musicalnovelty
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Posts posted by musicalnovelty
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> {quote:title=movieman1957 wrote:
> }{quote}I am looking forward to "The Public Menace." I love Jean in comedy.
THE PUBLIC MENACE is not really a comedy, even though it was included in the recent Jean Arthur "Comedy Collection" DVD set. It's more a gangster/reporter drama. But like most of those, it has its occasional comedy elements (or, attempts at it), such as the antics of the reporters and the relationship between the star (George Murphy) and his boss.
This used to be a very rare movie. It was scheduled on TCM on March 20, 2011 but then pulled from the schedule and not shown. It had actually NEVER been available to TV before, not even in the 1950's or 1960's when more of those kinds of movies turned up on local stations. Columbia never made it available to TV, any kind of rental, home format such as video...nothing!
Finally for the 2007 Capitolfest Film Festival (held annually every August in Rome, NY) Columbia provided a beautiful restored 35mm print. So I finally got to see it there.
The upcoming Jean Arthur "Drama Collection" DVD set also includes one Columbia Jean Arthur rarity that, like THE PUBLIC MENACE has never been made available at all ever anywhere before: THE DEFENSE RESTS (1934).
Maybe that one will eventually also turn up on TCM.
One cool thing about the DVD of THE PUBLIC MENACE included in the Jean Arthur Comedy Collection is that in addition to a beautiful print of the movie, and a gallery of stills and posters, etc. (provided for all four of the movies in the set) they also give us two different opening titles sections for THE PUBLIC MENACE! Somewhere in the vaults they had an alternate titles & credits section for the movie and just for fans like me, have included it. I'm certainly one who appreciates that kind of thing very much!
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> {quote:title=slaytonf wrote:
> }{quote}Yes, musicalnovelty, I would be very interested in hearing about her impressions of Ann Dvorak, and Lee Tracy, too. But maybe she never met him. I don't recall any scenes they were in together, except perhaps at the end.
Okay, here's what Jacquie Lyn told me about THE STRANGE LOVE OF MOLLY LOUVAIN:
Her first meeting with Ann Dvorak must have been while Ann was filming the early scenes when she is in her undies waiting for nylons to be delivered.
Jacquie said "I do remember being introduced to Ann Dvorak before my part was filmed. My impression of her is pleasant, but not very friendly. I didn't particularly like her. She was just someone on the set, and I gather she felt the same. I do remember, though, that she must have been filming when we met, because she was wearing that teddy and gown from the first couple of scenes, and I remember thinking how rude she was to meet strangers in her underwear!"
About her own performance, Jacquie said:
"Dear me, was I really that stilted and priggish as a child? To see ourselves as others see us, I guess."
She didn't comment on Lee Tracy, so as you suggested, she may not have met him.
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> {quote:title=TikiSoo wrote:
> }{quote}I would have never looked at this except for markbeckauf's thread....I recorded it & watched it last night too.
> Mark was right, it certainly was worth seeing.
>
> Dvorak is gorgeous and we often see her in teddies or thin flowing robe-bonus! Gotta love those pre-codes.
> Frank McHugh was my bonus in the film.
>
That movie has always been special to me for a unique reason:
Remember the little girl who played Ann Dvorak's daughter in the movie? I met her and became good friends with her for the final ten years of her life (she passed away in 2002). Her name was Jacquie Lyn (at least that was her movie name). Although she cried and whined rather obnoxiously in MOLLY LOUVAIN I would have to say that her peformance in the 1932 Laurel & Hardy feature PACK UP YOUR TROUBLES has got to be just about the most charming and adorable of any child ever!
She had been out of the movie scene and public eye since about 1933 (when she was only 5 years old) but in the early 1990's was "found" by Laurel & Hardy fans who invited her to their 1992 Convention where she got to meet fans and see how well her work was remembered and appreciated. After meeting her at that time we stayed in touch and I was able to find copies for her of most of her films that she either never had or didn't have good complete copies of (and in some cases had never even seen after completing her acting roles in them way back as a child in the early 1930's). She thought she had made only five films (the L & H feature, two Our Gang shorts, WICKED - 1931, Fox and PROSPERITY - 1932, MGM). So it was a real thrill to surprise her with a copy of MOLLY LOUVAIN back in about 1993. She had no memory or documentation at all of having made that movie.
Note: she really did have a good memory of her brief film career even though she'd have been only 3 to 4 years old at the time. For example, she told me about scenes and incidents she recalled from her first movie, WICKED (1931) involving actresses Elissa Landi and Irene Rich that turned out to be accurate when I found stills that confirmed her memories (unfortunately that was the only one of her films I was unable to find for her. I knew and still know where a print is stored but can't get a copy). Memories from her other films also turned out to be accurate.
Back to MOLLY LOUVIAN:
Once she saw the copy I sent her, she did recall a few things about the making of the movie and told me some interesting memories about meeting Ann Dvorak, her impressions of her, and a criticism of her own performance (I'll post those later if anyone is interested).
Jacquie Lyn was a very nice lady and as mentioned regarding her performance with Laurel & Hardy, a delightful child performer (given the right role!). It was a pleasure to be able to find and send her not only copies of her films but other material on her films and career. Ironically, just a few years ago I came across a seventh Jacquie Lyn movie that she didn't know about and unfortunately didn't live long enough for me to tell her about and provide her a copy.
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Tallulah Bankhead?
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> {quote:title=willbefree25 wrote:
> }{quote}The films noted were so unwatchable, many probably did not notice your complaint.
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What do you mean "unwatchable"?
They all looked fine to me.
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> {quote:title=ThelmaTodd wrote:}{quote}
> A film that has been posted to the *filmography thread* is about to be aired on TCM: *UNTAMED YOUTH with Mamie Van Doren*. She has a cult following with her low end Marilyn Monroe knock off appeal
>
> My link to it has been yanked; I'll have to find another if possible.
I was poking around YouTube a couple days ago and all I found was clips from it.
Another that would be right at home in this thread is on TCM right now:
DEATH IN SMALL DOSES (1957).
I hope all "exploitation" fans are tuning in for it.
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For a comic drunk:
Definitely Arthur Housman (sort of preceded Jack Norton in the 1930's).
Hilarious with Laurel & Hardy. And there are some Thelma Todd / Patsy Kelly shorts (such as DONE IN OIL and TREASURE BLUES) in which he is just excellent - he seemed to have a special chemistry with them.
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Musician supreme Peter Mintun recreated what the opening titles for CONVENTION CITY might look like:
My own research has confirmed that the music played over the opening titles for CONVENTION CITY was actually the tune to the song "Lonely Lane" (introduced and sung by Dick Powell in the 1933 Warner Bros. movie COLLEGE COACH, released just before CONVENTION CITY).
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Unlisted short shown on Tuesday, March 6 at 5:18 P.M. (Eastern) after BIG HEARTED HERBERT (1934) -
THROTTLE PUSHERS (1933) - MGM (Pete Smith - "Sports Champions" series)
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Just about all the info on the film and the search for it (including up-to-the-minute news of evidence that it was shown as late as 1942) is all rounded up here:
http://www.jazzage1920s.com/conventioncity/conventioncity.php
Lots of nice stills too!
Here's hoping that on next March 6 TCM will give us another full day of birthday boy Guy Kibbee's movies and by then CONVENTION CITY will be included!
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Okay, here's one:
Today on TCM celebrating Guy Kibbee's birthday we are enjoying a whole day of mostly pre-code Kibbee flicks. In three of them we also have Evalyn Knapp co-starring.
Question:
What has Evalyn Knapp in common with The Three Stooges?
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2)
One of the last surviving cast members, Shirley Mills (played "Ruth") passed away March 31, 2010.
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Here is how it was SUPPOSED to look:
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> {quote:title=TikiSoo wrote:
> ...}{quote}I learn a lot about history via old movies, especially fashions & social morality of a time past.
Hi Soo,
I learned Roman Numerals by trying to figure out the copyright dates on Three Stooges shorts when I was young. (Or, is that not quite what you meant?)
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> {quote:title=musicalnovelty wrote:}{quote}
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> Casablancalover,
> You mentioned your Dad's Glenn Miller connection...well I have one, too - I'm very proud that my uncle was a writer/arranger for Glenn Miller (& others before & after his time with Glenn) but his Miller connection is what I think is so cool. I still always get a little thrill seeing his name on the records. After getting out of The Service he went with Tommy Dorsey, then in the early 1950's started his own band which was very successful.
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> He passed away in June of 2008 at age 91. He was a very interesting and nice guy. And very smart about lots of other things in addition to music.
> I went to his funeral. Many of his surviving old bandmates were there. Oh, the stories those old guys told! I wish I could have recorded them!
>
I didn't mean to appear so "mysterious" by not mentioning who my uncle was! I'm proud of him!
Here's Uncle Bill with his partner Eddie Sauter introducing one of their most famous tunes, from a May 1954 "Colgate Comedy Hour" show:
Bill was an excellent musician (even if he's better known for his writing and arranging). I love his solo near the end of this number! (You can tell they had a sense of humor too!)
Anyone else remember this band and their innovative recordings?
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"Strangers on a Train"?
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Lee J. Cobb?
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Not sure if this should actually be in the "Do you know this song?" thread, but it's a musical question, so here goes:
In a certain old movie the young romantic couple finish their love song eating apples.
Name:
The movie
The two stars
The song
Or any of the above...
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> {quote:title=lavenderblue19 wrote:
> }{quote}Which part (of previous guess is close)? plot or locations?
Locations.
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> {quote:title=JonnyGeetar wrote:}{quote}
> I wonder how many other names they thought of before they decided on "Mother Gin Sling" ?
>
> Mother Scotch Highball? Mother Screwdriver? Mother Buttery ****?
In the scene in which she introduces herself, she mentions some similar names.
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> {quote:title=Sepiatone wrote:
> }{quote}Just how many acting dynasties are there?
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> Barrymore (John, Lionel, Ethel, John Drew, Drew)
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> So, who did I leave out?
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We CAN'T forget Diana Barrymore (daughter of John)!
She basically made only six movies (at Universal, 1942 - 1944) in starring roles including the delightful comedy BETWEEN US GIRLS and the excellent dramatic NIGHTMARE.
May she never be a forgotten member of her famous family!
More info on her:
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Rowan & Martin fans: watch for the 1968 short ROWAN AND MARTIN AT THE MOVIES that turns up on TCM occasionally.
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> {quote:title=casablancalover wrote:}{quote}
>
> > musicalnovelty wrote:
> > And they never even recorded it for record (Bluebird or Victor), only for the film soundtrack of ORCHESTRA WIVES.I had a two disc album of 33 1/4 LP on the Bluebird Label. Really, *Scout's honor!* It could have been RCA with retro Bluebird label, I don't remember. It was titiled: Remember Glenn
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> The recordings included:
>
> [boom Shot|http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biSDz16Dlvo]
> People Like You and Me
> [it Happened in Sun Valley|http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5YnqeoH7uI]
> Measure for Measure
> [sun Valley Jump|http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6ELPvxKlBE]
>
> Songs I never had heard before (I hadn't seen Orchestra Wives or Sun Valley Serenade yet) and haven't heard since rediscovering them on youtube. The recordings were remastered in high fidelity, that much I know, Just try to explain to a kid today the incredible richness of that sound!
>
> There was a another song I cannot recall the title to, that featured a fantastic drum solo, and there were Full Production versions of Chattanooga Choo-Choo and I've Got a Gal in Kalamazoo,which we never seem to hear anymore. It contained pristine recordings of their best hits, maybe some 20+ songs in al, but I only found 18 mentioned, from Moonlight Serenade to St Louis Blues March.
>
RCA issued several double LP's of Glenn Miller recordings, with the Bluebird label recreated. "People Like You and Me" was not on any of those albums because it wasn't ever released on a Bluebird 78.
I have the album you pictured and it's made up of all soundtrack recordings from Glenn's two 20th Century-Fox movies. So, yes, the song is on that album. That's not an RCA or Bluebird album, but 20th Century-Fox Records. They reissued that material several times (earlier and later than the album you pictured) sometimes leasing it to cheapo labels like (I think, without going to look at one) Springboard, etc.
They did the same for other artists who made 20th Century-Fox films: they released LP's of soundtrack material. These included bands such as Tommy Dorsey and of course, Shirley Temple (again, in numerous reissues).
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> {quote:title=PhygLeGuy wrote:}{quote}
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> http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0466221/
> *The Grouch Club in 'The Great Library Misery'*, wherein Arthur Q. Bryant visits the public library, tries to be vewy quiet, and fails miserably. Does the format of the title suggest that a Grouch Club series was planned (based on the radio program), and the outcome of this first effort resulted in the curtailment of said plans?
Yes, there was a "Grouch Club" series:
1. The Great Library Misery (9-10-38)
2. Taxi Trouble (3-18-39)
3. Witness Trouble (7-29-39)
4. Vote Trouble (9-9-39)
5. Trouble in Store (12-39)
6. No Parking (3-30-40)
All produced by Warner Bros. - Vitaphone.
All in the "Vitaphone Varieties" series.
Each one about 9 minutes.
Title of each may be preceded by "The Grouch Club in..."
Working title for "Vote Trouble": "A Vote for Gurtch".
JEAN ARTHUR NIGHT
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> {quote:title=Hibi wrote:
> }{quote}Was anyone watching?
ABSOLUTELY!!
I LOVE Jean Arthur and watch her movies whenever I can!
Thank you TCM, for the evening of the wonderful lady's movies.