TomJH

Yes, it's the suggestion of the sex in this scene in Friendly Persuasion that brings it so much charm. Cooper and McGuire are in the barn. Cooper looks at the straw mattress upon which she is sitting and tests its softness with his foot. That is all you see. Night changes to day as we look at the barn and Coop and McGuire are now returning to their house from it. Coop merely says to her, "Let's go back some time" in reference to the barn. We know what happened, two adults still capable of being excited by one another in their middle years and having sex, but our noses aren't rubbed in it. Our imaginations fill in the gaps. Love it.

What, no Sounder, Jake? 😄

Ironically, The Horn Blows At Midnight is actually one of the very few good (or, at least, pretty good) films that Jack Benny made. Angel Face.

I read somewhere that one of the reasons Bud Abbott was so upset at the time was that no one had even told him Lou was sick in the hospital, a reflection of the estrangement that sadly existed between the two comics at the time of Costello's death. Abbott's sadness would only increase with the years, feeling dejected by the Hollywood community that had once so embraced him and his partner. Of course, Internal Revenue would pursue him ruthlessly for back taxes and he would later, in a wheel chair, be reduced to appearing on television to ask his fans if they could send him a little money. Aside from whatever you think of the photographer who took this shot of Bud reading his partner's obituary, I find the photo quite poignant. The good times were over for him and would never return.

Strangely, Arturo, I think I mentioned to you earlier in your thread that I have vague memories of having seen Linda appear as a guest panelist on a daytime game show, Your First Impression when I was a kid. That show was on the air from 1962 to 1964 and my ancient memory of it is that Linda was still a striking beauty. I guess that left me unprepared for her considerable weight gain (particularly in the face) that I saw in Black Spurs. Somewhere I read that one day she showed up on the set of the film holding a spear, joking she was trying to extend her screen time in the western. A. C. Lyles westerns in the '60s were known for giving employment to a lot of Hollywood "has beens" and certainly this film had a large collection of formerly big names in it, of which Darnell got second billing. That second billing, in turn, left me unprepared for how small her role would actually turn out to be in a film which was sadly released shortly after her death.

I was half waiting for you to make reference to Abby's sexy overbite, Dargo. But you're right about it. She was a lovely looking woman.

Lennox Pawle. It's not a name that many will recall until I mention his performance as the pixelated Mr. Dick in David O. Selznick's DAVID COPPERFIELD (1935). It's a small role and while it may pale beside those of W. C. Fields as Mr. Micawber, Edna May Oliver's Aunt Betsy, Roland Young as Uriah Heep and Basil Rathbone's sadistic Mr. Murdstone, he still makes an impression. Perhaps it's more of a "Who is that guy?" reaction than anything else. Pawle was a former newspaperman and British stage actor who only appeared in a handful of films. He brings a wonderful innocence to his characterization as Mr. Dick and his scenes in the film, whether dancing in excitement in a circle with David and Aunt Betsy or flying an oversized kite with young David make me smile. Unfortunately Pawle died of a cerebral hemorrhage in February, 1936, barely a year after David Copperfield had its U.S. premiere. But it's apparent that Pawle had a sense of humour, as well as refreshing candour, as evidenced by this exchange of letters with a theatrical manager - Regent St., October 2, 1902 Dear Mr. Lennox Pawle, What are your terms for pantomime? Yours faithfully, Robert Arthur Green Club Room, October 4, 1902 Dear Mr. Robert Arthur, My terms for pantomime are £30 a week Yours faithfully, Lennox Pawle Regent St., October 6, 1902 Dear Mr. Lennox Pawle, Before I paid you £30 a week for pantomime, I should like to see you in pantomime. Yours faithfully, Robert Arthur Green Club Room, October 8, 1902 Dear Mr. Robert Arthur, If you saw me in pantomime you wouldn’t pay me £30 a week. Yours faithfully, Lennox Pawle Does anyone else have any one shot or, at least, rare performances from a little known actor or actress they'd like to recall?

Ironically, in real life Linda's career was hurt when she refused to climb up a studio ladder rung by rejecting Darryl Zanuck's sexual overtures towards her. I watched Black Spurs (1965) for the first time a few months ago, While, as "B" western of producer A. C. Lyles, it was a bit better than I expected, I still found it dismaying watching Linda play such a small, insubstantial role that could have been cut right out of the film. It was her first film role in eight years and, since I haven't seen any of her TV work during those years, her bloated appearance came as a real shock to me. She was physically quite dramatically changed from the dark haired beauty that she had still been when she had appeared in Zero Hour in 1957. It was a dissatisfying screen farewell for the lady, I thought.

"Let my cold dead hands reach from the grave to throttle the life from all those putrid pagan worshippers who dare to not program my film." Hey, thanks for the suggestion, Dargo.

"May the wrath of the LORD THY GOD bloweth a terrible vengeance on all who are denied seeing my film, no matter what the time of the year may be. And may lightning bolts and hail rain down upon all those who worship at the feet of pagan network Gods. May their toe nails curl upwards making the wearing of shoes a terrible thing! May venomous snakes fill their pants and bite them in places best left unbitten! Let those television networks not showing The Ten Commandments explode into a FIERY HELL of agonies previously unknown to man. Heed my words, thou network swine, before I pluck your eyes from your . . ." Look, folks, this might not have a lot to do with Christmas movies but it's a lot more fun writing this Wrath of God stuff than it is about Bing Crosby movies, Capra films or miracles occurring on 34th Street.

What is gratifying about THE WALLS OF JERICHO for Darnell fans is that it gave the actress the opportunity to play a manipulative schemer.

Friendly Persuasion (1956) Director William Wyler's thoughtful, sensitive screen adaption of Jessamyn West's novel about the Birdwells, an 1862 Quaker family, and their struggles to adhere to non violence principles as the Civil War is about to intrude upon their peaceful farm in southern Indiana was one of the prestige film releases of its year. Leisurely paced, a little long at almost two hours and twenty minutes, it remains a warm and charming drama, chock full of humourous incidents. Dorothy McGuire is fine as the stern mother of the household, the most doctrinaire family member when it comes to adhering to Quaker traditions, while Gary Cooper is a delight as the easy going father. Cooper didn't age overly well during the '50s delivering a number of rather tired looking performances, at times. This is the one film of that decade, however, in which the actor re-discovered the little boy charm in himself, particularly in any of those scenes involving the Sunday morning buggy races. Cooper brings a subtlety to his facial responses in these humourous sequences that makes his performance most engaging. However, it was Anthony Perkins, as the family's eldest son who has to wrestle with his conscience when it comes to fighting in the war, who was the one cast member to receive an Academy Award nomination (in support) for his sensitive performance. This was four years before Hitchcock's Psycho forever changed the actor's screen image. Robert Middleton, often cast as villains, has the opportunity to play the laughter booming Sam Jordan, with whom Cooper indulges in the buggy races on the way to church. Middleton is solid in his role. Richard Eyer is a natural mischief maker as the family's youngest boy, ten year old young Jess. The film is introduced, in fact, with a highly amusing comedy sequence depicting the boy's latest chapter in his eternal conflict with Samantha, the family's pet goose who loves to hide in bushes and then rush out to bite the boy's legs or hind quarters, Thrown into the film for broad comedic effect, too, is the wonderful Marjorie Main as the Widow Hudspeth, head of an all female household, with her three man hungry daughters. It's a delightful comedy sequence, as Cooper and Perkins visit their farm and Perkins finds himself the reluctant object of all young female attention. There's a certain unreality about this production inasmuch as life on the Birdwell farm is presented as an idyllic existence. There's never a hint that farm life is difficult, as you see Cooper roaming through his large field of corn stalks. And when the rebels finally do ride in upon the farm, McGuire's response to them, while practical from the viewpoint of survival, could be seen by others as a form of collaboration. They are also the nicest collection of rebel soldiers you will ever see. Not even a hint that a shooting or rape could take place with them. Probably my biggest complaint about the film after repeat viewings is in regard to its length. It could have used some judicious pruning in the editing room, possibly in regard to the scenes involving young love between the family's daughter (Phyllis Love) and a Union soldier (Mark Richmond). Those two actors, while both are quite adequate in their roles, are also the film's two least interesting characters. Finally Dimitri Tiomkin contributes a lovely musical score to the film, which includes a gentle love song, Thee I Love, sung under the film's opening titles by Pat Boone. Friendly Persuasion is available on DVD and frequently comes on TCM. It's a heart warming gem that deserves to be seen. 3.5 out of 4

Only one actor ever starred on a bomb

Is that blonde hair or is it just the lighting? In any event, Arturo is the authority around here on all things Linda.

Good to see you back in General Discussions, Arturo. The talented, beautiful Miss Darnell, whose life and career deserved more breaks than it got, still needs her biggest supporter.

About Bonita Granville shooting Barry Sullivan . . . "We knew that kid was no good."

He whispers that a statesman will be assassinated in London. He adds that he hates "Que Sera Sera."

Yeh, but I don't think Dan could skate.

I'm trying to envision Dan Duryea as Tonya Harding. It's not working for me.

You and Eugene Pallette, Arturo. Well, maybe it wasn't from tryptophan from a turkey but Pallette was certainly falling asleep in the party scene. This was Pallette's last film and I wish that Eddie had said something about what happened to him after that. He returned to LA after spending two years at his Oregon "fortress" but never resumed making movies again. Pallette always added (not just talking about his size here) to any of the films he was in, whether it was dramas or comedies, and it was good to see him providing solid support in Suspense. His career extended back to an uncredited part as a Union soldier (he was slim in those days) in The Birth of a Nation.

To my ever lasting shame.

I enjoyed Suspense. Not only does it have the expressionistic noir photography in many scenes but it's the only noir hybrid I know of to blend double crosses with double axels. But was I the only one to cringe a bit when Barry Sullivan, whose character may lack charm but certainly not brashness, crashes in on Albert Dekker's cottage love nest just as he's sitting comfortably by a burning fire place with the missus? The next thing you know Barry's settling down in the couch beside Belita with more eye popping coming out of him towards her than the wolf in a Tex Avery cartoon. And within a minute of Dekker excusing himself to go to bed good ol' Barry's telling her to ditch the guy. I can't say I really blame Albert for eventually deciding to take his rifle down from the wall. Speaking of which, I enjoyed Dekker's performance in this film but, then, I usually enjoy Dekker. He brings an intelligence and unruffled smoothness to his characterizations, be they villains or not. I'm just sorry he didn't have more scenes in the production.

I happened to be discussing The Birds today with a friend and when I commented, "So what's wrong with Rod Taylor in that film, choosing that Ice Princess over Suzanne Pleshette?" he was nodding his head so hard it almost came off his neck. And I don't care how frumpy Suzanne's clothes were in that film, you can only do so much to disguise the fact that she was one beautiful woman.

Green Hell (1940) Standard jungle adventure from Universal about a hunt for Inca treasure, distinguished by an above average cast of stars. Douglas Fairbanks Jr. plays the intrepid leader of the group of adventurers, barking orders as they venture into Amazon jungles. Comprising the all star collection are George Sanders as a Brit who enjoys singing Home On The Range, Alan Hale as a scientist (sporting some kind of accent), John Howard, George Bancroft and Vincent Price as a mysterious stranger who joins the group at the last minute. Later, rather incredulously, joining this motley collection will be the wife (Joan Bennett) of one of the men, suffering from jungle fever just in time to learn that her husband has been killed by natives. This proves rather convenient for the film's romantic story line as Fairbanks and Bennett soon become interested in one another. But that, in turn, is one of the problems of this film inasmuch as as much screen time is devoted to a tepid romance as it is to any adventure. James Whale, curiously, directed this project, which adds to its overall disappointment because it is such a generally undistinguished film, despite the cast. Sets left over from Universal's The Mummy's Hand were utilized here, including the giant stone staircase that high priest George Zucco rolled down after getting shot in that film. On a personal note regarding this film years ago a friend contacted me after he had had correspondence with Douglas Fairbanks in which the actor stated he was looking for copies of his films, and Green Hell was one that had eluded him. My friend knew I had a video tape of this production so I made a second generation copy of it which he sent to the actor. I'm afraid the quality of that copy was not very good. Years later I read an autobiography of Fairbanks, Salad Days, in which he referred to Green Hell as being about his worst film. I always hoped that Fairbanks hadn't come to that conclusion because of the quality of the print we sent him. 2.5 out of 4