wouldbestar
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Posts posted by wouldbestar
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> {quote:title=TopBilled wrote:}{quote}What does this have to do with classic film? I am sure there are websites devoted to discussions about popular music.
{font:Times New Roman}This is my opinion. I think I’m right but know I’m not the “last word” on the topic.{font}
{font:Times New Roman}There’s an Oscar given each year, and has been for some time, for “Best Original Song” from a film. This is in addition to the one for “Best Original Score”. Music plays a big part in most films. Many pop hits have come from them and recently the opposite has been true as well. Whatever the source, the music usually advanced the film. Yes, I remember the *South Park* movie, that proves my point about where pop music is headed.{font}
{font:Times New Roman}Last week on another thread someone said they wanted to see *Goodbye, Columbus* again and posted the link to its theme by *The Association.* I’d not heard their music for years and because of the link was able to download four of their albums and singles from *Insight Out.* Just seeing the covers brought it all back, hearing them was a taste of Heaven. They don’t write them like that anymore and that’s a pity.{font}
{font:Times New Roman}The premise is true. Today’s pop music is like most current films; you can’t tell when one trailer stops and another begins. It all sounds like R&B or “Hip Hop”. As late as the 80’s Top 40 was a variety of genres from Country to Adult Contemporary with R&B, Hard Rock, Power Ballads, and Novelty all on the chart. Teens will tell me the same thing I did my folks “I’m too old to be with it” and I’ll reply “It all sounds alike to me” just as they did. To me, that’s true. {font}
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> {quote:title=ginnyfan wrote:}{quote}I loved R.G. on TV westerns. He was usually the gruff, unreasonable cattle rancher or the stubborn cavalry officer and was always great in those roles.
*The Ballad of Cable Houge* is on Encore Westerns now and I know he's in that. If you get it, tune in.
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Don Murray was also Michele Lee's original co-star on *Knott's Landing.* His patriarch, Sid, was quiet but firm and a man of strong moral character. This was in contrast to the blustering Archie Bunker and George Jefferson, lovable as they were, and the kind of father most of us wanted to have. I hated to see him leave the show. Glad he's still around.
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Here's the obit from *The Birmingham News:*
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- R.G. Armstrong, a Birmingham native known for his often tough-guy western and science fiction roles in movies and television for more than a half century, died Friday. He was 95.
Daryl Armstrong, a daughter of the character actor, confirmed that her dad died at his Studio City, Calif., home early Friday morning.
"He was one of the greatest fathers anyone could have," Daryl Armstrong said. "He loved his children beyond any man I've ever know ... He was the smartest man I've ever known."
Robert Golden Armstrong, known as "R.G.", was born and raised in the western area around Birmingham. In 1938 he entered Howard College, which is now Samford University. After three and a half years, and one semester shy of earning a degree in English, he transferred to the University of North Carolina, where he earned a master of fine arts degree.
"When I was in school here in 1938, I was aspiring to be a writer," Armstrong told The Birmingham News in a 1975 interview while in the city for filming of the movie, "Stay Hungry." "Back then, coming from the steel mills like I did, you didn't admit you wanted to be a writer. If you did, you were considered a sissy. And you certainly didn't admit you wanted to be a poet."
Armstrong's movie and television career took off in the 1950s and 1960s with a number of roles television shows, many of them westerns, including "Have Gun - Will Travel," "The Rifleman," "Maverick," "Bonanza," and "Gunsmoke," according to his biography on [iMDb, an internet database website|http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0035866/]. He later appeared on television series including "Perry Mason," "Walker, Texas Ranger," "The Dukes of Hazzard," "Fantasy Island," "Charlies' Angels," and "Twilight Zone."
Armstrong also played a memorable role as a farmer who didn't want his daughter to have makeup on "The Andy Griffith Show" and later appeared in episodes of "Matlock," also with Andy Griffith. Both men were alums of the famed Actor's Studio.
Among the movies Armstrong appeared were "El Dorado" with John Wayne, "Stay Hungry" and "Predator," both with Arnold Schwarzenegger. He also played Pruneface in 1990's "Dick Tracy" and a government agent in "Reds," both films with Warren Beatty.
Daryl Armstrong said her favorite movie that her father was in is "Red Headed Stranger" with Willie Nelson.
But Daryl Armstrong said that she believes her father loved the movies he made with Sam Peckinpah. Those movies included "Ride the High Country," "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid" and "The Ballad of Cable Hogue."
"He was so proud of that," she said.
Despite the gruff roles her father often played, she described her father as a gentle man who was brilliant and loved by many. "I know God is loving him right now saying 'You did such a great job, R.G,'" she said.
Armstrong also is survived by two other daughters, Robbie Dunham and Laurie Bellueme; a son, Wynn Armstrong and two grandchildren.
A memorial service has not yet been set.
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> {quote:title=ValeskaSuratt wrote:}{quote}
> The scene when Homer shows his fiance what "going to bed" with him REALLY means -- removing his prosthetic arms, rendering him virtually helpless ...
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> And she loves him so much that she watches and listens so carefully -- "I'LL do that!" ...
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> And the look on his face -- like he can't believe ANYone would be willing to go through this ritual every night for the rest of their lives ...
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> To me, that scene just about defines unconditional love.I love this scene too because the innocent lines are so easy to apply to those times read between. Any other man and it would have been the "etchings" proposition but Wilma and we know Homer can be trusted with her virtue.
Their wedding is still my all-time movie favorite. Hand me a hankie when he puts the ring on her finger with his hooks and I've lost track of how many times I've seen it. Even her father, who from his expression as he gives her away is opposed to the marriage, melts after that. And of course, like Lacy and David's in *Giant,* it turns into a double wedding of sorts. Great ending to a great movie.
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John Gavin was very involved with The Organization of American States while at Universal and later became an ambassador to one of the Central or South American countries so he had to be fluent in Spanish. I didn't know he was able to use it as an actor or made films elsewhere. I always found him a bit wooden in English, perhaps he did better en Espanol.
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FredCDobbs wrote:
John Ford's "The Fugitive" has been shown on TCM (and old AMC) many times, with no mention of what the story is actually about.
Fred: Thanks for starting this thread and turning me onto the movie. I saw it this morning and was blown away by it. You believed you were in Mexico.
Henry Fonda, who certainly doesn't look Hispanic, was excellent as a priest who isn't very courageous at first but refines his and his faith at the end. This he wasn't perfect is what made him so believable. The soldier who keeps denying his beliefs is just fooling himself and this was my first look at Dolores del Rio when she was young-what a face. This was also another look at the talent of John Ford as I would never have pictured him directing such a film.
Today we know the anti-faith forces did not win in Mexico or Portugal where they tried the same thing and met with the same resistance. As with the end of the film somebody was always ready to step up and lead the fight. Because of this movie and *For Greater Glory* I have renewed respect for those south of us who have had to fight for what we still freely have here. For me it's only two blocks away.
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Mongo: Clore got a report that R. G. Armstrong left us yesterday. If so, we need one of your beautiful RIP photos. You must be weary of this lately too frequent task but if anybody deserves one, he does. -
French Quarter, New Orleans, La. The City Time Forgot...
Jake in the Heartland
Thankfully, they forgot where to buy white paint. Those pastel and terra cotta colors are beauliful and give each place its individuality. How dull nothing but whitewash would be. Thank you.Baggar Vance: Is Cornwall in England or Wales?
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Oh.my! Did all those storks know what talents were in those bundles they were delivering? Something for everybody!
Uncanny that *Wagon Train* scouts Horton and Fuller share a birthday. Had Denny Miller been there too, we'd know there really is a *Twilight Zone*. For the record, with Fuller they finally got it right.
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You do not know how long I've wanted to see this production. Thank you so much for making it happen for me.
Rod Steiger is better looking and thinner than Borgnine but his manner is gruffer and more negative. I can't warn up to him as I did Borgnine. Nancy Marchand is not very attractive and probably closer to Clara in looks than Betsy Blair but is not appealing personality wise. You can see why these people have trouble connecting with others. While they're the kind of people the author probably had in mind when he wrote the play it's the movie ones we come to like and root for. Perhaps that's because the movie had nearly twice the time to develop the characters and make them more three dimensional.
Since Mama, Aunt Catharina, and Angie were played by the same actors in both versions and they used the same director, you got to compare there. They all seemed to have a better handle on the roles by movie time and Delbert Mann drew out more from them and himself. I like both Betsy Palmer and Karen Steele so I can't pick one over the other's Virginia but missed Jerry Paris as Tommy in the TV version. Don Gordon as the guy who blows Clara off is better than the film actor-to nobody's big surprise.
I'm glad I got to see this. Perhaps it's apples and oranges but the movie was better. Then again, they had to start somewhere.
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:_| This is too much.
I could listen to that man read the phone book. I once said his voice sounded like barbecue sauce, thick and smoky with a touch of sweetness. Whatever he was in, I watched and was never disappointed. RIP, Sir, you were one of the best.
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{font:Times New Roman}The TV version of The Case of the Howling Dog was on yesterday. I’ll have to see the movie for comparison.{font}
{font:Times New Roman}I remember seeing some of the covers for the Perry Mason novels which *MeTV* also shows in one of the ads for the show. They were almost as racy as the ones on the Mickey Spillane books. Also, some were serialized or abridged in *The* *Saturday Evening Post* and usually included a provocative drawing of a woman not altogether dressed. From this I gathered they were "naughty" and not to be read by "good folks"; even so I did parts of one I’ve also seen the TV version of. They sold well so the marketing must have worked even if a bit deceptive. {font}
{font:Times New Roman}Most of the early episodes were adapted from the books although not that faithfully. As the show wound down they went back to those early shows and remade them with different emphasis on the characters and plots, cannibalizing them as they had the books. I found that the first effort was nearly always the best. One, the only one shot in color, was based on *Oliver* *Twist.*{font}
{font:Times New Roman}I like the Warren William movies I’ve seen because they are fast-paced and keep you guessing. He makes a good lawyer. For a society that seems to pride itself on “law and order” a defense attorney that’s been around as long as Perry Mason has is quite an accomplishment. {font}
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Yes, Me.Back in the 50s and 60s Mr. Borgnine got a lot of bad press regarding his personal life. It was hinted that he was a spouse abuser and his track record in that department-5 marriages-did not speak well of him. I liked him as an actor but not a person.{font}
{font:Times New Roman}During the past 25 years or so he completely won me over with his openness, love of life and willingness to contribute all he could to his profession and humanity He credited a religious experience in the 70’s with some of it; if so, he was like my father who certainly was not the man at the end of his life he had been earlier. Both made their final years count and were/are mourned by many. I wish I could have met him. I find it hard to believe those accounts now unless he’s admitted them in his book. {font}
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{font:Times New Roman}I want to see it, too. I am watching the opening ceremonies now and thoroughly enjoying them because they’re in London and not here as many tried so hard to have happen. London was the right choice. We’re barely going to be able to handle the GOP convention next month; something like this is way over our head. If we had gotten them, the stadium they’ve have built for this would be only a few blocks away from me. Ouch! {font}
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> {quote:title=Dysthymia wrote:}{quote}Thank you for the information! I hadn't seen the promo for the movie rescheduled for Wednesday!
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> I think that a lot of people will find the film interesting, especially since this is the 100th anniversary of the Stockholm Olympics when Jim Thorpe was called "the world's greatest athlete."
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> Peace.
I want to see it, too. I am watching the opening ceremonies now and thoroughly enjoying them because they’re in London and not here as many tried so hard to have happen. London was the right choice. We’re barely going to be able to handle the GOP convention next month; something like this is way over our head. If we had gotten them, the stadium they’ve have built for this would be only a few blocks away from me. Ouch!
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Boris Karloff is on the left and Peter Lorre is on the right. The two in the middle and the waiter elude me.
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I think it has been on Encore Westerns recently. Perhaps if you check with them online they can confirm this or take a hint. ABC ran it during the 60's a lot.
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Jake's quote from *Shane:*
And there aren't any more guns in the valley.
If only that were true of all the valleys.
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After all the slams, I had to watch *The Farmer's Daughter *again an reevaluate her performance. The story is a romantic comedy and, I thought, more realistic than *Come to the Stable.* Both were the kind of movies I would imagine people just out of a war would want to see.
Her nomination and win seem to be much like Marissa Tomei's a few years ago when she beat out four strong dramatic actresses and won for *My Cousin Vinny.* A lot of folks cried foul but she was delightful in a role she kept from becomming buffoonish. Two more nominations have proved she's not a ringer.
Loretta did the same with Katarina. You felt her love for Glenn she thought she had to hide and her basic morality was genuine but not naive. That she was thought the least likely to win but did says something. Comedy is often taken for granted at awards time while actors say it can be the more difficult to pull off. I can't fault her win.
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If you go to Hot Topics you'll find a thread on it.
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Jake in the Heartland
Destin, Florida -- Once called the **** Riviera -- No longer...
:_| Which is exactly what's wrong with Florida. We've gone from 3 million people in 1959 to 19 million today. Those monstrous high-rise condos have replaced the quaint little motels and restaurants that gave us our character. When you look at the *Black Lagoon* movies, which where shot around my native Jacksonville, you see a beauty that's long gone to developers who want even more. The West Coast is now as bad as the East. Those sandy beaches look beautiful but they did back then too when everyone had access to them instead of just the residents of those condos.
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> {quote:title=SueSueApplegate wrote:}{quote}That voiceover in *A Letter To Three Wives* ...the one and only Addie Ross...
:0 That's her? I didn't know. The next time I see it, I'll listen. I love Paul Douglas and Linda Darnell in this movie and never noticed who might be voicing Addie.
Mongo: Clore got a report that R. G. Armstrong left us yesterday. If so, we need one of your beautiful RIP photos. You must be weary of this lately too frequent task but if anybody deserves one, he does.
Thankfully, they forgot where to buy white paint. Those pastel and terra cotta colors are beauliful and give each place its individuality. How dull nothing but whitewash would be. Thank you.
Western Movie Rambles
in Westerns
Posted
*MissGoddess wrote:*
And I find that one scene with Katharine Ross and the baby just plain horrific. It really scared me as a kid and still does.
Me too. Kevin Hagen made such an impression on me I recognized him every time he appeared in anything else. I must not have been alone as he said it was the role that really advanced his career to what it became.
Another moving scene is when they come home to find James and Anne are dead. The doctor-Paul Fix-has lost all of his sons to the war and seemed to resent the Anderson sons all being alive. When he sees Jacob as well as James is dead and Boy probably is, his face shows two emotions: "Now you know what it's like" mixed with guilt because he knows nobody should have to deal with a loss like that. Boy does come back at the end and he rejoices with the rest of the congregation.
Yes, I see a lot of John Ford in the film the son of his old friend made. The nearly comedic fight with the horse buyers, the sage advice to the newlyweds before and after the wedding, and the "talks" with Martha are definately Ford influenced touches. If it didn't quite reach the level of his masterpieces it came close. And we've haven't even mentioned that wedding dress.