faceinthecrowd

Actors/actresses: Orson Welles in CITIZEN KANE Richard Burton in ALEXANDER THE GREAT Peter O'Toole in LAWRENCE OF ARABIA Edward G. Robinson in ALL MY SONS Olivia de Havilland in THE SNAKE PIT Claire Bloom in THE CHAPMAN REPORT Anna Magnani in THE FUGITIVE KIND Leslie Howard in THE ANIMAL KINGDOM Mary Astor in THE MALTESE FALCON Hume Cronyn in BRUTE FORCE Michael Redgrave in THE BROWNING VERSION Barbara Stanwyck in DOUBLE INDEMNITY Steve McQueen in BULLITT Peter Sellers in DR. STRANGELOVE (Three Oscars? -- One for each role) Oscar winners who should have received it for other films: James Cagney in WHITE HEAT Humphrey Bogart in THE MALTESE FALCON Paul Newman in HUD or THE HUSTLER or COOL HAND LUKE -- or all three And if they could give two Oscars for the same role, Ray Milland deserved a double for THE LOST WEEKEND. Films: CITIZEN KANE HIGH NOON Edited by: faceinthecrowd on Feb 8, 2010 8:42 AM Edited by: faceinthecrowd on Feb 8, 2010 8:46 AM Edited by: faceinthecrowd on Feb 8, 2010 5:22 PM Edited by: faceinthecrowd on Feb 9, 2010 12:20 AM

A great post, with perfectly chosen stills.

True, most of those mentioned are shorts -- some only a few seconds long! BIRTH OF A NATION (1915) is the oldest feature-length film I've seen.

I couldn't resist buying Kino's 5-DVD boxed set, THE MOVIES BEGIN. Among other treasures, it contains THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY (1903), Melies's TRIP TO THE MOON (1902), and some of Thomas Edison's Kinetoscopes (1894-1897) -- and that's just in DVD #1. (Other Melies works are shown in DVD #4.) The first known advertising film, for Dewar's Scotch (1898), is in yet another DVD in the set. There are a lot of fascinating things here. Edited by: faceinthecrowd on Feb 7, 2010 9:45 AM

Friese-Greene's story is told in THE MAGIC BOX (1951), starring Robert Donat and Maria Schell. Leonard Maltin's review of the film refers to him as "the forgotten inventor of movies."

Interesting that you mention KEEPER OF THE FLAME -- it's my favorite Hepburn/Tracy. Kate has a great monologue there. And in their first, WOMAN OF THE YEAR, look how they meet: Their editor asks, "Have you two met?" Tracy: "In a belligerent sort of way." Hepburn: "He hit me first." That says a lot about their relationship, on and off screen. And the chemistry is undeniable.

In a made-for-TV movie called "The Glass House" (1972) Morrow played a prison inmate who ran a drug dealing operation within the institution, Clu Gulager was an idealistic new guard, and Alan Alda was an inmate doing a one-year sentence for involuntary manslaughter. The script was by Truman Capote. Edited by: faceinthecrowd on Dec 27, 2009 10:27 PM

For me, the best thing about the 1933 version is Charlotte Henry as Alice. She also had a major role in The March of the Wooden Soldiers, aka Babes in Toyland. She was a good enough actress, and she was gorgeous. The wittiest film version of AIW I've seen featured the Bunin Puppets -- I wonder if that's still available in any format. It captures the subversive humor in what was supposedly a children's book.

I didn't appreciate Barbara Stanwyck at first. I don't remember what opened my eyes; maybe it was Double Indemnity. Some of my other favorites: The Lady Eve Ball of Fire Forty Guns The Furies Union Pacific Golden Boy Meet John Doe Christmas in Connecticut The Strange Love of Martha Ivers And in the TV series, The Big Valley, in which she appeared between the ages of 58 and 62, she put her much younger female co-star in the shade.

"THERE'S A MOVIE THAT REALLY STANG" -- very funny, and very true. I saw it only once, and that was enough. Great photo, though -- Stang and Strong. Edited by: faceinthecrowd on Dec 23, 2009 11:12 PM

First, welcome to ClassicCoCoNUT. And to everyone, whatever holiday you celebrate at this time of the year, have a happy one. Now, my picks: A Christmas Carol (aka Scrooge) -- the Alastair Sim version is just as good as its reputation, and more. The March of the Wooden Soldiers (aka Babes in Toyland) -- one of Laurel & Hardy's funniest movies, and that's saying a great deal. The Shop Around the Corner -- ah, Margaret Sullavan! Christmas in Connecticut -- a charming picture. The Man Who Came to Dinner -- in addition to the thinly disguised real life characters, it has one of the best seduction lines ever: Banjo (Jimmy Durante), leering at the horse-faced nurse: "Come to my room in half an hour -- and bring some rye bread!" Meet John Doe -- Cooper and Stanwyck, two of my favorites. It's a Wonderful Life -- but only the first five minutes. After I've seen Gloria Grahame walking down the street I lose interest. Nothing could top that.

The scene from "A Face in the Crowd" that I always remember is when Lonesome Rhodes, after the mike (today they call it a "mic") is off, mocks his audience as a bunch of nitwits, and Neal, fuming because he's two-timed her, throws the switch that turns the mike back on -- and then, when the crew realizes it and tries to pull her away, holds on with a demented fury that's something to see.

Neal was perfect as Dominique in "The Fountainhead." Ayn Rand wanted Garbo to play the role, but it wouldn't have been within her range, as Garbo would have been the first to admit.

Hey, Barack Obama got a grade of B+ for what he's accomplished so far. Oh, wait -- he gave that grade to himself. But about Ronald Reagan -- people tend to judge his acting by whether they agree with his politics. Without taking sides on ideology, I think he did good work in KINGS ROW. And I recently saw KNUTE ROCKNE, ALL AMERICAN. Even before the famous deathbed scene ("Win just one for the Gipper") he gave a good reading of a complex character. What does a star's acting ability have to do with his political leanings? Nothing at all, IMO.

Jonny, Wow! I'm stunned that you didn't think Broderick Crawford gave a great (or even a good) performance in ALL THE KING'S MEN. Think of how Willie Stark started out as an idealistic shnook, then, realizing he's been played for a sap, stands up on his hind legs, then uses his power for ends that are sometimes good and sometimes evil. Well, that's all in the book, which is a great one. Did Crawford convey that? I think he did, and brilliantly. But you can't really argue about personal preferences. And I like your user name, too. (BTW, I think Mercedes McCambridge walked away with that film.) Edited by: faceinthecrowd on Dec 16, 2009 1:21 AM

I was struck by your reference to Anderson's "interesting sexuality." I wondered whether I was the only one who felt that way. She certainly added some intriguing dimensions to LAURA.

If you think George Brent wasn't a good actor, see JEZEBEL. And as for Broderick Crawford: ALL THE KING'S MEN.

In my original post I somehow neglected to mention the wonderful Claire Bloom.

Claire Bloom's brilliant performance makes "The Chapman Report" worth watching. And don't miss her in: "Alexander the Great" "The Haunting" "Look Back in Anger" "The Illustrated Man"

You've made me want to buy a letterboxed DVD to replace my VHS. But if Marian saw Norman arguing with his mother, isn't that a cheat? Or was Norman the only one she saw?

Anyone who has seen "Pandora's Box" or "Diary of a Lost Girl" knows that the still photos of Louise Brooks don't do her justice. Clara Bow -- "It" is paired on a DVD with a documentary, "Discovering the It Girl." Janet Margolin. Carolyn Jones. Joan Bennett, a natural blonde, went brunette in "Trade Winds" (1938), and was so stunning with her blue eyes that she stayed that way. In "The Woman in the Window" she's the ultimate Sophisticated Woman. Hedy Lamarr -- of course. Gail Russell. Marta Toren -- those eyes! Edited by: faceinthecrowd on Dec 13, 2009 4:09 AM

Re "The Thief": As always, Ray Milland gave a fine performance in this film, which also starred Rita Gam. It was an interesting experiment, but many found it gimmicky.

Billy Wilder is still funny. You're not.

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