jdb1

> What was the movie where he played a deaf mute. It was called "Gigot" (1962). Here's a link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0056017/

Is it "M?"

I think it must be your computer, MissG, 'cause the photo looks OK on mine. That's too bad, but I don't want to try to replace it - I had enough trouble finding that one. Most of the photos of Brennan are of the Old Codger variety, and he was so much more than that. How's this one?

> Does the answer have anything to do with England? > Bette Davis tried to leave Warners in the late 30s > to make films in the UK and the other two are from > the UK. An amazing coincidence, but no, in this case. This was something that had nothing to do with nationality, and was outside the movie industry.

It seems to me there is more operating here than just a movie rights issue. I thought TCM was one of the better ones this year in terms of Christmas programming. If you think about it, the general trend for quite some years now has been for the networks to virtually ignore Christmas, at Christmas. For example, the sitcoms have their Christmas-themed episodes weeks before the actual event, and then give us non-Yuletide re-runs during Christmas week. It looks to me as though the networks have decided that no one who counts will be watching TV during the holidays, so why bother with Christmas programming. I can remember seeing non-stop Holiday themed programs on TV when I was younger. And programming to reflect Thanksgiving, New Year's Eve, and even St. Patrick's Day. Maybe they are afraid they will offend someone, who will demand equal time for National Dill Pickle Month programming (an interesting concept, actually -- they could show "Crossing Delancy."). So we get re-runs, and movies about murder and mayhem to help us celebrate the season.

Here's a web page that may be of interest to anyone who has felt the awful sting of Mr. Sage's wrath. The description will sound very familiar: http://www.kickbully.com/page1d8.html

December 27. Today's birthday: The One and Only - Oscar Levant

Here Comes Mr. Jordan

I very much like the concept of the movie, as I like all Powell-Pressburger films, but I would like it a lot better without Niven and what's her name - Kim Hunter? I really can't take Niven's looks -- I find his face really off-putting -- although I find him perfectly fine as an actor. And I've always found Hunter to have the screen presence of a wet washcloth. 'Mr. Jordan" was much better in terms of casting, even if it was more earth-bound than "Matter of Life and Death" a/k/a "Stairway to Heaven."

I know it's Sandy's turn, but so many of us are doing other things for this Holiday week (and others of us are stuck in offices, even though nothing's going on, the phones aren't ringing, no one else is here, it's completely pointless . ..... . sorry). Here's a quickie for those who may be reading this today: What do the following actors have in common: Edith Evans Bette Davis Alan Young

Well, kids, I must say I did enjoy watching "Here Comes Mr. Jordan" last night. I first saw this movie on the old "Million Dollar Movie" on Channel 9 in NYC, where said movies were broadcast every night for a week. Yes, yes, I know it's on the sappy side, but I've always found it very well done of that type, and this time I paid particular attention to Claude Rains as Mr. Jordan. I very much liked his calm, just short of beatific, portrayal of this man from heaven. And then there were the yin-yang characters from Edward Everett Horton and James Gleason. (And did you spot Lloyd Bridges as the heavenly pilot? Mighty cute, he was.) I also liked Rita Johnson, who did the guilty, jumpy wife just right, and John Emery, who we were discussing last week in "Trivia," as the Other Man. I thought he had just the right proportion of smarm -- not too much, but enough to keep you from liking him. Since I hadn't really watched this movie carefully since I was a girl, it was like seeing it for the first time, and I did like it a lot. I think it's better than its remakes, and I think Robert Montgomery was an excellent Joe Pendleton

I haven't seen the AD article. I wonder -- does the current owner/remodeler intend to keep the house? A few weeks ago, in a full-page ad in the NY Times by one of the highest of the high-end real estate agencies, there was a photo of a house listed under "Old Saybrook" that looked suspiciously like Fenwick. Maybe it's a case of upscale house-flipping.

Colorization hasn't gasped its last yet. Yesterday, a local Long Island station broadcast a colorized version of "Meet John Doe." It was so godawful - I can't put my finger on what those artificial-looking colors remind me of -- maybe old-fashioned, hand-tinted postcards. Well, this version of the movie was completely spoiled by the colorization process - it looked so two-dimensional, flat and lifeless. There was something earlier in the day as well on that channel, a strange comedy-fantasy with Jimmy Durante, also colorized and odd-looking. And lazy, too - many of the backgrounds not colored in properly. Really, why bother?

December 26. Today's birthday: Elisha Cook, Jr.

Hello and Happy Holidays everyone. from a mild and cloudy (and empty) NYC. I didn't turn my laptop on all weekend. I hope you are all well. Dolores, thanks for your kind words, and right back at you. I hope we can all do a bit more digging this coming year and find some interesting photos of our favorite characters, and maybe mention some actors we haven't yet discussed. Here's a big howdy to my favorite character actor, shown here with Hoagy Charmichael:

Although there were plenty of movies broadcast on 50s TV, I think there was much more original programming (certainly much more than we get now), so movies were used more as timefillers than as prime programming. I remember being sort of puzzled, too, as a child ,about "Queen for a Day." Those tired looking women would cry when they told their sad stories, and the host would shout and get so excited and look so happy. Very weird. No matter what their plight, the winners all got washing machines and dishes, as though that could make everything all better. I couldn't make any sense out of the whole thing. As a very little girl, I loved "Beat the Clock." I liked seeing grownups doing stupid things in public. That was entertaining to me in a world where children were seen, but not heard. It was like a sort of sweet revenge. I've been thinking about a quiz-type show in the 50s where comedians and actors were the panelists, and would tell a story, one after the other, each one stopping at a crucial point to let the next one pick up the story line. I remember that Erroll Flynn was a guest, and was pretty darn drunk during the whole show. I remember my mother going "tsk, tsk" throughout the half-hour, and Flynn looking like he was going to fall out of his chair. Live television, you can't beat it.

I saw it once years ago (but as an adult) and I was disappointed, after having read so much about the Broadway show. For one thing, there's no Danny Kaye in the movie. My impression at the time was that although Ginger Rogers sang and danced very nicely, she didn't really "get" the psychological implications that are central to the story (and perhaps were played down in the movie anyway). I remember it being an elaborate production, but without much depth. Nevertheless, I wouldn't mind seeing it again.

Oh dear - not the most flattering photo of the Dolly Sisters. But Marie Dressler -- wasn't she cute!

December 22. Today's birthday: Frankie Darro

A Hollywood Classic: Grady Sutton

> Now how in the heck did I miss Grady Sutton?!? Phew -- finally. I had a feeling you all might be kicking yourselves when you realized who it was. He was one of Hollywood's great "old reliables," and made many a movie a lot funnier than it might have been, just because he was in it. Og Oggilby, indeed. Gotta put another photo of him on the Gallery. How about one from you, MM?

Oh me, oh my. I think my fellow Trivians are being a trifle too analytical, and missing an obvious answer. This man was in countless movies, very often uncredited, but always recognizable. He was in several W.C. Fields films, and reportedly Fields often instisted on his being there, especially in "The Bank Dick." And, I apologize, but I made an error in an earlier description. The star in question did not co-star with the sweet-voiced blonde in a sitcom, but rather in 2 movies. This man was very popular. So, what have we got so far: Very long career Tall country bumpkin type, but could play dignified as well Tennessee accent ("Volunteer" - get it?) Mostly comic supporting roles Frequent appearances on television, including as a regular on a failed sitcom Movies with Elvis and with one of America's most talented singer/actresses Maybe this will help: I often played nerdy types who were left at the altar. For instance, I was the wrong man at a wedding in a Laurel and Hardy movie, and I was the jilted groom of Carole Lombard in one of her most popular movies. Don't you know me?

> I would like to add Lennie Weinrib, prolific > Hollywood voice actor, who passed away June 28, 2006, > at the age of 71. He was the voice of H.R. Pufnstuf & > Scrappy Doo on Saturday morning television. Oh -- I hadn't heard about Weinrib's passing. That's too bad - he was a very talented and ubiquitous voice actor. You can hear him on many of the "hipper" contemporary animations (the "Pinky and the Brain" type), doing mostly celebrity voices, but the usual cartoon voice stuff as well. I remember first noticing him on some summer replacement comedy show of long ago. These days, 71 seems too young to go, doesn't it?

> I'm so confused! ;-) Walter Matthau? No, much older than Matthau. Now, how can I give a clue without giving it away completely? In one movie, I danced with an awkward Katharine Hepburn, and in another, I was Una Merkel's boyfriend, with a funny name. On TV I co-starred in two short-lived sitcoms with two different, very different, blondes. One was sweet-voiced, and one was more frog-voiced, especially her laugh. I never lost my "Volunteer" accent. For gosh sakes, y'all, who am I?