kingrat
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Posts posted by kingrat
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In response to an earlier poster who asked, quite reasonably, if post-classic era directors and cinematographers weren't equally familiar with the tradition of perspective and chiaroscuro in painting which sparked Fred's comment: I think current directors are less familiar with this tradition because there's now been a century of abstract art which has lessened the impact of the earlier tradition.
For instance, look at TCM's intro to Ben Mankiewicz, which is based on principles of collage and an advertising style which uses different typefaces, may not use capital letters, etc. Perhaps it makes sense that a younger host is introduced with this style.
The other point, which Fred noted, is that the lighter, more mobile cameras made camera movement more important than formal composition of individual shots. Almost any TV show today uses much more camera movement than shows from the 50s and 60s.
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I agree that Martin Balsam is excellent in HOMBRE, which may never have been shown on TCM. He also has a fine scene in MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT.
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Despite some not so believable parts, SHOCKPROOF was quite enjoyable, with a tougher than usual Cornel Wilde and a good performance by Patricia Knight, whom I had never heard of before.
Many thanks to TCM for prying open the Universal vault to show us some of Sirk's films.
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clore, I also enjoyed Shockproof and the performances by Cornel Wilde, tougher than usual, and Patricia Knight, a new name to me. Too bad it was on so late that if you didn't have a recorder, you missed it.
wouldbestar, you're so right about the age difference, mentioned in All That Heaven Allows, not mentioned in Magnificent Obsession. Same way with Joseph Cotten, who's too old for Jennifer Jones in Since You Went Away, but not in Love Letters, Portrait of Jennie, or Duel in the Sun.
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We probably won't see Shirley Jones at a future TCM Film Festival because she has been announced twice before, each time with one of her movies scheduled, but she canceled at the last minute both years.
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MissW, thanks for locating the exact quote, which seems to express our common reactions very well.
And yes, sometimes the low tech way beats the Internet!
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MissW and lavender, Pauline Kael, who loved the film, noted the unlikelihood of Jean Simmons turning into Valerie Hobson.
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Just as Fred is particularly attuned to lighting, given his background, I particularly notice writing, so that I'm not charitable toward the bad dialogue in, say, some of Samuel Fuller's films.
What Fred has been talking about is the use of perspective as it was developed from the Renaissance on. The composition from GWTW with Aunt Pittypat harkens back to techniques you can spot in paintings from that era on through the nineteenth century. Film noir's use of light and shadow, which many of us love, is based on the chiaroscuro found in Caravaggio and the many painters influenced by him. The great shot from THE STRANGER ON THE THIRD FLOOR which Fred included also recalls the Mannerists (Pontormo, say) in the surprising and exaggerated prominence of the staircase.
You can enjoy all these films without thinking about or knowing about the painters whom the cinematographers and directors learned from, but Fred is certainly correct about the knowledge many classic filmmakers had about their artistic ancestors.
You might also notice how Raoul Coutard in Godard's MADE IN USA refers to abstract art of the 20th century, but that's another story.
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Andy has mentioned one of my favorite years, 1950 (and he didn't even mention THE FURIES), and LonesomePolecat has mentioned another, 1962.
1940-1966 would cover many favorite films from a variety of countries, but if you're talking about costumes, sets, and cars, the 30s are hard to beat.
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Thelma, what a wonderfuil post. Your contributions are much appreciated.
I have often followed recommendations from posters here, especially along the lines of "If you like X, check out Y," and have found some hidden gems along the way.
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Dennis Farina was also excellent in the miniseries CRUEL DOUBT, again playing a policeman investigating a murder. Recommended to his fans, if this is available.
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What a good idea, to move this thread with the other threads (and thank you very much, TCM, for gathering those threads of Kyle's posts).
Kyle would be amazed at the outpouring of affection on his memorial thread. He deserves it, and I hope it brings some comfort to his family.
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The print of THE MAN WHO LOVED WOMEN suggests that this film is badly in need of restoration. It does not look like the work of Nestor Almendros. Seeing the gorgeously muted colors of TWO ENGLISH GIRLS and then the muddy mediocrity of THE MAN WHO LOVED WOMEN was quite a shock.
Thanks to FredCDobbs, I could also spot the apparently very poor "day for night" work in THE MAN WHO LOVED WOMEN. As for the film itself, it seems very meh. Good idea, the right star in Charles Denner, but mediocre execution.
I tend to share SansFin's view of Truffaut as critic, if not quite so strongly. He attacked most of the established French directors, primarily (in my view) to create space for himself and his pals in the industry. Unfortunately, his writings did negatively affect the careers and the reputations of some directors, some of them very talented.
THE STORY OF ADELE H., which I think is one of his best films, looks very much like the "tradition of quality" he derided and not like the New Wave.
Though I don't share SansFin's negative views of his directing, I do find a lack of emotional depth in much of Truffaut, which makes the callow and shallow but rather pretty lightweight, Jean-Pierre Leaud, appropriate as his favorite leading man. In some ways THE SOFT SKIN and TWO ENGLISH GIRLS are quite well directed, but Truffaut neglects to make us care about the actors and characters in the love triangle of THE SOFT SKIN, and the almost foolproof story of TWO ENGLISH GIRLS neglects to develop the fascinating characters of the two sisters while spending too much time with the young Frenchman played by Leaud, well, as stated above.
The wonderful cinematography of Nestor Almendros and the haunting music of Georges Delerue, along with the great story, stand out above Truffaut's direction in TWO ENGLISH GIRLS, and go a long way toward making this one of Truffaut's better films, in my view. However, to imagine what Max Ophuls could have done with this script points to the lack of emotional depth in Truffaut.
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Wyler's THE LETTER is hard to beat. I also really like the opening scene on the train in RETURN FROM THE ASHES.
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Hey, I'm glad to find so many others who also appreciate BETWEEN TWO WORLDS, which probably isn't mentioned in any history of the movies. How about a shout out for Edward A. Blatt (love that name!), the extremely obscure director of the film. Mr. Blatt only directed two other films, according to imdb. At the very least, he had a terrific script and a solid-gold cast and didn't mess it up.
BETWEEN TWO WORLDS gets a place of honor on the list of outstanding romantic fantasies, and like a number of them, WWII plays a significant role.
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Great music by Bronislau Kaper, too. The opening theme is haunting.
Ann Dvorak's performance as a formerly successful model is hard to forget.
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Flynn proves to be an excellent light comedian in the Michael Curtiz film FOUR'S A CROWD, where he essentially plays the role Cary Grant will play in HIS GIRL FRIDAY, opposite a newspaperwoman played by, yes, Rosalind Russell. Too bad Flynn didn't get more opportunities in screwball comedy. FOUR'S A CROWD is a charming film.
I also like Flynn as Soames Forsyte in THAT FORSYTE WOMAN. The casting seems unlikely, but Flynn is surprisingly convincing as the cold and dominating Soames.
Seeing Errol Flynn in a greater variety of films has increased my opinion of his acting skills.
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I'm another fan of the 30s for women's gowns and for Art Deco set designs. The designers knew that stars like Joan Crawford would wear anything, and I do mean anything, as if they looked fabulous. And they usually did! I love the men's fedoras of the 1940s and have been known to wear them myself.
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Dear Lynn and Michael,
Thank you so much for putting together this memorial thread for Kyle. He contributed so much to this website with his wealth of knowledge, the photographs and memorabilia he shared with us, and, as several of you have noted, his kind and friendly voice. It is difficult to realize that he will not be posting here again.
I was fortunate enough to meet Kyle at the first TCM Film Festival, and I liked him immediately. The personality you have gleaned from his posts is just how he was in real life. Chatting with him in Club TCM at the end of the evening was the perfect way to wind down after a very full day.
The last couple of years at the festival, the rain and the humidity bothered his lungs, and none of us got to see as much of him as we would have liked.
I'm grateful to his family for contacting TCM and letting us know. I hope they will take comfort from all the feelings expressed here.
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Hi, yancey! I think there's no doubt that Stanley was referring to Leslie Caron, who under the guidance of Bryan Forbes gives an excellent performance in THE L-SHAPED ROOM. (And, by the way, you need only compare Kim Stanley's Method mannerisms run amok in THE GODDESS with her work in SEANCE ON A WET AFTERNOON to appreciate how Forbes could help a performer edit her work and reach for the depths of her character.) I'm guessing that as a stage actress Kim Stanley looked down her nose at a mere movie star like Leslie Caron.
I'm actually a big fan of Leslie Caron, charmed by her in just about any film. Her memoir, THANK HEAVEN, should appeal to many TCM viewers.
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The violence in THE BRIDE WORE BLACK is not very visceral. Suspense isn't Truffaut's strong suit. The film plays out more as a series of vignettes into various aspects of French society. More for Jeanne Moreau fans than for Hitchcock fans.
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Vincent Price plays a magician in THE LONG NIGHT. I agree with MissWonderly that THE PRESTIGE and THE ILLUSIONIST are good recent films about magicians, and, like another poster, I liked NOW YOU SEE ME.
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Mark, I hope you get to watch ST. MARTIN'S LANE aka SIDEWALKS OF LONDON, because Vivien Leigh and Charles Laughton are terrific. I believe this is the film which brought Vivien Leigh to the attention of Selznick.
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In a way, the Antoine Doinel series is extended by two films by other filmmakers: Godard's MASCULINE FEMININE, which has Jean-Pierre Leaud as a trendy leftist youth (Antoine Doinel discovers Mao!), and Jean Eustache's THE MOTHER AND THE ****, in which Leaud plays a shallow, vapid, narcissistic young man who lives off an older woman and spouts pseudo-intellectual drivel. In other words, Eustache eviscerates Truffaut's notion of Leaud as a charming alter ego and Godard's acceptance of Leaud as a possible leftist hero. Because much of Eustache's film is autobiographical, he is also ruthlessly criticizing himself.
THE MOTHER AND THE **** would be a great follow-up to the Doinel series. For some reason, it is not available on DVD, even though Cahiers du Cinema once called it the best film of the 70s. Despite that, it's a good film!
THIS ABOVE ALL (1942) ~ Tomorrow evening
in General Discussions
Posted
Thanks for the heads up, Arturo. A number of little-known Anatole Litvak films have turned out to be worth watching: The Journey, Decision Before Dawn, The Long Night, City for Conquest, Blues in the Night, Five Miles to Midnight, etc. And Tyrone Power, too.