movieman1957

Thanks Ginny. I wasn't familiar with him in anything else and I sure didn't want to go through every Van Dyke episode to find him. I guess I could have found something on Youtube now that I think of it. I appreciate you finding it.

Isn't a great deal of comedy based on pain or at someone's expense? Sure, as long as it's not us, I guess.

Best L&H imitations I ever saw was Dick Van Dyke and the man who played Ollie. (Sorry, I don't know his name.) They both were very good. I like the Marxes and Stan and Ollie even though they really target different audiences. I wonder if people who only see the cruelty in L&H that they miss the deep affection they had (and their characters had for each other.) Loyal to the end.

Well, one can make an argument for - "Operation Petticoat" or "I Was A Male War Bride." I'm guessing the former more than the latter though. Some of my favorites are all over your list.

I think just from a filming standpoint it needed to be a silent film or cartoon. That way, whether we feel it forced or not, the laughting is continuous. I think if it is interrupted then Sturges loses the steam in what I think he was trying to point out. With the background of the congregation and the prisoners the novelty of these events may be as much a willingness to throw themselves into it as much as what they might have found funny. I've never looked at the film as screwball though there are a few scenes with that but there is some dark humor there but I think it a different manner of film than "Palm Beach Story."

I think the sacrifice is his killing Valance. By doing that he allows the community to go forward and he gives up Hallie in the process. He has to live with the murder. It wasn't self defense and I think that bothers him.

I do. I had seen listings but frankly couldn't remember when it was on. Currently my OnDemand is chock full of "Have Gun Will Travel" and "Rawhide."

*a certain range of years known as the classic era of classical music!* Yes. It usually is considered around Mozart and Haydn. You get some early Beethoven but he is what moved into (or at least pointed to) the "Romantic" era. Mostly thought that period involves Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Schubert, etc.

I've always felt their term "classic" referred to a time frame rather than the total quality of the films. They do the same thing with music and even periods of "classical" music is subdivided more and with cars and any number of things that are "old." As time goes they will add newer movies as they always have but until the day that the corporate entity that owns them decides this can no longer be a charitable endeavor it will stay true to its mission. If only it were up to TCM alone.

If they still have the rights to "Cheyenne" I wish they'd still show them regularly. (Unless they're getting them back.) I like the 30 minute "Gunsmoke" episodes but they've been running the usual 60 minute shows for a long time. It wouldn't hurt to swap them out.

Lennon could write melodies as lovely as anyone too. "Across The Universe."

Two for Dean Jagger. Interesting? Just kidding, interesting variety though.

I saw "The Searchers" at a theater tonight with a group of about 60 people. (Wouldn't surprise me if there were more.) It looked great but the sound was a little disappointing. It was great fun to see it on the big screen. Powerful and beautiful looking it was great to be reminded of how good Wayne was as Ethan. The unspoken things between Ethan and Martha seemed more transparent in the beginning. The contrast between the dark and light seemed more stark. It was great to finally see it. The audience seemed engaged. They laughed at the right places and seemed be moved as intended. Some young friends came and really enjoyed it as well.

Welcome to the 5000 club. You have been such a treat here. Thanks.

Sounds like us. If the four of us ever get to dinner the question would be do we go out or oder in and then what movie are we watching.

I agree with you about Ann. She was weak from the start. If she ever got strong (and that isn't quite the right word) it was late after Scott used her for the money but she was the weakest in the bunch. I think early on the rest of the women carried her in the group. But she had the most to lose. Gene gets Glenn, the other husbands come home and Ann is left without anyone to love her or even pay attention to her. She's going to be lonely unless she decides to leave. I think the prison was local too but right out of the gate I was impressed with the location shots. I was a little stretched to think a bunch of men so ill prepared for a journey would make it. I get the old man dying but as cold as it was and with no food, not enough of the right clothing makes for a tough trip. They did do well sliding down the mountain side.

The "small world" is the backbone of the movie. What are the odds that Ford and the gang just happen to fall into some remote mountain village only to stumble on the fiance of the man who railroaded him to jail? I don't think he came there looking for him right off or did I miss something? (It's nice to be back in the middle of a ramble with my favorite people! I've missed it.)

I figured they were staying there. They may have told the posse one thing but if he goes anywhere else I figured he wouldn't have that luxury. They would still be after him. It was nice and quiet in the middle of those 8 or 10 families. Nobody would bother him there.

It seems more like Miss Sweet T has done away with us. I haven't seen her lately unless she's travelling somewhere on the boards that I'm not. Anyway, isn't that kind of the point of British boy's schools? Pre WWI, Victorian age, etc. they were full of themselves as were the families. They seemed to be on a bigger mission than an education. It was training fot the Empire. It did seem fun was frowned on though. That may have helped Chips' transformation for Wendy and me. From the darkness to the light.

The best parts of the film involve their relationship. I love the way she opens him up. He is more confident with himself even after he loses her. She transforms him. He may stil be the same soft spoken man he was before but he doesn't come across as scared like he did earlier. Donat makes it worth watching though. In lesser hands it might be the film for us that it is for Sir Francis.

She was terrific. Great legs too.

Even for all my complaining (which is odd that I might be so different from all of you) I do like the way it ended. It preceeds "The Fastest Gun Alive" in the way it deals with one of the characters. Having been convinced thatthings did happen the way Ford told them and the way he handled himself he finally proves himself worth a second chance. It's probably not realistic but in a community that small they will be able to handle things. Ford will have to show he is worthy of their trust.

That's an interesting parallel between "Chips" and "Line" and I'm embarrassed that it never occurred to me. How interesting that you don't like "Chips." I'm rather fond of it. Has there been a ramble on "Chips"? If not maybe we can chat on it someday.

I wasn't as fond of "Convict Lake" as you and some of the other ladies, and especially M. Grimes. My problems were with the ladies themselves. Stern, hesitant, careful and ready to defend themselves at the beginning let it all slip away in a hurry. They mostly lost what they had and succumb to their softer nature and against their better judgement especially in Dvorak's case. It's not as bad for Tierney as Ford has to try a little harder to break her resistance but it comes too easily after she reads the article and is prepared to abandon her fiance convinced by that alone that he is a twit. Good performances but I would have liked it better if the women had put up a fight a little longer.

Good evening Sir Francis: Glad to see more of your thoughts on the film. *When someone shows faith in you, what do you with that faith?* You affirm the faith. Maybe it's the speed with which the women (some) turned it all over. That's my problem with Dvorak. She goes from tough girl to weak almost in a heartbeat. And when she is at her weakest she helps Scott try and find the money even though it's her brother that is supposed to have it. (BTW, I found myself yelling at the TV when she throws a lantern, of all things, at a noise in a barn. Talk about not thinking....) *I think The Secret of Convict Lake really isn't about the actual events in the film but more so about human nature, particularly a woman's nature. I believe women wish to trust men but they are typically protective from the start for they have a lot to protect. Men need to prove themselves to women.* On this we agree. I don't think anyone tried (save Ford) to prove themselves. This is what, for me, made Dvorak especially frustrating. Her lonliness trumped her better sense. I get Tierney's softening to Ford but all without hearing out "Rudy." Again, maybe it was the speed and for me how easy it came after a certain point.