Arturo
-
Posts
13,696 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
9
Posts posted by Arturo
-
-
Tom, great writeup in which I concur. Question: where did you see this film? About a year ago, I found a dvd for sale on ebay (I think), and bought it. Yes the quality is prettg bad, but at least I got a chance to see it. I did notice that the running time seemed to be some 9 minutes less than what is listed for the film, and there are some choppy transitions. So I'm thinking the cuts were made for tv timeslots.As a fan of the Warners biopic Gentleman Jim, I had long been curious to see THE GREAT JOHN L., a 1945 Bing Crosby Productions film portrait of John L. Sullivan. I finally had a chance to see a print of the film, Arturo, albeit a dark, inferior image which failed to do the film much justice.
It seems to me that Linda Darnell, while unquestionably attractive, no surprise, is also largely wasted in the role of a musical stage performer who marries Sullivan when he is on the rebound after failing to get the "love of his life" (played by Barbara Britton) to marry him. Greg McClure is, physically, closer to the real John L. than was Ward Bond in the Warners film. However, while Bond was enthusiastically boisterous and brought real heart to the role of the heavyweight champion, the stoic McClure is clearly emotive-challenged.
Bond brought down the house when he bellowed, "I can lick any man in the world" while the deadpan delivery of the same line by McClure threatens to put those closest to him asleep.
However, The Great John L. does have nice Gay '90s atmosphere with its costumes and sets, as well as at least one enthusiastic scene set in a bar while Sullivan is visiting Paris. In this scene he is unexpectedly challenged to a fight by a mincing flamboyant individual who looks more like a ballet dancer than a fighter. Sullivan initially laughs at the challenger only to find out that the man is a kick boxer, inflicting significant damage upon the Boston Strongboy before the latter finally puts him away with the first two punches that finally land on him.
The other thing that I found interesting about The Great John L., as well, is the film's greater historical accuracy than I expected to find in a Hollywood production. McClure is muscular but not as tall as was Bond as Sullivan. Historically accurate, as the real John L. was only 5'10", an incredibly strong fighter with fast hands and a deadly right hand.
Sullivan's parents in the film are a, seemingly, physical comedy mismatch, with a giant stocky mother and an undersized father with a fiery temper, the latter opposed to his son being a boxer. All true, though.
Darnell's character is a show biz performer named Annie who has a loveless marriage with the boxer. The real John L. married a chorus girl named Anne for a troubled marriage that was over within about a year.
Following John L.'s defeat in the ring to Jim Corbett (played by a young Rory Calhoun) he gives a brief speech to the crowd in which he expresses gratitude that he at least lost the heavyweight crown to a fellow American. Well, the real John L. did do exactly that in the ring at the time of his loss of the crown.
The final reel of the film depicts John L.'s alcoholic downward spiral after losing the crown. Again, McClure's lifeless performance fails to bring pathos to a portrait of a proud man bent on self destruction, but it made me think that, with the right director, cast and script, the real story of John L. Sullivan could be a highly effective one for the screen.
The film ends with John L. a temperance man (historically accurate) and hooked up, finally, with the girl that he had always loved (Britton) for a happy ending - pure Hollywood bunkum.
Bottom line, The Great John L. is a curiosity piece more than it is a really effective screen portrait, with lovely Linda in another window dressing role. She does, however, have the opportunity to at least look physically fetching in costume in one or two scenes in which she sings before a crowd (well, at least, I expect she does if I can ever find a decent looking print of the film).
I sure wish I could get a decent copy, if only to see Linda clearly. But oh well, for now.
-
I found this shot of Linda on the set of The Walls of Jericho that I thought might interest you, Arturo, in case you hadn't seen it before. Looks like Kirk's helping out her hair stylist.
Then, again, maybe he's just saying, "Is that a grey hair?"
Thanks Tom, that's a great shot; I don't think I've ever seen it.
THE WALLS OF JERICHO was the film Linda made after FOREVER AMBER, and she kept her hair dyed the same reddish blonde she did for that film (although this film.was shot in black and white). Linda is reteamed with her costar from FA, Cornel Wilde in another costume drama in order to capitalize on the earlier film. She again is thwarted in her designs on him. It is an interesting melodrama with a very good cast, set in early 20th century Kansas, but it is rather slow moving. Linda plays newspaperman Kirk Douglas' wife, spurned by Wildeso she sets out to destroy him.
This is one of two films with relative newcomer Kirk, in his prestardom.days (the other was A LETTER TO THREE WIVES, but he played Ann Sothern's wife in that one). In his autobiography "The Ragman's Son", he mentions Darnell as playing his wife onscreen, and his "special friend" offscreen. I take this to mean they had an affair during the filming of this movie. Thanks again for sharing Tom.
-
What a beauty. Deanna Durbin grew into such a stunningly beautiful woman. Anyone who thinks she looked "chubby" or overweight in LOAT must be blind, or more likely (being charitable here), they had their tv in Zoom view mode, or one of those other distorting modes, that stretch films to widescreen dimensions, including those made in the traditional dimensions.I'm still looking for that videotape.
Anyway, here's a nice pic of Miss Durbin, all curled up on the train seat. She looks lovely, especially her elegant cheeks and her trim figure. (Extra large pic of Deanna so we can all examine it closely and see for ourselves how slim and beautiful she was.)
Actually, Deanna's looks always remind me a little of Norma Shearer's. Come to think of it, they were both Canadian. Hey, maybe they were second cousins or something !
Durbin looks trim in face and figure. And what is up with all this sexist obsession with women's figures, thinking Deanna is overweight, or Audrey Hepburn is anorexic? Neither superstar was as popular as she was because of their figures; their other attributes were sufficient to ensure success. But that was the unenlightened 40s and 50s. What's up with people dragging this out in the supposedly enlightened, post-feminist present. I guess pockets of retrogressive thought are still.alive and well. Look.at the Trump supporters for confirmation.
-
5
-
-
On FMC (all times eastern):
Monday, 12/14:
3 am: THE INN OF THE SIXTH HAPPINESS (1958)......................6 am: CLAUDIA (1943).........................7:40 am: CLAUDIA AND DAVID (1946)..........................9 am: THREE LITTLE GIRLS IN BLUE (1946)..............................10:45 am: APRIL LOVE (1957)...............................12:30 pm: SURF PARTY (1964).............................1:40 pm: WILD ON THE BEACH...............
Tuesday, 12/15 am:
3:30 am: WILD ON THE BEACH (1965)............................4:50 am: SURF PARTY (1964)...............................6 am: THREE LITTLE GIRLS IN BLUE (1946).................................7:45 am: APRIL LOVE (1957)................................9:30 am: HOLIDAY FOR LOVERS (1959)................................1 pm: CINDERELLA LIBERTY (1973)......................
Wednesday, 12/16:
1:45 am: DAYTIME WIFE (1939)................................6 am: SEA WIFE (1957)..............................7:25 am: THE IMMORTAL SERGEANT (1943).............................9am: CRASH DIVE (1943).................................11 am: THREE CAME HOME (1950)................................12:50 pm: DECISION BEFORE DAWN (1951)...................
-
RETURN OF THE BAREFOOT CONTESTANT
The sequel follows the exploits of the online celebutante, once she left her marriage to rack up more points on gameshows. Her internet visibilty resulted in her being offered a celebrity cooking show. Each episode had her making her patented entrance, come down a staircase.barefoot, then twirling around a-la Loretta Young. She would then present a recipe supposedly by another celebrity. The show did well until it was discovered the recipes were plagerized from someone else's online site; the resultant brouhaha led to the cancellation of the show.
-
3
-
-
I Wake Up Posting
Classic film noir, with a little film blanc thrown in. Victor Mature plays a promoter with bigger breasts than the blonde he is trying to promote. When she is bumped off, Mature becomes the chief suspect because he can’t stop posting about her. Mature is hounded by Laird Cregar, who has bigger breasts than Mature (and hence, by the transitive property of breasts, bigger ones than the dead girl). The mystery is cracked when Betty Grable, who realizes she can’t out-breast Mature or Cregar, uses her legs to snare the real killer. Tor Johnson has a cameo as a nightclub. Viewers should take note of Mature’s apartment, in which several of Titian’s paintings are displayed.
You sure about Mature's and Cregar's breasts? Because although generally not promoted and thrust forward into the spotlight, Carole Landis had breasts of epic proportions. Too bad she didn't live into the 1950s, when large.breasts.guaranteed free publicity at least.
-
Searched for what???
To find this thread.........it had fallen way back, further than I expected. Lol.
-
Found it; Look under the TCM Programming forum and the Star of the Month sub-forum and there is a thread about Oberon and March 2016.
Thanks again.
-
..but apparently, you took two months to get it.
Lol. I searched several times for it after I came back from vaca, but never got to it. Who knew I had to go to Page Ten to find the Top Ten?
-
1
-
-
Has Andrews been SOTM? When?
I don't know for sure, but I doubtt that he has.....maybe he's had a SUTS tribute.
-
Dogs that look at the camera while the humans go on acting is always quite funny.
Or when the pet seems oblivious to the supposed owner.
-
Oh, yeah--my favorite is in "DuBarry Was A Lady" (1943); During Virginia O'Brien's number "Salome", the band playing is directly behind her: O'Brien was known as "The Diva of Deadpan" because of her (almost) expressionless delivery of lyrics. To me, it's an added bonus of watching the band members fight to keep a straight face while she sings; the ones who thought they were out of camera range don't even try. One lady in the back of the orchestra is grinning all through O'Brien's song. This one is amusing instead of irritating.
For Irritating--Again, during a Virginia O'Brien song "Life Upon the Wicked Stage" in "Till the Clouds Roll By" (1946)--all the chirping extras in yellow & white in her number Hog the camera & make O'Brien a beat late in finishing the song; they all "swoon" & make Sure the camera gets a closeup of them! Edit them out & if footage of the complete song performed by O'Brien exists, Let HER do the song solo!
Great ones. It must've been hard for extras and others to maintain a straight face with O'Brian kept hers throughout her routines.
-
1
-
-
In North By Northwest, in the Mt. Rushmore restaurant, when Eva Marie Saint is about to "shoot" Cary Grant, a little kid in the background, knowing that there is about to be a gunshot, puts his fingers in his ears to prepare.
I really love the female extra in Rosemary's Baby who yells "Hail Satan!" with a little too much gusto.
Great examples speedracer. I thought of one I remember since I was a kid. In THE WIZARD OF OZ, there is a Munchkin (not sure if she's a child or an adult) who basically just stands along during the " Ding Dong the Witch Is Dead" number. She looks off into the distance, where a trainer or someone must've told her to sing/ dance along. She does so, but half-heartedly and out of time.
Not sure if my example fits, but she did jump out at me.
-
2
-
-
Sorry..post.deleted. Asta decided he would not do the sequel to IT SHOULDN'T HAPPEN TO A DOG. Asta decided it wouldn't happen to this dog.
-
1
-
-
THE BAREFOOT CONTESTANT
An update of the Ava Gardner classic. Here we have a blogger reciting from her selected writings on video, which is then posted on youtube, where she is discovered after a number of hits, if not quite in the viral category. She becomes a contestant on an online game show, and causes a minor flurry by her entrance in each episode, coming down a stairway barefoot, and twirling around like Loretta Young, all the while goading her followers to guess breathlessly as to her upcoming answers. On the game show, she racks up numerous points, even if many are with specious answers. Soon she reaches 20,000 points, and a round of self congratulation is contagious if rote. However, she doesn't realize that only she is playing the game; there are no other contestants. Furthermore, she was kicked off the game numerous times early on, for not playing fairly and reacting hysterically; her point total would have been close to double the official count. She decides to retire and marry a Count, but never realizes she could have true happiness, and returns to try a rack up ever more points.
-
5
-
-
I can't think of anyone specifically, but when I notice this, it's a kid, usually looking at the crew or their parent off-screen.
This reminds me of some films I've seen, where animals act like animals, and miss the blocking they surely had practiced. I remember one where sheep are supposed to move away from an approaching stagecoach, and one does, to the front left of the screen. Apparently, there were crew people, or cameramen there, and it quickly darts away from them, back into camera range. They should have done another take.
-
2
-
-
That's great they were able to save it. So many great old picture palaces (and I do mean palaces) were torn down to make way for parking lots or new high rises when they could have been put to use as performing arts centers. Takes a lot of money and community effort though. There are some still some sitting around vacant and decayed because they are in run down economically depressed areas/cities....
There are some great old movie palaces in downtown LA, I think the greatest collection of same in the country. I spent many weekend days watching 2, 3 and 4 movies there when I was a kid, with homemade burritos we'd sneak in. By the late 80s, they were mostly shuttered.
Every year, for years now, the LA Conservancy would do a series of about six mostly classic-era Hollywood films, known as The Last Remaining Seats, giving many people a first look at the beautiful interiors. Now, with the gentrification of the area having reached a critical mass, some have been adapted for restaurants, nightclubs, etc. It beats the swap-meets of the recent past, as the interiors are again visible to the public.
-
1
-
-
Another improvement (again, I apologize if it's been mentioned)would be an easy Delete option, as when we (me) accidently post duplicate posts. I think it's available on the PM boards, why not on the regular boards?
-
2
-
-
There are two threads about this; one is just about Oberon and the other about the entire March schedule, but I don't know which forum they are in.
Thanks james. I will look around.
-
You didn't change the title of #8 at all. Maybe you should have. I'm lost. Maybe THE FORBIDDEN TEAT?
Lol...that's good. I think it was intentional, as in no poop allowed.
Soon the holiday films should come into play, and make the top ten. There's been a dearth of Asta's films making the list lately.
-
Is there a list of the Oberon films which will be showing? I'd like to see if there are any rarities....
-
I enjoyed seeing SPOTLIGHT over the Thanksgiving Day weekend. It was very good and maddening, but not typical family fare one associates with the holidays.
-
Nice footage of Bette. If anyone is interested in seeing the full version of
Beyond the Forest, it is on a site called ffilms.org. Fairly good print. Probably
just easier to google the title 1949 full movie. The whole town is a dump
too and Bette really gets into square dancing.
My original photo of Bette and Howard Hughes is gone.
Here it is again from 1938. Eyes up, buddy.
I saw BEYOND THE FOREST a few years ago, at the LA County Museum of Art. It was part of a Davis double-feature (although I don"t remember which other film played). It was enjoyable camp.
-
Now that's surprising. But many of her Goldwyn films are shown to death..........
I guess.she's okay as SOTM, as long as she's not a repeat. But she does get.TCM.love, all year every year.
LINDA DARNELL for Star of the Month October 2013
in General Discussions
Posted
Seems like Kirk.could be pointing at.her cleavage, and looking.downward past.the hair. Seems like a.possibility.