rohanaka
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Posts posted by rohanaka
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I'll tone it down a notch.
Don't you DARE, little darlin'! Thanks again for the fun read!!
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maybe one day you can come with us
Oh wouldn't that be fun?? ha. Alas, I don't see that in my budget anytime soon. My goodness me, ha. I wouldn't know how to act, ha. I haven't been on a vacation since.. um.. 1998. (she said, as she hung her head sheepishly) HA!
So alas, I will probably end up just being a "reader" rather than a visitor, but boy, I sure do enjoy getting to see all the pics and hear all the stories. (what can I say.. ha.. I take all my vacations vicariously, by listening to everyone else's stories)
But my goodness, just look at you Little T.. chatting it up with our beloved Mr. O and Ben like you were best buds (ha.. and I wouldn't be surprise if you WERE) Goodness me, it sounds like it was quite the gathering. And I love that you got a second chance to see Miss Obrien too. (and of course she noticed your dress.. you looked FAB, kid)
And then, ha.. Mr. Maltin strolls by and you just leisurely discuss Loretta's precodes, as if it were the most natural thing on the planet, ha. (Meanwhile.. ha.. if I WERE there, I'd be going.. "What.. Loretta made some pre-codes?" ha.
So see.. even if I DID go, I would likely be such a fish out of water to be mixing it up with so many folks who are so well-known (and who know so much about film history and stars, and the like) I would just be sitting there all "bugged-eyed' and gawking at the pretty people, ha, too dumb-founded to speak.
HEY.. now THAT's something. ha. (the first time I might be at a loss for words.. ha. Maybe folks could take up a collection for me to go.. just to enjoy THAT moment, ha)
All kidding aside, youngun. I am so glad to hear about all the tales. These will be the memories of a lifetime, kiddo. Enjoy!
(oh and PS: I am w/ you on Blazing Saddles. ha. It has never been a fave.. I have never been able to get through it.. but all the same, I bet just listening to Mel Brooks chatting it up was a real hoot!)
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if the QT is "The Man" and Hannah is "The Kid", what's your nickname, lol
Ha.. I don't think he even KNOWS my name. The QT is "the Man" , the kidling is "the girl" and.. ha.. I am just the old lady who gives him food, I think.
PS: the "rambles" thread that I got that link out of was Miss G's OLD (way old, so very old) original Rambles thread. (It's not the same Rambles thread being used now)
That was way back in 2008 I think.. so I had to do some digging to find it there. But again, it is not the same Rambles as the one that is active today. So I don't know if that is where you will want to post or not. It is REALLY (really) buried deep in the middle of that thread. And do I think you can still post there.. I don't think it was ever locked down, but it might be confusing to have two "rambles" threads going on in the same forum... so don't know if you will want to do that or not) Don't really have an "official" ruling ha. Just a thought,I guess.
(Ha, This is suddenly reminding me of one of those "Let's go out to eat.. Where do you want to go?" "I don't know. Where do YOU want to go?" kinda conversations.. HA!)
You just pick the spot, girlie, and post your TOBI chat wherever you want to land, kiddo.. and I will find you! ha.
And wherever you land, kiddo, It will be fun to read what you have to say on it all. -
Woo! Cupcakes for everybody! Thirty years calls for something special!! Happy Anniversary to you and your lovely bride, Mr. Movieman! God bless you both!
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I'm in love with your Famous Amos...
That photo brings out all his personality and BIG FEET. What a sweetheart! Does he plop in your lap when you're watching television? (better than having an alpaca in the living room)
He's not much of a "lap" dog, ha. but he IS a "nudger" He will come over to where I am sitting and he'll get right up against me and nudge my leg with his head.. and if I don't pay him any attention, he'll just keep doing it until I reach down and give him a good ear rub. ha. He loves to have those floppy ears rubbed right at the back of his head. But to be honest. he only really "likes" me. And he likes the kidling too.. but he l-o-v-e LOVES 'the man" ha. (that is what I will call my husband when I am talking to the dog) I'll say, "Go find the Man" or "Where is the Man?" and he KNOWS who I am talking about and he will go and find the QT wherever he is out in the yard. He also knows that the kidling is "the girl" ha. I will call her that and say the same thing about him going to find her, and that dog will go and get her, almost every time. He's NOT as doofy as he acts, ha. (at least not when it comes to his family)
And I have to say, he is about the best-natured dog I have ever seen. He barks like a wild beast at strangers if they come too close to the yard or the fence line.. but he is as gentle as a lamb with us. I have literally reached all the way into his m outh to pull out food that I did not want him to get (because he IS a little "sneak-thief" sometimes. ha) and he will not resist at all. I have never seen him be aggressive in any way toward us. He's pretty obedient too. He will sit and stay with hand motions or verbal commands. (and he has a few other not ALL that impressive tricks that we have taught him.. ha. but they are impressive to US, anyway, ha) He really is a sweet little dog. (hair and all)
where should we meet for THE OX-BOW INCIDENT
I rewatched it tonight (and ps.. I am with Miss Finnie.. Those "lesser" characters REALLY are the stand-out feature in this movie. I noticed it the first time I saw this film too.. but it really got my attention even more tonight) So will be happy to chat on it with you anywhere you like. We can stay here and chat.. or go back over to Westerns where we talked earlier this weekend.. or whatever place you choose.
You start to chattin' and I'll meet up with you wherever you happen to hang your hat. (ha.. hang... there's that WORD again.. gulp)
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YIPPEE! Bronxie. I am so glad you were able to find TOBI. I will try to rewatch it myself maybe this evening if I am able. and will look forward to reading your thoughts on it all.
Here is one of my favorite pictures of Famous Amos (his full name.) We THOUGHT he was going to be "parti-colored" based on the description we received from the lady we bought him from years ago. She said he was "black and white" so that is what we pictured. And we decided "Hey. we'll call him Famous Amos.. after the cookie, because he'll be spotted like a chocolate chip cookie" But imagine our suprise when the only white we found on him was just a bit on his snout and chest" DUH. She could have described him a bit more carefully, ha. But by then we loved the name, so we kept it AND the dog too. ha. This pic is one that I created for a post I made somewhere else and I put it along side a picture of an ALPACA ha.. because I was telling some friends of mine that his hair was getting so unmanageable that I was having a hard time figuring out whether he was a Cocker Spaniel OR an ALPACA ha.
Oh my goodness ME, he is such a hairy beast.. and when he goes running around outside with all the trees we have.. among the fallen leaves and twigs and sticks out in the yard.. ha, with those giant cocker spaniel feet, Its a bit like going out to play in your fuzzy houseslippers. ha. And that hair grows so fast.. we can NEVER keep up with it, no matter how we try. But we love him so much.. what's a little dog hair now and then? (ok.. its a LOT of dog hair.. ha. But did I mention how doggone lovable he is??)
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Good eye, Miss G. Ha. I just couldn't tell. It sort of looked like Mr. Scratch, ha. so it was a total guess from me. The Will movie sounds like a fun movie though. I will make a point of looking for it. I have never even heard of that one.
PS: Rey.. your Duke pic is a very nice rendition.
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But lima beans have their own song
HA!! Sing on little darlin! ha. You still won't get me to eat those nasty things.
Besides.. I like the Beans and Cornbread song that TBS used to play back in the 90's when they had Dinner and a Movie. (ha.. I may not like to EAT them.. but I loved the song. ha. And besides, if you HAVE to eat beans.. cornbread always helps) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fM9jT2eM6KQ
Meanwhile.. bring on the cabbage AND the brussel sprouts! (woo hoo) Love those..
Oh.. and I also like beets.. but usually only if they are pickled. (though I have had borscht and it was pretty good, as I recall)
As for the lizards.. ha. Every time I read another one of your stories I just envision Boca as the LIZARD Capital of the world! ha. I am afraid to even think of going there.. ha. I would have to wear steel toed shoes just to walk the city streets safely. (Lizards can't bite through steel, can they??)
And re: the squirrels.. ha. they CAN be oh so dramatic. ha. But oh my golly.. we DO have a lot of them out here. Our dog loves to hunt them.. though he has NO chance in ever catching them. He is an American Cocker Spaniel so I THINK he is just a natural born hunter that way.. ha. But oh me.. he's a total crack up. We have an acre yard and it is all fenced in.. and there are about thirty trees and bushes back there. And he will go from tree to tree.. his nose to the ground sniffing out the squirrel trails where they have scampered across the lawn.. but they are LONNNGGG gone by the time HE sniffs them out. And he'll get to the bottom of the tree and look up and bark and bark.. at nothing but their scent. ha. And then he'll go to the next tree. nose to the ground.. and do it all over again. ha. (I picture the squirrels sitting up at the top of the highest tree.. hundreds of feet over his head and just laughing it up as they watch him chase the "ghost" squirrels they left behind. ha.
Poor Amos.. he's OH so lovable and TERRIBLY cute. But he's not the smartest cookie in the jar, to be sure.
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Well hello there, Mr. Grey.
Hey.. who is that up there in the tree in your avatar?? The pic is so small I can't tell. Is that Mr. Scratch??? Let me go get bake a peach pie and trick him to come on down.. then I'll get ole Dan'l Webster to give him the boot! HA.
Too much competition
Sport season taking all your viewing time??? I know it is a busy time for you.
there's a real sadness to a person being pushed aside and forgotten
Oh there absolutely is. I completely agree. And if she had been written even a LITTLE bit differently.. I think I would have had even MORE sympathy for her than I did. Because I DID have some feeling of sadness to see her being passed over by the changing times. Did you notice the big microphone passing over her head and bumping into her.. just another "nudge" of fate that she'd been replaced. And yet, she DID still have a following. Those former co-workers and fans had NOT forgotten her. And that COULD have been enough for some folks.. and I think if she had not fought the changing of the times and went with the flow (like SOME silent stars managed to do with the passing of time) maybe she'd have been able to take her lot in life a little more easily.. a little more gradually. Rather than waking up one day to find out you're hot.. and then the next day you're not. She just thought she deserved better. She thought she was too important to be passed by. But she forgot that time waits for no one, not even Norma Desmond. And if she didn't move with it.. she'd be stuck in a rut.. and nobody but Max was going to want to be stuck with her.
I guess I am saying.. that while I DO feel badly for her in some respects, by clinging to the past instead of just trying to live her life one day to the next and moving forward from there, she sort of created her own circumstances. She loved being the object of worship by so many adoring fans.. rather than actually trying to just love LIFE (by living it to the fullest, day after day) So she more or less hurt herself.
I call this the "Elvis" syndrome ha. Its never a good idea to start believing your own press. Once you think all the wonderful things you hear about yourself are REAL and not just the image you are putting out there for people paying you money.. you will fall victim to the folly of thinking you really ARE as wonderful as everyone says you are and that you deserve to be loved and adored just for being YOU.
It's an ugly way to live. And it makes YOU ugly too.. even if you did not start out that way.
So that is why I had a harder time feeling a WHOLE lot of sympathy for her. Yes. she was pitiful.. and I DID pity her. But that is not exactly the same as maybe sympathizing with her over her lot in life. It was sad.. it was tragic.. but a lot of it was her own doing.
What creeps you out about her?
Ha.. she was a loon! (I would have LOVED to have known the back story about that monkey, ha.. and then again.. I am sure it is just another part of the whole creepy package that was NORMA.) The comparison with the house and Miss Havisham was pretty spot on.. and to me the house sort of extends to Norma. She was sort of "frozen in time" too. She was trying to keep her life from moving forward by convincing herself that only her OWN reality was real. Her makeup and the way she dressed and her mannerisms.. ugh.. she just could not give up the silent era spotlight.. even after it had long-since gone out. She was just way over the top. And I have to say that Gloria Swanson really (really, really) did a wonderful job portraying her that way. I don't KNOW if she was as creepy as Norma in the way she lived and dressed and carried herself. ha.. but I could BELIEVE she was just by watching her in this role. Agh!
And 50 for a woman in Hollywood is like being 80.
Ha..then I am staying away from THAT place forever!! ha. All kidding aside, I know what you mean about how folks seem OLDER than they do now. (even Betty saying she was 22 I was like.. NO way! ha.) I think ever generation thinks the one in front of it is ANCIENT. ha. I know my mom and dad HAD to be ever so much "older" at fifty than I am now. (yeah.. I'll just keep telling myself THAT one, ha)
Well, she's an actress, so there is going to be a lot of drama with her. She's also used to being the center of attention. For a woman to lose this through aging is tough. And this is a huge selling point for me with Sunset Blvd.. I feel it's a terrific film about aging.
I don't know. I don't see it about "aging" so much as I do about just trying to hold back the hands of time.. and wanting to recapture the attention and the limelight.
To see Norma trying to look as she did when she was younger speaks volumes about Woman and her struggles in our society. It's rather heartbreaking.
It was sad.. but not just because she was trying to be "young" again. Its not like she is the "typical" fifty year old woman with life passing her by. She wanted the camera.. she wanted to cling to her fans.. she wanted to have all that attention just like she remembered it. And it was over. She had let herself become deluded and she did it in a big way I think she felt she deserved to be young forever because someone as wonderful as she thought she was could simply defy time itself . So yeah.. maybe it was a little bit about "aging" but more about a refusal to look at reality and just be a real person in a changing world (and not try to hang onto her lost STARDOM) no matter her age.
It's not a matter of strong or weak that makes me like or dislike Joe. I tend to like weak men more than strong ones, typically. What bothered me about Joe was that I thought he was mostly a jerk. He was in line with society's view of Norma being a has-been nut. He thought poorly of her and was merely humoring her, seeing her as easy money. He eventually started to feel for her, though.
And see. I don't think he saw her as easy money. (at least not in the way I think you are saying it) He did not set out to take her for anything at all. He walked into the wrong place at the wrong time.. and he sort of fell into a situation that he didn't even realize he was in.. until he was in it. He thought it would be a quick writing job (once he did agree to write for her) and make a few bucks and move on. (and meanwhile. maybe he would be able to keep his car away from the repo guys) He didn't look to take her for her money.. at least not for anything but writing.. but she kept throwing it at him. Every time he tried to move away from her, he kept getting snagged by her grabbing him and pulling him in. (sometimes literally.. she would reach over and pull him closer to her) He put up a few protests..and he even tried to break away (on New Years Eve) but she kept reeling him back in. That is why his weakness was such an issue. He didn't have the backbone to stand up and tell her thanks but no thanks.. and mean it. Until it was too late.. and then it really WAS just that.. TOO late.
I still don't view Norma as crazy yet I know she is. It's the loneliness she lives with and her need to be a star again that really make me feel for her, even understand her.
Oh my golly.. she was a total loon. ha. A creepy, manipulating, utterly self-absorbed nut-job. Yes.. I do feel sorry for her.. because I hate seeing anyone sink that low into the depths of "koo-koo" that way. But again.. I think she did it to herself by the way she loved the limelight and the attention TOO much. And Max thought he was doing her a kindness by "protecting her" and allowing her to KEEP that going. But he only made her WORSE and she completely lost her grasp on reality. Crazy doesn't even begin to cover it.
You go around with a frozen rope
Yeah.. but that is only because.. well.. some folks need looking after.
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Hi chickie..
I am sorry to hear your youtube didn't work out. Will hope that you can get it to work better next try. And you are spot on w/ your analysis of Dana and his work in this one. He really was something.
And yeah.. that ramble is pretty hard to follow. ha. (make sure you are going the right direction from the link I sent you.. you want to click the numbers to the left and make them get smaller.. not bigger when you go to the next page. Because I think if you keep reading that direction from the point I sent you it does follow on from there for a couple of pages anyway. (in between a few other folks chatting on some stuff) I do remember saying something about the girl.. ha. (or at least the exchange between Fonda and her latest gentleman friend) but will let you check that out for yourself. ha. (after re-reading what I wrote. HA!! I am aghast I spoke so PLAINLY about how I felt about it.. shocking talk.. even from ME! ha)
Anyway.. hope you can piece it all together. Hang in there.. oh wait.. let's don't mention hanging right now. (it IS the Ox-bow afterall)
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What??? Wait.. Norma was (gasp) FIFTY???????????????????????????????????????
Say it isn't SO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ha. (surely she was older.. it must have been an error in the script or SOMETHING, ha. Please tell me she was older, ha. I have been fifty for a while now.. I can take it. .and I am not usually one to get too caught up in vanity, as a rule.. ha. but AGH! I hope I don't look as old as Norma! ha.) Agh! fifty??? (gulp.. really??) I ended up not liking Joe (William Holden) because of how he viewed Norma. But he did come to feel for her. I'll give him that.
And after watching it all again, I will say that I can maybe see why you would say that, because ultimately he just wasn't ALL that likable. And yes.. Norma could be very sympathetic sometimes. She was also vain, egotistical, manipulating, vindictive.. and desperate. So it was hard to get too "wooshy" eyed for her overall. I DID feel very sorry for her after the New Year's Eve party. I think that had to be when she was the most sympathetic of all. But I think she knew how to "play the victim" too. Her "fake" suicide attempts were more about drama.. and she knew that her "faithful" circle of people would continue to fawn all over her and make her feel better. So SOME of that crying was for show. But that one part.. (the new year's eve scene) that one was different. I really do think she was about as broken as she could be thinking he was not going to stay with her.
And that is likely what broke Joe down too. Because he DID come to care about what happened to her. And even though I don't think he STAYED because he loved her.. I think he did have pity on her and eventually he cared about her enough to want to spare her feelings when she might be hurt by those who were going to treat her as an old, out of favor, has-been. At least he seemed to care for her that way.. before she pushed him too far, that is.
And I have to say, that pretty much throughout the story, he didn't LIKE what he'd allowed her to turn him into as well. I'll say again.. he wasn't an overtly likable guy. He had a lot of weakness in h im and LET her "adopt" him. But he didn't just roll over for it. He did protest a little.. and I think it wasn't a false sort of protest. He just didn't have enough "guts" to back it up. If he'd had more backbone, and if his wallet wasn't hurting him as bad as it was, he'd not have let it go anywhere with her. (of course.. if he were THAT sort of guy, he'd have never ended up parking his car in the garage and going into that house in the first place, ha And they'd have had to pick a different street name to call the movie, wouldn't they?? ha.) .
But I guess I am just saying.. even if he was weak, he wasn't a money grabber like some folks would have been. Even after he'd given in, he fought the image.. but he just wasn't strong enough to stand up and walk away. He let her give him want he wanted: comfort and a lack of worry over money. But he did not really enjoy it. And I don't think he ever once set out to "take her" for what he could get. He just didn't fight hard enough to keep her from GIVING him what she wanted to (in order to entice him to stay.) He was being kept by her, but he really (really) hated it when others KNEW and assumed that he was "ok" with playing the role he'd been given when she took charge of his life. He didn't set out to end up the way he did.. he sort of fell into it, and then was too weak to let himself have enough (as my dad used to call it) "personal pride" to not live like that. .
SPOILER ALERT:
And I have to say, he gets major points from me the way he spares Betty from Norma hurting her. Once he saw what was going to happen the first time he tried to step out and have his own life, he realized the only way to stop it was to put his foot down hard. So he hurt Betty himself.. but he thought it was for her own good. If he sent her packing, Norma wouldn't be able to do anything to hurt her. So he made himself as ugly as possible and chased Betty away. In his mind, he was doing her a kindness. Even if it LOOKED like he was being unkind.
And then I liked how he made up his mind enough was enough and got himself ready to leave Norma in the dust. It was long overdue. He just wasn't able to make it past the patio, though. (poor guy). He underestimated the fact that he was not only dealing with a TOTAL crazy woman.. but a total crazy woman with a GUN. (those two don't ever mix well, if movies like this are any indication, ha)
Correction.. agh! A FIFTY year old total crazy woman with a gun. (REALLY???????????) I still say there must have been SOME sort of typo in the script when they wrote THAT part. ha.
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OH me, Little T!! I love hearing these festival stories and YOURS takes the cake, little darlin'. Getting to meet Miss O'Brien of all things!! That is one of the funnest tales I have heard yet (and that is saying something if you read all the various stories folks are posting! There are so many fun reads going on right now)
Can't wait to see the pic of you and lovely Miss O together. If you are wearing the dress I THINK you were wearing (was it the lovely pale red one?) that really was something and it was a perfect choice for you. No wonder you caught her eye.
And then to run into Kim Novak too (ha.. literally!) You were in in the right place at the right time more than once, it sounds like to me. Good for you kid.. getting to rub elbows with the stars like that. So happy for you and all my TCM Message Board friends to get to be a part of it all. I am with Patful.. I think I may be a bit "green" all over, just hearing about it, ha. (But I mean that in a good way!)
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*Sunset Blvd*
*rohanaka says: What a disturbing movie. To me its almost kinda like driving past a train wreck, ha. You know you SHOULD look away, but you just can't.
I have not seen it in a long while, but I do recall being very intrigued by how it was all going to play out (given you know at least ONE of the characters' outcomes before it even starts) Will be interested in hearing what you thought of this one.*"Disturbing" is a good word for it. I actually found myself feeling sorry for Norma (Gloria Swanson). There was a lot of sadness to be found with her. I ended up not liking Joe (William Holden) because of how he viewed Norma. But he did come to feel for her. I'll give him that.
YO! Grey Dude..
I hope it is not too late to chime back in on your recent list. I had to go back a bit to find where we started gabbing on this one in particular. There has been a lot going on (in real life, as well as here too, what with the whole re-vamping of the message board and all) since you first published your list.
But I wanted to make a point of going back to find where we first started to talk on it, if only to tell you that I found a copy of this at the library the other day and brought it home because it has been such a good long while since last I saw it, that I wanted to watch again before I answered you.
And I have to say, I was NOT surprised at all to see you rate it so high when you posted your list in order. ha. I was expecting it would be one that you would enjoy. Ha.. even with MY track record, that one was a pretty easy guess. ha.) It has a "noir' feel to it in some respects, with a very flawed set of characters to be intrigued by. And a really "twisty twisted (almost gut-wrenching) plot with even some surprisingly emotional aspects to it as well.
I can't HONESTLY tell you it is an all-time favorite movie for me. But I have to confess, I don't dislike it either. I have to say that it HAS always caught my attention the few times I have seen it. (Again.. it's a very disturbing story and I will also restate it's a bit like a trainwreck. ha. You can't look away.. you just have to watch) And so I put it in TO watch it last night.. but it was a bit too late in the evening, and I did not get finished re-watching it this time yet. (What can I say.. it was getting late and I am getting old.. ha. So I couldn't stay up to finish it.. but will do that tonight.)
So I guess for now, you'll have to forgive me for being late to the party.. and in the meantime, I will just say, OH that NORMA.. ha. I forgot how MUCH (so very, very.... VERY MUCH) she creeps me out. ha.
OH my goodness me.(And yet.. having said that.. at the same time.. I totally can understand why you found her somewhat sympathetic... did I mention the plot was twisty twisted? Ha.) Oh my goodness me indeed.
I will look forward to being creeped out all over again tonight to finish this up and will hope we can have a bit of a chat on what in the WORLD made that ole gal tick ha.
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Aghhhhhhhhhhhhh (and may also say EWWWW!) ha.
Oh goodness me.. Lima Beans. Shmy-ma-Beans. I hate those nasty green things. Ha. Bronxie.. I will make you a deal.. I will eat the mushrooms for you..and you can have all (and I DO mean all.. every one.. every last stinking mushy, pungent disGUSTing ONE of my lima beans. ha.)
Those and black-eyed peas.. such hideous, vile.. horrid.. nasty, spotted critters. ha. I hate the way they glare up at me from the plate, ha.
And you can also probably have all my navy and/or butter beans too. And um.. kidney beans.. yeah.. hate those.
And the pintos (unless they are refried.. with lots of cheese.. they are good on a burrito, But that's about it. ha.
Oh.. and probably lentils and edamame, too. And also the garbanzos What can I say.. ha. Take my beans.. PLEASE!
But wait..maybe I would only give up the garbanzos.. if you keep them whole. Because I DO LIKE them if you mush them up and make hummus out of them. ha. OH.. and I do like navy beans too when you turn them into BBQ baked beans.. I do love those.
And well. not ALL beans are evil, I guess, because I l-o-v-e LOVE green beans. Yeah.. If I had to pick a favorite bean.. GREEN beans are good about any way you fix them. ha.. especially cooked down in a big pot with some bacon or ham (with onions too) Now I'll FIGHT you for those.. ha.
But otherwise, when it comes to beans.. ugh.. yeah.. you can have them.. all of them.. every last nasty, hideous... putrid,
Oh goodness me.. I am getting all worked up just thinking about beans.. ha. Did I mention AGGHHH (and also Ewwww??)
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While we're waiting for little Miss Bronxgirl to get back from the Ox-bow... I just thought I would pop in here and say how much fun I had catching a good bit of the John Wayne movies that were offered all last week. I did not get to watch as many as I would have liked.. but I DID get to see several (some I have seen a gazillion times, ha, and some I had only seen once or twice... and maybe a couple of the lesser knowns that I had never seen) So it was a lot of fun to be able to just enjoy a nice variety with an all-out "Duke Film Festival" for a change.. ha.
And I also wanted to mention that I really enjoyed getting to listen to the conversations between our beloved Mr. O and Mr. Eyman too. That was a nice way to add to the movies, to be certain. I found Mr. Eyman's stories and comments very entertaining and informative too.
Thanks, TCM programming gurus, for such a fun week!
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Yippee, little missy!! I would LOVE to go over this one again.. and would enjoy reading your thoughts. I think a certain Pirate Dude might chime in if we get the ball rolling. ha. (and would enjoy hearing from others too.. if they want to revisit it again after such a good long while. maybe the Grey Dude is ready for another MUD fight with me sometime, ha)
Take your time and mull it all over after you watch it and then please do mosey along back this way to chat it up with us, kid. -
Well HELLO there Miss B!!! Welcome to the Western side of town!
Desperately Seeking Past Discussions of THE OX-BOW INCIDENT
Well you won't find much of it in here.. ha. I had to do some fancy rememberizing.. ha.. but I was pretty sure I was right in that it was in Miss G's OLD "Rambles Sr" thread. I had posted a few days ago that I remembered getting it from the library and coming home to watch it that night.. wrong! ha. After I found the conversation starter that I had on it. .I re-read some of the things I said and it was a part of a group of films I had gotten from the library that October. But hey! I was right in it being around Halloween time.) But silly me, I digress. HA.
ANYHOO.. the point I am trying to get to is.. I did find the conversation.. but it is REALLY (really, really.. no REALLY) spread out over several pages and even over a couple of weeks.. (because hey.. it WAS the Rambles thread.. and you know.. folks gotta ramble, ha) so it is hard to follow.
But HERE is a copy and paste of my original post on it.. At the risk of "quoting" myself.. Way (so very way) back in November of 2008 rohanaka wrote:
The Ox-Bow Incident
Before I get too far along with this...let me first say ...It will be hard to avoid spoilers talking about this movie, so anyone who doesn't want to "read all about it"...take note.
Now I just have to just say ....watta movie. Really though, watta story. April, there are several folks that have this on thier top 100 western list, (I would have to count myself among them now) but this film doesn't have to be a "western" per se, as the film is more about the "incident and what caused it" and those sorts of things go beyond a certain time or place... but the old west really does fit w/ the themes in this tale because law and justice were certainly more "home style" back then when everyone carried their own little "peacemaker" to help them keep the peace. And I bet the back woods and empty fields and deserts of the American west are filled w/ the remains of plenty of Larry Kincaids and likely many more of the Donald Martins and his unfortunate traveling companions.
What I really looked for the most in this story was a point. WHY did these folks just suddenly decide to take the law into their own hands? WHY were they so quick to demand justice based on one second hand accounting of certain events that may not have been fully understood yet. And WHY were there so few present who wanted to stand up and perhaps act as a voice of reason. And when that voice came...in the form of an old man and a "weak willed" politician, WHY did so few people care to listen?
I think the answer is a common problem in today's society. And my husband gets the credit for it because he says this all the time...The reason everyone acted in such haste and with such poor judgement is that they did not want to "confuse the issue with the facts". They did not want to believe or be bothered with anyone else's opinion once they made up their minds. And they were easily led along a path they might not normally have chosen had they stopped and thought before they acted. And that path not only led to the deaths of three innocent men, but also drove a fourth guilty man to suicide, left an innocent family without a husband and father, and ruined the lives of all the willing participants who now are left the bear the guilt of their own foolish actions. (Forgive the run on sentence there)
This has to be the best acting I can ever recall from Fonda, though I admit I am not a huge fan of his and only have had a few movies that I can honestly say I could compare with. But boy does he stand out. At one point (when he is standing outside in the middle of the night in the cold talking to Harry Morgan--who was also terrific by the way) he virtually seethes. And you can just see it coming out of him as he is talking about how disgusted he is with all the blowhard "leaders" they are following after in this so-called pursuit of justice.
And while I admit there are numerous elements of gray (or is it "grey"?)
with his character, it turns out he is far more aware of the black and white of things than one might think as he repeatedly stands w/ Davies to try to calm folks down and also he makes a very heroic attempt near the end to put a stop to the whole thing. And then at the very end....well...I can only say I wish this short film had been a lot longer...at least another hour because I for one would have loved to see him and Morgan go on to both become better men as they moved in and helped that family face the future w/out their husband and father.I really liked the part where he is reading the letter to Morgan and all you can see is his m outh and Morgan's eyes...as if the words he is reading are flowing from his lips and sinking into Morgan's brain. Very interesting perspective.
The 12 Angry Men thought came to me when Davies asked for a vote and only 7 stood up to wait. And it just seemed very Angry Men-ish how the rest stuck by their convictions even though they all knew there could be reason to wait...again...not wanting to be confused with the facts.
And other stand out performances would have to be Harry Davenport...though I must admit I suddenly had a moment where I wanted to break out singing "Meet Me in St. Louis". :-) And the guy who played "Sparks"...I looked him up...Leigh Whipper. What a terrific job and what a great character..."He's kiddin' you Sparks." "I know but he might be accidentally right."
The only two things that I would have "changed" about this film (other than the ending that I wanted to see continued) would be the music (not too imaginative...maybe the director was still thinking of The Grapes of Wrath when he went w/ Red River Valley so often) and the character of Fonda's old girlfriend....what was that all about? It didn't have to be a part of the action of the story...it could easily have been included as background through more conversation than just the bit that was discussed at the beginning. I saw that whole piece as a bit of a distraction, but it did not last long, so I am not really complaining. Maybe others have a different take on that.
Well...of course I went longer than I wanted...I know---and after I promised to try not to ramble too long the next time..but there was just so much to go on and on about..and I know that if I let myself I could continue to go on and on...but maybe should let the rest of you get a word in edgewise...
As always...I hope this all made sense...and thanks for letting me ramble.
So there you have it.. those were my opening comments on it.. and then I am also going to give you the link to the page that at least gets you to the biggest part of the back and forth conversations we had on it (once the Grey Dude finally responded to my post) There were a few other comments made before that.. but the bulk of our remaining conversation would be from this link and following.
http://forums.tcm.com/index.php?/topic/19625-movie-rambles/page-284?hl=oxbow
Whew.. that was a lot of digging.. ha. But it was fun to go back and read over some of those old chats.. will have to go watch TOBI again myself now.. just to see if I still feel the same as I did back then.. woo hoo. WIll look forward to hearing your thoughts on it all, little missy.
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Thank you TCM Message Board Gurus, for getting this part of the board restored. I am glad to see it back again. Was thinking of our dear "Mr. In Hollywood" just the other day and missed getting the chance to look back on some of his older posts here. Thanks again for honoring his memory by continuing to make this a special part of the message board here.
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Laffite says: It leaves me room to have BOTH parfaits.
Hey, I say go for it.. ha. (there's plenty more where that came from, ha.. and all cyber food is calorie free!! woo hoo! ha) Enoy!
Miss G says: which of course is likely what Ford had intended all along
HA!! I was thinking that before I saw the end of what your wrote! (based only on what little I know about him.. and I admit it's very little) Thanks for the grin!
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I just cringe and get another brand, mostly out of spite.
HA! That'll teach them. Don't go down without a fight, kid.
I think THE OX-BOW INCIDENT was Dana Andrews' first film, not sure. I've seen bits and pieces of this movie over the years, and from Jane and Peter Fonda's TCM tribute to their father of him reading that letter. I've always loved Henry's voice.
The way he reads it.. and the way it is filmed.. as if he is literally speaking the words into Harry Morgan's brain.. very well done. It's a great way to wrap it all up.
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I wonder if some didn't quite get the feel of things in those early 30's westerns? Fred MacMurray, for all his wonderful comedy performances in the mid 30's comes across a little uncomfortable may not be quite the right word but something is missing
i bet you are right. It could be that maybe for a while.. everyone thought "Hey.. if you put him in a pair of boots and hat.. and stick him on a horse, he'll be a cowboy and we can shoot a western" But not everyone handles that sort of character as well (or as believably) even if they are a really good actor. Some folks just were not meant for the western side of town. ha.
why wouldn't the Indians shoot the horses. Of course, there isn't much action if they do that.
HA! Of course! That's it!
That movie is also the FIRST time I ever remember seeing the "throw rocks at the horses to make them run faster" technique. ha I NEVER (ever, ever) remember seeing that until I saw Stagecoach (again) for the first time in a LONG, long time, and for whatever reason it stood out for me as odd. ha. (and since then, I have seen it more than a couple of other times.. though I can't recall specifically what movies) That to me just seems awful, but I bet to a guy on a stagecoach trying to outrun a bunch of indians who were ready to mow them all down.. it MIGHT have come in handy to have a few extra rocks in your pocket when the shooting starts. ha.
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I don't think it was that long ago, was it
Yes, I think it was maybe five or six years ago. maybe. (don't ask me why.. ha. but I do remember it being a good while ago) The only reason it stands out so well is because it was one that somebody told me I should watch.. can't recall who.. and I found it at the library and I was so excited to find it I wanted to watch it right away, but if I remember right, it was around Halloween time and I ended up watching it later at night.. because I had to wait until the kidling had gone out trick or treating and THEN get her off to bed too, before I could come home to watch it that night. ha. (if that is the right movie I am remembering) And I even think it was so long ago.. I had not even started my "Western Ramble" thread yet.. because again.. don't ask me why I remember it (ha.. because I USUALLY can't even remember to buy DOG food without going back to the store a second time, ha) but for whatever reason I remember we discussed it in Miss G's OLD Rambles (sr) thread.
Maybe. possibly.. perhaps.. but you know.. I AM getting old, so it could be I am just making this up in my head.. ha.
It happens.
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That's quite a lovely garden you have going on there, Mr. Pirate Guy.. And I have to say your omelette sounds intriguing. (and looks delish!) I have never really had much Swiss Chard, I imagine it would be good, for your omelette though.
I am more 'midwestern" in how I do omelettes here.. ha. (at least I THINK it is a more midwestern thing) I basically load them up. We like cheddar cheese, diced ham, some onions.. maybe an occasional sliced mushroom thrown in for good measure. (I also like to add diced tomato, sometimes. My husband likes bell pepper)
Sprinkle on a little salt and pepper.. and there you go.
And THAT is likely why we end up with "globlettes" so often, ha. (I weigh those suckers down so much with goodies, they get hard to "flip" and then they will break apart) But you know.. after watching Julia.. it is also likely due to the temperature of the pan too.. sometimes they turn out perfect.. so maybe the ones that don't are because my heat is too low... hmmm. Something to think about and pay attention to for the next time.
I would enjoy hearing your thoughts on the Ox-Bow Incident (you too, Miss Bronxie) I have to say I watched that film for the first time several years ago and I remember being TOTALLY blown away by it. VERY moving story, and quite enthralling to see how it all plays out. I was never much on poor hairy Mr. Fonda.. ha. but I have to say he was EXCEPTIONALLY good in this film,
(SPOILER alert) And I did NOT expect the ending.. don't ask me WHY. but I guess I was just used to someone coming in to save the day.. and the day was not to be saved that time.. alas. As I recall we had SOME kinda ramble on it all with quite a few chiming in (ha. that MAY have been my first "official" mud fight with Mr. Grey, if memory serves... that is where I got the reference for the "Frozen Rope" I keep threatening him with, ha. The very first weapon in my infamous arsenal, ha)
But it was a LONG time ago so I don't remember everything that got said. I just remember it generated quite the conversation.
Anyway.. Hope you will mosey over to the western side of town.. or stay here if Miss Bronxie agrees.. or pick a spot, any spot.. and tell us all about your thoughts on it.
Now the only remaining thing to make this perfect is one of those delicious desserts that
Ro is always posting,How about some lovely fruit parfaits.. they'd pair up QUITE nicely with your omelette, I feel certain..and its a GREAT time of year for some Strawberries. (ha.. but then again.. isn't it ALWAYS?)
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The Movieman says:
What is it about pre-Stagecoach westerns that make them look so creaky?
Ha. I don't know. But I think some of it might be that it took a while for that genre to get some respect. (at least in some circles) The characters were less "layered " too and pretty flat. But eventually there were some westerns that rose to the top because some folks started to see the value of creating movies with quality to tell stories that had deeper meaning and better characters. The western (at least in my very uneducated, highly opinionated mind, ha) is a WONDERFUL backdrop for all sorts of intriguing and fascinating story-telling. It just took a while for some folks to get beyond movies that only showed the "cowboy" out riding his horse, amid shooting up the bad guys while trying to steal a kiss from the pretty girls.
Stagecoach is a good dividing line.. but there are other earlier ones that did a good job too. One example would be Miss G's beloved (and mine now too) 3 Bad Men. And I would also say the one that Jackie brought up for us to discuss.. Hell's Hinges, would be another (even IF the Grey Dude wrote it off, ha) There are images in those two movies that are absolutely beautiful. (and others that are gritty.. and realistic too) At least not so "creaky, ha) And I know there are likely many others, I am sure. I would even say The Big Trail had its moments with the way some of it was filmed. Very compelling.. I was completely undone watching those folks bury their loved ones in the blankets last night. There are other scenes too that were quite well filmed.. though I DO confess.. ha.. there were a few scenes where John Wayne was riding his horse that were VERY (to use your word, ha) 'creaky" But I am sure a part of that had something to do with the technology.
I don't know if I am even making sense, ha. I guess I am just saying.. Hollywood may have taken its sweet time to make westerns that were better quality.. in appearance, and with regard to the stories and characters too. But it was likely because a lot of the time, Westerns were viewed more for just "fun" (I call them popcorn movies.. you just sit back and munch and don't have to think.. just enjoy) So they might have been viewed as "quick cash" because a lot of people liked them.. and didn't expect them to be much more than "fun". Eventually.. folks got higher expectations when they started seeing the sorts of stories that Ford and others began to put out there.
Maybe.. perhaps.. but I confess.. ha.. I likely have NO idea what I am talking about and just making this up off the top of my head.
Then I watched "Canyon Passage
I think (in fact I am almost certain) I have this movie.. and the Texas Rangers one too (in a 4 pack maybe??) I might (ha.. MIGHT) have even seen this movie.. because I remember thinking what you did about Andy Devine..
Again.. maybe.. but it is EQUALLY possible I am making THIS up off the top of my head, TOO!! (what can I say.. I am getting old and forgetful)
For some reason I am thinking I STARTED to watch this film and then for whatever reason did not get it finished. If I recall (and again.. I might be making it up.. ha.. I really don't KNOW) but I think the Grey Dude actually mentioned this one a couple of years ago and said something like he had just watched it and had NO idea what this movie was supposed to be about! ha. (well THAT got my attention and I went looking for it.
I think. (good gravy I am getting old and forgetful.. but in my defense.. it HAS been a couple of years)
After I saw your post, I went looking for it, but I did not find it in my DVD cabinet.. but that may be due to the fact that we did some remodel work in the house back in the Fall and not all the movies have gotten brought back inside (from where we emptied out of the cabinet to take it to the shed while we remodeled) so I may have to go dive into a box out there soon and see if I can find my movie.. if only to VINDICATE myself from feeling so "foggy" in the head about it all. ha.
Say it isn't SO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ha. (surely she was older.. it must have been an error in the script or SOMETHING, ha. Please tell me she was older, ha. I have been fifty for a while now.. I can take it. .and I am not usually one to get too caught up in vanity, as a rule.. ha. but AGH! I hope I don't look as old as Norma! ha.) 
Western Movie Rambles
in Westerns
Posted
Woo HOO! Miss B, (and Lafitte too!) Thanks for getting the ball rolling on TOBI again.
Miss B, what a fine write up you have here!! This is such a truly intriguing story and you have really given me a lot to think on, after watching it the other night again, and then reading all that you have written now to go with it. I will have to chew on it a bit more before I can get my thoughts together.. which is good, ha, because I have a lot going on this weekend, so that will give me some time. I will try to chime back in maybe later tomorrow if I can.
So will chat with you soon, kiid. But for now I just wanted to pop in here say THANKS for the fun read!! (did I mention woo hoo??)