HITS & MISSES: Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow on TCM

[LornaHansonForbes]

On 11/11/2018 at 2:01 PM, Fedya said:

Just before that is Hi, Nellie!, which is the first of four versions of the same story WB made in the 30s and 40s.  The second one, Love Is on the Air, was Ronald Reagan's first movie.

This was a really interesting movie- at least what I saw of it was. 

[kingrat]

For Wednesday: for those not interested in Billy Jack--which was hugely popular in the South when these films were made--The White Tower is worth a look. Solid story and a good cast.

[mr6666]

anyone seen this before?

-the trailer they've been running makes it look pretty goofy

so, of course  I'm recording it

2:30 PM	Snow Devils, The ( 1965)
	Aliens plot to freeze the Earth as a replacement for their doomed home planet. Dir:  Antonio Margheriti Cast:  Furio Meniconi , Enzo Fiermonte , Peter Martell . C- 90 mins, CC,

http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/90623/The-Snow-Devils/articles.html

[LawrenceA]

7 minutes ago, mr6666 said:

anyone seen this before?

-the trailer they've been running makes it look pretty goofy

so, of course  I'm recording it

I watched it the last time it was on. This was my review for it:

Snow Devils (1967) - Italian sci-fi turkey that's the fourth in a series, released by MGM and from director Antonio Margheriti aka Anthony Dawson. Giacomo Rossi Stuart aka Jack Stuart stars as Commander Rod Jackson, a man-of-action in the employ of the United Democracies Space Command, aka Gamma 1. He and his sidekick Captain Frank Pulasky (Freddy Unger) are sent to the Himalayas after HQ loses communication with a Gamma 1 weather station. Fellow Gamma 1 employee Lisa Nielson (Amber Collins) tags along to look for her boyfriend, Lt. Jim Harris (Rene Baldwin), who was the weather station chief. When they finally reach their destination, our heroes discover a race of Yetis, snow-dwelling ape creatures with a sinister secret agenda. Also featuring Wilbert Bradley, Alina Zalewska, and Furio Meniconi.

 

The "Gamma 1" series includes The Wild Wild Planet (1966), The War of the Planets (1966), War Between the Planets [i saw this under the title Planet On the Prowl](1966), this film, and finally The Green Slime (1968). They all have tacky costumes and set design, terrible effects, and laughable plots to go along with the requisite awful dubbing. Stuart and Collins seem to be in a contest for most ridiculous hairstyle, while bad guy Meniconi looks like Zach Galifianakis in bad cosplay. Bradley is also an oddball as a black Himalayan porter and comic relief (I think). There's really nothing good about this, although it frequently crosses over into "so-bad-it's-good" territory.   3/10

 

Source: TCM.

 

 

[Bogie56]

Thursday, November 15

8 p.m.  College Humor (1933).  Another college film with the oldest student in Christendom, Bing Crosby.

[LornaHansonForbes]

7 hours ago, mr6666 said:

anyone seen this before?

-the trailer they've been running makes it look pretty goofy

so, of course  I'm recording it

2:30 PM	Snow Devils, The ( 1965)
	Aliens plot to freeze the Earth as a replacement for their doomed home planet. Dir:  Antonio Margheriti Cast:  Furio Meniconi , Enzo Fiermonte , Peter Martell . C- 90 mins, CC,

http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/90623/The-Snow-Devils/articles.html

I just caught the trailer myself. Looks like pure Italian madness .

[Bogie56]

Friday, November 16/17

4 a.m.  Eyes of a Stranger (1981).  Serial killer film with Jennifer Jason Leigh.

[LornaHansonForbes]

Actually caught some of THE SNOW DEVILS by chance yesterday.

I sometimes wonder if Italian filmmaking is labeled as “spaghetti” notsomuch For its origins as for the fact that the makers tend to throw pretty much everything at the wall and see what sticks.

[Bogie56]

Saturday, November 17

10 a.m.  Popeye: Brotherly Love (1936).

 

11:30 a.m.  Salt Water Daffy (1933).  Short with Shemp Howard, Lionel Stander and Jack Haley.

 

[Bogie56]

Sunday, November 18

2:15 a.m.  Profound Desire of the Gods (1968).  I still have yet to see this Shohei Imammura film.

[Bogie56]

Monday, November 19

7:45 a.m.  Random Harvest (1942).  This soaper with Ronald Colman and Greer Garson is still pretty good.  I watched it again a few months ago.

[scsu1975]

4 hours ago, Bogie56 said:

Monday, November 19

7:45 a.m.  Random Harvest (1942).  This soaper with Ronald Colman and Greer Garson is still pretty good.  I watched it again a few months ago.

I keep forgetting what it's about.

[Bogie56]

3 hours ago, scsu1975 said:

I keep forgetting what it's about.

It will always be fresh.

[Bogie56]

Tuesday, November 20

7:15 a.m.  Sequoia (1934).  “A wilderness girl raises a deer and a mountain lion to be friends.”  And then?

 

2:30 a.m.  Secrets & Lies (1996).  everyone is good in this Mike Leigh film.

 

[Bogie56]

Wednesday, November 21/22

3:45 a.m.  Paper Lion (1969).  A rare chance to see this Alan Alda feature.  And he’s quite good in it too.

[LornaHansonForbes]

On 11/18/2018 at 4:03 AM, Bogie56 said:

Monday, November 19

7:45 a.m.  Random Harvest (1942).  This soaper with Ronald Colman and Greer Garson is still pretty good.  I watched it again a few months ago.

RANDOM HARVEST is one of those CULT FILMS that I get the fascination with, although the sum of all the parts doesn't quite get there for me. It's still GORGEOUS.

I caught a lot of it yesterday morning when it aired and was struck by two things in particular-

1. Ronald Coleman (never one of my favorites) is really very good in this.

and

2. Greer Garson's BONNIE WEE LASS (or whatever it is) number is REALLY RATHER RISQUE! that skirt is very short and  she does a lot of very suggestive crouching in it, compound that with the fact that you don't understand half of what she says and then there is that weird hair purse/belt attachment that hangs very suggestively over her crotch.

No matter what tho, Greer had a damn nice set o' pegs:

[speedracer5]

11 minutes ago, LornaHansonForbes said:

RANDOM HARVEST is one of those CULT FILMS that I get the fascination with, although the sum of all the parts doesn't quite get there for me. It's still GORGEOUS.

I caught a lot of it yesterday morning when it aired and was struck by two things in particular-

1. Ronald Coleman (never one of my favorites) is really very good in this.

and

2. Greer Garson's BONNIE WEE LASS (or whatever it is) number is REALLY RATHER RISQUE! that skirt is very short and  she does a lot of very suggestive crouching in it, compound that with the fact that you don't understand half of what she says and then there is that weird hair purse/belt attachment that hangs very suggestively over her crotch.

No matter what tho, Greer had a damn nice set o' pegs:

I think the hair purse is called a "sporran" ? I believe it serves as some sort of pocket for the kilt.  Why you'd want to store stuff on your crotch, I have no idea.  I do agree with you that the outfit is rather risque for the mid-40s and for the genre. I remember thinking that she had great legs as well.

I remember liking Random Harvest.  I also remember reading that people thought of it as a tearjerker? I did not cry at this film, but I think I may be made of stone. 

[scsu1975]

7 hours ago, Bogie56 said:

Wednesday, November 21/22

3:45 a.m.  Paper Lion (1969).  A rare chance to see this Alan Alda feature.  And he’s quite good in it too.

It's a good film, based on the book by George Plimpton, who tried his hand at various jobs, including playing goalie for the Boston Bruins. Plimpton also returned to football years later as a quarterback for the (then) Baltimore Colts.

I recall a television special regarding the filming of the John Wayne western Rio Lobo, in which Plimpton had a bit part. When Plimpton was introduced to Wayne, the Duke said "Oh yeah, Paper Tiger."

[scsu1975]

30 minutes ago, speedracer5 said:

 

I remember liking Random Harvest.  I also remember reading that people thought of it as a tearjerker? I did not cry at this film, but I think I may be made of stone. 

I didn't cry either, but when you reflect on the film, there is a great element of sadness. Colman and Garson have a child, Colman then regains his memory, child dies without Colman ever knowing, Garson is alone until she sees a photo of Colman. Then she works quietly by his side, holding her emotions in, simply wanting to be near him even though he has no idea who she really is.

[LornaHansonForbes]

40 minutes ago, scsu1975 said:

I didn't cry either, but when you reflect on the film, there is a great element of sadness. Colman and Garson have a child, Colman then regains his memory, child dies without Colman ever knowing, Garson is alone until she sees a photo of Colman. Then she works quietly by his side, holding her emotions in, simply wanting to be near him even though he has no idea who she really is.

to me, the most touching element of RANDOM HARVEST is the story with and performance by SUSAN PETERS, and that's not just taking in how genuine and likeable her character (and performance) is but also the real-life actress's tragic fate.

[Bogie56]

Thursday, November 22

12:30 a.m.  Ma and Pa Kettle (1949).  With Marjorie Main and a master of understatement, Percy Kilbride.

 

[LornaHansonForbes]

i'm traveling tonight and will miss it (unless it shows up ON DEMAND), but I highly recommend THE GREAT MCGINTY (1940)- stay with it after a slow start, it's a hoot. I also love how the characters from this make a cameo in THE MIRACLE OF MORGAN'S CREEK, making PRESTON STURGES one of the first filmmakers to establish a "universe" of characters.

PRESTON STURGES = FRANK CAPRA with 3/4 less corn.

[ElCid]

11:30 PM tonight (Wednesday) is The Man Who Came to Dinner.  Great movie with lots of stars.  Usually considered a Christmas movie as it takes place at Christmas.

4:00 AM (Wed. night/Thur morning)  Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House.  Another great comedy.  If you are in process of building or restoring a house, this is not your movie.  This was first movie where I was really impressed with Melvyn Douglas.  He just hit the role spot on.  The house still exists.  It was built in a California national or state forest and is used for a headquarters building.

[Bogie56]

Friday, November 23

4 p.m.  Gunga Din (1939).   As a kid I used to hear my mother say “you’re a better man than I am, Gunga Din” and wonder what the heck she was on about.

 

[scsu1975]

8 hours ago, Bogie56 said:

Friday, November 23

4 p.m.  Gunga Din (1939).   As a kid I used to hear my mother say “you’re a better man than I am, Gunga Din” and wonder what the heck she was on about.

 

My mother used to say Quando si mangia si combate con la morte whenever my brother and I were fooling around at the dinner table.