FrankGrimes

Maybe, but I'm still an eyeful. ... and an ever bigger earful.

Well I can "see" that you are certainly no gentleman! You further prove my point... you are no-sighted.

You get a "ha" for that one. Ha! You're not near-sighted nor far-sighted you are no-sighted.

Throw me in the oven, Hansel. After being blinded by the pink aura in the shape of a h(can't bare to say the word) I don't want to live anymore. Would've preferred to end my stay on earth by water but maybe going in the oven allows me to enter cookie land where I can wreak havoc there instead. I'd form my own army of marshmallow men to destroy gingerbread country. Can't help it, soy mala! La tierra de corazones es donde usted ir?! All? usted abrazar? a ni?os todo el d?a, Cari?o de bruja.

Wow! That's phenomenal news, Ang! I'm absolutely thrilled for you. John deserves much gratitude for making such a wonderful gesture. I'm very impressed but not surprised. He seems like a very kind man.

Mary Beth Hughes! Woohoo! What a gal! A very nice selection, Joe. I know you appreciate her more than most. I just love her bewitching femme fatale performance in The Great Flamarion. And I also like her in "your" film, Inner Sanctum.

Howdy, Mrs. Ben Murphy -- No, it's from Screaming Skull which is a Mike ep from season 9. It's one of my faves and that Gumby short is great, they really ripped it up. I just read up on Wikipedia about "The Screaming Skull" and the Gumby short ep and I actually have seen it. I'm gonna have to check to see if I have it on tape. It's been awhile. Bonjour, Mlle D?esse -- If that were true there would be a lot of things around here I couldn't see! Well, isn't there?

I didn't see any door. Selective seeing. Hmmmmm, I see.

What door? The one with the sign on it that you didn't read. That door.

That's fantastic, T! Ellen Burstyn is such a wonderful actress. I actually caught her in an episode of Gunsmoke on Mother's Day. She looked terrific. But I love her acting ability even more. She's a true actress to me. I watched Requiem for a Dream for the very first time about two months ago. It's a huge favorite of my brother's but I kept holding off on watching it because I'm not into "drug" films. Well, the drug stuff isn't bad at all. It's a very downbeat film and I liked most of it, but I wasn't into the ending that much. It was too tidy for me. Ellen Burstyn is brilliant in the film. Her character is very honest, very touching. Maybe I'll borrow my brother's DVD and post a couple caps of her on this thread since she plays a very interesting mother. My bro also has The Last Picture Show on DVD, too, so I may borrow it and post some more mama Ellen, as well. I really like that film.

Howdy, Coop's Indecorous Gal -- So then one of the MST guys says in Gumbo?s voice ?Thank goodness for the internal genatalia!? So maybe Gumby can have kids . You got a big laugh from me, MiSTy! Is that a Joel ep? Hiya, Goodie-Goody Gumdrops -- There are so many levels of "wrong" in this thread... Don't I know it. Exhibit A: you're here. I can hardly take you seriously anymore, Frank, You actually did? Even if you tone this thread down to "slightly bizarre," we'd beat you in the sanity category any day. It's always about violence with you, isn't it? Sanity is much too overrated, Krazy Kim. Now where did you hide the Krayons? Hola, Lady B -- What CAN'T Gumby do? Ahem. I wonder if there's a British version of Gumby, with a bowler hat and umbrella. Don't look at me. Hey, CineBabe -- Sssssshhhhhhhh!! Frank is watching "THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL" dvd he just bought. He's got to report back on the Gloria Grahame thread...don't disturb him. I wish! I'm waiting until the Deep Discount sale to get it. I may get a few Double G films. Bonjour, Miss G -- MrGrimes...you're awfully quiet...or are you in the back room with Miss Goo? Didn't you read the sign on the door? Ohhh, look who I'm asking.

I was just about to defend you, Molo. I knew you had not abandoned Double G or CineMaven.

Hiya, ButterscotchGREER -- I've only seen one of the films that feature your favorite grandmothers. And you know what film that is. It's the one where that dreadful Greer Garson drowns Gregory Peck's heart in the ocean. And guess who thought it were a good idea? The grandmother/mother you chose. Why must you hate love so much? Hey there, Miss Goddess -- The Little Foxes? Is that film any good? Martha Edwards (Dorothy Jordan in The Searchers) Mama Jorgensen (Olive Carey in The Searchers)

What a lovely picture of Ellen Burstyn. Why d'ya suppose, Frank, that Burstyn is not lauded like Meryl Streep or Glenn Close? She has range and is quite fearless in her choices. That's a very interesting question, CineBabe. I personally like Burstyn more than Streep and Close because of the fearlessness that you speak of. She's very underrated. She's going to be playing Barbara Bush in Oliver Stone's W.. Hmmmmm... I loved her in "The Last Picture Show." Is it crazy to think she reminded me of Lee Remick in "Anatomy of a Murder" with her hairstyle and tight clothes?? That's a pretty good call, CM. Ellen does look like an older Lee Remick in The Last Picture Show. I, of course, love both characters and performances.

Ciao, CineBaby -- You are on fire, girl! That was yet another wonderful read, T. I believe you captured "Ginny" perfectly. Gloria's angry and hurt. She?s hurt because she?s no one?s wife; hurt because being a dance hall girl probably ruined her chances of ever becoming anyone?s wife. As she says, ?I?ve been working for a long time.? She finds him corny. She dances with him...close. Very close. Her arms are around him; she looks him squarely in the eyes when they dance. Slowly, softly, tentatively she puts her cheek next to his; her body is pressed up against his. We can see her letting her guard down. The hard, cynical edge she?s hidden behind to protect her is now melting. She finds him corny but it?s probably because she misses what she never had...one guy, one steady guy to love her. Oh no doubt, she?s probably had lots of guys. But one steady guy, I doubt. She?s letting him in. And you get the feeling other guys didn?t get that much from her even if they did get her in bed. There?s something about this soldier. Oooohhh, that was so beautifully expressed, CM. I believe you are dead on with "Ginny." She secretly longs for love but the kind of men she meets are not interested in loving her. They are users. Well, "Mitchell" IS different. He's not interested in Ginny for sex. He seeks companionship. Ginny is thrown by this at first. What guy is not interested in her for sex and only sex? I'm very glad you mentioned my favorite moment of the dance: Ginny placing her cheek against his. The gesture is seemingly small but the meaning is quite large. You are definitely right, she has decided to lower her defenses. She trusts him. She wants him. Look, I?ve seen lots of movies. (Hell, I?m a CineMaven after all) but how can Gloria merely dancing feel like one of the sexiest things I?ve ever seen in movies? I?m puzzled, but I shouldn?t be. The answer is right there. It?s her...it's the way about her. Gloria's dance is easily one of my favorites. It's a dance of trust, a dance of longing. She invites the soldier to her place. She wants to cook for him. She gets to play house but in a different way. She gives the soldier a key to her apartment. Director Dymytryk chooses to use a very long dissolve from her face to her apartment building. We linger on the close-up image of her face. I absolutely love the "would you like me to make you spaghetti" line. Those words really say it all for Ginny and her longings. She wants to take care of a man, and she wants to feel appreciated in doing so. It's such a very simple, basic want but it's anything but simple and basic to Ginny. It would mean the world to her. Could a man actually just love her for her? Is that possible? The next time we see Gloria she?s changed into a robe. And she?s cold and hard as the soldier?s wife and detective Robert Young are at her door. They want to see if she can serve as an alibi to the soldier?s whereabouts, but she is unwilling to help. Why? The soldier was sweet and gentle and didn?t want to use her. What?s turned Gloria against him to not want to help? Well, she could be sore that he wasn?t there when she came back to her apartment. She could be upset that the soldier's wife is now at her door. She could be sad and hurt at the realization that she?ll never get a decent break with a guy...for hearth and home. She is all those things. No one could play sad, hurt & defiant in one fell swoop like Gloria Grahame. We see her catch a glimpse of what she could have had: welcoming home her soldier with dancing, dinner and a sweet homecoming. But alas that was not to be. I wasn't sure what Ginny's motivation was in not spilling the beans when first pressed by Mitchell's wife (Jacqueline White) and Finlay (Robert Young). I think all of the motivations you laid out are in play. I was also thinking she was protecting Mitchell; she wasn't the type to tell tales out of school, especially to a wife. She did a lot with this small but pivotal role. In fact, I can?t think of another actress who could show pain and hurt and vulnerability and hardness and sexiness all done simultaneously besides Gloria Grahame. I wholeheartedly agree. Gloria had the innate ability to elicit many emotional states with her characters and she did so with not much screen time. There's more of her films to talk about. But I'll wait on "The Bad and the Beautiful" until you've seen it Frank. No, no, no. If you wish to speak about The Bad and the Beautiful, please do so. Don't withhold your Gloria favors from others on my account. Don't be shy, let it fly. What I love about the following caps is that Ginny cannot look Mitchell in the eye. She is ashamed of her existence and... ... she's afraid of him not waiting for her. Ginny is a very sad goodtime girl. Only after Mitchell has left the garden, she looks his way. Who was that man? Will he be there when I get home? Ginny has set herself up to be hurt in a way she's not used to being hurt. This "hurt" is one of the worst.

Hiya, Lady B -- Gumby has a blue mermaid girlfriend named Goo. Goo Grimes. Another GG! Ooohhh, I like the name "Goo." It's such a lovely name for a girl. I guess Gumby has to adopt since, uhhh, you know... I'll bet Gumby would like to get her in a lonely place. Bonjour, MISS G -- So Gumby DOES have a girlfriend? She has my sympathy. Why you doggin' on Gumby? What did he ever do to you? Hola, Mi Dulce Amor -- S? lo que usted quiere... besos y abrazos. :x :x Voy a empujar? usted en el horno, Tres Bruja Encabezada Con Tent?culos.

Hey, CelluloidKid -- A very interesting list.

You know, J-Girl, those Gumby pics made me think of loving pink hearts. I'll have to send you a few. I know how much you adore them since you are very good at ripping them out.

Hi, Visualfeast. Thanks for sharing why you like your favorite movie moms. It was very enlightening to me. I really liked this passage of yours: It's great ensemble acting, but MacGuire braved being on screen in no makeup, and looking every bit like a downtrodden housewife (rare in 1945). Those words of yours made me want to see her performance. Thanks again.

Which way's it blowin', T? CM: Yep, Frank...that's pretty high brow. Molo, I guess those of us who appreciate her are like moths to a flame. Luckily we're sitting in the safety of a darkened theatre (or living room) watching "The Big Heat" or "Crossfire" and not going down in flames. I wouldn't mind going down in those flames, CM. CM: She has one of the distinctive voices. Close your eyes. You can see her. Mmm hmmmmmm... She's a very unique siren. CM: It's so funny that you added this to your thoughts Molo. I wrote and directed a small film called "The Right Girl" back in 2001 and stole "the blind, knuckle-headed squirrel" line for my film. Funny you plucked that one. Oooohhh, I'd love to see that, T. Is there such a thing as "The Right Girl"? Maybe that's your point. CM: "...in an off-handed way...getting drawn in." That's the key Frankie Molo. Remember her in "The Bad & the Beautiful" she takes a few steps away from Powell and then walks back to him and kisses him square on the lips (and not that fake Hollywood-style kissing) to get her way. I think Dick Powell realized he really got kissed. Wonder if June Allyson was on the set what with Lana & Gloria and that gorgeous brunette: Elaine Stewart. I'm embarrassed to say that I haven't watched The Bad and the Beautiful yet. I'm getting it on DVD next month, so I've been holding off. The scene you just described has made me itchy all over. I like the team work of the three of us...again I say Jules et Jim. But anyone else wanting to jump...feel free. Boy, you are a frisky one. FG: "You are very correct about Gloria being "cultured or tramp, victim or vamp." In fact, she could be all that with just one character and that's a big reason why I like her. She's many women in one. I love those type of girls." CM: You are sooooooo right Frank. All that rolled up in just one character. And it takes quite some acting skill to show those shades of characterization without lines clearly delineating each type. I believe Gloria was a very good actress because I never felt as if she was acting. She brought a reality to her characters that I really respond to. Gloria is a "behind closed doors" woman. What you see and hear from her on the outside is quite often different than what's going on inside of her. Gloria is seductively sneaky, though. She will provide you with many hints. Her door is not locked. She wants you to turn the knob. Yeah, I respond to Gloria Grahame. More??? Yep...more is on the way fellas!! I like a giving, greedy girl.

Hey, Molo. How's my favorite Double G fan? Yes! There is something about Gloria. That something is harder to pin down for me. I think that's why the word "enigmatic" always comes up in a lot of descriptions of her. It's as if to say I'm not sure what it is that's she giving off...what it is that she's doing to me but man she is giving it and doing it and I like it! A lot! Maybe Ava comes closest of the movie goddesses you mentioned because I think she can give off some of that world weary vibe but it's not the same vibe I get from Gloria. I compared her to Ida Lupino in a recent post but Lupino has a tougher edge. When one thinks of the dangerous femme fatales you can speak of Jane Greer, Lupino, even Stanwyck, but these women created danger and intrigue. Gloria is often simply swept up into events and often a victim of them and yet she draws you in and you can't turn away...you can't escape her. She is beautiful but as Frank has said, there is something about the way she looks at a man. Maybe it's that regal bloodline. That sly girlish smile that hints of a happier past and offers perhaps a glimpse of some easier more innocent time that's been swept away a long time ago. There's that something behind the eyes. As usual, that was nicely expressed, Molo. Unlike Ida, Jane, and Barbara, Gloria is soft all over. Even when she's malicious, she's still very soft. I think that's what helps to lure me into her trap. I always think it's safe to get close to her even when I know it is not. She's actually the most dangerous kind of woman for this reason. FrankGrimes wrote: Love goddess: no. Sex goddess: yes. My reaction to Gloria is almost always a sexual one. Is that high brow enough for you? I agree. She is a sex goddess. She exudes sex but there is something else there isn't it Frank? The thing that draws you in when you know you are probably better off backing away. It says something that we are all agreed that the answer is Gloria but we come at the question from different directions. That's to her credit. It says something about the impact she made on the screen with us the audience. You are very correct, there's "something else." For me, Gloria delivers the perfect mix of what I seek: sweet and sexy. She means to be sexy more than sweet and that's what resonates most with me, but the reason I like her brand of sexuality the most is because of her sweetness. She's very much like you described, "a sex kitten." You can pet Gloria. CineMaven wrote: HER VOICE: Her voice was not whispery or baby-doll. It was sharp, tart. She didn't squeal and wasn't breathless, but you could hear the hurt in her voice... if she let you. FrankGrimes wrote:I like that, CM. I definitely like Gloria's voice. I'm still trying to put my finger on why. I love her voice but as with everything else about this lady, I'm not completely sure why. Kind of like what you said Frank. I always think Gloria's voice is similar to that of Betty Rubble (Bea Benaderet and Gerry Johnson). Maybe I have a thing for Betty and I don't even know it. CineMaven wrote: HER BODY: She was not voluptuous like Kim, Marilyn or Jayne. She had delicate features but you know she knew her way around the bedroom... FrankGrimes wrote: I usually don't like the voluptuous girls all that much, although I do like girls with hips. Gloria's figure was lovely but that's not what attracts me to her. It's how she uses her body that really draws me in. Gloria did have delicate features. I like her face. I also agree with both of you. You can tell she knew her way around a bedroom and she definitely knew how to use her body and she could just be sexy in an off-handed way. It came naturally to her. "Delicate" is a good word for Gloria. She's very, very feminine, which is why I associate her with softness and sweetness. I believe many of her characters were soft and sweet with a false facade of toughness. Macao she knows when to say something, what to say, and when not to say anything. It's a great "Gloria Grahame" role. She's in the background but she grabs your attention! I always see and feel Gloria, which is a great credit to her since she rarely played lead roles. I adore her in Macao. She's very soft and sexy in that film. Here's the soft and sweet sex kitten. She's purrrrrrrfect!

Rita and Kim, what a lovely combination! Thanks, Kyle, for your terrific thread. It's always a treat to see what the special o' the day is. Well, most of the time.

Good morning, CineBabe -- Hmmm...what good taste the Creature has. Yummy! Yes, quite tasty. Hi, Bronx Blossom -- You must stop with this paranoia now!! Not all women want to turn you into a soprano. (although I do think of you as a wise guy) Very good! I must admit, I have been rather paranoid of late. I believe it's a side effect from watching horrible Greer Garson and Gary Cooper films.

That was a tantalizing write-up, Miss G. Such a terrific read. You always do a wonderful job of bringing us to your screenings. Thank you.

Lilith Ritter (Helen Walker in Nightmare Alley) Dr. Judd (Tom Conway in Cat People)