richardny4me
-
Posts
299 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Posts posted by richardny4me
-
-
d120421,
I cannot tell you how much I have enjoyed discovering Durbin's films. Considering Universal's budget, they really were very creative "A" pictures, and the plots at least showed some variety. Meanwhile at the same time, except for OZ and to a certain extent FOR ME AND MY GAL, until Garland arrived in MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS, her MGM films consisted of B pictures with essentially a re-working of the same tired plot.
But I agree, to a certain extent it is futile to compare the 2. However I have seen all of Garland's films, whereas I have only watched about half of Durbin's pictures. And her SPRING PARADE heads my unseen list. It is one of 100 films listed and profiled in Films of the 40s, an essential book published by Citadel Press. I bought it maybe 20 years ago, and SPRING PARADE is one of the very few listed that I have yet to see. I have been a movie buff since I was a kid, so it is fun to know there are still many classic films I have never seen out there..
-
The 3 laser disc "Dawn of Sound" sets were never released on VHS. Some of the films may have individually made it to VHS, like Broadway Melody, which has just been issued on DVD with some of the shorts. But Ebay is the only place to get the whole set. I am looking for volume 2 myself. Good luck.
-
Yes that interview project is great - if Turner did not have that project, the recent TCM documentary about Irving Thalberg and the new documentaries on the THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT DVD box set may not have even been possible. Both are loaded with "new" interviews of people now deceased or no longer giving interviews.
-
I have a feeling whichever picture wins the award this Oscar night will also be debated in years to come. But for past pictures, I would have to say THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH and THE GREAT ZIEGFELD. Both were fun films, but did not deserve the Best Picture Oscar.
It is interesting that GENTLEMEN'S AGREEMENT made the list, because I used to think it was a relic as well until I watched it not long after 9/11. Looking at it from the perspective of what was happening culturally at the time to certain ethnic groups, it actually seemed incredibly relevant. I then understood why it won.
MRS. MINIVER is another Best Picture winner sometimes derided as not worthy, but it was always one of my all-time personal favorites. This I also watched afer 9/11 and even though I had seen it before, once again it came to life in ways I never noticed and seemed unbeliveably powerful and relevant.
So it is all very subjective.
-
"Theresa Harris is another talented lady who proved time and time again she was a wonderful actress."
I so agree. I recently saw the restored version of BABY FACE at the Film Forum in NY and when I got home I had to look up on IMDB who was that woman who played "Chico", Barbara Stanwyk's friend an eventual maid. It was Theresa Harris who was radiant on screen, and in the much edited opening sequence there is a long full-body close-up of her that was astonishing --you just did not see black women filmed in that way after the Hays Code was brought in (almost single-handedly due to this film, lol).
Anyway, I have the laser disc of the originally released film at home and I do think they slightly edited the close-up for the general release version, and they definitely edited one of her best scenes with Stanwyck and James Murray.
Incidentally I was surprised to see she played the maid - mostly uncredited - in dozens of Hollywood classics - MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET, THE FRENCH LINE, THE WOMEN, NEPTUNE'S DAUGHTER, etc.
-
Thanks edgdrv for the information. I have not seen DESIGN FOR LIVING since I was a teenager and I know I will appreciate this pre-code film much more now. I admit I also have never seen (or heard of) PETER IBBETSON, but based on some what others have posted it sounds fascinating.
I also hope they start releasing more of the Paramount/Universal classics.
-
As I posted earlier I had not much knowledge about Deanna Durbin, but now I feel like I need to watch all of her films. As a huge fan (but not fanatic) of Judy Garland, I found the posts comparing the 2 very insightful. This thread is definitely one of the most fascinating I have read here.
-
As I posted earlier I had not much knowledge about Deanna Durbin, but now I feel like I need to watch all of her films. As a huge fan (but not fanatic) of Judy Garland, I found the posts comparing the 2 very insightful. This thread is definitely one of the most fascinating threads I have read here.
-
Well I am sure Lumet will be interesting, but it is a little disappointing, with so few remaining classic Hollywood stars, we get someone who will most likely be interviewed in other places because of his Oscar tribute.
-
Ben does a fine job, but watching him I sometimes get the sense that he really does not have an interest or a passion for the movies, whether they are new or old.
Personally speaking, the age of who is presenting the films never matters to me (I am 40), what matters to me is the person's enthusiasm and passion. That is what energizes the movie-watching experience for me.
-
Interestingly I was thinking of Vivien Leigh but for the 1940 film WATERLOO BRIDGE, which I recently re-watched recently. But now that you mention A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, I agree that performance ranks at the very top.
Unlike The New York Times I will not disclose any spoilers, but Hilary Swank's performance in MILLION DOLLAR BEAUTY is the best I have seen by an actress in years.
Finally, I usually choose very dramatic performances for this category, but I also think Fred Astaire's performance in THE BANDWAGON is just brilliant, I am really looking forward to the upcoming DVD set.
-
Oh there are so many names, I can even see special tributes for Christopher Reeve and former Oscar host Johnny Carson. Plus Marlon Brando!
-
I saw a rather obscure film called TWO SECONDS at the Film Forum last month and I have to say Edward G. Robinson was just magnificent. See it if you ever get a chance.
-
That Deanna Durbin topic made me remember there are 3 Deanna Durbin films that were not released on video or DVD yet. CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY was not released yet but I have seen it on our local PBS station a number of years ago. But I understand SPRING PARADE (which many consider her best picture) and HERS TO HOLD have never been released anywhere due to legal reasons. Hopefully they will emerge soon.
-
This is an interesting topic. Although I have been a movie fan all of my life, I have only become a fan of her in recent years with the purchase of her films on video, so I always like to read and learn more about her. With the exception of 100 MEN AND A GIRL, for some reason her films were hardly ever shown on tv. And except for that "Every Sunday" short film with Garland, her films were never anthologized, even though these films were huge hits during the late 1930's and 1940's and contained great songs that received nominations for the Best Song Oscar over several years (although none ever won.)
My guess is Universal just did not treat her all that well, despite all of the money she earned for the studio. They really did not "buy" her any major properties, most of the films have the same plot. Also, with the exception of CAN'T HELP SINGING all of her films were in black and white, when virtually every other musical leading lady (Betty Grable, Judy Garland, Betty Hutton)had even their routine films after 1942-3 filmed in technicolor.
Even before they were making CAN'T HELP SINGING with technicolor and a Jerome Kern score, I believe management still had problems with her. This is evident by the fact that in 1944 Universal did not include a cameo from her in their big wartime musical picture FOLLOW THE BOYS. My understanding is that at the time, people definitely took notice of her absence, since it would have been like MGM excluding Judy Garland or Warners excluding Bette Davis.
And even though her final films were not the moneymakers they once were, Universal finished her contract by actually paying her for her final films - without actually making them! She did not move to MGM once Joe Pasternak, the guiding force behind her early hits, went there, so he developed similar films for Jane Powell. Still, it is too bad she did not make at least one MGM film, it would have been interesting to see the results, especially if they would have co-starred her with Mario Lanza.
-
It's a new year (that's my excuse for repeating an often-asked question), but can someone at TCM announce who will be the next guest(s) on Private Screenings?
Are any of our suggested names under consideration?
Thanks!
-
Wow, I did not even realize he was still alive. Born in 1906! He directed some of my favorites : ADVENTURES OF DON JUAN, MR. SKEFFINGTON, and the still under-rated ThE HARD WAY. He deserves an honorary Oscar just for longevity.
-
Oh I read that that New Yorker review on the subway right after seeing the film. In its own way, it was more entertaining that the film itself!
-
I went to see the film today and I was surprised to find the theater in Manhattan (a 12:20 PM Sunday performance) -half empty. However, once the film got going, I was not surprised. It is worth seeing if you like musicals, and I enjoyed the film, and will most likely get the DVD, but it rarely came to life for me. At times it seemed very sluggish. Essentially I found the film to be lacking "magic."
But the design, or art direction of the film was absolutely spectacular. (The costumes were not as successfully realized, IMO.) The phantom's home was amazing. I laughed out loud when I saw lit candelabra rising from the underground sea deep under the Opera's basement, it briefly was like an old Esther Williams film.
The clarification of the story was an improvement, this gave Miranda Richardson a very good little role. The best musical numbers were "Point of No Return" and "All I Ask Of You"All 3 leads were good, although I kept thinking the phantom should have been played by someone else, like Antonio Banderas. The ending, which I will not reveal, was haunting, and it is too bad the rest of the film did not reach that level.
-
That is odd about THE LETTER, especially since a new print has been made and will be shown at the Film Forum in New York (along with a restored print of the 1926 version of THE SCARLET LETTER on April 7). Quite often their "special" showings coincide with a recent or impending video release.
You raised a good question about the film version of DEATH OF A SALESMAN. It makes me wonder what happened to the film version of THE GLASS MENAGERIE starring Jane Wyman? Is that tied up due to legal and/or estate issues as well? Both films I heard were not perfect translations, but at this point I think they would be fascinating to see again.
-
Marsha Hunt was a true victim of the blacklist. She was never an A-list leading lady but she was a film star at Paramount Studios in the 1930's, MGM in the 1940's during the war, and then did a number of interesting independent films in the late 1940's, as well as some Broadway plays, one of which was successful enough to get her on the cover of Life Magazine around 1950.
Then it all just ended as she was no longer cast by anyone, I believe her defense of her best friend's husband (actress Anne Shirley) was one of the factors. Plus Marsha was also was on that famous flight of stars with Bogart and Bacall that came from Hollywood to Washington to protest HUAC. I recall she said none of them really understood the true depth of the political forces they were going against.
She is well over 80 now, but just a few weeks ago on November 16 she appeared at the Drama Bookshop in Manhattan and signed a copy of her amazing (and essential) photo-biography "The Way We Wore." She was as lucid as any woman half her age, and far more elegant.
One of the last of the golden age actresses (and the perfect candidate for some documentary or a Private Screenings episode) she was very well-educated before becoming a star. She really wanted to act, and spoke about her desire to leave Paramount because of the limited range of the leading lady roles she received. Her years at MGM brought her a wide variety of small and big roles, which satisfied her immensely. Then she answered random questions from the audience, including my question about an amazing little film noir she did with Claire Trevor, called RAW DEAL. She right away knew many details about the film.
Anyway, the bookstore is in the fashion district, so several people in the audience were more familiar with her extensive work as a print model (she said she probably did more fashion advertising than any other Hollywood actress). Consequently one of the best moments came when a guy who identified himself as a fashion designer said that when he was young he kept looking at Joan Crawford movies and photos, but his mother kept telling him "No NOT Joan Crawford, MARSHA HUNT. Look for Marsha Hunt!"
-
Add SONG OF THE SOUTH to this list, but I think Disney suppressed it for the twin legal reasons of not offending anyone ...and not being sued by those who were offended. I have never seen it, but I heard it was released in Japan once on laser disc.
-
Great news, I love EASTER PARADE and BRIGADOON, and well THE BANDWAGON is just about one of the best musicals ever made IMO. It is terrific that Liza Minnelli will be doing commentary with Michael Feinstein, both real MGM musical experts. Of course she should have plenty of anecdotes - THE BANDWAGON is definitely one of her father's best films.
I think FINIAN'S RAINBOW is the only Astaire musical I have never seen.
Finally I am looking forward to BELLS ARE RINGING, I am intrigued by the inclusion of one of the outtakes, "My Guiding Star" which was a song written especially for Dean Martin, but I did not realize they even filmed it.
-
I think the Gershwin estate is preventing the film of PORGY ABD BESS starring Dorothy Dandridge from being released. It may have something to do with the quality of the film, which was not very successful upon its initial release back in the 1950's.
THE DIVINE WOMAN is another "lost" film I have always wanted to see. Did you know about 10 minutes of footage was found and it is on the Garbo laser disc box set released about 10 years ago?
Great idea for a thread, btw!
MORE WB SPECIAL EDITIONS COMING
in Hot Topics
Posted
The KING KONG DVD set is long overdue and that is very exciting news. In regard to BEN HUR 1959 I like the idea of adding the silent version, but as for THE WIZARD OF OZ, what more can Warners do? Their box sets have been beyond amazing, but unless they found new OZ footage, I will be buying 2 out of 3.