MissGoddess

Hi Moira! *I have that problem with Jan Sterling too. I expect her to be edgy all the time, even when she's playing a bland, innocuous character that any other actress could play in her sleep. Sterling never seems to stop thinking, even when she's playing walking cliches. When I saw Rhubarb (1951), a comedy about a cat who inherits a baseball team that she made just after Ace in the Hole, I kept expecting her to be more than arm candy for Ray Milland--but no, she was just a girl!* "Edgy" is a good adjective for Jan...and you sum up my own expectations about every character she plays brilliantly. In case any of you have not seen it, don't miss this "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" appearance Jan makes in which she plays a housewife...but with the kind of shading and darker side that really does fulfill our expectations from the actress. * "On The Nose" (1958):* http://www.imdb.com/video/hulu/vi696517401/ *I take it you and John Lund will not be an item any time soon, Miss G.?* Ha! Well, I did like him when I first saw him in his debut movie with Olivia De Havilland (that super long tear-jerker, I forget the title), but then he just became another bland leading man to me. I thought he was going to be more interesting that he was. That may be more due to the roles he played than the man himself.

Fred, I'd like to see what Jan did with "Billie Dawn". I'm not that great a fan of Judy Holliday. I haven't seen *Ace in the Hole* in a long time, but I remember still how apt I thought it was to today's media savagery. The whole Chilean mine episode brought it to mind, though happily it ended differently. Wilder's cynisim was really on full throttle. It played almost like a Sam Fuller film.

hmmm, the word "Reply" has disappeared again. I am amazed you ranked *A Canterbury Tale* so highly, and above *Shock Corridor* which I figured would be your favorite. I thought you'd like *Possessed* more and I actually did think you would like *You Can't Take it With You*. *A Canterbury Tale* - My favorite Powell & Pressburger film by far. I believe it's the most delicate and loving of their movies (followed by *I Know Where I'm Going*) and it's almost Fordian in its affectionate depiction of the colorful villagers and village life. The opening is one of the most captivating I've seen. The movie was supposed to be a propaganda movie, but though it certainly celebrates what is best about England, I get a vague ambivalence about war from it. I may be wrong about that. My favorite P&P films in order: *A Canterbury Tale* *Black Narcissus* *Gone to Earth (aka The Wild Heart)* *I Know Where I'm Going!* *A Matter of Life and Death* *The 49th Parallel* *The Red Shoes* *The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp* (why does this board chop off the last letter of a line?) I regard the last two as stunningly gorgeous movies, rare jewels really, of cinematic beauty. But I don't care for the stories or the characters, oddly enough. I was never so disappointed in a film as I was in *The Red Shoes *because I was a ballet dancer and I had heard how wonderful it was. I don't know why it just never clicked with me. Probably because most of the people in it are very chilly. * Shock Corridor* - I've written about it being rather fascinating to me though most of it goes over my head. It feels like Fuller is saying the wrong people are put away as "crazy". And of course, there's the corruption and lust for fame that he criticizes. The irony is the most decent person in the movie is a stripper. * Possessed* - The movie interests me because I am always trying to figure out if Van Heflin's character is really as awful as I think he is. He's such an easy going person but I conclude he really is pretty nasty to Joan and that's what sends her around the bend. It's not to excuse her problems, but I thought it interesting that the movie makes him basically the leading man yet his interest in both women (Joan and Geraldine Brooks) is consistently from a selfish standpoint. His reaction to their growing love for him makes the movie seem a little more complex than most of this type. He's not an evil man, but boy is he ever modern and that's what I find unexpected because I typically figure a movie of this sort is going to make him out to be a thoroughly good guy. * You Can't Take with You* - Though so many still act as if they thought they could. :)I love Edward Arnold in this, and all the performers are perfect. It's one of my favorite Donald Meek performances, too. His little "creations" are so sweet and touching. Poor thing. Jimmy and Jean seem so natural and made for each other. Spring Byington is adorable. Edited by: MissGoddess on Jul 12, 2011 10:46 PM

*Ha! Now I'm really confused! See I thought Two for Texas was Four for Texas. So there never was a film called Two for Texas ! I'll never get my head together on this!* I see, you just didn't know how quickly Texas reproduces. * You just think things are going to happen with her around. Poor Lumpy! Sterling's a dangerous gal.* If you haven't seen her in *Ace in the Hole* then you really will experience how far that face can go into the dark side. I also think she looks a little like Gwen Stefani, ha.

*WELLLLLLL..it took me some "digging" around..but I FINALLY found some of the post on Kansas City Confidential.. They are all spread out over a couple of weeks (in the middle of several other chats) so they were a bit hard to find) I got to see this film (FINALLY) a week or so ago on HULU... and then I remembered there had been some chat on it and so I wanted to drop a comment or two.* Yay! *(And PS: I will tell you"Confidentially" (ha) that it is SO hot here in good ole Kansas City right now I wouldn't MIND a little of those cooler temps from way back when you first posted.. if only for just a moment or two..ha)* I'll give you 72 seconds no more! *OH my golly.. was there ever a lot of "throwing" going down wth this movie. It REALLY catches you off guard a bit. But you are right about him. He really does play it VERY convincingly. And it truly is as you say.. "brutal" to watch. But I have to say also that it was not just poor Payne getting the stuffing knocked out of him.. he gave back pretty good himself a time or two... Brutal... exactly the right word to call it, for sure. Did I mention don't MESS with our flower delivery guys in this town??? (ha)* Lol, I forget after the first few minutes that he started out as a daisy deliverer! I just love John Payne in films noir. I love him period, he's so the kind of guy I like to see if he can get himself out of the jams he's bound to fall into...or get thrown into....or throw himself into! *Hope to have a few more words to add soon.. I really enjoyed this movie.* This is great! I'll pull out my copy for a re-fresher! We're waiting and holding our breath!

Oh of course you're right...I always confuse the names of the "Ruths". I did see *Sky Full of Moon*, but I can't say I cared for a movie where Carleton Carpenter is the lead. It was interesting to see Jan Sterling play lighthearted, she's usually so serious and sad.

*Glad to hear you got some rest. * I really wanted John Gilbert to keep me up, though! I was in-and-out all afternoon. * Madge was really good in The Mayor of Hell too.* I fell asleep in patches during that one, too! I did see the one with Franchot and with Adolph Menjou.

I did watch some of the pre-codes and enjoyed them. I've seen *Sporting Blood* and like it. I like horse stories and Clark looks gorgeous. I also like Madge Evans. I saw part of *A Gentleman's Fate* before I fell asleep!

Yes, that's the one. I thought I had seen this movie but it turns out I never have. It was really good, though Bobby Driscoll is not one of my favorite kid actors. Still he did a good job. It's interesting how noirish the photography is, I mean it's an odd feeling when the protagonist is a child.

jackie...i almost did NOT recognize your girl *ruth hussey* the other night....i was watching *the window*. have you seen it? only her voice clued me in!

judging by the title, it sounds like they were capitalizing on her appearance in the other *red river*. she's pretty good in *vengeance valley*, too, but it's not a big role. Hawks and Ford seem to have given her her best roles.

you know, for the first time as i watch *red river* despite having seen it a thousand times, i'm starting to really like joann dru's character, tess. jackie i have you to thank for that, since you are who i think of whenever i see joann. i really do enjoy her character now, and think she looks so pretty with all that rich, full hair (i'm so envious of beautiful hair right now). i liked the scene best not with clift but with wayne. i'm not sure but they make the more interesting couple.

And thank you, Jackie, for that perfect marriage of song and singer. Talk about the elegance and power of simplicity.

thank you so much for those wonderful "tonics", everyone...better than any medicine. dean, duke and rhett...talk about taking my breath away. i sure wish i could ride off into the sunset with one of those boys. or into the sunrise. or into the next room.

hi all, i have the energy to post a very short list of lethal ladies. i mean one lethal lady, but she tops mine, even beating out ellen berent harland: i hope that picture came out because this wonky board doesn't work well with IE9. need i really explain my choice?

So was that you, Lady B, Rudy was carrying into the cabin, all passed out? Are you watching the SyFy Twilight Zone-a-Thon? It's a tradition, remember!

What a great discussion, I never knew it would get so knee deep! I even find it hard to disagree with anything that's been written, even by Mr Grey. It's just a difference of emphasis, I guess. I can't ever imagine minding having a father like Big Daddy but I can certainly imagine how tough it would be not to spend time with him. I'm not doubting at all that Brick is messed up because his father didn't spend enough time with him. On the other hand, no one taught him how much he had to be grateful for. I still can't feel sorry for a man like that, who at least had a mother who slobbered all over him, was popular in school, had everything handed to him including a beautiful wife. I feel sorrier for kids who grow up without money, usually because it's the absence of a hardworking father that often reduces families to destitution in the first place! The mendacity part we all can agree is wrong, but no way is it wrong for Big Daddy to give presents.

*Mary Kate (Maureen O'Hara) wanted her "things" around her. She wanted to have her own home. But, ultimately, what she really wanted was for Sean (John Wayne) to understand her and to value her feelings and opinions. They needed to burn the money issue between them, together, before they could get on to what's most important. Once they got on the same page, they could really start to love each other.* She wanted him to regard her feelings but also her traditions. He was trying to say that the traditions of her family and culture weren't important...like you're saying that Maggie's wishes aren't important. If anything, Sean came to understand and concede as Brick needs to. To certain extent, he does when he backs Maggie up in a little "lie" at the end. *I don't like the idea of chasing after a man's money, especially when someone is looking to do so for when he dies. That's ghastly, to me. But, thanks to your "Harry Fabian" comparison, I do see what you're saying and understand where she's coming from. Hey, no one wishes to be poor.* It's his money by birthright, it's not like they're chasing something that doesn't belong to him. There is nothingwrong you know in the tradition of handing things down to your children. At least Big Daddy wants them to work at whatever satisfies them...didn't he offer to do anything for Brick so long as it made him happy? I know you'll turn up your nose like Brick did and whine "that isn't love" well it was his way of showing it and he obviously had feelings to show. He was trying to make up for not spending time with him and that's love. I just think the whole attitude you present isn't so high minded as you think. It's judgemental and self-pitying and weak. *That's just my personal belief. I'm not saying I'm right. It's just if I had to choose which I find worse, wallowing in self-pity/guilt or chasing a man's money, I say chasing money.* Boy not me! He's not chasing a man's money he's simply accepting his own inheritence. Brick is being rude and obnoxious in his own parents' home, I don't think there's any defense for that. But then, he was always spoiled and I can never get into the heads of spoiled people. They are beyond me. *He is definitely failing his end of the marriage but it's because he's blaming himself AND her for the death of his "friend." Life just doesn't matter to Brick. He's pretty much dead. Maggie deserves credit for trying to snap him out of it and FOR snapping him out if. She forced him to confront his issue.* *Brick wishes he were dead and Big Daddy is afraid he's dying. Brick feels like life isn't worth living without love and Big Daddy doesn't want to lose his Empire. It all seems very Shakespearean.* Well there's something so welpish about all this. I'm losing what little respect I had for Brick in this conversation. You actually paint him worse than I think he is! Point is he was SPOILED his whole life and I can't stand people who have been given so much who act like an injured party and judge their parents. Oh, brother. Williams doesn't let anyone get away clean. *Yes, I find Maggie to be very normal. We all are handed a script and we are to play our parts. Maggie is purely playing her part. Brick is refusing to play his. He's struggling with the mendacity of it all, the shallowness behind it all. He wants something more meaningful.* Jumping high hurdles in the Punch Bowl? Wow, that's real deep. Now I'm starting to see Sister Woman's point. He's not the unmitigated noble character you paint him out to be, he's self pitying and self-involved and amazing indifferent to other people. Edited by: MissGoddess on Jul 2, 2011 12:14 AM

Thanks for the correction, Red...see how I link the two movies so closely I think of them as both being Williams. Newman does make barn burning seem fun.

Just as I posted in western rambles, *THE PROUD REBEL,* which features a terrific role for a western woman, is now viewable on YouTube in its entirety without breaks: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qa5A4tl7jj0

I'm glad to see your vote of confidence, too...I hope I haven't overrated it, it's a sweet, gentle story (though there's some violence...ha, can't have a real western without that I guess). I should post the link in the women of the west thread, too.

So why'd you post Mary Kate? I understand her. It took Mr Quiet Man a while to understand her. She wanted to "be somebody" too, to hold her head up. Why can't you allow Maggie that? I'm not saying she's entirely right...or that Brick is entirely wrong, I just don't agree with saying Maggie is worse than Brick. She's being a wife and a fully committed partner in the marriage and he's NOT. Period. That's detestable and worse than anything she's doing. I disapprove of the mendacity, too, and it's true Maggie doesn't. She's not as emotionally mature, she just lives with it because she sees that's how people get along in the world. I often wish I were more like her and less like Brick.

*Dadgum, Miss G.. you stole my thunder, ha. I was already thinking that, but just had not typed it yet! ha. I would also throw that low-life TC into the mix as well.. ha. (good golly.. that man valued money so much.. he printed his OWN, bah) Double standards abound. (oh.. and this also reminds me a bit of his take on that whole Heathcliff and Kathy thing too.. ha)* *It's true it is like those discussions. I guess when we really identify with a character, we tend to be at odds with the characters that oppose him/her. I'm sure I'm as guilty of that as anyone. I don't dislike or have a problem with Brick so much as I have a problem with judging Maggie too harshly. To me her faults are more easy to live with, I guess is the bottom line. She's got life in her, not self-destruction.*

It looks like a movie I've talked a lot about on these boards is finally up on YouTube...and all in one piece, not broken up in chunks. Do have a look if you haven't before: *THE PROUD REBEL* starring Alan Ladd, David Ladd and Olivia DeHavilland http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qa5A4tl7jj0

*Yes, I don't like the valuing of money.* Well, I look forward to a time when we won't have to, but until then it's what you need to breathe. *I just understand the male mindset of "Harry Fabian." He wants to be "somebody." He wants to be his own boss. That's the same with Big Daddy.* And you don't understand the female mindset that wants something to call her own, something real not just struggling. *He was wallowing in guilt and self-pity over the suicide of his "best friend." I can understand that. Remember, Brick and Maggie are only there for Big Daddy's birthday. He keeps wanting to go back home. And, remember, Big Daddy makes a point to Maggie that he's had birthdays in the past but nobody came to see him then.* I'm sure Maggie would have loved to visit Big Daddy every day, she couldn't get Brick to go. *Of course. But the point is he spent time with his son. They stayed together.* I just see a lot of judging of the parents by the children. It's hard not to, but they often lose sight of what rotten children they are, too. *But lots of people can say they were "poor" when they weren't. That's the point of the film. I don't know how Maggie was treated by her parents.* She said enough about how harsh her childhood was for me to know exactly how it was, just as much as Goober said about his or is said about Brick's. You just don't want to believe she has justification. But men are always judging women by harsher standards. *The Sundowners and The Proud Rebel are two more films I just watched that have some similarities to this. Each of those speak to settling down and what's important in life. I don't know if Jackie has seen The Proud Rebel or not, but if she hasn't, she needs to watch it. It's definitely her kind of film.* *http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qa5A4tl7jj0* I see they put it up on YouTube, and without breaks. I'll post that in Westerns, too, so people can see it there. I totally see where Deborah Kerr is coming from in *The Sundowners*, too. I think she's rather like Maggie more than you'd think. She's a woman. *Right. But we know what Brick is seeking from Big Daddy.* I think he thinks he needs absolutely nothing from Bid Daddy, even love. He seeks to avoid him the entire movie. It's Goober that's seeking and dying for love and attention and has been poisoned to think that it's got to come in the form of the inheritance and nothing else. Brick is cold and unresponsive until Maggie and BD pry him open. Edited by: MissGoddess on Jul 1, 2011 2:41 PM