FrankGrimes

Women are a bloody nuisance.

Hiya, Jackie -- They Won't Believe My Spoilers: *I liked They Won't Believe Me, too. If I may butt into that part of the conversation....you got me thinking too about why I like the movie so much. I think I liked it because of Young, and because it's so unusual to see a serial womanizer from such a clear cut, unrepentant view in the movies. It's a totally male viewpoint. It explained a lot to me.* This is very true. There's nothing wonderful about Larry (Robert Young). He's just a selfish jerk who is out for his fun. He basically kills Greta (Rita Johnson). *Usually the leading man/womanizer is made more sympathetic, to appeal to the ladies in the audience - he falls head over heels for the leading lady, or reforms or has extenuating issues, which is kind of a crock.* *Here it seemed a pretty straightforward, truthful portrayal. He didn't see the women he was hurting as people. In this movie, the philandering was nothing personal, it was just part of his overall laziness.* That is also a very good point. I do believe adultery is shown more truthfully in *They Won't Believe Me* than in many films, especially an adulterer who is married to money. This is very much a "cake and eat it, too" film. *and I loved that the usually good or kindly Robert Young had this callow, dark side.* It was rather jarring to see him playing such a character, but I usually see him as a jerk, even when he's playing nice. *That's what put it over the top for me - Young being the type of guy you instinctively like made the story even better. Young really used that boyish innocence of his in an altogether new, disturbingly shallow way, and made you kind of sick watching him. It was so unusual.* I always see him as a less-likable Robert Montgomery. *And I loved the plot twists and the switched up ending!* I didn't like that as much. Some of it was over-the-top, particularly the ending. It became too "soapy" for me. *Plus the use of three leading ladies - I generally like it when a writer and director can use more than one 'type' - whether it be villains or leads... because usually when there is more than one, they end up standing those stereotypes on their heads... flipping what you expect with what you don't expect. I really could not guess where the film was going.* I liked seeing the three different kinds of women in the film. It was great to see Jane Greer and Susan Hayward playing the kind of characters that they did. And here it's RIta Johnson who I end up liking the most. LAUGH SPOILERS LAUGH *Chaney was heartbreaking in Laugh Clown Laugh. There has never been a more expressive actor. His choices are so different and deeply felt. You can see his thoughts clearly, he's so conflicted. I see a battle between good and evil in every performance, and yet it's all internal, all very realistically portrayed. I've felt the emotions he shows us. Every time I see him, I wonder what heartache in real life gave him such deep understanding and ability to show man, in all his evil and all his longing. He's incredibly sympathetic, and yet we see this otherness in him. It's mastery of the art of acting... he NEVER seems like he is, in a time when the strings usually showed.* He's very much a pained performer, which I love. He's basically the male "Garbo." He's fantastic. Chaney shows the heights and depths of love better than anyone. And since he's a "mug," it makes it all the more believable to me. *This movie is pretty much all Chaney. Without him, it's nothing.* Every Chaney film I've seen has been this for me. *When I was younger, I had a hard time deciding whether I liked Laugh Clown Laugh better, or* *He Who Gets Slapped. They are similar enough to stand comparison, but for me the edge goes to HE. Chaney's performance in LCL is I think better, but HE is a better film overall.* I will have to put it to the test. This was the most emotional of the Chaney films I've seen, thus far. Such a stylish "suicide." I loved the children gathering. *I like Loretta Young better than Norma Shearer,* So do I. I couldn't believe how young Loretta actually was in *Laugh, Clown, Laugh*. Did you find the love unsettling? *and Nils Asther REALLY surprised me most of all this time through - he was marvelous! Really really good. The poor man probably never had a better role, since he was so good looking.* I like how friendly the Count (Nils Asther) and Tito (Lon Chaney) were to each other, for the most part. That adds to the heartbreak. I enjoyed Simon (Bernard Siegel). *Whew! I'm glad you liked at least part of History is Made at Night! I love what you said about Boyer. Isn't it funny how a person could never picture Jean Arthur and Boyer together, but it's magic when they are.* Nobody is as romantic as Boyer and Jean is quite good at showing the rush of love. She knows how to show being captured by ecstasy. Maybe it's because she's such a "regular" girl that seeing her completely taken is more powerful to me than the sexier actresses. Her "in love" grabs me. She's such a lovely actress. One of my very favorites.

Hola, Bronxie! -- It's wonderful to see you around! *Hey, Frank! Surprised and delighted at your intense emotional reaction to A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN. I somehow wouldn't have expected it.* I was actually surprised by it, myself. I guess since I'm such a family man it hit me pretty good. *If you have three hours to spare, lol, check out LA DOLCE VITA. It might not be to your taste stylistically, as on a superficial level one might be tempted to think of the film in a stereotypical "Ah, these Italians and over-the-top Fellini!" sort of way, when in actuality LDV is a thoughtful and philosophical mood piece, thanks mainly to Marcello Mastroianni's restrained, moving performance, culminating in as I've mentioned, one of the screen's great finales.* I did write down the film after you suggested it to me before. The DVD is a little more than I wish to pay for it, right now. But I'm sure I'll eventually break down and get it. I'll be sure to let you know if I watch it. I've been very much in a foreign-language film mood, too.

Howdy, Denver -- It's great to see you. *I watched Laugh Clown Laugh again. All I remembered before was that it was almost exactly the same story as He Who Gets Slapped, which I think you watched before, Frank, but we never discussed.* No, I've yet to watch *He Who Gets Slapped*, mainly because it's on tape for me. I'm going to watch it coming up, though. *Laugh, Clown, Laugh* really got to me. It's such a sad film. The ending is spectacular. I loved the film. Lon Chaney's films really connect with guys like me. We never get the girl. It's time for me to do my highwire act.

*what about* *history is made at night, it's in the middle i don' t know if that means you liked it or hated it less than the others.* I really enjoyed it until the end. The "Titanic" ending is dreadful. But before all of that, I thought the film was wonderfully romantic. I loved the pairing of Charles Boyer and Jean Arthur. Boyer is such a phenomenal actor. Is there anyone more romantic than he? I was very much into the film when Paul (Charles Boyer) was working at the restaurant in New York. When Irene (Jean Arthur) finally shows up, I was rather mesmerized. It's as romantic a moment as I've seen. I could definitely associate with Paul's feelings, especially his frustrations. Love all the recalls in the film. What do you think of the film? *You didn't care much for* *They Won't Believe Me? That's too bad, I like that one a lot.* It was all right. The character I loved the most was Greta (Rita Johnson). I loved how she loved her husband, through it all. I also liked her horse. Susan Hayward and Jane Greer were also interesting to me. Susan keeps getting better and better with me. I wasn't into Robert Young. Not my kind of guy. The story seemed silly to me. What's the appeal of the film for you?

And my cheeks are swollen red!

*no rush!* Hopefully I'll get in the next couple of months. I've got Brigitte to watch first, though. *So confess, you liked all these blondes in this last batch:* I like blondes at all times! *what about Cleo in 1 Girls' Confession?* Oooooohh, now there's a lovely blonde. *One Girl's Confession* is really underrated. I thought it was a wonderful film. Cleo Moore is great. I love the irony in the film. It's superb. Hugo Haas is sensational in the pic. He does it all. Love the morality and immorality of it all. I've yet to watch any of the other films in the collection, but that film alone makes the collection worth it.

*Michel Piccoli seemed to have her number from the start.* Quite possibly. But I think he was surprised to see her at the brothel. *Probably, though I don't know much about those directors' personal lives.* It seems like everyone was linked with someone. *It turns out it is on DVD. I've put some of those in your set in my Netflix queue.* I guess I'll have to get the collection this year.

*she even dresses like a little girl.* Exactly. That's to show us her place in the marriage. *who?* People who have affairs! *I've never seen any of those. One of my favorites is Heartbeat, based on a Francoise Sagan novel (Bonjour, Tristesse, Goobye, Again) but I'm not sure if it's on American DVD.* The box set isn't comprised of her best work, but it's still her. I've never heard of *Heartbeat*.

*i guess so. it's not a very "heroic" character.* No, I can't say Vicki is a great heroine. But she's the one I feel for in the film. She comes from a poor background with some bad events and she can't be with the guy she loves because of it. That's tough. *though i love simone in the original, it's still a very flawed character, and a selfish one a la Scarlett O'Hara. I felt more sympathy for the character as Simone played her, in part because she has a childlike quality.* And I think that's what the difference is going to be: the actresses. Gloria is a natural vamp. Ain't she lovely? *I'm sure he popped his monocle in bafflement more than once.* You do that with me! *it's a marriage of status one feels. he was the "right" husband and she was the "right" wife for a prosperous, bourgois business man.* That is correct. Each is a placeholder. There is no passion. Pierre is very much a boy and Severine is putting on an act of her being an innocent girl, when she's nothing of the sort. *oddly enough i was watching a movie last night very similar, the arnelo affair. which in turn reminded me of* *the reckless moment. so many classic movies are about cheating!* Look at who is making the films! *there is a U.S. box set on Catherine? That's impressive. both women are French national icons, especially Catherine who at least until recently, continues to act.* Here's the box set: http://www.amazon.com/Catherine-Deneuve-Collection-sauvage-am%C3%A9riques/dp/B0016MLILG/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1335368988&sr=1-1

*i'm not a big fan, no, but i do like him; enough so that i will watch a movie on the strength that he's in it. i think i found little to empathize with in the story. no one was very sympathetic.* I started to feel for Vicki (Gloria Grahame) as the film wore on. She had been taken advantage of. *she's the lead yes.* But she's also the "heroine," ala *The Big Heat*. *i wonder if it was Lang's choice? i can imagine him being puzzled by her...or frustrated.* Yeah, I'd love to know how those two got along. *some of those things should be feared.* This is true. But the relationship between Pierre (Jean Sorel) and Severine (Catherine Deneuve) is one built on fear and silence. And they're married! Severine was more comfortable and at ease with Marcel (Pierre Clementi). So many relationships feature emotional hiding. If you can't tell the one you love your feelings, who can you tell? *she's made a hit with you.* Boy, has she ever. Her and Brigitte. I'm considering getting a Catherine box set.

*yes, his focus is people and i like that about his movies.* So do I. *she's the only reason i could watch it more than once. i found it dull.* You're not a big fan of Glenn Ford. I really like him. I love his flat tone. I like that Lang makes Gloria about to be a "heroine" for the second time. Gloria rarely received such a spotlight. *they really are, and the films are all "painterly".* Very much so. Both films use the setting as a major influence on characters' emotional states. *i love the colors, like black narcissus they seemed to have meanings and emotional values.* I'd have to watch it again to try and figure that out. *how about belle de jour? i don't care for the risque aspects, but the whole "is it a dream or not" thing is unusual, and catherine deneuve is excellent.* I always wanted to see how you lived, Belle. I really enjoy psychological films. I love the reality of the film, even though it's mostly a dream. We spend so much of our lives hiding our true feelings out of fear. We humans dwell in fear. And Catherine is stunning. She's fantastic.

*how so?* The film is told from a child's perspective of growing up. Both titles are very similar, in this regard. The tree is growing, the valley was quite green. Both films show the hard work of raising a family during difficult times, but they also show the love of family and the forever bond it can create. There's even an "outside" man who comes to befriend the family with the strong hint of becoming family. Huw's older brothers and Aunt Sissy are even somewhat similar in their doing things their own way with the disapproval of family. *I did think of Ford since it's about family and I know that Kazan spent some time on Ford's sets learning the craft.* I didn't know that. That's very interesting. Kazan is very "human." *i love officer mcshane...what a lovely man. so respectful. katie won't have as hard a time now, you can tell.* She won't have to scrub her fingers to the bone anymore, that's for sure. For that, she'll always be grateful. But it's going to be a different kind of love. *the most "fordian" thing to me was the gesture of how he asks permission to smoke his pipe. it symbolized his acceptance by katie.* That was very Fordian! Very nice catch. And I know you... you'd slap him! *it's hilarious. i feel a breath of fresh air whenever she visits so i know how the kids felt. katie's disapproval is funny.* That's very true. We really do feel as the kids do with Aunt Sissy. She definitely helps to brighten a dark day *i was really impressed by that movie. i liked it better than Lang's remake. simone simon is great.* I liked *Human Desire* more the second time I watched it, mainly because of Gloria Grahame. I'm expecting *La Bete Humaine* to be better, though. *yes! they are similar. this movie does remind me a lot of Powell & Pressburger.* I agree. This makes your *Black Narcissus* comparison all the more apt. There's a romanticism to the Archers and Renoir is highly romantic in his telling of *The River*. *great capture. i like the perspective on the three characters.* It's one of the best shots in the film. It really tells the story in one shot. It's very "*Mogambo*."

*Peggy Ann Garner did a wonderful job.* She's pretty much the film, which is saying a lot about her performance. I guess you could say the film is a little similar to *How Green Was My Valley*. *It really breaks your heart when he dies. He was such a gentle man. But he had a fatal weakness. He at least had a family that loved him, though it couldn't prevent a ghastly death.* He was a fun-loving guy. And the timing of his death is truly tragic. He never gets to see his child. And, most importantly, his family is left to fend for themselves. Thankfully for Katie and the family, there is Officer McShane (Lloyd Nolan). *She sure does. She's practical in ways Johnny wasn't. For her, husbands were interchangeable. She'd never want for one. * That's true! She calls her husbands all by the same name! That tells you all you need to know. *And Francie takes on lots of the load, too, more than she should. The "men" of the family are spoiled, I must say. Neely's not a worker. Like Johnny, he has to be pushed. It's not fair and makes Katie old before her time.* Exactly. Francie is playing the role of a parent while Johnny is a child. *I really can't remember the first part of the movie.* I'll try to post a few caps. *It does so well at capturing feelings and a certain mood and season. I love movies that do that. I sense Renoir liked to do that.* I've seen only three Renoir films, but he's skyrocketing up my favorite director list. I've been impressed by his ability to tell such drastically different stories. For example, the next film of his I'm going to watch is *La Bete Humaine*. *In a documentary I saw, I read that the young man was not an actor, but a soldier, I think. Renoir liked something about him so he used him instead of a professional. It's always odd to me to see Arthur Shields there. * Yes, this is true. He's a soldier who did lose his leg. It reminded me of *A Canterbury Tale* and John Sweet.

*I figured it was "Johnny" that would click with you.* He certainly did. But I'm crazy about "Francie," too. *It's too bad. He and Dorothy were great compliments of each other, but his drinking, that really is sad.* I agree. I love how much Katie (Dorothy McGuire) loved Johnny (James Dunn). It really was too bad his drinking created all that work and stress for her and the family. *I loved Joan Blondell's character. "Don't frown honey, the fellas don't like it!"* Oh, she's a peach. She's very much like Johnny. She just floats and floats, but you get the feeling she's enjoying life. *It wonderfully captured a family and a neighborhood, like you say. All the little details, like the insurance collector, the little neighbor girl, Neely the rotten little brother. It's like a family photo album.* You got it. It's one of the best films I've seen that captures such a world. Katie is dealing with everything while Johnny just goes about his day. *Cary making like a steam engine was pretty funny. I actually don't remember the opening credits. I've always felt it's an old movie that would go over well with any audience, especially guys like you say.* I was wrong about the opening credits. It's the introduction of Cary, Vic, and Douglas that I loved and felt was rather modern. It's terrific. *So you liked The River, too.* Oh yes, very much so. *I wasn't sure how that one would go down since despite the vivid cinematography, it's not a movie that hammers you over the head. I'm sure I didn't quite grasp it all in the first viewing but something about it is mesmerizing, potent. It's definitely a very truly Renoir film, filled with homages to his father's palette. It reminds me in some ways to Black Narcissus.* That's a very good comparison from a style point of view. I thought the film was emotionally rich. I loved the presentation of a girl "coming of age." I liked seeing the three different kinds of girls and how they took to a man. It's a beautiful film.

*So what made* *A Tree Grows in Brooklyn number one?* I've never cried more watching a movie. It's such an emotional film. All of the family and neighborhood elements are so real feeling. I certainly associate a lot with the father, minus the drinking. I'm very much a dreamer. *I'm glad you liked Gunga Din. I kind of thought you might, it's generally a favorite. I agree, the camaraderie is the best there is. I just love Vic. What a sweetheart. The character, Gunga Din, reminds me of Wee Willie Winkie (Shirley Temple). The action sequences are great, and that's not always what I focus on in a movie. Rousing, touching, exciting and funny.* I agree with all of that. It's such an entertaining film. The way the guys get along and get on each other is terrific. I loved seeing Cary Grant in such a film. He even came off as Curly Howard, at times. Vic is always so good at playing such characters. And I thought Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. was really good. Loved all of the breeziness. The opening credit sequence felt very modern. I believe *Gunga Din* is a film those who don't like classics all that much may enjoy, particularly guys.

Hiya, Movieman -- *I recall that I didn't think much of "Pittsburgh."* I loved seeing the Duke and Randy Scott "palling around." They were good together. That's what I liked most about the film. But then the Duke becomes power-hungry and the film goes south. And Marlene is purely a decoration in the film, which shocked me. *The Marx Brothers started their descent with "At The Circus" but it was still better than some to come.* This one disappointed me. I definitely love the Marx Brothers, it's just some of the stories don't do much for me. This is one of those times. I'm also not a fan of too much singing in their films, such as *A Night at the Opera*. Although, "Lydia, the Tattooed Lady" has been my favorite song so far in a Marx Brothers film. That was fantastic. *I like "G MEN" as Cagney gets to be the good guy.* I wasn't sure how I'd go for Cagney as an agent, but I liked it. I thought it was a pretty good film. Some really interesting scenes in the film.

*Hiya Jud! * I think that's who I am! *I know! But that is likely also why I am so lousy at it. I DO listen and try to remember stuff like that for people... but I am getting so old fogeyish and forgetful.. I am not as good at it anymore as a young whippersnapper like you. ha. Senility is setting in. Today I actually LOST a $20 bill... in my own pocket!! What is worse is that I took everything OUT of that pocket as I was looking for it.. (my cell phone and a sticky note) and for some reason I could not find it. So I spent the better part of the afternoon looking all over work asking people had they found a $20 (because it was not even MY money!) and still could not find it. A while later (after I had given up) my phone rang in my pocket.. and when I reached in to answer it.. I pulled out my phone.. AND the twenty dollar bill!! Senile.. yep.. that is me. (oh bruddah) So it would be NO wonder that I am having trouble pegging you.. ha. I can't keep track of my own brain anymore and all those necessary facts are getting away from me, ha. (alas)* I bet whoever called you ran into a very happy you after your little mystery was solved. You're like Inspector Clouseau! *That is a great way to say it. And I guess that is sort of what I meant when I was saying she did not want to be like her family. She liked the freedom he had and the lighter side of his life.. but she also eventually had her eyes open to it as well. But again.. I really need to see the film sometime soon to refresh my memory. (because did I mention that whole "senile" thing? I once lost a $20 bill in my own pocket.. stop me if you've heard this one before. ha) * It's such a real story. The mother is playing the "bad guy" and dad walks in and saves the day. Dad was willing to lie for Francie to keep her in the school she wished to be but all the blood, sweat, and tears of the family are spent by mom. She's the one who is keeping the family alive. I loved both the mother and the father. I especially loved the father (James Dunn). What made him horrible was also what made him great. He was a child who never grew up. His "way" allowed him to make others feel good about themselves, to enjoy life. Very "Elwood P. Dowd"-like. I liked that Katie (Dorothy McGuire) still loved him for how he made her feel, even though all the hard work she was doing caused her to lose sight of this. *Woo hoo again.. I am glad you liked this one. It could have gone either way (because I know you are not always fond of the "drunken fighting" sort of comedy.. but it is different in this film.. and it really is a fine story. What made you rate it so high?? (when you are ready to gab on it) Inquiring minds wanna know.* It's such a great "buddy" film. It's one of the best I've seen, in fact. Cary Grant, Victor McLaglen, and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. are magnificent. I found their relationship to be thoroughly entertaining. I loved how they got on each other, pushing each other. I think any guy can relate to this kind of male relationship. Lots of "egging." I had an older gentleman, a stranger, once tell me in the DVD section of Borders (back in 2008) that *Gunga Din* was a great movie. I was thinking at the time, "really?" Well, he's right. *Shocking!! (ha.. I expected much lower) Did you like anything other than Annie????* What's more shocking is that I mostly liked *Oklahoma!*. I thought it was enjoyable. I liked most of the songs and I thought Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones were both terrific. I loved Curly (Gordon) and Laurey (Shirley) as a couple. I definitely liked Annie (Gloria Grahame). Her songs are my favorite in the film. But I also loved the opening songs with Curly and Laurey. I didn't like the nightmare sequence or the ending. And Aunt Eller (Charlotte Greenwood) was really good, too. *Sure he was.. and now the daisies in the dell will give off a different smell because poor Jud is buried in the ground!!! (ha.. I think that has to be my most favorite song in the whole movie.. can you tell???) * That makes sense! And it's probably my least favorite song in the film.

*I was a little disappointed in* *Scandal in Paris. I think maybe because I waited to watch it for so long, with high expectations, it was a letdown.* *I saw it after almost all of George Sanders other scoundrel movies, and it just didn't hold up as well as the others. It's very 1940's, and the movie is choppy and the tone is weird, a little more like a musical, maybe? I think I blame Sirk. He just seems to wander all over the place in his tone, forcing the thing somehow and dragging out the boring bits at the middle with the love interest.* *I thought it was a great script, George was quite expressive and perfect as always, and it should have been really good. But Akim Tamiroff was very very subdued, Carole Landis, who I usually love, was over the top as if she had been told to overdo it, and actually made me long for Zsa Zsa, who could bring a light touch to things. She and Akim brought the opposite to the movie than I expected of them, with Akim not his usual hammy self, which I love, and Carole acting forced, which she never is. I got bored with Signe Hasso, who had the weirdest most unattractive hairstyle I've ever seen. The little girl and Gene Lockhart were great.* *Luckily, Sirk won me back at the ending merry-go-round scene.* Boy, all of that was excellent, Jackie. That's a superb description of the film. You really captured a lot of my own feelings. I really wasn't into the film until the very end. I loved the change of mind and the "merry-go-round" ending. I'm guessing Hitch was influenced by it. You didn't think Carole played Miss G that well? Akim was definitely on the muted side... until the end. George usually does no wrong with me. Signe was on the "boring" side, I do agree with you there. Jo Ann Marlowe was darling.

*Oops! I didn't recollect the title...that's the Cleo Moore movie, right? so I rank it on the high end for me, in the middle for you.* Uh-huh. It's Cleo. Wolf whistle! Here's how I liked the films: 1. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1-1) 2. Laugh, Clown, Laugh 3. Gunga Din (9-7) 4. Love on a Pillow (5-6) 5. The River (6-3) 6. Belle de Jour (2-11) 7. One Girl's Confession 8. G-Men (19-20) 9. Pillow Talk (12-8) 10. History Is Made at Night (18-9) 11. Pandora's Box (3-22) 12. Affair in Trinidad (20-18) 13. In Old Kentucky (23-15) 14. They Won't Believe Me (8-4) 15. The Kiss of the Vampire 16. Boom Town (24-19) 17. A Scandal in Paris (15-7) 18. Oklahoma! (17-23) 19. Pittsburgh (21-14) 20. Shalako (14-5) 21. At the Circus 22. Madeleine (4-16) 23. Journey to Midnight (16-2) 24. The Curse of the Werewolf 25. The Real Glory (13-13) 26. The Gay Bride (10-10) 27. Topper (22-21) 28. Undercurrent (7-12) 29. Night Creatures 30. The Evil of Frankenstein 31. The Phantom of the Opera (1962) (11-17) 32. The Brides of Dracula 33. The Climax

*A Tree Grows in Brooklyn* *History is Made at Night* *The River* *Topper* *They Won't Believe Me* *The Gay Bride* *G-Men* *Pandora's Box* *Gunga Din* *A Scandal in Paris* *Boom Town* *At the Circus* *Oklahoma* *Pittsburgh* *Madeleine* *Undercurrent* Nicely done. I can't say that any of that suprises me with the exception of *A Scandal in Paris*. I would have thought you liked that more. What are your thoughts about that film? *I cannot remember Laugh Clown Laugh, but I have a copy of this one which I can watch soon.* Please do!

*Oh, geez! Be kind when you talk about History is Made at Night.* I'm ready to sink the Titanic! *A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is in my top movies of all time.* I did know this. It's one of the main reasons I watched it. *The River is amazing.* Oh, yeah? *I am very curious to see where Madeleine falls on your list.* I've been on a Lean kick. *And Topper is a real test picture for me to see what you like.* A real test? I like it! So what films from the list have you seen and how do you like them?

*Ah ha! I forgot you have a mind like a steel trap! ha. Now your secret it out. You are not so good at pegging as you are just remembering what folks say.. and using it to make yourself LOOK like you know what you are doing. (hmm.. brilliant!) * That's a big part of learning someone. *Well, I admit it has been a long time since I saw it.. and I do remember her being like what you say.. but I also remember her coming to terms with some of that.. and seeing him more realistically.. not that she loved him less.. Just saw him more for who he was... and maybe ended up being more of a mix between the two parents by the end. Sort of a "dreamer meets realist" I guess that is what i meant) but I confess I may be remembering her wrong. I likely need to just watch it all again.* I'd say you're right about that. Francie knows her father likes to talk big but he rarely comes through. She's come to learn this and accept it. Francie struggles with her mom because her mom is very tough on her dad. She's too far over on the "work" side, looking to compensate for what her husband isn't providing. Francie spends most of her time with her mom and her mother has her working. When she's with her father, he takes her to another place, a dreamworld, a place she loves. In a way, her father is like a favorite uncle more so than a father. *Ha.. that is just the freezer burn setting in.. from all those frozen ropes. * So that's it! *Uh huh.. I know.. watta guy. He was just misunderstood. (After all, he treated the rats and vermin like equals) * He was misunderstood!

*HA. I am so easy. (and I mean that in the most UN-Ado Annie sense of the word.) * That was good! Ahhhhh, Annie. *It's true.. though I would say I like ATGIB almost as much.. but for totally different reasons.* To be honest, I already knew you were a fan of *Gunga Din*. So I had inside information with that one. *Mostly the girl and her relationship with her dad.. and her mom for that matter.* Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm... *Also her desire to be different from her family, despite loving them)* Francie (Peggy Ann Garner) is "Daddy's Little Girl," all the way. She'd love to be like him. *I would need to see it again to be more specific (because I have only seen it once, and it has been a while) but it just strikes me as a story you would like. And again.. I'd want to watch it to be sure.. but it seems (from my memory)there is a lot of "grey" in the situations that get faced by the family...The mom sees things one way.. the dad a totally different way. Hard decisions have to be made and who's to say if they are right or wrong. I just think some of that might appeal to you (even despite the "happy' at the end)* The dreamer and the realist. *But don't hold me to it.. ha. I am NEVER right about you (oh.. except once.. with Destry Rides Again, musta been having an off day there.. ha) * You've guessed right with me with some others. I don't think I'm an easy guess, either. I'm not as easy as Annie. Ahhhhh, Annie. *Of course!! No less than he would deserve, I am sure! * Ha! Why is my collar getting tighter? *Him.. and Jud Fry!! * Poor Jud!

*So, that's where you have been.* The holidays, a touch of the flu, and the doghouse slowed me down for a couple of weeks. *I've seen about a dozen but some have not been for a long time. "History" is the only recent one. I recall that I didn't think much of "Pittsburgh." The Marx Brothers started their descent with "At The Circus" but it was still better than some to come. I like "G MEN" as Cagney gets to be the good guy. Others such as "Pillow Talk", "Gunga Din", "Topper", "They Won't Believe Me"and the sweet "A Tree Grows In Brooklyn" are winners for me.* I'll definitely comment after I post my list, and I'll certainly get back to you.