LonesomePolecat

"Nick" - Sheldon Leonard in IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE

East of Eden

For a while there I was getting worried that the movie theater would soon be gone forever, but I'm glad that movie theater attendance has gone up this year. There is nothing like sitting in a dark theater enjoying a movie with a bunch of strangers, seeing a movie on a big screen, etc. I hope movie theaters never go away. Especially the beautiful art deco ones I'm near out here in LA who still have ushers in uniforms and everything.

Well, I personally am directing a show in July so I'd pick August, but, really, it's when you have the time.

Finance-- I don't drink coffee or tea either! And when I go to events with free coffee people (to quote Christmas Story) "look at me as if I have lobsters coming out of my ears". But I hate the taste of both. Don't even like the smell. Why do people love them so much?

Congrats, countess, and well deserved as usual! But I think everyone did a great job. Many thanks to our moderator. (insert applause)

One of my favorite song writing teams. Seriously. Miss him already. The only way for me to pay tribute is to share some of his genius. This is one of my absolute favorite lyrics by anyone and it happens to be by the Sherman Brothers (and from Winnie the Pooh): Oh the wind is lashing lustily And the trees are thrashing thrustily And the leaves are rustling gustily So it's rather safe to say That it seems that it may turn out to be Feels that it may undoubtedly Looks like a rather blustery day today Here's another favorite of theirs from the lesser known musical Slipper and the Rose: Yes we must be protocoligorically correct Good form must never suffer from neglect The rules and regulations we respect Must be treated circumspect Else the kingdom will be wrecked We've a system to protect Checked and double checked And protocoligorically correct

Gotta vote for aimalac so that TCM will take the hint and make Deano SOTM

Not that they're "dynasties" but I was watching A DAY AT THE RACES yesterday and noticed that both of the two leads went on to have famous kids: Allan Jones' son is the classic crooner Jack Jones and Allan's ingenue is Mia Farrow's mommy. Then of course there's the father and son comedy team of Ed Wynn and Keenan Wynn. Does a "dynasty" have to be three generations? Edited by: LonesomePolecat on Mar 6, 2012 5:17 PM

SansFin, You just made my day. It means a lot when a Programmer Pro appreciates my programming. Grazie mille!

Wow, how will I decide between those great schedules? On a day when I have time to read them, that's when. Good luck, everyone!

> {quote:title=Swithin wrote:}{quote} > > But my first choice would be an *Erich Wolfgang* *Korngold* month. Korngold's score for *Anthony Adverse* is, I think, the most beautiful and sophisticated film score ever written. His scores for Robin Hood, The Sea Hawk, Elizabeth and Essex, Kings Row, Deception, Devotion, etc., ain't bad either. I second the motion. Korngold is an underrated GENIUS!

> {quote:title=TomJH wrote:}{quote} *I think Cagney's Yankee Doodle was a great performance because of the range he was able to show. And the stuff he did in Yankee Doodle is much harder to do than all that evil stuff in White Heat* > > I've always strongly suspected that Cagney's Yankee Doodle Dandy Oscar was largely won at the time for patriotic reasons for that rather unsubtle flag waver. Cagney's personable in the film and it's fun to watch him having a great time doing what he loved best, with that individual dancing style of his. But a great acting performance in this film? I don't think so. > > And Cagney, as an actor, was one of the best. Aside from the brilliance of his lunacy outbursts in White Heat (a performance not even nominated!!!) he brought far greater depth, as well, to his nuanced gentle comedy turn in The Strawberry Blonde, as well, than anything to be found in his portrayal of Cohan. Still, I'm glad that he did get the Oscar for it would have been one of Oscar's most outragious crimes if this actor had never been so honoured. But the great Cagney most definitely did NOT receive it for his best performance. I totally understand what you're saying, and I agree he basically never gave a bad performance. And I agree it was mostly a patriotic Oscar like you said. And I certainly agree that it wasn't Cagney's BEST performance (I think that would be Man With A Thousand Faces). All I'm saying is that as a professional director with lots of acting training, I happen to know it's incredibly easy to do that lunatic stuff in White Heat and really hard to do subtlety and comedy and such. I wish it was the other way around because subtlety and comedy are in greater demand. That's all I was pointing out.

Bette-- I LOVE ART DECO! When I saw you're 20s and 30s schedule I immediately thought of all the Art Deco I'd see in the movies, so I'm glad it was intentional. Great schedule!

> {quote:title=casablancalover wrote:}{quote}The Pastoral Symphony segment is my favorite, with the Nutcracker close second, and I guess it will always be. I have seen the Fantasia 2000, but somehow it doesn't engage me as a viewer and I love those music choices. I definitely prefer the original to FANTASIA 2000, though I adore the "Rhapsody in Blue" sequence-- I mean, come on, Gershwin AND Herschfeld! (hope I spelled his name right). My favorite part of the original FANTASIA is probably "The Rite of Spring" because it's so dang cool. I will never forget seeing FANTASIA in Concert at the Hollywood Bowl last summer (with live symphony orchestra playing to the film) and hearing that bassoon solo (that opens the piece) played live. So beautiful!

> {quote:title=DuryeaForHollywood wrote:}{quote}Hi, ValX-- > > > > > > > > As for Cagney, its a tour-de-force performance, which has everything. Comedy, romance, pathos, and, of course the singing and dancing, both of which continue to astound with their playfulness, inventiveness and extraordinary technical prowess. I agree-- I think Cagney's Yankee Doodle was a great performance because of the range he was able to show. And the stuff he did in Yankee Doodle is much harder to do than all that evil stuff in White Heat (which was great, don't get me wrong). Mostly it's great when actor breaks his persona successfully. The academy certainly thinks so, as history has shown. Another actor (sorry if previously mentioned) who won for their best performance was Robert Donat for MR CHIPS-- never seen him better, but then I've only seen him in a few films.

> {quote:title= > MontyC wrote:}{quote} > > {quote:title=filmlover wrote:}{quote}I am now waiting for the actual program to start and not watching any more of the red carpet until then. The few times I have switched there, it has been the same thing. I can't stand one more, "Who are you wearing tonight?" > My thouhts exactly!! As I stated on another thread: WHO CARES!!! > > (actually it appears a lot of people do but I'm not one of them). I agree-- who cares? I think I'm the only 28 year old woman on earth who watches the Oscars but NOT the red carpet part. And I disagree about Billy-- I thought he was hilarious, but he always had a sort of "dry" delivery, which I like, but can see why that wouldn't appeal to everyone. But I don't disagree about his face lifting--why do they think we won't notice? If only he was the only one....

Sunny- Not only does the entire world agree with your Oscar choices, but you scheduled tons of movies I absolutely love, including one I've always wanted to see, Whistle Down the Wind. If this was a real schedule I would plant myself in front of the TV for the entire week and not leave. Plus-- SOTM Thomas Mitchell is an absolute inspiration. He is one of the best character actors that ever graced the screen. Awesome schedule.

Love Michel Legrand. Maurice Jarre is an excellent choice too. I like honoring songwriters like they did with Frank Loesser and Johnny Mercer. I think it would be fun to do any writer of Standards like Sammy Cahn, or to go further back, Warren & Dubin. But I've always been partial to the songs I grew up with by the Sherman Brothers. But if we're sticking with background music artists, you really must honor Max Steiner who set the standard, wouldn't you say?

Well anyone who has ever read any of my TCM Programming Challenge schedules know that my #1 pick would be the film I've been looking for a copy of for years: WHAT'S SO BAD ABOUT FEELING GOOD? (1968) But if I couldn't have any premieres (it's a Fox movie, after all), which I think is one of the criteria for the guest programmers, then as a musical fan I'd have to pick one of my all time favorite musicals. There are so darn many of them, so I'd have to narrow it down by picking something that isn't shown on TCM that much. I guess what I'm trying to say is: LES DEMOISELLES DE ROCHEFORT (1966) But other than that I don't think I could resist the fact that three of my all-time favorite movies have similar titles: REMEMBER THE NIGHT (1940) A NIGHT TO REMEMBER (1958) IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (1934) This would exclude my favorite director of all time, Billy Wilder, so I might replace the most well known of those three, IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT, with the best of Wilder's obscure films: FIVE GRAVES TO CAIRO (forgot the year-- during WWII sometime) But then I love Capra, too, so I don't know. I'd probably cut out the musical all together and show GRAVES instead. Wow, good thing I don't actually have to make this decision.

The art and animation in Fantasia are so incredibly beautiful. It takes a lot of energy for me to watch this movie because I keep "geeking out" over the realistic way things move or the incredible backgrounds or the thought of having to draw all those little water droplets by hand.

SANSFIN- Love this schedule. You started out with a great one; THE CABINET OF DR CALIGARI. George Hamilton is a fascinating SOTM. Love the movie with cats ending with TO CATCH A THIEF - brilliant. TOTORO is a fantastic movie. Totally agree with your 1944 Oscar choices. But my favorite part was "Dying is easy, comedy is hard". As a director of high school shows, let me tell you, it's true! Hilarious twist to show movies with both. Whoa, there's an ALICE IN WONDERLAND with WC Fields and Gary Cooper? This I gotta see. And there's a French LES MIZ with Jean Gabin? TCM, please schedule them!

When I saw the name of this thread I immediately thought of ARSENIC AND OLD LACE. "Oh, you kind of think he's wanted somewhere?"

I was just having this conversation with a friend of mine and we decided the best film villain ever is Maleficent in SLEEPING BEAUTY. She's so powerful she can turn into a freaky dragon. She always seems to have everything under control. She traps the prince and plans to let him wake up his princess when he's a frail old man (just horrible enough for a little kid to understand). And then there's that terrifying sequence when she appears in the fireplace and hypnotizes Aurora. She even said the word "hell" in a Disney movie-- gasp!!

Thanks, SansFin! You are ever so kind. Sorry for not including ALL THAT JAZZ, but (bows head in shame) I've actually never seen that movie, so it's not on my radar. But I certainly will see it now.