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Midnight movie (Eastern Time) tonight -- Thursday. 12:00 Midnight Eastern-- "Conflict" Humphrey Bogart, Sydney Greenstreet, Alexis Smith, Rose Hobart, Charles Drake, Grant Mitchell Affluent architect Bogey thinks he has the perfect solution to the rather "icky" and awkward romantic triangle of himself, his sleek and icily attractive wife, (Rose Hobart) and his rather naive, pliant sister-in-law (Alexis Smith). It's very stressful for Bogey, disposing of unwanted details like a wife. The couple's long time friend, psychiatrist Sydney Greenstreet soon develops insight into the situation so that events can take an unexpected turn... This is my kind of Forties' thriller. Great art direction-- over-furnished rooms, that end up feeling claustrophobic, high-design clothes. Twisty mountain roads, remote fancy resorts. Complex characters whose motivation you're not entirely sure of. Lots of verbal fencing. Talk, talk, talk. And who better in a talky movie than a shrewdly psychoanalyzing Sydney Greenstreet? Love him. Bogart infuses his character with an unpleasant narcissism that is fascinating to observe. Hey, I'm sorry that the picture below is so miniaturized. I seem to have horrible luck with putting images on this site, ha. It will probably get better with time, I expect. Anyway, what a fun mid-week movie for TCM to air, part of their Greenstreet tribute, I guess.

I want to mention something about lead actresses and death scenes. I don't think Crawford was being a diva when she told Warner "Joan Crawford does not die in her movies." I think she was informing him that audiences were accustomed to her playing women who prevailed and survived, despite their life's circumstances. In fact that may be why she had such a large following. She was not going to upset the formula and alienate fans. I would say this is why Katharine Hepburn turned down the lead role in DARK VICTORY, because she played plucky heroines that did not succumb to anything horrible. Bette Davis on the other hand was not afraid to play women who got killed. Not only did she die in DARK VICTORY, she also died a year later in THE LETTER. Barbara Stanwyck took this to the extreme, playing unsavory women who were offed in DOUBLE INDEMNITY, THE STRANGE LOVE OF MARTHA IVERS and THE FILE ON THELMA JORDON. Then we have someone like Shelley Winters who made a career out of playing women who died on screen. But I think she had those opportunities because stars like Joan Crawford and Katharine Hepburn turned down such roles.

whatever other issues imdb may have (take their reviews and trivia and bio entries with a WHOPPING GRAIN OF SALT) it is a pretty amazing resource for just pure CREDITS. Hard to remember life before imdb....

99 River Street (1953) next: epidemic or pandemic

More great tidbits-- I also didn't know she turned down "Storm Warning". Glad she did, as it was an interesting venture into noir for Ginger, and she and Doris were indeed quite plausible as sisters, I thought.

I love this film and am glad you spotlighted it. Interesting trivia-- Bogart's wife was supposed to be played by Joan Crawford. The part ended up going to Rose Hobart, because Crawford told Jack Warner she liked the script but "Joan Crawford does not die in her movies."

He was just in the recent Cat People (1941) and Curse of the Cat People (1944) and The Spiral Staircase (1946) Nora Prentiss (1947) The Damned Don't Cry (1950) This Side of the Law (1950) Party Girl (1958) The Trouble with Angels (1966) The Night Stalker (TV Movie 1972)

Dalton played Nazi spy Neville Sinclair in The Rocketeer (1981). The story goes that Neville Sinclair was based on swashbuckling Errol Flynn who was thought by some to be a Nazi spy. The film is based on a graphic novel. The damsel in distress, Jenny Blake in the film, is called Betty Page in the book because the author, Dave Stevens, was a friend of the pin-up queen Bettie Page. She disallowed use of the name in the film. Mr. Pricklepants is from the Toy Story franchise. I think the character debuted in the third movie. I read an interesting tie-in of these two characters (if you can imagine there would be such a thing). It seems Mr. Pricklepants is a premium import plushie made in Germany and part of the Waldfreunde collection, but I don't think it's a product of Steiff. Small world, or evil plan?

Kent Smith had a lengthy and highly respected career in the theater, playing the classics as well as modern plays. In addition to Shaw's Candida with Katherine Cornell and Mildred Natwick, he played in Saint Joan with Siobhan McKenna; as Bolingbroke in Richard II (Maurice Evans was Richard); he originated the role of Rudd Kendall (played onscreen by Gig Young) in the Broadway premiere of Old Acquaintance with Jane Cowl and Peggy Wood; and in countless other productions. https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/kent-smith-60413

Kent Smith films in the Turner library: THE GARDEN MURDER CASE (1936)...MGM CAT PEOPLE (1942)...RKO HITLER'S CHILDREN (1943)...RKO FOREVER AND A DAY (1945)...RKO, public domain THIS LAND IS MINE (1943)...RKO THE CURSE OF THE CAT PEOPLE (1944)...RKO YOUTH RUNS WILD (1944)...RKO THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE (1946)...RKO THE VOICE OF THE TURTLE (1947)...WB (also known as ONE FOR THE BOOK) NORA PRENTISS (1947)...WB THE FOUNTAINHEAD (1949)...WB THE DAMNED DON'T CRY (1950)...WB THIS SIDE OF THE LAW (1950)...WB COMANCHE (1956)...UA SAYONARA (1957)...MGM IMITATION GENERAL (1958)...MGM THE BADLANDERS (1958)...MGM PARTY GIRL (1958)...MGM THE MUGGER (1958)...UA SUSAN SLADE (1961)...WB A DISTANT TRUMPET (1964)...WB YOUNGBLOOD HAWKE (1964)...WB THE YOUNG LOVERS (1964)...MGM A COVENANT WITH DEATH (1967)...WB KONA COAST (1968)...WB DEATH OF A GUNFIGHTER (1969)...public domain

While Kent Smith might not be a very interesting actor, he was in a lot of really good films and thus he would make for a solid SUTS candidate. Appropriate casting is the key: when the fit was right Kent Smith was a good choice - a more animated actor wouldn't have worked as well.

Yes, but her hair never gets wet...

He's fantastic as the doomed love interest in NORA PRENTISS:

I watched Something Different, which was a Czech New Wave film, cinema verite, by director Vera Chitlovb. I liked it very much and became fascinated by the gymnast, portrayed by Olympic gold medalist Eva Bosbkov. The scenes with her and her trainer made me realize while Simone Biles ended up withdrawing from the Olympics. If that is the experience that an athlete experiences with a "coach," I wonder why more of them don't quit.

There was a post of Stanwyck and MacMurray in the Hats thread that reminded me of those two in Double Indemnity. Her wig in that film was derisively compared to George Washington's ...

Aline MacMahon had such gorgeous long hair. It was nice to see her wearing it down in Heat Lightning.

From the week so far: The Leopard Man (1943) Kind of disappointed in it. Let's Scare Jessica to Death (1971) I really liked this but the ambiguousness of the plot does prevent me from loving it. SPOILERS why the inclusion of mentioning that the ghost in the water is a vampire? The story gets weaker for me if she is, but you never really know if she is or isn't. The idea of having all of the townspeople having scars is interesting, but why? Were they attacked and put under a spell? Are they dead? Vampires would only leave teeth marks, right? Is it all in the main character's head? The set up is great, i just think the ending is weak. Still recommend it though. I'd never heard of it before.

For Uncle Charlie. I don't think it's from Gilda but Rita looked beautiful all the time.

The real reason Streep hesitated to open that door in Madison County...

Just as an aside, Carol Burnett's parodies were where I found out about so many of these old films. Movies from 30-40 years ago? That's positively ancient!

You got that right!

And it's not the only film she ends up underwater...

Here is a bio from IMDB and I agree with it. I am not a fan but movies needed actors like him (they still do), on a sport team he would be an important utility player like in hockey or baseball, he was a good stage actor and this is good enough for me.He was not picked up by a talent agent at a gas station pumping gas... Some actors are better than others, I like Gary Cooper, seen over 60 films by him but I keep seeing a very wooden actor. Suts for Smith is a fair and good choice. From IMDB He was one of Hollywood's more interesting curiosities. Kent Smith, by most standards, had the makings of a topflight '40s and '50s film star--handsome, virile, personable, highly dedicated, equipped with a rich stage background--and no slouch in the talent department. For some reason all these fine qualities did not add up to stardom, which would remain elusive in a career that nevertheless covered almost five decades. Today, Smith's name and face have been almost completely forgotten. His solid body of work on stage, screen and TV certainly defies such treatment. Perhaps his looks weren't distinctive enough, perhaps he was overshadowed once too often by his more popular female screen stars, perhaps there was a certain lack of charisma or sex appeal for audiences to latch onto, or perhaps a lack of ego or even an interest in being a "name" star. Whatever the reason, this purposeful lead and second lead's resume deserves more than a passing glance.

Last Tango in Paris (1972) Bolero (1984) Waltz with Bashir (2008) Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (2016)

Here are some other photos:

Crawford definitely dyed in films

Free and Easy (1930) (I hope this counts. It is not a "real" dance, but the title references the name of a dance within the film.)

Thanks, Cinema! Next: Sticking with Disney Timothy Dalton has also appeared in a few Disney movies. Name the movies in which Dalton: 1. Played an actor who was a secret Nazi spy 2. Played a character named "Mr. Pricklepants"

You're right. She does die in HUMORESQUE. Her death scene seems like Fredric March's death scene in A STAR IS BORN (1937), where she walks into the ocean to kill herself. So I guess she dies in two of her films-- HUMORESQUE and I SAW WHAT YOU DID. Two on-screen deaths in 89 features. I agree that her films from 1945 to 1957 are her best. All her WB output, and her mid-50s work at Columbia, as well as her freelance project at RKO (SUDDEN FEAR, which is my favorite).

I watched parts of Conflict last night. (I have seen it many times): What I noticed was how Greenstreet was often filmed in a manner similar to his first film, The Maltese Falcon: a shot that starts out from the floor pointing up that makes the actor dominate the shot.

I would suspect that anyone, including Joan Crawford, who refers to herself in the third person is showing definite signs of diva-hood.

if this: is what you are referring you, then YES. I WOULD FRAME THIS AND HANG THIS OVER MY MANTLE. (AMAZING REALLY HOW CLOSELY THIS RESEMBLES MY DREAMS)

Lind, Nina -- Claire Trevor was in Star For a Night (1936)

You forgot one here, Kikiki...

The Shop Around the Corner

Thanks for the info, Fxreyman! I've been trying to make a top ten favorite movies list but it's really hard so I went for top 20: 1. To Kill a Mockingbird 2. The African Queen 3. Some Like it Hot 4. Dr. Strangelove, or ... etc. 5. The Day the Earth Stood Still 6. Ship of Fools 7. The Manchurian Candidate 8. Network 9. The Best Years of Our Lives 10. The Birds 11. The Godfather 12. La Strada 13. The Grapes of Wrath 14. Chinatown 15. Bye Bye Birdie 16. Hannah and Her Sisters 17. High Noon 18. Adam's Rib 19. Harvey 20. Cheaper by the Dozen

THE KILLER THAT STALKED NEW YORK (1950) Next: lots of scenes filmed in sepia

1942

5. Harvey Korman as Rhet Butler and Carol Burnett as Scarlet O'Hara 6. Harvey Korman as Max.

Lewton's I Walked with a Zombie, like his The Seventh Victim- I don't put much thought at all into analyzing these films. I just like them. I find them mesmerizing. I can watch these films over and over, like background music.

Love is Colder Than Death by Rainer Werner Fassbinder looks like a crime film shot by sixth graders. Ulli Lommel impersonates Alain Delon from Le Samourai (Fedora and raincoat) and the result is hilarious. Everyone moves as if they have motor skill problems. Fassbender regular Hanna Schygulla stars.

BUT speakin' of Natalie Schafer... Yeah CG, I like your idea here. (...you can thank me later for gettin' this baby back on track)

So glad to see Sidney Greenstreet as SOTM this November. I have always hoped TCM would do a month of character actors every day of a month (maybe January) like you do with the bigger film stars in August. There are just so many wonderful and diverse movies with charactor actors such as Eric Blore, Margery Main, Cuddles Sakall, Una Merkle, Dame Mae Whitty, Eve Arden, and on and on. You get my drift.......

Jones, Jefferson, played by Dennis Morgan in "Christmas in Connecticut"

It might be interpreted that Mrs. Holland's illness is a symbol representing sickness of the soul, death-in-life like a zombie because she was morally corrupt. But the doctor tells us she suffered from a tropical disease "with a long Latin name". I struggle less with that film than THE CURSE OF THE CAT PEOPLE re: the old woman and her daughter. Still in the dark as it were. Then there is THE SEVENTH VICTIM'S Jason with his searchlight. It's a puzzlement!

It is! Kinda. Didn't you hear me sing the song?

I was once a HUUUGE Dylan fan (the first time i saw him perform was the best concert i've ever seen and the second time i saw him perfrom was the worst) and i was excited when this doc was released but it disappointed me. This era of his music isn't one of the best and the tour is just an odd one really. I don't think you can argue against the fact that Dylan has 5 perfect albums- but those were all from before this tour. i tell people now that i was a Dylan fan since i was 14, but that's mostly because i didn't know of Leonard Cohen until my 30's.

May I recommend the low-budget movie MARDI GRAS MASSACRE (1978) for your viewing displeasure? It was shot on location in New Orleans. Full of disco music and deceased naked female victims and very little in the way of sophistication. The guy who does the killing is a scream, however. He's looking for the "most evil" women he can find for his sacrifices. And, hey, in New Orleans it apparently wasn't very difficult cos he finds a bumper crop.

how's this instead? (apologies for any ads that may play before the clip)