Tikisoo
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Posts posted by Tikisoo
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>When my wife and I leave at the actual end of the movie, it's a leisurely stroll out of the empty theatre. That waiting drives our impatient son nuts is just a fortunate bonus.
Cute!
I bet he learns something from that too.
I had no idea people "rushed to the door" at the end of a film, since I wait too. A few moments are needed to digest what I've just experienced, and collect myself, especially if crying was involved.
And maybe THAT'S why people rush out the door, because these days movies are no longer any sort of emotional experience. Instantly forgotten.
And I've spotted names of people I know in the credits-and most thrilling sometimes even my *own!* (I share the name of a famous Hollywood hairdresser)
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>I don't mind long credit sequences,not as a viewer, but as a person who has worked a lot of crap jobs I can relate to the Best Boy wanting his little bit of glory and credit.
As it was explained to me by someone who received credit in the film industry as "driver" meaning he drove crew to & from the set:
In order to get hired you MUST be some sort of "guild" member (ie screen actors guild, lighting guild, writers guild, etc) requiring you to pay dues to the group. In turn, the group guarantees your name will be included in the end credits and therefore you can prove you worked on the picture, helping you to get your next job.
The "guilds" do much more, like protect your liability while on the set and other legalities like that. Most big productions insist you be a guild member for protection and to ensure your experience or professional abilities.
Apparently these days, there's even a "caterer's guild".
The explanation sounds logical because I have been consulted by many a film Location Scout in the past to find vintage looking existing locations to be used in filming. They pay me for my "advice" and check the location out themselves. They get "Location" screen credit and I never have, although on one small production my name was unnecessarily in "special thanks".
Personally, I don't like the "special thanks", "in memory of" and ESPECIALLY "babies born" in end credits.
Too personal, NOBODY CARES. Why can't they just keep it professional?
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I too hate those long drawn out end credits with teeny lettering of insignificant subcontractor's names.
I just saw the best end credits _ever_ in a Bollywood film where the last scene was a red carpet premiere- the two stars came out and their names were written at the bottom of the frame. Then it said, "Director - ___" and the director walked out, then "Producer _____" and the producers walked out, etc.
It was especially fun to see the real make up artists, hairdressers, scenic designers, costumers and such....normal looking people looking kind of awkward in front of the camera...except the choreographers of course!
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For a kind of funny looking little guy, he sure made every part he played memorable. I suppose everyone needs to retire sometime, but wish him the best.
I just checked and Pennies From Heaven is available at my library-3 disks. You should check out your local branch for it.
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Sorry Dobbs my post was directed more to clore...his great story distracted me.
Yes, Blackboard Jungle irritates me too, it's awful. I don't remember any girls in it either, but girls can be just as nasty.
As for "what they should be teaching them in school" the academic subjects aren't really what matters. They need to be taught manners, the golden rule (karma) how to speak properly and how to truly get along in society.
Since I live in an inner city ghetto & Mr Teek is in law enforcement, it becomes crystal clear very quickly.
There is no parenting going on, the "standard" is to appear as tough as you can (all bravado) to survive. These kids are taught by example to do the least work for the biggest profit (shortcuts). If they get away with it 10 times before their caught, they deem themselves successful and are mad because they're caught.
Excuses prevail, there is no accountability; "I can't work, I had no daddy/have a disability/no one will hire me" etc.
It's very sad to see these young people go to waste. I realize Bill Cosby's "youth speech" is unpopular, but when you see it firsthand you realize the truth in his statements.
Vocational education may be easier than intellectual academics, but working hard to achieve goals, respect for others and self respect needs to be taught first. Then, anything can follow.
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clore-thanks for that heartfelt & detailed story of your experiences with bullies. It reminds me of my awful high school years tortured by a bully...how you never forget all the minor details.
I was a fairly popular girl (because I was NICE to everyone!) and this one nasty girl waited daily to "beat me up" after school. I'd just ignore her and continue walking saying, "I'm a lady and girls don't fight." This went on for years and I was often pelted with snowballs, shoved to the ground and had my hair & clothing pulled.
She often garnered scorn rather than accolades for bullying me, although no one ever defended me.
Luckily there were no weapons involved, it was pretty small town hoods back then.
Eventually she ripped my shirt so badly I couldn't be in public so went back into the school & told the principal. She was called in the next day and once confronted, CRIED! I couldn't believe big tough Kathy was crying! And thankfully, her bullying stopped.
I can't watch Blackboard Jungle after being horrified by it the first viewing. All those awful feelings come back. Even though I now realize the teacher was a chump for not really handling it correctly.
I much prefer To Sir With Love. Hey, I like happy conclusions, no matter how unrealistic. Must be a true flower child of the 60's, heh.
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I was very saddened to hear this. He was truly a great talent & important contributer to classic film history. He seems way too young to go.
As I recall, wasn't he a child prodigy? Something like the youngest person to attend Julliard? Sigh. What ever happened to over achievers?
>Known for his nerdy look, complete with thick eyeglasses
And wearing his watch facing down!
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I like the beginning scene where the 3 returning vets are looking out the plane window and commenting on how "life is going on as if nothing's happened".
It's a comment on the contrast of the horrors of what they just went through versus what they were fighting to protect, the American lifestyle.
In that respect, the film is not dated at all.
We have our men & women fighting overseas right now on our behalf and "life goes on" over here as if "nothing's happening".
This point was beautifully illustrated in Since You Went Away (I think a lovely companion piece to BYOOL) by the Agnes Moorhead charactor.
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Thanks for that clarification, Tom. I always like knowing the story behind my photos, ie; publicity, what role, personal, etc. I love the barrel doghouse looking like a gypsy wagon!
Love the photo you posted as well, doesn't WW have the cutest face?
The other photo I purchased that day was WW in full hunting regalia dress with a shotgun. He must have liked hunting too.
And Lazyking, terriers are adorable but they require lots of attention, excersize and a JOB or they'll take it out on your possessions. You must be a dedicated dog owner to have any type of terrier, and as they descend in size, increase in need.
A friend who raised Jack Russells used to bring a gang of them to my barn twice a year to clean it of rodents. It was a spectacular sight to see them work.
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I found this original print of Warren William & Asta at a flea market:
Cool dog house eh? The dogs are identical which tells me they are both Astas in film.
I couldn't find any film on imdb where Asta & William worked together, although WW seems to be in street clothes. Don't know what this photo is about.
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>as usual they're saying stuff
Profound. Thanks for sharing that by starting a thread.
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This thread reminds me of the Jack Carson one....
A well loved & appreciated artist who could do-it-all!
An actress who ELEVATES whatever movie she's in. She's great in light comedies, song & dance trifles and even dramas-look at war movie Cry Havoc! I love that she's beautiful and wise....and even makes a great wise older gal in Desk Set.
Plus, she's beautiful-sure, her eyes are huge, but I love her smile, she seems so sincere.
When introducing MrTeek to classic film, I showed him Night Nurse early on and he was instantly a fan of both Babs & Blondell. He refers to Blondell as "the gal with the saucer eyes".
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>musicalnovelty said: I never liked Miriam Hopkins...will never be a top favorite, but I'm liking and appreciating her more and more.
I felt the same way (she usually plays a b***h) until the 35mm screening we saw of her 2 years ago.
On a BIG screen, you catch all the subtleties (broad subtleties!) in her performance. She expresses herself with every facial feature, body posture, hand gesture and vocal lilt. Her words may say one thing, but her body punctuates it.
In another thread I compared her to Lionel Barrymore who does the same thing. It may seem "broad" but it gets the point across.
A good example is the speech Mr Potter gives George Bailey as to why he should work for Potter. Watch it with no sound and look at all the movement of his hands, eyes and quickly flashing facial expressions. You see a man trying to sell something by lying.
As for the Dead End Kids, the stories are juvenile are definitely marketed to kids. It makes sense to like them and then grow out of liking them.
I'm reminded of disliking Sterling Hayden who seems wooden. When I realized Sterling Hayden was the same guy in Dr Strangelove & Johnny Guitar as the Asphalt Jungle....I was amazed! He just kind of disappears into his roles. Gained a new appreciation for him.
Same with Gary Cooper. Although not a fave, his woodeness turns to shyness and fits perfectly in Ball of Fire. I quite like his work in comedy or as the foil in lighthearted fare, but still dislike him in westerns.
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I lived in eastern Mass and was often surprised by the two syllable pronunciation of "door".... "dough-ah"
Thanks for the name "Rhoda-cism"
I never noticed it when Kay speaks, and even listening for it. Guess I'm just too enraptured by that face!
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>Andy said: "Roughly Speaking" I usually hate cheap sentimentalism, but this movie is straight from the heart, and it would be hard to imagine anyone better cast in the leading roles than Carson and Russell
You make the point that Carson definitely ELEVATES a film because of his talent. I think a lot of movies can fall short because of the performances...heck, look at today's movies.
Carson had the uncanny ability to make you believe in his charactor, no matter how goofy, lecherous or weak it was on paper. And to do so in a supporting role, without taking away from the leads, is well, brilliant.
I bet he was everyone's first choice for supporting roles because he might be the deciding factor between a movie being a hit or a failure.
I love him & Hale dancing in Thank Your Lucky Stars. I think Hale was a man of great talent as well. Two big lugs and they look so light on their feet. Carson was a big man, yet he had that happy smiley face -thank goodness-or the studios might have cast him in villan or in monster roles.
When reading the synopsis for It's A Great Feeling, I got all excited to see Carson in a leading role. I love the joke "no one will work with him" when we all know it's the opposite. And while I love Doris Day, her head klunking just ruins that entire picture for me.
BTW Tom, you never said he was underrated, another post did.
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I don't think Jack Carson was "underrated" at all-in fact I think he was highly rated by fans and collegues alike! His talent for elevating even the most mundane material made him a hit for leads and in demand for supporting roles.
Was there anything he couldn't do?
He made us love him even when he was obviously a ham, or even when playing a despicable charactor.
I was most impressed with him in Cat On A Hot Tin Roof. Anyone else playing that role could make you dismiss that charactor, but the way Jack played it, you felt really sorry for him. It was like the years of "being passed over" showed in his every expression.
And I think this is the reason why Jack Carson was so successful-even as a clown in full face make up. He used his face, body and voice extensively to convey the person he was playing. In Mildred Pierce, his eyes sparkle as he delivers his line, looking Mildred up & down like a hungry fox- in profile! You immediately see he's a slick operator despite the fact you barely see his face.
There are very few actors that have total command of themselves in this way (Miriam Hopkins & Lionel Barrymore come to mind) and they usually come across as "overly dramatic". But none of them show the versatility of mastering song & dance, comedy, drama and pathos of Jack Carson.
Boy, are we lucky he was in so many films!
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Hey, Arthur Q Bryan made a career of talking like that! (not a lisp....what DO you call it?)
In one film, the joke was him repeating, "They're not mawwied!" and the lead actress (Irene Dunne?) mocks him.
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My favorite role of Ava Gardner's is On The Beach. I'm not sure why, but neither Ava nor Rita Hayworth have ever stood out as "great beauties" for me. Ava's great in that one.
And more stars go the opposite way for me...I used to like them but now are kind of bored by them. Cary Grant is one of those actors. Charles Laughton is another. Oh, I forgot....I was supposed to be mesmerized.
One star I've never liked or understood was Eddie Cantor. C'mon, the crazy hand clapping skip dance OVER & OVER? Then I saw him in a musical with an audience. The schtick worked! Now I enjoy every film with the ham, although still hate the skipping dance.
Same is true for Laurel & Hardy. I get impatient with stupidity, it's not funny. Then I saw a screening of supremely awful Hollywood Party. The Laurel & Hardy skit with Lupe Valez was the stand out. No dopes there, they gave it right back to her-no matter that she's a woman. Built new respect for them.
Moral of the story: Seeing a movie with an audience is a completely different experience-especially silly comedies or silents.
I still hate smug ham Dick Powell have a tough time tolerating Fred MacMurray, but that's wholly personal because they both remind me of my ex husband.
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Recently there was a big "upgrade" done on these boards, and after a few days glitches, things went back to normal. And by "normal" I mean pretty much the same.
I would like to suggest a different kind of "upgrade". I would like to see some kind of definition/description subtext added for each forum, to help those decide which forum best suits their new thread.
The "General Discussion" & "Hot Topic" forums are often littered with questions about particular movies or actors which is better suited to "Information Please" or even "Films & Filmmakers".
Suggestions:
Hot Topics- recent programming or newsworthy events
General Discussions- classic film related topics that don't fit anywhere else
Films & Filmmakers- discussions of particular films, crew & "making of" movies
Games & Trivia- (self evident, well titled forum)
Information, Please- where to post questions & answers regarding classic film
Your Favorites- discussions or ongoing photo threads of particular films or actors
The Essential Forum as well as genre forums are pretty self explanatory, but the top few (Hot Topics/General Discussions/F&F, Your Faves) always seem to be glutted up with threads that belong elsewhere. Obviously, people are confused.
Also, the red & yellow lollipops denoting "new content" or "upgraded content" sure seems redundant to me. Why not just drop one of them?
Many internet forums have a _please read before posting_ "code of conduct" post from an administrator that explains simple things like SHOUTING and forum catagories. It would be easy to add this to the Announcements forum.
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Wonder if they'll serve "pork chops & applesauce"?
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I don't know exactly what you're asking for, but when you mention "maps in movies" a few examples come to mind:
Old "sandal" swashbuckler films where they show a map of continents with a dotted line marking the route taken. Doesn't Casablanca have this?
In Hitchcock's Spellbound the police show a pull down map of Rochester NY (my hometown) and I love seeing the city pre-highway bypass loop.
I notice maps in film because in ancient times I was a cartographer.
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>Dargo said: this terrible act was performed NOT because of all of violence in today's films, BUT because of the American "Culture of Celebrity". Ya see, I believe there is SO much "pressure" put upon kids today to be "noticed" and to "stand out from the crowd", that those who fail to do this in a positive manner will NOW occasionally resort to actions such as this.
Well put Dargo. I believe this is exactly why the plethora of tattoos and other body mutilations. "Look at ME-look how unusual/different/unique I am!"
Sorry, now you look like everyone else.
Whatever happened to fashionable clothing as a stand out statement?
>Hibi said: I dont understand why people (citizens) should be allowed to buy assault weapons.
I am very ashamed to say that on a recent trip to Bass Pro Shops, my 14 y/o was allowed to hold a "tommy gun". I wasn't there, but I expect it was some sort of a rapid fire machine gun. As a former master rifleman I can tell you there is NO REASON to have these guns available for sale.
>rosebette: My question is also what has happened to the narrative arc of a storyline.
Exactly. This is why we're bored with these modern films and enjoy TCM. We ARE a different breed of movie-goer; we enjoy "the buildup" as much as the "action".
(there's a sexual metaphor here somewhere)
I was thinking back to which horror films that I've enjoyed in the past - JAWS was gory but it still had a great story that ebbed & flowed, for example.
>Kyle: why haven't 15 - 30 year old males matured beyond "comic book heroes" by the time they reach adulthood?
Because the "infantilazation" of the American Male is popularly encouraged. Have you ever noticed the goofy nicknames & baby-talk? The long torso stubby leg look? The bald baby head?
Grown men living in their parents basement used to be a Simpson's joke, but is now a common sad reality. "But Mom I can't afford an apartment" because they can't live without their "games", their high speed internet connection, high priced cel phone service and premium priced movie tickets.
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NPR certainly reported on this yesterday, several stories & interviews. And ST was right-hearing just his voice, Chad DID sound a lot like Gable.
Guess comedy trumps heartthrob in the news department. (actually, The Jeffersons was a revolutionary show, hence the uneven press on their passings)
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Great article by Bogdanovich-I'm glad he spoke up.
>It was a way of saying the Boris Karloff kind of violence, the Victorian violence of the past, wasn't as scary as the kind of random violence that we associate with a sniper. That's modern horror.
Boy, is that spot on.
>I'm in the minority, but I don't like comic book movies. They're not my cup of tea. What happened to pictures like How Green Was My Valley or even From Here to Eternity?
Guess I'm in the minority too. I was talked into seeing one of these movies because it starred Robert Downey. Well I never saw him ACT. I didn't recognise any CHARACTOR, and story, nothing. It was simply a vehicle for special effects and a complete waste of my time.
>I asked Orson Welles what he thought was happening to pictures, and he said, "We're brutalizing the audience. We're going to end up like the Roman circus, live at the Coliseum." The respect for human life seems to be eroding.
When I see a bloody movie, I think of the Roman Coliseum too. But obviously, the taste for gore goes a long way back in our human nature-it's nothing new. It's just UNCIVILIZED behaviour-why aren't we better than that?
I realize that 99% of the US population are stable, compassionate people, the "crazies" are a teeny minority, we just hear about them in the news.
I do think however, guns are glamorized to our youth and they simply think they are "cool" and are do not realize the actual horror of their acts. Our society allows them to remain immature well into adulthood, and I do believe the movies marketed to them exacerbate that.
My Favorite Rogers/Astaire Dance
in General Discussions
Posted
I have to agree with you slayton, when I read the title of the thread "Pick Yourself Up" popped into my head.
There are several close-ups of both Fred & Ginger's faces, really showing their humor. It's not just "loving gazes" and dancing, it's a comedy sequence.
I especially like how they dance "outside of the ring" conveying they're beyond the bounds of the studio and strut away at the end. Mainstay Eric Blore's frustrated expression is, as always, priceless.
I also really love the politically incorrect "Bojangles of Harlem" number (which movie?) because of the fun props, shadow dancing, costumes and Fred's imitation of Robinson. But there's no Ginger there.
Whenever we show these at my film club screenings, they're big hits. I'm surprised how many people have never seen them. Applause spontaneously breaks out after a particularly good dance sequence. It's thrilling!