film lover 293

"The Ghost of Zorro" (1959), the MacGuffin is a ghost?

Swithin--You're exactly right. Your thread.

Lawrence--Is the director Fred C. Brannon, the serial "Radar Men from the Moon" (1952), the MacGuffin radar, and the tv star Clayton Moore?

Sat., Dec. 17th--All times E.S.T. 12:00 p.m. "A Big Hand For The Little Lady" (1966)--Enjoyable Western comedy.

"The Assassination of Trotsky" (1972)--Starring Richard Burton, Alain Delon, and Valentina Cortese. I should have read a biography of Trotsky before seeing this film. I knew little about him before, and I don't know any more about him after seeing this movie. Dreadful, muddled, Joseph Losey film seeks to conceal facts about Trotsky and make everything unclear. A prologue to the film ended with (I'm paraphrasing) "What events are unclear have been left that way". That should have served as a warning to me. What plot there is: Film is set in 1940 Mexico. Trotsky goes about his last days dictating his memoirs, talking to his wife, escaping assassination attempts by Stalin's agents (why--the viewer is only told Trotsky's ideas would mean the end of Stalin's regime), asking when the rabbit food for his rabbits will be delivered, and other fascinating events. A paid assassin figures in this, but lacks the nerve to actually do his job. He takes more than two attempts. The film finally ends with the title event, which is staged like something out of a Hammer film, and has everyone screaming and bellowing. Burton as Trotsky does a lot of pontificating and dictating, but never shows what made Trotsky tick. Delon as the assassin is expressionless and mostly silent until the end; then he and Burton seem in a contest to see who can bellow loudest (a tie) and longest (Delon). Cortese fades into the background. There is a ten minute bullfighting sequence that made me ill. There are murals by Diego Rivera featured in the film (I know because they were mentioned in the credits). I hated the atonal score by Egisto Macchi. I hated this movie, and I enjoyed "Boom!" (1968) and "Secret Ceremony" (1969)--two Losey films that were attacked by critics. This has next to no redeeming factors. For Burton completists only. Source--YouTube.

This silent horror film was later remade in an Americanized version, then later in a British version. Please name all three films, their director(s) and star(s).

"Parnell" (1937)--Starring Clark Gable, Myrna Loy, and Edna May Oliver. Historical biography of Irish leader Charles Parnell (Gable) and his affair with Katie O'Shea (Loy) is destroyed by overly solemn pacing by director John Stahl and a tentative performance by Gable. A minor example of the pacing: in one scene, Loy plays a duet from Don Juan at the piano--a light, flirtatious piece that Kathryn Grayson and Frank Sinatra later sang in "It Happened In Brooklyn" (1947). The pace at which Loy plays it, it might as well be a funeral dirge. Gable seems to be moving through molasses, his personality smothered in deference to his part. He is miscast/misdirected/both. My guess is both. Loy does as well as possible: she makes the film watchable. The minor battles between Edna May Oliver, as Aunt Ben, and Billie Burke, as Clara, are delights and are the best things in the film. Look for George Zucco. One of the 50 worst films of all time? No. A missed opportunity? Yes. 1.8/4.

NEGULESCO, JEAN - director, HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE (1953)

JAMAICA INN

Is it "The Snow Creature" (1954) which has 4 bad copies on YouTube?

A FOREIGN AFFAIR NEXT--ALASKA

GORILLA AT LARGE

1955

H.M. Pulham, Esq. (1941) Next--Italy

(THE) WOMAN IN RED

Friday, Dec. 16th/17th--Myrna Loy day--All times E.S.T. 10:30 a.m. "Parnell" (1937)--One of the Medved Bros. "50 Worst Films of All Time" (1978) gets one and a half stars from Maltin, so I Have to see this one. 5:00 p.m. "Stamboul Quest" (1934)--I have heard/read so much good about this film on the Boards, I'll check it out. 1:00 a.m. "Third Finger, Left Hand" (1940)--Underrated Loy/Douglas comedy.

sewhite2000---The company you're thinking of is The Cohen Media Group, and their official release date of the "Sudden Fear" Blu-Ray was 12/13/2016. I hope this goes into TCM's rotation of titles now. It was one of the better thrillers I've seen, and definitely a good print of the film.

Ince, Ralph - director, "Murder at Monte Carlo" (1934).

Comcast in East TN is showing a print that was passed by the British Board of Censors--is anyone else watching a foreign print? BTW--Print is in pristine condition--Thank you TCM and Comcast. Edit--Lorna posted one minute before me, LOL.

Lawrence--Good job. You have the film and the stars and the maker of the homage right--Valley of the Gwangi was originally supposed to have been a follow-up to Willis O'Brien's "King Kong" (1933). Your thread, Lawrence.

Miriam Hopkins, director Anatole Litvak. Just ONE film where she made no friends, LOL? "Old Acquaintance" (1943) or "The Old Maid" (1939)--both films Hopkins worked with Bette Davis--both would qualify.

This odd film is a mix of the Sci-fi and Western genres, and is reminiscent of an earlier fantasy film. Please name this release, the person in charge of the special effects, two stars, and the earlier film it pays homage to.

TopBilled--The TCM webpage for "Many Rivers to Cross"--the detailed ratings you have to click on.

Films I overlooked last night: March 18th "Many Rivers to Cross" (1955)--This film has the most ecstatic reviews on the site, and the most "Reviews in Detail"--23--and they're all 5 stars. I have to check this film out. "The Ninth Configuration" (1980)--I remember this as "Twinkle, Twinkle, Killer Kane". William Peter Blatty wrote this. "Shock Corridor" (1963)--Samuel Fuller film--How far should a reporter go for a story? March 23rd " The X From Outer Space" (1967)--Japanese higher end horror movie. "20 Million Miles to Earth" (1957)--Horror/sci-fi with great special effects by Ray Harryhausen--these two films are buried in the early morning hours, E.S.T.

The Brain from Planet Arous (1957)?