Arturo

VP19 wrote: With the SUTS 2012 roster now fully identified, here's the updated list of the Top 25 stars of each gender from the American Film Institute, along with their number of SUTS appearances: VP, This brings several questions to mind: What is AFI's criteria for selecting these Top 25? How about those stars NOT on these lists, i.e. Kay francis, who has been a SUTS honoree more than once, or Tyrone Power, apparently his first time? Why have Mae West, Vivien Leigh, Shirley Temple and Mary Pickford NOT been ever selected? I can understand James Dean, since he made way too few films to cover a 24 hour block, not sure about Grace Kelly, but she should be close at least.

I was elated that I had finally recorded it, then sad when it cut off after 40 minutes or so. Well, that'll have to do until the next time TCM shows it.

Sepiatone wrote: My wife is of Mexican heritage, and never fully understood the "holiday" either. Celebrating the victory in one battle in a war that was ultimately lost. Sort of like the Japanese celebrating "Bataan Day". Sepiatone: Well, actually the war was utimately WON; the French were driven out in 1867. But it is true that after La Batalla de Puebla, they did occupy the country for five years. The significance of the one battle is that it was won, against all odds, by defenders of a country rich in natural and human resources, but which has been weak militarily as its leaders fought for themselves, not the greater good. Mexico has been invaded repeatedly by outside forces: the Spanish, British, French and Americans. So the win has come to resonate outsized to its actual accomplishment, as the will of a people, much trampled on, to maintain its sovereignty.

{font:Times New Roman}MovieProfessor wrote:{font} {font:Times New Roman}Grace Metalious had in fact, created an original, American phenomenon that continues to this day, having influence several generations and still has a fascinating affect upon our culture. If anything, Grace Metalious put “small town America” on the map, as a force to be reckoned with!{font} {font:Times New Roman}MovieProfessorL{font} {font:Times New Roman}Not only Sinclair Lewis, whose "Babbitt" set the template for this type of small-town exposé, but in purely movie terms, the movie version of KING'S ROW was an obvious precedent to PEYTON PLACE, both book and movie. And in 1948s SITTING PRETTY, Clfton Webb's character writes such a tome, "Hunningbird Hill". {font}

Swithin wrote; The good news for me is that *Kidnapped* (1938) will be shown on Freddie Bartholomew day (August 18). I love that version of the film and haven't seen it in yonks! Swithin, I too enjoy this version. But since it was on a number of times on FMC in the last year or two, I'm even more excited about another of Freddie's Fox titles, PROFESSIONAL SOLDIER. And then there's LLOYD'S OF LONDON, the film that skyrocketed Tyrone Power to stardom (Freddie has top billing but a small role as Ty as a boy). Edited by: Arturo on May 6, 2012 2:39 AM

I have a combo DVD/VCR recorder...in the two or so years I've owned it I have recorded about 2,500 classic movies. Prior to this I recorded thousands of movies on VHS, from TCM, FMC, the old AMC, Channel Z, etc. Early on I recorded on the EP mode; in the last ten years or so, only on SP mode. Unfortunately, many movies shown on say, the old AMC, have not been shown in years. So I don't get rid of my VHS copies. Sometimes I buy DVD-Rs from Ioffer, Ebay, etc. These are movies I've never seen elsewhere. Since I've heard that DVD-Rs deteriorate after a few viewings (dont''t really know if this is true), I dub them immediately to VHS, where I can view them frequently if I like without fear of that happening.

CasaCinema wote: I happen to be Mexican-American and maybe because of our rich and very present Mexican heritage and maybe because we live within spitting distance of the Rio Grande and Mexico, everyone around here knows Cinco de Mayo is about the Battle of Puebla. AND Which is why some people I know call it Cinco de Drinko . . . . !!!???!!! CasaCinema, Your second statement seems to contradict the first one; it does not show "...everyone around here knows Cinco de Mayo is about the Battle of Puebla", or that "rich or very present Mexican heritage". I too am Mexican, and I don't think that propagating the misconception of the holiday as just a time for all to get drunk is very illuminating or informative. It is the commemoration of a significant battle on that day, as mentioned here, in the city of Puebla, then Mexico's second largest city and on the road from the seaport of Veracruz to the capital. Despite the win, much of beautiful Baroque colonial Puebla suffered major damage, and the French did take over the country for approximately 5 years. Every year it is a big deal in this city (it happened 150 years ago today), and elsewhere people get the day off, and is about as meaningful as our President's Day. The reason it's a big deal here in the Southwest is that it came near the end of the traditional school year. Schools wanting to celebrate the Mexican heritage of students were able to prepare a cultural program, whereas Mexican Independence Day came in mid September, just as the school year was beginning. Additionally, it was easy to preempt the existing Mayday celebrations. Beer companies were quick to tap into this day as a time to party and embibe their products. And with the spread of Mexican immigrants away from the Southwest to many other states, it has come to become more widespread. So while the day makesw a great excuse for Mexicans and non-Mexicans to drink and party, those of us that know the significance of the day may want to share this to make it more meaningful than just a future hangover.

THE LOST MOMENT, a moody 1947 film starring Susan Hayward, takes place in Venice, Italy. THE WITCH (1966?), an Italian co-production starring Rossana Schaffino, and based on Carlos Fuentes' novel "Aura", takes place in Venice as well (if I remember correctly), as opposed to the Mexico City locale of the book. Two better known Italian movies: TWO WOMEN MAMA ROMA Edited by: Arturo on May 3, 2012 7:21 PM

I too feel that I was born at the wrong time. I abhor modern, functional architecture, especially if a warm traditional structure (or several) were torn down to make room. Unfortunately, I live in the city that seems to try to reinvent itself constantly . . . Los Angeles. I caught the tail end of the Bunker Hill neighborhood in downtown LA, now replaced by faceless, generic glass and steel behemoths. To get views of Bunker Hill, I have to rely on old movies, especially of the noir variety. Likewise, I enjoy LA cityscapes where City Hall is the tallest building. But LA seems hellbent on ridding itself of the first half od the 20th Century (you can guess what happened to the 19th). I remember a late 80s movie, MIRACLE MILE, when the beautiful streamlined moderne façade of the Pan Pacific Auditorium is shown as a backdrop to a rally with signs saying "Save the Pan Pacific". Yes, it had been the center of a controversy attempting to save it. When I saw this movie in its initial release, the Pan Pacific had become a victim of an arsonist that very week. You should have heard the movie patrons groan at the irony of that scene. Then there's the fight a decade or so back when the Catholic archbishop was intent on tearing down St. Vibiana's Cathedral from the 1860s, which apparently was much too incomveniently located in Skid Row for all the wealthy donors. Cardinal Mahoney's unstoppable obsession to move the cathedral an make it a shining monument to ? was like a real life version of THE BISHOP'S WIFE, and would have been funny if it wasn't so tragic (it may have been fo the edification of Gladys Cooper's late husband). For once the rather toothless LA Conservancy did not relent, and at least the old church building was not torn down (although as no fan of adaptive reuse of old structures that gut out their interiors, and therby rendering them fairly worthless as historical structures, I don't care for the cultural center that inhabits it now). But now we got a BIG new Cathedral, up on the edge of old Bunker Hill, overlooking freeways, the soulless Music Center, the ghastly new campus of the High School for the Performing Arts , and the old County Civic Center monstosities. I remember the beautiful old Hall of Records from the 1880s, the 1930s Art Deco bldg. across the street from the LA Times, and around the corner, the old CalTrans Bldg (I can't even describe its hideous new replacement). And that's just one corner of downtown. Then there's what;s probably one of LA's most historically significant buildings, the Ambassador Hotel. The place where Hollywood stars won some of the earliest Oscars, and danced the night away for decades at the Coconut Grove nightclub, where Robert Kennedy was assassinated the night he won the California Democratic primary in 1968, got razed a few years ago. After fighting off Donald Trump's plans to turn the site into the tallest building in the world, the LA Unified School District got it by eminent domain, and fought to turn it into a high school. Granted that the densely populated, multi-ethnic neighborhood was in woeful need of relieving the overcrowding in the area schools, there should have been a much more diligent search for a more suitable location. The LA Conservancy gave up fighting them, sold their soul to the devil (and earned my immediate resignation), and backed off, allowing them to tear down the bldg. The trade off was to be that the Coconut Grove would be saved, as well as the façade of the hotel, and some light fixtures. The nightclub is the school auditorium, but the façade is gone. Across the street is a bldg, on the site of one of three Brown Derby restaurants I remember existing (all are gone). A tiny brown derby is on a corner of the roof of the replacement structure (a horrid 80s eyesore), out of sight of most passers-by. But what can be expected from LA, a city that officially gave grants (loans?) sometime back (at least I hope its a thing of the past) to homeowners to remodel their properties, by stuccoing the exterior. Many an old craftsman and victorian home has lost all sense of intrinsic value with its walls denuded of its original facing, and covered with the inappropriate substitute. All I can do is enjoy the old cityscapes (or often, open fields) of the LA area in the classic movies. Ever since I was a kid I enjoyed the antics of the Little Rascals, Laurel and Hardy, the Three Stooges, etc. and tried to see which streets and hills in Echo Park, Silver Lake, etc. were featured in these celluloid outings. or conversely, which downtown buildings held Harold Lloyd's precarious perches. There is hope. Downtown has finally reached that critical mass of a resident population, that has allowed many new restaurants, clubs and other establishments to cater to the new residents. Many old Beaux Arts beauties are now residentlal buildings, so hopefully, they will be preseverd for well beyond my time here. Edited by: Arturo on Apr 25, 2012 1:59 AM Edited by: Arturo on Apr 25, 2012 2:08 AM

Topbiiled wrote: Kay Francis did three films at Monogram in the end because it was lucrative to keep working, even though she was no longer at a major studio. Topbilled, considering Kay had a yearly salary of over $225,000 yearly while at wB in the late 30's, her paltry by comparison salary at Monogram could not be considered very lucrative. Topbilled wrote: Then, from there, they would come back to Hollywood and do TV films (from the the late 60s forward). And then they would go the route of trying to ink a deal with a television network, filming a pilot and hoping they could develop a long-running series which some like Fred MacMurray or Robert Young were able to do. This could extend their careers another ten years if they did it right. Then, they would return to A-budget films in extended cameos or important supporting roles that might earn them an Oscar or a Golden Globe. Topbilled, this is way too generalized. Neither MacMurray nor Young participated in the mid-to late 60's Spaghetti Westerns, nor did they then return to "do TV films . . . and then would go the route of . . . developing a long-running series", as you seem to imply; Young's first TV series started in 1954, Fred's in 1961. Seems to me that a possible reason that Virginia did't get work at other studios is that se didn't like the salary offers, or the type of roles. Or it could be that since it had been so easy for her (or her mother) almost from the beginning, she didn't really have the heart to seriously pound the pavement, and probably easliy discouraged after losing a prime role like Veda in MILDRED PIERCE.

There is no great mystery here, no matter how talented, the vast majority of child stars do not transition successfully into adult stars; the only ones I can think of off-hand that were more successful as adults than as child stars were Liz Taylor and Natalie Wood, and more recently, Jodie Foster. Most likely, Virginia saw the writing on the wall, and attempted other types of career advancement. When these didn't pan out, she retired. Hopefully, she had a happy and fullfilled life as housewie and mother.

*I agree with you about the succession from Garland briefly to Virginia, but I can't fathom why MGM couldn't find a place for a good, solid girl next door who lit up every movie she was ever in, with the possible exception of Best Foot Forward. She was pretty; I don't see why they thought she had to be glamourous, especially to do light comedy.* There was a foil to this succession, briefly, when Shirley Temple berthed at MGM for awhile following her Fox contract. Temple was MUCH better known and popular (she was still America's Sweetheart in the minds of most). Shirley and Virginia were both entering that awkward juvenile stage, which was not helpful to most child stars as the first step to (hopefully) transition to more adult roles. Virginia's image was more tomboyish than Shirley's, and she didn't have the knack for singing (unless you count "Lydia The Tattooed Lady") and dancing (some uncharitable individuals said the same about Shirley). (Weidler was more akin to Temple's erstwhile rival at 20th, Jane Withers, in her image and looks). Despite these differences, they (unknowingly) competed directly for roles, and even had films announced for one done with the other. In any event, Shirley soon moved on, and Virginia experienced more strong, and direct, competition with the arrival of Elizabeth Taylor (not Margaret O'Brien who was much too young to compete for similar roles), much more beautiful from the get-go.

I'LL GET BY with William Lundigan, will be on FMC this Thursday, 4/12 at 6 AM EST, 3 AM PST.

The title sounds similar to that of the source material which became 1950's TWO FLAGS WEST, the movel "Trumpet to the Morn".

I remember reading somewhere that years after making YMWAH, that Bacall stated that when she made this movie, she had no idea that the character was supposed to be a lesbian. I guess they were more innocent times.

i just remembered Ma & Pa Kettle (and family of 9 i think) were in a movie with Fred McMurry and i think June Alyson. fred bought a farm and was raising chickens for thier eggs. i can't remember the name of the movie or even the approx. date of it. i do think it was before they had thier own series. i could be wrong. i hope i'm not. Mikegee, this movie, THE EGG AND I, starred Claudette Colbert with Fred, and was so successful, olbert made he Top Ten draws for that year, afte being out of them since about 10 years previously

I'lLL GET BY has been on FMC in the last few months, MOTHER DIDN'T TELL ME, I'D CLIMB THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN and DOWN AMONG THE SHELTERING PALMS in the last couple of years or so.

Don't know if it's William Lundigan's B-day this coming Monday 4/09, but FMC is showing LOVE NEST and PINKY back to back, starting at 4:34 AM, EST, 1;34 AM PST.

*Kind of like some of WB's 30's melodramas but with a bit more bite. Interesting that they didnt make the victim in the beginning a black man. Maybe that was just a bit too much for the 50s. Of course finding a local prosecutor like Ronnie in the south willing or interested in taking on the Klan was a hard sell too........* It was part of the wave of films at the end of the 40s-beginning of the 50s that were racially related. Think PINKY, LOST BOUNDARIES, INTRUDER IN THE DUST, NO WAY OUT. Only seems that WB chickened out and did't go all the way with the identity of the victim, but they weren't alone in that type of hedging; think PINKY, GENTLEMENS' AGREEMENT.

*I was chuckling during parts wondering how Joan Crawford would've handled the role (she turned it down telling Jack Warner, no one would believe Doris Day was her sister! LOL)* Ginger Rogers did a great job. However, she wasn't all that believable as a model; when Cochran told her how pretty she was, she seemed anything but to me. Much better and more believable if Lauren Bacall had done it; shge too turned it down. Crawford would've been way too old IMHO. Yes, it was not a typical role for Steve but I thought he did a good job in a milti-faceted role.

*I agree that Lupino's got a bigger and better overall repertory than Hayward, but when Hayward got a meaty role ( I Want to Live! or I Can Get It For You Wholesale ), she always delivered. And while she's no Hayworth or Loretta Young when it comes to beauty, she's still most definitely easy on the eyes.* Well, I tend to think that Susan has a bigger and better overall repertory, once she left her usual scene-stealing other-woman second-lead roles at Paramount, and became a star in the mid-40s. In the 50s, she had some of the best women's roles PERIOD. OfF the top of my head: THE HAIRY APE CANYON PASSAGE THEY WON'T BELIEVE ME SMASH UP THE LOST MOMENT TULSA TAP ROOTS HOUSE OF STRANGERS MY FOOLISH HEART RAWHIDE I'D CLIMB THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN I CAN GET GET IT FOR YOU WHOLESALE DAVID AND BATHSHEBA WITH A SONG IN MY HEART THE LUSTY MEN THE SNOWS OF KILIMAJARO THE PRESIDENT'S LADY WHITE WITCH DOCTOR DEMETRIUS AND THE GLADIATORS GARDEN OF EVIL UNTAMED SOLDIER OF FORTUNE I'LL CRY TOMORROW THE CONQUERORS TOP-SECRET AFFAIR I WANT TO LIVE I'll stop there. Anyway, quantiitatively, she had more than Lupino (of course qualitiatively that's more subjective) She had the top pick of the dramatic roles at Fox in the 50s, and had vehicles tailored specifically for her talents. She was also voted into the Top Ten Boxoffice stars three times in the 50s, and wasn't far out of them at other times.

On the upper right hand corner of this page, there is a white space where you can type in the name of a movie, actor, etc. Type her name in, then clic the search box below it, and she should come up, If any of her moves are scheduled on TCM in the next two-three months, it'll say what and when just below her name.

*Any chance that her listed year of birth is badly incorrect?* 1925 sounds about right. She was known to be about 16 - 17 when she starred with Bogart, Cagney, et.al. In fact in 1942, when she was still underage, WB thought better of starring her with Errol Flynn in THE CONSTANT NYMPH, since Flynn was then being accused of statutory rape.

*Seems to me that Joan Leslie was stuck at an early age in young, sweet, innocent, girl next door type casting. Which she did very well. But she couldn't remain that way forever.* A prime example of of this type of image change revitalizing a career is Linda Darnell. She had been doing similar sweet young things (although usually playing adults) since 1939, when she was all of 15, but found that after about three years she was stagnating. Roles in important pictures that were promised to her were reassigned to others, and the roles she did get were in unimportant pictures. Not coincidentally, this happened around the time she turned 18, and reportedly turned down a pass from the boss. After a couple of years of this, It took a deliberate change of image, to play sexy femme fatales, to get her career in gear again. Edited by: Arturo on Apr 4, 2012 2:46 PM

*CASANOVA BROWN? Joan Leslie is not in that. Could you mean CINDERELLA JONES?* Sorry my bad. I sure do. These junior moments come unexpectedly, but in all truthfulness, the two titles have always seemed similar to me, so it was easy for my mind to do this.