therealfuster

been here long, but I hope you enjoy it as much as I do, which should then be considerable. Welcome and I look forward to reading many of your posts. Fuster

I was just flipping out, when I looked at the May schedule last month and saw these films coming up for Thursday, May 5, 2005: 8:00 pm "Los Olvidados" (1950) The life of street children in Mexico is painfully reconstructed, with nary a tear shed. 9:45 pm "Nazarin" (1959) A priest leaves the clergy to go on a pilgrimage and learn about life. 11:30 pm "Viridiana" (1961) When she inherits a fortune, a young nun tries to help the poor. 1:15 am "The Exterminating Angel" (1962) High society guests find themselves unable to leave the dining room after a posh dinner party. 3:00 am "Simon of the Desert" (1965) A religious sage fights temptation from Satan himself. These movies almost never, and I mean...NEVER, play on tv. This is probably due to the high possibility of someone being offended by the themes, which in themselves are not offensive, but can be taken as such. For me, "Los Olvidados" has the most intense and realistic dream sequence on film, that has ever been created. "Nazarin" is just a really well done film and very insightful. "Viridiana" [spoilers ahead] is one of the few films, where a nun basically sends her novice to her possible rape, due to religious reasons, and has the infamous drugged wedding dress and the pathological jump rope scenes, "The Exterminating Angel" is a marvelous attack on the sanctimoniousness of the upper classes, and "Simon of the Desert" is possibly sacrilegious, but in a very good way. If you're not sure you are a fan of Bunuel, I'd say watch some of these films anyway, because by the time you decide you are...these films will be hard to find on tv. By the way, Criterion plans to release Bunuel's "The Phantom of the Liberty" sometime soon, so look for it on their website. They also plan to release Bresson's "Au Hasard Balthazar" but that's a whole different take on life than a Bunuel film. Who else here is looking forward to these films? Mucho Gracias, TCM for daring to show some Bunuel!

What a wonderful buy! I think you got a marvelous addition to your collection. I was at one Sotheby auction, and it was most interesting. Being in London at an auction house, I was allowed to take a few photos after asking, which I guess is usually frowned upon, but fun to have. I think if I collected any major film memorabilia, I would want it to be costume jewelry from films, which is so fantastic. I'd rather have some of Jean's jewelry than some of Jackie Kennedy's fake pearls! I'd go for the Art Deco period, and anything of the glamour girls of that time frame. My great uncle went to Wake Forest University and played football. He dated Jean before she was famous, but even later in life, mentioned her mother being quite...shall we say, intimidating. Jean sent him a letter thanking him for the date, and his daughter still has it and it is fun to read. I guess I shall tell her the prices you quoted for autographs by Jean, and since it is an entire dated letter it should be worth a decent amount and all, in case she ever decides to sell it. They do have a provenance for it, as my great uncle has some other things from the time period relating to Jean that prove its authenticity. Again, thanks for sharing this great story of your purchase!

1) what is your overall opinion about Casablanca? I think that it became more famous, as mentioned often by film fans, because of war situations occurring in Casablanca, that made the name of the film be so prevalent in the minds of viewers when released. 2) What did you think of it the first time you saw it? Can't remember, I was a toddler. 3) The second? Then I thought..."Wow, Bogart looked old the first time I saw this, and now he looks lots younger." 4) more? if you have. I always watch it if on, to see the Paris scenes and the interplay between Rains and Rick. 5) What do you think about the cast and characters? Perfectly cast Warner's film, and could not be improved upon. 6) How well was the movie written? I'd say that the script in the hands of other actors might not have been as impressive, but yes...it had a fine script. 7) Was anything funny to you, why? Only in acerbic ways, like when Rick throws his current femme out of the club. 8) What are some of your favorite lines? Oh no...don't ask me that. Too corny. 9) What do you think about the ending? Had to end that way, or how could Bogart be left to say "This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship"? 10) Should the ending be different? No, the ending should not be different, unless you want to ruin the picture. 11) If you said yes then why? Good, I didn't.... 12) Who is your favorite character, why? Conrad Veidt. Because ever since "The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari" he was a magnificent actor, and the consummate Nazi in films, with Louis Jean Heydt in second place. 13) What do you think of Ricks farewell speech? It's very sardonic. 14) Woudl you have done what Ilsa/Rick did? Sure, if I were Ilsa it would not be so bad leaving with Paul Henreid. Shoot it could have been someone like George Tobias or Wallace Beery. 15) Why or why not I'm off the hook on this one. 16) How has the movie changed your view on old movies? Changed my mind? Why not at all...I already liked old movies. 17) has this movie affected you in anyway? It affected me by showing Bogart as a romancing Lothario, instead of a John Dillinger type.

I see that someone in my absence, was kind enough to answer your enquiry regarding the remake of IHON. To further elaborate, yes...YCRAFI was a musical, and a bit forced. No one can replace Gable, but Lemmon...who is always worth watching, really did not try to. Now...the weak link in the chain was June Allyson. In some roles I like her a lot, even though Jimmy Stewart's wife Gloria apparently felt sorry for him when he worked everyday with her, since she found Juney a bit too cutesy, but I digress...June just does not have the tartness and sophistication of Claudette, and therein lies the problem. I have this on a videotape I made from tv, and as I recall it also had Stubby Kaye in it. Let's put it this way...you have not really missed a lot if you've not seen it. Probably was a foolhardy venture to begin with, messing with a classic. That may be why they were smart enough to at least change the title. The worst scene in it, is when June tries to be the **** in the bus camp. She cannot hold a candle to CC's harridan imitation. Still...it would be fun to see both films back to back. As for whoever mentioned putting serials on TCM on Saturdays, I say...Bravo! Great idea, I love serials.

only a magnificent, as usual, piece of Lubitsch fare, but is noted as being one of the few films considered to be...a Film Noir Comedy by the intelligentsia. Personally, I have many books on Noir, and don't think Noir really exists no matter what anyone says and I am a big fan...unless there are Venetian blinds in the film, but if it does...then this film is a justifiable anomaly, and could be Noir and Comedy at the same time. It's kind of like "Babydoll" by Kazan, being a Gothic comedy, and not to be taken seriously, even though it is a bit perverse. "Unfaithfully Yours" is deliciously funny, and reminds one of the Marcello Mastroanni film, 'Divorce Italian Style" but is more fun to watch being a Lubitsch rendition of a similar theme. Thanks for telling us that it is now available on DVD.

a lot. Always look for him in things, although he looks little like he did in the 1950's incarnation. His many years of inactivity on film, due to his offscreen problems, has not hurt his still impressive talent. Though I kind of go for the John Hurt version of the bloodthirsty ruler, in the BBC production of "I, Caligula" I always enjoy seeing or hearing Jay Robinson in anything. Hasn't he been doing a lot of voiced narration on some show or documentaries for the last ten or so years?

you want to know why Charles Foster Kane's mother has him taken away? She does not "sell" him, but due to the influx of money coming to the family, she does not want her drunken husband to be in charge of it, or the child. Due to love for her child, she wants him removed from the situation, with his guardianship being overseen by the character played by George Coulouris, who is the man who later is almost driven crazy by Kane's monetary spending. Kane's mother is not greedy; if anything she is self sacrificing, not realizing her son will miss his simple childhood with her in the country.

I ever saw was "Topper". They had Billie Burke's hair color all wrong! Kind of like making Lucy a blonde on film. Just not right. If one colorizes, at least know what color the star's hair and eyes really were.

I have always admired Hitchcock's bravado in using just about anything to advance the story for his own purposes. The MacGuffin may be most associated with a film by Hitch, but really it could be found in films by many other directors. My favorite MacGuffin is the $40,000.00 stolen by Marion Crane in "Psycho" that seems to be a major plotline, until one sees Norman Bates throwing it out, wrapped up in the newspaper, after cleaning up after the murder at the Bates Motel. What a great misdirect, and it really sort of sets the stage for the things that follow, that don't seem to make sense the first time you see the film. So do you have a favorite MacGuffin on film, by Hitch or any other director?

purchased this too on dvd, since I've only had an old recorded from tv tape previously. This movie is interesting as it is based on the Somerset Maugham tale, "Ashenden". This was the second time Hitchcock had cast the beauteous Madeleine Carroll, and it is fun to see what the original conception for Alfred's lifelong cool blonde obsession looked like. Carroll had been chosen by famed artist James Montgomery Flagg, as the world's most beautiful woman in 1937, and she epitomized what was to become the quintessential Hitchcock heroine on film, finalizing in the emergence of Grace Kelly later on. Born in Britain, she was appearing on film and the stage till 1935, when cast by Hitch for "The 39 Steps" and this film. Carroll was then signed by Walter Wanger and 20th Century Fox, which pleased her as she liked the Hollywood system more than the British film studios. Gielgud also equits himself well in this piece, but it is best to not worry too much about the story and just sit back and enjoy the convoluted Hitchcockian plot, while watching for Alfred to make his customary appearance. I love Gielgud, but in this...he is a bit stagey and more wooden than one normally thinks of him. Nevertheless this is a fine film and has much to recommend it. I don't think Hitch's "I Confess", "The Paradine Case" or "Stage Fright" did particularly well at the time, but they are still fun to see. Enjoy!

to hear. I always thought she had an unusual quiet beauty, and I enjoyed all of her roles in bigger films that you mention, and particularly in "The Mark" which is a sadly overlooked film from the early Sixties, in which Stuart Whitman plays a potential child molester hoping to be cured, with Maria as a support system. Great movie and she is wonderful in it. Thanks for posting this, Edgdrv!

during the shoot for "Union Station" with Holden? I've seen that film, and it seems like there are a lot of exterior shots in it. "Sunset Boulevard" was also that year, but no sugar factory. Plus if they were in production, perhaps the year of the film's release would be one year or more later. Were there any Brenda Marshall films done in 1951? Good luck!

but I just thought it would be more tongue in cheek to say "hate", since it would be shocking for anyone to "hate" such a wonderful place. Being that I too am a big William Pratt fan, I can imagine TCM viewing keeps you content, and I can only hope they show "Isle of the Dead" again sometime soon. I was up last nite till 2am watching all those Lubitsch films, and I really enjoyed seeing "The Merry Widow" again.

What I had heard way back, was that Natalie had a nice voice, but not much power or range. And that she was passable, but the powers that be decided instead of fixing it up, that it was easier to just utilize Marni Nixon.

to show any films made by director, Rex Ingram, but particularly the silent, "The Magician". They've shown the wonderful "Mare Nostrum", so maybe they have the other film. I will accept "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" as a substitute though. I think your idea about showing the original and then the remake is fab! They could show your choices, and things like the June Allyson/Jack Lemmon remake of "It Happened One Night".

you didn't irritate me. I'm sorry if it appeared that way. To me it is just film talk, which is eternally fascinating. For example, I always find the truth behind the facade more interesting, and instead of reading cleaned up or expurgated versions of a life, appreciate reading the real truth about what made a person tick. I do not care for those who purposely try to dig up dirt on someone, to hurt them or their career, but do find things a star is willing to tell about themself interesting, if it adds to the understanding of their performances. Or if a fan alludes to some past peccadilloes, then it is better to just be honest about it, than make new fans think it was even worse than it was in reality. For that reason, I enjoyed Patricia Neal's comments on her own life, which were quite revealing and thoughtful. On the other hand, revealing all can be a bit too much, as who wants to know everything personal about anyone, star or friend. I am a big Joan fan, and have friends who have major collections on her career, and I think whatever she did in her life, is interesting as background to what she put on screen. That's all. I don't relish the stuff which is of the outre variety, but if it happened, then why lie about it. "Rumor" implies unverified things, and I feel that some remarks concerning Joan, have been verified most indubitably. I, for one, have seen photos, which to some might appear salacious, in many fans of Joan collections, and they were quite convincing. It does not change my feelings toward Joan though, as it is none of my business, and from "The Unknown" through her appearance on Night Gallery, I have always been a big fan of the lady. Again...sorry I didn't put emoticons on my post, to show my comments were not meant to appear of an angry nature. Movie talk never makes me angry, just happy! Cheers and thanks for your comments!

of "beestung lips" fame, must have been a forerunner of the silicone injected lip fetishists now, Paty. My grandmother was a fan of both Colleen and Mae, and is my source for all flapper info. According to her, when Fitzgerald's Bernice cropped her hair, she did so also. She says she prefers Louise Brooks though as her fave of the flapper clique, and still owns some copies of magazines with the quintessential John Held drawings of the Roaring Twenties. Due to grandma helping guide me movie wise, I have seen some Colleen Moore vehicles in the past, and I know she was a big star for quite a while. Then as things will happen, some people become passe in the public's eye, just like Little Mary became associated with a time gone by, which was much more sentimental, and replaced by girls traipsing around in flapping galoshes, with cloche headwear. Very few trendy types escape this eventuality, unless it is someone like Brooks who fled to Europe to be reappraised by the intelligentsia of filmdom. Imagine my surprise, while watching a dvd recently of the Carroll Baker flick, "Baba Yaga" to see a comic book character as conceived by **** Crepax, who was based on Brooks and her stylish cropped hairdo. Yes, the flapper look is revived again and again, and I for one would really love to see "Flaming Youth" with Colleen Moore, and I hope TCm shows it sometime. Clara Bow, in "CMS" though, is the original wild child. At least that's what they say the USC football team once thought...but I'm naming no names. She could give Drew Barrymore lessons.

one perhaps has to look back on the film, as it appeared in its heyday. I have a relative who went to see it when it came out, and said her coworker walked out in the middle of the film, and asked for his money back at the box office! Firstly, though I do think Welles is a genius, there are some who say much more credit for the script, than usually known by the general public, must go to Mankiewicz. He was the person who knew the score and intrigues in the Hearst circles, and may have been able to tweak him with inside references, if such is really in the concept of the film. Of course Hearst made it appear to be all about him, with his concerted campaign to rid the world of the film, through newspaper bans et cetera. Though one may not be as appreciative nowadays, of the look of the film, as it has so many imitators, I do think one cannot ignore the filmic contributions of cinematographer Gregg Toland, who really did some incredible visuals, helped along by the artistic genius of legendary Van Nest Polglase. True...it's not really the first film which showed ceilings, but this film is a lot more revelatory than many films of its period. The time lapse scene at the dining room table, which encapsulates a relationship in a brief span of a few seconds, would have many directors nowadays hard pressed to match for creativity. The Mercury Theatre actors are a heady lot...with greats like Agnes Moorehead, wonderful in basically just a bit part, but a pivotal one....and the scope of the film is ambitious. Some have commented on the resemblance of the makeup for Welles, as Kane....as being quite similar to Lorre's in the film, "Mad Love" but other than that I don't think CK is the least bit derivative. I think it is not just a good movie, but a great one. Maybe not the greatest, but up there...if only for many of the innovations that it induced. But that's just my opinion, and your points concerning Welles whole career, are well taken.

pick between those two. A great duo to be sure. Everytime I think of great performances, I think of Olivia in the adaption of the Henry James novel. She is amazing as the young, rather unattractive heiress who then becomes the butterfly, who woos Clift to his doom. I can still hear her saying "I learned from masters" concerning her newfound cruelty to her father, Richardson. But then I also admire Joan in her many fine performances in films like "Rebecca" even though one does have to give some credit to Hitchcock for frightening her a bit into believability. Wonderful sister act, and that back story should be made into a film.

Ann Sheridan combines both extreme beauty and naturalism, which was sometimes rare in the time period of films in which she worked, what with the plucked arched eyebrow look of the times, and the clothes cut on the bias of some slinky stars. One only has to see a few between scenes casual shots of Ann with a crew, to understand why she was loved by both men and women who worked with her. Naturally gorgeous, and not needing any makeup to add to her allure in fresh faced, down to earth roles, nevertheless Ann could turn in amazing performances as a glamour type girl, as in the wonderful noir film, "Nora Prentiss" in which Ann equits herself as a femme fatale and more, to Kent Smith's detriment. Not many beauty queen types, could have then played a part awash with acerbity and wit, as Ann did in "I Was a Male War Bride". Later in her career, when Ann came to television series work, in "Pistols and Petticoats" she did not quite resemble the healthy looking Ann of old, but the spunk and charm of her persona was still abundantly evident. There are no Ann Sheridan types today, alas.

I don't think it was him, but since he's my favorite I'm guessing him.

in film and on film, name your favorites. Having enjoyed the Errol Flynn films scheduled yesterday, with classics like the Samuel Clemen's spoof, then Flynn as the dashing Robert Devereux, and my favorite, "The Sisters", it occurred to me that there was a slight resemblance to "Meet Me in St. Louis" in this film, being that both were set in and around the years 1903 to 1904, when the World's Fair occurred, and both films had the theme of sisters in search of love and marriage. In "The Sisters", Flynn gives a restrained and interesting performance, which belies a bit of himself, as the adventurer who in real life was afraid to return to New Guinea, for fear of being killed or arrested for past transgressions. But the wanderlust of the real man is shown, through his machinations of escaping to far flung environs, and of being the ineffectual male to Bette's strong persona. In this film, one can see a bit of the resemblance to Brent, that was commented upon when Flynn entered films. One also gets a glimpse of why some suspected that Flynn might have had a touch of premature Babinski's in the boudoir scenes in the apartment with Louise. Nevertheless, this film brought to mind the movie theme of sisters, and everyone has their favorites. My favorite performing sisters might be June Havoc and Gypsy Rose Lee, or Natalie Wood and Lana Wood, and as onscreen characters, I will go with the Grand Guignolish, Blanche and Jane. Who are your favorite performing sisters onscreen and off?

how do you feel about Guinn "Big Boy" Williams, as your marital cowpoke? I'll go with him as my ideal movie hubby, since I could push him around, Big Boy being so good natured and all.

was voted the Best Looking Boy in his high school, one wonders how he coped with his acromegaly. There is always something which shines through in his performances, even as the deadly Creeper. Thanks for the birthday info!