speedracer5
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Posts posted by speedracer5
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It's a shame that Man Hunt is not better known. Nice to see that you appear to be a fan as well, Arturo.
It's been a while since I last saw this one, so I'll take your word for it that Bennett's character is actually a seamstress, rather than a street walker. But that image of her in that photo with the bobby is how I recall her from the film. This sounds like one of those "cute" production code-inspired moves in which the filmmakers leave it up to the audience to read between the lines and decide how much sewing she's really doing in between all those walks she takes on the streets.
If anyone is interested, I just found out that Man Hunt is on Netflix Instant Streaming.
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I'm trying to get over my aversion to musicals as well. I've seen A King and I, My Fair Lady and The Sound of Music. Any recommendations? I want to like all movies and actors/actresses so I keep trying. Guess we won't like everything all the time.
I love Casablanca, so I won't even touch upon the discussion going on.
Regarding musicals, however...I love musicals. I realize that they're not everyone's cup of tea, but I love them. I am partial to the musicals that are more dancing than singing. If the film is light on the dancing, then it better have interesting lead actors and/or fun songs. I love Gene Kelly, he's one of my favorites. I also like Fred Astaire. I found that I preferred Fred Astaire solo or with other partners other than his famed partnership with Ginger Rogers. However, after having seen two Astaire/Rogers films, I think the duo is starting to grow on me. I'll admit that I'm not a fan of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals. I found South Pacific so incredibly boring that it became a chore to watch. There are also musical stars like Esther Williams, Kathryn Grayson and Howard Keel that I find incredibly annoying.
These are my favorite musicals:
Singin' in the Rain, regarded as not only one of the best musicals ever made, but one of the best movies ever made, Gene Kelly, Donald O' Connor, and Debbie Reynolds
On the Town, Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Vera-Ellen and Ann Miller
An American in Paris, Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron
Easter Parade, Fred Astaire and Judy Garland
Meet Me in St. Louis, Judy Garland
You Were Never Lovelier, Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth
West Side Story, Natalie Wood and Rita Moreno
Gypsy, Natalie Wood and Rosalind Russell
Little Shop of Horrors, Rick Moranis
A Star is Born, Judy Garland and James Mason
Summer Stock, Judy Garland and Gene Kelly
The Pirate, Judy Garland and Gene Kelly
Three Little Words, Fred Astaire and Vera-Ellen
White Christmas, Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen
Holiday Inn, Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire
Funny Face, Fred Astaire and Audrey Hepburn
Grease, John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John
The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Tim Curry and Susan Sarandon
Bells Are Ringing, Dean Martin and Judy Holliday
There are probably more, but this is what I've come up with so far. I love musicals, so I might be more forgiving of them.
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I was thinking more about this question on my drive home from work.
I think Lauren Bacall would have been a great Essentials host and it's a shame she didn't do so while she was still around. She would undoubtedly make some excellent selections and not only have the intelligence to say why a film is an Essential, but she'd also be strong enough to defend her selection to Robert Osborne if he disagreed with her. I think Bacall and Osborne could have had some very spirited debates.
I loved Osborne's anecdote that he shared about Bacall about the time she called up TCM to complain that they were showing too many Elvis movies. Hilarious.
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Silent dramatic films of which I am a fan can be tricky. The big screen if the only way to see them but all too often you get some young viewers who want to impress their friends by laughing at ALL of the 'old fashioned' bits in the films. That tries one's patience.
On a more humorous level one memorable film attendance was of Jesus Christ Superstar where an elderly lady with the voice of Mrs. Miller felt compelled to sing-along with every tune. And she belted them out.
That's my pet peeve right there, people who sing along with the music in the movie. I love musicals and have seen three in the theater-- An American in Paris, Singin' in the Rain and White Christmas. While I appreciate that someone is a fan of the film and knows the music, I want to hear the star sing, not some bozo behind me. I've noticed that theaters have started releasing one or two night only "sing-a-long" versions of films. I've seen a Grease one and a White Christmas one advertised. That would be my worst nightmare. I can't even stand watching a concert and having the singer ask the audience sing. No! I want to hear you sing! Not the stupid crowd.
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My pet peeve is putting lead actors into a supporting category to increase their chances of an Oscar nomination and win. This year it is Robert Duvall in The Judge.
I was very impressed with Angelina Jolie as a director with Unbroken. It is very easy to go 'Clint' with the modern war films and I think she managed to put an individual touch to her film.
After seeing American Sniper and J. Edgar I was of the opinion that retirement might be in order for Eastwood.
Agreed that actors should be put into categories that represent their role. It seems unfair to pit someone with a large part against someone with a smaller one.
Sometimes this works out to the nominee's advantage, i.e. Tatum O'Neil winning Best Supporting Actress in Paper Moon even though she obviously had a lead role.
Sometimes this tactic can backfire. In All About Eve, the studio wanted to nominate Anne Baxter for Best Supporting Actress and Bette Davis for Best Actress-- figuring that this would give both actresses the best chance at picking up the statue. However, Baxter, having had a lead role in that film, wanted her name submitted for Best Actress. Both Baxter and Davis ended up competing against one another and both lost to Judy Holliday. I've heard Baxter's refusal to cooperate with the studio's scheme ended up splitting the votes between the two ladies. If Baxter had put her name in for the Supporting slot, then she and Davis both could have walked away with the Oscar.
I think it's interesting that the Academy doesn't have some sort of criteria as to what constitutes a supporting role and what constitutes a leading one. It would seem that if a nominee is obviously a lead in the film, they shouldn't be allowed to be entered into a "supporting race."
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When you read a book like The Thin Man after seeing the movie in your 'mind's eye' isn't the character Nick, William Powell?
I read The Thin Man after having seen the movie and I also kept imagining Powell and Loy's characters reciting the dialogue in the book. It doesn't help that on the cover (at least on the cover of my copy) there's a man on the front (whom I'm assuming is Nick Charles) and he looks exactly like William Powell.
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Well of course I'd go with my boy Errol.
But, I'd also pick John Huston. He seemed like he was incredibly intelligent and he was a fantastic storyteller. He'd be fascinating.
I second Orson Welles and Barbara Stanwyck.
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I have a question regarding a detail, which might seem minor in the overall plot, but perhaps some of you noticed as well. The film opens with Willie wearing a dress and some jewelry she explains once belonged to her sister. Later in the film we see Alva taking the train to New Orleans wearing her "best dancing dress and jewelry", which we remember is the same attire Willie claims for her own. How did the dress and jewelry return to Mississippi from New Orleans? I suspect Alva purchased her new wardrobe, which she is wearing during her time with Owen, with the money she stole from J.J, but what explains the journey of her old clothing . . . . any ideas, or did I miss something?
I don't know if it was ever actually mentioned how Willie came into possession of Alva's clothing and jewelry, but I am going to speculate. Since Willie and Alva's mother abandoned Willie and moved to Arkansas (I think?) with her new boyfriend and then Alva died in New Orleans, perhaps Alva's personal effects were given to her next of kin, Willie? Or maybe after she died, Robert Redford's character gave them to Willie?
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Yes, that is a Decker portrait, Dargo. It is apparently still on Flynn's Jamaica estate today.
Thanks Tom. I asked the question, by the way, not Dargo. But that doesn't really matter, I appreciate you answering my question :-)
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Excellent question speedracer. For me in the instance of A Patch of Blue I saw the movie first and then really looked forward to reading the novel by Elizabeth Kata. It was somewhat of a disappointment. In the novel Selena was a bit prejudiced herself and the ending was different. To me the movie was very good. Many times it's the opposite. The movie does not always do the book justice..
While I haven't read the book or seen the film you're talking about, I agree that sometimes the original ending can be disappointing. In the finale of the movie version of Breakfast at Tiffany's, Holly tosses Cat out of the cab. Paul (or Fred-Baby as I like to call him) then puts Holly in her place by basically telling her that she's her own problem and tosses the ring he had engraved for her in her lap. Holly has an epiphany and asks to have the cab stopped and gets out into the pouring rain to look for Cat. She finds Cat and Paul steps out and they embrace and kiss in the rain. Add in Moon River and you have a very romantic Hollywood ending.
In the novel however, Paul doesn't exist and instead, there is a narrator that Holly calls "Fred." At the end, Holly loses Cat and ends up in Argentina. She does send a postcard to "Fred" but that's the last we here from her. The ending is more open and there is no real conclusion.
Personally, I like the Hollywood ending, but I'm mushy like that. Lol. The Capote novel seems to have a more cynical slant.
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In most instances, I prefer to read the book before seeing the movie version. But one thing I've always appreciated about the television miniseries concept is how it whets one's appetite for reading the book later. I'm sure that's what happened in the 1970s when ABC aired TV versions of "QB VIII," "Rich Man, Poor Man" and "Roots." It all goes hand in hand.
I agree with the movie (or miniseries) whetting one's appetite to read the book. While I'm sure a miniseries can stay fairly truthful to the original source, they probably have to offer a more condensed version of the story since they only have a certain amount of time to tell the story. I imagine the same is true for the movie version as well. With a book made into a television series (i.e. Game of Thrones) they have more time to tell the story and can probably be more thorough. Except, with a television show, I imagine that situations might be created solely for the show that didn't happen in the book?
Do you suppose that Hollywood's tendency to split books into two films is a money grab or an attempt to tell a more complete story? Or both? I'm suspecting the former.
With Lord of the Rings, each book (long books at that) was one film. However, for some reason, The Hobbit (a small book by comparison) is three films?
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I'm posting this because one of my favorite movies-- The Lady From Shanghai is airing tomorrow night at 5pm (PST). I haven't yet been able to obtain my own copy, so this will be like the fourth time I've recorded it. I always record it when it airs.
Anyway, I love this movie. I'll have to admit that when I first saw it, I thought it was confusing, but not confusing in a bad way. It was more confusing in an intriguing way. The more I've seen the film, the more I've figured it out. This is one of the best noirs and definitely one of Welles' best. The famous shootout in the house of mirrors is definitely the highlight of the film. The only "lowlight" in my opinion, is the Irish accent that Welles affects throughout the film. It is inconsistent and sounds hokey. However, his wavering accent doesn't diminish my enjoyment of the film.
FUN FACT: Did you know that The Lady From Shanghai was filmed on Errol Flynn's yacht? Supposedly Flynn can be spotted in a cantina scene, but I have yet to locate him. I've also heard that you can see him from the back in one of the boat scenes, but I cannot confirm. Flynn apparently skippered the yacht during the shoot. I believe the dog in the film belongs to Errol Flynn.
I've found that with most of Welles' films and Welles himself, that usually people are in two camps: those who like him and those who don't. I'm part of the "like" camp. I love Welles' films because he always tries something different. Sometimes the "different" isn't successful, but I appreciate that he tries. I love how he goes more for true storytelling through camera angles, editing, sound, etc. He is a true artist in that respect and that's what I appreciate about him.
It's a shame that his films were always victim to overzealous editing and budget constraints. Does anyone know if any "Director's Cuts" of his films exist?
Of the films of his that I've seen, these are my favorites in order of preference:
1. The Lady From Shanghai
2. The Third Man
3. Citizen Kane
4. The Stranger
5. Touch of Evil
6. The Magnificent Ambersons
I also really liked him with Claudette Colbert in Tomorrow is Forever, but he just acted in that film. He did not direct. I also loved his appearance as himself in an episode of I Love Lucy.
I also just love his voice. I could listen to him narrate anything.
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Okay. Now I've finished watching This Property is Condemned. Overall, I really liked it. I think Natalie Wood's mother in this film could rival her mother in Splendor in the Grass and Kim Novak's in Picnic. Good grief. I thought this was a great melodrama and it was very compelling. I understand that Tennessee Williams was unhappy with this adaptation of his story. In fact, I think the entire cast was upset with the film as they didn't have a finished script and had to ad-lib some of their lines just to get through the shoot. While I liked the film, I found the ending to be very sad, but also very poignant. I liked that Willie was wearing her sister's jewelry and party dress (even though it was in tatters). Willie mentioned that her mom moved to Arkansas with her boyfriend. Is Willie living in Mississippi all alone taking care of herself?
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Ah, that Season 5 episode of "The Twilight Zone" was “The Bewitchin’ Pool,” written by the great Earl Hamner, Jr., who later created "The Waltons."
By the way, Redford and Wood technically were together in three films. She has a brief appearance as herself in "The Candidate" (1972).
Oh okay. Thank you for the information about The Twilight Zone. I didn't know about Wood's cameo in The Candidate. Thanks for that info as well.
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I've found that when books are made into films, there are people who refuse to see the film before reading the book. I imagine that this is to get the "real story" before seeing the Hollywood version. These people can then complain what liberties Hollywood took with the story or commend the filmmakers for staying true to the source material. While I do agree with this opinion, I've also found that having seen the movie first can help clarify plot points in the book.
I read The Great Gatsby first and then saw the most recent incarnation of the film (with Leonardo DiCaprio. I really liked it, but that's another discussion). Having read the book, I was able to be one of "those people" who picked out plot points that differed from F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel. I liked the book better than the movie, but I liked the movie too.
However, I saw The Picture of Dorian Gray (with George Sanders) and really enjoyed it. I especially found the sole color scene of his painting after years had passed to be very effective. Then I decided to read Oscar Wilde's novel. I'll admit that 19th century British Literature is not one of my strong points. Not that I can't read it (obviously) but I find that the way the words are written to sometimes be confusing (I have this issue with Dickens as well). Anyway, I found that having seen the movie first helped me get the gist of what Wilde was trying to say. For the record, I preferred the movie over the book.
What do you think? Book first, then movie? Or movie first, then book? Or does it matter?
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I'll admit it, I haven't seen To Kill a Mockingbird. I know. I know. I have read the book if that means anything. Anyway... I did know that Mary Badham was in 'Mockingbird' and it was interesting to see what she looked like older. I recognized her from an episode of The Twilight Zone that involved Badham and her brother swimming in this pool. Apparently at the bottom of the pool, there was this entrance to some other place where this woman was spoiling the kids with treats. Meanwhile, the children's parents were wondering why their kids haven't resurfaced from the bottom of the pool and are freaking out. What I remember most about this episode wasn't Badham or even the plot details, it was the horrible dubbing they did of Badham's lines. For whatever reason, Badham appears physically, but they had her lines dubbed by an adult impersonating a child's voice. It did not sound good. Very off-putting.
Anyway... I'm watching This Property is Condemned right now. I'm really enjoying it. I always love the Tennessee Williams plays turned films. I'm all about melodrama. I think Robert Redford and Natalie Wood make a great team. It's a shame they only did two films together. I like this movie better than their previous effort-- Inside Daisy Clover. I do think that Wood's makeup is more in line with the 1960s rather than the Depression, but that's not really a big deal.
I'm not done watching yet... so I'll probably have more to say when it's over.
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Yeah, kind'a ironic considering what Melanie unfortunately has had her plastic surgeon do to her face in recent years, isn't it mockingbird?!
(...say, I wonder what kind'a mental condition results in that sort of thing, anyway?)
Perhaps body dysmorphia? That's what Michael Jackson apparently suffered from.
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Errol Flynn's Immigration Form
Olivia de Havilland's Immigration Form
Click on the attachments to read the forms. That Errol, boy knew how to take a good picture.
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Multiple personalities:
The Three Faces of Eve
Sybil
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That painting of Bennett was done by bohemian Hollywood artist John Decker, a hard drinking buddy of the likes of John Barrymore, W. C. Fields and Errol Flynn. For a while, before they had a fall out, Decker and Flynn co-owned a Hollywood art gallery.
Who knows, MissW, if Decker did base his painting of Bennett on that shot from Man Hunt. Flynn knew Bennett so there may even be the possibility that it was a live posing for the artist, I suppose (though her insanely jealous husband Walter Wanger would not have approved - he once sat in the bushes outside Flynn's home with a gun in his hand, suspecting she was inside).
Tom, I don't know if you'd know this or not (sorry to go off topic a tad), but did Decker paint Flynn's portrait that hung in his living room at the Mulholland House?
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[quote speedracer5":
I haven't seen either of the noirs you mentioned. "Scarlett Street" is on Netflix Instant, I should try and watch it before it disappears.
(End quote)
I kind of doubt "Scarlet Street" will be going anywhere; its in the public domain and can be shown for free- although beware: there are a lot of bad copies out there.
(I've noticed a lot of public domain titles account for Netflix's classics selections.)
Its on youtube as well, in varying degrees of quality.
Thanks for the information. Hopefully when I get around to watching it on Netflix, it'll be a decent copy. I'm looking forward to it. If it's as good as Woman in the Window, then it'll be worth the wait.
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Since you didn't mention SCARLET STREET and THE BIG HEAT, you may not have seen either film yet. TCM does show both, although not that often. They are 2 more excellent films Lang directed. There are more to mention, but those 2 are definitely noirs that have to be seen. We've had heated discussions of Scarlet Street vs The Woman In the Window, since it's the same cast and the 2 sort of go hand in hand. Eddie Muller rated SCARLET STREET #22 on his list of the 25 greatest noirs. Both SCARLET STREET and THE BIG HEAT are MUST see films if you love noirs and Fritz Lang
I haven't seen either of the noirs you mentioned. "Scarlett Street" is on Netflix Instant, I should try and watch it before it disappears. I remember the "Scarlett Street" vs "The Woman in the Window" discussion from last summer when TCM aired the two back-to-back. At the time, I hadn't seen either, so I was more lurking than participating. Now I've seen 'Window' I should try and watch 'Street.' I really liked 'Window.' Some parts of it reminded me of "Laura." I'll keep an eye out for "The Big Heat."
Thanks for the tip!
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LOL
Okay, in THAT case, I DOUBLE-DOG dare ya to do THIS...
You gotta go for the throat and triple dog dare her! Then she'll have to do it
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Great Schedule Barton. I love the noir day. I'd be all over that. I also liked the great title sequences theme.
The 'like' feature needs to go
in MOD REVIEW
Posted
The like feature was a good addition in my opinion. It eliminates all the "I agree," "me too," comments that really lend nothing to the conversation and bogs it down. I don't think it's fair to be trying to mandate what people can and cannot like.
In regard to cowardly hiding... I think it's pretty cowardly to be coming onto the message boards, instigating arguments and being downright condescending and then saying that your screen name is a character you created. That "character " is being used as a scapegoat to be a jerk. I don't say anything on here that I wouldn't say to someone's face.