ElCid
-
Posts
19,340 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
4
Posts posted by ElCid
-
-
Mine would be The Big Steal (1949) with Jane Greer and William Bendix. His Kind of Woman is probably second, but the ending fight sequence is a little too long for me. Farewell My Lovely ranks up there. Others: Thunder Road; El Dorado; Holiday Affair; Macao; Out of the Past; The Grass is Greener; Cape Fear; The Wonderful Country.
The problem is that there are just too many roles that he did so well.
-
2
-
-
Just watched Strange on the Third Floor. Boring. Had to force myself to watch it. Not very well crafted and too many gimmicks. Not the least of which is the heroine finding Peter Lorre and then him confessing just as he dies. Not my idea of Noir.
-
1
-
-
Out of the Past is on Tuesday, Sep 18 at 11:15 AM. Actually several good movies on which may not be Noir, but may satisfy your "mystery" needs.
-
On the 18th, there is also the classic Out of The Past. So a good comparison can be made between Stranager and Out of the Past.
-
1
-
-
Sep 18, Tuesday, 6:15 AM: The Gay Falcon. First of the Falcon movies(?). Definitely first with George Sanders, Wendy Barrie, Edward S. Brophy. Not the best, but a good one. Incidentally Gay is his first name, as in Gay Lawrence.
At 10:00 AM, The Seventh Victim with Tom Conway who later takes over as the Falcon. Conway and Sanders were brothers.
-
4 minutes ago, Hibi said:
Oddly, when WDL was shown he didnt talk much about Domergue. I would've liked more backstory on that. How are you doing with Florence? Was there a lot of rain in your area?
Thanks for concern. Dodged the bullet in northwestern SC. Only got 1/2 inch of rain and some wind, but not enough to knock down trees & power lines. Appears N.C. and eastern S.C. are getting the brunt of the storm. Main concern for eastern NC and SC will be flooding as the rivers begin to rise.
-
1
-
-
Have seen Angel Face and Where Danger Lives (actually recorded both to DVD). But don't watch either that often. Big fan of Robert Mitchum, but somehow these movies just don't come together for me.
Interesting that Faith Domergue (WDL)was another one of Howard Hughes' "protegees." Wonder what backstory Eddie Muller would have on her and Hughes.
As for top 5 femme fatales, always have a problem with rankings such as this. Just too many variables to limit it or to even try to rank. Also, if I have ever seen Decoy, I don't remember it. Looked it up and not familiar at all.
-
1
-
-
Angel Face. I actually recorded it to DVD several years ago, but haven't watched it since. Mitchum and Simmons are good, as are the other cast members. Screenplay is not bad. But somehow it just does not click with me all that much.
Watched it primarily for Eddie's intro and outro. The intro got me hooked into watching it again. I liked Eddie's description of Mitchum's acting style and how it was misunderstood and criticized at the time. Forgot the exact expression. Others called it sleep walking through roles or something? We would now term it easy going or laid back or something. It does fit him though and it was a very effective acting manner.
Spoiler for Eddie's comments: Jean Simmons wears wigs because she cut her hair off before filming began. Howard Hughes kept harassing her about it so she just cut it off. Also Mitchum slapping Preminger and then telling him to back off his ill-treatment of Simmons.
The whole Hughes-Simmons (any woman) scenario is really interesting.
-
1
-
-
23 minutes ago, sewhite2000 said:
Sorry, haven't been watching TCM much recently. Is Noir Alley always on Saturday night now instead of morning? Or does it vary?
It is on Sat at Midnight and then repeats at 10 AM on Sunday. Same showing both times.
-
20 hours ago, Hibi said:
You cant argue with computer censor programs.......
Our local paper used to have a comment feature for its online version. It would not let you type in Dick Cheney. At one time this site would not either, so we will see what happens hear. Who ever heard of Richard Cheney?
20 hours ago, jamesjazzguitar said:Read about the debate Jack Warner had with John Huston about smoking while making the film The Maltese Falcon after Jack saw 'rushes'. The Peter Lorre comments are funny (but not PC).
Smoking, like neon lights, shadowed alleys, etc.. are part of the noir ambiance.
E.g. Eddie's suit is 'dated' but matches what was hip at the time.
Not to mention his ties. I have one like ones he wears that my father wore when he was a young sport in the 30's.
3 hours ago, misswonderly3 said:One of these days I'll have to get my act together and figure out how to DVR; my husband and I don't actually have that set up yet ( what an embarrassing admittance, especially on a site for classic movie fans ! ). As I said, the reasons for this are too lame to go into.
But it's great that these days ( well, for many many days now), people have had the option to record something on television they want to see but can't view in "real time". I used to record lots of TCM movies - on videotape ! ! And in fact I still have loads of old VCR tapes with rare old movies I recorded from TCM. A whole library, almost. And on the one hand, I'm happy to have access to these unusual old films in any format ( 'cause guess what, I still have a functioning VCR player ! ) on the other hand, I don't actually watch them very often, and they are a bit of a clutter problem (like, several huge stacks of old videotapes with titles like "Tatooed Stranger" sitting on a shelf in my already cluttered closet...)
Hey, that bird, speedy ! I think it's both sweet and hilarious that he wants to distract your attention from whatever movie you're watching to him !
All of my VCR tapes eventually deteriorated. Also, even a good video tape pales in comparison to a DVD. I have a DVD/VCR recorder and the tapes I used for recording have deteriorated.
Since I can record DVD-RW discs I do not DVR. If gets to point where I can't or DVD recorder dies, guess I'll have to learn to DVR-and pay Spectrum for the privilege.
-
Ada (1961) is on Thursday at 6:00 AM, part of Dean Martin day on Wednesday. This is a fairly good political movie, especially at this time of year. Susan Hayward costars and the movie is about her.
Murder on A Honeymoon came on at 9:15 this morning. Probably the best of the Edna Mae Oliver Hildegarde Winters movies.
-
1
-
-
12 hours ago, laffite said:
Is it curious that they would air B pictures? Noir Alley is only one film a week. Or do they think that doing too many war horses would rub the wrong way with some. oh no not that again? I feel doing some of the biggies would be great since Noir Alley has a nice following. A fresh discussion of a well-known film would be fine, hey let's kick it around again.
A lot of what TCM airs are B pictures. As for Noir Alley, I think that Noir and B go together in many cases.
Muller is probably trying to show a variety and ones not often shown as regular presentations. There probably are not that many Noir movies to which TCM has access that would be classified as A.
Cigarjoe's list shows there has been a good variety and overall quality. A list from before 2018 would probably show several A pictures.
-
4 hours ago, Hibi said:
I found Desperate to be a C movie. Just didnt qualify as a B. Felt like someone dashed off the script overnight. About halfway through I realized I'd seen it before. Aside from the dark scenes with Burr in the beginning and his scene at the end, really a bottom of the barrel story/release (though well acted).......
As I understand it, there were only two types of movies - A and B. A was the main feature and the B was the second feature. It was not a grade type thing.
-
1 hour ago, Hepburn Fan said:
Very good BingFan. I can't help but believe we all feel the same way. I don't know if taking a PDF to a print shop and having it printed and stapled in book format is affordable. I have to believe it is possible. TCM makes no reasonable effort to ease the pain/transition from paper to email. If TCM formatted the guide so it could be printed in book format, some of us could justify the additional cost of making our own. I would need a more modern duplex printer. A saddle stapler, or long reach stapler, after the pages are folded.
The Now Playing Guide 'folded' because of the cost. I would consider it still a value at $2/month. I seem to recall it ended selling for less than $1.25/month.
My time is more valuable than creating my own book from scratch.
I believe the original discussion on this forum indicated most (if not all) subscribers were willing to pay more. I know I was. But that was never an option. There may have been more to it than just cost.
Personally I would have been happy with a printed schedule of upcoming movies, specials, shorts, etc. with just a brief description without anything else. I could live with out the articles, puzzles, and so forth.
-
When the whole issue of cancelling the print edition came up, I wrote a letter to the CEO of TCM. No response at all which really disappointed me. I don't think current management knows what a book or magazine or newspaper is.
As for polling, who would they poll? I imagine the vast majority of TCM viewers are not anywhere on this website. They could do ads on the channel with a number to call, but not sure that would work.
Regardless, the printed edition is not coming back. Took me several attempts, but I finally got signed up for the email version. Not very worthwhile. I usually open it to see what the first pages announce, but have never looked at the schedules. Now, I use the schedule provisions of Spectrum on screen guides. Or when I am on this site, I click on the schedule link and check the next couple of days - if I remember to.
I refuse to print out the schedule (tried it initially). Wastes way too much paper and ink.
One advantage to the printed guide was that I used it to make notes about shows on other networks to watch. First thing in the AM I would turn on the TV and pick up the printed TCM guide. Having previously reviewed it, I had highlighted what I wanted to watch or record.
Incidentally, Fox Movie Channel shows older movies from about 3:00 AM till 3:00 PM without commercials. But as Lawrence said, they repeat the heck out of them. Almost like a daily or every other day loop for weeks and then the change it for a while.
-
1
-
-
1 hour ago, scsu1975 said:
This scene always puzzles me ... why are the lights pointing up?
I think it was one of those decorating or lighting styles of the period. The light was supposed to bounce off the ceiling instead of being directed downward. In this case, they probably would have lit the floor rather than the room if pointed down. I still see floor lamps where the light is pointed to ceiling.
-
1
-
-
A couple of Kino Lorber Studio DVD's. Highway Dragnet (1954) with Richard Conte and Joan Bennett. He is wrongly accused of crime and "kidnaps" Bennett and her model to escape using their car. Interesting, but Bennett is not really that good in it, compared to her other performances. Wanda Hendrix is much better.
I Walk Alone (1947) with Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas and Lizabeth Scott. All do a very good job and the script and direction is good as well. Classic Film Noir.
I'm sure these have been around a while, but KL seems to be releasing a lot of movies in Blu-Ray now and probably reprinting the DVD versions.
-
1
-
-
7 minutes ago, LawrenceA said:
Too Much, Too Soon (1958) - Lurid, trashy biopic of Diana Barrymore, based on her autobiography, from Warner Brothers and director Art Napoleon. Diana (Dorothy Malone) struggles with abandonment issues thanks to her absentee father, alcoholic movie star John Barrymore (Errol Flynn), and an emotionally distant mother (Neva Patterson). Diana decides to follow her father's footsteps into the acting profession, as well as re-establishing a bond with him, but neither pursuit works out for her, and she descends into alcoholism herself, as well as a series of abusive relationships. Also featuring Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Ray Danton, Murray Hamilton, Martin Milner, John Dennis, Ed Kemmer, Robert Ellenstein, Peter Brown, Sidney Clute, John Doucette, and Kathleen Freeman.
This seems intended as an acting showcase for Malone, but I thought she was rather bad, and the material doesn't do her any favors. The script goes for cheap shocks and exploitation rather than any kind of serious examination of her character, or those of her famous parents. Flynn was on his last legs, which suits the role, but it's still heartbreaking to see. (5/10)
Source: TCM
Saw this many, many years ago on late night TV (pre-cable). Vaguely remember it, but mostly for Martin Milner in a scene near the end. Malone is saying something about much she has changed or lost and he says we all have. Takes his hat off to show his bald head.
-
While there were a lot of plot holes in Desperate, it would have taken a three hour movie to cover them. However, it was meant to be a "B" movie of about one hour length. Within those constraints, it did a very good job of having a reasonable plot and lots of action. It actually moved along very well and didn't drag. As noted above, you just have to assume certain things happened.
I was very familiar with Raymond Burr as Perry Mason long before I became acquainted with his bad guy roles (thanks to TCM). Have PM on DVD and watch episodes frequently. Sometimes amazed that Burr could do both PM and bad guys so well.
-
Desperate tonight/tomorrow. Seen it and recall it, but not that well.
-
17 minutes ago, LawrenceA said:
The Quiet American (1958) - Good drama from United Artists and director Joseph L. Mankiewicz. Set against the backdrop of war-torn Vietnam, British reporter Thomas Fowler (Michael Redgrave) vies for the affections of Eurasian beauty Phuong (Giorgia Moll) with a mysterious aid worker known simply as the American (Audie Murphy). Also featuring Claude Dauphin, Bruce Cabot, Fred Sadoff, Kerima, Clinton Anderson, Yoko Tani, and Richard Loo.
There are a great many liberties taken with Graham Greene's source novel, but I still found there to be enough worthwhile here to moderately recommend it. Redgrave is very good as the slightly pathetic Fowler, and I thought Murphy did an adequate enough job in a rare non-action role. Giorgia Moll looks about as Asian as Murphy does, which undermines the story a bit. It was interesting to see a film set in, and partially filmed in, Vietnam during this period, and to have it make allusions to less than savory practices committed by the Americans. I saw the later adaptation of Greene's novel from 2002 featuring Michael Caine and Brendan Fraser, and highly recommend that one. (7/10)
Source: MGM DVD
A good movie to show during the Memorial Day Marathon, but TCM won't do it. TCM prefers to show blood and guts, glory WW II type movies rather than more analytical ones that show how we got into some wars.
-
2
-
1
-
-
9 hours ago, cigarjoe said:
The thing is if you completely forget about the Bogey version the time period and the UK and watch it it follows the novel much better than the original and the plot makes perfect sense. Try it sometime.?
Not sure it is the setting or in comparison to Bogie's as much as just not a very good movie.
-
Farewell My Lovely and Murder My Sweet were preceded by another movie based on the novel. The Falcon Takes Over (1942).
-
Have wondered about this for a long time, but guess all three with large roles in one movie would have been too much for Hollywood.
-
1
-
Seminal Noir
in General Discussions
Posted
No. Ironically Out of the Past is not one of my favorites. Although it is very good and I can understand why so many think of it as the classic Noir movie.