film lover 293
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Posts posted by film lover 293
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"The Great Ziegfeld" (1936)--Starring William Powell, Luise Rainer, Myrna Loy, and Frank Morgan.
Lavish, long MGM musical biography of Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. Powell's performance as a in the title role holds the film together. Film traces his ride from carnival barker to Broadway showman. Myrna Loy doesn't show up until more than two hours into the film and has little to do except be charming, which she does effortlessly. Luise Rainer is Anna Held; she is amusing and charming when singing or consciously being coy about signing with Ziegfeld, irritating when throwing temper tantrums. Morgan as Ziegfelds' rival is funny. Fanny Brice, Ray Bolger, and Virginia Bruce are all notable in support.
The musical numbers are spectacular, especially "A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody". The first half of the film is short on musical numbers: the second half of the film has most of the music.
Best Film Oscar winner holds up surprisingly well. An enjoyable watch. 3.3/4.
Source--archive.org. Search "ThGrtZgfld1936".
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Skipping "Z"
ALL I DESIRE
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To Catch a Thief
next--Scotland
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Talleah, played by Zsa Zsa Gabor in "Queen of Outer Space" (1958)
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The Buccaneer
Next--EUEDNUORQCN
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Virginia Bruce
Next--Ethel Mae Blyth
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"Song of the Thin Man" (1947)--Starring William Powell, Myrna Loy, and Asta.
The last of the Thin Man movies is set on a gambling boat among the players of a jazz band. Nick and Nora are among the patrons, there is a murder, and complications ensue.
William Powell and Myrna Loy were always a treat when they worked together. They still managed to get remarks past the Code.
Powell, to Nora; "Look at those earrings!"
Nora, to Powell (in a mild corrective tone); "They're higher up dear."
Gloria Grahame and Marie Windsor make an impression in small parts. Dean Stockwell only slows down the action a little. The soundtrack is a big help in keeping things interesting.
Loy and Powell's chemistry together along with a good supporting cast make this amiable film work. 2.5/4.
source--archive.org. Search "SgOThThnM19471"
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"Hatchet For The Honeymoon" (1970)--Directed by Mario Bava.
Italian thriller starts out with a murder on a train, of a bride. The killer casually cleans off his cleaver with a wedding veil. The killer then proceeds to narrate the story, He's a serial killer, specializing in brides. There are the expected elements; the suspicious police inspector, a harridan wife, the clueless victims. The story takes a supernatural turn about halfway through. Film takes several twists and turns from there.
The movie was filmed in EastmanColor, which had deteriorated on the print I saw. Bava's usual bright colors and shocks were muted by the bad quality of the color.
Film isn't Bava's best, and far from his worst. If I'd seen a better print, I'd give the film a higher rating. Even with so-so color, it's very worth the watch. 2.6/4
Source--archive.org.
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Siren of Atlantis (1948)
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Richard Barthelmess
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Shenandoah (1965)
Next--Nevada
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Dargo--In the trailer for "Queen of Outer Space", stop it at the 15 second and 1:43 marks; the space station looks like outtakes from George Pal's "Conquest of Space" (1955).
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Dargo--She was also one of the many cameos in "Touch of Evil" (1958), as a strip-club owner. TCM's webpage for the film has her billed 18th.
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"The Wrestling Women vs. The Aztec Mummy (1964)?
Actresses are Elizabeth Campbell and Irma Gonzalez?
Song was sung earlier in "The Robot vs. The Aztec Mummy" (1958), which was a recap of the first two films in the series, "The Aztec Mummy" and "The Curse of the Aztec Mummy" (both 1958)?
Singer in the first film was Elizabeth Campbell?
The song was from an opera--the name I don't know.
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Hint--D.W. Griffith.
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Lawrence--You're correct.
Your thread.
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This nuclear sci-fi film featured special effects by a future star of the field. Name the film, the special effects person, and the cast member who would go on to have great success in Westerns by Sergio Leone and John Ford, among other directors.
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I saw ten movies for the first time last week:
"Mysterious Island" (1961)--Based on the Jules Verne novel, the cast is better than usual (Joan Greenwood, Gary Merrill, Michael Craig), but the best parts of the film are Bernard Herrman's score and Ray Harryhausen's special effects, which vary from OK to spectacularly impressive. A fun watch. Recommended.
"It Came From Beneath The Sea" (1955)--Fine special effects by Harryhausen elevate film from a routine romantic triangle with confused scientists and the Navy ( will Faith Domergue choose Kenneth Tobey or Donald Curtis?) to a good sci-fi movie. San Francisco is laid waste this time. Very worth a watch.
"Robinson Crusoe On Mars" (1964)--Good sci-fi movie I had never heard of has two astronauts and a pet monkey in a spaceship crash on Mars. One astronaut and a pet monkey survives. They have to adapt to their strange new planet in order to survive. Lawrence W. Butler did the special effects. Winton C. Hoch did the interesting cinematography. Nathan Van Cleave contributed an good score. Little known film (to me) deserves a watch.
"It Came From Outer Space" (1953)--Jack Arnold directed this minor classic of Cold War paranoia. Film is based on a Ray Bradbury story. A thing crashes into the Arizona desert, and Richard Carlson is convinced it was a spaceship. Girlfriend Barbara Rush just wants to get away from the crash site. Obssessed by being Right, Carlson spouts off to a reporter, and is dismissed as a nut--until people start disappearing. David S. Horsley did the special visual effects. The eerie cinematography was done by Clifford Stine. The creepy musical score is creepy, as are the POV shots from the alien. Recommended.
"Conquest of Space" (1955)--Good special effects, a nice score by Van Cleave, and a production number from "Bring On The Girls" (1953) doesn't save this film from it's muddled script. Film insists it's mankinds' duty to explore outer space, then turns on a dime and says it is sacrilege to explore outer space. Film is just about cabin fever, and who will crack up first. A boring disappointment.
"The Snow Creature" (1954)--I watched this loser to answer a trivia question. Would-be thriller about the Yeti is notable for the title thing that looks like it has a case of the mange, wears a furry hat with earflaps, and oversized fur gloves. Is also notable for the camera shots it copies from 1941's "The Wolf Man", and for victim #1 screaming without opening her mouth. Films' saving grace is it's barely 70 minutes long.
"Sudden Fear" (1952)--Good Joan Crawford noir/thriller, with Jack Palance and Gloria Grahame as excellent support. Crawford and Palance were nominated for Oscars, as were Charles B. Langs' shadowy cinematography and Sheila O'Brien's costumes. Film requires major suspension of disbelief, especially when Joan tosses an apartment and gets away with it, but is overall a fun watch. The Dictaphone scene probably got Joan her Oscar nomination.
"The Swimmer" (1968)--Allegorical Burt Lancaster film, directed by Frank Perry, based on the John Cheever story. Lancaster swims home through a series of neighbors' pools. At each stop, the viewer learns something about him, bad or good. Film was dismissed when first released, now is an acting showcase for Lancaster, who was maybe the most naturalistic leading man in movies. The movie is very good. Recommended.
"Parnell" (1937)--Biography of the Irish political leader is drained of life by John Stahls' overly reverent direction and an uncertain performance by Clark Gable. Myrna Loy does well as Katie O'Shea, Parnell's love at first sight. Edna May Oliver's and Billie Burke's battles with each other provide sorely needed laughs and are the best things in the film.
"The Assassination of Trotsky" (1972)--I Hated this Joseph Losey film, which seeks to make what facts are known about Trotsky a question mark, and succeeded in confusing me and making its' subject motiveless. I Hated the musical score, part of which sounds like a Siamese cat when its' tail has been stepped on, the pointless, enigmatic script, the unimpressive performance by Richard Burton, the inexpressive one by Alain Delon, and the bloody bullfighting sequence. The murals by Diego Rivera are good. This was one of the Medved bros. "50 Worst Films of All Time". Does it qualify for that? No. The 1000 worst films of all time--TAoT is in there somewhere.
Most Favorite--'Sudden Fear" (1952) and "Mysterious Island" (1961).
Least Favorite--"The Assassination of Trotsky" (1972).
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Roxie Hart (1942)
next--Colorado.
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X THE UNKNOWN
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Is the other woman Lana Turner?
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Is the film "The Crimson Ghost" (1946) and the MacGuffin Cyclotrode X?
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Dumb and Dumber
Next--Belgium
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"Saul Bass: Famous Title Sequences from Preminger to Scorsese"
A YouTube member put together 23 opening sequences by Saul Bass and uploaded the video to YouTube. There's no commentary or interviews--the art work speaks for itself. Two of my favorite openings are included, the credits from 1962's "Walk On The Wild Side" and 1956's "Around The World In Eighty Days". An interesting watch.