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film lover 293

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Posts posted by film lover 293

  1. "Rich and Famous" (1981)--Not the failure 1981 critics labeled it.  Jacqueline Bisset gives a fine, thoughtful performance I'd never expected of her after seeing "The Deep" (1977).  Candice Bergen does a devastating caricature of a Southern writer.  Film veers from being wildly funny to "literary" to borderline sappy.  Still, a fun watch and  good final film from director George Cukor.  7/10 stars.

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  2. Tuesday, Dec. 8th: All times E.S.T.

     

    10:45 a.m. "Smash Up, the Story of a Woman" (1947)--Susan Haywards' first Academy Award nomination was for this film.

     

    10:30 p.m. "Sweet Smell of Success" (1957)--Bitter, cynical film was a big change of pace for  Burt Lancaster  & Tony Curtis. They're terrific, but film was a box-office flop.

     

    12:15 p.m. For the three people who haven't seen it before & myself, who'd rather see this than Hitchcock's musical "Waltzes From Vienna" (1933)--"North By Northwest" (1959).

     

    BTW--joke is directed at myself, not new viewers--I've seen NBN 20+ times and still enjoy it. :)

  3. Hibi & HoldenIsHere--Full version of "The Wicker Man" runs 102 minutes.  The version on the schedule runs 89 minutes.

     

    Edit: read TCM article on it, IMDB it, or Google it.  Even at 89 minutes, it's a **** good film.  The missing elements are the prologue, one nude & two other clothed scenes with Britt Ekland, & Christopher Lee reading a poem under Willows' (Eklands') window.

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  4. Sepiatone--I have not read The Clansmen, but I have read from multiple sources it was/is more virulently hateful than "The Birth of a Nation" (1915).  The movie is Also hateful, and shows degrading/disgusting/choose an adjective stereotypes, but technically, is an important film for camerawork ( Griffith's work in close-ups, cross-cutting, split-screen, etc.), and despite all its' other failures, is still an important film that should be available to be seen.  Its' racism can't be, nor should be, ignored; like LawrenceA said, the story is"reprehensible garbage."

     

    BTW--Griffith made "Intolerance" (1916) as a statement against prejudice and an apology of sorts, for "The Birth of a Nation" (1915).

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  5. LornaHansonForbes--I recognize his 50's films & his 1960 film, so I'll finish the filmography.  Going from 1960 backwards:  

     

    "Flame Over India" (1960)--Good Lauren Bacall actioner set at the turn of the 20th century, In India.

     

    "Tiger Bay" (1959)--Hayley Mills noir--her film debut.

     

    "Northwest Frontier" (1959)--alternate title for "Flame Over India".

     

    "Woman in a Dressing Gown (1957)--British soap opera with Anthony Quayle.

     

    "An Alligator Named Daisy" (1957) British comedy with Margaret Rutherford & Diana Dors.

     

    "As Long as They're Happy" (1957) Jack Buchanan musical comedy.

     

    "Blonde Sinner" (1956) Good British noir with Diana Dors.

     

    "For Better, For Worse" (1954) Minor British comedy with Dirk Bogarde & Dennis Price (starred in "Kind Hearts And Coronets (1949)).

  6. "The Sheik" (1921)--Film is regressive (paraphrased title--Old biddy #1--"Lady Diana! Going out in the desert with ONLY native guides and Arabs!") & progressive (Agnes Ayres' character Lady Diana-- (one of the few intelligent things she says "Marriage is like captivity!  I make my own choices!).  It's a pity her own choices always seem to land her into trouble.  Film has Lots of Title cards--a few are memorably sarcastic; The Sheik (Rudolph Valentino), after being called a savage: "Madame, with your permission, the Savage will escort you home".  Film is worth seeing because it's a good copy (I found it on Vimeo--search "Adolphe Menjou"--will be four results--The first should be The Sheik. The copy of "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" (1919) TCM showed in Sept. was in much worse shape.  Film is a 2012 restoration done by Video Cellar--film is clear, except for night photography.  For historical value, like "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" (1919), "The Sheik" (1921) should be seen.  We never know how long these films will be around before they become unsalvageable. 

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  7. I saw four  movies this this week.  "Pal Joey" (1957) is a watered down version that's not nearly as cynical as its Broadway original--but marvelous score and Frank & Rita make the film work.  "Zip" & "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" are my favorites--Sinatra is in fine voice here.  Novak's hurt, uncertain qualities make the patchwork finish work.  A scene-stealing terrier gets films biggest laughs.

     

     "Can-Can" (1960)  is puzzling.  Sinatra is unforgettable when he sings "It's All Right With Me"  to Claudine (Juliet Prowse), & rouses himself for his duet with MacLaine, "Let's Do It"--but otherwise, he makes little impression.  Maurice Chevalier coasts through on charm; Louis Jourdan makes a fine competing suitor for MacLaine--he had an ok baritone, & his expressions are worth ten pages of dialogue.  But MacLaine seems to be the only starring player who's knocking herself out to keep this musical afloat--she overacts to counter Sinatras' drastic underplaying.  And she knocks herself out (metaphorically) dancing and singing.  A final note on the title number; when it's performed, one can see that the women are wearing four(?) inch high heeled boots.  "Can-Can" (1960) is really MacLaines' (and Juliet Prowses') film, especially in the dance sequences; their co-stars gave it to them. 

     

    "Lured"  (1947) is Lucille Balls' best mystery role, with George Sanders in an important supporting part.  Very good noir also stars Boris Karloff.

     

    "That's Entertainment! (1974)--Wonderful compilation of musical film clips;  from "Singin' in the Rain from "The Broadway Melody of 1929 to "The Varsity Drag" from "Good News (1947) to "Hallelujah" from "Hit the Deck" (1955)--my favorite clip is "Abba Dabba Honeymoon" from "Two Weeks With Love (1950).  I saw TE on original release, as a sort of road show.  The impact of seeing it on a movie theatre screen,  as a quasi-road show (It had the Entrance and Exit music, but I don't remember any programs being sold) can't be overstated.  TE opened a new world to me, & I've been a classic movie fan ever since; and my favorite genre is the musical film.

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  8. Replying to MovieCollectorOH's post of Dec. 4th, 12:08 a.m.--By all means, go ahead with your idea.  TCM has already done something like this; they showed the existing ten(?) minutes of footage of Garbo's "The Mysterious Lady" (1928) as a "between movies" filler this past summer, & TCM has shown an hour long compilation  program of bits and pieces of lost films--have forgotten the name, but was released in 2011 (I Think).  I agree with EmilyDean--more Robert Benchley, please.

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  9. DougieB--in "Saratoga Trunk" (1946), Florence Bates is  definitely glam--she's a society "lady" who has a discussion with Ingrid.  Any more info and I'll spoil the scene.

     

    BTW--reread thread and saw you were interested in Diana Lynn films.  Lynn is The sarcastic sister in "The Miracle of Morgan's Creek" (1944) & a late film of hers, "Track of the Cat" (1954) is little known but good.  Have fun watching films. :)

     

     

    Edit--"Every Girl Should Be Married" (1948) is a Lynn film showing Dec. 29th on TCM.

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