LISTS

[movieman1957]

*"It was Fascination....la la...."*

 

I can't listen to that song without thinking of Alan Sherman.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsX6r11vALc

[JackFavell]

Allan Sherman! My dad had those albums! Aside from the punch cards and the ten ton size, that song is sadly even more pertinent now....but luckily that means it's still funny.

 

kingrat, *Beat the Devil*, like a lot of the comedies on my list, has a very particular rhythm to it, have you noticed? There is even a marching band playing during some scenes, and a chess game going on.... with the lines spoken in a certain cadence, and a nervous, purposeful air about it all. It's very similar to Welles' comic scenes and movies, though I think I mentioned that somewhere else already.

 

 

 

I get a lot of satisfaction from the sounds of different voices in comedies - in this one, Bogart, Lorre, Morley, and then the Brits and Gina Lollobrigida.

 

I like the very different sizes and shapes of the people - the fat one, the short one, the tall, morose one, the brunette, the blonde. Again, this makes me think of Monsieur Hulot - there is just something intrinsically funny about people thrown together who don't quite fit one another. And then there is the way everyone eyes everyone else... *Topkapi* also has actors of different sizes and shapes.... everyone has their job to do, requiring a certain physical "type".

 

Edited by: JackFavell on Aug 25, 2011 4:42 PM

[MissGoddess]

If I may, I thought I'd share a couple of lists from someone we all know. Rohanaka, this may interest you in particular.

 

In *1977* "The People's Almanac" contacted *John Wayne* and requested his opinion of who he felt were the best film actors and movies of all time Below are his choices, as they appeared in his letter responding to the request.

 

John Wayne's list of Best Motion Picture Actors of All Time:

 

1) Spencer Tracy

2) Elizabeth Taylor

3) Kathrine (sic) Hepburn

4) Laurence Olivier

5) Lionel Barrymore

 

*John Wayne's list of Best Motion Pictures:*

 

1) A Man for All Seasons

2) Gone with the Wind :x :x (kisses by MissG, not JW)

3) The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (Bronxie, I think it probably is the silent version with your husband)

4) The Searchers

5) The Quiet Man

[kingrat]

JF, wonderful observations about *Beat the Devil*. Huston tends to conceal his best effects rather than parade them in front of you. I love when you can't mistake anyone in the cast visually or vocally.

 

MissG, thanks for posting John Wayne's favorites.

[JackFavell]

Hey, I'm on the run again today, taking my brother in law to the train station, and then family dentist appointments, but I wanted to stop in to say, Goddess, you read my mind!

 

I had those lists copied down for later use here, too. My only sadness was that I couldn't reproduce them in Wayne's own handwriting. There is something charming about hand written notes. I was surprised that he rated Elizabeth Taylor so high up on his list.

 

I was wondering if it was the silent version of 4 horsemen, but I don't see how it could be the other one.

 

Edited by: JackFavell on Aug 26, 2011 1:38 PM

[rohanaka]

Rohanaka, this may interest you in particular

 

Oh wowsa, Miss G!!!!! I love it.. what a treat! (and hey.. he and I share some fave movies.. ha.. especially his last two on the list.. who'da thunk it???????????)

 

Thanks, little darlin'!

[Bronxgirl48]

Peter Lawford as I would like to remember him:

 

 

 

Edited by: Bronxgirl48 on Aug 27, 2011 6:15 AM

[CineMaven]

OH NO YOU DON'T!!!! I PRESENT...DOUBLE-DECKER LAWFORD:

 

"Psst! Bronxgirl, how's about a little ring-a-ding-ding after some tuna fish, crackers and champagne? I'll throw in some crumpets to really make it worth your while."

 

HEY LAYDEEEE!!!!! If I have to deal with reality...so do you!

 

Liza's in Queens? Ha, the one borough I always overlook. (no disrespect to anyone who lives there)

 

Save the disrespect for Staten Island...uh-huh, c'mon, you know we native New Yorkers KNOW it's true!

 

Keep dry. The poor forecasters, I could hear disappointment in their voices as Irene was downgraded to a Cat 1.

 

They want to be right, at all costs. Otherwise when would they EVER get the lime light. Sigh! Where is Tex Antoine when you need him? Oh, in court...fending off harassment charges.

 

> ;-) ( BRONXGIRL'S CINEMATIC OBSERVATIONS ) < ;-)

 

* ...They come across as Rat Packers trying to blend in with the hippies at Woodstock.

 

* He and Sammy toss off stale bon mots and ethnic jokes with dinosaurean panache. Their time has come and gone, but they're the only ones who don't know it.

 

* What ensues is a black "comedy" devoid of pace, grace, and, most importantly, laughs. Everything is "off."

 

Dinosaurean panache??!!!

 

That tears it! Bronxgirl, your piquant observations and the succinct, devastating, laser beam phraseology OF your observations are truly and singly...genius. We already have one Erma Bombeck-type poster on board. I dub you the Dorothy Parker of the Message Board. You would make Jacqueline Susann and Barbara Cartland PROUD! (And you're waaaay smarter and more sophisticated than they are too). I know, I know...some of you out there are probably wondering about my audacity: WHO gives ME the right to dub anyone, anything? Why, my corn-pone sweetie-pie below...THAT'S who:

 

:x :x

 

Edited by: CineMaven on Aug 27, 2011 7:19 AM - Awmigawd, HOW early am I up???

[CineMaven]

While we wait for the serious posters to tell us what their favorite foreign films are (and while I prepare that list myself)...I was whiling away my time this drizzly Saturday evening pondering THIS question:

 

WOULD GIRLS MAKE PASSES AT MEN WITH MUSTACHES?

 

PLAIN AND SIMPLE: THE KING.

 

THE PLAYBOY.

 

DEBONAIR.....................CALLOUSLY HANDSOME.

 

PLAYFULLY URBANE.

 

HMMMM...ROMANTIC.

 

STABILITY.

 

VEDDY SERIOUS..............THE MELLIFLUOUS DREAMBOAT.

 

COCKTAILS FOR TWO?

 

THE MUSTACHE WITH THE VOICE.

 

WITHOUT.

 

WITH.

 

UNCHAINED...

 

THE ROUE.

 

DASHINGLY VILLAINOUS!

 

HOW DO YOU SAY "ADORABLE" IN ITALIAN?

 

THE GREAT PROFILE.

 

THE DEVILISH SOPHISTICATE.

 

HE'LL GET YOU THERE.

 

THOSE LIPS...THOSE EYES.

 

WITHOUT IT, HE'D BE NOTHING...BUT STILL GOOD!

 

IT GOT HIM WHATEVER HE WANTED.

 

HE WHO KISSED GARBO...ALSO MADE US LAUGH.

 

MAYBE GABLE 2.0 - BUT I LOVED HIS VOICE & CROOKED MUSTACHE.

 

THE CHARMING SOPHISTICATE. SEE HOW KAY LOOKS AT HIM.

 

HE DIDN'T NEED TIPARILLOS, WHEN HE HAD MURIELS.

 

FROM A BOY TO A MAN.

 

TRAGIC.

 

PURE, UNADULTERATED MACHISMO.......

 

*****************

 

WOULD GIRLS MAKE PASSES AT MEN WITH MUSTACHES? THE ANSWER IN A WORD: YES!

 

GUYS...I SAY PUT DOWN YOUR RAZORS FOR ABOUT A MONTH.

[movieman1957]

I've had one for years.

[Bronxgirl48]

Hello from my round table, lol. Thanks for your genereous words. I'd blush except I occasionally visit the Zodiac Club and have often been accused of being witchy. And I DO know how to spell.

 

Love your Dorothy Parker associations, ha! Here's my contribution.

There's a Method to his cad-ness:

 

 

Staten Island, lol, well, I always associate it with Alec Baldwin ini WORING GIRL. Enough said.

 

You know, (another confession) I actually thought Davis and Lawford made a good team despite the cheesiness of S&P. Throughout all the shenanigans, Sammy tells Peter, "This reminds me of a movie" and for some bizarre reason I saw the two of them in KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN, with Sammy as Luis and Peter playing Valentin, not the other way around which you'd think would maybe make more "sense". I couldn't get this scenario out of my mind.

 

I need help.

[Bronxgirl48]

Jackie, you've never seen Janeane Garafalo and David O'Hara in THE MATCHMAKER?? Get thee to it RIGHT THIS VERY MINUTE. Forget A LETTER TO THREE WIVES, which I think is overrated but don't get me started right now. I'm more excited about HANGOVER SQUARE.

 

I drool over that Washington, D.C. townhouse of Cybil's in CHANCES ARE.

 

Okay, for your sake I'll check out PAPER MOON. You made me do it! He was laughing...he was always laughing...kissed me when he was drunk, yes..he kissed me when he was drunk...so I bought a new car, and some new clothes, yes...they were...pretty....He used to tell terrible jokes...I heard the motor running, and I saw the doors, I heard the motor, and saw the doors, yes...the doors made me do it, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, THE DOORS MADE ME DO IT, THEY MADE ME DO IT, HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!

 

Bye now.

 

 

[Bronxgirl48]

I love your comedy list, Rey! Glad to see someone else who appreciates STARTING OVER (Burt to Candice after she "sings": "Are you nuts?") and NOTHING IN COMMON (Hector Elizondo and his toupee, lol)

[MissGoddess]

Oooh, I'm swooning! (that's for Movieman)

 

P.S. Gable is cute, too.

[CineMaven]

Love your Dorothy Parker associations, ha! Here's my contribution.*

"There's a Method to his cad-ness...' "

 

Hey, that's a cute turn of phrase. But Monty belongs on a different list:

 

ACTORS WHO SHOULD NEVER WEAR A MUSTACHE:

 

Bogie

Cagney

Hope Emerson

Widmark

Conte

Cornel Wilde

Mickey Rooney

Baby Snooks

Dick Powell

Colin Powell

Gene Raymond

Tony Curtis

Tyrone Power

--Troy Donahue--

--Glenn Ford--

Mantan Moreland

Richard Denning

Colin Clive

Rex the Wonder Horse

Willie Fung...oh the list goes on and on.

 

"You made me do it! He was laughing...he was always laughing... kissed me when he was drunk, yes..he kissed me when he was drunk... so I bought a new car, and..."

 

OMG!!! --Lana--, --Ida--, --Dorothy--...Bronxgirl. You HAVE cracked!! Dear girl, you need to eat a 14 oz cup of Haagen-Dazs; a flavor of your own choice.

 

There...there now.

 

(Whew! Does anybody have a net?)

 

Edited by: CineMaven on Aug 27, 2011 9:07 PM - I had to take Troy and Glenn off NO MUSTACHE List. They need something to cover up that non-existent top lip of theirs. Br-r-r-r-r-r.

[JackFavell]

Oh my gosh! The staches! I LOVE them!

 

I've been waiting for the proper moment to post this.

 

[CineMaven]

They laugh alike

They walk alike

At times they even talk alike...

 

Oh wrong note.

 

Calleia and Powell do share a similarity in looks, JackaaaAaaay.

 

Oh and Bronxie...I remember Burt and Candice and died when Candice sang, what was it..."Better Than Ever"???

[JackFavell]

I agree about Life with Father - it's so charming, and William Powell is at his best here. Liz is really funny too. and Marty Milner is adorable!

[movieman1957]

Thanks. My favorite scenes involve Elizabeth Taylor. The one where they are going to play a duet and they talk about their faiths is funny and more than a little true. Also when she sits on Clarence Jr.'s lap and throws her off because she sat on his father's pants. Funny!

 

*MissG:*

 

Oh my.

[JackFavell]

It sounds like my cup of tea! I really like Garafolo, I've always liked her humor.

[Bronxgirl48]

We have the same love of United Kingdom humor, so I know you'll appreciate THE MATCHMAKER. (however, you can forget SALT & PEPPER)

 

THE MATCHMAKER is on YouTube. Enjoy, when you get a chance, lol.

[rohanaka]

That story is wonderful

 

Ha, Jackie.. for YEARS after that he has taken GREAT delight in tormenting me (when he shaves his mustache) If I am within earshot he will call out (from the bathroom) "I've shaved the stache.. I'm coming out now!" ha.. (and then he'll add when I start laughing.. "Just in case you need to go get a kleenex or something." HA!

 

(what a goof ball.. but I DO love him so)

 

(And PS.. I AM the best..but only if you are talking about crying over MUSH.. ha.. I am HARD to beat for that.. ha)

[JackFavell]

> {quote:title=Bronxgirl48 wrote:}{quote}We have the same love of United Kingdom humor, so I know you'll appreciate THE MATCHMAKER. (however, you can forget SALT & PEPPER)

>

> THE MATCHMAKER is on YouTube. Enjoy, when you get a chance, lol.

 

 

Ooh, this means I can watch on my computer, no TV involved! If we have power tomorrow, I'll watch it!

[JackFavell]

I'm a mush cryer too. I cried when I was a kid when my dad said he would shave his head. He had the bushiest head of hair, and I thought of it almost as a living being of it's own! Ha! So don't feel bad about your sweet story. I was just being selfish, because I couldn't imagine my dad without his hair. You on the other hand, are a sweetheart.

[CineMaven]

And then ONE night.. about 3 or so months after we got married he came out of the bathroom after his shower with NO mustache.. and I took one look at his sweet mug (minus facial hair) and BUSTED out bawling!! ha....

 

Hi there Ro. You are one mushy lady. And I love it. You and your QT sound like you are friends...and married. That's a GREAT combination. You married your best friend. What a sweet story.

 

I went out with a guy for six years...but have known him for thirty and finally saw him without his mustache. Now mind you...his mustache (and hair) was black when we went to college together, and now his hair is all gray. (I won't talk about my hair!)

 

Two years ago, he decided to grow a beard. My word, he looked like Popeye's father...or a caramel-colored Santa Claus. Then a few months after that...he shaved off everything.

 

EVERYTHING!!!

 

I saw him for the first time in thirty years without the mustache... GAZOOKS! His wife and I agreed on one thing...he had to grow it back.