[Your Favourite Performances from 1929 to present are...]

For those who care, care there is a decent looking version of Adventures of Tom Sawyer on You Tube. There are some subtitles on the bottom of the screen (Russian?), but you can still enjoy the film anyway.

 

This is a quite charming version of Mark Twain's novel, in my opinion, with, among other virtues, one of my supporting favourites of 1938, May Robson as Aunt Polly (watch her timing in the film's final scene, and see if she doesn't make you laugh out loud).

I have seen this film before and enjoy it.  I have seen a lot of films based upon Mark Twain regardless of the era.  I just did not include anyone in my lists.  I  have pared down my list of films of 1939 seen recently enough films to 46.  I've seen more than that, but this is more manageable in what for me, despite 1940s being my favourite decade, is my favourite movie year of all.

[Great Performances That Did Not Win An Oscar]

Sometimes, like in the year 1950, there is an embarrassment of riches - Gloria Swanson in "Sunset Boulevard", Bette Davis in "All About Eve" and Judy Holiday in "Born Yesterday".

 

Voting for just one of them would've been so difficult.

 

I would like to know by how many votes Judy Holiday beat out Gloria Swanson and Bette Davis.

 

Probably not that many.

 

I myself would have chosen Gloria Swanson, a long-fallen movie queen who is re-born again in the arms of a young man (William Holden).

 

According to a book I have called Behind The Oscar: The Secret History of the Academy Awards by Anthony Holden, Robert Donat won Bet Actor in 1939 by a handful of votes.  Considering he did not live very long, I'm thrilled he did.

 

The author's take on Holiday is that similar to what happened to  the 1952 Best Picture category, Bette Davis and Anne Baxter split the votes so that the third place actress won.  He does not say how many votes was the difference.

[*A to Z of actresses and actors*:)]

Ishkabibble, Irving

Now there is a name that would have been changed in the studio system era.....

 

Jennifer Jones

[Actor/Movie Association Game]

Only the Valiant

[Vicious Rumours]

Frenchman's Creek in the bad quality print that TCM has the rights to air will be airing at least once a month from now on.

 

Ideas for themes beyond the actors, director, writer etc. include:

 

1.  Movies with the word  Creek in the title

2. Movies that have bad quality prints available to TCM

3. Movies with the word French in the title

4. A bunch of films we own the rights to show

5. Wine Club choices

6. Movies with food in them - wait, everyone eats in films

7. Movies made the same year of Frenchman's Creek

8. Movies about French men

9. Movies with men who wear wigs

10. Movies with bodies of water in the title regardless of what kind

11. Movies with swords

12. Movies that are mentioned in the same sentence as North By Northwest frequency of airing

[Who was in all 5 films?]

Correct.

 

Your turn.

[Actor/Movie Association Game]

A Guy Named Joe

[Name a Celebrity - Name a Movie]

Gene Wilder was in Young Frankenstein with Peter Boyle

[*A to Z of Movies*]

All That Heaven Allows

[*A to Z of actresses and actors*:)]

Hayes, Helen

[Name 10 Facts About This Actor]

1) Virginia Mayo was married to Dana Andrews in The Best Years of Our Lives for 20 days before he went to war.  Their characters are strangers when he returns.

[Who was in all 5 films?]

Then who is going to present the next set of five films? 

I will:  It is an open thread now

 

 

Spellbound

Intermezzo

Murder on the Orient Express

Notorious

For Whom the Bell Tolls

[TCM and Other Sources for Classic Film]

Never fear is the only title I have not seen at least once.  I am looking forward to it.

[HITS & MISSES: Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow on TCM]

Thursday, April 7

 

Hurry.  Call up Woody Allen.  It’s Ida Lupino day.  

Here are 3 that I have never seen …

 

2:15 p.m.  Outrage (1950)

3:45 p.m.  Hard, Fast, and Beautiful (1951)

5:15 p.m.  Never Fear (1949)

Never Fear is the only one of these three I've not seen.  But I'm recording lots of the titles anyway as I love Ida.

[HITS & MISSES: Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow on TCM]

 

Wednesday, April 6

 

Arturo de Cordova in the evening.  Perhaps they will show his tour-de-force performance in Bunuel’s El (1952) some day?

 

10 p.m.  New Orleans (1947)**

11:45 p.m.  Incendiary Blonde (1945)  … I haven’t seen either of these.

 

** New Orleans has been replaced in Canada with Born to Be Bad, a Robert Ryan film

 

Yes, I saw the change.  At first I was trying to remember what role Arturo had made and then I remembered that I live in Canada.

[Actor/Movie Association Game]

Humphrey Bogart

[Name a Celebrity - Name a Movie]

Gene Hackman was in Mad Dog Coll with John Davis Chandler.

John Davis Chandler was in Once a Thief with Jack Palance

[*A to Z of actresses and actors*:)]

Carradine, John

[*A to Z of Movies*]

Valley of the Kings

[The first actor/actress that comes to mind..]

Emma Thompson was in Jane Austin's films.

 

 

Next:

 

 

Female detective portrayer

[A to Z List of Plays and Musicals]

Howard's End

[NAME A YEAR, NAME A MOVIE, NAME THE ACTOR/TRESS]

1967

[The first actor/actress that comes to mind..]

Sally Kellerman in MASH

 

 

Next:

 

Survivor of bad health scare

[The First Film That Comes to Mind...]

Birdman of Alcatraz

 

 

Next:

 

 

Bond film

[Name 10 Facts About This Actor]

9) She and John Ireland did not have children together.