harlowkeatongirl

Well, everyone has their own idea of perfection. God bless perfectionists such as Charlie Chaplin and Cecil B. DeMille for the art they left us with. It is excellent insight into their vision. But what's one person's idea of perfection isn't everyone's.

Piccie time: http://home.earthlink.net/~busterktn/images/gen-tie2.jpg This picture freaks me out, because it was a great scene, but... watching it from a perspective of how movies are made today, with little to no actual life-threatening danger, I watched the scene and thought "Haha, that's cool." But then the reality hit me.... he had to take that long piece of wood and throw it onto the tracks in order to knock another piece of wood off. His timing AND aim had to be PERFECT. If it wasn't, the train probably would've derailed... with him right on the front. And he knew that! But you don't see it in his face when he does this stuff at all. He just went for it.

I think is directing style is wonderful. I bet everyone ever directed by him took every great lesson of his with them to all the rest of their sets after that.

Well the first celebrity crushes I can remember from childhood are Davy Jones and David Bowie. Davy was because "The Monkees" began airing re-runs every afternoon on basic cable and Bowie, because I saw the movie Labyrinth. *sizzle* I have no shame about it, though, I still think they're hotties. LOL Right now though, I admittedly have a crush on someone who is 85 years older than me. His name is Joseph Frank Keaton. But.. freakiness loves company... and another member of this board freely admitted to me her crush on a star of about the same age difference. (Don't know if I'm supposed to mention who or not, so I won't. ) So in that case, I don't feel too weird about my crush. LOL!

Thoughts, from whoever watched the Cecil B. DeMille specials Monday and Wednesday? I think he was a damn fine director and seemed to be a very good man. I think the intimidating persona was for the studio only.

Absolutely Verdell from As Good As It Gets.

This isn't a classic but I like the one in Dumb and Dumber where the nerdy guy in thick-rimmed glasses is trying to get Mental off the phone and he turns around and smiles with a "What? I can't hear you, can you come closer?" motion... and so the nerdy guy gets up closer to the glass, and that's when Mental hauls off and punches him, putting his hand through the glass and knocking him out.

Interesting question. Today I would be Clea DuVall. I would've loved to have been Jean Harlow, except for her health problems at the end of her life and her domineering mother.

That's awesome. I love when old buildings and old landmarks are preserved in those ways. Some intentional, and some completely unintentional, just like that. Imagine how grand the country would be if the entire country had the mindset of preservation rather than "out with the old, in with the new." Many streets of many towns would be as immaculate as some well-preserved streets of NYC.

I'm glad to see so many people my age, and even younger, along with the older people. I figured I'd be one of the lone whippersnappers of the bunch. *teehee*

... over a book that was never published. In the special "Chaplin Today: Limelight" they mentioned how Limelight was originally intended by Charlie Chaplin to be a novel called Footlights. And they even zoomed in on the first page of the manuscript. I paused the tape and read what little was visible of the first paragraph and I'm already hooked. When they cut away I was like "Hey, I wanna read that!" Since Limelight didn't meet the highest expectation as a film, I think it would be huge as a novel today. Seriously, if someone from his family were to get it published as a posthumous novel by Charlie Chaplin, I think people would by it, just for that reason, before actually reading firsthand how good it is. I actually think it would've worked a lot better as a book. If the first few lines can hook me, imagine what the rest of the story must've read like on paper.

I'm 24 years old. And I know Carley (Littletramplover) is about the same age. The oldest movie I can remember seeing on the big screen is "E.T." But I watch very few modern movies. Once in a while one will look interesting enough to catch my eye and I'll go see it, and that's usually only because there's an actor or actress in it that I really like. For example, I probably would've never went to see "Gothika" but Robert Downey Jr. is one of my favorites. More often than not, though a good Jean Harlow movie or a good old silent is enough to make me happy for a couple hours.

Thanks!

I agree with "The Big Chill," it's classic. There are few better marriages between film and music. Another favorite is from "Mr. Holland's Opus." GREAT songs. "Cole's Song," "Visions Of A Sunset," "The Pretender," "I Got A Woman,"... "An American Symphony" is my song, definitely.

The one in "The Birds" is great! And intense for 1963, watching a guy get insinerated before our eyes... but my favorite scenes are two funnier ones: Two scenes in "Tommy Boy" --- one where he's being sprayed off with the hose and Tommy's running in place singing "I'm a maniac, maniac on the floor..." And then where he's at the station w/Richard and tries to back up closer to the pump and takes off the door. And then there's that gas station scene in "The Jerk."

> As always, I love talking to you and I hope you are > having a relatively alcohol-free good time this > Friday night, as opposed to last week. LOL. So what > do you think about joining our chat group? Tsk tsk, Carley... Where is this chat room located? I'd love to chat sometime!

As for Charlie's relationships with women... that's another thread, I agree. There's no telling why some people have a hard time settling down with one partner or why they go for someone so much younger than themselves. And you have to remember, at one time, it was a lot more acceptable for girls of 15 and 16 to court and marry than it is today... although it's still happens all the time today. (More lack of morals today, probably.) But Buster's last wife, Eleanor of 26 years, was 24 years younger than him. Who knows why people are drawn towards each other. A lot of Charlie's relations w/women could've had to do w/a lack of a mother earlier? Who knows. That's a Dr. Phil thing. lol > Awesomely said, Carley. > > I have to agree with those old sayings of "art > imitiates life" and vice versa. > > That's where art comes from. If you're not taking > from your own experience, you take from what > surrounds you. But different people interpret art > different ways. For people like Carley and I, art is > more enjoyable when you understand it's origins and > what inspired it. For others, like Professorecho, > it's not relevant where it comes from. They just > prefer to take it at face value and enjoy what it is > based on their personal impressions and what it does > for them. > > It's kind of the same principal of how some people > are really interested in reading rock and roll > biographies and other people could care less and just > prefer to hear the music. But some of us like to > know where it comes from and there's nothing wrong > w/that, either. > > > > While all the backstage speculating and gossip > might > > be fun for some, I think it's important to judge > > what's on the screen without a primer on anyone's > > life or loves, or lack of same thereof. > Understanding > > the artist is not the same and understanding or > > appreciating the ART. Thereza's attraction to > > Calvero doesn't seem so ingenuous when one applies > > Chaplin's real life attempts to control all his > > younger mates, making love to a 15 year old and > such. > > It's rather distasteful to me in that context, but > I > > simply choose to ignore that and enjoy the > > relationship as it is reflected in the film > itself, > > not in Chaplin's May/December predilections off > the > > screen. >

Awesomely said, Carley. I have to agree with those old sayings of "art imitiates life" and vice versa. That's where art comes from. If you're not taking from your own experience, you take from what surrounds you. But different people interpret art different ways. For people like Carley and I, art is more enjoyable when you understand it's origins and what inspired it. For others, like Professorecho, it's not relevant where it comes from. They just prefer to take it at face value and enjoy what it is based on their personal impressions and what it does for them. It's kind of the same principal of how some people are really interested in reading rock and roll biographies and other people could care less and just prefer to hear the music. But some of us like to know where it comes from and there's nothing wrong w/that, either. > While all the backstage speculating and gossip might > be fun for some, I think it's important to judge > what's on the screen without a primer on anyone's > life or loves, or lack of same thereof. Understanding > the artist is not the same and understanding or > appreciating the ART. Thereza's attraction to > Calvero doesn't seem so ingenuous when one applies > Chaplin's real life attempts to control all his > younger mates, making love to a 15 year old and such. > It's rather distasteful to me in that context, but I > simply choose to ignore that and enjoy the > relationship as it is reflected in the film itself, > not in Chaplin's May/December predilections off the > screen.

You're evil, Carley, making children cry!! I love it.

A little Off-Topic, sorry everyone: Oooohhh. People are vicious aren't they, Carley. A lady told me on the phone today "Talking to you is like talking to a rock!" She wanted ME to tell HER why a product was sent out for repairs w/out any customer information attached to it, and why we didn't have the info in our system. She should already know they're supposed to get this information from the customer and then relay it to us so we can give them an authorization number... before they even send it out. That would be like you or me dumping our car off at a mechanic, not telling them our name, contact info, or anything about the car or it's problems... and the mechanic actually being dumb enough to take it. LOL And back to the subject at hand.... Calvero is a little sweetie, isn't he?! (And a cute one.) Dayum, if I were Thereza, I would've fallen for him, too. LOL! I think that was very much Chaplin's real personality, too. And he gave out a lot of valuable life lessons in the dialogue, too. I've been at a point in my life before where I'd given up all hope, too. And I sure could've used a wise lil' Calvero to lift my spirits like that back then. Too bad the character couldn't help himself. And I think the actions speak louder than words or defense statements in regards to Charlie's feelings about Buster. I think Charlie admired him a great deal, despite the competitiveness. And there's no secret how Buster felt. I don't know how close they were, or if they were even very good friends. Probably just friendly acquaintances. But Buster called Charlie the greatest comic of all time in his autobiography, and Charlie didn't even mention Buster in his. And there's this look on Charlie's face after they bow to each other... well, you'll see it if you watch it. :| And I ain't making up stuff. I just see what I see... And Geraldine, when she quoted her dad saying "But I was an artist." She definitely emphasized "I." She sounded like a woman who knew what she was saying... and about her own father. So I'm inclined to believe there was a little effort on Charlie's part to downplay Buster's talents to emphasize his own... even if he didn't really feel that way on the inside. I don't think he did. Because if he really thought Buster had nothing, he wouldn't have had such a strong reaction one way or the other about him. I think he knew Buster was special, just like him.

*Rubs my temples to soothe my head from obnoxious loud customer with annoying, unintelligable accent shouting in my ear a few minutes ago* LOL Yep "Limelight" was during his Buster Keaton Show period. I would LOVE to think they got along famously. But you are correct ma'am. Maybe Charlie took it as "You're not giving me my credit" when Geraldine's boyfriend said that. Truth is, as Geraldine said, he wasn't so keen on Charlie Chaplin. But he was old and getting more and more insecure by the minute. Because he hated growing old and especially not being able to work like he did in the past. That's another reason I love "Limelight." He beautiful expresses all of those concerns in his character. The pain of growing older and being forgotten. I can't help but wonder if the character trait of him being addicted to alcohol was based on Buster's earlier struggles at at all...? It's possible. He based those characters on a lot of people. I'll comment more later. I have to get back to work. lol

> a Jean Harlow day Actually they already had one not long ago. I think it might've been for her birthday. I remember because as luck would have it, I was actually HOME to watch it. It was an awesome lazy way to spend a day off, that's for sure. My VCR never worked so hard.... lol..!!

> For me it was Grace Kelly pulling no punches in "To > Catch a Thief". When she turned at her door and put > her arm around Cary Grant to initiate the kiss - I > thought "I gotta try this!" > Luckily, that was met with much more > success than in college when 3 of us decided to do > Gene Kelly's "Singing in the Rain" routine during a > massive rain storm. Our antics got us noticed by > Pittsburgh's finest and a ride in the squad car back > to the dorm. How about anyone > else? LOL Uh... okay, I broke my leg at age seven by trying to emulate "Supergirl," jumping off my five-foot concrete porch. My little neighbor friends and I tried to set leaves on fire with pyrokinesis after watching "Firestarter." (Probably not the greatest movie for a kid to watch... not every kid w/access to a lighter would've waited around for the pyrokinesis to kick in... LOL!!)

> do you think of her primarily as an actress or a > singer? Singer. She had one of the best voices in the world.

I love Carole Lombard. It's so sad how she died. I always think about that when I see her so young and vital onscreen.