rohanaka

Are you wrangling for a ramble on ol' Rio Bravo, hermano? Oh YEE HAW!!! I hope so!! Thanks Chris for posting this excellent article... And PS... April...thanks for the Rifle Pony and Me song!!! And the great suggestion to ramble... Western minds think alike!! Go ahead and start us out if you like little lady... Dude and I will be waiting...

I'm a goner. HA!! You ARE a goner for sure! (but what a way to go..) Here is a youtube of the scene I mentioned w/ Marlene and the mob.... (fast forward to about 5 min 30sec) And PS... it looks like the whole movie is on Youtube if you want to watch the earlier parts you missed last night... or... if you want to watch the FOREST scene again.... Ha. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlJyuGajj3Y&feature=PlayList&p=4A1AAB0B98F12074&index=3

Terrific phots!! those big eyes again.......and i'm NOT talking Marlene here.... And let's not forget the smile... OR that voice!! :-)

Hiya Molo and everybody!! Well... it's good to be back on the corner here with you!! Grey Guy.. you said you took a lot of notes the other day when you watched this film... I have to say this is the first time I have ever taken notes while reading through a THREAD before... there were just so many good little tidbits though and I was too lazy to go in and copy and paste them all in here so I could highlight them.. so you will just have to take my word when I start saying "so-in-so" said "such-and-such" on here... Ha. Molo... I think it was your original post where you made a comment about liking the dialogue even if it was a bit "hokey". For me, I think it is ANYTHING but hokey... It is actually quite nicely written and very witty as well as rather poignant sometimes... YES ..there is a lot of "sentimentalism" in the middle of it all now and then... but that is ok too because it fits with the storyline so well.... but... Hokey... okey dokey if you want to call it that... I just didnt' see it that way... And I do agree with you that a lot of this film is about what lies in our hearts and our dreams... But it is also a little bit about living as who we really ARE and how that counts WAY more than trying to be what the world thinks we should be.... and being true to yourself and not trying to change yourself to fit in someone else's mold. Elwood is just a natural sort of guy... he accepts folks for the way they are... and he more or less expects them to do the same for him... I don't think it even really ever enters his mind much that folks would not "get" Harvey... He never tried to hide the fact that Harvey was there. He just accepted Harvey for who he was.. and he more or less expected that everyone else would too. So many times when you see a movie about someone having a relationship w/ an "invisible" character.. that person is always getting frustrated and running around trying to hide the fact that the invisible friend is there... or trying to explain away their conversations with that unseen person... Elwood never does this... because he KNOWS Harvey is there... To him Harvey is just as real as anyone else he is talking or relating to at the moment... so he treats Harvey that way. It's not HIS fault you can't see him. So he doesn't take any false responsibility to try and convince you. As far as Elwood is concerned... that would be like him trying to convince Harvey that YOU exist... and that would be a bit silly, now wouldn't it? :-) I REALLY liked the relationship between Elwood and Veta. She really DOES love here brother. But SHE is the one who is all caught up in what people think... and what's more... She knows Harvey is real too... and that is where the difference comes in... She is like the characters in the other stories I mentioned... trying to explain away this "invisible" friend and carry on like everything was "normal"... Which explains why Elwood was so at peace with himself and Veta was such a basket case. And I enjoy some of the other little lessons in this film... I like what Miss G said way back when about how "Elwood places greater value on kindness than on smartness" And that "he thinks consideration of people other than himself is more important than self-importance". There are so many examples of this too... like how no matter HOW nasty anyone gets... (such as when Wilson gets VERY nasty in the bar..) Elwood never responds in kind... he sticks with "pleasant" because it works for him.. And he always treats every conversation with anyone he meets as the most important thing he has to do at the moment... he talks with kindness and respect toward all... no matter what their station. (like the excon at the bar) And Konway87 mentioned Herman Schimmelplusser... I liked how he tells Elwood that "most folks just call him Herman". But Elwood follows up by calling him Mr. Schimmelplusser... (he calls everyone "mr or miss"... and shows admiration for all the work and ingenuity that went into the fence design... while everyone else in the world that passed through those gates never gave it a second thought. Elwood notices a LOT of things everyone else is too busy to see... maybe THAT'S why Harvey took the time to introduce himself... Grey Guy.. you were right about how all you have to do to get the difference between "smart and pleasant" was to compare Dr. Sanderson with Elwood... Sanderson was so egotistical and overconfident in his own ability that he had totally lost sight of anyone outside himself. Elwood was no longer caught up in himself and his best "ability" was the way he was able to see others and their needs and to care about them as individuals. And as a result.. he made a better "head doctor" than the REAL doctor did. Ok.. I am babbling on and on.. I am sure there is more to say... but will stop for now... I will go have another slice of cake and some iced tea. (my pooka and I are teetotalers after all.. Ha. ) And will look forward to reading more comments from the rest of you folks... PS.. Chris and Jackie.... welcome to the corner... hope you will chime in some more too...

Ha. Chris.. YOU have perfect taste and I know I can trust you!! And PS... I am the most easy going employer you will ever have... Set your own hours... work at your own pace.. and NO pressure if you need to take time off!!! And... the reason I can be so easygoing: The only thing I can afford to pay you with is my eternal thanks... AND:

Wasn't that a terrific movie!!! I am sorry you missed the beginning of it.. ; THANKS so much Barb for the tip. I WAS sleepy but I didn't have any trouble keeping my little eyes open to watch this one... And Jackie... you took the words right out my mouth.. or um.. right off of my keyboard... Marlene was the most beautiful I have EVER seen her (though I must confess I have a limited range of knowledge to work from with her) It was a veritable ROLLER COASTER ride to be sure... I just kept saying over and over.. NOW how are they going to get out of THIS one... My favorite shot may have come to early in the film for you Jackie... but did you see her out on the lawn by her little pond in the flowing white gown... when all of the "revolting people" showed up... OH MY GOLLY... and she turns to them and sort of freezes... and then holds her head up and walks right toward them... oh my. But I also was more or less melted into my socks w/ the scene between her and Donat when he comes back to find her in the forest after he hid her under all those leaves.... (HUGE sigh!!!) And I agree with you... poor young Poushkoff, what a charmer.. and so tragic. I imagine he could be a representative of a lot of young men who got more or less unwillingly caught up in the "hysteria" of the revolution and had little or no taste for what he was called upon to do... and it was a HUGE surprise what happened... I was expecting him to do the opposite... (and it would be hard to explain what I mean w/out giving too much away so I hope you can figure it out for yourself... or let me know and I will PM you.. Ha.) Thanks again Barb for recommending this film... It's playing again in April and in May.. so I am going to try to get it on tape. It's a keeper for sure. Message was edited by: rohanaka

The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you're still a rat. Hello there "brother rat". Nice to see you down here on the corner!! It is late and I am just popping in here one last time to see what's what before I call it a day... You and the Grey Guy have given me a lot to munch on... and I also went back in and reread some of the older posts on here as well... I will stop by here again tomorrow sometime (I hope) because I want to reply to some of your fine comments. Have a "hop, hop, hop, hop, hippety hoppity" evening!! :-)

Ok.. now thanks to you my hat size is going to be going up... but THANKS for the kind words... and may I also say... right back at ya, little lady. You are quite the "phrase turner" yourself. And THANKS for the tip on the Marlene film.. I have a new appreciation for her ever since I saw her in Destry Rides Again back at the first of the year... I stayed up a little too late last night... but I will try to make a go of it and give it a "watch'... Maybe I should put on some coffee too.. but all I keep in the house is DECAF... It won't keep me awake from the caffeine.... but... if you recall our recent little chat about coffee.. It WILL keep me awake. Ha. :-)

I found this one and the title drew me in I can see why!!!! :-) Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha... and HA! And PS... surely there has to be at least one.. if not MULTIPLE sequals to such a classic.... how about: "Son(s) of the Puppet People" Or... "Attack of ALL the Puppet People" Or.... perhaps the little known "The Puppet People Family Reunion Holiday Special" Or maybe.... "Night of the Living and Never Ending Story of the Puppet People"...

Thank you little missy for saying all that... but you'd better stop now or I may NEVER be able to get my BIG HEAD through the door. Ha. :-) I think there were just so many good things to get from all these characters and from the movie in general that it was fun trying to put it all down in a way that hopefully made some sense... AND... PS... I was just following everybody else's lead... I think everybody had some really good thoughts on this one... and again.. it would have to be because it is just that good of a story. One other little "tidbit" that I have been thinking on was the conversation between Katie and Johnny about the little neighbor girl w/ the pretty dresses... After the little girl dies, Katie makes some sort of remark about how those dresses didn't do her any good and then Johnny says something like... "But she had the dresses" and then Katie says something like... "And now she'll have to be buried in "Potter's Field". It was like that was THE ULITMATE issue for her... and in her mind it was literally a fate WORSE than death. And it all goes back to what I was saying about her not really "living".. She was willing to pay so much of her family's money to the insurance man to make sure they all had proper burials... when they could have easily used that money for "living" things. But I don't think she saw any of them as having anything to look forward to except a good funeral in the end... and she was going to make sure they got it... It was a HUGE matter of pride for her, and it was the ONLY luxury she was willing to spend any money on. And it is really a sad thing to see how of all the plans she had for her family... that one seemed to mean the most.

We're rambling about.... rambling!! ha.

Wendy I know what you mean about using this place to work on your writing skills... I think that is why I like to "ramble"... (Once again.... hail to Miss G for her stroke of genius in starting this thread so long ago) And I also just enjoy the freedom of being able to jabber sometimes... Ha. So much of our day to day conversations in real life are more like the "leave a comment and move on" sorts of threads on here. But I tend to speak just like I write.. and even in verbal conversations I am way too "chatty". I am much more of a "rambler". (It drives the QT absolutely NUTS... "Get to the point"!! But what he doesn't always understand is that for me to be able to explain the point... I have to lay the groundwork of what I am trying to say first. Ha) He is a "short sentence" talker... I am more like an "entire chapter" kinda gal) So it is nice to have an outlet for that. It's good to have a place to be able to explore all the possibilities of what a film might or might not mean or why or why not one film is more enjoyable than another. And you are right.. most of the folks her ARE kindly... and have been very nice to put up with all my "jabbering". And PS... I think my whole brain is one big "FOG" bank... and every now and then I just have to come here to make a "withdrawl" and hope it makes sense.... Ha. :-)

Hiya Rick.. It all goes back to what I said earlier... we are not all going to like the same things, but that's what makes the world go around... And ps... I will look forward to reading your list... I have been looking at all those recents lists on here and getting some ideas as to what noirs might be best for a "not so noir" like me. I am always open to expanding my horizons if the right movie comes along.

Hiya Wendy.. thanks for the kind words... It is a brilliant script, because each little tiny thread is tied to all the other little threads, until the whole movie is a cloth interwoven so finely that it holds together perfectly. That is very well said and you are right... it is almost a perfect movie in that respect. And PS... I have never seen you "fumble and fumble"... you always do a terrific job of bringing out the best parts of a movie.

I'll have to make a "Kathy List" as well. THANKS!! You are a very kind man!! And you have an nose for good westerns so I know you will not steer me wrong!! Ha!! I just remembered that I have joked several times on here about needing a personal secretary to help me keep track of all the movies coming on... I am such a slacker about checking the tv schedules... YOU'RE HIRED!! :-)

Winchester '73 is one of my favorites. Well now I am going to have to watch it soon for sure.. I am not 100% sure what seemed to turn me off about it before... but will try to keep an open mind.... PS... RE: Springfield Rifle... NO Western channel... OR Netflix. (I never shop online for anything... too scary for me! ha) Will have to see the librarian about maybe placing a special order... or just wait it out to see if TCM or maybe even AMC will make a showing...

Kathy, you will love and appreciate this movie, I just KNOW it Well my little Bronxgirl... you were RIGHT!!!! (Sorry to be so late to the party, folks) :-) I was so happy to get to watch A Tree Grows In Brooklyn last night. I don't know why I haven't seen it before... just one of those "things" I guess... but I did enjoy it very much.. You all have said so many things about this film already... so I don't know what I can add to these rambles that would not just seem like overkill... but I will make a few comments...somehow I am sure I can manage to find SOMETHING to jabber on about... :-) (I know... big surprise... Ha) I think this story really has an interesting title... because it sounds very "poetic"... and Jackie... you mentioned the poetry angle I believe... I may be re-stating someone else's thought... But the "tree" in the title is not the one outside their window in the story... It's Francie... Think of her life... and how she is the "best" of both her parent's (but mostly of her dad) and how she is there... in that "hard" life sprouting so BEAUTIFULLY in the middle of it all. Her mother gave her the strong roots... and her father gave her the lovely branches... She's the tree. I also agree that there are some comparisons to How Green Was My Valley... nice catch there, MissB. Aside from the uncanny physical resemblance between Peggy and Roddy..... their two characters were similar in a lot of ways. I think there are some differences too though, from the other movie... because their family unit is NOT built from the same sort of strong weave as the one in HGWMV... the mother was still the tie that bound them together... But in a MUCH different way... And the two father's were VERY different... and Neely was WAY different from the brothers in HGWMV... But one other thing that WAS similar (at least in my mind) to HGWMV... was the use of music... Jackie.. I think you are right that there did not seem to be much of a "score" for this film... butstill there was music going on almost ALL the time... it was playing in the streets or in the other apartments... or Johnny was singing.... or the church bells and congregation were singing... almost throughout the entire movie... and almost to the point of distraction for me. But I think it was there for a reason... it was the music... the sound, if you will, of their lives. Sort of like a little "opera" going on in the background. There were a LOT of interesting moments in this story that add so much to the understanding of these characters and who they are as people... Francie telling the librarian that she is working her way alphabetically through every book in the library (and the librarian giving her "another" book to keep her from getting so weighed down by the one she had chosen).... Neely and his "streetsmart" attitude.... he has NO illusions about his dad by the way... (he is too much like his mom in that regard) Johnny with his big dreams... I like how Sissy tells Francie that he always "means it" when he makes them those golden promises... just that sometimes things don't always work out... And SISSY... ha... She was SOMETHING. But her heart seemed to be as big as all outdoors. I also liked McShane... what a STAND UP guy... And I loved the part where BILL finally gets up his backbone and becomes STEVE. The Grandmother says... "We FINALLY have a man in the family." ha. And wasn't SHE something?? I loved the part where she tells the children their reading WILL go on... and why. And then... there was Mama... Dorothy Maguire did such a good job in this film... she showed just the right range of emotion throughout. She was a perfect example of a woman whose dreams had all but gone... and had who become SO caught up in surviving she'd forgotten the need to "live". Katie totally ignores... I think on purpose... the sick little girl's pretty new dress... because she doesn't think it is a good idea to spend money on such things. (and ps.. I LOVED how later on.. Johnny makes over that little girl and how beautiful the dress is... and Francie sees it all) ... and then later on, Katie tells (I think it was Sissy) about how Johnny would have bought her babies dolls instead of bread if she had let him... She KNOWS money is not for anything "frivolous" because she has learned it and lived it the hard way. She won't even give a "thank you" dime to the iceman who helped her family move. She is not miserly.. she just can't afford the luxury of being kind with her coins.. That money is there for her family's "needs" and nothing else matters. Her little can of pennies was the thing that kept her head up... and it was more about "pride" for her family rather than "pride in her family". They all had such a struggle due to Johnny's drinking and lack of income... that her driving desire was to make sure she and her family stayed "above" the poverty of character that so many gave into while they were fighting physical poverty as well. (I loved how everytime she runs into McShane she goes out of her way to tell him that her family is NOT a problem and that they are all staying out of trouble and do not need any help) Katie had NO time for dreaming or for letting her children dream as well... But deep inside her, there was a little ember of the woman she used to be still glowing and it was beautiful when it would shine from time to time. I loved the scene where Johnny comes home from that party and she starts letting herself relax and enjoy the stories and she even relives some of the old "romance" with him... but then that reality of their present life just drags her back down again... and the moment is lost. After Johnny's death.. she starts to take stock of her own life.. and what she'd become... and she realizes not too many people would mourn her passing the way they had his... and it works on her. I liked the transition... the conversation with the bar owner and then next with Francie seemed to be the "nudge" that finally got her rolling in the right direction... I loved the ending w/ McShane.. He holds back a LOT earlier on in the story out of respect for their pride.. and admiration for Katie.. And then when he decides it is time to NOT hold back anymore...I loved the way he makes the WHOLE family a part of the decision And then I loved the way the two kids start to speculate on their futures (and on all the stuff their sister will miss out on) while they are talking up on the roof. What a great closing line... "AW... cut the MUSH!" :-) PS. Barb... you mentioned the coffee too.. you are so right... It is ALL throughout that film... and it gets used in a variety of ways... but mostly it seemed to be a drink to draw strength from or to maybe "center" themselves in moments where things seemed to be getting out of hand. "Francie.. make some coffee"... It was like the one thing the mother knew would help when they were trying to figure out how to make everything else work too.

Hiya Chris... glad to hear Frank and I are not the only "abnormal" notetakers out there.. Ha. I don't do this with every movie by the way... In fact.. I RARELY take notes on a movie I am watching for the first time because I don't want to get distracted by my "note taking". I just do this sometimes when I want to dig a little deeper in a story. It helps me to organize my thoughts a little more... and goodness knows... My thoughts NEED a lot of help!! Ha. :-) I guess I need to dig out "Harvey" now too. I am so behind. SLACKER!!! Ha. :-) Seriously... Hope you will get caught up sometime... you always have an interesting take on things. Start "digging" and go find that rabbit! :-)

Hi Chris... thanks for bringing this one up.. I haven't seen it... (I know.. big surprise.. Ha) but I do recall seeing the trailer for it.... I think it is on our Sgt York DVD... anyway... just judging from that I can recall wondering if it was as "up to Gary" in quality as some of his other westerns or films. Still... I have been keeping an eye out for it.. hope I will catch it one of these days. In a way I am glad it is NOT like Winchester 73... I got that on my Jimmy Stewart box set this past Christmas... and at first I did not think I had seen it, but then I did some checking and I believe i HAVE seen it... and was not "bowled over" by it... It is the only movie in that set I have yet to watch since I got them... I need to just quit resisting and at least watch it so I can get a better "feel" about how I feel about it... Ha.

Have you guys ever taken a good look at what she carries around in that pocketbook THAT is TOO funny... She has everything but her coin purse... OH wait..

Kathy Krackpot That's me all over!! Ha. I will just say for now that I really enjoyed getting to see this one again... I have a whole new appreciation for Veta and her relationship with Elwood... and also her relationship with Harvey too... I will wait til you or others have chimed in as I don't want to steer the conversation too far one way or the other yet.. Plus I want to go in a little more to some of the older posts here and give them a closer read.. But I have to say... I am looking forward to hearing more of your thoughts and what sort of notes you took... and to hearing what others have to say too.. Oh... and P. S.... the kiddling now has a new favorite song... "Hop hop hop hop... hippety hop!!" HA!! I had TOTALLY forgotten about that part!! :-)

56 What's the matter there, sonny?? Couldn't you afford to buy yerself a REAL hat? If that don't beat all.. Ya doggone whippersnapper.. I guess ya spent all yer money on that there fancy black leather jacket instead... Message was edited by: rohanaka

Are you ready to break this movie down, Molo? Anyone else? I've got PLENTY to say. Great... I show up at the corner of 18th and Fairfax... just like Molo said... and here I am just me, myself, and I... Oh wait... here's someone now, leaning up against that lamp post.. Why, um, yes. Yes, I agree... that Mr. Grimes certainly WAS spiffed.... Oh yes... I'm just waiting around here too. My friends and I are supposed to have a chat about this movie we've been watching and... What's that?? You are tired of martinis but you've been hankering for a nice tall glass of iced tea and a slice of chocolate cake?? Well.. what a coincidence. That's been on my mind too..ever since I got back from the library today... Let's go have some cake just up the street at this little cafe I know... and in the meantime maybe some of my friends will show up ... Say... I don't think I caught your name... What? Your name is Kathy?? Well.. what a coincidence.. so is MINE... (guess this pooka has decided to hang around a crackpot instead of a rumpot....)

Hello Rick.. I say again.. don't hold back now.. tell us how you really feel about this movie... HA! (I kid) :-) Obviously we are not all going to like the same things... I am sure there are a lot of films you might like that I don't and there are probably even more that I would like that you won't.. that's what makes the world go around... A couple of things... first... I agree with you that Uncle Charlie is no charmer (at least in the general sense of the word... I hope I never gave the opposite impression) I made a brief comment a little earlier to Frank that he is more of an "impresser" I guess... He throws money around and virtually exudes self confidence... He more or less forces people to look up to him by presenting himself as being above them all.... And also... I would say that with regard to your questions about his family and how long it had been... I think it had been a number of years... but not so long that young Charlie could not remember him... Her memories of him were as a little girl... and that is why he was so "larger than life" to her at first... but she also noticed things about him right away.. and seemed to realize that her memory did not live up to the reality she was seeing for herself. And with regard to his childhood, there is a brief nod to what he must have been like as a kid when his sister talks about how after his horrible accident and brain injury their mother was worried he would never be the same on the outside or the inside... so he must have shown some differences following his recovery. I think his sister LONGED to remember him for the way he was... and perhaps had a bit of a desire to idolize him because she loved him so much and because she was emotionally fragile and missed her childhood days. At any rate... you are right... It would seem strange that someone could go so long without a photograph... but again.. you have to look at it from a 1940's perspective and there were not as many people carrying some sort of photographic device with them everywhere they go like we all seem to do nowdays... back then... It was not likely that every family even had a simple camera... let alone multiple ones, camera phones, etc etc like we all do now. Which also brings me to... the legal drinking age in California at that time. Was there one? And were there also laws about the age of workers serving such beverages??? I have no idea. But again.. I think this is one of those movies that in order to enjoy it, part of the package includes just taking it as it is and not trying to justify every point. There are some "stretches" in the story line... but for me, the characters more than make up for it.

ghouls I was only following Mr. H's lead....