MissGoddess

> {quote:title=rohanaka wrote:}{quote}Howdy DO little darlin'!!!! Hope things are getting along "swimmingly" for you!! Ha haaa!! I'm all at sea. Glad to see you back and giving the Shiftless One "the Dickens".

Howdy, stranger!

> That's not a real flower! > Spoken like a real phony! > *You don't fancy tights?* > > > I do! I like superheroes! What can be crazy for me is all the ruffles and plumes. Lots of clothing! > Oh yes of course. Capes, masks and Bat-phones are so streamlined. > That's really good, Cactus Rose. I like how Spence plays a regular guy. I never feel he's a movie star. He's not Gable or Cooper. He's not Cagney, Bogie, or Eddie G. He's not Grant or Powell. He's a mug. > But he's also the opposite of a mug, the learned man, the self-made man, the genius. He could play both ends while never losing the humanity of the inner person (unless the character calls for icy remoteness, in which case he can also deliver). > Uh-huh. I've seen him a few times, of late. It seems to happen that way. > I'm trying to think what my favorite Franchot Tone role or movie is. I'll look over his filmography and think about it. > He thought he was dead! So did she! I do love that Spence is always the guy who misses out. > He's really good in *Mannequin*. I find his character so attractive in a quiet way. That's also one of my favorite Joan Crawford movies, because she's a little softer in that one, and she's very warm with Tracy. > It's a unique way of being critical, too. > They had writers then. Really great writing staffs at all the studios. Amazing what they could do, even when several of them might be thrown on one script. > > I remember Arkadin talking highly of the film. I didn't know it was a psychological war film. Those are the ones I like the most. > You might say the expression "war is hell" is really depicted here. > I shall watch that in my next group of films. > I think I have it recorded. It's worth another look. So you didn't like *Count the Hours* as much as I did. I wish I'd recorded it, I wouldn't mind watching it again. Lately, I think I have seen more MacDonald Carey movies than in my whole life. I think they even gave him a whole day recently, or maybe he just happened to be in most of them. Then I've seen him in some TV shows and a western or two. For someone with such an "average Joe" look, he sure worked a lot and in leading roles.

Burt's physical prowess really is a beautiful thing to watch. So many may have that ability but not much personality behind it. Burt has both so you enjoy the ride even more. And it does add tremendously when you know the actor is doing their own stuntwork. Right now, *Valdez is Coming* in on in the background and even though Burt is I think already in his 50s by this point, he's still running and riding like a man half his age.

> No! You've probably never seen real flowers! > A cactus rose by any other name smells as sweet. > And clothes! > You don't fancy tights? > It's these kind of roles where I like Spencer Tracy the very most. He's very emotional. > And he can tap into all of them very quickly...the smallness of his expressions makes them somehow much more powerful. He's the opposite of the "declamatory" yet he's not a stoic, either, like Coop. > That's right. The focus was on the gun and what happens to those who come to feel at ease with the gun. Jimmy (Franchot Tone) was very hesitant about fighting but then he came around and he turned the other way. > I forgot Tone was the other actor! Spence took him in and then Tone took his girl! I really liked this story, it's one of the best of several movies made at this time that were quite bold in their criticism of war. P.S. I'm also with Jackie on many of her Wellman suggestions...I forgot about *G.I. Joe*. I think you'd really go for that one, it's a male tearjerker, ha! Seriously, Wellman put a lot of his heart and soul in that one. Pyle was a friend of his and he wanted very much to tell this story as honestly as possible. No phony heroics. It's the emotions that register, so it doesn't feel so much like "war" movie. It's about the men, especially Joe and Pyle. I also liked *Safe in Hell*. Really rugged movie. Whew!

Hi, Jackie It's been a while since I saw Burt's swashies, but I remember finding them tremendous fun. And probably no one since Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. was ever as grinningly athletic! > You could definitely make *The Black Swan* much more dramatic by showing Captain Leech as being similarly noble as Captain Morgan, just with a different worldview. That's Tom vs. Ranse. Wait a minute! Doniphon shoots guys from the shadows! That isn't noble! > Maybe if he'd shot Ranse it would be more noble. > Captain Leech didn't want to give in to civilization. He wanted to be a free agent. Hey, he's Gay Langland! > There's probably little difference between some cowboys and pirates. Just different kinds of turf. > When doesn't George do that?! But I do agree with you, Sanders seemed to be reveling in playing the bad buccaneer. > Like Jackie said, put a beard on him and a pretty maid in his lap and he's going to town with it! > I'm looking to watch some Hope flicks next year, so maybe I can get that box set. > Good. I don't think you'll be disappointed. > > *What about the others on your list, like They Gave Him a Gun?* > > > Now that was a rather interesting film. It starts off as a war film and then it turns into a gangster flick. Remarkable! I really enjoyed Spencer Tracy in this one. I liked his calling Rose (Gladys George) "Duffy." Spence is so good at playing the "other man." The sacrifice in the film is very interesting. It plays many ways. > It certainly does. It's a remarkable role for any actor yet Tracy makes it seem tailor made for him. He's an gruffly gracious loser. I really liked that they made a direct link between the violence of the battlefield leading to violence at home.

Marilyn's last completed musical comedy, *Let's Make Love*, with Yves Montand, Tony Randall and special guest stars Gene Kelly, Bing Crosby and Milton Berle. Some fun songs, especially when Marilyn sings because she has a sweet, breezy voice that draws you to her, and she gets to wiggle around in tights and sequins. But mostly she tries to give her character a little more three dimensional reality than the usual string of dumb blondes. The glamour put-on is still there, so is the seductive "star" but she also shows, in the middle of some of her funniest moments a touching vulnerability that is like seeing the mask drop for a lightening quick moment. yet those moments are the best thing in the otherwise standard musical comedy fare.

What about the others on your list, like They Gave Him a Gun?

> Captain Morgan (Laird Cregar) was an infamous pirate like the rest but he decided to try and go straight. He agreed to be governor of Jamaica with the idea of cleaning up the waters. I confess I was always unsure whether he was sincere or not, but it does seem to be played straight. Yet...why cast Laird Cregar who everyone automatically mistrusts?! > Captain Leech (George Sanders) didn't believe he was on the up and up. He thought it was a trick. He didn't abide by "crawling under the King's flag." There's something to that. I mean, Morgan certainly profited handsomely. > So you have the old ways of the pirate (Leech) versus the modern ways of the pirate (Morgan). But in this film, Leech is clearly drawn as bad and wrong. It's not like a Fordian western. > Good call! George looks like he may have had the most fun for the only time in his career. He really eats up the scenery. A good movie for you to watch after this is Bob Hope's *The Princess and The Pirate*. If you don't have it, you should get it. What a howl! I even want to say one of the pirates in it is Morgan. Lovely screencaps. Maureen looked radiant in that Technicolor.

> And they're interesting villains. One is attempting to reform (Cregar) while the other disagrees with giving in to the Establishment (Sanders). Well that certainly sailed past me. How do you get that? > That dirty Tyrone Power! Who would have guessed? When Ty is muted, I find him boring. When he's playful, I like him. > Yes, he has a fun personality and seems more relaxed when he can be that way with his character. > I know how Jamie Boy feels!: > You'd never want to make the effort it takes to be a pirate. You're more like Laird.

> {quote:title=FrankGrimes wrote:}{quote}*Very funny now can you say what you really liked about it?* > > That's a big part of it! I loved the entire back-and-forth of Jamie Boy (Ty Power) and Lady Denby (Maureen O'Hara). It's very similar to *The 39 Steps* with that. That's a cute comparison. > Then I enjoyed George Sanders, Thomas Mitchell, and Laird Cregar. They know have to liven up a picture. And I really like Ty when he's allowed to play loose. It's not often you get both Sanders and Cregar villains in one movie. It's definitely a great cast and they make it seem like they're having a really grand time. Maureen said in her book that Ty was constantly trying to shock her with outrageous jokes on the set. It helps they liked each other. The movie's a real romp and one of the best non-Flynn swashies. Is it just me or does anyone else think that Johnny Depp could have modeled his pirate look on Ty's character?

Very funny now can you say what you really liked about it?

> > Is he in the corner here?: > I noticed him, but he doesn't look like connors to me. The eyes and eyebrows are all wrong. But I'm not 100% sure. > Yes, it was my first swashie. It's a fun film with terrific performers. But what I liked most was watching you in action, Snippy! > So you liked Maureen, that's not surprising. It's a fun one.

At least he got a name!

> That's a good way of describing the tension. And then you've got the relaxed Andy Devine. I can't believe it's Andy who is relaxed! > It suits him. Underneath you can tell he's an easygoing guy. > *One of the best. I didn't catch Mike Connors who is supposed to appear in it.* > > > I believe he's one of the radio guys on the first three planes. > > > > Which one of those? The guy standing is Fess Parker, I don't recognize the others. None of them look like Connors to me. > > There's also *The Trail of the Lonesome Pine*. > Yes, another with Henry Fonda. Funny he worked with Fonda early on and Wayne later, just like Ford. So what did you like about The Black Swan? Is that your first swashie?

> {quote:title=JackFavell wrote:}{quote}:_| Waaaah! Raven always makes me cry. Me, too. Ladd brings a touch of sadness to his character. And I'm a sap for anyone who likes cats. wouldbestar, thanks for your posting your comments here. *This Gun for Hire* and Veronica Lake are big favorites of mine. I also love the music for this movie, it's classic.

> It's similar to *Flying Leathernecks* in that the two men are contrasts. Mann was mostly interested in revenge and the past with his westerns, but in the two war flicks I've seen, it's been about different kinds of men and their thinking and the conflict that creates. > Lots of movies feature that conflict, though. > I don't even remember that line! That's very good. I did like that he kept his family life hidden from his men. He had the biggest family of them all. > The movie really had me on the edge of my seat. ISLAND IN THE SKY SPOILER > That's a great point. The ending makes sure we don't forget about what has happened. You're happy they are saved but also saddened by the loss. > It keeps life valuable. How sad Lovatt ended up being just steps away from the plane. > It was good to see him so loose and acting a fool. It's a rich cast. > One of the best. I didn't catch Mike Connors who is supposed to appear in it. > *Beau Geste* is darker but I feel it lacks the energy and emotion of *The Lives of a Bengal Lancer*. Gary Cooper seems wasted in the former but he shares the screen well with Franchot Tone in the latter. > It was an easy camaraderie, a good "buddy" picture. > Wellman tends to run hot and cold with me whereas Hathaway usually hits the right notes. I think there is more beauty and poeticism found in Hathaway's early films. He becomes more like Wellman, later on. > I'd say so. He's really good at these movies involving friendship between two different sort of guys. *Souls at Sea* and *Spawn of the North*, both featuring George Raft, are good examples, too, and the later film is especially emotional. You can really tell when Hathaway is switching gears and giving special attention to tell a story in a very visual way. His filmography is punctuated with *Peter Ibbetson*, *Shepherd of the Hills* and *Niagara*, all of which show special attention to visuals. > He really gave McGregor (Coop) heck. It was funny. And you just knew the tide would turn with that, too. But what I most liked was that Forsythe (Franchot Tone) ended up being just as mothering as McGregor. > They were good chaps. I like that they didn't reproach the young man when he crumbled under the torture. > If that's the case, I will definitely like him. He's very smooth and easy to digest. > What a compliment! > That sounds good! The combination of Montgomery and Tone seems like a winning one. > Especially since Bob is very hyper in that one and Tone plays it steady. It's very cute. > For me, it was all about Coop and Tone. I liked how they interacted with each other and how they came to respect and even like the other. I also enjoyed the ending. It was exciting. Plus the ultimate fate of one of the characters was very pleasing to me. > Then I can highly recommend *Spawn of the North* and *Souls at Sea*. I wish TCM would air them, perhaps with *Peter Ibbetson* and *Lives of a Bengal Lancer* for a night of Hathaway in the 1930s.

*Coopsgirl's* favorite scene from *Lives of a Benal Lancer* > *Boy, I have no recollection of any of that. I'll try to rewatch it soon. Jackie will be delighted you liked Tone so much.* > > > He's fantastic in *The Lives of a Bengal Lancer*. He's very quick and smooth; wonderful delivery. > > I recently re-watched *The Lives of a Bengal Lancer*, and I agree about Tone and that this movie is better than *Beau Geste*. It's kind of neat how directors Wellman and Hathaway have crossed my path lately, and I now think that they most resemble each other except Hathaway was perhaps less passionate, though he could be just as sensitive and was perhaps the better action director. TLBL could have benefited by some trimming just as BG, but its story was much more involving. It reminded me a little of *Rio Grande*, which you may have already mentioned. I laughed at all the "Mother Machree/MacGregor" sing songing by Tone. If you like Tone this way you have alot to look forward to. I'd say this was his standard role, he plays it like this in literally countless movies. The second banana to another leading man, but holding his own and often with the best lines. He's very funny in *The Three Loves of Nancy*, at least I think that's what it's called. He competes with Robert Montgomery for Janet Gaynor's affections, only Bob thinks he only wants to get rid of her because she's cramping his playboy style. It's a cute comedy. But back to Lancer, what else did you like about it?

I do know the feeling! I'm watching movies now that were mentioned three weeks ago.

> {quote:title=JackFavell wrote:}{quote}Oh man, I love Jan Sterling. Another blonde I forgot to write on my list. If you haven't seen *The High and the Mighty*, it's worth it just to see her story. I like her more and more. She was different. Did you post your favorite blondes somewhere and I overlooked it? By teh way, I completely agree about Lesley Parrish. She almost made my list. I love her look and she was so sweet in *The Manchurian Candidate*. Sort of the girl next door meets Marilyn Monroe. I read a little on her, I forget why, she wrote some stuff that was posted on an internet site. She got into kind of new agey things and all that. She was rather interesting. I think she's still around.

> Hi MissG: > Hi, MM! > I remember thinking the same thing when I watched it last. Not much went on. The passengers weren't all that interesting and it seemed to take a long time to get anywhere. > Yes, it took a while to "take off" and then it wasn't that exciting. > It is sort of a previous "Airport" but apart from watching it for benefit of Wayne I didn't find it all that good. I heard he didn't want to appear in it, just produce it, but I think the money people wanted him to guarantee some box office. It isn't much of a part for him. What I did like was the story about Jan Sterling. This is actually the movie that made me take notice of her as an actress who was more than just a bottle blonde, or film noir denizen. I thought she got the best role by far, and if what I remember correctly about the background, they predicted she'd get nominated...she was, wasn't she? For the only time? Or am I thinking of Claire... Anyway, she should have. I was actually very touched by her story. I kind of wish they'd made a whole movie about that instead the main story.

> This is true. But the dynamics were flipped. The men feel Benson will look out for them while Montana has to look out for his C.O.. > You're right. I have to say it's an interesting movie in Anthony Mann's career. I can't think of another film quite like it. > *It's always run down by people who've seen it.* > > It is? I never knew that. > *The Devil is a Woman* seemed to mark Von Sternberg's end in Hollywood. > She's a tormentor. I don't think you'll hate her, though. > I'm sure I won't. > That's correct. And they are all looking out for each other. They are especially interested in helping Dooley (John Wayne). James Arness was given a pretty good part, too. And, oddly enough, I've run into "Doc" (Milburn Stone) in a couple of films, of late. > I just rewatched *Island in the Sky* and it was better even than the last time. I loved all the insights into the men's lives...and how this sets up Dooley nicely and his position, because he is the only one who's private life we are given no glimpse into, even as his men are in the dark, until the very last scenes. It's so that, just as he says to himself in the voice-over after the crash, he "can't be human" in order that he can keep the others "up" when they give in and act human. ISLAND IN SKY SPOILERS I wept for Lovatt, who was too hard headed to listen. I wept when they were found and they spelled out Lovatt's fate with the branches. I love that his death meant somethng in the movie, it wasn't just thrown in for "action" puposes and then forgotten as in SO, SO many films. Nothing bothers me more than when someone gets killed in a movie and immediately after everyone's making jokes. Jim Arness was hilarious, I forgot he was a Carolina boy. And I feel like him when I have to wake up in the morning. > *I remember htinking how much better it was than the much talked about The High and the Mighty, which is rather a disappointment.* > > Maybe I'll watch that next. > Good!

Let's see if it shows up when I post it:

> But I never associate soldiers with disobedience and rebellion. Montana wanted no part of what Benson was doing. > I've seen it in several war movies. You even saw it in *Flying Leathernecks*. That's usually the more interesting conflict than the actual battles. > I believe Robert Osborne spoke of Ryan being in the Marines as an instructor and Ray in the Navy as a frogman. > There you go. Your memory is better than mine. Ha, Ray looks like a "frogman". > He is. But I didn't find him to be hateful. He had it easy with his platoon, though. They all seemed to be in awe of him. Montana wasn't. I liked him here very much. He made you feel secure. I can understand why his men respected him so much. Ray felt that way about his C.O. > Marlene's wardrobe and look are nothing like those in *The Devil Is a Woman*. All of this points to you not giving a hoot about the film. And I don't believe you would. > It's always run down by people who've seen it. I am still curious to watch it. Marlene seems very arch in it. I like her mysterious. > *He's the star of one of Bronxie's favorites, Murders in the Zoo.* > > > I'd probably like him in that. > It's a strange rather fascinating little thriller. > > And it's rather remarkable when you consider how many guys are in the film. > I guess the idea is these are regular guys, like anyone else. The real heroes are just every day fellows. > > I was surprised by how much I liked the "search" side of the film. It was rather engrossing. The "survival" side brought a different kind of feeling. > > > I'm really glad you suggested the film, because I thought it was superb. I wasn't expecting such a film. > Goodness, that's praise indeed! Now I really have to watch it again. I remember htinking how much better it was than the much talked about *The High and the Mighty*, which is rather a disappointment.

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