MCannady1

I like Alice Adams too! Katharine Hepburn was certainly very sincere in her roles. I like her 30's performances very much. I have taped several and am re-watching them. Last month I saw Little Women, 34 and will watch Stage Door and The Little Minister, etc. I love Bringing Up Baby too where Katharine's character drives Cary's up the wall! This movie is really hillarious! I like Fred MacMurray too. His sincere and gentle manner coupled with a great personality radiates kindness; well, most of the time. It seems he got tempted by Barbara in Double Indemnity. So we see another side of him there. Also, he is great in Remember the Night which I re-watched a few nights ago. Fred is so kind and sincere and really falls in love with Barbara's character. At first we can see why she feels embittered because of her mother's harsh treatment and then when she meets his mom (great acting by Beulah Bondi) the contrast of her kindness and the rest of his family is palpable. Added to that is Fred's character which is revealed during that Christmas visit with his mom and family. We see him change from a serious and calm person into an empathic and loving man. The transformation is great to behold! We find ourselves hoping they will be reunited in the future. I like Fred's co-stars too. In addition to Katharine and Barbara, There has been Irene Dunne and Claudette Colbert., plus a host of several others. Over the years Fred became an important part of the Golden Age. He did radiate a generosity toward his leading ladies.

Lightning Strikes Twice '51 is a really good film which also has Richard Todd and Mercedes McCambridge. I hope they put it on TCM soon. Haven't seen the other two. It is ironic that we lost the wonderful Tyrone Power to a duel in the end. I read somewhere that he and George Sanders had been friends and they had had a duel in Son of Fury earlier. It was a great shock to George when dueling in his last film in the 50's Tyrone had died of a heart attack. It must have been very shattering to lose an actor so young! But his wonderful performances will always remain at the pinnacle of The Golden Age of Greats. He had a certain magic from the quality of earnestness that added to his appeal. To watch him on the screen is not just seeing another attractive man, but his intentness and sheer honesty shone through in his parts. (Of course in some he was the bad guy, but he made an impact there too with the force of his acting which was very convincing). When I was about ten or eleven (in the early 60's) I discovered Tyrone in Witness for the Prosecution and was very impressed with his performance. I had no idea that at the time that he had been gone for some time. After that I enjoyed THe Rains Came and his other masterpiece, The Razor's Edge.

I do that too. Sometimes I wish I had taped something while it was available on TCM and then find it is rarely shown after that. I hope Beyond the Forest will be available again in the not too distant future. I did watch my copy a couple of nights ago which wasn't too bad considering from a viewpoint of a VHS made in the 80's. Sometimes my player just won't play things, but this one did. There are some films we would just love to see but aren't available. They are stuck in limbo in the vault at times. Restoration is a great thing, but availability needs to go hand in hand with it. I recently learned that it costs a lot of money to restore a single film and that most films made before the 1930's are lost. In the 50's and on we had and have better techniques of film preservation. Before this time many deteriorated. I wish they would show everything that they have, if watchable. But this is a pipe dream because of the legalities of some. For about 30 years I have been searching for a film my mother liked from the 30's called EAST LYNNE.. She would say "You've got to see that one with Ann Harding". Well, I am an Ann Harding fan now like she was but just haven't seen that one. It seems like it is locked away in a vault at UCLA. I do have a friend who found a tape of it, but it was practically unwatchable with double images. Also, the last ten minutes were missing from his copy. So it was hard to watch what I did see. Looks like a great sentimental story, so I decided to wait for a better copy. It seems with this particular film there is a legality issue. The wait by the roadside might be a long one. The ironic thing is that Ann Harding's other wonderful films are available and I watched these with a lot of enjoyment in the 80's and 90's. (They had shown them on AMC and later on TCM). So it is sometimes mind boggling about what is available and what isn't. If I see any information about Beyond the Forest in a boxed set will post it here.

I first watched this one with the idea that anything with Bette was going to be good. And then, I found out more than ever that a film can be really so bad it turns out good somehow! I found the whole thing mesmerizing and I actually watched through to the end with a great deal of interest. Yes, Bette really delivered the goods. (Joseph Cotten does always have a calm demeanor in these films. In this case maybe it is to tone down Rosa, But he is like that in others too. I think his trademark after co-starring with so many lovely and talented women must be calm and cool).

Me too! I thought Kit and Millie were really well acted by Bette and Miriam. And what a scene when Kit loses her temper! I enjoyed their interactions too, but one wonders how Miriam survived the shaking. I have never seen anything like that in a film before. And yes, Millie's husband was over the top telling his wife he was secretly in love with her best friend - while their marriage was supposed to be going on. He did desert her and their daughter. Yes, I did not like the Gig Young character; madly in love with Kit, but ready to marry the daughter pretty soon after seeing her dancing in a record shop! (It seemed a very short acquaintaince). Though Kit had turned him down, she later changed her mind. He seemed to recover pretty fast.

Yes, Ruby Gentry was a great film. Jennifer and Charlton gave us great performances and while not a happy ending, certainly was an interesting film.

Carole and Joan always looked beautiful. Joan had a certain something in addition to her beauty. Her flirtatious manner enhanced many a film. Anyone who has seen I Got Your Number, a cute Pre-Code with Joan and Pat O'Brien would love the repartee between the two stars. I have watched this one a few times. I think I know what Dad meant too. Yes, Carole is lovely in l Million Years, but especially in Topper Returns. It was another I remembered seeing when very young. Besides the humorous and ghostly suspense, the story had a certain pathos with Joan a spirited young lady. Not to spoil it for anyone else, I wanted to say I really enjoyed these two and will be watching Secret Command and Road Show for the first time.

It has changed a lot! Cable TV has changed a lot. First we had two basic stations that were $6.95 a month (unheard of today). Adding anything was $12 extra, but the basic channels were all free. We got the Disney Channel for our little boys - and it was a great channel in the 80's and 90's. I still have Great Expectations I taped in the early 80's and watch every now and then (the 30's version). When the older films started to disappear from the TV Guide I was really discouraged - until Ted Turner had bought them. I've got to like this guy for that. Before we had AMC I combed the TV Guide every week to see if I could find anything great. Sometimes a local station would feature Moves Till Dawn and we would set the timer. One thing that was different is that we could only set up one film or one set of films at a time, so I would set the timer for a certain time and "run the tape". Somehow two thirds of them have survived over the years. WHen we had AMC it was a free channel and I taped a lot of things in the 90's, What a wonderful assortment of films with Bob Dorian hosting! There were great Bette Davis, Jean Arthur, Ann Harding, Marlene Dietrich, etc. films around the clock. In addition, they published a beautiful magazine with pictures of the stars on the cover. I treasure my magazine with Claudette and one with Marilyn Monroe, etc. When AMC changed a few years ago I quit watching. Not only did they put commercials within the films, but their selection was no longer as appealing. Of course they discontinued the magazine around this time. On our Public TV or UHF channel I taped many older films. Around 1984 I taped a film that actually cut off at the end and I thought I would never see it again. By chance I mentioned it to my friend in Sweden (in an e-mail a week or so ago) and I received (only yesterday) a beautiful copy. He had sent me so many VHS tapes in the 90's.. "When Tomorrow Comes" with Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer was a great sentimental film my mom liked a lot. THe Z channel was great with foreign films and classics in the 80's and 90's, but went under. I taped many films from them too. One problem I had later was we did not have TBS and TNT. I kept seeing great old films advertised in our TV Guide, but they were not on our cable line-up. It was time for a celebration when we finally did get them a few years later. And of course we eventually acquired our wonderful TCM. Some of the existing stations would have spin-offs of HBO or Cinemax but I did not care for them as much. My collection was getting hard to manage and finally put it on the computer a few years ago, Through my common interest and a film magazine as well as here on the TCM Boards I have found some great movie friends. (I used to mark all the titles in a 3" binder, but the list kept growing with time). We now have a package deal with Cable Co (Verizon FIOS) . with Internet, phone and DVR. This seems to work well but is expensive. I chose the tier with TCM and Fox Movie Channel. Both are pay channels. Am awaiting the free ones I hear about. I am really grateful to have TCM. It would be a dreary world without it!

Thank you so much! I had gotten in a slump from the medical issues but am back to recording again and will feel much cheered up watching. LAtely I had mostly watched things I had already recorded or received from other movie friends. Now the DVR is going to be put to good use again. It's been a fun hobby taping my favorites I started in 1981 when we first got a VCR and had just gotten cable -- a hobby that originated from my life-long love of the older films. IT was the best Christmas gift I had ever had! Your posts are always fun to read too and I've learned a lot about my favorite stars.

Wanted to thank you for all the wonderful info. and pictures of Carole again. We did set up our DVR tonight and I can start tomorrow in enjoying her films. Also, yes, I love Doris Day's films too and the wonderful Romance on the High Seas (her first film!) always stayed with me. The acting, the lovely photography and beautiful music add icing to the cake along with the neat story of hillarious mix-ups. I did see I Married a Monster from Outer Space a couple of years ago and really like the 50's and 60's horror flicks with touches of SciFi. It is nice to see Gloria Talbott who was really quite good in some 50's and 60's films, as well as in Perry Mason episodes. An interesting thing about Tom Tryon is that he became a mystery writer in the 70's. I am looking forward to seeing Mexicana on You Tube tomorrow, as I love a lot of the music in these films.

My copy of Beyond the Forest I think was from AMC in the 80's. I had set the timer on the VCR and taped it while at work. Mention of it here made me watch it again. Bette did very well, but yes the lovely Max Steiner music did kind of drown out the dialogue.

Gotta watch out for an impressionable film kid like me

THat's right! they will be a "Majority of One" it seems. Seriously, it was good but aired a few too many times. It is always nice to see Audrey and Cary plus Walter Matthau, but got to know the script! Now as for the other Charade, a '52 film with James Mason and his first wife, Pamela Kellino, it is certainly a unique film with vignettes of murders with the same actors in each. This one is rarely shown but I recently received a copy from a friend. At first it is pretty confusing. Solving these cases the little gray cells of Hercule Poirot would be required. Everything falls into place after awhile. It is a good semi-noir challenge enhanced by the great James Mason.

I liked Beyond the Forest too. Bette is good in a tour de force in this melodrama. A Madame Bovary-type is a good description of her role, but she is always interesting to watch. Yes, the background music is good too.

Thank you for the info. and will try to catch them. Carole was a lovely, under-rated actress; another favorite of my mother,

Neat pictures! I am a fan of Carole ever since seeing her in I Wake Up Screaming and Topper Returns. In re-watching I Wake Up Screaming she plays a murdered starlet and displays a lovely singing voice in a segment that has police and suspects, etc. watching a film strip of her singing. I never forgot those films and still like them some 40 years later. A very sad and tragic occurrence ended her life too soon, I read. Another good film with Carole is The Noose.

I have to disagree with Bosley too! I liked her little song here and the lovely photography was beautifully atmospheric for the holidays. She did look especially pretty here with her hair blonde and the lovely clothes.

Now. not to put my 2 cents into it, I thought Deanna was just beautiful in Lady on a Train and as a kid seeing this on TV, wished I could look like her! I really did not notice that she was chubby, just that she was radiant and sang Silent Night just beautifully. Now that I think of it actresses that were dancers would be slimmer, like Rita. Both ladies had great talent and were lovely in different ways. I like the settings and the story of Lady on a Train. I guess everyone has the right to an opinion and that is ok by me. Come to think of it, the first one I remembered seeing with Deanna was Three Smart Girls where she is a slightly chubby teen. We had a TV station here in CA. that used to show 30's and 40's films non-stop (amid commercials) and fondly recall looking forward to watching these films after school. I am also a Patricia Morison fan and appreciate the fact that she is a slimmer girl in her roles. I really liked seeing her again in Dressed to Kill, another good Sherlock Holmes story; sadly the last one.

Thanks! You are very welcome. I have been a fan of Nigel since seeing Suspicion on TV when real young, Mom would say, I just loved Beakie. Well, we all enjoyed Nigel in this role. A real treat. And to read that he was really a genuinely nice person increased my admiration for him.

I missed the ones mentioned here, but really liked a haunting 70's horror flick with Stephen Forsythe. The title is Hatchet for a Honeymoon. Though the story is bizarre and scary the music is very touching and the film is really interesting. It really haunted me when I first saw it on TV in the 70's. Recently I acquired a copy from a movie magazine and have rewatched the film a few times. The sad and haunting story and lovely music stays with you till the end despite the gruesome events. The music goes hand in hand with the events and there is even an echo of empathy for a killer here. I think it was a stylish film from Mario Bava.

I like all that you mentioned, including Shop ARound the Corner. I too like it better than In the Good Old Summertime. though like you said Judy's singing was great. Here Comes Mr. Jordan is a good film and so is Heaven Can Wait with Warren Beatty. I was pleasantly surprised with the remake and thought all of the acting was done beautifully. Especially noteworthy was Jack Warden as Mr. Corkle. Huis portrayal of the trainer who really cares about his friend is so noteworthy. As you were saying, Evelyn portrayed her role in the earlier film better than Julie Christie had in the remake. Suspicion is an old favorite I loved on TV when I was very young and like to re-watch. Nigel Bruce is so charming and loveable there as Beakie. Of course the cast is so superb! Cary and Joan and to have Dame Mae Whitty, Nigel Bruce, Cedric Hardwicke and Leo G. Carroll in the film is marvelous! All of them enacted their roles beautifully..

Certainly worth seeing! If anyone would like a copy we can make one on DVD. I was so glad to receive it. Sadly, some of the tele-films are unavailable due to copyright issues or disintegration. Though not super clear, it is still very watchable. I was so pleased about receiving it I wanted to share it with other Film Noir fans. There were several good semi FIlm Noirs of the 70's I would like to see again. ELizabeth Montgomery was in a really good spine-chilling one called The Victim and Roy Thinnes in Satan's School for Girls, Scott Jacoby in Bad Ronald.. I am hoping that these will be available soon. I used to watch these as well as older classic films.

You will like Unguarded Moment with such a shocking plot twist! That is very interesting about Rosalind Russell writing the story. A few years earlier she would have been very good in it too.

Very good film. I like this one too. Jeanne Crain and the others were really good in this film.

I hope she will like the classics better as time goes on. Yes, Sunset Blvd. is quite appealing with Gloria Swanson. I was much intrigued with her character when I first saw it on TV as a teen. Max (Eric Von Stroheim) was really interesting too. WIlliam Hiolden's expression is quite surprised looking when he finds out this protective butler had been the former actress's husband (in the film). Yes, my daughter handles screen violence better than I, but usually has great taste in what she watches. IT's just that she hasn't fully gotten into the wonderful 30's and 40's film world yet. I am hoping she will. When I am watching a great film she will join me once in awhile. A few weeks ago I was surprised when she decided to watch Saboteur with me. She really enjoyed the film with Robert Cummings in a serious role. After that she wanted to see They Got Me Covered with Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour. So little by little I hope she will like them better and better. The next one she will try is THe Night Has Eyes with the great James Mason. She likes Animae and different kinds of cartoons that look interesting to watch too. I had loved classic films when I was very young and am glad she is moving in that direction too; once in awhile.