MissGoddess
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Posts posted by MissGoddess
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> He's Bruce Wayne at the party!
And Ty is Don Diego at the party! You have to see *The Mark of Zorro* now because Ty is in a similar, playful mode in that one. Plus it has your girl in it.
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> *I liked him in Dangerous, too, though Bette really runs roughshod in that one.*
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> When doesn't she?!
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Ha! Well, that's why she got George Brent and Herbert Marshall most of the time!
> "Baubles, bangles, and beads"? That was great! That's you!
She said she was playing mommy to her younger siblings and that drove her to good ol' Max Verne (Jack Elam).>
Those siblings must have been scary to drive a good looking girl like her to Jack Elam.
> It depends. If it's gangster flicks, you're right.
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Which ones are soft to you in the thirties?
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> *You're already so low you'd have to dive up!*
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> You're right!
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Yes, Max.
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> *They only look ridiculous.*
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> Not as ridiculous as the ruffles, plumes, and wigs!
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But that was the style of the day so everyone was looking like that. Your caped crusader stands out a little at parties.
> I haven't seen any of those, although I have *The Man on the Eiffel Tower* on DVD. *The Lives of a Bengal Lancer* features my favorite Tone character. My favorite performance is *Phantom Lady*.
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I liked him in *Dangerous*, too, though Bette really runs roughshod in that one.
> I wasn't referring to her! You're the one who wants the shoes, dresses, and jewelry!
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Oh the little hillbilly girl. Wasn't she the girl in *On Dangerous Ground*, the underage kid in the bar? She looks so familiar. Poor thing, she probably got kicked around a lot, you can't blame her for wanting some baubles, bangles and beads.
> *You mean a small town with intrigue?*
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> No. I was speaking of the pairing.
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Oh, of course.
> *I thought the whole weird music and how the crime took place was kind of cool.*
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> I liked the opening. That pulls you in. The pay-off isn't good, though.
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I liked it.
> *It's definitely a cheapie "B" movie, but I enjoyed it.*
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> It's too "soft" for me. It actually felt like a 30s crime film.
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Those are usually not soft at all.
> We divers have needs, too!
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You're already so low you'd have to dive up!
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> {quote:title=JackFavell wrote:}{quote}I like these second string leading men - MacDonald Carey and Don Taylor. Nothing special, but they feel kind of homey. I think they capture the veteran-returning-home category very well.
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I do like Carey's appeal and a couple others of that type (Hugh Beaumont, Richard Egan); they're kind of "pipe and slippers" and comforting. Some of them can be just a little too much on the bland side for me (Kent Smith always comes to mind, ha).
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Speaking of Georgie, he's on right now on the Fox Movie Channel in *Son of Fury*. He's a really nasty fellow in that one, right up his alley. A sneering, bullying lordling who pushes around stable boy Tyrone Power.
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Ro, could you make a list of your favorite Dickens movies?
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> {quote:title=rohanaka wrote:}{quote}Ha haaa!! I'm all at sea
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> Just make sure the poor little boys have their mini-kitty life jackets on nice and snug!! Ha. (just let me know if you need me to go all "Peacemaker" on anyone for you!! )
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Will do!> Glad to see you back and giving the Shiftless One "the Dickens
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> Ha.. I'll believe he will watch that movie when I see it.. Hey.. wait. I already HAVE seen it.. but HE hasn't. (Thank goodness.. I am NOT so shiftless after all.. ha.. oh boy.. do I feel better now)
Boy, if you get him to sit and watch Dickens, you will have earned the Frozen Rope Crown of Achievement!
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> You need to learn how to read! Lots of studying at night is required.
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I'd rather remain ignerent.
> *Oh yes of course. Capes, masks and Bat-phones are so streamlined.*
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> They are! They're not puffy and cumbersome!
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They only look ridiculous.
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> He could play either man, that's true. But I was specifically speaking of his 30s roles. He seems to always be the unpolished fella. I like him as that.
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He always had the everyman touch.
> *I'm trying to think what my favorite Franchot Tone role or movie is. I'll look over his filmography and think about it.*
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> Do it! I've only seen eight of his films.
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I forgot he was in one of my favorite Merle Oberon films, *Dark Waters*. I guess I'd put *Three Comrades* at or near the top. I'm not sure I've ever seen *The Unguarded Hour* or *The Man on the Eiffel Tower*. They sound interesting.
> I don't have that one. I'll have to check and see if it's on the schedule.
>
I think it shows up now and then, not too often though.
> That's correct. It didn't do much for me. I always like seeing darling Teresa Wright but the story was much too bland and uninteresting for me. You're right, her husband (John Craven) was a bore. But you were quite entertaining, Gracie!
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I'm not a spoiled heiress! I wish! She was getting on my nerves because I couldn't see her with a guy like that. "Yes dear I know a man is going to die but we have a party to go to!" My word.
> I like *Let Us Live* a little more.
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Well, so do I because I like the cast better.
> He's nothing special, but he does project competence. It's interesting to see *Shadow of a Doubt*... a decade later.
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You mean a small town with intrigue? I thought the whole weird music and how the crime took place was kind of cool. It's definitely a cheapie "B" movie, but I enjoyed it. I was surprised when the diver decided to take the plunge with Theresa. That was pretty low.
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> {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".
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Howdy, stranger!
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> That's not a real flower!
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Spoken like a real phony!
> *You don't fancy tights?*
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> I do! I like superheroes! What can be crazy for me is all the ruffles and plumes. Lots of clothing!
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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.
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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).
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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.
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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.
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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.
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> 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.
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You might say the expression "war is hell" is really depicted here.
> I shall watch that in my next group of films.
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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.
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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.
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> No! You've probably never seen real flowers!
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A cactus rose by any other name smells as sweet.
> And clothes!
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You don't fancy tights?
> It's these kind of roles where I like Spencer Tracy the very most. He's very emotional.
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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.
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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!
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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!
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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!
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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.
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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.
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Good. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
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> *What about the others on your list, like They Gave Him a Gun?*
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> 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.
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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.
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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.
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What about the others on your list, like They Gave Him a Gun?
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> 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.
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> 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.
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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!:
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You'd never want to make the effort it takes to be a pirate. You're more like Laird.
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> {quote:title=FrankGrimes wrote:}{quote}*Very funny now can you say what you really liked about it?*
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> 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?
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Very funny now can you say what you really liked about it?
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>
> Is he in the corner here?:
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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!
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So you liked Maureen, that's not surprising. It's a fun one.
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At least he got a name!
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> 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!
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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.*
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> I believe he's one of the radio guys on the first three planes.
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Which one of those? The guy standing is Fess Parker, I don't recognize the others. None of them look like Connors to me.
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> There's also *The Trail of the Lonesome Pine*.
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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?
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> {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.
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> 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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What a compliment!
> That sounds good! The combination of Montgomery and Tone seems like a winning one.
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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.
She said she was playing mommy to her younger siblings and that drove her to good ol' Max Verne (Jack Elam).
The Annual FrankGrimes Torture Thread
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> It's been on my list to watch for a little while. I have it as the next "Linda" film for me.
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She's very beautiful in it. Her character is basically the same as the girl in *Blood and Sand*.
> You don't think Jack is a prize?
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Yes! The booby prize!
> *Which ones are soft to you in the thirties?*
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> *Let Us Live* is an example of one. *Sinners in Paradise* has a softness to it. They are light crime films.
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I don't think *Let Us Live* as so much of a crime film. I guess I do mean the more gangster type ones.