JamesJazGuitar
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Posts posted by JamesJazGuitar
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With regards to Liberty Valance, is the sacrifice Wayne's character makes, saving the live of the Steward character? I'm not sure I would call that a sacrifice. First it assume that Hallie would of gone back to Wayne after Valance killed Steward. I don't think she would of. She was done with a man like Wayne. This is key to the plot. So she would of not gone back to Wayne even if Steward was killed. Instead she would of tried to fine another man like Steward. A man looking forward instead of backwards like the Wayne character.
So while Wayne saved Steward because of his live for Hallie I don't see where the sacrifice occurs.
Valance is one of my favorite westerns and Wayne movies because of the non heroic character he plays.
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When I go see a jazz show at a small club I'll ask them to Play Two Marvelous For Words. It has become my wife's and my song as well, all because of that Dark Passage connection.
The song isn't that popular with jazz singers but a few jazz guitar players have covered the song. One of my favorite for sure.
Kern, who wrote Long Ago and Far Away is one of my favorite composers. It is very enjoyable to play his music since his harmonies are just complex enough but 'sweet' sounding at the same time. Right up there with Cole Porter.
Edited by: jamesjazzguitar on Jun 30, 2012 4:32 PM
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I like the B-52's cover of Downtown better. NOT really! One of the strangest covers ever.
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Yes, happy birthday to my favorite hollywood star (3rd in my actress ranking behind Bette and Babs, but first in my heart!).
Olivia is what really got me into more 'women picture' type classic movies. i.e. movies beyond WB movies with Bogie, Cagney, and E.G., noirs, and adventure movies. I got into Flynn movies and of course was exposed to Olivia. So then I got into her non Flynn movies.
My 5 Olivia favorites would be:
It's Love I'm After
Captain Blood
Strawberry Blond
The Heiress
Robin Hood
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While I'm a major Olivia DeHavilland fan The Male Animal isn't one of her better movies.
Too much of a message picture instead of a full on comedy. Tighter direction and better editing would of helped since the casting is sound.
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Well Bette is the only sane one in It's Love I'm After! She is the stoic one, while most everyone else is over the top. This is one of the reasons the movie 'works' so well. Bette keeps the movie grounded just enough to keep it from being too crazy.
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I agree with you Fred. I think The Bribe is a fine noir and one of Taylor's best.
Of course any black and white 40s movie with Ava is a movie I like, but the entire cast of The Bribe was good. A true classic in my view also.
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I know the song I Know a Place and of course Downtown, but those are the only two I can hum by memory.
While I'm a big fan of 60s music especially British music, I like bands and not individual (and thus mostly pop), performers. The type of individual performers I like sing the classic American songbook; Frank, Ella, etc...
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You are always the wiseguy (which is why I enjoy your comments) but I do wonder if classical music fans have an era they define as the classic, classical music era.
i.e. a certain range of years known as the classic era of classical music!
Edited by: jamesjazzguitar on Jun 29, 2012 6:17 PM
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Yes, I made a typo (since corrected). I have this movie on tape (beta no less long story why!) and typically watch it on New Years day since the movie is set on that day. I must of seen it at least 15 times now.
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I don't think Groucho ever played with those guys. If he played with Hendrix he could then throw Jimmy's buring guitar into the lake after Jimmy set it on fire!
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My goal was just to remind people that haven't seen It's Love I'm After to catch this movie.
It is one of my favorite 30s comedies. The bird calling scene is one of the best!
I also look forward to Howard as SOTM because I haven't see a few of the films TCM will be showing.
Edited by: jamesjazzguitar on Jun 29, 2012 6:13 PM
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The film you mention is The Irish In Us released in 1935. Olivia's third picture. The film is indeed a WB programmer and as you noted the main attraction is the cast especially the WB supporting players.
Olivia was only 18 and being cast in this film was somewhat of a shock to her especially after making such a non programmer file as A Midsummer Night's Dream. Olivia learned that the studio system meant that actors didn't always get interesting projects and that often the job was, well, just a job. "the main function of a fledgling contract player was to turn up for work, where and when told". (from The Films Of Olivia De Havilland).
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Looks like It's Love I'm After was left off the list again.
Here is what was posted below: They ARE showing It's Love I'm After. It will air at 9:30 ET on July 10.Why no love for It's Love I'm After?
Very funny movie with 3 major stars (Howard, Davis, DeHavilland), and many fine supporting players.
Edited by: jamesjazzguitar on Jun 29, 2012 4:10 PM
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Well you mention 'modern' films. In 1950, a movie made in the 40 was a modern film.
So in 2012, isn't a movie made in the 70's an 'old' film?
I hope that TCM sticks mainly to studio era films (i.e. movies made before 1969), but as time marches on it is somewhat silly to say that movies made in the 70 are modern films. i.e. what is modern or what is old is NOT stagnant since time isn't.
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Yes, Groucho could play the guitar. Funny you mention that canoe scene. I remember seeing this and saying to myself 'hey what a nice arch-top,,, looks like a Gibson'. I have a few of these and they are great guitars for jazz playing. Well I also remember being somewhat upset that they would destroy the guitar. So I hope they didn't!
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This is one of my favorite Lucille Ball movies. There are many fine actors in the cast and the movie has a good balance with the comedy, romance and thrills. Ball and Sanders doesn't sound like it would work but they do a fine job.
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I'll Remember April is a very popular jazz standard but that is because the rhythm is somewhat unique, unlike this rather flat version with Foran.
The verse section is played with a latin beat and the chorus using a swing beat. I even have music software (Band in the Box) that has a 'I'll Remember April rhythm'. The neat changes in the rhythm really make the song fun to play especially at a fast tempo.
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I'm not so sure with regards to this statement: However the fact remains, as hard as it was for Douglas to make SPARTACUS back then, it would be so much more harder today.
Why the assumption that it would be harder today to make a movie like Spartacus than it was back in the late 50s. Because Hollywood is more conservative pro-war today than it was back in the late 50? If not that, than why?
Movie making is less controlled by the studio system e.g. independent films, so I would assume it would be easier to make a highly political movie today than it was during the late 50s.
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Bette Davis and than Barbara Stanwyck are my top two (yea, very standard choices in many ways), than Olivia. After that I love Carole Lombard and Jean Arthur since 30's comedies are some of my favorite movies.
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This threat would make more sense to me if TCMfan just posted 'I wish TCM didn't have the underground series'.
I will admit that I rarely enjoy the movies TCM shows in it's underground series but since it is a very limited series (i.e. the percentage of programming denoted to it is next to nothing), it doesn't impact my enjoyment of TCM.
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I never really liked Goodfellas. I guess the main reason being there are no good fellas in the movie; i.e. no likeable characters in my view. The other main reason would be that the plot was so basic; nothing surprised me and it was clear how the movie would 'play out' from the start. i.e. the life of a young gangster 101 type of plot. While it is a first rate production it just isn't my cup of tea.
I'm a big fan of De Niro but Goodfellas as well as Casino are not movies of his I enjoy much.
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While DeHavilland is my 3rd favorite actress The Dark Mirror isn't a quality production. As you noted only Mitchell keeps it interesting. I was hoping for so much more but the movie does fall flat. I don't fault Olivia's acting (of course I'm bias!), but more the slack direction. The movie needed a lot more punch and it just doesn't deliver.
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While I agree that both Scott and McCrea were good enough actor to have switched roles I think the roles they ended up playing were a better 'fit' to their overall persona, especially McCrea.
As you mention McCrea has such "inner decency" that for big fans of him like me, too much of this "inner decency" might of been perceived with him as the 'bad guy', than I wouldn't 'buy' that McCrea could really be a bad guy.
Scott had a rougher edge to him in my view and while I knew that he wouldn't let his old buddy down (it was no surprise that this is where the plot was going), Scott persona fit that part better in my view.
What Are You Listening To?
in Your Favorites
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Do you have Katharine Whalen's Jazz Squad album? (she is the female lead singer of the Zippers).
Great album especially for fans of classic movies and 40s era music. I highly recommend it.