rosebette
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Posts posted by rosebette
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Perhaps because Jewish people, even successful, wealthy ones, were not accepted in "good" society, marrying Fanny would also have had socme social benefits for Skeffington.
About "Deception," I actually felt sad that Bette Davis shot him because he was the most interesting character in the movie! The scene in the restaurant is classic.
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These are terrific. If you go through the Life pictures very fast, it's as if you're watching him dance on film!
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I saw Skeffington a couple of weeks ago when it was Claude Rains SUTS day. I was unexpectedly moved by his performance, especially the scene where he is in the restaurant with his daughter, explaining that he and her mother are separating and he must go away. While Rains is usually a scene-stealer in most movies, his beautiful underplaying in this film actually took it away from Davis, who I thought was "over the top" at many points in the film. I also love him in "Now Voyager"; I'd have a serious case of transference if he was my therapist!
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I'm the reverse -- I like Bing in the Road movies and hate Bob; I find him grating.
I believe that Cooper was gifted at underplaying, rather than wooden, and hecould say a great deal with his face and the use of few words -- the moment in Mr. Deeds when he's confronted with the man with the gun, most of Meet John Doe, the last half hour of High Noon. Also, he was good at "bits of business" that would draw attention to him in a scene. There's one in The Westerner early on where he steals the scene from Walter Brennan.
It's true -- Lana Turner is not much of an actress. I can only stand her in The Postman Always Rings Twice and The Bad and the Beautiful. I find many of the actresses who were popular in the 40s as pin-ups or girl next door types on the bland side,except for Rita Hayworth.
This may be sacrilege, but I don't think Ava Gardner is much of an actress either.
Joan Crawford's later work (anything after 1950) really creeps me out, but I find it impossible to take my eyes off her in her early stuff.
I find Garbo interesting, but not a great actress; Crawford was actually better than she was in Grand Hotel. Dietrich is also a fascinating presence, but not much of an actress except perhaps in Destry Rides Again and Witness for the Prosecution.
For some reason, I like most of the actresses of the 30s and onwards, even those who are mannered and irritating at times, like Davis or Hepburn.
Modern day actors - Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Leonard DiCaprio, Daniel Craig (since when is Bond supposed to be stolid and boring?), Jim Carrey, Sarah Jessica Parker (whoever thought she was either attractive or funny?), Cameron Diaz (she can act?), Jennifer Anniston (her appeal is inexplicable to me), Angelina Jolie ...I could go on and on.
There are very few actors today whom I would pay to see. Of course the majors -- Meryl Streep, George Clooney, Julia Roberts (sometimes), Tom Hanks -- uh-oh, none of these people are under 50!
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I had seen this one about a year ago and was very impressed. My dad had told me that this was the movie Ginger deserved the Academy Award for, not Kitty Foyle, but I had never seen Primrose Path, so couldn't judge, but always thought Kitty Foyle was just a so-so picture. I was surprisingly moved. The scene where Joel McCrea rejects her brought me to tears. The toughness of the Rogers character that is just a veneer for her core honesty and loving nature is so powerful.
I was surprised that the prostitution theme was dealt with so openly in a "post-code", even the implications that the little sister, the child, is already being groomed to follow in her mother's footsteps.
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After viewing "Swing Time" last night, I would say the closing "Never Gonna Dance" is near the top for me, as is "Pick Yourself Up." My other tops - "Isn't It a Lovely Day" and "Night and Day". Love how he offers her a cigarette after that one -- after all, dancing is just a vertical expression of a horizontal idea.
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Robert Taylor - Beautiful but boring, except in Three Comrades and Waterloo Bridge
Van Johnson - Boring
Robert Montgomery - Glib and full of himself
Ray Milland - Except in Lost Week-end, slightly creepy under the veneer of charm. In the
Uninvited and The Major in the Minor, almost predatory, rather than charming and amusing
Ronald Reagan - Except in King's Row
Robert Cummings - Except in King's Row and Saboteur
John Wayne - Except in the better John Ford stuff and The Shootist. He's dependent on the director and the material, otherwise always the same
June Allyson - Brash and boring
Betty Grable - Vapid
Jane Russell - Except in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, where she's funny
Tab Hunter, Troy Donahue, and all those bland boys of the 50s - what were they thinking?
Jane Wyman - Except in Johnny Belinda. What's with the bangs?
Rock Hudson - Handsome but dull
James Dean - mannered and over-rated
Hedy Lamarr - Beautiful but dull
I guess I don't have tolerance for people who are just physically attractive, all-American types without much substance.
Don't get me started on the new people -- The list would be too long. Brad Pitt would have been just another Troy Donahue 50 years ago
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The only channel we experience the interference with is TCM and occasionally IFC. Also, it happens only with my husband's cell phone, which has 4g Internet access. I have a basic cell phone that just makes phone calls and texts; my DH says that if I could have one with a rotary dial, I would get one, and he's probably right.
Also, our home was built in the mid-80s, so we're not talking some antique colonial.
As to cell phones interfering with teaching, I'm also a teacher and I have to agree with you there.
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OK, here is a question for any techy-oriented person, which I, obviously, am not.
Since around last Christmas, we were having break-up in the picture and signal for TCM. We had our cable company service person come back then, and he gave us a new box, remotes, checked the signal from "home base", external wiring, etc. Then he told us that the problem was that the internal wiring in the house (i.e. in the walls was not compatible or deteriorating) and that was why we weren't getting signals on certain "hubs", such as TCM. Of course, we couldn't afford to rewire the house, and we also thought he was making something up to let the cable company off the hook.
Well, after January, my husband, who travels a lot for work, started traveling again. Whenever he was gone, TCM was fine, which made me happy, since that's when I watch the most. But he'd come home, we'd try to watch at night, and it would break up constantly.
One Saturday afternoon, he returned from a ball game (he's an umpire and a coach), and Ty Power and Jean Peters were in the middle of an erotic dance, and as soon as hubby walks in the door, the signal breaks up! I jokingly said that hubby was coming in just in time to spoil my fun. The other night, it broke up through most of Bus Stop, and I said he was being punished for lustful thoughts. In any case, whenever he was around, the picture would go haywire.
Last night, I was watching Mr. Skeffington while DH was out umpiring a late game. Around 11:25, the signal breaks up, about the time his car pulls into the garage. He comes upstairs, and the picture is flipping out every 10 seconds. I thought, this is crazy. Can a person's vibes, body chemistry, whatever, throw a cable station off?
Hubby climbs into bed as I'm vainly trying to watch the end of Mr. S., and as he's putting his cellphone on the nightstand, I ask him to do me a favor -- turn the cell phone off. He turned it off, and guess what -- I get to see the rest of the movie uninterrupted. Then, he turned it back on; as soon as the 4g reception came in on his cell, the picture started to break up. He turned the phone back off, and the picture was fine.
So, is this a crazy thing, or is it possible for a cell phone to play havoc with the cable signal for a certain station?
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I just had to chime in on this one, as my dad was a WWII vet, and this was one of his favorite films. He told me that when it played in the theaters, many people wept because it rang so true to their own lives. I still feel that within the limitations of film-making at the time, it addresses very skillfully such issues as PTSD, in the case of Fred's character, and post-war civilian adjustment. I also think Frederick March and Myrna Loy give one of the best and most accurate performances of a long-married couple; March's forays into alcoholism are also skillfully done.
As to the politicial discussion, I wonder if the U.S. was as polarized as to what "left" and "right" meant in the late 1940s. For instance, in the U.S., even through the 1960s and early 1970s, many Republicans were for some social programs. The tenor of the country in the late 1940s was to assist the returning servicemen and perhaps to waive more financially conservative strategies in favor of the returning soldiers. Was March's speech really about leftism, or about moneyed civilian business interests that needed to recognize the sacrifice made by servicemen and to help them reconstruct their lives? I wonder whether the all-or-nothing attitude of today's conservatives was present then, or whether there was a greater spectrum from liberal to moderate to conversative relating to social and fiscal policy.
As to Fred's confrontation with the man in the drugstore, wouldn't that occur with anyone who asserts that your sacrifice was in vain? Also, what some might forget is that in the U.S. at the beginning of the war, there were some who favored isolationism or a laissez-faire attitude toward the fascists.
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I felt the same way as many of the posts about the Don Murray character. While back in the 50s, his naivete and sincere heart may have redeemed his aggressive manner, when looked at from a contemporary perspective, his behavior verges on the abusive. I can see him taking Cherie home and a few weeks later, taking a few socks at her because his new li'l heifer doesn't live up to his vision of her.
Marilyn is wonderful in the movie; her accent is great, and I think it's one of her best performances. She is vulnerable, but has a real awareness of what she wants in a relationship.
Hubby was happy all day, plus my own body image was affirmed.
Loved to see a woman with a visible tummy and big hips and thighs depicted as gorgeous and desirable. Even with today's "vanity sizing", Marilyn was no size 2!
I'm not a big fan of Marilyn in her earlier movies; I actually think Jane Russell is better than MM in "Gentlemen", but in "Bus Stop," MM really shows her capabilities as an actress.
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"Vertigo," not "Rear Window"? And Kim Novak, beautiful as she is, is not much of an actress.
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I didn't like Fred MacMurray,except in Double Indemnity and Remember the Night, but when TCM devoted a whole night to him, I really appreciated his comic timing and his manliness, as well as his musical talent. Even in Double Indemnity, some of his timing and handling of the dialogue is exceptional. Sometimes we have a certain idea about an actor, particularly one who is associated with a TV role, that can be changed on further viewings.
I didn't like Doris Day as a kid, but now I think she was underrated. What a terrific vocalist and a delightful screen presence. I also think Mickey Rooney's work in the Garland movies is exceptional -- what a talented kid -- but I still can't tolerate much of his later stuff.
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I was able to stay awake only through the first part, which had all the action -- typical of Curtiz. However, when I read the TCM write-up and listened to Robert Osborne's comments, I immediately thought of the BBC series Reilly Ace of Spies and wondered if that story is also based on Lockhart's adventures.
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I think it has a great deal to do with classic film, or rather what film is becoming. I like the Bogdonavich piece better, but I think this one has a great deal of truth. While Holmes hadn't seen the new Dark Knight film, he was certainly influenced by the Joker character, who basically stole the movie, in the previous film. And that the premiere week-end of the new Dark Knight film, which features extensive and glorified violence, was a media culture event that was opening to packed theaters certain presented an opportunity for a person already obsessed with these themes. Also, Ty Burr of the The Boston Globe, and others have noted that even before the film opened, critics were receiving veiled and explicit online death threats if they gave the movie a bad review. When Gone with the Wind or Ben-Hur opened, or to move things to a modern context, the Star Wars series, this was not the type of violence-laden media circus that preceded the premiere weeks. I believe that something deeply disturbing is happening to film and our culture.
On another note, I recommend Anthony Lane's review in The New Yorker, which is very funny! He really makes mincemeat of the pretensions of Nolan's film. There's nothing like a skillful critic writing a bad review.
http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/cinema/2012/07/30/120730crci_cinema_lane?currentPage=all
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While I was not a "fan", I put "Marty" on last night because that was all there was to watch. I hadn't seen it in years and was unexpectedly moved, particularly the scene where Borgnine is in his apartment with Betsy Blair, and he is obviously close to tears because he has found this intimate connection with someone. Also, my husband is half Italian, and that film was spot-on about the mother-in-laws! It was a beautiful film with heartfelt performances. Also, I would like to see "Seasons of Passion" come to TCM. I spotted it on THIS, but it was late at night with a lot of commercials, so I couldn't watch it all the way through. Borgnine and John Mills are Australian workers on holiday with their girlfriends Glynnis Johns and Angela Landsbury. From what I saw, it was very earthy, with some great performances from all the leads. I think it has another title for British audiences.
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Bogdanovich touches on all the important questions raised by this tragedy.
I teach college, and several of my students have seen the new "Dark Knight" movie. While they all enjoyed it, they also said they could understand how the audience was confused about what was happening in the shooting because the film is basically one mass shooting incident after another. So, audiences get used to the sounds and sensations of this constant violence.
My question is also what has happened to the narrative arc of a storyline. A good action movie usually has a climax, but if a movie is one scene of chaotic and violent action after another, the violence and action loses the suspense and the impact. Older films tend to have a storyline built upon a single climax, not one climax after another. Of course, characterization is also lost, too. For instance, the later James Bond movies, a genre typically heavy on action but light on plot, the character of Bond himself is hardly important; we lose the tongue-in-cheek humor and one-liners that earlier Bonds like Sean Connery and Roger Moore were so good at. As for Robert Downey, I watched the first Sherlock Holmes. It's not Sherlock Holmes, it's an action movie with actors playing characters named Holmes and Watson. Give me Basil Rathbone any day of the week -- and Universal managed to get plenty of storyline, suspense, and characterization in films on a shoestring budget that ran under 90 minutes.
I remember seeing Avatar a few years back and felt that it should have ended after about 90 minutes because after the "climactic" battle where the civilization is destroyed, there was just one "climactic"battle scene after another, and I actually became bored. Also, whatever happened to editing? Some of these movies go on forever. I have yet to be able to sit through an entire "Pirates of the Carribean" movie for this reason, just layer upon layer of action and special effects with foolish plots and flimsy characterizations, except for Johnny Depp, who walks around like a cross between a punch drunk Errol Flynn and a refugee from the movie Spinal Tap.
I remember reading about an opening jousting sequence being cut from "The Adventures of Robin Hood" because it would detract from the other action that would take place in the movie, an action movie that lasted well under 2 hours!
Enough ranting for one morning.
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I knew that there were shorter versions around; this one obviously wasn't. It went from 10:30 to 12:45. It's been a while since I've seen it all the way through; either it was on too late at night, or run on a night when I was teaching. All that working for a living -- it really gets in the way of my movie watching.
I have to admit that it could have used some cutting; it seemed to drag in spots, unlike The Adventures of Robin Hood or Captain Blood, which seem to move along at a vigorous pace. Perhaps some of the extra political intrigue stuff which was supposed to parallel Spain with Nazi Germany and the patriotic speeches are what caused the pace to lag.
Flynn was never more handsome, though. Some of those close-ups in the scenes with Brenda Marshall -- Wow!
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I treated myself to a morning off and watched The Sea Hawk. What's with the print for that movie? The second half was blurry and even scratched in some places. One would think Turner could do better.
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Despite the flaws in all the films, I couldn't stop watching Babs. I don't think I've ever seen such natural performances, passion, and raw energy in a young actress. Except for Ricardo Cortez and Adlophe Menjou, the men were like stick figures compared to her. Of all the movies, I liked "Ten Cents a Dance" and "Forbidden" best. I hate to admit it, but I kind of like Ricardo Cortez -- he was sexy and interesting, which is more than I can say about the drips in the other movies. "Forbidden" had the mark of a strong director. Some of the shots, such as the one of Barbara and Adolphe Menjou talking to each other through the stair bannsiter in her apartment are very interesting.
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While Warner's Midsummer Night's Dream was harshly criticized when it was first released, I think it holds up much better than MGM's Romeo and Juliet. I think the comic rustics played by Cagney, Joe E. Brown, et al. give the movie it's humor, and the cinematography is beautiful in the fiary scenes. I think MGM had a tendency to "embalm" some of the classics.
As for a couple of lovers in a balcony scene -- how about Flynn and DeHavilland in The Adventures of Robin Hood, which in some ways is modeled upon the one from Romeo and Juliet? If Flynn could manage the dialogue in Elizabeth and Essex, I think he could manage Shakespeare, and Olivia would have been a lovely Juliet. However, I can't quite see Flynn killing himself for a woman... maybe the other way around.
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I thought Lombard was very good at imitating Garbo -- even to the inflection of the voice and the way she carried herself. Also, the role was similar to others where Lombard pretends to be someone she isn't. Someone mentioned Tina Fey and Sarah Palin. I think that Lombard in her lighter and less glamorous moments (such as in "Nothing Sacred") reminds me of Amy Poehler. Poehler is plumper, but they have similar expressions and facial features in those lighter moments.
By the way, in one of the Garland/Rooney films, Mickey Rooney imitates Gable, Tracy, Lionel Barrymore, and Carmen Miranda. I think it's all in good fun and perhaps the highest form of flattery.
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Someone mentioned Sean Connery a few posts back. What about *The Man Who Would Be King?* At the end of telling his story to Rudyard Kipling, the Michael Caine character reveals what he has in that bag....
Another John Huston movie --- Humphrey Bogart in *Treasure of Sierra Madre* is actually decapitated by the bandits, but it happens slightly off camera.
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I woke up in the middle of the night with a bit of insomnia and caught this one. Fascinating precode, and the actress Conchita Montenegro has plenty of sex appeal and screen presence. It's very understandable why Howard deserts his fiancee for her. According to the TCM article, Howard actually did have an affair with her, which is hardly surprising. The overall plot is definitely racist -- the idea that the races cannot mix and all that. Yet, there is a good deal of cultural relativism, too. It's clear that it's acceptable for the native girl to have two lovers in her own culture, and while Howard can't deal with it from his own cultural standpoint, it's seen more as a reflection of the bad decision he's made to uproot himself than as a condemnation of her. Tamea is still portrayed as an honest character who loves both men in her own way. She doesn't get "punished" as a bad woman in the end, but simply ends up with her native sweetheart, which would never have happened post-code; she'd probably have been thrown into a volcano or swallowed up by a tidal wave or something. I can also see why Howard became a known actor; his performance is very natural and nuanced, and he has a good speaking voice, although he looks a bit like the skinny, geeky kid in high school. Why women were drawn to him is a mystery to me!
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex - the famous slap w/the ring
in General Discussions
Posted
I'm a fan of both Flynn and Davis and have read several bios of Davis, as well as "Mother Goddam." The idea that she wanted to have a sexual relationship with Flynn is ludicrous. She admits she had little respect for him as an actor until years later, and she despised that he couldn't remember his lines, but still managed to look great on film. I've seen Elizabeth and Essex many times, and I enjoy their scenes together because it's like watching 2 comets on a collision course. They are both powerful presences in their own way, but I never see them as really "acting together" in the scene, but each playing their own part, singing a solo so to speak. There is a certain emotional chemistry, but little sexual chemistry betwen them. I don't believe for a minute that Essex really attracted to her, and I often feel as if Elizabeth sees him as this gorgeous but annoying male creature she has the misfortune of being infatuated with.
Errol has a couple brief scenes with DeHavilland. All they have to do is look at each other, and it's as if they're meant to be in each other's arms, regardless of the characters they are playing.