JackFavell

Do you feel more grown up today? I still feel like eighteen most of the time....

It was fun. Their summer attire was more like Victor McLaglen in Wee Willie Winkie, or the heroes in Gunga Din- but with kilts. They had the same hats and jackets as Cary Grant, Douglas Fairbanks, and Vic. Unfortunately, there was no one near as good looking as those three....

Jeff, that peach and green are perfect for the Bessie Love picture.

No trick. I just thought it looked yummy!

Hey guys! I didn't know where else to post this, but I have been looking at an auction site recently. I can't afford any of the stuff, but some of it is really cool. Today, I got an email from them, and they have a whole bunch of Theda Bara (the ugly one ) stuff and some of it is really amazing. I haven't looked for other silent memorabilia, but there may be other stuff too. http://entertainment.ha.com/common/search_items.php?num=0&ln=0&Sale_No=&optGlobalSearch=&cboDenomination=All%3A&txtSearch=theda+bara&chkAuctions=1&chkInventory=1&chkPABS=&chkSupplies=&hdnSearch=True&hdnSubmitted=True&onlySource=

Sometimes a crowd in the movie theatre is fun- like when we went to see *Curse of the Were-Rabbit* with Wallace and Grommit. We were all on the same page, and at the end everybody stood up and cheered. Unfortunately, this is not the case most of the time! When people are texting during a movie (it's amazing how piercing the light is from a little tiny phone when you are in the dark), or are getting up fro snacks and coming in late, talking and laughing through the whole thing I just get crazy! The worst for me is when someone sitting behind me has to translate for a very deaf or stupid person. This happened during "Brideshead Revisited" recently. The woman kept saying, "What did she say?" "What was that?" and I wanted so badly to say, "Why did you come to an English movie if you can't understand the language?" It just makes me frustrated, because every time she asked a question, I would lose two or three more bits of dialogue.... Message was edited by: JackFavell

Gladys is VERY realistic ...enough to make you wonder, "How much of it was an act?" According to Bette Davis, Gladys Cooper was as fine and kindly a woman as you'd ever want to meet. Bette said she felt bad that she became so well known for this part, because she was as far from it as you could possible get.... Lovely descriptions again, Miss G. I especially like the way you went back and figured out an overriding theme in your choices.... I'm glad you picked Hattie McDaniel- I have been watching her with a different eye lately, and realized that her popularity is totally warranted. Her characters are never dull, stupid, or even subservient. In fact, I would venture to say that she plays on two levels all the time. The first level is the one we all see. Mammy, the servant, for instance. The second level is deeper, and more profound- and is a running commentary on the behavior of the folks she works for. Mammy is the conscience of the movie. She is always looking on, disapproving, or being won over- We wouldn't like Rhett in the way we do if he hadn't had that scene in which he flirts with McDaniel. I watched "The Male Animal" recently, and the part of Cleota has always bothered me. But McDaniel played it on a level I had never thought of before, having only read the play. Again, there is another layer, one in which she seems to be saying, "Look at how ridiculous these people are". She plays with a sort of irony most of the time, but when she needs to, she can pull out all the stops and blow everyone away emotionally. I am trying to write mine down, but it may be awhile... I am having a hard time limiting myself once I get going... I thought I was the only one who was having trouble with the ladies. I find that I could pick a hundred character actors, but only a few character actresses. Is it an innate prejudice on my part, or that there simply aren't the roles for women that there are for men?

Thanks for the review. It's been in my queue for a while, but I keep bumping it down! I guess it's tiem to bump it back up. I can't wait to see it.

Thanks, Chris! I really thought Cukor directed them both... I actually am not crazy about the Garland version, though I love Judy. I guess the 1937 version just stuck with me.

I too am appreciating Wellman more. I didn't realize that he directed A Star is Born, one of my favorite weepers. Somehow I had it in my head that A Star is Born was directed by Cukor instead. He also directed The Happy Years, Nothing Sacred, and Beau Geste. For some reason all of these surprised me. I really only thought of him as a man's picture director- you know, Public Enemy and Wild Boys of the Road type movies. I guess I was wrong...but he certainly brought an unflinching eye to whatever he did. Yesterday we went to a local food festival and guess what they had? No, not waffles.... Men in kilts.....

Kathy- Yes, there is a a long set up for Ruby. She goes to town every Thursday, on the pretext of having piano lessons, I think. But she really goes with the boys. The movie never shows what she does, but the boys follow after her, and yet talk disparagingly about her behind her back. I found her rather heartbreaking. She is definitely the most mysterious character for me.

MissG. - Yes, I did read your insightful descriptions! I especially love the Thomas Santschi one. You also know how I feel about Pompey.... Now, you SAY you don't understand how to dissect a movie, or the details of filmmaking, but here in your descriptions of Felix Bressart and of Ward Bond, you have hit on some extremely important cinematic conventions. Talking about Felix Bressart as the voice of the people of Europe and depression-shy Americans is pretty deep... and true. Or explaining that Bond is the real antithesis of Fonda's character- that's a totally different take from the usual critique of the movie, which pits Wayne against Fonda. But again, IT'S TRUE. And it comes from an unusual ability to dig into a movie and find the through line, whether of a character or the film itself. Bravo.... You also made me want to see The Shepherd of the Hills. I have to admit that I have hardly seen Harry Carey, Sr. except in Mr. Smith goes to Washington. He actually almost made it onto my list for Mr. Smith, in spite of the fact that he is only on camera for maybe 30 seconds to a minute! He just exudes warmth and charity in that movie, and I think he must have been brilliant to make such an impression in so little screen time.

Hey! I missed your birthday, Scotchie! To the sweetest girl on the Torture Thread! Do you like butterscotch layer cake? I think it looks delicious! and here's a little something I found for you....

I love that scene Kathy! I actually think it's one of the strongest scenes in the movie... I have only seen Night of the Hunter once before this all the way through, and I loved it. I watched last night during the remnants of the hurricane, which hit us about 8:00pm. It was wild- It definitely kept our mind off the weather. It was exciting to watch with all the wind howling and the rain coming down. I put it on for my husband who thinks my movies are kind of .... dopey. He didn't say anything for a while. Finally, I said, "Creepy, isn't it?" He said, "Yup". Usually his defense against my movies is to drop off to sleep, but he actually stayed awake for the whole thing! His only other comment was, "Did Shelley Winters ever make a NORMAL movie?" I said no. I love Night of the Hunter's mix of atmospheric creep-out and sheer beauty. It is highly subjective and emotional, and yet there is a sort of stark reality mixed in as well. Most kids will go through a "grow up quick" phase, hopefully not as horribly as John and Pearl did, but this gives the film a natural empathy. My favorite part is the ride on the river. It's like a memory of something long gone. It is reminiscent of Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer, but then everything gets all twisted awry. I like that nature (an extension of God?) saves the children- taking them to Lillian Gish.....who is a natural force herself. I am extremely curious about the character of Ruby. Why is she there? Is it only because someone has to tell Mitchum where the kids are? I don't think so. I think she represents nature as well. Her need to be loved is natural, and Gish treats it as such. But I think she is also there to point up Mitchum's perverted use of and hatred of sexuality. I would love some other opinions on Ruby, because I can't quite formulate what I'm thinking....

I also do not think you'll like Russell Crowe's character. While he is pretty much visibily "black," he's the coolest cat in the film. He's actually quite likeable. Crowe reminded me a lot of Robert Mitchum, and that's a big compliment from me. I love when Mitchum plays bad. Crowe is exactly like him, to me. He's "Max Cady"-like. I loved this part of Crowe's character in L.A. Confidential. You never knew what side he was going to fall on, he kept you completely suspended- all the while hoping he would end up doing the right thing.... I also hated that Russell Crowe movie that was like a crappy remake of "Under the Tuscan Sun". Yecch. If it's possible, I hated even more than UTTS......

I enjoy many Kay Francis movies without actually liking Kay very much. Most of the movies I've seen her in were good solid movies. She is always competent. Her voice is lovely, however I have always had a problem with her line readings being a little too dulcet to be believed. Sometimes I feel like she is stagy, or worse, stilted. I realize that the style of acting was a bit different, especially after talkies came in. I didn't hate her, but I just didn't warm up to Kay Francis. That being said, watching her in Jewel Robbery the other night was a revelation! She was free and comfortable, relaxed and her voice never once seemed affected. I enjoyed it immensely. I hope her other precodes will be as enjoyable. I missed One Way Passage, which I have been dying to see (oops, sorry for the pun). I am looking forward to the other Francis movies this month (and the clothes!). BTW, Thanks to Frank Grimes, Ro and Movieman for the interesting discussion of the remake of 3:10 to Yuma. I appreciate the spoiler alerts as well, because I haven't seen the new one yet, but now I think I want to check it out to see which side of the road I am on. Thanks also to those who didn't jump all over me for my mistake in the post about The Men Who Made the Movies.... I somehow turned Howard Hawks into William Wellman in just one sentence! I woke up last night realizing what I had done... and wanted to correct myself. Hopefully the 3:10 discussion distracted everyone.

Bronxie- I loved your different characterizations of Ike. That's brilliant. Are you going to name your horse Pi, Velvet or Flicka? Phar Lap or Seabiscuit? I'm curious what you end up with.... I watched all the episodes of "Men", but unfortunately, Hawks was the one during the hour before my girl's bus came, so I wasn't paying very close attention. I rationalized my inattention by saying to myself, "Hawks is awfully terse, so it isn't really important that I didn't catch all of it." I think WELLMAN talked more about his personal life than any other director.....I remembered a lot of his comments from the episode, especially the ones about grapefruit....... Edited due to stupidity....

Is the entire board made up of Ford and Coop girls ? yes. I like the idea of stating why the performance is a favorite.... Miss G- The Adolphe Menjou pic is from Road Show (1941) and I now desperately want to see it simply because of this picture.....it is Patsy Kelly, BTW. Hey, Ro! Glad to see you back!

Hey, Mickee! you're so fine, you're so fine you blow my mind! Your evaluation of Joseph Cotten was so good, I have been trying to write something like that that for years- but I could never describe exactly what it was about his performance that captivated me so.... You just did it with aplomb..... You are right, the movie is a sort of joyful, gleeful noir.... really crazy, huh? Leaves you feeling kind of giddy....

MissG- PancakesBarbara posted this over in the pre-code gallery, and I thought of you, so I am reposting it here for your enjoyment....

Thanks FF. I see what you mean. Yes, many bonus features are simply advertisements.... quite frustrating when you expect info about a movie.... Have I already complained about the poor quality of some DVD commentaries? Lately, I can't help noticing that 1. Many of the commentators hired to do the voice overs are not really the best that are available. 2. Many of them are people who wrote a book about one star in the film, and so they continually concentrate on that person's private life rather than the film at hand. 3. Many are boring. 4. Many of them have not prepared (this is the one that really bugs me) OK. I probably should not combine list-making AND complaining in one response, especially since I just read Helenbaby's thread......

Alright, I better go abck and check the vid on Netflix to see if it has the bonus features. Uhhh, ....what's an EPK?

Thanks for posting Adolphe here! He's gawgeous! Mind if I copy and post this one over on Seven Squirrely Cherubs- the character actors thread? I'll credit you.... Don't you just love Nancy Carroll's pink and orange hair? I almost commented on it before. Message was edited by: JackFavell

It's a great movie... haven't seen it in years, but I remember thinking how remarkable it was when I first saw it.