lzcutter

The Crawford version changed the time era of the original book and included a murder mystery that wasn't part of Cain's book. Many of the characters in the book appear in the Crawford version. This version isn't really a remake. It goes back to the Depression era setting (as opposed to post-war Los Angeles) and is much more faithful to the story of the book than the Crawford version. None of this is meant to take away from the Crawford version. I love it and think Crawford, Jack Carson, Zach Scott and Anne Blythe all give terrific performances. But this version is able to go back to the original material and deal with the material in a way that Michael Curtiz and crew could not due to the Production Code of the time.

*Did they throw them away or sell them?* MGM had a huge auction back in 1970. They auctioned off costumes, props and more. Debbie Reynolds bought a number of costumes that were the basis of her collection that she hoped to turn into a museum. A number of items including a set of the ruby slippers were said to have been smuggled out by former employees and others connected to the auction house. Many items were donated to various archives Mounds of scripts, sheet music, audio recordings, wardrobe sketches and more were used as landfill for the expansion of Interstate 5 up near Newhall and Santa Clarita. Other artifacts were put on display on at the original MGM Grand Hotel when it opened in Las Vegas in 1973. The majority of those costumes and props were lost when a fire all but destroyed the hotel/casino in 1980 and killed a number of patrons. There is a book about the search for the various pairs of ruby slippers: http://www.amazon.com/Ruby-Slippers-Oz-Rhys-Thomas/dp/0942139097 I still think there is a terrific documentary to be made on the history of the MGM backlots and the dismantling of the studio for the 1970 auction. *When the Lion Roared* was more focused on the regal history of the studio and its legacy with the auction a brief footnote.

Wouldbe, I believe the always effervescent Suex2Applegate arrives on Wednesday as well. I'll be hanging around the Roosevelt that afternoon as well. Perhaps the three of us can arrange to meet up and maybe have a cup of java or a drink later in the afternoon?

*Do you know any more about when the interview will take place & aired?* The interview with Peter O'Toole will take place at the end of April during the second annual TCM Film Festival. The Luise Rainer interview took place last year during the Festival and aired on TCM in January of this year. If TCM follows a similar pattern this year, the O'Toole interview should air next winter.

Rich, I dig you big time, baby!!!! I wisely kept my diet coke away from my keyboard and my hands while reading your post which is a good thing because otherwise you would owe me yet another keyboard. As I suspected, your recap was better than I remember the film being but, with your recaps, that is usually the case. I would love to see this one on *Underground* sometime. Poor Bert Freed, maybe he took the role of the controlling, corrupt dad in *Billy Jack* (another *Underground* contender), because of his role in this film. Just a theory. And Chris Jones was very dreamy. But, I still don't know how my friend could take this film so seriously back in 1968 and not see the laughter in it. I'd say more about Max Frost as president in 1968 but I don't want this thread hijacked! A thousand thanks! I have to go drink some diet coke now!

*There is a link on the Home page, and this was featured on TCM Now Playing The Show for April, which I recorded two weeks ago, but haven't seen it since.. Has anybody else? What is the sense of running it after the special has already been on?* Jeffrey, I'm confused about your line "What is the sense of running it after the special has already been on?" If you are referring to TCM's *Now Playing*, that is a monthly short feature that highlights the programming each month. The one for April began playing in late March and will play until late April when it is replaced by the segment for May. As for promotion of *Fragments* there have been news articles not only on the TCM website but the web in general. Here in California, there was an article about it in one of the SF newspapers and, I believe, the LA Times. It also got coverage last year when it was part of the TCM Film Festival.

*I think I remember seeing seeing The Old Dark House with Karloff, Laughton & Melvyn Douglas, et al sometime within the last two years* Stephan, I think your memory is correct. I have the film on our latest Tivo at home and we swapped our old one out for the new one in late Nov. 2008. Hopefully, the contracts between Universal and AMC for many of the classic Uni horror films are coming to an end for all our sakes. Hoping, hoping, hoping.. as usual.

*"Some of these films just seem to drop out of sight and they aren't on any channel for years." - FCD* AMC usually has them tied up, especially at Halloween time. It could be that the deal that TCM has with Universal will yield more treasures like today's screening. Here's hoping....

Oh, Helen, I liked Chris Jones plenty! But the rest of the movie just had me in stitches and my friend failed to see the humor I found in it.

Suex2, Keep an eye out for TCM City poster "butterscotchgeer" as she is planning to attend as well!

Oops! Can you add Disney and film historian JB Kaufman to your list. He's introducing the *grams*.

ABC has the 1956 version of *The Ten Commandments* on an exclusive rental/lease. They have had that contract for over 25 years now and I believe it extends for at least another five.

Suex2, Could you add the Walt Disney's Laugh-O-grams (1923) to your list? Thanks!

Suex2, Cari Beauchamp, Donald Bogle and Ileana Douglas are returnees this year as well!

*I personally wish that someone in the TCM world, either involved or aware of all this, would give us some names.* Stephan, In one of the many threads with issues about the upgrade, FredCDobbs posted the names, emails and phone numbers of some staffers whose contact info he found. You might trying searching Dobbsy's recent posts to find that info and contact those staffers.

Wolfie, I just checked it out and it loaded fine. I am using Firefox and recently installed the FF update, if that helps!

Chief, The *Two Weeks with Love* poster is one patful would have loved!

Filmlover, Randolph (cue chorus) Scott, Joel McCrea (SOTM, Please) and Barbara Stanwyck all took Will Rogers advice and invested in land in the San Fernando Valley. Made all three richer than their Hollywood salaries in the post-war land boom that changed the valley from orange groves to the suburbs. Bob Hope was another. He invested in various land holdings in Toluca Lake and Burbank when both were small sleepy little towns. While his estate has sold off some of those holdings, they still control a number of them.

Rich, I "heart" you! I had a friend in junior high who thought this movie was the best film she had ever seen. I've lost count on how many times she saw it. I went once and she was offended that I laughed through-out the film because she took it so seriously. Our friendship didn't survive. Can't wait to read your recap!

Stephen and everyone, I have worked for a company where we had a website and due to changing technologies, we needed to upgrade. During the upgrade process if you asked 98% of the employees what was happening with the upgrade, they likely would have said, "it's going to be awesome". 98% of them weren't involved in providing the content for the upgrade and only had the most basic idea that the upgrade was going to be an improvement. They weren't involved in the planning that would be needed for the upgrade. A very small group of employees were entrusted with that. The web company was responsible for the design and the programming of the new website, not any of those 98% of employees. That's what I meant about painting all the employees with the broad brush that with this means that somehow all of the TCM employees have betrayed us. The web company hired to do this job is at fault. As is whoever signed onto this upgrade without fully understanding the ramifications of the changes involved. By now, there probably isn't an employee at TCM that isn't aware that there are problems with the upgrade. But, on a daily basis, when push comes to shove, those 98% of the employees have to care more about meeting their deadlines because it impacts the way the rest of the channel runs. If they miss their deadlines, there will be bigger problems than the ones facing the schedule and the database. I am not trying to minimize the problems with the upgrade to the schedule, to the database or to these message boards. Those problems demand answers and resolutions to the problems. All I am saying is that let's try to keep some perspective about who to blame in all of this and concentrate on those involved and not everyone who happens to work at TCM. One thing long-term posters at this message board have learned over the years is that it is possible for various departments and various employees to care very much about how posters think about the channel and interact with it AND still have a major disconnect involved when it comes to the message boards and the website. Keeping an eye on the problems and those responsible can be much more effective than blaming everyone whose paycheck says TCM.

*Then I guess you've also confirmed both CineMaven & my suspension.* *Evidently there is" no criteria for TCM employees to be fans of classic movies," or the TCM channel for that matter;* I am going to go out on a limb here because I think TCM hired an outside company to design the upgrade. In terms of a network, it has a fairly small staff compared to other networks like CBS, NBC, etc. All last month, during "Employee Picks" how much the staff loves classic movies and that they all seem to wear a couple of different hats when it comes to doing their jobs. That would indicate that a company that specializes in web design and programming was brought in. It's just a thought but your (the universal your) ire maybe should be directed at that company and whoever at TCM that okayed all the ideas that have rendered the schedule and database harder for those of us who use computers to access the info we need. Painting the entire staff with such a broad brush makes them all responsible for these problems and the majority of them have likely only the barest of ideas that the website was getting upgraded and nothing more.

"I know it's not always easy being my friend, but I'll be there when you need me." Doc Holiday (Dennis Quaid), *Wyatt Earp*

What a great line-up of films! *Goldfinger*, *Gaslight* and *Now, Voyager* and Jerry Mathers, Dorothy Herrmann (Bernard's daughter) and Cheryl Evan (Roy and Dale's daughter). David Stenn introducing a Clara Bow film, YAY!!!! Just want to add that noted Disney historian, JB Kaufman, will be introducing the recently restored Walt Disney *Laugh-O-grams.* These are the earliest known examples of animation by Walt Disney and his crew of Kansas City animators, produced before Walt lit out for that territory beyond, Hollywood. Two of the shorts being featured are the recently recovered *Peroxide Kid* (aka Goldilocks) and *Jack the Giant Killer*. Both were believed lost until MoMA discovered them in mismarked cans. The shorts are being presented in partnership with The Walt Disney Family Museum and MoMA. Hope to see you there!

Fredb, Both Quaid and Kilmer steal their respective movies as Doc Holliday. They each give very different performances. In *Wyatt Earp*, Quaid's was his come-back role after years of bad choices, drug rehab and the feeling that he had squandered that remarkable talent of his. Kilmer's performance fit *Tombstone* like a glove. He proved, with that role, that he could move into character roles with the same intensity and the same talent he had brought to his starring roles. The are both excellent as Doc and together, probably give us a good idea of what the real Holliday might have been like.

*For example: last year nothing for K.Grayson. This year - nothing for Jane Russell.* Kathryn Grayson *DID* have a tribute last year. She died last February and a two film tribute was held on April 18th as well as an all day tribute in August. Jane Russell *IS* getting a tribute this June on her birthday.