as Rong Rong, Yu Ailei as Captain Wang and Ni Jingyang as Su Lijuan. The Story 1999. Heilongjiang, China's Alaska, Inner Mongolia to the West Siberia to the North and East. It's got five thousand foot mountains called the Greater Khingan Range the kind that stick up out of the high plains of Montana like the Bear Paws, the Judiths, the The Little Rockies. Only these plains are of the Black Dragon River. Its a little bigger than California a little smaller than Texas. Liao Fan as Zhang Zili Gwei Lun-mei as Wu Zhizhen Yu Ailei as Captain Wang with Zang The capitol city is called Harbin. The catalyst to the tale is a dismembered hand and arm that ends up on a coal conveyor at one of the nearby power plants. Harbin Detectives Zang (Fan) and Wang (Ailei) with their squad are sent to investigate. Zang. Woman Problems. Just went through a messy divorce, he's feeling down about life. Further poking around uncovers a fragment of a shirt and an I.D. card the victim is Liang Zhijun. More body parts are discovered, in locations three days drive away. They narrow down suspects and figure its got to be a coal truck driver who has a brother who helps him on his runs. This brother the squads investigation discovers is the owner of beauty parlor. He's a wise **** punk. Hair dyed blonde. The punk and his buddy, who has a Mohawk, are subdued after a brief scuffle. They are kneeling on the floor hand cuffed. When one of Zang's squad men picks up one of their jacket's a pistol falls out. Mohawk grabs it and shoots. Two of Zang's men are killed. Zang empties his gun into the both of them but blondie gets off one more shot hitting Zang. When Zang gets out of the hospital he and Wang return the ashes of Liang to his widow Wu (Gwei Lun-mei). Wu is an employee at the Rong Rong Laundry. Wu, who has dug a hole at the base of a tree just outside the laundry buries the ashes. 2004. Zang, in expected Noir fashion went on a record bender, after the divorce, not solving the case, and loosing two partners. He quits the force and gets by working for a security company. One early morning while passed drunk he gets his motorcycle swapped out for a moped. He's late for work again. He's going Nowheresille. One day he spots his old squad car staking out something on the street. He walks up to it and is invited inside by his old partner Wang. A girl comes out of the building the car starts to follow. Wang asks Zang if he remembers the Liang Zhijun case? Then Wang tells him that the girl they are following is Wu and was connected to that case and had dated the two just recently found dismemberments. He shows Zang photos of feet wearing ice-skates. Zang gets interested in the case again and becomes obsessed with Wu. He becomes a dc facto private investigator. Zang becomes a customer at the Rong Rong laundry and dry cleaners. Zang starts to tail Wu at night.. Pumping the Rong Rong owner he finds out that Wu isn't that good an employee. The reason she wasn't a good employee because she ruined an expensive leather jacket and had no money to cover it's replacement. Five days afterward the owner suddenly stopped complaining He was going to fire her but he keeps her on out of sympathy after her husband was killed and, we find out later, by the feels he can cop when she is ironing. One night while tailing Wu, Zang discovers that someone is tailing him from the tracks he spots in the snow. Zang starts making the moves on Wu. Wang is following his old partner as a backup and he spots a truck that is following Zang and Wu back from a date ice skating. When Wang goes out to confront the truck driver in an alley things go brutally Noirvsille. Noirsville Diners Chinese Style - Old bus carcasses with no heat and blanket doors Daylight Fireworks Club This is a great Noir, familiar and yet different enough to make it all fresh again. It may take you a couple of go rounds to make through the film, It's worth it. The Color Noir cinematography by Jingsong Dong is excellent. Streaming on Amazon Prime 9/10 Full review at Noirsville. .