clore
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Posts posted by clore
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As I wrote here recently, I really don't look for this stuff, but I can't help but comment when I see it.
If I saw Mr. Osborne giving a flawless intro while his hair had an Alfalfa cowlick sticking up, and only half his face bronzed, I'd blame the make-up person for not doing his job properly.
If he came out all dressed impeccably except for a big mustard stain on his jacket, I'd blame wardrobe for not noticing. Ditto if his shirttail was sticking out of his open zipper.. I doubt that anyone in this forum would show up to say that we should be happy just to see him show up, or "so what if he appears slovenly, at least he's there."
But such things are not likely to happen because they are something that others (such as the cameraman) would likely spot, so the make-up person and the wardrobe person are easily "accountable" and thus one could say forced by that into doing his job properly.
Not so with the words written for Mr. Osborne. Sometimes it has appeared that a researcher is too dependent on either a failing memory, such as crediting William Keighley instead of Michael Curtiz for THE KENNEL MURDER CASE or upon the likelihood of others on the staff to not notice the errors. Maybe the person is just too lazy to use the TCM data base at his fingertips.
Why should this person have the continued luxury of slacking off just because his errors are less apparent?
So, for those who may think that correcting the script errors isn't appropriate, just how far would you let the make-up or wardrobe departments fail to properly prepare Robert Osborne for the camera before you commented in this forum? It's no different with the intro errors, he's not being taken care of properly.
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Here's one that you can't miss, it comes at 35 seconds into the credits.
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That's what was said in the intro for THINGS TO COME after it was mentioned that Menzies directed the film.
For the record, William Cameron Menzies was never, ever credited as a cinematographer, the bulk of his credits were as an art decorator and as production designer.
Additionally, while it was mentioned that George Sanders has an early role in the film, it's likely that someone had THE MAN WHO COULD WORK MIRACLES, another H.G. Wells adaptation in mind. Sanders is not in THINGS TO COME.
Also, the film does not start in the year 1936 as claimed, the first thing we see after the credits is that it is 1940.
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I was hoping for some commentary on the aborted Flynn film. The TCM special on Flynn had some home movie footage of Flynn in costume, but some words from Cardiff would really have been appreciated despite the lack of any materials.
I read the same story about McDowall having the footage sans soundtrack. Maybe the FBI confiscated it when they raided his home in 1974.
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Funny, Cardiff shot two films with the title CROSSED SWORDS and neither one is scheduled. The earlier one with Errol Flynn is the one I was hoping for. The only Flynn swashbuckler that I've yet to see.
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I read it, it's OK of its kind. Man, that woman could consume hugh amounts of cocaine. In an era where use of the drug was hardly unknown, she was considered to be doing too much. She seems to be at peace with herself by the end though.
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> {quote:title=Dargo wrote:}{quote} So Sprocket...Question: Do ya look anything like Chuck Connors at all??? 'Cause thanks to you, I've got an idea for yet ANOTHER new movie based on an old TV show!
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> (...and so I MAY be lookin' for someone to play the lead here, dude!)
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Do you recognize the actor who strips Chuck Connors of his epaulets and sword? He was Ronald Colman's brother in LOST HORIZON and Katharine Hepburn's fiancee in THE PHILADELPHIA STORY.
Yep, it's John Howard, also a former Bulldog Drummond.
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> {quote:title=misswonderly wrote:}{quote}
> It is a little-known fact that Ben Mankiewicz appeared on Fox TV once, commentatating on the use of puns in film noir. It was recognized as an outstanding desertatation.
He was also on the Food Channel once, commentatating on Tater Tots.
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In CALL HER SAVAGE, the one time that we see Clara Bow take to the streets and score, the night has disastrous consequences for her. Even in pre-code cinema, the wages of sin come with a price tag.
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A little like fighting with the spouse who brings up the time you threw up in the pool back in 2009 on the 4th of July cause you were drunk. Just to remind you.... or as a dig. How would you take it?
2009? Just three years ago? Heck, my ex would use Mr. Peabody's WayBack machine when it came to bringing up grievances. I'm the type that thinks that if something is argued and then settled, then it goes off the list for future reference. And no hitting below the belt, no fair later saying "I only said that because I was mad." I believe there should be something akin to the Marquess of Queensberry rules when it comes to arguing.
But I digress...
Personally, I'm not going to revisit any old discussions on "they said Ben said..." The last thing that I'm going to do is take anyone else's interpretation of what Ben said and as to the two incidents that I referred to, I was there to hear them at the time. I really don't care about left wing vs. right wing ideologies because as far as I'm concerned, any good that comes out of it for the public at large is purely coincidental. It's the special interest groups that are taken care of first, once in a while the public is tossed a bone.
I'm more concerned that the commentary on film history be accurate because that's why I listen to it in the first place. That's all that will get me upset enough to comment in detail. If every little group were to start insisting that "you don't want to offend my group" then it's time to just play movies and sack the hosts because there's always someone out there to find some innocuous comment offensive.
Then they can just complain about the movies or that there are too many John Wayne or Jane Fonda titles. OK, let's scrap the movies also and run the Yule Log all year.
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And his stupid remark about "I was a teenage Jesus" was an idiot remark for a religious film that he obviously looked down on and was making fun of.
I didn't see that intro, but I did read that very remark over 40 years ago in some critic's write-up on KING OF KINGS. It was widely quoted after that to the point of becoming a trivia footnote. Granted, it's a silly comment by whoever originated it as Hunter was about 35 when he made the film and thus age-appropriate to play Jesus, but the fault isn't Ben's if all he did was mention that such was said way back when.
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There was an incident that occured two years ago I believe. It all started with something Ben said on the Now Playing show for January 2010. This was picked up on the Big Hollywood web site and then suddenly a rash of newbies showed up here to discuss Ben's comments about A FACE IN THE CROWD.
Now I don't take this stuff to heart and I can cite raving left-wing commentators along with raving right-wing commentators, but this will give you the gist of what got so many so excited:
Then there was the more recent airing of SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS and Ben's intro to that was scrutinized and condemned for his claiming that Lindbergh was a Nazi sympathizer.
I apologize if the proverbial you-know-what hits the fan all over again, but better that you be advised than to be unaware. At least now you have some idea as to what to search for should you be so inclined.
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According to the TCM bio of him, Ben was doing the radio show first.
http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/35501|34402/Ben-Mankiewicz-Biography.html
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I've long since given up citing films as noir because as you note, something like SHADOW OF A DOUBT is arguably a noir. Well, if someone wants to think that, let them - I'm not going to argue the point.
But I will recommend these films to a noir fan regardless of the label:
Journey Into Fear
The Third Man
Beyond the Forest
Walk Softly, Stranger
Niagra
A Blueprint For Murder
The Killer is Loose
The Money Trap
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My post is in response to WiltedLily. Don't worry, I've been around long enough to respond to the proper person.
My post WAS initially a bit more harsh, but I opted to take a more diplomatic stance.
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Let's imagine that Ben was of such political leanings to be one of the most frequent commentators on Fox News? Would you be saying that he should keep his comments to himself?
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An influence perhaps, but the later film isn't a copycat. They both have in common the romanticism of the glory of the South, a plantation setting, a Civil War subplot, a headstrong female lead and Louise Beavers sitting in for Hattie McDaniel as a character called Mammy.
I tend to think that its greater influence was the success of another Fox film, JESSE JAMES. Once that one clicked, we saw this one from Fox, Universal's WHEN THE DALTONS RODE (both of which had Randolph Scott who was also in JESSE JAMES) and MGM's BILLY THE KID. Brian Donlevy happens to be in the last three films mentioned.
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Uh huh! I'm sayin' instead of *Fail Safe*, they could've shown us the SUPERIOR version of that movie!
I would rather have seen THE BEDFORD INCIDENT over either of those two films. My favorite of the Columbia disaster trilogy.
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I have to add NORTH TO THE KLONDIKE to your list. For years, since reading about it in "Castle of Frankenstein" I have been longing for the chance to see Lon Chaney and Broderick Crawford doing on-screen what they were doing off-screen - slugging it out and wrecking furniture.
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> {quote:title=misswonderly wrote:}{quote}clore, TCM usually has a "theme" that somehow connects the films they show in the evening, and I couldn't figure out what last night's was.
No, neither could I and that was why I had to satisfy my curiosity. When I look at the schedule, it's like a word puzzle to me and I'm pretty good with those things. I just couldn't figure the link for last night's sked and I've seen all of the films in the set.
As far as ICE STATION ZEBRA goes, now that I put it in context of the theme, I must admit that it doesn't work as well as the others. When time is running out, it shouldn't run out so slowly.
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> {quote:title=Bolesroor wrote:}{quote}Yes, Clore! Anybody who has a "Barney Miller" marathon is just fine by me.
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> Now who wants to send me their gold?
I was quite fortunate with the Barney Miller set. This was the recently released set with all eight seasons. I had it in my Amazon cart and was about to buy it when it hit eighty bucks - that was 50% off. So, I moved a few things out of the "ready to buy" part of the cart and when the screen refreshed, it turned out that the set was on one of those "Deal of the hour" sales and it was now just 68 dollars.
I had some reservations at first about double dipping as I already owned the first three seasons, but at this price even I could not resist and I gave the old discs to my brother.
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I deliberately watched the intro to PANIC IN THE STREETS to see if a theme was mentioned. Apparently what linked the films was a "time is running out" theme to coincide with the end of the year.
I didn't watch one of them and so far today the schedule has had quite a few of "TCM's Greatest Hits" that I've yet to be interested in turning the set on. I mean c'mon, THE SEARCHERS and CLOSE ENCOUNTERS have both aired within the last five days.
I can hear the programmers now "How can he not be interested, neither of them has aired since last year!"
I will make it a point to watch LOVER COME BACK at 8pm as it's my favorite of the Day/Hudson pairings.
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Well, she's quite a memorable looker.
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Could you tell me the name of the song and who sings it - the one heard in the 2011 "TCM Remembers" short?
Also, do you think that TCM remembers as well as Pepperidge Farm remembers?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OvOEFFLpYU
"Be sure to watch the Oscars live on ABC"
in Hot Topics
Posted
But for that, TCM gets to call the Feb schedule "31 Days of Oscar."
Siskel and Ebert used to do an annual show called "Our Picks For the Oscars." Then the Academy came along and the show had to be re-christened "Our Picks For the Film Awards." Even the IMDb was forced to change the name of a forum from "Oscar Buzz" to "Movie Awards."
The Academy holds a tight rein on the allowed use of the word "Oscar."