tobitz

We may have seen different Garland documentaries. I certainly was aware of some of her personal problems, but the doc I saw on TCM mentioned how she got started on uppers and downers at a very young age, sounding like it was with the studio's complicity to keep her working the long hours. I remember thinking, "No wonder the young Judy Garland seemed so full of vitality!"

uh oh.... that "until today" from you two doesn't bode well. OMG, again? I see it says I registered almost two years ago, which I find hard to believe, but in any case, I haven't really started posting until lately. No, I've never used the "ignore," but have been tempted lately. I do hope any personal comments I make to anybody on these boards is always positive. That's what I'm trying for anyway. You, for instance, otterhere, I agree with far too much to ever really want to argue for very long.

I think mcphoto has made most of the points I had in mind. Especially with that "everything." Joan Crawford's career encompasses an enormous part of Hollywood history, and any prejudices I felt against her (which were only perhaps peripherally concerned with her personal life, and which I'll try to address on another thread somewhere), I knew needed to be adjusted. At least partly in defense of TCM's broadcast of the documentary, I want to point out that my opinion of Ms. Crawford improved after seeing it. I was certainly aware of the accusations of abuse before. The doc gave me an overall view of her career, including many of the good things she had done personally, and a better idea of her family history, which undoubtedly caused many of her problems. This, to me, was a valuable viewing, and I look forward to seeing it again sometime. I understand there are documentaries out there which paint a better picture of Crawford, and with any luck, I'll see them too.

Well, I'd certainly appreciate it if they would.

All good points, Concerned. Personally speaking, I'm all for showing bare-breasted white women on tv too. But I understand your concern for the double-standard. I realize there may have some been some terrible racial stereotypes, as there frequently are in old movies. I didn't see the whole film. What I did like about it was seeing Africa as it was in 1930, I guess without the interference of the Hays Office. It's probably the closest I'll ever come to seeing life as it was there, something I value. I'm not speaking of the the melodramatics of the film itself, but of the background.

Anyone know what Angela Punch McGregor looks like?

alix, I thought Kay Francis was wonderful in this movie (as was Walter Huston). Any recommendations of other of her movies to keep an eye out for?

ThelmaTodd (may I call you Thelma? btw, I love Thelma Todd), I've been meaning to thank you for that background post. It's been a long time since I'd heard mention of Vojvodina. Whenever I hear of the Balkans, I always think of Barbara Tuchman's two books, "The Guns of August," and "The Proud Tower," covering Europe in the years precewding WWI, as well as Greg Campbell's "The Road to Kosovo: A Balkan Diary," updated in 1999, set during the wars of the 1990's. For anyone who remembers the 1984 Olympics, the sight of burned-out Kosevo Olympic Stadium has to bring to mind the tragedies of WWII. In one of those coincidences, I happened to be reading a history of the Medieval period the past few days. It briefly covers the history of the Bogomilism, It was for time in the 12th and 13th centuries, the state religion of Bosnia. One of its ideals was extreme pacifism. Bosnia acted as peacemaker between vying factions for decades. The Wikipedia article on Sarajevo, early on, shows four photographs: a mosque, an Orthodox cathedral, a Roman Catholic cathedral, and a synagogue. The examples of past tolerance only makes the present seem even more inexplicable. Your news of the current situation there saddens me, but I thank you for the update..

I see that Malden returned to Serbia, (his father's mother country) to make a movie called Twilight Time (1982), directed by Belgrade-born Goran Paskaljevic. The movie was apparently shown on TCM awhile back, maybe during a Karl Malden tribute. Hope they show it again soon. Anyone know if it's any good? "An immigrant returns to his native Yugoslavia to raise his grandchildren." Incidentally, Paskaljevic was educated at the Film and TV School of Performing Arts in Czechoslovakia during the Prague Spring years. Some of his work was apparently not appreciated by the authorities. He was active in Europe, I believe in Serbia as of two years ago. Have no idea how he is accepted there now.

Ava, first of all, I'd like to thank you for starting this thread. I've been trying to get a good adjusted picture of Ms. Crawford, and the varying opinions enable me to do just that For instance, if I hadn't read the "Christina Crawford" thread in Hot Topics, I would have been unaware that the two younger girls do not support Christina's version of events. In Christina's defense, they were younger, and according to the doc, were adopted under, um, different circumstances. And no, I'm not being sarcastic by thanking you. I mean it. I wouldn't interpet some of this as personal attacks against you. The reason it keeps going on and on has to do with the subject matter. Not just Joan Crawford, but child abuse itself. I think FredCDobbs is offering very sound advice. I'm fairly new to the boards, and when my time comes to feel attacked, which I'm sure it inevitably will, I doubt I'll take it well. I especially appreciate maryjmartin's comments about child abuse. I also appreciate Ellaisgood's commentary regarding her son's watching Joan today. I do think I should point out that I believe you misinterpeted ThelmaTodd's post some time ago. She said that she could comment on several people in the history of art, possibly worse than Joan Crawford. Her actual words were "more controversial." But she said that these persons had no place on the TCM message boards, She was not referring to posters on the board. i.e. you. For all those wondering about Ava's mentioning of a husband's story supporting the child abuse accusations, unless I'm totally off here, she's talking about the Vincent Sherman interview in the doc. No, he wasn't a husband, but apparently he was involved with Crawford. He said she told him never to tell her how she should raise her children. If he didn't like it, he could leave. When he got up and started to go, she tripped him. If memory serves, he said he got up and belted her. And he smiled at the story after telling it. I'm sure there are many Crawford supporters who will doubt the story. Not only was he not a husband, I haven't seen him listed anywhere as a "companion," as say, Clark Gable is. Ava, don't let them get you down. I have appreciated your thoughts. (I also appreciate THEIR thoughts, but hey, that's my problem ) Know you have supporters out here.

I liked it very much, what I saw of it. As per usual, I wasn't able to watch the whole thing and hope TCM will show it again soon. It was great seeing Harry Carey in an "earlier" role. Watched King Solomon's Mines too, hadn't seen it since high school, but I think the 1930's Hollywood version of Africa was even better the 1950's version. Does The Last Safari (1967) ever pop up on TCM? I saw it on tv back then too, but don't remember much about it, except that I again enjoyed Granger's version of the Great White Hunter. I remember noticing that it had been directed by Henry Hathaway and it seemed like a solid little film.

Great choices as far as I'm concerned, syrup, I've wanted to see those two for over twenty years now. Not sure how much availabilty is a problem for Underground or the Cult Movie series. I'd like to see The Howling too. Or maybe even The Company of Wolves (with Angela Lansbury as Granny!). If TCM is going to have these programs, why not show more movies closer to approaching classic, movies by Rudolph or Jarmusch, or even a Hal Hartley or a Neil Jordan? Something with a redeeming social value other than Camp? But I doubt the Camp followers would agree. And to be honest, I don't know where else on television you'd be able to find Camp Classics these days.

Hope Jean Simmons fans noticed that Adam and Evelyne, on now, actually stars Jean Simmons and not Deborah Kerr, as stated on the main schedule.

hmmm...Greeks, Trojans. Greeks, Trojans...decisions, decisions... In ANY case, is there a rule that when you really want to watch a film that you will be constantly interrupted? These days I find myself saying, "It's GOOD to have friends, it's GOOD to have friends" with the regularity of "There's no place like home, there's no place like home." DePalma, you may be right about Joan looking her best in this.. She looks absolutely great. That dvd is looking better and better. It's a long time until June 26th and it will be showing at 7 am here. I'll set the alarm. On the "men don't make passes at girls who wear glasses" front, I hope I never hear that lie again. Joan makes those look so good in this, or vice versa.

any way of narrowing down "the early days of video recorders"? A closer time frame would narrow it down. I checked out Rosemary Forsythe's extensive body of work on IMDb. but no titles jumped out at me.

I thought I'd ask here first in case there was already a thread covering the subject. I am very curious as to where so many here gained their knowledge of film. I've been a film buff for 40-50 years (back to childhood), but what I know of film is infinitesimal compared to so many here. Some just seems a question of where a person was born and raised or lives. City versus rural determines a great deal as far as access goes. Thank God for video and for TCM. If this has been already been discussed in a thread, please direct me to it. Otherwise, I'm interested in starting a thread addressing the subject. I'm curious.

phew! That was close. Thank you, CineSage, for a sane answer to that particular question.

please don't make 20th Century Fox change their name. I can't stand it. My weakening mind can only take so much...

lol, CineSage. That covers an awful lot of ground. I've never seen Death Wish, something I may do someday. Have a feeling many may not have forgiven Winner for directing the remake of The Big Sleep. I am curious; anyone see Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood? I think he directed many respectable middle period films, including Chato's Land, with Bronson, and Lawman with Lancaster. I'll always value The Nightcomers, which I saw in a theater, if for nothing else than as a companion piece to The Innocents. Bopper, The Jokers, which I saw on tv, was a movie I loved when I was young. It's a film I'd like to see again. It's surprising when a film from my youth turns out to be as good as I remember but it happens quite often (Tiger Bay comes to mind). I'd really like to see the other two also, have wanted to since the '60's. I may have seen You Must Be Joking!, which was made about the same time, but if so, I don't remember it well. Are you familiar with the movies he directed in England earlier in the decade? Are they any good? btw, Bopper, did you happen to see Bop Girl Goes Calypso on TCM the other night? p.s. rock 'n' roll will never die

Fictionized account or not, this one sounds like it's right up my alley. Anyone know anything about this movie? Now if I can just be awake at that hour (showing at 3 a.m. here).

Just in case you weren't aware of the fansite.. http://shani-wallis.2ya.com/ ( I hadn't been until now)

Excalibur or Caliburn..brings to mind the Disney, The Sword in the Stone. New word: birds

new word....cracker

Two for the Road! Great movie! Wish I could think of one more specific, but cat box reminds me of the cat in Breakfast at Tiffany's. new word: back to "heads"

Two...Two for the Seesaw... new word (in deference to Ray Milland)...Heads