movieman1957

No. I've never even heard of it. I'll just catch it next time.

>I only heard of Heat Lightning because of Molo - or was it movieman1957? I Unfortunately, it was not me.

I second Fred's recommendation.

Re: Many Rivers To Cross. There is no real good place to put any comment on this film so I thought I'd put something in the catch-all thread here. (Sorry if it doesn't work.) With a title like this and Robert Taylor one might think you are getting a western. You would be mostly wrong. It is about 85% romantic comedy and 15% frontier action. That is because it is one of the few romantic comedies that has a body count. Trapper "Bushrod Gentry" (Robert Taylor) meets Mary Stuart Churn (Eleanor Parker) after she helps him in an Indian attack. That is where the drama ends for most of the film. What lies in between is Mary Stuart trying to marry Bushrod much to the support of her family and the dismay to her boyfriend. Only after being tricked into doing just that and initial marital squabbles do they come to an understanding. Some nostalgic casting makes this all the more fun. Alan Hale, Jr. and Russell Johnson appear together without benefit of the fact that in 10 years they will both be lost on an island together with some knucklehead named Gilligan. James Arness shows up as a fellow trapper who is just too tired of people asking how the weather is at 6'6" and has wounded a few for the asking. Arness is as animated and fun as you are going to see. Rosemary DeCamp is his wife and quite frankly looks several years older. Victor McLaglen plays Parker's father in a role not unlike Will Danaher. The best is the roles played by Taylor and Parker. They are both fun. Taylor surprisingly so. The last bit comes some action but even that is played for laughs. And it is fun. Parker pretending to mourn Taylor being dead while telling him an Indian approaching is a highlight and fun turn by Parker. So, don't think you are getting a western. Yeah, it may be set in 1790s Kentucky but there isn't a horse to be found and it is all more about love than anything else. Nothing wrong with that.

Dear MissT: I met your Bushrod Gentry today. What a quirky movie. When is a western not a western? When it is set in Kentucky and not a horse to be found. When does a romantic comedy have a body count? When it is "Many Rivers To Cross." It was fun and almost defies classification. Having to skip over the credits because of a disc problem I was surprised by some of the familiar faces. More can be discussed somewhere else but I wanted you to know, I like him. I like Mary Stuart Churn too, Edited by: movieman1957 on Mar 13, 2010 2:01 PM

Darn. I was watching something else.

Beethoven's 7th Symphony - 2nd movement. Because it is a good day for it. Edited by: movieman1957 on Mar 12, 2010 2:50 PM

Yes. If I can get my act together and remember to tape it. I'm afraid to write anything anymore. At least I'll be reading.

I was wrong. I misread the other comment. It's amazing what the wrong punctuation will do. I'd just go back to bed if I were home. I don't know what is wrong with me lately. Sorry.

"BabyT" was sick. I'm always the last to know. Glad she is better enough to share her list.

You do have Jean Arthur ranked very high. You have excellent taste. Have you seen "A Lady Takes A Chance"? It has John Wayne and Jean Arthur. I haven't developed a point system to show how you might enjoy it but your list suggests it. Carry on.

>People loved those films from 1938-1848 (war years excepted.) Many still do. Yes, it was to be 1948. (Influenced by PDQ Bach I guess.)

>However, his "common man" films lean too heavy on the corny side. "Heavily" may be a debatable term but that is why we have "Capracorn." People loved those films from 1938-1848 (war years excepted.) Many still do. Angry? Probably not but you might get some folks who disagree.

1949. Great performance by Peck.

This was my first look at Monty Wooley a long time ago and found him wonderful. The Paddy Chayevsky script is early enough in his career not to be too cynical while wonderfully pointing out the folly of the business plan. It feels far ahead of its time looking back on 60 years later so some of the bite and sentiment seems new enough. As I a had wanted to see it again I wasn't aware of the Monroe marketing of it but having seen another Monroe film in that package where she is negligible it is a bit of cheap tie in.

97. "No. I'm not wearing a sweater."

>Keep in mind, not everyone who is smart is sharp, particularly when it comes to life experience. And even tougher when not so smart.

I'm with you about Fonda in "Yours, Mine and Ours" but later Lucy does nothing for me. I haven't seen "Manton" in years and I am trying to correct that. Fonda is certainly a secondary role to Stanwyck but her is around enough to make me wish some of those smarts he is supposed to have would show up. For me it might have been more fun if Fonda had been more Stanwyck's intellectual equal. Seeing her get hers would have helped. Coburn, as always, is fun.

Good evening Sir Francis. I am not as big a fan as our lovely friend. It makes me a little uncomfortable watching Fonda look like such a goof. And I generally really like Sturges.

>I'm glad you are starting to realize you actually like Henry Fonda. You can go ahead and put his comedies aside. There aren't but a handful. The odd "On Our Merry Way" is one you might get out of after his and Stewart's segment. I think he is a riot in "The Cheyenne Social Club."

How about Dvorak's dramatic opening to his 7th Symphony?

I also found it interesting how many of the men on your list are Ford or more than that Western characters. An interesting list.

The ending (shooting) kind of works along the same line but has a different treatment with the end of "The Fastest Gun Alive." Some want to be it until they are. The kid in 'The Gunfighter" thinks how killing Ringo will give him fame and notoriety. It will but not the kind he wants. Now he is the one with the bullseye on him. I don't think he was counting on that. In "The Fastest Gun Alive" Ford does it for self defense but he is aware of what would befall him if he wins which he is not convinced he can do. He doesn't want the bullseye.

Well, once again I have managed to mess things up. I know I recorded it but either my friend has it (and a bunch of other westerns) or I got a bad recording and didn't keep it. More likely the first. I'm glad I remembered enough to play along. You two keep going and I'll join in where I can. Thank you both.

Carolann nor I were particularly thrilled with "Dorian Gray." Sanders was great but if Hadfield had showed any emotion I think his face would crack. Beautiful sets but I just didn't feel anything. I saw it years ago but didn't find it all that interesting. (Maybe it is the continual and bewildering mood I cannot shake.) I still have to go watch "The Gunfighter." I don't remember it striking me as something with a great deal of tension. The most tension that I recall was if Peck's wife(?) would see him. That was going to be a large part in validating his change. Mostly I thought there were good performances The one scene that I remember being fun was the ladies club demanding they run Ringo out of town. I just looked at it as satire of all those ladies clubs in all those other westerns that have nothing better to do than to decide who should stay or go. They never realize that often it is they who should leave. Edited by: movieman1957 on Mar 9, 2010 12:12 PM