fredbaetz
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Posts posted by fredbaetz
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I saw it the week it opened and have seen it time and again. It is one of the two greatest "Gangster" films ever made.Everything works in this masterpiece from the actors to the screenplay to the great music to the top notch direction. Some of the best work those actors ever put on the screen. Congrats to all involved with this terrific piece of film making......
Edited by: fredbaetz on Jun 22, 2010 2:13 AM
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Don't forget those classic westerns- "Billy the Kid vs Dracula" and "Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter"
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All selections of these Mann films are right on. Now I'll add mine:
Western: "Winchester '73" ,The first teaming of Mann and Stewart and a wonderful teaming it turned out to be.Stewart stepped out of his good guy persona and became a vengeance seeking man out to kill the man who killed his father. Will not go further and spoil it for any who has not seen it.A CLASSIC.
B-Movie:All are fine films but have to go with "Raw Deal" { Not to be confused with ARNOLD's film of same name} with wonderful performances by Dennis O'Keefe and the great Claire Trevor. A beautiful film noir, which he did so well Escaped con and the moll who loves him and innocent girl who also cares . Standard plot but with some wonderful touches such as Claire Trevor doing the voice over narration. Supported with Raymond Burr, John Ireland and Martha Hunt.
War Film: "Men in War" Book updated from WW2 to the Korean war.Excellent performances form the great Robert Ryan and Aldo Ray.A very under rated war film and rarely seem. It airs this month on TCM as part of the Korean War anniversary.Ryan trying to get his men to safety and Ray as a tough as nails Sgt, who is devoted to his shell shocked Major. A well crafted film
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Dramas: I loved "Reign of Terror" or the original title "The Black Book". A film noir set during the French revolution with Robert Cummings and the beautiful and very good Arlene Dahl Some terrific performance by Richard Basehart, Norman Lloyd and Charles McGraw.. Great Mann style with marvelous close ups and everyone trying to discredit the notorious Robsepierre and his "Reign of Terror". A wonderful example of what can be done on a small budget and it a great ride to the guillotine.. Off with their heads......
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"Colorado Territory" is one of those films that when I first saw it as a 8 year old I could have sworn it was in color. But years later I was surprised that it was b&w. The same with "Yankee Doodle Dandy". When I was working on the Warners albums in "73 and we pulled the 16mm print of "YDD" and it was b&w, even my film editor was surprised that it was not in color. We remembered it as a color film and I guess there are certain movies that stick in your mind when you first see them and years later you're surprised they are b&w....
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The film was a major disappointment for me. I loved the book so much and when the film came out I was ready for a slam bang story of Jim Bowie. Though Alan Ladd was a fine Bowie and Virginia was, well, not very likable .But what a letdown. The story of Jim Bowie and no battle of the Alamo.A couple of good knife fights, but at the end of the film************SPOILER ALERT********* He throws his famous knife into the Mississippi River.......PLEASE. The book was a wonderful read by a wonderful writer of western novels. I've discussed him before, Paul I. Wellman. A great many of his books were made into films with big stars like John Wayne, Glenn Ford.....
But Virginia does look wonderful as a Southern Belle.........
Edited by: fredbaetz on Jun 19, 2010 3:39 AM
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99.9 % it's Gene Kelly.....
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Don't forget he was the original Captain of the starship "Enterprise", Captain Christopher Pike. When NBC ask for 2nd pilot he declined. They used his pilot 'The Cage" and turned it into a two part episode of "Star Trek" in its first season.
He almost lost an eye while filming "The Longest Day", if I'm not mistaken they left the scene in the film.
Starred in his own series for one season "Temple Houston" as the son of Sam Houston.
His good friend Roger Moore named his son Geoffrey in his honor.
Quote from Jeffery Hunter....."I was told I had arrived when, during the shooting of "The Seachers" they gave me almost as much ammunition as John Wayne"
A very talented and well like man. Left much to soon......
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Francis Ford in place of Benton Churchill. Even though Francis was in "Stagecoach" in an uncredited role of Billy Pickett, he was not a passenger . But a really nice picture....
Edited by: fredbaetz on Jun 17, 2010 8:06 PM
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Virginia was a truly beautiful woman who could act and proved it in many films She had a flair for comedy and musicals { even though she was dubbed in them } and she could hold her own with the best of them as she proved in the two you mentioned. She was a Goldwyn Girl, appeared with Danny Kaye in a number of his comedies.Supposedly the "Sultan of Morocco" in the 1940's stated that her beauty was proof of the existence of God.
I was also a fan of her husband Michael O'Shea whose film career never really took off, but in most of his films he was very good. "Lady of Burlesque" with Stanwyck where he played the comic and his lead role in "Jack London" {where he met Virginia} was quite good. The story is after he retired in the 50's he became a plainclothes operative for the CIA, what ever that is, he died of a heart attack at age 64. Him and Virginia had one daughter...
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Love them all, "Colorado Territory" holds a special place for me. That's when I first fell in LUST with Virginia Mayo . To an 8 year old in 1949 to see her on the big screen, Boy, was she HOT and I didn't even know what Hot was back then. All I remember was my "Milk Duds" started to melt...Ah memories. The other two are really wonderful Westerns also, but no Virginia.......
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Being a true son of the old west, {that's old west boy} and having watched too many of the great western buckeroos ,I would never attempt to deprive a Lady of any treasure she might want, so I would bow to her request especially if the cowgirl was Izcutter.
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Don't worry until you start scratching behind those ears with your feet.Then seek help or else add Milk Bones to your diet....
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To my way of thinking Claire Trevor could do no wrong. She was wonderful in every role I ever saw her in. From her part in "Dead End" as Bogie's long lost sweetheart who had to survive by any means to "Dallas" in "Stagecoach" as the you know who with a heart of goodness to Eddie Robinson's moll who lost her voice among other thing to the older gal in "The High and the Mighty" who though they should have a home for "broken down dames with no mirrors", but as the long lost Velma in "Murder, My Sweet" to "Born to Kill" with Lawrence Tierney she was one dame could stack up with the best of them and come out a classy broad every time. I loved her......And as far as I'm concerned she is the one and only Velma, "Cute as lace pants"
Edited by: fredbaetz on Jun 15, 2010 11:50 PM
Edited by: fredbaetz on Jun 15, 2010 11:51 PM
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You are 100% correct about Bob being a little long in the tooth, but I was willing to over look that factor and accept him in a real good part for the ol' boy. The same thing occurred with his roles in "Winds of War" and "War and Remembrance" as "Pug" Henry. He was 71 at the time and a tad older then his love interest Victoria Tennant. Even he stated that they had better start shooting "W&R" soon because he wasn't getting any younger....
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"Farewell, My Lovely" is a wonderful homage to the noir films of long ago. The feel of the film to me is very RKOish of the 1940's. Mitchum is wonderfully cast as Philip Marlowe. His world weary look brings a new definition to the character. He is aided with a terrific supporting cast including Sylvia Miles in her Academy Award nominated role and John Ireland, Harry Dean Stanton, look for a pre Rocky Slyvester Stallone .Charlotte Rampling is a fine actress, but I always though she bought more class to the role of Velma then needed. But the direction of the film stays true to Chandler and his darkside of the seamy under belly of L.A.But it's Mitchum's film from start to finish.
"The Big Sleep" is the opposite. To me it's a mess from start to finish.First mistake it's updated from Ca. in the 40's to England of the 70's. As far as I'm concerned nothing here works including Mitchum. The rest of the cast falls short. Sarah Miles never one of my favorites seems a pest. Others like Richard Boone, Edward Fox and the wonderful Richard Todd are all wasted in a very inferior remake. At least "Lovely" had respect for the genre....
As far as the AFI list I think Mitchum and Holden belong much further up on the list and James Dean lower, but that's my opinion. and I'm sticking to it.........
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William Hart was a stickler for realism in his westerns. He achieved it in the costumes and settings and the people. He was a sentimentalist and a romantic with his characters. His films were very popular. He was friends with Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson and is suppose to have owned Billy the Kid's six shooters.
I know I discussed this with Izcutter, but his ranch in Newhall, Ca is now a park and museum if you are in the ares it is well worth the trip to see it. His favorite horse "Fritz" is buried there with a stone marker along with another one he used. But it's a beautiful place to visit and in Aug. there will be a special showing of "Hell's Hinges" and a auction and BBQ. I just found out about it........
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The young boy's name in "Mockingbird" is "Dill" not Dell. I do that all the time when I'm typing. She use to call him her "Pocket Merlin" for his creative and inventive ways of doing things....
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Hawks approached Clift for the role of "Colorado" in "Rio Bravo", but Clift turned it down. He really didn't want to work with Wayne and Walter Brennen again. Once was enough in "Red River"....
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The original choices Hawks wanted for "Red River" were Gary Cooper as Dunson, Cary Grant as Cherry Valance and as Matthew was Casey Tibbs, the national rodeo riding champion. He never acted and it's a surprise Hawks wanted him. But Tibbs broke his arm in a fall and enter Monty Clift after Howard Hughes refused to lend Hawks Jack Buetel who had worked briefly for Hawks when he was directing him in Hughes film "The Outlaw"
Cooper turned down the role because he said the character was to mean and he didn't feel he was right for the part. Hawks was sure he could change his mind, but was surprised when Cooper turned around and took the role in DeMille's "Unconquered".
The part of Cherry Valance was quite a bit different from what we know today, but Grant didn't think the role suited him or was big enough..Hawks had hoped to work with Grant again after their films in the late 1930's. So Hawks didn't push it {but he would again direct Grant in "I Was a Male War Bride" and "Monkey Business"} and cast John Ireland who had tested for the role of Eddie Mars in Hawks "The Big Sleep". Hawks was unhappy with Joanne Dru because he had wanted a young unknown actress named Margaret Sheridan.. He signed her to a contract and was building her up for the big time when she up and married her boy friend and got pregnant right before the production started. Dru was a last minute replacement and he admitted she did a good job as Tess, but said Sheridan would have been better.. But she did work for Hawks a few years later when he cast her in "The Thing" as the female lead.
But John Ireland had his big chance with "Red River" and blew it. He showed up drunk or stoned and had an affair with Dru, whom he later married. and it seemed Hawks was interested in Dru also..Hawks cut Irelands lines or gave them to others and cut him almost out of the climax.Later Ireland apologized for his behavior and begged for another chance with Hawks. But that chance never happened.."Red River" was helt up 2 years in court after Howard Hughes sued stating "the ending plagiarized the ending of "The Outlaw". In the "Outlaw" Doc Holliday {Walter Huston} tries to get the Kid to draw on him by shooting at him and nicking his earlobe.. It took almost 2 years for it to be resolved....To get a better idea of what happened read "Howard Hawks: The Grey Fox of Hollywood" by Todd McCarthy
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I don't think Elvis was shake,rattle or rolling in his blue suede shoes.when Mitchum's album came out.
Go to Oldies.Com and then to CD's and type in Robert Mitchum.. Enjoy!!
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"Greetings, my friends.We are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives. And remember my friends, future events such as these will affect you in the future".
The Amazing Criswell
"Plan 9 From Outer Space" 1959
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I also think she was one of the sexiest women to ever walk in front of a camera. She was beautiful in a rare way, but her sexy quality had nothing to do with her looks. Even in her later years when she was older and heavier, there was still a raw animal sexiness to this wonderful actress and she had it up to the end...
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This was indeed the only film both the Carey's appeared in. It was also the last film for Harry Carey Sr. I often wondered how the film would have turned out if Cary Grant had accepted Howard Hawks offer and played the part of Cherry Valance. WOW....
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I still have one of the two albums that Robert Mitchum put out in the 50's or 60's. The one I have is Robert Mitchum sings" Calypso is Like So"..and "Tall Dark Stranger" is the other one.. I don't think they ever made the top 40......
Western Movie Rambles
in Westerns
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The colorizing of old B&W films hit in the mid '80's.Ted Turner was a big proponent of the process with his vast library of old films.Some were in favor of the colorizing such as Cary Grant and Frank Capra. Others like Jimmy Stewart, Woody Allen were against it.... John Huston and Orson Welles instituted lawsuits against colorizing their films. Gladly they stopped pushing colorization But the films I was referring to I though were in color was long before then .A simple trick of the mind and memory of long ago, but you make a good point regarding the old film after the 1980's.
BTW,FYI ,"The Barkleys of Broadway" was a Technicolor film, the only one Fred and Ginger did in color.