slaytonf

Jessie Matthews alert! One of her movies, a premiere, I think, is on in March: http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/79586/It-s-Love-Again/ Air date: March 10 @ 08:00 PM (ET)

Gleaning from what I could read on cursory searches, it was a combination of her friction with studio execs over movies and a couple of box flops. Paramount didn't renew her contract and she moved to Columbia (I think), playing supporting roles in B pictures. A great loss, she could make the most ordinary or uninteresting movie worth watching.

You convinced me! I especially like They Won't Believe Me (1947).

So we get a distorted view even of stars we are familiar with!

Jessie Matthews was terrific! I saw her first in First a Girl (1935), the first remake of Viktor und Viktoria (1933). Although the production numbers lacked the pizazz of Hollywood movies, she sparkled enough for a dozen musicals. TCM has shown a few of her movies, but only a handfull of times. She certainly deserves a much higher profile.

A. The only Greta Garbo movie I loathe. B. The Eleanor Powell? Louise Brooks, how you commanded the world. C. The indomitable human spirit. D. The Man of a Thousand Tragedies. E. The nose has it. F. Norma Shearer was one of the few movie actors to do right by Shakespeare. #1. Looks like Maude. #9. Rose Marie--something. Obviously.

TCM strives to be comprehensive about movies, primarily about the studio era. Nevertheless, whether from the recalcitrance of some studios, or their laziness, or cluelessness, or TCM's lack of determination, a number of studios, big and small, lack equal representation in the schedule. And as the studios are underrepresented, so are their stars. Naturally, a TCemmer would reflexively think of somebody like Shirley Temple, or Betty Grable. Only in the past few years have we enjoyed spates of their movies. But I'm wondering if there were really big stars who we don't remember as being big because we don't see a lot of their movies. I can think of one, Nancy Carroll. She started her acting on the stage in musicals and even on Broadway, when, after a move out west, she was siphoned into the movies for her abilities when sound came along. She had an engaging screen presence, charming, likable, approachable. This made her prime for roles in upbeat comedies, and of course, musicals. But she was also able to pull off the drama, too. She was cuteasabutton, had huge eyes, and a dancer's figure, which made her all that more appealing. She was a big big star, but because most of her work was for Paramount, we see almost nothing of her. Only three movies of hers have had more than one showing on TCM. That's too bad, because, after Al Jolson, she is credited with being the first big movie star of the soundies. I first became acquainted with her seeing Child of Manhattan (1933) on TCM. She has one of my favorite lines in movies. A dance hall girl becomes involved with the society guy who owns it. After her momma questions wether he's a real gentleman, she responds something like: "Of course he is, I can only understand half of what he says." Here''s a good biography: https://immortalephemera.com/42797/nancy-carroll/ And here's a pic:

Barbara Stanwyck. No matter how awful the drivel she is given to say, it is always delivered with absolute conviction and sincerity.

The conventions of typography and spelling have developed over centuries to produce an accepted means of communication. Certainly a lot of it is arbitrary and learned, but once agreed on, it drops into the background and allows for transparent discussion. It's also possible to play against those conventions to create an effect, like irony, humor, emphasis, etc. To completely abandon those conventions highlights the form of communication, distracts from the point being made, and places an unfair burden on the reader to penetrate the unusual form. I'm not arguing for slavish adherence to convention. Invention, creativity, humor, spontaneity (at least, as much as possible in this format), all contribute to posts that are worth reading and engaging with.

There are two practices. The one in the movie was pollarding, the cutting back of branches toward the crown of the tree. This was done mostly to provide fodder for livestock, or poles for fences or other uses. Coppicing, the cutting of a tree near the ground to encourage shoot growth, was done mainly for firewood, poles and osiers. Osiers would be used for furniture framework. Reeds or split cane would be used for the woven seats and backs. Also for wine bottles.

A daunting task. After all, to portray a great talent, you need one. Sissy Spacek did a fine job with Loretta Lynn in Coal Miner's Daughter (1980). It's hard to imagine anyone having the explosive energy of Sammy Davis.

Musn't reply. Sit. on. hands. Can't. resist. Typing. Nooooo!

Who can say what goes on in the mind of someone who will colorize a movie? I shudder in abject terror at the thought. All that occurs to me offhand is that someone who will not hesitate to colorize will also not hesitate to commit other offenses. Perhaps they, or he, or she thought with such a pretty picture, the old fuzzy voices from public domain prints wouldn't be good enough.

Mostly his early work, as a supporting actor in movies like The Hanging Tree (1959), and The Hustler (1961). TCM almost never shows anything from TV.

Have I mentioned this movie before? Well, even if I have, it deserves a mention and a viewing. MovieCollector's list shows it aired nineteen times in the past, so compared to other TCM warhorses, it's a rare treat, even if it aired last year. Is it a great movie? I wouldn't say so, but it's an engaging tale of the conflict of oil and cattle interests in the early part of the last century, and one of my favorite Susan Hayward movies. It sports themes of development vs. environment (at least for cattle), American entrepeneurism and risk taking, traditional values clashing with innovation, prudent management clashing with doomsday thinking. And sex. There is a great supporting cast, including Pedro Armendáriz, Chill Wills, and Robert Preston. But the movie belongs start to finish to Susan Hayward. She plays the scion of a cattle dynasty, orphaned (by immolation!) by the careless drilling practices of an oil baron. She's a wild spirit, hell-bent for revenge, trying to out-oil the baron at his own game. On the way she finds partnership (with Preston), love (with Preston), and outrageous success (with Preston). She loses sight of revenge, but who's counting? Susan Hayward has never appeared lustier, more vibrant and alive (even if the Technicolor can use restoration), and that's saying a lot. It's a thrill watching her. Thursday 20 February, 5:45 AM Pacific.

Completely forgot about that! Thanks for reminding me.

That's not much to go on. Is there anything else you can recall? Setting? Era (40s, 50s, etc.)?

This is prompted by tonight's showing of Pygmalion (1938). She's on my list, along with the likes of Setsuko Hara, and Olivia de Havilland. She didn't have the same opportunities as other fine movie actresses of her time, due to her preference for the stage, but she had a number of wonderful roles. She was a daughter in spirit to Bernard Shaw and his wife, leading to her originating many of his best leading women, Eliza Doolittle, Major Barbara Undershaft, and Joan of Arc. In movies she reprised Eliza Doolittle and Major Barbara at Shaw's insistence. She is also known for her appearance in the popular grande ensemble adaptation of Murder on the Orient Express (1974). But my favorite role for her is a little known romantic comedy directed by Michael Powell, in which she co-starred with Roger Livesey and Pamela Brown, called I Know Where I'm Going! (1945). I don't care much for romance movies, comedy or not. They tend to be even more formulaic than horror movies. But this one is charming and Ms. Hiller is at her most delicious as a machiavellian social climber who stumbles over a threadbare Scottish laird:

Below is a shot from the clip scsu1975 uploaded earlier in this clip. Is this what you mean? If so, it's what the other posters were talking about. Trees pruned to encourage growth in a particular manner, primarily long straight branches used for a variety of purposes. Like oisiers from willows for wickerwork, and bows from yews.

Looks like it's HD now.

Gonna miss her. She really knew her stuff. Not many co-hosts go much beyond how much they like this or that, or how great this or that is. She spoke intelligently, with insight and knowledge. I hope she'll come back and host again in the future.

Ms. Crawford and Mr. Garner never appeared in a movie together.

Hoyt does get some rifles in anticipation of attacks from outside. Ironically, the danger came from the other workers!

Mmmmaybe. . . .but methinks he doth protest too much. But, hey!, I just noticed you got about ten grand more posts than me. I gotta get on it!

The movie is Ordet (1955), directed by Carl Theodore Dreyer.