I Just Watched...

[speedracer5]

Laundry day today, so it was a double feature of two previously unseen movies 

 

 

LOUISA (1950)

A Rom-Com for the over-60 set.   I found it absolutely delightful.  Spring Byington in the title role who's living with son Ronald Reagan and his family.  Louisa gets fought over romantically by charming grocer Henry Hammond (Edmund Gwenn) and Type-A tycoon (and Ronnie's boss) Abel Burnside (Charles Coburn).  The guys are wonderful as immature cut-ups and Louisa's teen-aged granddaughter, Cathy (Piper Laurie, in her screen debut) her brilliant geek boyfriend Jimmy,(Scotty Beckett) are a great contrast in young love.  It all takes place in Pleasantville and watch for the charming bit of Americana with the Community Square Dance and the 'dancing under the bar' competition.  It's a hoot! 

 

Creepy production side note: Piper Laurie admitted years later that she lost her bloom during the production (while she was in her teens) to the 40-ish rogue named Ronald Reagan. 

 

Second feature 

 

 

GREEN LIGHT (1937)

From the Lloyd C. Douglas novel of the same name.  

Errol Flynn plays the impossibly handsome and impossibly noble Dr. Newell Paige.   Almost immediately in the story, I am treated to another performance by Spring Byington. It is short-lived, however.  If you haven't read Lloyd C. Douglas' works, he likes to kill off significant characters early-on; sort of to prove a point in his philosophy/theology.

 

Anyhoo, rounding out the cast is Sir Cedric Hardwicke (being a heavy-hitter "teacher in a collar" Pastor "Dean" Harcourt, with the best anchorman hair I have ever seen) and some more philosophy.  But just when you think it's going to be 90 minutes of preachiness, the story takes some interesting turns (at least to me it's interesting) and the ethically-challenged Dr. Endicott appears, admitting, "Greed and medicine don't mix."  No sh**, Sherlock.  The plot is filled out with two very lovely co-stars, Margaret Lindsay and Anita Louise who don't compete, but cooperate when the situation calls for their nobler aspects to come out while fighting wood ticks. Oh, and Walter Abel!  Okay, so now you know. There are wood ticks in this story.  I liked this drama, but it is definitely not Noir-ish.  

 

Watch for Sylvia.  I loved her too.   along with Errol.

 

If I had a doctor who looked how Errol Flynn did in Green Light, I would be feigning illness left and right.  Can you imagine his bedside manner? ::Swoon:: 

[Stephan55]

I just re-watched another TCM airing of the delightful feel gooder Tammy And The Bachelor (1957).

This was the first, and best of what would become a popular franchise.

For those unfamiliar, Tammy (beautifully played by Debbie Reynolds) and her grandfather (Walter Brennan) are southern river folk, who rescue a downed pilot named Peter (Leslie Nielson), who happens to be an experimental farmer and descendant of a once affluent, but still proud, southern family.

When Tammy's grampa gets jailed for moon-shining, she goes to stay with Peter's stuffy and stuck-up family, where her natural beauty, innocent Pollyanna-like positive attitude, and common sense wisdom, charms them all, especially Peter.

The cast also includes Mildred Natwick, Fay Wray, Sidney Blackmer, Philip Ober, and Mala Powers. 

 

My mom used to have a slew of 45 rpm records, and Debbie Reynolds hit single "Tammy" was among them. It was one of my favorites growing up, and so is this movie. Whenever it's on I just can't resist watching it again. Something about it always makes me smile.

The sequels with Sandra Dee are good, but I think Debbie's performance as Tammy is one of her very best.

[film lover 293]

"The Undying Monster (1942)--Starring Heather Angel and James Ellison.

 

A curse has been killing the men of Hammond Hall for centuries on cold nights.   In 1900, Helga Hammond (Heather Angel) tells the butler that curses don't exist.  There are screams from outside the mansion.  Helga orders a carriage to be brought round for her while the servants wring their hands and worry.  So begins this low budget film from 20th-Century Fox that moves at breakneck speed trying to get in all the plot in just over an hours running time.

 

The movie is filled with behind-the-scenes talent that was two years away from peaking.  Director John Brahm would  hit his stride in 1944-45, when he directed "Guest In The House, "The Lodger (both 1944) and "Hangover Square" (1945) consecutively.  Composer David Raksin, best known for the "Theme from "Laura" (1944) scored one of his first films here.  Lucien Ballard, who did the atmospheric, skewed photography that plays with the viewers' sense of proportion and reminded me of "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" (1919), filmed both "Laura" and "The Lodger" (both 1944).  The sets were designed by Richard Day and Lewis Creber.

 

"The Undying Monster" is an marvelous "B" movie that should be better known.  A fun watch.  3/4.

 

I saw the film on archivedotorg.

[Sepiatone]

I spent most of yesterday watching the MONKEES MARATHON on ANTENNATV where I saw an episode that had LON CHANEY JR. play a mobster's henchman.  I thought it funny that Chaney's henchman character was named LENNY, and the mobster he worked for was named GEORGE. 

 

I remembered the episode from when it first aired, but back then, I had NO WAY of knowing enough to make the connection!  Hell, back then I had no idea who Lon Chaney Jr. WAS, let alone SENIOR!

 

 

Sepiatone

[EricJ]

I spent most of yesterday watching the MONKEES MARATHON on ANTENNATV where I saw an episode that had LON CHANEY JR. play a mobster's henchman.  I thought it funny that Chaney's henchman character was named LENNY, and the mobster he worked for was named GEORGE. 

 

 

And, at one point, says "Tell me about the rabbits, George".  The Monkees' show did love its pop-culture in-jokes as far under the radar as possible.

[LornaHansonForbes]

Wow.

 

I think I'm the only person in America right now watching "Return to Treasure Island" as part of what seems to be a Tab Hunter tribute day.

 

It baaad.

[LornaHansonForbes]

Tab is a dream though.

[Hibi]

It cant possibly be Tab Hunter day.  He's only in a couple of the films.

[LornaHansonForbes]

It cant possibly be Tab Hunter day. He's only in a couple of the films.

Okay, I stand corrected on that point, but I still put it to you that RETURN TO TREASURE ISLAND was baaaaaaaad.

 

( and I will defend that Viewpoint to my dying day.)

 

**: albeit delightfully, deliciously bad.

[Hibi]

Well, I've never seen it (and probably wont, so) I take your word for it!

[Hibi]

Just discovered Hitler's Children is on tonight in the early morning hours. Havent seen that in many years!

[LornaHansonForbes]

Just discovered Hitler's Children is on tonight in the early morning hours. Havent seen that in many years!

 

THIS would've made SUCH  a good double bill with TOMORROW: THE WORLD!

[LornaHansonForbes]

Was I the only one who caught RETURN TO TREASURE ISLAND (1954) ?

 

Seriously: bad movie fans of the world (I am looking at you Lawrence and FilmLover) this one has an almost hypnotic badness that draws you in, it's been a long time since i've been so utterly delighted by something so awful.

 

The color cinematography is actually not bad....and it's the only thing about the movie that isn't.

 

at least 1/3 of it is done in voiceover (guess someone got the sound equipment wet on location) and the acting is on a par with Sofia Coppola in its exquisite badness, the plot runs neck and neck with what dialogue there is in a race for "MOST AWFUL"- with the dialogue breasting the tape at the end.

 

God, Tab Hunter was SO pretty though!

 

a major plot point involves Tab solving Long John Silver's cryptoquote.  An actor interprets blindness by banging a stick up and down on the ground while walking straight on. Porter Hall is in this, I don't KNOW WHY.

 

edit- not be be confused with the 1954 Robert Newton film LONG JOHN SILVER'S RETURN TO TREASURE ISLAND. This was a "modern" update with Tab Hunter from the same year.

 

i actually stayed til the end and laughed out loud numerous times,

 

it was kind of like if the Zucker brothers had set the movie TOP SECRET! on a tropical island, and not made the comedy intentional....or if Luis Bunuel had taken sick while filming THE ADVENTURES OF ROBINSON CRUSOE and been replaced by Ed Wood.

 

seriously worth checking out.

 

defies words.

[film lover 293]

'The Story of Mankind" (1957)--Starring Ronald Colman, Vincent Price, Groucho Marx, and thirty odd other stars in cameos.  Produced and directed by Irwin Allen.

 

Before Allen was nicknamed "Master of Disaster" in the 1970's, he produced and directed this history lesson, based on Hendrik Van Loon's book.

 

The plot; Man has discovered the "Super H Bomb" sixty years ahead of schedule.  A court convenes in Outer Space as The Spirit of Man (Ronald Colman), Mr. Scratch (Vincent Price) and his apprentice (Nick Cravat) argue whether man should be saved or allowed to blow themselves up.  A parade of characters from history, good and evil, appear to make various points.  With the exception of Bobby Watson, who plays Hitler and brings a note of unwelcome reality to the movie after ninety minutes of comic book history, the "bad" characters get most of the good lines and laughs.  The "good" characters, with two exceptions, get the dreary lines and slow down an entertaining show; in some cases, they bring the movie to a screeching halt.

 

The entertaining: Vincent Price was inspired casting, and he carries off the role with admirable sarcasm, irony, and the occasional sneer.  Nick Cravat acts with his eyebrows, and adds to the fun.  Groucho Marx is a funny Peter Minuit, and Harpo Marx has maybe the best bit in the movie, as a harp playing Isaac Newton.  Virginia Mayo's Cleopatra is amusing for the wrong reasons; she sounds like she came to Egypt by way of Atlanta.  Agnes Moorehead, as Elizabeth I, roars and overacts her way through a badly written scene.  Peter Lorre is a memorable Nero.  In the three minutes allotted her scene, Marie Wilson sketches a brainless Marie Antoinette.  John Carradine, as the pharaoh Khufu, cannot keep a straight face and grins at the camera in his first scene.

 

The boring: In his last film, Ronald Colman as The Spirit of Man gets the dreary lines and seems to think he's in a Serious Film.  Hedy Lamarr is a Viennese sounding Joan of Arc.  Charles Coburn as Hippocrates lectures the camera.  Cathy O'Donnell stops the film as an early martyr.  Chico Marx got star billing, but I couldn't spot him in the film.

 

As a "so bad it's good" film, "The Story of Mankind" rates a fun watch.  On that scale, 2.7/4

 

Edit--I saw it on archive.org.

[LawrenceA]

Chico Marx (on right) as "Monk" in The Story of Mankind (1957)

 

[scsu1975]

 

 

As a "so bad it's good" film, "The Story of Mankind" rates a fun watch.  On that scale, 2.7/4

 

 

I may have to revisit this one, but the first (and only time) I saw it was late night probably about 40 years ago. I remember Vincent Price being incredibly hammy (but then, he usually is) and Ronald Colman looking very tired. Groucho gets Manhattan for some beads, then asks the Indians for a receipt because he has to declare this on his income taxes. And the film cops out at the end, since no "decision" is reached. Still, it's probably worth it just to spot the stars.

[Dargo]

I've always thought that THE STORY OF MANKIND might have inspired after Irwin Allen had watched one too many of those Disney cartoon shorts about historic events that were narrated by Prof. Ludwig Von Drake.

 

(...and that most of the by then past-their-prime movie stars in it were just thankful for the paycheck)

 

***edit to follow***

 

After just now doing a little research, it appears this couldn't be the case, as Disney's Ludwig Von Drake character wasn't introduced to the public until 4 years after the release of Irwin Allen's film, and so maybe it was Allen's film which "inspired" the Disney boys.

 

(...I'm still holding fast to my other thought though...the thing about all the past-their-prime movie stars just being thankful for a paycheck for being in this turkey)

Edited September 20, 2016 by Dargo

[EricJ]

I've always thought that THE STORY OF MANKIND might have inspired after Irwin Allen had watched one too many of those Disney cartoon shorts about historic events that were narrated by Prof. Ludwig Von Drake.

 

(...and that most of the by then past-their-prime movie stars in it were just thankful for the paycheck)

 

***edit to follow***

 

After just now doing a little research, it appears this couldn't be the case, as Disney's Ludwig Von Drake character wasn't introduced to the public until 4 years after the release of Irwin Allen's film, and so maybe it was Allen's film which "inspired" the Disney boys.

 

 

Nnno.  (Ludwig is pretty straightforwardly an avian Sid Caesar.)

 

Van Loon's book was still considered one of the "great" children's books, and won the first Newbery, but Irwin Allen in the early days was not the disaster-meister he was in the 70's--He was more of the goofy adventurer he was just before Lost in Space.

Story of Mankind was his first narrative effort after two well-received documentaries, and "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" and "Five Weeks in a Balloon" came afterwards.

[Sepiatone]

Last night, on the MOVIES! channel, they showed A GUIDE FOR THE MARRIED MAN.  A 1967 farce starring WALTER MATTHAU and ROBERT MORSE with a host of cameos by many well known names.

 

I haven't seen it for many years, although I've noticed it scheduled many times over those years and just last night decided to look in on it again.  Fair as far as those '60's "farces" go, but one thing I did notice that caught my attention---

 

The opening credits informed me that the music was provided by JOHNNY WILLIAMS....

 

???

 

"JOHNNY"?    Since these days there are many who think he should be referred to as "SIR" John Williams, the cavalier spelling of his name sort of amused me.  And the music wasn't really all that outstanding, but not all that bad either. 

 

I guess they all had to start out somewhere!

 

Oh, and the familiar names that made cameos were billed as "Technical Advisers"! 

 

A fun movie to watch.  Not GREAT mind you, but did it really NEED to be?  I enjoyed seeing it again, although I never really cared much for Morse.

 

 

Sepiatone

[LornaHansonForbes]

Last night, on the MOVIES! channel, they showed A GUIDE FOR THE MARRIED MAN. ...The opening credits informed me that the music was provided by JOHNNY WILLIAMS....???"JOHNNY"?    Since these days there are many who think he should be referred to as "SIR" John Williams, the cavalier spelling of his name sort of amused me.  And the music wasn't really all that outstanding, but not all that bad either.

 

A fun movie to watch.  Not GREAT mind you, but did it really NEED to be?  I enjoyed seeing it again, although I never really cared much for Morse.

 

 

i seem to recall watching Spielberg referring to John Williams as "Johnny" in a couple of "making of" and behind the scenes docs, probably in reference to the making of JAWS, they were done recently.

 

just as an FYI- only British-born citizens can be referred to as "Sir" or "Dame" for receiving an OBE...dunno if either applies to Johnny Boy.

 

Kindasorta with you on Morse.

[Hibi]

 

 

Was I the only one who caught RETURN TO TREASURE ISLAND (1954) ?

 

Seriously: bad movie fans of the world (I am looking at you Lawrence and FilmLover) this one has an almost hypnotic badness that draws you in, it's been a long time since i've been so utterly delighted by something so awful.

 

The color cinematography is actually not bad....and it's the only thing about the movie that isn't.

 

at least 1/3 of it is done in voiceover (guess someone got the sound equipment wet on location) and the acting is on a par with Sofia Coppola in its exquisite badness, the plot runs neck and neck with what dialogue there is in a race for "MOST AWFUL"- with the dialogue breasting the tape at the end.

 

God, Tab Hunter was SO pretty though!

 

a major plot point involves Tab solving Long John Silver's cryptoquote.  An actor interprets blindness by banging a stick up and down on the ground while walking straight on. Porter Hall is in this, I don't KNOW WHY.

 

edit- not be be confused with the 1954 Robert Newton film LONG JOHN SILVER'S RETURN TO TREASURE ISLAND. This was a "modern" update with Tab Hunter from the same year.

 

i actually stayed til the end and laughed out loud numerous times,

 

it was kind of like if the Zucker brothers had set the movie TOP SECRET! on a tropical island, and not made the comedy intentional....or if Luis Bunuel had taken sick while filming THE ADVENTURES OF ROBINSON CRUSOE and been replaced by Ed Wood.

 

seriously worth checking out.

 

defies words.

 

 

Guess so!

[Hibi]

Last night, on the MOVIES! channel, they showed A GUIDE FOR THE MARRIED MAN.  A 1967 farce starring WALTER MATTHAU and ROBERT MORSE with a host of cameos by many well known names.

 

I haven't seen it for many years, although I've noticed it scheduled many times over those years and just last night decided to look in on it again.  Fair as far as those '60's "farces" go, but one thing I did notice that caught my attention---

 

The opening credits informed me that the music was provided by JOHNNY WILLIAMS....

 

???

 

"JOHNNY"?    Since these days there are many who think he should be referred to as "SIR" John Williams, the cavalier spelling of his name sort of amused me.  And the music wasn't really all that outstanding, but not all that bad either. 

 

I guess they all had to start out somewhere!

 

Oh, and the familiar names that made cameos were billed as "Technical Advisers"! 

 

A fun movie to watch.  Not GREAT mind you, but did it really NEED to be?  I enjoyed seeing it again, although I never really cared much for Morse.

 

 

Sepiatone

 

 

Yes. He went by Johnny in his early days. His credit on How to Steal a Million also is Johnny.

[rayban]

Last night, on the MOVIES! channel, they showed A GUIDE FOR THE MARRIED MAN.  A 1967 farce starring WALTER MATTHAU and ROBERT MORSE with a host of cameos by many well known names.

 

I haven't seen it for many years, although I've noticed it scheduled many times over those years and just last night decided to look in on it again.  Fair as far as those '60's "farces" go, but one thing I did notice that caught my attention---

 

The opening credits informed me that the music was provided by JOHNNY WILLIAMS....

 

???

 

"JOHNNY"?    Since these days there are many who think he should be referred to as "SIR" John Williams, the cavalier spelling of his name sort of amused me.  And the music wasn't really all that outstanding, but not all that bad either. 

 

I guess they all had to start out somewhere!

 

Oh, and the familiar names that made cameos were billed as "Technical Advisers"! 

 

A fun movie to watch.  Not GREAT mind you, but did it really NEED to be?  I enjoyed seeing it again, although I never really cared much for Morse.

 

 

Sepiatone

This film marked Jayne Mansfield's temporary return to 20th Century Fox - I do wish that they could have done more with her - because her teaming with Terry-Thomas could've made a much funnier cameo. 

[rayban]

i seem to recall watching Spielberg referring to John Williams as "Johnny" in a couple of "making of" and behind the scenes docs, probably in reference to the making of JAWS, they were done recently.

 

just as an FYI- only British-born citizens can be referred to as "Sir" or "Dame" for receiving an OBE...dunno if either applies to Johnny Boy.

 

Kindasorta with you on Morse.

Robert Morse personified anarchy - "How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying" used him best.

[rayban]

Was I the only one who caught RETURN TO TREASURE ISLAND (1954) ?

 

Seriously: bad movie fans of the world (I am looking at you Lawrence and FilmLover) this one has an almost hypnotic badness that draws you in, it's been a long time since i've been so utterly delighted by something so awful.

 

The color cinematography is actually not bad....and it's the only thing about the movie that isn't.

 

at least 1/3 of it is done in voiceover (guess someone got the sound equipment wet on location) and the acting is on a par with Sofia Coppola in its exquisite badness, the plot runs neck and neck with what dialogue there is in a race for "MOST AWFUL"- with the dialogue breasting the tape at the end.

 

God, Tab Hunter was SO pretty though!

 

a major plot point involves Tab solving Long John Silver's cryptoquote.  An actor interprets blindness by banging a stick up and down on the ground while walking straight on. Porter Hall is in this, I don't KNOW WHY.

 

edit- not be be confused with the 1954 Robert Newton film LONG JOHN SILVER'S RETURN TO TREASURE ISLAND. This was a "modern" update with Tab Hunter from the same year.

 

i actually stayed til the end and laughed out loud numerous times,

 

it was kind of like if the Zucker brothers had set the movie TOP SECRET! on a tropical island, and not made the comedy intentional....or if Luis Bunuel had taken sick while filming THE ADVENTURES OF ROBINSON CRUSOE and been replaced by Ed Wood.

 

seriously worth checking out.

 

defies words.

You got it - a hypnotic badness that draws you in.

 

And the prettiness of Tab Hunter AND Dawn Addams doesn't hurt, either.

 

Tab was just starting out - and Dawn had just been dropped by MGM.