johnnyweekes70

Lubitsch's THE MERRY WIDOW.

alix1929, I agree with you on the smouldering eyes bit, and I think Valentino would too. The smouldering eyes and sensual gazes are absent in COBRA and the film, self-produced, is a parody the Valentino image. It's available on DVD from Image-Entertainment in a beautiful print showcasing William Cameron Menzies fantastic sets. Valentino was more than aware of his image and no doubt believed it was ridiculous. You could be right, in that he probably would have evolved into a character actor, maybe like Gilbert Roland. And, the realfuster, what was the record he sang on? I'd love to hear it but I'm sure it's fairly obscure.

Allan (Rocky) Lane. And who said that to William Holden?

alix1929, as I recall, every man in THE LAST FLIGHT wants Helen Chandler. They barge their way into her apartment, flop on her couches, attempt to do her bidding and virtually everything else for her. All but Barthelmess...bad hands and all. It's just that I don't get it, she's as cold as ice, portrayed as having less than half-a-brain, zero charisma but these men worship her, objectify her body, and make fools of themselves for her. And WWI was supposed to be the cause of this? Eddie Bartlett didn't behave like that.

Did it appear that I was suggesting Patton was some kind of lothario? I don't think so; I only meant that I've never read anywhere that Marlene had dalliances at the Siegfried Line (or anywhere else) with the boys but only the brass.

I don't think THE LAST FLIGHT was very well received on its initial release. It wasn't exactly the kind of fodder that makes for box office bonanzas. For a first American film, William Dieterle proved he was a first-rate director from the get-go but my main beef with the film is that I find the Helen Chandler character, and the mens' attitude towards her incredibly sexist and pointedly ridiculous. I somehow can't get beyond that to really appreciate the film.

erzbet wondered if Gilbert's career was sabotaged. There's a story that Mayer and Gilbert were in a men's room weeks after Garbo left Gilbert high and dry at the alter and Mayer said something to the effect that Gilbert should've just been satisifed with having his way with her. Gilbert supposedly punched Mayer and the studio chief never forgive him. Interestingly enough, his career declined after that and, given the idiotic lines he spoke in THE HOLLYWOOD REVUE OF 1929 and the negative audience reaction to HIS GLORIOUS NIGHT, there enough to go on to believe his voice was badly recorded at a time when Norma Shearer's was consistent from REVUE, THEIR OWN DESIRE and on. Gilbert's voice in QUEEN CHRISTINA is absolutely fine and no less effective than Douglas Fairbanks Jr or any other mustachioed persona of the time. I think Valentino would have fared well in sound had he lived, not withstanding that not too many people living (if any) can recall what his voice sounded like. I disagree that his style of acting was on the way out by the coming of sound. His subdued performance in COBRA is a testament to what he could really achieve with his acting.

That Laird Cregar's death was self-imposed is probably more distressing than many other actors' and actresses' careers cut short. There's a great book called "Behind the Screen" about the 'secret' gay life of many of Hollywood's most prominent figures and Cregar's tragic story only deepens with the information supplied in the book.

Wait a minute, I thought this thread was about WWI. How did Dietrich come up? Regarding WWI, what would Hemingway have done without it? Would Max Linder have offed himself and his wife? What would John Monk Saunders' career have been? And I'm still trying to figure out why THE LAST FLIGHT is so highly regarded.

Another interesting story concerns the lengths Propaganda Minitster Goebbels went to destroy Dietrich's image for German audiences while secretly obsessing about getting her back home to work for the Fatherland. Strange fellow, that Dr. Goebbels. And I can't see Dietrich giving a part of herself to boys went she was seeing men like George Patton.

As alleycat1920 noted, Carole Lombard's premature death is one of the greatest losses film ever had. She was so talented, beautiful and would have probably ended up making some Hitchcock films better with her inimitable presence. Humphrey Bogart, Gary Cooper and Clark Gable all smoked too much and should have enjoyed careers at least into the '70s. Bogart would have made a great cantakerous old man in '70s cinema. Who knows what Ross Alexander or Robert Williams would have done, even Marilyn. And poor Warren Oates should still be flashing that ridiculously toothy grin. And then there's Tyrone Power...

Shucks, cindbm, we all make mistakes. Except Greta Garbo leaving Hollywood because of films like THE PAINTED VEIL.

I'm out of the loop. Is Tom Hanks getting a lifetime achievement award? If so, that's positively ridiculous. How about Charles Lane?

To attempt an answer to your question, jaguares1985, I suspect PRIDE OF THE MARINES is not available is as simple as not every film can make it to the home market. For Garfield, one might presume that DAUGHTERS COURAGEOUS would have seen a VHS release because FOUR DAUGHTERS was such a hit and the "sequel," in my opinion, was better, but still no "official" DAUGHTERS COURAGEOUS can we buy. Similarly, CASTLE ON THE HUDSON, NOBODY LIVES FOREVER and DUST BE MY DESTINY can only be appreciated on TCM. Columbia/Sony had the smarts to put out WE WERE STRANGERS on DVD, a long unavailable John Huston film that pits Garfield with Jennifer Jones and an excellent addition to a Garfield collection. But one can only wonder who decides what comes out for the home market.

I believe he was referring to Gary Cooper.

bansi4, that line from MUMMY'S CURSE is absolutely brilliant! I watched that film awhile back but must have dozed off and missed it. hlywdkjk has a good one with another Bette Davis classic (she uttered so many) from NOW, VOYAGER. I believe the line actually reads "Oh, Jerry, don't let's ask for the moon. We have the stars." Unreal tripe but so darned infectious.

There's so many. I'm sure Bette Davis' "What a dump!" from the BEYOND THE FOREST or "Fasten your seatbeats, it's going to be a bumpy ride" from ALL ABOUT EVE will turn up (although I think George Sanders' "I'm Addison DeWitt and I'm nobody's fool, least of all yours" is superior). Maybe "Last night I dreamed I went to Manderley again" from REBECCA (although I think George Sanders' "I'd like to have your advice on how to live comfortably without working hard" is superior). I'm sure everybody has their favorites.

How about "What we have here is a failure to communicate" from COOL HAND LUKE?

China.

Another excellent Garfield film, though one rarely considered in the same league as BODY AND SOUL or FORCE OF EVIL is NOBODY LIVES FOREVER, made during that mid-40s winning streak Garfield was on. An underrated, excellent film, I think. My personal favorite Garfield performance is in DESTINATION TOYKO as a sailor with sex on the brain even during attacks from the Japanese. A very understated performance, much like DUST BE MY DESTINY. Really, Garfield paved the road for Brando and Dean, DeNiro and Pacino. Watch FOUR DAUGHTERS and Garfield sticks out from the cast like a flower in a desert.

Hope Emerson in John Cromwell's CAGED.

I agree with you it's doubtful MGM holds the North American rights to IRON PETTICOAT. Leonard Maltin might be the one to ask. It seems he had the legal battle behind IRON PETTICOAT set aside long enough to screen the film at the Museum of Modern Art in 1976. Like Hope's 1941 NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH, withdrawn after its initial release for legal reasons, a release of IRON PETTICOAT, at least in North America, seems to be a pipe-dream. Strange, the film has much behind it: future James Bond producer Harry Saltzman's first production, in addition to the teaming of Hope and Hepburn. Since both passed away in recent memory, one might have assumed whoever holds the rights wouldn't mind making a quick buck off people like us. I could be wrong.

IRON PETTICOAT was a Romulus production, the same company that backed AFRICAN QUEEN which also comes with IRON PETTICOAT on the Region 2 release. MGM had the theatrical rights.

Like many other releases, IRON PETTICOAT is available on DVD in the UK through Carlton. It's a shame. I'm a big Hope fan and sincerely hope (no pun intended) more later Hope makes it to the Region 1 home market, including IRON PETTICOAT and Hope's dramatic turn, BEAU JAMES, almost never revived. I wouldn't be satisfied with a broadcast of either; I have to own them!

Barbara Stanwyck in Preston Sturges' THE LADY EVE.