JamesJazGuitar

I know what my fav scene is from TEDS: the jazz band scene where Duchin's son and his friends come in and jam! I'm a big fan of the film. Of course there is the music but the overall story is touching without being overly sad (well except for the ending but the piano duet with his son keeps it from getting depressing). Fine acting by all but I especially like the performance of Victoria Shaw. Shaw wasn't in many films, but 3 years after TEDS she was in the Sam Fuller noir\social awareness film The Crimson Kimono. Below is a promo still with the 3 leads.

Here is an early Christmas gift for you. The actress was Jeff Donnell.

Olivia had only one boyfriend.

I believe it was Howard Roberts that is the guitar player. Marshall used Roberts a lot and produced some of Robert's albums like this one: (see the J.M. is a nut!).

You're likely correct that the Dvorak film where she gets tippy with a boyfriend is Housewife. This Dvorak \ Bette Davis 1934 film wasn't very good. I believe that was due to the film being made in 1934 but not ready for release until August after the Code was being enforced in July. Nothing compared to the gritty pre-code Three on a Match that also featured Dvorak and Davis (along with Joan Blondell and Bogart).

I saw Tommy Tedesco a few times when he would play at jazz clubs in Hollywood. He was a chain smoker and he would smoke while playing. A few times the ash would drop off into his beard.

I've always been a big fan of Jeff Donnell so I watched The Blue Gardenia, yet again, mainly for her. I assume Donnell is known by noir fans as the cop's wife in the Bogie\Grahame, Nicholas Ray film In a Lonely Place. An interesting later role for Donnell was in the noir The Sweet Smell of Success as the secretary of scumbag Tony Curtis. I find Jeff to be a cutie who always played second fiddle to other actresses.

A movie where Dvorak has a tipsy scene, but it isn't an early one, is the Lana Turner movie A Life of her Own (1950). Dvorak has a small role at the start of the film, as an aging model, and mentor of the up-and-coming Turner, that is very gritty.

Clifton Young has an uncredited role as an irate baseball fan in the Warner film That Way with Women with Martha Vickers, Dane Clark and Sydney Greenstreet. Young had a few uncredited roles in WB films during the 40s where he only gets a line or two. He was under contract with WB and like most contract actors had to be at the lot 5 days a week, 8 hours a day, regardless if he had a role in a film or not.

I'm watching The Houston Story on MOVIES (noir Thursday). It features Gene Barry and Barbara Hale. (much different role than that of Della Street).

I see that you know what went down in that series. Sorry if I got a little defensive since I've been a Dodger fan since I was a kid. Clearly Roberts should have pitched Alex Wood more. As for Darvish: Wasn't he one of the pitchers that was most impacted by the sign stealing (or did this wind-up motion give away his pitches and one doesn't need to steal signs against him? Yea, bat control is an issue with Cody; He is young so hopefully he can improve his eye and get more patience.

It is silly to claim there is only ONE reason the Dodgers lost to Houston in the 2017 World Series. Few things in life are that black and white; Roberts' did make some bonehead moves as manager and the Astros stole signs and cheated. More than two things can be true at the same time.

Viewed Blithe Spirit for the first time yesterday and enjoyed it. Witty screenplay and as you noted the actors were in fine form. Always good to see a 40s film on TCM I haven't seen before.

I also find Cummings to have a comical face; I.e. a look that for me makes it hard to take him seriously when the character he is playing is trying to be serious. (great face for romantic comedy like Princess O'Rourke (and he aged well).

When is your book being released?

Here is Django with Beryl Davis:

Yes, TCM showed the film last week. Of course that doesn't mean they will not show it again.

Is The Long Hot Summer being featured? It should be just for Welles and the almost-dark-face make-up! "you've been getting too much sun,,,, you're darker than those stogies!".

Just wonder why you believe James Garner "wasn't more popular". While I don't know how to determine what others believe is popular or not, Garner was one of the top cross-over actors; one who would go from films to T.V. Shows without the reason that their film career was sunsetting so T.V. was their only option. In fact I can't think of another actor that was as successful in both film and T.V.

To Catch a Thief would be a good film to see in a theater on a big screen. Lot of nice outdoor shots of southern France.

I knew Kessel had recorded Sweet Sue. I couldn't think of anyone else that did so yea, we get Kessel again.

Yea, I noticed that and I found it odd. OK, so Dana Andrews did State Fair after Laura and before Fallen Angel but a review of his pre-Laura films doesn't include many light comedies (e.g. Ball of Fire, but his character is a gangster in this) and musicals! Dennis O'Keefe was in a lot of light comedies and musicals before he started doing crime\noir roles after the war. Thus I hope Eddie just made a mistake and said Andrews instead of Dick Powell (even if I find a comparison between Powell and O'Keefe to be kind of lame since Powell was a much bigger star when he made his career change).

Correct!