flickerknickers
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Posts posted by flickerknickers
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Hoorah! tickled to hear the great news about "Grand Hotel" alive once more on DVD, Marshall and Movie Joe! I'm getting my copy about Thursday from Amazon.com, along with "The Best of Abbott and Costello"--this is one disc that has EIGHT of the couple's first movies! My old tape of "Grand Hotel" has nearly worn down to a shadow show. There can never be enough extras or "behind the scenes' footage about "Grand Hotel." Would love to have been a fly on the wall during the filming. Now, let's start pushing for "Dinner at Eight" on the silvery disc!
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MovieJoe, you're sooo right about Ruth Chatterton. She was classy and brassy and sexy as hell. You should keep your eye on TCM's schedule should they ever show Ruthie in "Female." That is one pre-code sizzler!
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MovieJoe, I have the identical problem at my corner BestBuy--which opened to great fanfare six months ago on East 86th Street, NYC--and they get almost none of the classic DVDs. I found one copy of "Yankee Doodle Dandy" and only one copy of "They Drive By Night." The sales clerk asked me if this was a racing movie. They have a million copies of Lord of the Rings and Girls Go Wild. Our of curiosity, I asked the sales clerk: "Do you have Dinner at Eight?" He said "No, I have it at six."
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"Dinner a Eight" is so fabulous! I like to watch this winner along with "Grand Hotel." It makes a great double-feature with all those star turns by movie legends. Movie Joe, this should give you a kick: I went to a 'Dinner at Eight' party a few weeks ago in the Village. We all had to come in character. Naturally, I was Kitty Packard, alias Jean Harlow. My hubby, Wallace Beery, was a huge weight lifter, who got into the spirit of things,by occasionally throwing me into the air. Carlotta Vance, alias Marie Dressler was a big drag queen, who goes by the name of Miss Ali Mony. Great fun! We even had aspic!
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"Mrs. Miniver," one of Hollywood's greatest movies and Best Picture Oscar Winner, will be released on DVD this week. Get your handkerchiefs out for this one. Also available this week are: 1935's Best Picture "Mutiny on the Bounty," "Goodbye Mr. Chips", "My Fair Lady," and the already mentioned fave, "Grand Hotel." To add some frosting to this bountiful cake of delights, the Douglas Fairbanks Collection--six of the dashing Doug's greatest films--are available in a set from Kino for $99.95. In addition to seeing the Fab Fairbanks at his peak in such silent classics as "The Thief of Bagdad," "The Mark of Zorro", there's all kinds of extras: home movies with Doug and Mary Pickford, outtakes, , intros by Orson Welles, etc. Whew. This one could keep you entertained through spring!
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roldfilm, you're soooo right, about the Universal horror films as being wonderful examples of that black and white film magic. One of my all-time faves is "Night Monster" (1942) which has several beautiful scenes in the den with a fireplace flickering shadows of flames over the faces of Fay Helm and Irene Hervey as they discuss the monster. "The Mummy's Ghost" is another beautiful exercise in black and white magic.
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"It's a Gift," Neptuneslayer, is--amazingly--also one of my faves! I watch this one regularly and it never failts to enchant. Much like "Topper Returns" with Roland Young and a fabulous cast of supporting legends: hysterical Billie Burke, Rochster and Patsy Kelly doing double-takes as only they can, etc. "Hold That Ghost" is another obsession of mine--I began watching it as a child on TV and for some reason, I watch it even more as real live grown-up!
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I, too, can hardly wait to get my hands on the DVD edition of "King of the Royal Mounted." If you go to the ScalretStreet.com webpage, they have a fantastic subdivision discussion on old serials. Several of them have raved about the beautiful restoration done on "King of the Royal Mounted." Right now, I'm heading to my Bestbuy to purchase the great doublefeature--for $14.95--of "Conan the Barbarian" and "Conan the Conquerer." Previously, each one was $19.00. I love these double-featured discs--more bang for your buck.
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Isn't it time to give Chaplin a brief vacation and let two other comedy geniuses share the spotlight as well: Fatty Arbuckle and Mabel Normand? These two geniuses of comedy are nearly forgotten today. Their great movies are never seen. They were equally great in their own way as Chaplin. This also goes to Ben Turpin and John Bunny--America's first comedic genius whose name doesn't even ring a bell except for the most avid film buff.
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I discovered a new silent and a new obsession last weekend, one I've already raved about on other folders here. "The Man Who Laughed", the l928 masterpiece made by Universal Studios, is one of the most amazing silents I've ever seen. I watched the restored version on Kino International DVD and it was simply stunning. Incredible photography, performances by Conrad Vedit, Olga Baclanova (what a diva!), Mary Philbin--and a great synchronized sound track. Don't miss this one!
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hi, roldfilm, i just got my DVD copy--at last--of the fabulous "Adventures of Captain Marvel," and will watch it this snowy weekend. Am thrilled that these wonderful entertainments are finally coming out on disc. I've already got "Jungle Girl" (great Frances Gifford) and "Drums of Fu Manchu"--a real treat and "Adventures of Red Ryder". Now, if we only get ALL the Republic serials on disc--especially high on my wish list are: "G-Men vs. the Black Dragon", "Spy Smasher," "Son of Zorro," "Daredevils of the Red Circle," "Mysterious Doctor Satan," "G-Men Never Forget" and "King of the Texas Rangers"--just to name a very few of my favorite serials.
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I'm with you, Nick, on keeping voices out of the silents! Let the musical score carry the movie. In another folder, I just posted a rave about the synchronized score for l928's, "The Man Who Laughed", the Paul Leni masterpiece that completely knocked me out! I got the restored version through my Netflix DVD rental service and watched it five times. The acting by Conrad Vedit, Olga Baclanova, was stunning! Mary Philbin was very good, too. What a stunner!
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Hi ya'll! I'm back from jury duty here in NYC (no, I wasn't selected for the Martha Stewart trial) along with a massive blizzard. Neptuneslayer, this "Red Mill" sounds fantastic! Marion Davies was another major star who seemed to have lost total interest in her old movie work. You would think with William RAndolph Hearst's billions, he could have preserved the original 35mmm negative of all of Marion's movies. But you know something--I really prefer her modern roles. I love studying those flapper frocks, hair-dos, shoes, coats, accessories, their cocktail glasses, cars, mansions, the whole thing. That's why I love watching Clara Bow's "The Wild Party." Clara wears all the cutting edge fashion of what the flapper college girls were wearing back in l929. And those short skirts! I'm on a campaign to get TCM to try and rummage around for more Mae Murray and Pola Negri treasures. Mae was the number one movie star in the whole world for a few years. "The Merry Widow" just gives us a small glimpse as to what she was all about. Pola was also a powerhouse. But their work--like that of the Talmadge sisters, Blanche Ostriche, Madge Bellamy, Claire Windsor, Wanda Hawley, Fannie Ward, etc.--are nearly totally unknown today.
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When I like a movie I usually don't just stop at liking it. I become obsessed with it. Maybe some of you are the same way and you're probably familiar with that glazed look that appears on friend's faces as you go on and on and on about GWTW, King Kong, Topper Returns. Let's use this space to do just that--rave about some of our favorites. For instance, last night, TCM showed one of my all-time favorite Bette Davis flicks, "In This Our Life." Bette's performance as the psycopathic Southern belle from hell absolutely fascinates me--and that last scene of her racing her car into oblivion always knocks me out. Here's another one: l928's silent "The Man Who Laughs." Germany's greatest director, Paul Leni, spent four years at Universal making this one movie and you have to see it to believe it. I rented the Kino restored edition and was stunned by its beauty, its powerful performances by Conrad Vedit as the deformed Gwynplaine and the incredible Olga Baclanova as the over-**** countess. This is one silent you've got to see and realize what power a silent movie could be in those days. This version, by the way, has a beautiful synchronized soundtrack. Anybody else out there?
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Fans of Abbott and Costello can start their rejoicing. On Feb. 10, Universal will release on one DVD--for $21.00--EIGHT of our favorite's first movies from the 40s. This is a staggering bargain. Four of these movies will be put on eitehr side. On Side A, you'll be able to enjoy in pristine black and white "One Night in the Tropics," "Buck Privates," "Hold that Ghost" and "Keep 'em Flying." The other side will feature "Pardon my Sarong," "Ride'em Cowboy," and others. As to extras, I don't know. i really don't care. Because at this price and with all these goodies on just one disc, let's all rejoice! If you have never seen "HOld That Ghost" with great backup from The Andrew Sisters, Evelyn Ankers, Joan Davis, Richard Carlson, etc., you've missed one of the greatest of all comedies!
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neptuneslayer, i so much enjoyed your last post. In the libraries here in NYC, we're lucky in that you can always check out--for free--compilations of silent movies and shorts. Flora Finch and Bunny were featured in several of these shorts and they certainly did make a weird looking couple. She was so skinny as to appear anorexic. Both she and Bunny are an acquired taste, though. He looks kind of strange today with those bulging eyes and turnip-shaped torso. But he just symbolizes great humor and the guy next door. Marion Davies is a gal I simply worship! Fred laurence Guiles wrote the definitive book of la Davies years ago and it's probably out-of-print. "Marion Davies" gives you a fascinating glimpse of one of the most fascinating women to ever live here in the US. Her position as mistress to Hearst gave her incredible power--yet,everyone always remembers a phenomenal good-time gal who loves to drink and dance and have a great time. her movies are criminally overlooked--especially all those silents.
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Neptuneslayer, I, too, am so happy to talk about the great Mabel Norman, Harry Langdon and all those other geniuses who should receive some of that spotlight that always goes to Chaplin. One of my aunts went to Hollywood in the twenties to become a "Movie Star" but wound up being a writer for all the movie magazines. Oh, the stories she told us that were never printed. Mabel Norman was one of her all-time favorites. She said: "Mabel knew zero about being a prima donna or a movie star. She had no pretentions whatsoever." This came across on the screen. I've mentioned several times on these boards that it's criminal that Fatty Arbuckle and John Bunny have never received any exposure. Both these jolly giants were at one time the most famous men in the entire world! Yet, their movies are not available for viewing by anyone except small film societies. I did indeed read "Silent Stars" and Jeannine Bassinger's tribute to Mable. Another brilliant essay was included in the memoirs of that great girl reporter, Adela Rogers St. Johns--reportedly William Hearst's favorite reporter--in her unforgettable memoir, "The Honeycomb." This book is long out of print but St. Johns says Normand was wildly popular with crew and cast until that horrible murder scandal involving William Desmond Taylor destroyed her career and that of Mary Miles Minter. Love your notes!
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What I always adored about the fabulous Ann Miller was that she exuded that brassy, warm, down-to-earth gal you'd love to have as a buddy. But when she started dancing, she just zoomed into another dimension. She became a knockout hoofer who could hold her own with Fred Astaire or Gene Kelly. And those, long, great looking legs of her. I had the pleasure of meeting her several years ago, along with Alice Faye, Betty Grable, etc. when they were appearing on a PBS telethon here in NYC. All those gals were fabulous--very down to earth, earthy with no illusions about fame and funny as hell. Annie, we're gonna miss you!
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oh, how I treasure "Portrait of Jennie" and I watch it at least once or twice a month. I've taped it several times off PBS and also on TCM. A late uncle of mine worked on this production as a technician (in addition to earlier Selznick classics like "Since You Went Away," "Rebecca")and he said that while David Selznick was a demanding, oft times infuriating genius, he and the rest of the cast and crew knew that his movies always ended up "like Rolls-Royces. They were always the very top of the line" and he was so right. The early scenes of New York's Central Park were shot in winter--over and over again. Selznick then simulated the identical settings for Hollywood soundstages and when he saw the finished product, my uncle said that even he found it difficult to tell where the real location and the recreated one began and ended. I can't understand why Selznick's great classics--from "The Most Dangerous Game" (1933), "King Kong" to "since You Went Away" and "Duel in the Sun" haven't been restored and reissued on new DVDs?
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I always wondered how Betty Grable would have turned out if she had co-starred with either Astaire or Kelley? I noticed that she was always the solo dancer and singer in her Technicolor extravaganzas. At MGM, even if Judy Garland was the so-called star, she always had so many major talents supporting her--like Kelly or Astaire or Ann Miller. Which musicals do you like best? MGM, 20th Century Fox, Universal, Paramont?
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Neptuneslawyer, you're sooo on the money about Harry Langdon. I'm more than a little tired of all these Charlie Chaplin festivals when some of the other really great silent commedienes are ignored. Langdon had his own kind of magic and like Buster Keaton, his career ended in a dismal mess in the early talkies. Another genius we never see is Mabel Normand. I've got some of her silents and she was a true genius! Especially "The Extra Girl" (1921). Fatty Arbuckle is yet another forgotten hero as is Ben Turpin. Pu-leeze, TCM, if you read these boards, consider some of the above for stellar treatment!
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Over the weekend, I watched a whole batch of gorgeous, glossy, glowing black and white favorites. I think this is one part of the major reason these gems will be watched a thousand years from now. Black and white just seems to make viewing more enjoyable in these particular cases--like "The Bishop's Wife," "Since You Went Away," "Midnight," "Bringing up Baby"--and some of my own favorites like l932's "The Mummy", "Dark Victory" and "The Little Foxes." Does anyone else out there have a theory as to why black and white movies can often be so magical?
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neptuneslawyer, we must have ESP! I was just on the verge of writing the very same wish--that the fabulous "Easter Parade" and the gorgeous looking "The Pirate" also be put on disc--with some dishy extras like an Ann Miller commentary, along with those of some still surviving dancers and extras. That's what I enjoyed so much about the "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" DVD--included was a terrific "Making of..." documentary, narrated by Howard Keel. Several of the "brides" and "brothers" were interviewed--especially that handsome, dashing Tommy Rall--the tall, beautiful brother who does the timber-rolling scene.
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Academy Award winning Gwyneth Paltrow--whose list of mega-bomb movies nearly match those of George Clooney and Harrison Ford--says she will not allow her soon-to-be-born child to be raised in America. Paltrow told a British publication that "there's a weird, over-patriotic atmosphere over there in America--like 'we're number one' in the world." Both Clooney and Ford also enjoy spouting off to the European press about how much they hate President Bush and are ashamed to be Americans. But, oh, boy, do they ever love getting those nice US dollar bills!
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movie joe, if you're getting mushy it's probably because you've just watched the Joan Crawford/Lionel Barrymore scene in "Grand Hotel" where he offers to take her to Paris! (wink!)That scene always has me sobbing my little blue eyes out. As for these boards, many times they're for the birds and are so different from the good ole days.