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The Greatest Show On Earth (1952) I hadn't seen Cecil B. De Mille's circus film, often hailed as one of the most undeserving Best Picture Oscar winners, in a few years and decided to take a look at it again last night. There's too much in the way of Technicolor circus acts and even the cornball soap opera plot to ever call this film boring. Much of the cast is to be commended for doing the best they can with their material. Charlton Heston authoritatively barks out commands as the manager of the circus who seems to hold the whole thing together. He may seem stereotypically larger than life but that's what a big top film like this needs for a central character. Heston was third billed in this production but De Mille gave him the first big break of his career by casting him in this film, and the actor was forever grateful to the old man afterward for it. (Bigger things were to come for Heston a few years later when the same director would have him parting the Red Sea). Considering the fact that I normally find him to be a boring actor, Cornel Wilde, fake French accent and all, is quite engaging as the Great Sebastian, the aerial artist-womanizer hired for the show. His character is supposed to be charismatic and flashy and Wilde succeeds in that. SPOILER ALERT: I carefully watched the scene in which Sebastian (okay, his aerial double) crashes to the ground. It is quickly edited when he hits the ground but if you use the slow motion freeze on a DVD player you see that the stunt man actually disappears into a hole (presumably some kind of ground appearing mattress). Betty Hutton I found to be generally irritating as Holly, Sebastian's rival trapeze artist, tryjng to steal the limelight from him while he performs in the air. Wilde, being a hot blooded womanizing type, tries to romance her, of course, while stolid Heston stands around and does a slow burn over it while still barking orders (he and Holly had been sweeties, sort of). Hutton gets excited a lot and is perhaps a little bit less high energy than usual but her character is still a general pain. Others in the cast include Gloria Grahame as a sexy lady with an elephant act (and a jealous boyfriend in Lyle Bettger), Dorothy Lamour playing a slightly dim witted circus performer in big costumes and doing a South Seas tribute song, and James Stewart in that stereotype of all stereotypes, as Buttons, the sad clown only this one has a secret (the guy wears his clown makeup all the time - a major clue if ever there was one that something is amiss but no one in the circus seems to question it). Highlight of the film is, without question, the big train crash towards the end. Yes, it's done with models but the special effects are still reasonably convincing, and it is exciting to see those cars pile into one another as the train de-rails. Afterward De Mille admirably captures the chaos on the ground as people are trapped or running around and lions and tigers are running loose. Heston gets pinned under some metal but, being the true circus man with sawdust in his veins that he is, he keeps barking orders while trapped, even though he could bleed to death from a severed artery. What a guy! With Heston down and finally passing out, Hutton will soon start barking orders at everyone. Why didn't someone slap her silly? Time for Jimmy Stewart's clown (he used to be a doctor) to step into the breach. He will work on saving Heston but I wish he had also taken the time to sew up Hutton's mouth. There are a lot of guest star appearances in the film from the likes of Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Hopalong Cassidy and, for some unexplained reason, Edmond O'Brien as a carnival barker in the final seconds of the film. But, as the camera pans across the laughing and cheering spectators, you also spot the likes of Mona Freeman, Mary Murphy and Nancy Gates, among others. Apparently Kathleen Freeman was also in there somewhere but I didn't spot her. In the final analysis, De Mille's big top film can still be enjoyed, corny as it may be, even if the list of superior films released in 1952 is a pretty extensive one (for me, at least). By the way, clowns are not funny. They're creepy. But that, as they say, is another story. 3 out of 4

There are many DS fans who cannot stand Olivia/Amanda - that Quentin went gah gah for her and ditched Beth. And Marie Wallace is a very gracious, wonderful lady. Very down to earth, will talk to anyone.

Anyone else catch this rarely seen Paramount short tonight. Fans of George Reeves will be sorry they missed it. Programmed as part of TCM’s Hispanic Heritage Screenings. Nightclub boss Malone puts off his wedding anniversary trip because an old woman claims to have overheard plans to rob the nightclub. But the old woman, Mrs. Cowdy (Ida Moore), has a scheme of her own. Latin themed musical acts appear as part of the nightclub entertainment. Lita Baron plays Reeves' wife and singer. Also seen, The Guadalajara Trio. Second title in Paramount's Musical Parade Featurette Series #4 (1946-1947). Based on a true story that appeared in Billy Rose's newspaper column.

Lovely lady. She will undoubtedly get a memorial tribute on TCM. She's great in LUXURY LINER, NANCY GOES TO RIO and RICH YOUNG AND PRETTY. Rest in peace.

Fred Astaire's top hat, white tie and cane Gene Kelly's umbrella Desi Arnaz's Conga drum The Lone Ranger's mask Groucho's cigar Bette Davis' cigarette Bogie's Trench coat Basil Rathbone's deer stalker hat

The Great Dictator (1940) - Hynkel's globe Double Indemnity (1944) - Phyllis' anklet Vertigo (1958) - Carlotta's necklace The Apartment (1964) - Bud's tennis racket Mary Poppins (1964) - Umbrella (and handbag)

Dorothy's ruby slippers George Burns' cigar Indiana Jones' whip -- not to mention the fedora

I imagine everyone will think of this one first....Rosebud... The portrait of Laura...from Laura the 'frajeelee' leg lamp from A Christmas Story Good witch Glenda's star wand

For me the all of the performances in Arsenic and Old Lace are "schtick" with the exception of Priscilla Lane, but in a very funny and good way. This is one over-the-top film that works due to the fine acting and very witty screenplay.

Alan Hale with actress Gretchen Hartman, to whom he was married from 1914 to his death in 1950, along with baby Alan Jr. in 1922. The Hale family. That's Alan, Gretchen, Alan Jr. and daughter Karen.

I watched this one On Demand. My own thoughts is that it's purely a psychological thriller and even creepier from that aspect. Here is this man with this dark secret, who at first seems like a respectable caretaker of his adopted daughter, until things take an ugly turn, revealing his underlying violence and yes, somewhat incestuous desire (spoiler alert). I often find stories where the real horror is within the individual or within a "sick" family to be more credible. Watched this one with spouse, who as caught up as he was in the story, couldn't help ogling Julie London, speaking of illicit desires. He thought she was a hot little number and couldn't believe that she eventually became the nurse in Emergency.

I really love Clark Gable as Rhett Butler in GONE WITH THE WIND, but I am not so sure he would have been second choice after Donat. A lot of folks felt that the Best Actor race was between Donat and James Stewart in MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON. Of course Stewart ended up winning his only Best Actor Oscar for THE PHILADELPHIA STORY the following year.....good as his performance was in that movie, I felt it was more of a make-up award for having lost out the previous year.

Panic in the Streets, 1950 Directed by Elia Kazan. Stars Richard Widmark, Paul Douglas, Jack Palance, Barbara Bel Geddes Synopsis: A doctor (Widmark) and a policeman (Douglas) in New Orleans have only 48 hours to locate a killer infected with pneumonic plague. A less well regarded Kazan film, but as relevant today as it was 70 years ago, if not more so. When a murder victim washes up with bullet wounds, the medical examiner finds he's also carrying a deadly variant of bubonic plague, likely caused by rats that come in on ships. Pneumonic plague is airborne and the need to find the killers who are no doubt infected raises the stakes, but the police are slow to respond despite Widmark's dire warnings. I totally bought it.

Sorry to hear this about a lovely and talented show biz trouper. However, Heaven may have just gained an angelic voice. I also like to think that a former screen partner named Fred will be waiting for her and welcoming the lady with a few dance steps.

Jane in 1952

she was one of them sobbin' women.

She was a beautiful blue-eyed soprano who never lost her youthful outlook and surprisingly, for performer noted for singing, she could keep up with Fred Astaire step for step.

Jane in A Date With Judy: Jane in Seven Brides For Seven Brothers: Jane in Royal Wedding:

Jane Powell was a beautiful singer, actress and a very good dancer. She held her own against Fred Astaire in Royal Wedding. Howard Keel got away without doing any dancing in 7 Brides for 7 Brothers, but she did dance with a couple of the brothers. I adore her and will miss her.

I felt it was my obligation to inform about the passing on a Facebook group dedicated to TCM. In less that 15 minutes, her passing has received over 100 emotional reactions. She seems to one one of the most greatly missed in a long time.....

Annabella

Zimbalist Jr., Efrem

Shape of Water just felt like the cinematic equivalent of a Cuisinart food processor: take the eroticism and the mute heroine of The Piano, the character design of The Creature of the Black Lagoon, the basic storyline of Splash, the blood and gore of a Hammer horror film, a soupçon of tribute to Alice Faye musicals, and puree until blended. Still, strong performances from Sally Hawkins and Richard Jenkins made it tolerable.

William Shatner phaser Sean Connery Walther ppk Alan Ladd bowie knife Burgess Meredith umbrella Anne Francis pet ocelot Barbara Eden bottle

Charles Foster Kane's snow globe.

those infernal gaslights the briefcase

I would have to ask this guy:

She was a Bob Fosse protegee who was in the original cast of A Chorus Line, so she is primarily known as a dancer. Later in her career, she played Sally (the singing role, originally played by Dorothy Collins) in a Paper Mill Playhouse revival of Follies. A friend who saw that production loved McKechnie, praised her singing, and thought that if this production had gone to Broadway it would have revived her career as a singer/actress.

I'm one of those that disliked the Quentin/Amanda pairing. I liked her better when she and Tim Shaw were scheming against the odious Gregory Trask. The writers would have done well to have done more with the potential Quentin/Beth/Angelique triangle with a bit of the possessed-by-Pansy Faye Charity Trask thrown in there. And from the interviews I've seen, yes Marie Wallace does come off as a warm, friendly lady.

Here's another Three Dog Night tune that I dig. Love the melody. The "message" of the song: meh! No country boy, I!

It is clear these spots of the 5 host bantering are a type of "welcome to TCM,, here are our hosts" PR campaign. I wonder if it is "working"? I.e. are there enough new viewers that welcome these because they are new to TCM and are not familiar with the hosts and the overall TCM brand? I hope so. Otherwise why annoy your core audience.

Ed Nelson? 🤞 That's the only person I could find so, I 'm going to plow ahead... Next: Prince Jack (1984) two people but one person will be fine 😊

1935 - Naughty Marietta 1936 - Rose Marie 1938 - Sweethearts Next: Ruth Donnelly & Guy KIbbee

On the set . . . They Drive By Night (1940) Unlike her character in the film, Ida Lupino in real life could share a laugh with Alan Hale. These two are both terrific in this lusty truck driving melodrama. Oh, yeh, "The doors made me do it." The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) That's Hale and Flynn with William Keighley, who directed the Sherwood Forest scenes. Flynn liked Keighley and was unhappy when Warners brass decided to replace him with Mike Curtiz to bring the film a more dynamic appeal. Sorry, Errol, Warners was right. Gentleman Jim (1942) The Corbett family. By the expressions on their faces you'd never know this would be a fun film. Maybe it's just as well this film was so largely a fictional take on James J. Corbett. In real life, unlike the laughing couple played on screen by Alan Hale and Dorothy Vaughan, his parents' lives ended in a murder suicide.

I have noticed a little quick repetition lately. The Hustler, though? No problem there. That is one movie I could almost watch on a loop. An all time fave.

Kiss Me, Stupid (1964) Next: Eva Marie Saint, Montgomery Clift, and Elizabeth Taylor

Martin Short Next: quit the biz to raise kids

Newley, Anthony

Funny but under the Alan Hale Sr. thread Janis Paige was being discussed because they were in the film The Time, The Place and the Girl (1946). In this film Paige isn't "the Girl", but instead Martha Vickers was, since after her splash as Carmen in The Big Sleep Vickers was given a 3 picture deal by Warner Bros. Paige was clearly the lead talent in this romantic musical, but Vickers was stunning.

Happy Birthday! And let's not forget that before there was Doris Day, there was the original: Janis Paige as Babe Williams.

The music in the 1969 Goodbye Mr. Chips is actually pretty good. "You and I" is a favorite of a friend who does cabaret. Another friend loved the school song in the movie. Sian Phillips is also a lot of fun as a theatrical friend of Petula.

Actually the 1975 version is the "original" as it was the only one titled Farewell My Lovely. The first version was in the Falcon series, The Falcon Takes Over with George Sanders. Fairly good movie if you enjoy the Falcon type. Murder My Sweet was actually the second movie made based on Chandler's book. Very good movie, but personally I prefer the 1975 version with Robert Mitchum. The music is excellent for one thing.

Ramsey, Peter--Tony Randall in Lover Come Back

A real classic. Of course Edward G. Robinson steals the show as the notorious Johnny Rocco. And Claire Trevor breaks your heart as his booze-lovin' honey Gay Dawn, particularly when he browbeats her into singing for a drink and then refuses to give her one after she does it.

Alan Hale appeared in more films with Errol Flynn than any other actor during his career. The two actors, buddies in real life, had a delicious screen chemistry in which the fun they had in each other's company translated itself beautifully to the audience. Here are the 12 Flynn films in which Hale appeared. The Prince and the Pauper (1937) The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) The Sisters (1938), noteworthy as the only one of their films in which the two actors shared no scenes Dodge City (1939) The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939) Virginia City (1940) The Sea Hawk (1940) Santa Fe Trail (1940) Footsteps in the Dark (1941) Desperate Journey (1942) Gentleman Jim (1942) Adventures of Don Juan (1948) Of note, Hale and Flynn also had separate musical appearances in the all star Thank Your Lucky Stars 1943).

Lon Chaney Sr. - THE UNKNOWN, bizarre, masochistic story with one of the most remarkable moments of acting I've ever seen, that when Chaney learns that Crawford likes the touch of a man's arms around her after he had just . . . okay, I'll say no more for those who haven't seen the film. Bela Lugosi - ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN, with his second of only two portrayals of Dracula. A film that manages to be very funny as well as paying respect to its monster characters, to the extent that the Wolf Man, Frankenstein's Monster and Dracula are more effectively presented in this comedy horror film than they are in many of their straight horror features at Universal. Boris Karloff - BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN, a marvelous black comedy horror feature with unexpected moments of sensitivity. Despite Mel Brooks lampoon of the scene years later the blind hermit scene is still capable of producing tears. Peter Lorre - CASABLANCA. Lorre's not in the film enough (my chief complaint about the production) but this remains one of the most marvelously entertaining romantic melodramas produced by Hollywood, with perfect casting and crackling, smart dialogue. One of my favourite moments in the film is Bogart's response when Lorre asks him, "You despise me, don't you, Rick?" Lon Chaney Jr - ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN again. Okay, here's another title: OF MICE AND MEN, with Chaney's great, sympathetic performance as simple minded Lenny. He never had a finer moment as an actor even if he will be primarily remembered for his horror films. Vincent Price - LAURA, Otto Preminger's sophisticated exploration of film noir, a film that shimmers in good taste, from its black and white photography of stunning art direction to the classic "Laura theme" by David Raskin to a cast that are perfect in their roles. Poor Dana Andrews, falling in love with a dead woman through her portrait on the wall. While Price has a supporting role he makes shallow, weak Shelby Carpenter a credible characterization.

Watched Susan and God (1940) last night. First time I have seen this Joan Crawford and Fredric March film. Also has a not-very-experienced Rita Hayworth (clearly the weakest actor in the cast), and Ruth Hussey, Rose Hobart, Nigel Bruce (as Rita's old-man husband), Bruce Cabot, and John Carrol. I don't recall ever seeing Joan Crawford this animated. She talks, and talks, and talks. The film (based on a play by Rachel Crothers) was witty and funny, with some very brief sad moments mostly due to the main couple having a teen child that had been ignored by her selfish parents. My wife really loved the fashion in the film and I have to say all the gals looked nice, especially Crawford and Hussey. Hayworth wasn't "Rita" yet and thus didn't stand-out as much as the others. Wasn't planning on watching this (it started at 11:00 PM), but once we started we couldn't turn it off so we stayed up until 1! Below is the gown that my wife loved the most but there were many others;

I think Donat was the best choice in a difficult year. Laurence Olivier as Heathcliff was a strong contender as well.

Much as it is apparent by this thread that many TCM viewers like Alan Hale, I am struck by how relatively little is known about the actor's personal life. There has been no biography on him, that I know of, and while some articles may have been written about him in some magazines at some time where are they and how do you access them now? Search the internet about Hale and you just keep finding the same basic facts, his birth date, he wanted to be an opera singer, he was an amateur inventor, his film career started in the silents, a list of his films, his wife's name and photo, father of three children, including a famous son, friend of Errol Flynn, his death date and cause of death. Just cold facts. But where are the anecdotes about this man's life? His likes and dislikes? Who were his friends besides Flynn and where are the stories about experiences that he shared with a devil-may-care character like him? I'm sure there must be some good ones. But where are they? You don't find them in Flynn's autobiography, outside of one anecdote. What we have, fortunately, still preserved are the best films of Hale's career at Warner Brothers, where his ebullient, highly engaging performances are available to see. And that's great. But that's still only what we see on screen. Where are the stories about the Alan Hale who existed behind the screen? If anyone knows of any anecdotes about this actor it would be appreciated if they would share them with us.