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I think it still goes on today, the practice of putting out prestige pictures. Sorry to hear you don't appreciate MOURNING BECOMES ELECTRA. Along with CROSSFIRE, I consider it among the best of RKO postwar films.

Sounds like you are really talking about films that have slow beginnings or take awhile to set up the basic premise and introduce all the characters. I think we need to be patient when watching some of these films and also realize that not everything is going to start with a high-speed chase or a sexually-charged scene. I watched TRACK OF THE CAT today. Some of the criticism I read before hand indicated it was slow and drawn out in parts. But that did not deter me. In fact, I like movies that don't have swift moving plots, because I prefer to get to know the characters in-depth and meditate on the pauses or reflective moments within the narrative. The upside of this particular film is that you have time to absorb Wellman's use of black-and-white and color and the staging/mise-en-scene which I would say makes it a richer viewing experience. That is how I would approach VERTIGO, too. Go into it with the understanding that you will get to know the characters more fully and a chance to really pick up on Hitchcock's visuals and frame compositions. There is a lot you can find and enjoy.

I am watching THE MEN right now...Brando is truly amazing in this film. I love his combination of volatility and vulnerability. One of the greats.

I looked at this film last night. What impressed me most was its excellent set design. Obviously, Warners poured a lot of time and money into this lavish production.

He's actually very good in a supporting role in THE ROARING TWENTIES. Warners was grooming him for stardom before the war, and Selznick thought he had potential.

Jeffrey Lynn matured in the next decade. I think his best work is in the underrated noir gem STRANGE BARGAIN.

Well, at least we know Robert will be back...so that's good. I think Shirley Jones would be a good choice as a temporary replacement for one of these weeks.

It has not been mentioned yet in this thread that Leslie Howard was not the first choice for Ashley. David Selznick originally wanted Jeffrey Lynn for the role. But Howard was considered a more bankable lead. He agreed to do it if Selznick cut him in on INTERMEZZO as an associate producer.

At the IMDB, both versions of CIMARRON ('31 & '60) are tagged as 'drama' and 'western.' Still, I would not say Irene Dunne was exactly a western star or about to be inducted into any western heritage hall of fame.

clearskies, I posted this one on my blog. You can find it with classic film articles I have written at: http://oforinvolvingmotionpictures.wordpress.com/

Thanks clore for explaining how to do that...learn something new everyday here!

I don't think SKY FULL OF MOON was a hit. It has an uncharacteristic un-happy ending...rare for a studio film in the 50s, and even rarer coming from MGM. I don't think audiences knew how to root for him in these films. If they had marketed him the way Universal marketed Don Knotts a decade later, I think his offbeat humor would've appealed to a broader audience. I also wonder if his homosexuality hindered his career..it likely did...but other actors like Rock Hunter and Tab Hunter had long successful film careers, so why not Carleton Carpenter. I just don't think they knew how to promote or publicize him properly. He certainly had the talent.

The film roles you mention are the ones that he was given at the beginning of his contract at MGM. He was a songwriter in addition to actor. He also performed in circuses and did magic acts. In later years, he wrote mystery novels. He seems like an eclectic talent. And he's still living today. Thanks for providing the links.

LOUISIANA PURCHASE (1941) aired on TCM last night. It seemed a lot like a lavish MGM musical, drenched in Technicolor and bolstered by elaborate song-and-dance routines. The vibrant color schemes in this film reminded me a lot of THE WIZARD OF OZ. Paramount spared no expense and upped the glamor quotient significantly. And yes, the film did benefit from its more spectacular, flashier production values. But I would say that the acting added to its charm, too, and provided a subdued contrast to its otherwise gimmicky showmanship. In the lead role, there's the likable *Bob Hope* who is usually not given to restraint. Yet in this film he seemed a bit more reigned in, while the supporting cast had more of the hammier moments. His costar was European dancer *Vera Zorina*, reprising the role she played in the successful Broadway show upon which this film was based. Admittedly, she reminds one of *Vera-Ellen,* in style as well as figure. The other major performer was *Victor Moore*, also transferring his Broadway work on to the screen for this project. Moore was a great supporting actor and sometimes it seemed as if he had a bit more screen time than Hope did in this picture. A few of the scenes were very gradual and did not exactly hurry the plot along, but they gave Moore the chance to shine as a sin-soaked crooked southern politician. For instance, one major sequence had Hope in a phony mustache and Zorina building up to the scandalous embrace with Moore as picture takers hid just out of sight (reminiscent of ELMER GANTRY). A good ten minutes of screen time must have been devoted to catching them in the act, and even then, when the picture snatchers did their thing, Hope brought them back to take more incriminating photos, in case the first ones didn't turn out! LOUSIANA PURCHASE did not contain the world's most original plot, but it sufficed for quality entertainment. Although there was a disclaimer at the beginning that this is a work of fiction, one can see parallels to political leaders of the day-- namely, Louisiana's former governor and U.S. Senator *Huey Long*. Long's legacy would receive more dramatic treatment in 1949's ALL THE KING'S MEN. The music was catchy and memorable. This was *Irving Berlin* after all. And the film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Art Direction-Interior Decoration, Color (and deservedly so). Also, there was a nod by the Academy for Best Cinematography.

So many excellent performances from her. THE MUDLARK provides an opportunity for Irene to show off her dramatic skill, and she does a grand job. My other favorite film of hers is OVER 21, more because I love Ruth Gordon's play...but also I like how Irene fashions a strong career woman that feminists can appreciate.

As I write this, are 321 guests and 19 users. I have noticed that the number of guests tends to be higher on Sunday, especially Sunday evening. It's probably one of the highest-viewed nights for TCM.

NEVER A DULL MOMENT (1950) has western elements, too. Irene Dunne plays a New York City sophisticate who marries rancher Fred MacMurray and moves to his Wyoming homestead.

I think 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA aired last summer, in June 2010, if I am not mistaken.

The production values are rather grand for HAPPIEST MILLIONAIRE. It was the last feature that Walt himself supervised before his death. The music in it is fun, and the casting seems right. I feel that MacMurray and Garson have an easy, natural chemistry. John Davidson and Lesley Ann Warren as the young couple are also very fetching. And Geraldine Page does a great job with an over-the-top character part. Plus, we can't forget those alligators! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Happiest_Millionaire

Hitchcock was a devout Roman Catholic. He lived in Bel Air and attended Good Shepherd Church in Beverly Hills. I don't think he would direct anything that criticized his religion. In fact, he directed a very good episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents that centered on a religious man dealing with temptation. It was called 'The Horseplayer' from season 6. His work in I CONFESS is a great example of a film by a very Catholic director, a very heartfelt project...I think he sympathized with priests and men who had to keep secrets because of God.

What a delight those films were this morning on TCM with *Carleton Carpenter*...SKY FULL OF MOON and FEARLESS FAGAN. I set the DVR because of Keenan Wynn's participation in those films, but I came away a fan of Mr. Carpenter. I had never heard of him before. So of course I googled like crazy and read up all morning on him. Now I want to see SOME OF MY FRIENDS ARE, a gay bar-themed film he did in the early 70s. He has such a unique blend of whimsy and boy-next-door sincerity. He should've been a bigger movie star.

>While you and I view Greer Garson in very similar ways the Monroes of this world are the ones most people remember. It is just the way it is. I know...and it just sickens me. LOL Though I do like Marilyn, too!

Good post, Fred. I think that is a correct way to read the opening sequences of WIND. Also, we must note that the flavor of these scenes is a bit different because they were directed by George Cukor, not Victor Fleming who did the rest of the movie.

I think it depends where you ask that question. British audiences may remember her more than American ones do, although she did become a U.S. citizen and spent her last years as a Texan. Another theory: she may be overshadowed by Deborah Kerr. Kerr had a long film career and her Oscar nominations were spread out over three decades, whereas Greer's were in a shorter span. But you know what, this business is filled with exceptions to the rule. I have a feeling Greer picked up a whole new generation of fans when she did THE HAPPIEST MILLIONAIRE. If she had reinvented herself again on television like Joan Collins did in Dynasty then she may've developed another large following in later years. In my book Greer Garson is just as important now as she ever was. She was a strong actress who did some very positive portrayals of women. She should be celebrated by feminists, especially for work in MADAME CURIE, STRANGE LADY IN TOWN and SUNRISE AT CAMPOBELLO.

I could not agree more. I think THE LAW AND THE LADY is my favorite of hers. If only she and Marjorie Main had done more films together. Natalie Schafer is also good as one of Main's house guests. And Fernando Lamas is an interesting counterpoint to Wilding. This is a good example of how MGM cast its films with their vast array of contracted talent.