LoveFilmNoir

Hmm, no "WHISTLE STOP" on the schedule?

I too got my HALLELUJAH moment with Westerns (I will go into more detail later). MFF, your comment about Zanuck is a little laughable seeing as how for a period he pumped out films for quantity not quality (even if the profit from those films were helping to finance the quality productions). I'm baffled that THE BIG SLEEP is being put on the chopping block for being confusing. When you can create a well appreciated work that is holding up well decades later, without a set in stone "right" interpretation to the film's events, it's genius. It's like looking at a Picasso and having a different interpretation of it than the person standing to your left. Does it make Pablo Picasso wrong since there is not one set in stone interpretation of the painting? Definitely not. And either way, the painting is still going to be worth a lot of money.

I plan on watching THE MOB later on this evening. In other news, I was had! DirecTV had Encore Mysteries showing 1942's THE GLASS KEY at 4:30AM. I recorded it and when I went to play it, it was a Tom Selleck film! What the!!! I guess I have to wait until January when TCM airs it.

> {quote:title=clore wrote:}{quote} > Just don't look at the IMDb cast list prior to watching as it gives an important plot twist away. I've tried several times to get them to change that, but as the listing accurately reflects the film's closing credits, they won't revise it. I DVR'd but sometimes I have the habit of looking a film up before I watch it! Thanks for the advice. If I recall correctly, there are some DVD covers that give away plot twists.

Something similar happened when Fox released The Alice Faye Collection Volume 1 with a completely awful washed out print of THE GANG'S ALL HERE. Also, an insert for the film ON THE AVENUE was missing which Fox would mail to people if they sent them a written request. I don't think they ever gave people a better copy of THE GANG'S ALL HERE, however, what they did do was release a Carmen Miranda box set with the better print on it. I also was considering ordering the Douglas Sirk collection, I liked THE TARNISHED ANGELS and the print TCM showed was beautiful. I have the Criterion of WRITTEN ON THE WIND and the only box sets of his work seem to be in region 2.

Wow, I finally figured it out! This was the film! The last time TCM aired this I was sick with the flu/food poisoning and in bed. I remember this being on my DVR and I decided to watch it. I was super high on meds and my vision was blurry and I remember seeing the main character and thinking his hair looked like a helmet (that's how Basehart's hair looks when you watch this film via a blurred lens) and what stuck out to me was when Totter's boy friend called him a four eyed geek or whatever. Man, thanks TCM for playing this movie again and jogging my memory. A few months back I was going to post a thread in "Information Please" for this film but I didn't have much to go on.

> {quote:title=hlywdkjk wrote:}{quote} > Reactions to the January 2011 schedule - > > *"I am blown away by this schedule."* - LoveFilmNoir > *"Wow! I can hardly wait for January!"* - Scottman > *"TCM is completely outta control!!! Where do I start, wow!"* - markbeckhuaf > *"Yikes!"* - FredCDobbs > *"oh my GOODNESS...THANK YOU TCM!"* - MissGoddess > *"This is an extraordinary schedule, perhaps even better than November."* - JonasEB > *"January is consistently among the two or three best months all year on TCM. This is no exception."* - SweetSmellOfSuccess > *"I am absolutely delighted with January's schedule."* - countessdelave > *"This is one of the best months in memory."* - filmlover > > Can we safely say that "all is forgiven" for TCM's "Jacques Cousteau Month"? > > Kyle In Hollywood Kyle, I am in tears with laughter. Your post reads like a TCM fan ad, and seeing everyone's initial reaction to January 2011's schedule in one post really does show how pleased the masses seem to be on this one (and history has shown that you can't please the masses). Either way, this schedule definitely has something for everyone. Good job TCM (and high five to that programmer that I know exists that exclusively loves film noir and crime dramas!) P.S. I was one of the people that was okay with the Jacques Cousteau tribute

> {quote:title=MyFavoriteFilms wrote:}{quote} > > {quote:title=misswonderly wrote:}{quote} > > As long as it isn't uni-brow. lol > > I think your joke undermines the importance of a discussion on low art and high art. Dude, put a lid on it! Do you ever know when to just cool it? It was a harmless light joke amidst a conversation that was starting to get too off topic and borderline personal attacks. What's your problem? You really have an issue with passive aggressiveness on these boards! We are all just having a simple discussion, it's okay that you don't like the film. However, you don't have to put labels that some may find offensive to describe the humor of this film and the types of people who watch it. Give me a break. The silliest thing you have written was your comparisons of the studios and putting MGM on some kind of pedestal. If the movie studio logo at the beginning of a film is your deciding factor of what you will watch, that's fine and it's probably your loss. It seems as if you go out of your way to disagree with the majority for the sake of argument, that's quite alright with me, but it can get to be tiresome and rather annoying seeing as how your posts take up 60% of this board at the current time. Some of your comments about low/high brow humor or whatever is offensive even if a person doesn't choose to be personally offended. Yet, if this thread dealt with race or sexual preference, you'd be first to point out that many people were making offensive statements. Misswonderly's quip was rather funny but I guess maybe it was "low brow" to you. Maybe next time she'll don an Orry-Kelly gown and release her quip through MGM so that it will have your approval. You don't always have to be the "different" one or go fishing for arguments. Sheesh, retire that act ASAP.

I almost choked laughing at that spring. I assumed the sound effect was made silly on purpose, and it worked for me. It sounded like a special effect that was later used at some point in 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY. I too noticed there was no music but it worked for me, and man oh man, everyone sang that song but when Jean Heather sang it I couldn't stop laughing.

> {quote:title=Arturo wrote:}{quote} > Probably my favorite Dan Dailey film is CHICKEN EVERY SUNDAY, a good old fashioned heartwarming story of the trials and tribulations of a turn of the (last) century family. Great cast headed by an excellent Dailey and Celeste Holm. From the films I have seen of his, I think I like him best in this and MOTHER WORE TIGHTS. I love CHICKEN EVERY SUNDAY and I think this film would have made a great sitcom in the 50s-60s.

> {quote:title=Swithin wrote:}{quote} > I wouldn't use "high brow" in this context either. After all, someone in this thread referred to an opera singer as being high brow! Believe me, the sophisticated study of cinema is way more high brow than a peasant artform like opera! But I exaggerate to make my point. Swithin, I agree. The only reason why I originally asked MyFavoriteFilms to explain himself was because he had no problem calling MURDER HE SAYS gutter and low brow humor (and yes, your opinion while honest is actually quite bias and offensive) yet I think he was one of many who enjoyed the Thelma Todd shorts in August....or is that humor high brow? Or are people's definition of high and low brow shaped by who was responsible for wardrobe for the film? If Marjorie Main was dressed by Orry-Kelly and the story took place in a Brooklyn walk up, would it's brow have been higher?

> {quote:title=MyFavoriteFilms wrote:}{quote} > What I don't like about it is that it's a rehash of the stereotypes we find in films like TOBACCO ROAD. Also, it seems inferior to THE EGG AND I, which at least showed wealthy farmers and a middle-class couple trying to blend in with both the upper and lower groups. > > This film is just so one-dimensional and I think it caters to a gutter-type humor. It lacks sophistication, or at least sophisticated writing and truly sharp performances. It's mediocre cornball (at best). So if a film has dark humor, it's fine if the people portrayed are wealthy or at least middle class and if they are poor they are trash? I don't think sophistication is necessary in comedy. Sometimes it's the lack of the sophistication that makes comedy work. Did you like *Arsenic and Old Lace*? That film dealt with dark humor although the aunts weren't poor, but moreso lower middle class ladies that rented rooms for income. I'm not trying to change opinions here, I just can't help but think that films should never be taken for what they are. > {quote:title=jamesjazzguitar wrote:}{quote} > I have to agree with MFF that if one has seen even parts of the movie one shouldn't have to say what 'low brow' means and doing so might offend some people (using a term like 'hicks' for example). Because of the unsung heros thread and the discussion on Fred I went to watch the movie. But after I heard Bob give his preview and his comments about Marrjorie Main's role being like the Ma Kettle movies I was turned off since that just isn't my cup of tea. > > Fred did a lot of 'high brow' comedy in the 30s with Lombard and I was hoping this movie was along those lines. I had the movie on but was in and out of the room instead of parking myself on the couch I understand your opinion of Marjorie Main, but from what I saw, it was a Fred MacMurray picture and there was enough going on with other characters for the focus to be on Marjorie Main. I think the picture is a silly movie with dark comedy and should be seen as such, nothing more. I'm not too into Ma and Pa Kettle-type films and I doubt MURDER, HE SAYS would have been something I would be interested in if it were shown on TCM often, but I do have to say I liked Fred in this and Helen Walker was pretty good also.....although Jean Heather may have been the funniest person in the cast.

> {quote:title=MyFavoriteFilms wrote:}{quote} > No, I don't need to explain it. You know what low-brow means. > > It was funny in spots, but it had a certain brand of humor that I don't care for at all. MFF, no need to be snarky at me. You definitely are entitled to your opinion and usually you express your opinions quite thoroughly in various threads. You were quite dismissive with this opinion and I was simply curious about the specifics of the film that were low brow to you. I also was wondering if your opinion could have been based on the build up on this board and you feeling that it didn't live up to the hype.

> {quote:title=MyFavoriteFilms wrote:}{quote} > I didn't like it. I thought it was rather low-brow. It's easy to see how Universal came to cast Marjorie for the Ma Kettle role. This was her audition. Low-Brow? Can you explain what you mean? And did you find *Arsenic and Old Lace* to be low brow too? I'm intrigued by this opinion, I thought this film was hilarious.

> {quote:title=finance wrote:}{quote} > Maybe the TCM programmers are actually reading this thread, and the competitors' thread. At this point, they have to be. I think they are seeing people's wish lists etc in threads or thorough discussions of films that people have seen that haven't been on TCM. I still think the best approach with this site is starting discussions around suggestions and wish lists versus TCM bashing etc. For all we know, Joel McCrea may get to be SOTM in 2011. LOL @ the competitors' thread. Thanks to cliques, this message board as a whole is divided.

It's on and there's no wind or rain! Hallelujah. And I just saw that TCM "stamp" before the film...doesn't that usually mean it's a film they can play rather often or at their discretion?

I just caught the Word of Mouth by John Gilbert's daughter right after INCENDIARY BLONDE....I definitely can see where the blame game is played. She is suggesting Marlene giving her attention/affections to Gary Cooper gave John Gilbert a heart attack and then he was down hill from there. I'm no doctor, but I doubt Marlene was behind that heart attack!

One can't help not stereotyping a person who in 2010 can be a Zasu Pitts fanatic. May I ask how old you are?

> {quote:title=clore wrote:}{quote} > According to one bio, George Raft got as far as the sixth grade. Paul Douglas and William Bendix seemed to play dopes a lot in films. Same with Mike Mazurki....I wonder what their educational background is (Bill Bendix is probably a medical doctor and Paul Douglas a PhD lol)

It looks as if some pre-1949 Paramounts are slowly trickling into the schedule and that's quite a bit of Fox films including premiers for a single month. I think 2011 may be pretty interesting.

Just an FYI..... The January schedule is up (Peter Sellers is SOTM - meh), and film noir continues to runneth over on the schedule!! THE GLASS KEY - Jan 8 PHANTOM LADY - Jan 26 and Friday, January 14th is John Payne in prime time (wow!!) with 3 noirs: 99 RIVER STREET KANSAS CITY CONFIDENTIAL THE CROOKED WAY I think 2011 may be a good year for us!

I am blown away by this schedule. I see quite a few Fox films: NO HIGH WAY IN THE SKY, THE PRINCE AND THE SHOWGIRL, SNOWS OF KILIMANJARO, PRINCE VALIANT, I WANT TO LIVE! and STATE FAIR (1945) to name a few...there is evening a prime time evening of Jeanne Crain films....wow. Also, "The Glass Key" a Ladd and Lake film is showing. I haven't even finished browsing it half way and I'm impressed! I am speechless...Friday the 14th a night of John Payne noir!! The rarely shown on TV 99 RIVER STREET, KANSAS CITY CONFIDENTIAL and THE CROOKED WAY....followed by another Fox film TO THE SHORES OF TRIPOLI with Maureen O'Hara!!!

Marilyn Monroe was in LET'S MAKE LOVE with Yves Montand

Mitzi2, thanks for explaining. MovieProfessor - interesting story about Mr. Chandler and I think I am convinced of that. Now hold your hat for this one, I NEVER heard about Dan Dailey's "other" life. Wow.

> {quote:title=HarryLong wrote:}{quote} > *Oh wow, I didn't get any of that from his daughter.* > Oh, I did. > Especially in the bit about Dietrich possibly feeling guilty afterward. > But Deitrich (or Garbo, for that matter) leaving him and sound (or Louis B. Mayer) ruining his career does not alter the fact that Gilbert was an alcoholic and, as a reformed alcoholic once told me: An alcoholic doesn't need a _reason_ to drink... he just needs an excuse. Interesting point. Now I can't wait to see this piece again to really pay attention to it. Her words and recalling of events is at least 3rd person story/gossip so the error rate of her knowledge of her dad's career and events surrounding it can be the same as someone doing an unauthorized biography. It would be like Tyrone Power, Jr. writing a book on his dad with stories and anecdotes that were told to him from a friend of a friend. Where alcoholism is concerned, it was responsible for the demise of many an actor and people have tried to put it back on the studio, or a personal tragedy the star was facing when in reality, the last line of your response says it all.