markbeckuaf Posted September 13, 2013 Share Posted September 13, 2013 I had to work, so I'm catching BRUTE FORCE half-way through, and up next I AM A FUGITIVE FROM A CHAIN GANG!!! But the day was jammin' hard with tough mugs and dames in prison! Filled with groovalicious hardcore flix, anyone dig on it, and if so, what floated your boat the mostest???!!! I've seen most of these several times, but they're so rockin', they are def worth another lookie-see! I'm particularly looking forward to ROAD GANG and NUMBERED MEN, neither of which I saw before, and HELL'S HIGHWAY which I've only seen once before on TCM! I'll be catching up on this day tonight and over the weekend! I love days like this on TCM!! They totally rock! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredCDobbs Posted September 13, 2013 Share Posted September 13, 2013 Every one of these films is/are so emotional and sad in many ways. Barbara Stanwyck makes a really good prison dame, really cute and really tough, and who around movie-buff land doesn't like a good looking and trough prison dame! I loved the prisoner music in Hell's Highway, and Linda in the Chain Gang movie is just wonderful. Such a friendly and understanding girl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyBackTransformer Posted September 13, 2013 Share Posted September 13, 2013 My favorite is Each Dawn I die. I always get a kick over Limpy's sudden onset of asthma after he gets a shiv chucked in his back and Mueller scratching Pete's back with that meathook is fun too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geminigirl Posted September 14, 2013 Share Posted September 14, 2013 Today was the first time I've seen "I am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang." Paul Muni's performance was amazing, and Glenda Farrell was great as his b****y wife. The underwater escape and the suspenseful barbershop scenes had me on the edge of my seat. And after he turned himself in, I knew somehow he was not going to receive his pardon. But I never expected Muni's performance to affect me the way that it did. The look in his eyes and the way they welled up with tears blew me away. And at the end, when his fianc? asks him how he would survive, he said "I'll steal........"; those eyes again and then the fadeout. I tell you, I can't watch it again; it's just too heartbreaking. And kudos to Mervyn LeRoy; this film was top-notch.................................. Edited by: Geminigirl on Sep 13, 2013 11:48 PM Edited by: Geminigirl on Sep 13, 2013 11:50 PM Edited by: Geminigirl on Sep 13, 2013 11:52 PM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hamradio Posted September 14, 2013 Share Posted September 14, 2013 TCM should had concluded Prison Day with a movie about football. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markbeckuaf Posted September 14, 2013 Author Share Posted September 14, 2013 Geminigirl, thank you very much for sharing your reactions and thoughts upon seeing I AM A FUGITIVE FROM A CHAIN GANG for the first time!!! I loved hearing how you felt about the various scenes you described from the flick! Yanno...I've seen these flix so often now, it's fun to try to recapture how they made me feel the first time viewing them, and your post helped me to do just that! Thank you! I totally agree with you about Muni's performance! It might just have been his finest hour, though he's had others, for sure! That final scene, i don't think I have ever got that removed from the way it burned into my movie viewing soul! Totally poignant and perfectly done! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyM108 Posted September 14, 2013 Share Posted September 14, 2013 Days like this are what makes some of us keep coming back to TCM over and over, even when all of the movies have been shown before. If I were thinking along the lines of a 1920's Old Gold cigarette ad, my pitch for this lineup would be "Not A Clinker In A Carload." The Muni film was the highlight, but I can't think of any of them I'd mind seeing again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twtpark Posted September 14, 2013 Share Posted September 14, 2013 "Numbered Men" based on Dwight Taylor's hit play "Jail Break" was the best of the lot. Conrad Nagel gave a fine performance. It was easy to see why he made 21 films in 1930-31 !That great voice! Raymond Hackett and Bernice Claire made endearing lovers. Mrs. Miller's doughnuts were a treat for the Cons.The pic was a treat for today's fillm fans......just seeing these once popular stars giving memorable performances in a long ago and nearly forgotten prison movie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geminigirl Posted September 15, 2013 Share Posted September 15, 2013 You're welcome, mark! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geminigirl Posted September 15, 2013 Share Posted September 15, 2013 Too funny...I've got my laugh for the day! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsApricot Posted October 15, 2013 Share Posted October 15, 2013 Geminigirl, I totally agree with you on Paul Muni's performance. And I'll add my favorite scenes to the list. ??when he turned away from the mirror at the cheap haberdashery with his stubbled face. I dont know if Muni was considered a matinee idol in his day, but in that scene he could give any of today's leading men a run for their money. ??when he answers Pete's question with a slow drawl and a sly wink -- "Yeahhh...I took to walkin' the tiiiies when my Rolls Royce gave out." The range of character Muni plays in this movie alone is astounding. I'm new to TCM.com. Looking forward to reading, and sharing, more thoughts here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts