MyFavoriteFilms
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From the description I read using my cable guide, SHE'S WORKING HER WAY THROUGH COLLEGE was a reworking of THE MALE ANIMAL, not BALL OF FIRE. I believe the Danny Kaye vehicle A SONG IS BORN, was the musical remake of BALL OF FIRE, which also costarred Ms. Mayo.
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The soaps use a predominately youth-oriented format...so for someone like Constance Towers to still have a plum role on a soap opera is a big deal. Jeanne Cooper, of The Young and the Restless is another film alum who has had continued success on daytime television.
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I should've private messaged the list to you first! I really appreciate the corrections. Let me know which Gable flick has not been aired in awhile and I will delete the others. I will also remove the comment about the Loy film.
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SUSAN AND GOD is based on a successful stage play. It's a social satire about a well-to-do woman (in this case, Ms. Crawford) who decides to choose a more spiritual path instead of the materialistic life that surrounds her. This upsets the balance in her home and puts her at odds with her husband (Freddie March) and daughter (Rita Quigley). Of course, her husband and friends think she will 'snap out of it.'
According to the notes on the wiki page for this film, MGM purchased the rights intending to use it for Norma Shearer. But Norma didn't want to do it, because she would have to play mother to a teen daughter. She left those roles to Claudette Colbert, Greer Garson and Joan Crawford.
It's a very entertaining story but doesn't really endorse religion or even anti-religious notions. It's sort of a lavish situation comedy. The performances are good, the dialogue is sharp, and the costumes are must-see. Rita Hayworth (on loan-out from Columbia), Marjorie Main and Ruth Hussey lend support.
The film extended Crawford's winning streak at MGM after the enormous success of THE WOMEN (and she needed a resurgence after ICE FOLLIES OF 1939). It's available on DVD thru the Warner Archives collection.
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Yes, and she appeared in a few John Ford films.
On the soaps, she plays an aging vixen who keeps coming back from the dead on GH...she still looks good, after much plastic surgery I'm sure. I love her voice and coolness. She's been working professionally as an actress for over fifty years. John Gavin retired from Hollywood and went into politics, but Constance Towers never stopped appearing before cameras.
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Many of these are programmers or B-films and are not on DVD thru the Warner Archives collection. I focused primarily on talkies to the end of the production code (1929 to 1968). There are a few silent films and an occasional MGM film from the early 70s.
You will see that Robert Montgomery, Madge Evans, Robert Young and Una Merkel are underplayed on TCM. In some instances, I have included an RKO or Warners title that is not on DVD that TCM's programmers would have access to as part of the Time Warner library.
_GARBO_
ROMANCE
INSPIRATION
SUSAN LENOX
AS YOU DESIRE ME
_GABLE_
HELL DIVERS
_MADGE EVANS_
SON OF INDIA
WEST OF BROADWAY
ARE YOU LISTENING?
HUDDLE
FAST LIFE
MADE ON BROADWAY
THE NUISANCE
AGE OF INDISCRETION
MOONLIGHT MURDER
THE THIRTEENTH CHAIR
ESPIONAGE
_NELSON EDDY_
LET FREEDOM RING
BALALAIKA
_JOAN CRAWFORD_
MONTANA MOON
LAUGHING SINNERS
THIS MODERN AGE
CHAINED
I LIVE MY LIFE
MANNEQUIN
ICE FOLLIES OF 1939
_JIMMY DURANTE_
NEW ADVENTURES OF GET-RICH-QUICK WALLINGFORD
CUBAN LOVE SONG
PASSIONATE PLUMBER
SPEAK EASILY
WHAT! NO BEER?
HOLLYWOOD PARTY
STUDENT TOUR
_ANNE FRANCIS_
THE HIRED GUN
A LION IS IN THE STREETS (WB)
THE GREAT AMERICAN PASTTIME
DON?T GO NEAR THE WATER
_MARIE DRESSLER_
THE CALLAHANS AND THE MURPHYS (Possibly a lost film?)
BRINGING UP FATHER
CHASING RAINBOWS
CAUGHT SHORT
LET US BE GAY
THE LATE CHRISTOPHER BEAN
_WALLACE BEERY_
A LADY?S MORALS
SECRET SIX
FLESH
OLD HUTCH
THE GOOD OLD SOAK
THE BAD MAN OF BRIMSTONE
THE MAN FROM DAKOTA
WYOMING
20 MULE TEAM
SALUTE TO THE MARINES
THE MIGHTY MCGURK
ALIAS A GENTLEMAN
THIS MAN?S NAVY
_SARA HADEN_
UNDER COVER OF NIGHT
TELL NO TALES
_MARY ASTOR_
WOMAN AGAINST WOMAN
PARADISE FOR THREE
THE POWER AND THE PRIZE
_MEL FERRER_
SAADIA
THE WORLD, THE FLESH AND THE DEVIL
_LESLIE CARON_
THE DOCTOR?S DILEMMA
THE SUBTERRANEANS
CHANDLER
_MARION DAVIES_
BEVERLY OF GRAUSTARK
TILLIE THE TOILER
THE FAIR CO-ED
QUALITY STREET (Remade by RKO with Katharine Hepburn)
THE CARDBOARD LOVER (Remade by MGM with Norma Shearer)
MARIANNE (Hearst produced both silent and talkie versions)
NOT SO DUMB
FLORADORA GIRL
IT?S A WISE CHILD
FIVE AND TEN
_STEWART GRANGER_
SOLDIERS THREE
THE LIGHT TOUCH
THE WILD NORTH
GUN GLORY
THE SECRET PARTNER
SWORDSMAN OF SIENA
_VIRGINIA GREY_
KEEPING COMPANY
WASHINGTON MELODRAMA
MR. AND MRS. NORTH
_WILLIAM HAINES_ (Several others are on DVD, but TCM rarely airs any of his work.)
ALIAS JIMMY VALENTINE
THE DUKE STEPS OUT
A MAN'S MAN
A TAILOR MADE MAN
JUST A GIGOLO
_LANA TURNER_
KEEP YOUR POWDER DRY
FLAME AND THE FLESH
THE PRODIGAL
_MARSHALL THOMPSON_
TWICE BLESSED
THE COCKEYED MIRACLE
GALLANT BESS
DIAL 1119
THE TALL TARGET
_FRANCHOT TONE_
THE STRANGER?S RETURN
STRAIGHT IS THE WAY
EXCLUSIVE STORY
LOVE ON THE RUN
THE UNGUARGED HOUR
THEY GAVE HIM A GUN
THUNDER AFLOAT
FAST AND FURIOUS
_AUDREY TOTTER_
MAIN STREET AFTER DARK
BEWITCHED
DANGEROUS PARTNERS
THE HIDDEN EYE
THE BEGINNING OR THE END
_ROBERT WALKER_
DANCING CO-ED
WHAT NEXT CORPORAL HARGROVE (Sequel to SEE HERE, PRIVATE HARGROVE)
THE SAILOR TAKES A WIFE
THE SKIPPER SURPRISED HIS WIFE
VENGEANCE VALLEY (Airs on the Encore Westerns channel but not TCM)
_KEENAN WYNN_
NORTHWEST RANGERS
NO LEAVE, NO LOVE
SKY FULL OF MOON
HOLIDAY FOR SINNERS
CODE TWO
TENNESSEE CHAMP
THE MARAUDERS
HONEYMOON HOTEL
_LUCILLE BREMER_
DARK DELUSION
_PIER ANGELI_
TERESA
THE LIGHT TOUCH
THE VINTAGE
MERRY ANDREW
_ROBERT YOUNG_
WET PARADE
NEW MORALS FOR OLD
UNASHAMED
MEN MUST FIGHT
RIGHT TO ROMANCE (RKO)
LAZY RIVER
THE BAND PLAYS ON
VAGABOND LADY
CALM YOURSELF
SWORN ENEMY
THE LONGEST NIGHT
MARRIED BEFORE BREAKFAST
MIRACLES FOR SALE
FLORIAN
THOSE ENDEARING YOUNG CHARMS (RKO)
LADY LUCK (RKO)
BRIDE FOR SALE (RKO)
THE HALF BREED (RKO)
_GEORGE MURPHY_
WOMEN MEN MARRY
TALK ABOUT A STRANGER
SHOW BUSINESS (RKO)
_MARGARET O?BRIEN_
THE UNFINISHED DANCE
_WALTER PIDGEON_
SOCIETY LAWYER
NICK CARTER, MASTER DETECTIVE
PHANTOM RAIDERS
THE UNKNOWN MAN
SKYJACKED
_JANE POWELL_
LUXURY LINER
_MAUREEN O?SULLIVAN_
STAGE MOTHER
THE FLAME WITHIN
BETWEEN TWO WOMEN
PORT OF SEVEN SEAS
SPORTING BLOOD (From 1940; MGM made an earlier version in the 30s)
_REGINALD OWEN_
EVERYBODY SING
VACATION FROM LOVE
BRIDAL SUITE
FREE AND EASY
ASSIGNMENT IN BRITTANY
PICCADILLY INCIDENT
_RED SKELTON_
THE GREAT DIAMOND ROBBERY
A SOUTHERN YANKEE
THE YELLOW CAB MAN
EXCUSE MY DUST
THE CLOWN
_FRANK MORGAN_
BEG BORROW OR STEAL
HULLABALOO
THE GHOST COMES HOME
THE WILD MAN OF BORNEO
HENRY GOES TO ARIZONA
THE VANISHING VIRGINIAN
_ANN SOTHERN_
WALKING ON AIR (RKO)
THE SMARTEST GIRL IN TOWN (RKO)
SUPER SLEUTH (RKO)
JOE AND ETHEL TURP CALL ON THE PRESIDENT
DULCY
THREE HEARTS FOR JULIA
CRY HAVOC
APRIL SHOWERS (WB)
THE JUDGE STEPS OUT (RKO)
SHADOW ON THE WALL
_ANN BLYTH_
THE KING?S THIEF
_ROBERT STERLING_
THE PENALTY
BUNCO SQUAD (RKO)
A GLOBAL AFFAIR
_ELIZABETH TAYLOR_
THE BIG HANGOVER
LOVE IS BETTER THAN EVER
RHAPSODY
BEAU BRUMMEL
_JAMES STEWART_
MURDER MAN
THE LAST GANGSTER
SPEED
OF HUMAN HEARTS
MAGIC TOWN (RKO)
CARBINE WILLIAMS
_ANN MILLER_
WATCH THE BIRDIE
SMALL TOWN GIRL
HIT THE DECK
_JEANETTE MACDONALD_
THE CAT AND THE FIDDLE
CAIRO (Her first non-musical role)
_MYRNA LOY_
MEN IN WHITE
STAMBOUL QUEST
WHIPSAW
TOO HOT TO HANDLE
LUCKY NIGHT
_MARJORIE MAIN_
BARNACLE BILL
THE BUGLE SOUNDS
RATIONING
THE SHOW-OFF
THE CAPTAIN IS A LADY
_OTTO KRUGER_
TURN BACK THE CLOCK
PARIS INTERLUDE
CRIME DOCTOR (RKO)
HITLER?S CHILDREN (RKO)
_UNA MERKEL_
THE SECRET OF MADAME BLANCHE
CLEAR ALL WIRES
REUNION IN VIENNA
BEAUTY FOR SALE
DAY OF RECKONING
THE WOMEN IN HIS LIFE
MURDER IN THE PRIVATE CAR
HAVE A HEART
ONE NEW YORK NIGHT
BABY FACE HARRINGTON
MURDER IN THE FLEET
IT?S IN THE AIR
WE WENT TO COLLEGE
_ROBERT MONTGOMERY_
SINS OF THE CHILDREN
LOVE IN THE ROUGH
WAR NURSE
THE EASIEST WAY
SHIPMATES
MAN IN POSSESSION
LOVERS COURAGEOUS
BUT THE FLESH IS WEAK
HELL BELOW
FUGITIVE LOVERS
MYSTERY OF MR. X
BIOGRAPHY OF A BACHELOR GIRL
PICCADILLY JIM
YELLOW JACK
THREE LOVES HAS NANCY
FAST AND LOOSE
THE EARL OF CHICAGO
HAUNTED HONEYMOON
_VIRGINIA BRUCE_
THE GREAT MURDER CASE
THE FIRST HUNDRED YEARS
STRONGER THAN DESIRE
ARSENE LUPIN RETURNS
_RICARDO MONTALBAN_
TWO WEEKS WITH LOVE
MY MAN AND I
SOMBRERO
SOL MADRID
_CLAUDE JARMAN_
ROUGHSHOD (RKO)
THE OUTRIDERS (Airs on the Encore Westerns channel but not TCM)
INSIDE STRAIGHT
_RITA JOHNSON_
LONDON BY NIGHT
RICH MAN POOR GIRL
THE GIRL DOWNSTAIRS
BROADWAY SERENADE
6,000 ENEMIES
THEY ALL COME OUT
THE GOLDEN FLEECING
THEY WON?T BELIEVE ME (RKO)
_HOWARD KEEL_
FAST COMPANY
KISMET
_BUTCH JENKINS_
AN AMERICAN ROMANCE
BOYS? RANCH
LITTLE MR. JIM
BUD ABBOTT & LOU COSTELLO IN HOLLYWOOD
_VAN JOHNSON_
GO FOR BROKE
WHEN IN ROME
CONFIDENTIALLY CONNIE
REMAINS TO BE SEEN
SLANDER
MEN OF THE FIGHTING LADY
ACTION OF THE TIGER
_GENE KELLY_
THE CROSS OF LORRAINE
LIVING IN A BIG WAY
THE BLACK HAND
THE DEVIL MAKES THREE
CREST OF THE WAVE
INVITATION TO THE DANCE
_DEBORAH KERR_
VACATION FROM MARRIAGE
COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS
EYE OF THE DEVIL
_HEDY LAMARR_
THE CONSPIRATORS (WB)
EXPERIMENT PERILOUS (RKO)
HER HIGHNESS AND THE BELLBOY
A LADY WITHOUT PASSPORT
_PETER LAWFORD_
YOU FOR ME
THE HOUR OF 13
ROGUES? MARCH
_JANET LEIGH_
THE ROMANCE OF ROSY RIDGE
STRICTLY DISHONORABLE
TWO TICKETS TO BROADWAY (RKO)
ROGUE COP
FEARLESS FAGAN
PETE KELLY?S BLUES (WB)
_JEAN HAGEN_
NIGHT INTO MORNING
SHADOW IN THE SKY
ARENA
HALF A HERO
_HELEN HAYES_
ANOTHER LANGUAGE
WHAT EVERY WOMAN KNOWS
VANESSA, HER LOVE STORY
CRIME WITHOUT PASSION
NIGHT FLIGHT
_VAN HEFLIN_
GRAND CENTRAL MURDER
THE SECRET LAND
_KATHARINE HEPBURN_
A BILL OF DIVORCEMENT (RKO)
THE LITTLE MINISTER (RKO)
A WOMAN REBELS (RKO)
THE IRON PETTICOAT
_JOHN HODIAK_
TWO SMART PEOPLE
MALAYA
THE SELLOUT
_RUTH HUSSEY_
SPRING MADNESS
HONOLULU
WITHIN THE LAW
BLACKMAIL
MARRIED BACHELOR
PIERRE OF THE PLAINS
_LENA HORNE_
SWING FEVER
BROADWAY RHYTHM
MEET ME IN LAS VEGAS
_MARSHA HUNT_
THE TRIAL OF MARY DUGAN
JOE SMITH AMERICAN
A LETTER FOR EVIE
ANNAPOLIS SALUTE
Obviously, there are quite a few. I am sure that some of them have aired on TCM, but they air so infrequently that they might as well be mentioned. I appreciate any corrections or additions to this list.
Edited by: MyFavoriteFilms on Dec 1, 2010 2:44 PM
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I watched Constance in an episode of The Outer Limits on THIS TV...she was great. She is currently airing as bad girl Helena on ABC's daytime sudser General Hospital.
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For those who use Netflix, another great film about Pearl Harbor is this Oscar-nominated gem from Paramount:
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In observance of Pearl Harbor Day, TCM and FMC will be airing a day of war films.
_TCM_
SUBMARINE RAIDER...I don't know why the schedule classifies this title as a western.
AIR FORCE...directed by Howard Hawks
FROM HERE TO ETERNITY...this should lead the schedule, in my opinion.
IN HARM'S WAY...has become one of the most overplayed films on TCM this year LOL
FLYING LEATHERNECKS...a two-star effort from RKO starring John Wayne & Robert Ryan
BEACHHEAD
THREE CAME HOME...superb Fox drama starring Claudette Colbert
_FMC_
IN LOVE AND WAR
SINK THE BISMARCK!
AMERICAN GUERRILLA IN THE PHILIPPINES...excellent war film with Ty Power
WING AND A PRAYER...with Don Ameche, Dana Andrews and William Eythe
BATTLE AT BLOODY BEACH...this is the third war film starring Audie Murphy (he made mostly westerns)
DECISION BEFORE DAWN
VON RYAN'S EXPRESS...Frank Sinatra and Trevor Howard give great performances
PATTON...George C. Scott's Oscar-winning performance
PARADISE ROAD
HITLER'S SS: PORTRAIT IN EVIL...with Jose Ferrer and Tony Randall
RAID ON ENTEBBE
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I haven't seen LOST HORIZON yet...I think it's on TCM in January. The way you described it reminds me of the ending scenes in THE RAZOR'S EDGE, where Ty Power's character goes off on a deeper spiritual quest. Fox will be screening it on New Year's day.
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She definitely is 'the whole package.' I had seen FLAXY MARTIN before and WEST POINT STORY...but most of these other ones are new to me.
I really enjoyed SMARTS GIRLS DON'T TALK...I liked the pairing of her and Robert Hutton as siblings (very believable). And the story moved along at a quick pace and wasn't too far-fetched.
I watched her in SHE'S WORKING HER WAY THROUGH COLLEGE (a Technicolor musical she did with Ronald Reagan) that TCM broadcast last week...so I am looking forward to them working together again in THE GIRL FROM JONES BEACH.
I agree that the daytime films seem better than some of the primetime offerings. I think it's because the programmers are trying to do elaborate themes in the evenings. But during the daytime hours it's a featured performer with selections from his or her filmography, which builds a more intimate relationship between the star and the viewer.
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A batch of Virginia Mayo's films are airing on TCM today...she would've been 90. (She died of natural causes in 2005.)
Probably FLAXY MARTIN and CAPTAIN HORATIO HORNBLOWER are among the best of what is being offered today...plus there's a rarely shown film she did with Milton Berle called ALWAYS LEAVE THEM LAUGHING.
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I don't think anyone mentioned Shirley Temple's THE LITTLE COLONEL (from 1935). The Fox DVD has the original black and white version, plus a fully colorized version. But if you look at the original black and white, you will see that there is a sequence at the very end of the film, which lasts just under two minutes that is in Technicolor. The point is to show off Shirley's new pink dress...LOL
Hattie McDaniel appears in this scene...so GONE WITH THE WIND was not her first Technicolor experience.
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Yes, Warners' FATIMA drips in Technicolor...I am glad TCM screened it. If they ever acquire SONG OF BERNADETTE from Fox, this would make a great primetime double-feature.
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John Gavin is a good actor. His wife, Constance Towers, is still working on television today.
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Glad you mentioned BRIGHAM YOUNG. I was just going to say something about it. Jagger's name appears at the end of the credits in the opening shots, with a special 'and Dean Jagger as Brigham Young' designation. Obviously, he has the title role and plays the lead character (with more screen time than either Power or Darnell). At the end of the film, he is listed third, after these two.
In a way, I think it harms the story that they have to create two fictional Mormons as love interests to sell the story which is about religious persecution and migration. I am not interested in Ty Power in this film...if he had played Brigham, then I would care what happens to him. But his role is a nuisance, a distraction from the more historical aspects of the narrative. And he could've easily been replaced by Henry Fonda. There is nothing that makes him stand out in this film. I understand the commercial aspects of filmmaking and why, as you explained, Zanuck cast him and Darnell. But it doesn't work for me. I was much more interested in Jagger, in Vincent Price and in the wonderful Mary Astor whose characters were essential to the film's epic story.
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This user review seems to touch on the political aspects of why BRIGHAM YOUNG was made by Fox:
Look at when it was filmed: 1940. I think the folks who produced this film wanted to tell a story about religious tolerance. Consider what was happening in Europe at the time. They wanted a movie that would condemn religious intolerance (in a commercially acceptable way), but they wanted the film to be uniquely American (a little US boosterism can't hurt), and they wanted it to feel epic, too. The story of the Mormons fit perfectly. About 20 minutes in is the courtroom scene--the heart and theme of the movie. Smith talks economics (pretty pertinent since movie-goers were still dealing with the Great Depression) and Young talks constitutional rights--in particular freedom of worship. No one in the 1840s would have talked about individuals having constitutional rights like that, but in the 1940s it seemed to be a message worth emphasizing.
Written by Netflix customer Golden 22.
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> 20th Century Fox actually changed the title to BRIGHAM YOUNG - FRONTIERSMAN to emphasize the epic adventure aspect of it and de-emphasize the religious aspect, feeling that it would keep people away from the theaters.
Yes, they were playing it up as a western-themed epic adventure. Not only was the title altered, but the artwork changed. Now, the new release seems to drop the subtitle and focuses on the relationship of the men fighting for their faith. It cost $2.7 million to make in 1940 and did not originally turn a profit.
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The Robert Wagner commentary on LET'S MAKE IT LEGAL has been my favorite so far...he was describing how some of the scenes in the film were shot; plus he talked about the different departments of the Fox studio at the time the film was made and he had very good, insightful things to say about his costars and the director. I got the feeling that the studio system was an extremely positive experience for RJ and made a life-long impact on him. He was very articulate and he talked about some of his other films, too...going above and beyond the usual scope of these commentaries.
Also, tonight I looked at the special features for the BRIGHAM YOUNG disc from Fox. There is commentary by an LDS scholar, which I can't wait to get to later...and also, there was interesting realia: a letter written by Vincent Price in 1972 was included in its entirety, wherein he describes his role in the picture (he played Joseph Smith).
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TCM aired THE MIRACLE OF OUR LADY OF FATIMA this past weekend, and it got me thinking about other miracle-type films.
Tonight I am watching BRIGHAM YOUNG which Netflix mailed to my home today. There are some great bonus features on the disc that I've already previewed...and I before watching the movie, I read some of the user comments on Netflix.
This one was particularly noteworthy, written by a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints about the historical accuracy of the Fox motion picture:
It appears that no one writing a review is actually a Mormon so let me clear somethings up. This film is typical of Hollywood film making at the time. In others words taking a historical event and changes the facts to fit the screen play. First Brigham Young took two years of investigating the church before he ever joined. Joseph Smith never had a trail before he was killed in Carthage Jail and Brigham was actuality back east at the time campaigning for Joseph for President. After Joseph was killed the Apostles (including Brigham) gathered together in Nauvoo and spoke to the Saints. When Brigham got up to speak his countenances changed to that of Joseph Smith in looks and voice and everyone there saw it. That happened outside in broad day light. That was a sign to everybody that Brigham had been chosen by the God to be the next prophet. Something Hollywood left completely out. In stead they played this whole story that Brigham was having doubts of his call. Anyone who has study Mormon history knows that this was not so. Further more while on the trek west the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles was reorganized with Brigham Young as President. The film also neglected to talk about the Book Of Mormon. As any Mormon will tell you the Book Of Mormon and the Holy Spirit convert people not good speakers. On another note any one who doubts that people were that intolerant of Mormons in the early days of the Church needs to check the history. Because people were that terrible. The Mormons were driven out of New York, Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois by armed mobs. Look up Governor Boggs Extermination order. Any way while grossly inaccurate in history and motivation for the Saints it is a fairly good film from 1940. But if anyone wants to know about Mormons and what they believe just ask a Mormon. We are more then happy to talk about it or visit mormon.org
Written by Netflix customer bzi1495688
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Good points...some times the title is thematic and it's a bit harder to define the plot of the film by it.
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>Favorite Child Actor: Freddie Bartholomew
>
> Wise beyond his little years. On-screen he projected high-spirits, sincerity and a continuous gift-for-gab.
Yes, Freddie B has a special quality. Unfortunately, he did not transition to adult roles. He lacked a masculinity that prevented him from maturing into romantic leads.
Another child actor I like a lot is Brandon de Wilde. He grew to be an attractive young leading man and was a very fine actor.
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> I just saw a Claudette Colbert vehicle...Did she ever play a horrible person? - the heiress in *It Happened One Night* doesn't count, the character may be a spoiled brat, but she's basically decent, and certainly likable.)
Good question, and she really didn't ever play against type (her 'type' was the more wholesome woman). But she varied her roles in different genres, and starting with SINCE YOU WENT AWAY, she allowed herself to play mothers of teens...in the 50s, she even plays a grandmother in a Fox comedy LET'S MAKE IT LEGAL...making aging fashionable in Hollywood (something other actresses fight like the plague).
One of the reasons I think she's so good in MAID OF SALEM is that she is a condemned woman and has to fight to clear her name and restore her honor (Fred MacMurray helps her). And she's very good in SO PROUDLY WE HAIL, as a nurse in the war who has a whirlwind affair. Probably the most shocking part she plays is in THE SECRET FURY, where she's the victim of a madman and is railroaded for a crime (but of course, she's Claudette and her character is innocent).
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> after finally watching this movie in October 2010 I cannot figure out why it was given the title: Mourning Becomes Electra.
I think there may have been a reference to it in the stage play. O'Neill's play originally ran six hours (with a dinner intermission). RKO's version, which you saw in October, had a running time under three hours...so more than half the original material was not used.
I think the programmers did a good job of airing MOURNING BECOMES ELECTRA in the late afternoon hours. It was not primetime, but at least it was not during the wee hours of the morning. I do hope they schedule it again...it's a great film with excellent performances from everyone.
Seldom seen MGM films on TCM
in General Discussions
Posted
I omitted Mr. Gilbert because...
A) I was not concentrating on silent films; and
P.S. I just checked his filmography...most of his talkies did air in August. However, I don't think HIS GLORIOUS NIGHT made it on the schedule, and neither did FAST WORKERS. If someone has a printout of the August schedule and can confirm this, then we'll know for sure.
Edited by: MyFavoriteFilms on Dec 1, 2010 2:22 PM