film lover 293

Sepiatone--"The Tiger and the Pussycat" (1967)--but Vittorio Gassman (Shelley Winters' ex-husband) stars; this sounds most like the plot you describe.

I'll limit myself to one film. Ninotchka (1939)--"Garbo Laughs". Enough said.

Sepiatone; I hope this is on topic. Here are three examples--but the first time I saw all three was in a theatre. My parents took me to "That's Entertainment" (1974), because I had earlier asked them about singers/musical stars. I hadn't seen any of these three before I saw the film. James Stewart in his scene from "Born To Dance" (1936) (Eleanor Powell made no impression on me in This scene) --I first thought "who is this super thin guy who drawls his lines? Ehh--get to the next clip." But then he started to sing Cole Porters' "Easy to Love" to EP--& the qualities of longing and sweetness in his voice made me think there were things about him the film didn't showcase. There were. I saw more films with him (non-musicals, LOL) & became a fan. Jean Harlow in "Reckless" (1935)--I had NO idea who she was until one of the narrators of TE identified her. I didn't like her voice, but liked her chutzpah (sp?) & nerve in trying to get through the song without having a singing voice--so I saw some movies of hers on an old movie channel based in Denver--the first one I saw was "Red Dust"--that made me a confirmed fan of hers Eleanor Powell in the "challenge dance" to "Begin the Beguine" in "Broadway Melody of 1940". Fred Astaire made no impression on me, but this tall lady with legs that went on forever seemed to outdance Astaire effortlessly--I had to wait until TE Part II (1976) was released to see more of her work.

"Cleopatra" (1963). A four hour movie, the first 1/3rd with Elizabeth Taylor & Rex Harrison is good; but after Harrison's Julius Caesar is killed, film becomes a chore to stay awake through. Taylor is OK, but Burton is sleep inducing, for me. I eventually got through the complete film (it was on two videocassettes), but film is deadly dull, overall.

I'm trying to get the people eating trees from It Came From Hell (1957) and The Navy vs. the Night Monsters to coordinate; Johnson, take the disorganizer ray and I'll send in the people eating trees!!! Hurry!!!!!!

Sepiatone--I'll repeat HoldenIsHere's question; What if one DOES remember?

To work with RO, I have four musicals I'd like to see--theme would be "MGM musicals shown once in a blue moon." They are: 1. "Jupiter's Darling" (1955)--last musical for Esther Williams and Marge & Gower Champion. Have seen the excerpted bit in "That's Entertainment Part III" (1994), but that's all. 2. "I Love Melvin" (1953)--Minor but enjoyable MGM fare starring Debbie Reynolds. 3. "Ziegfeld Follies" (1946)--Stars most everyone on the MGM lot who could sing or dance between 1944-1946--some parts work, some don't-- "A Great Lady Gives An Interview" with Judy Garland, & the two dance numbers with Fred Astaire & Lucille Bremer are worth sitting through the whole film--especially if you know who Garland is spoofing (listen to her vocal patterns). 4. "Let's Dance"--(1950)--Fred Astaire and Betty Hutton musical I've never seen.

All times E.S.T.: 8:00--"Frank Sinatra: Ol' Blue Eyes Is Back--(1973) 11:00--"Take Me Out To The Ball Game--(1949)** 3:15 a.m.--"It Happened in Brooklyn--(1947)** 5:15 a.m.--"The Kissing Bandit--(1948)* *---Camp classic. You have been warned (or alerted, LOL) **---Both movies are delights, IMHO. In the "Sinatras' 100th" thread, there are clips of three numbers from the films with two asterisks by them. Check and see in advance if films interest you or not. The number with Spanish writing on it is sung in English, without subtitles.

He gave the four hour dinosaur "Cleopatra" (1963) an unqualified "rave" review; He's correct about Rex Harrison, but the rest of the cast are inconsistent or worse.

"Beyond The Forest" (1949)--Was Not the camp classic I expected, but instead a dark, moody drama with a melodramatic script that gets out of hand about halfway through. Bette Davis could have played this as a send-up of every lousy role Warner Bros. had given her, but didn't (in spite of wearing a hideous black wig); she plays a small town Madame Bovary type. Joseph Cotten gives his underwritten role quiet dignity (that's a compliment). The supporting cast make no real attempt at subtlety--that may be the fault of the script, the Production Code, or director King Vidor ;or all three. A good score by Max Steiner. Minuses--A pompous, Sunday School prologue about Evil; it led me to expect a disaster on the scale of "Exorcist II: The Heretic" (1977); an overly melodramatic script, & the Fire imagery (Guess Where the imagery is Supposed to Remind the Viewer of (the capitals stand for the directors hitting the viewer over the head with a baseball bat made of that ******* prologue and fire imagery)). In spite of the mistakes, 6.5/10 stars.

sepiatone--my apologies if this is off-topic, but you haven't said anything about Hearing the stars first, then finding out you like them. Example--my parents had a stack of Original Broadway & Movie Soundtrack records; Like "My Fair Lady" (1956), "Camelot" (1960) (Broadway, & Julie Andrews starred in both). For movies, one soundtrack they had was "Oklahoma!" (1955), which starred Shirley Jones, & Gordon MacRae. I asked if they had done any/any more movies, my parents answered yes, & I looked for other movies/records to listen to and watch. Then "That's Entertainment!" (1974) was released, & I was a confirmed classic film lover for life--my favorite genre, the musical.

I found this clip from "It Happened in Brooklyn" (1947) this morning--Sinatra & Kathryn Grayson make a unexpectedly good comedic duo in this duet from "Don Giovanni" (yes, Sinatra sings opera very creditably, IMHO).

"Two Weeks In Another Town (1962)--directed by Vincente Minnelli, this film examines a group of filmmakers, all desperate for money for various reasons. Key is completing the film they all are working on. Near the middle of the film, clips from Minnelli's "The Bad and the Beautiful" are shown as examples of Great Films. It works as being "self-referential/reverential", showing both films casts' love of luxury, & it wastes ten-fifteen minutes. As, IMHO, TBatB is the better film, it is included to Make audiences think they're watching a better/classier film than they are. JMO.

But when you had a voice as good as Durbin's, Universal could overlook figure flaws, and so could other studios--MGM didn't let "Summer Stock" (1950) sit on the shelf because Judy Garland was somewhat overweight.

William Powell

Alfred Hitchcocks' only musical, "Waltzes From Vienna" (1934). It has one full song, three halves of songs, & stretches them out over 77 minutes. The songs and background music are very pretty. Everything else is disaster or close to it. Jessie Mathews, the British musical comedy star, gets to sing only half of one song and in some scenes is photographed so badly she resembles Zasu Pitts. The minutes fly by like years. WFV's saving graces are 8 minutes of music, & an unbelievably campy scene where the hero composes "The Blue Danube" while listening to the noises in a bakery(!!??!). A lousy excuse for a musical. Revisionist critics see a Viennese pastry in WFV; I see a mound of uncooked dough. 3/10 stars (I'm being kind.)

Re her weight & Charles David: 1. Her daughter was born Feb. 7th, 1946. "Lady on a Train" was released August 3rd, 1945 (Los Angeles release: Source--TCM Deanna Durbin LoaT "overview". Durbin was possibly pregnant during the shooting of "Lady on a Train (1945). 2. Charles Henri David married Durbin after her 1949 divorce, and they subsequently settled in France. Source for #2. Click "View Complete Companion Listing" on TCMs' "Deanna Durbin Overview.

"Summer Stock" (1950)--Garlands' last MGM musical; from all my reading it was apparently **** to make, but finished film is very enjoyable, with an underrated score; "Friendly Star", "The Portland Fancy", which turns into a challenge dance between Gene Kelly & Judy Garland. The dance where Kellys' only partners are a squeaky board, a newspaper, & a set of risers is also a highlight; & of course, film features the classic "Get Happy". "Heavenly Music", the hillbilly parody with dogs some posters dislike so, is Overacted but watchable; kudos to Kelly & Silvers for sharing the number with a lot of scene-stealing dogs. Because of the score, & Marjorie Mains' sarcastic asides, 7/10 stars.

A song that was edited out from "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" (1949), "Boys and Girls Like You And Me". The song is there, but the sound crew missed the chit-chat leading into the number & that interrupts a verse. Sinatra is in smooth, romantic voice. A forgotten gem. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKKK0Rs3mno

DickLindsay--I'm drawing a complete blank on this. Julie Andrews only thanked Walt Disney when she won 1965's Best Actress, didn't mention co-stars or Director--but crowds' applause for her win & joke ("I know you Americans are famous for your hospitality, but this is ridiculous! got a long laugh & applause.) Barbra Streisand joked through all her speech, but thanked director William Wyler.

Elizabeth Taylor for "Butterfield 8" (1960)? She certainly hated MGM having her do the film before she would be free of them and so she could collect One Million dollars from Twentieth-Century Fox for playing Cleopatra.

I saw four films & one documentary this week: "Rich and Famous" (1981)--Uneven script doesn't detract from Jacqueline Bisset's best performance (one that's light years away from "The Deep", 1977). Candice Bergen does a Devastatingly funny caricature of a Southern writer (her severe chignon and salty language are Clues to who her character's based on. Bergen should be given credit for being Much smarter than snide reviewers remarked). "The Sheik" (1921)--Found on Vimeo. Rudolph Valentino shows why he shot to stardom after this film was released. Agnes Ayres, who plays the woman Valentino is infatuated with, is given a few intelligent titles to say & a Lot of truly stupid decisions to act out (maybe that's why she keeps rolling her eyes & tearing her hair). Judging by this film, women were liberated but still needed a mans' protection. "Sinatra Sings" (2011)--Documentary narrated by Tina Sinatra is priceless for its glimpse at Frank during a recording session. Worth recording for this 11 minute bit alone. "Unconquered" (1947)--Found on YT. American History 101 as related by Cecil B. DeMille. Gary Cooper keeps a straight face while bargaining for Paulette Goddard's life (with a compass?!) with British accented Guyasuta, Chief of the Senecas (Boris Karloff?!?!). Cooper keeps a deadpan through all absurdities, including Goddard screwing up her face & repeatedly turning away from the camera (maybe she had an uncontrollable case of the giggles?) Film is wonderfully entertaining If you're prepared to maintain a constant "suspension of disbelief". "That's Entertainment, Part II" (1976)--Another nostalgia fest for the MGM musical. My favorites are Bobby Vans' human pogo stick number and Jeanette MacDonald & Nelson Eddy's duet "Lover, Come Back To Me", from "New Moon (1940)--Eddy is still a hopeless actor, but his voice is richer, & MacDonald has lost the shrill qualities of her top notes. Best film--All five should be seen.

Princess of Tap-- a new pair of tap shoes for you in your favorite color; you are So right about that being something. "Orchestra Wives" (1941) & "Down Argentine Way" (1940) also have fine numbers by The Nicholas Brothers. It's your thread, Princess of Tap.

Eleanor Powell?

Correct, Swithin! The other five titles: "Coffin of Terror" "Danse Macabre" "Danza Macabra" "Edgar Allan Poe's Castle of Blood" "Tombs of Horror" Your thread, Swithin.