SansFin Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 TCM continues to pick and chose who and what to recognize in what should be an era of inclusiveness. Their decision to sweep puppies under the rug is amoral*. I am unashamedly a cat person but I acknowledge that dogs have a place in the ecosystem and can be reasonably amusing. The selection of canine-centric movies is considerable. Old Yeller and Benji top many people's lists. What are some of the more interesting but little known movies with four-footed b1tches**? * This is a reference to a very funny little movie which I doubt any of you have seen or are likely to watch. I leave the scene in question to your imagination. ** I specified: 'four-footed' to prevent the wags from listing Bette Davis, Joan Crawford and Reese Witherspoon movies. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aritosthenes Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 While Perhaps i "Cheat" With (Either of) these,, ,Mine Would Probably be a Rather Exquisite.. ...under the radar film of some years prior called White God .. ... ..or Perhaps a Equally Fantastic (somewhat) recent film called Tracks .. 🌈🐩🌈🐕🌈 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swithin Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 I consider Tortilla Flat to be a favorite canine-centric movie. Although ostensibly about the Spencer Tracy, Hedy Lamarr, and John Garfield characters, I think the real spirit of the film resides in the Frank Morgan character ("The Pirate"), who is a sort of semi-homeless person who goes around with a group of stray dogs. In gratitude to St. Francis for saving a previous pet, The Pirate saves his "two-bitses" to buy a candlestick for the church. The scene dedicating the candlestick is deeply moving, especially when all the dogs rush into the church to witness the ceremony. A few scenes later comes the scene which is not only the best canine-centric scene in any movie, it is also one of the best scenes representing a hierophany (manifestation of the sacred) in any movie, ever. In the midst of the Redwood (I accidentally first typed "Redwoof") Forest, The Pirate tells his dogs the story of St. Francis. Suddenly, a light shines down from the giant trees. The Pirate averts his gaze, as the dogs stand up on their hind legs and make strange noises. The light passes, The Pirate looks at the dogs and says, "Did you see him? Did you see him? It was St. Francis! What good boys you must be, to see St. Francis." That is a remarkable scene, and informs the spirit of the film. Frank Morgan, who was nominated, should have won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar, but Van Heflin won that year. The dogs should have gotten an award as well. Btw, Tortilla Flat was directed by Victor Fleming, who directed The Wizard of Oz a few years earlier. Both Frank Morgan (The Pirate) and one of his dogs also appeared in The Wizard of Oz, Morgan playing The Wizard, and the dog playing Toto. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TopBilled Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 Last August on Paul Henreid's day for Summer Under the Stars, TCM aired a film he directed and starred in, called FOR MEN ONLY (1952). It's about college hazing. One of the rituals depicted on screen involves the murder of a puppy, followed by the frat brothers trying to force the new pledges to drink its blood. Yeah, a far cry from the warm and fuzzy feeling of Lassie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skimpole Posted June 1, 2021 Share Posted June 1, 2021 Umberto D 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polly of the Precodes Posted June 1, 2021 Share Posted June 1, 2021 A Dog's Life 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hamradio Posted June 1, 2021 Share Posted June 1, 2021 On 3/23/2021 at 3:13 PM, SansFin said: TCM continues to pick and chose who and what to recognize in what should be an era of inclusiveness. Their decision to sweep puppies under the rug is amoral*. TCM also ignored National Heat Awareness Day on May 28. Any favorite movies about people in the burning desert, heat waves and global warming? Pick your holidays TCM should observe. https://www.holidayscalendar.com/categories/weird/ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moe Howard Posted June 1, 2021 Share Posted June 1, 2021 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Packer Posted June 1, 2021 Share Posted June 1, 2021 My Dog Skip 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sepiatone Posted June 1, 2021 Share Posted June 1, 2021 Sepiatone 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shank Asu Posted June 1, 2021 Share Posted June 1, 2021 On 3/23/2021 at 1:43 PM, Swithin said: I consider Tortilla Flat to be a favorite canine-centric movie. Although ostensibly about the Spencer Tracy, Hedy Lamarr, and John Garfield characters, I think the real spirit of the film resides in the Frank Morgan character ("The Pirate"), who is a sort of semi-homeless person who goes around with a group of stray dogs. In gratitude to St. Francis for saving a previous pet, The Pirate saves his "two-bitses" to buy a candlestick for the church. The scene dedicating the candlestick is deeply moving, especially when all the dogs rush into the church to witness the ceremony. A few scenes later comes the scene which is not only the best canine-centric scene in any movie, it is also one of the best scenes representing a hierophany (manifestation of the sacred) in any movie, ever. In the midst of the Redwood (I accidentally first typed "Redwoof") Forest, The Pirate tells his dogs the story of St. Francis. Suddenly, a light shines down from the giant trees. The Pirate averts his gaze, as the dogs stand up on their hind legs and make strange noises. The light passes, The Pirate looks at the dogs and says, "Did you see him? Did you see him? It was St. Francis! What good boys you must be, to see St. Francis." That is a remarkable scene, and informs the spirit of the film. Frank Morgan, who was nominated, should have won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar, but Van Heflin won that year. The dogs should have gotten an award as well. Btw, Tortilla Flat was directed by Victor Fleming, who directed The Wizard of Oz a few years earlier. Both Frank Morgan (The Pirate) and one of his dogs also appeared in The Wizard of Oz, Morgan playing The Wizard, and the dog playing Toto. I guess dogs aren't the first thing that comes to mind when I think of that film. Typically I think of how it butchered the story from Steinbeck- and then paisans drinking wine. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shank Asu Posted June 1, 2021 Share Posted June 1, 2021 11 hours ago, skimpole said: Umberto D Good one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shank Asu Posted June 1, 2021 Share Posted June 1, 2021 2 hours ago, Phil Packer said: My Dog Skip A much better film than what it gets credit for. As a kid I always loved the films based on Willie Morris' autobiographical stories. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allhallowsday Posted June 1, 2021 Share Posted June 1, 2021 GOOD-BYE, MY LADY (1956) 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allhallowsday Posted June 1, 2021 Share Posted June 1, 2021 On 3/23/2021 at 3:13 PM, SansFin said: I am unashamedly a cat person but I acknowledge that dogs have a place in the ecosystem and can be reasonably amusing. I love cats best, too. But I love dogs, had three, all buried in the yard. Sadly, our animal friends don't live as long as we do. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dargo Posted June 1, 2021 Share Posted June 1, 2021 I dunno why, but every time I've watched the mistitled The Courage of Lassie, it's gotten me 'right here'. Maybe it has something to do with my affinity for movies about returning injured war veterans like The Best Years of Our Lives, and although there's no dog in that one, of course. (...and yeah, I agree with Phil Packer and Shank Asu up there...My Dog Skip IS a very good film, and another movie that 'got me right here') 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allhallowsday Posted June 2, 2021 Share Posted June 2, 2021 Two of my favorite films are named for dogs, and have very important symbolic dogs 1. MY LIFE AS A DOG (1985) 2. SOUNDER (1972) which is not centered on that wonderful dog at all but it perfectly describes that film 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allhallowsday Posted June 2, 2021 Share Posted June 2, 2021 On 3/23/2021 at 4:43 PM, Swithin said: the real spirit of the film resides in the Frank Morgan character ("The Pirate"), who is a sort of semi-homeless person who goes around with a group of stray dogs Perfect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricJ Posted June 2, 2021 Share Posted June 2, 2021 On 6/1/2021 at 12:17 PM, Sepiatone said: Hachi: a Dog's Tale Richard Gere's SECOND attempt to nonsensically Americanize a popular Japanese movie whose basic theme only made sense in its original Japanese context. [Qv. the American "Shall We Dance?" remake.] In this case, Hachiko didn't live in a colorful generic small town, he lived in Tokyo, and became so famous for waiting for his master to return from Shibuya station, he now has a much more famous and nationally known statue there. And, a Japanese movie to celebrate the local legend. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LsDoorMat Posted June 2, 2021 Share Posted June 2, 2021 My favorite canine based movie is "Voice of Bugle Ann" from 1936. I don't think I've seen it on TCM for years. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sepiatone Posted June 2, 2021 Share Posted June 2, 2021 12 hours ago, EricJ said: Richard Gere's SECOND attempt to nonsensically Americanize a popular Japanese movie whose basic theme only made sense in its original Japanese concept. [Qv. the American "Shall We Dance?" remake.] In this case, Hachiko didn't live in a colorful generic small town, he lived in Tokyo, and became so famous for waiting for his master to return from Shibuya station, he now has a much more famous and nationally known statue there. And, a Japanese movie to celebrate the local legend. All that IS mentioned at the end of the movie. But, regardless of time or place, the story is touching. Sepiatone 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shank Asu Posted June 2, 2021 Share Posted June 2, 2021 I know Old Yeller is too obvious a choice but as a kid I couldn't even talk about the film (or book) Where the Red Fern Grows without tearing up. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karlofffan Posted June 4, 2021 Share Posted June 4, 2021 On 6/1/2021 at 8:26 AM, hamradio said: TCM also ignored National Heat Awareness Day on May 28. Any favorite movies about people in the burning desert, heat waves and global warming? Pick your holidays TCM should observe. https://www.holidayscalendar.com/categories/weird/ Inferno (1953) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fausterlitz Posted June 4, 2021 Share Posted June 4, 2021 On 6/1/2021 at 11:26 AM, hamradio said: Pick your holidays TCM should observe. Tomorrow (June 4) is National Old Maids Day. Probably fertile ground for TCM: The Old Maid; Now, Voyager; The Heiress... I bet there's no equivalent male holiday, although logically there should be (Marty; The 40-Year-Old Virgin, etc.) On June 8, National Best Friends Day also looks good. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hamradio Posted June 4, 2021 Share Posted June 4, 2021 29 minutes ago, Fausterlitz said: Tomorrow (June 4) is National Old Maids Day. Probably fertile ground for TCM: The Old Maid; Now, Voyager; The Heiress... I bet there's no equivalent male holiday, although logically there should be (Marty; The 40-Year-Old Virgin, etc.) On June 8, National Best Friends Day also looks good. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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