CaveGirl

I think what makes this film more compelling to some, is if they are cognescent of the cutthroat areas of entertainment that existed back then with people like Walter Winchell controlling certain areas of the industry and then it makes a lot more sense, with its dour and most snide and sordid aspects. I can see why it might turn off some people but for me, Lancaster was never more brilliant and Curtis is great too. I think the films of Alexander MacKendrick [spelling this without looking it up!] are a sophisticated bunch and very impressive.

I have a whole book about Forest Lawn and find its history fascinating. Thanks, Spence for digging up such a good topic!

I own "The Leather Boys", Swithin so appreciated your post. The title sounds so much more salacious than it really is though, doncha think. Sorry to hear of this but thanks for posting the news.

Oh, yeah! I don't know if my ears could take all those clanking sounds that keep reverberating off the walls though, which could kill one's eardrums. I think that place needs some nice rugs and curtains to mask some of those sounds. Other than that, what a fine choice and don't talk out loud or you might get thrown out by that nasty librarian, TB!

Or cap and cape! Imagine if you put your hat on your body and your cape on your head. This is like the book called "The Man Who Mistook His Wife for His Hate" by Oliver Sacks. Okay, I'll stop now, TB...I can sense your disdain.

An extra "e" can make the difference between rap and rape too, TB.

That door slamming was the same in both versions, heard all around the world as it once was when it was a play!

I'll admit it, I've always wanted to visit Skull Island, where Skull Mountain supposedly exists along with Kong, as one of my favorite film locales. Now, I'd not want to be the bride of Kong, since it seems like a thankless task, nor do I even want to go to the wedding feast. I might want to watch Kong take on any contenders from the Lycosidae Family though, as that would be ripping good sport. I also would probably enjoy things more if Robert Armstrong were along, since I find him and his ebullience quite appealing but it is not necessary if we have a good captain aboard and able mates. I have a nice still camera and a old Super 8 one also, plus tripods if I need to take any fast action shots of any Robert Ripley or Frank Buck types incidents, to bring back to civilization. What imaginary film spot in the world or the Lesser Antilles* and beyond, would you like to visit? *I think ahead now. This is a joke. I got this line from W.C. Fields and know that the Lesser Antilles are actually a part of this world.

The day they show "Caligula" I will eat some little boots made of licorice, just like Chaplin sorta did!

I know that, it was meant to be a joke. Apparently I did not make that more apparent...sorry!

I agree, great list, Arpirose! I've seen most of those, and even can agree that early silents like "The Musketeers of Pig Alley" seem seminal. Also most definitely Murnau's "Sunrise" with the evil city woman, and "The Great Gabbo" plus just bought last year Renoir's "La Chienne" and it's now my favorite over "Scarlet Street" surprisingly. Thanks!

I get your point, TheCid. Miss Wonderly explained well though my mission, which was just about establishing starting points for what later became noirish elements in many films classified as such. I first saw SOTTF quite a long while ago but did think it has many classic representations of what later was elemental in such films. But you are quite free to say as a totality that the film perhaps is not that good according to your standards. I get it and thanks for giving your opinion which is appreciated. The belief I only want to hear opinions running the gamut from A to B is highly debatable.

Tom, now I've read about Dentophobia in Masters and Johnson, but being mere medical folks they did not add the necessary connection to Film Noir. Thanks for a great addition to the canon of noir connections!

Great overview of the Noir element and its antecedents, Miss Wonderly. Doncha also think that the work of New York photographer, Weegee was seminal? I mean the guy wrote a book called "Murder is My Business" and just one look at how he captured crime scenes almost instantaneously with all the gory details, is so reminiscent of how such scenes are shot in films. His other book, "Naked City" is also tangential to the film, and seeing any of his photos brings a noirish glow to the happening, even if he is only shooting dowager queens attending a Broadway play. Thanks for your fine exegesis of the whole background of early noir origins, pre and post talkies!

"Ryan's Daughter". Why? Because he is so unlike Robert Mitchum in the film that I was mightily impressed.

Debra Paget would have been great playing Priscilla in any Elvis biopic, mostly since Elvis had that big crush on her and tried to make the real Priscilla look a lot like her with the darker hair and all. He shoulda dated her sister, Lisa Gaye who might have been more into him!

Dunno, Dar. But I sure know who you want to play the lead in "The James Coburn Story" I bet...

You're right again, Dargo, as usual and Sly would probably not have even let a young Brando play it. He knew the film was possibly his claim to fame and he was right. Now I usually only want to see films about good looking boxers like Billy Conn. Sure I like them a little bit beat up looking but basically attractive and in shape, not paunchy like LaMotta in his older years. I did find Rocky Marciano quite cute in a Peter Falkish way, but there is no way Rocky Graziano shoulda been played by Newman. Really? I think it should have been someone more like a Tony Danza type. You dig?

The person who was fabulous in the Richard Greene series was Alan Wheatley as the Sheriff of Nottingham. He was kind of a more suave, British born Jack Cassidy! And he looked great in all those black leather studded outfits with his platinum hair. I always look for him in British movies as he played in many.

Yes, I have a whole book devoted to films like "Frightmare" which has a good write-up on it. Saw it once but it was quite a long time ago. Noticed it mentioned for sale in a dvd catalog I get so I might buy it. You are right...the last frontier and most taboo topic in movies, probably is religion. Anything considered critical or even tongue in cheek humor like "Life of Brian" can stir an immediate uproar and derail a film from viewing or engagements. Thanks for your thoughts, DVDP! Remember that Jean-Luc Godard film called "Hail Mary"?

No, I wasn't! Well, okay...maybe only in Cary Grant's case since he always looked good his whole life. He looked better at 82 than some people do at 22. Sorry I'm so shallow...

I'm gonna go with Bob Mathias, Olympic Decathalon winner playing Bob Mathias, in the movie "The Bob Mathias Story". Now just who could have played that part better, I ask you? Very few males had feet as big as his which helped his balance during the many events, and were athletically inclined, or could sleep at a moment's notice on the Olympic sidelines and were from Tulare, which Bob was from. Great casting I say!

I refuse to watch that movie, since Jessie Royce Landis would have had to have baby Cary at the age of eight years, if she is his mother. That's just sick!

Methinks Chuck Wepner might disagree with ya, Palooka! Okay, okay so he's not an actor. I'm calling this a technical knock out, Dar.

I'm surprised there is not a TCM festival with only Crispin Glover movies. He is the antidote to normalcy in most any setting. He was quite good in "River's Edge". I would star him in a film with Pee Wee Herman as two bloodthirsty siblings whose father is Harrison Ford, and has had them both chained in the basement for years, but let them up once and they murdered him. They are now off on a wild hunt to replicate the crimes of John Wayne Gacy and have joined a circus where they one is a clown and one a mime, who kills silently.