CineMaven

I don't think I can convince Rohanaka to add smell-0-vision to this thread so we'd better make do with pictures, recipes and YouTube-food related movie clips.

:^0 *Haaaaaaaaaaaaa!* :^0 E-Z. Don't let Mrs. Hawke catch ya doin' that! Now for a walk along the Promenade. A show-and-tell later.

I can't wait to get settled into my favorite little Battery Park restaurant (with free wi-fi) and sit with your review!!! Mrs. Hawke was lucky. She could trade stories with Mrs. Costanza's. George's domain was never the same after that. More later...

*CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR NEW THREAD RO.* I see it's going like gang busters. Now...I don't cook. And that's probably my romantic downfall. Oh, I can boil water...but I have a couple of burnt pots that would probably beg to differ. I like to eat though. And I like to eat out. And that is probably my romantic downfall as well. Maybe I can offer up things I've eaten when I go out. *Sunday Brunch in Brooklyn*: ( *BAR TANO in Gowanus* ) Two poached eggs over spinach, prosciutto and mushrooms. Home fries and flat bread included. If I get adventurous and experimental I might try the combination of scalloped potatoes you and Miss G. submitted recipes for. So tell me, where do I find a scallop and who can slice 'em for me?

This made me laugh: "Feted by the hoi polloi, dropped by a publisher, breach of contract, suicide, pneumonia, lawsuits, being catnip to women, Pulitzer nominations...and his mother entering his room without knocking." I'm not sure the last thing is what would send most people over the edge. Haaaaaaaaaaaa!! Wow. I'm sorry you missed the movie. (It was a hoot!) Sorrier still about the imsomnia. Go over to Rohanaka's new food thread. Maybe she has a recipe for a nice non-alcoholic hot toddy for you.

*SUZANNE PLESHETTE, JAMES FRANCISCUS and EVA GABOR in "YOUNGBLOOD HAWKE" (1964)* Have you ever seen a dream walking? Well I have. Have you ever seen a male soap opera? Well I have. *TEXT MESSAGE CONVERSATION:* *FRIEND: Are you watching the Martin Luther King dedication?* *C-MAVEN: Naaah, I'm watching a sudsy old soap opera on TCM?* *FRIEND: Don't you want to see Obama?* *C-MAVEN: Hey, I haven't seen "Youngblood Hawke" in 40 years.* *FRIEND: LOL!* *C-MAVEN: I'm a movie buff.* ...And I was a happy camper, too. "*YOUNGBLOOD HAWKE"* was on Sunday morning. I saw it so long ago, I remembered none of it, but enjoyed all of it. Wow! They stuffed a lifetime of events in two and a half hours. And yes, it was a male soap opera. To steal paraphrase Frank Grimes, the film has a male subject, but the film has a female presentation. The gorgeous James Franciscus plays Youngblood Hawke and I swear he was filmed like any other blonde bombshell. *JAMES FRANCISCUS.* Such a focus on him. He is the focus...the object of desire. But it's not quite with the same focus you'd look at Mitchum, Ryan, Peck or Matthew McIckyhay. (That’s for you, Jackaaay but we’ll leave him off that list, though I do think he could pay a modern day "HUD" ). At first I missed the Sirkian-saturated technicolor of a true soap opera, but I very quickly changed my mind; that might turn him into a pin-up...a thinking woman's Troy Donahue. (And who wants that? Besides, NYC sometimes looks better in black & white). By Delmer Daves making Franciscus the object of our gaze, it's like looking at Gene Tierney or Jeanne Crain. Or Esther Williams. Everything’s inverted as Franciscus plays Youngblood Hawke, a blonde babe in the woods in the big bad city of 1960’s New York. He's the hot new sensation in the publishing world and two sexy sharks with husky voices swim around him. Sharks not sexy? Ha! Au contraire when they're in the guise of... *SUZANNE PLESHETTE*, story editor: ( smart as a whip, maternally patient...but interested ) and *GENEVIEVE PAGE*, patron of the arts: ( sophisticated, damaged...and insatiably devouring ). Well, if a guy's gotta go... Maybe the sets were Hollywood, but the beautiful cinematography films *1964 New York City.* Oooh, that black and white is as clean and a sharp as an Autumn day. I recognized a couple of New York sights...the main one being the promenade of Brooklyn Heights. I recognized the entrance they went through and the little lip of the promenade they were standing on. I squealed when I heard the rent for his little East River garret was *$60.00.* I would kill for that apartment in Brooklyn Heights. The rent now in that very same spot, is probably a good $3,500. And that would be on the cheap side. The music is by Max Steiner...big and bombastic!! It presents itself and every situation it underscores. (Korngold ain't got nuthin' on him!) The movie is peopled with a great supporting class and character types, including: John Dehner, Lee Bowman (finally something I like him in), Eva Gabor, Mildred Dunnock, Don Porter, Werner Klemperer, Edward Andrews and the great Mary Astor as sharks, vamps, butterflies, bimboes and career girls and grande dames. What is Youngblood up against? Love at first sight and lust at first sight. A typical choice and friendly nemeses in films. Genevieve Page has a great voice, like Hildegarde. She's got a glamorous wardrobe and wears it damn well. She knows the right people and can help his career. But she's also saddled with a husband and three kids: two little girls curtsying like twin fairies in "Godzilla" (or is that "Mothra"?) and a sickly son who looks like he won't survive a rousing game of stickball on the streets of Sutton Place, much less the military school he's being sent to. (Hollywood Child Actors! Bah! There oughta be a law. Nothing real like young Desmond Tester in "Sabotage"). Page's husband is played by sad-sack, second-stringer, Kent Smith. Just seeing him is such a short hand. You know he's not making Page happy. She's a girl with baggage and no guy wants that. Then there's Pleshette with her blazing eyes and dark beauty. She looks very sultry here in a good clean way. She’s a career girl. Smart. Knows the ropes. She gets a ringing endorsement from Youngblood's mother (played by Elizabeth Taylor's "BUTTERFIELD 8" mother Mildred Dunnock) when she tells Pleshette: *"**You seem too pretty to have so much brains."* HA! And Pleshette's character went to Stanford. What a waste, ey Mom? Pleshette can help Youngblood with his career. More accurately, she can help him become a better writer. Oh she wants him alright. We see this the very first time she sees him. But she hangs back a bit. Darn it...if only Youngblood would make the first move like a fella's supposed to. Why won't he step up to the plate? ('Cuz Page already has him by the bat). Pleshette's boss waits in the wings to scoop her up. He's very kind and very handsome (played by Mark Miller of "Please Don't Eat the Daisies" fame and the handsomest tv father of the 60’s). But she's a career girl: *"**I'm proud of the help I can give a fine writer, but my life is my own!!"* Yet still...it’s Youngblood that makes Suzanne’s typewriter go pitter patter. She tells him: *"My emotions are becoming a little too obvious. I can't continue to work with you. Night after night."* Reasonable. Sensible. Quietly sexy. A big come-on. Being a red-blooded American male, there’s no doubt which moth Youngblood's attracted to. He picks the gal with the baggage. Well...I hope it's at least Louis Vuitton. Much swirls around the "hawke" in this movie. Feted by the hoi polloi, dropped by a publisher, breach of contract, suicide, pneumonia, lawsuits, being catnip to women, Pulitzer nominations...and his mother entering his room without knocking. Whew!! It’s a never ending series of events, Steiner musical cues and sophisticated 60's Mad Men banter in "Youngblood Hawke." Franciscus did a good job as the lead. He emoted convincingly, is born to a tuxedo, and can dive into a pool as good as Greg Lougainis. I ate it up hook, line and sinker!!! I think I'll relive some of the movie by going down to Brooklyn Heights on this cloudy 21st century New York day...and walk the Brooklyn Promenade. I'll look for the ghosts of James Franciscus and Suzanne Pleshette...and maybe show you some pictures of what the promenade looks like today. *"CinemAva, I guess I need to bump Madame de... up in my queue."* - *MISS GODDESS.* Ready when you are Miss DeMille Ford.

I really like how Stevens staged that wedding scene, how the words that were being spoken over the sister were registering in Leslie's mind and then Bick is standing behind her. First she senses he's there, and slowly turns and sees him. A great moment. That's a very sensitive director. Do you remember Stevens using this "wedding ceremony" technique in "Woman of the Year"? (Kate's at Fay Bainter's wedding). Say hello ("7nu3lc") to both of your little scamps. Scratch their tummies for me.

A-ha! Sooooo the mighty giant hater has seen the giant. And you liked it. You reallllly liked it. That's great Ro. There are none so blind, as those that hate what they've not seen. Ha. Your post shows that you got a lot out of it. It was not only a nice read...but you showed us how your opinion has opened up. I think "GIANT" is one of George Stevens' masterpieces. Can you imagine being a director having more than one masterpiece? That would be Stevens. Well now that you're all squared away, what are you gonna do about your Junior Peacemaker? After all, she didn't get her monster movie. No worries. With Juana and what she did see of "Giant" I suspect she just got much much more.

Oh my Ro. I am humbly flattered!

The corner of West 10th Street in Greenwich Village.

I like your list. I see a lot of Integrity in your courtroom dramas. I love that you added Eve Arden's name to your pick of "Anatomy of a Murder." McConaughey, icky? Your Honor, I object on the grounds that... Miranda Richardson...is one of my modern favorite actresses. I almost listed "12 Angry Men" but I didn't want to get booted off of the list-making team. There needs to be a good...new...courtroom drama with: The Judge..................James Earl Jones The Prosecutor...................Meryl Streep The Defense Attorney...Angela Bassett ...And that'd be just the start of my casting choices. Icky...hmmm.

Goochie, honey, baby, sugardoll... - *And this is what I was seeking when I joined this board. I wanted to find deep discussions. I wanted the discussions to challenge me in positive ways, not negative ones. Many of our discussions have led to my understanding and liking a movie a heckuva lot more than I did after I watched it. That's the value of discussion.* I like what you wrote Rohanaka about the power of positive discussion. Reading many comments here has sometimes made me face up to some of my own long-held stubborn opinions. *I think a lot of people respond to tone but they don't realize it.* Ooooh, I totally agree. It's maybe why they can't quite put their finger on why they liked ( or didn't like ) a movie. *Everyone has a tone and a BPM. How a person talks to you can tell you a lot about them. How they receive you tells you about them. You can often read if a person is selfish or unselfish, caring or uncaring, deep or shallow, and on and on.* Tone was very big in my household growing up. You could get an (unjust) whack just from the way you said something. I'm acutely aware of tone in myself and in others. But how can we bring across our 'tone' in writing on a Message Board? When we tease, kibbitz...how can we keep from being misunderstood? Is the only surefire way to not be misunderstood is by not saying anything? Or by adding one of the Board's crazy emoticons??? Sometimes we bring our own perceptions to what we read that has nothing to do with the writer. *Oh, completely. That's the male aspect of A Place in the Sun. The meat of the story is masculine, but the presentation is feminine.* Whoaa. What a great succinct critique. JACK FAVELL writes - *I think I agree. We admire Hawks, because his view of his ideal woman is rather modern, purely by accident. We've moved that direction with time. I can see women of his day being offput by Hawks' women.* Grimesey replies - *Right. Many of the girls of this day are looking to be a "pal" with guys, which is what Hawks' women were. He was ahead of his time.* I guess the key is to know when to be a "pal" and when to be (as Paulette Goddard said in *"The Women"*) a "cutie." The guy's signal should be clear on that score so we don't go guzzling shots with him in a bar, when what he really wanted was a girl to walk in the park and pick daisies with. *The film ( "GIANT" ) mirrors the marriage of Bick and Leslie, which I feel mirrors most marriages. It starts off masculine but it slowly turns feminine over time. The woman softens the man.* Do you ever find that it's the other way around? Would that even work? *So what are your favorite Cagney films? I'm not worrying about what is recognized as his best. I want to know what you like.* Okay. These are the Cagney films I've enjoyed him in (no particular order preference:) The Public Enemy Mayor of Hell Lady Killer 'G' Men Angels with Dirty Faces Each Dawn I Die The Roaring Twenties Torrid Zone City for Conquest White Heat Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye Love Me or Leave Me (but mostly for Doris Day's performance...she stood toe-to-toe with Cagney) One, Two, Three (he still had his machine gun delivery) *WIth me, it's always about the people, though. I can talk sports, movies, music, politics, beliefs, and all the rest, but it's still going to be about the people with me. As you say, the movies can bring about a person's personality, which I love.* I hear ya, Gooch. *Her outfits? Not you, too! Awful!* Yeah. Despite it alll...I'm still a girl. Why last Saturday I had to go shopping for clothes for a party where I wanted to impress someone, and there was this peach silk top with....

*...I am making pork roast in the crock pot w/ homemade scalloped potatoes this weekend. OH.. and I have CHOCOLATE.. some lovely dark chocolate raspberry filled Ghiradelli's just waiting for us in the fridge.. and.. oh.. I also have some lovely carmel and apples too in case we feel guilty for all that chocolate... apples are healthy aren't they?? (we can slice up the apples and heat the carmel and drizzle it over top.... and at least PRETEND they are healthy... )* Uhmmmm...ahem, would you please add another chair to that table Ro? I like pretend. You've created two monumental mainstays to this Message Board with your two threads: *"WESTERN MOVIE RAMBLES"* and *"A WALK ON THE NOIR SIDE"* where there were loads of film discussion among folks. Now, after that simply scrumptious description you wrote above...I'm thinking you need to branch out and create a thread about FOOD! Maybe food in the movies. Or just write your recipes on the Board. Or hell, just really invite us over. Or maybe you could ship some food in a small containers. You have my address. I guess that's my real true motive. :8} *I guess what I am saying is that even if our personal lives are far removed from one another.. one of our common bonds would be the various movies we discuss here. And our enjoyment of classic films gives us all a frame of reference to build on to get to know more about each other and understand someone else's point of view in a way we might not even THINK of doing were we in a different setting.* Lovely. I think that is the basis of TCM's Film Festival. I met sooooooo many people, struck up so much conversation and people just started talking to me as well, all b'cuz of the common bond classic films had for all of us. *The films and characters we discuss give us a safe place to hang the discussions that we might not EVER have otherwise.* The environment at the film festival was very safe for that as well...though running through the films' schedule might not have given one much time. *And that is a thing of beauty if you think about it because discussing why (or why not) we do like or don't like a film or a character gives us a chance to be ourselves in a discussion.. and still share our points of view. Yet we don't even always have to agree, so long as we remember that we are friends and that each one of us is entitled to their own personal point of view so long as we all share our thoughts respectfully.* :x Barring the expense of traveling to California, this Message Board is a grand meeting place. Good luck with *"GIANT."* And come back with your review. Folks'll be waiting.

Hey Jackaa*A*aaaay...clear this up for me. Do you like courtroom dramas...or you don't care for them? These are among my favorites in no particular preference other than classics and modern-day. CLASSIC ERA: *Anatomy of A Murder* (All of it....all of it) *Witness for the Prosecution* ("Duckie!!!") *The Young Philadelphians* (Well Paul Newman's just so darned cute...but of course it was Robert Vaughn's movie. That's vodka...not water!!!) *Judgment at Nuremberg* (Unraveling Evil!) *To Kill A Mockingbird* (Gregory Peck...that's all; that's everything) *The Caine Mutiny* (Bogie on the stand is worth two Bogies on that Queen) *Paths of Glory* (The ludicrous injustice of it all is almost hilarious...if it weren't so heartbreakingly true. Love Kirk's veins popping out as he yells at Menjou) *The Paradine Case* (Oh Hitch, my Hitch...subverting the Courtroom Trial in his sick twisted way) MODERN-ERA: *Jagged Edge* (Edge of my seat) *Primal Fear* (Laura Linney and Edward Norton... :x ) *The Accused* *A Soldier’s Story* (Getting at the truth ain't never easy!) *A Time to Kill* (Lawyer plea shocked me to the core) *The Verdict* (Paul Newman should have won his Oscar for this not "The Color of Money") *Philadelphia* (Coming to finally believe in the good cause) *A Few Good Men* (Tom Cruise vs. Jack Nicholson - OMG!) *Intolerable Cruelty* (there's a trial in this movie that is absolutely hilarious! The rest of the movie is just...hilarious) *Are there any potatoes left? I'll take the burnt edges if that's all there is.* ...burnt potato potato edges? Girl, I'm arriving early enough to get the full monty.

Yay!! THREE CHEERS FOR MISS --CRABTREE-- GODDESS!! Hip hip...hooray! Hip hip...hooray! Hip hip...Woodaaaaaay! This is great news Ms. G. And a great addition to your website. You don't mind all the research entailed? :-)

A STRONG AND SILENT GIANT Now I'm salivating, fantasizing Woody's story being included in this history of Texas. If only...

Why the heck am I thinking of Woody Strode. He wasn't in *"GIANT"* was he?

The thought of being drenched...by oil...

I know. Yeah...I feel woozy now.

Uhmmmmm, did someone mention a geyser exploding somewhere...

Hmmmmmmm, but something remains amiss. Huh??? :0 Still? 'Wha'chu talkin' about Willis?' It sounds like you admire her and what she stands for to you more so than you like her, which is more of a personal thing. Oh no...I like her. I admire what she stands for, (for me) and I like her. I really like her. I like many of her characters. Short guy syndrome...ha-ha! It's all what speaks to your heart. There's not a film I can recommend for you to see and like (Cagney) in. Not one?! I need a compass! I am not a good compass for you. You don't even think I made a good case for liking Hepburn as an actress. How can I guide like a good compass should? I am a broken compass. My arrows are pointing south. :-( And I do disagree with one thing you wrote. Say it ain't so Grimesy. I personally believe it's the people that count the most on a message board. The movies cannot discuss things with you. It's the people who do. We're on this board for the attention of people, not movies. What are movies without people? What's anything without people? There's nothing...without people. Cue Streisand: "People, people who need people..." I wholeheartedly agree that it's People that count the most. But I wasn't negating people. On the contrary. See, I laud your openness to get us to know you...as well as we can know you or anyone else through this cyber-means. I was remarking that movies is just one aspect of your life (as it is of the rest of us) where we get to know you fully; and that it stands to reason that we know this one particular aspect of your life (...movies...) because we are on a Message Board about movies. Maybe we can also get to learn your politics or feelings about women or animals or your worldview (in general) by the movies you like or dislike. So yep, people are important. I was referring to the topic of the one aspect of your life we are learning about here on the Message Board. I'm not talking about who she is off-screen, but her actual films and characters. That's where it gets personal. Recognizing someone is talented and gives good performances is impersonal. Impersonal about Kate? Naaaaah. I love watching her. Here are just some of the reasons why: STAGE DOOR - A bit of an outsider, but gives as good as she gets, warms the gals up to her...and becomes one of them. Loved her scene with her father (played by Samuel S. Hinds and the warm way she touched his hand and said "Dad"). While Ginger is a tart smart alec, Kate here is a smart smart-alec. WOMAN of the YEAR - She's smart and stylish and seems very modern. Pre-Feminism. (Oooh, a dirty word). Love to watch her 'professionalism' melt in the gaze of Tracy while she still holds onto herself. Love her in the dark...in the quiet. Some of her outfits were to die for. HOLIDAY - She's a girl who can be a pal. She's a girl trying to remain true to her core in spite of her wealth and its closed society. I like that she gets along so well with the way Cary Grant was in this movie. LION IN WINTER - She's strong and ferocious and cunning and a verbal warrior. She's a worthy opponent in the Battle of the Sexes, and to face the King...I love her armor. ADAM's RIB - She's so comfortable here. I like how she mixes being a Wife and being a Lawyer...She seems fully married. And funny ("I know the difference between a slap and a slug. You meant that!") SUMMERTIME - She starts off as a tourist learning about Venice...but ends up learning more about herself. This is the sexiest I've ever seen Kate, in a field with her hair loose as the sun's going down. I loved watching her sexual awakening... and not in the arms of Tracy; not in the arms of Cary Grant...but in the arms of a gorgeous Italian: Rosanno Brazzi. SUDDENLY, LAST SUMMER - Elizabeth Taylor is about to go down for the count b'cuz Kate is lethal and venomous and ultimately crazy. Oedipus runs amok. And Kate is k-k-krazy. CHRISTOPHER STRONG - Okay to be honest...I don't remember her personality in this movie, seeing this so long ago. I just know she's not the conventional girl. She's like this cool aviatrix a la Amelia Earhart...and shows up at this party in this outfit: Impersonal about Kate? Naaaah...I like her for different reasons: on-screen and off. Kate is great. Movies are great. People are great. And people having conversations about movies? Yeah...great. Cine-Compass

*On a good day, I'm egalitarian ( I love that word!), on a bad day I'm scattered. I just don't think in a straightforward fashion. I don't generally categorize things or list them... Time swirls around me, a jumble of memories in no particular order...* I don't know if it's weird, but it is different from my thought processes. What sign are you? Sounds like some air or water sign that's amorphous. Or is that amorous. No wait, it's amorphous. And not a bad thing either, Jackaaa*A*aaay. You sound like you live in the moment. Ain't nuthin' wrong with that. I'm an earth grounded Capricorn, and no, I don't take medication. There's a bit more structure to my thoughts and memories of events in my life. Different...not better or worse. Being linear helps when you want to direct films. *When someone asks me when something happened in my life, it's very hard for me to relate to months, years or even time on the clock.* So how old were you when you first saw *"GONE WITH THE WIND"* Jackie? Were you a little girl...a teenager? *"DON'T ASK ME ANY QUESTIONS!!!!!! I JUST KNOW I WAS THERE!!!"* Ohhhhkay. Alright. Calm down. I was just askin'. Sheesh! *Ha! That makes me laugh so hard! The idea of a little Robert Ryan coming out when I get mad gives me the giggles. Like the Incredible Hulk... "DON'T MAKE ME MAD!!!!"* A sense of humor...my favorite human trait!! YaY! And might I add, "Whew!" *I think the fact that I don't categorize much makes it easier for me to watch the so called flops with an open-mind. Now don't get me wrong, I can't even WATCH Dragon Seed.... but some of the early, really odd films of Kate's, I really like. I also like the early thirties, precodes and beyond, so that's where I'm fairly comfortable anyway. And I like discovering things for myself.* Perhaps that does help. And I might not talk about it as much but I'm with you on the pre-codes score. Things were freeing and liberating. Discovering things for yourself is the only way to go. But...Ugh! That *"Dragon Seed."* *In other words, I'm stubborn. and willful. I will go my own way.* Does reverse psychology work with you? I'm lovin' courtroom dramas: "Primal Fear" "Jagged Edge" "Anatomy of a Murder" "Fracture." *I suspect FG is the same way, if not about the same things.* Reading his bio below...he admits to a stubborn streak but to also changing his opinion. *Oh, she's sublime in Lion in Winter, and she's still unafraid in LDJIN...She's been one of my idols, acting wise, along with Bette, Vivien Leigh, and Colleen Dewhurst. They're the cream of the crop to me.* Whew!! You said it. *"LDJIN"* is a tough watch. Long, and Hepburn is nakedly vulnerable. It could be embarassing to see the nakedness. Was it Rosalind Russell who said that Acting is like standing on a stage naked...and turning around slowly? I followed Colleen Dewhurst down Broadway for a block many years ago. Yeah, it was her; that beautiful craggy face. I remember thinking how beautiful her auburn hair was. I loved her voice. For Woody Allen to use her as Diane Keaton's mother in *"Annie Hall"* was good (to me). But you ought to see her in *"WHEN A STRANGER CALLS."* She was great in that. You might not like the premise of the movie, but when she's face to face with the murderer... Wow, Colleen Dewhurst. Very strong actress. I haven't thought of her in ages. Sad that she is gone now too. *Wow! I had no idea he started out as a dramatic actor. I thought for sure he did these movies in tandem, the comedies and the dramas, going back and forth.... it never ever occurred to me that he was serious first and foremost. it's an eye opener.* I remember him saying he was scared to do *"PILLOW TALK."* But being with Doris Day, I'd say Rock Hudson was in good hands. He's quite the under-rated actor. I think their chemistry matched Tracy's & Hepburn's, don't you think? *"Eeeeek! I mean 'Aaarggh!!!' Don't ask me any questions!!!!* *Alright...alright. Sheesh!*

Bon Jour Greymsey!! Yes...I am a Kate fan. Her strength and confidence in her roles and how she lived her life inspires me as a woman...and as an artist. *That sounds like public relations!* Whaddya want from me? My heart on my sleeve? Okay..here it is. I love Hepburn. She represents for me (for the most part) strength and confidence that I wish I had more of. She was very attractive...but not so frilly a girl. I loved her courage in her choice of roles where she wasn't afraid to look foolish...or to look strong when she was from an era where a woman's strength wasn't lauded. She went about her career like a businessman. She knew she couldn't have it all, (marriage/kids vs. career) so she made a choice, but didn't drag any kids down with the ship; the S.S. Successful Career. I love her outspokenness. Now I might be a little more emotionally attached to the melodramatic fireworks of my queens Davis and Stanwyck, but Hepburn is right in there. But in a little different way. And I s'pose if I were really being all the way honest without a shred of "p.r." as you put it...two things speak to me about Hepburn that have nothing to do with her acting. One, her twenty-five year relationship with Spencer Tracy and all that that entailed (I can relate); and in a photo of M-G-M during their fiftieth anniversary, Hepburn sits right next to Louis B. Mayer ( power )...and she is the *only* woman wearing slacks ( comfort ), ( confidence ), ( non-conformity ). Geez, what's NOT to admire. *That's amazing. I'm trying to think of a film that I love but it's not for the primary story. That would usually place such a film into the middle or below-average category with me.* I hear ya. See, everyone has their own barometer. How many subsidiary characters on a tv show all of a sudden steal the show. ("How I Met Your Mother" is a case in point...but in this case, it kind of turned me off of the show). *From what I've seen of him to date, he's too much for me. He's got the annoying short guy syndrome. I prefer a different kind of speed and tone. But I'm just starting out with Cagney. I've only seen two of his films: White Heat and The Public Enemy.* Short guy syndrome...ha-ha! It's all what speaks to your heart. There's not a film I can recommend for you to see and like him in...but I hope he gets another chance. Cagney's such an icon. *Wow! That stuns me, actually. You've been hinting at not being that big on Spence, so I guess it shouldn't surprise me.* It's all a jumble. It's all contradictions. It's all emotions. (Movies are emotional for me). No, I’m not that big on Spence. Yes, I respect his talent. And oooh, I really like how he played this particular role. I felt very engaged by him in this. *Oh, I'm not so sure. You will have to watch The Talk of the Town. Do you like Ronald Colman? Something tells me you don't. I think this is a Colman film for those who aren't that keen on him to like him in. I loved him in The Talk of the Town.* I’m not crazy about Colman (too stiff). But I won’t know about the movie until I dig in. Uh-oh. Something tells me this is going to be like eating spinach...good for me, but yucky going down. *Classic films are predominantly made by men, so you're right, it's still coming from the male gaze. Even though a film is directed at women, it's still done so by a man.* I wonder what Kathryn Bigelow's *"Hurt Locker"* feels like. (Ida Lupino, Dorothy Arzner, Lee Grant). Since you're a "relative newbie" to these films and since this is in your recent history...was this a very conscious decision on your part to get into these great old movies... *Incoming! A very long-winded answer...* Oh man, not long-winded at all. It was great! Thank you! Thank you for your openness. It allows me to (kind of) picture you. Your genuineness. I loved your journey...the playful self-deprecating capsule. You learned your surroundings here. That takes time...patience in the midst of a busy life. You learned the people...and more importantly you allowed people to know you. Of course this is just one aspect of your life - movies. Who can know anyone. But that's okay. Hell, movies is what counts on a Message Board about...movies. Your story shows us your willingness to change; how you evolved. Thank you for sharing that. Thanxxx for letting me 'see' you.

G'Morning Jackaaa*A*aay - *I never think of gender when it comes to films. Oh maybe with really obvious women's pictures, but mostly no, I don't categorize or compartmentalize. I don't actually do that for anything, not with people, not with films, not with jobs. I don't think that way, I am more scattered.* ...Not scattered. I'd say, more even-handed. ( Ha! ) No wait...more egalitarian. *AARRGH! Did I just say that Woman of the Year is even-handed? WHYYYY do you make me do it?* *JACK FAVELL agreeing with Frank Grimes.* *You can see I AM a Kate fan from way back... As for Spitfire, I just love her character and the movie theme, but I think many would agree that her acting is a little odd. Her accent is just plain weird and she is sort of all over the place, she is still learning her craft. For all of that, I find it one of the most fascinating performances that she gave, even if it is one of her biggest flops. I love that she would go this far in a role. She has no fear of failure and I LOVE her for it.* I am loving what you say about Kate. The difference between us might be that Kate's flop films are not quite my cup o' tea so I won't watch 'em. Much to your credit you do. AND you appreciate what you see she's tried to do in them. That is a nod...to your "even-handedness." *I actually love Kate all the way through her career. However, she really does some KILLER acting as she entered her middle and late years. As good as she is in the thirties, these five roles at the top of my list are so astoundingly good that no one else could ever match them...* *The Philadelphia Story* *Summertime* *The Lion in Winter* *Long Day's Journey into Night* *The African Queen* *KATHARINE: THE FEARLESS!* Of your top five, I think she gives masterfully towering performances in "The Lion in Winter" and "Long Day's Journey Into Night." If Kate is born in 1907, she was 61 and 55 respectively. A queen fighting for her legacy, and a drug addict fighting for her life. The sparring she does with Peter O'Toole is magnificent. I can listen to that all day long. And for her to act opposite Sir Ralph Richardson must have tested her mettle and burnished it. *Again, he is simply great all through his career. But in his later years, he distilled every emotion, every thought until he was the essence of whatever his character was. So simple, and yet so hard to accomplish...* Your words on Spencer Tracy are very eloquently written; a real substantive critique on this great actor and on your assessment of George Stevens. FRANK GRIMES writes - *Giant does change tones and I was okay with the tonal change. Bick (Rock Hudson) is where the tonal change is biggest.* JACK FAVELL replies - *...And we are lucky that Rock Hudson could make those changes. He did enough dramas and comedies to pull off the performance. He also is rigid in the first section, and was a good enough actor to be able to let people see him as wrong.* Just one niggling little point with Rock. He had not done any comedies up to that point in his career. His first comedy was *"Pillow Talk" (1959).* So if Rock was able to pull off that performance in "GIANT"...if his 'tonal' change is a factor in the tonal change of the movie...I think it says something purty good about Hudson’s depth as an actor and not just...a pretty face.

*So would you call yourself a Kate fan?* Awwwww, she's a'ight! *Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm...* Yikes! My sense of whimsy is not traveling well here at Ye Olde Messy Board. Ohhhkay. Yes...I *am* a Kate fan. Her strength and confidence in her roles and how she lived her life inspires me as a woman...and as an artist. *I figured you would like it for the ensemble and I was pretty sure you liked Jean, but I wasn't sure how you liked Spence. I felt he was mostly in the background in the film. The same with Jean. It was Bill and Myrna who I felt took center stage.* Yes, you're right. The hierarchy was in place; first, the leads (Bill & Myrna)...then the second tier (Spence & Harlow). But I found myself waiting to get back to Spence and Harlow...or Powell and Harlow. The center stage story didn't interest me as much. *You respect him but he doesn't really do it for you. I'm trying to think who that would be for me. Maybe someone like James Cagney.* Cagney? Wow. I'm surprised. I thought Cagney was every boy's dream: tough guy, snappy patter, pro-active, took no guff from anyone and could rest his head on Ann Sheridan's shoulders if he had to. *But the off-screen with Spence and Kate is definitely on screen and that's hard to match.* You have a point there. *So what is your favorite performance by Spencer Tracy? Not favorite film. Not your favorite character of his. I'm talking performance.* I'd have to say I really enjoy and relish his performance in *"LIBELED LADY."* Yes it's silly and Not Important. He doesn't tackle Big Ticket Items like Racism or Politics or Evolution. He's a fast-talking shyster, a little 'whipped' by Harlow. I find him accessible...I feel I can get close to him. *Irene is an easy-going kind of actress; very smooth. But the off-screen with Spence and Kate is definitely on screen and that's hard to match.* You have a point there, too. *I view The Talk of the Town as mostly "male." The woman in the film is caught in the middle and is mostly absorbing what's going on. She's not an active participant in what's being discussed. It's a battle of ideology with two men driving the conversation. The masculine tilt is a big reason why I don't think CineMaven will like it. I'm not sure if she's a Jean fan, either.* Jean Arthur doesn't even make the top 50 of my list of favorite actresses, but TCM's recent commercial on Arthur's DVD set did give me pause. I don't mind the masculine tilt in films. In an awful lot of movies, we're just "The Girl" anyway. I believe movies, in general, stems from the male gaze anyway and I've learned to maneuver (or've been brainwashed) on how to look at movies. So that 'slant' doesn't bother me. But a movie'd better be good. *Penny Serenade is very "female" to me because it's a tear-jerker about home and family. That's not to say guys are not about home and family, because I'm definitely a guy who is this. It's just guys do not seek such films for entertainment. Women do. And, yes, I know some gals who would gag over such a film and some guys would cry over it. It's never, ever 100% one or the other.* Really good, Grimesy. I like what you write here. I think the human spectrum or the human experience has more gradations than rigid absolutes. I'm suspect of people who are 100% this or 100% that. Ooooh, those "100% Thats" are galling! *And I really do like performers who took on different challenges, ala Henry Fonda. That's who I vew simiarly to Kate.* I wonder what you'd think of *"On Golden Pond"* where these two giants meet near the end of their careers and pull out all the stops. *What I have noticed with Spence and Kate is how they make home life look so real. Both are truly relaxed around the other.* It's funny you say that. I've seen many actors play married couples. And I believe 'em b'cuz the script calls for it. But I get that very strong vibe from *"Adam's Rib"* that we are really Behind Closed Doors Of a Marriage; I am very much convinced they're married. Are they 'Acting' their comfortability or is it as you said earlier: *"...But the off-screen with Spence and Kate is definitely on screen and that's hard to match."* *AND* if it *is* Art imitates Life, can we really give "Tracy & Hepburn" kudoes for their acting (in all their movies together subsequent to "Woman of the Year") since what they might be doing is just playing out their real life relationship on screen? Something you wrote Jackie begs a question: *"When I was starting to branch out with classic film, back in 2007, I chose Preston Sturges as a director to watch..."* I started watching classic films during the year of the flood...so far, long ago in my past when the Pyramids were being built, that I don't even remember how or why my love started. Part of my watching could be because that was all that was on tv at the time: 'Late Show', 'Late Late Show.' ("TV-MOVIES" as we've come to know them, every one of them seeming to star Elizabeth Montgomery, was a recent phenomenon at the time). In any event, I don't quite remember how I got started. Since you're a "relative newbie" to these films and since this is in your recent history...was this a very conscious decision on your part to get into these great old movies? WHY did you? Are there people close to you now that share this journey with you, or are you alone in all this folderol stuck with the likes of us?