jarhfive
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Posts posted by jarhfive
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CineSage,
I have nothing to add to bobhopefan's advice (html code), but you receive my "best subject line I have read" award. "Best subject line I have read"...up to today. I love your "Daily Variety" header.
By the way, I've wanted to compose something similar for a long time. I don't think it is easy to compose a logical "X" header.
Congratulations.
Rusty
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mongo,
Here is something interesting. I watched the movie "I Cover The Waterfront" last weekend. I noticed a couple of things about the DVD (one of those three movie per DVD side and five DVDs per package deals). Some dialogue obviously pre-code...a snide remark about, I assume, lesbians and the word "****" used to describe the "I cover the waterfront" guy's editor (boss). The other thing I noticed was the graphic "NTP", or "Non Theatrical Productions". I looked the movie up on IMDB to check if "I Cover The Waterfront" was a "NTP" production...the movie was not. I was getting ready to compose a question this forum, but first...I did a GOOGLE search and...the following link was the number four "hit":
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brackenhe
Re: ***ASK MONGO***
Posted: 09/09/2005 10:49 EDT
Mongo--I was watching an early precode today (that I rented from Netflix and I swear I don't have stock in the company.) It was called I Cover the Waterfront starring Ben Lyon & Claudette Colbert. Released by Non Theatrical Productions (I think that's what it was called.) What can you tell me about Ben Lyon and what about Non Theatrical Productions? I figure it's one of those poverty row companies but I never heard of it until today.
Re: ***ASK MONGO***
Posted: 09/10/2005 10:55 EDT
Brackenhe, since the movie "I Cover the Waterfront" is currently a public domain film hence the name Non Theatrical Productions.
The movie was actually released by Reliance Pictures co-founded by producer Edward Small with connections to United Artists.
Concerning actor Ben Lyon, there is a good mini-bio on IMDb that you should find interesting, and which I couldn't improve on.
I for one didn't realize that he was married to actress Bibi Daniels for over 40 years. Enjoy.
Mongo
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Remember the more than one year old exchange? Of course you don't, but you answered MY question. History repeats...
By the way, the "Ask Mongo" link was the ONLY useful GOOGLE link I noticed...well, I just glanced at the results page.
Oh, yes...thank you for your 2005 answer to my question.
Rusty
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CharlieT,
Quote:
"Well, Rusty, if you noticed my earlier post about not being able to find pants with a 48" waist longer than 30" at the inseam, then you'll realize that I'm a "round" trip"
Next trip you take, please invite me...sounds like you have a ball.
Rusty
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RTRiley,
You would have had better luck with your chimps if you had bought Winston 100 lights.
Rusty
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pktrekgirl,
Quote:
"Sometimes, you have no choice, if you really want to see a film or are trying to complete a collection with a particularly obscure title. And it's not like you are taking the money away from the profits of a legitimate release, because there IS no legitimate release"
Two or three days ago I agreed with the statement quoted above. However, the article I linked in my post has a story (from a lawyer) concerning a client who held copyright on movies he wished to release. The client believed a market existed for his movies and he desperately needed some dough. A legal release of his movies was arranged. A "distributor" got wind of the forthcoming release, saw a possible market for his pirated versions of the same material, released poor versions of the movies asap and (according to the lawyer) pretty much destroyed the market for his client's movies. Now, I don't know what "destroyed the market" means and I don't know if the lawyer's story is even true. If true, I read into the lawyer's anecdote, it is not only big corporations that are hurt when pirated material is purchased. Sometimes it is people having legal rights to the material and could really use the income taken away by sleazy, or ignorant, sellers of pirated stuff.
Rusty
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Charlie,
Quote:
"Well, Larry, when I first came on to these boards, I thought I was witty. Now I've discovered I was only half right..."
CharlieT...you are a trip.
By the way, "you are a trip" is a good thing. And "trip" is slang from my lamented, long gone hippie days...sniff.
Rusty
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lynn,
Quote:
"Buying illegal dubs off Ebay or only taping films shown on TCM and never buying the real deal does not help the cause. It helps to further the myth that classic film lovers don't buy classic film DVDS."
For my situation, your message is timely. A couple of days ago, I found a long sought after movie on IMDB. I noted no DVD or VHS was linked for the IMDB listing. I thought, "well, I know I have seen movies on Ebay that are very hard to find (e.g. no VHS/DVD available)...I wonder?" Sure enough, a seller had a VHS of my mystery movie listed....plus, another movie starring Claude Rains that I thought might be worth buying. Feedback for the seller was okay. But then I noticed a couple of things that gave me pause before buying. The main thing was the picture of the tape "clamshell". I noticed the art work was obviously a photocopy of some advertisement having the name of the movie and a cast list. Warning! I also noticed the seller had about eighty listings, of eighty different movies. Warning...Warning! I came to the conclusion the seller was taking a print (probably a 16mm film sent to television stations in the old days) of the movie and making a video tape when an order for the movie was received. The relatively long "lag" time between order received and tape sent (mentioned up front, in the Ebay listing) was an indication my conclusion about dubbing was probably correct. So, I looked a couple of things up yesterday regarding Ebay movies and copyright issues. I found this:
http://www.film-center.com/canishow.html
I am not going to buy the movies. Not because of possible bad video and audio, but because buying what may be bootleg material is not the right thing to do. I suggest every reader look at my link...the story I reference certainly opened my eyes about buying "rare" movies. By the way, the movies I was interested in are Paramount studio titles and...well, I guess I will just have to wait for the Paramount DVDs.
Rusty
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Yesterday, November 7th, I watched what I think may be the perfect "new" movie to watch on election day--"V for Vendetta". The DVD was a rental and had been sitting on top of my DVD player for a week...well, I wanted to get that thing back to Netflix and it was coincidence I watched "Vendetta" on election day.
As much as I want to bore readers with a review of "V for Vendetta", I know pretty much anything I say about the plots (several intertwined plots) would ruin this movie for anyone thinking about watching the movie. I will mention a couple of things. First, this look at near future Britain will grab you from the first appearance of the character "V" and you will watch the movie to the final "big payoff" end. Second, there are so many right choices made...big choices (the cast) and little choices (the look of V's lair). The one choice (and again, I cannot write any details without spoiling the movie) I think is problematic is the "big payoff" end. I think, not doing what they did (V and V squeeze and V tracker) at the end of the movie would be more in tune with the theme of the first two thirds of the movie. I don't know, my thought about a different ending may be off target, but I have watched enough movies to trust my judgement about how to end a movie...so, there. Third, watch this cynical look at our possible future (yes, the future United States is included in the plot)...even if it is not election day.
Rusty
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paty,
"Devil's Rain" is a goodie, indeed. I watched the AMC broadcast of "Devil's Rain". Ida Lupino stars in "Devil's Rain". Ida Lupino in "Devil's Rain" automatically makes the movie a must see. And Ernest Borgnine in "Devil's Rain" doubles the must see-ness of the movie. I watched "Devil's Rain" via a DVR and skipped through the AMC commercials. I skipped through all the AMC commercials, except the hilarious Extenz commercials.
Here's a question. I watched the AMC broadcast of "Wolfen". For the movie "Predator", do you think the use of video solarization and weird audio effects for "monster" point of view was stolen from "Wolfen"? I thought "Predator" was the first movie to use the picture and sound techniques to present monster point of view to the audience, but no..."Predator" not first.
Rusty
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Sorry. To be consistent with my opponent theory, I should have written, "call the opponent of the candidate...at three o'clock in the morning". Oh h***, call everybody at three o'clock in the morning. Just thinking about that 6:50 A.M. call as a possible political spam call pis*** me off so much...I have to take a pill now.
Rusty
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I've come to the conclusion the political spam calls are dirty tricks...by a political opponent of the candidate calling. Well, political opponent of the machine voice of the representative of the candidate...calling my phone. I cannot imagine an undecided, voting age person ever voting for the ******* who calls the voter several times a day, at all hours. On the other hand, I don't understand why I have fifty pieces of e-mail spam every two days. No adult ever responds to that spam s***. Right?
By the way, I never give the political spam caller a chance to say who they represent. I usually don't even pick up an "out of area" call. I wish I had answered my ringing phone...last Saturday...at 6:50 A.M. If that call was a political thing (not a wrong number)...you know what I would do? Write down the candidate name, look up his/her home phone and start calling and calling and calling until someone picked up. I would start calling them at 3:00 A.M.
This candidate calling thing has got to stop. Close the loophole allowing political calls (as well as "surveys") for the "do not call me" law.
Rusty
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filmlover,
Quote:
"Gee, and they said reading comics when I was a kid would never come in handy when I was an adult."
Along the same line of thought, maybe you could help me find a use for analytical geometry?
Rusty
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Matt,
Here's a question that came to my mind while watching the "Superman" serial. I don't know why I never wondered the following during my many viewings of the "Superman" television show. Maybe, I was anticipating the inevitable quicksand scene too much to think about anything else. More likely, my powers of reasoning were not as highly developed back then...as now. Back to my question. I know from one of the "Superman: The Movie" sequels, anyone from Krypton is capable of super powers if the Krypton person makes it to Earth. I suppose, some property of Earth, uh...endows the former Krypton resident with the super thing. I know, of course, exposure to a piece of the planet Krypton (Kryptonite) is hazardous to Superman. Hazardous to Superman, but why does Superman have such a negative reaction to Kryptonite? Kryptonite deadly stuff...right? Okay, Kryptonite is the Earth name for something that Superman, if living on Krypton, would be exposed to all the time. Does a piece of the planet Krypton differ in some way when on Earth and not on Krypton? Is Superman overreacting to a piece of the planet Krypton? Something like, "I would be okay with Kryptonite...except, losing my super powers makes me very dizzy and I need to get used to 'wrung out' me..."? Were the residents of the former planet of Krypton a bunch of wimps (compared to hale/ hearty Earthards)? Has the issue of, "Kryptonite...why so toxic?", ever been discussed/ resolved by the Superman author(s)? Do you care anything about what I am talking about?
Rusty
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Regarding "Barry Lyndon". If I remember accurately, a fairly big deal was made at time of first release of "Barry Lyndon" about some technology Kubrick had incorporated into the making of the movie. The (then new) technology allowed set lighting using only candles.
By the way. Thinking about paintings...movies...and slow. Any comments about "Girl With A Pearl Earring?". I rented the movie a couple of weeks ago and here are my comments.
I get the feeling the producers of "Girl With A Pearl Earring" tried to be historically accurate. I write, "get the feeling" because, of course, I am old but not that old...I really don't know what Europe was like back in the 17th century.
I think the director of the movie told Colin Firth (Johannes Vermeer) to "down play" the role. Something like, "...do Vermeer like an introspective artist". My opinion? Colin Firth ran with the direction. Introspective artist? More like, insensible artist. Or, "ready to be interred" artist.
The last scene of the movie is a lingering look at the actual "Earring" painting. Well, Scarlett Johansson is much better looking than the real "Pearl" model...ah, Scarlett. I think I could watch two hours of Ms. Johansonn just cleaning windows, or chamber pots...and I would think it was two hours well spent.
I think the production team of "Girl With A Pearl Earring" did a very good job attempting to put up on the big screen the look of a "Dutch master" painting. I also enjoyed the bit of look-see at how they made the paints from pigments and oil. Too bad those folks did not know anything about the toxic nature of lead and antimony and chromium and such...they might have put on some personal protective wear...oh yeah, right.
Rusty
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lynn,
Is "Hi, Nellie!" a better movie than, "Shh! The Octopus"? Let me tell you, EVERY movie in the TCM database is a better movie than "Shh! The Octopus"...except, the movies featuring Ish Kabibble.
No..."Shh! The Octopus" is not a total loss. I will write something that sounds nice about the "Octopus" movie. Let me see...some sort of scale for comparison. Okay. If the movie, "Shh! The Octopus" is one diamond (sounds nice?)..."Hi, Nellie!" is "the Kimberley".
Rusty
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I have only glanced at this month's (November 2006) listings, but I bet I watched the best TCM broadcast movie of November. And it was broadcast the second of November and I watched it yesterday, the fifth of November. The movie is titled "Hi, Nellie!". Why do I write, "best...of the month"?
First. Stars Paul Muni without cosmeteticals. And Muni's acting is terrific. And Muni's character made me laugh.
Second. Also stars Glenda Farrell (wonderful sassy-ness) and Ned Sparks (wonderful curmudgeon-ness) and Donald Meek (wonderful...uh, nervous-ness) and Berton Churchill (wonderful bossy-ness). The dialogue between Muni and Churchill during the "editor gets fired" scene is some of the best "back and forth" dialogue I have heard in a long time.
Third. Okay. So the, "smarty pants editor is demoted to the advice columnist" is a (somewhat) often repeated plot. I remember Lee Tracy did the plot. And, I think, George Brent did the plot. I don't care if the plot is familiar...Muni and company make the story so watchable.
Fourth. Most likeable title for a movie broadcast on TCM since, "Shh! The Octopus". And "Hi, Nellie!" is a much, much better movie than "Shh! The Octopus". I will add...the upcoming (this month) broadcast of "A Girl, a Guy, and A Gob" may be a more likeable title than "Hi, Nellie!", but I bet the movie is not up to the high quality of "Hi, Nellie!".
I think I made my case that "Hi, Nellie!" is the best TCM movie this month. However. I will consider any replies disputing my opinion. No, I won't (consider)...I will simply ignore any disputable replies.
Rusty
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No...not my lost innocence, or my car keys. I found the name of the movie. The movie I have been wondering about for thirty...no, make that forty years! A long time. And how long have I been looking for the name of the movie? Here is how long. Take the time IMDB has been on the internet and subtract the amount of time I did not know of IMDB...the result of my "mystery movie" equation is the amount of time (off and on) I have been searching IMDB for the name of the movie.
What movie? A movie I saw on a "matinee movie" show, broadcast television, I was about ten years old. The ONLY thing I remember about the movie was, "begins with hysterical narrator saying something I don't remember while spirits fly out of a skyscraper (like "Ghostbusters") and spirits may be called "the furies'". That is all I remember about the movie. Yesterday, I tumbled on to the film (on IMDB) and immediately recognized the title was the solution to my mystery movie. The user comment about, "watch for the furies in the beginning of the movie" caught my eye. Oh yes, the movie is "Crime Without Passion" from 1934 and starring Claude Rains. Here is the IMDB link:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0025009/
The comments note "Crime Without Passion" is a "rarely seen" movie. So, has any reader watched "Crime Without Passion" and, if you remember watching the thing, what are your comments and...where the heck do I find a copy of my mystery movie?
Rusty
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Last Saturday (November 4), watched the next five installments of the Superman serial and I am enjoying the heck out of the Kirk Alyn Superman.
A couple of comments.
First. Why didn't I read the topic (this forum) concerning the omission of Kirk Alyn's name to the credit screen? I zipped through the cast list three times (I watched a recording), before I realized the producers did not want to corrupt the fantasy of the Superman character by attaching an actor's name...doh.
Second. I just read Jon Parker's comment (the other Superman thread) regarding the quality of the integration of Superman animation into the live action. I agree with Jon's comment. Yes...the animation is pleasing to this viewer and the segue from live to cartoon is seamless. I believe a man can fly!
Third. One little negative comment regarding the Superman serial. I have a Superman serial headwear hang up (a cringe o'chapeau). I mean, what is the deal with the hats in this Superman serial? Lois Lane wears an oversized, comical sailor's(?) hat. And, as the story continues, Lois never changes her hat! I mean, considering the size of Lois' hat and the size of Lois...she could fit her body in her hat (with room to spare). And Jimmie Olson? Jimmie does this folding thing with the brim of his fedora. His (otherwise normal) hat is folded into something that makes him look like that Benny Hill character...I forget the character's name. You know, the Benny Hill "goofy guy" character. And the Spider Lady's hair? Oh, don't get me started on Spider Lady's hair...
I try to desensitize myself to such unimportant things like headwear, but when I am "slapped in the face" by the "Superman" hat goofiness...I'm sorry, I simply cannot ignore the diversion.
Anyway. Other than the bad wardrobe, I am enjoying the Superman serial and await the next few installments.
Rusty
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On the set of "The Merry Widow"...Erich von Stroheim
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Errol "The Man" Flynn
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timelessjoan...
What does Audrey Hepburn and the following actresses have in common?
June Allyson Judith Anderson Eve Arden Jean Arthur Mary Astor Lauren Bacall Lucille Ball Tallulah Bankhead Vilma B?nky Theda Bara Ethel Barrymore
Anne Baxter Constance Bennett Joan Bennett Ingrid Bergman Joan Blondell
Claire Bloom Ann Blyth Beulah Bondi Shirley Booth Clara Bow Alice Brady
Helen Broderick Billie Burke Spring Byington Cyd Charisse Ruth Chatterton Claudette Colbert Joan Crawford Dorothy Dandridge Bebe Daniels Linda Darnell Ruby Dee Olivia De Havilland Dolores Del Rio Marlene Dietrich Marie Dressler Irene Dunne Ann Dvorak Frances Farmer Alice Faye Rhonda Fleming
Joan Fontaine Kay Francis Greta Garbo Ava Gardner Judy Garland Greer Garson Janet Gaynor Lillian Gish Paulette Goddard Ruth Gordon Betty Grable
Gloria Grahame Jean Hagen Ann Harding Jean Harlow Helen Hayes
Susan Hayward Rita Hayworth Judy Holliday Celeste Holm Miriam Hopkins
Lena Horne Kim Hunter Ruth Hussey Betty Hutton Jennifer Jones Ruby Keeler Grace Kelly Deborah Kerr Veronica Lake Hedy Lamarr Dorothy Lamour
Elsa Lanchester Angela Lansbury Piper Laurie Janet Leigh Vivien Leigh
Joan Leslie Carole Lombard Myrna Loy Ida Lupino Dorothy Malone Mary Martin Virginia Mayo Mercedes McCambridge Hattie McDaniel Marilyn Monroe
Agnes Moorehead Mildred Natwick Patricia Neal Pola Negri Mabel Normand Margaret O'Brien Maureen O'Hara Maureen O'Sullivan Merle Oberon
Geraldine Page Lilli Palmer Mary Pickford Zasu Pitts Jane Powell Luise Rainer Lee Remick Thelma Ritter Flora Robson Ginger Rogers Rosalind Russell
Ann Rutherford Lizabeth Scott Jean Seberg Norma Shearer Ann Sheridan
Sylvia Sidney Jean Simmons Alexis Smith Gale Sondergaard Ann Sothern Barbara Stanwyck Margaret Sullavan Gloria Swanson Jessica Tandy
Elizabeth Taylor Shirley Temple Gene Tierney Thelma Todd Claire Trevor
Lana Turner Helen Twelvetrees Ethel Waters Shelley Winters Fay Wray
Teresa Wright Jane Wyman Loretta Young?
Audrey Hepburn is ranked as a "greater actress" than my short list of classic era actresses. Ms. Hepburn is ranked higher on a list created by some organization called the "American Film Institute". I don't know who votes for the "AFI's greatest this" and "AFI's greatest that" lists, but if I was a member of AFI...I wouldn't be ( a member).
Rusty
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lynn and dolores,
Oh, asterisks...maybe, some day, I will make it through one entire day without making a fool of myself. Hope springs eternal...bleh.
I had the two modern marvels confused...my embarrassment is gi-normous.
Rusty
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I hope it is okay to post this here. I think it's a star...Fox Theatre Oakland, California 2002.
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dolores,
I forget...which frozen food product is Mr. Cruise?
I'll be back later and check this topic for your reply. I am right in the middle of reading a very interesting article about exploding containers of ground cane toad.
Rusty
"What's Your Rant?"... Vent Now!!......
in Hot Topics
Posted
pktrekgirl,
It has been a few days since your reply to my message (sorry about the delay...the "screws" just let me out of the "hole"). So, to refresh:
Quote:
...But I think that with a commercially-released DVD collection of 900 titles (and that is counting each of my boxed sets as 1 title), I've done my part to encourage the studios and distributors, you know? And if they ever release "Crossed Swords" in a beautiful commercial release, I'll be the first one in line. Well, me and every other hardcore Flynn collector....
I've changed my mind (again). I agree with your message regarding ideal world versus real world.
Here is ideal: Stay away from purchasing any video material suspected of "taint". You know, MAY be a bootleg item.
Here is real: Forget to tell wife not to buy the Ebay items. My wife "does" Ebay so much better than me. The morning after my posted message regarding suspect Ebay transactions she tells me, "I went ahead and bought the two tapes". I say, "oh...uh, I was going to tell you...oh, never mind. That's great you went ahead and purchased the tapes." So, I should be receiving two "Claude Rains starring in" VHS tapes...shortly.
While I am thinking about the subject. Have you seen and, if you have watched, where did you find the Errol Flynn movie "Too Much, Too Soon"? The movie is a big hole in my Flynn-o-graphy and I must watch "Too Much, Too Soon"...as soon, as possible.
Rusty