TomJH

For James Cagney fans, here is a link to a YouTube video of what an announcer (news reporter?) says is the surprisingly modest looking cottage, located in Stanfordville, New York, in which our Yankee Doodle Dandy died in 1986. There is also a brief glimpse of a lake beside it, which must have given Cagney a sense of peace undoubtedly lacking during his tumultuous Hollywood years. The modesty of the home seems to be reflective of the modesty of the man.

Dargo, I guess it's up to the ladies on these threads to best explain what it is about any of these three less-than-conventionally-handsome actors that would appeal to them. I can sort of understand the appeal of the young Cagney, however. During the '30s he played a tough take-charge kind of guy who, on occasion, showed vulnerability and would bring out the mother instinct in some of his leading ladies. (And, NO, I'm NOT talking about Ma Jarrett in White Heat. That's a whole different thing there). But, for example, in Taxi he's plays an emotionally charged bad boy, ready to get physically rough with Loretta Young at times but he also acts emotionally vulnerable, too, even crying on her shoulder at one time in the film. And she more or less cradles him in her arms when he does that. There are a lot of women in relationships with men like that. The kind that Cagney played, I think, is very appealing to a lot of those female viewers who aren't necessarily interested in the smoother, "pretty boy" types of actors. Cagney had a certain man child quality in his early years that would appeal to many women. As far as Bogart is concerned, I could be right out to lunch on what I'm about to say - but, watching him, particularly in his scenes with Bacall, he comes across as a world weary cynic ready to act protective of her. There's no Jimmy Cagney "little boy" quality about him. Watching him banter with Bacall (in particular that racetrack double entendre scene in Big Sleep) he also comes across to me like something of a sophisticate. I think that a woman looking for a man-of-the-world type may find that Bogart attractive. I'm doing a lot of analyzing here, though. And some of the ladies reading this might take issue with my interpretation of the appeal of those two actors. Sure as heck, it's a lot easier for me to understand the appeal to the ladies of a lot of other actors more easily than it is Cagney or Bogart.

*{font:arial, helvetica, sans-serif}SAAM = Sex Appeal, Animal Magnetism{font}* {font:arial, helvetica, sans-serif}*Robinson has zero, Bogey and Cagney have lots* Sex appeal, of course, is all in the eye of the beholder. Yes, there are some actors or actresses that just have "it," but a lot of the time it has to do with screen image and being cast in the right role. Prior to his making Casablanca, there wasn't a hint in any of his roles that Bogart could be seen as a romantic or sexy guy. That one film changed his image. That lead, in turn, to To Have and Have Not, as well as The Big Sleep (a film in which every hat check girl, book clerk or even female cabby is flirting with him). Without Casablanca, however, who knows if Bogart would have ever had the chance to be regarded by some as "sexy." {font}

Dargo, do you have the ability to will yourself to dream about Ava Gardner? I once had a dream about Sophia Loren. And it was a great dream, a marvelous dream that, of course, I'm too much of a gentleman to relate here. Anyway, after suddenly waking up in the middle of my Sophia glory, I then dropped off back to sleep again, thinking, "Dream about Sophia, dream about Sophia, . . . dream about Sophia . . . dream about Sophia,. . .dream . . . about . . ." Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. And then I dreamt about Curly Howard! Believe me, it wasn't as good a dream. Even worse, a few nights later Sophia appeared in one of my dreams again but I somehow got her confused with Curly and threw a pie in her face. Since then Sophia has refused to appear in any of my dreams.

TikiSoo, you didn't say which of the three tough guys was your favourite. {font:arial, helvetica, sans-serif}*Bogie uses too much dialogue and too little body to get across to a teen* Too bad Bogart didn't text a lot of messages. Maybe the teens would "get" him then. {font}

It depends what you mean by "significant," finance. Huston's last performance was in The Furies, filmed in 1949, and he gives, in my opinion, a magnificent larger-than-life performance as a land baron ruling the range. It was a great final performance. But, again, who has heard of the film, compared to Treasure, you may ask. To me, though, it's definitely a significant performance. Bogie is magnificent in Treasure. I'm amazed he didn't get an Oscar nomination playing Dobbs. But Bogart almost didn't take the part, I understand, because he was afraid of being over shadowed by the actor playing the showy role of Howard. I think Walter Huston gives one of the great performances of all time in Treasure, and he is more than a match for Bogart.

clore, it seems to me that Thief of Bagdad was the first silent I ever saw that truly excited me as a kid, and made me realize that it was a period in filmmaking that I should further like to explore. Looking at Fairbanks' remarkable physique (he was 40 when he made the film!), his joyous almost balletic performance and that eternal youthful spirit which he so embodied on screen in 1924 continues to make the film a pleasure to view. (Not to mention those incredible Arabian Night sets, truly an attempt on Doug's part to compete with the memory of those Babylonian sets in Griffiths' Intolerance). Here's a couple of shots of William Cameron Menzies' sets while under construction:

calvinme, I watched The Web on YouTube, and would agree with your overall assessemnt of it. It is no longer a film noir that I've yet to see. In fact, it could be argued that it is really a crime drama with a few elements of what later became termed "noir" thrown into the plot. That poster in the original thread posting certainly makes it look like film noir. While, as you said, the story offers no surprises the cast is quite good. That, combined with the overall slickness of the production, made it a pretty good show that would be recommended to people who like crime dramas. Certainly the basic plot premise involves an innocent being lured into a web of deceit. The Web might be a minor entry of the genre but still one that can be enjoyed. By the way, I noticed that the YT print of that Universal production had an AMC logo periodically popping up in the corner,yet another reminder of how great that station used to be. And it makes you want to cry that so many of the Universals and Paramounts that AMC used to play are no longer available for us to view. At least YT allows us, even if only temporarily, to see this film. (Quite frankly, though, YT is no way to really enjoy a film, grumble, grumble).

willbe, I'm not the best one to ask about a film industry in Canada. Probably misswonderly, proud Canadian that she is, would be the one to ask. Nevertheless, our national television network, the CBC, produces some television shows here, and there have also been a number of fairly celebrated Canadian films over the years, too, though I doubt that many of them ever make it to the States.

Geminigirl, I find it interesting that you don't think Cagney had much charisma. To me, particularly in his films of the '30s and early '40s, he is one of the most charismatic of all stars. I can't take my eyes off him when he's on screen. Have you seen him in Angels with Dirty Faces, as one of the most lovable of all screen gangsters, Rocky Sullivan? I think it was a key performance in his career representative of that early man child appeal that he had during his first decade or so in the movies. Ten years later, by the time he made White Heat, he was clearly physically past his prime, with that middle age spread that he would be battling for the rest of his life. So what does he do in this role? He gives the most audacious performance of his life, helping, as well, to pave the way for the harder crime dramas that were to come in the '50s. Who can forget Cagney's agonized cries of grief, mixed with insanity, in the prison cafeteria scene after he finds out that his mother has died? And what better scene to demonstrate James Cagney's courage as an actor than that same one in which he climbs on top of a cafeteria table, knocking aside food and dishes, mumbling insanely, as a shocked prison populace watches him? Can you image how shocked audiences in 1949 must have been watching this scene, the same James Cagney who had been their Yankee Doodle Dandy only seven years before? And even that remarkable scene he at least equalled, if not topped, with White Heat's incredible literally explosive climax, standing on top of that oil tank, cops all around him, a look of sheer defiance on his face, looking to the heavens as he screams "Made it, Ma. Top of the world!" Only to then blow himself up, trying to take as many of the cops with him as he could. James Cagney as Cody Jarrett going out his way. Looking, through his own warped vision, like it's a moment of triumph, rather than defeat. I will never be able to see White Heat enough times because of the brilliance of Cagney's chilling portrait. He and director Raoul Walsh made beautiful tough guy music together, just eight years after The Strawberry Blonde, a film which couldn't be more contrasting in nature. Cagney and Walsh were one of the great star/director combinations, in my opinion, to which few people ever refer. 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!

Thanks very much, willbefree. It was lovely to hear that heart felt rendition of September Song by Walter Huston. The song had been the highlight of an only modestly successful 1938 stage musical Huston was in, Knickerbocker Holiday. In 1950 Huston's rendition of the song was used again in the film September Song, becoming a number one hit on the charts, ironically the same year as Huston's death. Walter Huston was raised in Toronto. The row housing on Major Street that had been his home as a young boy was, unfortunately, torn down about twenty years ago. I have thought of visiting the street, though (it's near Kensington Market for those who know the city), wondering if the houses still existing on the opposite side of the street might still be the original structures that Huston saw as a young boy. In any event just a couple of months ago another house in which Huston lived, on Wellesley Street, went up for sale for almost 2 million. It's an impressive three storey red brick house that has been declared a heritage property. I'm sometimes in that part of the city but have yet to take a look at this very striking renovated structure. I have no idea how much of the house today is reflective of the home that Huston once knew. Evelyn Keyes, after her years with John Huston, said that the best thing about being married to the quixotic director was having Walter as her father-in-law. I guess most Bogart fans feel some degree of affection for Huston for that wonderfully wise old bird of a performance he gave as Howard. Huston brought great depth to his characterization, which included a sense of decency. And, as Dargo pointed out, Huston did one joyous gold dance in that film that is pretty hard for anyone to forget.

finance, Treasure of the Sierra Madre has always been my favourite Bogart film with my favourite Bogart performance. I think he's brilliant in the film. Having said that, I find Walter Huston's performance in the movie is the one that mesmerizes me more than any other.

They were the three stars of Warner Brothers that most represented that organization's reputation as the studio of tough guys. Stardom came to Robinson and then Cagney at the beginning of the talkies when the gangster film first became fashionable. Cagney's star power during the '30s was incontestable, though he had to constantly battle with the studio over their tightness with a buck acknowledging his money-making status, as well as the quality of what the actor considered to be inferior scripts and dialogue. Robinson, for the most part, it seems to me, didn't get film projects as strong as Cagney's during the depression years. Keep in mind, too, that part of Cagney's appeal was that he was a tough guy ladies man, while that was never the case with the more puglike Eddie G. During those early pre-code years, too, when depression weary audiences sought escape at the movies, Cagney's high energy and on-screen optimism must have been a tonic for them. Warners, in fact, tried to give Jimmy scripts in which his character, while still a rogue or con artist, was not always playing a gangster who had to end up dead in the final reel. Still, his most remembered films of the '30s are those in which Cagney was a gangster dead by film's end. Toiling in the doldrums of supporting mug parts for five years at Warners (1936 to 1941), Bogart would go on to become the biggest star of them all. While Robinson was starting to get supporting or character parts in the '40s (which would continue even moreso the rest of his career), and Cagney quit Warners in 1942 (at the peak of his stardom) in an ill-fated attempt to go independent, Bogie would proceed from his breakthrough roles in High Sierra and The Maltese Falcon to Casablanca superstardom. Also soon to come with that would be his legendary off screen romance with newcomer Lauren Bacall. Cagney, whose career was suffering, returned to Warners in 1949 with a bang - playing Cody Jarrett in White Heat and having one of the most memorable lines in screen history ("Made it, Ma! Top of the World!") in one of the most memorable climaxes to any gangster tough guy film ever made. The '50s, however, would be a time of general career decline for the actor. Yes, he had a couple of shining moments in '50s movies but a middle aged Jimmy was putting on weight and looking a bit tired, sometimes appearing like he was just going through the motions. Always the consummate professional as an actor, Cagney's best days were, in retrospect, clearly behind him after White Heat. He would retire in the early '60s after having problems on the set of a Billy Wilder comedy in which, ironically, he gave a brilliant comedy performance, in my opinion, with, perhaps, the fastest dialogue delivery of his career. Cagney would emerge from retirement for movie roles twice during the early '80s before his death in 1986. Robinson was a victim of HUAC during the '50s. Not in the sense that he was officially blacklisted by the studios, but he was getting either supporting roles in a few A productions or the lead in some minor Bs. Eddie G. had few film highlights during the 50s, following his great Johnny Rocco performance in Key Largo in 1948 (second billed with Bogart but stealing the film from him). Eddie G. would continue to work until his death in 1973, having nice bits in The Cincinnati Kid, as well as his last film, Soylent Green, with a final memerable scene in that production that remains a touching demonstration of Eddie G.'s subtlety and honesty as an actor. But, for the most part, the final decades of Robinson's career are frustrating, I feel, for fans of the actor as he had limited opportunities in which to shine. What a waste! (Still, he did have a great gangland part in Hell on Frisco Bay in 1955, a film that has, unfortunately, disappeared from view). It was Bogart who continued to have the most impressive film career during the '50s, even though death would cut it short in 1957. Unlike the tiring Cagney (after all, he had been the most high energy performer of them all in his prime) or the aging Robinson in supporting roles, laconic, laid back Bogart seemed very much still himself in many ways during the '50s, though he was, as before, still experimenting, at times, with his screen image in some of those roles. Bogart played comedy during the '50s, of a romantic variety in Sabrina or spoof (Beat the Devil) or even an attempt at stage-adapted comedy with a gentle touch (We're No Angels). Of greater renown, however, he would win an Oscar for played a gin-soaked rumpot in The African Queen, and get another Oscar nod for returning to the screen in another paronoid characterization, this time as Captain Queeg in The Caine Mutiny. Bogart's '50s films, as an overall collection, I think had more hits than misses, and surpassed the quality of the films during that decade of either Robinson or Cagney. More significantly, however, it was during the '60s, while Cagney was retired on a farm and Robinson was toiling to get a good role, that the deceased Bogart was "rediscovered," going on to become an anti-hero cult icon (largely due to Casablanca, it seems) with a legendary status actually surpassing anything that existed for him during his own lifetime. Bogart continues to enjoy that iconic status today, though I sometimes wonder if the youth of today are as familiar with his name and work as were the younger generations of filmgoers from the '60s to '90s. Anyway, what about anyone else? Do you love watching these three tough guy actors, too, and, if you had to pick a favourite, which one would it be, and why. Mine is Cagney. All three were great dramatic performers, of course. Cagney, though, during his prime years, proved to me that he probably had the greatest range of the three as a performer, not just for his high voltage dramatics (though he could also be amazingly sensitive and vulnerable, at times, too), but during his pre-code period he also showed that he could be a great comic performer, as well as, of course, a natural song-and-dance man, as immortalized by his most famous film, Yankee Doodle Dandy (though, personally, I get a bigger kick out of Footlight Parade). I can just imagine the three actors during WWII entertaining servicemen, and it's impossible for me to believe that Cagney doing his song-and-dance patter was not a heck of a lot more fun to watch than either Eddie G. or Bogie doing rather tired tough guy shticks or poking fun at those images. But that's just my take. And I know there are bound to be some fierce Bogart and Robinson fans ready to make a case for their favourite. And, maybe, just maybe, a few other Cagney buffs too.

*clore wrote:* *Good lord - I had to fix my post. I have a good friend who spells his last name "Malcovich" and I'm forever making that mistake with the actor who has a "K" instead of the "C" - gets me just about every time.* clore, I'm surprised at you. You're a bright guy. How could you possibly misspell John Mallcov . . ., err, John Mallenco . . . John Mallkav . . . How could you possibly misspell that actor's name?

Thanks, Fred. I see that the full version of The Web is on YT, as well. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ni8U6gD2fh8 I have yet to download a film and watch it on my computer. Doesn't feel like the proper movie watching experience to me. In this case, however, I may have to compromise since there may be no other way to view the film.

Thanks, calvinme, for the Web rundown and further recommendations.

Has anyone seen this one? Would you recommend it? To be honest, I never heard of this film before. If it's even half as good as the poster, it's got to be great. And with a film noir stalwart like Edmond O'Brien in it, that's more than good enough for me. Not mention Phantom Lady Ella Raines. TCM, Eddie Muller, somebody help me see this film!

*clore wrote:As I've already set Eastwood in my head as director, he's done two films with Malcovich, so that's a possibility of happening again. * clore, if only we could get the word to Eastwood and Malkovich that they've been cast. Oh yeah, that Spielberg guy has something to say about it.

Fred, I think that John Carradine's performance as Casey would be rather difficult to equal, as well. How about John Malkovich for the role?

I have no intention of seeing The Lone Ranger but I'm glad it was made, if only because Fred shared that zinger from a review: "Somewhere, around the hour-and-a-half mark, The Lone Ranger makes the fateful decision not to end. Worse, the movie keeps not-ending for another full hour" Now THAT"S Funny!!!

Dargo, it's bound to be a bombshell, something that will virtually shake the very foundations of our complacent "it's okay to do a remake" lives. Dargo, sharpen that razor sharp wit of yours. You may need it to survive this day. It's like waiting for the approaching steps of Godzilla's feet. Me? I'm outta here!

Fred, do you really think that that a mediocre or poor remake of, for example, King King really stops young people from seeing the original? Let's face it, whether Kong is remade or not, if that young person is operating on a B & W prejudice level, they just never will watch Fay Wray make those screams. Nor do I think that the original Kong has in any way been hurt by those remakes. It's still a great school boy adventure with a beauty and the beast theme. And the same would apply, I feel, for any other inferior remakes that you can come up with. How would a (theoretically) ROTTEN version of Grapes of Wrath released next year the hurt the Ford classic? Do you think that without the remake being made young people would even give the Ford version a passing thought to see it? They may actually watch it just to make a comparison because of the remake. The other thing about remakes of classics is that neither you nor I have to watch them, do we? So what is the harm if they come out and others see them?

James, I made that comment as an acknowledgement of the inclination of some filmmakers that are just trying to make a fast buck, as opposed to a sincere filmmaker (such as I assume Spielberg to be) attempting to do his own tribute to a particular novel or remake of a film. I must concede, though, that at this particular moment no illustrations of it come to mind. I'm sure that others could come up with examples. That is would be my ONLY qualification on someone remaking a classic. But your point is also valid - today what would that classic film or novel be that wpuld be so tempting for a fast buck artist. Perhaps we're really dealing with sequels to hits moreso than remakes.

Right, Dargo, old boy, I thought your religious analogy a valid one, which deserved acknowledgement. And the passion movie buffs feel about certain films or filmmakers can produce an intolerance, I feel, when it comes to other filmmakers having the "nerve" to venture into their territory. Those later filmmakers may, indeed, bomb and retreat with their artistic tails between their legs but who is to say that they shouldn't try. Having said that, there are indeed some filmmakers perhaps doing it to try to make a fast buck. I don't think, however, that that applies to Spielberg (of whom, by the way, I am NOT a huge fan) and Grapes of Wrath. Spielberg already has a lot of bucks, I understand.

This thread started off as a discussion to whether posters thought it "right" that Spielberg would do a remake of The Grapes of Wrath. Somehow it has largely dissolved into an issue with some as to whether or not Spielberg can do a version to match that of the Ford classic. As to the second issue, it is mere speculation and no one will know until a Spielberg version is produced, IF, indeed, it ever is. As for the first question, if he has purchased the rights to the Steinbeck novel, of course he has the right to do his version of the novel. He may well fall flat on his face but that's a gamble he's willing to take, just as John Ford did over 70 years ago. And I say this as I long time admirer of the Ford film. clore's illustration of Ford's ill advised remake of a Raoul Walsh silent classic shows that Ford himself thought nothing of remaking other filmmakers' work, even when said filmmaker was still alive. And Ford was right. The fact that his version of What Price Glory was a bomb (pardon the expression, considering that's film subject matter) is a side issue. Did the Walsh version in any way get slighted or hurt by the Ford remake? I don't think so. And if future filmmakers do remakes of other Ford films, good or bad, or other Spielberg films, good or bad, or other Walsh or Hitchcock or whoever films, that's fine, too. What is the harm? It does no disservice to the original. In fact, they will often look even better by the comparison. There may even be some younger viewers around who may even take a look at the Ford version of Grapes, to compare it to a new version to make their own appraisal. There has been some reference earlier to close mindedness on the subject, and that certainly seems to be the case with some. We movie lovers can be a passionate lot, not all that different, I suppose, to those who practice religious intolerance, also alluded to earlier in the thread. P.S.: The only time I would have issues with remakes were from the studio system days, when, for example, MGM scooped up the rights to the '31 Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (from Paramount) or '37 Prisoner of Zenda (from Selznick) for its own remakes, and those original versions disappeared from sight for years as a result. Now THAT is a crime. I really don't think that we have to worry that that will be the case with Ford's Grapes of Wrath. I stand ready to be corrected, but I don't believe that original versions of films can be withheld anymore because of remakes. Besides, with all the existing DVDs of classics in circulation now, it's all but impossible to do it with many films anyway. Another reminder that movie buffs such as ourselves have it better than buffs have ever had it before.