CaveGirl

Congrats on a high score, Spence! You really know your movies. I'm still working on rechoosing the nominees for Oscars for the year, 1939 which keeps me very busy. I am glad to see Guillermo's film was nominated.

C'mon, like you didn't just love seeing him jump on the backs of the Academy Award chairs to get up on stage with Sophia Loren when he won??? Okay, maybe you didn't... I think I like Benigni about a million times more than Ebert though...don't judge me!

Can you imagine, Tom having Herbert and Joe E. Ross in a scene with one saying "Woo woo!" and the other saying "Ooh ooh!" constantly??? I think I'd rather date Dale since I've read Clark had bad breath from his dentures.

I think you expressed it beautifully, Laffite. In olden times or the first decade of talkies, you would see people like Lunt and Fontanne in films demonstrating such vocal styles. On the other hand when I watch old newsreels from the time of Bonnie and Clyde, I am amazed how differently real people of the time sound. And then we see the influx of actors like Marlon Brando changing the style of speech in films, with his performance in ASND, which then was copied by so many imitative actors, yet he could do the more stagey style in films like "Julius Caesar" when he liked. Though some actors were from the stage, and knew how to project, the best ones also knew how to modulate for the movies. Great post elucidating the differences in acting, from the time of David Belasco to Elia Kazan so thanks, Laffite!

I gotta admit...I love anthology films! For one reason, if the movie starts and you're not digging the first segment, you know you have a few more chances to enjoy an upcoming segment. Some anthology films have three segments, some have five, and not sure exactly what is less common. As I recall, drive-in fare like "Tales From the Crypt" usually had five segments based on telling the stories of people you meet at the opening of the film. My favorite anthology film is Mario Bava's [1963] "Black Sabbath" [aka "I Volti Della Paura"]. Three creepy stories that still entertain, with William Pratt, who else, as the host! One story is about an incessantly ringing phone, one about...the Wurdalak, and one about a stolen ring...from a corpse! The colors are typically those of Bava, with lurid reds and greens. The cameraman was Terzano, who also worked on "Black Sunday", with assistance from Bava. The stories were appropriated from tales by Chekov, Tolstoy and Guy de Maupassant. The film inspired a certain rock group that liked to have their lead singer bite off the heads of unsuspecting aviary subjects, so you know it must be a winner. Name an anthology film of any vintage that has similarly inspired you.

Shocking...I know, Laffite! Sometimes reading the book after seeing the movie can also be a bummer. For years, I'd loved the film "The Letter" with Bette Davis and Herbert Marshall. Finally decided to read the book by Somerset Maugham, one of my favorite authors and lo and behold, one of my absolutely most admired scenes in the film of which I totally loved the dialogue, was nowhere to be seen. Bummer!

I love Hugh Herbert! He would do that hand clapping thing as he spoke and was so adorable. I'm also surprised that no cartoon character or tv ad campaign didn't use the voice of George Sanders for a character. By the way, is it just me or does Donald Duck sound a lot like Bobby Kennedy? Speaking of voices, as for ones I just enjoy, I also like Dale Robertson's and Stuart Whitman's, of course sometimes I just forget to listen as I'm enjoying looking at them too. By the way, Robertson sounds a lot like Clark Gable if you just listen...

Tom, I would definitely put Colman definitely at the top of any list. Why anyone whose voice can be diverse characters running the gamut from French Revolutionaries to Toucan Sam is a treasure! As for Flynn, the Tasmanian Devil, yes...wonderful voice and such ability to use it in winning ways. Who else could play some of those rather melodramatic roles, swashbuckling his way across vessels and swinging from post to post in castles, without missing a beat, and then trading barbs with the likes of Claude Rains or a Basil Rathbone? I think he did rest on his laurels, acting wise, because really...who else was there to replace him in Jack Warner's lot but later when in something like "That Forsyte Woman" showed some real acting chops. Enjoyed rewatching the Custer scene. Thanks for your most learned comments!

Sepia, you are so right about many voices from back then could be identified, even in a radio broadcast. Due to the lack of unusual or one of a kind voices in films now, I would guess this is why we see few impersonators around anymore entertaining. The days of Rich Little or stand-ups doing Kirk Douglas imitations is over! One I forgot of course, is Peter Lorre! Only he can take a line like "Oh, you got blood on my shirt" or whatever it was, in "TMF" and make it come alive. Love your choices like Percy Helton, Warren William and others.

I think all important points about this film have already been mentioned, so I will only add that though reading the book is a great idea for further resonance, read it for the enjoyment of a great novel and not as a primer to understand the film. I think it was Arthur Clarke himself who once made some statement about that if one understood totally the film, they he and Kubrick had failed in their objectives. The film is fun to dissect with the little bits about HAL's name being one step down in the alphabet from IBM, and why did some reviewers find Gary and Keir so boring on first viewing and the rewrite their reviews saying they finally got why the filmmakers may have created their characters in that way. I think it is interesting that many first time viewers don't even reflect upon the final setting in the bedroom with the overtly French furniture looking like it is from the time of Marie Antoinette. The film is unique and sine qua non and one can make of it what they want in my opinion, as it seeps over them like a blanket and they can dream the real meaning for them, if they want...or not.

When I watch old movies, I am continually thrilled to hear the most impressive and memorable speaking voices of many of the actors. Sure, there are some whose enunciation is perfection, their tone dulcet and their delivery like something from a wonderful planet that produces voice boxes like those of Olivier, Colman and Garson. But I don't mean only those beautifully trained actors and actresses, since people like John Barrymore spent much time working on his voice in order to project when he was doing something on stage in London like Hamlet. I enjoy all the voices from old films since many actors have specific dialects and you've got the Brooklyn cab driver and the Ma and Pa Kettle folks with distinctive vocal sounds, and Southern belles and gents and a true panoply of United States regional accents plus many European and world voices. So I cannot fault many of today's actors, because with the mass communications that exist today, many regional accents have disappeared totally. Still though, the voices of many actors of the past are so much more evocative that what I hear today on the screen or have for the recent past. Two actors whose delineated tones always entertain me, are Warner Baxter and Richard Dix. Baxter was always great in any film, besides the obvious one like "42nd Street" with things like even silly Shirley Temple outings like "Stand Up and Cheer". Dix too had the obvious big hits, but was amazing with his stentorian voice in cheapies late in his career like "The Whistler" series or earlier he scared me to death in Lewton's production of "The Ghost Ship" directed by Mark Robson. I think the voices of both of these actors and many from back then had much to do with their effectiveness in their parts, beyond just the obvious acting talents of both. Women like Jean Arthur had such unusual voices that they were just a pleasure to hear in anything. She's so endearing in Capra films like "You Can't Take It With You". I also dig voices like the wonderful Judith Anderson who could be conniving and creepy as in "Rebecca" or homespun as in "The Red House" with Eddie G. Robinson. What voices from the past are your faves?

Seth Rogen.

Really...you think so? I think Clooney is good at being self deprecating and charming, but my objection was that he has not really shown himself to be a clever and quick witted commentator on other subjects or events with the humor of a Bill Crystal or Jerry Seinfeld. But you surely have the right to disagree, Spence and I would totally enjoy seeing Clooney host to see what would happen. I'd love to be proven wrong.

Tiki, I had a book once with rock lists and they put Daltry in a group called "the ugliest rock stars". I was always surprised at that since I don't think he is a bad looking bloke considering some other rock stars I can think of. I mean this is stupid of me to bring up, but I just felt like I should slightly defend poor old Roger here since you brought him up. He did have all that pretty blond curly hair and all which was nice...

OMG! I love the film "Eating Raoul", CigarJoe. That guy in it was doing such a good Eric Estrada imitation also that made it even funnier. The real joy of the film also, is the amazing Mid-Century Modern in the couple's apartment! Thanks.

Ya know, being a lepidopterist would put you in good company since Vladimir Nabokov was one, Eric and then you could go looking for butterflies to catch with your net. I was using "catch me if you can" though as wording that possibly the real Jack used in his only note to Mishter Lusk. The one about him taking someone's "kidne" that he "fried" and ate. I think that note is missing from the Black Museum files sadly...

Oooohhh! That movie was so good. I had totally forgotten about that film. David Warner, is great in everything, from the time he was in "Morgan" but is particularly chilling in that film. So grateful you remembered and brought up this fine example of how to make a fab Ripper film. Also one of the few films in which MacDowell is a kind of milquetoast character which was fun to see. Thank you!

Such a lovely and inspiring actress! I will have to get out my "Mary Hartman" dvd and watch for her as I think she had a part in some episodes among the many other tv series that she graced. Sorry to hear about her passing but thanks for making note of it here.

Right on! I remember in my college theology course, that we learned that in Hebrew lore, 7 was considered a magic and perfect number, hence when the angels like Lucifer [if you believe such things] had their fall from grace, they lost a digit obviously and were then represented by the number, 6 and to amplify how much Lucifer had messed up, he was given the designation of three sixes in a row, just to put him/her/it in their place. Don't ask me about why Ronald Reagan's names also came out to be in a 6-6-6 pattern. I can also recite the names of all sixteen Judges of Israel by memory from the class, if you are interested, Vautrin.

I did...but then as my mother said "You are the repository of many useless facts and trivia, ya know." Actually it was her fault since she would be watching a movie and would say things like "Oh look, there's Vera Vague in the background" or "I always liked Minna Gombell so much in movies."

They don't make musicals anymore, probably because they don't have people like Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly a the helm looking for perfection, nor are there dancers like Rita Hayworth who can be seen in long shots executing entire routines in a take. Now they would be cutting away and using bit pieces of film or using CG stuff to be able to do anything really visually worthy.

Now there's a type that I really miss. So many great ones, like Edna Mae Oliver even down to Mary Wickes types. The breed probably started dying out around the time Aunt Bee from Mayberry did also. Thanks!

Too bad William Conrad is dead, GGG doncha think as he made an excellent heavy who could be quite threatening!

Ooh, speaking of Lucille Bremer, for some odd reason she reminded me of the ultimate disappearing movie star, Jean Arless. She quickly disappeared after her starring role in the classic William Castle film "Homicidal" since she was really Joan Marshall, who had been appearing in films from as far back as 1945, with many guest appearances too on numerous tv shows like TZ and westerns et cetera. I'll admit, though I had seen Joan Marshall many times in tv episodes like "Dead Man's Shoes" the hair change to platinum blonde in "Homicidal" tricked me for many years in not recognizing her as the same person. Now when I see her in an old "Star Trek" episode, I still find sometimes forget she is the woman/man who offed Helga while she was in her wheelchair, tsk tsk! Joan's career continued as she was finally married to Hal Ashby later I think, but Jean Arless seemingly disappeared. Another mysterious tale from the Hollywood vaults!

Dear Boss...oops, I mean Mishter Eric! The Royal theory with Prince Eddie was a fun one, but probably not cogent. So many books written about this person with the Ripperologists like Rumbelow and others leading the pack, and then following with Knight's rather sad "Final Solution" moving on to nescient folderol as from Patricia Cornwell, who knows as little about Jack the Ripper as probably Bill O'Reilly, who I'm sure might do a book soon to add to his legion of fans who know nothing about the Kennedy assassination so approve of his half-baked theories. For wacky yet fun takes, have you read the Maybrick diary one, and recently I got enjoyment from reading the book called "They All Loved Jack" by Bruce Robinson. Personally, my favorite volume from my Ripper lore book shelf is the one with all the letters confessing to the crimes sent to Scotland Yard. It is fascinating and rather unique. It's called "Jack the Ripper: Letters from Hell" by Stewart Evans. Thanks, Eric and catch me when you can!