Emily Dean

Counting the days....never am able to have too much George however I am intereted in the Basil Rathbone thread...don't know if he has ever been a SOTM...but he, George and Tom make interesting actors in their characters and movies. Wouldn't it be great to have a Basil, George and Tom month.

I began watching TCM for the classic movies and the lack of advertising. Anything promoted on TCM other than the movie is an advertisement regardles off the heading "Classic Move News for ......." I most likely resist everything and anything they are selling...as I usually am able to get it somewhere else (if I really want it). I know for certain that December news will include not just the Sinatra coffeetable book but most likely the second volume of the biography by James Kaplan...I have the first volume and will add the second to my library but buying from another source. The wine (whing) club is the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen or heard. How stupid do the people at TCM think we are that we would want to drink wine coordinated with movies....really what planet do they exist on. However since the club involves Francis Ford Coppola...I imagine the younger generation of managers were influenced by that fact no less. Anyway poor Ben does look uncomfortable and most likely drinks a good beer as opposed to some hoity toity wine.

There are way to many topics on the board and they float from the useful to the "spur of the moment" thoughts. I know I read more than I post and I only post on topics that really are of interest to me. Another thing that bothers me is the way posts devolve from the topic to personal responses between posters and discussion irrelevant to the actual topic. People comment on my spelling, regardless of the fact that is correct for the enviornment I was raised in...who cares as long as it is spelled correctly. Everytime someone dies there is a thread...maybe those could go in a seperate file to become the beginning of the end of year "TCM Remembers". I think the posts could be culled to reduce the number of stuff left over from previous years. I also think TCM could do a better job of monitoring the posts and in some instances repond to the topic discussed like they did when the Canada vs. US schedule was brought up...that would end the disucssion which would otherwise continue on adfinitum. Just thoughts. I am not a professional so I only respond to topics I am interested in...or relate to a manner that would make TCM enjoyable from my perspective. But I do know I am one of many and the many come first before the one in most instances.

I too absolutely love The Third Man....and it ranks up there (to me) with Casablanca and Citizen Kane as films I watch whenever they are shown. In these films, regardless of the number of times I have seen them I focus on a different composition in the film. There are several threads addressing English films having more prominence in the TCM line up. The current line-up leaves me cold and uninterested. However with the thirties, forties and fifties films I believe TCM would find new ways to present them with different topics surrounding the films. Some ideas I have are focusing on films with refugees as a major focus (both in front and behind the camera)...musical scores and films focusing on different topics portrayed within the film.

I agree TB...more English films would be a great plus. I just finished a book on the special relationship between the British and American film industry, its directors, actors and other technical aspects from the late 1900's to the time when the book was completed and it is amazing that there are so many films we never see...especially from Alexander Korda. As I said earlier somewhere this is the 70th anniversary of BRIEF ENCOUNTERS and an excellent time to feature British films and stars other than David Niven and Cary Grant. I believe TCMs programming is getting less inclusive and more geared to the "usual suspects" when really the more valuable viewers want to see a broad expanse of films. Somewhere else here, as well, someone listed all the films from London stuidos which would be a great addition to TCM's list of films. I can't believe that access to these films would be too expensive.

You are right Top Billed...too often on these posts the tendency is to get way off topic to the point that the posts become irrelevant to the topic listed. Life Style???? really watching TV channel is a life style, who knew? I thought it is entertainment...silly me.

Well TB...I think the Moguls were challenged and in some cases managed it very well. I know the first time I saw KING'S ROW I was absolutely mesermized and really believed it to be quite a challenging watch. Actually I like risque movies are better adapted in the Golden Age where some degree of imagination and personal insight is required to grasp the underpinnings of the story. Today pure dreck!!!! However we know that we will never see George in anything but a first class vision...

Thanks TB....I don't think I am able to stay awake for "Her Cardboard Lover" and I don't believe I get FXM Retro...you know I haven't seen Forever Amber in ages. I remember that it was considered a risque book for those of us who lived in the "protected" era of the fifties and you could not check out certain books at the library. I don't think I ever read it...but I recall seeing the movie ages ago. Would like another look see at "Forever Amber". You know in my time GWTW was considered risque consequently I didn't read that until I was in my teens. Anyway let us keep up the good word and work for our George salute....

Glad to hear that you didn't miss the movie....I don't know whether to be sad or glad you don't live in Canada. I liked Canada, we lived close to London, Ontario and would visit and we spent two weeks up and down the St. Lawrence Seaway, time visiting the Thousand Islands. Anyway you are able to look forward to your George night. Good tidings JJG

Congrats on your 9000 views on George's site. Programmers out there...turn off your headset, shut down the mobile and pay attention we want George Sanders for SOTM. Thanks Top Billed.

James: oh no!!! You could not watch it in Canada (must re-think plans to emigrate) it was a tasty George jewel and I am so sorry. George admitted to girlfriend no 1 he was a cad (George must have insisted it go into the script) and their is a nice deep kissy kissy between Lucy and George (or is it my imagination now). Are you checking the December 3 George date to make certain all the films are available to you that day; you must just so you won't be disappointed. Oh yes....the doggies stayed inside and were quiet (they each had a good size raw hide chew).

When will TCM realize it is that white hairs and no hairs are the mainstay of their viewing public. Today's generation doesn't appreciate the old or the good. I don't know how many people, under the age of 50 are even aware of TCM and what it offers. I am not getting into what is a classic or not..but I do know I am watching less TCM and more ME-TV along with Family Net (I love Barney Miller) for its funny use of common sense along with I Love Jennie for its ridiculousness. Oh yes...one more thing I like to observe gas station sequences to note the price of gasoline during the filming of TV series like Emergency.

Get ready, get set, George for me at 1400. Starting housework early and having lunch at 1400 in front of TV....will get doggies settled in as well...no going out while movie is on.

George Alert!!!! Lured is playing on Monday, November 23rd at 1500 hours EST and for me 1400. Film was made in 1947 starring Lucille Ball (with whom per bio he had an ongoing relationship) which Zsa Zsa discovered while listening on the extension phone. Apparently this occurred during a time when she and George were living together but not yet married. Lucille was still married to Desi at this time. Lured has George playing a man around town (whatelse may I ask?) with Lucy trying to solve a murder. It has a 2.5 by Leonard Maltin but who cares how many of Leonard's stars the movie has, George is a 5 star in everyway.

Not with the 20-30 somethings in control...they have no consciousness....just a hurry up so I can go home and play with my Videos and Facepage things.

I agree with you Fred and Top Billed (or can I just call you T-Bill [safest investment I know of]).....one gets the impression it is the John and Maureen salute.

I think TCM would improve by removing multiple ads about Bonhams, the Wine Club (whing club as it is known to me) and the one about TCM guide (really with the internet and the on-line schedule I need a paper guide already?). Then they could show the redundant list of films overnight and show interesting little known films on prime time....I don't think they are really worried about ratings and as a white hair, I agree that programming should be done by more mature individuals who understand the desires of most viewers. I have noticed that ME-TV is getting more involved in retrospectives of the series it airs, with filmed montages from the series....interspersed with the actors from the series in the present introducing or advertising the series on ME-TV. This actually heightens my enjoyment to see the actors in their present day state. This weekend I get to choose my favourite Lucy shows for an airing of the top ten this Sunday. So come on all of you grey hairs and no hairs and lets lobby for senior citizens input. And goodness gracious let us eliminate the Whing Club....all I am able to afford is Mogen David. Gotta go vote for my favoirite Lucy show, and no it won't be the chocolates or the wine stomping episodes.

I want to hang out with all of Charles Coburn's characters as well as with James Gleason's, especially the milkman in the "Big Clock". As we all know the milkman's wife in the movies is James Gleason's actual wife.

Well this topic ties into my notes that this is the 70th anniversary of Brief Encounter. So I would add the London films with the films from the Rank studios and productions to this group and have a British Films as a program of the month. This would focus on not just the usual suspects (Pressburger and Powell or Hitchcock) but those of the Korda Brothers (wonderful biography out of the brothers and thier London films studio). So maybe we all could combine topics and lobby for a British film month. Maybe TopBilled and Fred would help with this.

How aprapo the topic, even if several days following the movie, because yesterday and today there is a B-17 in town providing opportunites (for a princely sum) to take a ride in the aircraft. So without the cost I get to enjoy the sound of the engines and watch it fly overhead. I can fantasize from my mid-century home the experience my mother had of listening to my father's plane and squadrons take off in the early years of the war for night bombing runs over Germany. While he didn't fly a B-17, the engines of his plane sound similar. So how cool is this I ask you?

How about this for a theory on the noted topic. There are no movie stars because their are no movies. Actors today are like Fisher Price Little People. Same face, same expressions, no defined personality. From the manner in which they make films it appears that with all the computerization, they don't even interact with each other, only a green screen, so where is the true response. As I stated earlier....I look for an actor, not a movie star. The only way you develop into an actor is to interact with each other and supplement the dialogue with those inheirant emotional facial expressions and physical responses. Would you want Clark Gabel or Jimmy Stewart with computerized backgrounds....no you want them in the screen with others reacting to dialogue and emotions.

Thanks Top Billed....most of the latest topics haven't been within my interests....so the motto is ....if you have nothing to say of import, say nothing. Emily

Dargo....how right you are and just ask Colonel Klink and Sergant Schultz.....the Russian Front was Colonel Hogan's best conspirator. (...I mean, it's probably no wonder that a few of the WWII movies we watch which are from the German perspective, often include a scene where some high ranking SS office will threaten some subordinate who's displeased him somehow by use of sending him to the Russian Front, ya know!!!!) LOL

Are we not confusing "movie star" with actor here? An actor is good because of his skills, a movie star is good because of their publicity agent and in this day and age any publicity is good publicity. I only relate to the movie stars or actors in relationship to their skills on screen...How they live thier life is no concern of mine. I need to be taking care of my own actions.

Well I believe the fascination with Pearl Harbour stems from the need to remember, that regardless of the fact that we remain seperated (by large bodies of water) that many believed made us "safe", the sneak attack brought us to a reality the country hadn't faced since 1812. I don't think the reminder has any context with our present day relations with Japan. You must remember that the USA was able to effectively neutralize Japan where such a thing was never possible with the Stalin regime. Japan's complete neutralization effectively changed the Japanese/American relationship and even today the Japanese do not support any strengthening military and the effective pacifcation of the Japanese has resulted in several generations of Japanese unwilling to approach an increased military. That may change with China's encroaching in the South China Sea but I really percieve a strong reluctance by them to consider major steps to militarization. As for our relationship during WWII with Stalin, I believe that Roosevelt was truly duped by either his inner sense of confidence or Stalin's recognition of how easily he could be manipulated and none of the other Allied leaders believed that Stalin and consequently the USSR would ever achieve rapport with the other Allied countries. Churchill, I believe, was the only one who truly understood Uncle Joe and his ultimate desire and only capitulated to Stalin's requests because without the USSR the western Allies would have had a much longer and costly war to overcome the Nazi's. Enough of this pontification. But I encourage all who post here about WWII movies to read the history of the allied relationships during the interwar years and during WWII. Back to the movie topic "30 Minutes over Tokyo" I also encourage readers to add Jeanne Bassinger's " The World War II Combat Film" to their library. A wonderful new way to view combat films. I cannot for the life of me understand why she has never been a guest programmer of even an Essentials personality...the depth of her knowledge to the Golden Era of Films is incomprable.