Swithin

Do Brits count? Michael Redgrave and Rachel Kempson, both actors, their children Vanessa, Lynn, and Corin, all actors; and several grandchildren, including Vanessa's daughters Joely and Natasha Richardson; and Corin's daughter Jemma Redgrave. Also, Michael Redgrave's parents, Roy Redgrave and Daisy Scudamore were actors, as was Daisy's father, making it five generations. Ida Lupino's family is similarly thespian, over many generations, beginning in Italy, moving on to England, then to America.

But on the plus side, The Mummy's Curse has the wonderful *Ann Codee* as Tante Berthe, although the Mummy bumps her off early in the film. But not before she gets to sing one of horror film's best musical numbers: "Hey, You."

I worked on a project with *Katherine Dunham* when she was in her 90s. She was an amazing woman, suffused with palpable spirituality. A great and courageous talent, and an incredibly wise human being. An African-American dancer I know pretty well is *Raven Wilkinson*, whose career was touched by racism: http://www.aaregistry.org/historic_events/view/raven-wilkinson-ballet-pioneer Raven's story is part of the Ballets Russes movie: http://www.balletsrussesmovie.com/

Yes, that's one movie; but my point is that in those years there were many, many nominees -- 19 in that particular music category (usual suspects plus a few others) -- so there are unmined gems to choose from. There were also b&w and color categories with many nominees for some of the years, so TCM could do a shorter series with many lesser-known films. I'm still waiting to see *The Trail of the Lonesome Pine*, which was nominated for a song Oscar one year. The Oscar series could be used to show rarities rather than the usuals.

There are many more innovative ways TCM could stick to its Oscar mission and still present original programming. For example, King of the Zombies was nominated for Best Music Score in 1942. There were many more nominations at that time, and many lesser known -- and unshown -- films that TCM could draw on, for February Oscar-related screenings, instead of the usual suspects.

I love the way Margaret Wycherly (as Mother York) speaks in Sergeant York. (I think maybe she should have won the Supporting Actress Oscar that year -- she was nominated.) Those are mountain people/country people. I have a friend from Memphis who talks nothing like that.

LOL! So many pantheons, so little time...

The older films look the same on SD and HD, but the films in later aspect ratios don't. To use another station as an example, CBS SD (channel 2 in NYC) would have space on both sides of the image; CBS HD (channel 602 on my cable company -- RCN) would fill the whole screen. The TCM HD films in later aspect ratios (channel 592) would fill more of the screen than the same film in SD (channel 143). Consequently, recording them to my DVR (cable box) uses more space for HD recordings. If I knew how to post photos here, I would take a picture of each and post them!

Not so much for the quality of the picture. I'm not sure I would even notice. But on TCM HD, the film fills more of my screen without distorting the image. I can use the TV controls to change the image on TCM SD, but then I lose bits around the edges. With HD, I get a bigger picture which is true to the aspect ratio.

I didn't even know it had been on the schedule! It's a great film, and now that I have TCM HD, it would be nice to see it. But there's a blank in that slot. However, there are some fine films on TCM on February 8: Wilson, one of the truly great biopics (is this a TCM premiere?); The Grapes of Wrath; Sunrise; My Gal Sal; and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. So if The Deer Hunter is not on, let those films console you.

Great stuff. I saw Fry play Malvolio in Twelfth Night in November. He was great, but the real star of that production was Mark Rylance as Olivia: http://www.thestage.co.uk/features/2013/01/stage-100-awards-2013-our-judges-citations/

One of the most bizarre songs in any movie is, I think, "I lift up my fingers and I say tweet tweet shush shush now now come come," which was sung and danced in one of cinema's oddest song/dance scenes by Arthur Lucan in drag as Old Mother Riley in Old Mother Riley Meets the Vampire aka My Son the Vampire, one of Bela Lugosi's last films. I thought the song was written for that film but found that it was a much older song. Here's the older version sung by Gracie Fields:

My favorite Hugh Laurie performance of all is as Bertie Wooster in "Jeeves and Wooster." I particularly liked his renditions of "47 Ginger-Headed Sailors" and "Minnie the Moocher."

I remember the trauma of the death of Lady Bellamy (Rachel Gurney) on the Titanic! Hearts were broken -- but I remember Patsy Smart arriving back at Eaton Place, clutching Lady Bellamy's jewel case. That was very effective drama, and the death did make possible alot of interesting plot turns. Simon Williams, who played James Bellamy, was another actor whom one expected to hear more from, though he stayed with the series and has done alot of theater and television since. I forgot that Stevens was in The Line of Beauty. One of my favorite British actresses was in that -- Carmen du Sautoy.

Andy, that is beautiful. Thank you for that.

It will be interesting to see what becomes of Dan Stevens. He's fine for the Downton role, but I think it's the fame and popularity of that series that have got him the attention, and that will only go so far. A few actors in the Brit series over the years did make it big -- like Jeremy Irons, but some didn't, and most didn't really yearn for a career in Hollywood. Geraldine James is one of my favorites, a great actress in Jewel in the Crown, and on stage, and she still has a rich career in the UK, but she never really wanted to go to Hollywood. (She did come over to Broadway to play Portia to Dustin Hoffman's Shylock a while back, roles they did in London as well.) On the other hand, since I don't watch alot of popular contemporary television series, I was surprised to see that Damian Lewis is on a current hit series -- I don't even remember the name offhand. I saw Lewis play Hamlet in the Open Air Theatre, Regents Park in London in 1994, and now he's a big American tv star! He had the most incredible long, flowing red hair!

*FredDobbs wrote: Its not very hot if they are yelling at each other from way across the other side of the Cinemascope screen* LOL, that's for sure! I remember being taken to The Phenix City Story (1955) as a very small boy. That has a real noir feel to it, as I recall. For years I thought it was about Arizona!

I certainly don't deny its existence! Gooble Gobble!

Pray allow me to assure you that I do not have a folder of color pics of her, nor black-and-white ones either.

I always thought -- perhaps mistakenly -- that film noir referred to the mood of the film, not whether it was b&w or color. Would you consider Body Heat a film noir. It's in color and was inspired by Double Indemnity, which without question is a film noir. Or is film noir limited to a particular time, mood (and feel), and b&w look of a film?

*Patti Page*, whose songs graced so many movies over the years, has died aged 85. I particularly remember "The Tennessee Waltz" and "How Much Is that Doggie in the Window."

*Olivia De Havilland* and *Marilyn Knowlden,* who were both in *Anthony Adverse* (1936) are still living. *Luise Rainer* will be 103 next Thursday, January 10. I can't find anyone else still living from her '30s films.

Thank you Sepia! Regarding threats of departure, I'm beginning to think people make them so that the rest of us can plead with them to stay. (I hate to sound like the cynical creature that I am!) Eugenia, PLEASE stay, I won't diss Barbara Stanwyck too much anymore, not even in this thread which I started! (Btw, Eugenia, you said that I know more about film than you do. Not so. We just know different stuff about different films. I certainly respect your posts, your depth of knowledge, and your civility.)

Filmgoddess, have I really used the word "vastly" a million times? I brought up the "overrated" opinion this time because I thought it ironic that this thread which I started became a thread about Stanwyck for a while (actually, I'm totally fine with that, but someone else brought that point up first). I don't mind being in the minority on occasion, or in the majority, or whatever. I love Kate Hepburn, I've had to read on this board alot of nasty comments about Kate. I may have criticized Stanwyck, but never on the level of personal nastiness that some people will criticize actors whom I may like. But that's life, I can deal with that.

It's a pleasure to have an amicable disagreement with you. I didn't see The Heiress, it's one of those plays that I don't need to see again, even if it had been a great performance. And Mr. Stevens seems to be leaving Downton Abbey to go on to a bigger career! I don't care what the critics say, either; I just happen to agree with them in the case of Golden Boy, though I do find the play a bit dated and the ending a cop-out.