JamesJazGuitar
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Posts posted by JamesJazGuitar
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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.
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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.
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My choice is this guy:
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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.
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16 hours ago, Toto said:
I agree with Olivia De Haviland's great acting talent (which she exhibits in the film) but the whole story is about a girl who is not attractive and is treated as a person who's only worth is her inheritance. Olivia De Haviland is gorgeous. It doesn't make sense.
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.
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6 hours ago, Phil Packer said:
Still sad of her passing. Loved her of course, in Play Misty For Me, but enjoyed her other roles too. Shoot, even her role in the Columbo episode although it wasn't the best written character part for her as she didn't seem as bothered that her husband died. But I digress...
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.
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4 hours ago, Shank Asu said:
Haven't watched this film yet but i recorded it last night on my DVR. Hopefully get to it this weekend, but first have Underworld USA.
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.
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1 hour ago, Det Jim McLeod said:
A great movie????
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.....
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2 hours ago, Toto said:
I liked that the presenters pointed out how ridiculous it is that really beautiful actresses have been cast in the roles of unattractive characters (Olivia De Haviland in The Heiress is a good example) fearing that if they actually cast a less attractive actress in a role it would make the film unappealing
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.
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16 hours ago, Wayne said:
Josie Lloyd, Norman's daughter who passed away just last year, is familiar to classic TV fans from her 4 appearances on The Andy Griffith Show --- twice as Mayor Pike's daughter Juanita/Josephine and twice as Lydia Crosswaithe, the worst blind date in Mayberry.
Yes, I remember Josie Lloyd:
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44 minutes ago, Det Jim McLeod said:
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Kinkdom by The Kinks- Dec 1965*
The best Kinks album so far, it has many of their finest songs of this period. The opener is "A Well Respected Man" a top twenty song with some of Ray's greatest lyrics. It is a pointed jab at the well to do English who may not be as happy as they seem. Dave wrote his first song here "Wait Till The Summer Comes Along" which is pretty good, like the guitar picking. "Such A Shame" has a good melody and jangling rhythm guitar. "See My Friends" is hypnotic early psychedelia, long before it became popular. "Sitting On My Sofa" is a blues riff with spare lyrics. Side 2 opens with the hilarious "Dedicated Follower Of Fashion" a satiric look at a foppish Londoner who follows all the latest fashion trends, sung in Ray's thickest English accent. "Who'll Be The Next In Line" is quick little rocker. "I Need You" is another of their early driving rockers with another great guitar solo. "It's All Right" is a fun rave up with some wild harmonica playing. The closer "I'm Not Like Everybody Else" has more great lyrics about a rebel who does not want to conform to society. Ray wrote it but Dave sings it, he does a good job, sung in a sneering, defiant tone.
* I am reviewing the 1988 Rhino Records reissue, which is good since the track list is much better than the original
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.
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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).
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30 minutes ago, Hibi said:
Although the plot was complicated, I didnt find it as confusing as the Big Sleep (which I still can't figure out after many viewings and I don't want to watch it anymore!). I was not totally surprised by the reveal at the end, but it kept me guessing.
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?
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9 minutes ago, Fausterlitz said:
Let's hope not -- it was reportedly Robert Osborne's favorite film.
Maybe they're interested in returning to Sinclair Lewis's original novel? (The screenplay was based on Sidney Howard's stage adaptation. Not sure what the significant differences or omissions are, compared to the novel.)
Someone once turned it into a musical, believe it or not.
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.
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On 5/9/2021 at 2:08 PM, kingrat said:
Did anyone else watch I Love Trouble? A less than outstanding print, a plot as confusing as The Big Sleep, unremarkable direction by S. Sylvan Simon, yet quite entertaining. This is one of the best Franchot Tone performances I've seen. He makes a great cynical, world-weary, wisecracking detective, and Glenda Farrell matches him as the perfect wisecracking Gal Friday. Janet Blair, Janis Carter, and Adele Jergens show that the movie is no slouch in the good-looking dames department. I couldn't quite get how Adele Jergens fit into the plot, but I suspect that some of the guys who watched weren't complaining about that. I wish that Janis Carter had had more screen time.
John Ireland is way down in the credits, but he makes an excellent hood working for club owner Steven Geray. Raymond Burr has an even smaller role as a henchman, but as soon as he speaks, you immediately know who it is. Eduardo Ciannelli is well-cast as a mobster, and the uncredited Sid Tomack has a great part as the ex-vaudeville non-star Buster Buffin. Imagine a Milton Berle wannabe rattling off the stalest jokes you've ever heard, and that's the guy. The uncredited Mary Adams Hayes has a funny bit as a waitress called Fannie. See what I mean about it being entertaining?
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.
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2 hours ago, Waldo Lydecker said:
No one out there a fan of the Serials? Mebbe TCM has discontinued them?
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?
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10 minutes ago, Bogie56 said:
How about the Bennett sisters?
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.
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17 minutes ago, speedracer5 said:
Cool! Thanks for the idea! I was trying to see if I could see Thelma Todd's Sidewalk Cafe which looks like it might be by Malibu?? But I'm not sure if it's out of my way or not. Most of our activities are going to be centered around Hollywood/Studio City/La Brea ish. I found out that the original location of Desilu studios is nearby some of the things that we're planning on doing, so I hope to maybe see that if I can.
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.
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On 5/7/2021 at 9:10 PM, speedracer5 said:
I haven't found any that were set in San Diego. Apparently The Breaking Point features San Diego at some point, but I can't recall any specific parts of the film. Another article I read kept talking about Tension, but I thought that film took place in LA. I couldn't remember any San Diego specific scenes in that film.
From my research, it seems that San Diego was a favorite location for military films.
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.
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26 minutes ago, Stallion said:
I am glad to find out that Noir Alley is returning on May 16. You can ask my wife, there has not really been a Saturday evening, in the last several weeks, where I don't bemoan the fact that a Noir film is not on at 9pm here in California. Nothing like a nice gentle Noir film to fall asleep to on a Saturday night.
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.
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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).
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20 minutes ago, Herman Bricks said:
As a kid I thought the best one was BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN, but now I like it a bit less. Dr. Praetorious' miniature people scene seems out of place.
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.
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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.
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6 minutes ago, scsu1975 said:
I am about to watch The Whistle at Eaton Falls on Watch TCM, and in examining the cast, I was stunned at how great Murray Hamilton looks:
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:
Bad Actors of the Golden Age
in General Discussions
Posted
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.