film lover 293

Carole Lombard?

Wed., April 6th--All times E.S.T.: 10:00 p.m. "New Orleans" (1947)--Only full-length film with Billie Holiday in a leading role. I don't know How many other jazz Greats are in this film, but first Half Hour is almost All music. Last review on TCM's page for N.O. was in 2009. Plot's nothing much, but the music is Wonderful. 11:45 p.m. "Incendiary Blonde"--Betty Hutton in movie biography of Texas Guinan. Lots of music, and Hutton is somewhat subdued.

NipkowDisc--From a different viewpoint, movies will survive as long as the Possibility of a great opening night/day experience for the moviegoer exists, in every city in the U.S. There is nothing like the experience of a good or better audience film ** seen in a full theater on opening night/day. Three of my favorite comedies ; "The Birdcage" (1996), "There's Something About Mary" (1998), and "Scary Movie" (2000). During all three movies, I thought the roof was going to be blown off the theater by the laughter (I had to see "Scary Movie" two more times to catch all the dialogue that had been drowned out by laughter, LOL). Critics may have disliked the films, but audiences didn't. **--An "audience film" I define as one that is moderately funny when seen alone; when seen with a full theater, the movie becomes hysterically funny. This doesn't work for unfunny movies: the theater where I saw "Scary Movie II" (2001) was eerily silent, except in the three sequences that worked. JMO.

DownGoesFrazier--"Family Plot" (1976) it is--No "A": Your thread, DGF.

A help: Jewel thieves.

"The Macomber Affair" (1947)--Directed by Zoltan Korda, starring Gregory Peck, Joan Bennett, & Robert Preston. A adventure/noir tale. The best Hemingway adaptation I've seen, with an ending The Code couldn't/didn't ruin. A married couple makes a last-ditch effort to save their marriage by going on a safari/hunt; Gregory Peck is the guide/hunt leader. Film goes from there. Excellent film, with noirish photography and waspish dialogue delivery by the Macombers. Not a film for animal lovers. 3 and one half stars out of four.

Tuesday, April 5th/6th: All times E.S.T.: 9:15 a.m. "The Macomber Affair" (1947)--Excellent Hemingway adaptation. 4:45 a.m. "Captain Horatio Hornblower" (1951)--Haven't seen this since the 1970's, when I stayed up for an episode of "Kolchak: The Night Stalker" (anyone else remember that TV series?) and CHH followed on The CBS Late Movie.

Hibi and Violet--Carroll Baker starred in a 1959 film called "The Miracle". Her co-star was Roger Moore.

Athena

The Deep BLUE Sea

Shirley Booth as "Hazel"?

Van Dyke, Dick

1974

Pillow Talk

"The Lair Of The White Worm"

rayban--At a guess,because it got mixed/lousy reviews, And flopped at the box-office. No, being a big money loser doesn't nor should it prevent the re-evaluation of a film; for example, "Yolanda and the Thief" (1945 ) lost over a million dollars for MGM--its' reputation soared after it was seen and re-evaluated in the 1980's. My take on Green Mansions--It's a flawed film, but well worth watching. Main themes are protecting the earth and its' resources and true love never dies. Very enjoyable watch. IMHO. The Pier Angeli version of GM was considered in 1954--"Life" magazine did a cover story about Angeli and GM dated July 12, 1954**. I'm Guessing that version was dropped because Minnelli had two musical financial flops before (1945's "Yolanda and the Thief", & 1948's "The Pirate"). For Alan Jay Lerner, Google "Alan Jay Lerner Green Mansions, and a TCM article is among the first two results **--Source: Google "Pier Angeli "Green Mansions". The 9th result mentions the magazine cover story and date; The Website named is wwwglamourgirlsofthesilverscreen

"Phaedra" (1962)--Adaptation of the Greek tragedy updated to the early 60's, starring Melina Mercouri and Anthony Perkins as the ill-fated pair, and Raf Vallone as Phaedras' husband. Film wastes good work by Perkins, Mercouri and Vallone in memorably BAAAADDD directorial decisions by Jules Dassin, most hilariously a fireplace seduction scene that was laughed off the screen when first released. Dassin obviously (even to my eye) has them assume poses from classical sculpture; that doesn't work. Neither does his decision to use villagers as a Greek Chorus. Dassins' decisions that work: letting Perkins rhapsodize about his "girl", early in the film. It's the only intentional humor in the film. Having the ship Mercouri christens early in the film serve as a metaphorical symbol of Phaedra. I don't know if Phaedra is adaptable for screen or not. Dassin didn't succeed. This is a candidate for EugeniaH's "I Will Never Watch Again" thread. 2.5 stars out of four, for the acting.

"Phaedra" (1962)--A film with a death wish. Excellent work by Anthony Perkins is undone by disastrous directorial choices--most notably a fireplace montage--and the film's not even half over. Edit: What the **** is one to read into Phaedras' sleeping with the housekeeper???

Thanks, Princess of Tap-- Cemetery chase

I saw this film because of calvinnme's review "An Andalusian Dog" (1929)--A short film by Luis Bunuel and Salvador Dali. Two points: The viewer can see the some of the ideas for Dali's dream sequence in "Spellbound" (1945) in the ants, camera patterns, and track shadows in this film. Did Hitchcock see this film and then develop his hatred of eggs, LOL? Otherwise, to me, film is baffling. I think it's meant to be that way? Two and one half stars out of four--because I'm missing the points the film wants to make.

A great train wreck doesn't make a Best Film Winner, IMHO. If I were doing the nominating, these would be my nominees--stars denote original nominees: "The Quiet Man""**--John Fords' direction, the performances of Maureen O'Hara and John Wayne, and their screen chemistry overcome Victor McLaglen's stagy Irishness--TQM is worthy of at least a nomination. "High Noon"**--Iconic western, classic score and performances. "Angel Face"--I'd rather have an effective, lean, mean, classic film noir as a Best Film nominee than an overblown spectacle like Ivanhoe. "Singin' In The Rain"--The best film musical of all time. A deserved Best Film nominee, at least. "Bend of the River"--The second of five westerns directed by Anthony Mann, this got lousy notices when it was released, but it captures James Stewarts' Western persona at a critical point when it was changing from "Nice guy hero" to "Hero"??. Overlooked western gets the last slot. Winner(s): Best Film(s): Singin' In The Rain High Noon Edit: imdb, rotten tomatoes, & blu-ray.com have a release date of "Dec 11th, 1952 for "Angel Face"; TCM, Wikipedia list "Feb. 1953" for the release date. I went with the 1952 date.

Alida Valli in "The Paradine Case" (1948)

"Valley of the Kings"

Trueheart, Tess--Glenne Headly in "Dick Tracy" (1990).

Vance, Vivian