Dargo

Just thought of one of my favorite Rockford Files episodes: "White on White and Nearly Perfect". This is the one which introduced the Pre-Magnum P.I. Tom Selleck as the private investigator Lance White(a second episode with this character being done later because it was such a hit), and who's portrayed as the opposite of Jim Rockford, successful and who even the cops like and who women fall all over on sight. It gave Garner the opportunity to play the "annoyed and somewhat frustrated" person he could do so effortlessly and still make likable.

Hmmmm....so you're sayin' in THIS one he sells the sled before it gets thrown into the furnace, EH?! (...now I've GOT to see this Flynn flick, if just for that ALONE!!!)

Well, personally I think O'Toole would have been GREAT as a Russian, especially considering he was master as projecting that certain "haunted, faraway, pessimistic and fatalistic look" on his face. (...and pretty much like Russians are anyway, RIGHT?!)

Wow! I didn't know that, MM! So, ya think there might have been a lot of people asking other people if they could "spare a square"??? (...you Seinfeld fans out there will get this one)

Then I guess it's too bad Sharif didn't stand up more to Lean and allow him to express his character a little more, huh. (...aaaah, but then again you folks DO know how for many years those Brits controlled those Egyptians, and so maybe there was some kinda "residual historic cultural dynamic" in play that kept Omar from doin' that, EH?!)

Da! Spokink like true Capitalisk, comrade!!! LOL Sorry ND, couldn't resist...but I would think if Lean had started proselytizing and propagandizing his flick, it PROBABLY would have turned out even WORSE!!! (...'cause personally I CAN'T STAND when movies start doing that and end up pretty much telling their audiences to stop thinking for themselves 'cause IT will tell you all you need to know, AND from one particular point-of-view...nope, do NOT insult my intelligence by doing that, 'cause I think we get ENOUGH of THAT while watching those asinine political ads we now endlessly see on our TV sets!!!!)

Well, all I can say here is that considering Errol's reputation with the ladies, it's probably a good thing they cast D'Andrea as his friend in this thing and NOT Joy Barlow! (...'cause THAT would've REALLY had made Errol "stretch" as an actor by trying to keep from getting a look on his face of "wanting to get into his friend's pants"!)

Hmmmm....then I gotta wonder what Eugene thought o' THEM folks TOO??? (...though i THINK I have heard somewhere that Eugene was once reported to have said in that foggy voice of his, "Some of my best friends are eye-talian!") LOL

Wow! After your terrific write-up here Tom(yeah, like THAT'S not unusual) , I'm sorry to report I missed catching this film today for the first time. Hopefully TCM will reply this soon so I can get a chance to see Errol getting that rare chance to stretch as an actor. Oh, and btw...you forgot to mention that apparently Kevin Spacey is in this flick too... (...sorry, couldn't resist)

I always found THE LAST PICTURE SHOW one very depressingly "dark"(and one very well done)film.

Yeah hep. AND, if ya had a piano at your place, you'd probably could have easily talked Jimmy into playin' his famous rendition of "Ragtime Cowboy Joe"! (...yeah, I'd place Jimmy on my friends list in a heartbeat too...though of course, once he'd get started on a story and being the somewhat impatient sort that I am, I'd have a hell of time keeping myself from helping finishing his sentences!)

This kind of reminds me of one Maurice Joseph Mickelwhite who after watching Bogie in a movie go off the deep end while testifying at a court martial would derive part of his stage name from the title of that movie.

And that of course often extended to the ladies of the time, as the "Rubenesque model of beauty" was also considered to be highly desirable during that period. (...and of course a sun tan sported by anybody during that time would consign them to being of the working class)

And in a further case of irony, I THINK Bogie says the following line in that flick after seeing Eddie in monks clothing for the first time... "I can't believe what I just saw!"

Barbara Stanwyck was also noted for being extremely nice to film crews and very down-to-earth. Funny, but for years I wasn't a big Stanwyck fan(though I always loved her performance in "Stella Dallas") but since I've started watching more of her films on TCM, and especially learning more about her off-screen persona, I've come to realize why so many people think so highly of her. (...and so, I think I'll add Babs to my "friend list" here)

Ham, remember, I asked more for peoples' "impression" of the stars and not necessarily from their usual film personas, but more the "sense" you get about them from what you heard or maybe have read about them in an autobiography or biography. Yes, I realize even from these sorts of references one may still not get a truly accurate depiction of what they were like away from the camera, but I still believe one can get an close idea as to their true disposition and if they'd be a person which people would like to have had as a friend.

-deleted due this thread somehow duplicated-

The James Garner threads had me thinking of this, as it seems almost everybody "liked" Jimmy, and probably because as was stated many times in those threads, he never seemed pretentious and always seemed down to earth. And no, I'm NOT talking in the vein of liking or appreciating their abilities to act well on-screen or even their typical screen "personality", but more about actors of the past who you'd think would or could have been a good friend in real life to you. Yep, that thought about someone who from what one has always "sensed" about then, AND even disregarding the possibilities of holding contrasting political and/or religious views from theirs, you'd STILL like to sit down have that proverbial drink with occasionally and "shot the breeze". Okay, I'll start: James Garner, and for all the reasons people have mentioned in his tribute threads. Sorry, couldn't help goin' the easy route here, but don't worry, I'm sure to mentioned a few others as this thread progresses. (...oh, and btw, what say we try to stay away from offering up actors or actresses you would have liked to have "gotten it on with", 'cause not only would THAT be a different thought, but I'd already have dibs on Ava Gardner!)

Thanks. I'll get that one started then.

hep, before I saw your thread, I was actually thinking of starting a new thread about actors who people "like". No, NOT in the vein of them liking or appreciating their abilities to act well on-screen OR of them being some kind of "icon", but more about actors of the past who they think would or could have been a good friend in real life to them. Yeah, that thought about someone who from what one has always "sensed" about them, AND even disregarding the possibilities of holding contrasting political and/or religious views from theirs, you'd STILL like to sit down have that proverbial drink with occasionally. And no, once again, not in any sort of a "worshipful" manner. The James Garner threads had me thinking of this, as it seems almost everybody "liked" Jimmy, and probably because as was stated many times in those threads, he never seemed pretentious and always seemed down to earth. And no, once again, NOT in the kinds of roles he played, but just from what one had "gleaned" of the star over the years. (...yeah, ya know, maybe I'll start a thread like this, however now I'm wondering if you'd think its premise would be too close to yours here)

I think I pretty much asked this same question much earlier James, and when I used the example of Cary Grant in my supposition.

Hmmmm...and what was that memorable line P.T. Barnum was so famous for again, GR?! (...or on second thought, maybe that OTHER memorable line H.L. Mencken was so famous for might be a little more appropriate here, eh GR?!)

BY far THE best thing I've read in this whole thread! You're now my new hero, James!!! LOL Being the "iconoclast" that I am, I've learned to not ONLY view every single PERSON alive OR dead as someone who has or does puts their pants legs on one at a time just I DO, but ALSO to view with suspicion just about every freakin' INSTITUTION ever conceived by Man TOO! And so yeah, of course I would view anyone who DOES "worship" ANYTHING as one who's probably a little "child-like". (...eeh...maybe I'm just too much of a freakin' cynic...yeah, that's probably it) LOL

LOL

I happened to catch "Tueday/Belgium" a few years back, and I remember being pleasantly surprised at how well I thought it was done and how much I enjoyed it. (...and I also remember thinking Suzanne was hotter than hot in that film especially...where maybe normally she was just plain hot!)