therealfuster

Eddie Albert was so versatile and could be a happy go lucky fellow, or mean and vindictive in a film, and be totally believable either way. I first saw him on tv, when I was little, in the film "Brother Rat" which costarred him with Wayne Morris as cadets at a military academy as I recall. I also liked him in "The Fuller Brush Girl" which was a really cute comedy with Lucille Ball...and so many years later I think he was wonderful as the cranky father to Cybill Shepherd in "The Heartbreak Kid". All of the other bigger films you mention, Albert was also sensational in. I admired his relationship with longtime wife, Margo...who had appeared in many films like "The Leopard Man" exhibiting her singing and dancing talents. I remember reading how caring Albert was when Margo had been diagnosed with a giant tumor that was life threatening, in the latter part of their marriage, and it was nice to see a Hollywood couple that had such a close relationship that was so long lasting. I enjoyed "Green Acres" and just wish Mr. Haney and Ed had not caused Eddie such daily annoyances!

it could be, the international drive-in hit, "The Village of the Giants" starring Tisha Sterling, if you forgot to add an "h" to the Tisa name. This Tisha is quite lovely and looks a lot like Ann Sothern for obvious reasons, but not as much like her famous dad. This flick directed by Bert Gordon, who also did the fun "Attack of the Puppet People" and "The Amazing Colossal Man", has an all-star cast with Tommy Kirk of Disney fame, Johnny Crawford of "The Rifleman" Beau Bridges of the Lloyd branch, Ron Howard and brother Rance, Mickey Rooney's son, Tim, and even Toni Basil, and features songs sung by the Beau Brummels and is about a formula which causes these teenage types to grow gargantuan. Of course, if this is not the Tisa you are looking for, could it be "Lisa" as in the fine film, "David and Lisa" which had Keir Dullea and the great Janet Margolin portraying the doomed lovers? Is Tisa a character in the film, or the real name of the actress?

I am finding it cute that you are arguing over the Weinie King. I bet Preston Sturges would put this discussion over the Weinie King in one of his films, if he was still around! I always enjoy the Wienie King in that movie, and get a kick out of Robert Dudley's performance. It was Dudley and not Vallee, but Vallee was rather annoying in that film too so one can understand the confusion. I only mean that Vallee as his character was annoying, and on purpose, because I found his performance totally amusing and think it made the movie! Being that Vallee was more famous as a crooner and heartthrob for the college female set, and a rather serious singer with a megaphone during the 1920's, his comic performances in films were revelatory of his ability to make fun of himself. I always bring up the Wienie King in discussions about The Palm Beach Story but no one ever wants to talk about him, so this has made my day. I'm sure Robert Dudley has not been talked about this much, since the movie came out, so thanks for the fun discussion!

As I recall she went back to Britain, and appeared in some films directed by Emeric Pressburger and others, mostly inconsequential ones, but then I did see her in that wacky Karloff film, called "The Grip of the Strangler" recently, which I just bought in video form and it is fun to see her again, albeit much later in her career.

trip on a cord someday, and the whole contraption with cable box, on video, on speaker may come tumbling down...and kill you! I think you need an entertainment center, and think how nice it would look with a new dvd player and a place to store all your dvd's that you would then want to buy. I bought over 300 dvd's in little over a year. I'm sure you could beat my record. You really need to see "Nightmare Alley" on dvd, because it looks super! Just think about all the geeks and carny con men and mentalists that you are missing. I do hope TCM plays it for you though, if you hold out a few more years for the dvd player.

a French film, and stars Jane Wyman as I remember. She loses her baby, and then goes into the profession of taking care of other's children. A real tearjerker to be sure, and also stars Agnes Moorehead I think, who was in those Douglas Sirk films with Wyman, like "All That Heaven Allows". For the complete listing of credits for the film, go to: www.imdb.com ...and put the title, "The Blue Veil" in a search and it will take you to all the filming specifics and complete cast and credits. It is a film that I'd like to see again, as it's been years since I saw it one night on tv.

"Robin and Marian" which is not mentioned too much. As Brackenhe said, "Two For The Road" with Finney is a wonderful film. I sure enjoyed reading all these fine memories concerning joining convents due to "A Nun's Story" and the filming of "Where The Boys Are" which I only rewatched recently and got a kick out of seeing Yvette Mimeux. Audrey is at her peak in "Breakfast at Tiffany's" and her clothes and streaked hair are so chic!

the film, "The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad" on tv, at about four years old, and the part I remember being a bit scary was when the Cyclops came out of the cave, and the people were only saved when the boy genie [played by Richard Eyer] created the invisible wall of protection. Those horrid flying monkeys from "The Wizard of Oz" are much scarier than the Wicked Witch of the West, or even "The Exorcist" in my book!

Which Beach Party film had Stevie singing "Fingertips, Part 2"? I remember this scene with him and his harmonica, and he was so young he was still called Little Stevie Wonder as I recall, and he was doing his first big hit. I know the Little moniker is not about age or size, but just an endearment in some musical communities, but Stevie did seem still wet behind the ears. Yes, those American International films were great and some were on the street, not long after things that had inspired them...like riots on LA strips et cetera. I really think the Beatles' film, "AHDN" is way above what usually passed for a rock movie in those days, and set the bar high for future films, which never transpired mostly since the genre was nearing its end. I watched "Go, Johnny Go" even though I have it on tape. I was enjoying seeing Eddie Cochran, and was reminded of how Brian Setzer from the Stray Cats totally stole his look and amplified it, with the blond pompadour, and I also enjoyed seeing Richie Valens, who seemed like a down to earth young fellow. I thought that Robert might be a big fan of the rock acts in the film and was telling my guests that, when I listened to his nice intro, till he came back afterwards and called Richie Valens' song, "Oh My Head" instead of "Ooh My Head", and then I had to recant. It may have just been a slip of the tongue though. I also watched "Coal Miner's Daughter" and was again amazed at how good Levon Helm from The Band was, as her father. The singing by Sissy and Beverly DeAngelo recreating the hits by Lynn and Patsy Cline was amazing. I had forgotten how letter perfect they both were in their parts. Another great nite of viewing at TCM!

it has got to be that man named Mr. Muckle in the W.C. Fields' movie, "It's a Gift". He plays the nearly blind and deaf man, who Fields has to wait on in his grocery store, and who destroys the displays with his cane. His real name was Charles Sellon, and he also was in a Shirley Temple film as a cantankerous old man as I recall. His scenes with Fields, are hilarious...but you just want to kill him, as he wanders through the store wrecking the place, and ignoring pleas from Fields. I think I remember Mr. Muckle knocking down a whole display of light bulbs. This was way worse than Mister Magoo, since Mr. Muckle is very unlikable and annoying.

It's the animals that wrench the tears from one, as you say. Sure we can feel sorrow for Scotty when he causes Judy/Madeleine to die a second time in "Vertigo", hence causing him to again lose her...but it is nothing like the pain of the poor maligned animal on film, even if it is only Lady in "Lady and the Tramp" when her mistress thinks she tried to harm the new baby. Since Stoney already mentioned Kong, who let Beauty kill him...I shall mention the donkey Balthazar, in Robert Bresson's classic, "Au Hasard Balthazar" who makes one weep all through the movie, as people trade him around like a poker chip, all without him making a sound mostly. Great question by the way, and I'm thinking that if I had to choose a person it might Michael Caine at the end of "Alfie".

Watson-Guptill always makes such great books! I am now off to look up this artist named Robert Brackman, that you were so kind to mention...and see if that book is still in print or on Ebay maybe. I'm wondering if the same man painted all the work in the film....

It was so interesting reading about your fabulous collection and the origins of your hobby, with your uncle's expertise guiding you! I remember that movie"Miss Grant Takes Richmond" as being very funny, but have never seen any memorabilia from it, so you are lucky to have that. Your poster collection is marvelous. I just was given a box of old film stuff, from some friend of my aunt's who regularly buys up hundreds of old stills at a time from some place in New York, and he wants me to identify all the people in the photos, as they are unmarked. He then resells them, or sends them off for autographs in SASE's. In return for the favor, he lets me keep any photos that I want, so I am taking all ten of the ones with Grant Williams in his toga, from "The Incredible Shrinking Man" and I really like the one with the giant cat attacking him. You have some really classic posters and lobby cards, Moviejoe and thanks for sharing!

Invasion of the Body Snatchers by Don Siegel

I know they have shown the Edgar Ulmer film, "The Strange Woman" with Louis and Hedy Lamarr. A few other ones with Hayward that I'd enjoy seeing again are "Ladies In Retirement", "And Then There Were None", and "Repeat Performance" which is a good noir with Joan Leslie.

there is misinformation all over the Internet, and even on places like IMDb. Using it to just refresh one's memories is a good tactic, but using it whole cloth and quoting it, can often show up ones who don't know the difference between James Dean, the king of angst and Jimmy Dean, the sausage king, or that Michael Curtiz did not pronounce his name like the surname of Tony Curtis. Yes, if you find out more about London, let me know. I do have a really pretty good source book at home, called something like the Encyclopedia of Western Films, and I shall go home and read up on London, so I can fill in my appalling knowledge gap!

creates fertile grounds for the birth of anarchy in art....like rock and roll, and TCM shares one of the best films of the r'n'r generation period, with "Go, Johnny, Go" scheduled for this Sunday, June 5th at 10:30pm. A subgenre to musicals in general, all to itself are the specialized films which fostered the rock and roll movement worldwide and capitalized on them. Many of the films have the real revolutionary rock and rollers of the two most impressive decades, but some 1950's and 1960's films were watered down versions of the real form of expression, much like white cover records by Pat Boone type singers, were little like the Little Richard or doo-**** groups and their original recordings. "Go, Johnny, Go" stars Alan Freed, the dean of rock disc jockeys and the original Moondog Matinee man [as honored in title by one of the best albums by The Band] as...himself, in search of new talent. Freed, as most here probably know, was the man who played what were known as race records in Cleveland, to a primarily white audience of teens and young adults, eager to escape the Hit Parade of their parents. This film released in 1959, after the first wave of such films was over, has some of the heavyweights of the movement, in Chuck Berry, Eddie Cochran [the guy singing on the tv in "The Girl Can't Help It" and the hero of both the Who and Rod Stewart, who died young in a taxi accident while on tour in England with Gene Vincent] Jackie Wilson, the Flamingos, the Cadillacs, Harvey Fuqua and the only screen appearance of a young Richie Valens. If he looks little like Lou Diamond Phillips, don't be dismayed, because his presentation is still revelatory and he presaged the Tex-Mex, and Hispanic music coterie by decades. This film also stars pop idol Jimmy Clanton ["Venus in Blue Jeans"] and perky songster Jo Ann Campbell, but they are fortunately surrounded by the real rock icons of the period, to dispel the saccharine aftertaste. Though Freed is no actor, it still is interesting to see the true man behind the image, and the fellow who was taken down by the Payola scandals of the 1950's, instead of others like Dick Clark, because he represented the real rock music of the airwaves, and not the prefabricated kind that was beginning to proliferate by the late 1950's. Though he was guilty of Payola practices [as were many who got off free and clear] and was later blacklisted... some music historians see him as the whipping boy and sacrificial victim, of political forces and an industry out to stop the music. None of that backstory should ruin your enjoyment of the great performances in this film, and though the acting in between segments is mostly laughable, just wait for the musical performances to be rewarded. There lies the energy of the rock and roll movement. Though there were stirrings of a musical revolution apparent in other films of the early Fifties regarding the rock and roll phenomenon, the first inkling was to be found in "The Blackboard Jungle" even though Bill Haley was more a country performer, to begin with...yet his anthem "Rock Around the Clock" was heard round the world. The next sign of impending doom for people like Snooky Lanson and Dorothy Collins, was when the Queen asked to see the Sam Katzman film, "Rock Around the Clock" in 1956, instead of the planned movie, "The Caine Mutiny". Other early classics in this new wave were "Don't Knock the Rock", "Rock Pretty Baby" and "The Girl Can't Help It" which was an impressively conceived concoction from Frank Tashlin, starring Jayne Mansfield, Tom Ewell, and Edmond O'Brien, but the rock greats were not given short shrift, and were an integral part of the clever storyline. This film contains classic performances by Gene Vincent ["Be Bop a Lula"], Fats Domino ["Blue Monday"] Little Richard ["Ready Teddy"] and Eddie Cochran "Twenty Flight Rock"] plus even has songbird Julie London in a bit, just for the adults in the audience. Elvis films being a thing unto themself, they proliferated during this time, starting with his films with bonafide hit songs, to later soundtracks which bore little resemblance to the musical rock genre which had begun the decade, and were typical drive-in fare. By the time "High School Confidential" came out in 1958, the genre had almost reached its zenith, but the appearance of Jerry Lee Lewis singing on a flatbed truck remains iconic, even though the film about narcs infiltrating a high school dope ring has now become cliched. But watching Russ Tamblyn pretending to be a high school student, living with his "aunt" Mamie Van Doren, and getting to see John Drew Barrymore and a sleazy Jackie Coogan make it worth the price of admission. By the time the Twist arrived on the scene in 1960, the rock and roll genre had been eroded almost beyond belief. It took the British Invasion groups like the Beatles, the Stones, the Animals, the Yardbirds and the Mersey and Birmingham sound to revitalize the music. Britain had its own spate of rock influenced youth films, like "Expresso Bongo" and "It's Trad Dad" but the American music was only brought back to the USA, in the unadulterated versions of the early music admired by young British fans, who sought import records from their heroes. American performers like Buddy Holly, Berry, Little Richard and Eddie Cochran, were idolized overseas, but had been replaced in the States with plastic people promoted on American Bandstand like Fabian, and Edd Byrnes of "Kookie, Kookie, Lend Me Your Comb" fame. Both are fine actors but have little musical talent or connections to rock music though their widely marketed music sold millions. Nevertheless even during this period described well by Don McLean in the "Day the Music Died" there was still the occasional foray into rock inventiveness , even in movies like the lighthearted "Beach Party" which did feature the sounds of the great Dick Dale and the Del-Tones. With the dawn of the day of films like "A Hard Day's Night", "Help", and "Catch Us If You Can" and the appearance of the Yardbirds with both Jimmy Page AND Jeff Beck appearing in a crucial part of the film, "Blow-Up", the harmony of shared music between America and Britain had come full circle, and opened up a period in films with the rock soundtrack being dominant, with films like Antonioni's "Zabriskie Point" being more sought after for its soundtrack with Pink Floyd, and for the obligatory concert films, like "Woodstock" and "Monterey Pop". But all things must pass, and by the time of the Altamount concert, called "Gimme Shelter" the flower child generation on film came to a screeching halt, with the deadly force used by Hell's Angels caught on camera trying to intimidate the crowd, and Jagger a mere puppet on stage to their games. With a few dying gasps like the "Concert for Bangladesh" the rock movie genre took on a political, and sometimes less self indulgent stance, but the time of anarchic rock on film seemed to be passing into the mist. Occasionally there were slight revivals of the form, as in "Let the Good Times Roll" but most were embarrassing exercises in nostalgia. Some of the best rock and roll related, or rock performance films to look for, besides the above mentioned, are in my opinion: Alice's Restaurant, Bird on a Wire, Bunny Lake is Missing, Catch My Soul, Celebration at Big Sur, Cream's Last Concert, Don't Look Back, The T.A.M.I. Show, Harlem Rock'n'Roll, Jailhouse Rock, Jamboree, Jimi Plays Berkeley, Mad Dogs and Englishmen, Medicine Ball Caravan, O Lucky Man!, Performance, Rock and Roll Circus, Sympathy for the Devil, That'll Be That Day, Tommy, Two Lane Blacktop, Wattstax, Zacariah, and 200 Motels. What are your favorite rock and roll films from its heyday, of 1955 through the middle 1970's and up to the present, and which films would you appreciate TCM showing on their schedule in the future?

this thread on grand character actors, and noted the discussion on Jack Elam and his "glass" eye. Unless he lied about this, I don't think Elam had a glass eye. As I recall when seeing him interviewed back many years ago, he said his eye was injured when he was a kid in a fight, by something like a pen or pencil, and the eye was blind, but it had never been replaced with a glass eye. I never thought it looked like a glass eye, but just one that was similar to that lazy eye condition, which seems to move around independently in the socket and gave him that eerie, frozen stare. This reminds me of the Sandy Duncan glass eye rumor, which finally made it on to some Urban Legend websites. Just like Jack, she was blind in the eye which a tumor had been found behind, but did not have a glass eye, though many thought she did. We could move on to the Urban Legend about Jayne Mansfield being decapitated...but maybe its best to drop this topic now. As for your choices like Agnes Moorehead, I just saw her in that silly film on TCM with Virginia Weidler the other day about autograph hunters, and even in that Agnes shined! I would add to your fine list some of my favorites like Tom Tully, Walter Connolly, and Franklin Pangborn.

about an edit button. Which is an influence for Scorsese...the Powell film or Jeanne D'Arc? I would have thought the latter, being that he reflects so much in interviews about his Jesuit days and schooling, but it is probably the former. MIS, your Movie Museum/Studio sounds wonderful. And no, I did not get any of the TCM merch, but it sounds like you picked up some great items! "Golden Age Shower Curtains"? Well, that makes me think that someone should produce a Golden Age Table Cloth, and it should have all the MGM stars that were filmed eating at that giant luncheon, that one sees on TCM occasionally. I bet that would sell real good... Thanks for movie poster website info!

IMDb says London did NOT appear on "The Great Train Robbery" but other sources say he did. What do you believe?

to say...that while I am a big fan of your choices of Zucco, Atwill, Gabby and Brennan, all of whom I've seen loads of times...I had to go look up Tom London to get a handle on his career. What I read makes me realize I have a major gap in my knowledge of Western films, which obviously is as big as the Grand Canyon. Tom London...I read, died in 1963 in his 80's, and as you state, acted in more movies than any other player according to my source. Started in "The Great Train Robbery" in 1903 and then never lost any steam, appearing in hundreds of cowboy oaters, and also starred for Universal under his real name, Leonard Clapham! Sure are a lot of movie cowboys named Leonard, what with Leonard Slye also. He also starred at Pathe, and did supports as badmen and sheriffs to numerous cowboy stars and in serials too. This says that High Noon" was his last big western but that he did finish his career in 1959 in "The Lone Texan". You're the expert, so if any of this data on London is wrong...please correct it, and thanks so much for bringing him to my attention!

all the way! I was amazed the first time I saw "Rebel Without a Cause" many years ago in widescreen, because after seeing it a million times in the cropped version on tv, I could never see what Jim Stark was kicking, after the fight with his dad and mom, and the chickie run. Finally I noted in glorious widescreen that it was a portrait of his granny, since it had been chopped off in the non-widescreen versions and was unviewable. I guess some people don't like the bands at top and bottom, but I just get used to them and like the more panoramic view, and some films just look so much better that way. I will admit that though most widescreen films really utilized the concept well, there are a few in which it does not seem to make much difference. Just as there are good, well thought out 3-D films with effective 3-D, and some films which just cashed in on the novelty, but the actual effects are minimal.

I'm guessing that what you saw was not a movie, but a television show from the 1980's, which was based on the old "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" format. The original episode called "Final Escape" was shown on the "Alfred Hitchcock Hour" in the early 1960's and starred tv alumnus from "77 Sunset Strip" and later the movie "Grease", Edd Byrnes as a convicted bank robber named John, who is sentenced to many years behind bars. He befriends an alcoholic inmate named Doc [Robert Keith, father of Brian Keith] who is in charge of the infirmary AND the burials for the dead inmates. Doc offers John a deal, if he will finance an operation for Doc's granddaughter, then Doc will hide John inside the coffin of the next inmate that dies, and after it is buried....Doc will go dig it up after the guards leave, and John can escape. Unfortunately, when John wakes up in the coffin after taking some medication to keep him still during burial, he removes the shroud and realizes that after getting in the coffin that was prearranged, that it was Doc in the coffin, who will no NOT be coming to dig him up! This episode was recreated in the 1980's for the new show based on Hitchcock's original series, and starred Season Hubley as a female inmate, using the basically same plan to escape. This idea may have been used on other shows, but I definitely saw this first used on the AHP show from the 1960's. Hope this helps!

from the early 1950's, has lots of European scenery set in rural France, as does just about any Fellini film, that is set in modern day Italy. You could also look for "Roman Holiday" with Peck and Hepburn as that has some nice scenes in Rome, as does "Three Coins in the Fountain". Even that recent Matt Damon/Jude Law film of the Patricia Highsmith novel, "The Talented Mr. Ripley" has some wonderful European vistas on view. Good luck!

for all the fascinating information and the movie poster book title. You have a marvelous collection, and even more so with the wonderful autographed posters. I've seen "Letty Linton" but have never seen even a repro of a poster. I did think Joan looked fabulous in that film, even though the clothing was not as typical of her, as that of her later films. Yes, I hope I will get to see more European posters or from Belgium, before I croak and end up with Frederic March and Lionel Barrymore.