JackFavell

I really loved It Takes a Thief, and the box set just came out. Now to go back and find out if it was as good as I remember it when I was a kid. Fred was a gentleman thief, very much in the style of Doug Jr. but he only did a few of the shows. Mostly it was RJ. I only just found out about The Rogues, my dad mentioned it to me, so I looked it up on youtube. It starred Gig Young, Charles Boyer, David Niven and Robert Coote! Even if it was terrible, that cast is worth watching. I forgot Captain January. Kibbee's good in that one. I think I got him mixed up with Victor Moore. Some of the pre-code supporting actors are scary to me. But Kibbee is aces in Jimmy Dolan and Union Depot. And yes, I think Joan is menaced by that weird guy in glasses. Edited by: JackFavell on Oct 15, 2011 8:48 AM

> {quote:title=Bronxgirl48 wrote:}{quote}Somehow, after seeing Doug do those impressions, it makes me more interested in him on and off screen. I haven't seen many of his films, none really that you named, except snippets of SINBAD, where he is very dashing and truly his father's son. I'd love to hear your opinions. Doug is debonair even in HAVING WONDERFUL TIME, atthough now I can't remembeer if his character was just pretending to be middle-class merely to get closer to Ginger, lol. I wonder how tall he was. He certainly kept himself in good physical shape. Was he still making movies in the 1950's, or did he retire? I don't remember him making any movies in the fifties, but I've never checked his credits at IMDB. I haven't seen Having Wonderful Time.... it sounds like his character might have been a scam artist as he is in almost all his movies. In *Young in Heart*, he's part of a family of con artists who are sucking up to an old lady who has a lot of money, thinking she will leave it all to them in her will. He has never worked a day in his life, but decides to get a job as an engineer (the designing kind, not the train kind) because Paulette Goddard works as a secretary or something in that department, and he likes her. Somehow, her work ethic rubs off on him. I really like Paulette in this film too. There are a couple other plot lines woven in, with Janet Gaynor as the sister (she's 5 feet, he's 6'1''), and Roland Young as the dad, who becomes a salesman for the Flying Wombat, a 1930's high end sports type car (I want one!). Somehow, without trying, he becomes the top salesman... sleek! *The Life of Jimmy Dolan* has Doug Jr. as an improbable boxer (though he's in good shape) who is quite full of himself. One night while out on the town with two lowlife companions, Jimmy passes out. When he wakes, he thinks he's killed a guy, and the lowlifes let him think it. He runs away, and the companions get into a car accident and are killed. Jimmy ends up in the country, a la Hide-Out, where Loretta Young and Aline MacMahon run an orphan's home for the Mickster (it's always Mickey), Stymie and some other cute studio kids. Jimmy is selfish but falls for Loretta in a big way. He's redeemed by the simple country folks, who watch out for each other. His guilty conscience finally forces him back into the ring to win the money to save the orphanage. It sounds like drivel, but Doug and the rest of the cast are so good, it works. There is also a great performance by Guy Kibbee, an actor I never liked till I saw this movie. *Union Depot* has Doug as a con artist (so what's new) in a large railway station, where he accidentally comes into some money (Frank McHugh leaves his luggage behind while catching a train) and meets Joan Blondell who is also down on her luck. The two get involved with some real bad guys (Harold Huber is one of them) and end up almost taking the fall for the bad guys' ingenious plot to steal money from a beauty contest for charity. Doug goes to the police to save Joan, even though it would implicate him. > I saw some of MR. IMPERIUM. It's no enchanted evening when Lana first meets Ezio Pinza. Her daily nightly ritual up until that points consists of eating a chicken sandwich and drinking a glass of milk while sitting on her Italian terrace. Ezio sighs: "What a waste of the Mediterranean". Unfortunately, the avuncular Pinza is no Rossano Brazzi hearthrob. Still, he shows Turner his villa: "From here you can see Corsica". This is the second time I have started to watch that movie by accident. I never remember the title so I can't change the channel before creepy Ezio shows up! > Did anyone see BWANA DEVIL? First 3-D color movie! Robert Stack (admittedly looking hunky in khaki) is ten times funnier here than in AIRPORT! Lions to the left of him, lions to the right of him, he's going crazy. "You scurvy beasts!" They're all man-eaters, and the colonials are the main course, lol. I kept thinking that the actor playing Angus was doing a magnificent Nigel Bruce impression (I missed the opening credits) until I found out later it actually WAS Nigel Bruce, lol. Wait till you see the tent love scene between Stack and wife Barbara Britton, their impassioned faces coming together like Billy the Kid and Jane Russell in THE OUTLAW, lol. BWANA DEVIL is one of the best bad movies you'll ever see. I didn't see any of BD, but I walked into the room and saw Nigel and decided the EXACT SAME THING you did, that it was a Nigel Bruce-alike! I can't believe that you had that same thought! I finally gave up trying to figure out who he was....lol.

>I just added Woody to my website, he's getting his own page. > >Because he _has_ to. Yaaaay! :x :x

Ha ha! I wish he were... he would have kicked Bick and Jett's butts. Probably without ever saying a word.

It was I...

> {quote:title=FrankGrimes wrote:}{quote}Good evening, Mrs. Lucky -- That was a wonderful post, Briny Marlin. :x > > Thank you. That was sweet of you to say. Nothing but the truth. I saw Mr. Lucky yesterday. I'll always think of you when I watch it. > Yes, I believe our worldview is rather similar but our tastes in movies is different. Why is that, do you suppose? > And after my saying I don't like courtroom dramas, I also like the ones that are well done. Have you seen *Compulsion* ? > I have a feeling my journey with *Sullivan's Travels* may be similar to yours. I watched it when I was just starting to explore classic film. A film like that can be tough to appreciate when you are just starting out. For me, it's one of the cases where hearing about a movie so much, reading reviews can actually be a detriment to the enjoyment of the movie itself. I would never ask someone to watch it before they had seen at least one, or preferably two other Sturges comedies first. > Tone is something that is fascinating me more and more. How it's achieved, what sets a mood in a film, how the director makes something feel dark and mysterious, or light and frothy.... or switches from one to another without losing the thread of meaning that holds a picture together..... This is becoming my principle focus lately. What makes The Uninvited different from The Haunting..... > Very cool! I'm very tonal. I respond to the tone of a person more than anything. The tone of films can definitely win me over or lose me. I respond to the tone of movies first and foremost when I watch. If the tone is pleasing to me, then I am usually hooked. That doesn't mean that it has to have a pleasant tone. The Wild Bunch has a tone that made me want to leap out of my seat and run, right from the first scene..... but it's a brilliant movie, and after sticking with it, I found so much more within that tone, there is warmth underlying the cynicism. But it's rather nihilistic. Perhaps it's even a tonal change that happens in that movie, but so subtle that it is pleasing. *They Live By Night* has a warmer, and in some ways darker tone.... VERY emotional, which I love. At first one thinks it's cynical, but it deepens into almost the opposite of cynicism. It moves me because that web of warmth holds together without breaking or losing me. It's like a perfect souffle... one false note and it topples. My favorites (generally) have a tone that holds everything up. It's why I liked Kiss the Blood Off My Hands. The tone was very similar to They Live By Night - and held taut throughout the picture. If that string breaks, then you've lost me. You can stretch it, change it, but don't break that string or you'll lose me. I never thought about tone in people... I usually try to give people the benefit of the doubt. If someone's tone is combative or off putting, I will usually give them a couple more chances to see if they are in control of it. Many people are nice underneath a gruff exterior. Alice had a teacher who all the kids said was mean on the first day of school, but it was her tone. Alice, luckily, thought that maybe it was just her voice.... she turns out to be one of the most fun teachers Alice has! > Yeah, I know the girls of today would most likely gag over *Alice Adams* and *Quality Street*. But, the thing is, the stories are still relevant today. The issues at hand are very female. A girl's self-esteem is still connected to physical appearance and image. There is not a woman (or probably a man) on the face of this earth who doesn't know what it feel like when Alice is sitting in her corner at the party, pretending to be enjoying her self, putting on a brave front but having a miserable time alone. Oh, it makes me weep watching her... > Perfectly said. You got it. *A Place in the Sun* is on the female side of film noir. You won't see too many guys name it as one of their very favorites. I like it, but it's not in my top 50. It's funny, because I think men can so identify with George's outsider-looking-in and wanting of Angela so much. > Good question! What I like about Hawks is that he's usually very male but he also respects woman, showing her keeping up with the guys. I see *His Girl Friday* as being more of a masculine comedy, but I also know modern women like the film because the woman is giving just as good as the guy... and in his world. The tone is masculine to me, though. I think I agree. We admire Hawks, because his view of his ideal woman is rather modern, purely by accident. We've moved that direction with time. I can see women of his day being offput by Hawks' women. > Fantastic observations! I like it. I agree, I do believe the story is Leslie's (Liz Taylor), and that's why I feel the femininity of the film. But, like you said, Stevens kind of pushes it back to being male because of all the goings on with Bick and Jett (James Dean). The "mine is bigger than yours" stuff is extremely masculine. And even in the shooting and camera work, there is a masculine feel to the film. That robustness. Everything is big, everything is vast, everything is sturdy, vigorous. The cattle seem like big blocks of meat. The house is rock solid, heavy, thick. Sorry for the pun. There is more action in this film than any other Steven's movie, except for Gunga Din. And the action is harsh and big. here's a cattle stampede, and trains chopping up the landscape. My goodness, the set piece that bridges the two halves of the film is a geyser exploding! You can't get any more masculine than that. > But don't you feel that is almost an afterthought with the film? It just seems like that is in the background until... Don't you feel the real bond during the film is between the two men and their different views? Yes, I do feel that's the point of the picture. However, I find that my initial response to the film is as a romantic comedy. I feel that the discussion of ideals between the two men is masked in the guise of a women's picture. > *True. And Once again, Stevens plays both sides of the fence, though I would be shocked to find a man who really loves this movie.... because I think any man can understand Cary's character. Like in Mr. Lucky, he's not really sure he's cut out for married life, or family. Gosh, I guess I like that side of conflicted Cary. He also has that same ambiguity in None But the Lonely Heart. He's a runner in that one too.* > > > I'm sure most guys can relate to Cary in *Penny Serenade*. It's just that most guys aren't going to seek this kind of film for entertainment or name it as one of their very favorites. It's commonly viewed as one of the greatest tear-jerkers of all time. Men and tear-jerkers usually don't go hand-in-hand. Absolutely. I find Cary's character to be an achingly truthful portrayal of how most men feel about marriage and family. As if I really knew how most men feel. Or any men .... > *That totally cracked me up! See? Maven gets me.* > > > At least somebody does! > All women love compliments. And any man worth his salt should love to compliment women. That's sweet, Briny Marlin. > You know, you're right! How odd it was for me to say she is "inviting" when some find her grating. That's hilarious! But I really do find her inviting. What I have enjoyed in the two Spence films I've watched is how feminine she has been. She's very playful. I love that about her. I love that you categorize her as inviting. She most definitely is, very warm and feminine, especially in Woman of the Year. I love that you can see that, and I think this is what the two brought out in each other - something warm and playful, inviting and somehow, cheery. It makes me happy that there are couples who can be like this, it gives me hope for my own relationship. If Andrew ever threatens me with a gun, I hope it will be made of licorice! > That sounds like a great challenge! I'm gonna have to watch it now. I will do so in the next three films I watch. Uh-oh. You'll probably hate it! She's very "acty" > No, I haven't. I just recently got the DVD. Gosh, I haven't seen Boom Town in years. They are a great pair. I wonder why they didn't make any more movies together later on. No scripts good enough, I guess. > Great point. It really is a testament to their abilities, above all else. I also wonder if the set was almost like their real life. It's a place where they could be together, in the open. "Oh, they're just acting," when there was so much more to it. I have always thought that. That they could be free and open to express love in front of the camera, so to speak. The love just pours off of the screen. > Lots of yelling? Is Miss G in that film? I'm sure Quiet Gal is. Yeah, well, you're in there too, stubborn guy. And you deserve to be yelled at. > Hey, I like *Mary of Scotland* and I haven't seen anyone like it to the level that I do. I really need to watch that one again. I haven't seen it in years. And I own it. It's sort of last on my list of films to never get to. > Yes, I did. I'm trying to watch three more films before showing what I have recently watched. *Spitfire* will be one of those three. That's great! > "Tongue in cheek" could work for me. It's the setting that is troublesome. I do have it on DVD. I think you'd be surprised. Of course, I thought you would actually like Top Hat.

OMG! You have got me giggling with that photo.... the sad thing is, it's spot on! > {quote:title= }{quote} > > I don't know if it's weird, but it is different from my thought processes. What sign are you? Sounds like some air or water sign that's amorphous. Or is that amorous. No wait, it's amorphous. And not a bad thing either, Jackaaa*A*aaay. You sound like you live in the moment. Ain't nuthin' wrong with that. I'm an earth grounded Capricorn, and no, I don't take medication. There's a bit more structure to my thoughts and memories of events in my life. Different...not better or worse. Being linear helps when you want to direct films. Aquarius. You got me pegged again. > So how old were you when you first saw *"GONE WITH THE WIND"* Jackie? Were you a little girl...a teenager? I KNOW that one. I'm pretty sure they re-released it for theatres the year I was 15, right before it was to appear on TV for the first time (I was tempted to say 12, everything that happened to me before 16 I always think I was 12). I was bound and determined to see it on the big screen my first time. All I remember is that I drank an entire soda and almost drowned before the intermission.... cause I wasn't gonna miss one minute of it! > > *"DON'T ASK ME ANY QUESTIONS!!!!!! I JUST KNOW I WAS THERE!!!"* > Ohhhhkay. Alright. Calm down. I was just askin'. Sheesh! ha ha! > A sense of humor...my favorite human trait!! YaY! And might I add, "Whew!" I have my moments. > Does reverse psychology work with you? I'm lovin' courtroom dramas: "Primal Fear" "Jagged Edge" "Anatomy of a Murder" "Fracture." I don't know. Try me! I'm not into the more recent ones, but I like the big blockbuster ones from the 60's. > Reading his bio below...he admits to a stubborn streak but to also changing his opinion. I've been known to change my opinion. > Whew!! You said it. *"LDJIN"* is a tough watch. Long, and Hepburn is nakedly vulnerable. It could be embarassing to see the nakedness. Was it Rosalind Russell who said that Acting is like standing on a stage naked...and turning around slowly? I followed Colleen Dewhurst down Broadway for a block many years ago. Yeah, it was her; that beautiful craggy face. I remember thinking how beautiful her auburn hair was. I loved her voice. For Woody Allen to use her as Diane Keaton's mother in *"Annie Hall"* was good (to me). But you ought to see her in *"WHEN A STRANGER CALLS."* She was great in that. You might not like the premise of the movie, but when she's face to face with the murderer... Haven't see that one, but I'm getting a hankering to see her again. > I remember him saying he was scared to do *"PILLOW TALK."* But being with Doris Day, I'd say Rock Hudson was in good hands. Wow, he's so good at the comedies, I never would have guessed he was scared. He's quite the under-rated actor. I think their chemistry matched Tracy's & Hepburn's, don't you think? > > > > *"Eeeeek! I mean 'Aaarggh!!!' Don't ask me any questions!!!!* > > *Alright...alright. Sheesh!* Hee hee!

> {quote:title=CineMaven wrote:} > ...Not scattered. I'd say, more even-handed. ( Ha! ) No wait...more egalitarian. On a good day, I'm egalitarian ( I love that word!), on a bad day I'm scattered. I just don't think in a straightforward fashion. I don't generally categorize things or list them. I also don't do time very well. When someone asks me when something happened in my life, it's very hard for me to relate to months, years or even time on the clock. I don't remember what age I was, unless there is a clear cut reason to remember (I was in college, I was having Alice). Time swirls around me, a jumble of memories in no particular order, until I try to impose one on them based on how I want to categorize them.... I know it's weird. > *AARRGH! Did I just say that Woman of the Year is even-handed? WHYYYY do you make me do it?* > > > > *JACK FAVELL agreeing with Frank Grimes.* Ha! That makes me laugh so hard! The idea of a little Robert Ryan coming out when I get mad gives me the giggles. Like the Incredible Hulk... "DON'T MAKE ME MAD!!!!" > I am loving what you say about Kate. The difference between us might be that Kate's flop films are not quite my cup o' tea so I won't watch 'em. Much to your credit you do. AND you appreciate what you see she's tried to do in them. That is a nod...to your "even-handedness." I think the fact that I don't categorize much makes it easier for me to watch the so called flops with an open-mind. Now don't get me wrong, I can't even WATCH Dragon Seed.... but some of the early, really odd films of Kate's, I really like. I also like the early thirties, precodes and beyond, so that's where I'm fairly comfortable anyway. And I like discovering things for myself. In other words, I'm stubborn. and willful. I _will_ go my own way. I suspect FG is the same way, if not about the same things. > *KATHARINE: THE FEARLESS!* Of your top five, I think she gives masterfully towering performances in "The Lion in Winter" and "Long Day's Journey Into Night." If Kate is born in 1907, she was 61 and 55 respectively. A queen fighting for her legacy, and a drug addict fighting for her life. The sparring she does with Peter O'Toole is magnificent. I can listen to that all day long. And for her to act opposite Sir Ralph Richardson must have tested her mettle and burnished it. Oh, she's sublime in Lion in Winter, and she's still unafraid in LDJIN. She really amazed me in Long Day's Journey, still reaching... trying something new. And it is impressive! The scene where she's sooooo lonely, talking to the maid, and she ends up on the floor...well, man, that's the top of the top for me. That's acting... she doesn't even realize she is on the floor at that point, and it's all done so fluidly, so perfectly, we can see her reasons for ending up there. WOW! It's incredible. She's been one of my idols, acting wise, along with Bette, Vivien Leigh, and Colleen Dewhurst. They're the cream of the crop to me. > Just one niggling little point with Rock. He had not done any comedies up to that point in his career. His first comedy was *"Pillow Talk" (1959).* So if Rock was able to pull off that performance in "GIANT"...if his 'tonal' change is a factor in the tonal change of the movie...I think it says something purty good about Hudson’s depth as an actor and not just...a pretty face. Wow! I had no idea he started out as a dramatic actor. I thought for sure he did these movies in tandem, the comedies and the dramas, going back and forth.... it never ever occurred to me that he was serious first and foremost. it's an eye opener.

That was a wonderful post, Briny Marlin. :x > {quote:title=FrankGrimes wrote:}{quote}Howdy, Denver -- Are you ready to dance? Always. > But don't worry, we're headed to some disagreement. But I will say that whenever you say you agree with me, I actually feel like I accomplished something. I actually have some warm fuzzies about it myself. It makes me happy when we hit on all cylinders, because it happens so rarely. I think of you and I as somewhat alike, though for some reason, that doesn't seem to translate to the movies we enjoy. > *Inherit the Wind* is tenth on my all-time favorite list. It's a film I've watched over ten times. I love it. I should have remembered that, but all I thought of was Twelve Angry Men. It makes me realize that I DO like the big well done courtroom dramas - the ones listed above and Witness for the Prosecution, Judgment at Nuremberg, Compulsion, The Caine Mutiny..... > When I was starting to branch out with classic film, back in 2007, I chose Preston Sturges as a director to watch. I expected straight comedy from him and *Sullivan's Travels* plays more like a social commentary than a comedy with me. It's more "Capra" than Sturges. That's not a bad thing, but I really like Sturges when he's more comedic than dramatic. I AGREE! Something is out of kilter in the universe. I didn't hate Sullivan, but I wished it was more of a comedy the first time I saw it. It was actually kind of grueling to sit through. However, I now realize that it wouldn't pack the punch at the end if it didn't go that direction, and I like it better and better each time I see it. It's moving up my list of Sturges films. > I find it cute. I like seeing a woman wanting to please their guy. I like the entire idea of a woman who has no idea what she's doing in the kitchen but wanting to try. I like her wanting to be like "dear old mom." It's very loving. I find it lovely in principle. But in the actual playing of it, I can't bear it. I don't think it's the issue of feminism that bothers me as much as that insistence by Stevens on embarrassing his stars. That ain't FUNNY to me. It makes me want to sink into the floor and hide. It's unbearably awful, somehow and that is no way to end a picture. > Yes, Silly Goose! I consider *Shane* to be a "masculine" film, although there is real female presence to be found in the film, which is wonderful in a western. Again - I hate to say it - Stevens is remarkably even handed. > I notice tones. I usually sense a film is going to connect more with women than men and vice versa. Many films do have a slant, a focus. The key is with what the sexes seek in their entertainment. What a man wants out of a film is going to be different than a woman, in a general, broad sense. Tone is something that is fascinating me more and more. How it's achieved, what sets a mood in a film, how the director makes something feel dark and mysterious, or light and frothy.... or switches from one to another without losing the thread of meaning that holds a picture together..... This is becoming my principle focus lately. What makes The Uninvited different from The Haunting..... > Completely. *Alice Adams* and *Quality Street* are very "female." Now both films feature a male component to them, but the focus is primarily feminine. And I fully expect women to find them more entertaining than men. Well I can certainly agree there! A lot of women nowadays would pooh pooh both of these movies, but I find them charming, even with the embarrassment that ensues. I feel that that emotion is not tacked on in these stories, they generate it themselves. Whereas, Woman of the Year was never about embarrassment so to put our heroine through it is mere caprice on Steven's part. It's an arbitrary imposition on the story. I'm sorry folks, to keep harping on this one small part of the story. I'll stop now. I just can't tell you how much it bothers me. > *A Place in the Sun* is a real nice mix. It has a male focus and masculine dark side but with a female kind of setting and presentation. Still, I'd say it leans "female." That makes sense to me, so the tone is female. I see that, it's soft, warm and emotional, and is shot in voluptuous closeup. Gunga Din's tone is male - but of course it's story is male. It's crisp and action oriented, has it's dark parts, and never dwells in loving closeup on anyone. > *Woman of the Year* is mostly neutral, but I usually find comedies of this era to lean "female." Interesting. What's His Girl Friday? Or is Hawks not fair? > *Giant* is an interesting one. Both sexes are definitely represented, quite nicely. The domestication of Bick by film's end softens the tone and pushes it "female," but I just don't see *Giant* being "female." James Dean's character is definitely "male." He's fascinating in the film. I really like Dean early on in the film. He steals your focus, and I think this was purposeful on his part and worked for what the director wanted. But I think that the story is really Leslie's, not Bick's or Jett's. it makes sense when you realize it was an Edna Ferber novel. However, it skews male in Stevens hands. There is a robustness to his directing that I don't think he even matched in Shane. > I view *The Talk of the Town* as mostly "male." The woman in the film is caught in the middle and is mostly absorbing what's going on. She's not an active participant in what's being discussed. It's a battle of ideology with two men driving the conversation. The masculine tilt is a big reason why I don't think CineMaven will like it. I'm not sure if she's a Jean fan, either. Oddly, I agree here. But is it possible that this one is both too? Because it can also play as a woman's picture, with Jean making up her mind about which lover to take. > *Penny Serenade* is very "female" to me because it's a tear-jerker about home and family. That's not to say guys are not about home and family, because I'm definitely a guy who is this. It's just guys do not seek such films for entertainment. Women do. And, yes, I know some gals who would gag over such a film and some guys would cry over it. It's never, ever 100% one or the other. True. And Once again, Stevens plays both sides of the fence, though I would be shocked to find a man who really loves this movie.... because I think any man can understand Cary's character. Like in *Mr. Lucky*, he's not really sure he's cut out for married life, or family. Gosh, I guess I like that side of conflicted Cary. He also has that same ambiguity in None But the Lonely Heart. He's a runner in that one too. > AARRGH! Did I just say that Woman of the Year is even-handed? > > > Yes! What happened to you?! I.... DON'T.....KNOW! > *WHYYYY do you make me do it? * > > > I like when you do! > > *JACK FAVELL agreeing with Frank Grimes.* That totally cracked me up! See? Maven gets me. > I'm glad you suffered. You did an awesome job. More payment! I love compliments. > Fantastic! I pretty much like Kate in everything I see her in. I think she's rather inviting. That's a funny description, that happens to fit. I don't think most people think of her as 'inviting', but it's very apt. She isn't afraid to look foolish, and this for me is the real charm of Hepburn. You instantly like her for it. She's warm and she's a goofball. > I completely agree. I love Ginger and the rest of the cast in *Stage Door*. Kate is good in the film, but she's playing a straight line. I was going to say that she could play this role in her sleep, but your phrasing is much better. > I've yet to see that one. And I really do like performers who took on different challenges, ala Henry Fonda. That's who I view similarly to Kate. Interesting! Yes I see that. Spitfire is a honking mess, and again, I'm probably the only person who actually likes it. It's got a great idea, there is magic in it, and that's always a hook for me. It''s also about an "other" - someone outcast, and I'm a sucker for that too. Most people in fact, HATE it and say it's goshawful. > I'm looking forward to seeing how she does in the middle of her career. I definitely like the younger Kate. So get going! > That's a beautiful description of Spencer. I do love the simplicity of him. He truly gives you the feeling he's an "average Joe." This is why I really enjoy the pairing of Gable and Tracy. I need to watch *Boom Town*. Have you seen it before? > What I have noticed with Spence and Kate is how they make home life look so real. Both are truly relaxed around the other. Just Spence's facial expressions and mannerisms make you feel as if he really is at home, in his robe and slippers, with his feet up, relaxing. That's so true. But to make that happen on a soundstage is hard, even with your partner! I think they had to work hard to look that casual. > Hmmmmmmmmm, you really make that one sound fascinating. It looks like I'm gonna have to add that one to the list. I'm trying to give Jean Harlow a good look, too. There's a lot of yelling. It walks a fine line between good and terrible. It fell over the fence on the good side with me. Remember my tastes are a bit perverse, I like things that others rank low on their lists. I don't want you to end up hating everything by Kate and Spence! It's just I wanted to pull out a "failure" from each to show how they grew as actors. I think these two early movies show something of the greatness of each.... but one has to see them flailing and reaching to really know how much it took to get to those future performances. > And guess what? I think I'm more on Snippy's side with this one. But I didn't have much problem with Judy. She was okay. Hey, did you watch *Adam's Rib?* > I can't see *A Place in the Sun* being your kind of film. It seems too "pretty" for you, despite the ugly in the film. I think you have me pegged pretty well with that sentence. > Maddy is always a huge selling point with me. The story worries me, though. I don't know if you might not like it. It's very quick moving, with a TON of great supporting characters and performances. And it's definitely done tongue in cheek.

I really loved that POCO song, Jake! Also liked the Moby Grape. I think you played one last year by them. I've heard of them, but never knew their music.

Oh and it was Sara Haden, not Beulah Bondi.

It's got Mark Robson as director so that works for me and Peter Viertel is one of the writers. He never wrote a bad script, as far as I can tell. Not too many, but prime stuff. I don't think it's soft at all, but my idea of soft and yours are far different. This is the only film on your list I've seen.

I loved *Roughshod* , but I don't remember it very well either and I don't have a copy. I thought Gloria was great and so was Myrna Dell. Claude Jarman Jr. was perfect in this one. I think Beulah Bondi is in it too, a really small moving part. It goes into some interesting territory. It surprised me. Edited by: JackFavell on Oct 11, 2011 9:50 PM Edited by: JackFavell on Oct 11, 2011 9:51 PM

OH NOOO. I am really freaked out. Not only do I feel the same as you about Woman of the Year, I also agree 100% about the two couples in Libeled Lady. YIKES! Is it Halloween yet???? I feel like I;m in a horror movie. Or Fritz Lang. > {quote:title=FrankGrimes wrote:}{quote}Good evening, Spunky -- *I'd be curious to see what you would think of Judgment at Nuremberg and* *Inherit the Wind, since you like courtroom drama.* > > *Inherit the Wind* is one of my all-time favorite films, Silly Goose. And I actually don't like courtroom dramas all that much. I didn't remember that! > > That's how I felt about *Woman of the Year*. I loved the comedy and then the romance in the first half of the film. It was superb. After that, the mix of comedy and drama didn't work for me. DOUBLE YIKES! > That's the same with me. I usually laugh more at films that feature comedy but are dramas or otherwise. UH OH. I'm frightened. > I'm not huge on Sullivan's Travels, but it's not because of its tone. I like how it plays. Not to digress from the topic at hand, what is it that makes you not huge on it? > Now, now, now! I think he's just showing the breakfast scene as shorthand for homemaker. And the film's ultimate point is evenhanded. I don't feel that it is. If it was his intent to be even handed, it failed, for me anyway. It rubs me enough the wrong way to make me turn away from the movie. > Yay! I love it! This is a great way for me to see your tastes in a quick manner. I love that you made decisions on films. It's never easy. I definitely know that. What is remarkable to me is that you like *Shane* the very most. It tops the "female" films of Stevens, which are definitely your kind of films. What's interesting to me is that Stevens tends to be a very "female" director. Lots of feminine influence, issues, and dilemmas. I would never in a million years think of *Shane* as a female film. I think it's the opposite (WHEW! this is more like it). It's all about learning to being a man, a man's choices, taking the more difficult path of peace, knowing when to put it all on the line and what your capabilities are. Knowing what the consequences of your actions will be, not just for you but for your children's future. Of course, nowadays females also have to make the tough decisions. Oh, wait! I see that you meant it TOPS the female films. I really thought you meant it is at the top of the list of female films. I get it. I never think of gender when it comes to films. Oh maybe with really obvious women's pictures, but mostly no, I don't categorize or compartmentalize. I don't actually do that for anything, not with people, not with films, not with jobs. I don't think that way, I am more scattered. I agree that Stevens concentrates on women and their issues exceptionally well. But I think some of his movies work both sides of the fence - A Place in the Sun, Woman of the Year, Giant, The Talk of the Town and Penny Serenade are very even handed when it comes to gender issues. AARRGH! Did I just say that Woman of the Year is even-handed? WHYYYY do you make me do it? > Why does *Gunga Din* rate lower? No spoiling, though! Well, after having seen it again, my problems with it don't seem founded on anything but my own mood the last time I watched it. I thought that it was ethnocentric and treated the "others" (in this case the East Indians) with condescension. However, on this viewing, this issue did not bother me as much and I'll tell you why. The bad guys had a very interesting reason for their murderous plans, and there was full representation of good and bad Indians. It's a little ewwww-y the way that Gunga Din himself is shown, but you can't have everything in a movie from 1939. I thought the movie was much better than I remember it. In fact, I enjoyed it very much. > I know you do! I know! I'm amazed by these lists! That's payment enough for the agony I suffered in making them! > Wow. So you tend to like the older Kate a little more with the exception of *The Philadelphia Story*. You're not a fan of *Stage Door* ? Oh yes I am! These are my favorite performances. You can see I AM a Kate fan from way back. I could have listed maybe a dozen more movies of hers that I am not as fond of. I actually love Stage Door and Spitfire, but this is a list of performances, not favorite movies. Her performance in Stage Door is very good, but I thought the others were much better. As for Spitfire, I just love her character and the movie theme, but I think many would agree that her acting is a little odd. Her accent is just plain weird and she is sort of all over the place, she is still learning her craft. For all of that, I find it one of the most fascinating performances that she gave, even if it is one of her biggest flops. I love that she would go this far in a role. She has no fear of failure and I LOVE her for it. I actually love Kate all the way through her career. However, she really does some _KILLER_ acting as she entered her middle and late years. As good as she is in the thirties, these five roles at the top of my list are so astoundingly good that no one else could ever match them. And I've tried! I've tried saying some of the lines in these movies, and I must tell you, to know how good she is, you have to try it yourself. You'll die laughing at how bad you are - the meaning she can wring from one little line is amazing. She's just superb in all of them. They are her and she is them. > Again, it seems like you prefer older Spence. And what's interesting is that the Tracy & Hepburn films do not rank that highly for each. Again, he is simply great all through his career. But in his later years, he distilled every emotion, every thought until he was the essence of whatever his character was. So simple, and yet so hard to accomplish. I remember hearing Vincente Minelli say that on the set of *The Actress*, Spence had a line in which he had to be angry, embarrassed, and confused by his daughter's ambition to be an actress, all at the same time. When time came to roll film, Spence was so much the character, he blushed bright red with the emotion of what was happening. He said you can see it, and more importantly FEEL it coming out of the film when you are watching him as the father. He's so complex, and yet, so simple outwardly. I ranked *Bad Day at Black Rock* first because I think it was a stretch for him, but he does it in such a way that it does not seem like it. He's this TOUGH _TOUGH_ old bird...and maybe he was in real life, but to me, it's unlike any other character he ever played. He AIN'T putting it on, it's inside him. He is a MEAN S.O.B, but for the right cause. Now, I know that Tracy was sick during this film.... but I TOTALLY BELIEVE that he can take out Ernest Borgnine with one hand without a doubt. THAT is great acting. The rest are the films that I feel he just becomes the character with no visible strings. When you get down toward Riffraff, I know some people don't think this was a good performance. I like the journey he take. This is the first film (1936) where we suddenly get that warm Spence - the Spence who can relax and let the audience come to him. In his scenes with Harlow at the end, he's made such a change, he's become tender with her, and we see him take a step back to look at himself. He's been cocky and full of himself up until this point, but he has gone through that introspection and self loathing that we see in many of his characters. I really like his performance here because it's the first where he just melts into an essence, a very real person, despite the rocky start and put on accent at the beginning. He stops using tricks in his acting. The lower portion also includes roles that I think are a breeze for him, no difficulty at all. But I like all of the performances listed here. > So were you ranking Spence and Kate's performances or how you liked their films overall? For me, there's a huge difference. For example, I love *Libeled Lady*, but it's not because of Spence. With *Bringing Up Baby*, I love Kate but not Cary. I was definitely ranking performances. You know, I think their movies together are almost a different entity to me. They remain separate from their other performances. I watch them for fun, and rarely think about the acting, which means they are doing a good job! > And speaking of subjective, I think the Kate/Spence films are very subjective, that's why everyone has their differences as far as favorites. However, I think everyone here might say something different if they were asked which was their best film. > > > For me it's* *Adam's Rib. > > > *So are you saying best vs. favorite? That's a good question to ask everyone. I can't answer it, of course.* Yes. It's the one I think is their best. It happens to be my second favorite, but usually when I see it, I think "God, this is SO GOOD." and I enjoy it for every piece of it. The script, their rapport, the supporting cast.... everything to me is perfect here. Oh, and I really like Judy Holliday, though Miss G doesn't. One of the few times we disagree! > I'm glad you clarified that. So you must really like Stevens. He's one of your very favorites, right? I guess I must, but like I said before, there are parts of his films I love a lot, and then these other sections that fall flat. It's absolutely a love hate relationship. His comedy is not my comedy, though he did many of the Laurel and Hardy films that I love. Once he goes out on his own, his comedy gets a little coy. Some of his themes are muddled, as if he changed his mind in the middle of filming, as to what the movie was actually about. I don't think of him as a favorite director, no. And yet, you have a point, I do like many of his movies, some I love and some are very high on my list. *Shane* didn't do a thing for me for a long time. Now it ranks first. For years, I didn't like A Place in the Sun. I still wouldn't call it a favorite. And yet, I watch it almost every time it's on, and I cry at the end. I find it a very very well made movie. It just isn't really my "type", and Monty Clift is not my favorite actor. I don't jump unreservedly into Steven's movies. I don't lose myself in them. > I agree with all of that. *Giant* does change tones and I was okay with the tonal change. Bick (Rock Hudson) is where the tonal change is biggest. That;s right. And we are lucky that Rock Hudson could make those changes. He did enough dramas and comedies to pull off the performance. He also is rigid in the first section, and was a good enough actor to be able to let people see him as wrong. > And that's a big reason why I have some positive expectations with it. It's super! > It sounds pretty darn good to me. The only Fairbanks I have seen is *Little Caesar*. I think you might like him in my favorites, The Life of Jimmy Dolan, Union Depot, Young in Heart and The Prisoner of Zenda.... though that last one may be rough going for you. I don't know whether you will love it or hate it. It has Maddie Carroll though.

Which for some reason reminds me that I really like Glenn Frey's voice, especially in the quiet songs. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lb6k4BQxDGQ&feature=related

That's great news! Congratulations! I hope it comes to dvd soon as well.

Oh my goodness! Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and The Boston Strangler in the same section...

I haven't seen The Shrike either, I'd love to though. Junie is rising up in my opinion. You know my favorite so far is The Girl in White. She's really modern in that one. I think she's far better an actress than people give her credit for. She got stuck in those good girl roles and I think she could do a lot more.

>love Eduardo, but to be honest, who wants to see him and Sam Jaffe half-naked, when Cary, Doug, and Vic are around, lol? Great point. Compared to those three MEN, Edouardo and Sam look positively sickly... is that the point of the movie? We do get to see Cary and Vic barechested.... whew! And Vic has muscles on his muscles. He's like Bluto in Popeye only adorable. I think this is Cary at his most gorgeous and engaging. I adore his vaudeville cockney antics. I still think that the whole secret of Cary's appeal is the way he moves. I actually got a little thrill when he killed the guy silently by strangling him with his arm. It's an embarrassment of riches with Doug Jr. in it too. I've always liked him, and his voice is to die for. I think this is one of those movies that they cast on voice quality = the three men couldn't be more different vocally, but the blend is so pleasing. I never noticed before how really beautiful Gunga Din is... the movie, not the character... lol.

June's also good as the crazy daughter in *The Secret Heart.* Edouardo Cianelli shows off some nice gams in Gunga Din. Who knew he had those shapely legs?

I don't know why the Dorothy Sebastian photos caught my eye so much. She is not the most beautiful star of the twenties. But she has a "look" that is very expressive and she know how to charm the camera. Maybe her slightly crooked nose and features make for a more interesting photo session. It does to me anyway. She's not just relying on looks. Edited by: JackFavell on Oct 8, 2011 10:12 AM

>*As Liz & Dick are to glamour, and Fred & Ginger are to dancing...and as Laurel & Hardy are to comedy, I would liken Tracy & Hepburn to Acting. It was a good point Miss G. brings up when she says she "enjoys more of the work they did apart from each other..." because it makes me sit down and really think about their individual work.* > >*I find what Tracy & Hepburn bring to the table is their own strength. They are not two halves of a whole like the teams above. Tracy & Hepburn are fully realized screen personas...strong and equal partners. I have a feeling that individually, Kate and Spence had the admiration (and envy) of their peers in reference to how they were seen as Actors.* > >*As Miss G. mentioned, it's been said that Gable was a little jealous of Spence for really being considered the Actor. (And I suspect in maybe some of Spence's tortured "boozy" moments, he wished he had the sheen of popularity that The King had. Oh yes everyone wants to be Respected; ooooh, but to be Desired...now that's the ticket).* > >*And the man who brings them together is director George Stevens. He's worked with Kate before but not Tracy. And a good director wants to work with an Actor, not a personality. He wants to work with someone who can dig his teeth into a role and communicate such an amorphous thing as Emotion. Stevens has that with Tracy and Hepburn.* Wow! This was just beautiful, Mava! I LOVE the NOT TWO HALVES OF A WHOLE premise, that they are individual, fully realized before they meet. In other words, they are grownups. I think this is why they are SO enjoyable to watch, seeing them hit against one another as separates, but then snuggle in together as one whole by the end. That's where the sparks come from. They have it all - in spades. Edited by: JackFavell on Oct 8, 2011 9:57 AM

It's not that I DON'T like *A Place in the Sun* and *Giant* - I do! A lot even. They are just further down the list than the others right now. Again, there are movies by Stevens where I like certain parts of the movie a huge amount, then other parts of the same movie that don't always fit for me. *Giant* is one of those (like *Talk of the Town*) where the tone changes but it doesn't bother me. Maybe because it is epic in scale, it's got to go somewhere else after a while. And Elizabeth Taylor is just great at bridging both drama and comedy. Old James Dean though.... yikes! *A Place in the Sun* is pretty near perfect, like *Shane*. But I definitely have to be in the right tragic mood. Oh, and I'm with Goddess on *Beau Geste* over *Gunga Din*. I'm guessing Gunga Din will be more your style too. I think the last third will surprise you, how much modern moviemakers have lifted from it. Vic is a darling! I'm so glad you have enjoyed him, You know he's one of my favorite actors. And Doug Jr. ain't bad either. Have you seen much of his films? You might like a couple of the pre-codes. *Gunga Din* a romp with those three goofing around. Lots of fun. Kind of like the Marx Brothers meet *The Lost Patrol.* Edited by: JackFavell on Oct 8, 2011 9:51 AM

Wow! Another beautifully done photo Jeff!