MCannady1

Wonderful actress too! My list of the best is growing. I loved Dorothy in Invitation and The Spiral Staircase and Enchanted Cottage. Dorothy could portray love and humor and fear beautifully. To that list Gentleman's Agreement is great too. Boy, my memory of great films keeps on and on. She is another Golden Age noteworthy actress with multiple talents.

I really love Valerie Hobson's films and like this one especially. Blanche Fury is unique and has some great photography. Valerie looks lovely in color in this Victorian melodrama.. Her acting in this film was special and so was Stewart Granger. A good way of describing the plot is the mention of the their inter-woven destinies. Stewart portrays the bitter, illegitimate man who wants justice done. Ultimately the tragedy of thehorse accident does remind me of Gone With the Wind. I will check out your review on You Tube. A on-going mystery to me is why Valerie's part of Biddy the governess was cut from the '34 Great Expectations. I had actually seen and taped this film in the early 80's, but taped over it to tape another film. Sadly, on subsequent airings the film (and this includes the professional copies!) is missing her scenes and some others that explain more fully the loss of Pip's sister. For thirty years I have sought the film in its entirety but cannot find it. Though she portrays Estella in the 1940's version, this one is special too.

Guess what I watched last night spurred on by our discussion of great classic films. It was Remember the Night with the wonderful Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray. I recalled loving the entire cast; Beulah Bondi, Sterling Holloway and Elizabeth Patterson. IT has just the right touch of pathos and sentiment. I found myself sympathizing with Barbara's character when her mother was so cruel and unforgiving. Of course the ending is poignant and sentimental. We find ourselves hoping that our hero and heroine will be reunited one day.

Thanks, Ian. Will love to check out your reviews on You Tube. I concur wholeheartedly about this great film. It is one of many that led to a decision from early childhood on to continue with classic films.

Beautiful sentimental film. I first saw it as a child on TV and then watched it several times since. Recently I acquired a great copy from a friend and watched again. I was again entranced by the beautiful music. The wonderful and sentimental storyline is a real tearjerker and every person in the film was marvelous. Especially noteworthy were some of my very favorites; Claudette Colbert, Orson Welles and George Brent. The very talented Natalie Wood was wonderful too as the German war orphan and Richard Long as "Drew". Yes, there were no flaws in this film. It is touching and appealing from the very first scene right through to the lovely and the mysterious scene with the letters and the picture. I always feel sad toward the bittersweet ending but viewing it again is a wonderful privilege.

Can't stand those commercials either! AS a kid I used to leave the room to hang up a coat or something or go to the kitchen for a snack during the "awful 2 or 3 minutes". Now it can be worse with info-mercials. It used to be Cal Worthington droning on and on or Folgers Coffee and Tide or toothpaste. But now the commercial does not even fit the product at times. I ended up turning off AMC when they kept going. Gadzooks is right! I am so glad we have the wonderful TCM!

Somehow our cable line up does not have ME, GET TV or Movies TV which sound like really good options. IF TCM does not show them then we get other opportunities. I am always happy to get another source for 30's through 50's films. I like Jean Arthur's films too and always enjoy her serious films as well as the comedies. I love The More the Merrier. She and Charles Coburn and Joel McCrea were all delightful in this film. A serious film with Jean is especially noteworthy and I have watched it more than once lately; History is Made at Night. It deals with Jean married to an abusive husband (Colin Clive) and finding kindness and sympathy from a person who appears to be a charming jewel thief (Charles Boyer) who may be a hero. Rounding out a likeable cast is Leo Carrillo and Luis Alberni as friends of our hero. Jean and all the rest of the cast handle their roles with finesse and charm. I am hoping our TCM continues to show the classic films we enjoy, for I still prefer older films.. Several years ago I explained to a co-worker why I like "classic" films. She introduced me to some people as a person who likes black and white films.. I explained that many of these films I had seen growing up on TV and they represented a wonderful learning experience and idealism of those years. Some were in color, but my collection today is mostly in Black and White. I made it a point to mention that I have exceptions. I never lost the learning capacity and admiration for many of them which seem to wear well with time. There are of course some similarities to our world today depicted in many and a promise or at least recognition of what we would like to regain; idealism in a world that was fast becoming disenchanted over time. It is true that we discerning film admirers and collectors of classic films co-exist in the world with the fans of films that were made later. We do enjoy our own preferences while acknowledging that some of the more recent films are good too.

You are right about them keeping up the right balance. I hope our wonderful TCM continues on and on! I love the Movie List you just submitted. I like Mrs. Miniver and just about all of the titles. Our wonderful classics instill a wonderful idealism which we all need in the world today.

Over the last few years I have come to admire many child stars of The Golden Age. One is Ronnie Cosby. I first saw him as an adorable little boy in Broadway Bad with Joan Blondell. Ever in My Heart with the great Barbara Stanwyck and Paul Lukas featured Ronnie Cosby as their little son.who elicited a very fine performance in this film. Besides his sweet and winning manner, he had a very fine acting talent where you would long remember his performance. Since that time I have looked up his credits and found that he was in many other good 30's and 40's films. One of my favorites is Freddie Bartholomew who was unforgettable in David Copperfield '34 and Captain's Courageous '35. Also, the great Dickie Moore who recently passed away was excellent in Ann Harding and Irene Dunne films of the 30's. By chance I looked up a little boy in a Greta Garbo silent I saw recently entitled "Love " ('27). I was struck by the poignancy and sincerity of his performance for one so young. HE really projected his feelings into the viewers' hearts. His name was Phillipe DeLacy. In looking up his other films, I found that he had been in other films I would like to see. Richard Nichols was quite special; "Reynald" as Barbra O'Neill's little son in All This and Heaven Too. It is my all-time favorite and the cast is magnificent; headed by the marvelous Bette Davis and Charles Boyer. Three little girls come to mind when thinking of special girl stars of the Golden Age; Margaret O'Brien had a poignancy and charm in Journey for Margaret, The Secret Garden, etc. Natalie Wood was especially poignant and winning as a German war orphan in the great Tomorrow is Forever with the marvelous Claudette Colbert and George Brent. Sharyn Moffatt was very touching and did splendid acting in The Locket '46 with Laraine Day and Robert Mitchum. Gigi Perreau was touching and sincere in For Heaven's Sake '50 and Shadow on the Wall '50. Yes, I like Dean Stockwell too in The Boy With Green Hair. Darryl Hickman was an oustanding teen in Leave Her to Heaven as the innocent victim and young brother -in-law of Gene Tierney. My list goes on. Thanks to AMC (originally) who used to show many fine 30's and 40's films to our wonderful TCM today I feel inspired by their timeless performances.

Eddie Hodges was a cute guy and a Rock and Roll singer of the early 60's. I remember him singing "I'm Gonna Knock on Your Door" and some other R&R songs before the British Invasion.

Thank you! I have always loved Christmas movies starting around this time of year. The ones I love best are older ones I had seen on TV when growing up. With time they seem even better. Remember the Night ranks at nearly the top for me too! I get so excited about the holidays that I can't think of all the titles and then jot them down as recalled. I do love A Christmas Carol '51 and earlier versions. A few years ago I was quite enchanted by the 1984 A Christmas Carol with George C. Scott as a really marvelous Scrooge. IT is unique in the factor that we hear a lot of traditionally older Christmas songs; A Coventry Carol, I Saw Three Ships Come Sailing, etc. These are just beautifully done and are worked into the breathtakingly beautiful snowy scenery. In this case especially the snow scenes are quite enchanting. I have a friend who used to prefer Color films and I told her (in my not subtle way of course) that it is really the content you are viewing that is important. It just happens that many of my preferences are Black and White films, which are my hobby. I do love films of the 30's and 40's - and sometimes the 50's and 60's, etc. . . So I have made copies for her of some of them and she loves them! I think it is a function of what a person prefers. She really liked the early 40's Lady on a Train with the beautiful and talented Deanna Durbin singing Silent Night. When our older films started to disappear in the early 80's, I started to be concerned. THey were a cornerstone of my growing up years in the 50's and 60's on TV. My older sister and I watched many, many great films during those years. THe hobby has carried over for us both into the present day. It was good that Ted Turner realized the value of them! I was glad we had AMC - they showed many fine films until they changed over to a station that not only skimped on quality but showed commercials within the films. Today I scan the TV Listings for TCM and Fox Movie Channel primarily. Though there are many stations now, some are very repetitive. Through it all our wonderful older or "classic" films survive Thanks very much and hope your Thanksgiving was very nice. IT is good to have inputs from other great movie fans! Best Wishes, Janet

I couldn't wait, so saw The Lemon Drop Kid last night! I broke tradition and we watched it early. It was such a clever movie with lovely snow scenes and humor. As always, Bob Hope was fun to watch and I always enjoy Marilyn Maxwell singing Silver Bells. I too felt sorry that the Christmas traditions have changed over the years. Yes, the programming has changed and so have the decorations. As a young child I remember the street lights had garlands strung so closely together that it was like a beautiful fairyland driving through the shopping districts in L.A. At night time for block after block it created a beautiful illusion - a magical illuminated forest-like atmosphere. Today we are lucky to have them every ten feet! My husband thinks it is money allocated to the city budgets. I would not be a bit surprised at that. Yes, the TV viewing has changed as well. I remember that we did not rush the holidays as much. Christmas vacation was typically around the 21st of December and we returned to school after January 2nd or 3rd. In recent years you see Christmas ads as early as Halloween time. I am hoping they will show more older Christmas films like Remember the Night and Christmas Holiday. They were both poignant films with sentiment and holiday values worked into the story. The recent mention of The Bishop's Wife is a welcome one. I will be seeing it again very soon on my Christmas line-up. The story is a delight and very touching. From the beautiful, joyful music at the beginning to the snowy atmosphere and the story of the Bishop and his wife and the autocratic and lonely Mrs. Hamilton (Gladys Cooper) and the lovely voices of the boys choir - all of these create a beautiful holiday potpourri for the viewer. Loretta Young, Cary Grant and David Niven are outstanding in their roles. Also, it was greatly enhanced by Monty Woolly as their old professor friend and Elsa Lanchester as the devoted maid in the Bishop's household.. My very favorite scene is when Dudley tells Debbie the story of David and the beautiful music in the background as he charms and enchants the entire household.

These 2 are wonderful!. Remember the Night is so absolutely riveting. The sentiment is so realistic. As for Christmas in Connecticut, the timeless humor and great acting live on.

Stella Dallas was such a great film! Barbara Stanwyck could do it all; pathos, love, humor, evil, everything! I loved BArbra O'Neil and Anne Shirley in this film too. A very sad and poignant punchline as she "privately" watches her daughter Laurel's wedding - standing in the snow.

I agree! These are all great films. Seeing your list reminds me of some I just thought of. The Grinch was so cute and we all like Home Alone. My favorite and our daughter's is Home Alone 2. I really like the New York locales and the rich assortment of characters Kevin encounters - from the "Sticky bandits" to the priceless Tim Curry as the hillarious hotel manager who attempts to outsmart Kevin. The Bird Woman and Mr. Duncan are still more interesting characters along the way. The whole thing was really enjoyable from the cantankerous and stingy Uncle Frank Kevin tapes in the shower to the end which shows what a thoughtful and intelligent boy Kevin was; misunderstood by his family. Typically, Buzz did not really apologize to Kevin; he only appeared to. Well, it was all played for laughs and very funny. Another great film was Going My Way. TCM will have a nice assortment for December. I too love Christmas in Connecticut. It was so hillarious where Barbara Stanwyck's character had to pretend to be a great cook and homebody. She babysits the neighbor's baby, but was unaware if the baby was a boy or a girl. Dennis Morgan and Reginald Gardiner were great in the film too. I love the humor and the great atmosphere of the holidays.

I love the Christmas film lists here. I have added to my favorites over time. Starting Monday I will watch Miracle on 34th Street '47 and It's a Wonderful Life. It always makes the season more enjoyable to watch them. I had not seen A Christmas Story for a few years, so will enjoy that again too. The Bishop's Wife will be my next selection of Christmas films starting on Tuesday. If I can just get my hubby and kids (grown up) to watch too that will be fun. Our daughter does like The Lemon Drop Kid too, so I wouldn't be surprised if she joined me. IT is a hillarious film (with gangster undertones) and Marilyn Maxwell sings Silver Bells beautifully.. Lady on a Train with Deanna Durbin was a wonderful Christmas film I remember seeing on an oldies TV station when I was a teen in the 60's.. Deanna sings Silent Night so beautifully and in a way that would melt everyones' heart! I hope that everyone had a very nice Thanksgiving. We enjoyed ours and looking forward to seeing more family members over the Christmas holidays. Tonight we will probably watch Sherlock Holmes with Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce.

Hope you see more of the talented Danny Kaye's films in the near future. ... During WWII, he was great in Wonder Man, and Up in Arms. These were two of my dad's favorites.

Love it! I love Court Jester too. One of Danny's hillarious bests! Will never forget the wittty sayings of "Jacamo". Yes, he was great in the serious role in The Five Pennies too.

Sorry, my Danny Kaye Post and Valerie Hobson posts got merged, so this is a pain. I meant to say that I am a big Danny Kaye fan and a recommendation of other enjoyable DK films! The other post refers to one of my favorite films, Great Expectations, 1934. Valerie Hobson was great in this film as Biddy the governess and nurse to Pip and his family. With no explanation her scenes were deleted, though I had viewed and taped the film complete in 1984 or '85. Darn me! I taped over the complete version, thinking I could always re-tape a period piece. I was wrong, for subsequent airings of the film and the professional renderings are missing the scenes. This I discovered when I purchased the professional VHS in the 90's. A friend purchased the DVD with the same contents recently. I am hoping to find a complete copy like the one I taped in 1984 or '85. Regarding Blanche Fury, it is a great film with Valerie, as well as exquisite Technicolor. Valerie is great in her scenes as a ruthless, beautiful woman who is ultimately destroyed by greed. She had married a wealthy landowner and had an affair with the handsome and vengeful Stewart Granger - the rightful owner, (but illegitimate heir) who has his own personal motives in retrieving his property he had lost.

I love that film! (Great Expectations, 1934). Yes, Valerie Hobson was Biddy the governess to Pip and later became the nurse to his sister Mrs. Gargery who was attacked in their home by a crazy man who worked for Mr. Gargery, the blacksmith. (When they all returned home and found her unconscious Biddy became her nurse). This was in the original 1934 Great Expectations. Love this film! You will love Knock on Wood and Wonder Man. Hope these will air soon on TCM. Danny had a very special talent; a unique sense of humor that got him into trouble in different situations. Of course things get ironed out, but we enjoy the journey! 2 other great Danny Kaye films are Court Jester and Up in Arms. I saw all of these when I was a teenager in the early 70's and find that I enjoy them just as much today. A few years ago my teenaged children enjoyed Danny's antics too! Yes, Jane Wyatt was great as Estella (Pip's love interest), but I do I feel it was wrong for Valerie's scenes to be deleted. (Darn me! I taped the complete film which aired on a UHF channel in 1984 or '85. Needing another VHS, I taped over GE, thinking I could always retape a period piece. I was wrong, for all subsequent airings and EVEN the professional VHS in the 90's was cut, as well as the ultimate DVD. If anyone knows someone who taped this film in 1984 or '85, I would really appreciate contacting them. I would love to see the complete film again. One of my friends recently observed that it was strange that this TV station did show the uncut film and then perpetuate all the airings since! On every channel. I love Blanche Fury too! The Technicolor is fantastic in it. Valerie was superb in that film too!

I wondered about that too! As a big fan of hers, I had to wonder......

I wonder about that too! Maybe someday we will learn more about films that are not in the public domain. It is sad to find that worthwhile films of the past may never be found or discovered because of copyright issues, etc. I do appreciate the film restorations and hope that even the films that aren't in the best shape are shown. If not, we may never see them, as the restorations are very expensive. So cost or copyright may not be the issue, but availability. I have a fragment - three quarters of an older classic film that seems to be available only at UCLA - in complete form. The last I heard through a friend that it can be watched on the premises, but have not been able to go there due to health issues. The film is called East Lynne and the year of release is 1935. My mom used to talk about this film which starred the wonderful Ann Harding. Anyone have any further info.? Would be truly grateful as a lifelong collector of older or "classic" films.

Such a wonderful film! I saw this film not long ago and really admire it. It is so touching when "Mrs. Leslie" meets Mr. Leslie, Honey, as she calls him. He helps her set up a dress shop and they have arranged times together. And then .... don't want to spoil things. Very beautifully handled. Shirley Booth and Robert Ryan are simply wonderful in this film. It is good 50's films like this that remind me that I am not only an admirer of the 30's and 40's, but have a soft spot for the 50's too -- and occasionally the 60's and later. Each decade has a special gift to offer film viewers and to the discerning eye there will be many special moments. These wonderful attributes will make it so that many films could never be really dated or boring.

Right now I am going to watch my very favorite film in recent years - Odd Man Out starring the superb James Mason. It seems that every time I view this film I find something more. It is very intriguing and tragic. Another wonderful film I watch often is The Seventh Veil starring James Mason and Ann Todd. This is a very insightful film and it is beautifully portrayed in every scene. FRom the very beginning to the end there are many veils to be removed for Ann Todd's character to discern her true feelings for her mentor, portrayed by James Mason. But the viewer finds that there are more veils than we had at first supposed, for James's tactiturn and stern character has repressed feelings as well.

I love that trick on Lucy - her Zorch had to be taken out! That show was really terrific. It is another great treasure of the 50's - a time when comedies series were there best - period in my opinion. The same goes for the 60's and though I watched the 70's and 80's, since, but these earlier programs they could never be topped. They were really class and the episodes were really hillarious. From my earliest days - I remember Lucy, My Little Margie, Topper, Our Miss Brooks and several others.