MovieFanLaura
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Posts posted by MovieFanLaura
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The one with Eleanor Parker in Egypt was VALLEY OF THE KINGS. Kind of hokey but also a lot of fun. I liked it.
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Another excellent Taylor title I forgot earlier is ABOVE AND BEYOND.
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"Granted, I haven't seen the film, but it makes me wonder what Leigh Ann is trying to prove."
Well, there you go, you haven't seen it. What a sad world view when one can take genuine kindness, compassion, Christian charity, whatever you want to term it, and turn it into something presumptuous due to self-loathing.
She picked that particular kid because she knew him. Maybe she should have left him freezing by the side of the road, washing his single spare shirt in a laundromat sink, scrounging for food? Then she wouldn't be a jerk who insults the kid in your eyes? Heaven forbid she provide him education and opportunities, because that would be providing what a well-to-do white woman thinks should be provided, and we can't have that. Do you realize how racist that sounds? People are simply people, and we should reach out a helping hand when possible. Thankfully the Tuohys knew that, even if you don't.
Just...wow.
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Actually I think the movies Taylor made in the later part of his career represented some of his best work, and their success was due in large part to the underrated Mr. Taylor. Check out HIGH WALL, THE BRIBE, WESTWARD THE WOMEN, ROGUE COP, SADDLE THE WIND, PARTY GIRL, THE LAST HUNT, DEVIL'S DOORWAY, AMBUSH, or THE LAW AND JAKE WADE.
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"I think one of the problems with McCrea is that he made a lot of his movies at Fox in the early part of his career and then at Paramount later on, so I don't know how hard it might be for TCM to get those movies."
TCM is gradually breaking out more Paramount movies this year as part of their new "on demand" program -- maybe we'll get lucky and they could show some of McCrea's Paramount titles if he were named Star of the Month.
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I saw GENTLE ANNIE last May and liked it quite well. Reed is taken in by Main's family of outlaws and is attracted to the marshal (James Craig) going after the outlaws. If you're interested in learning more about the film, I wrote about it at the time I saw it: http://laurasmiscmusings.blogspot.com/2009/05/tonights-movie-gentle-annie-1944.html
Interesting tidbit: it was originally going to be filmed with Robert Taylor, Susan Peters, and James Craig in a supporting role.
I also recommend THE WHOLE TRUTH, a nifty little murder mystery costarring Stewart Granger and George Sanders, and GREEN DOLPHIN STREET which is a wonderfully melodramatic wallow complete with an earthquake. And THE HUMAN COMEDY is a really beautiful film.
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I'm with you! I adore Joel McCrea.
By coincidence I just reviewed his Western RAMROD (1947) this evening; as I wrote there (http://laurasmiscmusings.blogspot.com/2010/03/tonights-movie-ramrod-1947.html), for me his Westerns are "movie comfort food."
But McCrea could do so much more: Hitchcock, Sturges, classic romantic comedies (THE MORE THE MERRIER is one of my favorite movies ever), really interesting pre-Code era films...love him! And what an interesting personal life; he considered himself a rancher, first and foremost (he would show up to work on some Westerns in his own clothes, with his own horse), and he had a marriage of many decades to lovely Frances Dee.
Did you know his ranch is on the National Register of Historic Places? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Register_of_Historic_Places_listings_in_Ventura_County,_California)
Edited by: MovieFanLaura on Mar 28, 2010 3:35 AM
Edited by: MovieFanLaura on Mar 28, 2010 3:37 AM
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I'm very fond of THREE CHEERS FOR THE IRISH. It may be a little hokey but Dennis Morgan is absolutely adorable...love him teamed with Priscilla Lane. The supporting cast is good, too.
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More Irish titles:
DARBY O'GILL AND THE LITTLE PEOPLE
FINIAN'S RAINBOW
I SEE A DARK STRANGER
LEAP YEAR
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Another issue in the Taylor marriage is that she had some up from a very difficult background in the big city, and Taylor had had an extremely stable, even strict/sheltered, and secure Midwestern upbringing.
I think opposites must have attracted but ultimately they found it difficult to make a go of it.
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Love that cover for NIGHT TRAIN TO MUNICH! Thanks for the great news.
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Many thanks for the alert. I have been wanting to order THE AWAKENING LAND and took advantage of the lower price and placed an order tonight.
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SOMEBODY KILLED HER HUSBAND is the only theatrical film of Fawcett's I can even name off the top of my head. Saw it when it came out. Frankly, not a very good movie.
I like Farrah and especially admired when she took some more substantive TV roles after leaving CHARLIE'S ANGELS. She fought a courageous battle with cancer; I was sorry when she passed on, and I feel very sympathetic toward her loved ones. But I just don't think of her as a "movie star" and it would never have occurred to me to honor her at the Oscars.
Only my two cents, of course, and I think that's all I have to say on this particular topic...obviously many here disagree with me, which makes the world go 'round, as the saying goes.
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"Did he apologize for putting up a picture of Jennifer Jones at the start of the Jean Simmons acknowledgement?"
I thought I saw the wrong picture in a quick glance and decided I must have been incorrect. Apparently not! Eeek...that was a bad move.
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"Fawcett certainly had a significant film career and was a major name."
What are the theatrical films for which she is remembered, or will be remembered decades from now?
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I love this schedule! George Brent is someone I've really come to appreciate over the last couple years, especially after seeing more of his early ("pre-mustache") work. I love FEMALE -- perhaps one of the most entertaining pre-Codes of all time. There are a couple on that day I haven't recorded yet -- looking forward to it!
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Thanks for the alert on the new publication date. I'm very much looking forward to this as she was not only a favorite of mine, she had a fascinating life offscreen (i.e., her "frequency hopping patent").
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"Farrah certainly should have been included."
What is your reasoning for your opinion? Do you consider her a movie star rather than a TV star? Just curious.
Some actors (like the wonderful Miss Sothern) are both film and TV stars, but I'm hard pressed to think of a single theatrical film of Fawcett's that was notable. Her best work, such as THE BURNING BED, was for TV.
(For the record, I didn't think Michael Jackson should have been included either...)
Just my two cents...
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I was surprised people expected Farrah to be included as, while she made some films, she achieved her greatest fame on television. (So, for that matter, did Arthur.) My impression is that the Academy memorial segment is supposed to be a tribute to those in the film industry, not celebrities/TV stars in general. ??
The omissions were intentional:
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"A question for those of you who've seen The Blind Side: does Sandra Bullock's performance differ significantly from her previous performances? Is there anything in this one that remotely suggests Oscar-worthiness? Is it in any way comparable to Meryl Streep's brilliant and joyous performance in Julie & Julia?"
Yes, yes, and yes.
I would have been quite satisfied if Streep won, as I think Julia Child was one of her best and most engaging performances, but Bullock was absolutely terrific in THE BLIND SIDE. It is a very different role from her norm, a completely believable persona which is not Sandra Bullock as you've typically seen her in the past. I recommend checking it out so you can form your own opinion. It will be out on DVD in 2 weeks.
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Over the last couple years Robert Taylor has become one of my very favorite actors. Once you get past the "pretty boy" aspect of his earliest films, he is soooo underrated. I haven't yet seen his most highly regarded pre-war films, such as WATERLOO BRIDGE and JOHNNY EAGER, but his postwar work, when he had matured and his face was a bit more weathered, is excellent.
WESTWARD THE WOMEN is the movie which first caught my interest. He is perfect as a tough Western hero. I also very much enjoyed the Cavalry Western AMBUSH. I haven't yet seen DEVIL'S DOORWAY but some say it's his best performance. SADDLE THE WIND, made when he was a little older, was quite good. Haven't yet seen THE LAST HUNT but it's also highly regarded. THE LAW AND JAKE WADE with Richard Widmark is another I'm looking forward to seeing.
Those who cling to the old stereotype that he wasn't much of an actor should watch him in ABOVE AND BEYOND. He plays the pilot of the plane which dropped the first atom bomb and his reaction at that moment is merely two words, but his performance combined with the story makes it a deeply profound moment.
He is absolutely fabulous in noirish titles like HIGH WALL, THE BRIBE (which has a spectacular finale with a shootout in the midst of a fireworks display), ROGUE COP, and PARTY GIRL.
It's also worth noting that Taylor was highly regarded by all his peers. William Wellman, director of WESTWARD THE WOMEN, said Taylor was "one of the finest men I've ever known." Rosemary DeCamp wrote in her autobiography that Taylor "must have been the kindest and least troublesome star on the MGM roster...a dear and gentle man." (I had these quotes handy from a blog post I wrote on Taylor...) Incidentally, when Taylor passed away at far too young an age, he was eulogized by his best friend, Governor Ronald Reagan.
Enjoy April when it gets here, I know I will!
Edited by: MovieFanLaura on Mar 5, 2010 2:47 PM
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I'm especially delighted about THE LIFE OF JIMMY DOLAN with Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Loretta Young, which is supposed to be quite good and I missed the last time around.
There is also a fabulous day of obscure Evelyn Keyes movies!! GROUNDS FOR MARRIAGE is one of the only Kathryn Grayson movies I haven't seen, and I've really been wanting to see GOD IS MY CO-PILOT with Dennis Morgan.
Lots of other great stuff in May. Thank you, TCM!
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Hefner has also given millions to USC's cinema school...
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I wonder what actor had the most movies remade? Seems like Fredric March must be high on the list...DR. JEKYLL, THE BARRETTS OF WIMPOLE STREET, LES MISERABLES and THE BUCCANEER come to mind off the top of my head.
I adore March but although I like his version of BARRETTS very much, I lean toward preferring the Jennifer Jones-Bill Travers remake. I'm in the minority on that, but the later version has much to recommend it.
Fred McMurray was such a cutie
in General Discussions
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I loved Fred in NO TIME FOR LOVE -- he was so hunky it completely undid my old preconception of him as a "dad" type. I've had a great time watching more of his movies over the last couple years.