CaveGirl

OMG! These are all great. I love the Theodora idea, and I actually own that Darger documentary, and his drawings of the little girl/boy composite people is so fascinating. Anna Mae and James would be wonderful, as would Aral Sea stuff and what film fan would not like something about William Haines or Django. Thanks and I hope some bored screenwriter appreciates all these suggstions!

I find it fitting that Lancaster is star of the month, being that he was friendly with JFK. As for what is the best movie about the assassination, I'd say none yet I would watch any and all as each brings up interesting facets of the crime. Being that they really are done as entertainment, I cannot bring myself to seriously consider as fact things like Stone's "JFK" yet I like the fact that he presents a film that questions all the legendary situations inherent in the crime and enjoy it in that context. The best on film reportage of the assassination that I've seen, was a European documentary of about six parts called I think..."The Men Who Killed Kennedy", that has amazing episodes about many of the tangential issues. Was Oswald a low level operative of the CIA who was used as a patsy; was a famous European hit man assisted by others placed in three locations along with the grassy knoll site, to do the deed; why was a vehicle owned by the same funeral home that Oswald was embalmed in, called to be the emergency vehicle to pick him up after Ruby shot him; did J.Edgar Hoover and the CIA conspire to remove Kennedy after the Bay of Pigs incident; why was the parade route through Dealey Plaze changed at the last minute, and what was the connection between the local government leader and someone high up in the CIA? Why was Kennedy's brain already removed from its cranial structure when it arrived at Bethesda even though physicians at Parkland in Dallas did not do any such removal preflight? Maybe this documentary digs deeper into touchy connections due to being NOT made in the US? The Warren Commission was a joke. But I'm not laughing...

Dobbsy, I think you are being very egotistical in this view as if you and only you are right. So by disagreeing with Ayn you have become exactly the type of man she would approve of. Sorry for ending that sentence with a preposition!

I always envisioned him looking a bit like Hugh Marlowe, Kid. Am I right?

Though I may appear to be jocular about Cousins, I like him too, Swede! I find his comments interesting and don't care if he wears a bathing suit while sitting with Osborne. I've defended him continually from the onslaught of comments that seem denigrating and frankly, find the vehemence towards him rather interesting in a psychological way. But then I've always found Groucho in full mustache and eyebrow gear, very arresting and not offputting.

I say, forget usury and just go with Index Funds! And never, but never hire anyone named Uncle Billy to make bank deposits for you...

Okay, so I'm down on film historians lately, and another group who need some serious assistance from the vox populi is...film scriptwriters, in my opinion. I haven't seen a really good plot on film for eons. The world if full of interesting tales of true life, that would be more entertaining than one more film about a bank heist in Vegas by former People Magazine cover boys. For me, the story about Charles Lindbergh fathering three or more illegitimate children in Germany, and his links to former Nazi experiments is something I'd enjoy seeing considering his wholesome image in the USA. I'd cast Jon Voigt as the older Charles as he was great in the "Odessa File" and looks rather Aryan. I've got a bunch more ideas, but how about you? What story ripped from the headlines have YOU always wanted to see filmed? If it is not as exciting as "The Christine Jorgenson Story" don't even waste our time!

Margaret Sullavan is just wonderful! Such comedic style. I was surprised to see the TCM interview with Bill Murray saying how much he loved Sullavan. I might not have thought she was his type but he seemed enthralled with her films. I think she was fab and agreed, with a lot of similar charm to Jean Arthur. Margaret deserves to be SOTM, if only for "The Shop Around the Corner" in which her delicate with and talents are astounding.

About that movie, I can only say...where's John Galt when you need him?

Sepia, I LOVE that travelogue guy's voice! Shoot, what is his name? Uh, can't remember. I really enjoy those too; thanks!

A case like that, Dobbsy does show the vagaries of how circumstances can alter a person's life who may not really have diabolically criminal motives. Fugate reminds me a bit of the old chestnut in films, of a noirish woman who gets some dumb guy to do her bidding to rid her of an unwanted hubby or whatever, and then plays the innocent. I think Capote's book on Smith and Hickok, was not so much about the crime per se as it was Truman's attempt to fashion a new form of writing, sort of a fictionalized non-fiction that was his real motivator, though he did seem sympathetic to Perry's story a bit. Thanks for your remembrance of your interview with the prisoner, who does seem misfortunate.

I have to say I get a kick out of the really off the wall shorts that TCM shows occasionally. The other day or nite, can't remember...I was rivetted to my seat by some weird vaudeville short starring Art Trahan AND...Chas. Chase. Now I had to write their names down, having never heard of them. Trahan did some wacky piano bit with a female singer and this Chas. Chase did a routine wherein he ate everything put in front of him, matches, lit cigarettes, paper...what not! They just don't make them like this anymore... Oddly I just found this write-up below about him on the Net, but no luck yet on Trahan. Any shorts you have seen that really make you crack up? Stars of Vaudeville #304: Chaz Chase Chaz Chase (born in 1901) was a funny looking little man in over-sized clothes who ? like a vacuum cleaner ? gobbled up whatever was placed in front of his mouth, such as lit matches and the flower from his lapel. Seems like the stuff of sideshows, but somehow Chase actually made it work in the big time. Starting in the nineteen-teens, he started working in vaudeville and burlesque. By the early 30s he was performing in Vitaphone shorts and Broadway revues like Ballyhoo of 1930 with W.C. Fields, and High Kickers (1941), a Kalmar and Ruby show featuring Sophie Tucker and Georgie Jessel. When vaudeville dried up, his meat and potatoes became nightclubs in Paris and New York and television variety shows. He worked right up until he died in 1983, performing in Sugar Babies with Mickey Rooney and Ann Miller, and doing spots on the David Letterman show that year. Edited by: CaveGirl on Nov 1, 2013 3:46 PM

Why did you have to talk about "thinking about Burt", Vert? I have just forced myself to stop thinking about him and am reflecting on why there are no male stars now with his appeal or manly charm. George Clooney, bah humbug! A piker next to Burt. Didn't Shelley Winters say she used to meet Burt once a year for, uh...licentous doings? That girl sure got all the good looking guys! What were we talking about again?

Warren Zevon! What a great guy. Did you see that documentary he did on the making of his final album, Finance? Whenever I hear WOL, I think of one of my favorite character actor of all time...Henry Hull! He was marvy as the original werewolf and was still in films in the 50's, with that great Kentucky accent. They should make a horror film based on the Led Zep legend about selling their souls to the so-called devil, just like blues guy Robert Johnson, and then suffering the consequences like Plant's son dying and Bonham croaking. Maybe Zoso should not have bought Aleister Crowley's house at Loch Ness either and practiced any witchcraft?

Having been interested in the Fugate case for many years, I recall seeing an interview with someone at the incarceration spot about her release. This is rather chilling, at least to me considering it shows the mindset of what parole boards look for in letting some people out of jail. Fugate was considered a model prisoner. Apparently she followed all rules and did her time quietly and without rancor. Due to her excellent adaptation to prison life and its standards, she was seen as being unequivocally fit to return to outside life. But one shrink had a differing opinion that was ignored. He stated that Fugate was a follower and would follow anyone in command. Meaning that if she met up with a minister she would be serving as acolyte in the church, and if she met up with another sociopath proposing carnage, she would also follow him or her blithely to kill and maim. I found this an interesting take. Surely anyone who watches old film of Fugate at the time of the crime can see that she was just as culpable as Starkweather and kind of got him to do her bidding in ridding her of her authority figure parents. Now Perry and Dick, are a whole different matter. They seem to fit the psychological profile of what is known in psychiatric circles as Folie A Deux types. One without the other, might never commit any such heinous crime. Dick seemed to be the ringleader but he was really only a minor paper hanger with bad checks and such, before he met Perry. Nevertheless, both were guilty and both should have been punished. I do take exception to not liking a film, which is based on a true story but a bit sanitized. Since almost all literature of the criminal sort could have been based on a true event, if one negates watching anything somewhat inspired by the actual thing, I would not be able to watch Hamlet, Othello, any films on Jack the Ripper types or even Crippen, which all make for ripping enjoyment. I don't condone violence but drama has been around for eons based on such protagonist issues and without such inspirations we'd maybe only be watching films like "Dude, Where's My Car?".

Finance, you don't like Blow Up or Blow Out? I could understand you not liking the latter, as Travolta alone is annoying. But Antonioni's film is such fun and brings to mind the grassy knoll and conspiracy in high places like in the JFK thingie. Plus the fim has Veruschka and Hemmings looks so cute in his white pants!

Hey, Finance...if you'd like to see more of Burt doing comedy, albeit in a highly camped up way which was typical of tv variety shows of the time, there's a bit on You Tube with from the Colgate Comedy Hour with Martin and Lewis and with Burt parodying his role in "Come Back Little Sheba". Also for fun watching, I just checked out his Oscar acceptance speech for "Elmer Gantry" there too at this spot...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQql7wXtGoI. Now for my money, Burt was maybe one of the best looking male physical specimens on film bar none. We can also include in real life also. If that stupid People Magazine had been around, I'm sure Burt would have beaten out candidates like Matt Damon, who looks like Charlie Brown next to him or maybe Jimmy Olsen! Since I was speaking of nudity on film recently, I was amused by the fact that TCM's recent showing of "The Swimmer" had Burt nude in one shot and since I'd never seen it in a theatre I had no idea he had displayed his pulchritudinous posterior in any films. No surprise...it looked as good as the rest of him. Considering that he was in his mid-50's in that film, I'd like to see any of the current male stars of that age wear a bathing suit all through a film and not disappoint. He was mesmerizing just walking around the woods and around pools, sort of with an amazing animal magnetism and charisma that maybe only Errol Flynn had. Sorry for being a female chauvinist pig but that man was gorgeous! I like him best though in a weird role for him, as supportive husband to Shirley Booth in CBLS and also with Anna Magnani in TRT. Who can forget his vile presence and chilling demeanor as J. J.Hunsecker though as one of his best, which was also so fab? I watched "The Leopard" on TCM awhile back and kept meaning to check and see if Lancaster was dubbed? It sure does not sound like him but maybe I'm wrong. Off to IMDB... Well Happy Birthday, Burt on your 100th birthday!

Sometimes I just wish I lived back in the days of horrid overacting on the stage, but when I do I just get out my Tod Slaughter movies and laugh myself silly. But honestly, I really do enjoy seeing an over the top acting style which is so melodramatic that is it enjoyable. My favorite Tod film is "Fingers at the Window" in which he emotes with no shame, with amazing facial manipulations. I can also recommend him in the Sweeney Todd film. Anyone else here enjoy his histrionics?

That color was absolutely, eerily incredible.. I was really not watching the movie last nite, as I own it but was flipping channels right at the point Lon walks down the steps in the red death costume, and as usual was taken aback. Those colors just jump off the screen! Very bloodcurdling that outfit is, and the scene with him on the tower with the wind ruffling his outfit is fab too.

I just watched it, and had never even heard of it. "The Full Treatment" directed by Val Guest. I accidentally started watching it this past weekend and became absorbed. It was a really great flick. Catch it if TCM shows it again. Here is the IMDB listing: Stop Me Before I Kill! (1960) "The Full Treatment" (original title) 120 min - Mystery | Drama - October 1960 (UK) After surviving a traumatic car accident, a race car driver travels to the Cote D'Azur to recover but is plagued by an urge to strangle his wife. Director:Val Guest

OMG! I've wondered for years whatever happened to Gene Talbot who was seemingly smitten with Connie Brooks of "Our Miss Brooks" fame. Thought he'd been jilted, thought he'd been fired, thought Mister Boynton offed him or maybe Walter Denton had run over him with his car in the Madison High parking lot. But now I know...the Talbott curse strikes again! This is as bad as the current curse about that Ice Man mummy named something like Uttsy or Outsy or Ootsy, in which everyone who participated in the archaelogical dig, the scientists, and the photographer and the lab people are dying sad, miserable deaths. Kind of like King Tut's curse, which they tried to explain as bacterial but this Ice Man thing is more mystifying. Just like the Talbott curse. I sure feel badly that it hit Gloria too as she was one of my favorite femmes from the 1950's. Thanks Ollie for this scintillating expose, worthy of a Confidential magazine spread.

"Fun, friendly, family" for Halloween??? Now that is just heresy and tantamount to revolting. I don't need gore at Halloween but I sure need something on film that is more scary than seeing my beloved Don Knotts. Why unless he brought along the ghost of Floyd the Barber, I would feel most cheated at Halloween. I will agree with you though, that "I Married a Witch" is a great movie ful of fun AND spooks!

Lavender, want to start a fan club for IOTBS and TDTESS? Those are my two most favorite fifties sci-fi films too. I almost wished the aliens would take over, after seeing Michael Rennie in that silver suit. When they try to lock him up in that hospital room by locking the door, and he just laughs...fabulous. I also love that small bit at the boarding house, when as Mr. Carpenter he picks up the small music box most bemused, and is surprised when he opens it to hear the music. How do you feel about The Incredible Shrinking Man? Edited by: CaveGirl on Oct 28, 2013 3:41 PM

Kid_Dabb, you are cracking me up with that photo! I watch that AA show all the time and just want to get my fingers in that guy's hair, but not for the usual reason. He should join the Big Forehead Club...

Ah, thanks James for saying I "nailed it"! Since Cousins was mostly being crucified here daily, I thought it appropriate...