therealfuster

but this one about cons or heists, struck a chord with me also. I just watched Dassin's "Rififi" on DVD and realized that I too like any type of film like that. And there certainly are some good ones, even later films like the original "Thomas Crown Affair" with Steve McQueen and lots of good Noirish films from the post war years. Thanks!

history going on with the derivations of character in CK, and one cannot deny the important Herman Mankiewicz insights, being that he was employed originally by the New York World where Hearst had been dallying, before getting hold of the SF Examiner, and how would Welles have known to put in touches like the opera career of former Hearst girlfriend, Sybil Sanderson...I think Welles still is the driving force behind the movie. Last nite I saw Orson's "The Tragedy of Othello: The Moor of Venice" for the first time and was struck by how stunning it is, and moving...even though he worked with extreme deficits of funding or backing. This alone is convincing proof, that he was not a flash in the pan, or dependent on others. As with "Macbeth" which to me is one of the best adaptions of Shakespeare on film, even nonwithstanding all the great Olivier directed type of opus of this genre, I don't think one can deny the brilliance of Welles in these low budget affairs. And when he is given some bucks, one gets amazing things like "Touch of Evil" or similar fare. Sure...Welles may be a bit derivative occasionally, as with Kane looking a bit like Lorre in Freund's "Mad Love", he can even auto-derive, as I saw touches of CK, TLFS, and TMA in "Othello" last night, but it seems that people in a Welles film rise to the occasion, and look better on film than they ever have before. Point in case...Doris Dowling who was Cassio's woman in last nite's film, was used in Hollywood mostly as a chippie or tough talking broad, but in Welles film she is wonderful. So too the great Jeanette Nolan, who Hollywood did use, but as mostly a rural type...and yet in Welles' film, "Macbeth" she is incandescent and frighteningly perverse. Just as some have said, that Henry Ford never invented anything, but had the genius to put together other's inventions in a new way and improve upon them, the sagacity of Welles to me, is to combine elements in novel ways, and create a new medium on film, as he did with the innovations in narrative, cinematography, soundtrack manipulations, and other areas, but never so exquisitely as in CK. You know you have a film worth reckoning with, when Louis B. Mayer, under guess who's guidelines, had Nicholas Schenck offer over $800,000.00 to George Schaefer to destroy the negative and all prints of CK, which was more than the production cost of the film. Luckily even though RKO had few of its own theaters, Schaefer refused...and the rest is film history! Viva Orson and long may his films live!

He hides it in his daughter Pearl's dolly.

Margaret Lockwood? With the release of "The Lady Vanishes" on DVD, I can only hope there are more Margaret Lockwood films set to be made available in that form. Last night I was lucky enough to watch a videotape I just purchased of the Lockwood film that I've only seen in bad prints on tv, "Cast a Dark Shadow" which stars Dirk Bogarde as Edward "Teddy" Bare, Margaret Lockwood as his second wife, Freda Jeffries, Kay Walsh as Charlotte Young, Kathleen Harrison as maid Emmie, Robert Flemyng as attorney Phillip Mortimer, Mona Washbourne as Monica Bare and Lita Roza as the Nightclub Singer. Though this is not major Film Noir, but it is listed in some Noir encyclopedias [but with a different release date of 1955 while the IMDB has it as 1957] I found this film notable for a bravura performance as usual by the urbane Bogarde, and yet here portraying a bit more of a charming low life schemer. Other highlights for me included the inclusion in the cast of Robert Flemyng, who I find intensely provocative in his outlandishly perverse performance in "The Horrible Dr. Hichcock", the undeniably adorable Kathleen Harrison, who was so memorable as housekeeper Mrs. Dilber, in the David Lean version of "A Christmas Carol" with Alastair Sim, and the unique Mona Washbourne [who can forget her totally nude and rather matronly walk in "If..." the Lindsay Anderson tribute to Jean Vigo's "Zero de Conduite"]. Admittedly their appearances in this film are not enough to recommend it, but as I have only seen them in these above isolated performances, as the majority of their films are not higly screened in the US, it was pleasureable for me and my guests. Directed by Lewis Gilbert and written by Janet Green, [spoilers ahead] the film opens with a ride through a fun house with Monica in a state of euphoria, but with the glinting and glistening eyes of Teddy brandished on her face, with the stamp of death incarnate. What appears at first glance to be a mother/son relationship soon becomes indubitably one of an older woman and doting younger man duo. On their arrival home from this seaside adventure, Monnie [as Teddy Bear affectionately has nicknamed her] entreats her attorney Mortimer, to make up a new will leaving Teddy the bulk of her estate, instead of just her house and a nearby cottage. When questioned by Mortimer as to the feasibility of this move, as Teddy is not family and the largesse is due to the family enterprise...Mortimer is told defiantly by Monnie that Teddy is her only family! Teddy, unaware of the new will in preparation, plies Monnie with liquor that night, with the intent of doing her in, assuming that he is heir to her whole estate. Monnie sadly buys the farm that night, in a death ruled accidental after the testimony of maid Emmie. To Teddy's dismay, he is informed by suspicious Mortimer that no accidental death inquest is ever closed, if new evidence arrives. Also the state of his inheritance, or lack thereof, is news to avaricious Teddy and he soon sadly realizes he jumped the gun, so to speak. Upon borrowing some funds from his uncle, Teddy takes off for a vacationing sojourn with one intent only...to pick up and marry another wealthy woman, who can keep him in the style to which he is accustomed. Teddy meets his match in tough talking and street smart Freda [very nice performance by Margaret Lockwood, as a rather blowsy quasi-harridan] who he weds in haste, but then lives to regret hitching his wagon to...in leisure. As always...complications ensue when Wifey Number Two doesn't fall for the same bait as Wifey Number One was so partial to, and with which she was so enamored daily. It was fun also to see Lockwood in a role totally different from the one in Hitch's "The Lady Vanishes" and to view a very young, yet still supremely self confident Bogarde, who excels in his many small gestures and nuances of character...whether charming, threatening or sociopathic. I hope someday, TCM might have a Lockwood, or more reasonably a Bogarde festival, and show this gem. Anyone else here seen it, or "The Mind Benders" with Bogarde, which I also bought, which is reminiscent of William Hurt in the film, "Altered States".

we've all seen them on the Net. Now see the take on fakes in life [that we all know and love] as proposed by Orson Welles, in his intriguing documentary, "F is for Fake" that TCM is showing tonight [or really Thursday early morning] at 1:45pm. I just bought this Criterion documentary on DVD, and it is fascinating, following the trail of master art forger, Elmyr de Hory and his biographer, Clifford Irving who knew a bit about faking people out too. Can you tell when someone is telling you the truth in real life or on the Net, about their exploits? Watching this documentary, might help to make you a little more savvy, if you are so gullible as to fall for every half truth or outright lie that gets laid on you by the poseurs and wannabes that proliferate today, who not only danced with Valentino, but supped with Madame DuBarry and wrote tunes with Hoagy Carmichael and even Carole King. There are even inside charlatanisms, like...is Welles really the director of this film...or not? Any dyed in the wool art fans, should enjoy this look at how the art world, and its critics can be so easily fooled, by one who can paint in the style of so many great artists in world history, and totally emulate their style. This film is an esoteric delight; unfortunately the DVD has a lot more extras, but still. Anyone who chooses to watch, please post your remarks and thoughts afterwards, if possible. Enjoy!

and was just overwhelmed with how witty and continental it was, the perfect frothy comedy. I had seen it once before, but it has been quite a few years, and TCM's version, not being chopped up as on commercial channels, was such a joy. It was great seeing Jeanette as a more comedic talent, instead of so sacchariney, as she is sometimes expected to be in those Nelson Eddy vehicles. I don't know who I like better, Charley Ruggles or Roland Young, but they both have such cute personalities on screen, and Ruggles with Mary Boland makes for the screen's funniest couple. Marvelous review of this film, and thanks for posting it!

for which ones are you a sucker? For me, if a film has any of these elements, then I usually will want to watch it...a train, an asylum, a carnival or circus atmosphere, an art heist, gorillas, or someone with a facial or body deformity, who is being operated on or hiding from society. If all these elements come together in a film, then I would really be glued to my set, as I was last nite while watching my tape of "House of Horrors". Tonite I plan to watch "Morgan: A Suitable Case for Treatment" for obvious reasons. Many old Hollywood films set in the Thirties, Forties, and Fifties have people travelling by train, like in "The Major or the Minor" or "The Palm Beach Story" or "Some Like It Hot" and I am always so envious, as I'd like to meet the Ale and Quail Club and it looks like so much fun, but then I remember that I might also meet Bruno, and since I like tennis, I get over my intense envy of train passengers. Along the lines of the facial deformity theme, I include films like "Les Yeux Sans Visage", anything with Rondo Hatton, people altering their appearance for criminal reasons, like Kent Smith in "Nora Prentiss" or films like "Queen of Outer Space", that unsung classic with Zsa Zsa Gabor and the radiation burn victim. What themes in movies, make you feel constrained to watch...albeit even if just for a little while?

I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but being a total TCM junkie, I watch so many hours of it daily that I would surely notice if the picture is bad. Never is...frankly, TCM looks more clear and perfect than any of my other channels. Last week, I was home five days, had TCM on the whole day, like ten hours...and never once did I see it break up or do anything. And I will watch hours of TCM some nights, like from 7pm to sometimes 2 or 3am, and the picture always looks wonderful. So I'd say...call your cable provider, it's probably due to them, not TCM.

there is some interesting revisionist theory out there, about Elvis and I for one enjoy reading about it. Part of it centers on the place of "Colonel" Parker in the legend. Some say, that everything was masterminded, that in fact, the whole belief that Elvis was being pushed around by him, and that finally Elvis put his foot down, and demanded to sing to a live audience for the '68 Comeback TV Special, and recemented his place in rock history. But some debunk this, and say the press image of the "Colonel" as demanding Svengali, was masterminded by...Parker himself, knowing full well that fans liked to think of Elvis as fighting back and demanding his rights. Now, t'is true that Parker got a percentage of the earnings of Elvis, that were incredibly extreme, instead of like 10-15% like most managers or agents, he was getting like half, but this may be due to the generosity of Elvis, even though later after auditting after his death, it was apparent Parker was playing loose with the money. Friends of Elvis from school, say his image in films as a rebel rouser always amused them, since he was more of a mama's boy, who would never have gotten in a fight, and when one did occur, needed others to help him not get decked. The J.D. look with the long sideburns, was not so much invented to be a teen troublemaker, but more in idolization of Valentino's looks in silent films. The legend of Elvis has many twists and turns, and no matter how calculated Parker may have manuevered his career, what with the brilliance of the old carny worker marketing not only "I Love Elvis" buttons, but also "I Hate Elvis" buttons to the public, the talent of Presley cannot be denied. I saw a bit of the biopic, and enjoyed it, but I still like the Kurt Russell tv movie the best.

you've nailed it. Both Valentino and Elvis were treading in waters usually reserved for women, as sex objects. I think way more than even an Errol Flynn, because even though he inspired fantasy in women, he did not do extremely risque things onscreen, like Valentino and Elvis did. My grandmother also was a Valentino fan, and has many artifacts from his career than she collected. He did have a great body, and one wonders if he got it from gardening...haha! Was that not his previous occupation before film star? Yes, the clothes in "The Cobra" are so outre! Glamour to the hilt. And way before Liberace or even Elton John. Before reading your post, I mentioned that song of Valentino's. His voice was appealing, wasn't it? Thanks for your most insightful thought, Patypancake!

Valentino can be a bit over the top, but when you are playing in a swords and sandals kind of kitschy vehicle, I say...have a little fun with it. When he needs to be low key, and look serious...I think Valentino equits himself well. And...he did have an amazing amount of screen presence and could look threatening when needed or pensive. I remember hearing once an amazing tape of Valentino singing, and he had a very nice voice as I recall. It would have been interesting to see if he would have surmounted the vocal obstacles that hindered some silent screen stars. I'm not referring to John Gilbert, because when I finally saw a couple of his talkies, I realized that his speaking voice was fine, and that all the legends were mostly bunk.

very pleased with the print of "Los Olvidados" which was much better than I expected, in view of your previous comments in a post. It looked better than the VHS print I bought a few years ago, and looker sharper and clearer than a 35mm print I saw in a theatrical showing I attended in 1998. The print of "Viridiana" was superb and it was nice to see clear shots of the uncle trying on the corset and satin slippers, for a change! I so enjoyed the whole evening, as all the films were top notch Bunuel, and ending up with "Simon of the Desert" was masterful, as it is not seen much and is such a marvelous and bizarre film! I can only hope that in the future, maybe TCM will show "El", the one where Hitch may have gotten the idea for the bell tower interlude in "Vertigo", and "Mexican Bus Ride" or maybe "Tristana". "That Obscure Object of Desire" would be another good choice. The whole Mexican festival looks extremely promising and I look forward to watching all the films all month long. Thank you, TCM!

good, older book out on Keaton, called "Keaton" and as I recall the author's name is Darden maybe. I've read millions of books on actors and actresses [politically incorrect term now] and directors, and basically I only really want to read the ones which are autobiographies or by the person themself, as in their writings, like the Dreyer book or the one about Michael Powell. I've read too many pathetic, mock ups that were written just to make the author some bucks, and I hate to patronize such ill gotten gains, particularly when the author often has no real sense of the person and seems to have just become the "expert" after doing three months of paltry research. Bah humbug...excuse my lack of gallantry. As Mencken said "No one ever lost money underestimating the intelligence of the American public"...and I'll add, especially when the author writes a book on celebrities with whom they never even rubbed shoulders at the Trocadero. And...even if they did rub shoulders, that does not mean that some gossip columnist had the real skinny on anyone, as there still was always the barrier that was caused by a conflict of interest, and I could care less what Hedda Hopper or her ilk thought about their supposed celebrity friends. And sadly...I own a Hedda Hopper tell all, and it is full of egregious, hat induced fantasy. Oh sure...there is the occasional well done book, but the majority of these vanity type pressings are a waste of paper, and perpetuate myths. I bet many of these celebrated subjects want to roll over in their graves, at the stuff being bandied about them, harmless fluff though it may be. Yeah, I'm being outspoken...but only because I respect the stars of the past, and feel for them constantly being fodder for books by opportunists.

have that book and it is excellent. I like it mostly because it is just photographs and isn't the one of Ingrid Bergman beautiful and also Lana Turner? I bought it quite a long time ago though, and don't know if it is still available.

was called a pink powder puff, in his time...but was this just a backlash, and a reaction like the jealous men today who say that all men in Chippendales are gay? I love Valentino, and think that in "Son of the Sheik" with Vilma Banky that he is the cat's meow. Being a man who was marketed at the time, on things as diverse as candy box lids, and records commemorating his most famous role, Valentino was definitely someone who foreshadowed the hero worship of future male stars, who were merchandized like Dean and Elvis. It was said, that Elvis grew his sideburns in idolization of Valentino, and in hopes of becoming a romantic actor on screen, though few teenagers in the Fabulous Fifties probably realized this, nor the truck drivers with whom he worked. Valentino may have been a petty crook, before his big days but his tango in the "Four Horsemen..." movie is still impressive, and he has an amazing on screen charisma and depth of character. How many Valentino films have you seen, and how would you rank him alongside other male paramours on screen?

and it's obviously the most endearing Margaret O'Brien. That kid could stop her tears halfway down, and certainly could inspire tears. She sure was a good little actress.

so marvelous! Did you know he was a former opera singer? I think he was born in Naples, but not in Florida. He could play so many different parts, like the guy in "Gunga Din" and gangster types, and even an Indian..but you're right, he's usually best crooked. As for good old Harold, his smarmy, non-law abiding prototypes in films like the Charlie Chan series, and the Thin Man made him quite unlikable, in a fun way. I think he looks like he should be Raymond Burr's cousin, with those poppy eyes. His New York city background served him well in verisimiltude for street behaviour in films. Great choices!

One day of shopping for bias cut clothing and some chapeaus in 1937, and I could pick up on the side some of those chyselephantine, Art Deco sculptures by Chiparus, which show the women walking their greyhounds or whippets, and make all those all-white decorating schemes in the films, with the padded leather doors look so good, as background for the objet d'art. I bought TPBS recently on DVD, even though I have three copies on tape, because it has all those greats like Roscoe Ates, Jack Norton, Chester Conklin, Frank Faylen, Byron Foulger, Esther Howard, Lillian Randolph, and of course the Wienie King, Robert Dudley. I particularly liked that striped number that Claudette was wearing as a suit, and Mary Astor looked nicely attired too. Rudy Vallee, by the way is a scream in this picture! The gowns may have been by Irene, but I'm not sure. To me...Claudette and Myrna Loy look the most sophisticated in films, in their couture. I'll pass on ever wearing that hat that Garbo adored in "Ninotchka" which looked like Dali designed it.

bad for the actor, but good for the viewer. There are so many character actors, who were typed...yet seeing them in a part, means we have a shorthand at knowing what is happening in the film. If we see Allen Jenkins, then we know someone might need a cab or a chauffeur. Even though Jenkins, had more ability than just being cast as a Damon Runyon oaf, and Warners did occasionally use him as a dense detective, he nevertheless was still used as the chauffeur for people like the suave George Sanders as the Falcon. If we see Martin Kosleck, then...we know Mel Brooks better run, because this is the real thing, as Losleck is one sneering, nasty Nazi. Now in real life, no one was more anti-Nazi than Kosleck, who was born in Barketzen, Germany in the early 1900's, but left with the artistic migration of his peers...and was destined with his Teutonic physiognomy to play people like Goebbels in "Confessions of a Nazi Spy" and in "Hitler". One of my favorite of his roles was in the Rondo Hatton flick, "House of Horrors" and in "Pursuit to Algiers". Nevertheless, when one needs a mealy mouthed, martinet type Nazi, to kow tow to a Jean-Louis Heydt commander, no one was as good as Kosleck. If we see Akim Tamiroff, then we know we are in for some foreign intrique in exotic places. Born in Russia in the late 1890's, Tamiroff was a graduate of the Moscow Art Theatre, but later even played in clubs in Chicago, and was known for being a bit multi-ethnic on film, with roles as a Chinese bandit, a Spanish Civil War guerrilla, a Cuban, French Canadian and a Tartar. One most memorable roles was as Grandi, in "Touch of Evil" and who can forget his enjoyable performance in Dassin's colorful, "Topkapi". But though Tamiroff also played normal parts in some Paramount films, like a boss, even if it was Mafioso inclined, one knows when they see him enter a scene...that one is probably not in Kansas anymore. So...which typecasted character performers, do you always enjoy seeing on screen?

may not be top Bunuel, but compared to other directors, it is still worth partaking of and enjoying. An interesting take on the Bronte book, and I would put it on a level of sublime interest, similar to his "Diary of a Chambermaid" with Jeanne Moreau. Neither are as shocking, and scathingly funny as things like "TEA", but still it is worth seeing. Even Bunuel's least accomplished film, is always more fascinating than the most accomplished of some directors.

"Los Olvidados" deserves commendation in itself. I've never seen it shown on television. That's too bad about the restored print, but maybe we viewers can hope that TCM will show it sometime in the future. I am so thrilled about the whole slew of films that have been chosen, and they are the ones of Luis that are the most rare, most acclaimed and most difficult to see on television, for sure. Thank all at TCM for programming these Bunuel gems!

and where's Archer? Every print I've seen of that is pretty bad, and I'm talking even in a theatre. Yes, it will be fun to see TCM's prints, and I hope "Viridiana" has a beautiful print, as it has much detail in feet, jump rope handles, and drugged coffee cups that one looks forward to seeing!

I have books with some beautiful photos of Dorothy but really have only seen her in a few things, like the Lombard/Gable flick "No Man of Her Own" [not to be confused with the flick of the same title with Stanwyck, but not the same story, as Barbara's was written by Cornell Woolrich]. I would really like to get this disc, but have not dealt with Netflix. Maybe I'll just try to order it through my regular channels. My grandmother loved Helen Twelvetrees, and I am following in her footsteps, though one doesn't see much of her films nowadays, so this disc should be a treat. Thanks for the heads up. The only dvd that I've heard might be out soon, might be Jacques Tati's "Playtime" which is supposed to be the longer version than the 120 minute one, released previously by Criterion.

like the bias cut dresses of the Thirties on the women, more than any other period? I am partial to those two tone suits, with the shoulder pads from the 1940's, that women wore. Or the ones with quilting or raglan sleeves, with the platform shoes. But not any Carmen Miranda numbers, as only she looks good in fruit.

Marie Dressler, and I always wonder if Polly Moran is getting a bad rap, for ruining "London After Midnight" and if we will ever get to see it, and really find out. As for Billy Haines, well...I've always enjoyed him too, and he was a big favorite among the college set, from what I hear.