ThelmaTodd

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Film fatale- But of course; what is always needed with both pictures and text is focus, relevance and balance. I liked the tribute I did to Cyd Charisse, with sheet music and 5 or 6 illustrated youtube links. She deserved no less. Thelma

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I want to commend celluloid kid and butterscotchgreer for the presentation style that involves pictures. I believe that a tribute to someone is enhanced with pictures and youtube links. Thelma

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On the "1929" thread, I have been proposing some changes to the tax code, as it affects holders of historic film properties. This is an election year, and the two campaigns need to be contacted. The state of affairs in this country regarding pre-1930 film originals is a national disgrace. I have some proposals for public policy changes, as I don't believe that this matter should be left entirely up to the whims of a few private sector executives. Congress has used to tax code to encourage and discourage ALL kinds of behavior. Here is some hard-ball I would try through the tax code: For pre-1930 film originals: 1)Pay MORE tax if you don't release 2)Pay LESS if you do release. 3)For films requiring restoration, RESTORE OR SELL, otherwise pay BIG fine. 4) Make it a serious felony to deliberately destroy the originals. Implementing these changes would probably do more to get classic films released than anything else. The Federal govt. has extended protection to spotted owls, to old buildings etc. etc. In the past, the Feds have paid farmers not to grow wheat; oilmen were given tax breaks for losing money in oil well ventures etc.! If the govt. can do all of that, then they can and should start to protect our early film legacy. Thelma

Hi mark- I will enjoy giving Universal a hard time! Let them sell what they can't make "enough" profit on. There are plenty of others that would be ready and willing to do something with their 700 + classic Paramount properties. As it now stands, they make 0 on something that is just sitting in the can. I will not accept this status quo. The fact that some of these properties need restoration, work which they don't want to pay for, is all the more argument for them to unload these films. Let them go sell the original and rights to *"Paramount On Parade" (1930)* on ebay! I'll put in a bid! Thelma

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Film Fatale, I have proposed raising the temperature on Universal on another thread, "Seeking Copy of Hollywood Revue of 1929" re their Paramount library. I fully intend to follow through on that. Why should they go on having a quiet life, when they are sitting on so much historic material, and yet appear to be clueless or uninterested? I will pose several suggestions to them and publicize their answers here, and elsewhere: 1) cable release 2) sale of film downloads via computer 3) DVD release 4) Compilation film release, like "That's Entertainment" 5) restoration issues 6) sale of the library that they don't want or have no real use for. I agree with your assessment of them, that they don't care. I however, take it as a challenge rather than as something unalterable. These are publicly held corporations that are sensitive to their image ( GE/NBC/Universal). You can bet when I go into the battle mode on this that it won't just be Universal that will be contacted, but the GE and NBC chiefs as well, plus a few choice cc's with other news organizations. (I have been a frequent contributor on the BBC) I don't kid around when I feel something is really worth fighting for. I'm getting my mojo for this, so by all means stay tuned for more developments on the "1929" thread. Thelma

The idea of a musical film compilation should be extended to the work of other studios as well, particularly the early FOX and Paramount titles. The later would be a cue for Universal Studios, the current owner of the early Paramount collection, to create something similar. There would be plenty of material to use! A compilation release would be a good way to revive public awareness and interest in a film catalogue that the present owners otherwise don't know what to do with anyway. Thelma

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*_EXHIBIT # ???*_ Thelma

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*(The following picture and comment was found at:)* http://the-last-shall-be-first.blogspot.com/2007/11/vichy-water.html "Toward the end of *Casablanca*, after Rick (Humphrey Bogart) told Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) that if she didn't leave with her husband (Paul Henreid) she would regret it ("maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon, and for the rest of your life"), after Rick shoots Major Strasser (Conrad Veidt) to prevent him from interfering with the plane carrying them from leaving, Rick and Captain Renault (Claude Rains) stand and contemplate the situation. Renault pulls out a bottle of water labeled *Vichy Water*, opens it, and pours a glass. He then looks at the bottle in disgust and throws it in the wastebasket, showing that even so corrupt and jaded an official as he is can't continue to collaborate with the Vichy regime and the Nazis whose puppet it is. It's a great symbolic (if not very subtle) moment in the film, and I had always assumed that the Vichy Water was just a prop. It turns out that it's not. Vichy Water was apparently a generic term for naturally carbonated mineral water, named after such water coming from Vichy long before it became the capital of Petain's regime. I'm fairly sure that it is still possible to get Vichy Water that's actually from Vichy, but I was unsuccessful. I did, however, find some Vichy Catalan water, which comes from a spring near Barcelona and has been bottled commercially since 1890. Yup, it's mineral water, all right: my palette isn't the most sensitive, but even it can detect the saltiness. Not unpleasant, mind you, but present nonetheless. I probably won't buy it again, but it was worth it to be able to write about Casablanca." "Speaking of *Casablanca*, have you noticed what a superlative propaganda film it is? I don't mean that pejoratively, given the cause that it was propagandizing for. Even today, if you can watch the dueling Die Wacht am Rhein - La Marseillaise scene and not be ready to enlist to kick the jackbooted minions of Hitler out of France, you have no heart" *(Comment from blog)* ====================================================================== *(The following map was taken from the wikpedia article on Vichy France at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Vichyfrance.GIF)* After the fall of France, French colonies like Morocco were put under Vichy administration. Thelma