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HITS & MISSES: Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow on TCM


Bogie56
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53 minutes ago, scsu1975 said:

Well, here is my review from about 7 years ago, so you can judge for yourself if you want to watch this:

In the opening credits, somebody sings "Sexpot Goes To College," which is an alternate title for this flick. I can think of a few more titles, but I don?t want to get banned from the TCM boards. Colossal misfire, unfunny, unentertaining, unbelievably bad, and one of the greatest wastes of non-talent ever conceived. Granted, you don't expect much from a Mamie Van Doren flick, but this thing is truly abysmal, and more boring than a John Kerry speech.

A robot/computer named THINKO selects the newest faculty member for Collins College. That would be Mamie, who has 13 degrees, can speak 18 languages, and has a sign over her bed reading "Over One Million Served." The reaction of the welcoming committee consists of astonishment (Louis Nye), disapproval (Pamela Mason), and lust (Martin Milner). Mamie tries to impress them with her knowledge of theoretical mechanics: "When I blast off, I've got an escape velocity which gets me to my aphelion point practically instantaneously." Actually, I understood that. Mamie is introduced to the science class, and gives a psychology demonstration by firing two pistols. Next, she sets her sights on helping the star football player overcome his shyness. The football player is played by Woo Woo Grabowski, whose character's name happens to be Woo Woo Grabowski. Woo Woo is being wooed by Tuesday Weld, who looks cute but does not give her performance the old college try. Elsewhere, we have Minjanou Bardot (Brigitte's sister) as a student who apparently is writing a book about sex, two moronic gangsters (Mickey Shaughnessy and Alan Drake playing characters named "Boomie" and "Legs" who think THINKO is a bookie), John Carradine as a lecherous biology professor, Jackie Coogan as Admiral Wildcat MacPherson, and Jose Gonzales-Gonzales as a Mexican.

The thin plot involves the discovery that Mamie used to be a dancer named "Tassels Monclair." So I'm not sure how she found the time to get so highly educated. Mamie does get to dance in a tight silver dress, and sings "Baby," accompanied by Conway Twitty's band. This is definitely the highlight of the film, but it quickly deteriorates as Coogan, Carradine, Nye, and some other guy prance around with her, and do a weak impersonation of a chorus line. Then everybody scatters when a monkey shoots off a machine gun. Apparently, even Cheetah can pass a background check.

There are a few subplots, but they are hardly worth mentioning. In fact, I can't even describe them. The dialogue is witless, as witnessed by this exchange between Bardot and Drake:

Bardot: "Parlez-vous francais?"
Drake: "Not if I can help it baby, it gives me gas."

ROFLMGasO

This makes at least three films I've seen with the musclebound and mentally challenged Woo Woo Grabowski ... College Confidential, The Beat Generation, and now this. I have no idea what he is doing in any of these films, and apparently neither does he. Coogan is obviously doing a W. C. Fields impersonation, and falls flat. Shaughnessy seems to be channeling Lou Costello; please, switch channels. John Carradine gets to do the Charleston and the tango with Mamie. He makes former San Diego Mayor Bob Filner look like an amateur. Nye spends the entire film looking like he is suffering from hemorrhoids. Vampira has a bit part as Nye's assistant; I didn't even notice it was her until one of the final scenes. Bardot needs to have her libido excised. Pamela Mason is out of her league. It's no wonder a few years later she cleaned out hubby James in the divorce; she couldn't have made any money from this dreck. Milner overacts, does doubletakes, and mugs wildly for the camera. In the finale, he commandeers a fire truck (from Charlie Chaplin, Jr.), and, with Nye hanging on the ladder, sets off after Mamie to propose. The truck is pulled over by Officer Kent McCord, thus starting a long and beautiful friendship with Milner.

That was a fun read. Terrific review!

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6 hours ago, Bogie56 said:

Friday, July 31/1

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5:45 a.m.  Match Your Mood (1968) short subject.  "Westinghouse shows women how to improve their lives by decorating your refrigerator.”  Groovy.

I love this short. It’s my second favorite after “The Wonderful World of Tupperware.” It’s a commercial; but it’s so fun. The beginning, with the maudlin music and the woman looking forlorn as she walks through the snowy woods reminds me of the beginning of “Valley of the Dolls.”  But then, her unhappiness subsides when she decides to make a drastic change in her life: she’s going to create custom panels for her Westinghouse refrigerator. These panels are interchangeable, there are different designs for every occasion. Whose party (no matter the occasion) doesn’t culminate with everyone dancing in front of the refrigerator? 

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5 minutes ago, speedracer5 said:

I love this short. It’s my second favorite after “The Wonderful World of Tupperware.” It’s basically a commercial; but it’s so fun. The beginning, with the maudlin music and the woman looking forlorn as she walks through the snowy woods reminds me of the beginning of “Valley of the Dolls.”  But then, her unhappiness subsides when she decides to make a drastic change in her life: she’s going to create custom panels for her Westinghouse refrigerator. These panels are interchangeable, there are different designs for every occasion. Whose party (no matter the occasion) doesn’t culminate with everyone dancing in front of the refrigerator? 

Dancing in front of the refrigerator;  this is common and right after comes TIMBER.    (4:02)

 

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Sunday, August 2

Rock Hudson

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6 a.m.  Winchester 73 (1950).  Well there you go.  I’ve seen this film 3 times and had forgotten that Rock Hudson is in it.  Is that a fake nose or did he have a nose job?

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Lady Of Burlesque (1943) is a fairly entertaining movie with Barbara Stanwyck.  Murder mystery at a burlesque theater where Stanwyck is a star performer.  Based on Gypsy Rose Lee's G-String Murders novel.

4:00 AM ET, Aug 2.

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7 hours ago, TheCid said:

Lady Of Burlesque (1943) is a fairly entertaining movie with Barbara Stanwyck.  Murder mystery at a burlesque theater where Stanwyck is a star performer.  Based on Gypsy Rose Lee's G-String Murders novel.

4:00 AM ET, Aug 2.

The G-String Murders was ghostwritten by the popular mystery writer Craig Rice of Home Sweet Homicide fame.

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2 hours ago, Bogie56 said:

Monday, August 3

Rita Hayworth

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10:45 a.m.  The Strawberry Blonde (1941).  Hayworth, de Havilland, Cagney and Jack Carson all excel in this one.

Love, love LOVE this movie!

Love how Biff (James Cagney) is eyeing Virginia (Rita Hayworth) and already sizing her up as his idea of the 'perfect girl', little knowing that....

(SPOILERS)
Amy (Olivia de Havilland) is the one who will prove to be the better catch.

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On 8/1/2020 at 4:44 PM, TheCid said:

Lady Of Burlesque (1943) is a fairly entertaining movie with Barbara Stanwyck.  Murder mystery at a burlesque theater where Stanwyck is a star performer.  Based on Gypsy Rose Lee's G-String Murders novel.

4:00 AM ET, Aug 2.

The problem with this movie is that most of the prints of it that still exist are in absolutely horrible condition. The film really needs to be restored, because I’ve tried to watch it, and it’s not bad, but I cannot make it all the way through because the picture is so fuzzy and sound is so tinny. It might actually be in the public domain, I’m not sure.

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On 8/1/2020 at 6:29 AM, Bogie56 said:

Sunday, August 2

Rock Hudson

b0f1296cfe610f68c1e87fce3edf8666.jpg

6 a.m.  Winchester 73 (1950).  Well there you go.  I’ve seen this film 3 times and had forgotten that Rock Hudson is in it.  Is that a fake nose or did he have a nose job?

I’m pretty sure it’s either a prosthetic, or some really good contouring, but I would not be entirely surprised to find out that Rock did have some chiseling  done.

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55 minutes ago, LornaHansonForbes said:

I’m pretty sure it’s either a prosthetic, or some really good contouring, but I would not be entirely surprised to find out that Rock did have some chiseling  done.

There are pictures from New Trier HS yearbooks of Roy Harold Fitzgerald and although the pictures are a bit fuzzy, it appears that the nose in Winchester 73 is not his.

8 Things You Didn't Know About Rock Hudson

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1 hour ago, LornaHansonForbes said:

The problem with this movie is that most of the prints of it that still exist are in absolutely horrible condition. The film really needs to be restored, because I’ve tried to watch it, and it’s not bad, but I cannot make it all the way through because the picture is so fuzzy and sound is so tinny. It might actually be in the public domain, I’m not sure.

Agreed.  I watched this movie Sunday afternoon because I'd never seen it before.  It's a decent story that held my interest, but there were some points where the film 'skipped' like a vinyl album might.  I wonder if the subpar splicing/editing to correct these noticeable mistakes can be fixed?  It didn't render the film to be completely un-watchable for me, though.  Now, the 1954 Warner Brothers entry of "A Star Is Born"?  The still photos in place of the actual film put this one in the category of 'should watch' to 'not all that interested' when it pops up on the TCM schedule...and I generally love watching James Mason, Judy Garland, and Jack Carson pictures.

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