speedracer5

I liked Field a lot as Kim Novak's mother in Picnic. She was excellent as a mother wanting her daughter to marry someone with some status, so that she can have a higher social standing in town than she did. I gathered from the film, that Field's character had married her husband out of love and he ended up leaving her and her two children, and judging from their home and the fact that they rent a room in the house to Rosalind Russell, I'm guessing the family wasn't well off financially either--most likely a result of her husband leaving. In an effort to save her daughter from that fate, she was pressuring her to use her looks (before they fade) to snag a rich husband who'll keep her financially secure and help move Novak (and by proxy, herself) into a higher echelon of society. The snag in the whole plan of course, is that Novak isn't sure she loves boyfriend Cliff Robertson and Robertson's father doesn't think Novak is good enough for his son. Field's portrayal of a mother trying to use her daughter to improve their status in the community and her subsequent struggle with her daughter's growing affection for out of work drifter, William Holden, was very effective and definitely added to the film. I think one of the most powerful moments of Picnic is at the end when Novak has her bags packed to follow Holden to Tulsa, and Field literally tries to keep Novak from leaving. When Novak breaks free of Field's clinch, it was a very important moment in the film. Field's look on her face when Novak leaves shows that she is devastated about what fate she thinks her daughter will face by shunning security in favor of love, and also the fact that her plan ultimately failed. Her other daughter, Susan Strasberg, is more headstrong and will probably be harder to coerce into such a lifestyle.

I felt this way about Elizabeth Taylor too, but I think I'll have to now lump her in with Jean Harlow in my "used to not understand why she was such a big star, but now I do" category. In fact I just bought the "TCM Greatest Classic Legends: Elizabeth Taylor" collection with Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Father of the Bride, Butterfield 8, and The Sandpiper. I really only bought it because I wanted Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Father of the Bride, and because I found it used for $5.99. I thought it was a good deal. Lol. Anyway, I always knew of Taylor, mostly from years of seeing her "White Diamond" commercials and her work for her AIDS charity. She always looked so beautiful and glamorous, it was hard to believe she was 60+ years old and a star from the Golden Era. Then, unfortunately, she started making the news for health problems and she began to look like a 70-something year old star from 60+ years ago. It was sad. I was really sad when she passed away, but I wasn't sad because she was some great movie star whose work I enjoyed. I really wasn't familiar with her work. I decided to start trying to seek it out. I saw Little Women made when Taylor was a teenager. I wasn't a fan of Taylor or the film. Back to square one with Taylor. I saw Father of the Bride again recently with Taylor and Spencer Tracy. Taylor's character was a little too mousy or something, I don't know how to describe how I felt about her character in this film, she was fine but unremarkable. Remarkably I liked Spencer Tracy much better. In fact, I watched this film after I made a claim on another thread regarding remakes, stating that Steve Martin was better in the role. In fact, I'll have to retract that, and while both men were good in their respective films, I actually found that I prefer Tracy's less frantic portrayal, even though Martin was funny. Anyway... back to Taylor. She didn't impress me with Little Women or Father of the Bride. Finally, the film that did change my opinion of her was Suddenly Last Summer. I initially recorded it because it had two of my favorites: Montgomery Clift and Katharine Hepburn. While definitely a strange film, I thought Taylor was excellent and I liked her portrayal of the tormented woman who was the last to see Hepburn's now-deceased nephew. Finally, I was on to something with Taylor. I then saw Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Crazy movie and a completely different Taylor than I had seen. This was a great movie and Taylor was capable of heavy drama and being more than just some glamorous sex pot, or the sweet girl next door. This movie was a revelation to me in regard to Taylor's acting talents. I liked her much better than Richard Burton whom I haven't "gotten" yet. I also saw Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and loved it. I also saw A Place in the Sun and thought it was excellent as well. I've found that I'm not a fan of Taylor during the child part of her career, I prefer her once she was an adult and started getting sexier roles or more serious fare. Taylor was at her peak in the late 50s-mid 60s definitely.

Lol. I think all the Cooper films I've seen were made in the twilight of his career-- the 1950s. What earlier film of Coop's do you recommend? I'd like to like him. I feel that the more people I can like and appreciate, it'll only just increase the number of films I'm going to seek out to watch/DVR on TCM. I usually watch/record films based on who is in the film or how highly regarded the film is (based on either what I've heard or recommendations here on the board).

I understand your question. What I intended by this thread wasn't just for people to make lists of people they dislike and don't try to like them (I, myself, am not a fan of Kathryn Grayson, Esther Williams, and many others who were popular during their time). What I intended was for people to discuss people they've tried to like because they feel like they "should." While obviously, nobody has to like someone just because everyone else does, there are stars who over the years have been held up as a great star/actor/actress/comedienne/etc. People like Spencer Tracy and Marlon Brando are often mentioned as two of the greatest actors of all time. Based on the constant high regard for their work, it seems like one should be in awe of their work and seek their films out. Or, maybe I'm just crazy and as a movie fan, I want to appreciate these people, I want to like their work, I want to understand why they're held up in such high esteem. I want to "get them." I agree with Andy's assessment on Spencer Tracy. Tracy is regarded as one of the best actors that ever graced the silver screen. I've tried watching him in films where he's the sole draw to the film. He leaves me cold. I want to understand why he was so great, but I just haven't found the right film yet. However, in films where he co-stars alongside people I do like, then he's fine and doesn't bother me. I am a fan of Katharine Hepburn (I think she only got better as she got older. Her 40s & 50s work is my favorite in her career), and I think the Tracy/Hepburn combination was perfect. I love their films together. Their personalities work together so well. I've also tried to like Marlon Brando. He's supposed to be one of the greatest actors ever, but I don't get it. While I don't go out of my way to avoid him and do try to watch his films, he is just "meh" to me. I can't stand his mumbling, it is irritating. I did like A Streetcar Named Desire and The Godfather, but not specifically because of Brando. I liked Guys and Dolls but didn't like Brando in the role of Skye Masterson. Brando is just whatever to me.

My problem with John Wayne (who I don't dislike persay, I just don't go out of my way to see his films) is that he's the same person in every film. He only has one character: John Wayne. While I don't dislike the Western genre as a whole, I'm not a fan of Wayne's films. I prefer Westerns starring other actors. Though, I did like The Shootist. I want to see True Grit and some of Wayne's more popular films. I haven't see any of his WWII films.

I agree with you on Joan Crawford. I thought she was really good in Mildred Pierce, she didn't annoy me in that film. I've only ever seen Norma Shearer in The Women. Which I did enjoy. I don't think I've seen enough Shearer to form an opinion yet. I've been trying to like Crawford, I think I prefer her before she got the big eyebrows and big lips. Is it bad that one of the reasons I like What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? is because I get to see my fave Bette Davis torture poor Crawford? I think Crawford is in the same boat as Cooper is with me. Except I will admit that I did like her in Mildred Pierce. I'll have to see another Crawford film and see if my opinion of her changes.

Everyone has their favorite actors and least favorite actors, then there are those actors who you're indifferent about. Then there are the actors who you feel like you want to like, but just can't. There's just something about them that you don't like, but you want to. Maybe you just need to see the "right" film to change your mind. Perhaps you've seen a number of their films and they're just not doing anything for you and you stop trying. I don't mean this thread to be specifically about actors that you dislike unless you've tried to like them and just can't. I mean those actors who you've made a real concerted effort to like them and each time, the actor comes up short. What actors have you tried countless times to like and can't? Any actors that you used to not care for, but actually found the film of theirs that made you a fan? What film of theirs changed your mind? For me, I've tried numerous times to like Gary Cooper. He's one of the biggest stars of Classic Hollywood and I feel like I should give him a chance to see why he was so popular. He doesn't even provide me the eye candy factor. If I found him attractive, I would at least have something to look at, but no. I have tried watching him in Love in the Afternoon (terrible movie, even Paris and Audrey Hepburn couldn't save it) he was incredibly dull; Bright Leaf, I thought the addition of Lauren Bacall and Patricia Neal might spice things up, but nope, Cooper dragged the film down. I'm still trying though. I've been trying to watch films of his that co-star people I do enjoy, just to make the film more tolerable. Someone who I used to not "get" but have come to appreciate is Jean Harlow. I had seen a couple of Harlow films and found her to be shrill and nothing special. I didn't get what the hype was, only that she died young and that's why she is held up as an icon of Hollywood. However, I have come around to appreciate Harlow's comedic talent. The film that changed my opinion of her was Libeled Lady. I initially recorded it on TCM to see Myrna Loy and William Powell both of whom I like and regularly seek out their films. While watching the film, I was surprised as to how much I liked Jean Harlow's character. A little while after seeing this film, I saw Dinner at Eight and from then on, I've been seeking out Harlow's films and giving previously viewed (and unimpressed) ones another chance. In addition to Libeled Lady and Dinner at Eight, I've now seen: Suzy, Red Dust, Red Headed Woman and Bombshell.

I'll second what Lavender said. Goodfellas was a great film. While I sometimes find Scorsese's films tedious, I thought Goodfellas moved along at a good pace and it held my attention from beginning to end.

Thanks Lavender. I will keep an eye out for it in the TCM schedule. It seems that this film is played fairly often, so I'm sure I'll be able to see it soon.

I've only seen a small number of the films that were on the list. I tried to only vote for my favorites of the eligible films that I had seen. I'm sure that my choices would probably change if I had more of a personal pool of films to choose from. It looks like I need to see The Best Years of Our Lives. I like the cast: Myrna Loy, Dana Andrews, Teresa Wright... I just need to find three hours to dedicate to watching this film. I love these lists, they give me a lot of great ideas for films to look out for in the TCM schedule, Netflix and the library.

I love the unique way that Chico played the piano. He was an excellent piano player, or maybe just an excellent showy piano player. Was his name pronounced "Chick-o" or "Cheek-o" ?

I find Butterfly McQueen, June Allyson and Peter Lawford's voices pretty irritating.

In addition to "Pocahontas," I thought "Avatar" also included aspects of "Dances with Wolves," and "Fern Gully: The Last Rainforest." I liked all those films (even 'Wolves') way more than I liked "Avatar."

"Make 'Em Laugh" from "Singin' in the Rain" is a complete rip-off of "Be a Clown" from "The Pirate."

Everytime this thread comes up (once a month probably?), I think the problem always boils down to the definition of "classic." Some people are more narrow in their definiton of "classic" and for whatever reason assign an arbitrary time frame as to what constitutes a "classic film." Perhaps this is due to the Studio Era being often defined as "Classic Hollywood," thus, only "classic films" were produced during this time. However, I think TCM definitely intended on a broader definition of "classic" in the sense that they want to show a variety of films from different eras that they think movie audiences will enjoy. Time keeps marching on, eventually, films from new eras will have to be introduced. If TCM never evolves and continues only showing films from a narrow 40-year time frame, eventually, they will run out of things to show and then people will complain about repetitiveness. By slowly integrating films from more recent decades, they can continue to evolve. Personally, while I do enjoy studio era films and consider many of them favorite films of mine, I also enjoy the films of the 1960s and 1970s. There were a lot of great films made during that time. Despite all it's detractors, TCM, for my book, still provides the best mix of studio era and more modern era films. I've discovered many films and stars from newer time periods that I've enjoyed just as much as films from the studio era. Sure, films from this time are definitely different than those of the studio era, but I don't think that's a bad thing, it's just a different time. Re: films of the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, it's crazy to not consider any films from this time classics. While I agree that it would be a little premature to declare a recently produced film a classic, I think enough time has passed since the 1980s and 1990s that some films from this time can be considered classics. There were just as many terrible films produced during the studio era as there were terrible films produced in more recent decades. I'm happy with TCM's offerings and look forward to Ann Sothern and Roadshow Musicals month!

Jean Peters and Jean Simmons. Every time I see either name in the credits of a film, I always have to look up "Niagara" on imdb to see which actress it is. jean peters jean simmons I'm sorry. Aside from them both being known as "jean," they look alike.

Okay while researching Bing and his love of hats (to make sure what I remembered hearing was true) I found a picture of my beloved Gene Kelly with a receding hairline! I never knew he wore a toupee. That is amazing to me, only because his toupee never moved when he was doing all the strenuous dancing.

In "Casablanca," Humphrey Bogart also wore lifts to act alongside Ingrid Bergman. Bogart would also sit on pillows when seated next to Bergman or Bergman was forced to slouch. Bing Crosby who was bald (or going bald?) hated wearing a toupee and so would look for roles that allowed him to wear hats.

It sounds like May will be a good choice. May 3, 2015 will be the beginning of Challenge #29 Please bear with me if it seems like things are posted "late," I'm in Pacific Standard Time. I know that many on this board are in Eastern Standard Time. It's hard for me to function 3 hours earlier. I've been taking everything that everyone has said to heart and will work on the challenge in the meantime. I already have a couple ideas. Please feel free to share further ideas. I will consider everything and try and craft a good challenge. I'm sad that I can't participate in my own challenge. Lol. I will reveal a few spoilers here and there so everyone can get their creative juices flowing. I'm not worried if people would like to enter schedules and then "opt" out of voting. I hope that we get enough participants so that there is a healthy pool of schedules to vote for. Thank you everyone. I hope that I can do this next challenge justice.

I read that in a film Ladd made with 5'8 Sophia Loren, she had to walk in the trench so he'd appear taller.

In the Ann Sheridan thread, one of Sheridan's peers, Alexis Smith was brought up. It was mentioned that Smith's height (5'9) was a disadvantage in Hollywood. Due to vanity and maintaining an image for their male stars, many studios were reluctant to cast tall actresses to co-star with their male stars of more modest height. She was cast more frequently with taller actors like Errol Flynn, William Holden and Cary Grant. However, when paired with actors like Humphrey Bogart, who was about 5'8ish, she was either forced to wear flats, Bogart would wear lifts and/or in scenes where they are sitting, Bogart's seat has an extra cushion underneath to make him appear taller. In Easter Parade, Fred Astaire (whom I'm guessing was about 5'7-5'8) and the very petite Judy Garland go to see Ann Miller's performance. 5'7 Miller, when dancing and singing solo is wearing heels. At the conclusion of her song, she goes behind the curtain for a second and then comes out and invites Astaire on stage. It is very obvious that she is now wearing flats. Not movie related, but in I Love Lucy, many tactics are used to make Desi Arnaz look much taller than Lucille Ball. I'm going to speculate that Arnaz was no more than an inch or two taller than Ball. However, in the show, Arnaz often wears stacked Cuban heels, while Ball, more often than not, is wearing flats. If Ball wore heels, they were no more than an inch or two and if Ball were going to wear heels, it is certain that Arnaz will be in his stacked heels, otherwise, Ball would tower over him. In the first two seasons (when the Ricardos own that ugly paisley printed loveseat), in scenes where Arnaz and Ball are sitting next to each other, it is very obvious that Arnaz is sitting on a cushion covered in the same material as the couch. What other movies do you know of where lengths were taken to preserve an actor's vanity? (Whether it was height related, the actor only liked one side of their face, actor needed heavy makeup to cover disfigurement, etc.)

What does everyone think about starting Challenge #29 on May 3, 2015? I'm moving into a new house next month, so I'd like some time to move in, paint, decorate, etc. I'm thinking the beginning of May would be a good time.

Thank you for your input SansFin and Lydecker. I will consider these ideas as I try and come up with the next challenge. I'm intrigued by the TV idea, only because both Johnny Carson interviews and Mitzi Gaynor's television specials have aired on TCM in the past. I loved that Gaynor's special included the original 1974 commercials. I'm open to any other ideas people may have.

Apparently the original cut of The Lady From Shanghai was 155 minutes long versus the final cut of 87 mins. While I'd be interested in a few scenes to clarify some plot points... I don't know if I'd want this film to grow from 1 hr 27 mins to 2 hours 35 mins. That's quite a difference in runtime.

I like the quirkiness of this film too. Everyone is so crazy. Even Hayworth who seems relatively normal throughout most of the film is a kook too. The Grisby character is so creepy. I love Welles' random humorous bits he throws into the film. Like Bannister cross examining himself on the witness stand was funny. The funhouse mirror scene of course is the highlight of the film. The only thing I don't like about the film is Welles' hokey Irish accent. I wish he had just used his normal voice. Even though his Michael O'Hara character is supposed to be Irish, I don't think not having an Irish accent would hurt the film any. Errol Flynn plays a variety of nationalities in all his films, always speaking with his natural Australian accent and it didn't hurt his films at all. Everytime I watch this film, I always figure out more and more of the plot. The plot is complicated and confusing, but not in a bad way. I've found this to be the case with many of Welles' films. However, not being able to follow the plot completely for whatever reason doesn't take away my enjoyment of watching the film. It more makes me intrigued to watch the film again rather than annoy me and make me not want to see it again. This only seems to be the case with Welles' films. I don't know what it is about his films, but they're always interesting.