coopsgirl

That scene in Batman Begins where Katie slaps Christian was probably her best scene. I just don't think she's a very good actress and she just wasn't believable in the role. She was also far too young to be a lawyer. But like I said everyone else really nailed their roles so overall it made for a good movie. If you like Madeliene Carroll you should also watch The General Died at Dawn, she's really pretty in that one too although not in western wear. It's in one of Gary's box sets along with Peter Ibbetson, Design for Living, Beau Geste, and Lives of a Bengal Lancer. These are all from the 30s and all very good films. I'm not sure if you've seen any of those but I think you'll like them. Peter Ibbetson is one of Dan's (CoopfanDan) very favorites and we've talked about that one a lot and it's a beautiful, very surreal period romance. Beau Geste and Bengal Lancer are in the war/adventure genre. General Died at Dawn is like a spy/romance movie with very interesting and beautiful cinematography. Design for Living was released shortly before the production code went into place in and was not re-certified after the production code b/c of it's racy content. It's a comedy based on the Noel Coward play by the same name about one woman living with two men b/c she can't decide which one she likes the best. Even as a precode film it had to be "cleaned up" quite a bit from the play. Frederic March plays the other man and Miriam Hopkins is their love interest. It's really a cute movie with a lot of innuendo and things left to your imagination. For examply when March's character leaves Paris where the film is set to go to London for a while and Gary and Miriam are left alone, I doubt they just sat around playing tiddlywinks

Here's some more pics I found on ebay. The first one is from Only the Brave. This one is from The Spoilers and I've never seen it (it's definitely a fave since you can see a little chest hair and that just drives me nuts!!!) Here's one from The Texan (he's wearing those pants I love!!!) For Whom the Bell Tolls Here's a studio shot from '44. This is one of the cutest pics I've seen from Ball of Fire. Here's one from The Fountainhead. Here's one from NWMP.

A while back some of us noticed that The Westerner was listed on some interest sites as being released in December but now it looks like that has been cancelled. I think it was Dan who had seen it and I also saw it listed as not yet available but they had new cover art for it and everything and said it would be released this December. Well I was messing around at www.dvdpricesearch.com which is a great place to see where all movies are being sold online and then you can find the best price and I looked at the listing for The Westerner and it said cancelled for DVD Status. That's a real bummer.

It would be a great addition to TCM. I really like Good Sam and am glad to see that it has other fans too.

Since we've been talking about Now and Forever I thought I'd post some pics from it. Now that's a good looking family Okay this one has nothing to do with Shirley but I found it when I was looking for those other pics I know it's one of April's fave pics of Gary and it's in sepia tone so I thought I better share it.

My fave of Shirley's is The Little Princess (1939) and it was her first color film so that one looks good in that it was actually filmed in color. I remember my dad got it for me when I was little. I was looking it up to see if it was colorized or not and I was surprised to see that Beryl Mercer who played Gary's "mom" in Seven Days Leave played Queen Victoria in Little Princess. I haven't watched that one in a while so I didn't recognize her when I was watching Seven Days Leave.

I'd like to think too that Shirley went back to Gary and Carole provided Gary wasn't in prison. I got my copy of this one as part of a Shirley Temple double feature with Little Miss Marker. It's both films on one dvd and Now and Forever is the original b+w version. Here's the link to it at deep discount for only $9.50 with free shipping. http://www.deepdiscount.com/viewproduct.htm?productId=5752974 Shirley's movies seem to be the victims of colorization more than most others and I'm not sure why. I don't like that at all and it's usually not very well done.

I like Shirley Temple and thought Now and Forever was a good one, but the ending was too sad. Most of the movies of hers I've seen have pretty happy, upbeat endings and this one was a real downer. It's a good movie though in that it certainly wasn't predictable b/c I did not see that ending coming. I'm not the domestic type at all, I don't like to cook or clean and I'm terrible with kids and don't know what to do with babies but seeing Gary with babies or little kids is just so sweet that it's almost enough to get my biological clock ticking (not quite, but almost ).

I prefer older movies (silent era through early 60s) b/c overall they just seemed to be more well made. Yeah there are some clunkers but even the average films are entertaining, more so that many average films today in my opinion. Take for example If You Could Only Cook released in 1935 and starring Jean Arthur and Herbert Marshall. Jean is out of a job and had gotten kicked out of her apartment and while she sits on a park bench reading the help wanted ads Herbert sits down next to her. He's a wealthy car designer and is about to get married but he's not sure she's the right girl for him. Jean thinks he's out of a job too and she convinces him that if they pretend they're married they could get a job working as a cook and butler. They do get the job and fall in love but not without some problems along the way. When I was watching it I was thinking that if that movie was made today I probably wouldn't see it b/c it's just another romatic comedy like all the others but it's one of my fave Jean Arthur films. I think that's b/c the acting was good, the script was good and just overall it was a well made movie. I greatly prefer the classic actors including the character actors which absolutely cannot be topped by todays bunch. I know if I'm watching a film with Gary Cooper that I'm going to enjoy it but if Walter Brennan is also in it (they did 8 together) then I know it's really gonna be good. It's all those little things like better scriptwriters, great character actors, and beautiful cinematography that I think are lacking in todays films. There are some good actors and filmmakers around today but not very many and I actually haven't seen a new film in a theater all year. None have grabbed me enough to want to take the effort to see them.

I think you'll like Casanova Brown and it's available on dvd so should be easy to track down. I was very glad when I found out that Christian Bale would be the new Batman b/c that movie series had really gone down the toilet after the first two that Michael Keaton did. That last one was so bad I didn't even see it. Batman, while being a good guy is a dark character and needs someone with real acting chops, probably more so than any of the other comic book heroes. Katie Holmes was horrible in Batman Begins but everyone else was very good and I liked the story so I'd say the franchise is back on track. I did not see The Machinist b/c he looks so bad in that one. Now that's not to say I only watch his movies for his looks (he is very good looking though) but that it hurts me to see him look so bad off and it's very bad for your health to get that skinny and then turn right around and have to bulk up like he did for Batman. I really hope that won't cause him any long term health problems. Definitely agree with you too about Liam Neeson, he's also a very good actor. I'm also very glad that we were able to brainwash you, uh I mean, help you see the light about Gary. His movies are quite addictive, you see a couple and then you end up wanting to watch them all, but hey that's not a bad thing .

They made Beau Sabreur using extra footage they had left over from Beau Geste. I wonder if that's partly why the movie flopped b/c it wasn't so much a movie of its own but a way to use up extra footage from another film. I always get a little tickled when I read old reviews of his films from the silent era and early talkie years b/c sometimes you come across ones like what you posted from Beau Sabreur where the other actors are given better praise than Gary. In one you posted they praised Evelyn Brent and while she had a lengthy career (working pretty steadily from 1915 until 1960) I didn't recognize the names of any of the films she made and I only know of her from her work and relationship with Gary. Obviously William Powell had a very successful career but most of his silent movie costars faded while Gary's star greatly outshined them. In the book I have that is a compilation of Photoplay articles there was one from 1927 about the new youth movement in Hollywood and how the arrival of the talkies heralded a new age and a whole crop of young stars would be the new thing. They had pics of about 10 actors/actresses and Gary was one of them however he received the least attention in the actual article probably b/c he just hadn't done much yet. But what cracked me up is he went on to have the most successful career. I can't remember who they all were but some of them I had never heard of and others for whatever reasons did not transition well into the talkies. One I do remember was Richard Arlen who was always good friends with Gary and starred in Wings and played Steve in The Virginian. He had a good career but nowhere near the caliber of Gary's.

Hey I paid $60 for a vintage photo still from Pride of the Yankees (one of my very fave of his and just a fave all time). If you want something bad enough sometimes it's okay to splurge .

Welcom global408! I love Love in the Afternoon too and I don't think Gary was ever sexier than in that one, not just with the way he looked but the way he acted as well. I also love all his films and find myself slightly more attracted to him in his 40s and 50s. Love in the Afternoon is available to buy so you should be able to find that one if you don't have it. If any man could give you the vapors it was definitly Gary :x

I'm also a big Jean Arthur fan and I think too that The Plainsman was his best DeMille movie. NWMP is worth watching simply b/c it was Gary's first full length color film. It has some good moments as well and everytime Madeliene Carroll tells Gary's character 'Dusty, you're an angel in leather' I crack up. Unconquered is better and is just a fun adventure movie. I also like Dr. Wassell b/c it has a good story about a real man who was a hero of WWII.

My favorite modern day actor is Christian Bale. He's not as big a star as I think he should be b/c more often that not he does small movies or kind of off the wall films. Batman Begins was definitely his most mainstream, big budget movie and he's going to be the new 'Batman' for the forseeable future. I hope that will make people want to see his other films and I think he also gives more depth to that character which I also like along with Superman. Some other of his good films are Little Women, Equilibrium, The Prestige, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Captain Corelli's Mandolin, and American Psycho. He's a very versatile actor who can play a variety of roles and I've never seen anyone whose better at doing accents than him. He's from Wales and I'm not sure if he's ever done his real accent in a film. A word of warning though about American Pyscho if you haven't seen it. It's an incredibly violent and gory film as he plays a seemingly mild-mannered business man who is also a serial killer. It's an incredibly interesting film though and he gave a fanstastic performance. It's my least fave of his though b/c it is so graphic.

I got a chance to watch both the Bright Leaves and My Sister Maria docs this weekend and I enjoyed them both. I was amazed at the guy's movie memorabilia collection in Bright Leaves. He had some great movie posters, old film reels, and movie stills. The part that got me the most though was the short interview with Patricia Neal. He asked her what it was like making the movie with Gary and she said they worked very well together. Then it was like she kinda drifted back and said that Gary was the love of her life. She then said maybe she shouldn't say that but now it was common knowledge that they had a lengthy affair and then again she said he was the love of her life. It was very sad to see her nearly in her 80s there still so much in love with him. My Sister Maria nearly had me in tears many times but it was very touching and well made. I loved it when Maximillian, her brother, asked her who her favorite actor was to work with and without hesitation she said Gary Cooper. I think she described him beautifully when she said he was a very calm person and always in control of any situation. She also said making the Hanging Tree was her favorite part about the time she spent in Hollywood.

By all accounts Gary was a very loyal friend and that's one of the things I love about him the most. He had a wonderful career and when it was threatened he didn't back down. Thankfully he was a big enough star and so loved by the public that standing up for his friends and principles didn't hurt him. It would have been a crying shame if it had. Along Came Jones and Casanova Brown are both very good and very funny. When I first read a while back that people didn't want him to make 'Jones' I thought that seemed kind of silly. It was a comedy and therefore it works that he's a gun-juggler and a woman has to save him. It if was played more like a drama then I could maybe see their point. Everytime I watch that one it just cracks me up when he tries to make his 'serious face'. It's definitely one of his best comedies. 'Brown' is too cute watching him try and take care of his baby daughter. It's very sweet and funny and basically it's Mr. Mom '40s style. I don't have kids but if I do I would hope to have a husband who would want to help me take care of the baby which many more men do nowadays. That film is way ahead of its time I believe in showing that a man can take care of a child, a point that Gary's character brings up in the film.

I think you'll enjoy Return to Paradise. It's a good, original story and the location chose for the filming is very nice. It's pretty but not too perfect looking. Gary plays a different type of character too here and is more of a loner just looking out for himself (at least for most of the film).

I'm not at all surprised that people at the festival loved The Westerner. It's an incredibly well made movie. Gary and Walter Brennan were always great together and Walter was very deserving of his Oscar for this role. I would have liked a better actress rather than Doris Davenport in the role of Jane-Ellen but she's alright and certainly doesn't hurt the picture. The cinematography is beautiful and while I've seen color stills and some behind the scenes color footage from this one (in the Gary Cooper: American Life, American Legend bio) I think bw really suited it. I get tickled at myself sometimes b/c I have a big plasma tv that can show millions of colors and I mostly watch bw movies on it . There are so many great little touches in this film too like during the fight scene between Gary and Wade there is no music. I liked that b/c it seemed very real and just didn't need music there. As you can see guys, sometimes us ladies actually pay attention to the films instead of getting caught up in his looks (of course I would be remiss if I didn't say I think this is one of Gary's best looking films - ha!).

Cooper, Mann and screenwriter Reginald Rose discussed having the female character be Cooper's wife, not a saloon singer. Thought it would make the violence and stripping and rape that much more powerful, and bring it all back to the Cooper character's murderous past coming home to roost, so to speak. That would have been good but I think it works better with Julie London's character being a stranger to Gary. We would expect him to try and protect his own wife but to also do the same for a total stranger shows how much his character has changed. He may have joined in with the way the others treated her back in his old days but now he tries to protect her.

I'll echo what April and Theresa have already said, we'd love to see the whole 9 hours!! You could just think of it as a miniseries or something And yes we are all very excited to see it and of course buy the dvd. Like April (Miss G) said some of us myself included are new to Gary's work but better late than never! Having seen nearly all his films (missing only 3 of his early talkies) I'm really surprised that many more aren't as highly regarded today as say Sgt. York and High Noon. Also like April said he never gave a bad performance, at least not in my opinion. The only film I dislike of his is The Fountainhead and even that one has some good moments. There are other classic actors/actresses that I really like but there aren't any that are on the same level as Gary, not to me anyway. Once I saw a couple of his films I knew I had to see them all and I can't say that about anyone else. We've often discussed why he isn't as remembered and revered today amongst the general population as other classic actors and we have talked about his lack of Hitchcock/Ford films as one possibility. Another reason may be his early death. Many other actors from that same era lived and continued to work into the 70s and 80s and therefore maybe remembered by more people.

Thanks April for the link to the best dressed article. Gary was most definitely a snappy dresser as we have talked about lots before. It's such a shame that Cordura wasn't a success and that it was butchered in the editing room. Of course it would have been horrible if they had gone with the ending where Gary died. Dan (CoopfanDan) likes to pick on us ladies here b/c that's a hard one for most of us to watch. We just hate for anything bad to happen to him and to know that he really went through a lot of pain for that movie is pretty tough to see. It is a very powerful story though and a good one. It's funny John that you should mention the movie Kelly's Heroes. I can't tell you how many times I saw that movie as a child. My dad is a huge Clint Eastwood/John Wayne fan (I don't really care for either one) and they were always on at my house. I've been sending him Gary movies though and he likes him now too. I've never been a fan of westerns even though they were always on when I was growing up but I truly love all the ones Gary made. I would definitely have to label him as the best screen cowboy/westerner. Just knowing his background and that he really grew up that way makes it seem even more believable on top of his acting abilities. I'm getting to watch all Gary's movies today too. My back which I have been having some problems with flared up again this morning (I think I need a new desk chair at home) and while it hurts at least it happened on a good day

Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned that I was into the whole grunge scene. I don't think you're gonna let me live that down - ha! At the same time I was in the grunge phase I was also taking ballet lessons and dancing around in a tu-tu up on my tip toes. So it was combat boots during the day and ballet slippers in the evening!!!

Well that is sad that anyone would think Gary isn't "manly" enough. He's the exact kind of man I would want (well providing he didn't cheat on me ). He's tough when he has to be but usually gentle. He's not a crybaby but also not afraid to cry in certain situations. I like the description of him I just read in the Legends book by Schickel. He said about men in Gary's generation they were "intelligent without being assertive about it; and sexy without being threatening either to the object of their desire or to other men." I think that last part fits Gary perfectly. There's no denying the man was gorgeous but he was so non-threatening and didn't have an ego about his looks and that just makes him even more attractive. Women love him and feel safe with him and men want to be his friends. That's a rare quality to find in anyone and he had it in abundance.

I think you and John may both be right as to why today's standards of masculinity in some movies is so extreme. Audiences changes as well as the culture in general. I'm a Sociologist by trade and gender issues have always fascinated me. I actually did my Master's thesis about modern femininity. Men have always had the power so to speak in American society and women and other groups of minorities have had to work to gain their power and place among the men. It may not be so much on a conscious level that men are "threatened" by powerful women but it may be something felt more below the surface. It's interesting to note though that also some female characters in modern action movies often act like their male counterparts in that they fight and shoot it out with freakishly powerful weapons. Personally I don't care for it either way. I don't mind superhero movies (I'm a big Superman fan) but they are fantasy and are not typically regular humans. What I really dislike is a regular person who does things that people just can't do. Movies don't need to necessarily be uber-realistic but I'm not buying that a guy gets shot multiple times but gets up and acts just fine