kingrat

You might want to check out THE WHISPERERS (1967) on Friday morning if: 1. You like Dame Edith Evans, who was Oscar-nominated for this role; or 2. You're interested in one of the rare films about old age; or 3. You like the realistic British films of the 1958-1967 era; or 4. You're interested in the talented writer-director Bryan Forbes, who also gave us such films as KING RAT and THE L-SHAPED ROOM.

Casting against type is great when it works, but remember how no one could buy Robert Mitchum as a shy Irish schoolteacher in RYAN'S DAUGHTER. Major miscalculation.

Great post, Jarrod. I'd never thought about how the success of Merchant Ivory films encouraged others. HEAT AND DUST is another very enjoyable Merchant Ivory film. My favorite is probably THE REMAINS OF THE DAY, although HOWARDS END is also splendid.

Thanks for filling us in on the background of Dede Allen and the editing of BONNIE AND CLYDE. I agree 100% with your comments about 1967 and the clash between the old and the new. That's why I consider 1966 the last year of the classic Hollywood era, though pictures in the old style did continue to be made. The editing nominations for DOCTOR DOOLITTLE, IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT, and GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER look embarrassing in hindsight. So THE GRADUATE and IN COLD BLOOD were also shut out of the editing category.

I've been a big fan of James Woods ever since I saw him in THE ONION FIELD. A very fine film, and Woods is a wonderfully rotten villain. If you want to see him when he was even younger, check out NIGHT MOVES, where he plays the no-good boyfriend of a very young Melanie Griffith.

Yes, Holly, BONNIE AND CLYDE, one of the films that comes first to mind when we think about remarkable film editing, did not even win a nomination. One assumes that the old boys' club simply shut out Ms. Allen. BONNIE AND CLYDE had many nominations, but not for the one category where they had the most obvious winner.

THE FURIES has some devoted fans on these boards, and I'm one of them. Stanwyck, Walter Huston, and Gilbert Roland perhaps should have received Oscar nominations, and Judith Anderson should have won Best Supporting Actress. It isn't just actors who get robbed of Oscars. How about Dede Allen not winning the Best Editing award for BONNIE AND CLYDE--not even nominated--when films like GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER got Best Editing nominations?

Hibi, I've seen A FAREWELL TO ARMS with Hayes and Cooper, directed by Frank Borzage. If you like the stars, you'll probably like the film. Hayes is also not bad in ARROWSMITH as Ronald Colman's wife, directed by John Ford.

Jean Simmons in ANGEL FACE and Deborah Kerr and Donna Reed in FROM HERE TO ETERNITY.

The choice between Olivia in THE SNAKE PIT and Jane Wyman in JOHNNY BELINDA is something like the choice between Daniel Day Lewis in MY LEFT FOOT and Morgan Freeman in DRIVING MISS DAISY. One role is very showy, with lots of dramatic scenes; the other role is mostly interior, with lots of reacting and indicating thoughts and feelings silently. A tough choice for me. Those 1970s all-star disaster movies tended to waste stars who were a little past their prime, but THE COBWEB wastes several stars who are right at the top of their game. They were lucky this film didn't mean "curtains" to their careers.

Jonny, you're absolutely right about Burton and MY COUSIN RACHEL. I'd guess that the powers that be thought a young actor would have a much better chance of winning in the supporting category, even though it's ridiculous to put Burton there. Even now, the youngest actor ever to win Best Actor is Adrien Brody at, what, 29? Anyway, it's one of Burton's best roles.

Other films that dealt with mental illness: AUTUMN LEAVES and THE COBWEB.

Thanks for the vote, Frank! Let's hear it for Joan Bennett premieres.

As for what Rossano sees in Kate, she's as exotic for him as he is for her. He understands much about women and recognizes her repressed passionate nature.

Filmlover, thanks so much for the covers. The Jennifer Jones cover is perfect for my schedule. Love the Laurel and Hardy!

I included this in my entry for the current programming challenge, since "Food, Glorious Food" was the special topic. You know Barbara is really in love with guy when she cooks eggs for his breakfast. I think anyone who likes Barbara Stanwyck would find LADIES OF LEISURE worth watching.

Skimpole, I like both of those performances, but as for Mariel Hemingway in MANHATTAN--if you looked up "whiny" and "adenoidal" in the dictionary, you'd find her picture. She's supposed to be charming and attractive. Guess Woody's taste and mine don't agree. Then there's Annette Bening in AMERICAN BEAUTY. The performance is well executed, unlike Mariel's agonizing moments on screen, but the director apparently wants her to play the role as cartoonishly as possible. Again, to my taste, unwatchable.

Actor: James Fox (King Rat), George Segal (King Rat), Ralph Fiennes (Quiz Show), Humphrey Bogart (In a Lonely Place), Humphrey Bogart (either The Maltese Falcon or High Sierra, same year) Actress: Diane Cilento (Hombre), Mary Astor (The Maltese Falcon), Lee Remick (Anatomy of a Murder, Wild River), Jean Simmons (All the Way Home, Elmer Gantry, Spartacus), Pat Quinn (Alice's Restaurant), Jennifer Jones (Beat the Devil), Jean Peters (Pickup on South Street), Gloria Grahame (In a Lonely Place), Jane Greer (Out of the Past) Supporting Actor: Harry Andrews (The Hill), Ossie Davis (The Hill) Supporting Actress: Judith Anderson (The Furies), Mary Astor (Act of Violence), Aline MacMahon (The Man from Laramie), Jo Van Fleet (Wild River, Cool Hand Luke)

Fred, I'm afraid I don't share your enthusiasm for GOODFELLAS. I think it's a pretty good film, a solid three stars out of four, but nothing particularly excites me. I get a little tired of Joe Pesci by the end of the film.

Here's a shout out for John Lithgow and Glenn Close in THE WORLD ACCORDING TO GARP. They were brilliant in that year's best film.

More difference of opinion. I'm fond of FORREST GUMP and even fonder of Tom Hanks' performance. I like CHARIOTS OF FIRE much better than either REDS or ON GOLDEN POND, though I wouldn't have minded if it had lost to ATLANTIC CITY or RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK. On the other hand, take BRAVEHEART...please! Rather ridiculous, IMO. George Burns won an Oscar for THE SUNSHINE BOYS not so much for acting as for still being able to breathe. A number of so-so screenplays have won Oscars because they were really well directed. DEAD POETS SOCIETY is a good example, but also MOONSTRUCK and THELMA AND LOUISE. Jonny, I always enjoy your posts, even when I don't agree. It's much more important to say what we really like than what we think we're supposed to like. You're absolutely right that certain films have acquired a nostalgic glow by losing the Oscar they were expected to win. If REDS had won, people would probably call it a bloated Beatty vanity project and put it on their list of ten worst Oscar choices.

lzcutter, thanks for doing a great job hosting the challenge. Would you please send me a private message so that I can respond with a private vote? That's the only way it seems to work for me.

Thanks, TCM Programmr, for letting us know! I'm sure all of us contestants appreciate the kind words.

In the current programming challenge I included THE SEVENTH CROSS with THE END OF THE AFFAIR and THE BLACK BOOK as "Noir Has Many Faces"--films that apply film noir techniques to subject matter not ordinarily associated with noir. THE SEVENTH CROSS, for instance, has noir-style shadows and dark streets, with the sudden contrast of the brightly lit home of George Macready. BRIGHTON ROCK uses exactly the same technique when Pinkie goes to see the rival gangster in the brightly-lit hotel balcony. Not only does the man on the run theme fit into noir, THE SEVENTH CROSS also has voice-over narration by a dead man, so Billy Wilder didn't invent this for SUNSET BOULEVARD. THE SEVENTH CROSS is actually set prior to WWII, like THE MORTAL STORM. It's a true Zinnemann film, with many connections to HIGH NOON.

Welcome to the boards, Undine. Anyone who likes THE CUSTOM OF THE COUNTRY can hold her own with any crowd.