Bill_McCrary

They do show it, it seems like maybe once a year or so. Remember, the schedules are already made through February (and part of March), so it would be at least March and maybe April before it could be added (if it's not scheduled already; I haven't checked).

12/13 11:46pm/8:46p- September In The Rain 1937-6m-A (Note: this cartoon is usually cut for political incorrectness) 4 minutes, 36 seconds of it were shown tonight! Basically Jolson, and Fred and Ginger. I haven't gotten out my laserdisc yet to see what wasn't shown, but if the very beginning was an indication, then it's understandable....... Neat enough short, but "short" is operative here!

Once the film was cut together, a dupe of the workprint was often made and a temp mix completed (mixing all the tracks down to one mag strip) and then the rough cut could be shown. At these screenings, the film was threaded into the projector and the corresponding mag track was threaded onto a special sound projector and these two were "interlocked" together so that the audience could watch the film. Somewhere I read, maybe (the late, lamented) Video magazine or such, about The Glenn Miller Story, when they finally issued it in stereo (VHS at the time). It could have been Bob Dorian on AMC (old-style) talking about it. The point being, they had finally found the soundtrack which had been taken to, I think, Radio City MH for the premiere, finished "just" in time - picture on one set of reels, soundtrack on another, and sync'd up for the audience, as you've described. Whoever was telling/writing the story sounded as though that was one movie that either had never "officially" been shown (around the country) in stereo, or else all the stereo prints had disappeared. And on the TCM promo about soundtracks, we can see some of those being run through the machines. No "movie," just the soundtracks being copied off. Neat. And with all the shrinking of film, bad sprockets, etc., there must be lots of either mechanical or digital adjustments to be made before the final mating of sound and image these days. Someone - was it Mel Brooks? - was telling, years ago, about getting his movie ready in the nick of time for its first showing (maybe for investors, maybe for the real premiere, I don't remember) and his amazement that he got the sound and the action in sync; he apparently was cutting "by hand," himself, not a "real" editor doing it. There probably was some truth there somewhere, at least. I'd love to think I've got those interviews/comments on some of my old VHS tapes, along with the hosts in younger days... I hadn't quite caught on until really recently about the "cutter" part of lzcutter; is there a thread where you've told (more) about your work? Bill

No problem here with Ben (Mankiewicz) - I saw (or did I imagine it?) Robert's introduction of Ben to us a few years back, explaining who was going to be on when, doing what - which is basically how it's been, and mostly for a while saw him on Cartoon Alley and the Westerns. I like the way he does most, with a sense that he's telling us a lot but could tell us even more, maybe, in the right circumstances (small gathering, out of earshot, like at the places he has visited on the Hollywood Forever spots). Speaking of which, it would be nice to have some more of those - or have they shown us all the worthwhile ones?). But for the "regular" movies, I still like to hear what Robert has to say about so many of the people he either knew or knew through THEIR friends. Glad we have both!

Joan Blondell in Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter ? http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051196/

no mention of Una Merkel Fred mentioned her (in another thread?) when we talked about accents, etc. He referred to her as from Kentucky, I think. She certainly had one of the most unusual voices, and there's no mistaking her even with no picture, but I mostly find it adorable. Of course, my being from the South myself may have influenced my feeling for her...... When I hear people talk about "exaggerated" (and I'm sure hers was as real as it gets), I think about how people routinely talk in a couple of towns not 15 miles away from our "big city" of 25,000; there ARE plenty who talk like that!

Just went to check out my (not-yet-completed) disc - hadn't watched that part of it the other night live: The Captain wants to put her in his cabin, seeing her beauty, but the women try to defend her (you know just how much influence THEY had!). JB is put in the "hell-hole" with the other men. Finally, after a "stormy voyage," to quote the intertitle, as they are getting close to New Orleans, the Captain makes his move. JB hears Manon cry out and incites the slaves who are in the cage with him to break loose, and, through some much-speeded-up shenanigans onboard, gets her to the boat. You've seen the rest. VERY different version of the end of the story from others!!

I have "White Heat" with its beginning and ending.

...they seemed to be making up a trio by pulling out people from trios. Ah, now I've seen your point! And Curly would have been a good one from that standpoint. Maybe with the "trio" aspect to work on, someone will come up with something better for us. Don't guess the Weir (sp?) Brothers have anything to do with this? Hadn't even thought about them until just now in years. Vaguely remember them on the Ed Sullivan Show, from my growing-up days.

Thanks for over twelve years of solid, dependable friendly hosting of our (mostly!) favorite movies on what is certainly our favorite movie channel! I have always felt that you were talking directly to us, and even that sometimes you were actually there in the studio (in realtime) and not taped days or weeks earlier. I hope you at least hear about the nice things that so many of us have to say from time to time (there's at least one other thread that goes that way!), but we understand that it would not "do" for you to come on here with us. That's fine. Long and happy life to you!! Bill Message was edited by: Bill_McCrary (slight grammatical change)

Why don't we all just let this thread die?! I HATE seeing the subject/title coming up every time. If someone wants to start another post and we go there, fine. Just not this one. If this turns out to be the last post here, Hallelujah! Bill And please, don't anybody say ANYTHING in response to anything that "certain other person" comes back with. Ever...

The Joker Is Wild?

MY SON JOHN (1952). I don't think I've seen that one - and it surely didn't come up in any of about 20 searches I tried on IMDB. Would I have found it on the TCM database, I wonder? What I really want is someone to come forward with the name of the third movie below I was trying to think of.... Seems to me that the picture was about to "wrap," the big race scene had been shot, and he was out riding and got hit by another driver, died, and they either had to change the outcome of the race, or some such. I'm thinking it was a mid-'30s movie, but I'm also thinking it was one of the Silent Sundays ones......... If I only had my database up and running already, the way I plan to finish it.

You have one Bill? Feel free (anyone) to come up with the next one. I'm saving up for a "humdinger" (not a Hummer!) one of these times.

In Swing Fever today, Harry James and Tommy Dorsey are playing along (but also given lines, etc.) in the orchestra Kay Kyser is conducting in an early scene.

Is the soundtrack edited separate from the visual frames...sound and picture combined after cutting? Bingo!

The Best Years of Our Lives

The one they showed was Milestone video (does Kino do those?). Original Score: Wolfgang Zeller; recorded 1999 - that could mean it was the original score from the premiere, or that Herr Zeller wrote an original score for them; don't know which.

I find them fascinating, but if I didn't..... Ned Sparks and Lionel Stander, both in innumerable ("Oh, yes, I think they could be counted" - so said Mel Brooks on the Cavett interview!) movies starting in the '30s; with Stander continuing right up through "Hart to Hart." If anybody's mentioned them already, it didn't turn up in my forum search.

Harry Langdon? http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0003377/bio

Maisie Gets Her Man?

Hell's Angels? Sound came in after Hughes had filmed and he started over, plus three pilots died, but I don't think that's what you had in mind. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0020960/trivia Then, of course, Vic Morrow's and two children's deaths during the filming of Twilight Zone: The Movie, but I don't know that it changed the story (or did it?). http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086491/ But I just remembered the racing movie Robert O told us about, where the ending had to be changed (with double used, etc.) after the star was killed in a car wreck similar to what was actually in the film; I can't even remember for sure whether it was silent or sound, and my IMDB searches are letting me down! That's probably the one you're looking for....... Now, I guess somebody else will pick up the pieces from that!

Don't see a song title listed in the IMDB stuff, but Paul Dunlap is credited for the music: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0242406/ Maybe you can search for songs by Dunlap. Bill

I, too, am pretty sure I saw it this past summer, think you're probably right about Pat O'Brien, and I'm also perplexed; most of my (burned) DVDs are not "to hand" at present, but it COULD be (strange as it seems) "The Cowboy from Brooklyn." http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0030019/ If it's not that, then it could also be (less likely, I think) "Oil for the Lamps of China." http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0026805/

"He produced all her pictures, until the talkies came in. She couldn't speak English, being from Texas. Her first talkie was a flop, so he dropped her." I'm going to suggest one I haven't seen (yet) - The Aviator - someone talking about Howard Hughes (and....?).