ziggyelman

> {quote:title=molo14 wrote:}{quote} > Please don't make me turn in my "TCM classic comedy lover" badge but I don't think I've ever watched a Wheeler and Woolsey film! > > I missed *The Cuckoos* and *Hook, Line and Sinker* but I did record the other two. I think I also have copies of *Rio Rita*, *Hold 'Em Jail* and *Hips, Hips, Hooray!* lying around here somewhere. > > What should I start with? A little late to this thread...first off, I have to say, I find them very funny, but I don't think they had the writers they needed, or deserved to make that perfect comedy. Hips Hips, Hooray sure has it's moments, probably the best one I have seen so far....I happened across Hold 'Em Jail after another film on a disc, and I would say the first 15-20 minutes were brilliant! Just silly, almost anarchistic comedy ala Marx Bros, then....I don't know what happened. Like the writer died, and they just winged it for the last 40 minutes. 1 16-17 year old Bette Grable is the love interest for Wheeler! But, still worth watching just for the beginning! Checking imdb I see they may 25 films in about 8 years! That doesn't give you much time to polish the rough edges, does it???

> {quote:title=drednm wrote:}{quote} > Who was who said about Williams: "Wet, she's a star." > > I certainly have nothing (really) against Williams, BUT I dislike TCM using a block of primetime only to hawk a DVD set.... and speaking of DVD sets, where are the set for Kay Francis or Marion Davies?? But, they have certainly done this a fair bit in the past with new books, box sets, etc, correct??? As I mentioned on another thread, TCM is not even part of basic cable,(Well, satellite for me) as it used to be. So its a niche channel right there. And I bet with economy and job market being so bad, folks are dropping luxuries like cable nationwide, or at least paring down the packages they do have. The LAST thing anyone here wants to see it TCM go away! Can you imagine what that would be like??? How many movies would simply be lost to the ages???? I say, let them do box set film blocks like this. Warner must pay for the prime time "hawking", and it helps sell these sets, which will hopefully get more sets released in the future....I'll get upset when it's a night of Adam Sandler films showing....

> {quote:title=HollywoodGolightly wrote:}{quote} > The most famous classics keep getting reissued partly because people keep buying them (doh!) and also because sometimes people like to upgrade to a new format (say, from DVD to blu-ray). > > Sometimes the most profitable classic titles like The Wizard of Oz probably help offset less profitable releases of classic movies. > > As for ads on TCM, I've also been seeing a lot of ads for the Esther Williams and William Castle collections. Well, I hope they are making money re-re-re-releasing these films! But, the mindset seems to be they are the only films people will pony up for....and the only ones worth spreading the word on. It's true you see ads for Esther Williams and William Castle on TCM,(Which I imagine help fund the channel) but why not take a chance running them elsewhere as well??? There must be people that would want the Esther Williams set, that will never know of either volumes existence. TCM is not part of basic cable anymore, and blockbuster stores(the few left) aren't likely to have them either.

looks like a very good month! Has *If I Had A Million (1932)* Been on TCM before??? I recall it being on AMC a long time ago....really a fun film for those that haven't seen it...even for those that have!

I think one reason sales are not that great for older films on DVD...ever see an ad for one outside of TCM??? Well, I think I have seen one for the Wizard of Oz on regular TV, but that's a special situation. And I don't buy the cost of advertising factor...there are so many cheap ads late at night, that even on national channels cost next to nothing... I know, a bit off subject! From Barrrie Maxwell of the digital bits site...if you think it's bad with WB film releases... *Much as fans may be unhappy with the reduced/altered output from Warners, the real disappointment is the Fox situation. The classic faucet has been effectively turned off and aside from some classic titles making the transition from DVD to Blu-ray, no new classic releases are apparently planned for the remainder of this year. Nor is there anything to suggest that a change in this approach will be forthcoming next year.*

> {quote:title=Moodri wrote:}{quote} > There will be four Charley Chase silent shorts on TCM this Sunday night/Monday morning (all times eastern): > > Sunday/Monday 09/27-28 > (12mid) *Bad Boy* (1925) 19m > > Monday 09/28 > 12:30am *Isn't Life Terrible* (1925) 22m > 1:00am *The Uneasy Three* (1925) 22m > 1:30am *Mama Behave* (1926) 22m Thanks for mentioning them, Moodri! Isn't Life Terrible will be interesting for so very many reasons....check out the cast and the director(same director for all the shorts that night.... *Isn't Life Terrible (1925)* *In this silent short, a family camping trip turns into a disaster.* *Cast: Charley Chase, Oliver Hardy, Fay Wray, Lon Poff Dir: Leo McCarey*

Just did a quick check to make sure the first two(AIR HOSTESS ANN CARVER'S PROFESSION) recorded aok, they did, and the prints look fantastic! I guess it helps that the films probably haven't copies made from them much in the last 76 years. I sure hope the films that were supposed to run will run later on. This is the 3rd time(that I know of) for that Nancy Carroll movie.... Edited by: ziggyelman on Sep 25, 2009 9:14 AM

> {quote:title=RainingViolets101 wrote:}{quote} > I saw Miss Weidler in 'Best Foot Forward' and she was a young adult - I thought > she was quite lovely in Technicolor.... I thought so too! But you could sort of feel that MGM didn't know what to do with her. Margaret O'Brien is another child star that should have done better in films as an adult. Films such as Glory, in 1956, took away all the good qualities she possessed, and just made her a whiny 19 year old...sigh....

> {quote:title=Bronxgirl48 wrote:}{quote} > Mom could never remember Dyan Cannon: "Who was the young wife of Cary Grant with the curly hair, Diahann Carroll?" > > I've never been able to bring myself to watch that HERE COMES MR. JORDAN remake. I don't know what it is, I don't want to see actors in bell bottoms in the 1970's doing this kind of a story. > > Mom already considers you part of the family. That would have been something if Cary had married Diahann Carroll in the 60's! Its always interesting to compare film memories or stories. It all depends on which one you see first! I saw Heaven Can Wait in the theatres as a kid, and really enjoyed it! Perhaps the only film I have really liked Warren Beatty in(Well, that and *Bugsy* ) Didn't get a chance to see Here Comes Mr. Jordan til many years later, and just thought it was ok. Seeing it again later on, I was able to enjoy it much more. Guess I was expecting too much the first time. Always wondered if Warren just ripped off the title from the Don Ameche film???

Oh brother! I used to be such a fan of Spielberg's. How can they disguise what this is based on?? What will they call it??? Me an Harv?? A Man and his Bunny??? My Best Friend??? A Drunk's Imaginary Buddy??? I have seen 2 movies in a theater in the last 3 years. This won't be the next one I see.

*his affairs with men, such as the actors Earl Larimore, Johnny Mack Brown, William Haines, and Rod LaRocque ? men whom Gable outed to the press to prevent himself from being outed.* Huh??? Does that make any sense??? Umm, you caught me so I will umm.. out some other guys that are gay if you don't out me??? I am sure it was quite the shock for folks to find out Haines was gay! As for the writer, as mentioned above, his books are almost always trashed, and boy is he thin skinned! http://lisaburks.typepad.com/jeanharlow/2009/05/tarnished-.html

lets see if I can do this still Virginia Bruce Fay Wray

> {quote:title=drednm wrote:}{quote} > Yes you're right.... public tastes changed fast during the war. But for a time, MacDonald was one of the biggest box-office stars in Hollywood..... Personally I think she's hugely underrated as a dramatic actress (yes, possibly within a narrow range) and also a splendid comedienne. She would have been terrific in the Norma Shearer role in *The Women.* > > I watched *New Moon* last night, having finished her biography. I think she was a remarkable talent. New Moon and Naughty Marietta are both fine films that I bet some folks just won't give a chance to because of them being period piece musicals. Nelson and Jeanette had real chemistry. Better at comedy than drama, but still very watchable pair, if people just give them half a chance.

Was curious to see if there were "easter eggs" on any of the DVD's of Sunset Blvd, but there don't appear to be any...from a site talking about the raw footage... The best extra are two script drafts of the famous 'talking corpses' morgue opening, illustrated with four or five actual raw takes from the sequence. They don't include Holden or the talking stiffs, actually, but instead show the nicely-shot 2nd unit footage of the ambulance arriving, and a toe tag being wired to what's supposed to be Joe Gillis' foot. Savant has two theories for why more isn't shown. First, it's possible that including any scenes with Holden or the other actors would have required some kind of talent payment - possibly. Second, and more likely, is that the generic deliver-the-corpse footage survived because it was considered useful as stock footage, and has been sitting comfortably in Paramount's impressive editorial library for half a century http://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/s663blvd.html

> {quote:title=rkukan wrote:}{quote} > TCM seems to be running a lot of the early 30s S.S. Van Dine shorts these days without mentioning them in the schedule, which is, to say the least, quite annoying. I caught "The Cole Case" purely by accident tonight, since I was recording "The First Auto", but there was another unscheduled Van Dine before the feature of which I caught only the last few tantalizing moments. Same thing happened last week. Why aren't these shorts listed in the online schedule? rkukan , you are absolutely right! The Cole Case, which ran after the First Auto, but it's not on the schedule, just the Fox(animal) short. Like you I saw the last seconds of the short that must have run after the African Queen...damn. I did catch the Trans-Atlantic Mystery short, also with Donald Meeks purely by accident as well.... Message was edited by: ziggyelman

Again, if you have Big Lots near you, check them out! Here in Atlanta area, some stores had nothing, but saw one store that had *Cabin in the Sky, Philadelphia Story(2 disc) Humoresque, King Kong(2 disc) Pat and Mike, Wife Vs. Secretary, Blood Alley, and Last Voyage* , all $3.00 each!

> {quote:title=PrinceSaliano wrote:}{quote} > Douglass Dumbrille was married to Alan Mowbray's daughter. Who was a LOT younger than him! He sure wasn't Dumb... After a long marriage, his wife Jessie Lawson died in 1957 .In 1960, at age 70 Dumbrille caused a stir when he married Patricia Mowbray, the *28-year-old* daughter of his friend and fellow actor Alan Mowbray. In response to criticism of the May-December marriage, Dumbrille had a succinct answer: "Age doesn?t mean a blasted thing. The important thing is whether two people can be happy together. Pat and I agreed that I had some years left and we could best share them together. We don?t give a continental damn what other people think. Thanks for the remembrances Ascotrudgeracer ! Message was edited by: ziggyelman Message was edited by: ziggyelman

Still don't know if anyone here is near a big lots...but, anyway...more deals(in store only) for $3 you can get *Fury*, with Spencer Tracy, *Night and Day*, Cary Grant, *Ziegfeld Follies*, with everyone , *The Big Street* with Lucille Ball, King Vidor's *HALLELUJAH* And John Wayne's *Chisum*.

I have to say the price seemed awfully steep for plain jane releases, but I can now see that it made some business sense to see how well they sold at this price. They can always drop their prices if the movies didn't sell, a lot harder to increase the price if they felt it was too low. Seems like they are selling pretty well though. Seems like more RKO movies in the past few updates than anyone else...did they mention they were going to do that anywhere???

Saw some more come in. *Mutiny on the Bounty(Gable)* *Gay Divorcee* *Romeo and Juliet (Norma Shearer version)* *Kings Row* *San Quentin*

Once again, Big Lots has gotten their hands on some very cheap titles from the WB.(You can't order online, just brick and mortar sales) Best I have seen so far! $3 with a cut out mark in the bar code. More titles that will be deleted??? *Boom Town.* *Presenting Lily Mars.* *Best Foot Forward* *Dance Girl, Dance* *Lullaby of Broadway* *Ryans Daughter* *Roberta* *Flying Down to Rio* *Grand Hotel* *Ten Little Indians* *Lilith* *Roman Spring of Mrs Stone* *Star is Born(Judy Garland version)* And more I can't think of right now. As always if they are cheap in stores, you can find them dirt cheap on ebay right now, but someday, they will likely be worth some moola, if they really are getting rid of the titles.

> {quote:title=Fedya wrote:}{quote} > It reminded me of *Leave Her to Heaven*, only with the genders reversed. > > That, and it wasn't nearly as good. It felt as though everybody was going through the motions. Lucile Watson probably left for South Africa not for her health, but because she realized the script had problems. I remember reading(And I think Robert mentioned this in the past as well) that Robert Mongomery was just dead tired, was refused a vacation from the studio. He told Ingrid nothing personal, but he had nothing to really give, and was going to be a blank, more or less. It's been a long time since I saw it,but after seeing Leonard Maltin's book only give it 2 stars, I thought it was better than that. I see James Hilton wrote the book the film was made into. Look how many of his books were turned into films!!! *# Dawn Of Reckoning (Rage In Heaven), 1925* *# The Silver Flame (Three Loves Had Margaret), 1928* *# Knight Without Armour (Without Armor), 1933* *# Lost Horizon, 1933* *# Goodbye, Mr. Chips, 1934* *# Random Harvest, 1941* *# The Story Of Dr. Wassell, 1944* *# So Well Remembered, 1945*

*H.M. Pulham, Esq*. , despite being perhaps the best film either Robert Young or Hedy Lamarr was ever in...has a really stupid title. Can't imagine anyone back when it came out saying, wow, can't wait to see H.M. Pulham, Esq.

> {quote:title=johnm_001 wrote:}{quote} > > {quote:title=Terrence1 wrote:}{quote} > > Even though I really do like "Greatest Show on Earth", I have to admit that there must have been a better movie to win the award. I've always had trouble believing that "Rocky" was the best picture of that year. Maybe an inspirational; movie, but best picture? > > > > Terrence. > > *Rocky* was easily the Best Picture of 1976. No contest. What about it isn't best picture material for you? *Crash*, *Chariots of Fire*, *The English Patient* and *The Silence of the Lambs* would all be candidates for "worst", imo. Agree about Rocky as well. And the other films you mention, can't comment on Crash, but the others sure are the opposite of good. The English Patient seemed like a bad David Lean film. People I knew then sure loved it.

> {quote:title=markbeckuaf wrote:}{quote} > > {quote:title=BrianInAtlanta wrote:}{quote} > > > {quote:title=ziggyelman wrote:}{quote} > > > Good question! I bought a few weeks back(and haven't watched) a VHS from RKO called Aggie Appleby, Maker of Men. Stars Charlies Farrell and Wynne Gibson(Who looks a bit like Miriam Hopkins, at least from the box) > > > I sure never heard of this film, let alone seen it on TCM, has it??? > > > > I watched it when TCM last ran it (2005) although the only thing I can recall is seeing that bizarre title on the opening title card. Otherwise, it doesn't seem to have made much of an impression on me. > > > > -Brian in Atlanta > > It's a good pre-code, really enjoyed it! I also happened to catch it when TCM aired it in 05, hope it pops up again! Mark, I agree! I hadn't watched the film when I posted this comment. Really enjoyable precode film(Wynne Gibson briefly wears a very skimpy black teddy that really shocked me for 2 reasons, how short it was, and that we saw her in it at all because there had already been a perfect scene a minute before to show her getting out of bed, and they cut away instead) Wynne Gibson was very interesting, made me wish some smart directors had given her more leading roles. Charles Farrell is quite good as a wimp(early on) and I have never seen William Gargan as a tough guy. And the ending was not what I was expecting at all! Mark Sandrich was quite the director. The VHS tape can still be had for around $5.00 on Amazon, believe it or not.