classicsfan1119
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Posts posted by classicsfan1119
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Ditto...happy to help (smile). ML
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Thanks, Spencer. I appreciate your support, but after reading your post I do want to make myself very clear about something.
Although I believe that it's in error to take a movie from fifty or more years ago, and exploit it to start screaming about how "insensitive" some of the material in it is to any race of people today, I will continue to champion the elimination of obvious racial slurs that do originate and find expression in today's era of film making. We've at least started to address issues of racism and hate in our country, and in our movies. Many people have worked damned hard to eliminate racism and reduce racial tensions in this country, and Hollywood has made a serious attempt to keep pace.
Positive changes that have been accomplished to this end are important for everyone living in America to recognize, understand, value, and perpetuate...and an improved awareness and the practice of "political correctness" is just one of them. The fact that an actress like Hattie MacDaniel is no longer excluded from entering and being seated a theatre where their movie is being Premiered, is also important to take note of as a positive change since GWTW was released. That Native Americans are finally being portrayed in American films with more accuracy than they were 40 or more years ago, is also an example of important and positive change. Anything that threatens this kind of positive progress regarding Minorities in American film-making today would be very wrong for anyone to ignore.
In my mind, and speaking as a minority in America, what happened in History so long ago is no longer valuable for any reason other than to serve as a reference point for positive changes that have come about since then, and perhaps most especially where film, which is so much of part of "recorded History" is involved. What I belive is considerably more important to pay attention to today is that if there is an honestly valid reason to take something "personally", then it should be and it should be openly discussed and objected to, because we are in the History of the present concerning what is recorded in our films, and it's not good enough, or even "Ok" in this country anymore to ignore obvious racism, or bigotry, or hate. Maybe some misguided Minorities are trying to scream "racism" by starting an "in-thing" that allows them to "be offended" all the time...this crud yesterday about "My Wild Irish Rose" is certainly a good example...but, I'm not one of them, and please don't think that every Minority is standing behind this kind of nonsense, because there are many of us who don't. There is still enough racism flourishing in this country that can't be blown off by saying that minorities are taking all of it "too personally". But, please...let's keep these things in proper perspective when we can on these boards, at least.
ML
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This really wasn't your fault, Mongo. But, it is a real shame that no one knew that she passed on March 2. I also feel like an insensitive jerk for wishing her a Happy Birthday yesterday because I also thought she was still living, and that's not your fault, either! My sincere Condolences to her family and closest friends.
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Bansi, I've read today (MSN) that Miss McCambridge actually died in a health care facility on March 2. It does seem strange that it's only today that we hear about it. The article also explains that her actual birthday was March 16, 1916, but she later changed it to St. Patrick's day, and also changed it to 1918. The article also said that she was only "a little" Irish. I guess that with Journalism what it is today, everyone can take their pick with all the different dates and pieces of information we get from them to choose from. ML
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I totally agree with everything that has been said to you up to now, since your original post. What I'd like to share with you is that I'm also a minority of color (American Indian), but I don't share your feelings that when TCM shows us a movie that contains material that might offend "some" (certainly not all) people today, that it should be cut out of the movie! As other's have already said in different words, "that was then, this is now", and if you must make a comparison then please try to do so only to the extent that you can appreciate the changes that have taken place in this country by looking back to that time in our History as it was THEN, and leave it there! What good is it to whine about how 'offensive' you think this movie is today? Just be thankful that no one would dare film someone in "black face" today, and find better ways in which to relieve racial tension in the world than your post with us today has managed to do by creating even more.
You must not be at all familiar with Minstral, and it's popularity in the Era that this particular movie was portraying. Minstral, including it's performer's being in Black Face, is a very large part of musical History in America, just as Rap will be 50-years from now, and who are you to tell TCM to remove and destroy a segment of our country's history?
And, given that this was your first, and probably last post with us, I find it very rude of you to come here without knowing anything about TCM and the movies they air totally uncut, their worth as Classics and also as recorded history, and then attempt to slap our faces because we disagree with you. It's not TCM who should be ashamed for airing this movie today, it's you for posting such a petty complaint about it.
I'm sure that there is nothing I or others have said to you today, that will cause you to rethink what you've said or even broaden your perspective, but I don't regret the replies you got in return. You not only make a fool of yourself here, you also make it harder for the rest of us who are minorities in this country to be accepted and listened to where it really does matter. To complain about a movie like "My Wild Irish Rose"? Get real.
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Hi Mongo! Thanks for letting everyone know that Mercedes McCambridge is still with us, has a birthday today, and is also Irish (I didn't know that part). Happy Birthday to Miss McCambridge! And Happy St. Paddy's Day!
There are a lot of her performances that I've not yet seen, but of those I have, her performance in "Giant" was frightenly believable, given her role. In my humble opinion, if anyone in that movie deserved an Oscar, it was Mercedes McCambridge!
And, Path...what you said about your newspaper's account of her filmography on her Birthday is a sad commentary, I believe, on how completely inadequate many journalists are on the topic of movies. Regardless of that, a good journalist would have done a three-minute research and offered up any number of movies she appeared in during her fine acting career, aside from her voice-over in "The Exorcist". Good grief!
ML
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Well, really now, Mongo...all these omissions, and corrections, and spelling errors, and typo's...totally inexcusable for someone who's spending all the time and energy you do every day to bring this fantastic thread to us, for nada one red cent and damned few thanks! Silly fellow...of course you're excused! Love to remind you that you're also thought very highly of around here, and thanks much for this thread! ML
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I have to give my vote, and a very close one, to Bette Davis, and in part it's because from the moment she hit Hollywood, she immediately started taking risks that most actress hadn't taken, and wouldn't take for some time to come, that could have easily destroyed her chances of ever becoming a star, and having a long and successful career in Hollywood. Those risks included everything from her make-up, through a normal aging process in her later years, to how harsh or unappealing she appeared in some of her earliest roles as an actress delivering her lines. She never shied away from taking risks about anything....and Miss Crawford sometimes did.
And, it really is hard for me to place Bette Davis above Joan Crawford, because all else aside about her after Christina Crawford's pathetic "I hate mommie!" book, she is still one of the finest actresses ever, and that just can't be ignored (smile).
ML
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Who's playing "Shortstop"?
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I remember seeing a movie staring Joan Crawford...at least, for some reason I want to think that it was Joan Crawford...where she played a Ballet dancer who fell through a stage trap door that mysteriously opened without her noticing it, and she was crippled because of the fall. I'm fairly certain that it was made during the 30's or 40's and was in black and white. Does anyone else remember this movie? Will you name it for me if you do? Thanks! ML
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John Barrymore?
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Re. the Bowery Boys...6:00 AM Eastern is when they will air?? It will be 4:00 AM by the time it reaches the Mountain time zone going West across the U.S.,which is why I'll miss them. Just once in awhile, I do wish that TCM would give us all a better chance of seeing these movies by showing them at more sensible hours. So many of them are repeatedly shown at times most of us won't be awake to see them between the hours of 6:00 AM and 2:00 AM. I wonder what their reasoning is? Don't they realize that so many people would enjoy seeing them? ML
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But, just in case it wasn't Ben...and if the Host had white hair, it would have been Robert Osborne. He normally does the evening introductions during the week, or for certain "special's" that TCM does for us, and one or the other of these two, are the only "Hosts" you'll probably see. ML
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Definitely "42nd. Street"! It has also been a smash hit on Broadway. ML
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Ahhh, can't pass up posting Happy Birthday Wishes to Michael Caine. He continues to bring a lot of viewing pleasure into my life.
ML
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LTL...good 'nuf. There is one photo (among some very good ones of Chaplin) you have in your website, and I want to talk to you about it...in an e-mail (smile). ML
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Hi, DizzyLizzy. In response to your question to me about my favorite being Drew Barrymore, she isn't my "favorite", Ethel is...and the only reason I mentioned Drew at all was because of being able to see the resemblence between her and Ethel lately when I look at Drew.
Drew Barrymore is the daughter of John Barrymore's son, also named John, so she is John Barrymore's Grand-daughter, and Ethel is her Grand-Aunt.
The entire Barrymore family seemed to be involved in acting, and were excellent actors, although Ethel really would have preferred to develop a different career. Please look for any movie you see on TCM with any of the earlier Barrymore's in it...you can be assurred of seeing a good movie, with top-notch acting.
Go to TCM's Home Page and sign up for them to e-mail you their monthly schedules, or just download the one you can see on any page here by clicking on "Schedule" up at the top of the page. That will be the easiest and quickest way to see if a Barrymore movie will be shown during the month. Unfortunately, you've just missed seeing some of the best of John and Lionel's...but, they will come around again some day.
ML
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Speaking of Casting, what are some of the worst blunders you can think of made by a Casting Department or Independent Casting Agency? I really had a hard time with Sally Fields being cast as Julia Robert's mother in "Steel Magnolia's". They don't come anywhere close to resembling each other, and Sally looks closer to being Julia's sister in age than her mother, even though most of us know that Sally really is considerably older than she looks in real life. Should I be so lucky! Anyway, that was one of the more strangely casted pairings I've seen on film.
ML
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I agree with you, Leo. How an actor/actress looks and sounds, including predominant mannerisms, certainly plays a large part in why they've been selected for a role. Sometimes this results in a "type-casting" problem for the actor/actress, however, who may wish to move beyond the same kind of role being offered to them over and over again. Who can you think of were "type-casting" did become a problem, and affect their career negatively?
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LTL: Did you receive an e-mail from me yesterday, or has it become lost in cyberspace? I wanted to let you know that I finally was able to get into your website recently, and I really liked it. Get back to me about this, please. ML
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This is always how it works for everyone here...we all have our personal tastes or reasons for whom we like, or what we like about them. And, it is always nice to see what other people think or see about the same person. I've frequently been made aware of something that I never saw before in an actor, and then I became more interested in paying closer attention the next time I saw that actor.
ML
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Thanks to those of you who answered the question about the Genre of Film Noir for me.
"Dizzy", there are many "Genre's" (pronounced gen-wa) that movies are categorized into. Film Noir is one of them, and it has to do with the "dark mood" (Noir means Black in French) of the film. Many of Bogart's films fit better into this category than the Drama genre, as do many other crime, gangster, and murder mystery movies. A movie like "The Lost Weekend" with Ray Milland, is also considered to be Film Noir...again because of it's dark mood which doesn't include the lighting of the film, but certainly can be greatly inhanced by the lighting in a Black & White movie! Don't feel bad, it's probably the most difficult Genre to understand (smile). I didn't name all of the Genre's for you the other day, there are many more of them. Tip: When you see a movie listed in your TV Program Guide, and it tells you that it's a Comedy, that's the Genre. Other's include Sci-fi, War, Western, Mystery, Fantasy, Adventure, Action...and so forth.
I also hope that you will go to the Home Page of this site (TCM), and look that page over real good frequently, too. That's where you will discover the kinds of things TCM has planned for the month (like March being Charlie Chaplin Month, or a one-day tribute to a star they schedule, etc.), and you can also have TCM send their monthly schedules to you via e-mail so that you can review them for the month and make note of the movies you don't want to miss. Or, you can read the monthly schedule without asking them to send it to you, too.
Chaplin's "The Gold Rush" (Comedy, 1925) will be shown on Wednesday March 17 at 8:30 Eastern time, and this is one Chaplin Silent that you will definitely want to see. It's considered by many to be one of his top five best.
I hope that we're not overwhelming you, but we love to get young people who are just getting started with Classic Era films off to a good start. And, remember, no question you want to ask is a "dumb" question.
ML
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From my understanding, Chaplin knew that giving a voice, even a singing voice that sang logical or correct words as we know them in "Modern Times", would totally destroy well-known image of "the little Tramp" in the eyes of the whole world who had known, loved, and related to him without a voice and words. And, yes, the pantomime had always carried him very well, but his real concern was that if "the little Tramp" was on his way out due to the advent of sound, he would go out just as he always had been...speechless and silent, so that he would always be remembered just as he was, after he was gone. I, for one, am very glad that Chaplin did this for us. ML
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I've really enjoyed reading through this thread. Even those whose opinions differ, the reasons why seem well thought-out. I'm also one who will have to go with Olivia, but it's only because of what others have already mentioned...she was given a wide range of excellent movies and roles, and she was up to each of them. Although I liked her very much in movies like "The Snake Pit", and "The Heiress", it's as Melanie Wilkes in "Gone With The Wind" that I'll always remember her with the most fondness. She was Melanie, and how could anyone not adore her?
In fairness to Joan, I've not seen her best films yet, so I really can't say that she wasn't as equally a fine actress as Olivia.
ML
Thrashers playoff hopes gone
in Your Favorites
Posted
Please come back sometime, though, and let us know how it went for "the Thrasher's"
. ML