GordonCole

Good choice and Ann is wonderful in it as is Zachary Scott.

Enjoyed all your choices and I wonder if you also like Barry's brother, Arthur Shields?

James, if you had trouble separating Joan from Ann, you must have really had a problem separating Joan from her sister, Gloria. For years I actually thought she was Joan's daughter though since Gloria seemed quite a bit younger but maybe was not.

Of course, Muller was talking in general about her career most erroneously, but yes, Ann did take time off after her marriage to Robert Sterling to raise her daughter Tisha and there was a decent period of time before she came back on screen. Though quite lovely to look at, she actually had real talent that was often only utilized in lesser efforts by studios but she definitely made money for them. But Muller's assessment of her career is a disservice to the truth underlying her decisions. Even though she was successful and had security through seven year and other contracts she did apparently yearn for more challenging parts and the one in The Blue Gardenia would have been most appropriate for her taste to use her dramatic abilities and definitely NOT a "comedown". Thanks, James for your sage remarks concerning real film history and not alternative fact history.

I don't remember this being true about replacement for Jeanette, Rayban but that does not mean it is not. I do know she was brought in of course for the Maisie role which MGM had originally intended for Jean Harlow.

You are right to ask for facts, James and I just saw a recording of Muller's intro to the film and yes, he does say that it was a "comedown" for Sothern to appear in this film with Baxter as the lead. I trusted the two people who questioned me about the validity of his remarks, but I have now seen the recording of his intro and this is the impression he gave of Sothern's career. Thanks for your appreciation of my POV concerning Ms. Sothern's admirable career in both B's, some A's and of course her later tv starring vehicles and last films.

In answer to the TCM poster here who asked me my opinion regarding Eddie Muller's contention concerning Ann Sothern's career spoken on his Sunday Noir series, I feel secure in saying the following below. If Mr. Muller truly did say in TCM commentary on the film The Blue Gardenia that being in the movie was a "comedown" for Ann Sothern, since ostensibly she had starred and had the lead in the Maisie series, then I must say that he seemingly knows little of her career or the studio system usage of B-programmers. A true film buff would know that far from being a "comedown"to be in the Lang film that it would be a "comeup" for this extremely talented lady, who had mostly been relegated to enhancing B-films, due to the lack of appreciation by studio executives. Having been under contract or often loaned out to all majors like Columbia, RKO, Paramount, Warner Brothers and MGM [who first put her in the vehicle Maisie which became a mostly second bill programmer for exhibitors] she seldom got the chance to use her A-level talents except for a few films like Lady Be Good, Brother Orchid or A Letter to Three Wives. Ann had even said she was more interested in playing character roles which were challenging over being the leading lady and her attempts to get out of some of her contracts. So to say that being in The Blue Gardenia was a "comedown" for her is probably due to the speaker not having a general knowledge of film history or her career and relying on quick study research online which often leads to specious interpretation of facts. This type of thinking is tantamount to believing that it was a "comedown" for Donald O'Connor to be second banana to Gene Kelly in Singin' in the Rain, since he had the leading [human] role in the Francis the Talking Mule series. Don't be too hard on Muller though since I'm sure he meant well and probably is only aware of Ann's career from this film in his noir library. I do feel the great Miss Sothern does deserve correct assessment of her status as a genuine film great though, particularly at a site which touts classic films and she was one of its luminaries to be sure.

Any movie with Zucco and Bey is worth seeing and Joseph Cornell's favorite, Rose Hobart.

To Rip Murdock: My dear boy, mayhaps I'm daft but as I read your post this morning [while I was ready for tiffin time yet still in my pyjamas] I noticed that you don't seem to be the same Rip who used to post here. I might be confusing you with someone else but I have more of a memory of your name here since I once knew your costar Agnes. This is why I did not answer your personal note to me not knowing if you were the same person as before. Your new and totally different spelling ability and tone here makes me wonder if you were previously hacked. If I am in error please accept my remonstrances of apology. As to your query about Cavegirl's Nazi favorites that may have occurred before I registered here so I am in the dark sadly.

I was at a writer's bachelor party once and they wanted to serve him something like a flaming B-52 but the bartender put it in a low, shallow bowl and one half of his face got burnt, plus his hair was all singed and he had to get a haircut the morning of the wedding and wear make-up on the red side. They got divorced later. His bride blamed me for not taking better care of him but he said it gave him good fodder for a story so he didn't care. Bourbon also can cause divorces.

Equinox is of course such a cult film and anyone responsible in any way for the writing of the song "The Blob" deserves serious recognition. Thanks for the tribute.

I'll drink to that.

Great post. Any fan of silent films and particularly those of David Wark, would pay good money to have been alive when her first films came out with people like Hart and others. Thanks for the fine post detailing her career and its highlights.

Marty is a little late since Jean-Luc Godard said cinema was over quite a while ago. www.theguardian.com/film/2011/jul/12/jean-luc-godard-film-socialisme

That guy could write. He was the Somerset Maugham of the streets. He will be missed.

Very nicely done and a fine tribute to a fine man. Bravo, TCM!

You are so right. Anyone who appreciates films of this nature would also enjoy that book called "Kings of the B's" which has intense write-ups on many from this genre and more of their films should be shown, as you say, NipkowDisc. While watching last night's showing of Kansas City Confidential I was reminded that Phil Karlson of B-movie fame had done many fine films with little budget and not much time. His documentary style was revolutionary. B-Sci-Fi films are fun and entertaining and need to be on tv more.

Vera was also wonderful in that Hitchcock half hour program called "Revenge" with Ralph Meeker. A lovely lady in person also.

I want to congratulate Cavegirl for finally having Robert Osborne and TCM accede to her determination to have Character Actors be the Star of the Month on the channel. I'm sorry she is not here any longer to see this happen but I remember she was passionate about the fact that this group of performers often receive short shrift compared to the stars in appreciation from fans and larger entities. But as a true film fan she championed their cause here and even though some scoffed at the idea saying as I recall that the character actors are on every month anyway, TCM came through and finally has given them a whole month of recognition. I am sure Cavegirl would be pleased and I thank her for recommending this idea way back when many thought it inadvisable. Her love for the smaller players who make films great, was inspiring and I know the month will be a great viewing for all fans of films also. Thanks, TCM and thanks to Mr. Osborne for his fine write-up in the new monthly guide about character actors.

Bucolic corn can give one the colic unfortunately.

Nice write-up and much appreciation for the information, Jakeem.

As Greta Garbo once said after watching Cocteau's "La Belle et Le Bete": "Bring back the beast!"

Anyone who remembers watching HUAC hearings on tv, will remember Roy Cohn, McCarthy's right hand henchman and if you want to understand McCarthy's power until Joe Welch put him in his place, here are some of Baby Boy Roy's quotes that seemed to have influenced a new follower named Donald: Go after a man's weakness, and never, ever, threaten unless you're going to follow through, because if you don't, the next time you won't be taken seriously. I don't want to know what the law is, I want to know who the judge is.

Not being a fan of elder abuse I can agree. As to your earlier question in the other thread Rip, my flatmate used to say that non-diegetic sound accompanying action in noirish films can be instrumental in symbolizing the protagonist's disconnect from the world. Roger Caillois named such a sense "Une sorte de panique voluptuese". The vertiginous fall so common and de rigueur in noirs is where crime and lust meet and flail about helplessly. Such "love" is dangerous since you "fall" into its clutches and hence are trapped. Amidst all the tomes about noir written by countless American males, the ones that really need be written would be the one to examine and expose said authors' soft underbellies, and ask what fuels their addiction. Delving into the viscera of the attraction to cold-hearted seductresses might be tantamount to asking if a boring life or marriage is the catalyst. A symbiotic transference seems to take place that appeases their reality based malaise and makes them dream too much about the dark streets and relentless women that they desire before the fall. It is good that such authors have avocations to work noir festivals and be on tv though to make a buck, since their writing skills don't even equal the lowest of pulp writers of the past who gave the world noir but never profited by their gift.

Any movie where Doris Day has been allowed to pick her own clothing and wears something like a white hat decorated with a big daisy on the brim, would be my choice for a felony conviction for fashion malfeasance. Now when others dress her, she looks quite lovely to be sure.