bhryun Posted June 24, 2005 Share Posted June 24, 2005 I'm new to the forum but love TCM and watch mostly the Film Noir and Drama movies. I like some of the comedy but my favorites and the old Film-Noir. I would like to see some of the movies that were considered "Grade B" movies, such as Charlie Chan, Boston ****, Philo Vance, The Shadow, etc. When I was a little girl, these were the movies that were played before the main feature and although you knew the plot and sometimes "who done it", it was still fun to watch. Was wondering if anyone else liked these types of movies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alix1929 Posted June 24, 2005 Share Posted June 24, 2005 Sure! And not only do I think TCM should show B film noir movies, but I'd love to see B pre-Codes too. I'm sure TCM has loads of not very well known or acted B-movies of all genres in their vaults. Well, okay now, we've seen some of these movies hundreds of times. I occassionally feel that a "new" B movie would be better than one I taped 15 years ago--and have seen hundreds of times since. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhryun Posted June 24, 2005 Author Share Posted June 24, 2005 You betcha! I agree wholeheartedly! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deeanddaisy666 Posted June 24, 2005 Share Posted June 24, 2005 manitaesaqui, along with fantasy movies and Film Noir, the Grade B mystery movies are my favorites too. I never realized before TCM showed some of their movies, that different actors played Philo Vance. I also was (I thought) quite alone in my love for Warren William and have found other fans here. I liked the Charlie Chan and Mr. Moto movies too. Sidney Toler is my favorite Chan and Mantan Moreland is wonderful. I don't think I've yet seen Moto on TCM though. Welcome to the forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
therealfuster Posted June 24, 2005 Share Posted June 24, 2005 Yes, I dearly love the old Grade-B films, and often would rather own memorabilia from an obscure cult film, than a poster of a really A-movie. I like the Chans, the Boston Blackies [even the old episodes of the tv series are fun], The Shadow, and other series like the ones with Sherlock Holmes. One of my favorite B-directors is Edgar Ulmer. He was so talented, even with no budget, one wonders what he could have done with money behind him. Or maybe the restraints helped his inventiveness. I had heard a possible Urban Legend, that he was relegated to the bottom basement in filmmaking, for stealing the significant other of some top brass person at his studio, and was punished by giving him Grade-Z potboilers to film. Whether this is true or not, I don't know. I do know that whether it was from his PRC days or even Eagle Lion, that I enjoy all his films, and my favorites are "Strange Illusion", "Blackbeard", "The Man from Planet X" and "Murder is My Beat" with Barbara Payton. Obviously I also dig "Detour" and could watch it over and over. The coffee cup, the sleeping hitchhiker, the telephone cord, Ann Savage at the used car lot...what's not to like? TCM had an all day Ulmer tribute awhile back, and showed some really obscure films by him, so they do have an appreciation for the B-world. A great book on B-movies, that I count as a great addition to any film library, is the one called "King of the B's" and I think it is by Todd McCarthy. It may be ou of print, but is fun reading. Again, welcome and I share your love of the "who done its". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tcmviewer Posted June 25, 2005 Share Posted June 25, 2005 Welcome! Love those type of movies also. TCM actually does a great job of programming these types of movies; at least the ones in the Warners library. The Falcon, Saint, Torchy Blane, and Perry Mason movies all air from time to time. I'm still waiting for "The Case of the Howling Dog" to make a reappearance on TCM; it's been awhile. I would love to see TCM license the Boston **** and Crime Doctor films from Columbia and air them. Those are great movies. Good prints exist; Encore Mystery aired them several years ago when few people had that channel. The Lone Wolf series, starring Mr. Reliable, Warren William, is another great mystery series that Columbia produced. Eric Blore provided the comic relief in these. I doubt you'll see the Chan & Moto films on TCM. Fox owns those and has pretty much locked them in the vaults for good (they refuse even to license these out for DVD release). Needless to say, I think Fox should be ashamed of the way they're treating these films. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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