JamesJazGuitar

"Jealous Guy" as Lennon being tender: Ok, I can see that. My understanding is the song was John's way of saying sorry for having written Run For Your Life.

So you're saying the father was one of the servants.

Good points here and I find them very interesting. Related to jazz music and the jazz website I frequent there is always a robust discussion of jazz sub-genres; bebop, hard bop, west-coast-swing, etc.... When it comes to new post-period jazz musicians and there recording the questions are "he is playing bebop or hard bop",, most of the time they are playing hybrid; a mix of jazz sub-genres, but strongly rooted in one of them. As for noir: I still say there are a few color noir films that were made during the "classic" noir cycle; 1941 - 1959 (of course these years are subject to endless debate). The film I mentioned: Leave Her To Heaven was released in 1945. If I was writing a book on noir of the classic period I would include this film as an example of a film that pushed the boundaries of what is noir, that was made shortly after Laura by 20th Century Fox.

Paul Newman?

Lawrence Harvey - The Magic Christian

Is this sponsored \ supported by Farrow? E.g. she agreed to be interviewed for it, etc.... (I highly doubt Allen would do that). PS: I'm assuming that last sentence means that people should be allowed-to squabble or grieve in private (i.e. that media should leave them alone). Generally I agree but in this case, as sewhite points out, Farrow wants this to be as public as possible.

Bette Davis in the movie that made her a major star; What a brave performance. Acting over glamor.

Last night I watched Alimony (1949), with Martha Vickers, John Beal, and Hillary Brooke. This "B" noir \ crime film was OK. Since I'm a big fan of Martha Vickers I did enjoy the scenes she was in, and felt she did a fine job as a selfish gal out to make it anyway she can. Hillary Brooke was also good as the nice girl. John Beal was the disappointment. He just didn't have enough juice and there were too many scenes were he was the main actor with other supporting players (who were a lot more interesting than he was), such as Leonid Kinskey (bartender in Casablanca). Douglass Dumbrille, know for his slimy character roles was the best actor in the film, playing,,, no surprise a slimy lawyer like he did in Mr. Deeds Goes to Town. Beal has two playing piano \ singing scenes, and frankly he stunk. At only 70 minuities it was worth the time, and Martha looked very beautiful.

Yea, and rumor has it he insisted on top billing!

This is a Merle Oberon film I would really like to see. I wish TCM would lease it! Show me something I haven't seen from a lovey actress I adore.

I never said they didn't have any meaning only that any meaning is largely artificial. (in that one can prove their POV is the correct one). Of course a meaning \ definition \ classification can have more "value" when it is accepted by more people, especially experts. (e.g. when discussing jazz I value the opinion of professional jazz musicians over those of myself and my amateur friends). Eddie Muller considers color films to be "noir" as do most so called experts I have read books from; E.g. the noir book Film Noir (Ward \ Silver), includes Leave it to Heaven. Again, I'm not saying this POV is the right-one. It is just the one I agree with.

I agree. Of course everyone can have their own view of what is or what is not "noir", but I don't use such a narrow view for most definitions related to art. E.g. at the jazz website too much time is, IMO, wasted with discussions of; is person a jazz musician, or is this song "jazz". When it comes to classification and labels (which are artificial to begin with but useful for discussion purposes), Art is about degrees: As for "noir", a film like Leave it to Heaven has noir themes and characters with common noir motives. Ok, the visuals don't "fit' a typical B&W noir film but there is enough of those other degrees-of-noir for me to say it is a noir film. (and also the scene after Gene's father dies and she rides that horse in the desert sunset and the impact on the colors is a noir visual in my book).

Another major factor of "noir" are the themes and associated motives of the protagonist; E.g. obsession, uncontrollable desire, loneliness, the morality (or lack of), of legal authorities, etc... E.g. in a crime film of the 30s, most of the criminals are fairly one dimensional: they commit crimes for basically for financial gain, and after capper is over, think about the next one,,, THE END. In noir films crimes are committed for reasons often related to their ego and how they see their future: the last capper so they can lead a life a more normal life; a score to convince themselves they are not over the hill, etc... Femme Fatales have their own unique set of values and motives, vastly different then female character (who were mostly just there for their pretty faces), in 30s crime films. Hey, I love the visual aspects of noir films as well as common noir motifs, but what keeps me coming back are the themes and motives of noir character trying to escape a noir world.

Ann Bancroft - The Pumpkin Eater:

Fay Bainter always gave a good performance and added something to the films she was in regardless of the size of the role. One interesting film she did for Columbia was The Lady and the Mob with Ida Lupino (right before she signed with WB). It is humorous crime film and a fun romp. And of course she ended her film career on a very high note in The Children's Hour, being nominated for Best Support Actress. (23 years after her prior nomination in Jezebel).

I hear you, but I look at this differently; E.g. each time I do a survey and they ask for a comment I mention that I would like them to go outside the Turner library of films and include more films from Fox, Paramount, Columbia, Republic, United Artist, Universal, Eagle-Lion etc... Granted, such lobbying hasn't been very successful, so in that way maybe I am a sucker for continuing to make the same request over and over again.

One has to be a member of the TCM Insider group. A few years back I was sent an email (they must of got my email address from this site as part of the log-in), to invite me to be a member. I joined and I get a survey about 6 times a year. NOW, why I was selected, I have no idea. Was it just random or did a mod read my comments and recommend me? I have no clue. I have never gone to the TCM feasible. Anyhow I view it as an honor since I'm such a fan of studio-era films and TCM's overall content.

Guy Madison was in a few very good production but only as a supporting actor. For me his best lead roles are in Till The End of Time (with Mitchum and Dorothy McGuire ), and 5 Against The House with Kim Novak and Brian Keith. He was in a handful of westerns and other films, but frankly I don't recall any of them, except Bullwhip but that was more for Rhonda Fleming. He did go to Europe where he had a bigger career in Italian adventure films. As for his looks; When I first saw him I felt for sure he was the brother of the Professor from Gilligan's Island.

I just took the same survey, and that question tripped me up as well. I just picked "3" (the safe middle choice), since I didn't wish to look like I supported sexism and racism! I agree with your last sentence and answered the few questions related to that to support that POV. I.e. their position is progressive but not preachy or "cancel culture" way. Just more historic and as balanced as one can be with such sensitive topics. One thing that did worry me were the HBO Max questions: I don't use that service, but I got a little nervous that TCM was asking so much about this because that is the way of the future; I.e. TCM will only be available with a pay-to-play type service agreement.

Nice write up. As for the lyrics of Too Many People: Here is the Howard Stern interview of Paul. Paul says that those lyrics were direct digs at John, since John was doing the same with How Do You Sleep at Night.

I'm a Joan Leslie fan. The problem for Joan was that she signed with Warner Bros. and that studio pushed their male actors and associated projects (with the exception of Bette Davis). This impacted the careers of all their female talent like Olivia DeHavilland, Ida Lupino, and Ann Sheridan, as well as newer actresses like Alexis Smith. Still Joan had some file roles in films like High Sierra (with Bogart), Sergeant York (with Cooper), The Male Animal (with Fonda), and Yankee Doodle Dandy (with Cagney). She was also a secondary leading actress in The Hard Way, with Ida Lupino, The few chances Joan was given as the star of a film where just not good films; E.g. Cinderella Jones and Janie Gets Married. After taking WB to court and leaving the studio, she was offered only a few solid roles in films like Repeat Performance for Eagle-Lion (her best lead performance IMO) and Born to Be Bad, with Joan Fontaine. She ended her career going to Republic doing mostly second-rate westerns.

I never said IIsa didn't love Rick. I said she loved both men deeply. Yea, she was surprised by Rick's actions at the airport but that doesn't mean that she wanted to stay with Rick in Casablanca over going with her Husband on the plane to Lisbon and freedom. Again, my point is that I have no point: I.e. I can see it going many different ways. That it is intentionally ambiguous: . One can't be sure that is how she really felt. You instead have a definitive POV. Ok, but it doesn't me you don't agree with my POV, since I have none. One can't be sure that is how she really felt.

Of course film is a highly visual media and therefor we both understand the need to set a mood. To create an atmosphere. In this regard I understand why the scene was set up the way it was, but once that atmosphere is established, and milked just to the right degree, it loses its values if it continues on and on.

I agree with you about the dragged out sequence. It appears Reed did also; 2 years later in the ending of The Third Man, Welles is trapped in a sewer but instead of long sequences, there are quick cuts and edits, and the trapped man meets his fate in a tightly directed scene.