CaveGirl
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Posts posted by CaveGirl
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1 minute ago, cigarjoe said:
Hilary Brooke and Tom Conway in Confidence Girl (1952)
It starts off as a typical police procedural with a brief introductory spiel by a Los Angeles police official warning against the confidence game, then proceeds to tell the case of Mary Webb (Brooke) and her association with Roger Kingsley (Conway).
This was one intricately plotted film that starts off with a nice twist following Webb and her associates through various cons, culminating in an elaborate phony mentalist night club act.
Hillary Brooke looks great and does a convincing turn as Webb, Tom Conway (George Sander’s brother) is her equal, believeabe. I've been familiar with Brooke from when I was a kid she was a regular, the blond bombshell that all the guys in Patterson on the Abbott & Costello TV show, were crazy about. Didn't realize she was a home girl (Astoria, NY) until I saw her bio. She shines.
Very similar to The Sting, but in my opinion even better for the 50s location sequences
James Garner and Lou Gossett are pretty good in Skin Game (1971). This film is probably the closest Garner ever gets in a film, that I've seen, to him reprising his Maverick persona when he his still young enough to pull it off, (he does so somewhat also, in the two Support Your Local... films with his cool wisecracking deliveries) but here he is actually playing a character Quincy Drew, who is a con man in the best Maverick Brothers tradition.
The story circa (1857) deals with two con men Drew and Jason O'Rourke (Lou Gossett) a native of New Jersey, who we later discover met in a jail in Pennsylvania when O'Rourke was thrown into a cell next to Drew who was doing time for telling fortunes, its hilarious seeing Garner in a turban and fortune telling garb. They hit it off, and devise various different cons that they try out as a team until they hit on what they call the "Skin Game". This con consists of Garner riding into various Western border state towns Kansas, Missouri, etc., feigning poverty and as a result has to sell his best slave at an impromptu auction in the saloon, hotel, etc., etc. Susan Clark, plays a shady lady/picpocket/con woman who targets the guys taking their money who eventually becomes Garners love interest. Ed Asner here, is in his villain period and he does a pretty good job as a slave catcher operating in the border area who eventually catches on to the con game. Gossett does a great job along with Garner & Clark.
I too love seeing the icy and sophisticated Hilary in anything, even as Vern's girlfriend in old "My Little Margie" reruns and sometimes I like Tom Conway even more than his bro, George. Always thought that Hilary was British till I too read her bio. As for "Skin Game" I've seen that but once long ago, but need to give it a second look based on your fine review. Thanks for both detailed takes on films not so famous but well worth seeing, CJ!
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I think Akira Kurosawa answered this question years ago at a dinner honoring him, saying that making sequels et cetera for sure thing money, was pretty much against the grain if one wants to be remembered for quality films. Did I mention Spielberg was in the audience but seemed not to be listening?
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Yeah, one doesn't often get to see a guy named Quasimodo, with only one functioning eye, swooping down from any bell towers, so I get your drift. Love that Laughton in anything. Thanks, Thenryb!
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Now working on Panel #4, Top Row, 2nd Box from Left...looks like Ingrid Bergman to me.
And in Panel # 4, on the bottom Row #4, the 4th Box over from the left, could be Robert Cummings possibly.
And continuing on Panel #4, Row #4, Box # 6 to the extreme right, could be Dick Powell.
And another possibility for Panel #4, Row #1, Box #4 from the left is Gypsy Rose Lee.
And on Panel #4 again, Row #4, Box #3 from the left, looks a bit like Claire Trevor.
Panel #4, Row #3, Box #4 from the left, possibly Laraine Day.
If they'd only put Joe E. Brown's or Gloria Grahame's mouths on this, it would be so easy! -
I love that line from Mantegna as he is in the Western Union office and is showing how to give "confidence" to get it, by telling the young soldier he will give him money if Mantegna's stuff comes in first. What a great and convincing scam it is, and a great lesson to those who are gullible on how a con man thinks!
Having never been gullible since birth, I didn't need to know it but I still enjoy the whole film tremendously. Thanks for your excellent exegesis of the film! -
46 minutes ago, jamesjazzguitar said:
Here is my list of 10 essential noir films:
The Maltese Falcon; (yea, I see Cavegirl's comments, but to me this is noir mainly because it helps introduce the femme fatale).
Glass Key: Have to have an Alan Ladd film in my list and this one if full of grit. The scene in the house in the country leading to the suicides is very creepy as well as humorous, in a dark way.
Double Indemnity: Have to have one Stanwyck film.
Laura: Fine cast with Clinton Webb being a must-see.
The Big Sleep: While a little too romantic this shows that Hawks could make great films in any genre.
Out of the Past: Mitchum and Jane Greer as the ultimate femme fatale.
The Killers: Lancaster and Ava Garner also as a femme fatale with a solid plot (e.g. showing the inter and outer workings of a crime, before, during and after).
Criss Cross - Dan Duryea, Lancaster, Yvonne De Carlo - have to get Dan in my top 10.
Night and the City - while the setting is London, this is one hardcore noir film with a fantastic Widmark performance.
Big Heat - Columbia noir with Glen Ford and Gloria Grahame and a young Lee Marvin.
(PS: ask me next week and you will get a slightly different list!).
Great list, James and I have no problem with others defining "noir" to their own taste. Just by my standards I feel TMF doesn't fit my pattern and I think men and women often see noir in differing ways also. Your list would definitely make any fan's Top Ten for neophytes or professional noir addicts for sure!
Here's my list slanted a bit more towards less sited noir classics:
"Lonelyhearts" with Clift as a lovelorn columnist finding tragedy an everyday affair.
"Ace in the Hole" proving Billy Wilder can be as downbeat as anyone
"In A Lonely Place" with Grahame the ideal mate for Bogie on film, which he destroys
"Force of Evil" with blacklisted angst personified
"The Amazing Mr. X" and Turhan Bey being perverse
"La Chienne" is Renoir's original and more gritty take on what later became known as "Scarlet Street"
"The Letter" and Bette Davis as a most diabolical female
"Among the Living" has Albert Dekker times two
"Kiss the Blood Off My Hands" definitely the most noirish title ever-
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Love Rags Ragland and he does deserve more attention, as does Connie Gilchrist TB.
Do you want me to compare the official list in the book from the hardcover version from 1979 called "MGM: The Complete History" with your list and see if anything is missing?
Probably isn't but this book seems pretty complete. You sure did a lot of checking to be sure but what if a film with Rags Ragland slipped through the cracks???
images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Zpcy9%2BYSL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg-
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Limey, thanks for printing up all five pages.
Based on five screen shot panels, with the first two having the female and male combined giant mouth shots, I am working below on the third panel, with the many noses and mouths.
First row on Panel #3, to the far left with Box #1, an early shot possibly of Marilyn Monroe, before she achieved her later overdrawn lips outline.
Same Panel #3, Row #3 and 4, Box # 3 coming from the left, Alla Nazimova possibly.
Same Panel #3, Row #3 and 4, Box #4 coming from the left, Charles Boyer possibly. -
They say Vasquez Rocks was used for location shooting in that wonderfully odd vampire film, "Werewolf of London" starring the incredible Henry Hull. Thus began my love affair with any films that also starred Vasquez Rocks as a backdrop, frontdrop or mediumdrop. It is so unearthly looking and to me that's a real plus. It serves well for outer space drama and any "Star Trek" episode or one from "The Outer Limits" would immediately be improved by being shot at the site.
Name you favorite movie location... -
28 minutes ago, LawrenceA said:
This is topic adjacent, but still related. I was wondering recently what the more noir-savvy members of the board would say if asked to name ten essential noirs. If you were in a conversation with someone and they said they'd never heard of film noir, what 10 movies would you recommend?
This is open to anyone, the list doesn't have to be in any order, and if you can't come up with ten that you think are essential, that's fine, name as many as you wish. And if you wish to expound on why you chose those particular films, all the better.
I'm going to take on this wonderfully "adjacent" topic, even though I would hardly align myself with the "noir savvy members of the board" and am going to go rogue for a second about classifying films as noir, by saying what is NOT noir first in my compendium, and that would be John Huston's "The Maltese Falcon".
I don't think it is noir, or noirish, or even grey for that matter and should be taken out of all the books that say it is. It might be greige, but not even a charcoal grey in my opinion. Take that baby out of contention, and the list becomes a lot easier to define in comparison. I will say "Stranger on the Third Floor" is noir, to start though and since noir in essence is a chimera...I will be back soon with more but brunch is calling.
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24 minutes ago, jamesjazzguitar said:
Ok, lets talk movies: At first I was confused because I didn't know who Mueller was. I did goggled Sommelier Mueller and found an Anthony Mueller who was into wines but he wasn't into studio-era movies.
So it took me a while to determine that this thread was about Eddie Muller (no 'E' in his last name), the TCM noir guy and that is why the Bogie \ Scott noir Dead Reckoning was mentioned (since I guess Eddie hasn't shown this film yet as part of Noir Alley, on Sunday).
Dead Reckoning is a fine film that Bogie did on loan-out to Columbia. Rita Hayworth was originally intended for the role, then Bacall was offer the part but refused, so Columbia asked Hal Wallis for Liz Scott.
Being Scott's 3rd film, and her second noir in two years (after Strange Loves of Martha Ivers), made Scott a classic noir dame.
I did not get that, probably because I had been watching too much CNN about Robert Mueller so thought it was a joke about him needing wine to get through the day. Thanks for clearing that up, James.
As for Lizbeth Scott, it always kills me that her real name was Emma Matzo proving once again that a rose by any other name is still as sweet, or deadly sweet in her case. She's excellent in that film as she is in "TLFT" and something about her diabolical conniving antics, plus the fashion plate looks, killer voice and her jaw and dental formation, makes her irresistible on film. Some people just come alive on film and Liz is one of them. She's definitely a woman in noir, that would take all the noir boys here and around the world as fans, and chew them up and spit them out. One part of the Scott legend, being that she might have assumed a bit of the Tallulah Bankhead vocal sound due to working with her as understudy is still unproven, as is the bit about their tempestuous relationship on stage lending to the theory of an alternative "All About Eve" origin, past the Elizabeth Bergner tale which all know. Thanks, James! -
On 12/19/2017 at 1:09 AM, speedracer5 said:
My can't miss bits:
The Birdcage. This movie is gold from beginning to end. I have the DVD, but whenever I catch it on TV, I always seem to catch it at the same part. My favorite part is the dinner with Senator Keely's family and the "Coleman Family." Nathan Lane, dressed as "Mother Coleman" steals the whole scene.
Looking at the bowls:
"What interesting china! Why, it looks like young men playing leap frog? Is it Greek?"
"I have no idea! I've never seen these bowls before."
"It is Greek. Greek boys actually. Uh naked Greek boys."
"And girls! Don't you have any girls on your bowl?"
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Singin' in the Rain. I love this whole movie, but I love the whole dance scene between Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse in the "Broadway Melody" number. I love Charisse's green flapper dress and I love the music that plays.
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The Long, Long Trailer. Okay, I've seen this movie a hundred times (no exaggeration), so I can recite it pretty much the entire way through; but I love the part when they get the trailer gets stuck in the mud, in the rain. Desi's trying to figure out how to level out the trailer (which, imo, a wimpy bottle jack doesn't seem like it'd be big enough to jack up that trailer. But what do I know?) and Lucy's trying to cook in a lopsided kitchen. Later, Desi's passed out in his bed (the side that is leaning). Lucy's bed is on the other side and she basically falls out of the bed each time she gets in. One would ask why she doesn't share Desi's bed, but that wouldn't be proper for a married couple in 1954 to sleep in the same bed! (lol) Plus, I suppose it would deprive us of what follows. Lucy takes one more leap onto her bed and at the same time, the jack gives out in the mud and Lucy goes flying out of the trailer, backwards, and falls into a four-foot deep mud puddle. Desi staggers out of bed to the doorway, half asleep: "What's the matter honey? Can't you sleep?" And Lucy looks like she's going to murder him.
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Meet Me in St. Louis. If I only catch one part of this film, I have to watch Judy sing "The Trolley Song." That song is so much fun and the fact that Judy knocked it right out of the park in one take with barely any rehearsals makes it even more impressive. I also love the part when Judy invites Tom Drake to her brother's party and decides she's going to get him to kiss her. He of course, is such a dork and misses all of Judy's obvious hints that she wants him to kiss her. He ends up telling her that she's "got a mighty strong grip for a girl" and that her perfume reminds him of his grandmother. Real smooth Tom. Way to go.
Errol...sorry I was overtaken by your beauty! I mean Speed, yes that's a good one from MMISL. Depending on my mood, there are so many moments in that film to rewatch and often I go for the bit with Margaret and Judy doing "Under the Bamboo Tree". Besides the song being adorable, I like to watch the party participants like Tom Drake really seeming to enjoy watching and it seems so real and spontaneous, even like when those in the front have to move a bit to let Margaret continue her dancing. Wonderful movie in all its seasonal aspects and also fun to hear Tom Drake's beautiful voice.
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On 12/18/2017 at 8:33 PM, ChristineHoard said:
Some favorite movie bits of mine: I love the scenes in WHITE HEAT already mentioned and I also love the "need a little air?" scene which also shows how cold blooded Cody is.
I love the scene in PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES where John Candy is driving crazy and Steve Martin wakes up from a nap, notices the car is down to its shell and envisions Candy as the devil. Another good Steve Martin scene is his drunk driving test in THE MAN WITH TWO BRAINS. The test involves near-impossible tasks like walking in a handstand in a straight line. "Damn, your drunk tests are hard," Steve says.
One of my favorite scenes in one of my favorite movies: when Addison Dewitt tells Eve Harrington exactly how it's going to be and he's on to her in ALL ABOUT EVE.
There's so many. These are just a few that come to mind.
Oh, yeah, Addison DeWitt telling off Eve is a classic gotta see over and over! Thanks, Christine.
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Such fun to read all those entries, TB. Just curious, did you get this list from that giant compendium of supposedly all films put out by MGM through the years? I can't think of the name of it right now, but my shelf is weighted down by that giant book and others on WB, Universal, RKO and Fox I think. A friend gave me the entire series of such books and they are a joy to read with the year by year listings. Thanks for posting such a fine list to reflect upon being that I doubt we have so many great films produced now by all entities!
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Being the holidays, I've been enjoying some very tantalizing MacGuffins from various entities.
Anyone who has ever consumed a MacGuffin, knows that the best kind don't lay it on too thick with icing or accoutrements, which might ruin one's own concept of the delicacy. A heady whiff of the item, will not spoil the mystery in searching out where one can find the item, but those who try too hard to crack that walnut and put the poor thing under a microscope are always disappointed plus their lack of imagination in accepting the MacGuffin without knowing all its ingredients, ruins things for others. Such people are downers and would try to find the Lost Chord or Nessie's DNA.
Name your favorite MacGuffin, but not if it was on the menu at Alfred Hitchcock's meal in which all the food was blue. -
On 12/18/2017 at 7:21 PM, rayban said:
"Marie Antoinette" (1938) - Norma Shearer and Tyrone Power -
MGM's attempt to turn Marie Antoinette into a tragic heroine is laughable -
but it is such a sumptous production - that you seduced for two and a half hours.
Tyrone is actually so much prettier than Norma. Love it! Thanks, Rayban.
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On 12/18/2017 at 6:42 PM, jamesjazzguitar said:
LavenderBlue is very good at figuring things out. Just look at those 'what is the name of this movie' threads. She gets 7\10 of those!
I applaud those, who are vigilantes at ascertaining just who is who here, and are being overt Nancy Drew replicants [or even Hardy Boy followers] at uncovering such dastardly multiple personalities and posters with aliases, James. I will contribute to a fund to help raise money for more research and will be happy to give to sign my name [or names] to any petition so that this quest may become an integral part of the TCM board, as a site segment mayhaps.
It might be more circumspect though for Lavender Blue and others to take such vendettas to the Chit Chat Room since the investigation into such poster identity theft is off-topic to films in general, as I'm sure you would agree.
Personally I am just here to discuss films, not debate exactly who is who and who is not who. I like films, like to talk about films with other like-minded folk and really don't care much who says what, but care what they say and what I can learn about films from them.-
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In the annals of films [and real life] there have been some con men and women, who in spite of their nefarious qualities are quite personable, like Willie Sutton. Sometimes they take one on a ride which though a bit painful has some exhilirating moments which make it less distasteful.
I will eschew the usual suspects like Dan, Sydney, Zachary, Lizbeth and leave others to acclaim their assets, since my choice is Joe Mantegna as Mike, in David Mamet's infinitely appealing movie from 1987, called "House of Games". Mike is consummately entertaining, informative, amusing and likable, which helps as he says in his gambit of giving confidence to a target to get their confidence back.
The con game in this film is multi-level since even the audience can be in on the con and also be conned at the same time. Starring also, Mamet's then wife, Lindsay Crouse as Margaret Ford, and with a unique cast with quality folk like Lilia Skala, J.T.Walsh and even famed magician, Ricky Jay one gets to be in on The Tell, and learn to love it, just like kerosene cucumbers!
Mamet, who has written much psychological drama in bits like "Glengary Glen Ross" and "The Spanish Prisoner" gives one a true look at who's playing who in "House of Games" and is terminally successful.
Name your favorite con man or woman in films, or even in real life...-
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Very insightful take, Beth and I have actually not seen this film so will look forward to it, with your knowledgeable input about it in the back of my mind. Thanks!
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Top of the world, Ma?
Yes, quite a sendoff but that bit where Cagney flips out in the prison cafeteria is great too, doncha think? Thanks, Beth!
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You are very astute, LavenderBlue.
But have you figured out yet the other aliases comprising three more posters here, that CGGCRM are using?
Now that would show real fortitude in your detecting skills! -
26 minutes ago, CinemaInternational said:
How to Marry a Millionaire (1953): Lauren Bacall's character tells William Powell that she was absolutely "crazy for that older guy in The African Queen"
I do remember that, and it's a good one. Thanks, CI!
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3 hours ago, sewhite2000 said:
Well, speaking of Twin Peaks, the name of the character Lynch himself played was Gordon Cole, which he took from an extremely minor (possibly unseen - I've forgotten) but nevertheless instrumental character to the plot of one of Lynch's favorite films, Sunset Blvd., the Paramount prop man whose interest in Norma Desmond's vintage car accidentally leads her to believe she's on the verge of a career resurrection. They made the connection even more direct in the recent revival season, as the suppressed memories of Special Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle Machlachlan), who's been stuck for many episodes in nearly catatonic state, are finally jolted back to the front of his brain when he sees Sunset Blvd. on TV (on TCM, no doubt!) and hears his boss' name.
True, and as our TCM Poster, GordonCole has said, that name itself of Gordon Cole was based on a real life production worker in Hollywood, as a bit of an in-joke or tribute by DeMille. Our Gordon told us as I recall, due to his affinity for such people during his entertainment career, he was aware of the earlier meaning of using Gordon Cole as a moniker, in the minor "Sunset Blvd" reference. I believe our Gordon might have even said he knew the person the role was based on, but I could be wrong about that. This is a bit of a door opening a door opening a door sequence like in the film "Spellbound". Thanks for your thoughts, SEWhite.
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Reading Errol's book "My Wicked Wicked Ways" as a teenager, made me interested in Lily's career. Their joint entry into Hollywood lore was fascinating reading and she had the spirit and spunk of a Clara Bow, but that kind of temperament often does not bode well for long term careers. Sadly the supposed death of their son, Sean Flynn coming many years later was never totally solved. Thanks!
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