CineMaven
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I remember "LOVE THAT BOB." And liked the show. I thought Robert Cummings had an easy breezy way of delivering his lines. Kind of effortless (in my loneliest of humble opinions). I saw
ten minutes of "DARK VICTORY" the other morning and thought Ronald Reagan also had
such an easy delivery as well.
For one of my elementary school assemblies, we saw African artist Olatunji perform. Now it's XXXXX years later and I'm working on a web series and one of my actors brings me a CD to dance to for her dance audition scene. It was the music of Olatunji. She told me to pick Track
1. It was the same song I heard at assembly as a third grader.
I was stunned. I hadn't heard the song since then. She was even more stunned when I started
to sing the tune.
"Wells Fargo" has Frances Dee? I've got to see it. I'm a big Frances Dee fan.
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I really liked what you wrote about Rocklin and Arly, Cowgirl. That was good.
Gracias, Grimesy.
You think so? I thought it was a breezy kind of mystery. Very "Scooby Doo." I love Scoob. I liked all the different characters. Loved the mixing of humor, romance, mystery, "cartoon." A very fun, breezy kind of western.
Scoobs???? I wouldn't say breezy. Ha! I get distracted by movie stars sometimes. I let my mind wander over their visage and all of a sudden, I don't know who Thursby is. That happened a little with "TALL IN THE SADDLE." I had to "rewind" the DVD and make a chart of who was friends with who.
Wayne really does have a "coolness" to him in this one. And he's on the smooth and charming side of confident in Tall in the Saddle. I associate that with James Bond. The Duke usually comes off on the arrogant and jerk side of confidence with me. Having said that, what I've come to really like about that is that he usually gets knocked down and takes it exceptionally well. Wayne is very good at playing "humbled." He's arguably the best.
You've given as good as explanation as any on The Duke's persona. It makes me want to ex-
plore him more. I'm usually hot and cold about him. But "TALL IN THE SADDLE" has made me h... uhmm, more interested.
I generally associate "calm and cool" with Lauren Bacall. Keep in mind, I've only seen her with Bogie. She seems to be his female image. Arly (Ella Raines) is throwing tantrums and them crying when she doesn't get what she wants. She's extremely animated, which is something that draws me to female performers. Arly is saying "I'll kill him" while she's crying. My kind of girl... all the way.
Yes, you're absolutely right. Actually, I was thinking of her aura. I'm thinking about her in her quiet moments, head slightly bent, alto voice...in general. Not this performance specifically.
That's how I feel about Gail Russell and Cathy O'Donnell and most of their characters. I want to protect them. But when it comes to childishness, that's pure entertainment to me. I get a big kick out of seeing a woman throw a childish fit. Arly is so doggone childish. That's fun to watch. Did I wish to protect Arly? Only when she cried. Other than that, no. I didn't want to be her "daddy." She just made me smile. There is anger with love and anger with hate. Anger with love makes me smile. Anger with hate is usually a turn-off for me.
I hear ya. I'm not sure what the equivalent of that would be for me and the actors I like. "Anger with love...Anger with hate..." Very interesting.
In any event, I?m glad Ella Raines revealed something to you that you could like.
Yes, I could "feel" her in this one. Her character is more interesting to me, too.
I'm glad.
* No, I didn't really need a chart. But the plot was just complex enough for me to rewind a little. Or maybe it was just watching John Wayne enter that cabin again...and again.
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Thank you Miss G., Jackaaaaaaaaay. I hope I did the movie justice. I really enjoyed it.
Your reaction to Wayne mirrors my own. I had forgotten how good he looked in this movie, I kept thinking all the while how this had to be one of his most attractive movie appearances.
Yes. I can still see him coming through that cabin door.
I loved that scene when he keeps walking through her shooting. Now that wasn?t particularly James Bond b?cuz Bond knows no fear... But I liked that Rocklin pushed through his fear and barely made it inside the saloon.
Ha, good point! He definitely knew he was running a gauntlet and I think it drove her nuts that he didn't bat an eye over it.
Arly only saw Rocklin from the back. If only she had seen his face, she could see she was hitting ev'ry one of her 'bullet points.'
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MISS GODDESS writes: You're doing great, don't you worry.
Thanx ma?am.
Listen, he's my favorite actor and I can tell you that I much MUCH prefer him this way to most of his comedies. You, me and Pauline Kael (you should read what SHE thought).
Kael? Uh-oh. I?m scared.
I wouldn't mind being in Paulette Goddard's place.
< SIGH! > (I?ve actually got to see that once again...it?s been centuries). I wouldn?t have minded being in the little girl?s place who had to kiss Doc Frail in payment for her medical care. Or in Shirley Temple?s place. I like my Coop ?unshy.? You know, like Lupe probably saw him.
That really is VERY interesting. In fact, it's kind of a good germ of an idea for a new thread. What can't one tolerate in movies, or what really makes one squirm? Besides talking to Frank Grimes.
Oooh! HA!! Look have at it. Wear your hipwaders and create some threads.
Could you see Gable as a gladiator?
Yes, I can...he has the build...although I can't imagine him talking like one. But they didn't get a chance to say much, did they? "Maximus!"
?BARRANCA!!!? Hmmmm. Maybe I can go with young Gable as a gladiator. Naaaaaaah, I can?t do it; my brain just froze. I can do him as Mr. Christian, but I don?t think I can see him riding a chariot. But I?ll give it a shot in those short skirts they wore. He had great legs in "MOGAMBO.? (Loved him in ?Command Decision"). Gable just seems so contemporary to me. And I'm going off on tangents. Now where was I...
FRANK GRIMES writes: Howdy, Tall T (I like that one) -- I like what you wrote about ?The Hanging Tree.? I liked the ?softness? in your writing about Elizabeth (Maria Schell).
Thank you. I?ll write softly for you.
I want to be a poor baby! I need the pity!
Okay baby. Okay. Put your head on my shoulder.
Because I always wish to draw a girl close but then I get scared when she gets too close. That's the ultimate push-pull and real torture.
Oh my, you ARE a poor tortured baby. Is that why you like "NOTORIOUS? so much? The push-pull dance of Cary and Ingrid???
She also speaks up about a guy only looking at her in a certain way. She's unafraid to get her hands dirty and is willing to speak up with Frail, an authoritative figure. She really gets on him when she learns he was paying for all her costs. Pretty doggone interesting.
I like women unafraid in movies. I like women who fight for what they want. They?re my idols...
role models. (I didn?t play with dolls). But the power structure kind of makes women in movies, dolls to be taken care of. When one breaks the mold, you can see why I?d be happy. They don't have to be all hard like Davis, Stanwyck...Hepburn. It could be soft like Ella Raines, or like Maria Schell in this film.
...That would be an interesting discussion and thread, actually. "The Women of Westerns." Come to think of it, it would be a fascinating book. From "Amy Kane" to "Helen Ramirez" to "Vienna" to "Penelope Worth" to "Vance Jeffords" to "Altar Keane."
Oooh, I think you?ve hit on a million dollar idea, Grimesy. I think this should be a book Miss Goddess or lzcutter should write. They are women of the West, the Southwest. They have an affinity for Westerns. And they both write so well. I?m writing to Simon and Schuster right now! Your check is in the mail.
Movieman writes: One that comes to mind is "Arizona" with Jean Arthur. That is pretty much her movie. Maybe "Rancho Notorious" with Marlene Dietrich. "Yellow Sky" has a pretty tough Anne Baxter who is not going to be run over by Gregory Peck.
Thanks for the info. I really didn?t like ?Rancho Notorious" a lot!! But I?ll be on the look out for the other two. Hmmm...but getting run over by Gregory Peck might not be such a bad idea.
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JACK FAVELL writes: "One thing I just loved about this movie was the music - Roy Webb really put heart and soul into this movie, and the main theme is just gorgeous and plaintive with that extra added trilly section at the end."
The music didn't quite get me, I'm afraid. But I did like it better than I did "The Hanging Tree" theme song. I'm thinking I don't like lyrics to my western songs.
"I really liked Ella's pal, Raymond Hatton, who was very mysterious, but also showed Ella to be a fair person and a friend to those who might be outside "society". He was really good at keeping you wondering which side he would come down on and added a little more Nick and Nora to the plot. He was important in setting up her character as a straight ahead honest wo-
man."
I didn?t have any doubt that he was Ella?s right hand man. I liked his aura of mystery. (Ha! He reminded me of Bela Lugosi a little). I liked how you expressed her being a friend to someone ?outside? of society. I really liked that. I like when I see that in movies...especially when it's done matter-of-factly. (Sinatra-John..."Assault On A Queen").
"I think Ella was as beautiful as I've ever seen her here and that's saying a lot. Boy could she ride!?
She rode like the blazes! That just adds to her mystique and charm, for me. She was so beautiful in the cabin. In her cosmopolitan movies maybe she?s more tailored and has
not a hair out of place. Here as Arly...very different...very free. Guess the West brings
that out in a girl.
FRANK GRIMES writes: "You're right, the mystery was very simplistic, but I liked the fact that it was a mystery western. It's almost like a 'Thin Man' western."
Oooh, I like that Grimesy. It was a mystery b?cuz I really knew I had to pay very very close attention to the plot machinations or else I'd be lost in the frontier.
"And Jackie said it right, the Duke is very ?cool? as ?Rocklin.? This is the Duke's ?James Bond.? I loved it.?
HA!! James Bond. THAT would not have occurred to me in a million years. Great, ?cuz I can see it.
"And, you know, Ella does have a ?Gene Tierney? look going on. She's like a mix of Gene and Veronica Lake. I adored her in ?Tall in the Saddle?.?
Yay.
I also found some Bacall in her as well."Your last sentence really hits home with me. It's Ella's boldness throughout the film that absolutely captivated me. Also, if there is one kind of woman I'm going to love more often than not, it's a childish one. Arly is as childish as they come. And, then, when she shows hurt, I really fall for her. I got to see some real emotion and a little more range from Ella in this role. I liked her a lot. I can't see her playing a better character for my wants.?
Hmmmmmm...I?m thinking I see a pattern in what you like in a woman...in the movies. Do you kind of want to be a ?Daddy? to them? In some sort of wild weird way, I?m thinking of Rhett daddying Scarlett, the willful child. Grimesy, did you notice Arly's facial expressions in the scene with Rocklin in the room after the sweet Clara left? Kind of playful. Check that out again if you haven?t noticed. In any event, I?m glad Ella Raines revealed something to you that you could like.
MISS GODDESS writes: "He did need a drink, though, after that ?long walk?.?
Whew!! Did he ever! I loved that scene when he keeps walking through her shooting. Now that wasn?t particularly James Bond b?cuz Bond knows no fear... But I liked that Rocklin pushed through his fear and barely made it inside the saloon.
"So you enjoyed him like a James Bond character. I'm just surprised that you would rank such a character higher than complex ones like Ethan or Dunsan.?
I liked the straight line he had. He was almost like a robot...like a ?Terminator? in his single-mindedness and flat voice. (He and George Raft have this same kind of flat, stilted delivery
that I don't mind coming from them). For this maven?d tinhorn, Ethan and Dunsan would
be a lot of work on my part as a viewer. With Rocklin, I could sit back and enjoy him.
"And this is by far my favorite performance and character for Ella. I feel she's an outdoorsy girl at heart so seeing her run around in her little leather duds and wearing her hair so long and flowy to frame her beautiful eyes made for a perfect character inside and out. I loved her boldness in his room.?
This is my favorite Ella Raines movie. She gets to do so much more. You can do a lot more in Westerns...if they don?t have sitting around looking demure and proper. I believed her.
ROHANAKA writes: "(mini-spoiler) PS: Miss G.. I SO wanted the stepdad to be a decent guy but my real clue was the way that Ella seemed to just tolerate him (and clearly wanted to sever all ties with him)?
I really got snookered into thinking he was a good guy too, Ro-ro. He had such a gentle nature and soft voice. Another snake-in-the-grass! Ugh! When will I ever learn.
"...but I liked the suspense of the "who dunnit' part... and the fact that it was NOT the Duke who made the bad guy pay (the ultimate price) there at the end.?
I think Arly didn?t want Rocklin to kill...to have that blood on his hands. I liked that gesture.
?OH.. and PS: Jackie.. I need to go back and listen to that theme song again.. for some reason it did not get my attention (but then I WAS a bit distracted from time to time as I was also baking brownies, ha) and now I am curious, ha.?
You know what, you really are so brownies. Please stay on topic. Your talk of cookies and baking and food has added so many cyber calories to my waist that I often stop and grab some munchies while I read the Message Board. Please help me, help me. Have pity on me Ro!
Uhmmmm...by the way, do you know how to bake Devil?s Food Cake? Nononono...nevermind. -
SPOILED IN THE SADDLE
WoW! What a neat little cowboy movie ?TALL IN THE SADDLE? is. For some reason I can?t get all fancy schmancy and call this Western. Yes, this is a Western. But man, I felt like a little kid at a Saturday afternoon movie date as the climax of the movie was playing out.
?TALL IN THE SADDLE? has all the elements of a good ol? fashioned. We have the posse chase, the coming to the rescue race, a love triangle and fist fights. Then we have the spoiled female who has to be brought down a few pegs, the callow cowardly youth, the demure sweet girl you take home to Mama, a faithful sidekick, a lovable curmudgeon, a wolf in sheep?s clothing with a soft brogue, the stuck-up spinster and of course, the stalwart, sexy man-of-few-words, bonafide hero. And where all things start...they start with the Duke.
?I never feel sorry for anything that happens to a woman.?
Oh girls! You know how we love a challenge!
This is the sexiest I?ve ever seen John Wayne. I know...I know. I have not even seen HALF of John Wayne?s movies so I realize I?m making this declaration without any full fair knowledge of his entire oeuvre of films. But I say it just the same. There was also something I sensed feminine about him in this movie. Please, I mean no malice at all. The way he walked, the way he pursed his lips at times...but mainly the fact that HE was pursued; the object of affection of two women.
I loved his purposefulness. He was so singularly determined. He was a tall, cool, coiled drink of water. The way he kept walking even in the midst of Arly?s guns-a-blazing. The way he entered the cabin and found Arly inside, he was beautifully shot, wearing black and with a slight smile. He looked like he knew what Arly ?needed.? He was so big and tall (and slender) and when he stood right up close to his leading ladies I kind of felt all swoon(y) myself.
When he played cards with Clint, the way he left the cardtable...and then came back down those stairs, strapping. His deadpan delivery of lines and unwavering stare when he declared his innocence to Arly; like he was willing her to get over herself and to hear him...believe him. His economy of movement and his whole performance made me, well...I gotta tell ya, John Wayne rarely has made me...well, you know, ?notice? him.
ELLA RAINES - Well...you all know how I feel about this brunette beauty. What an entrance. It was good to see you liked her in this role, Frank Grimes. She finally showed you her personality, I think. Gave you something to hang on to. Good.
She comes into the scene riding her horse hard and fast. She rides like the Devil and is ornerier than Hell. Cowboy hat and chaps cannot diminish this tomboy?s beauty and femininity. I loved her going off half-c0cked on the Duke (playing Rocklin) without having all the facts. She?s a hot-headed, fiery pistol. Gee, I wish I could have seen her in full blown ?Gene Tierney? color, but in the black and white cinematography inside the cabin she still looks luscious. She gives as good as she gets. She?s headstrong and determined as well. Like Stanwyck in ?The Furies? she has a faithful Native American friend who would do anything for her. He tries to advise her, but she won?t listen. Angry that Rocklin has showed her up she fires him from a job. Then later she tries to subjugate her desire for him by being angry at him. Her stepfather tells her:
"No it?s you who should take care my dear. I?m afraid there?s one man you can?t rawhide into jumping the way you want. You made a fool of yourself over him once. Better watch out you don?t do it again.?
Arly is similar to Rocklin in her purposefulness, but she does it in as heated a way as he approa-ches things cooly. She?s confident, strong. I liked Clara played by Audrey Long. When I imdb?d her, I see she was Claire Trevor?s sister in "Born to Kill.? Whoa! I didn't remember that. She was demure and sweet here, and when Rocklin is in between both lovely blonde and brunette leading ladies I smiled. ?Now see, those are even odds,? I thought to myself. What I mean by that is that instead of Vivien?s ?Gable-Howard? choice or Claudette?s/Myrna?s ?Tracy-Gable? choice, or Mitchum?s ?Greer-V.Huston? choice...we?ve got Loretta Young choosing between Mitchum and Holden. Two viable choices (Arly / Clara) instead of one being so obviously head and shoulders above the other. Yes, I do realize those choices are not about (my shallow thoughts on) looks, but about what each character brings to the table re: ethics. Having Arly and Clara to choose from, these two were somewhat evenly matched. I love the scene when the two women are initially introduced. Clara?s guileless as Arly slowly looks her up and down, sizing her up. Clara tells Arly she saw her ride into town. Thought she was lovely. I love Arly?s (or is that ELLA?s reading when she says) ?Yes?? Besides the beauty of a Gene Tierney type, I thought Ella Raines was channeling the self-assurance of Lauren Bacall.
But of course the match-up and the sparring and the chemistry was between John Wayne and Ella Raines. She?s no fragile, wistful little Gail Russell.
ARLY: ?She?s lovely isn?t she? So sweet, honest but helpless. It?s a pity you didn?t fall in love with her instead of me.?
ROCKLIN: ?You might as well know now, no woman is going to get me hog-tied and branded.?
ARLY: ?Don?t be so sure. I don?t think I?m doing so badly.?
ROCKLIN: ?Don?t you??
ARLY: Don?t you know?
ROCKLIN: ?I know there isn?t anything you couldn?t do to get what you want.?
Arly walks right up to big ol? Mt. Everest of a man Rocklin. She looks up at him.
ARLY: "I always get what I want. See? Bye.?
She gives him the note from Clara he tore up...all taped up. And he has a slight smirk on his face at her chutzpah.
"TALL IN THE SADDLE" was a tight little story, wonderfully filmed and great editing. Yes yes, before you go traipsing off to Monument Valley and Fort Apache looking for that girl who wore a yellow ribbon when she crossed the red river, stop...let the man who shot Liberty Valance pass by you quietly. Look for this movie. My father saw it as a teenager. He told me the movie theater was packed! Well sixty-seven years later...I think "TALL IN THE SADDLE" is still a winner.
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"Here's my current film noir list..."
I love your list. Aaaaaah, that's my world.
BTW, did you have any intention of watching and talking about "DESERT FURY"? Not pushing... just asking.
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I think so.
As long as the girls don't light a match.
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I'm sure Bonita Granville's in there too from what she did in "These Three." G-r-r-r! Are there three to a cell in jail?? Ohhhhhhhhh boy,
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Whatever --LOLA-- Mom wants...
Yes..."The Reckless Moment." I forgot that film. I think I might've let her taken the fall.
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"Thank you, Maven. I was too busy eyeing the Van and Kirk or wishing I sounded like Lizabeth Scott to notice. I will the next time." - Wouldbestar
Sure thing. Doran is like all character actors...just under the radar. Next time. :-)
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"All these Geraldines. Wasn't there a silent-movie actress called Geraldine Farrer? And a movie called GERALDINE with Pat Boone and Janet Gaynor (making her first return to the silver screen in about twenty years? Or am I thinking of Alice Faye, coincidentally also
with Pat Boone, in STATE FAIR?) Geraldine Page is spot-on in THE POPE OF GREENWICH VILLAGE as a tough-as-nails Irish mother."
Let's not leave out GERALDINE BROOKS who crippled Raymond Burr in "IRONSIDES" and
who played Raymond Massey's daughter and Joan Crawford's rival for Van Heflin's affec-
tions in "POSSESSED."
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Want to see a sexy Ann Doran? Look at her (all too brief role) as Kirk Douglas' secretary in "THE STRANGE LOVE OF MARTHA IVERS." She has a flirtatious scene with Van Heflin. It's my fav'rite role of Doran's.
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Ahhhhhh. Lois Nettleton, like Laura Linney's my girl. Loved that actress. Saw her on Broadway in "A Streetcar Named Desire." Twice! I feel warmer already.
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>"I would pick "Letter" too, but sometimes, you just want to dish the dirt, you know? Letter to Three Wives is a good movie - You can't really say that about The Bad and the Beautiful. It's just good fun watching the fur fly."
I totally hear ya, I love trashy wacky over-the-top movies. Try "WHERE LOVE HAS GONE" if you haven't already. It's a hoot. And the more serious they take themselves, the more hooters they have...uhmmm...the more like Hootersville they are. I mean...uhmmmm...quest-ce que c'est sun and warmth??? "THE TEN COMMANDMENTS" strike me that way now too. I see the soap opera-ish-ness of it all. Yeah, I'm making up words now.
Hi Baby T. I thought of you seriously while watching some of "RANDOM HARVEST" earlier.
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"Hello there, Maven...thanks for your post...and your willingness check out these westerns!"
Believe me, I'm tryin'. I'm tryin'!
"Oh, I love him this way, too. Much better than Bertram Potts (Ball of Fire)."
Or "Sorrowful Jones" or "Good Sam" or... wait, I do like Gary Cooper.
"As for his past dark deed, he burned down a house alright, after he killed his wife and brother, possibly in flagrante delicto as they say."
Oh. OH!!! Whew.
The film shows us Coop tossing the bullet so that we can see that deep down Frail is not a bad man. Imagine to really think that Coop would have kept a slave...no no, that would never do.
"You haven't seen 'Unconquered'!"
Uh-oh...my ignorance is showing. :-(
The two plot devices I really that l am uncomfortable with in movies is blackmail and taking hostages.
how come?
It's galling for me to see someone held against their will, someone else holding all the strings, you are now their puppet, they won't stop until you're bled dry. When they tell ya to jump, you've got to say "How high?" You want Dan Duryea holding the strings to your life? How 'bout Broderick Crawford making you accessory to murder and slobbering all over you to keep his yap shut. The desperation Joan Bennett felt even if James Mason tried to be nice about it...aaargh! I'll take any other plot point but that. Man, the fear...desperation...anxiety in keeping your secret hidden. Sure, I'll watch those films...but I'm always feeling like I'm eating vegetables. Murder and mayhem go down my cinematic palate a whole lot better. Love and romance. Comedy...not slapstick, but the sparkling silver nitrate-tinged champagne of a "Libeled Lady" or "The Awful Truth." Is there black-
mail in film noir? Yeah, I guess so. But isn't it moreso "please kill my husband so I, uhm....we, can be happy"?? I'll even take revenge before blackmail.
What can I say, that's the kind of M'Ava I am. What do I know.
Did I mention Robert Taylor's mid-western twang on my list of fav'rite voices? "Quo Vadis" is on now and he looks mighty good as a gladiator. To Jackaaaaaaay out there: his forearms are perfect.
Could you see Gable as a gladiator?
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Quest-ce que c'est sun and warmth??
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"SO am I the only one around here who admits to loving The Bad and the Beautiful?? It's so much fun., even if it is kinda schlocky. Lana screaming in the car just makes it perfect."
Love??? Not love, but I like it fine. But if I had a choice between "The Bad and the Beautiful" and "A Letter to Three Wives" I'd pick the letter...the latter. Never was a Barry Sullivan fan. Lana in the car...draaaaaaahma! She acted for the Ages in that rainy car scene. I guess Elaine Stewart is the whole movie for me. (Sorry GLO-LO!)
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Mubarak........played by Edward Arnold.
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I watched "THE HANGING TREE" based on your bold and large fonted reminder, (
) the other day and found it interesting. I saw the movie as a kid with my father, but remembered nothing about it other than a blind girl. I loved this Gary Cooper. No hesitation, no "aw shucks." No shyness. Strong, decisive and deadly. I loved seeing him like that. ?Shoot first and ask questions later," I say. I have to admit stepping away from the tv for a moment so I missed (or did they even reveal) exactly what Coop was running from or guilty of? He burned down a house or what? Wha? happened?But it was a film about relationships as you and others have written. I think he blackmailed Rune for his own good; to keep him out of trouble. (The boy was surely heading down a wrong path). I wasn't crazy about the actor who played him, (Ben Piazza reminded me of Aidan Quinn) but he did do a good job as this kid. The film shows us Coop tossing the bullet so that we can see that deep down Frail is not a bad man. Imagine to really think that Coop would have kept a slave...no no, that would never do.
As Frank Grimes writes, ?Frail is a hurt and damaged man.? Poor baby, (Coop not Grimes). He has such a lock on his emotions for Elizabeth, he?d rather let her go than take the risk of openly falling in love with her...even if she is showing how much she cares for him. The movie took its time. We did see ev?ry step of the way Elizabeth?s recovery from her tragic accident. We saw how tender and protective he was of Elizabeth. And later, in the midst of this lawless frontier Sodom and Gommorrah when the ?Lost Lady? now recovers, she introduces herself from Rune's horseback... she has a Name. And the town seemed genuinely interested in her health and recovery. (I thought respectfully so...) She doesn?t seem fearful. She?s so Other from the rest of the town. She was very attractive and got some of the boys riled up I'm sure. But she disregarded that and moved forward. Coop wanted to send her back to Switzerland for her own good, to protect her...but she wanted to make her own good here, in America. And near him.
?......between him and Frenchie, that was a lot of rottenness for one tiny little mining settlement to deal with.?
I was surprised to see Elizabeth throw her lot in with Frenchy. (I'm going with the "y" spelling as opposed to the "i-e"). I didn?t see that coming. Was she that guileless and blind not to see that he had the hots for her? (?Hey Mister, is that a gold bullion in your pocket or are you just glad to see me?) As it was playing out, I thought the money outweighed his desires for her. Good. But boy oh boy, was I wrong. I wanted to smash him from the first. I wanted to stuff that filthy red hat down his throat. Crazy ol coot George C. Scott was just as galling.
"It's a savage scene. Imagine Elizabeth loving a man who's just done this.?
Aaaaaaah a ?my hero? moment, for me. Oooooh, g-r-r-r, he was infuriatingly a scoundrel, a rat, a lowdown dirty varmint, and he deserved to rot.
"I think the real evils were inside people, these two guys just seem to be flesh-and-blood representations of the basest instincts (French) and at the opposite end of the spectrum, intolerant self-righteousness (Grubb---George C. Scott).?
Nicely stated, Miss G. The two plot devices I really that l am uncomfortable with in movies is blackmail and taking hostages.
?The killing of Frenchy is very harsh, it reminds me of the fight between Gary and Jack Lord in Man of the West.?
Boy oh boy, if anyone had it coming...it was Frenchy. And his little red hat too!!! --Vermin-- Varmint!!
*****
FrankGrimes writes: "As Elizabeth points out, Frail is torturous with his push-pull. It's something I can relate to.?
Why can you relate to that?
"I think it's interesting that it's a man who is tending to a woman in the film, that the woman looks to set out and make her own way in the world, and that it's a woman who saves the man. This makes ?The Hanging Tree? a rather strong ?female? western.?
WoW, I never thought of it that way. And that makes perfect sense, Grimesy. She did set out to seek her fortune. And she certainly does come to the rescue at the last possible moment. I?m not a Western afficionado like the rest of you, but I can?t remember another movie (besides ?Westward the Women?) where a woman actively took charge of her future like that. We might see the ?after-the fact? situation where the woman has inherited land, or she herself IS the landbaron or she marries a landbaron. But to actually show her grinding it out, I don?t recall a movie...okay okay, go on guys, correct me.
The turn of events at the movie?s climax took me by surprised. Those mining folks just went plum crazy loco. Now they?re burning and carrying on. They became animals. They feared the doc so now they want to hang him. What the heck is going on with these folks.
Poor Cooper, he struggled with his feelings for her. He didn?t want to admit his feelings for Elizabeth. He hid them, he stayed in the background still protective of her; sort of watching over her as a Guardian Angel. Us girls should only be that lucky to have a guardian angel like that. Wait a minute, I do recall a time when us girls here were that very lucky.
Thank you.
*****
Wouldbe Star writes: ?I have to mention Virginia Gregg as the malicious leader of the ?good women? who forget the verse about ?Judging not lest you be judged?. When Frail sent the carriage full of the biddies on their way I cheered. This woman was one of the unsung supporting players of her day; whatever the role she nailed it.?
Yes Virginia Gregg was quite good. One of my favorite character actresses is Ann Doran. I think she would have been good in the role as well.
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No ma'am. I wouldn't kid a goddess. That was him right next to our Georgie.
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That's right! And you'd better remember that. Up next for Meg, "Past, Present." That'll be next Monday. Be there or be square. Now...for something completely noir, Cagney at his Cagniest:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVtZQKQFNpU&feature=player_embedded
GAWI, baby. GAWI!!!
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"Cummings is in it? That is too funny. I don't think I've seen him in a western before. Tell me he's playing a greenhorn. He can't be anything else."
I thought of you when I went to the Film Forum yesterday to see Fritz Lang's "You and Me." Robert Cummings played one of the gangsters of George Raft's old gang. Cummings. Oh yeah...snarling and everything. Yeah!
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Bonjour Monsieur Lafitte - "Usually one is now on the side of the law (Douglas) and the other if not still an outlaw, per se, is nevertheless a bit louche and involved in something shady (Quinn). I thought Douglas a little bland and Quinn better but not earthshaking. Susan Oliver?s character, as you point out, is pivotal and the most interesting. She is crisply made up (maquillage) but not floozy-like, her round face is almost like a little doll. But she has poise and a sharp manner and can take care of herself. Yes, she chooses to help Douglas, not because she is after him, but more for ethical reasons. Right or wrong is more important than this former attachment to the other. This story had a 310 to Yuma feel about it, in fact, it?s almost giving away too much to mention it. But, Last Train from Gun Hill is nowhere near the other (speaking of the original, of course)"
A pirate riding the range? Interesting. I just wanted to make one little correction to your post. Blonde actress Susan Oliver ("Peyton Place" tv show - "Butterfield 8" - Eddie Fisher's girlfriend ) did not appear in the western "LAST TRAIN TO GUN HILL." Carolyn Jones ("The Addams Family") was the girl.
Congrats on your foray into the world of DVDs. My collection of films (thousands strong) is
made of VHS tapes. I have movies on tape that have probably not appeared on television
since the 1980's. My DVD collection doesn't compare.
"Last Train..." is one of my favorite movies. I enjoy films where two stars come together from different perspectives to clash in the middle. In this film Kirk Douglas is looking to get his wife's rapist and murderer. Anthony Quinn is looking to protect his son from capture. Both of those
actors are among the most macho of actors from that era. It's one of those times "When An Irresistible Force Meets An Immovable Object."
I sit back and watch with baited breath.
I also found some Bacall in her as well.
Western Movie Rambles
in Westerns
Posted
I do that with Scooby Doo! You're definitely into stars much more than I am. Many on this board are. What I've learned is that some performers do run warm with me and others run cold.
Same with me...and many others, I'm sure. Claudette Colbert does nothing for me. There are others but I can't think of them at this moment. The ones that bring the heat are always at the forefront of my brain.
My favorite Duke character is "Doniphon," but I view him as an arrogant jerk to start. It's after he loses Hallie that I really go for him, and even associate with him.
His heartbreak in "...Liberty Valance" is killer.
I don't either. You seem like tough, highly masculine guys, such as Robert Mitchum. You like 'em rough.
Well...this is true.
In any event, I?m glad Ella Raines revealed something to you that you could like.
Me, too! This was a pretty big test because Miss G thought I'd like Ella in Tall in the Saddle. If I didn't like her with that one, I was afraid I wasn't going to like her.
It was a bigger test than you'll know.