tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post6094612182380346906..comments2024-02-10T04:53:42.121-05:00Comments on Tales of the Easily Distracted: THE DARK CORNER: You Picked a Fine Time to Meet Me, LucilleDorianTBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01357778472575080022noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-26621434184962224682011-06-02T10:30:21.552-04:002011-06-02T10:30:21.552-04:00Got a nice message from the delightful Dawn and he...Got a nice message from the delightful Dawn and her terrific blog NOIR AND CHICK FLICKS:<br /><br />"Dorian, I tried to leave you a comment on your Blog. About the 'Dark Corner' (1946)" movie review: This is a wonderful review to a wonderful film noir. I thought Lucille Ball gave a great performance, too bad she did not perform in more of these types of films. I loved the twist and turns of the film, which keeps you on your toes." Thanks, Dawn; I'm happy to hear you love TDC as much as I do! Thanks for going out of your way to catch up with me!<br /><br />Hey, everyone, go over to NOIR AND CHICK FLICKS now and read Dawn's review of IT HAPPENED TOMORROW; lovely photos, too!<br /><br />http://dawnschickflicks.blogspot.com/2011/06/it-happened-tomorrow-1944.htmlDorianTBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01357778472575080022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-48184822082831345582011-05-31T10:26:44.392-04:002011-05-31T10:26:44.392-04:00Jim, thanks for following up! From seeing Fred Koh...Jim, thanks for following up! From seeing Fred Kohlmar's name in the DARK CORNER credits, I should have figured he would be the producer Henry Hathaway was talking about. :-) Whenever it's convenient for you, I look forward to reading the transcript of Hathaway's discussion of the DARK CORNER drama on and off screen. Thanks again!DorianTBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01357778472575080022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-59197482778849455312011-05-31T04:31:11.615-04:002011-05-31T04:31:11.615-04:00Home safe and sound, and I see in my book that the...Home safe and sound, and I see in my book that the producer Hathaway identified was Freddy Kohlmar. Also, FYI, I'll e-mail you a transcript of Hathaway's exact words; it's too long to post here, though I got the essential details right.Jim Lanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00981196894914646656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-62318047764413674992011-05-30T18:17:55.887-04:002011-05-30T18:17:55.887-04:00Caftan Woman, I loved your assessment of TDC, espe...Caftan Woman, I loved your assessment of TDC, especially your line "It's for watching late at night with a drink that's more than warm milk"! Your anecdote about your mom's crush on Mark Stevens put a smile on my face. For the record, my mom had crushes on Ronald Colman and Franco Nero. :-) Thanks so very much for your glowing praise!DorianTBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01357778472575080022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-54904932443700224392011-05-30T18:13:20.574-04:002011-05-30T18:13:20.574-04:00Thanks, Jim! Happy travels; when you have some fre...Thanks, Jim! Happy travels; when you have some free time, I'll look forward to your update, as well as reading CINEDROME regularly!DorianTBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01357778472575080022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-32146196676220133232011-05-30T17:01:02.398-04:002011-05-30T17:01:02.398-04:00"The Dark Corner" is just about everythi..."The Dark Corner" is just about everything you want in a 40s crime picture. It's for watching late at night with a drink that's more than warm milk.<br /><br />My mom is one of those gals who watches a movie once and says she's seen it. She doesn't really dig the watching favourites over and over gene that my sisters and I got from our dad. However, I did have to lend her my copy of "The Dark Corner". It seems she used to have a thing for Mark Stevens. You think you know somebody!<br /><br />A grand review, touching on important aspects of story presentation and background detail. You should whet folks' interest, Dorian.Caftan Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05936895555808823221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-49364238639941423102011-05-30T15:47:01.791-04:002011-05-30T15:47:01.791-04:00Dorian, I happen to be travelling at the moment an...Dorian, I happen to be travelling at the moment and don't have the Hathaway oral history book with me, so I recounted the anecdote from memory. My recollection is that Hathaway named the producer, but I don't think it was Pan Berman. When I get home I'll check and get back to you. <br /><br />And say, <i>many</i> thanks for your kind words about <i>Cinedrome</i>. I hope you'll drop by often; you'll always be welcome.Jim Lanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00981196894914646656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-9210266415933190742011-05-30T12:51:04.653-04:002011-05-30T12:51:04.653-04:00Jim, what a great anecdote about Lucille Ball in h...Jim, what a great anecdote about Lucille Ball in her DARK CORNER days! It sure explains a lot. My dear late mom, who was quite the glamour girl in her day, had once said Lucy had dated Pandro S. Berman for a time; was he the "producer that used to date her," by any chance? In any case, knowing that Lucy acknowledged her mistakes on the TDC set and was humble enough to apologize all those years later after learning from her mistakes, I must say I have a newfound respect for her. Thanks a million for sharing this with us here at TotED!<br /><br />By the way, everyone, I read Jim Lane's CINEDROME blog for the first time today, and I love it! If you're not already a fan, check it out; I'm betting you'll love it, too:<br /><br />http://jimlanescinedrome.blogspot.com/DorianTBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01357778472575080022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-62398703534295381972011-05-30T12:38:24.394-04:002011-05-30T12:38:24.394-04:00Laura, I'm glad you enjoyed my take on THE DAR...Laura, I'm glad you enjoyed my take on THE DARK CORNER -- and I'm delighted to see you felt the same way in your own excellent TDC blog post from 2010! Our great minds think alike, movie-wise! :-) I'm also flattered and honored that you're enjoying my humble blog enough to check out previous posts. Thanks a million for your positive feedback, and keep your own awesome blogs coming!<br /><br />Hey, folks, if any of you reading this have yet to discover Laura's terrific blog LAURA'S MISCELLANEOUS MUSINGS, by all means check it out at this link:<br /><br />http://laurasmiscmusings.blogspot.com/DorianTBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01357778472575080022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-22289720668397176582011-05-30T02:33:18.270-04:002011-05-30T02:33:18.270-04:00In a 1973 oral history interview with Polly Platt,...In a 1973 oral history interview with Polly Platt, Henry Hathaway had an interesting story about that "nervous breakdown" of Lucille Ball's. I paraphrase: On the first day of shooting, Hathaway wanted to rehearse a tracking shot with Lucy and Mark Stevens for timing, and Lucy was holding her script; she didn't have her lines at all. Hathaway said you're no good to me this way, go to your dressing room and come back when you've got the lines. A couple of hours later they tried again and Lucy still didn't know her lines, and Hathaway blew up, sent her off and said not to come back till she was ready to work. Later that day he gets a call from the producer: What's all this? Look, Hathaway says, I know you used to date her and she needs the work right now, but I won't work with people who aren't ready. If that's how it has to be you can take me off the picture, but I expect people to come to the set prepared. <br /><br />Fade out, fade in, it's "a couple of years ago" (as of '73). Hathaway and Lucy meet while both are dining at the Brown Derby; cordial greetings, and that's that. Twenty minutes later an arm slides around Hathaway's neck and shoulders from behind, and it's Lucy. She says to him, "You know, I was a real shit." He says "What?" Lucy: "You know what I mean. I learned a lot that time. People I work with now, I won't put up with what I pulled on you back then. I was a real shit and I'm sorry." Hathaway to Platt: "I thought that was real sweet of her, don't you? She didn't have to say anything. I think Lucy is one of the greats."<br /><br />Excellent post; thanks for it!Jim Lanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00981196894914646656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-84683053504413570212011-05-29T15:12:52.521-04:002011-05-29T15:12:52.521-04:00Hi Dorian! Want you to know I've really been ...Hi Dorian! Want you to know I've really been enjoying gradually working my way through your older reviews. I really enjoyed THE DARK CORNER last year -- in fact, looking it up I discovered I watched it exactly one year ago today! -- and your excellent review made me remember why. The movie has so many good elements, including the sizzling Stevens-Ball chemistry and a good background score. (I remember that Silver & Ursini, whose commentary tracks are always so good, were mixed up about the composer and mistakenly credited Alex North for "Street Scene," BTW...) I loved the way Kathleen dealt with her boss. You're right, she was underpaid! Also love Reed Hadley -- it's fun when he actually shows up on screen!<br /><br />Thanks for a most enjoyable blog!<br /><br />Best wishes,<br />LauraLaurahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09626109831176745957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-25319808257608736572011-05-29T11:24:57.153-04:002011-05-29T11:24:57.153-04:00Like so many bloggers lately, my pal Michael Wolff...Like so many bloggers lately, my pal Michael Wolff wanted to post a comment on TotED, but Internet snafus are preventing him. He had this to say about THE DARK CORNER:<br /><br />"I was mildly surprised to hear that a pro such as Lucille Ball was driven to a nervous breakdown by director Henry Hathaway. Despite her comedic persona, Ball always struck me as being one of the toughest eggs ever boiled. Then again, the movie was made back in 1946. And I remind myself that it was no less an authority than William Frawley who remembered Ball as a 'star struck kid from RKO.' Perhaps Lucy hadn't quite yet completely grown her outer shell. Then again, Hathaway wasn't no pussycat either (I seem to be the only one who halfway liked his Circus World), so it might've been a case of irresistible force meeting immovable object." Thanks for weighing in, Michael!DorianTBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01357778472575080022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-52921530230706242172011-05-27T20:06:58.288-04:002011-05-27T20:06:58.288-04:00Rick, thank you kindly for your compliments! My de...Rick, thank you kindly for your compliments! My dear hubby and frequent partner-in-blogging Vinnie are both delighted that you enjoy our quotes and links; finding these little factoids are a big part of the fun we get from creating TotED.DorianTBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01357778472575080022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-65435572184746819582011-05-27T19:27:14.851-04:002011-05-27T19:27:14.851-04:00Another marvelous review (the home Team has been o...Another marvelous review (the home Team has been on a roll recently)! THE DARK CORNER is a favorite with noir fans for the reasons you pointed out. I'm always surprised that it hasn't achieved more mainstream attention. I didn't know about Lucy's breakdown, but it doesn't surprise me given Hathaway's rep. As always, your quotes and links enhance your pithy insights and well-written plot summary.Rick29https://www.blogger.com/profile/08358116647815569722noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-41616701662025092202011-05-27T16:38:41.300-04:002011-05-27T16:38:41.300-04:00If you love THE DARK CORNER and old-time radio, ch...If you love THE DARK CORNER and old-time radio, check out the OLD TIME RADIO HOUR's Lux Radio Theater's 1947 broadcast with Lucille Ball and Mark Stevens!<br /><br />http://oldtimeradiohour.podbean.com/2010/10/16/lucille-ball-on-radio-5/DorianTBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01357778472575080022noreply@blogger.com