JamesJazGuitar

Typically with such questions it isn't just "a matter of opinion" but instead sample-size. E.g. I assume that when someone says they believe XYZ is a bad actor (when most others believe they are good) that this person is basing their opinion on seeing said actor in one or two movies where the actor wasn't at their best, wasn't suited for the role, or the overall film was a stinker. I.e. a very limited sample of their work. I try hard to not make an overall judgement on someone's ability unless I have viewed (or listen to in the case of a musician \ singer), over 50% of their work.

Raphael Campos was a fine actor. I really like his work in T.V. westerns like Wagon Train. Katy Jurado and Campos make a good mother\son team in the 1955 film Trial.

I'm a fan of Edith Fellows: She was in films for Columbia like She Married Her Boss and So They Were Married, both with Melvin Douglas. Fellows was also featured as Polly Pepper in the Peppers films Columbia released in 1939 ad 1940 and with Bing Crosby in Pennies from Heaven.

My choice is this guy:

Here is a version of The Lady is a Tramp by Bireli Lagrene. For me he is one of the top 2 - 3 guitarist on the planet. When he did the album Blue Eyes, he decided to sing this song.

I don't agree that the " whole story is about a girl who is not attractive": For me it was more than just the girl being average in the looks department: it is also about a girl that is way too shy, has no scene of style, or grace or some of the other "womanly" traits her mother had (as viewed by husband, the girl's father). For me that is a major part of the story: I always get the sense that when her father compares his daughter with her mother, his disappointed centers more around her bland personality and dullness than just her physical appearance. Olivia great acting is in the pulling off of out-of-place-clumsy-shy etc... women and thus the casting and overall film in believable, in spite of Olivia being too-good-looking for the role.

I learned to play the song Misty because of this film. Of course Clint Eastwood is a big fan of jazz music; e.g. he directed and produced one of the best films about a jazz musician, Bird - 1988). Play Misty For Me is a creepy film and Jessica Walter give a great performance.

I'm a fan of Samuel Fuller's Underworld USA. Very solid late in the cycle noir film (or early in the cycle neo-noir film). I like the harshness of the film and the fact the noir protagonist doesn't go all soft, realizing there is no escape from the predicament he placed himself into.

My wife wasn't aware of the history surrounding Plan 9 From Other Space and I deliberately didn't tell her. I just put on TCM. It took only about 10 minutes of so before she asked me: is this some type of joke,,,, a parody of sci-fi films,,,,, like a SNL spoof? I explained the history to her and also convinced her to watch the rest of the film for the experience. E.g. to view just how cheap the set was, the over the top and really bad acting, etc.....

I highly doubt the producer of The Heiress, William Wyler, feared that " if they actually cast a less attractive actress in a role it would make the film unappealing", instead Wyler cast the actress he felt would be best for the role . An actress that was the hottest around, since Olivia had won an Oscar for Best Actress two years before, (To Each His Own) and was nominated for one with The Snake Pit, and thus was also a safe bet in terms of box office potential. I can't think of any less attractive actress that had the acting chops Olivia had that had anything close to the box office appeal. Shirley Booth was well known in New York for her solid stage work but she had yet to make a film and studios don't wish to take such risks with "A" level projects.

Yes, I remember Josie Lloyd:

Ray Davies really starts to show his lyrical chops and what would be one of his trade marks; this take on stuffy English society and biting jabs, with just the right amount of humor and satire, in songs like A Well Respected Man, Dedicated Follower of Fashion, I'm Not Like Everybody Else and Who'll Be The Next In Line.

Ladies of the Jury - 1932: I missed about the first 15 minutes. Fairly typically early 30s film; some really poor acting, a lot of overacting, and a high degree of corniness. Of course there was the "lets just end this" ending so often seen in early 30s films. I still enjoyed it and the scenes with a lot of overlapping dialog in the jury room was directed well. A good amount of wise cracks and funny insults were throw out (by folks that were total strangers until they placed on this jury). Edna May Oliver had to perform some physical comedy but she was only 49 at the time (but looked much older).

I've explained the plot of The Big Sleep movie at this forum. To me it really isn't that complicated (of course this is the film I have seen the most, both the pre-release version and the final, post-war one). What part can't you figure out? E.g. who killed who?

How would a remake impact the 1936 film? In fact it would just bring more attention to it. Osborne wasn't against remakes. He didn't believe the myth that remakes somehow "harm" the prior versions made.

I started to watch it but only saw the first 15 minutes or so. I believe it was on late and I had to go to sleep (because I was enjoying what I was seeing). I agree it was well cast with many actors that were featured in a lot of noir films, like Janis Carter, Steven Geray, and Raymond Burr. I like what I saw so far from Tone, but I did wonder if he could pull off such a character, since my experience with him was mostly with light hearted type material (expect for Five Graves to Cairo). Hopefully TCM shows this film again.

I wasn't sure what serials you were mentioning. E.g. The Bowery Boys? Serials like The Crime Doctor or Boston B-l-a-c-k-i-e?

As joint Stars of the Month? Well Constance was SOTM in November 2012 and since Joan has a better film legacy, I would like to see Joan as SOTM all by herself. In addition if there was a joint one, the odds would be higher TCM would just show the Joan films they already show instead of some of the Fox films they rarely or never show.

I assume your husband and you will be driving south from Hollywood to San Diego. Since Laguna Beach is about half-way it would be a great place for lunch. Get off the 5 Freeway taking the 133. This takes one right into downtown. Find parking near Las Brisas (a corner where I believe a few films were made before this Mexican restaurant was build) and walk north along a very nice beach trail and you will find the spot where that scene was filmed. This would be a nice break in your drive. From Laguna it would be about 1 \ 1\2 to 2 hours and before you get to The Hotel del Coronado.

I believe The Breaking Point is set in Newport Beach's Balboa Island: that is the port where the Garfield character keeps his boat. When he goes to pick-up the Chinese trying to enter the country illegally that is in the San Diego borderline area (so your "at some point" would be on-target). But I could be mistaken. One other idea for your vacation: go to Laguna Beach and the beach where Captain Blood was filmed (the scene where Flynn duels Rathbone ending their partnership). Laguna Beach is on your way when you go from Hollywood to San Diego. I go there often (since it is 10 minutes from where I live) and one can recognize the rocks in the ocean shore (of course still there 70 plus years later after one of my favorite films (and yours I believe), was filmed there.

Well you should be able to fall asleep once Noir-Alley starts again since the film on 5\22 starts off the series with a bang! Touch of Evil.

I only watched the commentary after Grease II was over. I found that interesting in that the 4 folks were all very open and non defensive. While neither film was my cup-of-tea, it was interesting, as well as nice, to see 4 people taking about two films, comparing them (and most interesting to me discussing what shouldn't be compared since every film stands-on-its-own).

Bride of Frankenstein is one of my favorite Universal horror films, but that miniature people scene does seem out of place; E.g. done to show off innovative (for the time), special effects. But I still find it a very fascinating scene and it does add a humorous break. If I was the producer of the film, I would have fought hard to keep this scene in the film, out of place or not.

The Big Sleep (Bogie \ Bacall 1946). I have seen this in a revival theater 3 times, and on T.V. at least 20 (start to end). Nowadays I'll just watch the beginning.

Funny but if one Googles Murray Hamilton - images, there is that same photo, with "Murray Hamilton - Turner Classic Movies" underneath. Here is the actual Hamilton from Jaws: