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I was watching some old recordings I had made in 2012 (mostly to enjoy the now-gone classic TCM graphics of that era) and stumbled upon "Son of the Gods" starring Richard Barthelmess & Constance Bennett with intros and outros by Robert Osborne. On the face of it, this film appears to be one of the most "objectionable" films you could view (I assume it will never see the light of day on TCM again) but, in reality, is it? Richard Barthelmess's character (Sam Lee) is the son of a wealthy Asian who, as the film begins, has been sent away to college. Sam "looks" Caucasian though he is by no means trying to "pass" as white. Sam is smart, kind, handsome and generous and the fact that he is Asian-American is known by his male friends but not by their girlfriends. When the women find out that Sam is Asian-American, let the racial epithets begin. However, Sam's friends strongly condemn the women and point out that Sam is a great guy and that they (the woman) are racist jerks. Sam then leaves for Europe where he meets (you guessed it!) the beauteous Constance Bennett and they fall madly in love. Until . . . Constance's racist father informs his daughter that Sam is (gasp!) Asian-American. Instantly, Constance begins hurling racial slurs at Sam, telling him she never wants to see him again. Sam is devastated and simultaneously receives a telegram summoning him home to the deathbed of his father. Upon inheriting his father's businesses, Sam decides to reject "the white world" and embrace his Asian heritage. Meanwhile, Connie, regretting her horrible behavior toward Sam, is spiraling downward into drink, degradation and potential death. She becomes so ill and calls for Sam so often that her racist father is forced to ask Sam to come to his daughter's bedside to help her find the will to live. Sam comes and she does live but he returns to New York. Finally, Connie (who has been trying to apologize for her horrible behavior for quite a while now) comes to Sam and says she doesn't care about his race and they reconcile. In one of those terrible The Studio Does Not Wish To Offend Anybody moments, at the 11th hour, it is discovered that Sam is the adopted (not biological) son of the Asian merchant and is actually white. To Connie's credit, this revelation, is unknown to her when she re-states her love for Sam and her desire to marry. In his typically classy, quiet, understated way, Robert Osborne in his intro and outro admitted that this film provided plenty of "cringe-worthy" moments and evidenced attitudes that definitely were not in line with "current" (2012) thinking. Wow. No over-the-top "Reframed" series, no need for multiple hosts to decry the anti-Asian sentiments in this film and, a general acknowledgement by a representative of TCM that we all get that the racist attitudes shown in this film were/are wrong but the film still has some merit, particularly to see the performances of both Barthelmess and Bennett at this stage of their careers. The other thing that struck me as revelatory about this film was that it consistently portrayed all of the racist white people as total villains and, almost to a fault, made the Asians and Asian-Americans pretty much saints. Something which in hindsight, is pretty amazing for a wide-release film written and produced in 1930. Bottom line: As been said here again and again: The overreach of the current TCM Management to publicly apologize for practically every film made from 1930-1960, is especially grating when one sees that TCM had been providing -- pretty much from Day 1 -- (excuse me for using another overused word) "context" and disapproval about the racist attitudes and stereotypes shown in many films of this era.

Got Frid's autograph on one of my drawings...

Alice Rohrwacher Dario Argento Dino Risi Giovanni Pastrone Giuseppe de Santis Giuseppe Tornatore Laura Bispuri Liliana Cavani Luigi Comencini Mario Bava Nanni Moretti Roberto Benigni

Michelangelo Antonioni Bernardo Bertolucci Pietro Germi Sergio Leone Ermanno Olmi Pier Paolo Pasolini Ettore Scola Paolo Sorrentino Vittorio Taviani Luchino Visconti

MOVIES-TV is not owned by the same company that owns TCM. MOVIES-TV is a join venture between Weigel Broadcasting and the Fox Television Stations subsidiary of Fox Corporation. This is why MOVIES-TV shows a lot of Fox Films (especially noir ones), that TCM doesn't (or shows rarely). As for showing the same films: I posted about this around 6 months ago as a possible reason TCM decided to no longer provide their schedule months in advance. I suspected that MOVIES-TV was reviewing TCM's schedule and using that to influence their programming. E.g. if TCM say an actor will be SOTM, a week or so before, MOVIES-TV will feature that actor. Same with films. MOVIES-TV see what TCM is showing and tries to schedule films they have cheap access to slightly before TCM does. I was told I was delusional! Ha ha. Yea, it could be is just a coincidence and not some plan on MOVIES-TV part. PS: Are those your birds? I have two conures, and one cockatiel.

Wright, Will

Norm Macdonald, who became the sixth anchor of the popular "Weekend Update" segment of "Saturday Night Live," has died of cancer at the age of 61. The Canadian product, who had been battling the disease privately for nine years, died today, his management firm Brillstein Entertainment told the website Deadline Hollywood. “He was most proud of his comedy,” his longtime producing partner and friend Lori Jo Hoekstra said in a statement. “He never wanted the diagnosis to affect the way the audience or any of his loved ones saw him. Norm was a pure comic. He once wrote that ‘a joke should catch someone by surprise, it should never pander.’ He certainly never pandered. Norm will be missed terribly.” Macdonald is survived by his son, Dylan. A regular on "Saturday Night Live" from 1993 to 1998. Macdonald succeeded Kevin Nealon as the "Weekend Update" anchor in 1994. He was forced out of the segment three years later by NBC executive Don Ohlmeyer, who said Macdonald was not funny. Observers pointed out that the comedian frequently delivered jokes about the acquitted double-murder suspect O.J. Simpson, a friend of Ohlmeyer's. The "Weekend Update" duties went to Colin Quinn. Although he left SNL in 1998, Macdonald later made occasional appearances as Burt Reynolds on the sketch show's "Celebrity Jeopardy!" bits. Macdonald said he came up with the idea for the "Jeopardy!" spoofs, basing them on "Half Wits," a 1980s "SCTV" send up of a Canadian teen game show hosted by Alex Trebek. Macdonald was never a breakout film star, but he appeared in several projects through the years. His screen debut was in the 1995 comedy "Billy Madison," in which he played the best friend of the title character (SNL's Adam Sandler). In 1998, Macdonald (pictured below with Artie Lange) starred in the comedy film "Dirty Work," which the comedian co-adapted from a Roald Dahl short story titled "Vengeance Is Mine, Inc." Macdonald and Lange played financially strapped buddies who started a revenge-for-hire business. Directed by the actor-comedian Bob Saget, the film was neither a critical nor commercial success. But it has become a cult favorite. The picture, which also featured Jack Warden, Traylor Howard, Chris Farley, Christopher McDonald, Chevy Chase, Don Rickles. John Goodman and Sandler, is currently available on HBO and HBO Max. In 2015, Macdonald became the second performer to take on the role of KFC founder Col. Harland Sanders in television commercials (the first was another SNL alumnus, Darrell Hammond). Sanders, who died in 1980, has since been portrayed by other actors, including Jim Gaffigan, Rob Lowe and Reba McEntire. Macdonald, who began his career as a standup comic, became a favorite guest on late-night talk shows. In a 2016 Sirius XM radio interview with Howard Stern, Macdonald discussed some of his appearances, including a memorable 2015 finale on CBS' "The Late Show with David Letterman." David Letterman @Letterman In every important way, in the world of stand-up, Norm was the best. An opinion shared by me and all peers. Always up to something, never certain, until his matter-of-fact delivery leveled you. I was always delighted by his bizarre mind and earnest gaze. (I’m trying to avoid using the phrase, “twinkle in his eyes”). He was a lifetime Cy Young winner in comedy. Gone, but impossible to forget. Dave Letterman 4:44 PM · Sep 14, 2021·Twitter for iPhone Adam Sandler @AdamSandler Every one of us loved Norm. Some of the hardest laughs of my life with this man. Most fearless funny original guy we knew. An incredible dad. A great friend. A legend. Love u pal. 4:15 PM · Sep 14, 2021·Twitter for iPhone Senator Bob Dole @SenatorDole “Norm @normmacdonald was a great talent, and I loved laughing with him on SNL. *Bob Dole* will miss Norm Macdonald.” 3:54 PM · Sep 14, 2021·Twitter for iPhone Conan O'Brien @ConanOBrien I am absolutely devastated about Norm Macdonald. Norm had the most unique comedic voice I have ever encountered and he was so relentlessly and uncompromisingly funny. I will never laugh that hard again. I'm so sad for all of us today. 3:38 PM · Sep 14, 2021·Twitter Web App Steve Martin @SteveMartinToGo We loved Norm MacDonald. One of a kind. 2:57 PM · Sep 14, 2021·Twitter for iPad Jon Stewart @jonstewart No one could make you break like Norm Macdonald. Hilarious and unique. **** cancer. 2:45 PM · Sep 14, 2021·Twitter for iPhone Seth MacFarlane @SethMacFarlane To so many people in comedy, me included, there was nobody funnier than Norm MacDonald. You always hoped he would hang around after the work was done, just so you could hear his stories and get a laugh. So hilarious and so generous with his personality. I’m gonna miss him. 3:32 PM · Sep 14, 2021·Echofon edgarwright @edgarwright Of the many addictive rabbit holes you can disappear down on the internet, the most pleasurable is 'Norm MacDonald chat show appearances'. Thanks for all the laughs Norm, very sorry to see you go. 2:41 PM · Sep 14, 2021·Twitter Web App

It seems they're always promoting something now. Hosts; wines; etc. Also getting tired of the preachy bits about racism in Hollywood's past....

I think you're spot on there. Especially so with Muller. I'm of the opinion he does his own multimedia in his segments and always has, because the others segments haven't been and aren't of the same production standard. Then when he goes on with other hosts, as you say, he takes back seat to them. I'd like to think that is because he is a gentleman. Though he might have some dark secrets of his own. 😁

Well I guess the only saving grace is that at least these are not being replaced with commercials hawking 3rd party products. I.e. these are fillers so a film can start on the hour or half-hour. I've been watching PBS's Create network; they show mainly 30 minute T.V. shows that were originally created for commercial T.V. and thus the actual program is around 20 minutes. The host will say something like "we are talking a break and when we get back, the roast will be done", but there is no break (other than a one second showing of the show's title screen), and back to the program. This leaves 9 minutes of dead-time before the next show starts. Dead-time it truly is!

These things have been running for some time, I think. I just leave the room when they come on anymore, because for all their gibber-jabber they really don't inform me of much of anything before or after the movies they show. Most of what I hear them say I can read from IMDB, so how much effort are they or some staff putting into all this? Do they all have day jobs at Target or some place so they can only do the film stuff at night? Muller is fascinating, but only when he sticks to noir. When they put him on with other people, I've noticed he takes a bit of a back seat to them. I don't think he seems to be as enthusiastic about the "conversations" the others are diving in to have. I keep expecting them to announce some terrific new initiative which brings this woefully uninspired roll-out to a satisfying climax. I'll keep an eye out for it, just in cast they come up with something.

They aren't great.

I couldn't think of any more real ones...but I did think of these: Franco Corsaro as Vittorio Phillippi in I Love Lucy Francis Lederer as Vittorio Barrini in That Girl

It got to be too costly. They filmed in Newport, RI and Tarrytown, NY. I have been to all locations and it's pretty cool. The Blue Whale is actually a bar called The Black Pearl. They filmed the back of the actual bar building, not the front. But it's very old with low ceilings and excellent clam chowdah.

1933

Sylvester Stallone (Italian-American) Martin Scorsese (Italian-American)

I cannot begin to tell you how much I have enjoyed OUR EXCHANGE AT "THE WRITER'S TABLE" HERE. All we need is GARRY MARSHALL sitting at the head emphatically saying: "Just so long as it isn't JAMAICAN HOMELESS PEOPLE SUCKIN' SOUP ALL DAY!" BTW, I think we're all in agreement that a GIRL'S BOARDING SCHOOL in MARTINIQUE run by COUNTESS NATALIE who is eventually (and ironically) decapitated BY AN ARMY OF VOODOO ZOMBIES led by WILLIAM MARSHALL as VOODOO MASTER “OTHELLO LEGENDRE” was the way to go. and later on, THE HEAD OF COUNTESS NATALIE and THE HEAD OF JUDAH ZACHERLY get together during an 1812 parallel time storyline and become DAYTIME'S NEW SUPERCOUPLE. The wedding of their disembodied heads is attended by the disembodied head of ELIZABETH TAYLOR and becomes the HIGHEST RATED DAYTIME EVENT EVER!!!!

two thousand one hundred ninety-fourth category Italian directors Roberto Rossellini Vittorio De Sica Federico Fellini

Wednesday, September 15 6 a.m. About Face (1952). It looks a bit dodgy but I’ll go with this Eddie Bracken film that I've never seen.

Good Girls Go to Paris

York, Dick

What's Up, Doc? Next: murder in a remote location

Joe's Palace and Capturing Mary (2007) -- BBC; companion films in which Michael Gambon plays agoraphobic billionaire, Eliot Graham. Forrest Gump (1994) -- because investing in a "fruit company" is lucrative Iron Man franchise (2008, 2010, 2013) -- Tony Stark, industrialist and weapons manufacturer Gilligan's Island (1964-1967; TV movies 1978, 1979, 1981) -- Thurston Howell III

No, I don't think Bond was the instigator but he sure seems to be enjoying the show. Yes, Alan Hale seemed to be trying to break the fight up before someone (probably Eddie G.) got hurt. Raft had a reputation for being difficult on some of his film sets and not long after this his contract with Warner Brothers was ended. The following year Hale and Bond would both be performing in Gentleman Jim, both of them doing outstanding work in that production. Bond's John L. Sullivan may be the best work of his career, in fact.

He tried to harass Carolyn later on until she pulled a gun on him. Good for her. Willie was actually originally played by James Hall for 4 or 5 episodes....he was playing Willie after bothering Vicki and Carolyn and when Carolyn ordered him to leave her alone with the gun. By the time Willie gets a much deserved butt-kicking, John Karlen assumes the role. Personally I preferred John in the role. Not that Hall was bad, but Karlen took Willie on a whole other level, from bullying creep to hapless vampire slave.

Probably because he doesn't have much interest in non-noir films.

WOW. Am sure that would go for big bucks on ebay. A good likeness of Frid!

There are lots of Alan Hale films that I enjoyed much more but I think one of his very best performances came in the Helen Hayes 1931 film, The Sin of Madelon Claudet. 248 acting credits on the imdb!

“Let’s go Bavarian” from DANCING LADY Next another Fred Astaire number without Ginger

Carlson, Richard

Olivier also thought of Cary Grant as the ultimate actor. I think he was enamored with certain comedic actors because, as great as he was, comedy was something he found very difficult, yet Rooney and Grant made it look easy. In The Hardy Boys movies I find him endearing. It seems Crooked Road went out of their way to make him as dull as possible, almost with no personality at all. Still he pulled it off and became sympathetic. I also enjoyed that getaway scene.

About these frequent spots where the hosts slaver over each other telling us how great they are - it's becoming pathetic. A little of this goes a long way, but as usual they overdo it. SHOW us, don't TELL us.

Tuesday, September 14 Getting Straight (1970, Richard Rush) 11:45pm (EST) A Vietnam vet and former social radical is conflicted by his desire to become a teacher and his sympathy with anti-establishment student protests. New to me. At the very least it's a chance to see some of the hottest 70s actors in bloom though I'm expecting mostly characters doing the usual counter-culture vs. establishment sparring.

Don't even get me going on how much I hate the film. How disappointed I was when it came out. How angry I was that they didn't film in the original locations.

Three Buffalo Springfield faves of mine:

George Wein George Wein, one of the great impresarios of 20th century music who helped found the Newport jazz and folk festivals and set the template for gatherings everywhere from Woodstock to the south of France, has died at 95. Sept. 13, 2021, at 9:01 p.m.

1938 - Sing, You Sinners 1940 - Remember the Night 1959 - The Oregon Trail Next: Ray Milland & Walter Abel

Wow. I hadn't seen this before. I have a few photos of the stars outside the studio that I purchased at some of the festivals. Pretty cool that the actors were obliging. Love Grayson's look of displeasure when she gets out of the cab.

Joan Bennett had a difficult time keeping up with the pace of the show and also had a hard time reading the teleprompter without her glasses. I love her scenes when Barnabas first introduces himself. She is the regal mistress of Collinwood, totally in charge, which nobody can challenge. Her banter with Selby in the 1895 segment is marvelous. I think those two played off each other wonderfully.

Can't complain about seeing this one again so soon. I didn't catch it the first time round. And it's one of my favorites so I was glad to see it. Certainly better than most of the middlebrow dreck they have on regular rotation.

THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE (1967)

Thanks, Peebs! I also think Nikki Van der Zyl was quite lovely. Could have been a Bond girl in her own right. Who was Bob Simmons, how is he connected to the Bond films, and what "only" distinction does he enjoy in the franchise?

The Villain (1979) Next: George Kennedy, Strother Martin, and Harry Dean Stanton

A different kind of scary - less than a month later: The Glass House!

Divorce His, Divorce Hers (1973)

Hear, hear! (Dalton was also approached in 1983 for Octopussy and again in 1985 for A View to a Kill when he had other commitments.) Now, what do you have for us, Peebs?

I remember fondly my grandmother taking me to see Mary Poppins at the Paramount, where I was mesmerized, then taking me to Forbes & Wallace cafeteria (a New England version of Macy's) for a tuna fish sandwich. It was one of the most wonderful afternoons of my life. I've always loved tuna fish salad ever since!

With Martinique already part of the core story, I Walked With a Zombie remains a possibility. Lots of opportunities for black actors in a Martinique-based story. A beautiful Latina actress named Diana Davila was on for about three days as a vampire victim. I was sorry she wasn't on more. How about a short parallel time story where the Willie Loomis who finds Barnabas' coffin is a hippie stoner?

Trevor, Claire

Funny but I just re-looked at the photo I posted of Joan and asked myself "why is Joan wearing an orange for a broach?". It took me a second to realize it was an orange or lemon wedge on her drink!