HITS & MISSES: Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow on TCM

[TomJH]

Not sure if the word "parodying" is best applied here, Bogie. The word "parodying" being one ascribing some aspect of comedy to it.

 

I do know from reading your earlier post about this that you thought Jr. verged on being over-the-top, and so maybe that's why to used that word. However once again, I don't think he overacted his part at all, as I feel the part cries out for being as "devil-may-care" and even "lighthearted" as Jr. played it.

 

And while Mason in the '52 remake is fine in the role, I do think the manner in which played the same character is not quite as "light-footed", both in his line delivery and in that "physicality" aspect I mentioned earlier. 

I agree with you here, Dargo. Swashbucklers require an actor who is not only physically appropriate for the attire he must wear and any feats of athleticism required, but an actor with a light touch and flair. Oh, and a sense of humour. That's why I think that the really good swashbuckling actors we've had on screen can probably be counted on one hand.

 

Doug Jr. didn't make many swashbucklers but I think that his Rupert in Zenda is one of the real triumphs of his career. I agree that he didn't parody his old man. Perhaps homage is a better word, and that applies to his Sinbad the Sailor performance, I think, more than his other costume films. (Though there are certainly elements of an eternal light hearted spirit, that that his Dad created, in Doug Jr.'s last costumer, as well, The Fighting O'Flynn, a film sadly missing in action today).

[Bogie56]

 

 

It was very interesting in THE TRAGEDY OF OTHELLO to hear Welles's own voice dubbing the dialogue of several characters. (this was mentioned in the introduction to the movie by the host.) 

There's a documentary that Wells did called Filming Othello (1978).  He made it for German television as a sort of made up on the spot project for the cash.

The first part of it is very good as Welles quickly describes all of the imagery he placed in the film and dissects the film's troubled history with locations and costumes and the things he had to invent just to get the film in the can.

And this is the guy they accuse of being excessive.

Anyway, I originally saw this doc at a Cinematheque but it may be an extra now on one of the dvd versions, I doan know?

[Bogie56]

Not sure if the word "parodying" is best applied here, Bogie. The word "parodying" being one ascribing some aspect of comedy to it.

 

 

So, you don't think Jr. was trying to 'send up' Pop just a little in Zenda?  I mean all this joyous 'aha!' stuff was very much like dear old dad's routine.

I promise to watch it again with your view, if you will with mine.  How is that for a sappy way out?

[jamesjazzguitar]

So, you don't think Jr. was trying to 'send up' Pop just a little in Zenda?  I mean all this joyous 'aha!' stuff was very much like dear old dad's routine.

I promise to watch it again with your view, if you will with mine.  How is that for a sappy way out?

 

I think all of those younger actors in the 30s and 40s playing those adventure roles played homage,  to so degree,  to Fairbanks Sr. 

[slaytonf]

So, you don't think Jr. was trying to 'send up' Pop just a little in Zenda?  I mean all this joyous 'aha!' stuff was very much like dear old dad's routine.

I promise to watch it again with your view, if you will with mine.  How is that for a sappy way out?

 

It never seemed to me he was playing off his father's gig.  His goal was to bring a sense of wicked rascality to the role.

[Dargo]

It never seemed to me he was playing off his father's gig.  His goal was to bring a sense of wicked rascality to the role.

 

 

Oooh..."wicked rascality"! I LIKE that, slayton!

 

(...sure beats my earlier hackneyed use of that "devil-may-care" thing, anyway!)

[Bogie56]

Oooh..."wicked rascality"! I LIKE that, slayton!

 

(...sure beats my earlier hackneyed use of that "devil-may-care" thing, anyway!)

Or rapscallion, as Falstaff would say

[Dargo]

Or rapscallion, as Falstaff would say

 

Yeah, those are always really tasty on a rapbakedpotato, aren't they?!

 

(...and here you probably thought it couldn't get any worse than that "Paddy O'Furniture" thing of yours, EH?!) 

[misswonderly3]

 

...I'd been wanting to see this one for a long time and it was truly deserving of all the hype. 

Welles's reaction as Falstaff when Hal (now King Henry V) rejects him was so beautifully moving. ...

 

 

Holden, have you seen My Own Private Idaho ? It's very roughly based on Henry IV pt ll.

There's a scene that seems  like it's lifted straight out of the Shakespeare play. It's heartbreaking.

[slaytonf]

Oooh..."wicked rascality"! I LIKE that, slayton!

 

(...sure beats my earlier hackneyed use of that "devil-may-care" thing, anyway!)

 

I've been trying to find an emoticon that conveys insincerely modest acceptance of praise justly merited.  No results so far.

[Dargo]

I've been trying to find an emoticon that conveys insincerely modest acceptance of praise justly merited.  No results so far.

 

LOL

 

Maybe one of the top two of these might work?...

 

 

(...though now that I think about this again, the little guy on the bottom right, RIGHT?!)

[mrroberts]

Sunday night/ Monday morning TCM is showing 4 shorts by the great Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. Must see tv !

[darkblue]

I've been trying to find an emoticon that conveys insincerely modest acceptance of praise justly merited.  No results so far.

 

If you come across one that means "keep your insincere and manipulative praise to yourself you phony trouble-causing clown", please share it. There's a couple of members here who might be able to use it for responding to a member who warrants it.

[slaytonf]

LOL

 

Maybe one of the top two of these might work?...

 

 

(...though now that I think about this again, the little guy on the bottom right, RIGHT?!)

 

I like that cat with the shades.

[Bogie56]

Sunday, May 17

 

The day kick’s off with Grand Hotel (1932) at 6 a.m.  

There has been a lot of discussion about ‘duelling’ Barrymores of late so this might be of interest to some as it has two very good performances by John and Lionel.

I like Joan and Greta in this one too.

 

The Blue Angel (1930) is on at 10:15. p.m. This von Sternberg has two iconic performances in it: one by Marlene Dietrich and the other by Emil Jannings.  But which version will TCM be showing?

 

And as  Mr Roberts so adeptly pointed out there is a mini-fest of Oliver & Hardy shorts starting in the a.m.  But, unfortunately for Canadian viewers and due to budgetary cutbacks, TCM could not afford the 25 cents for these Great White North rights so instead they are showing Buster Keaton's Spite Marriage.

 

And I’m sorry I am going to miss Here’s Your Life (1966) by Jan Troell which stars Eddie Axberg.  Some may recall that Axberg starred along with Liv Ullman and Max von Sydow in Troell’s later, The Emigrants and The New Land.  

Axberg is the only person that I know of to be credited both as a major star in a feature while also doing the sound editing!

[TomJH]

Sunday night/ Monday morning TCM is showing 4 shorts by the great Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. Must see tv !

You Americans are so lucky that you can see this stuff. I'm a Canadian, so for some reason I must suffer without. (That's why I bought the Laurel and Hardy Essentials Collection, so I can get my Stan and Ollie fix once in a while). I love these guys.

[Bogie56]

You Americans are so lucky that you can see this stuff. I'm a Canadian, so for some reason I must suffer without. (That's why I bought the Laurel and Hardy Essentials Collection, so I can get my Stan and Ollie fix once in a while). I love these guys.

I can't imagine what the Canadian rights to those L&H short subjects would cost.  Price of a cup of coffee?

[TomJH]

I can't imagine what the Canadian rights to those L&H short subjects would cost.  Price of a cup of coffee?

I believe there's a problem with tracking down the Canadian rights holder to the Hal Roach material.

[Bogie56]

I believe there's a problem with tracking down the Canadian rights holder to the Hal Roach material.

Is he in some Hollywood seniors flop house face down on the floor unable to answer his phone?

[Bogie56]

Monday, May 18

 

Dames, Dames, Dames.  Time to catch up on Barbara Stanwyck, Jean Arthur classics.

I bet most of us on these boards have seen just about all of these films.  Have they ALL been on fairly recently?

TCM certainly has been trotting out a lot of Stanwyck in the past three years.  

 

The only film that I personally have not seen on this day is the WWII desert documentary, Tunisian Victory (1944) at 4:15 p.m. with Lt. Col. Leo Genn no less.  

I wonder how it stacks up to the Oscar winning British documentary made the year before, Desert Victory (1943).

In fact it wouldn’t surprise me if bits of Desert Victory actually showed up in Tunisian Victory.  That happened throughout the war.  Sharing (or nicking) film material.

In fact, a lot of the “enemy” materials are actually done with captured war footage.

 

[speedracer5]

Monday, May 18

 

Dames, Dames, Dames.  Time to catch up on Barbara Stanwyck, Jean Arthur classics.

I bet most of us on these boards have seen just about all of these films.  Have they ALL been on fairly recently?

TCM certainly has been trotting out a lot of Stanwyck in the past three years.  

 

The only film that I personally have not seen on this day is the WWII desert documentary, Tunisian Victory (1944) at 4:15 p.m. with Lt. Col. Leo Genn no less.  

I wonder how it stacks up to the Oscar winning British documentary made the year before, Desert Victory (1943).

In fact it wouldn’t surprise me if bits of Desert Victory actually showed up in Tunisian Victory.  That happened throughout the war.  Sharing (or nicking) film material.

In fact, a lot of the “enemy” materials are actually done with captured war footage.

I'm among those that probably haven't seen all the Stanwyck and Arthur films.  I think the Arthur films are part of a Frank Capra salute.  I'm recording Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, You Can't Take it With You and Meet John Doe (although I've read mixed reviews about it here).  I think there was a Stanwyck pre-code on that morning that I just remembered, I'll have to make sure to set that one up to record.  The pre-code Stanwyck is a very interesting contrast to the production code Stanwyck. 

 

I love Barbara Stanwyck so I don't mind that her films are shown often. I'm also liking Jean Arthur more and more with every film of hers TCM shows, so I'm all for this schedule. 

[Bogie56]

I'm among those that probably haven't seen all the Stanwyck and Arthur films.  I think the Arthur films are part of a Frank Capra salute.  I'm recording Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, You Can't Take it With You and Meet John Doe (although I've read mixed reviews about it here).  I think there was a Stanwyck pre-code on that morning that I just remembered, I'll have to make sure to set that one up to record.  The pre-code Stanwyck is a very interesting contrast to the production code Stanwyck. 

 

I love Barbara Stanwyck so I don't mind that her films are shown often. I'm also liking Jean Arthur more and more with every film of hers TCM shows, so I'm all for this schedule. 

Of course you are absolutely right.  These are all wonderful films and I would be recording each and every one of them if I hadn't already done so.

[HoldenIsHere]

Holden, have you seen My Own Private Idaho ? It's very roughly based on Henry IV pt ll.

There's a scene that seems  like it's lifted straight out of the Shakespeare play. It's heartbreaking.

 

Yes, misswonderly, I have seen Gus Van Sant's MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO and I love that movie.

The movie includes a brilliant performance by the late River Phoenix.  His emotional honesty in the movie is astounding.

 

The Bob Pigeon character in MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO is clearly modeled on Falstaff and Scott (played by Keanu Reeves) is the Prince Hal character.

[mr6666]

Mon., 5-18

10:15 PM

B/W
93 min
TV-PG

horror

Tower of London (1939)

An ambitious duke uses his executioner henchman to kill his way to the crown.

Dir: Rowland V. Lee Cast:  Basil Rathbone , Boris Karloff , Barbara O'Neil .

 

-- fun version of dark story. Basil & Boris delightfully evil

 

4:00 AM

B/W
111 min
TV-PG

drama

Saint Joan (1957)

A French peasant girl follows the advice of angels to lead her country against British invaders.

Dir: Otto Preminger Cast:  Jean Seberg, Richard Widmark , Richard Todd , Anton Walbrook .

 

-- wonderfully literate (Graham Greene script) & great performances by Jean Seberg & Widmark

[mrroberts]

I believe there's a problem with tracking down the Canadian rights holder to the Hal Roach material.

These rights issues can really be maddening. Assuming that someone does own Canadian  rights to some of these films why don't they capitalize on that and make some easy money, I sure would.  Do they have some ridiculous idea of what the values are and demand so much that no one is willing to pay the fee?  By  being too greedy they end up with nothing.  If by chance no one is sure who owns the rights  consider the films to be in a public domain status, and then if someone does come forward with legal proof of having ownership a fee can be negotiated. If the owner demands some ridiculous sum then take it to court and let a judge decide on a fair equitable settlement.