CineMaven

"Get out before I kill you!" I'm about to do the impossible. Scale Mount Everest? Piece of cake. Win the Lottery? Ha! With my eyes closed. Kiss Robert Osborne? Oh, I have a plan when I get to LA next month. No, I'm about to do the impossible in a few minutes. I'm about to forget Joan Crawford ever seared my brain with her perfor- mance in "MILDRED PIERCE." I'm about to watch Kate Winslet try her hand at the Mother who could not say "NO" to her daughter Veda. I'm sure Kate and director Todd Haynes will bring something completely different to the table. Well I'm game. Here goes...make me forget.

The opening and closing credits of Ann-Margret in "BYE BYE BIRDIE."

"I CALL MYSELF PHOEBE..." CAUGHT has been floating disturbingly through my brain for quite some time, since I first saw it years ago as a very young girl back in the Bronx...Catching it on TCM, after many decades brings it all creeply back to me. Funny how movies do that...how strong our memories are for things. I have never seen this film before, and I'm glad I did b'cuz it introduced me to an actress I thought I knew. There's nothing Byronically romantic about Ryan as a fallen angel; he's all lean, terse, neurotic, black turtle-necked modernism, always on the brink of exploding, half in love with death and morbidly fascinated by his own obsessions. With his stony, impassive Kabuki-mask face, black-coal glinty gimlet eyes, smirky, twisted mouth. he's an alienated monster in a world he doesn't understand. My God Bronxie! Your adjectives are sheer poetry and quite accurately describes Robert Ryan's screen persona in many of his roles; intractable, unyielding, relentless. Breathtakingly written. Robert Ryan in "THE SET UP" is the reason I can (kind of) forgive him all the mean guys he's por- trayed. I rather have him on my side than agin me, that's for sure. And his change of heart in "ON DANGEROUS GROUND" is eye-opening espe- cially from where his character started. ("Why do you punks make me do this!!!!" THWACK!!!) But I do feel some pity, hoisted by his own petard through the tantrumy insistence on marrying a shallow Dorothy Dale "charm" school alumni who immediately made me despise her when she changed her name from lovely Laura to pretentious Leonora. Who the heck is called Leonora except some 19th century heroine? HA!!! You still make me laugh when you make me take my medicine. But I didn't think Leonora bad at all. She just had foolish girly notions. (Now see: "How To Marry A Millionaire" or "Where The Boys Are" for some man-hunting gold diggers. Or come to NYC on a Friday nite). I like Barbara Bel Geddes. she's an intelligent, thoughtful actress, but I couldn't connect in any empathetic way with this immature, social-climbing simp... We've seen gold diggers before in movies and we know how they act. I didn't get the sense of her wanting money for money's sake. (See 'Kitty' in "Scarlet Street" and what she does for love). The money's not enough, she needs his love too? Yeah, I know, Smith courted her as "Prince Charming" and then, after getting what he "wanted", proceeded to treat her as just another possession. And, instead of flying off to the French Riviera as frustrated-wife "compensa- tion", she decides to assert her independence by returning to the work force? Ha! Posting in "Cosmo" Helen Gurley Brown? I say let the poor girl work. She needed income. I'm not quite sure why she didn't go back to modeling unless she didn?t want the world to know she was a "failure" as a wife. (After all, she WAS in all the papers, though how you could even read a paper with it spinning around and around is a technique I never mastered). To have her even choose to work sounds kind of radical (Rosie the Riveter notwithstan- ding). The Riviera jaunt sounds good though, Bronxie. And probably having affairs with some young very handsome and 'accomodating' gigolos sounds even better. But of course if she were soaking in the sun on the Cote d'Azur, she wouldn't have met idealistic, good, non-greedy Dr. Quinada, played by a somewhat miscast James Mason, who gives her a respectable, (non-Republican) cloth coat to symbolize the shift in Leonora's world view through these two men in her life, away from what the status mink represents. Not a big loss. I think of Thelma Ritter checking the coats in "ALL ABOUT EVE." Again, I love your astute observations delivered in a funny withering way; you're killing me. But if Leonora's really a gold-digging vixen, she'll get pregnant almost immediately (to hold the man) and then she?ll vex Dr. Q into getting a practice ?Uptown? where the elite, meet. She?ll be be in furs and diapers in no time. But seriously, I didn't get the impression from her that she was out for just the money. I didn't see Morris in Leonora. Quinada doesn't believe in hiding moles with beauty marks. Real subtlety there, lol... Guess the doc was trying to tell her to keep it real...and not what she "thinks" is the proper way. There's a lot of "camp" I find in those headlines. When Smith keeps deriding Leonora with brittle put-downs, you'd think the hapless girl was some sort of hardened,, experienced hussy. Leonora slapping Franzi is also rather over-the-top as well. I loved the dizzying headlines montage and its shorthand way of moving the story forward. Her slapping Franzi was shocking to me...and just moments before when she was begging him to stop was torturous and tense to me. That ending, eh. Dr. Hoffman sounded positively cheerful about the baby's fate. Yeah, it was. It did kind of have an off note, but I was just happy she escaped Smithy. Imagine the guilt Hollywood convention would have made her endure if Smith died on the floor. That would have appealed to my noirish heart...but Leonora's no Morris. And Leonora's no Regina Giddens either.

Dr. Hoffman was the obstetrician to Dr. Quinada's pediatrician in that little doctor's office. He was always running out or rushing in. Plus he gave Leonora the good bad news. ...And he chewed gum, but he wasn't wearing mink or chinchilla. He had a great quiet way of conversation. How are the boys enjoying their weekend retreat?

Hi there TikiSoo. You've picked a genre after my own heart, NOIR. And what a great gift for Mr. Tiki. GANGSTER: I think you've got Cagney covered. Many films I would have picked are already listed. I do enjoy Cagney in "WHlTE HEAT" and Cagney and Raft in "EACH DAWN I DIE." FILM NOIR: Again, the previous posts have many of my own favorite choices, "OUT OF THE PAST" being my all-time favorite noir, with a great hero, and a lethal lady your husband might fall in love with (Jane Greer) if he's not careful. But might I offer "THE STRANGE LOVE OF MARTHA IVERS" "CROSSFIRE" "KISS OF DEATH" and "WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS" for your consideration? When you get a chance Tiki, please look at this YouTube video. It is absolutely the best and most well-done video done on film noir, bar none: Let us know what you decide. Oh, and tell us what your husband thinks of your gift.

"As I have done previously with my top ten list from 1960 forward, here then is my top ten FAVORITES list from 1930 to 1959...The bold-face film is my favorite film for a given year. Enjoy!" - <<< (( FXREYMAN )) >>> Hi there Foxy Rey. I read your list, and I did enjoy it. And l also saw many many of my favorite films all throughout your list. Gee, I wouldn't begin to be able to compile a list like that. And when I read your list, I don't remember thinking "Well Rey left out this and that film." Nope, I couldn't really say that. You covered a lot of ground and have a well-rounded list. There are some films on your list I like, some I love, some are must-sees, some are easy watches, and others are Very Important Films with a Message. But what I'll list below are my favorite films for each year, culled from YOUR list. (Go on...call me a copycat!) I'll torture myself by picking my favorite film from each decade as well. ( 1930 ) "All Quiet on the Western Front" ( 1931 ) "Frankenstein" ( 1932 ) "The Mummy" ( 1933 ) "Queen Christina" ( 1934 ) "The Black Cat" ( 1935 ) "Captain Blood" ( 1936 ) "Libeled Lady" ( 1937 ) "The Awful Truth" ( 1938 ) "Angels With Dirty Faces" ( 1939 ) "The Women"/"GWTW" My favorite film of the 1930's is...."THE AWFUL TRUTH." (This comedy is simply sublime for me. The chemistry between Cary Grant and Irene Dunne is a text book of how to do this type of sophisticated comedy. They're simply perfect. There were gems of moment all throughout the film. Loved Aunt Patsy giving Ralph Bellamy Irene's "Dear John" letter and saying: "Here's your diploma." Her timing is priceless!) ( 1940 ) "The Letter" ( 1941 ) "The Maltese Falcon" ( 1942 ) "Now Voyager" ( 1943 ) "Shadow of a Doubt" ( 1944 ) "Double Indemnity" ( 1945 ) "Mildred Pierce" ( 1946 ) "The Strange Love of Martha Ivers" ( 1947 ) "Out of the Past" ( 1948 ) "State of the Union" ( 1949 ) "White Heat" My favorite film of the 1940's is...."MILDRED PIERCE." (This was truly torturous to pick b'cuz any of the films I listed I could take on a desert isle and watch these movies. And I love "The Letter" so very much. But "Mildred..." is so much fun. There are lighter moments. The plot can wash over me without my paying migraine-inducing attention. Joan Crawford gives the performance of her career in this film. I love watching all the characters' machinations. Veda-the Spoiled Vixen, Wally-the Business man, Eve Arden-The Best Friend A Gal Can Ever Have and Monty-the...the...the... I can't wait to see what see what HBO does with the five-part mini-series of "Mildred Pierce" this Sunday. Now...to commit hari-kari for not picking "Out of the Past" or "Now, Voyager"). ( 1950 ) "All About Eve" ( 1951 ) "Strangers On A Train" ( 1952 ) "The Bad and the Beautiful" ( 1953 ) "The Big Heat" ( 1954 ) "Johnny Guitar" ( 1955 ) "Marty" ( 1956 ) "Earth vs. The Flying Saucers" ( 1957 ) "Paths of Glory" ( 1958 ) "Vertigo" ( 1959 ) "Anatomy of a Murder" My favorite film of the 1950's is...."ALL ABOUT EVE." (Dear Lord my head is about to explode. This is waaaay harder than I thought. The romanticism of "VERTIGO" kills me. "PATHS OF GLORY" is devastating. "Anatomy of a Murder" is such a tight, smart courtroom drama. And the kitschy fun of "STRANGERS ON A TRAIN" and "THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL" can't be beat. But "ALL ABOUT EVE" is perfect. Bette Davis is an absolute force of Nature in this film' she IS the eye of the tornado and she is surrounded by perfect casting all 'round. Anne Baxter offered the best in tremulous synchophantic treachery, Celeste Holm...merely Perfect, matching Davis toe-to-toe. George Sanders...I have no words for his scene when he exposes Eve for the lying thieving calculating...All of it. ALL OF IT. I could watch this over and over again. Oh yes, the cherry on top of it all: Miss Thelma Ritter, of course). But if I wind up stranded on a desert isle, you better believe I'm sneaking all the films on my list past the TSA and bringing them with me.

Despicable? Well...he was really not a good guy. I didn't care for the way he put her down...and then wanted her to stay there and just take it. Unfortunately, powerful people are often this way. They may not be as over-the-top as Smithy, there, but just try them a little too far and you can lose a finger. Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely, someone wisely said. But does anyone ever learn? History tells us, "no". This does not speak well of the rich. By the by, Greer would love you calling him "Smithy." ( :-) ) ***** ...And though she chose to be with him in the first place, did that give him carte blanche to be demeaning to her?? In his world, yes. That's the price of admission. There are no rules of civility in a world where you don't have to pay any immediate consequences for your actions. Poor people can go after each other when they do wrong, you can't touch the Smithy's. You either take it and find a way to live with it, or get out. YIKES!! No home training, ey? I got smacked for not saying "No thank you" one Thanksgiving long ago. I believe you. I'll take your word. **** A big, angry, tantrum-ing child. I?m glad you smiled. I treaded lightly ?cuz Robbie?s your baby. **** Leonora specifically outlined to her sister her dream, how she'd become a model and meet a millionaire and live happily ever after. and if I'm not mistaken, she told her sister that Chinchilla was better than mink, not as "common" or something like that. Now I could have it backward---it could have been the sister that said that about Chinchilla, I'd have to replay that section. Leonora was full of ideas, silly, vain, girlish ideas that many of us grow up with. Problem is, many women attain those things and it can make the rest of us pea-green. You?re so right here, Miss G. I found Bel Geddes did play Leonora rather girlie, girlish. She can be kind of "youngish." Maybe that?s what I was picking up when I wrote comfortably sexy earlier. And sis liked chinchilla. ?Mink is so everyday,? she says to Leonora. Uhmmmm...color me pea green, sometimes. But if that?s the price of admission Scarlett (belittlement, demeaning...) I?ll wear my nice thick wool pea coat, pick up my marble and go home thankyouverymuch. I think her sister just wanted her to have a practical plan of getting that dream to become real, not just sit around talking about it. Yup, I?m with you thar, as well. P.S. I'd advise poeple to copy their work before hitting the "Post Message" button. I've noticed this place "times out" when you take more than a couple of minutes to write a post or PM and you might lose everything...it did this a while back and I thought they had the bug fixed. Fortunately my browser lets me go back and retains what I wrote but I'd be mad if I didn't take precautions. Good advice. Now here is what I do. I formulate my thoughts and type up my posts in a Word document. I format my bold and my underlined and my italicized words there (, ,). Once I get the post the way I want, I cut and paste it into this wankered Message Board. If I'm giving a short and sweet answer, I can just type in the Message Board space. I fear, I am long-winded though. (My apologies folks). What I AM noticing with this new re-design debacle is that the apostrophes and quotation marks I type elsewhere don?t translate here. So it looks like I don?t know the proper format and punctuation...when I really really do. And I?ll go through this for interesting film discussion. Unfortunately, powerful people are often this way. They may not be as over-the-top as Smithy, there, but just try them a little too far and you can lose a finger. Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely, someone wisely said. But does anyone ever learn? History tells us, "no". If "PATHS OF GLORY" didn't stop War dead in its tracks, nothing ever will.

CAUGHT and SPOILED and CAUGHT and SPOILED AGAIN!!! When I saw Leonora in bed with her nightgown slightly disheveled, I knew they exercised their conjugal duties, but I never leaped to "having a baby." Yikes! Well, that little revelation comes via Leonora buttoning up her top at the doctor's office. That's the shorthand for that. I just wasn't prepared for it. The shorthand that I mean was how they didn't give us an inkling that she thought she was pregnant, to prompt her to go into the other doctor's office. (I'm not very bright for a Maven, sometimes). I was thinking the other way, actually. I was thinking how Dr. Quin, Medicine Man (I loved that) and Leonora could end up marrying each other without the divisiveness of a child fathered by Ohlrig. It would be just them, not them and the child of another. Dr. Quin seemed jubilant about it all, as he looked to pep up Leonora about it, too. Oh I see. Well, that is the ending that they're going to have. Not so much "Hey you lost your baby. YIPPEEE!" But "Hey, you are free from that mad-man 'cuz he was never gonna let'cha go Leo!!!" No baby...no Ohlrig. Just Dr. Quin and Leonora with perhaps a baby in their future. Ha! You don't think she'll be able to work after she's married to the doc, d'ya?? That's not part of the social contract. (Oh, thanx for getting my tv reference with Dr. Quinn). It felt like an abortion film. I have never seen such a film like it. Usually such films have the pregnant woman getting killed. That's the "abortion." Abortion film? Whew! Well THAT's a pretty heavy statement, but I grant you, it was pretty unusual. One film does come to mind: "WRITTEN ON THE WIND." (I told you there'd be spoilage). While sensible dad Robert Keith goes tumbling down a flight of stairs head first, luscious Dorothy Malone mamboes in her room, and dutiful Lauren Bacall has a miscarriage of Robert Stack's baby. Now, no baby by her alcoholic husband can come between Rock Hudson and Bacall. And Rock and Lauren can ride off into the Texas oil-welled sunset. Because she was basically cheating on him. She was in love with another man... while married AND pregnant with their child. We never see Ohlrig cheating on her. All he's doing is having an elicit affair with his money and himself. That's who he is. It's not as if he changed after marriage. If he did, then she'd have a valid gripe. But he is who he is, before and after. "I'm marrying a vampire!" Then after the marriage... "How dare you be a vampire!" HA! If Ohlrig would only cheat... And if he is having an illicit affair, he was rich enough and handsome enough to have an affair with himself. Ohlrig was a good catch...for Ohlrig. Yes, he is who he is. If only he was truthful. The man didn't even want to accept who he is from his doctor. Hence he could not give Leonora his Whole Truth. Remember this psychiatric exchange: Ohlrig: I took her home and we said goodnight. That happened three or four more times and then I dropped her. The Doctor: Why? Ohlrig: They come a dime a dozen. The Doctor: I thought, from what you said before, she was sweeter than most of the girls? Ohlrig: Psychiatrists and elephants. They never forget. Oh I think this is all pointless anyway. The Doctor: But why did you come here? Ohlrig: 'Cuz I don't like getting upset so easily and you're supposed to be able to calm me. The Doctor: I can if you work with me and not against me. Let's go back to the girl. Ohlrig: Well for your information she's after precisely what everyone's after...my money. The Doctor: Well maybe the girl feels you just want to play around with her. Ohlrig: She's right if she does. You don't think I want to marry her do you? The Doctor: I certainly hope not. They talk of his past business dealings that precipitates his heart attacks. Ohlrig: Whenever I can't get what I want, I have an attack, is that your theory? The Doctor: Yes. There's nothing organically wrong with your heart. So why the attacks? Well, lets consider whether it's just a way of saying 'I'm not all powerful. I'm weak. Take pity. Give me what I want.' Ohlrig: I have these attacks because I have a bad heart. But that's too simple for you. You have to find some insane Freudian reason...what are some of your other little gems? I must destroy everyone I can't own? I'm afraid all anyone wants is my money. I'll never marry because I'd only be married for my money...Well you're wrong doctor. Dead wrong. I am going to get married. I'm not afraid of anyone. What's more, do you want to know something? I'm going to marry that girl. He puts in a call to his manservant, Franzi, to "get a hold of uh, Leonora what's her name? Yes Eames." Ohlrig to the Doctor: Sorry to cut off a major source of your income, Doctor, but you won't see me again. And I do as I please. The Doctor: Yes. That's why you made your call. I said I didn't think you'd marry and so you've made arrangements to prove I'm wrong. You don't really want to marry this girl. You've only done this because youre angry at me. And to prove that no one has authority over you. A marriage like this will only ruin the girl and you. Ohlrig: That's your opinion. So it's a two-fold thing: KNOW your truth...and TELL your truth. I seriously doubt Ohlrig initially showed Leonora his vampire fangs until after the ring was on her finger and the ink dried on the iron-clad, binding, Draconian, marriage certificate. When Ohlrig came to get her the first time, she wanted him back. She wanted him; not that she was missing the money: Ohlrig: Truth is, I'm a little jealous of him. Leonora: You don't have any reason to be...as much as I wish you did. Ohlrig: Why? Leonora: I'm glad to see you. And I wish I weren't. More lovey-dovey small talk. Then: Ohlrig: I can't see you in this dirty little room. Leonora: It's not dirty Smith. Ohlrig: It's shabby. It's awful. It's ragged. Let's get out of here Leonora...You really don't like living here. Leonora: No one's poor by choice. It really isn't such a bad room. Ohlrig: Not if you...haven't seen better. I don't know what Leonora could infer from his actions b'cuz we were not really shown his actions during the courtship. We did see how he came a-courting to get her to come back to him. But we soon found out his ulterior motive for that move. So with that I infer that he knows how to lie and act lovingly. I don't mind the always ever-popular 'blaming the victim' if the victim has all the truthful information. I don't subscribe wholly to caveat emptor. On my second viewing I paid more attention to the newspaper montage of the whirlwind courtship. Ohlrig's face is covered by his hat. The contrast between the carhop pix and model pix, her mom saying she always knew her daughter would be a success. (Ha! Marrying rich...nothing of her own merit and accomplishment. And personally, I was shocked to see a Black woman standing next to Leonora's mother in that photo). The last shot of the paper of the palatial space with the screaming headline: CAN LEONORA BE HAPPY HERE? WE COULD. Oh, yeah? I've only seen Eva in North by Northwest and she came across as a porcelain doll to me. She seems "high class." Barbara seems like a regular girl. That's how I typically feel about Anne Baxter and Shelley Winters. I hear ya about the porcelain doll. I was thinking about the acting...quiet, not showy or actress-y. Shelley and Annie always felt actress-y to me. I like 'em. If I had to choose between the two, I found "CAUGHT's" plot a little more streamlined and accessible than "The Reckless Moment." (The housewife, spectacle-wearing, boxy-looking Joan put me off just a teeny tad). But I did enjoy the movie and James Mason's performance in it. Well, when you put it that way, I agree with you. I don?t mean to be mean with my shallow-ness. I s?pose it was good to show that the "houswife" type could have men attracted to her. She need not be The Vamp. Do men sleep with women they don?t love? Are you kidding?! Most of the time! But I view women as being smarter when it comes to sex. Women are the ones who ultimately end up paying the price if something goes wrong... which happens a lot more than ever. Women usually raise the children while men leave the scene. I'm always surprised to hear of a woman just sleeping around. Men will always be dumb when it comes to sex. It's up to women to be smart... for their own good. Men use love to get sex. Women use sex to get love. In this day and age of beaucoup contraception, girls still think they can hook a man by getting pregnant. If not for purposefully wanting a child why is she getting caught? You're so very right in your statement here Frank. Women must be smart...for their own good. I lived it up during the 70's & 80's, with high, wide and handsome without once "getting caught." I really enjoyed this film. Why haven't I heard of it before. Tsk! Tsk! Shame on me! Edited by: CineMaven on Mar 24, 2011 1:56 PM - I've got to make sense, even if my mind is bludgeoned by the news of Elizabeth Taylor.

Evening Miss G. - The minute she woke up in that rumpled bed I knew a baby was on the way, and would be on its way out, too. Whew!! You're good, Miss G. I didn't see that coming at all. This is one of the reasons that it really is in some ways a familiar "woman's story" picture, like so many---with a better director and script. She certainly was a damsel in distress. But if you say the words "woman's story" won't guys high tail it to the hills and run away...run away? Everyone (Osborne, the guest host) kept saying how "bad" Ryan's Smith Ohrig was, but I guess it is a testament to Ryan's personality that I just found him unlikeable, not totally despicable. Despicable? Well...he was really not a good guy. I didn't care for the way he put her down...and then wanted her to stay there and just take it. After all, he pretty much left her alone when she left him, only coming once for her, and it was her decision to be with him in the first place. You're right, he did leave her alone. (I kept expecting him to show up like crazy Louis Jourdan in "JULIE."). I was glad she walked out on him. And though she chose to be with him in the first place, did that give him carte blanche to be demeaning to her?? I didn't like his character, but he wasn't a "villain" to me. I kept expecting him to kill her or someone, but he was more of a child. A big, angry, tantrum-ing child.

Why Grimesy, me boy. Thank you. - I just finished watching "Caught." It's quite interesting. I don't think I've seen a film like it, really. Do you know of any other classic film that views the loss of an unborn child as a positive? Amazing. I have to admit, I have not quite seen a plot device like this. It felt wild, and very contemporary. It would have been worse if we had seen the child. But it was so true...Ohlrig would have never let her go if their child had been born. The film seems like an inspiration for A Place in the Sun, too. It just happens to be the reverse and with the woman being the central character. Hmmmm...tell us more. You always seem to have a different angle in your movie viewing. Interesting. As horrible a husband and person as he was, he was in the right more than Leanora (Barbara Bel Geddes). But it's hard for me to feel sorry for him. He was in the right MORE?? Do you think that it's right that if...no wait. Let me not jump the gun. Why do you say that? She was good. I like Barbara. I place her in the Shelley Winters and Anne Baxter class. ...And I'd put her in the class with an Eva Marie Saint, though not as classically attractive. I've really come away saying, "hey wait a minute...come back here, Babs. I want to talk to you about your movies." I like that one a little better, too. Primarily because of Joanie. But I'd say Caught is very unique and terribly risque. If I had to choose between the two, I found "CAUGHT's" plot a little more streamlined and accessible than "The Reckless Moment." (The housewife, spectacle-wearing, boxy-looking Joan put me off just a teeny tad). But I did enjoy the movie and James Mason's performance in it. I was surprised, actually. I missed the shorthand. What Leanora did is something that is still very common today: women sleeping with guys they don't love. Crazy. Grimesy, do men sleep with women they don't love? The ?shorthand? in movies amazes, stupefies and makes me laugh at times. I?ll be watching a movie and then all of a sudden, I see the plot take a leap over the Grand Canyon, and all of a sudden someone is pregnant or a couple falls in love and all he?s done is say ?Good Morning? to the leading lady. When I saw Leonora in bed with her nightgown slightly disheveled, I knew they exercised their conjugal duties, but I never leaped to "having a baby." Yikes! In A Place in the Sun, it's a man who is "caught." In A Place in the Sun, the man settles for the "run-of-the-mill" girl because he doesn't think too highly of himself. He likes her attention and he's afraid to be alone since he's a mama's boy. In a way, it's a common "female" situation. Then he meets a beautiful, rich girl who he finds far more alluring. She ends up liking him. Meanwhile, the "run-of-the-mill" girl tells him she's pregnant. Now he's "caught." What to do? That's pretty much "Caught." Aaaaahhh...I see what you're saying. But I'd say no man is ever as "caught" out there getting that phone call, as a woman is being told "the rabbit died." I thought he was cruel, but he wasn't on screen long enough for me to hate him. I was surprised to see him get pushed to the background. I found him hateful. His psychological torture of Leonora was far reaching even if he wasn?t onscreen as much. A little bit of Robbie the Menace goes a long way. Not that there's anything wrong with that. As for him being pushed to the background...Robert Ryan rarely got the girl. He was a very gorgeous hunk o' Ralph Bellamy/Melvyn Douglas. Thank you much for the Hitchcock link. I'll check it out.

CAUGHT stars Barbara Bel Geddes, Robert Ryan and James Mason. Now knowing what James Mason's career was to become, I know he could have easily played the psychopathically domineering husband who could not take NO for an answer. But in this instance, Robert Ryan ably plays the unhinged but wealthy Rich Ohlrig. I wonder what went through Robert Ryan's mind when he read the script and accepted the role of such a distasteful man; did he find something in the man that HE wanted to explore? I kept waiting for some redeeming quality to be revealed; kept hoping b'cuz Ryan is so physically imposing and Alpha I am drawn to him in so many...uncinematic ways. But the only thing I culled was that any challenge to his character?s dominance manifested itself in him having a debilitating attack. (But to be honest girls, really...I kept hoping he'd see the error of his ways, from the safe confines of my bedroom). What I did firmly get out of "CAUGHT" was a real and new appreciation of Barbara Bel Geddes. (I love her name). I haven't seen her in many films...just the same few movies over and over again (incl."VERTIGO", "I REMEMBER MAMA", TV?S DALLAS) which makes me feel like I know her work. When the film starts I thought she was awful pretty, pert, perky, spunky and (surprising to me) lazily comfortably sexy. Yeah. And smart, let me not leave out smart. It was interesting to see the raison d'etre of all these girls was to get a husband. Look at the opening credits. It had the turning pages of a fashion magazine...just what all us girls read. (?) Hey, they got classes for catching a husband. Walk like this. Talk like that and VOILA!! You?ve got Him...hook, line and sinker. One 6'4" 190-lb American male. Yummy, when do we eat! You just have to cook him. I'm sure the charm school gave culinary lessons too. I loved seeing our ol' pal (Art Smith) from "IN A LONELY PLACE" as Ohlrig's therapist. He's got it bad, but we don?t realize how bad until pretty quickly into his relationship with Bel Geddes (as Leonora). I think his domination of her is equal to his own self-hatred. Ultimately he doesn?t believe he?s worth anything without his money; that no one could possibly like him. And ultimately, that is very sad for him. He speaks contemptuously to her. (Ugh!) When he has this anxiety attack or whatever you might call it, it reminds of Cagney's Cody in "WHITE HEAT." Re: Leonora, I know she?s looking for a husband, a rich husband (is there any other kind worth looking for...in the movies)? But I never get the sense that she?s a cold-hearted gold digger. She's newly coiffed, well-tended, big pool, fancy schmancy...but the girl?s not happy. Even her visit with her ol' roommate doesn?t look too happy. I think they both unspokenly see that being married to a Rich Man is not all it?s cracked up to be. I like that Leonora does not cave in, she talks back. When Ohlrig tries to belittle her in front of all his colleagues, she answers him and walks out on him; in front of HIS colleagues. (Ha! Score One for the gold digger). That's the spunkiness I was referring to. But apparently marriage is just another means to control her. All I care about is winning. I hate blackmail plots in films. But psychological torture is the worst for me. I'll take ten Freddy Kreugers or Jason Voorhees exploding-headed horror films than view Ingrid Bergman tortured by Boyer. Leonora's presence is almost negligible in her husband's life. When his right-hand man, man-servant (played wonderfully by Curt Bois) plays the piano, he ignores her protestations to stop. She has to smack him in the face to get him to stop playing. The scene was tense, her asking...then begging him to stop. And he would not stop. Gr-r-r-r that is galling to me!! She was not listened to. What she wanted didn't matter. She almost did not exist. I thought that was very telling. I like when Leonora gets steel in her spine. She leaves Ohlrig. Looks like she leaves with less than she had than when she met him. She's starting from scratch and gets a job as receptionist in a doctors office played by dreamy James Mason. He's so young and attractive...and that voice. His voice could melt icebergs...polar caps. He calls her on bringing her uptown hoity toity attitude to his downtown office and not improving her skills. (Now again in an effort to be honest, I didn?t quite buy James Mason as a doctor in a Lower East Side neighborhood. That accent is just too too. But hey...). He wants her to push herself to be better at her job. Here's a man who wants her to be more than an ornament to him. After Ohlrig goes back to her with hat in hand (well...after he's had her followed and then goes to her), I have to admit I let my guard down and believed his sincerity. I was wrong I admit it. It won?t be that way anymore Leonora. It won't. Well make a fresh start. We?ll make everything just the way it ought to have been. I'm so used to having my own way that it was hard for me to come here but I missed you and wanted you so much... (I personally wished he would have sealed that with a kiss). Girls, he's just so darned big and strong. He looks like a mountain. If he would just let himself go, give himself half a chance, that little petite thing could wrap that big ol? bear around her little finger, you know she could. He does seem tender here, wanting to get her out of the "shabby" little apartment. I liked that he couldn't find the bathroom light switch. It's a little thing but I was looking for something human from him. She does have one night with him, but he doesn?t really give himself a snowball's chance in hell. To love, to be in love one must give up some control. Ohlrig and Leonora do have the one nite together, but his true motive is revealed shortly after and she's "outta" there. If it was just a mere matter of rich (stability) vs. happiness (love), I don?t think they?d make Ohlrig such a prig. I suspect the convention would be to make him super busy and detached. But he?s putting her down in front of company. And she knows it, and calls him on it. Leonora's back with Dr. Quinada and flourishes in her job and in her relationship with him. She can breathe and laugh and dance. I liked the scene at the bar. What was up with that lady interrupting??? Twice. I liked how Leonora didn?t give her single glance. Some moments I enjoyed in the film: * Did you notice Agnes from "The Big Sleep" played the charm skool receptionist? * I liked the Mom in the clinic chastising her son who was blowing that dangfangled whistle. * I enjoyed watching Frank Ferguson as the doctor hurrying into the office, running out of the office and loved his quiet conversations with Leonora and then with Dr. Q., Medecine Man. * A scene I found equally as tense as the smack-the-piano player scene was when the man-servant, right-hand man, flunky pleaded with her to come down stairs to Ohlrig...and she would not. His desperation was palpable. It looked like his very life (livelihood) was dependent upon her coming downstairs. (Score Two for Leonora!) * I thought it was a triumph for Leonora AND for this synchophantic little manny when he told Ohlrig he was a big man, but not big enough to destroy Leonora. I really felt happy. And then he quit. Bravo, Franzi. * Did you notice the venetian blind shadows slashed across Leonora?s face...and how in the garage when Dr. Q. was grilling her, she was boxed in (or rather) her face was framed by the rung of a ladder. * There's going to be a baby??? What the... Yes, Leonora did go back to Ohlrig. I say she went back for the sake of the baby and its financial future. But what a low blow by Ohlrig to use Custody against her. What is it about human nature? When I saw Ohlrig writhing on the floor asking for water, I did feel kind of bad for him. But when she walked OUT of the room, that really made me beam. Why hasn't Barbara Bel Geddes really been on my radar before in a meaningful way? She didn?t get the big buildup of the glamor girls or the Actresses. But I see (now) she has what it takes. Her delivery is natural, conversational. She?s easy, unfussy and there?s strength in her common sense. I think I now see why Hitchcock used her in ?VERTIGO? and tamped her down. Nawwww, don?t be a silly goose. She?s no competition for Kim Novak who?s a whole ?nother galaxy and wattage completely. But from viewing CAUGHT I can see what ?Scottie? saw in ?Midge? in the first place, and not just maternal. I never saw that before ?CAUGHT/? O? Hollywood. You spring little jewels on me. Thanx for suggesting this movie, Miss. G. I enjoyed it and Barbara Bel Geddes.

That perhaps is true Rey....but I like the emotion of this: "I feel the same way, M'Ava. If she's gone, then Hollywood really was just a dream world that never actually existed." - << (( Jack Favell )) >>

My friend David sent me this e-mail: Why do I have the tendency of feeling like these stars are immortal. Always feels unreal when I hear of their passing. Thank you, Elizabeth Taylor. The pictures you and Jackaaaaaaaaaay posted are beautiful. She lived big and loved big. She was a great friend to many. I found her beauty exquisite and loved many of her film performances. For me, Elizabeth Taylor is The Last Movie Star.

:-( Sounds fitting, Miss G. Send my regards to Sunday. :-(

"Tall T, I'm still blushin'. Crazy B-Girl, move over because I'm about to make you look super sane...I just wrote a short review of Caught in my Robbie Ryan thread but what I didn't add was that...heaven help me, I still love the man who was crazy (Ryan)...MORE than super nice, charming, NORMAL James Mason. Cart me off now to the padded room, lol. P.S. by way of SOME explanation...did you SEE how GORGEOUS Ryan looked in that black turtleneck????????????????????????????????" <<< (( Miss Goddess )) >>> Again, your post made me burst out laughing out loud. And I feel similarly about Ryan when he comes up onto the boat dock...all 6'4" of him. He looked like he could play James Bond. But I'll reveal my feelings on that in my review of "CAUGHT" which I'm still formulating. But the sad sad news I heard this morning has just wiped me out. Edited by: CineMaven on Mar 23, 2011 10:38 AM b'cuz TYPOS are unacceptable, no matter what.

"Without a social education, you're never going to meet a real man." Well. Between this morning (with TCM's airing of "COME FLY WITH ME") and yesterday (w/ "CAUGHT") I have learned how to catch a man, lose a man and catch another man again. The only thing I might lose along the way is my dignity, self-esteem, peace/(piece) of mind and my baby. A tout a l'heure... and it will be spoiled.

"I believe Sue-Sue had the NERVE to post that a few pages back and nearly gave me a HEART ATTACK and I'm STILL blushing to the (dark) roots of my blonde hair." <<< (( Miss Goddess )) >>> LOL! LOL! LOL! LOL! LOL! LOL! LOL! LOL! LOL! LOL! LOL! LOL! LOL! LOL! LOL! LOL! "Oh, I think trying to kill us poor, innocent guys is EXACTLY the desired effect you horrible women are striving for. And we're such nice, sweet guys, too-! Just like ALL men are!" <<< (( Circus )) >>> GROAN! I'm looking for an oil well to buy. Do you have any? I'm trying to unload a bridge here in Brooklyn. "I'm not crazy....Although Burgess Meredith must have had, um, something goin' on for Paulette Goddard to be interested in..." <<< (( Bronx 'I'm Not Crazy' Girl )) >>> He probably was a great.....raconteur. I heard he was a brainiac. Richard Carlson and Jeffrey Lynn were two of my favorite boys-next-door. They were such cutie pies.

I need to say this somewhere where I won't get carted off to the funny farm (and I'll only post it once, don't worry) JOHN PAYNE IS GORGEOUS. Ah. I feel better now I got him...THAT...off my chest. << (( Miss Goddess )) >> "As for John Payne, he's totally growing on me lately." << (( Jack Favell )) >> I must be the only gal on these boards who doesn't get the warmies over John. However, I'm starting to go ga-ga over Lionel Barrymore...Now....WHERE IS THAT TRISTESSE VILLA??? << (( Bronxgirl )) >> Well well my lovelies. I sense a pattern here. I'm with you. Now I know Jackaaaaaaaay didn't want to give the boys a heart attack with that picture of Mylene Demongeot...but women are made of stronger stock. We outlive men any way. So which one of you thinks she can post of a picture of John in the boxing ring. He's in his corner, in the chair, camera kind of looking up at him and...oh, I think you know the one I mean. Payne and pleasure. Hmmm...sometimes it's the same thing. I know, I know. Why oh why does she always go there?!! Is there a therapist in the house?? Bronxie, you'll never find that villa by getting the warm fuzzies with your traditionally untraditional choices. Uncle Irving, indeed! ;-)

Whew! Again. :x

Wavelength...well, it's just that great minds think alike. There's an intensity about Natalie Portman. But here's someone you and folks should be on the look out for: Jennifer Lawrence who appeared in "Winter's Bone." She's a very fine young actress. In this cookie-cutter age of Hollywood, one has to have something unusual about them that stands out. I saw TCM's promo for Jean Harlow this month. As usual, TCM hit it out of the ballpark with that presentation. Their editing oft times drops my jaw. The cuts, the music make Harlow (to me) seem soooooo contemporary. Now I saw her in "Reckless." Sad to say Harlow cannot sing or dance. I chuckled when I saw those long shots of her and the cutaway shots to her feet hoofing (or whoever feet those were). Yikes! With that said, nobody, but nobody could touch her for delivering her lines. Especially what stands out for me with Harlow is her performances in "Libeled Lady" and in "Bombshell." She can't be touched. Great to be on your wavelength, Jack!

"Here are some of the less naughty pics I found of Mylene Demongeot. There was a another I wanted to post but I fear the men on the boards might have had heart failure..." "Tall T" here. HA!!! And no one to resuscitate our guys. You just saved some lives, Jack. I think today's Natalie Portman could have played Jean Seberg's role. I want to see "Moment to Moment" again. I remember loving Arthur Hill. (Love his voice).

"Gone With the Wind." Rhett Butler loves Scarlett O'Hara loves Ashley Wilkes loves Melanie. A quadrangle.

Maybe with two cans and a string? Nah, I can't do it to my buddy.

Jackaaaaaaaay, if you don't mind...I shared your review of "BONJOUR TRISTESSE" with my ol' college buddy, who I consider my movie mentor. (You will see him in Episode 8 of "Meg Ramsey"). Below is his comment and I often thought that "...Tristesse" was too girly for guys to like. Well, I've been wrong before. I've tried to connect him with Moira Finnie over at the oasis. The way this message board stands now...I mean, how could I do that to a friend? **** "XXXXXX wrote: "Thank you for the review. Yes, I have liked 'Bonjour Tristesse' ever since, and even more as time goes by. It is another movie that is superior to its source. That shot that Jack describes of Seberg dancing was on my MUBI profile page, and now I want to put it back. Jack is really good. With you, Moira, and him there, I've got to get connected with y'all, but I must confess that the times that I have made the attempt, I have found the mechanics of the TCM site somewhat intimidating. I may need a tutorial or someone to walk me through over the phone."

Your choice of "VERTIGO" was inspiring!!!!! Ha! P.S., Grace Kelly was certainly the object of many men's affection. Now...which day do I get Gable???