Bronxgirl48
-
Posts
14,533 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
2
Posts posted by Bronxgirl48
-
-
>26. Hold That Ghost (1941) -- Bud and Lou are stranded at a "haunted house" with others? That sounds great to me! But the film just didn't match my expectations. It's good, but I wanted it to be better. The highlight of the film is Joan Davis, who is terrific. She has a dance sequence with Lou that is genius. She's also good with the candle bit. On the flip side, I thought the film was really dragged down by the book-ending of Ted Lewis. That was draining.>
Who in their right mind would actually like Ted Lewis, lol. (Mom couldn't stand him. George Jessel too) I do love The Andrews Sisters in this one, probably because WWII hadn't started yet and they weren't singing all those heavy-handed and sometimes silly "patriotic" numbers. (this annoys me in BUCK PRIVATES) But hearing "Aurora" takes me straight back in the day to the Bronx, when so many A&C's were run, sigh...
I love the mystery of Moose Matson, who "kept his money in his head". As a kid, it was fun figuring out what that actually meant!
The dance routine was repeated in JACK AND THE BEANSTALK.
Edited by: Bronxgirl48 on Nov 17, 2013 9:58 PM
-
-
Edited by: Bronxgirl48 on Oct 31, 2013 1:20 PM
-
Edited by: Bronxgirl48 on Oct 26, 2013 8:45 PM
-
Oh! Oh! Oh! Is it hot in here??? Lynn and Christy, thanks to you I've got the sun in the morning and the moon at night!
Grazie, mates! My cup runneth over....
-
Frank, I'm bats about you! Thanks, my friend, my friend!
-
Oh, thank you, my twinnie! Mom and I are licking our chops, lol. You always give the most DELICIOUS gifts!
I went to Jaxson's Ice Cream Parlor in Dania this afternoon and had a foot-long chili dog, followed by a banana split the size of Giada De Laurentiis's head. Don't worry, my appetite is still raging!
-
Chris, as usual, I'm late to the party, but I want to wish you the warmest of wishes on your recent birthday.
Swordfish!
-
I would've loved to see the play that BILLIE was adapted from, "Time Out For Ginger", which really sounds charming, and without any weirdness at all, lol
Fascinating:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_Out_For_Ginger
Edited by: Bronxgirl48 on Oct 5, 2013 8:48 PM
-
Wendy you should be teaching a film course!
(and I don't think I want to know what Rebecca might have done to Ben)
Now, from the sublime (your superb thought-provoking post) to the ridiculous -- did anyone catch BILLIE? I was channel surfing and came upon the last half hour or so, and my reaction was almost like Kathy Najimy's in HOCUS POCUS watching that television commercial at "Satan" Gary Marshall's house, lol. Patty Duke is running a marathon, and suddenly there's a close-up of Jane Greer -- eeeeek! "Kathy" from OUT OF THE PAST. Very disconcerting, because apparently Greer here is playing Patty's mother. And if that wasn't scary enough, there's a mugging sheep dog. Duke to dad Jim Backus: "I want to be a girl and not run track anymore!"
Edited by: Bronxgirl48 on Oct 4, 2013 6:32 PM
Edited by: Bronxgirl48 on Oct 4, 2013 6:42 PM
-
>One of my favorite shots in Rebecca is the first shot of the west wing. I think it's the west, forgive me if I've made a mistake. Anyway the wing where Rebecca had her room. Second Mrs. de Winter walks around the corner and down the stairs, following Mrs. Danvers. As she passes by the landing she looks down the long spare hall to the most incredibly beautiful gothic-modern doorway. The shiny, over-polished door is closed, and before it sits Jasper, Rebecca's dog. He looks sad and listless, waiting for eternity to pass and Rebecca to come back to take care of him. I think this is basically the same shot we get in Kane, that NO TRESPASSING sign.... it immediately makes us want to go and open that door, to walk in and see everything. Brilliant filmmaking.>
Oooh, Jackie, that is soooooo good! Now I'm going to say something incredibly stupid, lol..
Here goes: Jasper looks a lot like Crazy Ben. (sad and listless, but for different reasons, lol) Ben of course, was afraid of Rebecca -- she treated him with threats and cold contempt. Jasper, of course, was no doubt showered with love and affection by her, since Rebecca probably hated humanity and thought dogs were superior beings.
This is not an analysis of anything. It's just the way my mind works.
-
>I suspect that the reptiles on the Cote D'Azure walk on two legs and look something like Alexander D'Arcy.
>HA!! Complete with phony eye patch...
>I'm really liking your comparison of Manderley and Xanadu, Bronxie, and the expressionism that is reflected in the cinematography. And yes, I think it was that 'reality vs. fantasy' coming to a head politically that caused these two movies to show up at around the same time. Have you been watching The Story of Film? He talked about three movies from 1939 - The Wizard of Oz, Ninotchka, and Gone With the Wind, compared them, discussed how all three heroines have to come to a certain reality vs. the lure of a strong fantasy world.>
Thanks, Jackie. And both characters are symbolized by the "No Trespassing" sign on Kane's creaky front gate. We'll never truly know their motivations, but maybe Welles is saying that human nature is basically unfathomable.
I've been trying to watch The Story of Film but had to give it up because frankly the narration has been very difficult for me. Hard to concentrate on the subject matter, unfortunately.
>As for retirement to Florida, I would never make it there... big bugs, humidity even beyond what I already deal with in CT. and alligators (or are they crocodiles?) would make it the last place I'd choose to live out my last days. I've always wanted to live in Provence in my later years, though I suspect the big bugs are lurking there too.>
No crocs, only the gators, who by comparison I hear are far less threatening, but tell that to one Florida homeowner in the news a while back who heard a ring as he was hosting a get-together with neighbors. An alligator, smelling bbq chicken, decided to join the party, drew his body up to the back door, and accidently hit the bell.
Ding-dong, guess who's coming for dinner?
-
As I'm writing this, a teeny-tiny baby-waby anole is stuck on the wall where I've got my vintage Cannes and Hyeres posters. He/she is very cute, but probably has already shuffled off the mortal coil. I've got to scrape it off...
As if anybody didn't already know, I'm retiring to the South of France, lol.
I'm sure there are reptiles on the Cote D'Azur; I just won't care as much.
Edited by: Bronxgirl48 on Sep 29, 2013 11:00 PM
-
What's the story, morning glory, lol?
Thanks in advance, Lynn! I'm later on in October, but I say it's never too early for Rod Taylor without a shirt! (his beefcake was the best part of WORLD WITHOUT END) I'm going to hit an age milestone too, but, you just don't wanna know.....oy!
Edited by: Bronxgirl48 on Sep 29, 2013 10:30 PM
-
Wendy, this is fascinating stuff! Off the top of my pointy little head, I'd say that the first Mrs. De Winter and Charles Foster Kane were both loathsomely charismatic, pathologically possessive egoists. The cinematography in the two films seem alike at times -- especially the Gothic openings and almost Expressionist interpretations of Manderley and Xanadu. The themes of perception and reality perhaps hitting a chord with audiences during the late thirties, right before the outbreak of the second world war?
Edited by: Bronxgirl48 on Sep 30, 2013 1:49 PM
-
Hope you had a simply brilliant natal day, ro!
Thank you, Mom sends her love. She's thriving at the assisted living facility, enjoying her private apartment with cable t.v. where it's always on TCM, of course! She's on board with Hitch today, and will be enjoying REBECCA soon. (me too) I'm slogging along in the delightful Florida heat and humidity, lol. And living with these blasted power outages is just a fact of life down here like the shrieking mating frogs, slithering alligators that show up at backyard barbeques, mutant lizards who have their own condo near senior citizen beauty parlors, crab-puppies who after that one time NEVER show up (I miss it!), creeping pythons that eat small children and dogs. Just another day in paradise.
-
At least he saved you a couple of slices:
-
Oh, no, ro, this is what one of our stupid Florida power outages hath wrought -- my best birthday wishes to you arriving late, consarn it! 50? A piece of cake! (er, take it from me...)
-
"I hope Christy arrives soon. It'll be so boring in Paris without her!"
-
Joyeux Anniversaire, ma cherie, from Cary, Audrey, and moi!
-
You haven't seen DDMD? Oh my gosh, you MUST! You'll love Stephanie Powers, too! (and not just the '60's fashion; speaking of which, I tried to get through THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR, but Faye's crazily "happening" clothes just got in the way, lol. Instead of thinking "groovy", I was like: "What female insurance investigator ever had that kind of wardrobe?" (or the sophistication and panache to pull it off like Faye) It was a silly distraction and took away from whatever in heck the movie was trying to say. But, I digress..) Tallu rivals Bette Davis in WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE? for sheer psychotic intensity. I understand Bankhead made an excellent Regina on stage in THE LITTLE FOXES. Wonder what Bette thought, lol.
Okay, dahling, I'm getting ready for LIFEBOAT now!
Edited by: Bronxgirl48 on Sep 14, 2013 8:02 PM
-
>He was a meanie?? ha. Why am I not surprised?? Good gravy, I need to see this one again, if only just to refresh my memory since its been so doggone long since I saw it.
>Looked for it on youtube.. and woo hoo.. found it. Will try to watch it again sometime when I need a smile. (here Grey Dude. one to add to your list sometime.. if you want it)>
Oh wow, thanks for posting the YouTube link for THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES! Now every A&C fan who has been looking for this relatively little-seen vehicle of theirs over the years can enjoy it at their leisure. (it was a staple on t.v. back in the Bronx when I was growing up) And yep, lol, no matter what role Bud had, you can be sure that his casually sadistic treatment of Lou would always be operational.
Edited by: Bronxgirl48 on Sep 14, 2013 7:33 PM
-
Ha!!!
I just love Tallu! (especially in DIE! DIE! MY DARLING!, lol)
-
LOL, Miss G.!!! I'll definitely be "on board" for that luxury cruise.
>
The Annual FrankGrimes Torture Thread
in Your Favorites
Posted
Oh my gosh, Frank, I never realized how silly that moose looked, lol! It kind of resembles The Giant Claw in ridiculousness, ha! I love when Lou puts his fingers in the mouth, and Bud, (I'm convinced he ad-libs this) says, "Don't worry about your hand, we'll get you a new one". (with all the new-found money)
There wasn't a gag that Costello didn't love to recycle; I'm convinced the team did more of that than the Stooges. (and if you watch their t.v. show (check out YouTube) it seems every single routine they ever did turns up there, lol)
There are many A&C's I haven't seen or that just didn't make an impression on me when I was a kidlet: IT AIN'T HAY, LOST IN AN HAREM, MEXICAN HAYRIDE, MEET CAPTAIN KIDD, GO TO MARS, LOST IN ALASKA, MEET THE KEYSTONE KOPS, DANCE WITH ME HENRY, COMIN' ROUND THE MOUNTAIN. I have the barest memories of RIO RITA, THE WISTFUL WIDOW OF WAGON GAP, THE NOOSE HANGS HIGH, ONE NIGHT IN THE TROPICS (their screen debut), HERE COME THE CO-EDS, IN HOLLYWOOD, WHO DONE IT?
My favorite A&C's are MEET FRANKENSTEIN (Lenore Aubert is such a memorable female villain) -- the veteran monsters are treated with a lot of respect; HOLD THAT GHOST (I'm a sucker for anything to do with haunted houses); RIDE 'EM COWBOY (I love dude ranch locations in comedies and mysteries, plus there is one of the most beautiful songs (with lovely, romantic presentation) "I Remember April", sung by Dick Foran, which I just love; PARDON MY SARONG, some great gags, Lionel Atwill, tropical setting (which I also enjoy in comedies and mysteries, but strangely not in romance); THE NAUGHTY NINETIES (they do "Who's On First?") some funny routines, good period atmosphere on a riverboat; THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES (wonderful A&C "experiment" in "separating" the boys and allowing them to develop some dramatic characterizations which I think started with LITTLE GIANT (don't really remember that one too well) I adore this entry for so many reasons, including the Early American atmosphere, a curse, ghosts, seances, spooky housekeeper, Marjorie Reynolds, John Shelton, the Revolutionary War, etc. It truly is a one-of-a-kind vehicle for Bud and Lou; MEET THE MUMMY is funny but Abbott actually looks fatter than Lou here -- lots of good gags even if the mummy looks pretty tame, to put it mildly, lol; I can't bring to mind MEET THE KILLER and always confuse this Karloff with the part he plays in that Danny Kaye movie whose name is escaping me at this hour; AFRICA SCREAMS has some effective gags; I always liked HIT THE ICE because snow was always "romantic" to me in the movies (it never looked cruddy like in New York) but I can't really tell you the plot, except that Ginny Simms is an ambiguous girlfriend of gangster Sheldon Leonard. I think I would enjoy RIO RITA but I get it confused with RIDE 'EM COWBOY. Not a fan of the wartime ones -- it always seemed like Lee Bowman (ugh) had to prove himself worthy of redemption through military service, and was always getting a comeuppance from some equally ugh female like Jane Frazee.
Edited by: Bronxgirl48 on Nov 21, 2013 2:33 PM