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I had a house full of people today for a birthday party. TCM was on in the background and her GOD-AWFUL pants brought the party to a screeching halt. The party girl -her 80th- exclaimed "What is she wearing!" and all heads turned and you could hear a pin drop. We haven't seen a worse pair of double knit slacks since Hillary ran.

Ben looks WAY better in pants the Malone does. Is that good enough?

I wish that when the people that pick these Burton movies had included one of his best like BECKETT instead of an ensemble movie like The Longest Day in which Burton for about 20 minutes! What is wrong with programmers at TCM?

Wine is a great thing to sell. Drink the wine, watch the movies. Worse case the movies seem better or you fall asleep. Considering someone over there thought astrology was a fantastic idea for a theme, be glad they don't sell knitting needles and yarn.

Tuesday, Aug. 03, 11:30 AM - Kiss Me Stupid. Star of the show is Dean Martin's Dual-Ghia. He actually owned one as did other Rat Pack members. According to Wikipedia this is his in the movie. I believe Peter Lawford also owned one which he used for the opening credits of his The Thin Man TV series. Or maybe he borrowed it. Based on a Dodge, but body crafted in Italy by Ghia. I actually saw one of these at a car show several years ago. It was one of many nice cars owned by the owner of several automobile dealerships. At 11:15 PM you can see Jimmy Stewart in his De Soto Firedome in Vertigo.

Cheap way to fill up space (Longest Day) and I agree. You'll find this a lot in SOTM picks. I remember one year on Lillian Gish day they ran Intolerance where she's in it maybe 5 mins, but it did fill up a long running time slot. I think Becket is a Paramount film which would be more expensive to show.

Indeed Hedy was a favorite of the Hollywood photographers like George Hurrell ,Clarence Bull etc .I collect vintage original photos of Hedy Lamarr for many years, She was the most beautiful woman on the the first 50 years of the silver screen IMO and please no arguing from a Ava Gardner fan !

Well I liked it. So I salute all the disgruntled with a super gulp size Bronx cheer. From Eddie's pre bumper I mistakenly assumed it was the brother that was the real shrink. THAT would have worked a little better with the look alike angle. Twins rather than some random doppelgänger. Whatever though. I like Joan Bennet, she gets extra credit for The Woman in the Window, which is excellent. And Hollow Triumph gets points for the Fotomat screw-up. Nice touch!

Gotta say here Okay laffite! WHEN did I give you any permission to "borrow" my "Sigmund Freud" shtick from that "(I can't stand) Alicia Malone" thread that ANOTHER newbie recently posted their dislike of another of TCM's hosts, HUH?! (...what...do I have to now COPYRIGHT ever damn thing I post around here or somethin'???!!!)

Okay! HERE'S one! His deep, resonant and soothing voice is as pleasing to the ears as the sound of a brook as it slowly cascades down a..... Okay sure, maybe not THAT, but I DO think Ben can be rather witty sometimes and DOES occasionally offer up a little tidbit of info about some old movie that even I (someone who has SO damn much knowledge about classic movies tucked into the deep recesses of this brain of mine that my wife will sometimes tell others that her husband "has a mind full of useless information") didn't know! Take for instance, the very DAY that I started to warm up to Ben. This was probably ten years ago or so and when there were only TWO hosts on TCM. Yep, just Bob Osborne and Ben. So anyway, Ben is doing the wraparound for Kubrick's Paths of Glory, and at the end of his outro for this flick he said, "The French Government banned the showing of this movie in France for many years and due to what it said was this film's "denigration of the French Military." And ya know what Ben said NEXT? Well, THEN he said, "You're now free to think of your favorite French Military joke here!" Now, do you think OSBORNE would've had the balls (although some might say "the bad taste") to say somethin' like that? NOOOO, of course not! And so THAT, as I've said, was the very MINUTE I knew TCM had hired themselves a guy to introduce these old movies who had a HEAD on his shoulders, AND was pretty damn balls-y TOO! (...there, might THIS answer your question here, DUDE?...or dudette as the case may be?)

By influence, I mean influencing the content of the scripts she presents, and likely the selection of silent films she presents. The reason I include her as having more influence in this arena over Malone, Karger or Mankiewicz is that she's a recognized expert in her field, academically. The others got into the game either because of their other media exposure, or intense personal interest in film that led them up the ladder to their present positions. I'm not questioning their credentials in the least, as TCM hired them because of their backgrounds. It lends more credibility to the enterprise to do so rather than hire just any telegenic presenter, but from the LA Times article, it's pretty clear (to me anyway) that they are handed scripts for the most part, as Ben's early image and scripts were crafted a certain way to create the desired effect (to contrast with Osborne). I don't think that's changed at all with the addition of other hosts. If you look at their other projects, I don't see how they'd have time to do the work to write those intros/outros themselves. Again, I think they have input, but I don't think they have final say by any means, and I still believe that their on-air scripts are written for them. And, as I said in an earlier post, none of us on the outside will know exactly how it works, unless we ask. It's all just conjecture on everyone's part otherwise.

I guess it’s a good thing that things didn’t turn out the way “blade runner“ said they would, because I would probably FAIL the replicant test. My answer to every single question would be “what the hell kind of **** question is that?”

None of us know for sure, but knowing the way corporations work, I'd wager the people you see on camera have very little input in the final say as to what goes on air. AT&T/WB/whoever won't take the risk. Rest assured that everything that you see has been blessed by higher-ups and lawyers. The on-air talent may suggest ideas in meetings and whatnot (perhaps even more so for Muller and Stewart), but by and large it's the unseen programmers who do the heavy lifting in that department.

I like Alicia Malone. Some of the comments on this post about her seem harsh. I like the way she shares interesting information before/after films and she's a good host. Some of the other hosts are amazing especially Eddie Muller and Jacqueline Stewart but that doesn't mean Alicia Malone isn't good. Muller and Stewart have a wealth of knowledge and share great insights on classic movies. I've rented noir films that include commentaries by Eddie Muller that show his expertise and really enhance your appreciation of the film. Jacqueline Stewart knows the history of film and goes the extra mile to help people understand the beauty and artistic quality of silent film. I like the other hosts too. Let's be a little more kind. We're all part of the same classic film community.

I think with a couple of those bits where McQueen burst into laughter it was because he couldn't believe he was able to get away with engineering the whole bank robbery and aftermath for kicks without getting caught. So he'd think about it sometimes and laugh that he succeeded. That's my take on at least a couple of those short scenes where he laughs out loud. → He's a-thinkin' and then he's a-chucklin'! 😄

The ONLY host I have ever laughed at is Ben, and I mean that in the best way possible! As great as Robert was, he didn't have Ben's snarky, boomer sense of humor. I love it. After all, they ARE only movies at the end of the day. I know we have a reverence for them, but to occasionally poke a little fun is not a bad idea.

Same year as Jerry Maguire, Swingers, The English Patient, Fargo, and a ton of other pretty good movies. Considering where the general public consciousness was at the time it's surprising Mulholland Falls was released at all. Regardless, it's a favorite of mine. At the center is the LAPD Hat Squad, they are fighting gangsters, the feds, and the Atomic Energy Commission in their notoriously subtle style. The film stars Nick Nolte, Melanie Griffith, Chazz Palminteri, Michael Madsen, John Malkovich, Andrew McCarthy, Chris Penn, Treat Williams and Jennifer Connelly who is spectacular. Some say the story moves slowly, maybe so. But that might be because The Hat Squad weren't Ninjas, they were a steam roller.

Last night I watched a film I've seen before (after watching the end of The Frighteners - silly horror film with Michael J. Fox): The original Thomas Crowne Affair. Great music, not just Michele Legrand's Windmills of My Mind. Steve McQueen is magnificent - love the scene where he knows he is being watched and dons the baseball cap and shows his athleticism (without hurting the guy). The opening scenes alone (i.e., with the first robbery) are great. Supporting cast, including Paul Burke and Jack Weston are good and Faye Dunaway had one of her best roles in this film (which at one point was noted for a long kiss). The only thing I was trying to figure out was the way McQueen kept bursting out into laughter.

WHEN A STRANGER CALLS (1979) next: A movie you should not watch before taking a nighttime walk!

Those are known as "Maxwell rolls", named for Perry Maxwell, a banker who became a golf course architect later in life. He redesigned part of Augusta National back in the 1930s, and some of those features still remain. He was from my hometown, and he designed his first course for the local country club.

Couldn't disagree more. I think the film is a gem. And the fact people don't recognize the scar (the cleaning lady is confused) is the films comment on how people don't really pick up on details.......I thought Joan was great in this. Very realistic portrayal of a woman who's seen it all.

in re: MULLHOLLAND FALLS i remember this barely playing and BOMBING HARD in 1996, it never made it to my town and I have not seen the trailer (I don't think) til now. I can see why it bombed- and that's not necessarily a diss on the film, which I (like almost everyone else on earth) have not seen. i just don't see it clicking with audiences then or now:

THE KITTY CAR! (You can't drive it over 30 mph or the papier mache will fly off.)

Howard Hughes and Jean Peters are the couple. I purposely was vague about Hughes on the first clue so great thinking Swithin. They were married for 14 years and Jean gave up her career when she married him. I've read that Jean Peters was the love of his life. Excellent Swithin, your turn

Yes, I thought LaVar Burton was very good as guest host. There are still a few more guest hosts in the next few weeks so I'll hold off on an opinion on who I think should be host until they've all had their turn

Wait around long enough on this board & you find something you have in common with EVERYONE! Exactly like TB, I "group" recordings, since many titles run near 60-90 minutes. Those plastic shoeboxes are the perfect size for storing DVDs and if you use double sided envelopes, they have top tabs with holes for putting in binders (like Sepia & Tom use) I store these envelopes "flap side up" & write in Sharpie what they are. Instead of alphabetizing, it's either by decade or by "star"-so for example there are 2 tabs of ANN SHERIDAN envelopes containing 4 disks, 2 movies each disk. You just flip through the tabs like a file cabinet. (you can change by wiping off Sharpie with alcohol) Once there are too many of one grouping, a 6 disk clamshell is designated to them. If those get overrun, it's the 16mm film can. My first film can "sets" were Stanwyck, Thelma Todd, Documentary & Noir. HA! I was a FileMakerPro designer! Way back in the early 90's I'd design custom databases for companies transferring their paperwork. Of course after spending tens of thousands of dollars on business related software, they won't even load on my new computers. (use pirated software now) My ammo box has AMMO in it, rarer then hen's teeth.

two thousand one hundred fifty-first category Urban legends MEN IN BLACK (1997) THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT (1999) CHUPACABRA TERROR (2005)

Semi-cool specs and nice pocket squares.

A Night for Crime (1943) A feisty reporter and the studio PR flack who loves her find a dead body at the end of a blackout. This is a neat little murder mystery with the standard fast pacing and cracking wise which is so loved by viewers of the genre. It is Glenda Farrell after her run of: Torchy Blane movies. It is: Lyle Talbot in his common role as a strong but slightly befuddled guy in love with a woman who toys with his affection. I am sorry to say that the rest of the cast seems to be whomever they could pull off the street when filming began. A few have considerable number of credits but there was a definite reason they did not become stars and spent most of their working life in 'B' movies. 6.2/10 It is available for viewing free with commercials on: TubiTV.

NoShear, Thank you for the clip from The Omega Man. I was trying to i.d. the make of the car that Robert Neville (Charlton Heston) was driving. According to YouTube commenters, it's a Pontiac Catalina. Those were the days . . . for stylish, distinctive looking American cars. Modern US cars are, by comparison, aesthetically dull and stylistically unappealing, as far as I'm concerned. My drive through downtown L.A., blasting John Lennon's and Yoko Ono's Woman is the N-word* of the World occurred about eleven years before I actually worked downtown -- for an accounting firm at One Wilshire (the eastern end of Wilshire Boulevard) to be precise. On my lunch hour, I would walk around the area with a camera, taking pictures of the architectures of buildings and the downtown streets of Los Angeles. I grew up listening to, and enthralled by, my mother's vivid memories of New York City (where she was born and lived until she migrated to California). Walking around downtown L.A., I imagined "this is what it must be like in New York City." An inveterate "Big City Boy" -- I detest small towns and rural communities -- I was in heaven during that all-too brief period in my life. * Such a childish euphemism. But, don't get me started.

"I Will Wait for You" -The Umbrellas of Cherbourg ========================================= -your favorite theme song from an Italian film (let's hit all the bases)

Alas, alas ... I know not of what you speakst. And to my knowledge I never so much as had ever a hungry eye to borrow or steal another's ... shtick. I might plagiarize an entire novel but shtick's are completely off limits, as far as I'm concerned. What, think thou I have no morals? I do confess posting on the Alicia Malone thread but my guess is that what you neglected to copyright came after that. And BTW, let's say---hypothetically of course---that I if I did have the temerity to purloin someone else's, uh, shtick, what possesses you that you might think that you might have exclusive rights to the famous Doc. I am innocent, innocent as a new born babe, so let's just say that great minds think alike. (...I have not as yet deigned to see the reference of which you speak. Should I? Please say no. Contrary to some, I see nothing wrong being ensconced in everlasting ignorance)

Martha Hyer was in The Best of Everything with Diane Baker.

Alex Trebek and Ben were friends and Ben was on the list of Alex's picks to replace him on Jeopardy. I'd say that's high praise.

We all hate the wine crap. Pretty sure that decision is over Ben's head.

I don't think any host should be off-limits to criticize, but so far I haven't found Alicia to be any worse than the others as far as preachiness. I will say those blue stretch pants she's wearing today are not flattering, however.

You mean Queen Mera? It's not like Warner/DC didn't THINK about it, during their still franchise-universe obsessed post-Justice League days of praying for spinoffs, but by that point, they were letting Jason Momoa's Aquaman sink or swim. (Yes, "Elektra syndrome" doesn't just apply to Marvel and the Black Widow movie after Iron Man 2.) Of course, that depends on whether Johnny Depp Pirates fans will let the studio make a movie with Amber Heard.

I dig you daddy-o, I hear whatcha layin' down. 6 digits is cool, it's plenty of ponies to get the chariot on down the road man. He loses anymore, and we're stuck with that economy model redhead chick playin wheelman. Man that's nowheresville.

Everybody who posted on this thread seems way too hip to respond to my own confusion as to what the hell this is all about, but I will ask anyway.

Just since BEACHES and CUTTERS WAY and DEATH BECOMES HER and LA CONFIDENTIAL and THE BIG SLEEP... (Lotta rain in LA in the movies...)

I think that I shall never see A poetess as repressed As Bette.

A repressed woman. A poetess. Unfulfilled. A man shall come. Soon.

You show me a repressed poetess and I'll show you someone who is one therapy session away from being a Beat Poetess!

She is. When I said I inevitably turn off BLADE RUNNER about five minutes after her first scene, it’s not because I don’t like her, I do... It’s because what follows is ANOTHER scene where Harrison Ford goes through ANOTHER monotone-delivery Turing/Roshak Test, only with 30 of the world’s most inane questions in lieu of inkblots. ie “You are walking through the desert. You are thirsty. A good friend offers you a camel. Do you accept it or plant a tree?”

Not crazy about Life with Father, but it's more about the film, than it is Powell's performance. Just find it kind of silly and, shoot me, I prefer William Powell as a clever sophisticate, as opposed to portraying an annoying old coot!

Still trying to think if there's a Powell performance I DIDN'T like. No luck so far. But---- Nobody mentioned MR. PEABODY AND THE MERMAID with Ann Blyth? Contains one of my favorite movie observations(which I did discover was true!) "50. The old age of youth, the youth of old age." Sepiatone

OK I'm going to chime in here with an unpopular opinion: I don't care much for the Thin Man movies because I find the Nora Charles charactor bossy & smug. I've noticed these unflattering charactor traits in other early female roles with Jean Arthur, Jean Harlow, Kay Fwancis & especially Roz Russell. As for William Powell, he's a household favorite. I don't actually know why, he seems to not be acting, just reading lines. But if you watch his face, all is shown there as if you could read his thoughts by his facial expression. His handsome appearance & demeanor just translate well on the screen and the roles always seem to fit him like a glove. Incredibly, I've never seen LIFE WITH FATHER. About time.

Bottom line: There's simply no way to not like William Powell. (...if you have any taste at all, anyway)

So wonderful in LIFE WITH FATHER. I think it's his best role. One of my favorite actors.