[The Lady From Shanghai & Other Orson Welles' Classics]

I love how offbeat The Lady from Shanghai is.   Rita Hayworth gives one of her

best performances and Everett Sloane are brilliant.  I believe that Joseph Cotton

makes a quick cameo in a scene as Rita's Elsa is running down the street.

[Rod Taylor has died]

  I was sad to hear about Mr. Taylor's death.  There was something

special about this actor.  Taylor was an actor of depth.

An actor who always brought intelligence, honesty, and heart to

his performances.       

 

[Your top ten favorite noirs.]

1. The Maltese Falcon

2. Gun Crazy

3. Double Indemnity

4. The Lady from Shanghai

5. The Big Sleep

6. Detour

7. The Asphalt Jungle

8. The Postman Always Rings Twice

9. The Killers

10. The Killing

[Tired Old Queen videos]

I discovered Hayes a few years ago.  I love his love and enthusiam for

classic movies.  His reviews are always fun to watch. 

[Best Raymond Chandler Adaption Ever]

The Bogart and Bacall version on The Big Sleep is a personal favorite of mine.  But I also think that

Murder,My Sweet is also excellent  with a break out performance by Dick Powell.   Although Lady in the Lake is not in the same level as the other Chandler adaptations, there is a brilliant scene where an injured Marlowe is dragging himself towards a phone booth. It is done through his perspective.

It adds a dramatic grittiness that the otherwise gimmicky but entertaining movie lacks. 

 

   I  think that Bogart's Sam Spade is darker and more corrupt than Bogart's Phillip Marlowe.  

[If I Could Time Travel to Any Film Set, It Would Be . . .]

I would love to go to the set of The Maltese Falcon.  I would want to observe Bogart and see

how he worked.  I would want to see how the scenes were set up and listen to the behind the scenes

conversations. 

[More Troubles at the Classic Film Union]

I hope the problems will be resolved soon. I think this is probably just

a temporary glitch.

[TCM -CFU Frozen for the Sixth Straight Day!]

The situation is getting frustrating. I just wish I knew how long this problem will last. This situation won't bring new members to the CFU. Hopefully they are working on the problem and it will be resolved.

[?The Fountainhead?, best comedy of 1949]

This movie is so over the top that grand sweeping music is played when Raymond Massey walks across the room to get his coat and hat.