Jump to content
 
Search In
  • More options...
Find results that contain...
Find results in...

Members

Popular Content

Showing content with the highest reputation on 09/18/2021 in all areas

  1. I'd be pretty happy living in Laura's swank apartment. I'd be even happier if I found that Laura was still in it.
    6 points
  2. Movies to avoid living in . . . wherever this ape hangs out
    5 points
  3. I managed to pick this one up somewhere along the way, probably Reddit, but who knows.
    4 points
  4. So many comedies about families that I like— PLEASE DON’T EAT THE DAISIES MEET ME IN ST LOUIS THE PARENT TRAP THE SHAGGY DOG FREAKY FRIDAY THE NORTH AVENUE IRREGULARS YOURS, MINE AND OURS WITH SIX YOU GET EGGROLL
    3 points
  5. Pilgrimage (1933). Directed by John Ford. Starring Henrietta Crosman with Norman Foster, Marian Nixon, Heather Angel, Lucille La Verne, Francis Ford, Charley Grapewin, and Hedda Hopper. Source: MoMA Virtual Cinema. Spoilers ahead: This extraordinary movie may not seem like a John Ford film, but there are certainly hints of themes that became more predominant in his later and more famous films, including the theme of estrangement and reconciliation. The movie opens in rural Arkansas. Hannah (Henrietta Crosman), a middle-aged woman and her son Jim are working on their farm. Things seem amicable and loving, until the son's involvement with Mary, a neighbouring girl, provokes the mother's anger: she doesn't want to lose her son to that “trash." The son, Jim, has a night of passion with Mary. The outraged mother enlists Jim in the army at the start of World War I. As Jim goes off to war, Mary meets him at the train station and tells him she's pregnant. He wants to stay and marry her, but the other soldiers bundle him onto the train. Months pass. Hannah receives a telegram that Jim has been killed at the battle of the Argonne Forest. On a stormy night, Mary's father (Charley Grapewin) pleads with Hannah to help with the birth of her grandson. Reluctantly she does, but after that, will have nothing to do with Mary or the child, Jimmy. Ten years pass. Hannah's farm prospers. Little Jimmy is bullied at school, because his mother was unmarried. The teacher tells the kids that Jimmy's father was the only man in the village to give his life during the war. Hannah remains estranged from Mary and Jimmy. A delegation from the government visits Hannah, informing her that they are arranging a trip to France for Gold Star mothers, to visit the graves of their sons. Hannah refuses to go, but is convinced. The diverse group of ladies, from all over America, converge first in New York, then set sail for France, where they are treated like royalty. In one emotional scene, Hannah breaks down and announces that she's not one of them, that she was estranged from her son and doesn't deserve the honours. She refuses to go on the outing to the cemetery. Instead, she wanders around Paris at night, coming upon Gary, a young, drunk American (from Park Avenue!) who seems intent on jumping into the Seine. She sees him safely home and cooks breakfast for him the next morning. (When Gary asks if she slept, Hannah replies that she's sat up many nights with a sick cow!) Hannah discovers that Gary's haughty mother (Hedda Hopper) won't allow him to marry his girl friend (Heather Angel). Hannah sees herself and her mistakes in the situation and makes amends between Gary and his mother. Hannah then visits her son's grave, alone and in the dark (interestingly, the cemetery, filled with white crosses, also contains a few Stars of David). She begs his forgiveness. In the next scene, she's back in Arkansas and begs Mary's forgiveness, embracing her and her grandson. She asks her grandson to take care of Jim's dog, who seems to be the only character in the film who hasn't aged. The film is beautiful to look at, with many moving scenes, including Hannah’s hand at the train window, when Mary and Jimmy give her some flowers to place on Jim’s grave. The scenes with the other Gold Star mothers are also well done. Lucille La Verne, as a sort of hillbilly Gold Star mother, has some great (and amusing) scenes which are quite different from her scenes as La Vengeance, which she was to play so memorably in A Tale of Two Cities a few years later. A scene at a shooting gallery in Paris is very funny. An amusing scene concerning a taxi fare goes on a little too long. Pilgrimage is unusual in that the main character is an old woman. The film was written by Dudley Nichols, who worked with John Ford on 16 films. It was shot by cinematographer George Schneiderman, who worked with Ford on 21 of his earliest movies. The film was restored by the Museum of Modern Art.
    3 points
  6. Another great Barrymore performance in a film not as well known as Svengali. Mike Curtiz was the director, though, with plenty of German expressionistic influence in the visuals. You even have a drug transaction taking place through shadows in this bizarre, entertaining pre-coder.
    3 points
  7. From September 18-21, 1921, the Poli ran I Am Guilty, starring Louise Glaum as Connie MacNair and Mahlon Hamilton as Robert MacNair. The film was released in May of 1921 at six reels, and is presumed lost. Plot: Connie MacNair is the neglected wife of Robert MacNair, an attorney. A former showgirl, she decides to have one last fling. She attends a party, where Teddy Garrick makes advances. When she fights him off, she burns her shoulder. A shot is then fired. A burglar, hiding in the room, places a gun in Connie’s hands, and the dazed woman believes she is the killer. A crook named Dillon is arrested for the crime. In his defense, he says “find the woman with the scar and you will find the real criminal.” Then MacNair’s son tells his father that his mother has a “pretty butterfly” on her shoulder. Connie gives her husband that gun she thinks she used to kill Garrick. MacNair, in searching the underworld, discovers that the dead man’s mistress Trixie is the real killer. Meanwhile, Connie appears in court and confesses to the killing. MacNair appears with Trixie’s confession, and also explains that Connie’s gun had never been fired. Connie and her husband are reconciled. In researching the plot, it was not clear if Dillon and the burglar were the same character, although it seems reasonable to assume that. Picture-Play Magazine wrote “the plot hinges on the fact that its heroine doesn’t know whether or not she has committed a murder. Do you believe that a woman can be uncertain about whether or not she has fired a revolver?” adding that the film “is so illogical that it is positively interesting.” Exhibitor’s Herald wrote that the film “is not a feature that will engender new patronage in the neighborhood house. However, to those who prefer sex drama it will prove engrossing entertainment.” Motion Picture News gave a mixed review, noting “the picture does not ring true. In fact it is greatly farfetched in incident and there are a number of gaps which defy logic. The subject matter has been tried on several occasions even to the same development of plot and characterization.” However, they added “there is a healthy punch to the picture and it is capably acted by the star and a clever company.” Wid’s Daily remarked that “the surprise ending compensates for an otherwise unattractive offering.” Joseph Kilgour, who played Teddy Garrick, was a native of Ontario. In 1897, he became the youngest member of the Chicago Stock Exchange, but soon went on the stage after his brokerage firm collapsed during a stock market crash. Once his acting career took off, he saved his money and invested in stocks. But in the 1929 crash, he was wiped out again. Ironically, Kilgour was known for playing villainous millionaires. He passed away in 1933, penniless, while staying at the Percy William Actor’s Home in East Islip, Long Island.
    3 points
  8. A Date With Judy is one of my go to movies when I just want to relax and be entertained. I love all the songs in the film. Scotty Beckett serenating Jane with Judaline, Jane's singing It's A Most Unusaual Day, etc. Besides wonderful Jane, Carmen Miranda is so much fun in this film. Just a darling film.
    3 points
  9. It's sad to know Jane Powell is gone. One more of the stars from the golden era. RIP. I don't know if anyone mentioned Holiday In Mexico. One of her smaller films that also stars Walter Pidgeon as her father and US ambassador to Mexico (a perfect role for him), Xavier Cugat, Jose and Amparo Iturbi, and Roddy McDowall. It's a cute little story that revolves around her putting on her own party in Mexico with Jose Iturbi in mind, and Iturbi not being able to attend, much to her disappointment as he is her big secret crush. Pidgeon and Iturbi gain an understanding of the situation and amicably work things out. Cute movie. I'm not ashamed to admit this was one of my "gateway" classic movies.
    3 points
  10. Telly Savalas Next: vertically challenged
    3 points
  11. Far better still I wish that John Barrymore could have played the mad monk rather than get cast in the more conventional leading man role he had in that film. His performance as Svengali gives a strong indication of what we might have had.
    3 points
  12. Any of the Rogers and Astaire musicals. I need to stay in one of those hotel rooms that are the size of my entire house.
    3 points
  13. I think it would be enjoyable to be a neighbor to the pervie uncle in Viridiana, having a run down place like his and rusticate there. I wouldn't want to live in his house, but they would be entertaining country companions, minus the shoe fetish and the "Last Supper" riff raff hanging around. That last problem could be solved with a good fence. A very fetching location for doing not much of anything. And 221-B Baker Street seemed to be a nice and cozy place to settle down in, especially on a cold and rainy night in London. If all the Victorian dust collectors got to be too much, some could always be put in storage. A warm fire, a good book, and Mrs. Hudson bringing in some tea and muffins. Elementary.
    2 points
  14. My Favorite Wife 1940 Houseboat 1958 Bon Voyage ! 1962 Mr Hobbs Takes a Vacation 1962 The Thrill of It All 1963 Snowball Express 1972
    2 points
  15. I also like Tubi's movie catalogue . . . and its overall catalogue of entertainment. Pluto TV blows. Too many commercials. Too many of the same commercials. Sometimes I'll scroll through its offerings and every channel I hit has a commercial -- sometimes the same commercial. Too much repetition. Pluto TV shows the same episodes of one season of a show (that aired for several years) over and over and over . . . Recently Pluto TV resurrected its James Bond channel, which tiresomely repeats a limited number of Bond thrillers. Re Dan Curtis' Dracula, I don't know about its preemption. I watched it (and enjoyed it) when it originally aired. Another "small screen" adaptation of Bram Stoker's immortal story is the 1977 BBC production, available on YouTube. Louis Jourdan -- of all actors! -- portrays The Count . . . and very commendably, IMO. FYI: Dark Shadows TV ($6.99 a month, 14-day trial)
    2 points
  16. Sunday September 19, 2021 Rosebud on TCM citizen kane
    2 points
  17. To date I have never failed to laugh out loud at the delivery of "Help!" by Bea/Dorothy/Turkey in the final verse of the song.
    2 points
  18. As far as age, Clint Eastwood (94) just made and starred in a new film.
    2 points
  19. I think originally Michelle Yeoh's Wai Lin from Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) was the first to raise the notion of a spin-off, but I'm not sure that ever got past the "what if" stage. Halle Berry's Jinx Johnson from Die Another Day (2002) did get past that initial stage. As DAD was the highest grossing film of the year, Broccoli and Wilson encouraged MGM to produce a spin-off with the extremely popular Jinx character, but the studio balked at spending the money. Additionally, I suspect they did not want to test the waters with a female lead portraying an unknown character in an action film. When Catwoman (2004) was a bomb for Berry, the studio concluded that they were right on this score, and the notion of Jinx Johnson carrying a film was scrapped.
    2 points
  20. 2 points
  21. Also The Mad Genius (1931). Barrymore's ballet master is a mashup of Diaghilev and Rasputin.
    2 points
  22. Sunday, September 19/20 2 a.m. The Human Condition (1959). Japanese WWII film with Tatsuya Nakadai. Part of a trilogy.
    2 points
  23. Michael Kenneth Williams Next: swimmer's build
    2 points
  24. Thanks for plugging SOMETHING EVIL. It features a wonderful performance by Sandy Dennis, an actor who I wished had more recorded performances. As for additional Spielberg movies in the 2020s, he is teaming with Tony Kushner again for a semi-autographical movie called THE FABELMANS, loosely based on Spielberg's childhood, which is scheduled for release in 2022.
    2 points
  25. Years ago, whenever this movie would show up somewhere, I would turn the channel after just a few minutes. Not sure why, but I did. Then I sat through the thing; then sat through it again. And again. And one day I found myself absolutely enchanted by this movie. Since then it has become one of my favorite musicals, and I will go to battle with anyone who tries to talk me out of dropping it from my top 2 or 3 joys! (please don't let that discourage anyone -- most of you probably have a good 15 to 20 years on me, so have at it!) Most movies go by at a fairly good pace, but in my opinion IAFW has not a wasted second in it. The story and characters are well-fleshed out with fine precision. Though the story has at its core a rather bittersweet premise, everything that unfolds from it is a terrific carousel ride with some very convincing character development. In contrast to much of the Freed Unit productions, this movie's colors are subdued --- neutral grays and browns for a good portion of the film. The songs are top drawer, really top drawer -- outstanding contributions from Comden & Green and Andre Previn. Aurally, it's a joy and delight. The dances then are inventively wonderful to watch as well. I'll admit that in the last few years the Gene Kelly star has lost some of its shine for me, but he is engaging in this film. Though I know Dan Daily was a song and dance man, it still surprises me that he is on screen singing and dancing! And when Michael Kidd is in the picture, he's the one I focus my attention on. Now, I'll match Cyd Charisse's number in Stillman's Gym against anything else she's done. And then there's that voluptuous volcano of an entertainer in Dolores Gray! (How does anyone even think of combining Clifton Webb and Marlon Brando into a perfect man!) So I'll admit it: I love "It's Always Fair Weather." I'll shout it from the rooftops, and I don't care who knows it. So who's with me on this? Any takers?
    2 points
  26. To me, a simpatico song to accompany Out in the Country is Kenny Rankin's Peaceful as performed by Helen Reddy.
    2 points
  27. Sorry, Wrong Number 1948
    2 points
  28. Not to mention International House. Monumental Missed Opportunity: Bela Lugosi as Rasputin in Rasputin and the Empress. He would have been perfect as the "Mad Monk" -- much better than Lionel Barrymore, IMO.
    2 points
  29. 6.) After retiring from movies, she taught drama at Vassar.
    2 points
  30. Several years ago at a local theatre in my 'hood, I chipperly requested, "One senior" at the box office. The elderly attendant glared at me, then asked me, "How old are you?" "I'm 62 . . . today, in fact!" I replied. She gave me the fisheye, took my money, then grumped, "You don't look it." Secret of my "eternal youth"? Moisturize!
    2 points
  31. I thought I was the only one who noticed this. I teach writing at the college level, and every time I read a student write "financial-wise" or "education-wise," I both laugh and cringe as I think of Dan Daily's crazy number.
    2 points
  32. Ha! I had actually forgotten about Backlot. Now, I'll have to forget about it again. 😁 Why not a TCM Weed Club? They could roll it out (he he) starting with a fine, dank Robert Mitchum, follow it up with a Woody Harrelson. I can see it now: The Bong of the Month Club... Perhaps offer Ziegfeld Zig Zags as swag for your bag
    2 points
  33. I think the two stars are Martin Landau and Barbara Bain. Their TV series in the sixties was "Mission Impossible". He played Rollin Hand and she played Cinnamon Carter. He won his Oscar for playing Bela Lugosi in the 1994 movie "Ed Wood". Prior to "Mission Impossible", he was known for playing one of the villains in Hitchcock's "North By Northwest". Their daughter, Juliet Landau, played a character named Drusilla on "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer" and later on the spinoff show "Angel". You know, Chaya, there's a Husband And Wife thread on these boards and this question would have fit well in that thread.
    2 points
  34. NAKED ALIBI 1954 Universal Directed by Jerry Hopper Sterling Hayden Gloria Grahame Gene Barry. Pretty good film noir memorable for Gloria Grahame,she was so sexy and almost innocent in the role,Barry's role has almost 2 personna. Despite the title there is no nudity or alibis dressed or undressed.Some of the filming was done at the Mexican border for this reason it reminds me of Touch of Evil 1958 for the mexican atmosphere,good cinematography. Grahame is the whole film.7/10. 86 minutes
    2 points
  35. ISLANDS in THE STREAM 1977 Paramount Directed by Franklin J Schaffner. George C. Scott David Hemmings Claire Bloom Gilbert Roland 105 minutes. Adapted from Hemingway's novel of the same title It's a quiet, thoughtful tale of a rich, well-known sculptor (George C. Scott) who has gotten away from the pressures of life on a Caribbean island. Regretting the way he has lived his life, he tries to reach out to his sons and ex-wife. When the world and WWII start to force their way into his life, he finally decides to do something right.Probably one of the best acting role Scott did. The film is in three parts,The segment with Bloom is excellent both are at the top of their game especially when you discover why she is there. Gilbert Roland looks good at 72 then but i have a feeling most of his part was cut from the final version as there is very little of him in it. Bloom is still alive in her 90's, a beauty and an excellent actress. For the acting 7.5/10 105 minutes
    2 points
  36. Yvonne, Lili--Fifi D'Orsay in Going Hollywood
    2 points
  37. Being in NYC during the 50s just for the jazz clubs, like the one featured in the film, would be great but I think I would rather visit the place instead of living there on a full time basis.
    2 points
  38. What's really depressing is being asked for ID upon entering a Louisiana casino at age 37 to being offered a senior discount ten years later. My hair and beard greyed quickly. Well, truth be told, my hair had enough and left the party...
    2 points
  39. I believe he left all of his papers with a university, with instructions that papers should not be made public until 100 years after his death, to ensure that no one mentioned in his papers would still be alive when they were made public. A studio blunder cost him a nomination for CLEOPATRA (1963) -- he was considered a shoo-in for his performance -- but he should have been given a lifetime achievement Oscar for his contributions to cinema. He is, in my opinion, a perfect example of someone for whom lifetime awards are made. He didn't necessarily get the kinds of parts that garnered Oscar talk, but the cumulative effect of his work was deserving of an honor. One of my favorites is his chilling performance in INSIDE DAISY CLOVER -- the way he haunts the periphery of that film, mostly silently observing, but interjecting the occasional cutting remark or devastating facial expression.
    2 points
  40. The movie(s) I would want to live in would be a Frank Capra movie. There were so many nice, caring people with a positive outlook in his movies. My personal favorite Capra film is "You Can't Take It With You" (1938). I love the whole idea of not caring or trying to live like rich snobs and doing whatever your creative spirit inspires you to do. * When I was a kid, I always wanted to see "the land of Oz" from "The Wizard of Oz", however the wicked witch and her flying monkeys are too scary.
    2 points
  41. Danny DeVito he's 4'10"😅 Next: has an unforgettable facial feature
    1 point
  42. The Pride of the Yankees (1942)
    1 point
  43. Married Before Breakfast (1937)
    1 point
  44. Found this in a Dark Shadows blog: In Promises, Promises, Donna played Vivien Della Hoya, one of the secretaries at the insurance company. She doesn’t have a tremendous amount to do in the show, except for “Turkey Lurkey Time,” a number at the end of act one with the three secretaries performing at the office Christmas party. Donna is the star attraction, and she really gets a chance to shine. They really choreographed the hell out of this number; I don’t think I’ve ever seen this much choreography in one place. This is actually relevant to our purposes today, because this is the performance that got her cast as Amanda. Producer Dan Curtis went to see Promises, Promises, and “Turkey Lurkey” made such an impression on him that he asked Donna to audition for Dark Shadows. This isn’t the first time Dan’s gone shopping like this; earlier this year, he saw Jerry Lacy in Play It Again, Sam, and asked Jerry to come back to the show as another Reverend Trask. Dan apparently thought of a Broadway show as a long series of auditions for Dark Shadows.
    1 point
© 2022 Turner Classic Movies Inc. All Rights Reserved Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Cookie Settings
×
×
  • Create New...