CaveGirl

Thanks, Speedracer and yeah, Bogie did sound wacky in VC. But never as bad as Tony Curtis in that film where he said something like "Yondah lies the castle of my faddah."

You are so right, N&N! Have you ever noticed that in all the historical dramas set in Rome, all the Romans also have British accents...haha. Well, I guess it does sound better than a New Joysey one.

You will rue the day that you brought up NOFMB, Dargo! My response to your bluff that Jack was the only one sounding American, is just what do you think Toy and Wyng sounded like???

I knew that by introducing a conversation about dialectics, that you, Dargo with your interest in Plato and Socrates would have a vested interest in getting involved. As for Larry and Pete being predisposed to doing a standard Southern accent for an American one, I will bow to your expertise in deciphering such idiomatic inclinations on-screen. By the way, what particular dialect is Groucho using in "A Night at the Opera" pray tell?

First let me say that yes, I know that the word "dialectical" is not really apt for my meaning here, so just regard it as some innocent wordplay. Of course what this post is all about is "dialects" effected by actors in films and if they are good, bad or just ugly. For me, Meryl Streep does seem to have the talent to do dialects well, but then what do I know. She seemed believable in "Sophie's Choice" and got great reviews but I'll leave it up to others to decide. Now some American actors are so lame in trying to do dialects in films, that they just give up halfway through the film. On the other hand, the Brits seem to be able to do any dialect and especially excel at doing American ones with aplomb. Perhaps that is because they are better trained than our domestic variety but who knows. Nevertheless, what films do you think had proper dialects for the film settings and which ones were just abysmally horrid?

Boy, what I would not give to own that little devil machine! It would look great in my rec room and could add some spice to parties with everyone getting their fortunes told. Hmmm, first I'd ask it though "Would it be a good thing for me to purchase you for my rec room?" just in case the devil guy says "Not a good idea!".

You are right there. CF. Even Raymond Chandler supposedly was a bit unclear on who was the culprit in TBS. There is some story about the butler being at the beachhouse or such, which is hysterical. I too have read almost all the Hammett and Chandler works and even they are rife with possible mistakes but who cares. I've never worried about the veracity of a detective tale. What fun is it to watch movies unless one can also discuss every minute aspect of them, knowing full well that it is all persiflage and unimportant. Much better than to have to discuss the intricacies of the U.N. or how to end welfare fraud. As Eydie Gorme once said, the way to have a happy marriage is never to discuss anything important.

I can't speak for Slayton, but I think his point about "flaws" was not about nitpicking whether someone's hairdo was appropriate to the time period but more on a higher plane of things like Hamlet's fatal flaw in character in the Shakespearean play. That type of "flaw" is always fun to discuss, whether in a film or a play, and is what makes for lighthearted discussion. I mean, any talk about movies is always light in tone to me, since movies are not a serious subject intrinsically anyway, now are they?

I am gonna watch just based on your excellent review, Tom. Also I noted that the cast includes John Hoyt, Fritz Leiber and Luis van Rooten so that makes it even more interesting.

Bet-tee for the first and Bet for the second. But in French it would just be Bet for Bette. There's also actress Betta St. John who was in films like "City of the Dead" with Christopher Lee.

The absolute greatest take on Honore de Balzac's work ever put on film! Margaret Tyzack is even better than she was in the "I, Claudius" Masterpiece Theatre production. A tale of revenge that proves the saying that it is best served cold.

Wow, great stuff, FL! The Dietrich book sounds like a real winner. I like the offbeat stuff which was not so popular. Being that I love Veronica, I can understand the attraction to anything about her. I have some stills with her but no big items. I did find the biography of Gloria Grahame which was a great read, at a second hand store.

How wonderful, Speedracer and thanks for sharing info about your collectibles. My sister-in-law is a Lucy addict and I got her that book detailing all the ILL shows, and she loved it. She is the only person I know who thinks Hal March is a great actor. Wasn't there a 3-D "I Love Lucy" comic book? I think I've seen it at an antique show. I could be wrong, so I'm asking you the expert!

I bought an area rug from the TCM Rug Ring and it has silhouettes of famous scenes from movies on it in black and white, like the one of Slim Pickens in space or Buster with the house open doorway falling down over him. I can highly recommend this product!

You are absolutely right, Helen. Besides dating General Electric I also got into dating cops later and Deputy Dog was my boyfriend but I dumped him for his buddy, Ty ****.

I will watch anyt I will watch anything with Charles Korvin in it!

You are dead on, Slayton! I agree wholeheartedly with your assessment of this film. Having read all the crime novels of Hammett, and considering his experience as a Pinkerton, I agree with you that Spade is no more moral than Brigid O'Shaughnessy and it is debatable who really deserved to take the fall or was taking the moral high ground. Not only that, I will go further and say that this film is not even a noir one, despite the opinions of the noir contingents who follow self-professed noir czars who think that seeing wet, dark streets and night scenes constitute noir in all its essence. Not noir, not moral, and not so easily categorized since Hammett's take on such things was totally tempered with real life knowledge and not just a desire to be fantasizing about noir dames and having interludes. Great topic and you should expand it into a book, and I will buy the first copy, Slayton!

At this point, CF I say read the book first and THEN see the movie!

Virginia Mayo treated poor old Dana horribly in the film, so she got what was coming to her, CF! Trying to make the poor guy wear that uniform every time they went out on the town and then embarrassed cuz he is working in the drugstore selling cheap perfume. I do remember my mother and grandmother once saying, "Never marry a man you have only seen wearing a uniform, until you also see them in their normal clothing, as it might change your opinion." Of course they also said "Never marry a man wearing a beard or goatee, unless you've seen them once with it shaved off." Words to live by!

Now that is really impressive, CF. I'm sure letters written by Agatha Christie are really valuable, and much more so than any autograph. Does she mention where she was that time she appeared to be kidnapped and was she out cavorting with some gigolo on the side? The letters of a political figure like Trudeau, would also be so interesting to read. Thanks for submitting such great inheritance items to my thread.

Isn't it great that someone like Stanwyck, who was really talented was also so well liked by casts and crews of her films. I remember reading her nickname was Missy to all, and I guess every leading man who had her as a leading lady was helped by her performances opposite him. Thanks, TB!

Matricide, eh? I knew someone who thought that word meant "killing one's mama on her bed's mattress". Admittedly, even Eddie Gein had that overly close relationship with mama, and Bates Hotels does that type of abnormal relationship a good turn fictionally.

Gee, this is tough. I'll go with Errol Flynn, Steve Cochran, George MacReady, Nat Pendleton, W.C. Fields, Jack Lemmon, Rudolph Valentino, Broderick Crawford, H.B. Warner, George O'Brien, Max Baer, Senior, and probably Mel Brooks. Oh, I forgot Lee Philips and Grant Williams. Those pretty boys can always pep up a movie like "Peyton Place" or "The Wasp Woman".

Well, I think that is the start of a wonderful collection, CF! I have only the autograph of Little Richard and Richard Widmark. Oh, I forgot, also King Hussein. I only got one of them personally. Guess which one?

Well, you said a mouthful, Palmerin and it was a very edifying mouthful. This is why one probably should avoid all critics, since most of them are self-serving and not that articulate anyway. Plus they often have incredibly bad taste and are nescient. I'm talking mostly about what passes for movie criticism in this day and age. For evidence, let me just mention the screenplay of "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls".