FrankGrimes

Well now that finally explains your roaring success with the ladies.

Of the actresses I listed, which do you think I would say is the one I'd fall in love with? Take your best shot.

I NEVER GROVEL. I mean what I say. That's why I love that Bronxgirl! I always notice her in any part she plays. (even in her minor part in THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL, you remember her) Gloria is usually quite noticeable, that's for darn sure. I actually haven't watched The Bad and the Beautiful yet. I have it on tape, though. Just because I think she doesn't look conventionally beautiful does NOT mean I don't respect her as a fine actress, and if I didn't think so, I just wouldn't say anything at all! I agree with you on Gloria not possessing "conventional beauty." I've been known to say that Gloria represents sex appeal to me. I think that's one of the biggest reasons why men tend to be very attracted to her. But I also love her "way." She has a very unique aura that enslaves me. She's very much a Siren with me. Grace Kelly, Gene Tierney, Linda Darnell, Carole Lombard, Barbara Stanwyck, Ava Gardner, Claudia Cardinale, and Madeleine Carroll are actresses that pull me in tight but Gloria's grip on me is different than all the rest.

How not to ask Gloria for a date: Can you find a sweeter gal than Violet Bick? I always find that this line works best:

Good Day, Missy G! -- Now how am I to treat you nicely like I always do if you are posting such radiant photos of Gorgeous Gloria? Those are scintilating! That top photo is very "bedroom sexy." And the Human Desire sweater pic is a big fave of mine. But I really love the pics with Nick, especially the last one. It's very sweet, just as Gloria always is on the big screen. She was always a sweet, darling little angel. Thanks for posting those luminous photos of Double G. I surely appreciate it.

Hi, Bronx Blossom! -- I hope you know that I do think Gloria is an excellent, charismatic actress, and always holds the screen when she's on. Are you groveling? This isn't like you. Just say you hate her and get on with it. I'm playing with you, B. You could tell me she's the worst actress in the world and I'd still love ya to death. The key word there being death. Gloria certainly isn't for all tastes, but she's for all my tastes. She really does move all of me. By the way, I've been riddled with bullets by supposedly sweet girls around here while protecting the ice princess, Grace Kelly, so I'm kind of used to picking out buckshot. So if you are ever in the mood to fire some shots at me, go right ahead. But I know your weapon of choice is much sharper and more precise.

Hi, FxReyMan -- Great to see you around again. You bring a heckuva lot to the table and your directorial compilation truly speaks to that. I really enjoyed perusing your tastes. A wonderful sampler. So Foreign Correspondent is your favorite Hitch flick? That's a very interesting choice. Hey, Sleepy ChiO -- You must be tired if you are yawning. I cannot think of any other reason why you would yawn. I was surprised to see North by Northwest as your 3rd favorite Hitch. I didn't think you liked that pic that much.

Hi, CineBaby! -- May I join the bandwagon and say I love GLORIA GRAHAME. Jump in! The Double G water is always so very warm and soothing to the touch. Loved your words about one of my faves. But what we are ultimately watching is Grahame playing a woman whose trust and love for a man erodes to suspicion and fear...the death of any relationship. She's not a victim, she's capable. I just watched In a Lonely Place for the very first time yesterday and I was very taken by it. Boy, is it ever psychologically complex. You're right about distrust and fear being at the heart of the film, but I actually believe fear of commitment sneaks in there, as well. I think Laurel (Double G) has her own problems. They are nowhere near as large and menacing as Dix's (Bogie), but I feel as if they are ever-so-subtlely present. I definitely feel for Laurel though, because the man who offers her security and peace of mind doesn't know how to love her and the man who knows how to love her can't offer her security (physical) and peace of mind. And you know it's the love she craves the most. I think most people do. I thought Gloria's performance in In a Lonely Place to the best I have seen of hers to date. She's asked to match Bogie and she does a pretty decent job of doing so. She's also asked to wear different emotional masks and, again, I think she pulls it off. This is one of the few Gloria performances that I have seen where her range is challenged. She's calm and tough, adoring, soft and sweet, loving, worried, horrified, paranoid, frantic, and sad. This isn't the Gloria I am used to. She's a doll throughout. That's the Gloria I am used to.

What's up, ChiO, My Hero -- I was hoping you'd post an extended list. Very nicely done. Love your selection of directors and I love your choice of films by each even more. Great stuff. I didn't know you liked The Testament of Dr. Mabuse that much. Clash by Night is my #4 for Lang, followed by The Big Heat. Okay, out of curiosity, what are you top three Hitch and Ford films? Hey there, Mrs. Ford -- I really like that Hitch pic. It's murderous. Hi, Young Ray Milland Fan -- I can't believe I forgot Mr. Welles! Only like the greatest director ever! (But I guess at 11:30 at night you can forget a lot of things!) I am still mad that the stupid producer people ruined many of his great works! (Including Touch Of Evil and The Magnificent Ambersons (or is it Obersons? I can never remember.) At least they were able to partially fix a few of their mistakes. And Citizen Kane is the greatest movie ever made according to AFI. (This is probably the one movie they were right about!) And he has the greatest movie ever made The Third Man according to the BFI, so he is obviously amazing! A young Citizen Kane and Orson Welles supporter is great my book. I bet you already knew this, but Fritz Lang was like Alfred Hitchcock's favorite director. I know that Fritz Lang, F.W. Murnau, G.W. Pabst, and the rest of the talent at UFA were very influential to Hitch and I'm sure he respected Lang very much. I know of Hitch saying Luis Bunuel was his favorite director. Bunuel is a director I'm very interested in. Also I love Howard Hawks! He was great, my favorite of his is His Girl Friday (possibly the best comedy ever made!) I definitely consider Hawks to be one of greatest directors ever. I believe Hawks and Robert Wise are the two most versatile directors in film history.

Hola, Missy G -- I like your list and comments, Violet. I have The Bad and Beautiful on tape and I really should fire it up.

Sorry, but my tastes run more to gin swilling screenwriters. That makes sense. If you could stop tossing your hair while looking at yourself in the mirror for a moment, could you honor us with your favorite Gloria performances, Violet?

Bogie sure looks sexy in a polo shirt. Bogie? Double G is where your eyes need to be. I'd love to be Gloria's "housekeeper."

Hi, Miss Goddess! -- Welcome to the board! Is that all? Anything more to say, hmmm?

Hi, MildredPierceFan -- Welcome to the board! And, boy, do I mean welcome to the board. Anyone who starts a Gloria Grahame thread right out of the shoot has style. And you could not have selected a better title for the thread. Double G is the complete package. Gloria is easily one of my favorite actresses. My eyes just light up whenever she graces the screen. She knows how to push all my buttons at all times. A real screen Siren. I really liked these words of yours: There was something quirky about her that made her stand out. I'm not sure if it was her unconventional voice, her dry humor, or what. Gloria was almost always off-center for one reason or another and I'm completely drawn to this. Her voice truly appeals to me. It's very Betty Rubble-esque. I find it to be sexy cute. Gloria's overall look will often place me in a trance. I cannot put my finger on what it is, either. I love her pouty lips, her wavy blonde hair, her expressive eyes, and her lovely figure but there's something more to it. I just cannot figure it out. All I know is that she moves me. All of me. I've only seen eight of Gloria's films to date and I surely hope to see more. My favorite Gloria performances to date: 1. In a Lonely Place 2. The Big Heat 3. Human Desire 4. Sudden Fear 5. Crossfire 6. Odds Against Tomorrow 7. Macao 8. It's a Wonderful Life Two of the three Gloria films I really want to see will be airing on TCM in the coming months: A Woman's Secret and Not as a Stranger. I'd also liked to see Naked Alibi. The Gloria Grahame upcoming sked on TCM: 3/11 The Cobweb 10:00 PM EST 3/22 Crossfire 8:15 AM EST 3/22 The Bad and the Beautiful 8:00 PM EST 3/27 The Greatest Show on Earth 3:00 PM EST 3/28 A Woman's Secret 11:15 AM EST 4/8 Merton of the Movies 6:30 PM EST 4/12 Odds Against Tomorrow 2:15 AM EST 5/11 It Happened in Brooklyn 9:00 PM EST 5/28 Not as a Stranger 12:30 AM EST

Hi, CineMaven! -- You started this thread in early-November and you asked me to watch The Letter in December and I'm just now showing up. That should tell you all you need to know about me. I was absolutely enthralled by your words about The Letter, T. You spoke with such passion, such emotion that I couldn't wait to read your next thought. You really captured the energy of the film and you did so with great feeling. My kind of writing and reading. I hope you don't mind, but I'm gonna go through your wonderful piece and make comments. Bette Davis as Leslie Crosbie is layered and peeled like an onion, but don?t cry for her. Nicely put. I certainly wasn't crying for Leslie, although there is pain to be felt for her. I couldn't help but feel for her being lonely while her husband was away weeks at a time. I know I would have gone stir crazy in such a setting. Her husband, as doting as he was, was clueless to her feelings and longings. Could she have spoke up about this? Surely. But how many women at that time would do such a thing? How many speak up today? Well, she soon found something to help her "pass the time." Lace work, indeed. I?ve had many viewings of this classic film since I was a teenager. I don?t know if it?s becuz I already know the outcome, but I must say this is the first time that I have seen this movie where I am whole-heartedly watching the movie from Gale Sondergaard?s perspective, as the recently widowed Mrs. Hammond. I am utterly and absolutely sympathetic to her, and look at Bette Davis (Leslie) with a jaundiced eye. This movie is about watching a murderer. There?ll be no need for a spoiler alert, because everyone, but EVERYONE has seen (or SHOULD have seen) this great movie. I'm an everyone! I was with Mrs. Hammond (Gale Sondergaard) from the get go. The script is precise enough to make this work for me. If she would have put a monetary price on her husband's life, I would have left her side. But I believe she never did. She was pushed into such an arrangement and she refused to take the money from Ong (Victor Sen Yung). First off, everyone fawns and gushes over Leslie and her plight of being arrested for the murder of a man who tried to rape her. The cop questioning her is enamored, her husband (naturally) fawns over her; the jailer who opens the gate tells Leslie she can stay in the visiting room as long as she wants...even the jail matron says: ?It?s a different place since Mrs. Crosbie?s been here...its a shame she has to stay here atoll.? Western Caucasian privilege??? I daresay yes. As you and others have stated on this thread, I believe one of the primary themes of The Letter is Western Caucasian privilege, particularly for those with money. The presumption of innocence is strong and the feeling of pity is even stronger. I did like this aspect of the film. Poor little Leslie. During Leslie?s statement of the events, she (Bette Davis) does sound veddy veddy stiff-upper-lip and actressy (guess that?s why I luv her); pregnant pauses for effect. I'm not all that familiar with Bette's style yet, but I believe her "actressy" approach works in the retelling of the attempted rape. Overly dramatic plays with me here since I view it as a plea for sympathy. The only one NOT falling all over himself over her is her lawyer. He: Howard Joyce (played by James Stephenson) has a rather cold, hard look. Looks like a leading man worthy of acting opposite the Warner Queen. He stands toe to toe with her. He asks questions that cast just a slight doubt as to the veracity of her story. He talks to the cop and asks him if attacking a woman sounds like Hammond?s m.o. since he seemed to be a ladies? man. He even says to Leslie: ?When I was looking at Hammond?s body...it seemed to me that some of the shots were fired after he was lying on the ground.? There?s just enough questioning to give us pause. (If only Johnny Cochran had questioned HIS famous client, but I digress). There?s no doubt that the privilege of race & class gets you perks. One of the biggest and most pleasant of surprises for me was James Stephenson's cool performance. You are very correct, he was able to match Bette, which is never an easy thing to do. But he does it. I completely enjoyed his skeptical-turned-guilt-laden Howard Joyce. A car?s headlights and Max Steiner?s music introduces us to Gale Sondergaard as Hammond?s Eurasian wife now widow. She?s dressed in black...somber, stately, handsome, elegant. You get a whiff of what the plantation crowd thought of the inter-racial marriage between one of their own Hammond and Sondergaard?s character when you hear the lawyer Stephenson say to Herbert Marshall who plays the husband: ?Strange that Hammond was able to keep his life so hidden; that gambling house he owned and especially the Eurasian woman. I think it was finding out about her that turned opinion so completely against him.? Gale Sondergaard's nearly non-verbal performance as Mrs. Hammond is mesmerizing. She's beautifully mysterious and full of quiet rage. She is doing all she can to keep it all inside of her. I think this really speaks to the racial and cultural component to The Letter. It's as if she has conditioned herself to be this way; to not let her honest emotions get the best of her. She's the opposite of Leslie... or is she? Davis? description of Gale Sondergaard?s character is none too flattering: ?Horrible! She was all covered with gold chains and bracelets and spangles. Her face like a mask.? This is one of the very few times in the film where Leslie speaks the unvarnished truth. She cannot contain her contempt for Mrs. Hammond. Is it Mrs. Hammond in particular or is it that she's not Mrs. Hammond? It's both. I believe Leslie would have hated any Mrs. Hammond that wasn't her, but she especially hates the fact that Geoffrey (Mr. Hammond) chose a Eurasian woman over her, a white woman. So, yes, I believe you are correct in pointing out interracial marriage being one of the themes in The Letter. And Max Steiner?s music for her is great...heart-aching, quite sympathe-tic. http://Yep...it?s'>http://Yep...it?s the 1940?s and the music helps us along telling us how we?re to feel, I guess. And I LOVE IT. Sondergaard's been given two scenes in this movie that define her career (for me). I thought Steiner's score was a little overcooked but that it fit the film and era. How are Asians treated in this film? Aaaah...if only it were 2007 and NOT nearly seventy years ago. The Asian clark (actor Sen-Yung who, if I?m not mistaken played Hop Sing on tv?s ?Bonanza?) plays his role in a bit of a subservient manner (ever-smiling, small quick mincing steps to keep up with the big Lawyer Man) even though he KNOWS he is holding ALL the cards by having the letter in his possession. He is soft spoken while sticking in the dagger oh so gently and deferentially into his boss' guts. I really liked Victor Sen Yung's "Ong." I thought he was the most evil person in the film. Yes, Leslie is a murderess, but she killed out of deep emotional hurt. Conversely, Ong is out to capitalize on the murder. He's attempting to build his own world (law practice) with the blood of another man as its foundation. Quite devious. And Max Steiner?s music for her is great...heart-aching, quite sympathe-tic. http://Yep...it?s the 1940?s and the music helps us along telling us how we?re to feel, I guess. And I LOVE IT. Sondergaard's been given two scenes in this movie that define her career (for me). That made me laugh out loud. He was certainly taking great joy in the crawling of the privileged white. I was, too. It was very rich. But who am I kidding...it?s Bette Davis who owns this film. It?s Bette Davis whose performance is riveting and makes me watch this over and over and over again. She first comes off veddy arch, veddy proper and wounded; veddy mannered and actress-y. But slowly she reveals her true self and the truth of the events. Then she becomes the Legend we know her. She acts a bit coquettish during her visit with her lawyer. Being in jail has been a bit of a vacation for her, she says. (HUH??) She fiddles with a flower for her blouse as she speaks to her attorney. She has a self- assured answer for everything until her lawyer brings up this letter. It?s all in those Bette Davis eyes. She needs time to remember (to lie, she means). She unflinchingly, unwaveringly says: ?Howard I swear to you, I did not write this letter.? And she makes total eye contact, defiantly; she needs him to believe her. She squeezes her handkerchief for subtle emphasis. If anything, this movie teaches you you can lie to your husband, you can lie to your Priest (or Rabbi or Minister). But you?d BETTER NOT lie to your lawyer. So she admits she wrote the letter. And then we hear the lawyer reads some of the letter?s content (to us). It really changes our opinion of her (and there?s Max Steiner?s music underscoring the words she has written: ?Robert will be away for the night. I absolutely MUST see you. I?m desperate and if you don?t come I won?t answer for the consequences. Don?t drive up.? When he starts hammering at her about how the trial can go against her favor, she falls into a dead faint. Self-assured and defiant are very apt descriptions of Leslie, although both "qualities" will crumble in time. I really liked seeing Bette with the innocent look, most notably when she's doing her lace work. I tell you, watch her hands...listen to the music...how soft & seductive. Listen how the music stops and starts. She starts to spin the web to ensnare her lawyer. Since she can?t out & out seduce him, she plays on his sense of loyalty; uses the husband card: ?Poor Robert, he doesn?t deserve it. He?s never hurt anyone in his life. He?s so good and simple and kind and he trusts me so. I mean everything, everything in the world to him. This will ruin his life.? The lawyer decides to betray himself because he DOES have feeling for her. Oh that?s subtly shown and unspoken. But Davis needs to stick the knife into his ethics just that much more: ?You won?t have to show Bob the letter, will you?..and after the trial?...but if he loses his trust in me, he loses everything.? She ups the ante. And I think he knows he?s being had but good. She?s leaning against the wall, looking so vulnerable. She?s baited the hook with his friendship for Bob (Herbert Marshall) and landed a whale of a fish. Oooohhhh, that was good. You are all over it. Leslie sure knows how to manipulate people, especially men. She has her husband deep in her pocket and she even knows how to work the very prideful Howard. You are very correct: she goes right after his friendship with Bob (Herbert Marshall). I also agree with you in regards to Howard having some feelings for her. That's the topper. I will say that there is one man who Leslie could not manipulate in the end and that was Geoff. Unfortunately for him, that proved to be the end of him. Leslie spins her web around people with as intricate a pattern as her lace needlepoint work. Excellent! That's exactly what she's doing. We men be damn fools when it comes to you women. And now THE BIG SCENE where Wife and Mistress meet. DAVIS in lace, looks positively virginal as she goes before the altar of the Wife. The good guy/bad guy colors are reversed here. This is definitely my favorite scene in the film. It's very powerful. Leslie is looking like a sweet little lamb who is being led to a slaughter when in reality, she's the slaughterer. I also think she's looking like a bride, as if she's Mrs. Hammond, the victim. The chimes start I loved the chimes and chords. It really added to the tension. Sondergaard walks up to the beaded curtain. The camera dollies towards the curtains that Sondergaard stands behind. She hesitates and then parts the beaded curtain and walks through. The camera again is in the position of looking up at her.(Great camera movement). She towers over the camera and looks down. I?m telling you Sondergaard does-not-blink! William Wyler has set up Sondergaard in a very powerful position. Precisely. Mrs. Hammond is the one in complete control of the situation. She's got Leslie by the... throat. She is most definitely towering over Leslie. It's a wonderful set-up. Sondergaard doesn?t even take the money, becuz it?s not about the money for her. She makes Bette walk over to GET the letter. Sondergaard pulls out the Letter, Bette steps forward into her key light. Sondergaard drops the Letter to the floor. She's the only person who's ever made Bette Davis drop to her knees. (Aw c?mon, you?re not counting her dropping at Fonda?s feet in ?Jezebel? with THIS scene are ya?) When Bette bends down and picks up the letter, the camera drops down with Davis...we drop down with Davis and humble ourselves before Sondergaard. She has probably suffered racist slings and arrows from the rubber plantation owners and their wives. When Bette bends down to retrieve the letter, Sondergaard takes a deliberate step back. So much is said with that one step; probably that Bette is not worth Sondergaard wiping her shoes on her. It is my favorite scene of all the movies I?ve ever watched. This entire scene is brilliant, but the staging for the the "face-to-face" is truly exceptional. Leslie is being made to grovel. She must "kiss the feet" of Mrs. Hammond. And when she bends down to pick up the letter, Mrs. Hammond pulls her foot back, telling Leslie (and us) that her lips ain't worth her foot. Bette does not back down either. She too is unblinking. And she will do WHATEVER it takes to get back this incriminating piece of evidence. She is a survivor. She faces the wife of the man she had been having a torrid affair AND have killed. Could YOU do it? I couldn't. And Only Bette Davis can take her medicine like a man! (Okay, Stanwyck could too). Wonderful points. This is Leslie at her most self-assured and defiant. She's not going to let the Eurasian woman, the "other woman," get the best of her. Narcissistic? What I also love about the closing of this scene is that Wyler shows us that Mrs. Hammond is taking very deep breaths. Her chest is heaving. She wants to kill Leslie right then and there. She's doing everything in her power not to. How long can Mrs. Hammond keep her rage locked up inside of her? At the trial, Howard?s summation galls him. His words about truth and justice stick in his craw like a dagger. He pushes through, but has lost a bit of his soul in defense of his client. But any good lawyer worth his salt defends his client...even when he KNOW she is guilty; even if he?s falling in love with her. The verdict: not guilty, of course. Hammond was a cad...a swine, right? The plot ups its ante a bit. Robert, the Husband, wants to buy a plantation elsewhere and use his $10,000 to help towards the purchase. One of the things that I really like about The Letter is how the film shows us how the murder of one man can ruin the fortunes of many. As you say, Howard ends up losing a "bit of his soul" when he sells out his morality and legal virtue to free Leslie from the murder he knows she committed. He betrays himself and feels empty inside. He will probably feel this way the rest of his days. When it?s revealed what his money was spent for, Davis hides no more. She?s honest...she?s exposed...she?s naked. It?s her one honest moment in the film. Steiner?s music is a low bass somber drum beat. ?I was in love with Jeff Hammond. Been in love for years. We use to meet each other constantly once or twice a week. Not a soul had the smallest suspicion. Everytime I met him I hated myself and yet I lived for the moment when I?d see him again. It was horrible. Never an hour when I as at peace, when I wasn?t reproa-ching myself. I was like a person who was sick with some loath-some disease and doesn?t want to get well. Even my agony ws a kind of joy...Then I heard about that, that native woman. I couldn?t believe it, I wouldn?t belive it. At last I saw her. Saw her walking in the village with those hideous spangles, that chalky painted face, those eyes like a cobra?s eyes. But I couldn?t give him up...At last he turned on me. He told me he was sick and tired of me. That it was true about that other woman. That she was the only one that had ever meant anything to him. That he was glad that I knew because now I?d leave him alone. When he got up to go and I knew if he?d left I?d never see him again, so I seized the revolver and fired...there?s no excuse for me. I don?t deserve to live.? This is my second favorite scene in the film. I believe there is so much truth in the words Leslie speaks. What truth do I speak of? The truth of an adulterer. The supreme guilt that must consume one for cheating yet the passion, the longing, the urge to be with the other man/woman that drives one. It's a constant tug-of-war between what's right and what feels right. Yes, I believe adultery is the greatest theme in The Letter. I also love how Leslie onces again lays it on thick about the "native woman." She has so much contempt for her but you can also sense the absolute contempt she had for Geoff for rejecting her for such a woman. You can feel Leslie pulling the trigger over and over and over again whenever Mrs. Hammond enters her mind. Oh they?ll try to make a go of. Friends come out to celebrate Davis? acquittal and perhaps even their own acquittal for indicting a bon vivante who gambled, had women but then had the audacity to marry an Other. But it won?t work between Davis and Marshall. It?s not that Marshall has stopped loving Davis. It?s just that this poor sap?s love will NEVER be enough. With the world in her hands...with her freedom and welcome back into the community, only Bette Davis could be honest enough...true to herself enough to throw it all away. Perhaps it was her one selfless act to help Marshall get over her, to send him off hating her. But with this one line her fate is sealed: ?With all my heart, I still love the man I killed.? This was the most fascinating part of the film for me. I really liked that Leslie could have pretended her love for Geoff wasn't real and that the murder never happened. Bob was offering her a second chance, her old life back, albeit a compromised one. Leslie couldn't live that lie. I was impressed by that. ?With all my heart, I still love the man I killed? really does say it all. I'd also like to comment on Tracey's wonderful observation about Leslie's lace work. I really liked that small little touch. I believe Tracey nailed it, too. The lace work is basically Leslie's stimulant of choice. It's her alcohol. I think it also represents her counting the seconds (the stitches) until she can see Geoff again. Her love and lust for him was immeasurably deep. And now for a little A Place in the Sun: I was torn between Montgomery Clift & Shelley Winters in what they both wanted in the recently screened film "A Place in the Sun." It seemed like Zeus and Hera and Aphrodite and Thor and all the Greek, Roman and Norse gods were playing a dastardly trick on poor George Eastman. They kept piling things against him. They put Elizabeth Taylor in his way. I mean, who can stand next to (or stand up to) the blindingly beautiful nineteen year-old Elizabeth Taylor...dancing close to you...whispering in your ear "tell Mama, tell Mama all...kissing you? I didn't want to...but I increasingly got angry at Shelley Winters' character, Alice. Why won't she leave the poor guy alone to pursue his dream of a wonderful life and a beautiful girl? What am I saying... she was just a poor unfortunate girl...who was standing in the way of young love/happiness. I kept being torn between the two; perhaps I empathized becuz I want my dream. What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Damn, they sure stacked the deck against Monty in that pix. I think George (Montgomery Clift) did himself in. He was a lonely, repressed "mama's boy" in a new town and he possessed very low self-esteem, so he set himself up to fall for the first woman that showed any kind of feelings for him, which ended up being his co-worker, Alice (Shelley Winters). Soon thereafter, his world would be rocked by Angela (Elizabeth Taylor). He would have never thought a gorgeous, society girl would have ever been interested in a common man like himself. She was supposed to be out of his league, his class. But Angela didn't care about all that. If George weren't so needy and lacking in confidence right from the start, he would have had everything he ever desired. So goes fate. He sealed his. Thanks again for your lovely journey through The Letter, T. I could feel your own deep passion for the film just as Leslie felt for Geoff. Now, please, don't pump a full chamber into me for being so late. I didn't realize I had parked down the road so far. But I knew I MUST see you, so I kept walking.

Hi, ILoveRayMilland -- Welcome to the board! Alfred Hitchcock 1. Psycho 2. Rear Window (favorite to watch) 3. Vertigo (will probably be #1) Fritz Lang 1. M 2. Scarlet Street (favorite to watch) 3. The Testament of Dr. Mabuse F.W. Murnau 1. Nosferatu 2. Faust 3. Sunrise Anthony Mann 1. Raw Deal 2. Winchester '73 3. Man of the West Otto Preminger 1. Fallen Angel 2. Anatomy of a Murder 3. Where the Sidewalk Ends Nicholas Ray 1. They Live by Night 2. Johnny Guitar 3. On Dangerous Ground Robert Wise 1. The Body Snatcher 2. The Set-Up 3. The Curse of the Cat People Jacques Tourneur 1. Out of the Past 2. Cat People 3. The Leopard Man John Huston 1. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre 2. The Maltese Falcon 3. The Asphalt Jungle Orson Welles 1. Citizen Kane 2. The Lady from Shanghai 3. Touch of Evil Stanley Kubrick 1. The Shining 2. 2001: A Space Odyssey 3. The Killing Howard Hawks 1. Only Angels Have Wings 2. His Girl Friday 3. The Big Sleep Billy Wilder 1. Double Indemnity 2. The Apartment 3. Sunset Blvd. Samuel Fuller 1. Pickup on South Street 2. Forty Guns 3. House of Bamboo John Ford 1. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance 2. The Searchers 3. Mogambo Preston Sturges 1. Unfaithfully Yours 2. Christmas in July 3. The Lady Eve Sergio Leone 1. Once Upon a Time in the West 2. For a Few Dollars More 3. A Fistful of Dollars Henri-Georges Clouzot 1. Le Corbeau 2. The Wages of Fear 3. Jenny Lamour James Whale 1. The Invisible Man 2. Frankenstein 3. Bride of Frankenstein Sam Peckinpah 1. The Wild Bunch 2. The Getaway 3. Straw Dogs Frank Capra 1. It's a Wonderful Life 2. Meet John Doe 3. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington Joseph L. Mankiewicz 1. A Letter to Three Wives 2. Somewhere in the Night 3. The Ghost and Mrs. Muir

Hi, Erebus -- Nice to see you around. I agree. I'm so happy for him that Lee Van Cleef had these films, because without them he would have been doomed to the status of proverbial "second outlaw on the left". In the trilogy he got the chance to prove himself so much more. Ain't that the truth. I don't know how he and Eastwood came to be elevated by the same films (perhaps someone here can say), but it's easy think that it was through Leone's eye for hidden talent. If so, it was quite an eye. Van Cleef could have made his own dark leading man from the days of his youth, the lack of which is film history's loss. Lee's look, especially those eyes of his, just screams "villain." He does fit in Leone's west since his "heroes" were often men of no words. Their look spoke for them. Hey, Arkadin -- Frank, got Dementia for Xmas, but haven't had a chance to watch yet. Some weekend I'll do a double bill review with you, if you''ll watch In a Lonely Place. Talk about an interesting double feature. I'm finally getting close to In a Lonely Place.

But what you really mean is "Thank God I haven't had to look at Gary Cooper again lately." Am I right? You know me too well. But, in the sincerest tone I could ever possibly muster for you, I have enjoyed your batch of comedic posters.

Hola, CineBaby! -- To be compared to FrankGrimes is quite flattering 'cuz he's just about the bee's knees in his knowledge about movies and eloquence and civility about expressing it. You say the nicest things about me, T. I truly appreciate it, and I humbly thank you. The truth of the matter is, you know far more about film than I ever will and you are much more eloquent. As for civility, let's just say you like to party. By the way, I have read your words on The Letter. I hope you still feel like discussing your film with me, because my thoughts are finally a comin'. You're gonna get some A Place in the Sun talk with it, too. Hi, Princess Ananka! -- You always start such interesting threads and I always show up to them so damn late. I suppose I should put on my wrap the century beforehand. That would save some time. Thanks for the compliment. It's extra special coming from someone with your kind of style and taste. Here are some of my favorite "rotten to the cores." Max Cady (Robert Mitchum) in Cape Fear "Reverend" Harry Powell (Robert Mitchum) in The Night of the Hunter Vera (Ann Savage) in Detour "You hurt me." Randall O'Connell (James Caan) in Lady in a Cage

Good Evenin', Bronx Blossom -- Scottie, me boyo....a blanket is comin' your way. Bronxgirl's mother's needles are clacking like crazy. That's great to hear. I've never been in Hallie's situation, but through Vera Miles strong performance I really feel for her. I think she loves Tom deep down, ever since she met him when very young. He's a part of her, like the town; he really is in her blood, and many times familiarity breeds contempt. I believe your final words are the strongest: familiarity breeds contempt. It seems as if Hallie starts to show disdain for Tom and her town once Ranse opens her eyes and mind to a bigger world, a world in which she dreams to be a part of. I frankly don't think Rance was good enough for Hallie. Tom was. Complete agreement. The "good enough" I speak of is emotionally. Tom truly did have Hallie first in his heart and he did have her on a pedestal. He just struggled to express this to her at times.

Oooohhh, that was terrific, JackieF! I haven't seen The Love Parade, but I wanted to read what you had wrote and I was really impressed with what you said and how you said it. That was excellent. You have a lovely writing style. I can't wait to read your next review on Lubitsch's musicals.

Hiya, Bronxie Darlin' -- Well, Bronxgirl's mother won't be toolin' around in her whiz-mobile for about a month; she's healing but recovery will take a few weeks. But like I say she's tough and optimistic. I hope your mom is on the dusty trail to recovery, Barb. I've been thinking of you and her the past few days. She's even knitting me a throw blanket (with her head down in the chair) Nothing will stop her! What a lady! I love her positivity and determination. Did I miss you, FG? About as much as Shelly misses Telly when he goes off into the mountains and meets his fate. That much! I love you, too, dear. Rance, Rance, Rance.....oy vay. That beautiful, very Ford visual of Hallie framed by the kitchen door looking out into the night as Tom goes off "out of town" gives me pangs of sorrow; it's as if she's already mourning the loss of her girlhood, her childhood, her frustrated but oddly contentedly unsettled relationship with Tom. to make her choice to go forward as a more fully rounded individual with Stoddard. I love that shot. It's one of the best in a film rich with them. I do believe that scene represents the break-up of Hallie and Tom. "Goodbye, Tom." Doniphon uses his smirk and his casual humor as a defense mechanism. In reality, he is a man who feels deeply, not only about Hallie, but of all life I believe. On the other hand, Rance is all outward emotion but inside he's hard as steel. They are both tough in their own ways, but Tom is the more appealing figure for me, as a human being and as A MAN! I agree that Tom does use his smirk as a defense mechanism. As you stated, he doesn't know how to express his inner feelings, outwardly. He's awkward. I also believe Tom is rather insecure and his feelings of insecurity end up being validated. He worried he's not good enough for Hallie, that he cannot match what Ranse can provide for Hallie. He was right. Doniphon is a very perceptive man. He understands the territory and the territory includes Hallie. Frankly, what it all boils down to is this, ladies: would you rather wake up every morning to Tom or to Rance? (I know I say I usually prefer the nerd, but....) I'd take Tom, and would convince him in EVERY way I could that education was important for my well-being as a human being and a woman. Cake and eat it too, eh? I have some questions for you. How much did Hallie really love Tom before Ranse was dragged into town? If she was truly in love with Tom, could she really have left him? Can a woman be truly in love with one man but also in love with the ideals (brighter future/security) of another? I suppose the answer to the last question is "yes" since many women do face that question; do they go with their heart or their mind? But how deep was Tom in Hallie's heart?

What's up, Arkadin -- Hey Frank, I personally agree and think it's his best film. I love Once Upon a Time in the West (1969), but that film borrows many ideas that were originally found here. Once Upon a Time in the West is my favorite western of all time, and you're correct about Leone re-using many of his ideas from For a Few Dollars More in the film. What I absolutely love about Once Upon a Time in the West is that it's an homage western opera. Talk about unique. The chimes have a lot of symbolism. It's interesting that every time Indio uses the watch, its only when he has the upper hand. The watch is an indicator of the life clock, and the chimes slow down like a dying heartbeat. Indio enjoys playing with people before he kills them--like a cat with a mouse. The last gunbattle is fantastic because at first Mortimer thinks his life is over and it all registers on his face. Then Mortimer's watch is used against Indio and he too clearly knows he's beaten. Wonderful observations. I agree with everything you stated. The chimes do serve as the heartbeat of a foe. It's quite powerful. Those darn chimes just get me every single time. I'm mesmerized by them. Ennio Morricone's scores for Leone (and others) are breathtaking. They are powerfully specific. They add so much depth to character, which is truly amazing to me. If you want to start a 20 page thread on this film--I'm game. I'm gonna have to watch the film again if I'm to hang with you, my friend. But I will rewatch it. I really haven't spent enough time talking film with you. That's on me, not you. Have you checked out Dementia yet? I cannot recommend the film enough to you. It's in your wheelhouse.

I also wanted to speak of my appreciation for Miriam Hopkins. She's an actress that really captivates me. I'd also like to speak of my appreciation for your thread, Joe. As long as your wonderful thread continues, you will hear this from me. Thank you for the enlightenment. Here's to many more "Spotlights."

Hey, Gery -- Boy, I just love those Connie pics you dug up. They are sensational. I really like the top one. You're pictorial postings continue to sizzle.