film lover 293

An apology--I did NOT mean to hurt anyone's feelings with my remark about English fluency. I ONLY meant it as another barrier to keep out spammers, not legitimate members! I apologize to anyone I offended by that remark.

Emily Dean: No SOTM for Basil Rathbone. But two SUTS days, in 2005 & 2010

fxreyman--People signing up should Definitely be fluent in English. No posting for twenty four hours; that gives the new member time to acquaint themselves with the boards, various forums, etc. I've noticed greetings here are somewhat hit or miss (yes I include myself in that group--I've been late welcoming various members here). There should be a "Welcome" forum, where new members make their first post and are greeted. There should be a process that automatically screens out automated spammers (how this is done would be determined by someone more technically-minded than myself). My history--I signed up here in late May, 2015--I've posted 4 topics (one was Feb. 2016 schedule), but most of the time I join in threads (I see them as conversations) already ongoing and enjoy learning from the topic being discussed. If nothing else to stop the spammers, an Eight hour limit between membership acceptance and being able to post a topic. fxreyman--You have the start of a good process. Now it needs to have more input, be polished, then perfected.

tallhair--do you have a Kindle?? If so, book is $10.00 at Amazon--otherwise, book prices are distressingly high--I almost spat up coffee when I saw what Amazon sellers were charging. Check Barnes & Noble website--they have a similar setup to Amazon (& if you're lucky, you might find a reasonably priced edition. Otherwise, Can't help--hope this helps you.

I saw ten films last week. "The Pirate" (1948) is Always a treat to watch--Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, in a musical farce that required hairsbreadth comic timing. Garland, despite missing 99 of 137 days of shooting, brings it off--and so does Kelly & the rest of the cast. The Nicholas Brothers, making a too rare film appearance (in the first version of "Be A Clown), make this film a must-see, especially for anyone into the history of filmed dancing/music. "Plymouth Adventure" (1952). Overly talky, but for 1952 gritty film about the Pilgrims voyage to Plymouth Rock. Good performances take second place to Oscar-winning Special Effects. "Duel In The Sun" (1946). Half masterpiece, half howler/cringe inducing. Oscar nominated performances by Jennifer Jones & Lillian Gish, Gorgeous score by Dimitri Tiomkin, Lovely cinematography, Herbert Marshall (of all people) has an very effective cameo role at film's beginning. On the down side--script is muddled, are too many howlers/cringe inducing lines (When Barrymore first meets Pearl (Jennifer Jones): "Is that what they're wearing in wigwams these days?" Pearl, when upset: "I'm Trash! Trash, trash,trash, trash, Trash!" The finale pushes film irrevocably across line into ridiculousness (for me, anyway). "The Mask of Fu Manchu" (1932)--Delightfully campy turns by Boris Karloff (his fingernails are Claws) & Myrna Loy in the last of her Oriental Bad Girl temptresses make silly film a Pre-Code delight. Very British colonial (The Far East)--was the first time I'd heard "The Yellow Peril" mentioned since I first saw this film on television as a preteen. OK--TCM's The Walking Dead (or Comcast) had an annoying buzz--so I went and found "The Ghoul" (1933), a Gaumont-British Karloff film--a good film, worth seeking out for two reasons--Karloff and the brunette who played the ditz who by her clueless behavior, should be the first killed--but she continually avoids disaster, till film becomes a comedy of sorts--who/what will save her This time? All the while, Karloff's character is getting angrier. I'll stop here and just recommend the film. "Lured" (1947)--Lucille Ball plays a chorus girl turned detective after a friend goes missing--she's searching for a "Jack the Ripper" type--using herself as bait. Film is too good to give away more of the plot--just throw Maltin's rating out the window and give this 3-3 1/2 stars. "The Women" (1939)--A delight--I appreciate Shearer's performance more than I used to. Recommended for anyone who hasn't yet seen it. "Two Weeks With Love" (1950)--A light comedy with songs, made memorable by "Abba Dabba Honeymoon", performed by a young Debbie Reynolds & Carleton Carpenter (who, going by this film, didn't have the Voice that Reynolds had, though he outdances her). "The Manxman" (1929)--Alfred Hitchcock's last silent, film is melodrama that could be solved if one person said "I was misled. I'm sorry."--but such a common sense thing doesn't happen, & tragedy ensues. Notable for the performance of Anny Ondra (star of Hitchcock's Blackmail (1929) & for the loving closeup of a knife cutting a wedding cake. "The Poseidon Adventure" (1972)--The disaster movie that survives from the 70's craze of disaster flicks. Notable for Shelley Winters' performance & John Williams score, in case anyone hasn't seen it. Best film--"The Pirate" (1948) Hardest to sit through--"The Manxman" (1929)

DownGoesFrazier: "Thoroughly Modern Millie" (1967) was budgeted at $6 Million--made $40 Million "Fiddler On The Roof" (1971) was budgeted at $10 Million--made $83.3 Million "On A Clear Day You Can See Forever" was budgeted at $10 Million--Made $14 Million. "Paint Your Wagon" (1969) was budgeted at $20 Million--Made 31.7 Million "Camelot" (1967) was budgeted at $13 Million--Made 31.1 Million. All figures from Wikipedia.

The December showings of "That's Entertainment!" I (Twice), II, (Twice) & III (1974,1976, 1994, respectively) & "That's Dancing" (1985). All are to be shown that month--& seeing them again is a Christmas present (for me). The first TE turned me into a lifelong musical lover, then classic film addict. An additional present for me was seeing the films showcased in TE I for the first time--& discovering the musical numbers I had seen were longer & more complex (TE I cut out a third of "On The Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Fe" to make it fit in the film, for example). These films remind me of what I haven't seen yet, & that their era won't be duplicated. This is just wondering--these films are such an obvious (to me) introduction to classic musicals & classic film (TE II in particular--because it shows the legendary scene between Marie Dressler & Jean Harlow from "Dinner at Eight" (1933),for just one example), I wonder why they're not shown more often? Anyway, thank you TCM for showing them.

This lady helped orchestrate and choreograph several 1940's MGM musicals, as well as acting as a vocal coach; after she and MGM parted ways, she went into cabaret in the 1950's. She starred in one 1950's musical: name it and her two co-stars.

Friday, Nov. 27th: All times E.S.T.: 3:30 p.m. "Charade"--(1963)--Audrey Hepburn & Cary Grant in top-notch thriller. 8:00 p.m. "Jason and the Argonauts"--(1963)--Ray Harryhausen's stop-motion animation & a fine Bernard Herrman score make this film about the search for the Golden Fleece.

"In these circles, the word is only used in kennels"--Joan Crawford in "The Women" (1939) (If the quote isn't Exactly right, I'm close.)

A belated welcome to the Boards. Hope Roman Holiday is within driving distance of you--is excellent comedy-romance--tell us how it was. Happy Thanksgiving.

misswonderly3--See the stage show; here's a third vote for a great score. The movie of "Sweet Charity" did not deserve to flop, IMHO; the choreography is by Bob Fosse, the number "Hey, Big Spender" is classic Fosse, the whole movie is well danced (MacLaine was originally a dancer: a digression--everyone complains about how bad MacLaine was in "Can-Can (1960), but she never gets credit for the Apache dancing & can-can (some of which is like gymnastics, if you watch the complete final dance number) she Did do well--OK, digression over). Anyway, SC's main flaw is it's too long and script is too tenuous to hold much of a story onto--SC Does seem SSLLow during the non-musical sequences.

tallhair--the Regal Cinemas in East TN have been showing the Fathom Events (Roman Holiday, Psycho, etc.).

Arturo- Roman Holiday is showing Nov. 29th & Dec. 1st--check your local times--I'm out of your time zone.

fxreyman--A very Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. I too will be having a very quiet day. First, hopes and prayers you and your wife recover quickly from health problems. Second, your work with statistics is Much Appreciated. I will be on the computer most of the day, watching "Kim" (1951) & "The Phantom Tollbooth" (1969) on TCM--have seen rest of the days' schedule--although might check out "Desk Set" (1957)--has been a while since I've seen it (I've seen all of Hepburn/Tracy except "The Sea of Grass" (1947). Happy Thanksgiving to your dog? cat? Bella. Take care and have a Happy Turkey Day!

Joan Leslie--underrated actress/dancer Nova Pilbeam--for those unacquainted with her work, she is best known for a British Hitchcock film, "The Girl Was Young" is its TCM title; my copy of the film is titled "Young and Innocent (1937 is the year of release, whatever the title), and two anti Nazi films, both excellent; "Pastor Hall" (1940) & "Yellow Canary" (1944). PH is a Fox film, so I don't expect to see it any time soon, but YC has aired on TCM before; TGWY/YAI & YC would make a good tribute to this forgotten actress--her work is too good to be forgotten, IMHO.

DownGoesFrazier--Irma La Douce was originally a Broadway musical--when adapted for the screen, some fool decided to rip out the songs & only use them as background music--the main attractions were deleted from the film--ILD bucked the odds & was a major success--but I get where you're talking about--film is lots of nice peripheral touches, but center of film is missing, if that makes sense.

LornaHansonForbes--"Gambit" (1966) is an underrated, if derivative, movie. "Two Mules For Sister Sara" (1970) is a hilarious Western--Clint Eastwood doesn't seem to believe his eyes/know what hit him from the time Shirley appears--there are occasional moments when Clint takes over and film becomes a conventional Western--but overall, this is MacLaine's movie--she has all the best lines (none of which I can quote here), & film's last shot is Hysterical. Mods--word you deleted in my previous post is a Southernism meaning "to make a fuss"--I wasn't swearing, unless it means something else I'm unaware of.

Short digression from topic--I Hated "John Goldfarb, Please Come Home" (1965) when I saw it as a teenager on a local channel--I thought it insulted my intelligence back then! Back to WAWTG--film was OK, nothing great--although I was right in remembering Gene Kelly came off best. Oh, if MM had lived to do the film--the backless dress wouldn't have made it into the film--as it was, it was daring the censors to make a hissyfit about it.

ANCHORS AWEIGH, SHOWBOAT

Colin Clive?

Debbie Reynolds

6. ) Bette Davis co-starred with him in the film "Of Human Bondage" (1934)

Shirley Temple

A Place in the Sun (1951)?