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Right now on Twitter, TCM is in the process of revealing this year’s lineup based on people asking if their favorites are included. 1 Bette Davis 2 Richard Burton 3 Kim Novak 4 Louis Armstrong 5 Margaret Rutherford 6 Robert Mitchum 7 Abbot & Costello 8 Esther Williams 9 Kay Francis 10 George Segal 11 Kathryn Grayson 12 Ramon Novarro 13 Jane Fonda 14 Gregory Peck 15 Judy Garland 16 Robert Young 17 Gloria Grahame 18 Robert Redford 19 Setsuko Hara 20 Van Heflin 21 Katharine Hepburn 22 Tyrone Power 23 Eve Arden 24 Maurice Chevalier 25 Jane Wyman 26 Tony Randall 27 Merle Oberon 28 Lee Marvin 29 Ingrid Bergman 30 James Cagney 31 Fredric March

Al Pacino with his teacher Lee Strasberg

Ah. We disagree on this one, Bronxie. Although I suspect the majority are with you on the opinion that The Blue Gardenia is one of Fritz Lang's lesser works. And maybe it is. I mean yeah, when you compare it to Scarlet Street or The Big Heat or even Rancho Notorious ( and many others) , T.B.G. might be perceived as coming up short. Ok, I guess it's not a great film. But for me, it's an enjoyable one. For one thing, I think it's fun. I get a kick out of that Polynesian bar . Yes, Eddie mentioned "tikki" but I don't know anything about that, I just thought the place was fun. Exotic Chinese food ( the stuff Raymond Burr ordered, I've never even heard of !) and those Pearl Diver drinks, the over-done decor, the blind lady selling gardenias, and of course, Nat King Cole singing the title song ! Another feature I really enjoyed was the set-up of the three women sharing a flat like that. They all three slept in the living room ! How's that for privacy ! And they had a schedule they'd worked out, whose turn it was to do the dishes or "make the orange juice" in the morning. They had it all worked out, right down to sharing their clothes. In reality, such a situation would probably drive me crazy, but in movieworld, it's fun to see a domestic solution like that. I always like Richard Conte, and he and Richard Erdman make an entertaining team. And I don't agree that Anne Baxter had little to do , I thought she gave a fine and sympathetic performance as the bewildered and frightened young woman who's not sure exactly what happened and has no way of really finding out. The whole date-rape scenario was interesting. Now of course, we can see the set-up Burr's character was creating as the contemptible behaviour it is. But back then, I guess a girl was supposed to look out for herself and be careful. Funny the double standard they had then. It's not clear what would have happened if Norah had not hauled off with that poker. Would Harry have raped her? Also, you have to wonder what happened after he was whacked with that poker. SPOILERS So, Norah hits him with the poker and then passes out , she can't remember anything when she comes to, and stumbles away. But apparently she did not render Harry unconscious, since he was up and walking around when the record shop woman showed up. And that record shop woman...it's clear that Harry got her pregnant and she now wants him to either marry her or "help her get rid of the problem". This was pretty volatile stuff for 1953, but of course, it's all sort of coded. Poor record shop lady, they really picked an older, not particularly attractive woman to play this character. Guess we're supposed to think Harry couldn't get any of his usual girlfriends the night he went out with her. Anyway, as I said, for me , The Blue Gardenia may not be a top-drawer Lang (or even a top-drawer noir), but it's fun. And I'm never bored, which is always something.

Always coming late to the party, last night I watched HBO's documentary on the BeeGees, HOW CAN YOU MEND A BROKEN HEART? '20. I'm pretty critical of documentaries and while appreciating their contribution to music, not really a big fan. But, being into music I knew there would be lots to learn here & I wasn't disappointed. (Maurice was married to Lulu!) I absolutely cannot tolerate dramatizations with actors recreating incidents & thankfully there's enough real footage of the "brothers Gibb" that wasn't necessary. I also loathe talking heads of current stars telling us how much the subject meant to them. I don't care about opinions, just facts and maybe some professional insights. This documentary really stuck to the facts and crafted a coherent story arc of their lives & career. It pretty much reiterated their career WAS their lives. The longevity of their career was from hard work, dedication and talent times three. I was glad Andy Gibbs' story was included as well. A lot of their music was played to support the story and my only complaint was not enough isolated vocal tracks were used. It's all about their voices, when isolated so you can hear nothing else- MAGICAL. A lot of time was spent discussing the production of the Saturday Night Fever LP, rightly so. Although not in my library, the LP was a force and really propelled the movie rather than the other way around. The details included were fascinating, bringing new life to these old chestnuts. The Gibbs were an incredibly tight, ever expanding family and the gist of the story is told through Barry, the last surviving member. While heartbreaking to see him solo, this story is really a celebration of these extraordinary lives & all the joy their work brought the world. So even if you're not a "fan" after watching this documentary, you at least gain appreciation of their huge contribution to pop music and a little insight to the men they were.

Polynesian Pearl Diver 1 1/2 ounces Puerto Rican rum 1/2 ounce Demerara rum 1/2 ounce Jamaican rum 1 barspoon Velvet falernum 1 ounce orange juice 3/4 ounce lime juice 3/4 ounce Pearl Diver's Mix, (see Editor's Note) 6 ounces crushed ice Garnish: an orchid

Montgomery Clift Eli Wallach Sandy Dennis Paul Newman

If OLIVIA had in fact dated one of the GIBBS, one can only IMAGINE what JOAN FONTAINE would have done to compensate/compete maybe she and TITO JACKSON could have a fling?

I figured Bette's inclusion was a given, considering what happened last year. Glad to see Van Heflin honored. And Robert Young.

IF this film (which btw, I still think is only questionably a "noir") IS considered one of "Lang's lesser ones", then I'd say that this probably has most to do with its happy ending finale. (...bottom line though here...I'm with ya on this MissW...I've always found it an entertaing little film with very good acting all-around, and that moves along at a decent pace)

Lee J Cobb

Dustin Hoffman Marlon Brando Carroll Baker Eva Marie Saint Anne Bancroft Geraldine Page Jane Fonda

Tuesday, June 22 6:45 a.m. Torchy Plays With Dynamite (1939). What a great title.

Nope, not really. I thought it was one of Eddie's shorter and least interesting outtros he's done in quite a while. (...in fact, it even seemed as if he might have been in a hurry to get back to his Facebook and Twitter feed!)

Eddie immediately got defensive at the top of his intro to THE BLUE GARDENIA by telling us that many Lang fans (and I include myself) think it's one of the director's lesser efforts, and I must unfortunately agree. The only interesting thing Muller could drum up to say about it was that hipsters who are into "Tiki culture" would enjoy the kitschy Polynesian mise-en-scene at that Chinese restaurant where Baxter has her fateful meeting with Burr. Waste of a fine cast -- Conte (his role was woefully underwritten), Sothern (blossomed into a wonderful character actress; I've always liked her), Baxter (not a part she could sink her teeth into) , Burr (just not believable to me as any sort of ladies man) and Donnell (she impressed me with naturalistic performances in SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS and IN A LONELY PLACE but here Jeff's pulp mystery book lover seems almost like a cartoon. I don't think Fritz had his heart in this one, I truly don't. Plodding all around, even dull in spots.

Jack Marshall composed the music for The Munsters. Jack was a jazz guitarist, composer and arranger. He had a younger cousin who came to him for advice on taking up guitar. Jack suggested he begin by studying classical. His cousin was Christopher Parkening, who would become what many consider America's most gifted classical guitarist. This is the second season version of the theme, which features a surfy-sounding electric guitar part. I can't confirm who played it. Maybe Jack. Maybe Tommy Tedesco. Maybe Howard Roberts.

It seems pointless to respond to you with the following, jamesjazzguitar, but just on the off chance you've yet to discover - Tommy Tedesco's son, Denny, put this together:

i reiterate that FRENZY (1972) is a great choice to show someone in the 21st century because, yes it is in color, but also it moves visually in a way that a lot of classic films do not, and thus are lost on these kids today who have grown up with JOE COCKER holding the camera as Spiderman does MIGRAINE-INDUCING CGI loopdeloops. it is also THE underrated Hitchcock film- prurience never goes out of style (and there are even very clever comedic moments throughout.) ...but if they can take black and white, then yeah- PSYCHO all the way. **and if it's someone you secretly despise, may I recommend UNDER CAPRICORN?

Today, my Mom's friend, Judy Holliday would have been 100 years young (and my Mom of blessed memory, 98). I've been watching clips of her all morning and posting them to my Facebook account. If you have never seen a Judy Holliday movie, I recommend you start with Adam's Rib and progress to her Academy-Award-Winning performance in Born Yesterday. She died way too young from breast cancer (didn't know if mammograms were used them). Unfortunately, her son, Jonathan, passed away within the past year. My favorite movie of hers is The Solid Gold Cadillac because it reunites her with Paul Douglas, who played the B. Crawford role in the movie. Comments, favorite films, etc.?

I like the idea of a whole day of Margaret Rutherford. Most of these are pretty expected names though. I just hope they can get Paramount to loan out no Way to Treat a Lady for George Segal's day....

Great Honk! You had a swinging weekend. True Romance is a major favorite in my family. Love Gary Oldman's racially confused drug kingpin Drexel. "He musta thought it was white boy day. . . " And Jacob's Ladder a personal favorite. Love Saboteur too. Next time watch Lifeboat!

Kimono My House is a masterpiece.

Was wondering what the part of the cocktail that sort of looked like a white corndog sticking out of the top was? Must be something to do with the barspoon Velvet falernum. And you'd think Eddie would have talked about that cocktail also in the outro (or be sipping on one, no?), that woulda been a natural sidebar.

Bradley Cooper

She had a fairly active career right up until she died at age 66. She was on General Hospital soap at the time. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Donnell

Here is an early Christmas gift for you. The actress was Jeff Donnell.

Surprised someone has yet to tack on this stinger:

Watched over a long weekend (some reason I took Friday off work to watch a boring match between England and Scotland): Four Boys and a Gun (1957) Delinquent youth crime noir. Mostly silly but fun. See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989) Would be a a good set-up for a comedy skit, but gets old for a full length feature. Skip. True Romance (1993) Top 100 for me- love it. Only film I have a reference to tattooed on my body. The Blue Gardenia (1953) LA noir featuring a performance of the title song by Nat King Cole. Recommend. On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) Had to re-watch after finishing the book. Think it is top 5 Bond film and the first time there's some legitimately great action sequences in the series. Jacob's Ladder (1990) First time watching this and surprised that the twist ending was really a twist. I felt through the whole movie that the ending was obvious. Not a good as some people think but it did create a lot of new horror tropes that would be copied forever more. Saboteur (1942) Early Hitchcock. Loved it- although the blind man character seemed a bit hokey. Surprised more people don't know about this Hitchcock film (outside of classic film lovers). Recommend.

Olivia had only one boyfriend.

Actually here Ed, you might recall that after his turn as Andy Taylor was over, in efforts to do just that, attempts to break from that image that is, in a number of guest roles in 1970s TV series and in a couple of TV-movies made during that decade, he played the villain. (...one TV-movie in particular I recall in this regard and which co-starred William Shatner was the 1974 motorcycle-themed "Pray for the Wildcats")

Yes, they did cover his coming to America and his instant rise to fame. Although they often performed together, it was pointed out they were even more successful dividing & conquering their slightly different genres-Andy being more a teen heart throb. I thought too Andy's great love was Victoria Principal not ONJ. I always had great empathy for her, even without being in the public eye, it's a horrible position to be in. But it was stated at the end Andy died at 30 from a heart attack most likely caused by chronic drug use. It's funny, growing up in the 60's the bulk of my experience with The BeeGees was their earlier work, which is just beautiful. I put them right up there with The Carpenters-didn't like the music, but have complete respect for their talent. The BeeGees and Barry Gibb in particular, was brought up a few notches finding out he wrote most all their hits. An impressive accomplishment. I understand the same filmmaker has just released a documentary of one of my fave bands SPARKS! I bet few of you have ever heard of them, but I was a record store hangout (& groupie) & they were a hit with me.

Yes! I forgot about The Courtship of Eddie's Father theme song. I don't think that it's been mentioned yet. The Courtship of Eddie's Father (Theme Song) - YouTube

it's fine, i know you've been busy what with hanging out on the TCM HOME PAGE all weekend. (they're using your avatar to promote SILENT SUNDAYS) it's funny how certain posters have avatars that over time you literally expect them to look like. I know, sadly, this is likely true for me.

That's Omaha Nebraska for Fred Astaire. Next: Born in New England

With discussion of the South Bay within the context of television themes songs... The cast 'n' crew of The Mod Squad appear to have spent some productive time near the border of Santa Monica and Venice. The second episode of the 1st season included Pacific Ocean Park and the debut referenced the CHEETAH club:

In regard to your topic "Father Knows Jest" here, NS... In my case, the first thing that came to mind was when I'd reach the front door to our house when I was a kid and it would be locked. If my father were inside, he'd always yell out from the other side of the door, "What's the password?" Knowing that the "password" since I was a young tot had been established as "swordfish", I'd then call out that word to him and he'd unlock the door so I could enter the house. It wouldn't be until I was in my teenage years and happened to one day catch a showing of the Marx Bros' Horse Feathers on TV would be when it would dawn on me why the password was always what it was... (...in other words, evidently being a big Marx Brothers fan must have been handed down to me by my Pop and wasn't by sheer coincidence)

During the time The Fugitive TV series was first run, I was ages 11-15 and my bedtime during the school year was 10pm, EXCEPT on Tuesdays nights when my parents allowed me to stay up until 11pm to watch each episode as it unfolded. I remember studying David Janssen's mannerisms, and for many years even affected that signature quick one-sided little grin of his because I thought the guy was cool as hell. (...however, I can't completely agree with Nip the OP's assessment of the Harrison Ford movie, as I think it was a great condensed movie-length version of the story that easily deserves its 7.8 IMDb and 96% Rotten Tomatoes ratings)

One of my favorites. I love everything about this film except the revoltingly ugly sack dress that Deborah Kerr wears in one scene, and even that is historically accurate. The sack dress was the "in" thing for a season, till someone noticed that it was unflattering to women and as ugly as homemade sin. But back to the movie: I consider this Otto Preminger's masterpiece, with beautiful fluid camerawork, especially the scenes at the vacation home in the south of France. A fashion expert who introduced the film at one of the TCM festivals said that Jean Seberg's hairstyle and little black dress look just as chic now as they did in 1958. Fine acting by all, especially Jean Seberg in the lead role. The story of the girl who won't give up possession of her father until she belatedly realizes the cost rings true. The screenplay by Arthur Laurents is just about perfect. What does Laurents have to say about the film in his memoir? Not one word.

Mad Magazine's send up.

Rather than validate Random-Space Boy's meta-post with the psychological attention of quoting it-- I'll just second the story of seeing The Illustrated Man (1969) with a late-night college-festival audience years ago, and "slow and squirmy" definitely describes the audience's reaction to waiting for something to happen. We could follow the plot premise of our hero "seeing" short stories in Rod Steiger's tattoos, but as the movie went on, the audience became a little more impatient and vocal. As we see a soft-focus love scene between Steiger and Claire Bloom, and the movie suddenly cuts back to our hero staring into the fire, there was a big disappointed groan from the audience and one person called out "Aww, c'mon...CONCENTRATE!" 😂

I'm sorry, Det. Jim, I had no patience with this film. Now, I did see it only once, and sometimes a person needs to see a movie a second time to really form an opinion. Maybe I should give it another chance. However, I doubt I would like it any better a second time. I actually really dislike those films that were so popular in the 1950s, a certain kind of melodrama that featured a young person who is confused and self-absorbed ( I realize most young people from any era, including today, fit that description.) It reminded me a little of Member of the Wedding, another '50s era drama about a young girl who is figuring out who she is, and in the process, behaves in selfish and silly ways. I just found this character (from Member of the Wedding) annoying, I had no patience with her. And my reaction to the Cecile character in Bonjour Tristesse was similar. None of the tragic events that occurred in Bonjour Tristesse had to happen, they were the result of manipulation and thoughtless contrivances on the part of Cecile and her friends. So it's hard for me to be sympathetic to her, or for that matter, any of the characters in the story -- maybe with the exception of Anne. The shallowness of David Niven's character and his daughter just makes it hard for me to get engaged in what happens to them. I don't need models of virtue (sometimes the badder the character, the more engaging they are) nor do I want intellectual giants in movies; but they have to be interesting in some way, and I just found this family to be boring, they had nothing interesting to offer. What do I care if they enjoy their life of hedonism? Cecile and her father, along with the boyfriend and the father's lover (before Anne came along) all struck me as too shallow and silly to get involved in. SPOILER I also think the Deborah Kerr character was too grounded and strong to end things as she did. And what do we "get" from Bonjour Tristesse ? The father and daughter seem to be just living the same way as ever in the end, maybe sadder but not much wiser. The whole film feels flat and pointless to me. Sorry, I don't mean to be aggressive in my criticism of this movie, and I know a lot of people really like it. (But you did ask, so there you go ! )

Coincidentally, TCM is having a "Hitchcock Binge-Watch Weekend " next Saturday and Sunday (June 26 & 27th). They are showing 24 of his movies.

Since I don't know anyone adult age that HASN'T ever seen a Hitchcock movie, even back when my kids were young, I'd have to start with them( my kids, that is). But, sometime back in the '80's my older daughter( in her Mother's custody) told me she watched NORTH BY NORTHWEST one night at a friend's house. She saidd she really liked it, and like her Dad, really dug that cool house. So I made some suggestions, based on what I knew about her personal tastes in movies. Like "horror". So I suggested PSYCHO and she liked that as well. Black and White doesn't bother her.For my younger daughter, I too started her off with REAR WINDOW, thinking it'd pass muster because it was the first Hitchcock movie I remember ever seeing. To my knowledge, anyway, because it was at an early enough stage in my life when I couldn't care less about who directed whatever movie( and rot like that). THE BIRDS was well received by both of them. And because they both like the movie THROW MAMA FROM THE TRAIN, they became curious about STRANGERS ON A TRAIN which was mentioned in the movie. And they both liked that one too. But I decided all I could do was suggest titles and leave the choosing to watch them up to them. After all, they might enjoy them more WITHOUT a gun to their heads. Sepiatone

TCM programmers feel NORTH BY NORTHWEST is the one with the greatest appeal, and I suppose on some level it can be used as a gateway to Hitch's other films. Though THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY is my favorite because of its cryptic humor and fine ensemble performances, for purposes of this exercise, I'd probably choose TO CATCH A THIEF. The gimmicks are not overdone, the story could have been directed by Stanley Donen or anyone who specializes in breezy romantic fare and we have Cary Grant & Grace Kelly at the peak of their charm. Also I think the setting is a bit more glamorous than most of Hitch's other films, which often have a seedier aspect to them. Added bonus- TO CATCH A THIEF is in color and in VistaVision.

If the friend is a restless viewer conditioned by modern movies (needs non-stop plot movement, action, explosions, etc) I'd vote for NXNW first over Rear Window. Rear Window is a great movie, but because of the voyeuristic trick of remaining in one apartment, it can feel plodding, stagey and/or confining to some.

Ellen Burstyn Kim Hunter Joanne Woodward Jack Nicholson Rod Steiger Sidney Poitier Faye Dunaway Julia Roberts Katharine Hepburn

Really 1/2? Considering how many early films there are, that's impressive. I think Saboteur was probably one of the first Hitchcock films I've seen, probably watched it a dozen times when I was a young girl. Weird that your film school friends wouldn't know that film and shot of Norman Lloyd falling from the Stautue of Liberty. Well, it's good you now know the film.

Her greatest performance occurred on March 26, 1952, while testifying before the Communist-hunting U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Internal Security. Holliday's liberal politics could have been a major problem for her, but she literally channeled Billie Dawn, her Oscar-winning, dumb blonde character from "Born Yesterday" (1950). And she didn't name names.

Maybe that's because he knew he'd done better work than "Bonjour Tristesse" and didn't want to draw attention to it.

Well I have introduced Classic Film to many a teen to get them interested. PSYCHO is one of the movies I first show to get them to accept b&w. Because of the reputation of it being a "horror" and the fast pace, they usually stick with it. If they groan that it's b&w, I just say "most of the best horror IS" and site the Universal Monsters. I think the lack of color is quickly forgotten due to the strength of the story telling. After SOME LIKE IT HOT they usually forget about color, so then throw them SINGIN' IN THE RAIN which is a tough sell being a musical. It's a parent/teacher's job to open kid's minds.