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HITS & MISSES: Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow on TCM


Bogie56
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Wednesday, June 29

 

Shakespeare on film night.

 

8 p.m.  MacBeth (1948).  Shakespeare and Orson Welles is bumped in Canada for that other Shakespearean tragedy, The Subject Was Roses (1968).

 
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Thurs. June 30th/July 1st--Lena Horne Day; All times E.S.T.:

 

10:00 a.m. "I Dood  It" (1943)--Comedy is Painful, But film is worth seeing for the music; listen for Kay Thompson's complicated vocal arrangements: watch for song "Jericho", "song battle" between Lena Horne and Hazel Scott, and Jimmy(?) Dorsey.

 

4:45 a.m. "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (1982)--Angela Lansbury and George Hearn in the road show version of the Broadway musical--Lansbury,  Len Cariou (the Broadway Sweeney Todd), and Stephen Sondheim won multiple Tonys in 1979, when the show opened on Broadway.  A heck of a way to close out June!

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I'm recording Hair and Jesus Christ Superstar to finally watch them and get it over with. Ehh, maybe I'll like them (Probably not). I also have that 1971 King Lear recording early tomorrow morning. 

 

Instead of torturing yourself you should record Cabin in the Sky (1943), which I seem to recall you said you hadn't seen. I think it's one of the greatest musicals of the era. Very funny and clever, with great performances and music (not too many musicals could boast great music, IMO.)

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Instead of torturing yourself you should record Cabin in the Sky (1943), which I seem to recall you said you hadn't seen. I think it's one of the greatest musicals of the era. Very funny and clever, with great performances and music (not too many musicals could boast great music, IMO.)

Thanks for the recommendation Kay, but I already had that one programmed to record, too, based on your previous words of praise.  ;)

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Hair is one of the rare instances where the movie vastly improves on the stage version, thanks to a better script and terrific direction by Milos Forman.

Your appreciation may depend on what generation you stem from

 

Hair.jpg

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Hair is one of the rare instances where the movie vastly improves on the stage version, thanks to a better script and terrific direction by Milos Forman.

Your appreciation may depend on what generation you stem from

 

 

 

One's appreciation of the movie over the stage version also depends on if one has seen the stage version as well as what stage version they saw; e.g.  Broadway, off Broadway or local production.

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Hair.jpg

 

 

Look, I stand pretty left of center on most issues,

I'm "hip"

I'm "groovy."

but I'm sorry:

 

GET OFF THAT TABLE YOU *** DAMNED BEATNIK!

 

THAT IS AN EXQUISITE PIECE OF FURNITURE AND THAT TREE WAS NOT CUT DOWN AND THOSE DUTCH AMISH CRAFTSMEN DID NOT SPEND THE TIME TREATING AND SANDING AND STAINING THAT DAMNED THING BY HAND SO THAT SOME LONGHAIR IN A PAIR OF CHUCK TAYLORS COULD SCUFF IT UP DOING A SOFTSHOE ROUTINE BECAUSE HE'S "HEPPED UP" ON "THE DRUGS."

 

AND SO HELP ME GOD, IF YOU BREAK ANY OF THAT CHINA OR CRYSTAL, I WILL STAB YOU WITH A FORK IN YOUR KNEECAP!

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Tomorrow I'm recording Promise Her Anything, which is the only Warren Beatty movie I haven't seen, and Raffles, because it sounds good.

 

 

I like: Promise Her Anything (1965) but it is not a movie which I recommend. I feel that the actors are giving good performances individually but there is no cohesion. It is as if each performed alone on stage in front of green screen and these performances were then assembled into scenes in post-production. 

 

I feel that: Raffles (1939) is a true treasure! I envy you watching it for first time. It is classic drawing-room comedy with moments of intrigue and pathos. I have slight preference for: Raffles (1930) because it is: Ronald Colman. His chemistry with: Kay Francis is wonderful to behold. I have felt at all times that:  David Niven and: Olivia de Havilland do not have the same spark. Their relationship seems to me to be more formal.

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I haven't seen Chandler, either, Bogie.

 

I'd like to recommend The L-Shaped Room, which is rarely seen around these parts and usually unavailable on DVD. Leslie Caron was nominated for an Oscar and won the BAFTA award for Best Actress. She plays a young Frenchwoman, pregnant with no husband, who goes to England and lives in a seedy boardinghouse until her baby is due. The strong cast includes Tom Bell (a good actor who sabotaged his own career) as a would-be writer, Brock Peters as a jazz musician in love with him (one of the first black gay characters on screen), Avis Bunnage as the frequently unsympathetic landlady, and Cicely Courtneidge as a retired music hall performer. Bryan Forbes as screenwriter and director is another plus.

 

If you're looking for kitchen sink realism, you'll find some here.

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Friday, July 1st/2nd;  All times E.S.T.:

 

12:45 p.m. "Guns of Darkness" (1962)--Leslie Caron and David Niven should be good.

 

5:15 a.m. "Captain Blood" (1935)--It's been too long since I've seen it.

 

Bea Arthur fans only:

 

7:15 a.m. "Mame" (1974)--Lucille Ball's worst film, or darn close.  Arthur should have played Mame, Her three songs are fine--but that still leaves you with almost two hours of movie.

 

Question mark:

 

6:30 p.m. "Chandler" (1971) quotes from TCM User Reviews--"The Scenery is Nice", "Quite possibly the worst film TCM has ever shown" "Unbelievable train wreck".  Really?  IMDB gives it a 4.3 rating.  So it's less than mediocre.  But nowhere Close to IMDB's Bottom 100 Films.  Has anyone seen "Chandler"? 

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I'd like to recommend The L-Shaped Room, which is rarely seen around these parts and usually unavailable on DVD. Leslie Caron was nominated for an Oscar and won the BAFTA award for Best Actress. She plays a young Frenchwoman, pregnant with no husband, who goes to England and lives in a seedy boardinghouse until her baby is due. The strong cast includes Tom Bell (a good actor who sabotaged his own career) as a would-be writer, Brock Peters as a jazz musician in love with him (one of the first black gay characters on screen), Avis Bunnage as the frequently unsympathetic landlady, and Cicely Courtneidge as a retired music hall performer. Bryan Forbes as screenwriter and director is another plus.

 

If you're looking for kitchen sink realism, you'll find some here.

 

I love The L-Shaped Room, to the extent that, on one of my first visits to London (1971 I think it was), when my friends wanted to see more swinging plays, I insisted on seeing Cicily Courtneidge in a play called Move Over Mrs. Markham. I was so impressed by Cicely as Mavis in The L-Shaped Room -- had never heard of her before, but then learned she had had a huge career (with her husband) on stage in London and the regions. Great old gal! And her rendition of "Take Me Back to Dear Old Blighty" is brilliant, and well handled dramatically in The L-Shaped Room.

 

 

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I've seen Chandler. I gave it a 5/10. I like Warren Oates, though, so that goes a long way. Without him, it would get a 4 or maybe a 3.5/10, so if you're not a fan of his particular charms, that may be closer to your take on it. It's heart is in the right place, attempting to be a noir-ish throwback, but it fails in execution, and the script is just too weak.

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I've seen Chandler. I gave it a 5/10. I like Warren Oates, though, so that goes a long way. Without him, it would get a 4 or maybe a 3.5/10, so if you're not a fan of his particular charms, that may be closer to your take on it. It's heart is in the right place, attempting to be a noir-ish throwback, but it fails in execution, and the script is just too weak.

 

Apparently that movie got an enormous amount of interference from the suits. I think the director actually took out an ad in the trades to complain about them ruining it.

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speedracer said: The Parent Trap with Hayley Mills and... Hayley Mills.  This film also has Maureen O'Hara, Brian Keith, Una Merkel and Charles Ruggles.  I love this movie.  I've been watching it ever since I was little (along with all the other Hayley Mills Disney movies, I think I rented all of them from the video store) and have probably seen it 30+ times.  I never tire of this movie.

 

I don't want to gush, but I feel EXACTLY the same way about this movie. And being older than you, I'd multiply the number of viewings to maybe 50.

This movie was my first introduction to Charlie Ruggles-who never changed- recognising him years later in old b&w movies was my first realization of "charactor" actors.

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Look, I stand pretty left of center on most issues,

I'm "hip"

I'm "groovy."

but I'm sorry:

 

GET OFF THAT TABLE YOU *** DAMNED BEATNIK!

 

THAT IS AN EXQUISITE PIECE OF FURNITURE AND THAT TREE WAS NOT CUT DOWN AND THOSE DUTCH AMISH CRAFTSMEN DID NOT SPEND THE TIME TREATING AND SANDING AND STAINING THAT DAMNED THING BY HAND SO THAT SOME LONGHAIR IN A PAIR OF CHUCK TAYLORS COULD SCUFF IT UP DOING A SOFTSHOE ROUTINE BECAUSE HE'S "HEPPED UP" ON "THE DRUGS."

 

AND SO HELP ME GOD, IF YOU BREAK ANY OF THAT CHINA OR CRYSTAL, I WILL STAB YOU WITH A FORK IN YOUR KNEECAP!

 

:lol:

You are defender of our crown... roast.

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Saturday, July 2/3

 

2:15 a.m.  Sisters (1973).  I’m not a huge fan of Brian De Palma but this is one I have still yet to see and it has Margot Kidder in it.

 

I highly recommend SISTERS. Both Margot Kidder (as the sisters) and Jennifer Salt (whose snoopy persistence would do Gladys Kravitz proud) are great in this movie.

Brian De Palma's pre-CARRIE use of split screens is very effective here.

There's also a great "under hypnosis" scene.

 

I'd love to see TCM do a De Palma tribute and show SISTERS, CARRIE and DRESSED TO KILL.

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Saturday, July 2nd; All times E.S.T.:

 

"Alibi Ike" (1935)--Olivia De Havilland film I haven't seen.

 

"Bullitt" (1968)--One of the best crime films of the 1960's.

 

You genuinely believe that she's in love with Joe E. Brown in that one, so (needless to say) she's great.

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I highly recommend SISTERS. Both Margot Kidder (as the sisters) and Jennifer Salt (whose snoopy persistence would do Gladys Kravitz proud) are great in this movie.

Brian De Palma's pre-CARRIE use of split screens is very effective here.

There's also a great "under hypnosis" scene.

 

I'd love to see TCM do a DE Palma tribute and show SISTERS, CARRIE and DRESSED TO KILL.

 

TIFF in Toronto are doing an entire retrospective of De Palma this summer.

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