film lover 293

1936--Best Actor: winner has asterisks by their name(s) Spencer Tracy in Fury William Powell in Libeled Lady Humphrey Bogart in The Petrified Forest William Powell in My Man Godfrey** Peter Lorre in Secret Agent --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Best work by a entire cast--Showboat

"The Two Mrs. Carrolls" (1947)--Humphrey Bogart and Barbara Stanwyck paired in a less-than wonderful film, thanks to a so-so script and a weak director. The miscast Bogart does better than the critics said as a troubled painter. Stanwyck is as good as the script allows. The film does develop tension in the last forty-odd minutes. The supporting players vary from dreadful to competent to very good (Alexis Smith as a spoiled rich ***** who wants to be Mrs. Carroll number three, and Ann Carter as Bogarts' kid by Mrs Carroll number one). Enjoyable despite its' flaws. 6.5/10 stars.

James Horner--his score for "Aliens" (1986) in particular. Miklos Rozsa--his score for "Spellbound" (1945). The score for "How The West Was Won" (1963)--multiple composers. "The Egyptian" (1954)--Lovely score by Bernard Herrman and Alfred Newman. "The Hallelujah Trail" (1965)--Elmer Bernstein. "The Sting" (1973)--Scott Joplin (if you like ragtime music). "Brigadoon" (1953)--Frederick Loewe (music) & Alan Jay Lerner (lyrics)--was originally for Broadway, the film is so-so, but music is Gorgeous. All the replies should give you a starting point LOL. Happy listening/watching.

Oscar winners who can babble on for more than 2 hours will receive the coveted Greer Garson Award--The Academy has decided that whether her reputed speech length Was Urban Legend or Not the Award Will be titled in Her Honor; reputedly, She is NOT Amused! Winners who cause injury to innocent(?) spectators while racing/stampeding/pole vaulting to the stage to receive their Statuette will receive the coveted Irwin Allen medal--Bronze for racing, Silver for Stampeding, Gold for Pole Vaulting (a Platinum Pendant/watch will be added for hitting the stage on the first attempt, and a emerald ring for not tearing their Designer dress/suit.

EugeniaH--You might want to look for "Tales of Manhattan" (1942) about a cursed coat and its' owners.

"The Girl Can't Help It" (1956)--A Fantastic 50's rock and roll/rockabilly/gospel assembly of on-screen performances by Little Richard, Ray Anthony, and many others and Jayne Mansfield are this comedys' best parts. Director Frank Tashlin (who directed several of the "Private Snafu" short films during WW II), had already proven his talent with cartoons; he seems to have collaborated with Mansfield on his concept, which was to make the entire film a joke about the 50's filmic obsession with bosoms. When that concept works, film bubbles like champagne. When the script attempts to be serious about Ewells' character, or Mansfields' gangster "friend", film is flat as year old Pepsi, and about as appealing. Still, Mansfield (who won a Theatre World Award for one of the six best female debuts on Broadway for "Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?", which opened Oct. 1955--the show ran just over one year*) and company overcome all: a memorable watch. 8/10 stars. *--sources are ibdb.com, Wikipedia, and theatre world website.

GregoryPeckfan--The main reason "Pigskin Parade" (1936) is remembered today is because Judy Garland made her feature film debut in it, in a supporting role. The film was made on loan-out to Twentieth-Century Fox.

Pursued (1947)

1925

"AVENTURE MALGACHE" (1944) is on YouTube--however it is subtitled in French and the film is French language. For all interested, check it out! French II is just a memory for me, and I still got the message of the film, LOL.

"Aventure Malgache" (1944)--I missed Hitchcock's short "Bon Voyage" (1944) last night, so I checked YT--and they had the second of Hitchcock's World War II short films. It's just over 31 minutes--but is subtitled Only in French--but if your French is only a distant memory of a high school class you took, like me--turn on the subtitles! The actors speak at a machine-gun pace, and outrun (speak?) the subtitles. I got the message of the film though: film is a condemnation of the divisions among the French Resistance in WW II. There is a wordless sequence near the end where Hitchcock makes his opinions of traitors perfectly clear. 8/10 stars. For all French speakers; search "aventure malgache" on Youtube and please post Your opinion(s) of the film. Thank you in advance.

spence--Check the "Favorites" message board. There is a thread there about the Favorite/Best Films from 1930 to 2015. Latecomers like myself ( I got to the thread when other posters were to 1941,LOL) are posting their top 10 films now of the years they missed. There is also a Thread about Best Performances from 1930 on--your input is welcomed there as well (and to others who read this). A Top Ten Films for your thread; from 1916-2000, chronologically: 1.) "Intolerance" (1916) 2.) "The Lodger" (1926)--Alfred Hitchcocks' 3rd film is a fine film. 3.) "Easy Living" (1937) 4.) "Gone With The Wind" (1939) 5.) "Citizen Kane" (1941) 6.) "Singin' In The Rain" (1952) 7.) " 2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968) 8.) "Network" (1976) 9.) "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (1981) 10.) "Sleepy Hollow" (1999)

All time E.S.T.: Saturday/Sunday, March 20th 3:30 a.m. "Over The Edge" (1979).

I saw eight films last week. "Fiend Without a Face" (1958) is a horror film with strong anti nuke (over?)undercurrents. Film is set in Winthrop, Manitoba; the U.S. has built a nuclear testing facility there. Residents are first concerned because their cows don't give as much milk as they are supposed to after testing. Then, after 4-5 residents drop dead, residents do a 50's version of "villagers marching on the bad guys with torches and rocks. Uninvolving film Finally picks itself up and gets moving the last 45 minutes--last twenty minutes, look for staging similarities between this film and "Night of the Living Dead (1968). 6.0/10 stars. "The Cat and the Canary" (1939)--Bob Hope/Paulette Goddard remake of the 1927 silent. Film observes all the creaky conventions while spoofing them. Big budget, but predictable (body falls out of closet, etc.), and enjoyable spoof. Another poster said I gave this too low a rating in a different thread, so I'll rethink it. 7.2/10 stars, even if one can predict the characters lines. "Becky Sharp" (1935)--Miriam Hopkins and Director Rouben Mamoulian's exploration of the possibilities of three-strip Technicolor are the whole show. The Code could sanitize a script, but They could do Nothing about Hopkins' alternately snapping/melting eyes, her ever-changing facial expressions, and her sense of sarcasm with the ability to use words as a dagger. Her best performance by far, IMHO. 9/10 stars. "Fancy Pants" (1950)--Bob Hope and Lucille Ball star in this remake of "Ruggles of Red Gap" (1935). Film is amusing in its' lulls, hilarious at its' high points. Hopes' take on Indian attacks is classic, as is Ball's attempts to get him on a horse. Songs are unfortunate. Film peaks near the middle and again near the end. 7.5/10 stars. "Vanity Fair" (aka "Indecent") (1932)--a 67 minute version of Vanity Fair, set in 1907-32. Only reason to watch is Myrna Loy as a predatory European vamp. She shows untapped acting skills, and is only amusing performer in the film. 5.5/10 stars. "Finian's Rainbow (1968)--Films plot attempts to juggle a contemporary story with a Never-Never Land plot. It doesn't work. Film shows what could have been when Petula Clark or Fred Astaire sing and dance--two pros are in there working away to try to salvage the film (Director Francis Ford Coppola or his Editor didn't even know to keep Astaire's feet in view during his dance solos). Still, the good outweighs the bad. 5.9/10 stars. "The Night Is Young" (1935)--Maltin rated this a "BOMB!" Well--I say take the cotton out of your ears and watch before you rate a film--other reviewers on TCM's "Users Reviews" on TCMs TNIY webpage have said roughly the same thing. Leads are disappointing: Evelyn Laye is NOT a threat to Jeanette MacDonald--Ramon Novarro is easy on the ears. Una Merkel is a blessing. Rosalind Russell, in her two brief scenes, could already turn a one word line into an insult. Film is nowhere near perfect, but the Oscar Hammerstein/Sigmund Romberg score makes the film a painless way to pass the time. 5.6/10 stars. "Easy Living" (1937)--A fur coat is thrown on top of Jean Arthurs' head, and screwball comedy goes from there. Marvelous film. The automat scene is hysterically funny. Everything works in this classic film. 9.7/10 stars.

Do you like silents? Hitchcocks' "The Lodger" (1926) is excellent, as is 1925's "The Lost World". Western films: "Wagonmaster" (1950) "The Unforgiven" (1960) "Rawhide" (1951)--Suspense in the Old West with Susan Hayward & Tyrone Power. A film so bad it's good: "She" (1935 version!) Musicals: "It's Always Fair Weather" (1955) "Kismet" (1955) "The Gang's All Here" (1943) "King of Jazz" (1930)--Bing Crosbys' debut. Comedies: "Easy Living" (1937) "Fancy Pants" (1950)--Bob Hope and Lucille Ball. "A Royal Scandal" (1945) "Becky Sharp" (1935)--adaptation of "Vanity Fair". Hope these are a start.

"Easy Living" (1937)--Edward Arnold and Mary Nash, as millionaires Mr & Mrs. Ball, battle about her shopping, fur coats in particular, in the first ten minutes; one of them throws a sable coat off the top of a building, and it lands on Jean Arthur; the film goes at a gallop from there. Arthur is near perfect, and is a marvelous foil to offset Ray Millands' smugness. The automat scene is classic, and one of the highlights of the film. My new screwball comedy favorite. 9.7/10 stars.

For those who wish to see the sublime with the horrific (performance wise): "Bluebeard" (1972)--Starring Richard Burton and Joey Heatherton; the audio is speeded up, so be warned. JH, to RB: "I spit on you, darling!"

"The Night Is Young" (1935)--Maltin rated this a "BOMB". He needs to take the cotton out of his ears and watch the movie before rating it. Film has a good score by Oscar Hammerstein and Sigmund Romberg. Movie is 87 minutes long--60 minutes has vocal/instrumental music--Una Merkel and Rosalind Russell take care of another 15 minutes (Russell could already make a two word line into an insult, LOL)--the other twelve minutes are disappointing, but watchable. Film Knows it is silly, and makes fun of itself. Lead Evelyn Laye was very apparently supposed to be a threat to Jeanette MacDonald. She had little apparent acting talent, and was not allowed to sing much in the film. Ramon Novarro is painless to watch, and pleasant to listen to. Altogether, an enjoyable movie that Knows it has a lousy script and a good score. 5.6/10 stars.

Honorable Mentions: Best Supporting Actress: Una Merkel in The Night Is Young Rosalind Russell in The Night Is Young Biggest Non-Threat to Jeanette MacDonald--Evelyn Laye in The Night is Young Best Equine Performance--Mitzi in The Night Is Young

I don't find the principals funny either. Peter Sellers was originally cast in the Ray Walston role, but had a stroke a few weeks into filming and withdrew; Ray Walston was then cast. Film Might have been better with Sellers, but we'll never know. Walston is too crude for his role--whether it's due to him, Wilders' direction, or both I can't tell. Novak does her best: but it's the supporting performances that really provide the amusement--as mentioned before, Dean Martin's self-parody, and whoever rooked Deans' character at the garage in the beginning of the film. One big problem is the script; the songs are definitely cringeworthy, but not funny. Why the LoD got so bothered about this film, I don't know--bad Word of Mouth would have sunk KMS at the box-office. JMO. Edit: As TomJH mentioned, KMS is too long.

GPf--the other WW II short Hitchcock made was "Aventure Malgache (1944)"; I have never seen it either. Hopefully, that one also will turn up soon.

ALERT!!!!!: One of Hitchcock's two WW II shorts is being shown Saturday night/Sunday morning at 1:00 a.m. E.S.T. "Bon Voyage" (1944) In Black and White: Was made for/by British Ministry of Information for Phoenix Films. Can only find brief clips from "Bon Voyage' on YouTube--not entire film. Film is 26 minutes long--stay up or tape. Information is from Patrick McGilligan's 2003 biography of Alfred Hitchcock. Edit: Is now a nice article about BV on TCM's webpage on it.

"The House Next Door" by Anne Rivers Siddons--overlooked horror book. "Doctor Sleep"--Sequel to "The Shining"--in case you haven't read it. Sara Paretskys' V. I. Warshawski mysteries. "Treasure of Matecumbe" by Robert Lewis Taylor--is hard to find in TN. "The Haunting of Hill House" by Shirley Jackson. "Otto Preminger" by Foster Hirsch. "Alternate Oscars" by Danny Peary. Anything by Jeanine Basinger Cult Movies I, II, & III by Danny Peary.

"Finians' Rainbow" (1968)--Francis Ford Coppola directed this, and the good and the bad are nearly inseparable in this film. The Good: 1.) The score--all the characters with song(s) can sing; in particular Petula Clark & Fred Astaire are a pleasure to listen to. Songs include "That Old Devil Moon" & "How Are Things in Glocca Morra?". 2.) Visual effects--they are scattered through the film and are surprisingly good. The mixed: 1.) The dancing--a duet between Astaire & Clark that turns into a dance is lovely; but during Astaires' dance solos, Coppola doesn't keep Astaires' footwork in view. Part of the fun of watching him dance is watching his footwork. Coppola (the editor?) seemingly didn't know one of the basics of musicals--always let the audience SEE the dance moves and footwork. 2.) Mixing reality with the gauze-thin plot. Coppola manages this successfully for the first twenty minutes or so; then the plot and "realistic" parts added to the plot clash disastrously. The Bad: 1.) The Susan the Silent who dances her answers to questions. 2.) Tommy Steele as the Leprechaun scales his performance to reach the second balcony in a bordering state: his singing ranges from barely OK to acceptable. 3.) Plot is too fey/cutesy for words; Coppola tries to be realistic in the last 45 minutes, and song(s) and dance(s) are the Only things that work. 4.) This was Fred Astaires last musical, excepting "That's Entertainment! Part I & Part II (1974,1976) Overall, the good outweighs the bad. 5.9/10 stars.

Friday, March 18th: All times E.S.T.: 2:00 p.m. "The Night Is Young" (1935)--One of Maltin's "BOMBS": I Have to see what an Oscar Hammerstein/Sigmund Romberg score is "an insufficient saving grace" for. FWIW, on TCM's "User Reviews" there are five reviews: All raves. You've been Warned/Alerted. 6:15 p.m. "Moonfleet" (1955)--Fritz Lang film I haven't seen.