voranis

> {quote:title=C.Bogle wrote:}{quote} > Well, maybe Aunt Bee was a native Tarheel after all There were many inconsistencies > in the show, as there are in most TV shows. They're fun to take note of without making a > difference in the entertainment value of the program. I guess some of the best known > ones were that in the first few episodes Andy and Barney were cousins, but that was > dropped shortly after, and that Clara had two different last names, Edwards and Johnson, > and I don't remember her being remarried, though she was always on the lookout. Clara's name was Bertha in a few early episodes. I think it went from Bertha Johnson to Clara Johnson to Clara Edwards. Quite a transition for Hope Summers. Clara had a son, Gale--in one of the two episodes in which Clara convinces Bee that she needs to find a beau so as not to be in the way of Andy's love life--in this case, it was the second one in which Bee tells Andy she's dating the milkman who turns out to be married--Clara says, "I'm sure that's what kept my boy Gale around." So I'm guessing she was married at one point. In that same episode she mentions that she has been keeping company with Clark somebody--Cooper, I think--but he's never mentioned again. Also, Barney had a more pronounced Southern accent in the early episodes, which was dropped. I didn't think he had much of a Southern accent later in the show, but it didn't matter with his character any more than it did with Bee. The accent change seemed to happen at the same time all mention of him being a cousin was dropped. Another thing that kept changing was how long Barney had been working for Andy. In the pilot, it appeared he had just started working for him. Subsequent episodes would have them celebrating his five-year anniversary and his ten-year anniversary on "the force," even though he was only on the show five years, and the ten-year and five-year anniversary episodes aired within a year or two of each other. > And Gomer's status as a car mechanic varied. Sometimes he didn't know how > to do much beyond pumping gas and wiping the windshield clean. At other times he was quite > a skilled mechanic. Whatever. Yeah, in the episode "Man in a Hurry" Gomer can only pump gas, supply air and water, and wipe windshields. Wally is not only the only mechanic who works at the station--he is "the best." Then in the episode "Gomer the Houseguest" the customers are actually following Gomer to Andy's house because they trust Gomer as a mechanic more than Wally. > > I believe that in the relative reality of a TV show of that era, Andy Griffith had many situations > that people would recognize, especially if they lived in small towns. Yes, they had the > typical unrealistic plots and even some far out ones, but on the whole it strikes a chord. Yes, many of the elements strike a true note with those of us raised in small Southern towns. > > I think it's safe to say that Helen definitely was more jealous than the average person. > As soon as any former female friend or relative of Andy's showed up, you knew the sparks > would fly. The episode where she tried to get Andy to set Howard up with nurse Fairchild > was just on a while ago and she was up to her old tricks. Want to go for coffee? No. > Want to go to a movie? No. Uh-oh. > That's the blackmail to which I was referring in my previous post, although maybe I should have called it coercion instead. > The problem with taking Barney seriously is that each time he fouls up by bragging on himself, > he does the same thing next week. He never seems to learn to moderate his behavior. Of > course that's what makes him so funny. It reminds me of Beaver Cleaver--he listens to his friends instead of trusting his own judgment, and gets into trouble every time, at which point his friends abandon him. This goes on all the way through the series, even when he is much older. It's hard to ignore the fact that he never learns from his previous experiences. Robbie

> {quote:title=222characteractor wrote:}{quote} > The show could be stereotypical, especially in the depiction of Otis as a friendly drunk. However, there was a lot that could be said to be different from the norm: Did you notice Otis does not appear in the entire final season? I asked someone once about it, and he said maybe the producers had decided making fun of alcoholism was no longer funny. This is plausible, especially considering Otis was described as being reformed in the Return to Mayberry movie. A similar thing seemed to happen on MASH as the drinking was toned down sometime after **** and Potter come into the show. I don't know for sure why Hal Smith didn't appear in the final season, though--I don't know if my friend's conjecture is the real reason or not. > > a. Elinor Donahue's portrayal of Ellie. She was an independent woman who clashed with many of Andy's stereotypes of how women should be. > > b. Helen Crump showed a strong female presence as an educator > Ellie Walker and Helen Crump were definitely strong characters. Sometimes I thought Helen was too strong--using blackmail to force Andy to participate in matchmaking, for example. Also Helen and Thelma Lou getting angry at Andy and Barney again when they all go to Andy's house and the Fun Girls are there--as if Andy would have invited the Fun Girls there and then brought Helen and the gang over. Why Helen and Thelma Lou could not see at that point that it was the Fun Girls who were forcing themselves on Andy and Barney, that Andy and Barney were being too gentlemanly to tell the Fun Girls to get lost, and that this might be a good time for Helen and Thelma Lou, as women, to step in themselves and tell the Fun Girls to get lost, is beyond me. > c. There were shows that have never been rivaled in depicting certain qualities that make us human: > > 1. Mr. McBevee- Andy had to have faith in Opie in one of my favorite episodes. Excellent demonstration of trust by Andy. > 2. Man in a Hurry- There has never been a better episode which shows how we all should slow down a little and enjoy life. Another great episode, although I think "The Sermon for Today," which had a similar message, was funnier: "Could be spiders!" > > d, There were many episodes where Don Knotts showed Barney to be somewhat of a coward, but who with the help of Andy seemed to gain inner courage. You don't see many shows where someone is shown as a coward. To me it was inspirational to see Barney overcome his fears. This is a very insightful observation. I am reminded of the episode "Barney Get His Man," in which while they are out looking for the escaped convict, Barney starts to tell Andy that he really didn't catch the guy intentionally the first time, but Andy makes it clear, without really saying anything, that it's OK because he and Barney are friends. It was a great scene. > > e. Aunt Bee showed unconditional love for her family, but she also had an angry streak which showed her humanity. She was another strong character who could get riled for a just cause. > > All in all, the Andy Griffith show is one that you can view over and over again and gain new insights into life. You are right that it made fun of some of the worst aspects of small town life and this is a strength of the show. I agree. I grew up in a small town and, while some elements of The Andy Griffith Show are certainly not realistic, there are many elements of the show, especially in the way the people act and treat each other, that capture aspects of the town in which I grew up perfectly. I would be interested to poll the people who criticize the show as being unrealistic to find out how many of them actually grew up in a small Southern town. Robbie

> {quote:title=C.Bogle wrote:}{quote} > Maybe she was a late bloomer. I still wouldn't want to take a chance on a > flight with her. She also did well in the business world, as a model employee, > if only briefly, at the "print shop," and co-owner of Mayberry's only Chinese > restaurant, until the fortune cookie incident. You go, girl. Yeah, I could believe her learning to drive, but getting her pilot's license was a little far out. But so was Howard going to live on a Caribbean island. Andy running a laundromat. Some of the episodes are a little "out there." Bee also appeared on TV numerous times, having a TV cooking show, appearing on a TV game show in Hollywood, and appearing with Clara during Keely Hazelton's performance on TV. She also did some takes for a TV commercial for Foster's Furniture Polish even though that didn't work out. Interesting how Foster's car breaks down near Mayberry and the same actor played the "Man in a Hurry" whose car also broke down in Mayberry. Of course they used Allan Melvin to play many bad guys and a few good guys, but actually used him as a bully in two episodes with almost identical plots in which he is fooled into thinking his nemesis knows a martial art--the first one with Barney, the second one with Howard and Millie. They not only reused the actor, but used him two episodes with the same recycled plot! Other inconsistencies include whether Mayberry was a town or a county. Typically by the 1960s, the position of sheriff was a county-wide position. This was different from the position of sheriff in the old Wild West, in which a sheriff or town marshal might run a town while a United States Marshal had broader powers within the state. Andy and Barney are described as working for the county in episodes such as "Otis Sues the County" and I believe there are a few references in the early episodes to "the county of Mayberry." Andy sometimes refers to having jurisdiction over the entire county, in one episode saying it's his job to keep the county dry. Of course there are numerous references to the "town of Mayberry." Maybe the town of Mayberry is the county seat, but... In the episode about the barbershop quartet competition, the sheriff from Mount Pilot visits. If the position of sheriff were a county-wide position and Mount Pilot and Mayberry were in different counties, this would be fine...except there is the episode in which Aunt bee gets a summons to appear for jury duty in Mount Pilot. If Mount Pilot is in a different county, how is this possible? If they are in the same county, would they really have two sheriffs? In the first episode with the Fun Girls, Barney convinces Andy that they are serving liquor at a place in Mount Pilot, so Andy goes over to investigate. If Mount Pilot is in a separate county, or if Andy only has jurisdiction over the "town of Mayberry"--what business does he have going to Mount Pilot to perform police work? As for it being a "dry county"...what exactly does that mean? In the Christmas episode, Ben Weaver wants the moonshiner arrested because Weaver's store sells "spirits" and moonshining cuts into his profits. In one episode Andy takes Peggy to a restaurant in Mount Pilot in which she orders a New Orleans drink (it sounded like "tesseract," like the fold in space from A Wrinkle in Time, but I'm not entirely sure what she said--need to watch this with CC on sometime). If Mount Pilot is in the same county and it is supposed to be dry... And before the Bee opens the Chinese restaurant, the sign in the restaurant that is closing down has beer on the menu. Not sure what "dry county" means exactly, but there was a lot of alcohol being sold in businesses--setting aside what was being privately manufactured. Of course, the simple answer is, "it's just a TV show and no one ever though the episodes would be this closely analyzed," but it is still fun for fans to wonder about. Robbie

> {quote:title=C.Bogle wrote:}{quote} > I believe Aunt Bee hailed from West Virginia, so her accent would have been > different from the folks in Mayberry. Has anyone thought that Mr. Schwump > looked like he was wearing a mask? There's something about the flat shape > of his face that gives me that impression. No wonder he went to so many dances. > > Betty Lynn also left Cali and moved to Mount Airy, NC to experience small town living, > but I read somewhere her house has been broken into twice. Frances Bavier did > have a small film and stage career, but she'll always be most remembered for her > role as Aunt Bee, which is better than not being remembered at all. I don't believe Aunt Bee hailed from West Virginia. She had been away from Mayberry for many years with other relatives when she returned in the pilot to replace Rose, but there were references to her having been in Mayberry when she was a child. She does mention knowing someone from West Virginia who is a friend or relative of someone in Maybbery, but that was while she was in West Virginia spending time with relatives. As for her having grown up in Mayberry, she talked of having gone to Sweetbriar Normal with Clara Edwards, although it was never stated exactly where that was, but there were also a few other references to her having been in Mayberry when she was young. The Wikipedia page for her character says: In the premier episode of The Andy Griffith Show, "The New Housekeeper," Aunt Bee returns to Mayberry after a five-year sojourn in Morgantown, West Virginia, when Andy's housekeeper Rose marries and leaves his house. Even if that is not accurate, as I said there were several references I have noticed over the years in the actual episodes that this was her return home to Mayberry. I cannot recall any of them right now but as I see them again I will post them. Yep, Betty Lynn lives in Mount Airy. She and Bavier were the two NC "converts" from the show. Robbie

> {quote:title=lily54 wrote:}{quote} > So, I tevoed all the Dr. Kildaire's having never seen them before. > I'm of the generation who only knew Richard Chamberlin's television "Dr. Kildaire." Can't remember who played Dr. Gillespie, he wasn't cute so I didn't care at 14 ! > > What a hoot! > > I watched them one at a time with a cup of tea - in between taking down Christmas decorations - as a treat! > > Love, Lionel Barrymore's crusty Dr. Gillespie, and the switchboard operator who 'knows nothing about medicine', the very art deco hospital is way cool.... not to mention the cozy "Sullivan's" where 'the doctor's eat'. Like a hospital "Leave it to Beaver" series, if you know what I mean - simple - uncomplicated - everyone typecast - happily ever after ... Lily, I had the very same thought as you when I recorded them the last time TCM ran the Kildare marathon--it's like a hospital Leave It to Beaver, or a movie-quality version of a hospital TV drama (although shows like Marcus Welby, M.D. and the TV version of Dr. Kildare were still before my time). I had the same thought about the Andy Hardy series--it's like getting a movie-quality version of a TV series about small town life such as The Andy Griffith Show. I also enjoyed the Dr. Gillespie films, which took up without the character of Dr. Kildare, the last time TCM aired a marathon of them (April 2009, I think). Actually they aired Calling Dr. Gillespie just this past November. A cup of tea with each film sounds like a great way to enjoy the marathon! Robbie

And wow, Robert Osborne is doing commentary for a fifth Blake Edwards film starting at 4:30 am, Operation Petticoat, when he didn't have time to do commentary for the fourth film on Gary Cooper or John Wayne night? It seems odd... Robbie

As I said in a previous post, it seems like if a movie is going to be cut from the normal list of four movies slated for commentary, it's often a western. And Robert Osborne doesn't do commentary for TCM Underground (although I have to admit it's pretty offbeat horror, not the more traditional horror). And the science fiction night scheduled for December 27 was pre-empted for the Blake Edwards tribute. Of course Blake Edwards deserves a tribute, but this is not the first time I've noticed that it was a science fiction night that was selected by the TCM programmers to be pre-empted for a memorial tribute. Do the TCM programmers have a bias against the more action-oriented genres such as westerns, science fiction, and horror? Do they consider them inferior to dramas, musicals, and madcap screwball comedies? It seems like if something's going to be cut, it's more likely to be one of the action-oriented genres. I like all the genres, but I'm just wondering if the programmers allow their personal preferences to affect programming decisions... Robbie

Kyle, Very cool. Thanks for the tour! Robbie

> {quote:title=MyFavoriteFilms wrote:}{quote} > Hey Robbie, > > I think this is what happened when they programmed the two Belvedere sequels. They have begun looking at the Fox catalogue and are finding titles that are the cheapest to lease. The original, SITTING PRETTY, would cost a lot more since it's the most famous of the batch and FMC keeps it exclusively on their channel. > > Every now and then they shell out the bucks and get an A-list Fox title, like Shirley Temple's HEIDI or Gene Tierney's LEAVE HER TO HEAVEN. But these are far and few. It was noticeable how tight TCM's budget is when they failed to negotiate a deal on THE GRAPES OF WRATH for Hank Fonda's day in August. It is not airing on FMC nor is it on any other channel, so the rights should've been fairly easy to get for a one-day special primetime showing. > > I guess the money is being spent on getting films like TITANIC (which aired twice in 2010) or on producing original programming, such as the Moguls series which I am proud to say I did not watch one minute of (it ate up a lot of primetime hours and as some critics have pointed it, it had a very liberal slant). > > Their priorities are not like mine. I would be using the money to get the 1953 version of TITANIC, and I would be producing a whole new series about patriotism in Hollywood films that includes diverse political viewpoints, including the Republican and conservative agenda). > > Yes, there are a lot of changes I would make on this channel...but I bet that would be too drastic, too scary. LOL But I wonder what the event is they are honoring that both channels aired their respective Belvedere films so close together. As I said in my original post, I cannot find that it is Cliff Robertson's birthday, nor a movie or DVD release tie-in, nor the anniversary of the release of the original book. I haven't been able to obtain the birth date of the original author, Gwen Davenport. I was more curious to know what the event is they are honoring more than why the movies are split between the two networks. Robbie

Andy Griffith said Frances Bavier seemed to have something against him or never really liked him, but he never knew why. She called him not long before she died and told him she was sorry about it, although she still did not explain what it was all about. They say it was a tribute to her ability that she never bothered to try to adopt a Southern accent for the show, yet her character of Aunt Bee ( not the more traditional spelling Bea) was still accepted by the viewers as belonging in Mayberry. Although originally from New York, she eventually retired to Siler City, North Carolina, a location often mentioned (although less often than Mount Pilot, i.e., Pilot Mountain) on The Andy Griffith Show. Robbie

I recorded it but haven't watched it yet. I agree it's an interesting premise and not something you see often in movies. Plus, I like British films too.

> {quote:title=hlywdkjk wrote:}{quote} > *"He actually lives most of the time in New York City. He goes to Atlanta each month to film the intros and outros for the films. He also travels there to film the wrap arounds for The Essentials with Alec Baldwin as well as any new promos that TCM has on the schedule."* - lzcutter > > RO has been recording new promos for the 2011 TCM Classic Film Festival lately too - both video segments or new voice-overs to highlight recently added events to the Festival schedule - like comments for the D23 partneship with the Festival and the screenings of "Silly Symphonies" and of *Fantasia*. > > I also forgot to mention that he is recording the half-hour "Now Playing: The Show" each month. And this Fall, there were the "Moguls and Movie Stars" post-screening discussions to tape with Mr. Wilkman, and the "historians." Robert Osborne has had a very full plate these past few months. > > If I remember correctly, it used to take just a few days in Atlanta for Robert to record all his intros. With all these additional "projects" lately, I wouldn't be surprised if he his there a day or two longer now. And I believe that the segments for the upcoming season of "The Essentials" are recorded in November. I guess there is a lot more work for him to do now, so it makes sense that some films will get cut from the commentary list. I noticed he only did 3 films on John Wayne Westerns night, which again makes me wonder if he or someone at the studio doesn't like westerns and decided those were the best candidates to get cut. First the Gary Cooper western Along Came Jones, then the fourth film on John Wayne night... > I have noticed - and I bet others have to - that there is a "Red Chair" set that is often lit so that it looks like there is daylight in the two windows on the back wall. I think the entire "Private Screenings: Liza Minnelli" was taped that way. I've often thought that that was an indication that those segments or programs were taped in NYC. Aren't a lot of the Private Screenings shows done in the Red Chair set? It's very noticeable--it almost looks like the whole room is bathed in red light. > > *"I sometimes wonder if a film gets cut from the commentary list because he isn't particularly interested in the film. I am always curious to know what his likes and dislikes are with films."* - 'voranis' / Robbie > > I don't think that is ever the case. Nor would Robert Osborne ever turn down a chance to speak on a Barbara Stanwyck film. With your appreciation of Miss Stanwyck, the two of you would hit it off immediately. When "the plebians" visited Atlanta two years ago, Robert Osborne was particularly excited that two invited guests had chosen Stanwyck films to introduce on TCM. That's great to hear! > > *"I notice he looks a little more gaunt in recent years than he used to..."* - 'voranis' / Robbie > > Robert Osborne was on a doctor supervised diet that led to his weight loss. I think the gaunt appearance was exaggerated because his wardrobe wasn't updated at the same time and some shirt collars and jackets were too large for the newly svelte RO. I think he looks great these days and he definitely cuts a dashing figure in person. I want to clarify that I know he is not ill--I know from reading these forums that he's not. It's just that a lot of older people, when they get ill, begin to get very thin--some examples from TV are Alice Pearce from Bewitched and Zara Cully from The Jeffersons. Both of them got very thin in the last seasons in which they appeared before they died. The fact that he is thinner reminds me of this fact, even though it does not apply in his case, but it still makes me think about the fact that there will come a day...but then I try put it out of my mind. The way things are going with my health, I may be gone before he is anyway. I hope he is there every evening on TCM for many, many years to come. Robbie

> {quote:title=lzcutter wrote:}{quote} > *This got me wondering if he doesn't like Stanwyck much, which would be of interest to me since she is my favorite actress.* > > He has said on more than one occasion that Stanwyck is one of his favorites, if not his number one favorite. > That's great to know! Robbie

By the way, after TCM showed the second and third Mr. Belvedere films on Sunday, December 12: Mr. Belvedere Goes to College (1949) Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell (1951) FMC showed the very first Mr. Belvedere film the very next day--Monday, December 13, at 6am: Sitting Pretty (1948) All three of which starred Clifton Webb as Mr. Belvedere. It was nice to be able to see all three movies instead of just the second and third. Was this an anniversary of some sort, or a new remake tie-in, that TCM and FMC decided to show the Mr. Belvedere movies at the same time? I cannot find the birth date of Gwen Davenport, the author of the book Belvedere on which the first movie was based, and it wasn't Clifton Webb's birthday. I don't think it was the anniversary of the TV series and several seasons of the TV series were released on DVD by Shout! Factory some time ago, so I don't think it's a DVD tie-in. I don't know what the release date of the original book was, so I'm still trying to figure out what the angle is here. Is there a new remake of Mr. Belvedere similar to the new True Grit movie which inspired TCM to air the original this week? I haven't been able to find any references to a new movie. Robbie

> {quote:title=hlywdkjk wrote:}{quote} > Yes, typically, RO introduces four films every evening - and that is counting any films that are part of a franchise series like "The Essentials", "Silent Sunday Night" and "TCM Imports". On occasion, If there is a fifth film to an evening's theme, he has been known to introduce that also. Yeah, he did commentary for five short films one night when Carole Lombard was SOTM, but he didn't do it for the fifth film one night when five equally short Barbara Stanwyck films were shown one night when she was SOTM. This got me wondering if he doesn't like Stanwyck much, which would be of interest to me since she is my favorite actress. > But on Fridays, he will only introduce films shown prior to "TCM Underground". That is usually just three titles. Yeah, I know he doesn't do commentary for the TCM Underground so he only does it for what is usually a fewer number of films on Friday night before Underground starts. > > That he didn't "introduce" *Along Came Jones* could be for many reasons. It is possible that it might have been cut "for time" on taping day. Robert Osborne has a larger number of intros to record in December. If the past is any indication, Robert Osborne will be introducing most of the films shown during the day on Christmas Day and also those shown on New Year's Day. That's a another eight or ten intros to record. Plus, RO always dresses in a tux for the New Year's Eve intros and that change of apparel can eat away at the "clock". The crew may even have to redress the set for New Year's Eve. Those things do take time. If the crew was running behind or there were other technical issues that delayed tapings, a later intro to nightly line-up may have been jettisoned in an attempt to get back on schedule. But that idea of being "behind" is all speculation on my part. That's interesting about it possibly being cut for time. I used to think he lived in Atlanta and worked most of the time at the TCM studios in Atlanta but then I read in these forums a few years ago that he lives in California (?) and flies out to the TCM studios and records a whole bunch of commentaries at once. Or does he record the commentaries at a mock set out in California and they are edited and assembled at the TCM studios in Atlanta? I still like to pretend he is doing them live. I've noticed on any holiday--well really on any government/banking holiday--he does the commentaries for any films beginning after noon. So that would include Christmas and New Year's Day. I always enjoy the tux night on New Year's Eve as it makes it seem very festive. I sometimes wonder if a film gets cut from the commentary list because he isn't particularly interested in the film. I am always curious to know what his likes and dislikes are with films. > > Whatever the reason may be, it is only an anomoly. I have even seen him introduce films that DIDN'T have "his" intro (The "TCM Feature Presentation with Robert Osborne" intro) and were led instead with the "Over-night" intro with all the Noir clips. I have seen him intro a film but not do an outro. But, for the majority of evenings, Robert Osborne introduces four films on the TCM schedule. I am sure TCM is flattered that you are watching that closely and that you are wondering if there is a pattern to RO's intros each night. His commentaries are my favorite part--it's primarily what I tune in for. I like Ben M.'s commentaries too, but RO's are my favorite. I actually like watching his commentaries more than the movies in some cases. One of my friends says I am the only person he knows who seems to be more interested in the theme music and opening/closing credits of TV shows (at least, of older TV shows when they actually used to have distinct opening and closing themes) than I am in the shows themselves. And I'm the one everyone else has to wait for when a movie ends at a theater because I want to sit through all the closing credits. I am something of an anomaly myself in these forums as I am primarily a TV fan, being someone who rarely had a way to get to a theater as a child, but I have an increasing appreciation of movies as an adult, and TCM has gone a long way to increasing that appreciation. > > TCM has investigated the possiblity of getting Robert Osborne into the Guiness Book Of World Records for having appeared on television over more consecutive nights than anyone in televison history. RO has been a participant in the programming every night that TCM has been on the air. That's 16 years - and 17 years come April. And it will be a sad day in TCM City when Robert Osborne isn't there every evening. I notice he looks a little more gaunt in recent years than he used to, and it reminds me that there will come a day when he is no longer there every evening, but it's something I try not to think about as it is too sad to contemplate. Robbie

I noticed Saturday night that Robert Osborne did not do any commentary for Along Came Jones. I used to think maybe he doesn't do commentary for movies shown after 2am, but I have seem him doing commentary for movies ending as late as 4am or so on Saturday night. Then I was told he does commentary only for the first four movies of the night. Well, Along Came Jones was the fourth movie of the night, and it aired well before 4am, yet he didn't do any commentary for it. Does anyone know what the guidelines are for how many movies he does commentary for? I mean, if it's an evening of Leslie Caron or Gene Kelly, who seem to be two of his favorites, he is often doing commentary for movies airing until 4am or later, even on a weeknight, much less a Saturday. Does he not like westerns very much so he just didn't do commentary for Along Came Jones ? I know I've asked about this before, but I keep hoping someone has talked to the TCM programmers and gotten a definitive answer. TCM seems to operate under a pattern, and I'm just trying to identify what the pattern is, if there is one... Robbie

> {quote:title=Jayo wrote:}{quote} > I was wondering: Mayberry, North Carolina, the setting for "The Andy Griffith Show": did they have a movie theatre? If so, can anyone recall its' name, and the title of any movie that played there? (I'm > guessing they would've used fake titles.) Thank you very much. There are numerous references to the theater on The Andy Griffith Show (TAGS). In the episode "The Bank Job", Barney starts using all kinds of technical jargon and Andy realizes Barney and Thelma Lou have just seen Glenn Ford in G-Men at the theater. "Now you're going to Glenn Ford it up all over town," Andy says. When Andy is trying to calm Barney down at the bank, he suggests Barney go over to the theater and watch them change the sign on the marquee. "You always like that," Andy says, as Barney stands there fuming over not being taken seriously. AFAI, there is no Glenn Ford movie named G-Men. I looked for it because it sounded interesting from the TAGS episode, but I couldn't find it. In the episode "Andy's Rival," Goober and Andy go to a show at the theater because Helen is spending time with a teacher who is visiting from Raleigh. They see the movie The Monsters from Mars, which Goober says is very similar to "The Monsters from the Moon" except the Mars monster has four sets of teeth, while the moon monster has only three. In one of the episodes with the Fun Girls, Helen and Thelma Lou go the movies alone because Andy and Barney have to work late. The Fun Girls arrive and Andy and Barney are forced to drive them back to Mount Pilot to get rid of them. Leaving the theater, Helen and Thelma Lou see Andy and Barney with the Fun Girls and the conflict begins. There are occasionally wide shots of the street in the episodes, although these are often cut from the episodes shown on TV Land. I have seen the theater during some of these wide shots while watching the show on DVD, and I have noticed the movie listed on the marquee, but I can't remember any of them right now. Robbie

> {quote:title=markbeckuaf wrote:}{quote} > Digging the latest this morning! HIGH SOCIETY, but not the one you might think!!! Loving it! These guys are a trip! And with Gunsmoke's Amanda Blake (Miss Kitty), no less! Robbie

I tend to think of classic as something which "withstands the test of time." I thought this was just a fun game of speculating on movies which might be realized as classics at some point in the future, when the test of time has had a chance to be applied. You mentioned Unforgiven as an instant classic (a term I believe Siskel & Ebert used about The Little Mermaid when it came out), and I can see where a movie might be so groundbreaking that it might be termed an instant classic based on predictions that it will withstand the test of time. Whatever the definition of classic you want to use, whether it is timelessness, or the studio era, or whatever, I agree with previous posts that it is best that TCM focuses on the eras on which it is currently focused, as we have no other channel doing so. Also, just about every modern movie is being released on DVD, while there are still so many from the eras on which TCM is focused that are not released on DVD, that TCM is our only outlet for these movies.

Thanks, Kyle! The prime time premieres are my favorite anyway, since I get to hear Robert Osborne talk about the movie, so if they only designate premieres for a subset of their schedule, at least it is my favorite part of the schedule for which they do. I do hope TCM will consider adding a premiere designation for all times in their schedule at some point, or at least consider adding it (or a full list of premieres) in Now Playing. I haven't subscribed to Now Playing yet, but as I am becoming more and more obsessed with TCM, I really need to subscribe... Robbie

> {quote:title=LoveFilmNoir wrote:}{quote} > It's on and there's no wind or rain! Hallelujah. And I just saw that TCM "stamp" before the film...doesn't that usually mean it's a film they can play rather often or at their discretion? I've often wondered what the TCM screen that is shown sometimes between the ratings screen and the start of the movie means. The screen that just has the TCM logo in the middle that is moving and changing in size. It is only shown for some movies. I'm sure someone like lzcutter can answer this. What does it mean?

I am sorry I missed this...what did Robert Osborne have to say about it?

> {quote:title=MyFavoriteFilms wrote:}{quote} > Thanks. When I made this list I looked at the top moneymakers for each year, the Oscar winners, the critics' faves and drew on my own memories of particular films I remember everyone discussing. > > There _is_ such a thing as an instant classic. I forgot to include Eastwood's UNFORGIVEN, and I think that was definitely an instant classic. It encapsulates all the right ingredients of its genre and it not only won major awards but it became an immediate fan favorite, and it's still held in high esteem today, a good 18 years after its release. > > I probably forgot to mention some others. But we will definitely be watching them all on TCM in the future. You can count on it. Sorry I duplicated Midnight Cowboy and Unforgiven in my list; I started composing my list before the posts were made for these movies so I didn't know they had been added.

How about: Easy Rider (1969) Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969) Midnight Cowboy (1969) The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969) On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (1970) A Clockwork Orange (1971) The French Connection (1971) The Last Picture Show (1971) Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) The Poseidon Adventure (1972) Travels with My Aunt (1972) American Graffiti (1973) Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974) Blazing Saddles (1974) Young Frankenstein (1974) One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) Annie Hall (1977) The Goodbye Girl (1977) Halloween (1978) Superman (1978) Alien (1979) Friday the 13th (1980) The Shining (1980) Chariots of Fire (1981) Tootsie (1982) The Outsiders (1983) A Room with a View (1985) The Breakfast Club (1985) St. Elmo's Fire (1985) The Little Mermaid (1989) Avalon (1990) Beauty and the Beast (1991) City Slickers (1991) The Prince of Tides (1991) Thelma & Louise (1991) Unforgiven (1992) Shadowlands (1993) This Boy's Life (1993) Pulp Fiction (1994) Mr. Holland's Opus (1995) Fargo (1996) Independence Day (1996) Jerry Maguire (1996) Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) Men in Black (1997) My Best Friend's Wedding (1997) Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999) Wonder Boys (2000) Billy Elliott (2000) O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) Harry Potter and the Philosopher's (or Sorcerer's) Stone (2001) Shrek (2001) The Pianist (2002) Whale Rider (2002) Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) The Aviator (2004) Australia (2008)

> {quote:title=MyFavoriteFilms wrote:}{quote} > Well, I have a feeling it won't be Joel McCrea...but we do need to know what the premieres will be in January. Let's hope they have some great stuff lined up...! This reminds me of something I've been wondering about...do any of the online schedules indicate which movies are TCM premieres? It would be nice if there were some indicator, or a list published somewhere. I remember one year the 31 Days of Oscar PDF had asterisks or some other kind of notation for the movies that were TCM premieres, and I've been wondering ever since if TCM indicates which movies are premieres in its regular schedule anywhere online. Maybe it's there and I've missed it. It sure would be nice to have the premieres clearly spelled out. Thanks, Robbie