MissGoddess

Drat I wish I'd received your reminder sooner...I was unconscious until about 1 in the afternoon on Sunday (didn't get to sleep until 6 am). I have never seen this movie and I think it sounds like great fun from your description. I don't think I've ever seen Franciscus in a movie. This made me laugh: Feted by the hoi polloi, dropped by a publisher, breach of contract, suicide, pneumonia, lawsuits, being catnip to women, Pulitzer nominations...and his mother entering his room without knocking. I'm not sure the last thing is what would send most people over the edge. Here's hoping TCM shows it again at a more civilized hour for us insomniacs.

> Do you remember Stevens using this "wedding ceremony" technique in "Woman of the Year"? (Kate's at Fay Bainter's wedding). > Yes! And it's exactly the scene this reminded me of. The same kind of intimate feeling, where you could really feel the character's emotions and rising thoughts. Wonderful. > Say hello ("7nu3lc") to both of your little scamps. Scratch their tummies for me. Hee! Soon they'll have their own email addresses or website, they love to commandeer my laptop and start typing away (or sit on the keyboard because its warm). Be sure to check out their latest "film noir" video: Kitty of Fear...

> {quote:title=FrankGrimes wrote:}{quote}Howdy, Fordy Guns! I've watched nine more films. Care to guess how I liked them? Anyone else? How do you like them? > > Adam's Rib > Beau Geste > City of Fear > Letter From an Unknown Woman > Pursued > Roughshod > Spitfire > Stars in My Crown > Teacher's Pet > How you may have liked them: 1. City of Fear 2. Stars in My Crown 3. Adam's Rib 4. Roughshod 5. Teacher's Pet 6. Spitfire 7. Letter from and Unknown Woman 8. Pursued 9. Beau Geste Me. 1. Letter from an Unknown Woman 2. Teacher's Pet 3. Stars in my Crown 4. Beau Geste 5. Pursued 6. Roughshod 7. City of Fear 8. Adam's Rib 9. Spitfire* *I haven't seen *Spitfire* recently enough to truthfully say how I feel about it now.

Hi ho Ro, Ha.. what is that saying.. "Ignorance can be fixed, but stupid is forever" It is STUPID to hang on to prejudice for prejudice's sake.. if you are ignorant.. you CAN learn.. but if you are just stupid and want to hold on out of meaness or spite.. there is little hope for a person like that. I am glad he did not end up that way. It would have changed the entire tone of the movie for sure. It certainly would have been a different movie...perhaps more a conventional "drama" or even soap opera, with Bick a regular "J.R. Ewing" type. Instead, it's more complicated, and the characters change. I like Leslie's development, too, how she really puts down roots in Texas and comes to feel she belongs there. She did because she loved Bick, and then she became "a part of it all" like Uncle Bawly predicted.

> I LOVED Wills character.. he was like this little (and not so little sometimes) voice of reason. And yet he too had the stereotyping going on sometimes too. Once in a while he'd fall in w/ the "good ole boy" club.. but he had a head on his shoulders and could think for himself too. I love the line you quoted that he said to Leslie about the kids. (ha. and I loved the way he just sat there and played the organ while all this "stuff" was going on around him.. seeming not to notice.. but never missing anything. It was a great role for Wills. > I think he was very fond of Lelsie, and liked the breath of fresh air she brought to the family, maybe even bringing out the best in him. She made everyone kind of look at themselves and question themselves in ways they weren't accustomed. > (I also loved his "cattle herding" when all the party folks got ran out of the one area during the storm and they were crowding together as the moved along. ha. The kidling was watching with me by that point in the story and she said "HEY.. he's treating them like a bunch of cows") > > And in a way.. that is just like what they were.. easily herded and moved along by their lack of ability to see past Jet's pocketbook. They only let him be one of the "herd" because he had more MONEY than they did.. if he was still as he had started out.. they'd have trampled him or run him out of the corrall long ago if he had tried to fit in) > Brilliant! Yes, that's how I saw it....he was treating them just as they ought to be treated. He never wanted to go to that shindig in the first place, it was Bick who insisted, with his endless competitiveness and family pride. And it was Uncle Bawly who understood his neice, Luz (Carroll Baker) and how to handle her over Jett. > Ha.. I actually forgot that she called him that. but yes! I did. I like how she put it all out there for them to see.. they were treating her VERY poorly.. because they thought she was only there to look pretty and pour coffee for the other ladies.. etc. Her opinions or her thoughts or ideas did NOT matter one bit. (and I LOVED how she reminded them of where she came from and what she grew up with.. right NEXT door to all the politics they were so desperately trying to wheel and deal around. She likely understood the way things were in Washington better than any of the men there.. but as far as they were concerned.. it was nothing for her to worry her pretty little head over.. sheesh!! > They were asking for trouble with her on that score. > I love how she loves him enough to just "let it be" and yet STILL keeps herself as herself. She did not give up her right to think and be who she was just because she gave him her heart. (and I love the part at the wedding when he came to see her after they'd been apart so long.. she is READY to go home.. but again..she reminds him that she is still going to be herself.. and not some "image" of a wife he has made up in his mind for her to be. > I really like how Stevens staged that wedding scene, how the words that were being spoken over the sister were registering in Leslie's mind and then Bick is standing behind her. First she senses he's there, and slowly turns and sees him. A great moment. That's a very sensitive director. > I am glad he did not put up a huge fight with her over how to treat that poor sick baby. She saw it as the most natural thing in the world to help another human being. he only saw it as "their problem" so it really was telling how he realized that it was right for her to go. (if nothing else it shows again that he was not really mean.. just ignorant) And speaking of that conversation.. OH me.. when that whole thing played out w/ his sister.. I was afraid he was going to go out and shoot that horse while Leslie was gone, just because he was mad.. I was glad he had a real reason to do it. Again..not a mean guy.. and it made the difference for me with this whole story.. because at first (once I saw that he was so much different than I first thought he was) I was afraid he was going to be mean.. or at least so hard he could never listen to reason.. so I was glad to see he was not. > If he'd been, say, like Charles Bickford in *The Big Country*, we'd be in a lot of trouble. It would be impossible to reach him. But he had something in him that Leslie responded to from the start, a willingness to try to be what she wanted just a little. > Ha.. well that would be a FIRST for me!! I need to try and find some time to go back and look at your Rambles thread.. I could not remember WHERE you had talked about this movie before (way back when you first started mentioning it) but I did remember there was some conversation on it. Ugh.. it just took me SO ridiculously long to finally get past my "stubborn mindset".. ha.. and past my pre-judging of what I THOUGHT I would or would not be watching with this movie.. that I lost track of when and where you and others had posted.. sigh.. I am a mess sometimes. > No I think you are marvelous to try so many movies you never thought you would...you've been really experimenting a lot...Sinatra and Natalie Wood, Elizabeth and Rock, Bogart..tomatoes! And all while you've had so very much going on in your own life. I'm amazed you could sit and concentrate on a long movie at this time. And I didn't mean for you to watch *Giant* right away, I was just teasing. I know how busy you've been. But I'm glad it was enjoyable. > She asked a lot of questions about why this or that happened as the rest of the movie went along... but when she saw what was happening to Juana.. and I told her why.. OH me did she ever get hot under the collar. "That's just NOT right" (she was very mad when those beauticians let the other lady go ahead and kept Juana just sitting there) Oh me.. my little "Peacemaker Jr" went into high gear about then.. and later she was so mad at James Dean she actually cheered when the table fell over on him after he stumbles there all by himself. > > "That's what he gets for being so mean to people" > Ha! I love her furious sense of justice. We often tend to let that erode with time and as we "mature". > (don't tell the Grey Guy.. but she seems to have a decided touch of "black and white" going on when it comes to her sense of justice.. ha..I don't know WHERE she gets it.. ha..a girl after my own heart!! ) > We know exactly where it's coming from.

Oooooooooooooooooooh Ro I'm so happy you liked it! And you saw all the things in it I wanted you to see. And please apologize for me to the kidling, I feel I owe her a "giant monster" to make up for her disappointment! And as for Dean.. I have to confess I really have not seen any movies of his that I can recall, but it is his IMAGE I have always steered away from.. that whole "leather jacketed, sneering punk w/out a clue.. I mean... a cause" thing, I guess. But wow.. he really did a VERY fine job in this film. Which by the way, makes his passing so soon after it was made all the more tragic.. it really makes you wonder WHAT in the world he may have gone on to do w/ his career if only. Growing up in Texas meant regular TV showings of *Giant* at that time and so this was my first James Dean movie. Because he ages and because he's not the only main character, I didn't view him as the "punk without a cause" (lol, loved that description!) yet...that came after seeing the Nicholas Ray movie and *East of Eden* (and not to digress too much, he's actually not a punk in either film, especially not in RWAC, the opposite in fact, he's the "good boy"). Anyway, my strongest impression is of a young actor who really had the chutzpah to bring to life a complex, not altogether pleasant but still very human young man into pompous, racist, windbaggy middle age. And still you felt sorry for him, or you at least felt for Carroll Baker's anguish for his humiliation. I was already convinced that HE was going to be the simple and uncomplicated regular "human" and that she'd be this high minded and uppity snob person that would need to leave all her prejudice behind to embrace the life as a Texan. But it was the OTHER way around. HE was the "uppity" and biggoted one. And SHE was the human being. That's interesting that your expectations were met with very different characterizations! Bick is definitely trying to fill his fathers "boots" and it takes dear "Uncle Bawly" (Chill Wills in my favorite of his roles, and quite possibly my favorite character in the movie outside of "Leslie") to put it plain. "He thinks the way it was for him is the way it's got to be. You go ahead and raise those youngun' your way...let them grow up to be what they want to be." Oh, Uncle Bawly has my in tears quite a few times. Good gravy.. He was practically a dadgum caveman.. though not MEAN spirited.. just ignorant of reality and very content to stay that way. OH me, it took a LIFETIME of marriage and change after change after change for them both, to finally drag him into reality and acceptance that the things he once THOUGHT about different races (and even perhaps a woman's role in the home) and the treatment some received at the hands of others was NOT the good and right way to live. It took him until he was an OLD man..and he got there in stages.. but he DID finally get there.. at least most of the way, anyway. Ha haaa!! So did you enjoy Leslie's "caveman speech"? I thought it reminded me of the whole Hepburn/Tracy scenario for a moment. I think my favorite scene (I have many) is the aftermath of her explosion at the "good old boys" sitting around, shutting her and the women folk out of their "grown up" conversation. I just laugh at Bick's reaction and the way Stevens shows all the lights going on when he raises his voice. And the way Leslie handles him is just so delightful. She's so tiny but she puts her hands on her hips and tells him she'll "Never" change to suit his ideas. To be fair to Bick, he showed what feelings he was capable of on a couple of occasions, like when Angel died, and before that, he recognized the morning after the whole thing with the doctor going to the village to save little Angel's life, that he should have shown more compassion. "I'm better now, Leslie. How's the baby?" "Alive, thanks to the Doctor." "Good." Rock does a pretty good job at showing that Bick isn't how he is because he's a bad person or heartless, but purely because he's only learned one way to look at things, his father's way. I loved the ending two with the little babies.. the "eyes" of Texas WERE upon him.. and he FINALLY understood who's eyes were upon him.. and what that really meant. good grief girl, you just said in two sentences what it took me a couple of looooong winded posts (which I didn't even finish) back in Rambles to say! I do think Stevens was making a plea for the youth and younger generations not to let them make the same mistakes of their forefathers. After the war, that was on his mind a lot. You can see it in little Joey in *Shane*, too, as well as in *The Diary of Ann Frank*.

Four Westerns are being shown on Encore this month that are not very well known but each is rather unique. Check local listings online: http://www.starz.com/schedule *The Last Frontier* (Anthony Mann, 1955) Airing Sunday 10/16/11 at 2:40 a.m. (EST) A frontiersman (Victor Mature) scouts for a glory-riding Fort Lieutenant (Robert Preston) who's taken over the command of the more rational and peace-seeking Captain (Guy Madison). James Whitmore plays Mature's father, or man who raised him. Mann again looks at the wildness and violence inside even the most civilized men. Though Mature is a mountain man, "a bear" as he calls himself, and has no qualms about taking anything he needs, including another man's life or wife, he's still not as "savage" as Preston who will sacrifice his entire company of men to experience "victory". It's an exciting tale and if not in the league of the Stewart or Cooper westerns, definitely deserving of attention for its emotions and the unmistakable Anthony Mann fingerprints. *Invitation to a Gunfighter* (Richard Wilson, 1964) Airing Sunday, 10/16/11 at 8:00 p.m. and Monday, 10/17/11 at 3:10 a.m. and 1:35 p.m. (EST) Here at last on TV is one of my favorite lesser known westerns. Yul Brynner stars as a dandy dressing, Creole gun for hire who arrives in a small Southern town, at the behest of the "respectable" citizens who want a troublesome returning Civil War veteran (George Segal) out of the way. However, Brynner sees things in his own way, and quickly sees a woman (Janice Rule) in his way. *Savage Pampas* (Hugo Fregonese, 1966). Airing Sunday, 10/16/11 at 4:20 p.m. and Monday, 10/17/11 at 1:15 a.m and 11:20 a.m. (EST) This is one of the strangest "westerns" I've seen let alone starring Robert Taylor, yet it's fascinating in its own way and Taylor was seldom better. It takes place as the title suggests, in the wilds of Argentina. Taylor is in command, tenuously, of a company of soldiers who meet up with a band of ladies" and since it's been a while, the effects are profound. This makes it sound nothing like it plays out...you have to see this movie to credit how interesting it is. A rather remarkable western made when westerns were definitely expanding and exploring beyond the American frontier, and worth seeing at least once. The ending is rather tragic. *Man in the Shadow* (Jack Arnold, 1957) Airing Sunday 10/16/11 at 1:10 p.m. (EST) Starring Orson Welles as a modern day despot on whose southwestern "kingdom" the murder of a Mexican worker takes place. Jeff Chandler is the local Sheriff who starts to investigate, perfunctorily at first, but the more people tell him to lay off, the more attention he starts to pay to the circumstances of the murder. What's interesting is he's not setting out to be a hero nor does he have any grudge against Welles' big boss. But he doesn't like anyone telling him how to think or do his job, and now Welles' power has begun to encroach on that freedom. Offbeat and still rather frank on the subject of racism.

Sylvie: "It's infuriating that your unhappiness does not turn to fat!"

I'll tell you what makes me salivate: Frank Morgan's succulent description of the holiday restaurant meal he's going to share with young Rudy in THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER. Oh my goodness, me too!!! We don't even see it but it conjurs such a delicious repast I get faint thinking of it. I must run out and buy potato chips and a bottle of champagne to dunk them in after I watch THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH. Again, me too! It's actually not bad! I have to have both a liverwurst AND a chicken sandwich during CHARADE. Same thing with DESK SET. I love that Audrey's character is constantly hungry and eating.

ro I do the same...the vast majority of the time I just make the same stuff over and over, even though I love to cook and experiment (though I'm always a little scared). there's plent of "adventure" to be found in trying a new recipe! I think I'm going to make this scalloped potato thingy. Too late to thaw my pork loin so I'll have get some other sort of meat to accompany it. One thing I like to prepare every time I cook anything is a kind of "relish" or condiment made from red onions and tomatoes: Slice one medium or one-half large red onion very thinly (do not dice) and place in a bowl. Sprinkle generously with salt (about 2 teaspoons or so). "Scald" the onion slices by pouring boiling water over them (just enough to cover the slices) and let soak for two or three minutes. Strain and then sqeeze in the juice of half a lime; stir and set aside while you prepare you main course. When the main course is almost ready, add a teaspoon of olive oil, diced tomato and chopped cilantro and/or fresh chopped dill and black pepper to taste to the onion/lime juice and combine. Serve as a flavorful condiment to any meat or fish or mix into your favorite salad (no need for extra dressing!) or spread over toasted fresh bread. It's delicious! P.S. This recipe really calls for red onion only; I tried white and yellow once and they just don't taste the same, plus it doesn't look as pretty!

You have a little "crew" to feed, it's easy for me to dawdle over my dinners for one. I'm so hungry now I could faint...I'm going to run out soon to the market, my fridge is bare and mocking me.

That recipe sounds scrumptious! Here is my variation on the same recipe: I would sub creme and chopped champignons for the soup and fresh garlic and shallots for the garlic powder, add a tiny bit of paprika...and maybe grate some cheese over the top and bake a little more until the cheese is lightly browned and bubbling...I'm now faint with hunger!

It's been so long since I've seen *Mr. Lucky* it will probably be all new to me.

CinemAvau,j 1q (sorry, Nikki wanted to say "hi", too) I loved your courtroom dramas list! You have many of my own favorites on it,including a couple of the modern ones ! I agee that Newman should have gotten his award for *The Verdict*, he's great. I haven't seen *Color of Money*, though I can't imagine him being any better. and *Intolerable Cruelty* was funny. I'm also a sucker for *The Young Philadelphians*, that's one I have been watching since forever. Brian Keith! An interesting look at how society can just corrode yo]\\\\ (Felix) youthful ideals by giving you everything you want on a silver platter (with invisible silver chains to shackle you forever).Funny how this movie kind of prefigures *The Verdict* in so many ways. And it's one of the few times I thought Robert Vaughn showed some heart on screen. The one movie I'd add with a great courtroom scene is Lana Turner's *Madame X*.

You guys have finally inspired me to re-watch MR LUCKY...I haven't seen it in so long.

I agree with Frank on this one. Rock is definitely playing "John Wayne" and Elizabeth is his feisty bride.

I actually think Giant is one of Stevens' best films. It's a great story of a marriage, as Frank says. That's how I see it. Two different worlds coming together. And Elizabeth is incredible, Barbara, you won't be disappointed in her performance at all. She gets to do it all. The last part slows down a little until the very last scenes which end with one of my favorite fights ever. Give it a chance one day when you have eight or ten hours with nothing to do, lol.

OH.. and come for supper... I am making pork roast in the crock pot w/ homemade scalloped potatoes this weekend. OH.. and I have CHOCOLATE.. some lovely dark chocolate raspberry filled Ghiradelli's just waiting for us in the fridge.. and.. oh.. I also have some lovely carmel and apples too in case we feel guilty for all that chocolate... apples are healthy aren't they?? (we can slice up the apples and heat the carmel and drizzle it over top.... and at least PRETEND they are healthy... ) I'm coming over. After we eat I'm tying you both to chairs and you watch Giant while I finish the chocolates. Does it help to say Dean is not a favorite of mine either, but here he plays a cowboy type? And Elizabeth isn't playing one of her "sexy gal" types, she's Paul Fix's daughter...does that help, too?

Everyone has a tone and a BPM. Bi-polar mother?

I think that was Fred Astaire who was with Robert Wagner in "It Takes a Thief". I've actually never seen that show.

> {quote:title=movieman1957 wrote:}{quote}*I've never been able to sit through GIANT. I wish I knew why.* > > It takes all night to watch it? HA!!!

> You don't mind all the research entailed? > > :-) It's a tough job, Tall T, but someone's got to do it.

> {quote:title=wouldbestar wrote:}{quote}When I watched the documentary on James Dean the other night-if you've not seen it do-he starred in The Hound of Heaven with John Carradine that was an early version of *The Twilight Zone's *The Hunt. They played the scene where the old man finds out from the angel that his dog has saved him from Hell. I'm not certain which version was better but am leaning towards the *TZ* one because I love Arthur Hunnicutt. There were many clips of early 50's TV with popular actors of the time in their youth. My jaw just kept dropping. It's amazing how much work he did before those three movies. I'd love to see that "Hound of Heaven" if only for John Carradine. He was in a particularly creepy TZ episode playing an old religious monk who had "the devil" locked up in his dungeon.

Hi, MrR...are you referring to the Boomerang channel that shows (used to show) classic cartoons? I'm going to add it to my favorites, then...that's great! I admit I'm a "Munsters" gal, but that's probably because I saw that show first. I love Grandpa. I didn't see "The Addams Family" until just a few years ago, in fact. It never seemd to be re-run as frequently as TM.

I just added Woody to my website, he's getting his own page. Because he has to.