JamesJazGuitar
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Posts posted by JamesJazGuitar
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2 minutes ago, kingrat said:
The Maltese Falcon and Casablanca are musts, if you haven't seen them. If you have, then The Mask of Dimitrios and Three Strangers.
I would also add Passage to Marseille as a 5th film worth seeing. Not a great Bogie film, but a good one and a fine example of the Warner Bros studio "A" team which used WB contract employees like
Michael Curtiz as Director
Casey Robinson as Screenwriter
Max Steiner as musical director
James Wong Howe as cinematographer
And the fine WB contract actors (other than Loree and Greenstreet), of Claude Rains, George Tobias, Helmut Dantine, Victor Francen, Vladimir Sokoloff, Edurado Ciannelli, and just starting out, Dudley Do-Right, Hans Conried.
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On 3/24/2021 at 12:53 PM, Dargo said:
So evidently you've never experienced unrequited love in your life, eh James? And, as Holly experiences in this film?
You see, I think THIS aspect of it has always added to an even deeper contextual feeling to how this film plays out.
And so no, I don't think it detracts from the arc of the storyline, but in fact makes it's even clearer as to the breath of Anna's obsessive love for Harry.
And in addition, this little "love triangle" makes it even clearer the internal emotional conflict that Holly is going through during the time he has to make the decision to help apprehend Harry or not, as he comes to know that by doing so, his chances at winning over the beautiful woman he's come love will be washed away...
(...and as is so much of the flotsum and jetsum inside the Viennese sewer system)
I see the points you're making here.
As for "never experience unrequited love"; well you know for a fact that isn't the case!
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3 hours ago, Sepiatone said:
Oddly though, for my generation, Lorre was far more familiar to us. Most(if not all) "boomers" never heard of Greenstreet until later years when many(but still, not all) of us got into watching older, "classic" cinema. It kind of amused me that the street I grew up on (from age 12 to 18) was called "Green".
My first familiarity with Sydney was when I first saw THE MALTESE FALCON when I was 16. Lorre on the other hand, was often seen on Saturday TV matinees in those old MR. MOTO flicks, and therefore a more familiar face and name to us "kids" in the mid to late '50's.
Sepiatone
Good points here. My first exposure to Lorre was as a kid in horror films with Vincent Price.
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2 hours ago, misswonderly3 said:
Sorry, james, I don't think I misunderstood you. It appears you're saying that The Third Man would have been a better noir, or a more noirish noir anyway, if Holly had tried to compete with Harry Lime for Anna's love. You say that narrative would have made the film more "noir".
You still misunderstand me; the film would have been better if Holly never had romantic feelings for Anna, PERIOD. Again, Holly has NO romantic feelings for Anna.
This would have put more focus on the fact Anna deeply loves Lime, PERIOD (regardless of what kind of person Lime is) as well as the strong feelings Holly also has toward Lime.
I.e. make it all about Anna and Holly feelings towards LIME. Lime only. No need for any such feelings Holly has toward Anna.
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4 hours ago, misswonderly3 said:
Nope. I feel you've got it all wrong.
It's interesting that you attribute such basic and oversimplified motives to Holly. Of course he isn't "throwing his friend under the bus" to clear the way for himself to get Harry's girl. He knows she's still in love with Harry.
Look, one of the best, most memorable things about The Third Man is the ethical complexity of the story. And its characters. As I said earlier, the film poses a fascinating moral question, one that has no "right or wrong" answer: Is it ok to turn a friend over to the police if that friend is perpetrating horrific harms and sees no reason to stop? What about the trust that friend might have in you? Which is the greater moral good: loyalty to a friend who trusts you, regardless of what kind of crimes that friend might be performing, or putting a stop to the very serious and real harm that friend is causing by turning him in to the police?
I don't think your cheap and overly facile interpretation would "make for a better storyline" at all.
I believe you misunderstood my post; I agree with you about the fascinating moral question. Thus there was no need for the Holly love interest angle. Like I said it just gums up the works (gums up the fascinating moral question). BUT if a screenwriter \ director insist on "we must have a love interest angle", then I would have done it in the cheap way I outlined. This is a noir and for a noir protagonist to go-cheap is a fairly common noir theme. It makes for a better storyline IF one insist on having the love interest angle.
(I would have just left off the Holly love interest angle, PERIOD, so that more focus would have been on the inability of Harry's girl to not be 100% loyal to him even after she knows what type of man Harry is).
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1 minute ago, Thompson said:
The willing suspension of disbelief breaks down with a love interest. I’m sorry — not really — but it’s true. You either buy into that or you don’t. Almost impossible for actors to pull off. It’s been done of course — It Happened One Night, e.g., but it did not happen in The Third Man. Of course it’s my shortcomings and tunnel vision, and as my wife and sometimes girlfriend likes to call me — obnoxious double-dipping hippie.
Yea, the so called love interest in The Third Man really gums up the works. Either Holly feels he should turn his friend over to the authorizes because his friend is a rat that must be removed before causing more harm, or he doesn't. Of course it is implied Holly's feelings for his friend's gal has nothing to do with this decision, but that just isn't believable. Is Holly throwing his friend under the bus to eliminate the competition? (his intentions don't really matter since that is clearly the outcome). Hey, I'm not saying this is the case but if it was it would make for a better storyline. I.e. Holly is all over the map which is why the gal wants nothing to do with him at the end.
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41 minutes ago, Bnc62683 said:
I personally don't have a problem with the commentators telling people that the content may be "offensive" to some people. I appreciate the fact that they are keeping and preserving these movies as opposed to pulling them from the air like other companies have done. I cheer tcm by keeping these films on the air and warning the viewers before the viewer starts watching them. That way it gives the viewer a chance to change the channel if they are easily offended. I thank TCM for doing this and keeping the films on the air for all to see! I say, well done TCM!
Nice to see someone that really gets it. Funny, but related to cancel-culture it is the folks that are upset at TCM and the host for the comments, and have said they will no longer watch TCM, that are practicing cancel-culture (by "canceling" TCM). TCM isn't doing that since, as you note, TCM is showing the films uncut; i.e. with so called offensive scenes 100% intact.
TCM has received complaints from activist asking TCM to not show films these activist believe are offensive. TCM had 3 choices; completely ignore the activist, stop showing the films or doing what they are doing now with this series. I think TCM made the right choice and it is those that disagree (because they believe TCM should have made one of the other 2 choices), that are the extremist.
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23 hours ago, cinemaman said:
Anne Francis Honey West character is patterned from Cathy Gale ( Honor Blackman) of the Avengers. Anne and Honor look like they could be sisters. They wear the same fashions and have defense against attackers (Judo).
I'm friends with the author of the books and creator of Honey West, Gloria Fickling. She told me that her husband who did most of the writing, Forrest E. “Skip” Fickling, based the character on Gloria and that Anne Francis based her interpretation of the character more on Gloria instead of any existing actress from another T.V. show.
Of course Gloria could be embellishing. E.g. she told me Spelling canceled the show after a year because he didn't wish to continue to pay Skip and Gloria for the rights and stole her general idea and created Charlie's Angels.
Here is Gloria and Skip on You Bet Your Life.
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5 hours ago, ElCid said:
Robert Ryan is not a Noir Alley feature.
Robert Ryan was the forth man but his scenes were all cut.
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8 hours ago, Susan Hopkins said:
I agree and posted about Edith Fellows in a thread about young actors from the Studio-era.
Edith was in some fine films for Columbia like And So They Were Married, with Melvyn Douglas and Mary Astor, Pennies from Heaven with Bing Crosby, She Married her Boss with Claudette Colbert and Douglas, Life Begins with Love, and had some leading roles as a teen in films like Her First Romance.
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7 minutes ago, Thompson said:
Well, I believe The Third Man is longer than 90 minutes. I will forgive that transgression and prepare myself for the extra 15 minutes. Want to be on top of my game for this one. Hoping for a cloudy day tomorrow morning, the doggone sun is a nuisance.
TCM should be showing the original British release that runs 108 minutes. This from Wiki:
As the original British release begins, the voice of director Carol Reed (uncredited) describes post-war Vienna from a racketeer's point of view. The version shown in American cinemas cut 11 minutes of footage[36] and replaced Reed's voice-over with narration by Joseph Cotten as Holly Martins. David O. Selznick instituted the replacement because he did not think American audiences would relate to the seedy tone of the original.[37] Today, Reed's original version appears on American DVDs, in showings on Turner Classic Movies, and in US cinema releases, with the eleven minutes of footage restored, including a shot of a near topless dancer in a bar that would have violated the U.S. Code in 1948.
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3 hours ago, fxreyman said:
I suppose you also meant to write MSNBC and CNN?
Those networks are indeed political but based on the rant of the poster, I assumed their station of choice was Fox.
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3 hours ago, Det Jim McLeod said:
Yes, Ringo was no jazz singer. Do you have a favorite version of this song, I always liked Nat King Cole's rendition.
The Nat King Cole version is my favorite. Of course with most jazz standards it is either Nat or Sinatra, but for 30s and 40s ballads most of the time a Nat version is what I listen to the most; (for more up-tempo songs, it is Sinatra).
My jazz guitar teacher told me over 30 years ago to listen to these two and how they sing and approach the melody and like most of the great horn players use that as an influence when playing a melody on guitar.
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2 hours ago, ElCid said:
Are we discussing a Noir Alley feature?
Yes, Robert Ryan, an iconic noir actor.
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1 minute ago, Nomad Sam said:
They are only "problematic" to a very small minority of "cancel culture" extremists. NOT, the rest of us who are dedicated, faithful viewers of TCM. You should know your viewers better, like Robert Osborne did.
If what you say is true (very small minority), why does this get under your skin so much?
Isn't your fear that it really isn't a very small minority but instead, while currently a minority, one that is growing bigger each and every day?
Also note that Robert Osborne made comments about many of the films shown here.
In addition TCM was very clean this is NOT about "cancel culture" but instead OPEN culture. I.e. that the cancel culture crowd wanted TCM to either NOT show the films at all or to edit out the so-called offensive scenes. TCM refused this.
So you appear as confused as the cancel culture extremist.
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4 hours ago, LuckyDan said:
I suspect somewhere a call to arms was issued and this sudden influx of outraged posters is similar to what Rush used to refer to as seminar callers, with a little sock puppetry tossed in. Not that they're wrong,
I don't feel their wrong to view what TCM is doing with this 18 film series as over-the-top \ unnecessary \ way too preachy, but to have it get under one's skin so much as to no longer wish to view the many fine films TCM shows, uncut and without commercial interruptions, to me is silly and frankly the type of action a child takes when they face disappointment.
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6 hours ago, Contrarian said:
One of the greatest movies with excellent acting ruined by political liberal hacks who failed in their attempts to act and decided to play at liberal politics which any dummy can do!
If commentary ruins a film for you, you have much larger problems.
I just watch the films. Period. I don't let others influence me. Maybe you need to grow a backbone.
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1 hour ago, Det Jim McLeod said:
Sentimental Journey by Ringo Starr -Mar 1970
Ringo's first solo album, comprised of standards arranged by a diverse group of musicians and produced by George Martin. The title song leads off, though it is not very good, makes you long for Doris Day. My favorite song on here is "Bye Bye Blackbird" arranged in vaudevillian style by Bee Gee Maurice Gibb, it is entertaining. Paul McCartney arranged Hoagy Carmichael's "Star Dust" but Ringo's voice cannot handle it. "Blue Turning Grey Over You" has an amusing moment at the end, when Ringo starts scat singing and says "Almost lost myself there, child!" Quincy Jones arranges "Love Is A Many Splendoured Thing" in which Ringo is helped by background singers. The rest of the album is pretty forgettable, except for a tongue in cheek version of "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You" arranged by Elmer Bernstein.
Didn't know that Ringo made a recording of Stardust; Just listened to it; This is a very difficult song to sing (as well as play as a jazz instrumental) given the melody and harmonic structure. Rated by many jazz polls as one of the top 5 songs of all time (I clearly believe this, and I still can't play it well after over 30 years of trying!).
Ringo took a chance here, but this song isn't one most singers should attempt.
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1 hour ago, UMO1982 said:
Fonda was coming off Barbarella. What a sea change in her career!
So true.
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18 minutes ago, Thompson said:
Something went wrong JJ - it doesn’t load the scene.
Thanks. I suspected that since when I see the "preview" it shows the actual photo, but after I submit it, it only shows the link.
If one right-clicks on the link, it will take one to options that will display the photo. It is the scene where Tracy is sitting down and Ryan is standing over him.
Tracy had just returned from the scene-of-the-crime and was mentioning to Ryan how daisies grow over gravesites. Something Tracy had observed in Europe during WWII.
What was funny about Borgnine comments about this scene is that one would think that any actor as tall as Ryan, that is standing, while the other actor is sitting on the ground, that the standing actor would dominate the scene. Nope, not here given Tracy's screen presence. So even with the that set-up of Ryan standing \ Tracy sitting, Tracy still dominates.
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1 hour ago, nakano said:
Robert Ryan was a boxing champion in College and won a championship title while he was in the Marines,It helped him a lot while filming Golden Gloves , his first major film.Nobody was buggIng Robert Ryan but he was a peaceful quiet man a real champ...
So true. But according to Ernest Borgnine, Spencer Tracy bugged Robert Ryan when they made Bad Day at Black Rock together. Of course Ernest was mostly cracking wise when he made those comments about how one-armed Tracy dominated the film over Ryan, the heavy of the film. Below is the scene Ernest discussed.
Oh, and there are few films with a finer cast of actors in both staring and supporting roles: Tracy, Ryan, Dean Jagger, Walter Brennan, Lee Marvin, and Borgnine.
http://www.thefilmyap.com/wp-content/uploads/Bad-Day-at-Black-Rock-inside.jpg
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1 minute ago, Sepiatone said:
Well, I thought it was because the academy is a sucker for "feel good" fulla fluff musicals.
Sepiatone
At first I believe you were being sarcastic with regards to They Shoot Horses Don't They, but now I see you were referencing the above post and Hello Dolly.
But I was going to make a similar point: that They Shoot Horses Don't They is a rather grim \ dark film and while moving, well acted and directed and a first rate production, Academy voters often lean towards "feel good" films.
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4 hours ago, Mikepete said:
I agree. I'm done watching TCM. Ive stopped watching anything that pushes a political agenda.
So you also stopped watching Fox News?
Anyhow, while this 18 film series isn't something I'll tune into to stop watching all of the fine American Studio Era movies, uncut and without commercial interruptions, would be silly. I.e. the movies are still the same, so I see no reason to stop viewing TCM.
Also, I provide NO additional funds to TCM. So such a boycott would be rather pointless.
Oh well, to each his own.
PS: such a boycott is exactly what the PCers want. This was discussed yesterday; that many PCers wanted TCM to show films with NON-PC scenes edited out but that of course TCM would NOT do that. So again, not watching the films is doing exactly what the PCers want and thus they "win". I find it hard to believe you want them to "win".
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46 minutes ago, txfilmfan said:
With no other context to guide me, I read the OP's post as sarcasm...
I did think it might be but decided to reply, as I did. The examples sited were pointed (but such examples could be used to make a case either-way).
My first familiarity with Sydney was when I first saw THE MALTESE FALCON when I was 16. Lorre on the other hand, was often seen on Saturday TV matinees in those old MR. MOTO flicks, and therefore a more familiar face and name to us "kids" in the mid to late '50's. 
How can you spot good direction?
in Films and Filmmakers
Posted
Your post reminds me something I heard related to sports about referees and umpires: One knows they are doing good work when one doesn't notice them.
E.g. good direction is when a film flows from scene where the individual "parts" work and where the sum of these "parts" is fairly seamless.