JarrodMcDonald

I love BACHELOR MOTHER, but mostly because I am a Charles Coburn fan. Have you seen THERE GOES MY HEART? It starts Virginia Bruce and Freddie March. It's a rare screwball comedy for March, produced by the Hal Roach Studios in the late 30s. Borrowing from IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT, Bruce is an heiress who runs away and March is a reporter trying to get the story. Bruce takes on a new identity and starts to work at a department store. Patsy Kelly is her new roommate, and the film has a lot of quirky charm to it. But it's definitely one of the less prestigious projects in March's resume. I would watch it with BEDTIME STORY and I MARRIED A WITCH, for a triple feature of March screwball comedies.

Yesterday I posted a blurb on this thread, then deleted it...I was thinking that maybe a lot of the films in this genre are cheaply made and therefore, not considered superior Hollywood product, like message dramas with all-star casts. Are sports films essentially B-films? But some are definitely A-films, like PRIDE OF THE YANKEES and ROCKY and THE NATURAL. Still, I think many of these are quickly made and rushed to the theatres or home video. And the actors used are often ex-TV stars who are not at all A-listers.

Maybe all the extra-filmic parody turned the experience into a post-modern one for you. Perhaps you were derived of the pleasure felt by first-time viewers who had no preconceived notions.

Very much looking forward to it...and thanks scottman for the clarification about Watanabe.

It takes place in a department store, and EEH plays one of the floor supervisors. Spring Byington is his assistant and Donna Reed is the new girl they hire. She gets involved with a military boy played by Tom Drake. There are all sorts of communications mix-ups, and the story is somewhat predictable but the rapport of the stars and sharp comic timing of Horton and Byington makes it a lot of fun.

I had not heard much about some of these films, especially the last ones which seem more direct-to-video. Speaking of AIR movies, there is a Kevin Bacon basketball flick called THE AIR UP THERE. It's another Buena Vista/Disney offering.

He had a lengthy career. He was a leading actor in some silent films from 1920s. By the 1930s he had transitioned into character roles where he would make his greatest mark. One of his later performances is in Frank Capra's final film, POCKETFUL OF MIRACLES (1960). His sexuality doesn't seem as hidden at the end of his career. I think he's great in a war-time romance starring Donna Reed and Tom Drake called FAITHFUL IN MY FASHION. It is scheduled on March 18. It will be repeated during May when Ms. Reed is SOTM. It's a cute film, and EEH and character actress Spring Byington almost steal the movie from the young couple.

Incidentally, if you want some variety with your sports films... Try the *Air Bud* movies. They're about a dog who has the uncanny ability to play every sport. AIR BUD (1997)...basketball AIR BUD: GOLDEN RECEIVER (1998)...American football AIR BUD: WORLD PUP (2000)...soccer AIR BUD: SEVENTH INNING FETCH (2002)...basebal AIR BUD: SPIKES BACK (2003)...volleyball There was a spin-off franchise that focused more on the pups than on sports AIR BUDDIES (2006) SNOW BUDDIES (2008)...dog sledding SPACE BUDDIES (2009) SANTA BUDDIES (2009)

Maybe these are films that the poster has seen, first-run in the theatres, during his lifetime. Thanks steve for mentioning those. But yes, there are so many classics from long ago that are worth looking into...KID GALAHAD was remade in the 60s with Elvis. Take a look at both versions.

Thank you for adding those. Hopefully I didn't offend fans of those three ladies...

As the saying goes, 'slow and steady wins the race.' The reward of them taking their time and doing such a painstaking job on it is that we have a film properly restored for generations to come.

I've seen clips of it but not the entire film. I expect it will be a treat.

Funny! I used a page at wikipedia as the inspiration for my original post. Of course, my post was by no means exhaustive. If you want to see all the titles they have listed, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sports_films

?How could I bear to take a final breath? While living this life, how could I bear to leave it? There is, I feel, so much for me to do..." On March 9 TCM is screening a 1952 Japanese film called IKIRU. Simply translated, it means 'TO LIVE.' Co-written and directed by Akira Kurosawa, the film shows what happens when a Tokyo businessman faces the end of his life. Actually, Kurosawa's philosophical story is about a man that not only learns he?s dying but finds something to live for in his final days. Cast in the central role is versatile Japanese actor Takashi Shimura as Watanabe. In the story, Watanabe decides to build a playground for kids in an impoverished area of the city before succumbing to cancer. After his death, his friends interpret (often misinterpret) the meaning of this last symbolic act of charity. Roger Ebert called it one of two really great Kurosawa films (the other being SEVEN SAMURAI). Out of a total of 30 reviews on the website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has received all good reviews and earns a 100% positive rating.

There are coming-of-age situations and generational conflicts that occur regardless of geography. I think the picture became a message film for ethnic working class Americans. They're the ones that identified with it and went to see it in droves. It spoke to them and for them.

"Doing things they never thought they'd do" I like that line! And added to this statement we can put the phrase, "living with the consequences."

They have also been kind enough to add these groups that I requested: SYBIL JASON DAVID MANNERS (Such a great actor from the 1930s...I urge people to look up his work.) JOHN FORSYTHE BARRY FITZGERALD MARK HELLINGER JULES DASSIN Plus, someone else requested a group for CATHERINE ZETA JONES

Is there a reason we don't have a forum for sports films in the Genres section? *AMERICAN FOOTBALL* From Harold Lloyd's THE FRESHMAN to the recent 2009 blockbuster THE BLIND SIDE... *BASEBALL* One of the oldest sports film subgenres with the existence of THE BALL GAME, an 1898 silent film. But I most remember those MAJOR LEAGUE comedies with Bob Uecker and Charlie Sheen! *FENCING* Used in countless swashbucklers over the years... *TENNIS* Anyone see the romance drama WIMBLEDON a few years ago? Maybe not. But I bet you can't forget the tennis match from STRANGERS ON A TRAIN. *GOLF* PAT & MIKE, CADDYSHACK, and THE LEGEND OF BAGGER VANCE come to mind. *HORSE RACING* One of my favorites is NATIONAL VELVET. And I like Shirley Temple in THE STORY OF SEA-BISCUIT. *MARTIAL ARTS* Let's see...the KARATE KID franchise, SIDEKICKS...MORTAL KOMBAT... *FIGURE SKATING* From ICE CASTLES to the CUTTING EDGE series, this subgenre has shown staying power. *BOWLING* KINGFISH, anyone? Okay, that's not such a great example... *WRESTLING* Guilty pleasure: VISION QUEST. Who can forget Madonna singing 'Crazy for You.' *BILLIARDS* No competitive Oscar for Newman if not for THE HUSTLER and THE COLOR OF MONEY. *SAILING* Did you see THE WIND with Jennifer Grey? Okay, I didn't think so. I didn't either. *BOBSLEDDING* COOL RUNNINGS was kind of fun...come on, admit it. *BOXING* Includes BODY AND SOUL, ROCKY, RAGING BULL, MILLION DOLLAR BABY, among others. *BASKETBALL* I was crushed when TEEN WOLF was not nominated for an Oscar; there was also HOOSIERS and don't forget SPACE JAM with Bugs Bunny and Michael Jordan. *SURFING* So many surfer/beach movies in the late 50s-mid 60s...too numerous to count. *ROWING* Rob Lowe in OXFORD BLUES is a classic. *SKIING* HOT DOG THE MOVIE & ASPEN EXTREME are the ones I cherish. *AUTO RACING* I do like watching James Garner in GRAND PRIX and Steve McQueen in LE MANS. Those are actually pretty good films. *HOCKEY* Where would Emilio Estevez's career be without the MIGHTY DUCKS...? Seriously.

I haven't seen LAST DAYS. I will take your word for it. LOL I think I will add these two titles to the FILMS THAT GO TOGETHER thread on the other forum.

Great photo. I wrote a blurb on my Facebook page earlier and used a picture of her and the Duke in STAGECOACH. She is more known for her suspense films...she was the Queen of Film Noir, as they say.

I don't think disco ever truly died out in Europe or in Latin America. Didn't Justin Timberlake make a disco-themed album not long ago...? Watching SNF made me want to dance and to experience that kind of energy and excitement again. It's fun to be alive.

I attended university in Los Angeles. A group of my friends were 'coming out of the closet' at the time. Sometimes we'd go to Santa Monica Boulevard and the night spots there. This was around 1992 or 1993. It had been more than decade since disco had reached its zenith, but you would never think it went out of style in the gay club scene.

The 1983 sequel STAYING ALIVE was very successful with audiences, too...but critics found a lot to bash. LOL I'd like to read Siskel's old reviews on both films.

_*How Deep Is My Love for SATURDAY NIGHT_* TCM aired SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER a few times recently. I was six years old when it was made and probably last saw it on network television when I was a teenager. Still, despite its notoriety, I had little interest in catching up with it and avoided it. But for some reason, I did record it two nights ago and watched it yesterday. I am so glad I did. There were some things I hadn't realized. First, the original theatrical release included two versions: one with the 'R' rating that was distributed in late 1977; and then a 'PG' version that hit theatres in March 1978 while the first version was still playing. The PG/family-oriented version obviously eliminates the nudity, tones down some of the adult themes; and has an additional dance scene added to retain the film's running time. Next, I didn't realize how much money SNF made. The amount is staggering. According to the internet site boxofficemojo, the film grossed more than $230 million worldwide. Using an inflation calculator, that amount-- from 1978-- translates into $700 million today. Even without adjusting for inflation, most studios would kill for a film that makes $230 million in 2010. Significant pop culture ramifications resulted from SNF's huge success. The most obvious? That the film extended the already popular disco craze of the late 1970s. Also, the Hollywood musical suddenly shifted gears, with the emphasis now on soundtracks as opposed to having characters sing directly into the camera. In fact, the cross-marketing of Bee Gees music featured in this film made them internationally famous. They became as popular as former TV star John Travolta who played the lead role. Of course, an appreciation of this film cannot discount Travolta's charisma nor his undeniable talent. For years, I have pretty much taken John Travolta for granted. But after watching this film again, I can see what extraordinary range he has. He functions as an accomplished dancer in the Gene Kelly or Fred Astaire tradition; he successfully cultivates an image as a sex symbol like any number of matinee idols before or since; he convincingly plays an ethnic tough guy; and he projects a vulnerability that makes him endearing to the audience. But what I most like about SNF is its script. I think the realities of an Italian neighborhood and the plight of working class Americans in the 1970s is very well represented. Also, the struggle of a young man whose basic goodness and talent go unnoticed by his family seems to really drive the narrative. Travolta's character is in nearly every scene, so it is definitely from his point of view-- a perspective that is not without considerable flaws. I would be very curious to see Travolta and producer Sylvester Stallone revisit the character now. Perhaps Tony Manero is the father of a young man very much like he was 30 years ago. Perhaps this man has a need to reframe the past and his cultural history. If anything, a new film could very well send the Bee Gees to the top of the charts again. Jarrod McDonald writing from Arizona March 8, 2010