JackFavell
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Posts posted by JackFavell
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Hi, MN! I am glad there is a another Radio Dismuke fan here!
I love Hoagy Carmichael, so I may just do a run around the net to see if I can find his version as well. :x
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Ha! he's trouble all the way - divine trouble!
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I don't wish to interrupt this wonderful discussion, but I did want to respond to something a couple of pages back before it's so far out of everyone's minds that they have to go watch the movie again!
I do love *The Rising of the Moon* (thanks MissG), partly because I really like anthology movies. The short story format of movies like *Dead of Night* and *Trio*, or *O. Henry's Full House* really captivates me. I also like bookish, literary movies a lot. I like the way the short story movie keeps ones interest by switching things up, and how the stories can interrelate to make a satisfying whole.
It's a genre that Ford does very, very well... he seems to have thrown himself fully into the process in each film, creating literary works without losing any enjoyment at all. This is such a Ford baby, it seems to me - he's pulling and tweaking certain themes purely for his own pleasure, in order to bring three disparate stories into a cohesive recording of an Ireland that no longer exists - or like in *The Quiet Man*, maybe one that never really did.
Is it my imagination, or is this a European release? They seem to take so much care in their restorations and dvd releases - the U.S. companies could learn a thing or two from them. *Monsieur Vincent* and *The Rising of the Moon* are the two most beautifully brought out films I think I've ever seen on dvd. They are crisp, unbelievably clean prints - we can see them as art is supposed to be seen:
The main thing I like is the film's use of *The Abbey Theatre Players.* This is like stepping into Irish theatre history for me, and I am thrilled that these magnificent, highly skilled actors are captured for all time, and not one is a dud. The way each and every member plays off the other, perfectly in tune, adding such character through bits of business in the most natural way, well, it is a thing of beauty.
The second film especially had split second timing and a sense of whimsy - each player had a distinct set of parameters or a job to do, which added to the comedy. You got to know them - what everyone was going to do and how they would react each time they were stopped. I loved how familiar the routines became, like the barmaid hoisting herself over the bar every time the train was ready to leave, or the Brits looking on disapprovingly when the people came rushing back.. Ah, it's a beautiful thing, a piece that runs like clockwork - the very opposite of the way the train was run!
Of the three stories, I really liked the last one, *1921*, the best. I believe it was based on real events, or at least it feels like it, and the camera work showed how completely skewed the whole situation in Ireland was.
Clocks play a large part in this film as well, since there is a hanging to be done. I enjoyed the the way humor was brought into a basically dramatic story. The tone changes imperceptibly, becoming lighter while staying very personal, with the switch up played more and more comically as the story goes on:
and with the introduction of the police sergeant or "peeler" caught between a rock and a hard place, and his wife. The characters are everything - my personal favorites were Frank Lawton as the reluctant British officer in charge of the occupation who is more sympathetic with the people he is overseeing than those who are in power.
Doreen Madden as the head nun (with the fancy stockings) was quite striking, I loved her demeanor. She reminded me pf Aline MacMahon:
And of course, Denis O'Dea and Eileen Crowe as the police sergeant and his wife who let Sean Curran get away while they are arguing.
My favorite line in any of the stories belonged to Sergeant O'Hara. His timid assistant comes running up after O'Hara has seen Curran escaping, but O'Hara thinks better of his decision to cry out:
>"Was that yourself? I thought I heard you calling, Sergeant."
>(speaking of himself) "No. It was a jackass you heard braying...."
>"That's what I thought."
It turns out that there are some things more precious than 500 pounds reward.
It's no surprise that Sean Curran escapes with the help of theatre people.
This is a bit of an in-joke I think, and a very pleasant one it is to me, theatre people being some of the most broad-minded that I've known.
The arts are often seen as useless, or foolish, at best, but in this case, they actually save the lives of a put-upon people, and of Sean Curran - twice. Sean poses as a balladeer, no accident either, and it is a song that prevents him from being picked up by the Black and Tans, who think that such matters are folly.
This subversive view of the arts actually helps tie the three short stories together as I began to notice that art and artistic enterprises enter time and again into each story.
In the second film, *One Minute's Wait*, the train's engineer is also a storyteller of the finest caliber, though he never gets to the end of his story. Life revolves around not time, or the clock, but an almost musical series of fortuitous happenings. Wine, story and song are the things that tie people together.
The art of living and loving in Dunfaill, where there's always time for a dance or a song
In the first story, *The Majesty of the Law*, there are no clocks, in fact, the main character says he'll make his appointment with the law on "Friday" if that is alright with all parties concerned, a tenuous date. The Law plays a big part here, as the title shows, and it links us to the *1921* episode. The arts are again referred to - but as a sliding away and we come to realize that the art these characters are really talking about is the art of living - whether it be making poteen, or the making of colloquial conversation. Here in what's left of the old country, the most miniscule argument is actually a matter of honor and dignity. These are the lost arts of Ireland, lost with time and an uncaring new order that looks to the clock or a law book instead of seeing magic in foolish, steadfast honor or a grand tradition in little harmless liquor production.
Again, thanks MissG, for making this movie, another almost lost artistic endeavor, known to me. I loved what you had to say about the first segment - that Ford is able to combine the good and the bad within characters and stories, never making apologies for Noel Purcell's character. The old man is a mixture of incredible grace, grandeur and bullheadedness, and this seems to be a facet of the Irish, if not of the entire human race itself.
Oh, and you are right. I just loved Jack MacGowran - he was as fine here as in *The Quiet Man*, with the same twisty way with a line - making it seem almost as if he were saying two opposite things at the same time. He's a darlin' of a man. I wish I could have known him.
The movies are all shot beautifully, the cinematographer was Robert Krasker.
Edited by: JackFavell on Nov 16, 2011 3:16 PM
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Gable favorites
1. GWTW
2. The Misfits
3. Test Pilot
4. Red Dust
5. It Happened One Night
6. Manhattan Melodrama
7. San Francisco
8. Hold Your Man
9. Mutiny on the Bounty
10. The Hucksters
I'm stopping at ten, partly cause I can't remember some of the films, I haven't seen many of them in years. I also like Strange Interlude and Polly of the Circus -they are interesting for casting Gable as milder types, and I still like him, but they aren't really rankable films for me.
Edited by: JackFavell on Nov 16, 2011 11:31 AM
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Heard this one this morning on Radio Dismuke and just loved it! I've listened to it three times in a row now. Very peppy and makes you want to foxtrot all around the house.
Gonna Get a Girl by The Six Jumping Jacks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNdXDk0GR5Q
By the way, _Radio Dismuke_ is a wonderful station that plays all sorts of 20's and early 30's hits. I stream it to my computer through Loud City. I highly recommend it:
Edited by: JackFavell on Nov 16, 2011 9:55 AM
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Oops! I meant to caption it. It says it's Bebe Daniels and here is the label on the back:
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Another great article, Dred! I've always wondered about the first Harrison Ford.
And for those of you like me, who got more and more curious about the other half of HF's face appearing at the top of the page, here it is (and a couple more photos to give an idea of his malleable looks):
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Haha! That's hilarious! I bet New Haven was a hotbed of sin, with progressive girls on the prowl and conservative yankees out to stop them. I think there's another movie in that little 3 line story!
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Dred, these are YOU? I didn't realize! Good work! I am really enjoying the articles.
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Haha! Hard NOT to notice her.
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I've seen Holiday Affair. It was OK.
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> {quote:title=FrankGrimes wrote:}{quote}
> You seem to like him on the soft and sensitive side. Well, except for *The Night of the Hunter*.
I've yet to see *The Story of G.I. Joe*, *Rachel and the Stranger*, and *The Red Pony*.It's not exactly that, I just like it when he's different from his usual stock performance. There are a couple of standard ones that I like - *Macao* and *His Kind of Woman*... but I suspect it's because Jane Russell brings out the funny in him.
Edited by: JackFavell on Nov 12, 2011 3:59 PM
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Ro, that *Nicholas Nickleby* version looks great! I don't know how I missed it. I can't think of a better person for the role of Ralph Nickleby than Christopher Plummer! I'll have to get it.
If you have 8 hours to spare sometime (!), this one is just a heck of a lot of fun - they do the entire story, subplots and all, but it moves super quickly. It is very stagey, but in the very best possible way. It's amazing what they did - creating coaches and settings out of nothing. I love to watch it about this time of year. Somehow, Dickens and Christmas go together no matter what the story:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IUxuatICEw
Edited by: JackFavell on Nov 12, 2011 3:54 PM
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Double Whoopee is one of my favorites.
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groan. I hate seeing things like that. Oh well, I guess it was a living.
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I like these second string leading men - MacDonald Carey and Don Taylor. Nothing special, but they feel kind of homey. I think they capture the veteran-returning-home category very well.
Frank - Did you watch *Great Expectations* ? Or just buy it?
Ro - I love your Dickens picks! I love both *Great Expectations* and *David Copperfield.*
Did you see the version of *Nicholas Nickleby* done by the Royal Shakespeare Company over a couple of nights on TV years ago? with Roger Rees as Nicholas? It's WONDERFUL.
> {quote:title=FrankGrimes wrote:}{quote}That picture is hilarious! I defintiely know the feeling of a skillet to the head!
I know you do! By now, you probably look like Tom after Jerry has hit him in the face with the iron.
> It looks like you've pushed me to try and get the box set. I hope it drops a little more in price. I've become such a snob with DVD prices. I try to get box sets for $20 or less. We'll see what Amazon offers up for Christmas sales.
I rarely buy anything, I'm too cheap. I usually just wait for it to show up on TCM.
> I'm not that crazy about Loretta Young. I mean, she's all right. It's just she rarely pushes me to like a film more like other actresses do.
I am not the biggest Loretta fan, though there are a few of her films I do like a lot. I really like *The Stranger* and *The Bishop's Wife* and *The Farmer's Daughter*. *Midnight Mary* is pretty good Loretta.
> From what you have written, I believe that's a huge draw for you. In general, that's a huge draw for you. That's why I'm now curious to see these films. Will I like them as much as you?
I doubt it.
> Of course! I'm the master of my own hand-cuffs and building very high walls.
You are Sleeping Beauty. or maybe The Beast. Have you ever seen Beauty and the Beast - Cocteau's version? *La Belle et la Bete?*
> So long as it's not *All About Eve* ! I like when I'm told to watch something. I love those kind of challenges. But the key is I need to have real discussion afterwards. I know I'll get that with you.
What's wrong with *All About Eve*?
You couldn't stop me from putting my two cents worth in, unless I haven't seen a movie in a long time, or if a movie is ephemeral. I have a bad memory.
> Why? Kids in peril?
>
>
> *Just kids in general. That can be torture for me.*
Did you ever see Frankie Darro before? He's a tough kid. He's super in *The Mayor of Hell* with Jimmy Cagney. and Cagney's really good in it too - it showcases his appeal very well.
>
> I thought your using the word "sparse" was a good way to describe Wellman. He's going more for a natural feel, I believe. This also plays to your comment about the lack of phoniness.
MissG made that comment, but that is the essence of Wellman. Nothing phony in his pictures. I love his straight shooting.
>
I'm a goody two shoes!The good bad man!
> I like Mitchum in just about everything. I love his lazy, sleepy style.
I like him when he stretches himself. His personality doesn't appeal to me on it 's own.
Mitchum performances I like best:
1. Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison
2. Night of the Hunter
3. The Story of G.I. Joe
4. Two for the Seesaw
5. Rachel and the Stranger (more Loretta, and I like her here too)
6. Blood on the Moon
7. The Red Pony
8 River of No Return
9. Out of the Past
>
You're naughty. I'm a fan of your Georgie.I'm so glad! He's really underrated I think.
Edited by: JackFavell on Nov 12, 2011 9:43 AM
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> {quote:title=MissGoddess wrote:}{quote}Hi, Jackie
> It's been a while since I saw Burt's swashies, but I remember finding them tremendous fun. And probably no one since Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. was ever as grinningly athletic!
That's the truth! It's great to me to watch Burt go back to his roots, I love watching the director set up sweeping shots with Burt in the air or doing a flip - and they don't have to cut away! I think he made directors giddy - they created new shots to prove it's really him doing the stunts. *Trapeze* is the same.
> Like Jackie said, put a beard on him and a pretty maid in his lap and he's going to town with it!
Oh George! sigh.
> > What about the others on your list, like *They Gave Him a Gun?*
> > Now that was a rather interesting film. It starts off as a war film and then it turns into a gangster flick. Remarkable! I really enjoyed Spencer Tracy in this one. I liked his calling Rose (Gladys George) "Duffy." Spence is so good at playing the "other man." The sacrifice in the film is very interesting. It plays many ways.
> > It certainly does. It's a remarkable role for any actor yet Tracy makes it seem tailor made for him. He's an gruffly gracious loser. I really liked that they made a direct link between the violence of the battlefield leading to violence at home.
Oh that's right! I forgot to mention that I saw this one recently and really loved it - I'd never heard of it, but its definitely worth seeking out. It's the one I was thinking of where Tone goes so bad, turns gangster, yet it's still believable. Another great unknown Tracy performance, where he gets that deeper underneath character stuff going. His ability to modulate perfectly really comes out in 35, 36 and 37.
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> {quote:title=FrankGrimes wrote:}{quote}
> *Noooooooooooooooooooo! You're starting to make Greer Garson seem good!
*
> *I'm looking for films to really like and I think you may have plotted some for me. It looks like I may have to get the third "Forbidden Hollywood" box set.*
You made me realize that I saw the end of *Other Men's Women*. It was terrific. All the movies are good. *Midnight Mary* is another tough little film, with Loretta Young, who I don't think you've seen much. Maybe I like Wellman because of his tough, survivor women.
>
> 1. *A Star is Born* (1937) - this is one of my favorite movies ever, and in need of a good restoration. It's an unflinching portrait of a guy who wasted his life. The sad part is, you like him. May have too much of the women's picture for you to like, but you must see it at least once. Brutally honest acting, except for May Robson who's an old ham. The beginning is slow going, but once we get to Hollywood, it's a savage and sometimes funny account of the movie business.
>
>
> *There's a film about me?!
I've been avoiding the film like the plague because I always thought of it as a woman's pic. If the man is so self-destructive, I'll have to check it out.*You are self-destructive? I think you'd absolutely get something out of the movie, even if you didn't like the framework. Though the construct is "women's picture", it's really got much more going on. Deep stuff. And Wellman is merciless in his depiction of Hollywood and the narcissism and self-destructiveness it engenders. I like directors who can take what is basically a sappy story and cold eye it - he doesn't force the emotion in the main part of the plot.
> *Now that's a film that sounds very good to me. It sounds a little like James Whale's *Sinners in Paradise*.*
I've never heard of *Sinners in Paradise*, but the description sounds just like *Five Came Back* (which I finally got a copy of. Oh, my poor brave Joe!). I bookmarked Sinners on youtube, it looks interesting and I like James Whale. I'm pretty sure you will really like *Safe in Hell.*
> 5. Wild Boys of the Road - gritty realistic depiction of children left to their own devices during the Depression.
>
>
> *That one worries me some.*
Why? Kids in peril?
> 6. *Frisco Jenny*
>
> *It sounds like a woman's pic, but it sounds good to me.*
It struck me as another where Wellman takes a standard women's story and gives it some backbone. I really was impressed by it.
Wellman never pulls any punches when it comes to poverty or tough times. That's what I like about him. He's also got a great eye. Some of his films are very beautiful in their starkness - his black and white is really vivid, not so much in this one but in WTW and Battleground, for instance. And some of his scenes just move in such a fascinating way - especially in the underworld, or the desert or in the fog...he makes some scenes positively crackle with suspense.
> *7. Lady of Burlesque - murder mystery that takes place behind the scenes at a Burley-que show. It's a hoot!*
>
>
> *Hmmmm, very Hitchcockian. *Murder!* and *Stage Fright* quickly come to mind.*
I think you'd like this one. It's just fun. Plus - strippers!
> *The thick fog is a selling point for me.*
Battleground caught me unawares one day, and I was really pulled in by it. You can't not watch. It's gorgeously filmed. Simple, stark.
> 9. The Story of G. I. Joe - Ernie Pyle writes stories back home of the men fighting in WWII. Robert Mitchum is splendid as an officer who shows Pyle how difficult being in command really is. Psychological, like Battleground.
>
>
> *Psychological? Sign me up!*
There are very few Mitchum performances that really get me, and this is one.
> 10. *The Light that Failed* - Ida Lupino and Ronald Colman in the story of an artist who slowly loses his sight. This one will probably move way up after I watch it again... I haven't seen it for years and remember being completely spellbound by it. A real shocker.
>
>
> *This one doesn't sound like my kind of flick.*
Oh, I think it might be, but I'll have to watch it again to find out. Very atmospheric, almost a horror movie as I recall. Ida is incredible.
> *I love the beginning. I was completely drawn to the mystery of the film. Then everything that follows just doesn't do nearly as much for me.*
I like the mystery in *Beau Geste*, so I hang in there till the end. I love circular stories that end where they began.
> *Is there anyone who does cat and mouse any better? He's always mocking and toying. I love his brand of "elitism."*
You've really got a handle on him! I wish I had described him as well as you do. He gives me the vicarious thrill of speaking his mind at all times - I love it when he says something cutting to a goody goody character. Just what I'd like to say to a few people if I had the nerve.
> *It's a fun popcorn film with my kind of romantic battle. The stars truly do make the picture.*
Totally. There are some movies where it just doesn't matter what they are about, or how silly they are. You watch them for the personalities.
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> {quote:title=FrankGrimes wrote:}{quote}Ciao, Spunky! --
Ciao, Briny Marlin!
> He's very hit or miss with me. I've only seen eight of his films, so far:
>
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> 1. The Ox-Bow Incident (love it)
> 2. Island in the Sky (really like it)
> 3. The Public Enemy (very solid; love the ending)
> 4. Westward the Women (very solid)
> 5. The Call of the Wild (not much to it)
> 6. Beau Geste (rather dry)
> 7. Nothing Sacred (not a fan)
> 8. Blood Alley (not a fan)
>
>
> What are your favorite Wellman pics? Which ones would you suggest to me?
WESTWARD THE WOMEN!
Wellman has been getting higher and higher on my list recently, as I see more of his work. He never made a bad film that I have seen. Here are my favorites so far (aside from WTW):
1. *A Star is Born* (1937) - this is one of my favorite movies ever, and in need of a good restoration. It's an unflinching portrait of a guy who wasted his life. The sad part is, you like him. May have too much of the women's picture for you to like, but you must see it at least once. Brutally honest acting, except for May Robson who's an old ham. The beginning is slow going, but once we get to Hollywood, it's a savage and sometimes funny account of the movie business.
2. *Ox Bow* - no need to explain, I think.
3. *Safe in Hell* - You might like this one. A street gal tries to go straight, but is cornered by a nasty ex-boyfriend, whom she kills. She takes refuge on a tropical island, inhabited by the lowest of lowlifes. And that's just the beginning! Great performance by Dorothy Mackaill.
4. *Public Enemy* - again, no explanation necessary. Raw, like the best of Wellman.
5. *Wild Boys of the Road* - gritty realistic depiction of children left to their own devices during the Depression.
6. *Frisco Jenny* - Frisco Jenny is an unwed mother who takes to the streets to give her newborn son everything she never had. When sent to jail, her son is given up to a wealthy established family. The son forgets Jenny, though she never forgets him, and he grows up to become D.A. He fights against everything Jenny has become.
7. *Lady of Burlesque* - murder mystery that takes place behind the scenes at a Burley-que show. It's a hoot!
8. *Battleground* - Beautiful war film, with stunning black and white photography, about a group of nervous soldiers taking ground near Bastogne in a thick fog. One of the few war films I like.
9. *The Story of G. I. Joe* - Ernie Pyle writes stories back home of the men fighting in WWII. Robert Mitchum is splendid as an officer who shows Pyle how difficult being in command really is. Psychological, like Battleground.
10. *The Light that Failed* - Ida Lupino and Ronald Colman in the story of an artist who slowly loses his sight. This one will probably move way up after I watch it again... I haven't seen it for years and remember being completely spellbound by it. A real shocker.
11. *Island in the Sky* - I've only seen bits and pieces of it, but it always catches my attention - I usually come in in the middle and wish I had seen the whole thing.
I have a copy of *Heroes for Sale* that I have never watched, but it always gets excellent reviews on the two websites. Another tough Wellman story.
There are others I like, but these are the ones that I would recommend. The other Ruth Chatterton movies are good, especially *Female*. *Lilly Turner* is out of print and I'm dying to see it.
I am one of the few who really loves *Beau Geste*, but that's because it's one of the first classic films I ever saw. LOVE the creepy beginning and end scenes at the fort, with the dead men lined up on the ramparts. The direction is what I love here. The British part, not so much.
*The Happy Years* is a silly piece of boys Americana, with adorable brat Dean Stockwell stealing the show, a good movie, but not typical of Wellman's edgy tough style.
The *Call of the Wild* is OK for what it is, and I really like *Nothing Sacred* now a lot, but was disappointed in it the first time I saw it.
>
He really turns it on by film's end. He's always a lot of fun. Does anyone stir the pot better?I really love Georgie, and that is probably a prime reason why. He's so smart he runs rings around everyone, and can really portray a sense of mischief. At first you think, "oh my gosh he's totally hamming it up!" but by the end you see where he was going with his performance and it all works. He could be remarkably subtle or way over the top. However, there is always a reason for his choices. This was when he was a relatively young actor in the movies and was still trying. But stay away when he's bored in a movie! Ugh, then he's nothing at all and it's a shame, the ennui just drips off if him.
I love this one because i get the impression that the beard made him feel he could just have fun and it shows. It's great to watch him have such a blast. Between him and Laird Cregar, it's so much fun! Scratching up under their wigs, doing bits of business that would make lesser actors look ridiculous, they are a riot! And Ty and Maureen are about at their prime.
> *The Black Swan* was my first swashie. I'm pretty sure Burt would go over quite well with me. I never heard of Nick Cravat, though.
I honestly never knew his name, but he is my favorite character in both movies. He's one of the few actors who can keep up with Burt physically, and he's a terrific acrobat. He and Burt were kids together and formed an acrobatic act - when Burt hurt his hand, the act folded, but Burt never forgot him. He cast him in the two swashbucklers and the guy is wonderful! It's obvious that he and Burt are compadres, and that is one of the major reasons to see the films.
Edited by: JackFavell on Nov 11, 2011 5:07 PM
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The beach footage was on there a month or so ago.
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Ha! you got that right. I'd kill just to see one of those, especially The Great Gatsby, which is supposed to be the best adaptation of the book.
I'd add *The Way of All Flesh*. Plus every Francis Ford directed film, and Harry Carey's silent westerns, Tom Santschi's films and while we are at it, Florence Lawrence.
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Anytime.
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It's on David Shepard's restoration of the The Sheik/The Son of the Sheik put out by Image Entertainment.
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Maybe they used them to keep the girls moving...
or to keep the girls on their feet when confronted with Rudy..... a swoon preventer?
I've yet to see *The Story of G.I. Joe*, *Rachel and the Stranger*, and *The Red Pony*.
*
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