skimpole Posted February 15, 2007 Share Posted February 15, 2007 Here's an interesting idea for a thread. Why don't we discuss here movies that are not particuarly good, but are blessed with great performances? I'll start off with "East of Eden." James Dean's performance is truly remarkable, which only hurts the conventionality of the rest of the cast, and Steinbeck's rather portentous biblical analogies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dfordoom Posted February 15, 2007 Share Posted February 15, 2007 Nicholas Ray's Party Girl. Awful film, great performance by Robert Taylor (who suddenly blossomed as an actor in the 50s once he was freed from the matinee idol thing). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dfordoom Posted February 15, 2007 Share Posted February 15, 2007 Elizabeth Taylor in Butterfield 8. OK, not her best performance, but a good one, and she's the best thing in the movie. To be fair, the movie's not as bad as it's sometimes painted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skimpole Posted February 23, 2007 Author Share Posted February 23, 2007 Ok, I've got another one. Kevin Spacey in "American Beauty." Not as good as Dean, but a good performance in what is a rather meretricious and manipulative movie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhnrndglt Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 Terrific subject. Carroll Baker in "The Carpetbaggers." Allison Hayes in "Count Three and Pray" Rad Fulton (aka James Westmoreland) in "No, No, My Darling Daughter" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lzcutter Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 Holly Hunter and David Straithern in The Firm. They were so good in that scene at the end of the film that I wish the movie had been about the two of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPTO Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 Peter Sellers in THE PARTY I believe this movie has received critical acclaim but other then Sellers' antics it's a bit of a letdown to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rickspade Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 > Holly Hunter and David Straithern in The > Firm. > > They were so good in that scene at the end of the > film that I wish the movie had been about the two of > them. Agree; but don't forget Gene Hackman, who is brilliant, and makes you completely forget Tom Cruise everytime the story shifts its focus to him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnm001 Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 Julie Andrews in STAR! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fedya Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 Van Heflin in Johnny Eager. The movie as a whole is OK, but predictable, and not (IMO) up to the level of a lot of the other 40s stuff, but Heflin's performace is great, and his performance was worthy of being immortalized with an Oscar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnm001 Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 I think Heflin gives the performance of the decade in that film. He is in another stratosphere from everyone else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueSueApplegate Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 I think about Airport, and he and Helen Hayes delivered the substance, the conflict, and the class. Maureen Stapleton gave it its heart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnm001 Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 I love AIRPORT. It's one of those films that I can watch at the drop of a hat! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueSueApplegate Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 Dude, you rock! I loved that movie. I originally saw it in a theater, not on television. One of my all time faves...Barbara Hale just picks up what's left with her dignity and marches on in the mink...Hayes and that twinkle in her eyes...the dinginess and desperation in Heflin's eyes...the perpetual hope of Maureen's character as she presses up to the glass and realizes she can't do anything...Seberg was perfect...Lancaster typical bragadaccio... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnm001 Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 I saw it in a theater, as well. It was the biggest hit of 1970, and replaced THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE, as Universal's biggest money-maker, ever! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnm001 Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 Oh, and one of the greatest film scores, in history! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueSueApplegate Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 Evocative, powerful score. I can't remember who did the music, but I loved it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnm001 Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 That was Alfred Newman. He did an equally wonderful score for HOW THE WEST WAS WON, and wrote the famous Fox Fanfare. He was conductor and music arranger for some of the finest films in Hollywood history. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueSueApplegate Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 Thanks! Airport is one of my perennial favorites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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