JamesJazGuitar

I don't feel Bill O was WAY off base. For example, one could interpret your post (especially the initial paragraph) here as blaming Houston too much for her death and thus being off base. People making money off of celebrities (be they musicians, actors, sports figures), often are willing to ignore self abusive behavior as long as the behavior doesn't impact the bottom line. For example, owners of baseball teams knew the players were juiced but juiced players generated higher revenues. I do admit to being somewhat surprised that Bill's focus was mostly on external factors instead of internal ones (i.e. Houston herself), but that could just be Bill trying to show compassion for Houston. I.e. he didn't wish to appear too harsh toward Houston so he lashed out at those around her and the industry in general.

Since Hey BullDog was released on Yellow Submarine (which had a lot of non Beatles tunes from the movie on it), that album is a favorite and this great song got loss. But any true Beatles fan is aware of this song.

Hey placing the same post in 2 forums isn't so bad. I sometimes do that because I forget which one I'm in! One can find this post in at least 6 (and here on the west coast the day is still young!), including Silent films and Cult films. Also you were posting about Destry Rides Again, so I can see 2 post, but not again, and again, and again, and,,,,,,

The same post was placed in at least 6 forums. So why not the silent films one!

The entire basis of Rope is that Steward's calculated and cold way of viewing life is what motivates the boys to treat killing as just an action. Hey, it is only the death of one person AND a person that wasn't going to make an impact to society anyhow. The kids really believe Steward will admire them for understanding this POV and acting on it. Someone like Mason would of been a better fit for the role. Of course Steward does a fine job (i.e. the guy can act!), but an actor that comes off as a more troubled soul might of fit the part better. Edited by: jamesjazzguitar on Feb 19, 2012 12:47 PM

Do you also post the same thread in multiple forums? Pleeze!!! Don't start doing that.

Some Like It Hot was played in February as part of 31 Days of Oscar, right? It does feel like this movie is played at least once every 6 to 8 weeks but maybe that is just my impression.

The movie *Courage Under Fire* has a women (Meg Ryan), in a combat situation. We should expect more women as war heros since women as superheros, crime fighters, spys, etc... is big now. The marketing reasons are easy to understand; Women like movies with strong women characters and since these women are typically 'hot', men like these women characters as well.

Hey, you cannot name child actors! Don't you know the old saying; Never do a movie with a kid or dog if you want the spotlight! If one can name Margaret than one can also include Lassie!

Based on your post we have very different taste in women (i.e. what women are great beauties). For example, Ava in Pandora and the Flying Dutchman or her standing by that piano in The Killers. No one ever looked better on film in my view (yes, some, like Liz in that white dress in A Place In The Sun looked as 'hot'). Jolie is one of the most exotic beauties of her era. I don't know 'many' today that top her (Charlize Theron being right up there). But I will admit Jolie has an 'odd' (unique) look (i.e. no girl next door there!), but it is a look that really gets to me. As for June Allyson; I find her very average and that voice really gets to me. Yes, it is all subjective and that is a good thing.

One of the most sexy scenes ever. The minimal dialogue really makes the scenes. What is left unspoken is best left unspoken. Garfield is hooked even if he doesn't know it yet. Edited by: jamesjazzguitar on Feb 16, 2012 9:05 PM

Kiss of Death stars Coleen Gray but it is a very good Mature film. Arturo mentions The Shanghai Gesture since it stars both Mature and Tierney. It is a film noir also (a very early one), and as noted an exotic and unique early 40s movie. Edited by: jamesjazzguitar on Feb 17, 2012 8:09 PM

First as for scene stealer I believe the actor shouldn't be the star of the movie but instead a supporting player. A lead player doesn't steal a scene since, by definiton, a lead should dominate scenes. So in that regard Ritter is clearly one of the top scene stealers. Even when a movie has a great lead, at the top of her game, like Bette Davis in All About Eve, Ritter steals a scene or two. I would also add Eve Arden.

I didn't watch The Last Word that night, but turned off the TV. What shocked me was when I went to turn it back on about 30 minutes later, figuring they must be done with this BS, they were still talking about Houston. The only thing I have enjoyed about the media coverage so far is that some of the shows are now dishing on her many friends that enabled her death. For example, Morgan on CNN was interviewing some of these friends. They had drinks with her and hey, everything was A-OK. They didn't see any problem there. Then 2 days later Morgan is calling them out for having drinks with her! Now if he would bring back these friends and say that to their face, that would be must watch TV. I don't watch Newt. His head takes up the entire TV screen (and I have a 60 inch one!).

I like Tierney a lot because she did play in 4 very good film noirs and a few other movies I like (e.g. The Razor Edge), but she wouldn't be my favorite actress of the 40s (that would be Olivia DeHavilland or Stanwyck). I think her early 40s performances were only OK but she did get better as the decade moved on. As for being a beauty; No question about that. Right up there with Ava and Hedy. We can only hope TCM gets the rights to show more of Gene's movies. I do have her autobiography. I got a paperback copy at a used book sale for something like 50 cents. Her life story is somewhat sad.

Nancy Grace is all over this. To me the so called 'news' coverage has been way overboard. The only reason Houston is getting so much coverage is because of her prior (or maybe recent), drug use history. If she had died of brain cancer (some illness NOT related to addiction), it would of been a one day news story. The news shows just jump on the same bandwagon. While it has been this way for a while all the fuss over Tebow, even after he was losing games and it was clear he was just an OK QB at best, just shows that the vast majority of the media is driven by, and thus promoting, mass hysteria. Take the political news program The Last Word on MSNBC. They spent over 3/4 of the show on Houston. I can understand an entertainment show like ET doing this, but a political news show??? Sorry, she wasn't that great or important (from a political POV she wasn't important at all).

And don't forget if there were grandson they might look like Clark Gable. Thus something for everyone! Of course I have no if they were interested in having kids or not.

Very insightful info. It supports my point that if Lombard didn't die when she did, she might not of continue to as successful as she was (as an actress), in the 30s. This is one of the reasons I mentioned Lupino, who decided to get behind the camera . Lombard might of had kids, which could of impacted her choice to remain a major star, or done many other things other than trying to maintain star status. I think she would of been sucessfull at whatever she did.

Great Spellbound poster. But since there are multiple pictures of Ingrid why doesn't the poster show a picture of her with glasses? Those glasses are a major prop. Without them she is just another beautiful women, but once she puts those on we all know that she is a serious scientist! (yea right!).

There is no question about Wilmer and Joel Cairo being gay in The Maltese Falcon. The book makes this really clear but even the 41 version has enough hints to make this clear. Most of these hints relate to Joel but when Spade wishes to make Wilmer the fall guy, the look Joel gives Wilmer says it all. Edited by: jamesjazzguitar on Feb 15, 2012 6:23 PM

Well we have 4 in common. My top 10 favorites are: Davis, Stanwyck, DeHavilland, Lombard, Arthur, Kate Hepburn, Audrey Hepburn, Rosalind Russell, Loy and, Crawford. But like you I'm big fans of the others on your list. Well expect for Ann Harding. I have seen a few of her movies (one with Powell that was very good), but she is somewhat wooden to me. Of course maybe I just haven't see enough of her movies.

My guess is that this "room full of intelligent people" would pick Stanwyck in Stella Dallas before Dunne in The Awful Truth, but both would beat out Rainer in The Good Earth. That is my honest gut feeling.

You hit the nail on the head. Part of the theme of the movie was the basic question of 'what is it about this guy that all the teens girls love him', and the answer is that it is just marketing and hype. It would make no sense for an actual, highly regarded musician or actor, during the peak of their career, to take on that role.

I love all of these great covers The Beatles did. Funny but I'm playing music with a group that plays mostly 50s tunes so we play many of these songs. BUT, I know all of these songs (e.g. Postman, Anna, Really Got a Hold of Me, Baby Its You, etc....), as Beatles songs. (I might of heard the original group but not 14 as often as I have hear the boys do them). The Beatles would do a few things differently (both the chords used, and the singing of harmony). So the people I'm playing with will say 'hey, that sounds cool, but it isn't how the song was done'. Well to ME it was how the song was done!

My Valentine Day Song would be Too Marvelous for Words. This song was popular in movies of the 30s and 40s. It is the song used in Dark Passage every time Bogie and Bacall get that look in their eyes. Here is a link of Frank singing it.