Swithin

I LOVE Greer Garson. Way more than I like this month's SOTM. But I recognize that Greer Garson's films are widely known and widely shown, and that there are not that many of them, compared to American actresses who started very young and worked into old age. Greer got her college degrees, studying in England and France. She took a job, worked in the theater for a while, and was discovered by Louis B. Mayor. She began her first film at the age of 34, unlike many of the American ladies like BS who went from babyhood to showgirl to films at an early age. And to me, (and I know this invites criticism), although I like -- and even love -- many of BS's films, I think she was always basically a showgirl. Every one of her roles is some version of that. So, the film output for Greer is less, but her films are bigger and better. Mrs. Miniver had a huge impact, not only as a great film, but as an important piece of propoganda for the U.S. market.

A portion of Rififi is silent, as I recall. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rififi

Well, yes, but they were all more or less related, and Henry VII turns up at the end of Richard III, which is part of the series, as the Lancastrian savior. Most of the Lancastrians are good, apart from Cardinal Beaufort, who was complicit in killing one of his relatives, good Duke Humphrey. When I was in college, one of my favorite novels was Melmoth the Wanderer, by Charles Robert Maturin. Written in 1820, it is a very long horror/Gothic novel, filled with soul-selling, evil monks, pristine landscapes, etc. It was the fashion at that time to use a phrase at the start of every chapter. The phrase at the head of Chapter I is, "Alive again? Then show me where he is. I'll give a thousand pound to look on him. -- Shakespeare" There was no Internet in those days, and that's not a famous quote, so there was really no way for me to find out which play it came from. Until I saw a production, over three nights, of the Henry VI/Richard III plays, performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company, with Ralph Fiennes as Henry VI. That's when I learned that the evil Cardinal, after helping kill the good Duke, becomes delerious with guilt over what he has done, and says those words before he dies (I find this one of the most powerful scenes in Shakespeare): CARDINAL O, torture me no more! I will confess. Alive again? then show me where he is: I'll give a thousand pound to look upon him. He hath no eyes, the dust hath blinded them. Comb down his hair; look, look! it stands upright, Like lime-twigs set to catch my winged soul. Give me some drink; and bid the apothecary Bring the strong poison that I bought of him. KING HENRY VI O thou eternal Mover of the heavens. Look with a gentle eye upon this wretch! O, beat away the busy meddling fiend That lays strong siege unto this wretch's soul. And from his bosom purge this black despair! WARWICK See, how the pangs of death do make him grin! SALISBURY Disturb him not; let him pass peaceably. KING HENRY VI Peace to his soul, if God's good pleasure be! Lord cardinal, if thou think'st on heaven's bliss, Hold up thy hand, make signal of thy hope. He dies, and makes no sign. O God, forgive him! WARWICK So bad a death argues a monstrous life. KING HENRY VI Forbear to judge, for we are sinners all. Close up his eyes and draw the curtain close; And let us all to meditation. Exeunt

The Nun and the Devil with Anne Heywood is quite something. I saw it in London years ago, and haven't heard about it since: http://wipfilms.net/nunsploitation-films/nun-and-the-devil/ And of course there's The Devils, with Vanessa Redgrave!

Or maybe they could show movies that have New Year's Eve scenes. I'm waiting for TCM to show the Mae West rarity, *Every Day's a Holiday*, which has a great scene, New Year's Eve, 1899-1900, with an inebriated Charles Winninger shouting "Happy New Year!" Winninger repeats his greeting in the wonderful 1936 *Show Boat*, in the "After the Ball" sequence. *Radio Days* also has a great New Year's Eve scene, which ends that best of Woody Allen films.

A headline in today's Financial Times : *"Muni Warning Issued."* I thought it had something to do with Paul Muni and "I steal..." but it was related to downgrades on investors who have "piled into US municipal debts." They face downgrades on their bonds, or something like that.

That would be the best series ever.

Of course the Hepburn version is the "classic," but, not having seen the '49 version for decades, I'd still love to see it. It has an amazing supporting cast of all the character actors we love. Regarding June Allyson, I know there are people here who don't like her (as there are those who don't like Kate), but I like her well enough (and I worship Kate!). I think it would great programming to show the Hepburn version of LW back to back with GWTW, two great Civil War at home stories, though I think LW is a better film. I'm not a big fan of GWTW, though there are segments and images that are striking.

Of course I love the Cukor/Hepburn version, but the 1949 version has quite an amazing cast, and I barely remember it.

One of the saddest movies ever made is about to begin. They showed it to us in grade school, and all the kids went home it tears. It's based on a true story, I think the screenwriter is the son of one of the characters. But that ending! Great Max Steiner score, too.

I wish I had recorded it! I haven't seen that version in ages. Funny you say it reminds me of your childhood in the South, since it's sort of a Yankee GWTW !

TMI!

TCM will be showing Sunrise at Campobello when Greer Garson is SOTM in March. Greer is a great Eleanor Roosevelt and was nominated for the Best Actress Oscar that year. She lost perhaps because Elizabeth Taylor, having been ill, was a sentimental choice (although it was a very strong year for the ladies). Had Eleanor flown in the film, then Greer would certainly have won the Oscar.

*India: Matri Bhumi*, part of the Rosselini tribute, sounds intriguing. I've never heard of it.

That sounds great -- I'll have to look at that! But much as I love Greer, her films, which are fewer in number than most stars of her ilk, have been shown fairly regularly. I wish they would have thrown in a TV thing or two. The Little Foxes with Greer as Regina Giddons sounds intriguing. The Law and the Lady, Greer's version of The Last of Mrs. Cheyney is not considered a great film, but I like it. There are very good scenes with Greer, Michael Wilding, and Marjorie Main.

Well, Garson sort of semi-retired. She did some tv stuff in her later years, but chose not to work as much as Davis and Hepburn, who worked well into their golden years. Greer stayed on her ranch and endowed theaters in Dallas and Santa Fe. She was more active in philanthropy than film.

*La Reine Margot* (1994) is a great film about the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre. There are several clergymen in it, although I don't remember how they are depicted. There are plenty of films with bad nuns, but that's another story. Perhaps Shakespeare's most villainous religious figure is Henry Beaufort, Bishop (later Cardinal) of Winchester, in the *Henry VI* plays. Although they have been filmed for television, I don't think a movie has been made of them -- though they would make a great film!

A few years later, Donna Reed became a nun when her boyfriend jilted her. Well, she also sort of became a nun because the tide came in! ( Green Dolphin Street ).

Interesting fact about the younger actress in Dracula's Daughter -- Marguerite Churchill: Her daughter Orin O'Brien (with George O'Brien) has been a double bass player with The New York Philharmonic since 1966. She was the first woman orchestra member of the NYPhil.

*Dracula's Daughter* is one of the great horror films. Also on tonight/wee hours is *Five Million Years to Earth* (aka Quatermass and the Pit), one of the great horror/sci-fi films, really intelligent, well done film, with some truly creepy scenes and an intricate, well thought out story.

Edward Drayton, played by Bernard Miles, is the villainous minister in The Man Who Knew too Much (1956). The character is not just a minister, but most pointedly an evangelical, non-Anglican, non-RC clergyman -- a Wesleyan. Interesting note in theater: almost all Shakespeare's clergy are not very nice. Exceptions are the Bishop of Carlisle in Richard II and maybe one or two others.

Do you think we can expect *Salo* on TCM anytime soon? That would be a coup.

Calvinnme, thank you for the information about March! So glad about Greer Garson as SOTM! I'm not that big a fan of BS, who is worshipped on this board, though I love many of her films; and I actually don't like Loretta Young, but Greer! I love her and her movies. (In fact, I have a friend in the UK whose father was her first husband.) Teresa Wright once told me a very funny story about Ms. Garson, which I will share in March. Regarding your name, when I learned you were female, I thought, well, you must be a Calvinist. And maybe you are, but the story you tell is far more enchanting.

LOL, quite right, it wasn't Cusack, it was the lovely Nanette. Btw, I too adore Ms. Booth. I knew Arthur Laurents, who worked with Booth on his play, The Time of the Cuckoo. Arthur hated the film version -- Summertime, because it totally changed the nature of the character played by Booth in the original.

Nice group, TB! I worked with one of your December ladies, now 92, a mere 81 when I met her.