Bronxgirl48

Just saw it; hilariously bad! Glenn Ford acts all terse and cynical as though he were in a better movie (like GILDA), casually beats up the baddies like an insurance investigator must in his job, insults women (at the ruins, to Diana Lynn: "These ancient people threw their maidens off a ledge, but you don't have anything to worry about") and their decorating: to Patricia Medina of her apartment: "Not a bad place, if you're an Aztec mummy". (nightwalker, you'll love this film!) Amazingly, Diana Lynn looks and sounds just like Gloria Grahame; she is a tramp but because she's sweet little Diana Lynn she needs to TELL us this (in the third person) "Julie's a tramp!" If it was GG, we'd already take that for granted. As Diana takes off her arm bracelet (yes, she wears one) and her long earrings and comes hither to Glenn, he whirls herr around for a look in the mirror, then exclaims, "Would anyone want to kiss THAT?" This is tough love at its "B"-est. In order to translate a manuscript, either "an expert or a specialist" must be found. Let me see, aren't they the same thing? In the movie's most ridiculous moment, at the ruins, blonde-haired archeologist-turned-psycho Sean McClory hears a serendipidously arrogant remark by a British tourist about the Aztecs: "Busy little bees, aren't they?" and has his inspiration: "Ah! That's right! Little people -- little steps!" and therefore he and Glenn can better find the hiding place of all that treasure. Glenn's voice-over only highlights the mediocrity of the noir elements, especially his rumination over What It All Means as he's knocked out cold. Patricia Medina is alluring and mysterious and we don't know if she's double dealing Glenn or not. Does a curse of the Aztecs play a hand at the finale? It could be argued this movie is a curse. Wonder what Orson would have done with it. Message was edited by: Bronxgirl48

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f26r5vEdH5w

Whippersnapper, this may be before your time: Message was edited by: Bronxgirl48

nightwalker and moira, so wonderful to hear from you on this thread! Doesn't that opening make you feel like you want to settle down with a cup of hot chocolate or tea and watch it all the way through right now?? (although I just love this intro on its own with that Halloween-ish theme song) Something about the rich Disney colors that make me very satisfied. moira, have you seen Conrad in THE THIEF OF BAGDAD? He has an almost Lugosi-ish charisma, and is actually quite sexy. What I love about Patrick is that he always seems to take a tongue-in-cheek attitude toward every role. I also adore Robert Newton as Long John Silver, but I bet you two knew that already. Message was edited by: Bronxgirl48

tobitz, loved your post on Omar. Extremely informative and I thank you! I've always thought that he never really got a chance to stretch himself as an actor. I'd really love to see him in MONSIEUR IBRAHIM.

Wow, never heard of that short Indian doc.

Yes, the Juggernaut ship looked a bit too spiffy. I haven't seen THE LAST VOYAGE but with George Sanders and Edmond O'Brien in the cast, I know I'll enjoy it. Message was edited by: Bronxgirl48

I'm a Meeker fan mainly because he appeals to me romantically, but I absolutely love Timothy Carey on a movie fan level.

Rusty the plumber has an interesting quirk -- he loves to gossip as he's fixing my pipes. I felt as if I were talking to my best girlfriend. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

You nailed the pink ghetto mess of UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN, and accurately described VANITY FAIR. FG should listen to you. Message was edited by: Bronxgirl48

I have to admit that just your description of all that happened to the Maxim Gorky is more exciting than the movie.

loves this so much I can't begin to tell you. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrkxui4CAms

I love Peter Firth as the sweet Russian sailor in LETTER TO BREZHNEV.

Or he might turn into Olga Baclanova's monster from FREAKS. Hey Frank -- "Gooble-gobble, gooble-gobble, one of us, one of us!"

Will do. Much thanks. I couldn't find this episode on YouTube.

Message was edited by: Bronxgirl48

Yes, especially Dawn French as Mammy.

I know, French and Saunders (as well as Saunders and Joanna Lumley in AbFab) certainly dispel that old notion, don't they? I think you'll enjoy the GWTW spoof.

Hi, Fred, I'm here on your original JUGGERNAUT thread. I couldn't figure out why Omar Sharif was in this -- did they offer him his own bridge tournament or something in lieu of salary? And what a waste of Shirley Knight. I can't think of anyone else LESS like the mistress of Omar Sharif. This certainly had its flaws, but I liked its "Britishness". I did get seasick however.

Ooh, now you're intriguing me; I don't remember that first Hitch Presents episode. I'll check it out. Wait a minute, it's sort of coming back to me....but now I just lost it again.... I'd love to know your reaction to SOMETHING WILD. I think you'll really dig it. I won't give it away about why Ralph wears the eye-patch. Message was edited by: Bronxgirl48

Okay, Mommy. My rent is very cheap, but it IS like throwing money away. But along with home ownership here we have "condo commandos" with a lot of ridiculous and arbitrary rules that I'm exempt from now as a renter. All landlord types are weird. Yes, you do not want to know about the raisins.

Carroll does have that baby face. In SOMETHING WILD, I think it's probably her mannerisms that make her appear older to me for some reason. She's very deliberate in her actions is the only way I can describe it. There is nothing really spontaneous about her, although in a scene with Meeker she does have a superb screech stroke moment that seemed to be from a memory exercise at the Studio. I haven't seen Dunnock in a lot of movies -- BUTTERFIELD 8 and BABY DOLL are the other two. I always remember her best from this one. Her screen mothers are drenched in denial. She was very touching playing a variation of Tennessee William's sister Rose in BABY DOLL. PORTRAIT IN BLACK and BY LOVE POSSESSED are my guilty pleasures as well, B-8 less so but Liz looks GORGEOUS. I've always had a crush on Ralph Not sure why. There's something kinda sweet about him. I want to hug him always. Even in SOMETHING WILD. And he's got an eye patch! Message was edited by: Bronxgirl48

Well my insane landlady will have to foot the bill. I call her a "landlady" but actually she's the owner of two apartments in this condo building, one of which is mine, so she's not the sterotypical landlord variety; she's just an old woman who wants the income from me and my neighbor, and won't sell me this unit. I could have gotten it for a song five years ago but here I am still renting. I've made several overtures, but she won't budge. I could probably buy another apt. cheap in this complex, but I'm very fond of my cozy abode, with the anoles setting up their own brand of reptilian housekeeping somewhere in my living room, and I have a quiet location in the back where I can see the palm trees swaying in the wind, and unlike where my mother lives, I'm in a smaller, more private building with less neighbors.. I always thought that Ford was a Victorian gentleman in many respects; not exactly as prudish as D.W. Griffith, of course. Actually for me the raisins taste even WORSE than bunny doo. But I can't bring myself to say what that is, lol. It might make everybody throw up, really. I'm feeling nauseous right now thinking about it. Message was edited by: Bronxgirl48

Actually I thought Carroll looked rather old in the part -- she was around 30, and her character was supposed to be a college student of around 19 or 20. She did BABY DOLL in '56 I believe, at age 25 or so. I've always liked Ralph Meeker, so it was no problem for me, but I tell you, I've never seen him in a role like this. It kind of defies description. And you have to see the way Baker drinks milk. It's so....can't quite describe it, but it's so....FORMAL. And under the circumstances (she's being held prisoner by him) after she wakes up from an (arty-type) nightmare and screams, she actually says "Excuse me" to her captor. Such manners in this weird situation. This is Jean Stapleton as you've NEVER seen her. I loved Martin Kosleck as the rat-like landlord. You'll appreciate the New York locations. Mildred Dunnock is good.

Goddess, this film has haunted me since I first saw it in the late sixties back in the Bronx. I think most people who saw it for the first time back then can't get it out of their minds. TCM's showing brought it all back to me: Martin "Goebbels" Kosleck (we all fondly remember him from B movies in various Nazi permutations) as the seedy landlord; Jean Stapleton as the slatternly neighbor who entertains at all hours; Doris Roberts as the snarky co-worker, Mildred Dunnock as the whiny mother, Ralph Meeker as the kind-hearted but desperate rescuer who needs some salvation of his own; and lastly but certainly not least, Carroll Baker, who has an interesting presence that combines old-school Hollywood "baby-doll" (so to speak) sex appeal and glamour, with the more rigorous analytical acting approach of the Method. New York is also a character, the b&w cinematography and location shooting bringing this seemingly obtuse and symbolic story to some sort of mysterious life. It's not quite as "arty-farty" as you might think, although the minimalist script, symbolism, and strange character motivations certainly point in that direction. Message was edited by: Bronxgirl48