markbeckuaf
-
Posts
3,519 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Posts posted by markbeckuaf
-
-
I really loved this flick! Great dark film, and perfect for the revenge theme! Dick Powell was focused!
-
Love that's a great clip! I've not seen that, but have seen some of his early stuff. Would love to see more!
I've been digging on some of his later B stuff lately, from the "Forgotten Noir" collections. I have two of them, with 3 of his films from that later era. LOAN SHARK is awesome!
-
Love, I agree!
I even think that I AM A FUGITIVE FROM A CHAIN GANG has a noir look and feel to it, and that was from 1932!
-
Love, thanks! I do love the mysteries, noir, detective, B, precode, gangster stuff the most!
I have noticed you are digging a lot of those flix as well!
I'm also looking forward to that evening of crime/gangster films! Have the DVR fired up and ready!
-
Kyle, AWESOME post my man! You put into words what I was thinking! Thank you!
-
Love, MFF, great discussion!
This is my issue too. I know they aren't going to make scads of dough on these classic films, particularly the deeper they mine the libraries, but they WILL make $$. It's not a question, you can produce this stuff relatively cheap, even with extras like commentaries (which I prefer to see included, I'm not a fan of the ULTRA cheap DVD-R stuff, it's like buying Pirated films from the major studios, which I think is bogus and disrespectful). They WILL make money. Not as much as they will of the new stuff, nor of the heavy hitter big names, but profits will be had and everyone will be happy. I just don't see why you don't do it, when you are pretty much assured of making dough.
The economy is rough, but not so much for most corporations that own most of these films. To let them just languish in vaults is wrong.
If I was a zillionaire, I would buy all these libraries out, digitally master everything that hasn't been cleaned up, and release like crazy. I can dream!
-
> {quote:title=MovieFanLaura wrote:}{quote}
> You're correct, TCM showed THE SCARLET CLUE and THE JADE MASK, which were Monogram Chan films, during the Asian festival. I recorded them at that time.
>
> Raquelle at the blog Out of the Past (http://outofthepastcfb.blogspot.com/2010/06/charlie-chan-teaches-us-about-classic.html) did an excellent post this summer explaining all the complicated rights behind various Charlie Chan films. TCM can show any Monogram Chan films but has to negotiate with Fox for others. Check out the post for more history.
>
> Edited by: MovieFanLaura on Sep 8, 2010 4:07 PM
Laura, that was a great blog and entry but it only made my head spin a bit more!
If they have control over the Monogram Chan's (which is what I thought) why can't TCM air more of those? I know they have to negotiate with their parent company to air films just like other studios, but who is beating down any doors for Monogram films? That's what is confusing to me, because the earlier link to the TCMProgrammer suggested that they had to pull those 4 Monogram films that are included on the latest box set because while they had the rights to release them, they did not have the rights to air them? Say what?? It would be nice to have a more in-depth explanation of that, but it's unlikely we'll ever get it.
Eventually I'll pony up for the TCM Spotlight with those 4 Monogram Chan films (3 of Toler and 1 of Winters). What would be awesome is if TCM would box together the remainder (the earlier ones, most of them showing up on the way over-priced and now rare "Chanthology"), and the rest of the Winters Chan films. I hope they will, and I hope they'll show at least some of these on the air too!
As for Fox, yes, TCM did air a couple of them during the "Asian Images On Film" series a couple years ago, but as with all the other studios that they have to negotiate with, we know how that goes. It costs. More of us need to clamor for them and more consistently and perhaps TCM will consider ponying up to lease and air more of them. I'd love to see more on the air, though I will eventually get all of the Fox sets (have 2 so far). But that won't solve the Monogram situation for me though, I hope they'll address that by airing and releasing again!
Chan fans unite!
Oh and while I'm at it---more Monogram films in general please!
-
I absolutely adore Raft and would love to see more of his films airing on TCM! I'd also love it if they'd release some of the films on box sets!
I like his early films, but this is a rare instance (a few others) where I love him even more as he ages, and probably his mid-40's films and so on are my faves of his, for whatever reason. Just love his film presence!
-
*Rare and never aired pre-codes from Paramount, Fox, Universal, Columbia!
*Rare and rarely, or never aired, pre-codes from Warners, MGM, and RKO!
-
Tiki, thank you! I'm ok with it! I did catch those shorts, thanks to a reminder on the other thread devoted to Thelma Todd! Thank you!
I'm gonna pull for more Thelma, and would have even if I hadn't lost those!
-
> {quote:title=MyFavoriteFilms wrote:}{quote}
> Reminder: there's a Thelma repeat in the morning...THE REAL MCCOY, plus an extra Charley Chase short film, YOUNG IRONSIDES.
>
> This is followed by Harold Lloyd's THE MILKY WAY.
Thanks for the heads up on those shorts, I did get a chance to DVR them for this evening!!
THE MILKY WAY I've seen before, and like it ok, but not one of my favorite Lloyd talkies. I wish they'd air THE CATS-PAW sometime soon, that one rocks!
-
> {quote:title=MyFavoriteFilms wrote:}{quote}
> I intentionally posted those mammoth lists because I wanted people to see how many films are still lingering in the vaults. It's so unfair...to both the original artists and their families, and to us fans who would like to see them. There _is_ a market for these films.
I wholeheartedly AGREE!! I will scrape together my pennies to get them!
-
With the exception of the Monogram Chan's, did TCM ever show the Fox Chan's other than during the Asian Images On Film series a couple years ago? I wish TCM would show more of the Monogram's, but I'm not sure they are in control of the Fox films, though it would rock for them to lease and show more of those too!
You can get most of the Fox Chan sets for around $25-ish on Amazon--in the marketplace. I have two and want to get more (one Oland, one Toler). The latest release of 4 Monogram's is a bit steep for just 4 of those films (wish they would re-do the entire Monogram series for a decent price), but it's cool to see a Roland Winters' performance get a DVD treatment, because so rare. Those Monogram's that were released a few years ago, as The Chanthology, is way over-priced now and difficult to find a decent price anywhere among US markets. I wish TCM would re-release those (all of them!) in a new set, minus what they just released in the Spotlight.
Whatever, would love to see them show up more on the channel! Why not?
-
Love, I really like THE SCAR. Henreid is very good in this, as is Joan Bennett. Great ending, and a plot that I really enjoyed. Most prints are sketchy, as it's PD. The one in the box set wasn't too bad.
-
Wow, I watched this film for the first time---loved it, but I did think it poignant...very touching, very beautiful film, realistic in many ways. Well acted as well. Glad to have seen it, thank you TCM!
-
Reading this thread makes me miss the old AMC. Even though I never had it on my cable, saw it occasionally when visiting others, and all the great films that folks mention were aired on that channel.
I'm so glad we have TCM, but I wish there were two channels devoted to classic films. I have a cable box that has like 1000 channels (not all of them are active obviously). To have only ONE channel that airs classic films on a regular basis...crazy.
-
I'm looking forward to it!
-
So far, this morning, woke to I FOUND STELLA PARISH, with the delectable Kay Francis, from 1935!! This followed by one of my favorite crime/comedy films--CRIME BY NIGHT!! Later tonight, MAKE WAY FOR TOMORROW, a film I'm really looking forward to seeing! Thanks for some great films today!
-
Well....my excitement was a tad diminished. After looking forward to viewing the bulk of Thelma's day this weekend, my Cable/DVR box decided to go out. They couldn't get anyone out here until today and I had to have it replaced, but I lost many of those day's films!
Fortunately I did catch a chunk that evening and through the week, but what a bummer! Now, I'm even more fervent in hoping TCM will consider more Thelma films! Perhaps an evening spotlight or something? I also lost PAID and a few other films that aired on TCM recently. Bummer, man! Anyway, while it was out, I was getting a chance to go through some of the DVD purchases I've been fortunate to have made lately. I have been mostly focusing on the Mystery 100 Pack that I got through Amazon, it's one of those from Mill Creek Entertainment. So far, I've watched one of the Dick Tracy series, both of "The Shadow" films from the 30's with former Silent film star, Rod LaRocque. Two very different "Mr. Wong" films, including the 1935 one with Bela and the first in the Monogram series (same name, different character) with Boris in the title role. Also caught a very good early 30's film, WOMAN IN THE SHADOWS, with an incredible looking Fay Wray--woooh! The noir classic THE SCAR, love that film! And now starting to watch THE PAYOFF, from 1930, an early talkie I really like, really love Lowell Sherman! I also made a foray into two other sets, both from TCM/Warner--two Eddie G films from the Gangster set--THE AMAZING DR. CLITTERHOUSE and KID GALAHAD. And from one of the Noir sets, WHERE DANGER LIVES and ILLEGAL (which is the 3rd remake I've seen of THE MOUTHPIECE). I focused on the commentaries on those, as they were pretty interesting.
Well, not all bad, I guess, but I hope TCM can show more Thelma sometime soon!
-
I love the RKO's too, but I'll second your motion to air SO THIS IS AFRICA! It's hilarious!
-
Cable will be out until sometime later today. Still watching films from my collection. Shifted over toe the Warner Gangster collection for a while and watched KID GALAHAD and THE AMAZING DR. CLITTERHOUSE, both great films! Back to the Mystery Collection again, and just watched WOMAN IN THE SHADOWS, wow! Great early 30's flick, with Fay Wray looking better than ever, wow! Now starting to watch the noir classic, THE SCAR.
-
Kyle and LZ will know much more about how that all works, but my guess is that it's probably not a lot of hoops that they have to go through, but there probably is a contractual agreement and with that a cost, that was apparently not the case when Ted Turner owned the library and the channel and gave the channel free reign to run whatever they wanted to from the TCM Library. I wish Time-Warner would do the same, as it bums me out to see less of that library on the channel than there used to be. There are probably a few films from that library that are more difficult to get perhaps, because other stations might want them as well, but I'm guessing wanting to air THE MOUTHPIECE or BROADMINDED is not going to be very competitive.
I see the Silent era and the 30's as getting short shrift, not just on TCM but everywhere you look on the dial, even those channels that occasionally air classic films. I do think there is a drift away from that era on the channel, it has been incremental, but I also do not believe that it's some sinister plot to turn the channel into AMC. I think it's explained by 4 things, two have already been mentioned. The change of the ownership of the library and station. The lack of digital transfers of many of those films, as well as films from studio libraries that TCM has leased, such as Columbia, etc. The third is related to the fact that they now do lease from other libraries. Some of that has resulted in later era films, because some of those studios slant to that direction--the Disney films that were leased were largely from the 60's, 70's, and the post 1948 Paramount films, clearly slanted toward later years. The fourth is simply the passage of time. As TCM's mission statement has been updated to include the 90's, and I guess will be updated again, if it hasn't already, to include the double naught's, it's obvious that more films will be included from latter eras. I don't see it as totally moving to post-1970, though clearly more of those films are on the schedule than used to be case, but what is the greatest shift, from my perspective, is more films from the 50's and 60's (and you see that from the run-down that was presented here in this thread). I would venture to guess that with rare exceptions that is more the rule than the exception over the past months and in upcoming months. I think it was stated in an earlier thread on a similar topic that many of the promotions and little things that surround the showing of the actual films give a more modern feel and have shifted from the feel you used to get when watching them before the middle of this past decade--those made you feel you were actually IN the 1930s or 40's, while now the look and feel and sound feels later, 50's/60's or even later. Again, I don't like this, but I don't find it to be a nefarious plot of any kind, just an indicator of the passage of time.
I clearly prefer films pre-1950 most of the time, but I do like films from later eras too. But I would groove hard to see more films from the silent and early talkie/pre-code era on the schedule. That desire is fulfilled quite often by TCM, and more than any other channel is going to do by far, but of course, I'd love to see more! I get why Silents and to a lesser extent, 30's films are aired less not only on TCM but other channels. Whenever I do see a classic film on the schedule for another channel it is usually from the 40's or later (or possibly from 1939). The only exceptions might be The Three Stooges on AMC or IFC, and perhaps occasional westerns on the Encore Westerns channel. Everything else would be post-1938 or so, in my estimation. The Silents, well, it's somewhat understandable why they would seem to be from another world to casual (that is not classic buffs) modern viewers. But I believe it's true also of the 1930's at least up until 1938 or 1939. The acting styles, camera and lighting and sound techniques, the stories...all were much different than what evolved in the latter 30's and found fruition in the 40's and beyond. It's different enough that I can see how casual viewers would find it primitive (though I would contest that term), but more importantly find it difficult to relate to. Why they may regard many of the 1939 and beyond films to be old-fashioned in sensibilities, there are enough similarities with more modern acting styles and techniques to allow for more comfort in watching them, there is more to relate to. I get that. Whenever I watch a silent film or a film from the early sound era or pre-code, I know I'm in for a treat and one I'm prepared for, because I already know pretty much what to expect from that experience, and even if I'm surprised by something that the director, cinematographer, actor, writer, etc present, it's within a context I'm familiar with. I feel that is probably rarely the case with a casual viewer, and I realize that TCM is wanting to bring in more of those.
Having said all that, I will always bring the rallying cry to see more Silents and early talkie films, pre-latter 30's. I do miss (and I didn't have the channel during most of that heyday, caught the tail end of it before things started to change) seeing more rare and older films from the TCM Library of films. I will say that a fringe benefit of that change has been that they do lease films from other libraries, though. I didn't see that they did much of that when they owned the library outright and could show whatever they wanted to from it. They could run the channel pretty cheaply that way and did, and why not, it is a HUGE library. The Thelma Todd day, for example, greatly benefited from TCM having access to the Hal Roach shorts, those were awesome! And we have seen many Columbia films from the 30's that I hadn't seen before, and am looking forward to seeing more of the early Paramount films. Again though...it would be awesome if the funding is available, for TCM to scour the depths of their parent company's library, digitally transfer anything that hasn't been so far, and have a "Vault Month" or even a "Vault Year". That would be such an awesome event, to show films from that library that either haven't been seen at all, or only once or twice in the very early days of the channel. An idea for a 20th anniversary?? *hint hint*
I'm sure Kyle, LZ and others more knowledgeable than me about the situation will weigh in with good thoughts, but those were my 2.25 cents.
-
I thought Zeppo's greatest moments were in ANIMAL CRACKERS! I agree, he was funny as all get out! I am sorry he didn't make the transition over to MGM.
-
I agree!!! The Marx Bros are soooo cool! So many one liners that linger!!
Fortunately I did catch a chunk that evening and through the week, but what a bummer! Now, I'm even more fervent in hoping TCM will consider more Thelma films! Perhaps an evening spotlight or something? I also lost PAID and a few other films that aired on TCM recently. Bummer, man!
Raoul Walsh 9.11
in General Discussions
Posted
Clore, I saw REGENERATION when TCM aired it a few years ago and loved it! I would agree, it would have been cool to see it again tonight! But overall, I'm totally digging and grooving on this evening's feature! As MFF mentioned, Walsh never disappoints and always an interesting and enjoyable flick! I'm especially looking forward to old faves, WHITE HEAT and HIGH SIERRA--in fact the more I think about HIGH SIERRA, the more I find that to be possibly my favorite of all Bogie flix--and I love a LOT of his flix!