Emily Dean
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Posts posted by Emily Dean
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My choice for best Jesus is Zeffirelli's 'Jesus of Nazareth'.
Best-looking Jesus, best movie about Jesus. For me.
The best movie about Jesus is Monty Python's "The Life of Brian"....sorry I just for once would like to see that shown on Easter Sunday, you know a Western Day with "Blazing Saddles" and a movie day with nothing but Robin Hoods and "Men in Tights".
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Now if only they'd limit their Memorial Day and Pearl Harbor Day programming to one day each, or at least give us a break and show something beyond the same old predictable two dozen Hollywood movies every time. When was the last time either of those two days had a movie that wasn't over 50 years old?
Well Andy all I have to say about WWII movies is this, you wouldn't be here today to complain if we hadn't won WWII and all those movies you are whining about boosted morale at home and moved the country to fight the war and make the materials that won the war.
As this is the 70th anniversary of VE Day I for one will watch them all..they never grow too old for me. Thank you very much and to all, Happy Passover
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I am with everyone on a Fathom Events for Best Years of Our Lives...since this will be the 70th anniversary of the ending of WWII it would be a great tribute to the veterans (of all wars) as the Best Years of Our Lives speaks to all veterans of all wars...that is what makes it so timely whether it's post Vietnam, or post- all the successive wars that followed.
I would recommend a double feature with maybe the Battle of the Bulge, Twelve O-Clock High or GI Joe for a searing set of films and messages that remind us all of what war is like to those outside its immediate zone and then were called to live with its aftermath.
I know I would go...in a heartbeat and drag several "millenials" with me just to remind them that while they are busy tweeting, posting and gabbing someone laid down their life so they could remain as ineffectual as they are at times.
Just the other day I was talking to someone (30ish or mid thirties) about a March of Dimes event and they were clueless as to who Jonas Salk was, Albert Sabin or even that the March of Dimes relates to FDR...I was literally speechless.
Oh Well, time to quit posting, blogging and typing, am waiting for Holiday Inn tonight. Ah!!! Fred and Bing...and Irving Berlin. How appropriate, a bunch of Easter Films and we have to wait for Bing Crosby to sing White Christmas to celebrate Passover on TCM. Meanwhile Me-TV wishes Happy Passover every hour....interesting, no?
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But, my point is other people and nations are different and too often Americans expect them to do as we do or at least as we say.
The Cid is absolutely right in respects to Americans abroad. Being a frequent flier to other countries as well as living abroad for a number of years I did my best to reduce the impact of "Americanism". Fortunately I grew up in a "English" home in the United States so my table manners matched most Europeans and I learned to curb my public displays.
But regardless of what you do...or how you act for some reason they alway peg you, whether for good or bad. So I just try to blend in as best as I can...use what language skills I have in the language of the country (irrespective of the Orient, which I just rely on pointing and smiling).
How we got on to this topic as part of the Hotel Berlin I don't know. Now I've digressed, oh well.
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Wouldn't just be wonderful to turn on a radio and receive entertainment...the likes of the shows mentioned below. I have listened to the Washington Big Broadcasts and other radio stations over the internet. I also love shows like the The Shadow and then there was Bob and Ray. You are able to find some of these broadcasts on a website called Shout, I think. Anyway...how many of you TCM'ers grew up with a floor radio in the living room and listened while laying on the floor to your favourite shows.
I know my mother listened to the Arthur Godfrey Show and something from Chicago with a breakfast club, but the name escapes me. She didn't much like the soaps. But one other tidbit this post reminded me of....listening to the Detroit radio station read the comics from the Sunday Detroit Free Press. We could follow along with our favourites; Lil Abner (politically incorrect), the Katzenjammer Kids (also not politically correct) and Steve Canyon as well as Blondie and others. Oh...thanks you all for a trip down memory lane.
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Well I thought Hotel Berlin was rather silly myself and while you waited to see if anyone would change sides (to that of the escapee) I thought the whole thing an exercise in ridiculousness....with the wine and champagne flowing and the clothes, I don't think, even for the Nazis, Berlin was in that great a shape at the time the film was supposed to take place.
As for the issue of the Stalin's betrayal of the Allies....I think a little more digging into history, especially the results of the Yalta Conference would note that Stalin actually blackmailed the Allies and it indeed was not one of Churchill's finest moments however he was aided by Roosevelt. Roosevelt really thought Stalin liked him and he could charm Stalin with his personality and winning smile. But by the time of the Yalta Conference Roosevelt's health was vastly compromised, if you'll take a look at photo-ops of the conference, and Stalin knew this...besides his whole idea of fighting WWII was to avoid Germany taking over Western Russia and moving in on territory thought to meet his needs of providing a buffer between the West and the USSR. What the Germans wanted was access to the fertile regions of the Ukraine to feed its population, which it could not do within the boders of Germany, Austria and Poland. It also had plans to ship the "non-Arayns" to the Oestland regions, however Stalin's entry into the War snuffed that idea...giving way to the Germans' snuffing plans of their own. That is why you will find a majority of the concentration camps to the east of Germany.
As for total victims of WWII, I think there is a rough estimate of about 48 million if you add in the allies which would include China and others. This total is civilians and military combined. Yours truly....a purveyour of all things WWII.
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Dargo: you were so right, I was so confused. I kept seeing Walter Mathou and Jack Lemmon together and all of sudden in my mind, there appearances melded together. Sorry...at least I could remember them together...just not where.
It takes you cinematic geniuses to keep us organized.
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I think all of you forgot about Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis in "Some Like It Hot" and as for a duo how about Jack Lemmon and Walter Mathou in that movie with Jimmy Cagney, you know the one on the Navy cargo boat...they were good in that. The name of the movie will come sometime tomorrow.
Oh, too Tony Curtis and Cary Grant were good in Operation Petticoat as well. Neither Tony Curtis or Cary Grant seemed to take themselves too seriously in that film, and inspite of itself I always thought it was good, I don't care what the critics said. But then most times I don't, same for pundits as well.
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Dang! Forgot all ABOUT Svengouhlie last night! Can't remember WHAT I was watching.
We also( WOW customers that is) have a couple of "new" channelsa that play old TV shows---
One is called "Decades", and shows mostly "Untouchables" and "Naked City" reruns, and the other is "heroes and Icons" H&I
THEY show a bunch! COMBAT! 12 O'Clock High, Cheyenne and others. Haven't spent an entire day with them yet. METV pizzed me off when they removed COMBAT and never bothered to return my inquiries!
Sepiatone
Oh Sepiatone...the Naked City, Combat, 12 O,Clock High, what a dream of a viewing mix. I loved Naked City, all those hats, those huge overcoats and the cigarette smoke...wow what fun.
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I really enjoyed the Hammer Noirs and even though they were a little strange with the mix of American and British accents (plus one time I thought they were driving a left hand drive car, instead of right hand...I kept looking to make certain it wasn't my imagination) they were good just for the venues and the added Britishness to the noir scene.
The fact that they were all made in England, when the post-war era made all of Britain look entirely noir, made me enjoy them more. Maybe I will start an all things Brit blog and see if we couldn't have a British SOTM. I watched the earlier End of the Affair this afternoon and, while I know it wasn't written like the book, liked the less "splashy" version with a real noir touch to it.
Hopefully TCM programmers will search for more British films like the Carry On series....what I wouldn't do to see The Bells of St. Trinians" again. Has there been an Alec Guiness SOTM? Surely someone should know.
Another venue would be "A Strangers in Paradise" Friday night program with films containing the prominent players who fled Nazi Europe to the US and worked in the fringes of movie making during the 30's and 40's.
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I watch Svengoolie now most Saturday nights. I noted that last night he spoke about the fact that they had obtained a better copy of the film that was clearer and brighter, so even Universal sees the benefit of cleaning up the classics. I have no idea what Svengoolie's audience ratings are, but who cares. I enjoy him.
Yesterday I was at an event sponsored by the local channel that manages Me-TV and he commented that for the first time Me-TV outranked other stations including FOX in the afternoon slots. I guess that is all of us silver haired viewers turning into Rope Opera, Star Trek and Superman (who I love). I do so badly want Lois Lane's Nash Rambler convertible...how cool it is.
Anyway on Saturdays when I change out of my work suit, take off my gloves and hat, I put on my pedal pushers and sit down for a late afternoon and evening of TV, my way. Same goes for Sunday starting with Remington Steele and moving through the evening. It's just good to lock the door and go back to fifties and sixties, so much safer and saner.
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I shall have to schedule Holiday Inn for watching. It is never shown over Christmas and I have to suffer through the garish White Christmas. Singing "Dreaming of a White Christmas" in this movie is much more meaningful than in the 50's re-make. However beware the PC unless TCM has censored some of the bits...I think there is some politically incorrect (for today's crowd) bits.
However I will watch to see if TCM sticks to its uncut position.
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Thank you for the positive comments regarding Ben Mankiewicz, I am puzzeled in this very PC environment that someone had the gall to label the post with a derogatory term...my my!! its not ok in some situations but in others what the heck. Ben is knowledgable and if TCM left him to his own devices (within limits of course) he would be entertaining. I also had forgotten about Ilieana Douglas and when she was a guest programmer. Her close relationship with her grandfather should bode well as a host as well. However I still go with someone as challenging as Alec Baldwin.
Alec is entertaining, full of facts and able to form and note opinions. I mean who can forget what wonderful sketches he did on SNL and was able to let himself be subject to playing ridiculous characters. I mean who can forget the Christmas sketch when he was on the mock NPR station promoting his "Schwetty Balls".
I don't know about Bob Osborne's illness but I have detected some respiratory issues when he has been speaking lately, very subtle but still noticable to me.
As for Ava playing an Anglo Indian remember the operative word here is Anglo and depending on the caste and skin colouring of her mother she very will could have a lighter skin tone. Remember too she played a Spaniard in the Barefoot Contessa. As for casting against type, Eli Wallach was a nice Jewish boy and he was always playing Latin American villans. Who knew?
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You Yank viewers have got us Canucks beat again. None of the "Carry On" films are shown in Canada.
Remember seeing some of them at the show as a kid. My Dad would laugh himself silly at these slightly raunchy, silly British comedies. Wish I could view a few of them again.
Always loved Sid James' laugh.
I am sorry you missed the Carry On...loved this series of movies and yes I love Sid James as well. While enjoying Carry on Cleo and suprised at the rich costumes (thanks to Cleopatra left overs) the one fun thing was the take on Marks and Spencers when disposing of the captives. Oh...sometimes I could spend an eveing of politically incorrect BBC series including the most PI of all, the Benny Hill show. I think that is why I like watching Top Gear and Jeremy Clarkson, he pushes all the right buttons. Sorry you lefties.
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I now watch Me-TV on Saturday for the fun of it...and I love Svengoolie and his efforts to make B and sometimes Z movies entertaining. He has puns, he has observations and information about actors I would never have encountered, even in my 20 years of watching TCM.
So quit complaining about Svengoolie, go Back to the Future, adjust your atenna and watch the Big Movie from your ten year old's self.
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I haven't a clue as to most of the movies above, but mine would always be Casablanca. Superb beyond superlatives with an introduction about the supporting characters which I read about in a neat book titled Strangers in Paradise. When I read the captivating book on the making of Casablanca by Aljean Harmetz.
Strangers in Paradise offered a perspective to the moves that I had not had before and now I always scan the "with" list following the main actors to peruse who is either a long term character actor or one of the "Strangers in Paradise".
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My condo shows movies every weekend, but they are almost always recent movies. This weekend, they are showing one of their very infrequent classic films. Believe it or not, it's NORTH BY NORTHWEST. What IS it about that film?
The answer to the question about North by Northwest is Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint. For the 50's the dialogue was scandalous and I believe that was where I began to understand double entandres. I mean being a teenager at the time even I understood the dining car conversation and loved the scene when he pops into the next hospital room and the patient stops screaming and starts flirting.
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I admit I am not up to program challenges but I would dearly love to have a day or evening committed to Character Actor of the Month (CAOM) with standouts by James Gleason, Edward Arnold, Eugene Pallete, Mary Wicks, Ward Bond, George Sanders, Frank McHugh and others who provided context and personality or added to the main star's persona.
Bring on the Characters!!!! Sometimes they are more entertaining than the actors, just think of what would the Picture of Dorian Gray be without George Sanders, or The Clock without James Gleason.
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I simply cannot understand all of this pent up antipathy against Ben. I do agree with a previous poster regarding his "rumpled" appearance; I liked it too. It made more sense on a Saturday when we are all relaxed and mostly underdressed in states more rumpled than Ben's previous dress code.
He has a terrific film background if you count Joseph, Herman and Jospeh's son Tom, that from my perspective may give him somewhat more of a film historian perspective than others who may be host candidates. Additionally he has a wicked sense of humour that at times breaks out from what appears to be routine observations.
In the limited time he has to do introductions and closings he doesn't have time to be a bore, much less tedious which indicates by definition, a droning on of observations. I like him on Saturdays and actually wish he started earlier in the day, especially when the Saturday serials come on like The Saint, the Carry On series and he was very interesting when introducing the series of muder mysteries with James Gleason and Edna May (I think that was her name).
As for replacing Robert Osborne I vote for Alec Baldwin, interesting, more than just observational, he is engaging which, while not negating Robert Osborne, I find more challenging to my thought processes.
So...Carry On Ben and bring on Alec Baldwin. Sorry Mankiewicz detractors.
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A lot of the 'offended' ones are over-reactionary, trying to posture to get attention. The films get kicked around and taken way out of context. And let's say the offenses are legitimate, erasing history (and cinema) is not the answer.
In fact, a film like SONG OF THE SOUTH should be in a museum played on an endless loop, where people can see it and lectures can be given about the various meanings and why it means something historically.
Well actually if what I remember from previous posts, Zippidy Doo Dah, is played at Walt Disney World. It is ironic that the movies is decried and no longer distributed by Disney but I imagine the rights to the song generate income. I don't suppose we will see it on the Treasures from the Vault?...however most likely the income from the song pour into the vault.
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Jackie Gleason was in the same period as Sid Cesar and Steve Allen. I remember going to the neighbors to see the Jackie Gleason Show (this was before there was a TV in everyone's room and two cars in the driveway) and really laughing at his routines. The show had some good skits, usually a guest and the June Taylor Dancers, a truncated version of the Rockettes.
His orchestra was usually pretty good and I believe my father bought some of the orchestra records. Of course I liked the Honeymooners (really it was Art Carney for me) and I liked the Poor Soul. How could you ever forget the Poor Soul.
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I enjoy going to see some movies on the Big Screen, that was so great about going to the TCM Festival. This way I can see some movies on the Big Screen without having to pay a small fortune. I have seen several movies on the Big Screen and had a whole different sense of watching a movie.
Many of the movies they show I have only seen on TV so this experience recreates "going to the movies". And guess what, everyone else in attendance is a classic movie film buff too. So its like the TCM Festival without the expense.
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Oh!!! I have been watching the Carry On Series and I will truly miss it. I am surprised someone has not complained of its lack of political correctness and stereotyping. They couldn't make those movies today...the actors wouldn't act the roles and studios would get mobbed and tweeted to death. But oh how I loved them.
My parents used to take me to the ones that came to the local art house theater (where I lived, if it had a foreign accent it qualified as an art house movie). The actors were terrific and the lines and facial expressions hilarious. The other thing I like about the movies is it catches post-war England in all its glory and innocence. And the cars...I love the cars. I always wanted a Hillman.
The movies segued into those wonderful comedies that could not get shown today as well, Are You Being Served, 'Allo 'Allo and Dad's Army. I am just happy to see someone else enjoying them.
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I remember seeing the Thomas Crown Affair on a Saturday date (you know, dress, hose, French heel pumps and a wicked bee-hive) and came away wowed: the clothes, the settings, the music, Steve McQueen...yowzer!!!
It was terribly sophisticated for its time and Faye Dunaway was over the top with her style. And who couldn't just dream of a day and night on the beach with Steve McQueen.
I like Pierce Brosnan and I like art so I thought the art theft in the revision was cool and the idea of an art heist using inspiration from art (a thousand bowler hats from the Rene Magritte movie) was a great imaginative idea. I think if you didn't know Rene Magritte you would not have understood it quite so much. I understood bank heists in the 60's and then I understood art in the 90's.
I like both movies for different reasons, so I don't believe I'll complain about either. Each movie is relevant to its time (Steve driving a dune buggy, Pierce flying gliders). Most likely gliders were climate friendly, dune buggies not too much.
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Holiday Inn
in General Discussions
Posted
I have been waiting forever to see this movie as I personally cannot stand the 1952 version, it has nothing to do with the actors but everything to do with the technicolour which seems (to me) to overshadow the songs and the stars.
Besides which, Fred is much more entertaining than Danny Kaye and the tap dance with fireworks is absolutley fantastic, I love it and it is right up there with his Bojangles number and the one where he uses his cane like a shotgun..fantastic!!!
I have seen some comments over the years objecting to the Abraham Lincoln Day number and I was prepared for something really over the top but as the blackface is used in this number it is used to have Aafrican Americans celebrating Abraham Lincoln.
Liked the ending too...celebrating the countries ideals and lists of things the country is fighting for...and you just cannot get more sentimental than the song White Christmas.