johnnyweekes70

I knew heard that Foster would play Riefenstahl. What a fiesty, gifted woman she was! Alongside Robert Wise, I never thought she'd actually pass away until she surprised me by doing so.

A petition against a new Looney Tunes series? Not a bad idea.

Yes, 1939 was the golden year for Hollywood (and the year my late mother and my mother-in-law was born). There's even a book out on the subject (the films, that is) and a documentary about it on the Dark Victory DVD. In addition, there's Stagecoach, The Roaring Twenties, Goodbye Mr Chips, Destry Rides Again, Only Angels Have Wings, Drums Along the Mohawk, Ninotchka, Bachelor Mother, Made for Each Other, Dodge City, The Women, Gunga Din, Intermezzo...scores of great films, even On Borrowed Time, one of my favourite Lionel Barrymore pictures.

I think MGM gave it (Garbo's accent) a lot of thought. I think the only other studio star who withheld from talkies as long was Lon Chaney. Judging from her sound roles, most were foreign characters, a ploy not clever enough to disguise the realisation that MGM was wary of her success with American audiences with her Swedish accent. O'Neill's play was on-target for an initial sound appearance though the film is so static and arch whereas Feyder's German version is anything but. It's a shame so many of the foreign performers of the period were literally forced into exile from Hollywood. Emil Jannings' career slid into the hands of Joseph Goebbels and not many have seen the films he made after The Blue Angel. That Garbo prospered in the sound era, at least until she was labelled box-office poison, is surely a sign for her detractors of her magnetic attraction and undeniable talent in the midst of trashy and derivative scripts. I'd love to see some of the foreign-language versions of his films that Buster Keaton made. They're probably funnier than the originals.

I finally saw this picture and was duly impressed but I'm wondering about one thing. When Wayne is just about the land the plane, there's a quick close-up, in wonderful CinemaScope, wherein he drawls, "Now I lay me down to sleep!" Surely, this is has got to be the first instance of the later cliched action-star reciting the humourous line-to-end-all-lines...you know the ones I mean. Am I wrong? Is there an earlier example?

I've had the German version awhile and greatly prefer it to the standard version. Garbo's questionable character is certainly a little more evident via some outrageous make-up and more risque clothes. She seems relaxed, or comfortable, speaking in German and her acting shows because of it. Even though the character in O'Neill's play suits Garbo, I think the German version is simply more appealling because it presents a different side to Garbo's acting, and her delivering dialogue in German is a treat. I wish she'd made more alternate versions of her early sound pictures. I live in Canada and my access to TCM is currently been put on hold. For some reason, the boxset doesn't come out here until Tuesday so I'll be checking out the new documentary at some point soon. I have a feeling, from reading other posts and just a gut feeling, that I'll still prefer the documentary I saw on PBS over a decade ago.

Hi Carlotta, I thought I've heard, or read, rumours that a Gable signature set, or least a Gable set, was being prepared. Someone posted this quite awhile ago, along with information about a Harlow set, which could very well include some Gable films. I don't think the wait will be too long.

path40b, A Bill of Divorcement is a good one from many standpoints. John Barrymore is marvelous as a father and husband who returns to his family after over a decade in a mental institution only to find out his wife, Billie Burke, has divorced him and wants to many Paul Cavanaugh and his daughter, whom he has never known, is in love with and wants to marry David Manners. It's a mature, sensitive film featuring heartfelt and genuine performances by all, especially Burke and Barrymore, and it's a marvel that Hepburn is so confident, holding her own against Barrymore and Burke, even though she comes from a stage background. There's some wonderful moments between Burke and Barrymore but the real wonders come as Hepburn spends time with and gets to know her father. I can't ruin the film by describing anything other than the general plot. I'm surprised the film doesn't turn up on TCM; maybe it has and I'm just not aware of that. I know it's not in their library but it's such a crucial film for all concerned and far superior to the 1940 remake with Adolphe Menjou and Maureen O'Hara. I'm not saying it's to your, or everyone's, taste but I like it and was impressed by a great screen debut by Hepburn (and John Barrymore, whom I greatly appreciate).

Simone Simon and Kent Smith in The Curse of the Cat People. R.I.P. Robert Wise.

The Train and The Sea Hawk.

Katharine Hepburn in A Bill of Divorcement.

I was sure it was Bibi Anderson but Liv Ullman also came to mind. Maybe that was it. I've got it somewhere, from PBS when it originally aired, so I'll have to check. I meant 'passed over for a new one' because I'm always amazed at superb documentaries that slip into oblivion.

I have to agree. If people who enjoy Garbo's work, such as myself, are "dupes" than practically everyone out there who enjoys classic film are dupes themselves as almost everyone and everything connected to the Golden Age of Hollywood has been entirely transformed and fabricated. I'm not embarrassed to say that I like John Wayne's films, maybe not everything about Wayne the man, but a lot of people have fallen foul of believing Wayne was Wayne and not Marion Morrison, which remained in private until he died. I know the difference and I like Wayne as Wayne but I don't think I've been duped. To be sure, people are entitled to their opinions but I think Garbo's getting a raw deal. Her legend, if you want to call it that, stems from being an original (fabrication, if you must) at a time when almost every woman on the American screen was a just a shade of the same colour. I think I've already said that somewhere. I think it's a testament to Garbo herself that she has endured so long given the nonsense that most of her films were. So that doesn't mean I've been duped---seduced, yes. I realize Garbo's an acquired taste, but that's how seduction works in terms of appreciation of film-stars, just like in love or people you find attractive for whatever reason.

I generally don't like to go on about my DVD purchases but has anybody noticed those genre double feaure DVDs that Warners put out last month? I didn't, until I came across They Were Expendable/Flying Leathernecks and Bataan/Back to Bataan and nearby jumped out of my skin when I saw an 8.98 price tag on them. Even Battle Cry/Battleground is nice, though Battleground has been previously issued twice in the past year. I wouldn't buy either for twenty bucks but for TEN! Five dollars a film!! Separately, amazon.com is currently listing They Were Expendable at sixteen and Flying Leathernecks at eighteen, and twenty-three at amazon.ca. I certainly wouldn't mind if Warners kept these coming out indefinitely, though more classics could be included in amongst drek like Arthur/Arthur 2 and Cobra/Tango and Cash. Yet another reason to view Warner Home Video as the best thing going in home entertainment today.

I'm sure films have been made in the past where a woman can show that she doesn't want to be the proper wife of a man without having to bare her boobs...

This film has always been a favourite of mine. In my opinion, most of the Powell-Pressburgers can hold their own over practically everything else ever made. Beyond this film, I Know Where I'm Going, Black Narcissus and One of Our Aircraft is Missing are as equally brilliant. And then there's The Red Shoes. If you like Anton Walbrook...

I'm happy that it turned out to be the Shayne picture, though I'm still interested in why Fox choose the third entry to release instead of the first. There's no rhyme or reason to DVD releases from some companies. The customer review I read on amazon, posted a few days ago, didn't state it was colourized and neither does Movies Unlimited, or apparantly TCM, so I suppose it's safe to buy it (even though I'd just eliminate the colour and watch it in black and white anyway). Why do companies like Fox or Artisan still issue colourized movies? This entirely devalues the past and convinces a younger generation that previous work needs to meet modern standards for it to succeed. That's ridiculous, but I suppose we all know where we stand on that one.

Well, I kind of agree with Leo, that I'd rather see kids watching naked bods instead of blood and gore but that leads to a whole other problem indicative of the transitory nature of love and sex that the youth of today embody. Also, when a sex scene is written into a contract, and I know they are, that suggests to me that modern performers are only as good as their bods (or their doubles' bods) are. I think Nicole Kidman must have it written into her contracts that she appears nude within the first fifteen minutes of every film she's in, at least it seems that way. I was watching Birth the other day, and it's not entirely awful, but there's an irrelevant and obvious sex scene near the beginning that serves no point other than to allow her to appear nude yet again. I think nudity can be used far more creativity and successfully. For instance, Diane Keaton's baring in Something's Gotta Give was surprising and funny. There's nothing really shameful about the human body, in fact, there's nothing shameful at all about the human body, it's just that when image overrules talent, script and everything else outside of photography (coz most sex scenes are nicely photographed) I think it's indicative of a nasty problem going on and one that's tainting the notion of sex and sexuality in addition to the expectations (regarding a film's content) of the majority of cinema-goers today, the kids. Nothing's shocking anymore, except the film I saw last night about retired U.N. Lt. Gen. Romeo Dalliare's return trip to Rwanda after 10 years. The failure of the majority of the world's government to avert that genocide was, and still is, shocking, but that's got nothing to do with Kate Winset's useless nude scene in Titanic. What the hell was the point of that?

lzcutter, Did you ever a late '80s, early '90s documentary on Garbo that Bibi Anderson (if memory serves me correct it was Bibi Anderson, I'll have to check) narrated? It was SO good and SO well put together, I wonder why that one was passed over for a new one.

I like McGraw. He was one of those people I spent years noticing before I ever knew his name. I probably saw him for the first time in Hang 'Em High and most recently in The Bridges at Toko-Ri. I agree he could've been the model for the tough-guy logo. I do, however, think he was leagues out of his territory as Rick in the TV version of Casablanca. No matter how tough and cool McGraw was, he was certainly no match for Bogart. Maybe more people will notice him now that The Narrow Margain is out on DVD. Lucky for him (and us), Howard Hughes didn't shelve and remake the film as he'd thought about doing with, I think, Mitchum and Russell because he figured what was in the can just wasn't very good. Nice you brought him up; with so many figures in Hollywood I suppose many do get overlooked in these forums. And for a tough-guy, what a way to go out!

Back in Circulation runs 81 minutes, which is the listed time on the TCM schedule, and that's the length of the print I taped a few years ago. It's an enjoyable, if not especially original film, and Blondell looks marvelous with shoulder-length hair.

I didn't know Mission of Burma put out a reunion record. I used to hear that band way-back-when at friends' houses but never seemed to get any for myself. I was too busy then listening to Bauhaus and The Sisters of Mercy. What was I thinking? To go from there to Dub/Reggae and then Roger Miller (of '60s fame) is ridiculous. (Hmmm, Roger Miller wrote a song in around 1961 called Burma Shave...connection??) I'll have to give On Off On a listen. Great title for a reunion record. Also the Silents disc. I really, really enjoyed their stuff on The Unknown and would love to drive my wife crazy with it on the road in the vehicle (though she actually sat through the film with me and enjoyed it---she's not one for the silents). Thanks!

Yes, The Alloy Orchestra are amazing. The first time I saw The Unknown, after years of waiting to see it, I was even more impressed by their score, though the film is thoroughly enjoyable in itself. I especially enjoyed their work on the Image release of Man with the Movie Camera, even though they were adapting the cues prepared by Vertov himself. I know I'm not going to be disappointed when I see they've scored a film. And I also think it's hilarious that one of the members shares a name with one of favourite silly performers of all time, Roger Miller. In The Alloy Orchestra, it's Roger C. Miller. Maybe the 'C' is there to make the distinction, though the older Miller has passed on. I've never had the opportunity to hear them live but lucky you! Enjoy! (And I think we're all allowed a minor grammatical slip now and again. The other day I wrote 'convulted' instead of 'convoluted.' I was so embarrassed yet probably no one noticed.)

Gilbert slowly drank himself to death. His heart gave out in 1936 (lots of info on Gilbert in the silent film genre forum). Garbo and Gilbert were going to marry, though I doubt she really seriously considered it, and left him in the lurch in the late twenties. She vied for his services for Queen Christina in an attempt to salvage his career. It didn't work. I think Garbo was cremated and her ashes flown to Stockholm. She starred with Gable in Susan Lenox, Her Rise and Fall (a really awful film). I haven't seen the documentary yet but I guess it must skimp over a lot.

As previously noted and extraordinarily obvious, Garbo is probably the most fascinating figure in film history. But what I think is the most interesting part of the legend is that the allure and mysticism that we associate with Garbo was grafted onto Garbo by the big MGM machine that transformed a young Swedish girl with bad teeth and crazy hair into a 'goddess' placed worlds apart from the Renee Adorees of the period. Photographs of Garbo in athletic-wear and with sports-teams and animals in 1926 gave way to those classic Clarence Bull shots of just a few years later when the personality was squarely in place. Watching Hollywood leap over new 'types' and always attempting to emulate them is a historically fun thing to do. In Victoria Price's book on her father, there's a photo of Vincent that you could swear was Errol Flynn. That Garbo's success influenced Paramount to haul Dietrich here, Goldwyn to valiantly try to make a go of Anna Sten certainly registers Garbo as an important stepping-stone is film history, but what is generally not noted often is the contempt audiences developed for Garbo as her films became more and more maudlin and stepped far outside the mainstream needs Depression audiences needed. What we're left with now is just over a score of films, slickly done, half of them virtual repeats of others with Garbo cruising through them on auto-pilot waiting for the next time she could take a break and go home. I'm absolutely transfixed by Garbo but, as others here have noted about other personalities at MGM in different threads, it's a crying shame the 'creative' forces at MGM could only come up with the same 'mysterious lady' plot again and again and again. The inspired casting of von Stroheim and Garbo falls anywhere short of entertaining; watching Garbo attempt to convince us she's in love with Robert Montgomery is pretty close to hilarious; and even with Gable she seems she'd rather be taking a bath. I've always slightly loathed MGM for the stupid stuff they forced on talented individuals over and over again because if a formula works once and makes money, then history should repeat it. I applaud Garbo more than anyone else in Hollywood history for turning her back on it when she was handed Two-Faced Woman in an another attempt to make lightning strike twice. Interestingly enough, the performance I find the most satisfying is her German-language version of Anna Christie. Thank Heavens it survived to show how slack the domestic version is. It's fascinating to see interpretations by a new generation exposed to the legend for the first time. She's always been there, and always will, in spite the superficial nonsense of Inspiration, Romance, The Painted Veil, The Single Standard, and even the notion of beauty applied to Garbo by MGM, William Daniels, Clarence Brown, whoever. As Keith noted, the depth in her eyes is what makes one come back to her. I get those little goose-bumps even time I see the ending of Queen Christina or the 'remembering-the-room' sequence. What a magnificent lady! And what a rant for a rainy morning.