JackFavell

They Won't Forget?

Ro- We are also stay at home types....but I am embarrassed to say I think I just found a babysitter! We went to gymnastics this morning, and one of the girls who is helping the teacher there babysits our next door neighbor's little girl. I KNOW she is good, because my neighbor is also a control freak! We asked if she might babysit and she said that would be great. I think you are my good luck charm- just mention it, and it happens (and only after seven years of looking....) Hope I can be as much of a good luck charm for you....

I can't help but be a little disappointed... all day yesterday I was dreaming of all night Lubitsch.... It would have been wonderful, but I'll settle for two......

Oh man! You guys made me laugh out loud! and Bronxie- Your mom is a riot! +I know we asked this of you before, Barbara, but is there a movie (or TV) character that reminds you most of your Mom?+ I am curious too.

Ro- if you have to be a control freak, this is the area to do it in- leaving the short one home with somene is not to be taken lightly- I still have no babysitter- its tough to find someone beside grandma or grandpa! Traitor- I can't wait for your ramble-----I myself am really curious to see The Women remake- I swore I wouldn't but now I am just flat out curious to know what they changed, left in, left out ......it won't be witty, but it could be OK, it is a good story after all. Aaaagh. I feel guilty......

When RO made the announcement I thought "I hope Goddess saw that! Can you imagine how great a Lubitsch New Year's Eve would be? Oh, my gosh, I will be seeing the moon in my champagne.....

Yeah, I saw The Feminine Touch during Roz month, and was disappointed to find it a pretty weak movie...I don't really mind having missed it.

I also had an itch to include this scene - I find it uproariously funny that all Cary has to do is stand on a stage to get women cheering.

I have been really enjoying the Kay Francis films as well- you know, she really was good! I had no idea of the range of her performances. I made it through Trouble in Paradise, which was even better the second time (I just got it on dvd), but missed the next two, which I hadn't seen before. I even downed a coke so I would stay up, but alas, it didn't work. I have no room left on my DVD-R again, so I guess I'll have to wait for Cynara and A Notorious Affair to come around again in the TCM lineup. Francis could really shift gears - I only thought of her as a high class rich girl type, but she has surprised me, like in Mary Stevens, M.D. She and Glenda Farrell made a good team, despite the differences in type.

I was watching *The Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer* yesterday. It is one of my must-watch-if-it's-on movies, I don't know why. It isn't the best movie ever made. It isn't the best written comedy. I guess I like it because it simply has an amiable nature, like a good friend who is fun to hang out with, not too taxing on the brain. Take a walk through *Bachelor* with me, because this will explain why I like old movies, and what watching one is like for me. Here is Bessie, aka *Lillian Randolph*. She makes you feel at home in this movie, she is a comforting presence. She was well known on radio at the time, appearing in numerous shows, including The Great Gildersleeve and Amos n' Andy. You might just recognize her voice from Tom and Jerry cartoons- she was Tom's owner. Now might also be the time to mention how much I want to live in this house- check out the furnishings! Why, look! Here is our old friend *Charles Halton* - I should say *Mr.* Halton, because he always plays characters of great standing in the community (at least in his own mind). How nice to see you introducing us to Cary Grant....and (yawn).....I'm starting to feel sleepy listening to your voice, Mr Halton.... I noticed a gentleman as we were passing through the courtroom, I am sure he was a lawyer- he has that look. He could be Cary Grant's best friend. Oh! He looks so familiar. That's right, it's *Dan Tobin*, he's got that charming moustache...Wasn't he in Woman of the Year? Hey! I'm screaming at the TV- it's *Pat Flaherty!!!* I am even more convinced that he is in every movie ever made.... *Veda Ann Borg* - she is so great here, as a man hungry dame with the sensitivity of a bull moose. Her date is *Don Beddoe*, who was either a fast talking salesman or a mousey type- like here. *Gregory Gaye* is the unflappably perfect and dapper Russian(?) maitre d' during the Happy Birthday scene. I love a Slav or a middle European thrown into the mix, don't you? Especially when they have such a nice accent and really speak Russian. He reminds me of Conrad Veidt. He is the straight man who, after Cary's been yelled at, spilled on and accused of blue murder, asks Cary if there will be anything else. He also has this wonderful scene in which he simply knows Myrna Loy is Grant's date. Busybody *Ray Collins* and Cantankerous *Harry Davenport* are wonderful as Uncle Beemish and Great Uncle Thaddeus. I love watching Harry Davenport dump the chess set on the floor. One of my favorite character actors is *Rudy Vallee* . Rudy is just so stuffy, and I long to see him get his chair pulled out from under him every time. It's my favorite part of the movie. Vallee is gleefully spiteful and jealous, but his demeanor is always placid. He is a solid citizen, but soooo boring. He is teeming with insecurities. I find him screamingly funny for some reason. It's also fun watching Cary Grant try NOT to beat Vallee in the obstacle course- Grant is in such obviously better condition that it makes it even funnier for me. Vallee must have had a sense of humor to let himself be made fun of in picture after picture, but he was a genius at playing humorless fellows. *Shirley Temple* is just so much fun here. I think that her character is marvelous.She truly rates as a character actor in this one. She has a kind of pouty phoniness that just shines out of her pores. She is dreamy, but she is also snooty, pretentious, and full of herself. You know that she is really a nice girl who just wants to be grown up, but she is so horrible, especially to her boyfriend Jerry, that you can't help but laugh. She plays the perfect teenager. I love Loy's line at the beginning, "You know I'd die for you, but sometimes it's awfully hard to live with you." Have I mentioned yet how much I want a robe with pockets on the outside?

MissG- I love your description of the unchanging Mr. Stone- the name sort of fits, doesn't it? One of these days I am going to get a copy of the 1922 *Prisoner of Zenda* in which Stone plays the Rudolfs (!) I was supposed to get it a couple months ago, but it fell through. I am dying to see what Stone brings to the movie- I have such a hard time imagining him in this role! Ramon Navarro plays Rupert of Hentzau, so there will be some sex appeal there. In glancing at IMDB, I notice that most of his silents have names like "What Fools Men" or "Why Men Leave Home" hinting at a more dapper or exotic character for him in that time period.... In trying to think of roles that were slightly different from Judge Hardy, I remember I liked him in Suzy. Well, I guess that one was actually a father as well. I am getting a copy of "Red Headed Woman" this week, so I will check him out in that one too.. Have you seen "Three Godfathers" (1936)? What was his character like in that one? I am dying to hear him sing "Boola Boola".

Aaaaaahh. I love that.... I picture a nice little love nest, just for three.....

Gerr! I am starting to grow quite weary of the lack of a traditional "TCM Remembers" segment airing for Anita Page??? I agree. Anita Page deserves at least a 30 second tribute - if not a few movies shown.....

I actually prefer the top one this time.... he IS young and so handsome....

Very interesting article, FF. I haven't watched "Balloon" yet, but there is hope! It's coming to Netflix in October. I am more likely to get it there than to travel to Blockbuster, so I am going to try and be the first person to rent it.

I just added it to my Netflix queue. This is right up my alley- I love theatre on film, and I love British stuff. I am crazy about Ian Holm, he is always really interesting. Look how young he is! I just saw him a week or so ago playing Napoleon in "The Emperor's New Clothes" and he was really good. Of course, I have about 300 movies to go through on Netflix, but I will move it up to the top ten- maybe I can actually watch it within the next month!

You mean you can see trees & flowers bloom, leaves fall off the trees, and snow blanketing the whole place - all in the same day? I guess not, but it can be pretty changeable here due to the proximity of the water- usually about 10:00 am the weather will change. We just dropped 10 degrees between yesterday and today. Also, here at the shore, we are lucky, weather is more moderate. But all you have to do is go about 10 miles inland and the weather will be completely different! In winter, there could be a Nor'easter blowing inland, and we will only get a slight dusting of snow, or vice versa.

And there's no better place in the U.S. to enjoy the seasonal changes, imho. B-) Sometimes all of them in the same day.... Cinemaven- we are at the southeastern edge of Connecticut. Where men are men and women are snooty....

I love Byron Foulger! I love his voice, and the way he peers around like a bunny.... I mean ...a squirrel. Weak and obsequious, he played hotel clerks, high school principals, and druggists. A quick glance at IMDB shows his characters are invariably named "Littleton" or "Tweedy", that is, when he gets a name, which isn't often. More often he is cast as "station manager" or "glove expert". To me, he seems most at home in slightly scary, noir or monster movies, playing henchman who are doomed to die from the moment they appear on the scene. IMDB says he is highly recognizable:

Oh, that is the cutest! I can just hear his little voice a singin'.

There are definite pluses to living in New England! If you can stand humidity and don't mind laconic people, it's pretty great.

These guys are the Mystic Highland Pipe Band, which is our local bagpipe group- it seems that there are pipers all over New England, because at every parade, there are at least three bagpipe groups! I love it, but I imagine it would be quite wearing if you hate the sound of bagpipes. It looks like that photo was taken at Avery Point, nearby. I am not sure, but there aren't that many places with lots of flat land here.... yes! I just found the picture again, and it was at Avery Point, which is beautiful! I wish I could have been there that day.... Here is a picture of the lighthouse there.....

That place looks gorgeous, but I am sure it didn't look as good as the brunette Veronica! I like your taste in food, except dessert.....I would have gone for the chocolate....

It's not that they're tall, it's their skinny legs.....

it's far outside my income bracket You got that right! Me too. I probably shouldn't say this, but I have my eye on some of Alice Brady's jewelry right now. Oops! Now I've done it! Someone is going to bid against me. Actually, I probably won't even bid at all, not really having the wherewithal to afford it in the first place. I like to look though, and pretend I can buy some little trinkets.