faceinthecrowd

ADVENTURE was the first movie Clark Gable made when he returned from the war. His co-star was Greer Garson. It's best remembered for the advertising slogan: "Gable's back, and Garson's got him!" Unfortunately, it's not a very good picture. Good slogan, though.

JADE (1995) ASHES AND DIAMONDS (1958) SAPPHIRE (1959)

In the 1940s there were no redheads who could compete with Ann Sheridan -- and that includes Rita Hayworth. It's ironic that Sheridan almost always played down-to-earth, girl-next-door types. But let's be grateful for those sultry publicity shots. Moving on to the 1950s, the aptly named SLIGHTLY SCARLET starred Arlene Dahl and Rhonda Fleming. Both gorgeous, and one of them could also act.

I wonder whether "Gerard" is an echo of "Javert." Or I may just be reading something into it that wasn't intended.

Call me Mr. Sentimental, but when Hannibal Lecter is listening in rapture to the Goldberg Variations, and the guards bring in his meal, and then -- well, it just gets me misty-eyed. I guess he didn't like the way they prepared his lamb chops.

IT HAPPENED TOMORROW: a newspaper reports the next day's news. As for the first two TERMINATORS, I prefer T2, because Linda Hamilton looks so great all buffed up.

PORTRAIT OF JENNIE is an excellent choice. It's a beautiful film, and the emotional relationships that Joseph Cotten has with Jennifer Jones and Ethel Barrymore transcend any time-travel gimmick.

Lilly Dillon in THE GRIFTERS Pee Wee Herman in PEE WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE

I got that nugget about Clifton Webb being a ballroom dancer from Ephraim Katz's invaluable Film Encyclopedia. It also points out that Webb made three or four silent films, then didn't make another movie until his memorable performance in LAURA, in which he was cast by Otto Preminger over the objection of Darryl Zanuck, resulting in the first of his two Oscar nominations. And it seems that his birth name was Webb Parmallee Hollenbeck, and that he was born in Indianapolis (!)

"Kitty would sell her own mother out to buy nail varnish!" That reminds me of another great character, Sherry in THE KILLING: Sterling Hayden tells her, "You'd sell your own mother for a piece of fudge."

Do you think Dr. Petersen is accepting any new patients? If I don't have enough neuroses of my own, I'll make up some new ones.

Not all of these are people I'd necessarily want to associate with, but they're all fascinating: Lawrence of Arabia Charles Foster Kane Hannibal Lecter Ellsworth Toohey in THE FOUNTAINHEAD Sheridan Whiteside Richard Burton as Alexander the Great Sid Jeffers in HUMORESQUE -- Oscar Levant as his own alter ego; he wrote much of the character's dialogue himself. Captain Munsey in BRUTE FORCE Uncle Charlie in SHADOW OF A DOUBT John Baron (Frank Sinatra) in SUDDENLY Captain Ahab (Gregory Peck) in MOBY DICK Ebenezer Scrooge -- Alastair Sim's great performance makes us pity him. Gutman in THE MALTESE FALCON Tommy Udo, the giggling gangster Inspector Gerard Walter Ramsey in PATTERNS and Arthur Bannister in LADY FROM SHANGHAI, both played by Everett Sloane. Waldo Lydecker in LAURA and Hardy Cathcart in THE DARK CORNER, both played by Clifton Webb. Johnny Rocco and Barton Keyes, both played by the one and only Edward G. Robinson. Dr. Strangelove Dr. Omar in THE SHANGHAI GESTURE -- "Doctor of nothing, poet of Shanghai and Gomorrah." And thanks to visualfeast for suggesting Harry Lime, one of the most memorable screen villains ever. And another villain, one of the greatest of all time: Cody Jarrett. Top of the world! Lulu in PANDORA'S BOX Phyllis in DOUBLE INDEMNITY Kathy in OUT OF THE PAST Jean Harrington in THE LADY EVE Gaby in ALGIERS Tania (Viveca Lindfors) in CAULDRON OF BLOOD, aka BLIND MAN'S BLUFF Marlene Dietrich's character in SHANGHAI EXPRESS -- "It took more than one man to change my name to Shanghai Lily." Claudette Colbert as Cleopatra Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman. Meow! Mona Demarkov (Lena Olin) in ROMEO IS BLEEDING Edited by: faceinthecrowd on Mar 24, 2010 9:10 PM

You can never tell. James Cagney showed what he could do in YANKEE DOODLE DANDY. And Clifton Webb, in his youth, was a leading ballroom dancer.

SIDE STREET is a good one. I wonder if it meets BACK STREET at CROSSROADS.

Nob Hill Rose of Washington Square Hangover Square Times Square House on Haunted Hill Main Street After Dark Main Street to Broadway St. Martin's Lane aka Sidewalks of London Race Street The Shop Around the Corner Flamingo Road One Way Street 11 Harrowhouse

My guess is that it's one of those family jokes that outsiders wouldn't understand. It may be explained in the novel.

I'd say that ADAM'S RIB ends in a tie. 1) They have the same nicknames for each other: he's Pinky, she's Pinkie. 2) In court, Kate makes a fool of Spence. 3) But after the trial is over, Spence confronts her with a gun, threatening to shoot. When she says, "No one has that right!" he says, "Ah!" having proved his point. Then he puts the gun into his mouth, she screams, and -- if you haven't seen the movie, do so. 4) Earlier, Kate says that biologically there's very little difference between men and women. Spence replies, "Well, as the French say, Vive la difference. That means, hurray for that little difference."

That's a very interesting post. Donald Spoto's Hitchcock bio, "The Dark Side of Genius," is one of the best biographies I've ever read, about a film personality or anyone else. And "Blue Angel," his bio of Marlene Dietrich, is an absorbing read also. A word of warning, though: Spoto's "The Art of Alfred Hitchcock" contains plot spoilers, so it's best read after seeing the movie under discussion.

A Streetcar Named Desire. (There is a Desire Street in New Orleans, and the word Desire appears on the front of the streetcar, indicating its destination.) Madison Avenue (1962), starring Dana Andrews and Eleanor Parker. There are many movies whose title begins with the word Broadway. Delancey Street: the Crisis Within Crossing Delancey The House on Carroll Street/Garibaldi Street/Greenapple Road Nightmare Alley Blood Alley Freudlose Gasse, aka Joyless Street, aka Street of Sorrow (1925), starring Asta Nielsen and Greta Garbo. It's rumored that Marlene Dietrich has an uncredited bit in this film, although this hasn't been confirmed. 13 West Street Ten North Frederick Ten Rillington Place And, to stretch things a bit, The Streets of L.A./Laredo/New York/San Francisco And how's this for a double bill: Last House on the Left Dead End Edited by: faceinthecrowd on Mar 22, 2010 2:14 AM

Thanks for the tip. I just checked the reviews on Amazon, and they confirm what you say: terrible quality DVDs. I'm holding on to my VHS.

Percy Kilbride is best remembered as Pa Kettle, but he had an effective role in KEEPER OF THE FLAME, as a laconic New Englander. Speaking of Kate Hepburn's cousin, he tells Spencer Tracy: "He's a lot of things. Gambler....high stepper....motorback rider. That's why the banks won't lend him money. They don't care much for motorback riders."

Scarlet Street Pickup on South Street Walking Down Broadway -- a talkie begun by Erich von Stroheim. It was shelved by the studio, redone and reissued as Hello Sister.

Paul Newman -- HUD by a nose over COOL HAND LUKE and THE HUSTLER. Practically a triple dead heat. Henry Fonda -- for drama, I agree with GRAPES OF WRATH. For comedy, THE LADY EVE. Humphrey Bogart -- THE MALTESE FALCON, even though his Oscar was for THE AFRICAN QUEEN. Robert DeNiro -- agree, definitely: TAXI DRIVER. And let's not forget how funny he was in THE KING OF COMEDY. Kirk Douglas -- ACE IN THE HOLE, a.k.a. THE BIG CARNIVAL. Burt Lancaster -- BRUTE FORCE or CRISS CROSS. I think he was miscast in ELMER GANTRY. But Jean Simmons was perfect as Sharon Falconer. And to mention an actor who was not in the original post, Gregory Peck as Ahab in MOBY DICK.

I bought a VHS of ONE EYED JACKS way back when. Amazon now lists several DVD versions. Malden is the first one who comes to my mind when I think of that movie. And Slim Pickens has a juicy role. Marlon Brando? Oh yeah, he was in it too.

I find Ruby Keeler very appealing, and she was certainly attractive enough, but she was one of the worst actresses who ever appeared in film. And her dancing was only so-so at best. I liked her in GO INTO YOUR DANCE. Her acting was atrocious, as always, but she did well in the "Good Old-Fashioned Girl" number. I don't know whether she was married to co-star Al Jolson at the time. In addition to which, the movie gives us a chance to see the wonderful Helen Morgan. It's one of her best.