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You'd think these people would get the hint after two or three. Sepiatone

I've given a little thought to the original idea here. I don't know for sure why Dall wasn't a bigger "star" than he became. My one guess would be he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. How many members of this forum have posted their opinions of how so many movies were miscast? Obviously, studio heads didn't really think in terms of making great movies. THEIR first and foremost consideration was "box office draw". That ANY movie from this era became "great" was more likely an accident. Maybe somebody else would have been better as Rhett Butler than Clark Gable. I can't imagine WHO, since Gable in the role has long been widely accepted, cosidered somewhat iconic, and now hard to dispute. But MY bettin' money is on that he was such a big box office draw, no OTHER actor was given serious consideration. Let's look at another direction. In those "golden days" of studio/factory output, actors in the studio's "stable" weren't neccessarily given the freedom to pick and choose roles. Oh, some with large "draw" might have earned the right, but that all depended on the terms of their contracts. A case in point might be Joan Crawford. Crawford WAS a big star by the mid '30's. So big, I'm willing to bet the studio chiefs directed her to do the many wonky projects that despite her popularity with the public, STILL managed to flop. As always, "word-of-mouth" is more potent than any high priced promotion. Maybe Crawford, unable to be given the choice, HAD to do those pictures, many of which wouldn't have been made otherwise, on order from Louis B. Mayer. Probably the thinking was, "This movie shouldn't be made. But with a star like Joanie, we can make it for peanuts and clean up!". Possibly Joan, out of loyalty or otherwise ordered to do so, was ultimately blamed for the movie being a flop, and then considered by the people who made her DO those turkeys as "box office poison". Unfair to be sure. Dall might have been better for more parts than the bigger name who got the job. Just he wasn't a big enough NAME. Meanwhile, just to pay the rent, likely wound up in a few "dogs" and eventually, and unfairly dismissed. I've long felt that after the way he treated both Crawford AND judy Garland, Louis B. Mayer deserved his own little corner in HELL. Sepiatone Edited by: Sepiatone on Dec 7, 2012 6:31 PM

My wife DID see *Stella Dallas* , Dargo. She's just not a Stanwyck fan. That's OK. I'm not that big on her either. But I DO possess more tolerance than my wife. Let's all try to remember that when Fonda made certain movies, her politics were different, and possibly non existant. She's publicly apologized for the whole Viet Nam thing, and has moved on. I, for one, found it hard to reconcile the same woman who once was considered a "bleeding heart" to be the same person seen doing the ridiculous "tomahawk chop" at a Braves game along side then hubby Ted Turner. A "true" liberal would have been appalled. But I agree; if you DO look closely, you see more of her Father's features in her face( particularily the EYES) than not. All brother PETER got from Dad is some talent, and the lankiness. Oh, one other thing...I wondered how Stanwyck felt, while doing the one scene in WILD SIDE with Jane. I wondered if she thought, "Damn, kid! I did movies with your FATHER. BEFORE you were born!"? Sepiatone

James Whitmore! Damn, what a fine actor! I read in some James dean bio that Dean used to attend acting workshop's given by Whitmore in his apartment. And I remember seeing Whitmore on PBS many moons ago doing his one-man act of WILL ROGERS. FAN! TAS! TICK! MAN, I miss that guy! Sepiatone

After learning that John Garfield was originally considered for the lead in this play/movie by Odets, I was dissapointed he DIDN'T get to do the movie. Would have been a MUCH better fit than Holden. I've brought this up before. Holden didn't have the chops as of yet to play the part effectively. He looked like he was doing a high school play while the rest of the cast was doing a fine, professional job. Five years down his career, Holden had developed into the actor that would have done Joe much better. If you know what I mean. And, as you all know by now, I'd much rather see Lee J. Cobb overact in ANYTHING than see Adolphe Menjou just stand there! Sepiatone

Well, I DID watch it, but didn't see any spanking. Dang! What I found amusing was the summary given by my cable server for the movie referred to Stanwyck's character as a "mannish woman"! My wife, NOT a Stanwyck fan, said, "They got THAT right!" Sepiatone

Tsk, Tsk! NONE of you "classic movie" freaks mentioned RALPH BELLAMY as FDR in *Sunrise at Campobello* ! Has anyone else portrayed HARRY TRUMAN other than ED FLANDERS? (*MacArthur* ) Anybody ever do CALVIN COOLIDGE? EISENHOWER? REAGAN? HOOVER? TAFT? POLK? Don't forget, CHARLTON HESTON did ANDREW JACKSON twice! Sepiatone

James, I watch FASHION POLICE too! And Joan IS funny on it. But notice too, she sometimes DOES make light of herself still. Sepiatone

I caught this news on another forum I belong to this morning. Very sad indeed. And I mentioned that just a couple of days ago, I found a digitally remastered re-issue of "Time Out" at a thrift store for 80 cents! And it sounds GREAT! Thank you, Dave. Sepiatone

I didn't watch it, so I don't know if it froze on WOW or not. Could it be the "freeze" happened on TCM's part? I've noticed, since ALL television broadcasts went "digital", that several broadcasts on other channels will freeze from time to time. SO much less annoying that "snow" or the waviness from planes flying over! (yeah, RIGHT!) Sepiatone

I might be alone in this, but I'm going to MISS all the popping sounds, strange "hair" like images and those little black pock mark thingies seen on film. On the other hand, the cleaner images and sound will be a plus. It's sort of a double edged sword, isn't it? Sepiatone

Sans, you can add *Network* to your list! As far as *It Happened One Night* , I always took the "it" to mean when the Colbert/Gable characters quit fighting like cats in a bag and started having feelings for each other. Maybe my mind, to my wife's surprise, ISN'T that deep in the gutter?!? Sepiatone

Top, in my opinion, any PAULY SHORE movie is a more important project than *The Iron Petticoat* . Sepiatone

I understand TCM will be showing *Period of Adjustment* later this month. Jane was pretty good in that. And I always thought the movie was a lot of fun. Those progressively drunk "carolers" are a hoot! Sepiatone

Not only Dall, but several actors/actresses fit the bill. Many had better looks and bigger talent than quite a few of the BIG names, but for some reason never really made it big. Could be the public, for some reason, never took to them, or they didn't know the right studio chief or something. I don't know. But it's puzzled me, too. Sepiatone

Those Florida murders happened around the same time? Now, THAT'S a cold case! I wonder what makes anyone think they're connected other than the two perps travelling through? Sepiatone

What an intersting documentary! What a compelling story. I didn't know too much about this person, and saw her *Captain January* for the first time last night. That woman(as a little girl) had a noticable talent. An engaging face and likeability, it was no wonder she was so popular. The crap she had to put up with from the studio heads and family members was indeed tragic, but that she came through it all more than intact is inspiring. And did any who watched notice the strong resemblance her grand daughter has to her? Uncanny. I haven't enjoyed something so interesting on TCM in a long time. Kudos to TCM for this presentation. Sepiatone

Just saw a "promotion" on TCM last night of all the "holiday" movies they plan on showing this month, so I guess this thread is now a moot point. Sepiatone

"Who cares" posted willbefree25. Indeed. The lady across the street from me is also pregnant. Where are the newshounds NOW? Sepiatone

There wouldn't have been anything wrong in it, stick. In the early days, many actors looked at doing television as the beginning of the end to their "careers". But one old time actor, in response to the derision he recieved for doing TV said something to the effect that of all professions, acting has the highest unemployment rate. That there are far more actors out of work than who actually make a living at it. So ANY work that pays you to excersize your craft should be found acceptable. A bloated sense of "integrity" doesn't fill the ice box or pay the rent. I just wish I could remember who that was. Sepiatone

There is a plethora( I like that word!) of Holiday movies made over the last 70 or so years that TCM could show, and likely might, BESIDES all of the usual suspects. Some of you mentioned a few. It's still early yet. Let's wait to see what happens. Sepiatone

Try to be careful, finance. Your dislike of Monty now might strike someone as being homophobic, and I don't think that's the case. At least I HOPE not. Which raises the question: If an "effete" gay man dates a "butch" lesbian, what are their chances? Sepiatone

Well, I don't know about the SEX part, blue. But interestingly, the Inuit don't HAVE a word for the act of sex. THEY refer to it as "laughing". So you might STILL be on to something! Sepiatone

I find it surprising that others here pay extra for TCM. The channel's always came included on the "basic" cable packages through the only two services available in my area( WOW and Comcast). I agree that having commercials on other cable channels besides the "main" networks(CBS, NBC, ABC) seem like "double dipping", but the fact that TCM doesn't advertise anything other than themselves, and only BETWEEN the movies they show leaves little room to complain. So they wish to raise revenue by selling box sets or individual DVDs, and advertise those DVDs-for-sale BETWEEN the movies? I say FINE. Do they wish to announce film festivals from which they get revenue from ticket sales to those events? And do so BETWEEN the movies? AGAIN, I say FINE. Their "competition", AMC could have done the same. They could wait until BETWEEN the movies to advertise ****, toilet paper and **** pills, but unwisely chose NOT to. So give TCM some credit. Whatever keeps them doing what they're doing, the WAY that they do it, is OK by me! Sepiatone

The sirens in my city are still in use. One atop the City Hall building, the other atop an old J.L. Hudson's building on thhe opposite side of town. They have been updated, give off electronic sounding "dial up" noises and are tested now only every third weekend. Mostly there for severe weather warning, they also have PA capabilities. Dargo, if you make your wife laugh at all(which isn't hard for me to imagine) then you're in good shape. "He makes me laugh" is a line used by women to explain why they like an otherwise out of the ordinary guy in both movies AND real life. I often imagine it's the only reason my wife keeps me around. That and the fact I'm much taller than her five feet, one inch and can reach stuff on the upper shelves. My humor has often been described as "arid", an attribute inherited from my Mother's side of the family. Once, after spending a couple of hours in the company of me, my Mom, my younger daughter, my brother AND my sister, my wife described it as "being caught in a duststorm". What she finds endearing and refreshing is that much of our humor comes at our OWN expense. We have NO qualms about self deprication. Well, if you can't laugh at yourself, you've no business laughing at anyone else. Sepiatone