laffite

...and who felt he might have been upstaged by her. Yours...

*Fyodor Dostoevsky wrote:* >WHITE NIGHTS : A Sentimental Love Story (Memoirs of a Dreamer) *Ivan Turgenev wrote (as quoted by Dostoevsky):* >And was his destined part/Only one moment in his life/To be Close to your Heart *Nastenka (aka Maria Schell) wrote:* >Next week I am to be married to him. He has come back as much in love with me as ever. He has never forgotten me. You (Marcello) will not be angry with me because I have written about him, will you? I would like to come and see you with him. You will like him, won?t you? Forgive me, and remember your----Nastenka *The Dreamer (aka Marcello) wrote back:* >May your sky be always clear, may your dear smile always be bright and happy, and may you be forever blessed for that moment of bliss and happiness you gave to another lonely and grateful heart. So writes Dostoevsky, who, as you may already know, is the source of La Notti Bianche. Well, we know where HE stands. He even declares at the outset that this is a Sentimental Love Story. Since there are two love stories here, we might ask which one. Probably both. Visconti is a little more noncommittal but the "sentimental" side is certainly there if you want it.

Gregory Peck was not the first choice for the lead in Roman Holiday? Who was?

Cinderella cuckold

It's a Wonderful Life phonograph record

*Hi Frank, you write:*: >I haven't seen any Tati. I hope you enjoy Tati when you get to him. He is an acquired taste for some, but I predict you will like him. He is so unique he could be considered a genre unto himself. That sounds like hyperbole, but it isn?t. He seems quite alone in what he does. *Hi Jackie, you write:* >I did watch Le Notti Bianche. A BEAUTIFUL beautiful film. OMG, the lighting was to die for, and I loved the little village set, everything about the movie. And although I balked when Marcello said he was shy, he acted that role perfectly. Both of them were fantastic. There was such nuance, and an air of unreality to the while thing. It makes you wonder whether love is even real. But I have to say, I almost threw my remote control through my screen when she went back with Jean Marais. I was so mad. I like it too but not at first. I thought the setting kind of spooky and claustrophobic. It seemed more like theater than cinema, not that this is a bad thing. I agree Marcello is too good looking for shyness and Maria was vaguely annoying with her crying jags and her laughing jags. What really made the movie for me were those two wonderful scenes when they allowed themselves to be taken in by the present moment, the reality right in front of them. The first was the frenetic dancing scene. It appeared to be overdone at first, jumping around almost like some primeval bacchanal but at least they were not thinking about shyness, dreaminess, being pinned to grandma, or absent lodgers who may or not come back and who may or may not fulfill dreams (what Marcello?s character called a ?fairy tale?). They forgot themselves, they were together, and they were happy! The other scene was in the boat when it starting snowing. Positively exhilarating!! I loved it. This movie had a chance to be a feel-good, happy, love story. But the lodger comes back. I was disappointed too. This is probably wrong but I feel sorry for her. She leaves Marcello with whom she had a spontaneous, baggage-free, and emerging love relationship, to go and CLING (which is what happens when you wait that long) to a stranger SHE DOESN?T EVEN KNOW. It made me feel that perhaps this movie is about, in part anyway, not knowing what is in our best interest, we insist on fairy tales (mental constructs) rather than what we know and see to be right in front of our noses. Edited by: laffite on Feb 3, 2014 1:42 AM

>Football, meh! I'm looking forward to the Puppy Bowl. So are the Denver Broncos >I'm always bowled over by THE LOST WEEKEND. Tremendously groundbreaking. Fantastic performance by Milland. His eyes do all the acting -- superb! Philip Terry in his own way is for some reason almost as creepy as "Bim", lol. I love the architecturally hypnotic ebb and flow of Don Birnham's dialogue (with Ray's unforgettable delivery): "Like this (downward finger snap) and like that" (horizontal finger snap) -- "Another binge, another bender, another spree..." But poor Doris Dowling (terrific) hampered by the Production Code; are we supposed to believe that Glorida conducts "business tours" originating at Nat's Bar, lol? I enjoy Howard Da Silva saying "Mr. Boy-nam". Nifty paragraph, Barb. You are so fun to read... Well, the movie was better than the Bowl, no argument here...

>Her recollection of Jane Wyman: "Wasn't she married to a famous football player?" Well, he DID fumble a lot. Oh,but never mind,sorry,I take it back. A cheap shot. Hey,the SuperB is a yawner so far (22-0) and I don't have anything to do.

Stay tin foil

Harold tried to hand her the check but realized she was made of wax.

>And let us not forget the Indian actress Zohra Sehgal, best known to us as Lili Chatterjee in the early episodes of The Jewel in the Crown. She will be 102 in April. This is slightly off topic, but thank you for bringing up this wonderful series, practically my favorite anything that was ever put on screen. Peggy Ashcroft (I know she is not still with us, sadly) was so good. I read the novels and Barbie was quite a major character. She dominated the third of the four novels. I loved that dotty old woman. Dame Peggy (anything but dotty in real life, at least I hope) in her portrayal was Barby incarnate. Seeing the names of these wonderful actors who are still alive can be uplifting but not without a little sadness as well. Hope they all are happy and healthy as they can possibly be. God Bless You, Zohra. Edited by: laffite on Feb 2, 2014 4:14 AM

Gone with the Wind ticker-tape parade

Hi Barb, how are you (still alive I hope amid all those critters), long time no talk. Gosh, you seem to be in dubious company down there. I hope you like horror (or should I say monster) movies!

*JamesJazzGuitar wrote*: >With regards to When Ladies Meet; That scene with Garson and Crawford is one of the best there is between two first rate female stars. I would of loved to be on the set when that scene was filmed. No sign of one trying to out do the other. Funny, but if either actress would of done that it would of spoiled the scene since each of their characters is clueless to whom the other one is (until Garson starts to figure it out at the end). I made my wife watch this movie and focus on that scene since to me for a 'women's picture' this is art. When I was watching this encounter I made a mental note to come back to that for another reading. I thought it needed mining, a parsing of sorts.. My comment that I thought Greer had got the better of the argument was preliminary and intuitive, but when I went back to nail it down I discovered to my dismay that I had erased the movie from my DVR. Drat! But you?re right, regarding the two actresses, it was evenhanded on both sides and I think the same can be said of the movie as a whole, it was neither one nor the other?s movie, there was a fine balance. *Jackie, you wiite*: >Have you seen the originals of both of those movies? It would be interesting to get your impressions of them too. I think Harriet Craig is good, a solid movie with a very good performance by Crawford, who is so well cast. Craig's Wife with Roz Russell also has a top notch performance, but it is surrounded by a really chilling film, so I give the upper hand to it. Somehow, the bite, the scariness is lost in the Crawford version, the blackness of the idea. Maybe because it's a fifties topic? It seems more appropriate to that era. The thirties Craig's Wife is kind of shocking to me. It comes out of nowhere, and is a rather frightening story of house pride gone horribly wrong. Roz is colder than Crawford, if such a thing is possible?.I prefer the Crawford version of When Ladies Meet, which is odd because I usually go for the pre-codes... but it would be worthwhile to go back and do a re-watch of the movies back to back. I enjoy them all. I haven?t seen either of the earliler versions, but I really want to now. WLM, the early one, has a regular rotation on TCM, HC I don?t? think so. This latter is not on NetFlix either. Roz is colder than Joan, you say. That really IS interesting, Jackie. I didn?t know anyone could outJoan joan in the Cold Department. Joan, if you?re up there (or down there) and can read this, I mean that as a compliment . I am halfway through ROMAN HOLIDAY (1953) and am liking it. Everyone already knows how delectable *Audrey Hepburn* is and I think I knew it too, but I didn?t REALLY know it until NOW. She is _introduced_ in this movie so I guess it?s her first, she is so young and fresh, positively adorable. Early on an Italian housekeeper runs her out of the bathroom and Audrey comes out wrapped in a towel. Talk about arresting. A few minutes later she says to *Gregory Peck*, ?Thank you for letting me sleep in your bed last night.? The context of that statement is squeaky clean but nonetheless to hear those words at face value coming out of the mouth of such an angel is, uh, well, arresting. (Have I mentioned how arresting she is? ) Strangely enough, there is something wrong with Gregory Peck. His role calls for some buoyancy, nimbleness, and banter in the style of light comedy and I don?t think he quite pulls it off for me. At least it?s not a persona that I associate with him and he doesn?t seem comfortable. Maybe he will get better for me in the second half of the film. As for Audrey, she will not get better. How can you improve upon perfection.

>RIP Mr Schell - marvelous actor in all his roles. I also loved Return From the Ashes Hi Lavender That was a good movie. Interesting that it should come up, that was my answer on the wall safe question you posed over there on the trivia board recently. (I'm still trying to think if there was a painting in front of it though ) Talk to you soon around here I'm not all that familiar with his movies, I'm going to look him up. RIP Mr Schell

>I'm picking the Broncos (30-20), but I'm rooting for the Seahawks. But I think it's Peyton's year. He's on a mission, and I think he's going to finish it. It won't be easy The Seahawks are stronger overall IMO. But you're right about Manning, he's itching to 'catch up' with little brother and end all the chatter about that. I can't decide who I want, I like both teams. But just for fun, let's say 37-34 Seahawks, a thriller!

Return from the Ashes (Hi, Lavender, thanks for the greeting, and back to you. Thank you, see you around friendship

I have a bunch of Joanie films on the DVR and last night I watched a couple. I had never even heard of HARRIET CRAIG ( *minor Spoilers* ). We are gradually led through a number of episodes, discovering ever so slowly just exactly who this woman is and what she is capable of doing. There comes a time at last when it becomes nearly impossible not to hate her. They have Joan with that short, manly hairdo which serves to emphasize even more than usual, the strong facial features, giving her a severe and forbidding look. I finally conclude that she is not an intrinsically evil woman, I think she can be seen as a simply but desperately insecure woman. The distinction doesn?t help her in the end. Then THE DAMNED DON?T CRY ( *Spoilers* ), which I though entertaining. She goes from what appears to be a regular type, a loving mother etc., to something completely different. Something happens and she leaves her husband. She gets a regular job where she involves herself, reluctantly at first, in some petty, underhanded activities that provide a little extra income on the side. She learns quickly and soon we see her transformed into an ambitious, even ruthless woman, who gets what she seems to want, a better life through social climbing, through her association with strong but dangerous men, three who seem to fall in love with her (it?s to Joan?s credit that at her age she can still pass for being attractive enough to be so assiduously pursued, that is if you buy it). Eventually she is in over her head and a little of that traditional world view seeps in that we saw at the beginning of the film. Killing people is simply not something she can abide (especially someone she might just possibly be in love with). Unfortunately this film did not have my undivided attention, I found myself engaged in unwanted but necessary activities regarding an ailing computer It was interesting to see Joan and Greer together in LADIES THAT MEET ( *Major Spoilers* ), especially after Mank?s intro regarding the two vying for top banana at MGM, and I was relieved to find that they did not come out clawing each other?s eyes out right there on screen, ha! Striking how different they looked. Joan?s hair looked like typical 40s, elaborate, busy, dowdy by today?s standards, but like they wore in her own time, while Greer looked more modern, her hair could have been anytime much later than when the movie was made. This is certainly not my expertise so I can be corrected on that, but in any case there was a striking contrast for me. Greer has such a glamor look, yet I don?t think she completely upstaged Joan in that way, but it could have happened. Joan is no slouch but Greer is a truly beautiful woman in a more impactful way IMO. I liked Joan especially when she comes across perky and spontaneous, when questioning Jimmy (Robert Taylor) about ?Lottie.? Both women were very fine. They were on screen together for one short, but vital scene. A heady conversation about men, women, and love where there is a bit of disagreement (but I think Greer gets the best of it). Robert Taylor?s character is the only player who gets exactly what he wants. He is the grand manipulator and he orchestrates the show to his own end. The rest get what they want (maybe) but not necessarily what they expected, they have to make adjustments. Does Woodruf (Herbert Marshall) get taken back into his home? I think we are supposed to believe so (if we can consider this story comedy-drama, I think the comedy aspect wins in the end where a happy ending prevails) but Mrs Woodruf (Greer) played that rejection scene so well it might be hard to believe she would take him back. Herbert Marshall doesn?t do a whole lot but he is difficult to criticize because his screen presence is strong and he has that wonderful voice. I?ve never noticed Spring Byington much in other movies but I don?t think I?ve ever seen her do comedy. She?s very good. I?ve never seen her so vibrant and winning. That little laughing jag over the misunderstanding of the word ?jacket? was so good I had to back up the DVR and watch it again (and again, even). Yes, she played the yappy, tiresome one, and was up against a couple of heavy hitters; but she may have been a pesky little scene stealer in a place or two.

>I finally got to watch Sudden Fear last night. I'm not a big Crawford fan but this film was terrific. Even though the theme is a familiar one, there were some nice touches to keep you in suspense. I liked Myra's skillful way of handling her problem, though her plan eventually unraveled... I liked the scene of Joan in the closet peering out, and you could see the beads of sweat on her forehead and the look of terror in her eyes. Well done. I agree. I wasn?t expecting much from Sudden Fear. Really surprised. It?s a neat bit of realism to realize that as a playwright she would have been able to come up with a plan like that, a plan that nevertheless would probably not have worked in real life, she had it right down to the minute. After that pivotal scene, the ?sudden fear? scene if you will, I had thought that she would be skulking around in abject fear for the rest of the movie and we would all be on pins and needles waiting for the ax to fall. But she had other ideas. Joan had some nice closeups, including the one you mention, she was really good throughout. A nice piece of irony at the start. She fires this guy from her play because she doesn?t think he?s romantic enough, then he turns around and woos her and wins her in real life.

Bad Seed, The

All's Quiet on the Western Front ?

Working Girl skulduggery

Thatcher, Becky in Tom Sawyer (1938)

"M is for the many things...what? Are you kidding me?

La Notte Bianche to be shown in a few hours from now on TCM is based on Dostoevsky's novella of the same name (or nearly), White Nights.