Dane Clark day on TCM:
That Way With Women (1947) Dane Clark, Martha Vickers, Sydney Greenstreet. A 'b' rom/com from the classic era. My gal pals and I were a-flutter over Dane, and today I wonder why? 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039893/combined
Embraceable You (1948) Dane Clark, Geraldine Brooks, S. Z. Sakall. A nice romance, with bad boy Dane, reforming to take care of the girl he hit with his car after a robbery, and left the scene. But he does the right thing. And I love the music theme that became a huge hit and was danced to cheek to cheek for many years. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040315/combined
My Collection:
Viva Zapata (1952) Marlon Brando, Jean Peters, Anthony Quinn, Joseph Wiseman. Brando never was better. Great cast. The story of Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata, who led a rebellion against the corrupt, oppressive dictatorship of president Porfirio Diaz in the early 20th century. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045296/combined
I Love You To Death (1990) Tracey Ullman, Kevin Kline, Joan Plowright, River Phoenix, Keanu Reeves, William Hurt. What a cast! I taped this off HBO back in 1991 and haven't watched it for a long time. Just as funny and special. Based on a true story of a wife who finally gets wise to her cheating husband and tries to have him killed. Outrageous, but funny. Whole cast is having a romp. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040315/combined
The end of the month. October used to mean smoke from leaf fires, and the neighborhood men and women raked up huge piles and burned them. No more. We know better now. That was polution. But it is a memory of childhood and neighbors.
September 30, 2010
September 26, 2010
More Vivien; Beckinsale & Farmiga---
This post catches me up for Sept. Finally!
TCM-Vivien Leigh Day:
Fire Over England (1937) Vivien Leigh, Lawrence Olivier, Flora Robson. Another story with Queen Elizabeth a central figure, this time played by Flora Robson. It is 1588 and Spain is threatening England. The Queen sends the son of a man killed by the Inquisition, to Spain, as an undercover spy to find out what they plan to do. Michael is in love with Cynthia, a lady-in-waiting at court, and both women fear for the young man and England, as there is a great Armada sailing for England. The title is the way the English save the day, by burning their own ships and sailing them into the Armada. It works. The young stars are beautiful. 8/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028872/combined
That Hamilton Woman (1941) Vivien Leigh, Lawrence Olivier, Gladys Cooper. The story of Emma Hart who rises from dance hall girl, to cortesan, to ambassadors wife, to Lord Horatio Nelsons mistress. Beautifully filmed, and the two leads are gorgeous, even if Olivier has a patch over one eye. The battle scenes at sea are well done. The court of Naples, with the children of the King and Queen - a dozen or so - is chaotic and fun. Costumes and score, fine. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034272/combined
REELZ CH:
Force 10 From Navarone (1978) Robert Shaw, Harrison Ford, Edward Fox. Another story of a team being sent behind German lines to blow up a key bridge. The story is how they manage, with resistance fighters who betray them, being captured at least twice. So-so cinematography. Pacing is erratic. Ford, a year after his Star Wars super stardom. Here, he isn't even exciting. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077572/combined
Rental DVD:
Nothing But The Truth (2009) Kate Beckinsale, Vera Farmiga, Matt Dillon, Alan Alda, Angela Bassett. Terrific film about a young reporter, Rachel, who discovers a plot and the CIA agent involved. Her story causes a quick indictment from a government prosecutor, Patton Dubois, who wants the name of the source. From the first it is a battle of wills between the reporter, the prosecutor, the judge and her lawyer, Alan Burnside (Alan Alda). Similar to the Valerie Plame incident, a real outing of a CIA agent. The story here follows Rachel to jail, where she stays for a year. After being released, after the death of the agent, Dubois re-arrests her and she is sentenced to federal prison for 2 years. At the very end, it is revealed why she will not give up her source. Very good film of its' type. Cast great. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1073241/combined
A full moon and the Jupiter/Uranus combined star power, made a beautiful night sky for the first week of autumn. The hummingbirds, killdeers and other migratory birds will be leaving the Heartland soon. Some have already gone. The hummers have been especially fun this year.
The female deer have been gathering in groups. We see them in the woods above the river some days. Since this is park and conservation land we abut, no hunting is allowed and there are too many deer for the forage available. Soon there will be bow hunters allowed to take a female to thin the herd. Sad, but starvation is a sure thing if the winter comes with this over-population.
Have picked out films to watch next. I'm going through my list and picking tapes and DVDs I have not watched for 4 or 5 years. Or longer.
TCM-Vivien Leigh Day:
Fire Over England (1937) Vivien Leigh, Lawrence Olivier, Flora Robson. Another story with Queen Elizabeth a central figure, this time played by Flora Robson. It is 1588 and Spain is threatening England. The Queen sends the son of a man killed by the Inquisition, to Spain, as an undercover spy to find out what they plan to do. Michael is in love with Cynthia, a lady-in-waiting at court, and both women fear for the young man and England, as there is a great Armada sailing for England. The title is the way the English save the day, by burning their own ships and sailing them into the Armada. It works. The young stars are beautiful. 8/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028872/combined
That Hamilton Woman (1941) Vivien Leigh, Lawrence Olivier, Gladys Cooper. The story of Emma Hart who rises from dance hall girl, to cortesan, to ambassadors wife, to Lord Horatio Nelsons mistress. Beautifully filmed, and the two leads are gorgeous, even if Olivier has a patch over one eye. The battle scenes at sea are well done. The court of Naples, with the children of the King and Queen - a dozen or so - is chaotic and fun. Costumes and score, fine. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034272/combined
REELZ CH:
Force 10 From Navarone (1978) Robert Shaw, Harrison Ford, Edward Fox. Another story of a team being sent behind German lines to blow up a key bridge. The story is how they manage, with resistance fighters who betray them, being captured at least twice. So-so cinematography. Pacing is erratic. Ford, a year after his Star Wars super stardom. Here, he isn't even exciting. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077572/combined
Rental DVD:
Nothing But The Truth (2009) Kate Beckinsale, Vera Farmiga, Matt Dillon, Alan Alda, Angela Bassett. Terrific film about a young reporter, Rachel, who discovers a plot and the CIA agent involved. Her story causes a quick indictment from a government prosecutor, Patton Dubois, who wants the name of the source. From the first it is a battle of wills between the reporter, the prosecutor, the judge and her lawyer, Alan Burnside (Alan Alda). Similar to the Valerie Plame incident, a real outing of a CIA agent. The story here follows Rachel to jail, where she stays for a year. After being released, after the death of the agent, Dubois re-arrests her and she is sentenced to federal prison for 2 years. At the very end, it is revealed why she will not give up her source. Very good film of its' type. Cast great. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1073241/combined
A full moon and the Jupiter/Uranus combined star power, made a beautiful night sky for the first week of autumn. The hummingbirds, killdeers and other migratory birds will be leaving the Heartland soon. Some have already gone. The hummers have been especially fun this year.
The female deer have been gathering in groups. We see them in the woods above the river some days. Since this is park and conservation land we abut, no hunting is allowed and there are too many deer for the forage available. Soon there will be bow hunters allowed to take a female to thin the herd. Sad, but starvation is a sure thing if the winter comes with this over-population.
Have picked out films to watch next. I'm going through my list and picking tapes and DVDs I have not watched for 4 or 5 years. Or longer.
September 24, 2010
Meryl Streep, Helen Mirren, Gerard Butler----
--in films I recently watched:
On OvationHDTV:
Sophie's Choice (1982) Meryl Streep (Oscar), Kevin Kline, Peter MacNichol. The cameraman was in love with Meryl - she is lovely. Sad and slow film, about a young writer Stingo, from the south, who takes rooms in a house that also has a beautiful Polish woman, Sophie and her lover Nathan, living there. Gradually Stingo learns the truth about Sophie and Nathan and their problems. She is a survivor of the holocaust and he is getting more and more erratic and violent. Good acting but, not a film I will ever watch again. Too depressing. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084707/combined
ION TV:
Along Came Polly (2004) Jennifer Anniston, Ben Stiller, Debra Messing, Philip Seymore Hoffman. Guy marry's beautiful girl. Girl has affair with scuba instructor on the honeymoon. Guy goes back home and mopes until friend takes him out to a party one night and there he runs across Polly who is waitressing. She is a free spirit and also they went to junior high school together. So he is smitten and she is tolerant. Attractive cast go through their paces and we are happy enough to tag along. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0343135/combined
My Collection:
Butterfly On A Wheel/Shattered/The Butterfly (2007) Gerard Butler, Maria Bello, Pierce Brosnan. Butler as Neil Randall and Bello, his wife Abby, have a lovely little girl and a beautiful home. Neil is a successful business man. One morning the couple leaves their daughter with a baby sitter and head off for the day. In the SUV, discussing the days affairs, suddenly a guy with a gun takes over and everything gets crazy. A suspenseful film of jeopardy, jealousy and deception, with a surprise or two and a twist ending. The title of the film keeps changing for some reason. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0489664/combined
Rental DVDs:
Elizabeth I (2005-6) Helen Mirren, Jeremy Irons, Hugh Dancy. A marvelous mini-series about the great queen from her middle years to her death. Costumes and cinematography are tops for a HBO series. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0465326/combined
Twilight: New Moon (2009) Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattison, Billy Burke, Taylor Lautner. Not as good as the first, but still has gorgeous scenery. Bella and Edward and Jacob get lots of time to look good on camera, and the story doesn't get in the way too much. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1259571/combined
The Men Who Stare At Goats (2010) George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Spacey. I think this was supposed to be a black comedy, but it utterly fails at being funny. So what we are left with is - strange. I'm not sure what it was about, because I think my mind kept wandering. Total waste of a bunch of guys who CAN be totally funny with a good script. 5/10 for effort. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1234548/combined
First day of autumn was cool and evening rain. Get the popcorn and a movie and settle in for the season, sez I.
On OvationHDTV:
Sophie's Choice (1982) Meryl Streep (Oscar), Kevin Kline, Peter MacNichol. The cameraman was in love with Meryl - she is lovely. Sad and slow film, about a young writer Stingo, from the south, who takes rooms in a house that also has a beautiful Polish woman, Sophie and her lover Nathan, living there. Gradually Stingo learns the truth about Sophie and Nathan and their problems. She is a survivor of the holocaust and he is getting more and more erratic and violent. Good acting but, not a film I will ever watch again. Too depressing. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084707/combined
ION TV:
Along Came Polly (2004) Jennifer Anniston, Ben Stiller, Debra Messing, Philip Seymore Hoffman. Guy marry's beautiful girl. Girl has affair with scuba instructor on the honeymoon. Guy goes back home and mopes until friend takes him out to a party one night and there he runs across Polly who is waitressing. She is a free spirit and also they went to junior high school together. So he is smitten and she is tolerant. Attractive cast go through their paces and we are happy enough to tag along. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0343135/combined
My Collection:
Butterfly On A Wheel/Shattered/The Butterfly (2007) Gerard Butler, Maria Bello, Pierce Brosnan. Butler as Neil Randall and Bello, his wife Abby, have a lovely little girl and a beautiful home. Neil is a successful business man. One morning the couple leaves their daughter with a baby sitter and head off for the day. In the SUV, discussing the days affairs, suddenly a guy with a gun takes over and everything gets crazy. A suspenseful film of jeopardy, jealousy and deception, with a surprise or two and a twist ending. The title of the film keeps changing for some reason. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0489664/combined
Rental DVDs:
Elizabeth I (2005-6) Helen Mirren, Jeremy Irons, Hugh Dancy. A marvelous mini-series about the great queen from her middle years to her death. Costumes and cinematography are tops for a HBO series. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0465326/combined
Twilight: New Moon (2009) Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattison, Billy Burke, Taylor Lautner. Not as good as the first, but still has gorgeous scenery. Bella and Edward and Jacob get lots of time to look good on camera, and the story doesn't get in the way too much. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1259571/combined
The Men Who Stare At Goats (2010) George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Spacey. I think this was supposed to be a black comedy, but it utterly fails at being funny. So what we are left with is - strange. I'm not sure what it was about, because I think my mind kept wandering. Total waste of a bunch of guys who CAN be totally funny with a good script. 5/10 for effort. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1234548/combined
First day of autumn was cool and evening rain. Get the popcorn and a movie and settle in for the season, sez I.
September 22, 2010
A few more---
TCM: Film Preservation Presentations
The Red Shoes (1947) Moira Shearer, Anton Walbrook. Absolutely gorgeous restoration of a favorite film. Color is clear and bright. A beloved film I watch often. 10/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040725/combined
Secret Behind The Door (1948) Joan Bennett, Michael Redgrave, Anne Revere, Barbara O'Neil. Fritz Lang directs a slow plot about a woman visiting Mexico who meets a handsome stranger and marries him after just a few days. She was supposed to be deciding whether to marry heer long-time beau, but ends up going to her new husbands home. There she meets his sister, secretary and son. All strange characters. The set up is pretty good, but Redgrave is sleep-walking and the plot just never jells. Bennett is beautiful and this is her 3rd film with this director. Not their best, which I think was "Woman In The Window." 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040766/combined
The Prowler (1951) Evelyn Keyes, Van Heflin. Cop Webb Garwood (Heflin) and his partner answer a prowler call at an upscale house where they find scared Susan Gilvray. Her husband is a radio personality with an evening show so she is alone. Webb immediately starts making moves but the team leaves. Webb comes back later without his partner just to check up, he says. This time they discover the come from the same Indiana town and when she goes to get coffee, he looks through the desk papers. He discovers that the lady will be a wealthy woman if anything happens to her husband. From then on Heflin makes his character Webb, charming - but shifty. The events that follow keep you guessing whether he really has fallen for Susan or is 'playing' her to finally have his dream of a business of his own. And he ends up shooting her husband in a prowler mixup. Or is it? That the plot takes our couple a ghost town in the Mohave desert, a baby born, and a shootout, before the fade. Very good noir and keeps your interest throughout. The two lead actors as excellent and are aided by good character actors in support. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043938/combined
The Red Shoes (1947) Moira Shearer, Anton Walbrook. Absolutely gorgeous restoration of a favorite film. Color is clear and bright. A beloved film I watch often. 10/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040725/combined
Secret Behind The Door (1948) Joan Bennett, Michael Redgrave, Anne Revere, Barbara O'Neil. Fritz Lang directs a slow plot about a woman visiting Mexico who meets a handsome stranger and marries him after just a few days. She was supposed to be deciding whether to marry heer long-time beau, but ends up going to her new husbands home. There she meets his sister, secretary and son. All strange characters. The set up is pretty good, but Redgrave is sleep-walking and the plot just never jells. Bennett is beautiful and this is her 3rd film with this director. Not their best, which I think was "Woman In The Window." 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040766/combined
The Prowler (1951) Evelyn Keyes, Van Heflin. Cop Webb Garwood (Heflin) and his partner answer a prowler call at an upscale house where they find scared Susan Gilvray. Her husband is a radio personality with an evening show so she is alone. Webb immediately starts making moves but the team leaves. Webb comes back later without his partner just to check up, he says. This time they discover the come from the same Indiana town and when she goes to get coffee, he looks through the desk papers. He discovers that the lady will be a wealthy woman if anything happens to her husband. From then on Heflin makes his character Webb, charming - but shifty. The events that follow keep you guessing whether he really has fallen for Susan or is 'playing' her to finally have his dream of a business of his own. And he ends up shooting her husband in a prowler mixup. Or is it? That the plot takes our couple a ghost town in the Mohave desert, a baby born, and a shootout, before the fade. Very good noir and keeps your interest throughout. The two lead actors as excellent and are aided by good character actors in support. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043938/combined
September 19, 2010
Claudette Colbert day on TCM---
---I watched these films on her day:
Claudette Colbert Day on TCM
It's A Wonderful World (1939) Colbert, Jimmy Stewart. A great year for movies - but this isn't one of them. Part road film, part screwball, and all falls flat, IMHO. Too bad. MGM featured many of it's best character actors in the supporting roles. But it just didn't gel. A detective is hired to find out who is framing his client for murder. He ends up in prison and the client on the way to the death house. He escapes. While investigating, he happens on loopy poetess, Edwina, and it gets more complicated and is still not funny and barely interesting. At least to me. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031500/combined
Midnight (1939) Claudette, Don Ameche, Mary Astor, John Barrymore. Here is a screwball comedy that is just 'wonderful.' Broke Showgirl Eve meets Parisian cab driver Tibor Tzerny, and he is immediately smitten and she is too. But she wants more and says they are not right for each other so she runs away. She has to hide among the guests going into a wealthy woman's musical party. There she is noticed by Georges Flammarion who is trying to get gigolo Pico away from his wife, Helene. Introducing herself as Baroness Czerny, Georges realizes she is an impostor but enlists her to get Pico away from his wife. The weekend at the country house is where she is to work on him. Of course, Tibor shows up also and there are many funny scenes as the two 'Czerny's' one-up one another with lies and crazy antics. This is my favorites Barrymore performance, and the rest of the cast is terrific. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031647/combined
Boom Town (1940) Claudette, Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy, Hedy Lamarr. Great MGM film about the early oil boom in this country with Gable and Tracy wildcatters who sometimes are partners and sometimes are rivals. Claudette is the girl Tracy loves from back home, and Gable wins the first night she sets foot off the train in the boom town. The boys had just had their first well come in and he was to file the papers for their company. Bitter Tracy heads to South America to the new oil country and soon enough, our couple lands at his company. They have lost their money and are living hand to mouth. Back and forth go the fortunes of the 3 until they all end up in New York and Tracy has to get the big guy out of the clutches of femme fatale' Hedy Lamarr. Which he does and they all go back to where it all began and start over. Frank Morgan as the guy who has the drilling equipment the guys are always swindling him out of, is fun. All in all, a rousing good time at the movies. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032273/combined
The Palm Beach Story (1942) Claudette, Joel McCrea, Mary Astor, Rudy Vallee. One of Preston Sturges best comedies. Broke couple (Gerry & Tom) split because wife wants more. 'Wienie' King looking at the apartment they are behind in the rent on, gives her money to pay off all their debts and when hubby objects, she runs away on a train to Palm Beach, FL. She has no money left, so hooks up with the Quail & Ale hunting club on the train, who have their own car. They all get drunk and start shooting off their guns, so she runs through the sleeper car and tries to jump up in an empty upper birth to hide. She steps on the face of rich John D. Hackensacker III (Vallee) and breaks his glasses. That's the beginning and funniest half hour to ever start a film. IMO. Astor as Princess Centimillia, Johns sister, is rollicking good fun as a man hunting gal who thinks she has found her next husband in Tom, who has been introduced as Gerry's brother. Don't add or subtract - or try to make sense - just enjoy! 10/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0035169/combined
Secret Heart (1946) Colbert, June Allyson, Walter Pigeon. Pure soap, but very well done. Colbert is brave, Allyson nuts and bratty, Pigeon stalwart and steady. Usual story of first husband commits suicide and causes extreme problems, but in a nice rich family so no one suffers too much. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038916/combined
Secret Fury (1950) Colbert, Robert Ryan. At Ellen's wedding to David a man appears and claims she is already married. As they investigate, everyone says she was married to another man who she claims she has never heard of or ever seen. Neat little tale of a woman being driven mad for unknown reasons. Her fiance David is true and keeps digging, trying to find out what is going on. Ryan has the best scenes - or perhaps just makes them better by doing them well. Vivian Vance of Lucy fame, has a few choice scenes, one with Ryan and they are both fine. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042935/combined
Have newer films I have watched to do next. Hope to catch up this weekend.
Claudette Colbert Day on TCM
It's A Wonderful World (1939) Colbert, Jimmy Stewart. A great year for movies - but this isn't one of them. Part road film, part screwball, and all falls flat, IMHO. Too bad. MGM featured many of it's best character actors in the supporting roles. But it just didn't gel. A detective is hired to find out who is framing his client for murder. He ends up in prison and the client on the way to the death house. He escapes. While investigating, he happens on loopy poetess, Edwina, and it gets more complicated and is still not funny and barely interesting. At least to me. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031500/combined
Midnight (1939) Claudette, Don Ameche, Mary Astor, John Barrymore. Here is a screwball comedy that is just 'wonderful.' Broke Showgirl Eve meets Parisian cab driver Tibor Tzerny, and he is immediately smitten and she is too. But she wants more and says they are not right for each other so she runs away. She has to hide among the guests going into a wealthy woman's musical party. There she is noticed by Georges Flammarion who is trying to get gigolo Pico away from his wife, Helene. Introducing herself as Baroness Czerny, Georges realizes she is an impostor but enlists her to get Pico away from his wife. The weekend at the country house is where she is to work on him. Of course, Tibor shows up also and there are many funny scenes as the two 'Czerny's' one-up one another with lies and crazy antics. This is my favorites Barrymore performance, and the rest of the cast is terrific. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031647/combined
Boom Town (1940) Claudette, Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy, Hedy Lamarr. Great MGM film about the early oil boom in this country with Gable and Tracy wildcatters who sometimes are partners and sometimes are rivals. Claudette is the girl Tracy loves from back home, and Gable wins the first night she sets foot off the train in the boom town. The boys had just had their first well come in and he was to file the papers for their company. Bitter Tracy heads to South America to the new oil country and soon enough, our couple lands at his company. They have lost their money and are living hand to mouth. Back and forth go the fortunes of the 3 until they all end up in New York and Tracy has to get the big guy out of the clutches of femme fatale' Hedy Lamarr. Which he does and they all go back to where it all began and start over. Frank Morgan as the guy who has the drilling equipment the guys are always swindling him out of, is fun. All in all, a rousing good time at the movies. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032273/combined
The Palm Beach Story (1942) Claudette, Joel McCrea, Mary Astor, Rudy Vallee. One of Preston Sturges best comedies. Broke couple (Gerry & Tom) split because wife wants more. 'Wienie' King looking at the apartment they are behind in the rent on, gives her money to pay off all their debts and when hubby objects, she runs away on a train to Palm Beach, FL. She has no money left, so hooks up with the Quail & Ale hunting club on the train, who have their own car. They all get drunk and start shooting off their guns, so she runs through the sleeper car and tries to jump up in an empty upper birth to hide. She steps on the face of rich John D. Hackensacker III (Vallee) and breaks his glasses. That's the beginning and funniest half hour to ever start a film. IMO. Astor as Princess Centimillia, Johns sister, is rollicking good fun as a man hunting gal who thinks she has found her next husband in Tom, who has been introduced as Gerry's brother. Don't add or subtract - or try to make sense - just enjoy! 10/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0035169/combined
Secret Heart (1946) Colbert, June Allyson, Walter Pigeon. Pure soap, but very well done. Colbert is brave, Allyson nuts and bratty, Pigeon stalwart and steady. Usual story of first husband commits suicide and causes extreme problems, but in a nice rich family so no one suffers too much. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038916/combined
Secret Fury (1950) Colbert, Robert Ryan. At Ellen's wedding to David a man appears and claims she is already married. As they investigate, everyone says she was married to another man who she claims she has never heard of or ever seen. Neat little tale of a woman being driven mad for unknown reasons. Her fiance David is true and keeps digging, trying to find out what is going on. Ryan has the best scenes - or perhaps just makes them better by doing them well. Vivian Vance of Lucy fame, has a few choice scenes, one with Ryan and they are both fine. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042935/combined
Have newer films I have watched to do next. Hope to catch up this weekend.
September 18, 2010
The gals reign ---
---recently I have watched:
All on TCM:
Words & Music (1948) Mickey Rooney, Tom Drake, Janet Leigh. Highly fictionalized story of Richard Rogers and Lorenz Hart's collaboration on musicals. Rooney is Hart, and Drake is Rogers. Leigh is the girl Rogers marries. The rest of the story is mainly about songs they wrote for shows, and are performed by various stars. Not well done and a bore, really, of the "and then they wrote" variety. 5/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040976/
The Moon Is Blue (1953) Maggie McNamara, William Holden, David Niven. Controversial when it came out because of the word "virgin" being uttered. Condemned by the Legion Of Decency and other religious groups, it is just a cute romantic comedy about two men, who get involved with a kinda wacky girl. Sweet. actually. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046094/combined
Flamingo Road (1949) Joan Crawford, Zachary Scott, Sidney Greenstreet. Joan being tough and bad as a carnival dancer, Lane Bellamy, who is stranded in a small town when the show goes broke. She gets involved with the deputy sheriff, Fielding Carlisle, who is the protegee of the counties mover and shaker, Sheriff Titus Semple, who wants to back him for Governor. But he takes a fancy to Lane and Titus gets Lane fired for the waitress job Fielding has got her. Lane finds out there is one person who isn't afraid of Titus, Road House owner Lute Mae Sanders, and gets a job with her. There she meets state powerhouse Dan Reynolds, (David Brian in his first leading role) and eventually marries him. Now she has her house on Flamingo Road and thinks no one can harm her, but Titus isn't through yet. Greenstreet is superb as the mean corrupt sheriff. Rest of the cast are adequate to very good. Very enjoyable. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041373/combined
Caged (1950) Eleanor Parker, Hope Daniels. Agnes Moorhead. Parker is sweet innocent Marie Allen, who gets involved with a robbery her husband tries to pull off. Sentenced to prison, she goes through hell at the hand of sadistic matron Evelyn Harper (the 6'2" Hope Emerson); and by the time she is released, is as hardened and corrupted as the other prisoners. She has been recruited by vice queen Elvira Powell (Lee Patrick) and leaves in a car with men who will put her to work boosting, among other crimes. Warden Benton (Moorhead) tells her assistant to keep the file handy, because "she'll be back." In 1950 there were great female performances from Judy Holiday, Bette Davis, and Gloria Swanson, but Parker's performance here is right up there with them. And Emerson superb, as always. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042296/combined
Have more films I have watched to catch up on. Hopefully I'll get them all done this weekend.
All on TCM:
Words & Music (1948) Mickey Rooney, Tom Drake, Janet Leigh. Highly fictionalized story of Richard Rogers and Lorenz Hart's collaboration on musicals. Rooney is Hart, and Drake is Rogers. Leigh is the girl Rogers marries. The rest of the story is mainly about songs they wrote for shows, and are performed by various stars. Not well done and a bore, really, of the "and then they wrote" variety. 5/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040976/
The Moon Is Blue (1953) Maggie McNamara, William Holden, David Niven. Controversial when it came out because of the word "virgin" being uttered. Condemned by the Legion Of Decency and other religious groups, it is just a cute romantic comedy about two men, who get involved with a kinda wacky girl. Sweet. actually. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046094/combined
Flamingo Road (1949) Joan Crawford, Zachary Scott, Sidney Greenstreet. Joan being tough and bad as a carnival dancer, Lane Bellamy, who is stranded in a small town when the show goes broke. She gets involved with the deputy sheriff, Fielding Carlisle, who is the protegee of the counties mover and shaker, Sheriff Titus Semple, who wants to back him for Governor. But he takes a fancy to Lane and Titus gets Lane fired for the waitress job Fielding has got her. Lane finds out there is one person who isn't afraid of Titus, Road House owner Lute Mae Sanders, and gets a job with her. There she meets state powerhouse Dan Reynolds, (David Brian in his first leading role) and eventually marries him. Now she has her house on Flamingo Road and thinks no one can harm her, but Titus isn't through yet. Greenstreet is superb as the mean corrupt sheriff. Rest of the cast are adequate to very good. Very enjoyable. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041373/combined
Caged (1950) Eleanor Parker, Hope Daniels. Agnes Moorhead. Parker is sweet innocent Marie Allen, who gets involved with a robbery her husband tries to pull off. Sentenced to prison, she goes through hell at the hand of sadistic matron Evelyn Harper (the 6'2" Hope Emerson); and by the time she is released, is as hardened and corrupted as the other prisoners. She has been recruited by vice queen Elvira Powell (Lee Patrick) and leaves in a car with men who will put her to work boosting, among other crimes. Warden Benton (Moorhead) tells her assistant to keep the file handy, because "she'll be back." In 1950 there were great female performances from Judy Holiday, Bette Davis, and Gloria Swanson, but Parker's performance here is right up there with them. And Emerson superb, as always. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042296/combined
Have more films I have watched to catch up on. Hopefully I'll get them all done this weekend.
September 01, 2010
Spys, murderers, cowboys, rom/coms--
For the last week of August I watched these films on TCM:
Princess O'Rourke (1942) Olivia de Havilland, Robert Cummins, Jack Carson, Jane Wyman, Charles Coburn. A rom/com from the early war years. An air line pilot gets involved with a passenger who is scared of flying and keeps asking each crew member for another sleeping pill. She is so zonked out by the time they land, they can't get her awake. Our hero takes her home and she ends up in his P.J.'s. She, or course is the Princess and the road to getting our couple married in war-time Washington,D.C. is the story. Olivia is bored and it shows. She took a suspension but finally got meatier roles and two Oscars. Jack Carson is always good and steals scenes with regularity. Cummins, Coburn and Wyman are workmanlike. 6/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036277/
Laura (1944) Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews, Clifton Webb, Vincent Price, Judith Anderson. Great noir mystery. A murder in a wealthy womans apartment has police Lt. Mark McPherson investigating and becoming increasingly enamored of the ladies portrait. A body, with the face blown away, was found in the foyer of the apartment in Laura's dressing gown. Her great friend, Waldo Lydecker, has identified the remains. As McPherson gets into the life of the victim, he finds almost all her friends and her cousin have a motive. One of the all time great noirs, with the great theme adding to the romance. Half way through, we have the big surprise and it is one of the great twists in films. Almost every part is done by a great actor. 10/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037008/
Hondo (1953) John Wayne, Geraldine Page, Ward Bond, Michael Pate. Indians and a widow on an isolated ranch with a little boy. Big John as Hondo comes along needing a horse to get back to the report on the Indian activity. I found this western, which I had never seen, to be rather boring. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045883/
Rio Bravo (1959) John Wayne, Dean Martin, Angie Dickenson, Walter Brennan, Ricky Nelson. One of the all time great westerns. Sheriff John T., arrests the drunk who killed a townsman. His brother, a rancher with a big gang of hired hands, vows to come get him before the Marshall gets to town to take the prisoner to the big town and courthouse, for trial. Sheriff has his few men who are helping; an old guy with a bum leg, Stumpy. He watches the prisoner with orders to kill him if the jail is breached. His friend, the town drunk, who sobers up and is put at town border to take all guns from anyone coming into town and alert the sheriff if the gang comes. A young drifter who doesn't want to get involved but does. And a woman who is a gambler and the sheriff has ordered to leave on the next stage. Great setup for the final gunfight. 9/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053221/
Telefon (1977) Lee Remick, Charles Bronson, Donald Pleasence, Tyne Daly. Major Grigori Borzov(Bronson), a KGB agent, is sent to the USA after a rogue secret agent, Dalchimsky(Pleasence). In an operation called Telefon, brainwashed and hypnotized agents were inserted into key industries and installations, to blow things up when they get a call and Robert Frosts poem with the lines "I have miles to go before I sleep" are said over the phone. It is detente and the KGB wants to stop him at all costs. Borzov has a photographic memory so knows all the names and info of the agents. He is helped by agent Barbara(Remick) who picks him up at the airport and off they go on a cat and mouse chase across the USA. Back at CIA headquarters is a computer nerd brainiac Daly, who seems to have a sixth sense about what is going on. This is a stylish spy story about a time in history when the threat of being incinerated had subsided enough to have some fun with spys. One of my guilty pleasures. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076804/
On FXHDtv:
Maid In Manhattan (2002) Jennifer Lopez, Ralph Fiennes, Natasha Richardson, Stanley Tucci, Bob Hoskins. An enjoyable, for me, tale of a hotel maid who gets talked into trying on a wealthy womans clothes while cleaning the suite, and gets into a mixup with the guy running for senator(Fiennes). Ups and downs and a cute little boy who brings them together for the fade at the end. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0252076/
Made Of Honor (2008) Michelle Monaghan, Patrick Dempsey. Best friends go everywhere together, can finish each others sentences, but don't date and are not romantically involved. Because he is a 'player' who beds all his dates or tries. When she goes to Scotland on holiday and meets the man of her dreams and gets engaged, surprise! he suddently decides she is his dream girl and HE wants to marry her. Give me a break. No woman would leave a tall blonde hunk, who also has 3 castles!, to go off with Mr. Can't Make Up His Mind! Absolutly lame! And Dempsey, with his squeaky voice, is an awful leading man. Monaghan is as tall as he is and their kissing scenes are a mess. No way, no how, Points for beautiful Scottish scenery. 5/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0866439/
I have already picked out the TCM films I want to catch in Sept. And am picking some of my collection that I haven't seen in a long time to so I can decide to keep them or not. Onward to the 22nd and Autumn/Fall.
Princess O'Rourke (1942) Olivia de Havilland, Robert Cummins, Jack Carson, Jane Wyman, Charles Coburn. A rom/com from the early war years. An air line pilot gets involved with a passenger who is scared of flying and keeps asking each crew member for another sleeping pill. She is so zonked out by the time they land, they can't get her awake. Our hero takes her home and she ends up in his P.J.'s. She, or course is the Princess and the road to getting our couple married in war-time Washington,D.C. is the story. Olivia is bored and it shows. She took a suspension but finally got meatier roles and two Oscars. Jack Carson is always good and steals scenes with regularity. Cummins, Coburn and Wyman are workmanlike. 6/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036277/
Laura (1944) Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews, Clifton Webb, Vincent Price, Judith Anderson. Great noir mystery. A murder in a wealthy womans apartment has police Lt. Mark McPherson investigating and becoming increasingly enamored of the ladies portrait. A body, with the face blown away, was found in the foyer of the apartment in Laura's dressing gown. Her great friend, Waldo Lydecker, has identified the remains. As McPherson gets into the life of the victim, he finds almost all her friends and her cousin have a motive. One of the all time great noirs, with the great theme adding to the romance. Half way through, we have the big surprise and it is one of the great twists in films. Almost every part is done by a great actor. 10/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037008/
Hondo (1953) John Wayne, Geraldine Page, Ward Bond, Michael Pate. Indians and a widow on an isolated ranch with a little boy. Big John as Hondo comes along needing a horse to get back to the report on the Indian activity. I found this western, which I had never seen, to be rather boring. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045883/
Rio Bravo (1959) John Wayne, Dean Martin, Angie Dickenson, Walter Brennan, Ricky Nelson. One of the all time great westerns. Sheriff John T., arrests the drunk who killed a townsman. His brother, a rancher with a big gang of hired hands, vows to come get him before the Marshall gets to town to take the prisoner to the big town and courthouse, for trial. Sheriff has his few men who are helping; an old guy with a bum leg, Stumpy. He watches the prisoner with orders to kill him if the jail is breached. His friend, the town drunk, who sobers up and is put at town border to take all guns from anyone coming into town and alert the sheriff if the gang comes. A young drifter who doesn't want to get involved but does. And a woman who is a gambler and the sheriff has ordered to leave on the next stage. Great setup for the final gunfight. 9/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053221/
Telefon (1977) Lee Remick, Charles Bronson, Donald Pleasence, Tyne Daly. Major Grigori Borzov(Bronson), a KGB agent, is sent to the USA after a rogue secret agent, Dalchimsky(Pleasence). In an operation called Telefon, brainwashed and hypnotized agents were inserted into key industries and installations, to blow things up when they get a call and Robert Frosts poem with the lines "I have miles to go before I sleep" are said over the phone. It is detente and the KGB wants to stop him at all costs. Borzov has a photographic memory so knows all the names and info of the agents. He is helped by agent Barbara(Remick) who picks him up at the airport and off they go on a cat and mouse chase across the USA. Back at CIA headquarters is a computer nerd brainiac Daly, who seems to have a sixth sense about what is going on. This is a stylish spy story about a time in history when the threat of being incinerated had subsided enough to have some fun with spys. One of my guilty pleasures. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076804/
On FXHDtv:
Maid In Manhattan (2002) Jennifer Lopez, Ralph Fiennes, Natasha Richardson, Stanley Tucci, Bob Hoskins. An enjoyable, for me, tale of a hotel maid who gets talked into trying on a wealthy womans clothes while cleaning the suite, and gets into a mixup with the guy running for senator(Fiennes). Ups and downs and a cute little boy who brings them together for the fade at the end. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0252076/
Made Of Honor (2008) Michelle Monaghan, Patrick Dempsey. Best friends go everywhere together, can finish each others sentences, but don't date and are not romantically involved. Because he is a 'player' who beds all his dates or tries. When she goes to Scotland on holiday and meets the man of her dreams and gets engaged, surprise! he suddently decides she is his dream girl and HE wants to marry her. Give me a break. No woman would leave a tall blonde hunk, who also has 3 castles!, to go off with Mr. Can't Make Up His Mind! Absolutly lame! And Dempsey, with his squeaky voice, is an awful leading man. Monaghan is as tall as he is and their kissing scenes are a mess. No way, no how, Points for beautiful Scottish scenery. 5/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0866439/
I have already picked out the TCM films I want to catch in Sept. And am picking some of my collection that I haven't seen in a long time to so I can decide to keep them or not. Onward to the 22nd and Autumn/Fall.
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