Film_Fatale

*Charade is such a wonderful film. I can't think of more appropriate film to bring up at this time, either. Quite remarkable.* I couldn't agree with you more, Frank! Oh, and I take it that when you say there is indeed a Mrs. Grimes, you're not talking about your mother? Well anyway, it's about time for a shower. I think I'll join Cary...

One of Ernest Lubitsch's long-lost masterpieces?

I almost forgot I had another movie I wanted to ramble about. It is William Wyler's great legal drama *Counsellor at Law*, released in 1933 by Universal Pictures, starring the great John Barrymore, and also with Melvyn Douglas, Bebe Daniels, Isabel Jewel and Thelma Todd. Barrymore truly shines as George Simon, a highly-successful New York lawyer of Jewish heritage who almost does away with his own life during a particularly stressful day in which he faces, for a short while at least, the very frightening prospect of disbarment and professional ruin - and also finds out his wife has been cheating on him with someone he does business with. It's amazing that the movie didn't get any major Oscar nominations after its original release. I think its reputation has been increasing gradually over the years to the point where it is now considered to be one of the best films both for Barrymore and Wyler, and one of the best legal dramas ever made. The KINO video DVD offers an acceptable transfer which comes from source material in less-than-pristine state, but which is very acceptable for a movie of the early 30's. The bonus materials are minimal. However, this movie is almost certain to stay with you long after you have seen it. Hope TCM can show it at some point, especially now that they are working on a deal with MCA/Universal.

I saw a great movie over the holiday weekend which has stayed with me long after I watched it. I'm talking, of course, about *Johnny Belinda* starring Jane Wyman. The movie is great because it has messages that remain valid in any time and place. Sometimes a good person comes someplace with the best of intentions and is trying to help out and tries to be as friendly as possible to everyone. Maybe he takes special attention in someone that everybody has figured for a dummy, a person who has no intelligence and no feelings. In the case of this movie, the special person is the doctor played by Lew Ayres. Eventually someone will think the worst imaginable things about this person, and try to get the poor doctor run out of town. It's all a misunderstanding, but the people in the town appear to be too fast to judge him based on appearances. He always acts with the best of intentions, trying to help Belinda (Wyman) communicate with her parents and those around her. He shows her all about sign language and lip-reading. But then a horrible thing happens. Locky, who is engaged to marry the doctor's assistant, gets drunk at a town celebration and later goes to where Belinda is, and takes advantage of her (yes I am referring to the R word, but I will not use the actual word). This must have been pretty strong stuff in the 40s. Of course her parents support her, but most people in town assume that the doctor took advantage of Belinda, maybe even that he only pretended to try to help her to take advantage of her. Eventually Locky is confronted by Belinda's father and he kills the old man. Later on he will try to take Belinda's baby away from her, and Belinda will shoot him in self-defense. The trial will lean towards Belinda being found guilty of murder until a surprise development leads to everyone learning what really happened. The movie's greatest asset is probably Wyman herself, who justly won an Oscar for her great performance here. Lew Ayres is very good too, in a soft-spoken, gentle kind of way. Agnes Moorehead makes a strong impression as Belinda's mother, who shows the right notes of toughness and tenderness as the situation develops.

konway, you're absolutely right. For some reason I got *A Royal Scandal* mixed up with Douglas Sirk's *A Scandal in Paris*. I know, not even the same director. My bad.

harlowcutie, No doubt today is a historic day for America, and we can only have hope that - regardless of everyone's political affiliation - we will find the strength and resilience to bounce back and that this country will continue to lead the world in so many ways. More unity and less emphasis on divisive rhetoric will go a long way towards it. Let us also beware the possible pitfalls of a country where one party has such strong control of two branches of government. God Bless America!

Patricia Neal

Thanks for the link, Charles! B-)

*The Monster Walks*, huh? Sounds like something I might enjoy.

> {quote:title=Minya wrote:}{quote} > I LOVE this poster, and now I have to track down the film. Good luck there, Minya, the movie is not available on DVD nor has it ever been released on any home video format, as far as I know. However I suppose it is possible that some collectors might have a recording.

> {quote:title=CineMaven wrote:}{quote} > This time, today...it was no accident. The majority of Americans made the choice. > > A new beginning. Totally agree with you there, CM. Let's hope it is the beginning of something better for us and for our children.

Inauguration Day, 2009 A very nice choice for a poster, Kyle, but hopefully it won't lead to anyone thinking that TCM might be showing the movie today. Don't get me wrong - I'd love to watch it, if only it were showing on any channel I know of, or available on DVD. But let's hope it's a great day for America today. B-)

If I were a rich man...ow! My foot. What the heck was that??!! Hey, don't look at me!

> {quote:title=CineMaven wrote:}{quote} > Those could be the Valentino Ladies in Black... That's a more logical explanation!

> {quote:title=molo14 wrote:}{quote} > The Coop girls are a crafty bunch but I think they are probably off the hook on this one. Just let me know if you see any mysterious women wearing dark glasses, long coats and floppy hats hanging suspiciously around your library! You surely must be way off track on that one, molo.

ILRM, So sorry to hear about your little tragic incident. Like you said, hopefully third time's the charm. We'll be looking forward to your comments on these film. B-) P.S. I don't think the Coop girls had anything to do with it this time, but one never knows... As if!

Noah Beery

Yes I watched it last night. I thought Greer was very beautiful. She conveys a woman who is very practical and careful about how she outwardly displays her emotions. In the beginning not so much, the way she takes a liking to Smithy so quickly seemed a little unlike her. I don't know if I fully can believe she is a dance hall girl. When she comes back as his secretary, this is where I think the Greer that I'm used to shows up. Roddy McDowall said in the documentary When the Lion Roars that Greer Garson was part and parcel everything that the Americans wanted to believe about Britain during the war. With films like Mrs. Miniver and Randon Harvest I can really understand that. Now I didn't cry but I did think the parts with Greer alone after they were married, and the proposal scene itself were very moving. I really felt bad for her but admired her restraint in the situation. I also really liked the final scene where Colman finally remembers his former life. The thing about movies like this is that they take the time to build the stories and the characters. It covers long periods of time and you really get caught up in the whole sweep of the tale. Agree totally with all of it, molo, and maybe specially with the part about Greer as a dance hall girl. That part really did require a little bit extra suspension of disbelief. Glad I'm not the only one who felt that way. But I can totally see the part about Greer portraying a certain image about the UK at the time of the war. Great comments, molo.

Dear Kathy, My comment regarding the TCM lineup for tonight was totally innocent. Why do you keep insisting on assuming there is malice when there is none? I'm not sure what other movies the programmers could have come up with. I don't know specifically what their limitations are in regards the movies available that might be appropriate for the MLK, Jr. holiday. This is probably something that I would have said on any given day, regardless of the lineup that TCM had selected for that day. Would you have been so quick to find offense if the lineup had been Doris day, and I'd just asked "Hope you're all enjoying the Doris Day lineup tonight?" As for predicting that nobody would be likely to be rambling about the movies being shown tonight, again, it is something I would have said on any given night, because for the last few weeks, most of the rambles (as far as I can remember) have been about movies that weren't showing on TCM on that particular day, maybe with one or two exceptions like *The Earl of Chicago*. A lot of the movies people ramble about seem to be those with Greer Garson or Gloria Grahame (not that there's anything wrong with that!) I asked earlier about anybody having watched *Johnny Belinda* and that didn't seem to get any conversation going, so I was just going by what I was picking up from reading the thread. So, yes, Kathy, you have totally misinterpreted the intent of what I said, and I'm very surprised because you didn't strike me as the kind of person who'd be looking for some offense in the most harmless of comments. All I was doing was just in way of trying to get a conversation going. I have no reason to want to say anything that's not totally harmless, or that would get in the way of some very amiable conversation about the movies (either those on TCM or anything else folks have been watching lately). Does anybody take real offense whenever Frank says something mean about the Coop girls, or about anybody being snippy or whatever? I mean, I don't see why you'd be any more likely to take offense at something I said than at something Frank might say. For more than a year or so, you and pretty much everyone that I came across on the boards had been nothing but friendly to me. I am very much saddened that some people seem to have changed the way they felt about me, apparently, based on nothing more than their assumption about my sexual orientation. And no, please don't pretend that I am accusing you personally, because I am most definitely not. All I really want out of this or any other thread is some friendly conversation. Anybody who could possibly think otherwise has simply and plainly completely misinterpreted the situation. So, hopefully you'll understand if I ask that we not turn this or any other thread in the forums into some kind of witchhunt by reading something into the most innocent of questions about whether or not folks are watching and/or enjoying the movies that are being shown on TCM Thanks

konway, Isn't that the one TCM showed just a couple of weeks ago?

Hiya Theresa, Hope you've had a wonderful holiday weekend. B-) see what you did frankie! helen fell to the ground upset b/c youre making fun of smithy and greer! Well, I'll go and fetch a glass of water for Helen, I wouldn't be surprised if she might be in for a few more shocks tonight.

Entertaining? The first time maybe but its a very very light piece on par with comedy Westerns not something to savor over & over. I guess I must like this movie an awful lot more than you do, cigarjoe. To me the charm of Newman and Redford more thank make many multiple viewings worthwhile. Suppose it can't be everyone's cup of tea, though. Whether or not the song is too contemporary never really bothered me, as I felt it fit into the spirit of the film. The chorus on the soundtrack does have a 60's ring to it, imho, but I kind of like it fine like that, too. Edited to add: remember, it's showing again today (Feb.16) at 5pm ET. B-)

Prichard, I guess molo's already answered that question for me. Ms Monet, might nice to make your acquaintance, welcome to the boards, and hope you will like it here. (If you guys are interested, please check out my TCM fans social network at http://tcmfans.ning.com - there's already dozens of folks who are regular TCM viewers and the site is barely 20 days old) If you have read this entire thread then you must be a huge fan. Those of us who keep this thread going can appreciate that. Gloria's personal life was often very messy and, as you said, very sad. Some of us have gone into that a little bit here. For the most part though, we try to stay on the positive side as much as possible here. Some of us who keep this thread going take some personal pride in it as a tribute to a beautiful and quite remarkable actress. Beautifully said, molo, and I agree with you that we should all take personal pride in paying tribute to the remarkable Gloria Grahame, whom I have admired ever since the first time I watched *It's a Wonderful Life*. I feel fortunate to have gotten to watch more of her movies over the years, and I'm still looking for more GG films.

Well they say that sometimes a picture's worth a million words... maybe the picture's worth more than a long ramble. Hope you all are enjoying the Martin Luther King, Jr. lineup on TCM , there are some very good movies playing tonight. Most likely nobody's going to be rambling about any of those, but you never know.