Arturo
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Posts posted by Arturo
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*Well it a good thing that the personal life of an artist (e.g. actor, musician, singer, painter etc..) doesn't impact how I view their art unless they inject their personal life or views into their art.*
A recent example would be Woody Allen. I can no longer look at say MANHATTAN with a young Mariel Hemingway and not see the situation with his underage adopted (step?) daughter. However, I can still enjoy his other movies that don't have him after nubile young girls, although his whiny alter egos are as annoying as ever (i.e. the current MIDNIGHT IN PARIS).
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*I don't think I've ever seen Joan Crawford look so lovely on screen, at least not in her younger years*
During the height of her popularity (the early-mid 30s), Joan was very beautiful IMHO. Later she began to exhagerate her features more and more. Most people today think of her only of her iconic (and much less attractive IMO) later periods.
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Thanks. then I programmed the right amount of time to record.
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*Wonderful performances from John Garfield (one of his best!),*
If I remember correctly, Garfield starred in another Hemingway adaptation, UNDER MY SKIN, on loan to 20th Century Fox in 1949. don't know how Papa felt about this film.
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I have an issue with the promo being run for next week's Essential: A LETTER TO THREE WIVES. After years (literally) trying to get my favorite Linda Darnell as a SUTS honoree, I was elated to find out that not only was she included this year, but one of her best known features was to be an Essential. However, who is the name mentioned? Kirk Douglas, a name that most filmgoers are familiar with.
The STARS are Jeanne Crain, Linda Darnell and Ann Sothern. Sure the husbands figure prominently, but the film is best known for the Linda Darnell/PAUL Douglas storyline (and Thelma Ritter's maid). KIRK Dpuglas had an important pre-stardom role sure, but I think TCM is doing a disservice to the real stars of the film, who with the exception of Sothern, are UNDER represented on TCM. So this promo reinforces the "name" usually featured, even though his was not the main one, and does not mention any of the more prominent stars of the film, thereby continuing TCMs selective policy to who they tend to feature.
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*I did specify no woman would prefer Scott over Grant. (and I understand even Cary was a bit light in his loafers)*
*The bit where Cary visualizes Scott on the trapeze always evokes a howl from me!*
If you believe the gossip of the time, Scott and Grant, who were roommates for a number of years in the 30s, were more than just roomies.
*Funny that I mix up THE AWFUL TRUTH & MY FAVORITE WIFE too. I don't see much difference between Jean Arthur or Irene Dunn (except in height) either. I'm only luke warm to either of them and don't know why.*
*This is why I prefer HIS GAL FRIDAY, I just like Roz and what she adds to the film. Just wish she wore a dress with eyes on the chest for every movie.*
Interesting that both Jean Arthur and Irene Dunne turned down HIS GIRL FRIDAY; thankfully in my opinion, as it led to Roz' definitive performance and true stardom at last.
I sometimes wear a black chalk-stripe double-breasted suit, with a black pin-stripe shirt; i refer to it (if only in my mind) as my Rosalind Russell outfit. Even in her ealier foray into screwball, FOUR'S A CROWD, Roz seemed to like wearing clashing stripe patterns.
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OK I admit I went overboard in denigrating this film, in attempting to place it in its historical context. It IS actually enjoyable, as was just about everything released during the studio system. It just didn't do anything for Joan's career, but added to her stress that she was becoming a has-been. Of course we now know her determination would win out, and she would reinvent herself successfully more than once after this; in fact with her next film.
As I said, ICE FOLLIES is enjoyable, it just didn't make a good vehicle for Joan at a time when she needed someting stronger.
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*You find the scene in THE AWFUL TRUTH with Dunne playing Grant's sister funnier than the extended scene which included the dog playing "hide and seek"? Different strokes for different folks.....THE AWFUL TRUTH is usually considered "screwball" while MY FAVORITE WIFE is not. Can anyone explain that?*
There are SO MANY great scenes in THE AWFUL TRUTH . . . like the one in the nightclub where Dixie Lee sings and the Ralph Bellamy character dances with Dunne . . . or the one with Bellamy's mother letting all know that she knows what happened to Irene's first marriage . . . or those two mentioned. My favorite is also with Dunne crashing the fiancee's mansion pretending to be the sister . . . "Somebody stole my purse. don't anybody move!" Great fun, as are all the other screwballs mentioned.
HIS GIRL FRIDAY is so fast because Hawks had the actors start their line before the other was finished with theirs. Must've taken a number of viewings at the movies to take it all in, what with the inevitable laughter.
MY FAVORITE WIFE is also considered a screwball comedy, but maybe not held in as high regard as THE AWFUL TRUTH. Don't know why, probably because the classic period for screwballs in considered to have ended after 1938.
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*Thanks johnnyhouston for the info about November's schedule and the search feature. After reading the posts about ICE FOLLIES OF 1939 I can't wait to see it.*
For irredeemable Joan fans only. What a load of crap . . . Joan in the nadir of her career at MGM. Her career was in the skids: her movies weren't making money, she had been named Box Office Poison, she was now longer quite as beautiful (and seemed to be deliberately making herself less atttractive with the eyebrows, etc. IMHO). She thought it crap that the best the studio would give her was Sonja Henie plot and a Hedy Lamarr wig, two current sensations.
Which is why she PLEADED for the part of Crystal in THE WOMEN, even though it was a supporting role. She knew it had possibilities, and she was right. Soon she had Gable again for a leading man, and some strong roles at MGM for a couple of years. Then she saw the writing on the wall: as first Garbo and then Shearer retired, Joan did NOT move into the exalted Queen of the Lot position, but saw it going to Greer Garson. With Lana Turner taking the glamorous roles once considered Joan's domain, she left . . . to eventually resurrect her career at Warner Brothers.
But ICE FOLLIES may now be viewed as campy, and enjoyable on that level, but as an appropriate Crawford vehicle, it was the dregs . . . and Joan knew it.
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*I can't figure why she never caught on*
Nor could Samuel Goldwyn . . . unfortunately Sten was the first of his Goldwyn Follies over the next few years . . . Sigrid Gurie and Isa Miranda (i think) made it three for three foreign beauties that didn't become the stars he hoped they'd be.
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*But both Gable and Colbert appeared in a number of comedies after IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT. Wayne never did much comedy.*
Exactly my point. We see them as perfect in comedy, a no-brainer, but that wasn't the case prior to IHON. The studios tried their stars in genres other than what they were known for, or successful in, and sometimes it worked felicitously, and sometimes it didn't have lasting results, as with John Wayne and comedy.
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***I must say John Wayne paired with any woman except Maureen O'Hara looks odd, but he does pretty well in this.***
I think Claire Trevor looked mighty fine with him, as did Dietrich, to name a couple.
People nowadays forget that before the icon, there was the movie star, who in the 1940s was usually featured in adventure movies: combat as well as western; but like most stars, would be tried out in different genres; sometimes it worked, and sometimes not so well. Before IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT, neither Gable nor Colbert were thought to be right for comedy.
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*The Crawford Possessed dress is fine.*
Is this the one where she is strapped down?
J/K I know you mean the 1931MGM version, not the 1947 WB POSSESSED.
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Dietrich's Dior gowns in NO HIGHWAY IN THE SKY
Dietrich's Dior gowns in STAGE FRIGHT
Dietrich's Dior gowns in . . . .
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*Considering dresses that serve the character and the film, this fabulous fuchsia number from Niagara.*
Thanks for posting those stills. I mentioned this dress, but of course in my limited (basic) color wheel, I mentioned it as red. Didn't Joseph Cotton state that it was "cut so low, you can see her knees", or something to that effect? And Jean Peters counters with "to wear a dress like that you gotta start making plans at 13". Two great lines of dialogue.
Another great dress is in THE RAZOR'S EDGE, the black number (I think it's black-the film's in b n w) that Gene Tierney wears on her last night in Paris, hoping to seduce Tyrone Power.
And Linda Darnell's wedding gown in FOREVER AMBER, that she soils when she leaves her husband on their wedding day to run off to plague-ridden London to save true love Cornel Wilde from same. Or Linda's white gown she wears when she is presented to King Charles, and she still wears when she almost burns during the London Fire. Or Linda's green grecian gown when she is on the London stage to be immune from persecution. Or Linda's black dress when she does the soliloquy (?) on same stage. Or . . . .
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*it's all about Audrey's Givenchey ball gown in Sabrina.*
And of course Edith Head took credit (and the Oscar?) for it.
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My bad. Thanks for the correction.
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*About the car accident, ever look at a car from the 40's? No air bags, seat belts, safety glass, interior padding, etc. You could get killed in an accident when going only 20 mph.*
Yes but they had those cool running boards, sometimes the hood would open from the sides. And let's not forget the nifty way someone could jump in or out of the driver's seat using the passenger side. -
If I'm not mistaken, Audrey Meadows was the second female lead (after Anne Baxter) in the 1948 Tyrone Power condey, THE LUCK OF THE IRISH.
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I suppose you could compare Bing Crosby to Elvis Presley -- both were the top record-sellers of their day, and both had significant movie success (although Crosby's movie career was far more diverse than Presley's, and aimed significantly higher). Both were heavily influenced by black (and country) music of the time, too. (Heck, Elvis was indirectly influenced by Bing in that Dean Martin, who Presley was a fan of, in many ways patterned his style after Crosby.) I tend to think of Bing and Elvis primarily as singers who found second careers in movies (that applies for Doris Day and Frank Sinatra, too).
*For Day, unlike the guys mentioned, her movie career eventually eclipsed her singing career.*Actually, so did Crosby's . . . not for nothing was he Number One at the boxoffice for 5 straight years in the 1940s. His movies were varied, and much more than a way to sell records. Likewise Sinatra, his career morphed and (with ups and downs) wound up a serious actor in prestigious pictures. Nothing like the lightweight (albeit enjoyable) Presley vehicles.
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*I'm one of the minority who thinks that Flynn's performance in The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex holds up better than the scenery chewing performance by Bette Davis as the Virgin Queen.*
Much as she despised being paired up with Flynn at the time (she had wanted Laurence Olivier), much later Bette recanted what she had said about Errol's inadequacies in the role, and felt he was perfect as Essex.
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*I think the Laughton-Bellamy switch is the only real change on the schedule, and all the films remain in-tact.*
Not having seen the provisional schedules, I can't vouch for this, but a poster here stated that HOTEL FOR WOMEN had been pencilled in for Linda Darnell's SUTS, but that is definitely not on the schedule for August 27.
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*THE NIGHT WALKER was the third of three that Taylor & Stanwyck made together...one before marriage (HIS BROTHER'S WIFE), one around the time they were married (THIS IS MY AFFAIR), and one after they had divorced (NIGHT WALKER).*
Since they were married in 1939, and THIS IS MY AFFAIR came out in 1937, perhaps it's more accurate to state . . . one before they were an item, one while they were having an affair, and one after they were divorced.After the intended female star of THIS IS MY AFFAIR, Alice Faye, bowed out due to illness, 20th had the idea of teaming Taylor with Stanwyck, now that they were now involved romantically, and called the movie thus; the title has no bearing on the plot. -
> {quote:title=Arturo wrote:}{quote}
> FOREVER AMBER
> Pretty melodramatic goings on at the turn of the last century, but I wish TCM had been able to get it. Of course they have limited access to Fox movies, but the bad thing is that it isn't shown on FMC either. Here's hoping.
*Arturo, I'm recorded that just a few months ago. It had to be on FMC, if TCM hasn't shown it, and I believe it was on FMC. So, keep checking, and it will turn up again.*
Wait...maybe it wasn't clear what I was referring to. The above description I posted referred to THE WALLS OF JERICHO, not FOREVER AMBER. I know AMBER is shown occasionally on FMC (it was maybe 2-3 weeks ago), as well as HBO/Cinemax.
I mentioned WALLS OF JERICHO because of Ann Dvorak's supporting role. But now that you mention it, I have AMBER in a manufactured VHS copy, as well as home-made DVD. What I would really love (and I'm willing to go through the 20th Century Fox vaults to do it), is to have a DVD release of FOREVER AMBER, (maybe tied to the 65th anniversary next year, or to Linda's 90th Birthday in a couple of years) with LOTS of extras: a making of documentary-it had a fascinating history; deleted scenes- I've seen stills of some of them; the studio cut racy stuff out to try to appease the Legion of Decency. Like I said 20th, I'm willing to do the job.
Edited by: Arturo on Aug 8, 2011 7:21 PM
Edited by: Arturo on Aug 8, 2011 7:22 PM
Joan Crawford
in General Discussions
Posted
*There really are two major Crawfords: pre- Mildred and post- Mildred . Yes, she was much prettier pre-1945 (although she did go through a scary period in the late thirties), but her material and her acting is better post-1945 (although she is great in Rain and Grand Hotel ).*
Joan Crawford survived as long as she did by reinventing herself more than once. She knew when her career was imperiled, and did what was necessary to try to remain on, or return to the, top; she was once quoted along the lines of "the general consensus of the MGM brass was that I was washed up again".
*It's a shame MGM didn't put her in more vehicles like she had at Warners: hard, fast, heavily tinted in noir , a handgun in the pocket of every mink.*
Well, during the large part of the time that Joan was at MGM, there was no such thing as noir. Plus, MGM films were not normally hard or fast; remember, L.B. Mayer wanted family films for the most part. And in the early 40s, where noir films were now being made, while Joan was still at MGM, she aspired to the lofty position of Queen of the Lot, as both Garbo and Shearer were retiring; she sought, and got parts such as SUSAN AND GOD and WHEN LADIES MEET-not your typical noir fatales. In fact, any part along those lines would go to the much younger Lana Turner, who was getting the type of role essayed by Joan in the 30s (later in the 40s Audrey Totter and Ava Gardner got these noirish roles). Probably the closest role Joan did at MGM in the 40s to her later WB output was in A WOMAN'S FACE. Soon enough, however, she was doing Resistance Dramas/Comedies, Greer Garson inherited the regal position and roles that she had wanted, and seeing the writing on the wall, she bailed.
Edited by: Arturo on Aug 25, 2011 3:18 PM