tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5094975748166851092024-03-12T22:59:35.105-04:00Tales of the Easily DistractedOne woman's account of life as a writer, storyteller, movie buff, and a fan of tongue-in-cheek mystery and suspense, with an emphasis on the work of Alfred Hitchcock.DorianTBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01357778472575080022noreply@blogger.comBlogger158125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-26528241342440252492016-03-12T11:00:00.000-05:002016-03-12T11:00:04.921-05:00MY FAVORITE BRUNETTE - Sarong, it's been good to know ya!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-keP2hFgy3_M/VuQ7m3o406I/AAAAAAAACv4/ELR0JYo1T9s6574vAaXox0_OIkAYFpDJQ/s1600/My%2BFavorite%2BBrunette%2Bposter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-keP2hFgy3_M/VuQ7m3o406I/AAAAAAAACv4/ELR0JYo1T9s6574vAaXox0_OIkAYFpDJQ/s320/My%2BFavorite%2BBrunette%2Bposter.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Dorothy Lamour did for the sarong what Jane Russell did for the cross-your heart bra. Since her first film, The Jungle Princess, she became inextricably tied to those flower-printed wraps, and there was nary a film for years later when she didn't turn up in one at some point. She's best known to modern audiences for the "Road" pictures with Bing Crosby and Bob Hope. and indeed, decades later whe the animated adventure <em>Road to El Dorado</em> came out, what was the character occupying the Lamour Position wearing?<br />
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In the middle of the Road series, Lamour teamed with Hope for one of another series of films, Hope's "Favorite" trilogy. The first one, <em>My Favorite Blonde</em> (1942), teamed Hope with Madeleine Carroll in a zany yet suspenseful adventure reminiscent of her Alfred Hitchcock thrillers <em>The 39 Steps</em> (1935) and Secret Agent (1936). The last of the trilogy was <em>My Favorite Spy</em> (1951), in which Hope teamed up for similarly funny, frantic shenanigans with the beautiful and brainy Hedy Lamarr. Although I enjoyed all three “Favorites,” I was drawn most strongly to MFB because it affectionately spoofs one of my favorite genres, the private eye mystery. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6JjlnGWz_Bs/UofRGSYT1VI/AAAAAAAADV0/UKtcZiZdyGI/s1600/MFB1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6JjlnGWz_Bs/UofRGSYT1VI/AAAAAAAADV0/UKtcZiZdyGI/s320/MFB1.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"I must remember this address!"</td></tr>
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We meet our hero, San Francisco baby photographer Ronnie Jackson (Hope), on Death Row—this is comedy? Oh yes it is, smarty, because there’s a gaggle of reporters interviewing our hero as he gets a chance to tell his side of the murder frame-up he’s embroiled in. In true 1940s-style detective voiceover, Ronnie admits, “I wanted to be a detective too. It only took brains, courage and a gun---and I had the gun!" <br />
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In flashback (this is a film noir spoof, after all, and a darn nifty one!), we find out that before Ronnie found himself embroiled in suspense, romance, and zany shenanigans, he was a successful baby photographer in San Francisco’s Trafalgar Building. The tenant across the hall is cool, tough private detective Sam McCloud (played in cameo by Alan Ladd, a moment made all the funnier by the fact that he's not seen until Ronnie comments that he could be as tough as those movie detectives, "even Alan Ladd!")<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T2grvJZYei4/Uoe3_Ew2YDI/AAAAAAAADU4/1MHjVlWrFeo/s1600/mfb06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T2grvJZYei4/Uoe3_Ew2YDI/AAAAAAAADU4/1MHjVlWrFeo/s320/mfb06.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #20124d;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Carlotta Montay has a hush-hush case for our hero!</span></b></span></span></td></tr>
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When Ronnie office-sits for McCloud while he's away on a case, he finds his dreams of playing detective coming all too true all too soon when a mysterious damsel-in-distress, Baroness Carlotta Montay (Lamour; no relation to Vertigo’s Carlotta Valdes) slinks into the picture, wearing fabulous Edith Head fashions. She is, as Ronnie describes her in voiceover, a “dark-eyed-dreamboat up to her gorgeous lips in trouble.” Thinking Ronnie is Sam, she begs him to help her find Baron Montay (Frank Puglia in a dual role), her older husband…or is he? <br />
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Soon Ronnie is up to his ski-nose in trouble as he and the comely Carlotta are chased by a gang of cutthroats with designs on Baron Montay’s uranium. That's right, uranium—the MacGuffin of Hitchcock’s thriller Notorious from the previous year! When things go from bad to worse, will our hero sit down to “the worst last meal I ever ate,” or can he clear himself as he ducks flying bullets and one-liners between make-out sessions with Carlotta? One of Hope's best comedies, MFB deftly spoofs hard-boiled private eye thrillers of the era with a barrage of uproarious quips and set pieces in a private sanatorium and an atmospheric mansion (Ronnie: “Nice cheerful place. What time do they bring the mummies out?”). It’s like The Big Sleep on laughing gas, and makes about the same amount of sense. I’m tempted to quote more of Hope and Lamour’s witty quips, but I’d probably end up typing almost the entire zingy script verbatim. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gSdqr5UMct0/UofYZOA7c1I/AAAAAAAADWY/ZTbwdlWB4TM/s1600/My+Favorite+Brunette,+open+the+mailman+later.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gSdqr5UMct0/UofYZOA7c1I/AAAAAAAADWY/ZTbwdlWB4TM/s1600/My+Favorite+Brunette,+open+the+mailman+later.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Time to open the mailman? <br /><i>Whew, </i>it's just the bad guys <br />messing with us!</span></span></span></b></td></tr>
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Hope and Lamour's usual comic/romantic chemistry is at its finest. I especially enjoyed the fact that more often than not, Carlotta was able to think on her feet and get the bumbling Ronnie out of one jam after another while he either went to pieces or let his little bouts of success go to his head. You go, girl! The nifty supporting cast includes Peter Lorre as a knife-throwing henchman and assassin studying to pass his U.S. citizenship exam (he makes the phrase “What does the executive branch of our government do? It carries OUT the laws!” sound sinister and hilarious at the same time); the unfairly uncredited Jean Wong, endearing as Mrs. Fong, mother of a tot so loathe to smile that Ronnie quips, "This kid's gonna grow up to be a sponsor!"; Jack La Rue, the lone American in 1948’s Brits-trying-to-sound-like-New-Yorkers adaptation of the notorious oddball crime drama No Orchids for Miss Blandish; and a couple of delightful star cameos sure to bring a smile to any classic movie fan’s face. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tZsTLfFkUk8/UofHegz6AeI/AAAAAAAADVQ/PDUtXiCUK6A/s1600/MFB2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tZsTLfFkUk8/UofHegz6AeI/AAAAAAAADVQ/PDUtXiCUK6A/s320/MFB2.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #20124d;"><i>OUCH!</i> Ronnie gets knocked down, </span></span></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #20124d;">but gets back up again...and again!</span></span></b></span></td></tr>
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Lon Chaney Jr got a nice big role in the film as Wille, an orderly at asylum Seacliff Lodge, a man whose strength is entirely physical. After his turn as Lennie in Of Mice and Men, Lon would play parodies of the character at various points of the rest of his career - this was one of the first, and one of the best.<br />
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Somewhere along the way, MFB slipped out of Paramount Pictures’ hands and wound up in Public Domain Hell! The Madacy DVD currently available doesn't have the most pristine print; it’s got more scratches than a nudist who stumbled into poison ivy. Nevertheless, my scratchy copy of MFB is still a far better copy than the one that Turner Classic Movies periodically runs! Heck, the TCM print is actually missing a few minutes in the scene taking place just after the rained-upon Ronnie and Carlotta return to McCloud’s office. I noticed the Columbia Pictures Television logo at the end of TCM’s recent MFB broadcast. Right now the best copy available is part of a three disc set, The Bob Hope Collection, which also features two of the Road pictures (Rio and Bali), and The Lemon Drop Kid.Vinnie Bartiluccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12031831695722239873noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-36269931519036560062015-11-15T18:51:00.000-05:002015-11-15T18:51:06.158-05:00Lloyd Corrigan – What a Character!<div class="WordSection1">
This blog post is part of the <a href="http://aurorasginjoint.com/2015/09/26/announcement-what-a-character-blogathon-2015/" target="_blank">What A Character! Blogathon</a> hosted by <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 17px; line-height: 25.5px;">Kellee at </span><a href="http://kelleepratt.com/2014/10/14/announcement-3rd-annual-what-a-character-blogathon/" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #748fa3; font-size: 17px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 25.5px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Outspoken & Freckled</a>, <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 17px; line-height: 25.5px;">Paula at </span><a href="http://paulascinemaclub.com/" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #748fa3; font-size: 17px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 25.5px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank" title="Paula's Cinema Club">Paula’s Cinema Club</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 17px; line-height: 25.5px;"> and </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 17px; line-height: 25.5px;">Aurora at </span><a href="http://onceuponascreen.wordpress.com/" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #748fa3; font-size: 17px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 25.5px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank" title="Once Upon a Screen">Once Upon a Screen</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 17px; line-height: 25.5px;"> </span></span><br />
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One of the selling points of a great character actor is his ability to be cast in virtually any role, and have people leaving the theater remembering the performance, and not the actor. It’s precisely why so many great character actors go nameless – you know their face, but their name will often slip your mind. It’s the whole reason we see marathons of character actors given names like “That Guy!” Thursdays.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Lloyd Corrigan is very much an example of that situation. With 172 acting credits in both large screen and small on his IMDB resume, he’s not a name that the average film fan will know, but he’s certainly one they’ve seen.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Before his prolific acting career, Corrigan started as a writer and director for the silent films, including a female-centric version of the perennial <i>Brewster’s Millions</i> story, and a trilogy of Fu Manchu films, starring Werner Oland as The Demon Doctor. A short he wrote and directed, <i>La Cucaracha</i>, won the best comedy short subject for 1935. <o:p></o:p><br />
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As an actor, he jumped regularly between comedy – he appeared in a couple Bob Hope comedies like <i>The Ghost Breakers</i> and <i>Son of Paleface</i>, and a few of the Bowery Boys films– and drama, like the 1946 noir film <i>The Chase</i>, where he plays a business rival of the main character who meets a grisly death via a large dog in a locked wine cellar. He appeared in several of the Boston Blackie series of films in a recurring role of millionaire Arthur Manleder. He was in the Jose Ferrer version of Cyrano De Bergerac as <span lang="EN">Ragueneau the pastry chef.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ocdviewer.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/milland-and-osullivan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://ocdviewer.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/milland-and-osullivan.jpg" height="146" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Corrigan helps Ray Milland and<br /> Maureen O’Sullivan in <i>The Big Clock</i></td></tr>
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In the Noir classic <i>The Big Clock</i>, Lloyd plays a radio actor who comes to the aid of suspected murderer George Stroud (Ray Milland), who is also in charge of the investigation to find said murderer. Corrigan takes on a number of roles to aid Stroud, including a false suspect, one “Jefferson Randolph”, an anxious witness happy to describe said suspect, and later in the film as a police inspector, with the hopes of keeping the real suspect under control.<o:p></o:p><br />
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In <i>Whistling in the Dark</i>, the first of the Red Skelton trilogy, Corrigan plays Harvey Upshaw, target of a wild murder plot. He’s a harmless married man who’s intended to receive a sizable pile of cash from a maiden aunt, much to the consternation of Conrad Veidt, who was expecting the money to be bequeathed to his supernatural scam. Skelton plays a radio detective who gets involved in the goings on and must use his radio show as a live attempt to contact Upshaw, who is on an airplane with a man who plans to kill him with poisoned tooth powder. Did I mention this was a comedy?<o:p></o:p><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holborn Gaines, relaxing in his dead <br />wife's housecoat in <i>The Manchurian<br />Candidate</i></td></tr>
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In amongst all the comedies, Corrigan still made appearances in major dramas, including The Manchurian Candidate, where he played newspaper magnate Holborn Gaines, employer and friend of Medal of Honor winner and potent brainwashing subject Raymond Shaw (Laurence Harvey). Gaines becomes close with Shaw after discover they share an abiding hatred of Shaw’s father-in-law, Senator John Iselin (James Gregory) and his wife, Raymond’s mother (Angela Lansbury). Sadly, as a test of Shaw’s conditioning, he is instructed to kill Gaines.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wmMOOnLdWL4/U4p9BLN9NTI/AAAAAAAAKMo/H3e7kHqn_L8/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-05-31+at+5.26.45+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wmMOOnLdWL4/U4p9BLN9NTI/AAAAAAAAKMo/H3e7kHqn_L8/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-05-31+at+5.26.45+PM.png" height="149" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Corrigan had quite the resume on <br />television as well - here he is on<br />an episode of Wanted: Dead or Alive</td></tr>
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In addition to an appearance as the Mayor in <i>It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World</i>, one of Corrigan’s last regular roles was a one-season sitcom called <i>Hank</i>, about a hard-working young man who’s trying to make his way through college with a series of small jobs and a steady string of auditing classes. <o:p></o:p><br />
Lloyd Corrigan’s appearances in films are often brief – as a character actor, his job is to further the story, not be the story. He deserves more recognition, in name as well as face, and we can but hope that pieces like this, we can help fix that problem.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Vinnie Bartiluccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12031831695722239873noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-86830233205010968012015-10-23T16:45:00.000-04:002015-11-02T15:06:17.793-05:00NORTH BY NORTHWEST - "PAY the Two Dollars!"<br />
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This post is part of the <a href="http://clamba.blogspot.com/2015/10/its-time-for-cmba-fall-blogathon-trains.html" target="_blank">CMBA Trains Plane and Automobiles Blogathon</a>, running from October 19th - 24th. Click below for a list of the other weary travelers on the filmic highways and byways!</div>
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<a href="http://clamba.blogspot.com/2015/10/its-time-for-cmba-fall-blogathon-trains.html" target="_blank"><img alt="http://clamba.blogspot.com/2015/10/its-time-for-cmba-fall-blogathon-trains.html" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HUKw6zaI3_8/VhvPTD4M6HI/AAAAAAAAAkI/XlQ2piMvGrY/s640/CMBAFallBlogathonBanner2.png" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FGfNV3HiHv8/Vip_Lhd-SxI/AAAAAAAACPQ/MPqqbEO5-fU/s1600/north-by-northwest-movie-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FGfNV3HiHv8/Vip_Lhd-SxI/AAAAAAAACPQ/MPqqbEO5-fU/s400/north-by-northwest-movie-poster.jpg" width="273" /></a>Anyone who has known me very long knows that while I love the work of Alfred Hitchcock, the film that rises to the top of the heap is his action masterpiece, <em>North by Northwest</em>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It hits all the notes a Hitchcock film should
– no surprise considering co-writer Ernest Lehmann has said it was his plan to
write "the Hitchcock picture to end all Hitchcock pictures".<o:p></o:p><br />
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He started with Hitch to pen an adaptation of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Wreck of the Mary Deare</i> – they
couldn’t get a hook on the film, but they got along famously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ernest offered to drop from the project, but
Hitch would hear none of it – they whipped up a mad plot and pitched it the
producers, who suddenly couldn’t care the Mary Deare wrecked or not. <o:p></o:p><br />
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The primary kernel of the plot was based on a true story –
Journalist Otis C. Guernsey once told Hitch about a fictitious secret agent
manufactured by a couple of British secretaries, which the German agents
started wasting time following around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Otis began to work up a story about a traveling salesman mistaken for
the agent, but even though he couldn’t make head or tail of the plot, Hitch
bought the idea from him for ten grand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He and Lehmann took the idea and started folding in all the set pieces
Hitch had been wanting to do, including a chase across Mount Rushmore.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Lehmann used to work on Madison Avenue, and came up with the
idea of making the traveling salesman (which they first thought would be great
for Hitch-alumnus James Stewart) into a stylish ad-man, for whom they rightly
cast Cary Grant. We’ve often joked that Cary Grant could easily have played the
role that James Mason played, that of mastermind and Mover of Government
Secrets (Perhaps) Philip Vandamm, but Mason could never have played Roger
Thornhill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’d have been able to look
at the Glen Cove constabulary and asked, "Do you honestly believe that
this happened the way you think it did?", they would immediately reply,
"Er, no, sir, you must be right, you're free to go, sorry we bothered
you." Now, a film with James Stewart as Thornhill and Cary Grant as
Vandamm?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where’s my parallel dimension
transporter?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I hope they're not still at the bar waiting for Roger...</td></tr>
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The setup to the chaos is a simple case of mistaken
identity. While meeting some friends at the Plaza Hotel’s famous Oak Bar, Roger
O (Stands for “Nothing, like me”, he explains later) Thornhill flags down a
bellboy who was at the time paging a Mr. George Kaplan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A pair of shady Jaspers assume Roger <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">is</i> Kaplan, and hustle him into a taxi
faster than you can say “The Wrong Man”. He’s whisked out to
Long Island to the home of a mysterious and suave gentleman named (he says)
Townsend who begins to grill him on mysterious goings on, about which Roger
dutifully reports he knows nothing, and also that he’s not even the guy they’re
looking for, which explains the first answer perfectly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, Townsend compliments “Kaplan” on his
rigorous training, and sets out to kill him by plying him with bourbon and
Laura’s Mercedes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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The film sneaks into paranoia film territory here – when he
attempts to relate his story to the police, all evidence of the events are
erased from the mansion, and the people living there claim he’d been there for
a party and left in an advanced state of inebriation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He makes his way back to the Plaza and finds
the enigmatic Mr. Kaplan’s room, his mother (Jessie Royce Landis) in tow, and
nefarious characters on their tail.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s at this point the scene shifts and Hitch uses one of
his classic tricks – giving the audience information the characters in the film
don’t have, so we understand more about what’s going on than they, and making
the whole situation more suspenseful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
learn that Mr. Kaplan does not exist – we learn it seven times, to be precise –
in a wonderful bit of expository dialogue, a board room of spymasters, led by
“The Professor” (Leo G. Carroll, made up to look like one of the Dulles
brothers) they explain in exacting detail that Kaplan is a fiction, a decoy,
created to give the Bad Men someone to chase, while their real operatives can
work undiscovered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They learn of Mr.
Thornhill’s predicament, and choose to do nothing, gleeful at the prospect that
their decoy has suddenly sprouted legs and is quacking all on his own.</div>
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</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr>
<td><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-moCPTevgxU4/UqKbXhs0TeI/AAAAAAAADdw/EJyjcq_U1DM/s1600/nxnw03.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-moCPTevgxU4/UqKbXhs0TeI/AAAAAAAADdw/EJyjcq_U1DM/s1600/nxnw03.gif" /></a><br />
<br /></td>
<td><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-clLF1xuWmqc/UqKbRSxiS_I/AAAAAAAADdo/S4S6irFpLw4/s1600/nxnw02.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-clLF1xuWmqc/UqKbRSxiS_I/AAAAAAAADdo/S4S6irFpLw4/s1600/nxnw02.gif" /></a></td>
</tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" colspan="2" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;"><span style="color: #ffe599; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Hitch did love the Fist-I-Cam shot, didn't he?</b></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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From there we watch Roger “hunt for a man that doesn’t
exist”, as the trailer describes it, from Chicago to a cornfield to an art
auction to Mount Rushmore to a hospital to Abraham Lincoln’s nose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And if that breakneck list makes you want to
see the film, you had the same response as the MGM producers when he shot it
past them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://static.flickr.com/42/85679955_9f5e2274de.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://static.flickr.com/42/85679955_9f5e2274de.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You could run a film class on any one of the shots from<br />
Hitch's movies.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The location shots in the film are almost as famous as the
film itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hitch couldn’t get
permission to shoot in, or even in front of the United Nations, so they pulled
an indie film trick, and set a camera up in a hidden location, and quickly and surreptitiously
filmed Cary Grant getting out of the cab for the shot – the interiors were all
done on sound stages. The famous cropduster scene was filmed on Graces Highway
in Kern County, California (and if you care to give it a look, <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/35%C2%B045'39.0%22N+119%C2%B033'41.0%22W/@35.7605418,-119.5615111,2172m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x0?hl=en" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">here’s the link to it on Google Maps</span></a>)<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9CDwPGRYchk/ViqAXHFgRpI/AAAAAAAACPY/Qltv4vU_8nk/s1600/nxnw04.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9CDwPGRYchk/ViqAXHFgRpI/AAAAAAAACPY/Qltv4vU_8nk/s1600/nxnw04.gif" /></a></div>
And as for that last shot of the train going into a tunnel? Hitch gleefully confirmed it means exactly what we all thought it did.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p> </o:p></div>
Vinnie Bartiluccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12031831695722239873noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-492803101936494442015-08-15T13:16:00.000-04:002015-08-15T13:16:30.350-04:00CHARADE: The tale of four men and the woman that loves him.This TotED classic remix is brought to you for the <a href="http://moviessilently.com/2015/07/07/announcement-the-anti-damsel-blogathon/" target="_blank">Anti-Damsel Blogathon</a>,hosted by <a href="http://moviessilently.com/" target="_blank">Movies Silently</a> and <a href="http://thelastdrivein.com/" target="_blank">The Last Drive-In</a>!<br />
<br />
"Of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these... 'it might have been'."<br />
--<strike>Felix Unger</strike> John Greenleaf Whittier<br />
<br />
Let me tell you a tale of a missed opportunity.<br />
<br />
Back when Thandie Newton appeared in <i>Mission Impossible II</i>, Hubby Vinnie and I were immediately taken by her looks and demeanor, not to mention her charisma on screen. We began wondering what she'd be good in, and he wondered how exciting she'd be in a film with Will Smith. Not a couple months later it was announced that they would indeed star together in a remake of one of my favorite films, <i>Charade</i>! Needless to say, our zeal and excitement for this production was so high, people wanted to climb us.<br />
<br />
Alas, such great heights only bring such shattering falls.<br />
<br />
The writers' strike came along, and Hollywood rushed to get something, ANYTHING before the cameras, to make sure there wouldn't be any gap as scripts weren't being written. Smith shuffled his schedule around to do the <i>Ali</i> biopic, and rather than waiting, as responsible adults would do, the producers replaced him with Mark Wahlberg, who is of course your second choice after Will Smith.<br />
<br />
The result, <i>The Truth About Charlie</i>, was a calamity, made by and starring a great bunch of people, led by an actor who was so clearly out of place he brought the whole thing down, like a Detroit Slant-6 engine with one piston made of day-old rye bread.<br />
<br />
We left the theater feeling the same sense of loss as when you pay hundreds of dollars to see a Broadway play, only to have one of those little slips of white paper flutter from your <i>Playbill</i>, informing you that this evening the role of the star will be play by the understudy. We raced home and cleared the taste from our mouths by watching the original. Audrey Hepburn always makes things better.<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Fqt5rCXgtxQ/TUMW3c9N8rI/AAAAAAAAAE0/3C8WAUihffo/s1600/Charade+movie+poster+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" s5="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Fqt5rCXgtxQ/TUMW3c9N8rI/AAAAAAAAAE0/3C8WAUihffo/s320/Charade+movie+poster+1.jpg" width="196" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: black;">I’ve always</span> affectionately joked that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Charade</i> was the best Hitchcock movie that Hitchcock never made, as those who know me well can attest. Brimming with piquant romance, sophisticated comedy, and stylish suspense—including a soupçon of <a href="http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9A0DE6DA1E30EF3BBC4E53DFB4678388679EDE">graphic-for-its-era violence and gore</a>—Stanley Donen’s 1963 romantic comedy-thriller is a thoroughly entertaining object lesson in why it’s so important for people to really get to know their sweeties before marrying them. </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">Case in point: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Charade’s</i> heroine Regina “Reggie” Lampert (Audrey Hepburn). Reggie, a beautiful young American simultaneous translator in <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Paris,</place></city> quit her job at E.U.R.E.S.C.O. after marrying the rich and mysterious Charles Lampert—but he’s turning out to be too mysterious for comfort. When we meet Reggie, she’s vacationing in Megeve’s lovely French Alps resort, but it’s no pleasure trip. She’s suffering from buyer’s remorse — or more accurately, bridal remorse — and seriously contemplating divorce. As she sadly admits to her friend Sylvie (Dominique Minot), “I’ve tried to make it work, really I have.…But with Charles, everything is secrecy and lies. He’s hiding something from me, Sylvie, something terrible — and it frightens me.” <a href="http://youtu.be/V3tvg_v7cJ4">Witty byplay with a handsome older gent who introduces himself as Peter Joshua (Cary Grant)</a> perks things up before Reggie returns home to <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Paris</place></city>. </span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VFgtKPI6kZ0/TwZgCPrNmNI/AAAAAAAAA_4/gsVvGcoq-TE/s1600/Charade%252C+Audrey+in+Disguise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VFgtKPI6kZ0/TwZgCPrNmNI/AAAAAAAAA_4/gsVvGcoq-TE/s320/Charade%252C+Audrey+in+Disguise.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="background-color: #351c75; color: white;">Reggie in disguise, with glasses!</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">But her homecoming is a rude awakening: Reggie is utterly gobsmacked to find their apartment is completely bare, and Charles has been murdered! On top of that, three men unknown to her turn up at Charles’s very sparsely-attended funeral. One of them, Tex Penthollow (James Coburn), holds a mirror to Charles’s open casket to see if he’s breathing. The second, Leopold W. Gideon (Ned Glass, who also played opposite Grant in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://youtu.be/HRfmTpmIUwo">North by Northwest</a></i> as the suspicious Grand Central Terminal ticket agent) sneezes violently over Charles’s casket. (Sylvie dryly notes, “He must have known Charles pretty well…he’s allergic to him.”) The third mourner is an angry, imposing fella named Herman Scobie (George Kennedy) with a bad attitude and a metal prosthetic claw. He storms into the church and confirms Charles’s deceased state by plunging a pin into his corpse, to the shock of both Reggie and Sylvie. </span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IMU0SDweqSA/TwZgyWQwyPI/AAAAAAAABAE/xPei3L7F-uc/s1600/Charade%252C+Audrey+on+bed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="175" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IMU0SDweqSA/TwZgyWQwyPI/AAAAAAAABAE/xPei3L7F-uc/s320/Charade%252C+Audrey+on+bed.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="background-color: #351c75; color: white;">Reggie's a Truthful Whitefoot, with a white dress to match!</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rNaUqAmDFLk/TwZiJOfyBkI/AAAAAAAABAQ/zj0CyuDfE6s/s1600/Charade%252C+GrantHepburnCharade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="184" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rNaUqAmDFLk/TwZiJOfyBkI/AAAAAAAABAQ/zj0CyuDfE6s/s320/Charade%252C+GrantHepburnCharade.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="background-color: #351c75; color: white;">"Is this the party to whom I am speaking?"</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5fdLh_lzmyA/TwZkhRzyY-I/AAAAAAAABAo/5TLf9nUd2hs/s1600/Charade%252C+apples+and+oranges.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5fdLh_lzmyA/TwZkhRzyY-I/AAAAAAAABAo/5TLf9nUd2hs/s1600/Charade%252C+apples+and+oranges.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="background-color: #351c75; color: white;">With oranges like these, who needs apples?</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Turns out Charles was living a double life—a quadruple life, really, considering he had 4 passports under 4 different names. But that’s only the beginning; self-described American Embassy “desk jockey” Hamilton Bartholomew (Walter Matthau) reveals that Charles was a wanted man! He and the other “mourners” had fought in World War 2 together, going behind enemy lines to deliver $250,000 in gold to the French underground. Instead, they stole the gold but got ambushed by the Nazis, which is how Scobie got a claw where his hand used to be. Charles escaped with the $250 grand and had managed to elude his former comrades until now. The bewildered, vulnerable yet determined Reggie is the gang’s only lead, if they don’t get fed up and kill her first. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">There’s one scene where <state w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Tex</place></state> corners Reggie in a phone booth at the Black Sheep Club (oranges never looked so sexy or funny!), torturing our hapless heroine by dropping lit matches on her dress as she brushes them off, screaming and sobbing. It’s always made me want to write a scene (if someone hasn’t beat me to it) in which the heroine has just enough room to knee her tormentor in the groin, snapping, “I saw that movie, too!” Reggie gets trapped in another phone booth near the end of the film, being chased by quite a different tormentor, but I'm getting ahead of myself.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Peter catches up with Reggie in <place w:st="on"><city w:st="on">Paris</city></place> and offers to help her out with the fix she’s in. His playful hard-to-get routine is catnip to her, and she’s falling in love…until she finds out the guy has as many aliases as Charles did. Boy, Reggie sure can pick ’em!</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> Bartholomew wants to take advantage of Reggie’s mystery man by encouraging her to play nice with Peter — or is it Alex? Adam? — and see what he’s up to. Who can she trust, and how can she keep all those names straight? Her life becomes a case of “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer” as the crooks and Peter/Alex/Adam/Whatever His Name Is moves into Reggie’s small hotel, where comedy, suspense, murder, and paranoid gallows humor also set up light housekeeping.</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
<br />
</span></i><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Fqt5rCXgtxQ/TUMLJtwZ9VI/AAAAAAAAAEs/jydeJI697pw/s1600/Charade+movie+poster+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" s5="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Fqt5rCXgtxQ/TUMLJtwZ9VI/AAAAAAAAAEs/jydeJI697pw/s320/Charade+movie+poster+2.jpg" width="241" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Criterion DVD features a great and witty<br />
commentary track by Donen and Stone!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Charade </span></i><span style="font-family: Arial;">is the movie that made me a fan of both Donen and screenwriter Peter Stone. In fact, I actually saw <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Charade</i> long before I ever saw any of Donen’s classic musicals. He has fun with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Charade’s</i> Hitchcockian aspects, such as the clever corpse-eye-view shot involving a morgue drawer. Every other line of Stone’s screenplay is sparklingly quotable, and Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn are among my favorite screen couples. It’s a pity they didn’t have more opportunities to team up onscreen together during their long careers. <a href="http://youtu.be/2ZRUYvlbkgc">My family and I have always loved the wry way that Grant, then 59, and Hepburn, then 34, kidded the age difference between them.</a> That was more or less Grant’s idea, according to Donen and Stone on the superb Criterion Collection DVD’s delightful, anecdote-rich commentary track. Grant was concerned that it would be unseemly for a man his age to be chasing a beautiful woman so much younger than him, so he convinced the filmmakers to make Hepburn’s character the romantic aggressor. Personally, I found this gambit to be quite charming, and it makes sense for Reggie’s trusting, romantic, impulsive personality. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iW32I-BfzOM/TwZjv2wTBMI/AAAAAAAABAc/lQw1JrJmCdc/s1600/Charade%252C+will+our+heroes+live+frivolously+ever+after.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iW32I-BfzOM/TwZjv2wTBMI/AAAAAAAABAc/lQw1JrJmCdc/s1600/Charade%252C+will+our+heroes+live+frivolously+ever+after.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="background-color: #351c75; color: white;">Will Reggie and Peter/Alex/Adam</span><br style="background-color: #351c75; color: white;" /><span style="background-color: #351c75; color: white;">live happily and frivolously ever after?</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">In fact, Audrey Hepburn had the most remarkable knack for being glamorous yet approachable; she was one of the most endearing glamour-pusses in movie history. </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">James Coburn, George Kennedy, and Walter Matthau are in top form in their early pre-Oscar screen roles. Both Hepburn and Paris look their sophisticated best here; let’s face it, Audrey was born to wear Givenchy!</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> <a href="http://youtu.be/IbNNEgKxTAc"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Charade’s</i> driving opening theme</a> is my favorite piece of Henry Mancini music (the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pink Panther</i> theme comes a very close second). In fact, the whole score reflects </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">the film’s many moods perfectly. </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">Without giving too much away, </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">I love the clever MacGuffin, too; </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">those who aren’t as into philately as my stepdad may have a new respect for stamp-collecting after watching <i>Charade!</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><i><br /></i></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YDgaulJ26n4/Twj9Q8Ei-iI/AAAAAAAABCg/ByuLKEmr2wE/s1600/Charade%252CDanish+ad+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="203" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YDgaulJ26n4/Twj9Q8Ei-iI/AAAAAAAABCg/ByuLKEmr2wE/s320/Charade%252CDanish+ad+.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
One of the nice things about the film is it does a good job of using its setting as part of the plot. Many films could take place in any city - they don't take advantage of any landmarks, there's no sense that the people around them are in any way representative of the city they're in. But Charade weaves its way in and out of Paris perfectly, they ride the <i>Bateaux Parisiens,</i> the floating restaurant on the Seine, and the climax takes place around the Palais-Royal</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.movie-locations.com/movies/c/charade.html#.Vc9y1ZWFO9I" target="_blank">Here's an interesting page that details the locations of the film</a>.</div>
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Vinnie Bartiluccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12031831695722239873noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-16951369093661373432015-06-11T20:11:00.000-04:002015-06-12T10:54:12.490-04:00The Sharks vs The Rats - Team Bartilucci's Summer Movies post!<h4>
This post is for <a href="https://hqofk.wordpress.com/2015/03/18/announcing-the-beach-party-blogathon/" target="_blank">The Beach Party Blogathon</a>, Hosted by Speakeasy and Silver Screenings, from June 8th - 12th, 2015!</h4>
<h3>
<i>Dori's pick</i></h3>
<h2>
Jaws (1975): “We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Post!”</h2>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSP8HcnnjEddDnYq-ICtlXilm4MXIj83JQXAOTYgJ9LnuQ0ZRoH" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSP8HcnnjEddDnYq-ICtlXilm4MXIj83JQXAOTYgJ9LnuQ0ZRoH" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In case you haven't heard, Fathom Events is bringing <br />
JAWS back to theaters for two days only!<br />
More info at <a href="http://www.fathomevents.com/event/jaws">www.fathomevents.com/event/jaws</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>JAWS </b>was the blockbuster hit of 1975 – indeed, the FIRST of what we call a blockbuster, being the first film to break 100 million dollars. Seems a paltry sum today – now a film is practically considered a dismal failure if it DOESN’T break a hundred million! Of all the people that became household names as a result of the film, the biggest have to be sharks themselves. It made shark attacks guaranteed ratings for the nightly news, and put the Discovery Channel on the map when some clever dick decided to give them a week of programming every year, a week some look forward to the way a kid looks forward to Christmas.<br />
<br />
I remember the first time our family went to see Steven Spielberg’s thriller. At the time, I was the youngest kid in our family, as well as the shyest (though nobody ever believes me; I guess I talk a good game! :-D) . I was at Orchard Beach in the Bronx, where we lived at the time. I was nervous as all get out, but my Mom said. “Don’t worry, little one, we’ll help you!” Even my older brother Peter was smiling and, saying, “You’ll be fine!” He was a lifeguard that summer – what a year to pick, huh? So, Mom and our parents and friends were both scared silly, yet nursed guilty hopes that hoped we kids might find a Great White Shark in the Long Island Sound.<br />
<br />
JAWS also gave me my first crush on rumpled and vulnerable Richard Dreyfuss as oceanographer Matt Hooper. He’d go on to win an Oscar for <b>The Goodbye Girl</b> and entertain in plenty of films, including house favorite, <b>What About Bob?</b> Roy Scheider came a close second in the crush race, with an equally stellar career in thrillers like <b><a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2010/11/last-embrace-when-harry-met-ellie.html" target="_blank">Last Embrace</a></b>, and <b><a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2010/09/movies-that-need-remaking-how-still-of.html" target="_blank">Still of the Night</a></b> as well as wacko outings like Naked Lunch.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/jaws-bruce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/jaws-bruce.jpg" height="254" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If this shark doesn't leave me alone I'm gonna give<br />
"poop deck" a whole new meaning!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Murray Hamilton, a character actor known for “having ROTC” in <b>No Time for Sergeants</b> and the moody Frankenheimer classic <b>Seconds </b>played the Mayor of Amity island, and if he didn’t take that anchor-emblazoned blazer home with him, I’ll lose all respect for him. Actress Lorraine Gary may have had a sweet deal as being the bosses’ at wife of Universal, but I found her to be endearing as Ellen Brody. <br />
<br />
<b><strike>Fun</strike> Fin Fact</b> – In Peter Benchley’s (grandson of better-than-us humorist Robert Benchley) original novel on which the film is based, Hooper and Ellen Brody were secret lovers, and ended up dead. Just as well that they dropped that – would have made it hard to like him!<br />
<br />
The film starts off with a bang (and many whimpers from the audience) with poor swimmer Chrissie (Susan Backlinie) doing out for a quick dip, and becoming the first…boating accident victim. At least that’s what Mayor Vaughn insists it was; what with only a few days before the July 4th holiday, he doesn’t want to scare the island’s main source of income away with news of a shark attack.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/parodies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/parodies.jpg" height="161" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The poster for JAWS may be the single most parodied<br />
image in the history of film. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><strike>Fun</strike> Fin Fact</b> – Backlinie would return four years later, not for Jaws 2 (thank God) but for Spielberg’s foray into comedy, <b>1941</b>, to play a similar young lady who decides to go for a swim, but with decidedly different results!<br />
<br />
Sheriff Brody (Scheider) a former city cop who hates the water, suspects that may not be the case (what with all the bite marks and all) but goes with the Mayor, because hey, what are the odds that it’ll…oh, yeah, so it happens again. A kid gets et, and when his mom puts a bounty on the shark, there’s a feeding frenzy for it, which is what we writers call “irony”.<br />
<br />
Brody calls in oceanographer Matt Hooper (Dreyfuss) to give a second opinion on Chrissie’s autopsy. He does, vociferously, and it is summarily ignored by the Mayor, who happily invites the tourists to the beach, because what are the odds that THREE…oh yeah.<br />
<br />
They hire grizzled shark fisherman Captain Quint (Robert Shaw) to bring in the monster, and it’s here that the film spends most of its time. Indeed, when he was offered the job, director Steven Spielberg said the shark hunt was his favorite part of the story, and planned to make it the dramatic center of the film. With the help of editor Verna Fields, the balance between humor and shock was perfected. Case in point – the famous (and allegedly ad-libbed) line “We’re gonna need a bigger boat” was originally lost under the screams of the audience after the preceding shot of Ol’ Brucie popping up to dine on chum – they added space to Brody’s reaction and increased the volume so it wouldn’t be missed.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://filmmakeriq.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Jaws-Spielberg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://filmmakeriq.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Jaws-Spielberg.jpg" height="205" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spielberg had moments of doubt during the filming, but<br />
I doubt he ever <i>really </i>thought of doing this!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The shoot of the film is legendary – it went twice again over the budgeted shooting schedule of 50 days, and the mechanical shark almost never worked, spawning the title of two separate documentaries about the film. But as happens at great moments in history, things going wrong often bring great inspiration. With the shark barely functioning, the plan changed to barely showing the shark. Save for a tactfully photographed fin and that iconic theme by John Williams, the source of all our fear barely made an appearance until we board Quint’s ship the Orca.<br />
<br />
It’s been said that Star Wars changed film and the film industry forever, changing the mindset to the goal of the “summer movie” and the slow replacement of character-driven films with action and thrillers. But I maintain that move started here with JAWS. While still very much a character film, which Roger Ebert pointed out in his review, it got the ball rolling for wide releases and bigger budgets. The film was originally to open in as many as 900 theaters, a staggering number for the day. But after a screening, Universal honcho Lew Wasserman ordered the number of screen be reduced. Not because he doubted the film, just the opposite – he saw the film running all summer, and wanted to make it a destination event. Reducing the number of theaters meant people would have to drive a bit to see it – quite the change in tactics from what we see today, where they’d run the film on the side of a bark if they thought they could sell a few more tickets.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<i>Vinnie's pick</i></h3>
<h2>
“He is Our Ideel” – the undeniable charm of Eric Von Zipper</h2>
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You can tell the quality of a hero by the caliber of the foes he attracts. And loveable teenagers (a highly elastic term in Holywood) Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon had the perfect foil in their classic run of beach movies – the ultimate tough guy, the lord of all he surveys, the great Eric Von Zipper, undisputed leader of the Rats, the roughest motorcycle gang on the beach. <br />
<br />
Played with comic virtuosity by Harvey Lembeck, Zipper was a note-perfect parody of Marlon Brando’s character from The Wild One. Indeed, in <b>Beach Blanket Bingo</b>, Zipper says his favorite actor is “Marlo Brandon”. Harvey and his gang so permeated the national zeitgeist that to this day there’s no major city that isn’t rumored to have a street gang called the Rats, responsible for most of the havoc and chaos the police are tasked to combat.<br />
<br />
The Rats and their fearless leader were largely ineffectual, befitting the fun harmless nature of the films. Harvey was a master of slapstick and physical comedy, peppering his performance with odd gestures and moves to order the Rats around, punctuated by well-placed sound effects.<br />
<br />
Eric and the Rats almost outlived the beach party films themselves. They last appeared in The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini, with almost a completely different cast– the Rats served as the connecting tissue to the rest of the series. Eric and Annette Funicello has unnamed cameos in the Frankie Avalon vehicle Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine, which was a very interesting production. Lembeck appeared on a Very Special Episode of popular dance series Shindig! titled The Wild Weird World of Dr. Goldfoot, designed as publicity for the film. Harvey played the role of Hugo, played by Jack Mullaney in the film. According to star Vincent Price, Goldfoot was to have been a “horror musical”, in the style of Rocky Horror which would come along decades later. The Shindig special featured many of those songs that never got used for the film, performed by Lembeck and Price.<br />
<br />
Harvey Lembeck was an established and successful character actor, including a long run on Sgt. Bilko, the Phil Silvers show. He took the role of Harry Shapiro he created in Stalag 17 on Broadway and carried it to the Billy Wilder classic movie, playing against <strike>William Frawley</strike> Robert Strauss as Animal.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v499/WCFieldsForever/EricVonZipper_zps948dd874.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v499/WCFieldsForever/EricVonZipper_zps948dd874.jpg" height="138" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Why me? Why me alla time?</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Harvey was an early proponent of improvisational comedy – when he was asked by Jack Kosslyn of the Mercury Theater to take over their actors’ workshop, he agreed, but used it to teach comedy instead of drama. Starting with scripted pieces, he used improv as a tool to sharpen the wit of the students as he realized there weren’t nearly enough scripts to practice with. The comedy workshop that bears his name is still going strong, run by his kids, director Michael Lembeck and actress Helaine, best known from her run on Welcome Back Kotter. The alumni of the school is a staggering list, from Robin Williams to Brian Cranston, from Sharon Stone to Kim Cattrall. For some time, the school had space at Paramount Studios, and the producers of their TV shows would regularly visit the classes to see who Harvey was working with. Garry Marshall often picked the best of Harvey’s students, including his own sister Penny Marshall and Al Molinaro, to star in his shows.<br />
<br />
By the time producer James Nicholson approached Harvey Lembeck to be in their first “beach party” film (creatively titled Beach Party) he had already amassed a successful acting career. So what inspired him to take on the role? According to his son Michael Lembeck, a successful director in his own right, it was to help students in his classes. He would populate the Rats (and its female auxiliary, the Mice) with his students. The films were, as Michael put it, “The silliest thing he ever did” but it provided a place to showcase “his kids”. “He treated his students like family” said Michael, something that carries through to Michael’s work today. “I’ll have my cast over for dinner while we’re working”.<br />
<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Eric falls victim (again?) to the<br />Himalayan Time Suspension Technique.</span><br />
<br />
The beach party story has never gone out of style, and the role of the tough guy ruling the beach a la Eric and the Rats remains just as vital. While it didn’t take place on the beach, early seasons of <b>Happy Days</b> featured street gang The Demons, led by their Zipper-analogue, Bag Zombrowski. Ten years after the last beach party film, Harvey’s daughter Helaine got her first professional job on <b>The Krofft Supershow</b> (which also featured her brother Michael as the lead singer of Kaptain Kool and the Kongs) in a show called <b>Magic Mongo</b>, about some teenagers spending all their time on the beach…with their genie (played by Lennie Weinrib). The role of the beach tough “Ace” was filled by Bart Braverman, just a couple years before his run on <b>Vegas</b>. Another ten and change years after that, Frankie and Annette reunited for <b>Back to the Beach,</b> featuring many of the original cast. Harvey had passed on by then, but the spirit of the Von Zipper clan was carried on by Zed and his gang, an 80’s punk re-interpretation of the Rats. His last name was never given, but if he wasn’t the son of Eric and Puss (the muscular blonde in the Mice played by Alberta Nelson), I’ll eat my second-favorite hat. His sway has reached outside of film well. There’s a Brazlian surf-rock band, Erick Von Zipper, named after him, and VonZipper.com sells quality sunglasses and goggles for the discriminating beach and snow-bum.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Vinnie Bartiluccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12031831695722239873noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-41324707627005665902015-04-28T11:03:00.000-04:002015-04-28T11:03:22.524-04:00A Night At The Opera – Here comes Sanity Clause!<b style="background-color: lime;"><span style="color: yellow;">This post is for <a href="http://clamba.blogspot.com/2015/03/announcing-cmba-spring-blogathon.html">The Fabulous Films of the 30s Blogathon</a>, Hosted by CMBA, from April 27 through May 1, 2015!</span></b><br />
Starring The Marx Brothers: Groucho Marx, Chico Marx, and Harpo Marx.<br />
Co-starring Margaret Dumont, Kitty Carlisle and Allan Jones<br />
Director: Sam Wood (1934)<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<i>
Fantasia </i>in Radio City Music Hall! Especially <i>“What’s Opera, Doc?”</i>
with Elmer Fudd singing “”Kill the Wabbit” over the Ring Cycle (no hobbits in
sight, of course, this was the ORIGINAL Ring tale, but that’s, you should pardon
the expression, another story) Call it a<i> </i>“Gateway drug” if<i> </i>you
like<i> except it’s not illegal -- </i>you only get high on music and comedy.<br />
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We kids were introduced to the classics as kids from Looney Tunes and Disney’s<br />
<br />
Likewise,
odds are most classic comedy fans’ look at opera was likely from the Marx
Brothers masterpiece, <i>A Night at the Opera</i>. I’ve been a fan of The Marx
Brothers since my older siblings showed me their comedies when I was in
kindergarten! They sat me down to watch <i>The Cocoanuts</i>, with also
introduced me to <span style="color: red;">Kay Francis </span>with each new zany
antics, including, where I also discovered Kay Francis. I rarely find a Marx
Brothers comedy that I<i> haven’t</i> liked, but <i>A Night at the Opera</i> is
my hands-down favorite!<br />
<br />
To say that
Bugs and the Marx boys had parallels is an understatement. Bugs had to work
triple time, taking on aspects of all three of the Brother, from Groucho’s sharp
tongue to Chico’s willingness to engage in a blow to the head, to Harpo’s sheer
manic frenzy, ripping pants and coats all in the campaign to make his target
look and feel an utter fool.<br />
<br />
The Marx
Brothers had settled into almost archetype roles for their films, and this is no
exception.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://38.media.tumblr.com/42677b153c2a0cf3a63fcfd5adcdfc43/tumblr_mybrdyZnWP1rhqm6eo4_250.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://38.media.tumblr.com/42677b153c2a0cf3a63fcfd5adcdfc43/tumblr_mybrdyZnWP1rhqm6eo4_250.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Every Marx Brothers film has at least one <br />
perfectly quotable malaprop pun - Night at the <br />
Opera delivers one of the best</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Groucho,<i> </i></span>
as
<span style="color: red;">Otis B. Driftwood</span>; promoter and sometime con-man;
ever sidling up to the ample bosom and bank account of Mrs. Claypool, played by
film’s greatest straight man, Margaret Dumont<br />
<i><br /></i>
<span style="color: orange;">
Chico Marx</span>
takes his heavily accented position as<i> </i><span style="color: red;">Firello,</span>,
kind of a wise guy, but sharp and well meaning. He’s slightly less actively
criminal this time around, but he’s clearly not above whipping out a leather
cosh when needs must.<br />
<br />
He
is ever teamed with his “Silent partner” <span style="color: red;">Tomasso</span>,
played by <span style="color: #c0504d;">Harpo Marx</span>, playing his
traditional role of mute whirlwind of chaos.<br />
<br />
As usual,
Groucho starts alone, working his way into Mrs. Claypool’s best graces as
primary patron of the city’s opera company, where he sets himself up with a
cushy managerial position, careful never to actually hear any singing. Keen to
sign legendary European tenor Rodolfo Lasparri (not the one “of Palermo Sicily),
for all of you who saw <i>The Freshman</i>) he meets Fiorello, who claims to
manage “The greatest tenor in the world”. Of course, he’s not referring to The
Great Lasparri, but his friend Ricardo (Allan Jones) who has no resume as a
singer. But Lasparri has the hots for Ricardo’s girl, Rosa (Kitty Carlisle) and
when he’s approached to sing, he says he won’t go to New York without her.<br />
<br />
As zany as
the boys can be, they can also be kind and helpful to their friends, so at this
point, Lasparri become the Marx’ “Special friend” (as the Marx-channeling Warner
Brothers called their targets of torment on <i>Animaniacs</i>) and he becomes
the target of their own special brand of War of Nerves. At the same time,
Groucho has to keep Mrs. Claypool’s cheeks blushing, and keep his opposition for
her charms and bankbook, Gottlieb (Sig Ruman) off balance. <br />
<br />
The trip back
from Europe provides us what may be one of the greatest scenes of physical
comedy in a Marx Brothers film, and possibly any film ever, The Stateroom
Scene.Two and a half minutes of filmic perfection.<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
The setup is
simple – Driftwood’s room on the ship is calamitously small – so much so that it
can barely accommodate himself and his monstrous steamer trunk, which is itself
accommodating stowaways Fiorello, Tomasso and Ricardo. So as more and more
people arrive to do various work in the room, it become increasingly
sardine-like. To this day it’s one of the only scenes of black-and-white film
that our daughter Siobhan will willingly sit through, and no surprise why.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.doctormacro.com/Images/Marx%20Brothers/Marx%20Brothers%20(A%20Night%20at%20the%20Opera)_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.doctormacro.com/Images/Marx%20Brothers/Marx%20Brothers%20(A%20Night%20at%20the%20Opera)_01.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Marxes were all noted lotharios - none of them ever<br />
needed a "beard"!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Graham
Linehan, creator of classic British sitcoms like <i>Father Ted</i> and <i>The IT
Crowd</i>, points out a theory of sitcom scenarios from Griff Rhys-Jones – the
characters in a sitcom must be trapped, or otherwise stuck together, or why else
would they stay with people they hated? That adds another layer of comedy to
the scene – all throughout the scene, Groucho is trying to prepare for an
intimate dalliance with Mrs. Claypool, resulting in a moment of surprise when
she arrives. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tvXWjTGT_0c/VT1dGtOg4NI/AAAAAAAABcA/DXHQv8d5jMU/s1600/Nato.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tvXWjTGT_0c/VT1dGtOg4NI/AAAAAAAABcA/DXHQv8d5jMU/s1600/Nato.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When is a door not a door? When it's a cot held up<br />
to hide from a detective, obviously!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
When the
company arrives in New York, there’s the matter of the ship being three Italians
heavy. So the boys pose as visiting Russian aviators, allegedly fresh from a
grand adventure. After a speech at City Hall goes south, the stowaways are on
the run, and with a policeman hot on their trail, it becomes very difficult for
Groucho to keep all his oars in the water. Not as famous as the Stateroom Scene
is the sequence where the crew must shell-game a series of cots between two
hotel rooms to keep Detective Henderson off kilter.<br />
<br />
The final
reel is sheer Marx madness as a massive plot is hatched to get revenge on all
those who have wronged them, get the starcrossed lovers back together, and get
Driftwood back into Mrs Claypool’s arms and trust fund.<br />
<br />
The manic
action of a Marx Brothers movie is met equally by the wit of the dialogue.
Groucho has a free-range tongue, and from it comes some of the most perplexing
verbiage ever heard on film, leaving the stage littered with confused targets:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Otis B.
Driftwood</b>:
That woman? Do you know why I sat with her? Because she reminded me of you.<br />
<b>Mrs. Claypool</b>:
Really?<br />
<b>Driftwood</b>:
Of course, that's why I'm sitting here with you. Because you remind me of you.
Your eyes, your throat, your lips! Everything about you reminds me of you.
Except you. How do you account for that? (to the camera) If she figures that one
out, she's good.</blockquote>
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<br />
Decades later, Dennis Dugan directed a truly under-appreciated remake of this film
titled <i>Brain Donors</i>. Set in a ballet company instead of opera, it
features John Tuturro in the Groucho-esque role of Roland T. Flakfiser, Mel
Smith as Rocco Melonchek and hybrid stand-up comic Bob Nelson standing in for
Harpo as Jacques. Nancy Marchand, then known best from <i>Lou Grant</i> and now
better known for <i>The Sopranos</i> steps in for Dumont as doddering dowager
Lillian Ogelthorpe. It more than satisfies the requirements that a remake must
meet, and while it can never replace the original, it does a fine job of showing
that classic comedy still holds up today. Well worth a lookVinnie Bartiluccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12031831695722239873noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-17404644219051866612015-04-12T14:59:00.000-04:002015-04-16T13:41:38.563-04:00HIS KIND OF WOMAN (1961): Face the Music!<span style="background-color: #351c75;"><span style="color: orange;"><b>This post is for<i>The Great Villain Blogathon,</i> Hosted by <i>Speakeasy;</i> <i>
Shadows & Satin</i>; and <i>Silver Screenings,</i> from April 13 through April
17, 2015, revised for 2015!</b></span></span><br />
<b>
</b>
<br />
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<br />
Have you ever
seen a movie that seems like a typical genre flick, but as you keep watching it,
you realize it’s got a mind of its own, and it’s so wild and crazy and
all-but-off-the rails, you soon realize that you can’t help loving it? Well,
gang, meet the <b><span style="color: red;">1951</span></b> RKO comedy/<i>noir</i>
<span style="background-color: #ffd966;"><b><i>His Kind of Woman, </i></b></span>which also quickly became one of my <b><i>
favorite movies! </i></b>Director John Farrow<b> </b><i><b>(</b><span style="color: red;"><b>The
Big Clock;</b> </span><span style="color: #002060;">Wake Island; </span></i>and;<i>
<b><span style="color: #7030a0;">Hondo</span></b></i><span style="color: #7030a0;">,</span>
among many other memorable films, with the directing mostly given to Richard
Fleischer <span style="color: #0b5394;"><b><i>(Fantastic Voyage)</i></b>
</span>was responsible for considerable tweaking—re-shoots, even! Lots of
writers were in<span style="color: #351c75;"> <i>His Kind of Woman,</i></span> too, including Frank Fenton and Jack
Leonard, with Gerald Drayson Adams’ original story getting credit as well. Seems
like everyone gets a little credit here, and why not, with that swell cast?
<br />
<br />
In<i> <b>
<span style="color: red;">His Kind of Woman,</span></b><span style="color: red;">
</span></i>we meet our <b><span style="color: red;">Villain </span></b>from the
start: <b><span style="color: #7030a0;">Nick Ferraro</span></b>, a vicious
deported crime boss with a sinister agenda. <b>Raymond Burr</b> plays one of
his very best villain roles here as the wicked <b><span style="color: #002060;">Raymond Burr</span></b>, the man who scared us in<i>
</i><span style="color: red;"><b><i>Alfred</i> </b><i><b>Hitchcock’s Rear</b> <b>Window</b></i></span><b>;</b> <b><i>
<span style="color: #674ea7;">Raw Deal;</span></i><span style="color: #674ea7;"> </span><i><span style="color: #674ea7;">
</span><span style="color: #7030a0;">A Place in The Sun;</span></i></b><span style="color: #7030a0;">
</span>the role of Steve Martin <b><span style="color: #0070c0;">(no, not the
actor/comedian/author Steve Martin)</span></b> from the classic Japanese
thriller <b><i>Godzilla</i><i>, </i></b>now a <b><i>hero </i></b>for a change! We don’t want to spill all the surprises, though we’re
impressed with Burr's range, from bad guys to many Emmy-Awards for his role as good-guy-lawyer<b>
<span style="color: #7030a0;">Perry Mason</span></b>. In real life, Burr was a
complicated man who left his private life to himself, with his loyal long-time
friends and colleagues, including the cast of <b><i>Perry Mason</i></b> and <b>
<i>Ironside</i>.</b> Good for him; the man was entitled to have a private life
and trusted friends as, as well as his <i>Emmy Awards!</i> <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ApspyEGJhcI/TuJiVU6jlZI/AAAAAAAAAxA/Zm2WAa7X2Xs/s1600/His+Kind+Of+Woman%2C+Burr+Not+Looking+Like+Selznick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ApspyEGJhcI/TuJiVU6jlZI/AAAAAAAAAxA/Zm2WAa7X2Xs/s1600/His+Kind+Of+Woman%2C+Burr+Not+Looking+Like+Selznick.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;">"OK, who's the wise guy cracking Selznick jokes?!"</span></span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Burr freely invented the facts of his life, often claiming to tragedy to
triumph, claiming to have had a happy childhood; then joining the Coast Guard;
then acting and working at a Vancouver stock theater. No wonder Burr became an
actor, even if Burr had to fudge his credits – but it worked! Burr became
starstruck, becoming an apt pupil, eager to become an actor. His He started playing heavies (literally, with his huge frame) playing heavies to film movie
stars villains to fame and fortune as TV’s <b><i>Perry Mason</i></b> and<b> <i>Ironside,</i></b>
with fame and Emmys, bless him; with Burr’s superb as a fine a fine actor both
before his success as a TV and film actor and with Burr’s thanks to <b><i>Perry
Mason</i></b> and <b><i>Ironside!</i></b><i> </i>Burr was quite the chameleon,
but I’d say it served him well in his acting career. showed <br />
<br />
But today,
the spotlight belongs to the stars<span style="background-color: #ffd966;"> of <b><i>His Kind of Woman!</i></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #ffd966;"><b><i> </i></b></span>
<br />
Burr played
superbly in his villain roles, which says a<b><i> lot,</i></b> considering<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="background-color: #674ea7;"> <b>Robert Mitchum</b></span><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b> is</b></span></span><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>
at his </b></span>bedroom-eyed best as Dan Milner, a rambler and a gambler, literally. But
Dan is easy to like; how can you <b><i>not </i></b>trust a guy who sticks with milk or
ginger ale instead of booze, and helps others who are in trouble as well!
Sure, it’s implied that Dan has gotten in trouble with liquor in the past, but
it’s also that clear that that Dan has learned his lesson. Dan is the kind of
likable lug who really should get in the habit of looking before he leaps. He
seems to have been pretty successful at making a living from gambling (we wish
Dan was a real guy who could’ve given my late dad pointers!), but Lady Luck
hasn’t been returning Dan’s calls lately (dames—<i>sheesh!).</i> But Dan has a
funny feeling there’s more to his recent string of nigh-Kafkaesque mishaps than
cold dice, especially when he’s accosted by a couple of smooth-talking,
suit-clad jaspers: Corley (the uncredited <b><span style="color: #674ea7;">Paul Frees</span>,</b> whose voice is well known
to Team Bartilucci from both animated and live-action films, including another
RKO classic, <b><i><span style="color: red;">The Thing from Another World),</span></i></b><span style="color: red;">
</span>and Thompson (Charles McGraw from <b><i><span style="color: #002060;">The
Narrow Margin</span></i></b><span style="color: #002060;"> </span>and <i>
<b><span style="color: #002060;">The Killers</span></b></i><span style="color: #002060;">,
</span>who also narrates the film in early scenes). Corley and Thompson offer
Dan a cool fifty-grand (big money back them) to go to The Morros Lodge, a
fabulous Mexican resort (filmed in Baja California) and await further
instructions, no questions asked (well, <i>few</i> questions, anyway). Dan’s
not entirely comfortable with the arrangement, but he sure can use the dough.
Wonder if Dan’s ever heard a little story about a Trojan horse? <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uNyjoB2LNVc/TuJcE8809DI/AAAAAAAAAww/QlJYnbW0VmE/s1600/His+Kind+of+Woman+-+Bob%27s+got+Jane%27s+back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uNyjoB2LNVc/TuJcE8809DI/AAAAAAAAAww/QlJYnbW0VmE/s1600/His+Kind+of+Woman+-+Bob%27s+got+Jane%27s+back.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Dan sure knows how to rub Lenore the<i> right way!</i></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
While waiting
for his plane to Mexico, tough guy Dan is smitten in spite of himself when he
meets the lovely, sassy, ostensibly rich Lenore Brent (<b>Jane Russell</b> from
<i><span style="color: #7030a0;">Gentlemen Prefer Blondes;The; Paleface; Macao)</span>,
</i>giving<i> </i>her lovely voice, among her other charms (producer Howard
Hughes never missed an opportunity to showcase the ravishing Russell’s
pulchritude). I always enjoy
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040679/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_29" style="color: blue;">
<b><i>
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; text-decoration: none;">
The Paleface</span></i></b></a>
hearing Jane
Russell sing; she has a nice snappy way with a song, and she’s both sultry and
jaunty as she sings<i> “Five Little Miles from San Berdoo” </i>and the torchy <i>“You’ll
Know.</i>” Despite their characters’ mutual cat-and-mouse routine, you can see the
electricity crackling between Russell and Mitchum. There they are, sexy and
playful as all get-out, and nobody’s naked (though they sometimes come close, at
least by late 1940s/early 1950s standards)! By all accounts, Mitchum and Russell
were good friends offscreen, and only friends. (In fact, after Mitchum’s death
in 1997, Russell and Mitchum’s wife Dorothy scattered his ashes at sea. But I
digress!) <br />
<br />
Back at the
Morros Lodge the ranch, er, lodge, the fun in the sun apparently includes
role-playing games as well, because each vacationer Dan meets at this gorgeous
resort seems to be trying to be someone else! Lenore may or may not be an
heiress, and her real name may or may not be Liz Brady; Bill Lusk (<b>Tim Holt</b>
of <b><i>The Magnificent Ambersons</i></b> and <b><i>The Treasure of the Sierra
Madre)</i></b> might be a drunken tourist, or he might be a wily Fed. Myron
Winton (Jim Backus, whose many roles included <i>Rebel Without A Cause</i> and
TV’s <i>Gilligan’s Island,</i> not to mention the voice of Mr. Magoo!) is a!
businessman who turns out to be a card sharp, or maybe just a plain old cheater.
Then there’s mysterious author Martin Kraft (John Mylong) who only seems
interested in playing chess with himself (“Maybe he hates to lose,” Dan
suggests).<br />
<br />
I also like
that Dan is basically a decent guy with a kind heart underneath his sleepy-eyed
shrewdness, like when he helps the young newlywed couple win their money back
from sneaky so-and-so Winton. Maybe that’s why Lusk finally ditches his lush
routine and reveals to Dan that he’s an immigration officer pursuing evil Nick
Ferraro (is Nick an evil S.O.B. <i>or what!?) </i> Burr is in his element in one of his juiciest
over-the-top bad-guy roles before <b><i>Perry Mason</i></b> made him a TV star). Turns out the
only thing Kraft writes is prescriptions: he’s really a plastic surgeon who was
himself deported, like Nick. Seems Dan’s role in all this is the ultimate
face-off: the doc’s supposed to put Dan’s face on the evil Nick so he can sneak
back into the U.S., after which Nick and his boys will bump Dan off so Nick can
keep his <i>secret! Yikes!</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KrYJonVb7eI/TuJzPyrOJ4I/AAAAAAAAAx4/fw871cO6tb8/s400/His+Kind+of+Woman%2C+Burr+vs.+Mitchum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KrYJonVb7eI/TuJzPyrOJ4I/AAAAAAAAAx4/fw871cO6tb8/s400/His+Kind+of+Woman%2C+Burr+vs.+Mitchum.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't you go fainting on me when I'm trying to torment you, mister! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I’ll admit
the mix of <i>film noir</i> suspense and zany comedy gets a bit lopsided at
times, but I was so caught up in the fun of <i><span style="color: #7030a0;">His
Kind of Woman, </span></i>I was having too much fun to quibble! I liked the
nice background details, too, like the sarcastic radio announcer ragging on Nick
Ferraro! Lots of our favorite uncredited supporting players <i><span style="color: #7030a0;">in His Kind Of Woman</span></i> also include Mamie
Van Doren, Robert Cornthwaite (clean-shaven and almost unrecognizable from his
role as the exhausted, going-mad scientist in <i><span style="color: #7030a0;">The
Thing from Another World)</span></i><span style="color: #7030a0;">, </span>and
Anthony Caruso <i><span style="color: #7030a0;">(The Asphalt Jungle, </span></i>
among others) as one of Nick’s vicious strong-arm boys. On a related note, it’s
interesting to see the difference between early 1950s and 21st-century beefcake.
As I said in my <i><span style="color: #7030a0;">I Wake up Screaming</span> post,
</i>today’s muscular hunks are so ridiculously ripped, you'd cut yourself if you
touched them! However, Nick is a psychotic, with a posse of sadistic henchmen,
including Anthony Caruso <i><span style="color: red;"><b>(The Asphalt Jungle).</b>;
</span></i>Charles McGraw. But it’s Nick who’s the
true villain. He’s so nuts that he won’t let poor Dan come to come to until he
gets to see right in his eyes! Even the bad guys are getting antsy; maybe
they’ve got more dates with other vicious bad guys<i> </i>his a gun in his hand
– that guy’s so nutty, even his fellow goons are getting antsy, or maybe they
just has other creeps to victimize! <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://lucyvivante.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/RM-and-VP.jpg" height="301" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>My king for a horse, but guns will do! Vincent Price steals the show as movie star Mark Cardigan!</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Ironically,
one of the most sincere characters in <i><span style="color: #7030a0;">His Kind of
Woman</span></i>. is Vincent Price’s character, the flamboyant movie star Mark
Cardigan. He thinks he’s gonna run off with his mistress Lenore. <i>Surprise!</i>
Wifey Helen (Marjorie Reynolds of <i><span style="color: red;">Ministry of Fear;
</span></i>and <i><span style="color: red;">White Christman))</span></i><span style="color: red;">
</span>shows up, with her attorney in tow. Price is clearly having a blast, and
I don’t just mean with his hunting rifle! Even with Mark’s goofy airs, he saves
the day, bless him (with a few hilarious fits and starts along the way). Every
cast member is great fun to watch, though there’s no denying that Price steals
the show as Mark. He basks in the spotlight and he’s a big ham, but a tasty one.
Even better, Mark truly puts his money where his Shakespeare-trained mouth is
when Dan’s in danger. The scene where Mark tries to squeeze every volunteer at
the resort into the boat to rescue Dan is laugh-out-loud funny!<br />
<br />
Over at the
<b>TCM</b> Web site, Price wrote that Mitchum was “heaven to work with...one of
those “diamond- in- the-rough” types in whose character you can’t find any sort
of holes because he’s so open and honest...He’s a complete anachronism. He
claims he doesn’t care about acting, but he’s an extraordinary actor. He’s one
of that group of people in Hollywood who are such extraordinary personalities
that people forget they’re marvelous actors.” Moreover, Mitchum was generous on
the set, treating about twenty members of the cast and crew to lunch in his
bungalow every day, and “on several occasions when he realized his stand-in had
had a rough night, he stood in for the stand-in.” Don’t you love it when actors
you like turn out to be decent folks, too?<br />
<br />
The Film's DVD commentary mentions that one of the band members seen in the background of
several scene was
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lalo_Guerrero" target="_blank">Lalo
Guererro</a>, credited as the father of Pacheco, or Chicano music. In
addition to popularizing the latin sub-style , he was also a master parodist,
with Mexicanized versions of hit songs like "Tacos for Two" and his first big
hit, "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNmmKxHrAYw">Pancho Lopez</a>", a
parody of Davy Crockett.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bRIzWjnxafo" width="420"></iframe>
Vinnie Bartiluccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12031831695722239873noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-24413395845642060852015-02-26T13:03:00.000-05:002015-02-26T16:03:48.015-05:00My Favorite Blonde - Where There's Spies, There's Hope!This post is for the <b>Madeleine Carroll Blogathon</b>, hosted by <b>Tales of the
Easily Distracted</b> and <b>Silver Screenings, from February 26th through 27th! Enjoy!</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/my-favorite-blonde-poster_9036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/my-favorite-blonde-poster_9036.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
I get a kick out of Bob Hope’s comedy-mysteries from the 1930s and 1940s,
including the “Old Dark House” spoof <i><b>The Cat and the Canary</b> </i>(1939); <b>
<i>The Ghost Breakers</i></b> (1940); and the swell detective spoof <i><b>My Favorite
Brunette</b></i> (1947). But now I’ve got another favorite for Bob and the girls: <b>
<span style="color: red;"><i>My Favorite Blonde</i></span></b><i> </i>(1942), thanks to our great friend and fellow blogger <b>R.A.
Kerr (Ruth to us gals on the go!)!</b><br />
<br />
By now, you’ve surely heard of the aristocratic beauty in the <span style="color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: blue;"><b>Alfred
Hitchcock</b></span></span> suspense films <b><i>The 39 Step</i>s</b> (1935); and <i><b>The Secret Agent</b></i> (1936) with
our gal Maddie (that’s how she was affectionately called by friends and loved
ones, so I’m told) as well as the Coming Attractions for her films, as well as
on the great Alfred Hitchcock bringing them together when he chose Madeleine
as his leading lady in <b><i><span style="color: #351c75;">The 39 Steps</span>,</i></b> as well as<span style="background-color: #674ea7;"><b><span style="background-color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"> </span></span><i><span style="background-color: #351c75;"><span style="background-color: yellow;"><span style="color: #674ea7;">Secret</span></span></span></i><i><span style="background-color: #351c75;"> </span><span style="color: yellow;">Agent (1936)</span></i></b></span>, co-starring
John Gielgud, this time with Peter Lorre, Lili Palmer, and Robert Young. If you
ask me, <i>My</i><b> <i>Favorite Blonde</i></b> is a delightful spoof that even our
Mr.Hitchcock would get a kick out of! <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ej0BIJrMV_0/VO6Uy-n6e9I/AAAAAAAABUI/MEJQc_30oMA/s1600/0002.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ej0BIJrMV_0/VO6Uy-n6e9I/AAAAAAAABUI/MEJQc_30oMA/s1600/0002.bmp" height="218" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Hope and Carroll got along right away - a little <i>TOO</i> well</b><br />
<b>as far as Sterling Hayden was concerned!</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Lovely Maddie’s next triumph brought her to the U.S, the home of Radio – talk
about great word of mouth! To no surprise, Bob Hope found himself smitten by
Maddie, and she was flattered at his devotion. Audiences loved it, eating out of
fans’ hands. Like any red-blooded American fella in the 1940s, Bob thought
Maddie was the bees’ knees’ knees, and with a war on, Maddie was happy to help
the war effort. Bob was dazzled by her wit, charm, and beauty. Bob’s crush on
Maddie was a big hit with their repartee on the show. Just one little problem:
Maddie thought of Bob as just a an admirer and a colleague, while Bob was truly
crushing on our gal Maddie. Bob’s long-time wife Dolores was apparently a good
sport, but her <i>fiancé,</i> tough-guy Sterling Hayden<i> (Johnny Guitar;<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="background-color: #ffd966;"> </span><span style="background-color: red;"><span style="background-color: #f1c232;"><b>The</b></span> <b><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="background-color: #cc0000;">Asphalt
Jungle)</span></span></b></span></span></i>, made no bones about it according to author Lawrence Quirk: “Hayden
wanted to show up on the set and rearrange the famed ski-nose!” (Who can blame
him?) Just as well, Bob, you had a swell wife, that’s enough, buster! (My dear late mom would have agreed, as she was a big Sterling Hayden fan!)! <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WnH9kxcEoJw/VO6U61vhOmI/AAAAAAAABU0/eNeiqwFi-Yc/s1600/0007.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WnH9kxcEoJw/VO6U61vhOmI/AAAAAAAABU0/eNeiqwFi-Yc/s1600/0007.bmp" height="218" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>"This can't be California - it ain't raining!"</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
At the beginning of <b>My Favorite Blonde,</b> we meet our heroine, Karen
Bentley (Madeleine Carroll, of course!), a clearly a sophisticated lady indeed,
downing a <i>Pousse Café,</i> so cool she can actually show the bartender how to
prepare each ring – what a gal! But Karen barely gets time to polish off her off
her drink when she sees a seriously wounded man on deck! Turns out she's a spy
that would give Peggy Carter a run for her money, and the poor guy turns out to
be one of Karen’s good-guy spy colleagues! He comes to with only enough
time to get the "spy info" into her hands - a small scorpion-shaped pin,
engraved with coded information for flight plans for a new fleet of warplanes.
Karen has to make tracks before the baddies can catch up to her too! And
believe us, Karen’s foes are no cream-puffs: they’re the evil Madame Stephanie
Runick (Oscar-winner Gale Sondergaard; <i><b>The Letter</b>);</i> and Dr. Streger
(George Zucco of <i><b>After The Thin Man</b>; <b>The Cat and the Canary</b>).</i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Haines and Percy-guess who's the star?</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Karen ditches the baddies with a deft swap in a cab, and ducks into the stage
door of a vaudeville theater, claiming to want to talk to the members of the
first act she sees on the board, "Haines and Percy". But even though Larry
Haines (Bob Hope) has first billing, he's second banana to his partner, a
trained roller-skating penguin! He's heading for The Coast that night for what
he claims is a big movie deal (in fact it's Percy who has the offer), but as
soon as Karen hears about his plans, she demands to hitch a ride with him,
demanding he ask no questions. She's so cute he can't say no, so when they
start on their journey, he's got no idea why she starts jumping into mad
characters and accents when she spies (sorry) one of Gayle's Goons lurking
nearby. Grabbing him for an attention diverting kiss one moment and
pushing him away the next, Larry exasperatedly asks, “Say, what do operate on,
alternating current?”<br />
<br />
Larry spends a good portion of the film dazed and confused -- it's not till
they reach what's supposed the end of their mission in Chicago does he learn
what's really going on, just in time to get properly terrified! The agent
they were supposed to drop the McGuffin off with has been gotten to first - he's
got a knife in his back, and the place is surrounded. <br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Karen: </b>“They have access to the building. You’ll never get out of this
building alive!”<br />
<b>Larry:</b> Lady, if I'm not out of that door in 2 seconds flat, my name's
not Larry Haines! <br />
(Villain throws knife, missing Larry by a hair.) Larry turns back: “Meet John
Doe!” </blockquote>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/5L8pde8.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/5L8pde8.gif" height="272" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>For a lighthearted comedy, they got a few great noir-esque shots in!</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Larry goes for a classic gag to get a police escort to safety -- they stage a
"domestic dispute" that would put the Bickersons to shame, and as soon as
they're out of danger, they start "making up" in the back of the police car so
cloyingly that the cops boot them out. Of course, by that time they've
found the dead spy in the apartment, and they're blamed for the murder, which
only makes the trip to California all the more harrowing! Our heroes also get
some swell<i> noir-style</i> imagery in a dark chase scene, but there’s still plenty of
cameos in the Teamster picnic, where Karen and Larry face it: they’re addicted to
love! But that doesn’t mean there’s still lots of hilarity – not when <b>Carl
Switzer</b>,<i> a.k.a </i>Alfalfa, brings pandemonium to a women’s conference, spitting with
wild abandon! <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zjvgrk-oVH0/VO6U3eoFVFI/AAAAAAAABUc/LX7-HoPnWuw/s1600/0004.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zjvgrk-oVH0/VO6U3eoFVFI/AAAAAAAABUc/LX7-HoPnWuw/s1600/0004.bmp" height="218" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Two crooners in one film - that's value!</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There's a couple of references to Carroll's <b><i>The 39</i> Steps</b> as well - Bob has to give an impromptu speech as they hide from the Nazis, and earlier on, he talks about a mysterious man with "only two fingers on one hand" (and he don't mean Harold Lloyd!)<br />
<br />
Also keep an eyes peeled as they try to get lost in a Chicago crowd; that’s Bing
Crosby in a cameo in a hilarious scene where Karen and Larry find themselves at
a Teamsters picnic, where Irish eyes are both laughing and fighting! Call me a
softy, but I was touched by the blend of zany comedy and tenderness, especially
in the love scene in the box car. Might as well face it, you crazy kids, you’re
added to love! And watch for the mortuary scene – you might die
laughing!Vinnie Bartiluccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12031831695722239873noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-41291286397311431032015-02-02T21:17:00.000-05:002015-02-02T21:17:43.917-05:00You Shall Have Fun, Hey? A Beatles double-feature by Team BartilucciGrowing up in the Bronx, I watched late-night movies in my elementary school
days, but only on weekends, and even then only when my very favorite films were
on TV. In those days, the only movies I enjoyed most aired so late at night (or
so early in the morning, depending on your viewpoint) were The Beatles’ first
(and best) two films, <i>HELP!</i> (1965) and
<a href="http://youtu.be/Cn0_qWYMROY" style="color: blue;">
A Hard Day’s Night</a> (1964). I mention them in backwards chronological order
because that was how our WABC affiliate usually showed them. Maybe WABC-TV
figured that <i>HELP! </i> would draw better ratings, being the wackier and more
colorful of the two films literally! My fellow late-1960s baby boomers will
recall that <i>A Hard Day’s Night </i>was filmed in glorious Black and White), making
sure more insomniac Beatles fans would stay up through the …<i>Night</i> for the entire
double-feature. My sister Cara and I couldn’t be more different, but our love of
The Beatles was one of the few things we had in common. We knew “Beatles” was
the name of a band long before we knew A “beetle” was the name of an insect. But
I digress! <br />
<br />
Grandma Josie would sleep over and sneak in bags of cookies and candy (the
fruit-flavored marshmallows were my favorite) for us to munch while we watched
the movies on TV, late-night commercials and all. Mom and Dad usually came home
by the time <i>A Hard Day’s Night </i>started, and they’d insist that it was long past
my bedtime, even for a weekend night. This is why I never saw the whole movie
from start to finish until I was in my teens, but it was worth the wait, quickly
becoming one of my all-time favorite movies!<br />
<br />
<b>A HARD DAY'S NIGHT (1964)</b><br />
<br />
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According to TCM’s Roger Fristoe, <i>A Hard Day’s Night</i> was a smash (and no
wonder!), a film that had personality as well as singing, was a crowd-pleaser
which also had the good fortune to have four cheeky yet endearing young stars:
John Lennon, the mischievous smart-aleck; the likable Paul McCartney, the
boyish heartthrob; the quiet yet wry-humored George Harrison, a nice young
fella whose laid-back comments steal the show in his quiet way; and loveable
nebbish Ringo Starr (born Richard Starkey). It didn’t hurt that Director Richard
Lester made it for a nimble budget of $500,000 budget! They’re the Beatles,
they’re each likable, smart, and witty, literally making beautiful music
together – what’s not to love, as well as talented and hot! Screenwriter Alun Owen got an Oscar nomination for for his Screenplay and its
cheeky, witty dialogue (though<i> My Fair Lady</i> was the winner that year.)<br />
<br />
The charm of The Fab Four certainly got them plenty of got mileage from their fame, and even from other new stars in their wake ; hey, the
newbies had to eat, too! But while John, Paul, George and Ringo had plenty of
star power and wit, it sure didn’t hurt to have a delightful supporting cast,
including: <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GhYnSIagnVU/VNAWpPbbLJI/AAAAAAAABOY/A_VJmwRREZQ/s1600/ahdn04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GhYnSIagnVU/VNAWpPbbLJI/AAAAAAAABOY/A_VJmwRREZQ/s1600/ahdn04.jpg" height="228" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>"So far, I've seen a car and a room, and a TRAIN and a room, </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>and a <i>ROOM </i>and a room!"</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Wilfrid Brambell</b> as Paul's (other) grandfather was ostensibly the
film's star, at the time the star of <i>Steptoe and Son</i>, Britain's hottest
sitcom, which would come to America years later, with a minor casting change, as
<i>Sanford and Son</i>. The running joke about Paul's grandfather being
so "clean" was a play off S&S' catchphrase of the elder Mr. Steptoe being a
"<i>FILTHY </i>old man!"<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Victor Spinetti</b> is a hoot as the frustrated TV director desperately
trying to rein in the chaos of the loveable lads - he'd have better luck
lassoing smoke. He swings between boisterous demands for obedience, offers to
resign, or fears that if it doesn't go perfectly, he'll end up directing
something useless like <i>The Epilogue</i>, (the BBC's traditional end of the
broadcast day), or worse, News in Welsh.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0703032/bio" style="color: blue; font-weight: 700;">
Anna Quayle</a> (<i>Chitty Bang Bang-Bang)</i> as a daft fan who John has to convince
he's not really him. Eventually she walks away convinced "You don't look like him all
like him at all.." Lennon ad-libs "She looks more like him than I do."<br />
<br />
<b>Norman Rossington</b> and <b>John Junkin</b> as the band's frenzied
manager Norm and his kindly but "always taller than me" assistant Shake.<br />
<br />
The structure of the film is simple, more of a simple skeleton to hang
dialogue and wild vignettes on. The Beatles glide merrily though the landscape,
a mix of equal parts Marx Brothers, Bugs Bunny, and the Mynah Bird from the Chuck
Jones "Inki" cartoons, sowing disarray in their wake. They are matched
only by Paul's Grandfather, sent along to distract him from a broken heart, but
spends his time setting various people against each other and enjoying the
sparks.<br />
<br />
The mayhem starts fast, with The Boys being chased through town
(in a sequence that's <i>STILL </i>being copied and "homaged" to this day), ending up
on the train to London where the Fab Four (I'm gonna run out of names for these
guys any time time now, you know) play merry hell with a stiff-necked
Middle-Class City-worker (played by Richard Vernon, who played the man from the
treasury in <i><b>Goldfinger, </b></i>and years later, Slartibartfast in the TV version of <i>
The Hitchhikers' Guide To the Galaxy</i>). <br />
<br />
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In town they make their way to the hotel and immediately begin straining at
the leash their manager keeps them on. When Paul's grandpa sneaks out to take
advantage of Ringo's invitation to a gaming club, the quartet race off to "save"
him, only to be retrieved quickly by manager Norm. A whirlwind press conference
offers some of the most memorable questions and answers ever, quite an accurate
reflection of their real press conferences. In addition to Paul answering every
unheard question with "no we're just good friends" there's quoteables like
these:<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Reporter</b>: Tell me, how did you find America? <br />
<b>John</b>: Turn left at Greenland.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Reporter</b>: Do you think those haircuts have come to stay?<br />
<b>Ringo</b>: Well, this one has, it's stuck on good and proper now (tugs at
hair).<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Reporter</b>: What would you call that hairstyle?<br />
<b>George</b>: (deadpan) Arthur.<br />
(That's likely the second tip of the hat to mad magazine in the film - Shake is
reading the paperback <i>Son of MAD </i>earlier in the movie, and "Arthur" was
the name is am avocado plant that popped up inexplicably in the background of
many of the proceedings in the magazine.)<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qGGd0kuxn9c/VNAWoqRDvuI/AAAAAAAABOQ/UAjoYXgAzMo/s1600/ahdn03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qGGd0kuxn9c/VNAWoqRDvuI/AAAAAAAABOQ/UAjoYXgAzMo/s1600/ahdn03.jpg" height="192" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>"I now declare this bridge open"</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Soon they're herded into a TV studio for a variety show program that evening.
All they need do is sit about for a bit between rehearsal and broadcast. Simple.
And the White Star Line expected the Titanic to have an uneventful maiden
voyage. It's at this point the film really opens up - each of the
boys get their own chances to shine in what are practically blackout sketches.
<br />
George spends a few minutes scuttling the plans of a marketing whiz (Kenneth
Haigh) who he tells that his shirt designs are "dead grotty" and their
teen spokewoman Susan is: " A well-known drag"<br />
Ringo "goes parading before it's too late" at Grandpa's urging, and delivers
a sad sack mini-performance that would rival Jackie Gleason. Though it's reported that his dour and pained expression wasn't acting - he was nursing a massive hangover from a hard day's night of drinking the night before! Maybe that's why Ringo felt pick-on, and not sly Grandfather getting "notions" -- but it's still great fun, with the finale with the lads getting our lads scramlbling all over London!<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gZMi-r03X9Y/VNAWopmHZnI/AAAAAAAABOc/m0eBEWpWoT0/s1600/AHDn02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gZMi-r03X9Y/VNAWopmHZnI/AAAAAAAABOc/m0eBEWpWoT0/s1600/AHDn02.jpg" height="192" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Shake never learned to shave with a razor, coming from</b><br />
<b>"a long line of electricians"</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And in between the whole thing are the musical sequences that got director
Richard Lester named on of the spiritual fathers of MTV (to which he replied
that he wanted a paternity test).<br />
As befits the biggest name of the film, Brambell gets the most "plot" of the
film as "Lord" John Mccartney. He's responsible for inspiring Ringo to go
walkabout, and after collecting all the boys' signatures, forges himself a stack
of autographed photos and gets in dutch with the peelers, ending up on the
booking bench next to young Mr. Starkey. He's the closest the film has to an
antagonist - indeed, Paul refers to him as a "villain" right near the beginning. Once the boys are collected up again (just in time) for the show, the film
turns into a mini-concert as they perform before a teeming throng of British
youth, which allegedly includes a very young Phil "No Jacket Required" Collins.
It's sort of a thank you to the viewers for sitting through all the narrative,
which hopefully by the end they ended up enjoying. I certainly did.<br />
<br />
<i><b>HELP! (1965)</b></i><br />
<b><br /></b>
The Beatles were dragged back before the cameras only a year later for their second film. A bigger budget, more locations, more stars, but the same director, Richard Lester. Lester had experience capturing chaos in a film can - he did <i>The Running Jumping Standing Still Film</i>, starring The Goons (Peter Sellers, Harry Secombe and Spike Milligan), who were greatly revered by the Liverpudlian Lads. <br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Now filming in color, and offering a bit more defined plot, the film still offered more than enough room for wackiness and Beatleific behavior.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7fA_ZEHheEU/VNAX6kxy3kI/AAAAAAAABO8/lUdPtjRkmD4/s1600/tickettoride.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7fA_ZEHheEU/VNAX6kxy3kI/AAAAAAAABO8/lUdPtjRkmD4/s1600/tickettoride.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
Originally titled "Eight Arms to Hold You", a title nobody really cared for,
but changed so late in the production process that the first single, featuring
<i>Ticket to Ride</i> and <i>Yes It Is</i>, says that it's from the upcoming film The film begins in a heathen temple in some heathen country, where a human
sacrifice is being offered to Kaili, a non-existent but real-sounding eastern
diety, the extra vowel likely added to avoid insult to any remaining
<a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2014/11/gunga-din-go-blow-your-horn.html">
Thugees</a>. The proceedings are halted as the less-than-willing subject
is not wearing the sacrificial ring - she secretly mailed to a pop-star in
Britain with a predilection for rings, named...? Anyone?<br />
<br />
Now, let's not always see the same hands...<br />
<br />
Yes, Ringo ends up with the McGuffin stuck on his finger, and gets chased
throughout the film by High Priest Clang played by <b>Leo McKern</b> (<i>The
Prisoner</i>, <i>Rumpole of the Bailey</i>) and his bevy of assassins, headed
(or perhaps hindered) by Ahme, played by <b>Eleanor Bron</b> (<i>Bedazzled</i>).
Ringo tries all sort of things to get the ring off, eventually entering the
grasping hands of Professor Foot (the returning <b>Victor Spinetti</b>) and his
hapless assistant Algernon <b>Roy Kinnear</b> (<i>Williy Wonka and the Chocolate
Factory</i>). Foot sees the seemingly indestructible ring as a means to...dare I
say it...rule the world - perhaps he was thinking of a certain other Ring. <br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vZdvDlSTTeE/VNAaLERaKVI/AAAAAAAABPQ/2pP3rOamdK4/s1600/Help02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vZdvDlSTTeE/VNAaLERaKVI/AAAAAAAABPQ/2pP3rOamdK4/s1600/Help02.jpg" height="249" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>This was Eleanor Bron's first film - she'd go on to be</b><br />
<b>one of Britain's grand dames of comedy</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Beatles have a cartoony disconnect from reality in the film. It
starts in their domicile, which from the outside seems to be four contiguous
flats in a suburban street of row homes, but from within it's revealed to be on
monstrous single room made up of the interiors of the Fab Four, an architectural
miracle that we of Team Bartilucci would love to duplicate as soon as that lottery money starts
rolling in. We see a lot more exaggerated physical comedy situations in
this film, from the overclocked hand dryer in the men's room to the floor being
sawed through under Ringo's drum set as the heathens attempt to initially
retrieve the ring, and as the sun sets, attempt to sacrifice the new wearer, <i>AKA</i>
The Famous Ringo. Paul is shrunk to the size of a stick of gum in a rather
well-done bit of scenery, and Professor Foot uses all sorts of mad contraptions.
It's a far more cinematic film than the first one, which maintains a rather
grounded state, if rather off-level.<br />
<br />
As with the first film, the boys have unique and individual personalities, a
practice applied to almost all pop bands in the 60's onward. Paul is (of
course) the dashing lady-killer, George the quiet one, though able to deliver
the occasional stinging barb, John the inscrutable trickster god, and Ringo the
hapless boob. Indeed, it's Ringo's cowardice that causes the ring to
"cling to your finger like the hunger of a child"<br />
<br />
Quite a few more stars of British comedy make a showing in the film. In
addition to the aforementioned, we see Patrick Cargill (<i>Father Dear Father</i>,
and another Number Two on <i>The Prisoner</i>) as the Superintendent of Police
and a master of mimicry, and Alfie Bass (<i>The Lavender Hill Mob</i>, <i>The
Army Game</i>) as the doorman of an Indian restaurant (thank god for British
unions).<br />
The film jumps about from the Alps to the Bahamas, for little reason other
than the lads had never been there and asked for scenes there so they could get
a vacation in. While in the Alps, the mentioned they'd never been skiing -
Richard Lester pressed skis and poles into their hands, telling them to "find a
hill and practice". He filmed the results, which became much of the meat
of the Ticket to Ride sequence. <br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wWKX5d7Z6R8/VNAZjX2EwWI/AAAAAAAABPI/6D2_pg2oW1Q/s1600/Help01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wWKX5d7Z6R8/VNAZjX2EwWI/AAAAAAAABPI/6D2_pg2oW1Q/s1600/Help01.jpg" height="245" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In a gag worthy of The Goons, Clang packs up the entire temple <br />
in crates and ships it to the Bahamas, cause<br />
The Beatles wanted a holiday.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The film is also rife with spy jokes - United Artists was also releasing the
Bond films, so there's tons of gags in the film like Clang's van dropping
tacks, Bhuta carrying a sword umbrella, and tossing his turban Oddjob-style.
The score offers a few Bond-ish stings in there, as well as wittily disguised
covers of past Beatles songs. the all-sitar version of A Hard Day's Night
is hilarious, especially the first time you realize what it is.<br />
<br />Vinnie Bartiluccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12031831695722239873noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-37940066825565182402014-12-01T18:38:00.003-05:002014-12-01T19:32:04.201-05:00Presenting The Madeleine Carroll Blogathon!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/p/the-madeleine.html" target="_blank"><img alt="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/p/the-madeleine.html" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Br1t7K3dnWg/VHz7gOryzmI/AAAAAAAAA-4/GJUq10k8ghs/s1600/Madeleine-Carroll-Blog-3_fix.jpg" height="390" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/p/the-madeleine.html" target="_blank">Click for more info about the event!</a>Vinnie Bartiluccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12031831695722239873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-48107396039743165152014-11-17T20:34:00.002-05:002014-11-19T14:50:09.857-05:00Agnes Moorehead - What a Character! <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;">
<b>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Agnes Robertson Moorehead</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
was born on <b>December 6, 1900</b> Always a bright child, Agnes was a talented
youngster, so it was no surprise that she became a brilliant character actress.
Indeed, Agnes enjoyed playing different characters for the fun of it so much,
her mother would always say, “Who are you today, Agnes?” </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_iqMuvr6uVA/Tk-UZq451XI/AAAAAAAABHk/lmf_73GjnYE/s400/Agnes+Moorehead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_iqMuvr6uVA/Tk-UZq451XI/AAAAAAAABHk/lmf_73GjnYE/s400/Agnes+Moorehead.jpg" height="238" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The first
time I had heard about Agnes Moorhead was when I was a little kid in New York
City, living in the charming Country Club area of the Bronx. We loved the smash
TV sitcom <b><i>Bewitched,</i></b> the 1964 – 1972 comedy about witches in
suburbia, starring Elizabeth Montgomery. Being kids, we didn’t realize Ms.
Montgomery was part of a film and TV dynasty, including actor/producer Robert
Montgomery <i>(Here Comes Mr.Jordan;
<a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/They_Were_Expendable?qsrc=3044" style="color: blue;" title="They Were Expendable">
<span style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">They Were Expendable</span></a>;
<b><span style="color: red;">Lady in the Lake; </span>Ride the Pink Horse)</b>.
</i>Agnes<i> </i>always<i> </i>cracked us up as Endora, Samantha’s irksome yet
hilarious mother, always a show stopper with her tart tongue and fabulous
wardrobe, usually in hues of purple! Indeed, friends often affectionately
called Agnes “The Lavender Lady” or “Madam Mauve.”</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://thenightgallery.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/1-2.jpg?w=300&h=213" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://thenightgallery.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/1-2.jpg?w=300&h=213" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Ever the
world traveler, Agnes worked in France and studied with none other than the
great mime Marcel Marceau! She taught public school English and drama for five
years, as well as going to Paris to study pantomime. No doubt that came in
handy with the memorable <i>Twiligh</i>t<i> Zone</i> episode <i>“The Invaders.”! </i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><i><br />
</i>Agnes covered just about every medium (no pun intended…well, maybe a
little!), starting with singing at a St. Louis band radio station, and that
particular medium stayed with Agnes all her life, from the 1930s through the
1950s, with shows ranging from <i>Terry and The Pirates</i> as The Dragon Lady; The <i>March of Time;</i> and so much more – makes me
wish I could have been young with a great voice back then! <br /><br /> It seemed Agnes
could do anything in any medium, bless her! Agnes’ Radio
triumphs included wicked Mrs. Danvers in </span><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Rebecca;</i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> and Lucille Fletcher’s
</span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><i>Sorry, Wrong Number</i></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> (a broadcast I’d love to hear if I could)!
Such was Agnes’ zeal to perform on the airways, she insisted on its
pre-continuation of a later contratct with MGM — clever gal, our Agnes! Even
better, through her Radio work on </span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><i>The Shadow</i></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> and </span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><i>The March
of Time </i></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">in 1937, Agnes met and befriended fellow actor Orson Welles!
Knowing a great performer when he saw one, Welles invited her to join him and
Joseph Cotton as Charter members of his </span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><i>Mercury Theater of the Air, </i></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">and </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Agnes was among the company responsible for the 1938 broadcast of </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;"><b><i>"The War of the Worlds"<span style="color: black;">,</span></i></b></span></span> scaring the heck
out of the populace -- and making a name for herself as well as the rest of the cast, with Agnes wowing Radio fans all the way,
famous ever after</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> – oh, those <i><b>Mercury</b></i> scamps!</span></div>
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<i>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br />
</span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT1VjfqaAqV8nGIVMJp9d3R5fxvlNWm3-fkjlk-s_hgfeGvbYCN" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT1VjfqaAqV8nGIVMJp9d3R5fxvlNWm3-fkjlk-s_hgfeGvbYCN" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Agnes was practically bulletproof with her chameleon dexterity, thanks to her great voice, so it was only a matter of time when Orson Welles and the Mercury Theater came a’knocking, starting as <b><i>Citizen Kane’s</i></b> mother, and the rest was history! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Agnes got her first Oscar nomination for her role as Auntie Minafer in <b><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;"><i>The
Magnificent Andersons</i> (1942), </span></span></b>as well as <i>New York Film Critics.</i> She
hit a home run with Lucille Fletcher’s thriller <span style="color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;"><b><i>Sorry, Wrong Number </i></b></span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Wish I could
have seen them on stage as well!</span></div>
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<b>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br />
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
Agnes didn’t get any Oscars (though she should have, in my opinion; nothing personal, Barbara Stanwyck!), but she was nominated four; times in her long
career: the aforementioned<i><b> </b></i></span><b>
<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><i>The Magnificent Ambersons </i></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><i>(1942)</i></span><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">, </span><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Mrs. Parkington</i></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
(1944), <b><i>Johnny Belinda</i></b> (1948) AND </span><b><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Hush…Hush,
Sweet Charlotte </span></i></b>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">(1964<i>). </i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">There was only
one thing that could stop the unforgettable Agnes, and that’s death – and not
just any death, but death from fall-out from the Atom Bomb, no less! Poor Agnes; she and her fellow stars
of </span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><i>The Conquerer</i></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> had the unwitting misfortune to be filming on a site that
happened to be on Ground Zero, and Agnes, John Wayne, director Dick Powell, and
the rest of the all-star cast the cast, including Agnes, got uterine cancer. No wonder Agnes said, "
I wish I’d never made that picture.”</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.movieactors.com/photos-stars/agnes-moorehead-dark8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.movieactors.com/photos-stars/agnes-moorehead-dark8.jpg" height="215" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Agnes is always riveting and stunningly memorable, but my favorite is still the
<i>film noir </i><b><i><a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2013/06/dark-passage-softer-side-of-bogart-and.html" target="_blank">Dark Passage</a></i></b><i><a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2013/06/dark-passage-softer-side-of-bogart-and.html" target="_blank"> </a></i><a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2013/06/dark-passage-softer-side-of-bogart-and.html" target="_blank">(1947)</a> with Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, based on David Goodis' <i>noir</i> novel. Agnes is stunning as
Madge Rapf, a dame as mesmerizing as she is vicious, a dame who draws me to her out of one side of her mouth and pushes them away with the other. She's the type who won't let anyone have something if she can't have it - a compulsion that causes her to go to quite serious ends!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Want to hear more about the amazing life and times of the late, great Agnes Moorhead? Read Agnes’s autobiography <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/159393095X?ie=UTF8&camp=213733&creative=393177&creativeASIN=159393095X&linkCode=shr&tag=thefortyyearo-20&linkId=LQNHRKLI3AVXHWPQ&qid=1416273872&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=I+Love+The+Illusion%3A+The+Life+and+Career+of+Agnes+Moorhead">I Love The Illusion: </a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/159393095X?ie=UTF8&camp=213733&creative=393177&creativeASIN=159393095X&linkCode=shr&tag=thefortyyearo-20&linkId=LQNHRKLI3AVXHWPQ&qid=1416273872&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=I+Love+The+Illusion%3A+The+Life+and+Career+of+Agnes+Moorhead">The Life and Career of Agnes Moorhead</a>! </span><br />
<br /></div>
Vinnie Bartiluccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12031831695722239873noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-87580352598896093462014-11-14T15:33:00.000-05:002014-11-14T22:23:54.543-05:00Gunga Din - Go Blow Your Horn!<br />
<b>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This is the British Empire Blogathon, <span style="font-family: inherit;">h</span>osted by
The Stalking Moon and Phantom Empire<span style="font-family: inherit;">s, </span>from November 14 through November 19, 2014. Enjoy the other bloggers’
posts, as well, eh what?</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wyfrh2a6H9w/VGQYxHunwjI/AAAAAAAAA8g/dlLmsZYNJRA/s1600/DinPoster.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="//3.bp.blogspot.com/-wyfrh2a6H9w/VGQYxHunwjI/AAAAAAAAA8g/dlLmsZYNJRA/s1600/DinPoster.png" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i>
</i></b>RKO’s 1939
adventure <b><i>Gunga Din </i></b>is an adventure of men who know when to have
boyish fun, while also knowing when get they must realize when to also be dead
serious! Of course, that doesn’t mean they can’t be pranksters, bless them!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i>
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Fun Fact:</span></i></b>
Producer Pandro S. Berman had been <b><span style="color: red;">Lucille Ball’s</span></b><span style="color: red;">
</span>sweetie at the time <b><i>Gunga Din</i></b> was in theaters!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Story by Joel
Sayre and
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0347451/?ref_=ttfc_fc_wr2">
Fred Guiol </a><span class="MsoHyperlink">
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Story by Ben
Hecht & Charles MacArthur, based on Rudyard Kipling’s poem.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Music: Alfred
Newman</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Produced and directed by George Stevens <span style="color: #351c75;"><b><i>(Giant</i></b></span><i><span style="color: #351c75;">; </span><b><span style="color: #351c75;">A Place in
the Sun)</span><br />
</b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZJeNp9oe5cg/VGWFA4LoKzI/AAAAAAAAA9g/ec3A3miskss/s1600/0015.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZJeNp9oe5cg/VGWFA4LoKzI/AAAAAAAAA9g/ec3A3miskss/s320/0015.bmp" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;">Cutter (Cary Grant) shows Din (Sam Jaffe)</span></span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;">how to be all military</span></span></b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i>The Place:</i></b> Colonial India, in an encampment of Her Majesty’s
Lancers, where there seems to be a shortage of manpower, mostly because soldiers
are disappearing – talk about foul play! No, the luckless men aren’t going
AWOL –they’re being murdered by the fearsome Thuggee cult! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Who can get to the bottom of this evil mystery? Meet our wild and crazy Lancers
and best buddies:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>
</b></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://imgur.com/W5mwd0d" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/W5mwd0d.gif" height="236" title="source: imgur.com" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;">Grant's perfect Stan Laurelesque expression</span></span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;">never fails to get a laugh from us!</span></span></b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>*Cutter</b>
<b>(<span style="color: red;">Cary Grant </span>from <i><span style="color: red;">
Notorious</span>;</i> <i><span style="color: red;">North By Northwest</span>.)<span style="color: red;">
</span></i></b>He’s<b><i><span style="color: red;"> </span></i></b>always wishing,
hoping, and praying for riches; get in line, Cutter! But he’d better be careful
what he wishes wish for…</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
<b>*MacChesney</b>,
the most seasoned and brashest of the men, played by <b><span style="color: red;">
Victor McLaglen </span></b>from <b><i>
<span style="color: red;">The Quiet Man</span>,</i></b> who also won the Best
Actor Oscar in 1935 for John Ford’s drama <b><i><span style="color: red;">The
Informant. </span></i></b>Our rowdy heroes<b><i> </i></b>are a lively bunch,
boozing and brawling; men will be boys, bless them! It’s great rollicking fun,
while still being surprisingly moving. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M1sRFMEv4Io/VGWE9IVFGMI/AAAAAAAAA9I/ysRahXUBN28/s1600/0012.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M1sRFMEv4Io/VGWE9IVFGMI/AAAAAAAAA9I/ysRahXUBN28/s320/0012.bmp" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;">This isn't a Bollywood number -- these Thugee</span></span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;">mean business!</span></span></b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LBbIkNM7A-Y/VGWE7ApSH6I/AAAAAAAAA80/ZI0WO-DOwfo/s1600/0011.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LBbIkNM7A-Y/VGWE7ApSH6I/AAAAAAAAA80/ZI0WO-DOwfo/s320/0011.bmp" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;">What should I know about it? Why axe me?</span></span></b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">*Last but not
least, we meet the more gentlemanly Ballantine <b><span style="color: red;">
(Douglas Fairbanks Jr</span></b><span style="color: red;">. </span>from<span style="color: red;">
<i>Green Hell)</i></span>;<span style="color: red;"> </span>who’s about to marry
his sweetie, Emmy (Joan Fontaine, from Alfred Hitchcock’s <b><i>Rebecca </i></b>
and <i><b>Suspicion</b></i><b>)<i>. </i> </b>As Ballantine’s soon-to-be
son-in-law, he’s giving up derring-do to work with Emmy’s dad in the family tea
business, and our boys are crestfallen that our three comrades will be leaving!
Will he really be content with a life of
<span lang="EN">Oolong and Earl Grey tea
after all the excitement they’ve had together?<br />
<br />
</span>Grant,
McLaglen, and Fairbanks are truly a dream team, especially the nimble Grant, who
was an acrobat in real life. The gags about Annie the elephant especially
crack us up! But it all turns dead serious when our boys’ yen for gold turns
into a matter of life or death when the riches they find turns out to be
the Thuggees in the their<span lang="EN"> rumpus room -- <i><span style="color: red;"><b>YIKES!</b> </span> </i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN">Can Din and Cutter and the rest save the day? Sam Jaffe, always a
brilliant character actor <b><i>(The Asphalt Jungle)</i></b>, touches my heart the
best; he’s a little fella, but he turns out to have a heart of a lion. I defy you
to watch the end without tears in your eyes, even if you think your're the biggest rough-neck in town! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: yellow;"><i><span style="background-color: red;"><b>Fun fact: </b></span></i>-</span> <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0221439/">
Reginald
Sheffield</a><span class="MsoHyperlink">
played</span>:
Rudyard Kipling in<b> <i>Gunga Din!</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iI-xUz8gXP0/VGWFDwLH3DI/AAAAAAAAA90/ItCFfB1vRLM/s1600/0018.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iI-xUz8gXP0/VGWFDwLH3DI/AAAAAAAAA90/ItCFfB1vRLM/s320/0018.bmp" width="320" />:</a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;"><b><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Watch that first step, Annie - it's a Loo-Loo!</span>!</span></b></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN">As <i>
<b>The New York Times</b></i> said in 1939 (a great year for movies in any event) said:
“All movies…should be like the five the first-twenty-five and the last thirty
minutes…"</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN">I get such a kick out of friendships among Grant, McLaglen, and Fairbanks. I also enjoyed Robert Coote <span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="background-color: #134f5c;"><b><span style="color: yellow;">(<i>Merry Andrew</i>; TV’<i>s The Rogues)</i></span></b>
</span></span>as Higgenbotham, a cadet who majors in bumbling.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Want to know for about the Thuggee cult? Watch <span style="color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;"><b><i>The Deceivers</i> (1988</b>)</span></span>, starring Pierce Brosnan (1988), one of my dear late Mom's favorite films! (It didn't hurt that Brosnan was and still is a hottie -- but that's a blog post for another time!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i><span style="color: red;">Vinnie plays a few notes</span></i></b> -- It's somewhat ironic that Sam Jaffe gets fourth billing in the film, even though he plays the title character. Not to mention that he was forty-seven when he played the role, thought Din was usually described as a "boy." Nonetheless, he unsurprisingly crushes the role. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The film is another example of an "of the time" movie - the Indians were treated as almost sub-human, and no issue was found with that. Heck, I'm amazed the original poem hasn't been the target of a call for erasure from history for its treatment of the people. It's probably saved by the fact that so few people have actually read it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Likely the main reason Din gets such short shrift is the film takes the tale of the epic poem and demotes it to the "B" plot. The main story is clearly that of the three Lancers, who are following a Rom-Com plot best seen in <i>The Front Page</i>, summarized as "Friends don't want to see one of their crew get married, and proceed to sabotage the nuptials." It's so standard a plot it's been getting done for decades -- the most recent example of it I can recall off the top of my head was <b><i>Saving Silverman</i></b>, but I'll bet y'all can think of others.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4yI6JULIkQI/VGWE7JdTQHI/AAAAAAAAA8w/56XyxI7q58Q/s1600/0010.bmp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4yI6JULIkQI/VGWE7JdTQHI/AAAAAAAAA8w/56XyxI7q58Q/s320/0010.bmp" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;">Possibly the first example of the famous title credit</span></span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;">"Suggested by a true story" </span></span></b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Kali, the goddess of Death and her bully boys the Thuggee have made appearances in a number of films - in addition to The Wife's recommendation of <i>The Deceivers</i>, they also showed up in a slightly more disguised form in <i>Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,</i> and in a far funnier form in The Beatles' second filmic sortie <b><i>Help! </i></b>Phileas Fogg (David Niven) saved an Indian princess (Shirley MacLaine, a more sore-thumb example of what's now known as "whitewashing" than I can think of) in <i>Around the World in 80 Days,</i> and even Hammer Studios got in on the fun with the -grisly <b><i><span style="color: #134f5c;">Stranglers of Bombay</span>.</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Like Nazis and Republicans, they make a great, easily hateable villain for a story. Even the master criminal Fu Manchu employed Thuggee as assassins. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">There's been some controversy as to how much of the news of the Kali worshipers (where the modern word "thug" comes from, dontchaknow) that made it to Europe was real, and how much was a mix of xenophobic hyperbole. The Thuggee certainly existed, and killed many, though there's an argument that the motive was more Earthly that the religious aspect - Thuggee were certainly predominantly thieves, and the robbery was often more a goal than the ritual killing.</span><br />
<span lang="EN"></span>Vinnie Bartiluccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12031831695722239873noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-198404354425201152014-10-27T20:25:00.001-04:002014-10-29T14:14:32.694-04:00Oh, Kay! A Double-Feature about Kay Francis<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>This is posted for The CMBA Forgotten Stars Blogathon, in
this case, Kay Francis! Check out the other fabulous stars who deserve a
comeback!</b></span><br />
<blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“My life? Well, I get up at a quarter to six in the morning if I’m going to
wear an evening dress on camera. That sentence sounds a little ga-ga, doesn’t
it? But never mind, that’s my life…As long as they pay me my salary, they can
give me a broom and I’ll sweep the stage. I don’t give a damn. I want the
money... so that no sign of my existence is left on this earth. I
can't wait to be forgotten.” </span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> "<b><i>Kay Francis’
Private Diaries, ca. 1938.” </i></b></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>
Kay Francis</b>
just might be the biggest of the so-called <b><i>Forgotten Stars,</i></b><i> </i>
at least to<i> </i>as far as I’m concerned. Kay came into my life by way of my
college days at both Fordham University in the Bronx and courses at both the
Bronx and Manhattan branches of Fordham University. Whenever I had time both
time <b><i>and</i> </b>money, I’d go to buy film goodies from <b><i>Movie Star</i></b><i>
<b>News</b></i>, a treasure trove of vintage posters, movie scripts, and so much
more wonderful memorabilia from decades of amazing posters and other goodies for
us movie lovers. <i><b>Movie Star News </b></i>was run by the brother and sister
team brother of Irving and Paula Klaw in the Village. Paula kind of gave me
the Hairy Eyeball at first (understandably; they treat their wonderful wares
like they were their children, and who can blame them?), but when Paula realized
we were on the same page, we became friendly, and that was how Kay became one of
my favorite classic stars!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Kay might be
considered a “forgotten star” here in 2014 (unfairly, at least in this gal’s
opinion), but that wasn’t always the case! She is considered the biggest of the
“Forgotten Stars” from Hollywood’s Golden Age. In Kay's heyday in the
1930s, she was tagged as “The Queen of Warner Brothers,” with a hefty salary of
$115,000, comparable to Bette Davis with $1,800! Nice work if you can get it,
indeed!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ironically, Kay didn’t out start as a movie queen, even though she was the
daughter of actress Katherine Clinton, unless you count that Kay’s first job was
royalty of another kind: Kay sold real estate and arranged swanky parties for
wealthy socialites; I guess that'one way to learn one the ropes! !"Following her marriage in 1922 to wealthy James Dwight Francis, Kay naturally, Kay
adopted <b>“Kay Francis”</b> as her stage name. And what a pedigree: Kay’s
first dramatic role was as the lead in a modern version of <i>Hamlet</i>, with Kay as
“The Player Queen!.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Throughout
the decade of the 1930s, Kay Francis was a top Hollywood star, her career a
perfect example of the sort that once flourished in the studio system. A tall,
sultry beauty, she wore clothes with style and grace, and her name became
synonymous with glamour, fashion and modern womanhood. She starred in stylish
comedies such as
<a href="http://us.imdb.com/Name?Lubitsch,+Ernst" style="color: blue;">
Ernst
Lubitsch</a>'s
<a href="http://us.imdb.com/Title?0023622" style="color: blue;">
Trouble in
Paradise</a>
(1932), and the Marx Brothers's
<a href="http://us.imdb.com/Title?0019777" style="color: blue;">
The Cocoanuts
</a>
(1929), but she is best remembered for her films in which a woman of poise and
intelligence "faced life," such as
<a href="http://us.imdb.com/Title?0025068" style="color: blue;">
Dr. Monica</a>
(1934),
<a href="http://us.imdb.com/Title?0026644" style="color: blue;">
Living on
Velvet </a>
(1935),
<a href="http://us.imdb.com/Title?0031477" style="color: blue;">
In Name Only</a>
(1939), and
<a href="http://us.imdb.com/Title?0024144" style="color: blue;">
House on 56th Street</a> (1933). </span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AJ5r1WIDD34/VE67z33XMbI/AAAAAAAAA8I/3HSec_cN_xQ/s1600/One%2BWay%2BPassage%2B-%2B00014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AJ5r1WIDD34/VE67z33XMbI/AAAAAAAAA8I/3HSec_cN_xQ/s1600/One%2BWay%2BPassage%2B-%2B00014.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: yellow;">Kay Francis and William Powell get in cozy in <i>One Way Passage</i> (1932</span>)</span></span></span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">She had
limited success in the early 1940s and, no longer able to land good roles,
retired from film in 1946. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, Francis turned to
the stage, appearing with some success on Broadway in <i>State of the Union</i>
and touring in various productions of plays old and new, including <i>Windy
Hill, The</i> <i>Last of Mrs. Cheyney</i>, <i>Let Us Be Gay,</i> <i>Favorite
Strangers, Goodbye, My Fancy</i>,<i> The Web and the Rock,</i> <i>Mirror, Mirror, and
Theatre.</i> She also acted in two television programs. She died in 1968 of breast
cancer (damn cancer!). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Kay got her
first film role<b> </b>in the first <b>Marx</b> <b>Brothers </b>comedy, <b><i>
The Cocoanuts</i></b> (1929), playing Penelope, a slinky jewel thief who gets in
the middle of the Marx Brothers<b>’ </b><span class="MsoHyperlink">zany romp
during the </span>Florida land boom, with the boys running a hotel (practically
into the ground!) and making merry mischief at an auction land, thwarting
Penelope and her partner, helping, and generally act like their zany,
incorrigible selves. The grey-eyed beauty with the a voice as warm as honey was
poised for sound and glamorous in her looks and her poise; no wonder Kay was
lauded in her heyday as “Hollywood’s Best Dressed Woman,” with designers like
Dorothy Jeakins, Travis Banton and Adrian. After Kay got her big break she
became an in-demand a leading<b> </b>lady<b> </b>in the
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0523932/">
Ernst <i>
Lubitsch</i></a> comedy <b><i>Trouble in Paradise</i></b>
(1932)<b>; <i>Doctor Monica; One Way Passage </i></b>(1932), starring another
Team Bartilucci favorite,<b><i> </i>William Powell;
<i>I Found Stella Parish </i></b>(1935);<b>
</b>and so much </span>more.<b> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But we're here to celebrate Kay, so let's enjoy two of Team Bartilucci's favorite blog posts saluting our gal Kay!</span><br />
<span style="color: #e69138;"><br />
<span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="background-color: #ffe599;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Kay Francis Double Feature<br />
1: <i>One Way Passage</i> (1932)</span></span></span></span></b><br />
<b>
<br />
</b>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I admit it: I usually don’t enjoy “weepies,” those sentimental movies where
you’d better get out your hankies. I’d rather watch an MST3TK episode<i> T3K</i>
episode, because life is too short to be sad if I don’t have to
be! <i>However, </i>I was pleasantly surprised that that <b><i>One Way Passage</i></b>
had an enjoyable blend of comedy, drama, and tenderness. Kay and William Powell
(another Team Bartilucci fave) have worked together before <i>(For the Defence;
Jewel Robbery, </i>and the pair work together beautifully under the sure hand
of Director Tay Garnett <i>(The Postman Always Rings Twice; A Connecticut
Yankee in King Arthur's Court).<b> </b></i>Orry-Kelly’s fabulous wardrobe is outrageously over the top, but on Kay, it suits her perfectly, especially her hats and gowns, and Powell’s snappy duds are sharp, too!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E0YyRu7FfD4/VE68nRvj6nI/AAAAAAAAA8Q/l3vDFPGQCGk/s1600/One-Way-Passage.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E0YyRu7FfD4/VE68nRvj6nI/AAAAAAAAA8Q/l3vDFPGQCGk/s1600/One-Way-Passage.gif" height="240" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>One Way Passage</i></b> is the story of two starcrossed lovers: Dan Hardesty (Powell) a
murderer who killed a no-goodnik who needed killing, but Dan’s handler, Steve (Warren Hymer), is a bit
more sympathetic to Steve when after Dan saves him from drowning instead of letting him and his "bracelts" scram! Meanwhile, we meet Joan (our
gal Kay Francis), a woman who loves life, but has little time left. The
doctor
suggests quiet, but when she sees the dashing Dan, Joan knows what
she wants, and it isn’t peace and quiet; as Auntie
Mame would say, “I want to live, live LIVE!” Instead of spending her
numbered days sitting in bed with no what-not, Joan is determined to...</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"cram in all the intense beautiful happiness in what life I've got
left. That's all living's for! If it's only for a few hours, I want to have
it, and I'm going to have it, all I can get my hands on!" You tell '''em, Kay!, er, Joan! The trick is to keep the sad news for each of them -- why each can't come clean in these kind of movies always bewilders me, but those you know how these star-crossed sweeties are in these films! Anyway, Kay and Powell are so endearing, even a cynic like me can't help loving them, It also helps that the supporting cast is enjoyable, with Aline MacMahon as a con artist posing a countess, and Team Bartilucci fave Frank Mc Hugh as a loveble tippler who nevertheless helps the lovebirds in their zany ways.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="background-color: blue;">Kay Francis 2: <i>Raffles </i>(1930<i>)</i></span></span></span></b><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lwSrD4eEims/VE67f3grNKI/AAAAAAAAA74/5TsHXI0P3jA/s1600/Raffles.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lwSrD4eEims/VE67f3grNKI/AAAAAAAAA74/5TsHXI0P3jA/s1600/Raffles.gif" height="249" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Raffles takes that nursery rhryme seriously!</span></span></span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My dear late mom was a woman of many facets, including her love of fashion.
She would tell me about the styles of the era, and how dashing actors like Ronald
Colman were. With that velvet voice and charm, who would't want to join Raffles in derring do and romance -- other then Inspector MacKenzie, and even HE admits he can't help liking the guy!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Raffles, <i>AKA</i> The Amateur Cracksman, is a right guy, saving his desperate friend
Bunny, who's in hock to the bankers. Our clever hero, who has a knack for
a caperr with the Marchioness of Melrose. Just one snag: another flock of thieves is muscling in! It's up to Raffles to set things right in his debonair way -- as long as Inspector McKenzie doesn't gum up the works! Luckily, his fiancee, the Lady Gwen (played by our gal Kay) is sympathetic to his zany yet suspenful dilemma.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O_EDT49vU6Y/VE7a4m7-PQI/AAAAAAAAEAE/fbnicYmAEq4/s1600/DVD%2B-%2B00000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O_EDT49vU6Y/VE7a4m7-PQI/AAAAAAAAEAE/fbnicYmAEq4/s1600/DVD%2B-%2B00000.jpg" height="315" width="320" />.</a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Wow, who knew Lady Melrose was a cougar, that little minx!</span></span></span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cVgp63C8a-4/VE7YMmIDy1I/AAAAAAAAD_4/xOrhrSsXTtQ/s1600/Raffles-%2B00002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cVgp63C8a-4/VE7YMmIDy1I/AAAAAAAAD_4/xOrhrSsXTtQ/s1600/Raffles-%2B00002.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: yellow;"><b><span style="background-color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Gwen, my darling, I love you more!<br />No, my sweet, I love YOU more! No,<i> you!</i></span></span></b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Alas, Kay’s reign was coming to an end at Warner Brothers; Kay’s salary was
getting too expensive for Warner Brothers, and she was pink-slipped when Warner
Brothers felt she was getting too expensive to keep. It’s been claimed that
Warner Brothers’ writers were sneakily sabotaging Kay with her lisp becoming
more noticeable as Kay, it’s said, was ’s “L“L”’ dubbed Kay,"The Wavishing Kay Fwancis" -- wiseguys!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Kay was relegated to Monogram, though she did excellent work like the trouper
she was. She did some TV and stage work before she finally decided to retire in
1952. Kay spent the rest of her life in New York and her estate in Falmouth,
Cape Cod
until, sadly, she died of breast cancer in 1966. She left some of her estate
(in excess in of $1 million) to the Seeing Eye Incorporated. Kay’s personal
papers are accessible at the Weslyan Cinema Collation, as requested. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Will Kay Francis have a well-deserved renaissance? Well, I agree with other
fans like
me who agree. So, as Kay and her co-star William Powell in One-Way
Passage would say,
let’s not say farewell, but instead, let’s say “Say
<i>auf wiedersehen</i>,” because I think Kay is due
for a renaissance We Kay fans are coming around to rediscover the grey-eyed Kay for a
comeback for her, indeed, even a renaissance, if you ask me and other fans!
Don’t count her out yet!</span>Vinnie Bartiluccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12031831695722239873noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-5867972922477394332014-10-04T14:13:00.000-04:002014-10-07T17:29:18.775-04:00The O Canada Blogathon - Of Hacks and HoseheadsThis blog is
sponsored by<i> <span style="color: red;">The O Canada </span></i>
<span style="color: red;">Blogathon,</span><span style="color: #0070c0;"> running
</span>through <span style="color: red;">Saturday, October Fourth, through October
Ninth, 2014</span><span style="color: #0070c0;">, <br />
hosted by</span><span style="color: #0070c0;">
</span>
<span style="color: #0070c0;">
Ruth from <i>Silver Screenings</i></span><span style="color: #0070c0;">
and </span>
<span style="color: #0070c0;">
Kristina from</span><span style="color: #0070c0;">
</span><i>
<span style="color: #0070c0;">
Speakeasy, </span></i>
<span style="color: #0070c0;">
hosted by Kristina Dijan and R.A. Kerr!<br />
</span><span style="color: #0070c0;"><br />
</span><br />
<h2>
<i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: red;">Dori's pick - </span><span style="background: yellow; color: red;">Two O’Clock Courage</span></i><span style="background: yellow; color: red;">
(1945): </span>
<span style="color: #365f91;">
I’m Just Wild About “Harry!”</span></h2>
<span style="color: red;"><br />
</span>
<span style="color: red;">
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.moviemem.com/images/pictures/store/T/TWOOCLOCKCOURAGE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.moviemem.com/images/pictures/store/T/TWOOCLOCKCOURAGE.jpg" height="320" width="139" /></a></span></div>
<span style="color: red;">Anthony Mann </span>
is one of film’s most compelling and versatile directors/ producers, covering
genres ranging from Westerns,
like <i>
<span style="color: #4f6228;">The Tall Target </span></i>
(1951),<i> </i>starring
<span style="color: #31849b;">Dick Powell</span>;
and
<span style="color: #5f497a;">Robert Cummings </span>in <i>
<span style="color: #943634;">The Black Book, </span></i><i>
a.k.a </i>
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041796/">
<i>
Reign of Terror</i>
(1949)</a><i>
</i>
a <i>film noir</i> thriller set during <i>
</i>the
<span class="st">French Revolution, among others</span><i>. </i>The
multifaceted Mann could do it all,
including helming rough and ready urban <i>noirs</i> such as <i>
T-Men</i>
(1947), <i>
Side Street</i>
(1950), and <i>
Raw Deal</i>
(1948), as well as costume epics like the aforementioned <i>
The Black Book.
</i>
Mann especially excelled with his <i>
noir</i>-style
collaborations with <span style="color: #351c75;">
<b>James Stewart,</b></span><span style="color: #002060;">
</span>
including
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winchester_%2773" style="color: blue;" title="Winchester '73">
<i>
Winchester '73</i></a>
(<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1950_in_film" title="1950 in film">1950</a>),
<span style="color: #7030a0;">
Stewart’s </span><i>
neo-noir</i>
Westerns, including <i>
The Far Country
</i>
(1955<i>)</i>, <i>
Bend of the River</i>
(1952),<span style="color: #5f497a;">
</span>
including <i>
<b>The Naked Spur</b>
</i>(1953);<i>
Bend of the River </i>(1952);<i>
The Far Country </i>
(1955);
and <i>The
Man From Laramie </i>
(1955).
<br />
<i><br />
</i><b><span style="color: #073763;"><i>Two
O’Clock
Courage
</i></span>
</b>turned out to be<i>
</i>
Anthony Mann’s first directorial assignment, a good solid
“B”
picture” for
RKO Radio
Pictures!
(Say it with me <i> a la </i>
<a href="http://www.rockyhorror.com/" style="color: blue;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The </span><i>
<span style="text-decoration: none;">
Rocky Horror Picture Show</span></i>:
</a>A: “An
RKO Radio Picture. What the heck is a Radio Picture?”).
Since then, the film has had a strong following and acclaim, with many of Mann’s
signature tropes on display. <i>
<span style="color: #351c75;">Two O’Clock
Courage</span>
</i>
was produced at
RKO Radio Pictures!
Mann’s film may have had a relatively short running-time of a fleet-footed 70
minutes, but director Mann shines in his directorial debut. The film weaves
suspense and playfully cheeky humor, while blending <i>film noir</i> suspense
with wry wit.
<b><span style="color: blue;"><i>Fun Fact:</i></span>
</b>The script by Robert E. Kent is full of surprises, including co-writer Robert E.
Kent’s original treatment, based on the
<span style="color: #0070c0;">
work of humorist and children’s-book author Gelett Burgess, who I loved as a
kid! </span>
<span style="color: #0070c0;">
</span>Who
knew Burgess had <i>film noir</i> in his soul as well? Now
there’s a gent
with range! <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZJ5O4r9UtCw/VC9OI8oCI_I/AAAAAAAAA6A/FL8A3bqsxp0/s1600/0000.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZJ5O4r9UtCw/VC9OI8oCI_I/AAAAAAAAA6A/FL8A3bqsxp0/s1600/0000.bmp" height="218" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>You can't get blood from a stone, but you can from </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Tom Conway's head!<i> (Big owie!)</i></b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The cast blends memorable stars and entertaining character actors, including
Richard Lane <i><span style="color: red;">(</span><a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2013/02/wonder-man-potato-salad-days.html" target="_blank">Wonder Man</a><span style="color: red;">;</span></i><span style="color: red;">
</span>the
<i><span style="color: #244061;">Boston
Blackie</span></i><span style="color: #244061;">
</span>movie
series with Lane as <span style="color: #244061;">Inspector Farraday</span>. Watch
for another up-and coming young star, billed as “Bettejane Greer”; she soon rose
to stardom as <i>noir temptress</i>
<span style="color: red;">Jane Greer,</span><span style="color: red;">
</span>who
became a film star in <i>
<span style="color: #0070c0;">Out of the Past</span><span style="color: #0070c0;">
</span></i>and<i>
</i><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">The
Big Steal,</span><span style="color: #0070c0;">
</span></i>as
well as<i> </i>the James Cagney biopic<i> </i><i>
Man Of A Thousand Faces
</i>
(1957)!
Our star is
<span style="color: red;">Tom Conway </span>
from
<i><span style="color: red;">The Falcon</span></i><span style="color: red;"> </span>
film series,
as well as
<i>Cat People; I Walked With A Zombie (<span style="color: #5f497a;">1943;) </span>
The Seventh Victim</i><i>
</i>(<span style="color: #5f497a;">1943)</span>
from<i> </i>Val Lewton)!<i> <b>Fun Fact:</b> </i>
Conway
was also
married to Queenie Leonard from <i><span style="color: red;">And Then There Were
None (</span></i><span style="color: red;">1945); </span><i>
<span style="color: #002060;">The Narrow Margin; 1001 Dalmatians </span></i>
<span style="color: #002060;">(the original Disney animated</span><span style="color: #002060;">
film!<br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: #002060;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5Xah7XZ5rTU/VC9OI9qKMnI/AAAAAAAAA6U/WgXu5botiJs/s1600/0001.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5Xah7XZ5rTU/VC9OI9qKMnI/AAAAAAAAA6U/WgXu5botiJs/s1600/0001.bmp" height="218" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Beaned, slugged, crowned; it all means the same - <i>Amnesia!</i></b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The
ever-suave <b><span style="color: red;">Tom
Conway</span></b><span style="color: red;">
</span>stars as
a mystery man — a man <i>so</i> mysterious, even <i>he</i> doesn’t know who he
is! Where’s <span style="color: red;"><b><i>The Falcon</i></b>
</span>when you need him?! But that opening scene is swell, starting with a tracking
shot of Conway as he staggers up to a street sign, blood trickling slowly from
under his hat, is a stylish grabber of an opening that keeps you hooked! This
poor dazed guy is lucky our heroine, Patty Mitchell, taxi cab driver by day,
would-be stage actress by night, was paying attention when our man-in-distress
almost got run over! But when it becomes clear that our guy is in a bad way,
kind-hearted Patty helps him to find out who he is as we drive into the night in
Patty’s cab, <i>“Harry”! </i>
<b><span style="color: #0b5394;">(Yes, that’s what Patty calls her </span></b><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">taxicab</span></b><i><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">,“Harry!)</span></b></i><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #351c75;">
</span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4ORXHUTJwTA/VC9OIzCT3AI/AAAAAAAAA6M/_fLH8QQ7kzE/s1600/0002.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4ORXHUTJwTA/VC9OIzCT3AI/AAAAAAAAA6M/_fLH8QQ7kzE/s1600/0002.bmp" height="218" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Ann Rutherford - they don't make cabbies like her no more!</b></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="background-color: white;">Is our man in
trouble, or a troublemaker? Can our charming, spunky heroine Patty Mitchell <b>(Ann
Rutherford)</b>,a cabbie and would-be actress, lend him a hand?
Fate steps in
just in time to for Patty to save our dazed stranger and would-be stage star,
and they’re off to see who our man is, and who wanted him clobbered. The only
clue is a script titled <i>
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>"Two’Clock Courage" </b></span></i><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>(Yay, we have title!),</b></span><i><span style="color: #cc0000;">
</span></i>and
the hot stage star Barbara Borden<b> <span style="color: #674ea7;">(Jean
Brooks
from <i>Val Lewton's The
Seventh Victim,</i>
as well as
several
<i>Falcon films; </i></span></b>
Brooks looks
lovely as a blonde, too).<i>
</i>In
Robert to Osborne’s
intro to
<i>Two’O Clock</i> <i>Courage, </i>
he
playfully describes co-star Ann Rutherford as:
“the prettiest cab driver you’ve ever seen!”<br />
</span><span style="color: red;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OAd9doKQbgM/VDL0_f-9FXI/AAAAAAAAD_Y/zcsgcPX2QgQ/s1600/greer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OAd9doKQbgM/VDL0_f-9FXI/AAAAAAAAD_Y/zcsgcPX2QgQ/s1600/greer.jpg" height="200" width="160" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even when she was starlet<br />
"Bettejane Greer", Jane Greer<br />
was smokin'!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Ms.
Rutherford<i> </i>
had long been
an endearing young MGM ingénue as Mickey Rooney’s sweetie, Polly Benedict at
MGM, as well as
<span style="color: red;">Red Skelton’s </span>
fiancée in the
comedy-thriller <i>
<span style="color: #0070c0;"><b>Whistling in the Dark</b> </span></i>
and its
comedy-mystery sequels,
not to
mention
a modest little flick called
<i><span style="color: red;"><b>Gone With The Wind,</b> </span></i>
where our gal
Ann<i> </i>played her sister Carreen at Selznick Studios, plus her MGM days as Andy
Hardy’s sweetie, Polly Benedict in the “Andy Hardy” movies.
And don’t forget Ann as the dreary yet hilarious fiancée of
<span style="color: red;">Danny Kaye</span><span style="color: red;">
</span>in
<a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2011/02/secret-life-of-walter-mitty-beautiful.html" target="_blank">The Secret Life of Walter Mitty </a>from<span style="color: red;">
</span><span style="color: #0070c0;">Samuel
Goldwyn</span><span style="color: #0070c0;">!<br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: #0070c0;">
</span><b><i> </i></b><br />
<b><i>Fun Fact:</i></b>
Ann Rutherford had thought she she’d been a U.S. citizen all her life, until her
plans to visit Europe in the 1950s showed her otherwise: our Ann was a
Canadian! Happily, she was able to get citizenship papers, and Ann became a citizen
of the U.S, fair and square!<br />
<br />
Back to Patty and her new amnesiac friend, it’s not all playtime for our no-name hero, by any means! On closer
inspection, it turns out the natty gent has a nasty gash on his head, and he
can’t remember who he is, despite his sharp clothes. Even worse, Patty realizes
this dashing fellow is injured, all dazed with blood dripping (albeit tastefully
by 1945 suspense movie standards), without a clue as to where and who he’s from and
who he is. <b><i>
<span style="color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: #cc0000;">Diagnosis from
Doctor Dorian:</span></span></i><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: #cc0000;">
Protagonist on a dark</span></span><span style="color: lime;"><span style="background-color: #cc0000;"> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: yellow;">
<a href="http://www.lacity.org/">
<i>
<span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none;">
Los Angeles</span></i></a></span></span></span></span><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span>street, almost getting run over by our heroine’s taxi! Patty Mitchell ( poor
guy almost gets run over by a cab driver, just missing a hit-and-run from our dazed hero)!</span></span></b><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FTHARNNi__I/VC9OJxyEf6I/AAAAAAAAA6c/uIMpYXC9b8o/s1600/0003.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FTHARNNi__I/VC9OJxyEf6I/AAAAAAAAA6c/uIMpYXC9b8o/s1600/0003.bmp" height="218" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>This hat band is brimming over with clues!</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Luckily for our traumatized fella, he
finally catches a break with the help of Patty Mitchell (Rutherford from
<i>
<span style="color: #31849b;">
Gone With The Wind;</span></i><span style="color: #31849b;">
</span><i>
<span style="color: red;"><b>The
Secret Life of Walter Mitty;</b></span></i><span style="color: red;">
</span>
the comedy-mystery <i>
<span style="color: #365f91;">
Whistling in the Dark</span>
</i>
and its three sequels, also in <i>
<span style="color: #365f91;">
Whistling in the Dark</span></i>
and co-starring Rutherford and Red Skelton) feel sorry for our beleaguered
hero. Patty and her trusty hack, Harry – yes, that’s the name of Patty’s cab
(Hey, I have a car named “Moonpearl’, so why I shouldn’t our gal Patty have a
car called “Harry”? But I digress!) Patty realizes this dashing fellow is
injured, all dazed with blood dripping (albeit tastfully by 1945 suspense movie
standards), without a clue as to where who from and who he is. Diagnosis from
<i>Doctor
Dorian</i>:
Amnesia, the scourge of every <i>film noir</i> victim, the poor devils! Our man
Patty and Patty go all through the night with wit and tenderness between the
zanier parts of our caper.
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<b><i><br /></i></b>
<b><i>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Dp8pqzMI6y0/VC9tPtRPN0I/AAAAAAAAA7c/X1E29i8DHHo/s1600/ToCK1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Dp8pqzMI6y0/VC9tPtRPN0I/AAAAAAAAA7c/X1E29i8DHHo/s1600/ToCK1.gif" height="188" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">How we had to look things up before Google.</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Fun Fact:</i></b><i>
</i>In
addition <b>to</b> being a busy film star at MGM<b> and </b>
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Goldwyn" style="color: blue;">
<i>
<span style="color: windowtext; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none;">
Samuel Goldwyn</span></i></a><i><span style="font-style: normal;">
<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">(the latter being Goldwyn’s </span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="color: red;">The Secret Life of Walter Mitty</span>)<b>,</b>
<span style="font-style: normal;">
Ann Rutherford </span>
<span style="font-style: normal;">
was also married for many years to David May, the head honcho of the May
Department store for the rest of their lives, I’m told, bless them! </span></span></i>
<br />
<b><br /></b><b><i><span style="color: red;">Two O’Clock</span></i><span style="color: red;">
<i>Courage</i> </span></b>was a remake from 1936, starring Walter Abel, longtime
veteran of movies and Broadway. In fact, Abel played the amnesiac hero in the
1936 suspense drama <b><i>Two in the Dark</i>,</b> which was remade in 1945 with
Tom Conway and Ann Rutherford as <i>Two O’Clock Courage, </i>hence our tale!!<i>
</i></div>
<b><i>
Fun Fact:</i></b>
Tom Conway has a brother: Oscar-winning Best Supporting actor <b>George
Sanders, Suave Fall of Fame Winner! </b>He was also the Oscar-winning Best Supporting
Actor in <b><i>All About Eve!</i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2kwhh1Lp6Ro/VC9OKkPToiI/AAAAAAAAA6o/UjMkpgO-lEE/s1600/0005.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2kwhh1Lp6Ro/VC9OKkPToiI/AAAAAAAAA6o/UjMkpgO-lEE/s1600/0005.bmp" height="218" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Either "Dave Renwick is a clothes horse,</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>or he's got a double life!</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HG0NF_vMQqs/VC9OMTrsohI/AAAAAAAAA68/hQVv_VTYaPA/s1600/0007.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HG0NF_vMQqs/VC9OMTrsohI/AAAAAAAAA68/hQVv_VTYaPA/s1600/0007.bmp" height="218" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Ann Rutherford need her papers, - our hero made</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>sure Patty got hers!</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Along the way of this playful mystery<b><i>, </i></b>our man<b><i> </i>
</b>at least he east has a name, even though it’s a nickname. Our amnesiac
hero just might be a killer, yet he’s equally sure he’s <i>not</i> a killer,
goshdarnit! The ever-perky Ann Rutherford plays the young actress/cabbie who
takes pity on poor helpless Conway and helps him find both his true identity and
the real murderer, with both warmth and zany comedy, including a nosy landlady,
complicating this dizzy case with nosy reporters (<b>Richard</b> <b>Lane of</b><i>
<b><span style="color: red;">Wonder Man)</span></b></i><span style="color: red;">
</span>and zany comedy. During their search for answers, our man and Patty run
into and afoul of L.A.’s Finest as the newspapers start asking for answers, too;
it’s always something!<b><i> </i></b><br />
<b><i><br />
</i></b>Sometimes the broad comic
relief is jarring compared to the overall taut <i>film noir</i> mood, but the
pace is fast, and Conway and Rutherford have a charming rapport. Jean Brooks
and Tom Conway especially moved me in their dramatic roles. Conway in
particular had a sad, haunted look in his eyes that touched our hearts.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aEWr5kUPMJw/VC9tPThEwEI/AAAAAAAAA7g/3FvuVDZTQ0Q/s1600/TOCK2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aEWr5kUPMJw/VC9tPThEwEI/AAAAAAAAA7g/3FvuVDZTQ0Q/s1600/TOCK2.gif" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Service with a slam!</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/jDXG-NdRxFo" width="420"></iframe>
<br />
<h2>
Vinnie's pick - <b>Strange Brew </b>(1983) - "To Be or Not to be, eh?"</h2>
The genesis of <b>Great White North</b>, possibly the most well known recurring skit from SCTV, is as eminently Canadian as the sketch. The show needed two minutes of "local" material to satisfy the stringent rules for Canadian Content. Dave Thomas sarcastically suggested that he and Rick Moranis dress up in flannel and parkas and ramble for two minutes in easy chairs in front of a map of Canada. The producers said that'd be fine, and Canada's favorite sons were born.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6e/Strange_Brew_(theatrical_poster).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6e/Strange_Brew_(theatrical_poster).jpg" height="320" width="209" /></a></div>
After TV fame and a hit record album (featuring <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BFPt001PYU" target="_blank">a hit single with lead vocals by Geddy Lee</a> from Rush), the world of film was the obvious next step. With a script by Moranis and Thomas with help from Steve De Jarnatt (the devious maniac who brought us <i>Miracle Mile</i> and <i>Cherry 2000</i>), the McKenzies stepped into an expanded cartoony world in a tale that was blatantly ripped off from <i>Hamlet</i>.<br />
<br />
We first see the brothers as they introduce their science fiction magnum opus, <i>The Mutants of 2051 A.D.</i> When the film breaks and the audience riots, Bob gives their father's beer money to a distraught father whose kids saved up their allowance to attend the premiere. This requires a clever plan to get their dad some beer, but as they are not clever men, they stuff a mouse in a beer bottle and attempt to complain for free beer. They're sent to the Elsinore (!) brewery, where most of the plot is located.<br />
<br />
We meet in rapid succession Pam Elsinore (Lynne Griffin) who is set to inherit the company after the passing of her father, Claude Elsinore (Paul Dooley), her uncle and now step father, who married her mother just a tad too soon after the passing of her father (Like I said, <i>Hamlet</i>) and Brewmeister Smith (Max Von Sydow) a man with plans for world domination through a plan that includes drugged beer, organ music, lunatics, and hockey. <br />
<br />
With the exception of Thomas and Moranis, and magnificent character actor Paul Dooley, the cast of the film is largely made up of actors who are World Famous In Canada. Lynne Griffin has had a solid career in Canadian productions, as has Angud MacInnes who played ex-hockey star Jean laRose. Smith's assistant Brian McConnachie, in addition for a steady acting career and a writer for both SCTY and Saturday Night Live, is best known for being a writer for the National Lampoon, which was a vicious and magnificent humor magazine back in the day, as opposed to being nothing more than a brand name you can license and slap on your product like Black and Decker.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uXFwvnM0-eg/VC9ZARu_QkI/AAAAAAAAA7I/W31p8dMyQBw/s1600/0008.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uXFwvnM0-eg/VC9ZARu_QkI/AAAAAAAAA7I/W31p8dMyQBw/s1600/0008.bmp" height="274" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"I could crush your head...like a nut. <br />
But I won't. Because I need you."<br />
Shakespeare couldn't have written a better line.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
But the star of the film is undoubtedly Max Von Sydow. He is that rarest of actors who can look at a script, figure out exactly how much fun he can have with a role, and deliver a performance that both shines and works perfectly in the film. This is a man who started working with Bergman in great works like <i>The Seventh Seal</i>, played in a TV movie in <i>The Diary of Anne Frank</i>, and yes, I was getting to it, was Ming the Merciless in the nigh-legendary version of <i>Flash Gordon</i>. He's currently filming a part for the next Star Wars film. If there was a just and righteous God in heaven, he would again be playing Ming.<br />
<br />
The film takes place in a mad cartoon-logic world where people can stay underwater for almost an hour by breathing the air trapped in empty beer bottles, ghosts communicate via video games, a man can drink an entire vat of beer, and dogs can fly if sufficiently bribed with the promised of beer and bratwurst. <br />
<br />
It's a mad film that never fails to bring a smile to my face, and it was a delight popping it into the DVD player to enjoy again. I expect the same will be true for you.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><b><i> </i></b></span>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/yZCI39NWZ5g" width="420"></iframe>Vinnie Bartiluccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12031831695722239873noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-7685455333840209682014-08-27T16:19:00.002-04:002014-08-27T16:19:39.016-04:00Our Fourth Anniversary - I WANT MY CAKE!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/68/ce/00/68ce00bb49663f440b124098df6ccf67.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/68/ce/00/68ce00bb49663f440b124098df6ccf67.jpg" height="320" width="311" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It was four years ago today(-ish) on <span style="color: #351c75;"><a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2010/08/picture-of-dorian-tenore-bartilucci-or.html" target="_blank">August 22, 2010</a> - that I began my blog post, <i>Tales of the Easily Distracted,</i> often with my witty and delightful hub</span>by Vinnie Bartilucci as <span style="color: #cc0000;"><i>Team Bartilucci! </i><span style="color: black;">We're still enjoying blogging about our favorite movies every couple of weeks, mostly films with suspense and tongue-in-cheek wry comedy. Most of all, we have been happy to get to know new fellow movie lovers as well as enjoying our longtime friends' awesome blogs I'm also getting back in the saddle to polishing my novel <i>The Paranoia Club;</i> but hey, one thing at a time! What the heck, wish me luck anyway, and Vinnie and I hope you'll all enjoy all the swell upcoming movie fun here and with other swell blogger pals! Now then, let's cut the cake, and watch our favorite movies, old and new, for many more movie delights!</span></span><br /><br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
DorianTBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01357778472575080022noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-79848654353653023142014-08-03T12:58:00.001-04:002014-08-06T19:11:26.097-04:00 Ten Little Indians (1965) - Six (-ty) Five, Four, Three...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://cdn2.bigcommerce.com/server5000/yshlhd/products/5420/images/83722/full.tenlittleindians-3sh-13701__67557.1383175906.1280.1280.jpg?c=2" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cdn2.bigcommerce.com/server5000/yshlhd/products/5420/images/83722/full.tenlittleindians-3sh-13701__67557.1383175906.1280.1280.jpg?c=2" height="400" width="205" /></a></div>
<b><i>There </i>is Nothing Like a Dame! </b>We mean <a href="http://www.agathachristie.com/" target="_blank">Dame Agatha Christie</a>, of course! Here in
our latest series of blog posts saluting the talented and prolific films based
on the novels of Mrs. Christie, this time we’re watching one of our favorites,
<b><i><span style="color: red;">Ten Little Indians</span></i></b>, the 1965
version (1966 in some posts). Our favorite brother act, The Popkin Brothers, <i>(<a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2013/09/impact-popkin-fresh.html" target="_blank">Impact;</a> D.O.A.)</i> again produced the film, along with co-producer Harry Alan
Towers (who deserves an article or even a book, but that, too, is another
story). We’ve watched and enjoyed <a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2014/07/and-then-there-were-none-1945.html" target="_blank">the 1945 version, <i>
And Then There Were</i></a><span style="color: red;"><a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2014/07/and-then-there-were-none-1945.html" target="_blank"> </a><i><a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2014/07/and-then-there-were-none-1945.html" target="_blank">None</a>, </i></span>but
this time, Mrs. Christie’s chilling tale gets even more exciting, thanks to
screenwriters Peter Yeldham and Towers himself, under the <i>nom de plume</i>
“Peter Welbeck”; talk about a man of many faces!<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/KobbZ8VDI00?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe>
<br />
<br />
<br />
George Pollock, who directed the delightful <b><span style="color: #365f91;">Miss
Marple</span></b><span style="color: #365f91;"> </span>films starring Margaret
Rutherford, blends suspense, action, humor and sexy romance with this swell
cast, produced by Harry Alan Towers, who also had the rights to <i>Ten Little
Indians:</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N81pVleXUqc/U92tFCwgSyI/AAAAAAAAAv0/3tVA6V6N5x0/s1600/10LI01.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N81pVleXUqc/U92tFCwgSyI/AAAAAAAAAv0/3tVA6V6N5x0/s1600/10LI01.gif" height="482" width="640" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><b>Leo Genn </b>(Oscar-nominee for <i>Quo Vadis; The Snake Pit</i></li>
<li><b>Daliah Lavi</b> <i>(Casino Royale; The Silencers)</i><b> </b></li>
<li><b>Dennis Price</b><i> (Kind Hearts and Coronets; I’m All Right, Jack</i><b> </b></li>
<li><b>Fabian</b> <i>(The Longest Day; North to Alaska</i><b> </b></li>
<li><b>Shirley
Eaton</b><i>
(Goldfinger; The Girl Hunters</i><b> </b></li>
<li><b>Wilfrid Hyde-White</b> <i>(The Third Man; My Fair Lady)</i></li>
<li><b>Hugh O’Brian</b> <i>(The Shootist;</i> TV’s <i>Wyatt Earp)</i></li>
<li><b>Stanley Holloway </b><i>(The Lavender Hill Mob)</i></li>
<li><b>Marriane Hoppe </b><i>(The Wrong Move; Romance in a Minor Key)<br />
<b>And</b></i><b> *Mario Adorf</b><i> (The Tin Drum; The Bird with the Crystal
Plumage)</i></li>
</ul>
<div style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f1c232;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dwGx-9MZjyM/U95sjr2PCkI/AAAAAAAAD7A/BHX9e4ocSo0/s1600/0020.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dwGx-9MZjyM/U95sjr2PCkI/AAAAAAAAD7A/BHX9e4ocSo0/s1600/0020.bmp" height="320" width="241" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Similarities between the two film versions </span></span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">abound, like this "keyhole" shot!</span></span></span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This version has it all: violence, fisticuffs, hot hunks, and beautiful babes;
you’ve got Team Bartilucci’s attention, all right! This time, the beleaguered
house party guests with targets on their backs are jet-setters in the Swiss Alps
(played by <b>Ireland</b>; give our regards to Barry Fitzgerald!). Each guest
was lured by invitations, ranging from old friends (<b>O’Brian</b>), movie stars
networking, like film star Ilona Bergen <b>(Lavi) </b>and such, invitations
supposedly sent from old friends, or promises of hobnobbing with the promise of
more movie and/or TV/film roles roles, like film star Ilona Bergen here to
hobnob (<b>Lavi</b>); popular but obnoxious rock singer Mike Raven (<b>Fabian</b>);
and other devilish ruses to keep our party guests around in hope for more roles
and such. <i> </i>It’s the ultimate house-party gone lethally wrong! <b>Malcolm
Lockyer’s </b>gorgeously brassy musical score<b> </b>heats things up, which will come in handy when the lovely Shirley Eaton and the
ruggedly handsome Hugh O’Brian have a super-hot love scene! (I love that this
scene is truly sexy <i>and</i> genuinely loving!)<br />
<br />
With all the Currier & Ives-style winter wonderland atmosphere, it’s beginning
to look a lot like Christmas — except that nobody knows each other, not even
hired secretary Ann Clyde <b>(Eaton).</b> Leave it to a movie star to break the
ice, namely renowned actress Ilona Bergen (<b>Lavi):</b></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“How utterly marvelous! You all came to a house party without knowing your
host!”</span></span></span></b><span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><br /></b><b><u>Hugh:</u></b> “Well, what about you, Miss Bergen?”</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><u>Ilona:
“Darling, it happens to me all the time!”</u></b><u>
</u>(Oh, those jaded jet-setters!</span></span></span></blockquote>
<br />
Our absent host U.N. Owen takes his sweet time showing up; what would Miss
Manners say? Luckily, Judge Cannon (<b>Hyde-White</b>) has a toast for the
occasion: <b>“To absent friends, the ten little Indians, and of course, our
host.”</b> Keep an eye on your guests, you guys and gals; they might not stay
very long, and not just because they’re jet-setters! Soon a chilling, unknown voice breaks the ice with a series of accusations about the guests and the murders in their pasts. The unknown "U.N. Owen (gotta hand it to the fiend, he (or she?) sure has a great sense of gallows humor!<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-szpeaZKDFQI/U95LzcC1VFI/AAAAAAAAD6U/dqz16CwntuY/s1600/0022.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-szpeaZKDFQI/U95LzcC1VFI/AAAAAAAAD6U/dqz16CwntuY/s1600/0022.bmp" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;">"We've gotta have a romance, by George!"</span></span></span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: yellow;"><b><i>Fun Fact:</i></b> The mysterious U.N. Owen’s sinister voice was played by
the one and only Christopher Lee!</span></span></span><br />
<br />
Our stranded guests finally let their fair down and admit their crimes: General
Mandrake sent five men to their deaths to in what turned out to be a tragic
blunder, but was decorated anyway; the Grohmanns were accused of a mercy
killing by their elderly charges. Ilona had been a British Army
Officer’s wife, bored but sticking with him until she finally got a chance to get a screen
test, then blowing that Popcicle stand and propelling herself to stardom—and when she dumped her sad hubby, he killed himself in despair, the poor
guy. She does seem to have some remorse, though my cynical side has me thinking
she was more sorry for herself than anything else. Mandrake knew all about her
because Ilona’s husband had been Mandrake’s superior! News travels fast in a
snowbound
<i>Château</i><i>! </i>Judge Cannon<i> </i>
<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"> </span>had
convicted a truly evil man, one Edward Seton, including other wicked things
he’d done to save time; there’s multitasking for you! And then there was Dr.
Armstrong, living (but not for long) while he was literally drinking and driving
while drunk, resulting in a killing a young couple.<i> </i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">And the body count begins...</span></i></b></span></span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HkhnzTnirRs/U95sBKkYpVI/AAAAAAAAD64/xppjA4bWmA4/s1600/10LI02.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HkhnzTnirRs/U95sBKkYpVI/AAAAAAAAD64/xppjA4bWmA4/s1600/10LI02.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><span style="background-color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Hugh and Grohmann get ready to<i> RUMBLE!</i></span></span></b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Ah, but Owen is far from infallible, at least when it comes to our budding
lovers Hugh and Ann! You see, Ann’s disturbed sister had killed her fiancée, and has
lived in a mental home ever since. Hugh had come to the
<i>Château</i><i> </i>because his friend, one Charles Moreley (note the
initials “C.S”), had been<b> </b>had killed himself after in remorse after being
responsible for a young woman’s botched abortion. <b><i>Oy!</i></b> How will
Hugh and Ann get out of this fix?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BvFTwJpbOnk/U92-GAIkKjI/AAAAAAAAAwE/PRC1tomr_-A/s1600/0028.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BvFTwJpbOnk/U92-GAIkKjI/AAAAAAAAAwE/PRC1tomr_-A/s1600/0028.bmp" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
I especially got a kick out of the<b> Whodunit Break</b> to give us viewers one
minute to see who the killer is: “The Whodunit Break: “…A First in Motion
Pictures! Just before the gripping climax of the film, you’ll be given sixty
seconds to decide to guess the who the murderer is…<i>WE DARE YOU TO GUESS!”</i><br />
<br />
Personally, I’d like to think the great William Castle is watching this in
Heaven and grinning from ear to ear!Vinnie Bartiluccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12031831695722239873noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-60067386994974559732014-07-13T16:51:00.002-04:002014-07-14T16:09:38.291-04:00And Then There Were None (1945) Ten...Nine...Eight...<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RQwIbKBFHs8/U8LZUElakPI/AAAAAAAAAuU/D6U7SVnA808/s1600/ATTWN-Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RQwIbKBFHs8/U8LZUElakPI/AAAAAAAAAuU/D6U7SVnA808/s1600/ATTWN-Poster.jpg" height="320" width="209" /></a>Produced by brothers Leo C. Popkin and Harry H. Popkin, The Popkin Brothers <span style="color: red; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">
(<a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2013/09/impact-popkin-fresh.html" target="_blank">Impact</a>;</span><span style="color: red; font-style: italic;">
</span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">
D.O.A.; The Well) </span>
produced the film adaptation of Dame Agatha Christie’s 1945 film version
of her thriller
<span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">
And Then There Were None,</span>
with great success. <span style="font-style: italic;"> And
Then There Were None</span>
was produced by 20th Century-Fox and directed by the great
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-weight: bold;">
Rene Clair, </span>
and based on
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-weight: bold;">
Agatha Christie’s</span>
best-selling suspense novel, blending chilling suspense and wry humor.
However, Mrs. Christie’s original British version of the novel was
originally titled
<span style="font-style: italic;">
Ten Little Niggers</span>,
which didn’t go over well with us Yanks! <br />
<br />
Just as well, as screenwriter
<span style="font-weight: bold;">
Dudley Nichols</span>
<span style="font-style: italic;">
(Stagecoach;<a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2012/03/fritz-lang-noir-smackdown-woman-in.html" target="_blank"> </a></span><a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2012/03/fritz-lang-noir-smackdown-woman-in.html" target="_blank">
</a><span style="color: #cc0000; font-style: italic;"><a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2012/03/fritz-lang-noir-smackdown-woman-in.html" target="_blank"> Scarlet Street</a>)</span><span style="font-style: italic;">
</span>
did a swell<span style="font-style: italic;">
</span>
job of of adapting Mrs. Christie’s worldwide smash, adding more wickedly
witty bits of wry dark humor! <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-15lqqgADQuE/U8LdUIR7wtI/AAAAAAAAD6E/hZk-OhnxK1c/s1600/ATTWN01.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-15lqqgADQuE/U8LdUIR7wtI/AAAAAAAAD6E/hZk-OhnxK1c/s1600/ATTWN01.bmp" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;">Thank goodness we’re about to dock! <br />I've still got the willies from that ordeal with the U-Boat <br />and Connie Porter! </span></span></span></b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
As the film begins, the all-star cast slowly thaws the ice as the
characters arrive in a boat, most of them being English. <br />
<br />
The characters
don't talk much, at least at first; they just smile and nod politely, no
small feat when many of them are trying not to toss their cookies after
that boat ride! The crashing waves over the opening credits work perfectly; I was tempted to get my snorkel! Let’s meet our travelers, shall we?<br />
<br />
<ul style="line-height: 1.15;">
<li><span style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.15;">Barry Fitzgerald </span><span style="line-height: 1.15;">from
Mark Hellinger’s
</span><span style="font-style: italic; line-height: 1.15;">
The Naked City; </span><span style="line-height: 1.15;">
</span><span style="color: red; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.15;">
<a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2011/03/quiet-man-impetuous-homeric.html" target="_blank">The Quiet Man</a></span><span style="font-style: italic; line-height: 1.15;">)</span><span style="line-height: 1.15;">
as<b> Judge Quincannon</b>.</span></li>
<li>
<span style="font-weight: bold;">
Walter Huston </span>
(Oscar-winner for
<span style="font-style: italic;">
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre;</span>
<span style="font-style: italic;">
Dodsworth</span>;
<span style="font-style: italic;">
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, </span>
as <b>Dr. Edward G. Armstrong</b>). (Mind you, this was before his son John
Huston became a writer and director!)</li>
<li>
<span style="font-weight: bold;">
Mischa Auer </span>
<span style="font-style: italic;">
(You Can’t Take it With You; My Man Godfrey) </span>
as <b>Prince Nikki Starloff.</b></li>
<li>
<span style="font-weight: bold;">
June Duprez</span><span style="font-style: italic;">
(The Thief of Bagdad; None But the Lonely Heart) </span>
as<span style="font-style: italic;">
</span>
<b>Vera Claythorne</b>.</li>
<li>
<span style="font-weight: bold;">
Louis Hayward </span>
<span style="font-style: italic;">
(Ladies in Retirement; The Man in the Iron Mask) </span>
as <b>Phillip Lombard.</b></li>
<li>
<span style="font-weight: bold;">
Roland Young</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">
</span>
<span style="font-style: italic;"> (Topper; The Philadelphia Story)</span> as<b> Detective Blore.</b><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></li>
<li>
<span style="font-weight: bold;">
Judith Anderson </span>
from
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-style: italic;">
<a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2011/06/theres-something-about-laura.html" target="_blank">Laura;</a></span>
Alfred Hitchcock’s
<span style="color: red; font-style: italic;">
Rebecca, </span><span style="color: black;">as <b>Emily Brent.</b></span><span style="color: red; font-style: italic;"> </span></li>
<li>
<span style="font-weight: bold;">
Sir C.Aubrey Smith</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">
</span><span style="font-style: italic;">(Tarzan
the Ape Man; Rebecca) </span>
as<b> General Mandrake.</b></li>
</ul>
<span style="line-height: 1.15;">And of course, the guests have to eat, don’t they? That’s where the
servants, Mr. and Mrs. Rogers, come in: Mr.
Rogers is played by
</span><span style="color: #cc4125; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.15;">
Richard Haydn</span><span style="line-height: 1.15;">
from
</span><span style="color: red; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.15;">
<a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2012/01/wedding-bell-wackiness-double-feature.html" target="_blank">Ball of Fire</a>;</span><span style="line-height: 1.15;">
</span><span style="font-style: italic; line-height: 1.15;">
The Sound of Music; </span><span style="line-height: 1.15;">
</span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.15;">
Disney’s Alice in Wonderland</span><span style="color: #1155cc; line-height: 1.15;">.
</span><span style="line-height: 1.15;">Mrs.
Rogers is played by </span><span style="color: #cc0000; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.15;">Queenie
Leonard</span><span style="line-height: 1.15;">
(from the original animated Disney version of
</span><span style="font-style: italic; line-height: 1.15;">
101 Dalmations, </span><span style="line-height: 1.15;">
as well as the</span><span style="font-style: italic; line-height: 1.15;">
film noir</span><span style="line-height: 1.15;">
</span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.15;">
The Narrow Margin</span><span style="line-height: 1.15;">;
Queenie sure had range! Of course, we also fell in love with Haydn’s
comedic voice for various
</span><span style="font-style: italic; line-height: 1.15;">
Looney Tunes, </span><span style="line-height: 1.15;">
especially Team Bartilucci’s favorite,
</span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.15;">
Super-Rabbit </span><span style="line-height: 1.15;">
</span><span style="color: #0b5394; line-height: 1.15;">
(1943)</span><span style="line-height: 1.15;">! </span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U9NrgUJ4Z_Y/U8LYerKYJeI/AAAAAAAAAtU/WDTMlsM3vYY/s1600/ATTWN08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U9NrgUJ4Z_Y/U8LYerKYJeI/AAAAAAAAAtU/WDTMlsM3vYY/s1600/ATTWN08.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="background-color: #351c75;"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Mischa Auer's Prince Nikki chokes to death on </span></span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: #351c75;"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">a small piece of scenery. </span></span></span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Nikki’s macabre ditty seems about down to the final verse of the “last
little Indian" as per the 10 Little Indian rhyme-- but in fact, it’s only
the beginning when a male voice accuses them all of various killings! The
deaths involve elderly General Mandrake, who was accused of murdering his rival
for the woman he loved, and now seems to have Alzheimer's; Emily Brent’s
teenage nephew was put in jail because his heartless Auntie Emily thought he had it
coming, resulting in the desperate young man hanging himself in prison; Nikki’s hit-and-run killed a
young couple; Dr. Armstrong is accused of drunkenness that killed one
Mary Cleves; Judge Quincannon is accused of being a “hanging judge”
for his own selfish motives; Blore had been hired to watch the guests, though he's not exactly James Bond; Vera is accused of killing her
own sister’s fiancee -- jeepers, now
<span style="font-style: italic;">
that’s</span>
sibling rivalry! What’s more, how can we be sure at least
<span style="font-style: italic;">
some</span>
of the accused
<span style="font-style: italic;">
might </span>
be getting a raw deal? Curiouser and curiouser! <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4I27iu6u6kg/U8LYezqaGbI/AAAAAAAAAt8/FHgFyMaKqQ8/s1600/ATTWN09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4I27iu6u6kg/U8LYezqaGbI/AAAAAAAAAt8/FHgFyMaKqQ8/s1600/ATTWN09.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="background-color: #351c75;">A dune to a kill!</span></b></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Will there be a body
count in the guests’ futures, if not lawsuits? Where’s Kayak.com when
you really need it?
Rogers does what he can as the weekend slowly unravels in terror, what with the guests slowly but surely coming unglued, especially with the body count climbing as each guest is murdered by each new macabre killing, including poor Mrs. Rogers becoming one of the early casualties, supposedly from heart failure. The body count climbs as General Mandrake pushes up daisies; an accidental overdose of his medicine, or something more sinister? Time to face facts: the killer is one of the guests!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sBFOLXi0SV4/U8LYCKvBd_I/AAAAAAAAAsU/49DMD6opqSI/s1600/ATTWN01.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sBFOLXi0SV4/U8LYCKvBd_I/AAAAAAAAAsU/49DMD6opqSI/s1600/ATTWN01.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;">Janet! Dr. Scott! Janet! Brad! Rocky!</span></span></span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="line-height: 1.15;">Emily Brent is the most cold-hearted, if you ask me, not giving a rat’s rectum about her young nephew killing himself; all she cares about is where her next jar of marmalade is coming from! I think it’s safe to say this inn won’t be giving out any five-star ratings anytime soon from Booking.com, even if the guests </span><span style="font-style: italic; line-height: 1.15;">do</span><span style="line-height: 1.15;"> even live that long! Suspense blends with deft wit. I especially enjoyed Richard Haydn and his delightful daffy delivery. Even when the body count rises, there’s plenty of comedy along with the dread and suspense.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 1.15;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 1.15;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 1.15;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 1.15;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 1.15;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 1.15;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>
<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Who will survive? Watch </span>
<span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">
And Then There Were None on July 21 -- </span><i>
</i><span style="font-weight: bold;"><i>
<span style="background-color: red;">and</span></i> the 1965 version, </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">too, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">coming ever so soon!</span>
Vinnie Bartiluccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12031831695722239873noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-46679225439537912062014-06-22T12:24:00.001-04:002014-07-12T17:38:47.349-04:00One, Two, Three (1961) - "Setzen machen!"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-crL5yhfohSU/U6cImcYk1XI/AAAAAAAAD50/S3fe8DjJo0s/s1600/one-two-three-movie-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-crL5yhfohSU/U6cImcYk1XI/AAAAAAAAD50/S3fe8DjJo0s/s1600/one-two-three-movie-poster.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: #ffd966;">This blog post is hosted by the <b>Billy Wilder Blogathon, </b>hosted<b> </b>by
the talented<a href="https://twitter.com/IrishJayhawk66" target="_blank"> IrishJayhawk66</a> of
<a href="http://kelleepratt.com/" target="_blank">
<b>
Outspoken & Freckled</b></a>
<span style="color: #0070c0;">and <br />
<b>Aurora of </b></span>
<a href="https://twitter.com/CitizenScreen" target="_blank">
@CitizenScreen</a><b>
of <b>
Once Upon a Screen</b>. <br />
</b>
(By the way<b>, </b>ladies<b>,</b> we <b><i>love</i> </b>your description of you
two smart and lovely ladies describing your fabulous Blogathon: </span> <span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="background-color: #cc0000;"><b>
“We’re girls gone Wilder!”)</b></span></span><br />
<b><br />
</b>
Meet our protagonist, C.R. MacNamara, as played by James Cagney:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">“On Sunday, August 1st, 1961, the eyes of America were on the
nation’s capital, where Roger Maris was hitting home runs 44 and 45 against the
Senators. On that same day, without any warning, the East German Communists
sealed the border between East and West Berlin. I only mention this to show the
kind of people we’re dealing with: <i>real shifty!”</i></span></span></blockquote>
</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E9F_1XkZVl4/U6Zp516RKcI/AAAAAAAAAoE/EeW_1oOaYYQ/s1600/123B.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E9F_1XkZVl4/U6Zp516RKcI/AAAAAAAAAoE/EeW_1oOaYYQ/s1600/123B.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;"><b>"A gift from my employees on the tenth</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;"><b>anniversary of the Berlin Airlift."</b></span></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Writer/Director/Producer Billy Wilder has long been among my favorite filmmakers
because he’s equally deft with both comedies <i><span style="color: red;">(<a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2012/01/wedding-bell-wackiness-double-feature.html" target="_blank">Ball of Fire</a></span></i>; <i>The Apartment; The Fortune Cookie;</i> and drama <i>
<span style="color: red;">(<a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2011/07/double-indemnity-secret-life-of-walter.html" target="_blank">Double Indemnity</a></span></i>; <i>Stalag 17;Ace in the
Hole),</i> and he’s always gleefully unapologetic about ruffling feathers— even if
they’re audiences! I especially got a kick out of the film’s sprinkling of its
playful references to our star James Cagney, even including co-star Red Buttons
doing a swell imitation of the man himself.<br />
<br />
In Cameron Crowe’s book <b><i>Conversations with Wilder</i></b> (Alfred A.
Knopf),<br />
it’s been said that Wilder and his co-writer I.A.L Diamond claimed that <b><i>
One, Two, Three</i></b><i> </i>wasn't so much funny as it was fast: “We did just
did it, nine pages at a time, and he never fumbled.” Apparently another Cagney
bio claims that wasn't completely true, but I say the nit-pickers need to
lighten up! Our family fell in love with <i>One, Two, Three</i> and its
hilarious pace breakneck pace!<br />
<br />
The rollicking cast includes:<br />
<ul>
<li><b>James Cagney; </b>Oscar-winner for <i>Yankee Doodle Dandy, </i>as well as
great performances in <i>White Heat;</i> *<i>Love Me or Leave Me*</i></li>
<li><b>Howard St. John,</b> who you may also remember from
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042742/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_69">
<i>Mister 880</i></a><i>,</i>
and his memorable dramatic turn as Captain Turley in <i>
Alfred Hitchcock’s</i><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"> </span><i><a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2010/10/lovers-and-other-stranglers-alfred.html" target="_blank">Strangers on a Train</a>.</i></span></li>
<li><b>Pamela
Tiffin </b><i>
(Harper; The
Pleasure Seekers)</i></li>
<li><b>Horst Buchholz </b><i>
(The
Magnificent Seven; Nine Hours to Rama)</i></li>
<li><b>Arlene</b> <b>Francis,</b> actress and TV personality <i>(The Thrill of it All)</i></li>
<li><b>Lilo Pulver</b><i><b> </b>
(A Time to Love and a Time to Die; a Global Affair)</i></li>
</ul>
<span style="background-color: #351c75;">
</span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2hU3I4jvqKw/U6Zr3bTV8KI/AAAAAAAAAo4/5O7rqiSAMMI/s1600/one.two.three.1961.internal.dvdrip.xvid-8ballrips.avi+-+00005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2hU3I4jvqKw/U6Zr3bTV8KI/AAAAAAAAAo4/5O7rqiSAMMI/s1600/one.two.three.1961.internal.dvdrip.xvid-8ballrips.avi+-+00005.jpg" height="136" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">C.R. MacNamara was tasked with getting "German business-<br />men to have Coke with their knockwurst"</span></span></span></span></span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="background-color: white;"><b><i>One, Two, Three</i></b> takes place in Berlin, in what was
then present-day 1951. That’s where C.R. MacNamara (Cagney), nicknamed “Mac,”
is Coca-Cola’s head of bottling in Germany. Mac’s hopes and dreams of getting
back in the good graces of his boss Mr. Hazeltine (St. John) is on the line.
You see, Mac has still been smarting </span>over the unfortunate Benny Goodman
incident, in which a sandstorm cancelled Goodman’s concert, resulting in irate
music-lovers burning down the American Embassy, leaving poor frustrated Mac in
the doghouse! But it's redemption time for Mac as he open negotiations to bring Coca-Cola behind the Iron Curtain. But Hazeltine informs Mac he's wasting his time -- Coke has no interest in giving the Reds the Pause That Refreshes (This was actually the case -- however, Pepsi had no such qualms, which is how they became the cola of choice - the ONLY choice -- in Russia). Instead, Mr. Hazeltine is sending his teenage daughter,
Scarlett Hazeltine (Tiffin) to hop a plane to Germany in hopes busting-up
Scarlett’s newest teenage sweetie, thus throwing the family’s vacation plans
going hither and tither! But that’s only the beginning of this daffy farce.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-irPudk13bgo/U6Zr2VMeV0I/AAAAAAAAAoc/EfELk4IY8tQ/s1600/one.two.three.1961.internal.dvdrip.xvid-8ballrips.avi+-+00002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-irPudk13bgo/U6Zr2VMeV0I/AAAAAAAAAoc/EfELk4IY8tQ/s1600/one.two.three.1961.internal.dvdrip.xvid-8ballrips.avi+-+00002.jpg" height="272" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;">Meet Scarlett Hazeltine (Pamela Tiffin), hot-blooded teenage world-traveler. If Scarlett was up for an award, she’d be a shoo-in for “Girl Most Likely to Give Mac’s Family High Blood Pressure!”</span></span></b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Almost as soon as she arrives, it turns out she's been seeing the sights after the MacNamaras hit the hay, bribing the family chauffeur to sneak over to the Russian sector! Worse yet, she's married a scruffy-headed Party-member named Otto Ludwig Piffl (Buchholz)! Who needs Tiffany's for an engagement ring, when you can have rings "forged from the steel of a brave cannon that fought at Stalingrad"? Phyllis MacNamara (Arlene Francis), hearing from Mac about Scarlett’s new
Communist husband, says “She married a Communist? This is gonna be the biggest thing
to hit Atlanta since General Sherman threw that little barbecue!”<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W_GQxpCE6LE/U6Zr3ONpaEI/AAAAAAAAAow/IrxV0VsC8Bo/s1600/one.two.three.1961.internal.dvdrip.xvid-8ballrips.avi+-+00004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W_GQxpCE6LE/U6Zr3ONpaEI/AAAAAAAAAow/IrxV0VsC8Bo/s1600/one.two.three.1961.internal.dvdrip.xvid-8ballrips.avi+-+00004.jpg" height="272" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;">Poor Otto, he doesn't know that all his troubles are behind him.</span></span></b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
No worries, Mac has a plan. Our naïve Otto is so busy thinking of love and rhetoric that he doesn't realize he's being framed! Mac plants a balloon on the tailpipe of Piffl's motorbike, reading "Russki Go Home", and gives him a wedding present -- a cuckoo clock with a little Uncle Sam that plays "Yankee Doodle" -- wrapped in the <i>Wall Street Journal</i>, yet! As Otto makes his way across the Brandenburg Gate, the East German guards stop him for the balloon, the Yankee Doodle time bomb goes off, and Otto is arrested and placed in "Enhanced Interrogation" for being a spy!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QkG8K_JzdyA/U6Zk7VXL7JI/AAAAAAAAAnw/GYN7SoUyHas/s1600/123A.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QkG8K_JzdyA/U6Zk7VXL7JI/AAAAAAAAAnw/GYN7SoUyHas/s1600/123A.gif" height="171" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><b><span style="background-color: #351c75;">Waterboarding, eat your heart out!</span></b></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Mac thinks all's well with the world...until it turns out that Otto and Scarlett have had time to consummate their wedded bliss -- she's "Schwanger", as they say in German. So now Mac has to make his way into the Eastern sector, liberate Piffl, and turn him into a good little Capitalist, all before the Hazeltines arrive on the Yankee (you should pardon the expression) Clipper in under 24 hours! Easy, right? As Mac puts it, "I wish I was in Hell with my back broken!"<br />
<br />
True, some of the more topical gags may seem dated today, but with Wilder and his co-writer I.A. L. Diamond (based on a play by Ferenc Molnar) , the smart snappy cast, and the breakneck pace, there wasn't a single scene that didn't leave me laughing out loud! Can this howling hilarious satire save the day and the Free World? Would Billy Wilder let you down? Watch and laugh!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CtGq6QnNOgo/U6Zr2l0hxlI/AAAAAAAAAog/I_ki5jdA7KY/s1600/one.two.three.1961.internal.dvdrip.xvid-8ballrips.avi+-+00003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CtGq6QnNOgo/U6Zr2l0hxlI/AAAAAAAAAog/I_ki5jdA7KY/s1600/one.two.three.1961.internal.dvdrip.xvid-8ballrips.avi+-+00003.jpg" height="272" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“How would you like a little fruit for desert?” </span></span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(Cagney kids his <i>Public Enemy</i> grapefruit gag while arguing with Buchholz and Pamela Tiffin. </span></span></span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: #cc0000;"><b><i>Vinnie returns the empties as he has his say: </i></b></span></span><br />
<br />
As The Wife mentions, the topical jokes in this film may require some explanation, but much like the jokes in any Warner Brothers cartoon, once they're explained, a whole new level of irreverence stands revealed. The obvious physical gags like the Russian trade ministers all resembling various Russian leaders (including Leon Askin, best known to TV mavens as General Burkhalter from<i> Hogan's Heroes</i>) are easy to spot -- the minister taking his shoe off and banging it against the table to the rousing music and dancing of Lilo Pulver might miss a few heads as it sails over.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;"><b>Otto</b>: We will take over West Berlin. We will take over Western Europe. <br />We will bury you!</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;"><b>C.R. MacNamara</b>: Do me a favor. Bury us, but don't marry us.</span></span></span></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I-_p2jdV2xk/U6Zr2d-ziOI/AAAAAAAAAo0/xlIb2iL0wE0/s1600/one.two.three.1961.internal.dvdrip.xvid-8ballrips.avi+-+00001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I-_p2jdV2xk/U6Zr2d-ziOI/AAAAAAAAAo0/xlIb2iL0wE0/s1600/one.two.three.1961.internal.dvdrip.xvid-8ballrips.avi+-+00001.jpg" height="272" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;">Topical jokes like this are missed by modern audiences, but cut deep at the issues of the day.</span></span></b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The ministers' joke about "sending Cuba rockets" would come true the next year, as the center of the Cuban Missle Crisis. And in what might be the most obscure in joke of them all, when Cagney tells Otto he must give the couple a wedding present, Scarlett claims that Otto's friends did not give them any gifts but instead sent the money to unemployed cotton pickers of Mississippi. Cagney was accused of being a communist sympathizer for sending money to striking cotton workers in the 1930's.<br />
<br />
The climax of the film, as Mac and his cohorts must pull a Piffl pecuniary Pygmalion, is a masterpiece of comedic timing. The chiming of the Uncle Sam clock gets imperceptibly faster each time it goes off, subtly underlining the increasingly frenetic pace as merchants and tradesmen teem through the Coca-Cola offices to add some white and blue to the little Red. As legend has it, Cagney was having trouble with the machine-gun monologues as he rattles off orders to his underlings, so much so that he began to suspect he was, perhaps, not quite over the hill, but able to see the precipice without binoculars. He walked to a corner of the soundstage, gave himself a quiet pep-talk, came back and nailed the speech in one more take. The stress of the film caught up with him - this was his last film before his return in <i>Ragtime</i>.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d-Cd5Jm0BFQ/U6Ztk9FzIsI/AAAAAAAAApE/SUjpk_-I6q4/s1600/123C.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d-Cd5Jm0BFQ/U6Ztk9FzIsI/AAAAAAAAApE/SUjpk_-I6q4/s1600/123C.gif" height="235" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Hard to believe Lilo Pulver was usually cast as a tomboy, ain't it?</span></b></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />Vinnie Bartiluccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12031831695722239873noreply@blogger.com39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-11539262339674796322014-06-01T13:03:00.000-04:002014-06-02T16:27:16.857-04:00Arabesque: Burnoose Notice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-AD4eG3z79cs/TXpgsUwIJBI/AAAAAAAAAGg/6KpY0EDxiYs/s1600/ARABESQUE+film+poster+on+DVD+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" q6="true" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-AD4eG3z79cs/TXpgsUwIJBI/AAAAAAAAAGg/6KpY0EDxiYs/s200/ARABESQUE+film+poster+on+DVD+001.jpg" width="138" /></a></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
This post has
been revised and republished as part of the<b> <i>Snoopathon: A Blogathon of
Spies, </i></b>hosted by<b><i> Fritzi Kramer! </i></b>The Blogathon will run
from<b><i> </i>June 1<sup>st</sup> </b>through<b> June 3rd, 2014. </b>(Quick,
what’s the password?)<br />
<br />
The
ever-versatile choreographer-turned-director <b>Stanley Donen</b> began his
entertainment career with tuneful, urbane, inventive musicals including hits
like <i>On the Town</i> (1949); <i>Singin’ in the Rain</i> (1952); <i>Seven
Brides for Seven Brothers (1954); Funny Face </i>(1957).<i> </i>Like 1963’s
comedy-thriller <i><span style="color: red;">Charade </span><b>
<span style="color: #5f497a;">(Fun Fact: </span></b><span style="color: #5f497a;">
that’s the year I was born!)</span>, <span style="color: red;">Arabesque</span></i>
is another fabulous Universal romantic thriller in the grand stylish
comedy-thriller tradition, including some of the same personnel!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-wFLQMegPO_g/TXphTpgtAbI/AAAAAAAAAGo/Ubp78cA0h9A/s1600/ARABESQUE+record+album+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" q6="true" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-wFLQMegPO_g/TXphTpgtAbI/AAAAAAAAAGo/Ubp78cA0h9A/s200/ARABESQUE+record+album+cover.jpg" width="200" /></a>After <b>Stanley Donen’s</b> Hitchcockian romantic comedy-thriller <i>
<span style="color: red;">Charade</span> </i>(1963)<i> </i>became a smash hit,
Donen had a decision to make: <br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Should he play it safe and make another film just like <i>Charade?</i>
Keep in mind that this was in the days before filmmakers sequel’ed hit films to
death, often lazily giving them titles like, say, <i>Hit Movie Part </i>2. <br /><i> Or…</i></li>
<li> Should Our Man Stan go boldly go where he hadn’t gone before in his film career?</li>
</ol>
<br />
Well, Donen finally opted for a little of both with
<i>
<a href="http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/video/91396/Arabesque-Original-Trailer-.html">
Arabesque</a></i> (1966), and why not? Don’t we all deserve more of the
finer things in life, including entertaining suspense movies? But I digress!
<i><span style="color: red;">Arabesque</span></i><span style="color: red;"> </span>
has just about everything a moviegoer could want in a fun escapist
comedy-thriller: spine-tingling suspense; international intrigue; sexy romance
between Oscar-winning movie stars, albeit not both for <i>Arabesque; </i>you<i>
</i>see, star <b>Gregory<i> </i>Peck</b> won his Best Actor Oscar for <b><i>To
Kill A Mockingbird,</i></b><i> </i>(1962), while <b><i>Sophia Loren</i></b> won
her Best Actress Oscar for the searing Italian drama <b><i>Two</i></b><i> <b>
Women</b></i> (1960).<br />
Loren and Peck make a wonderful match with their delightful onscreen
chemistry, accompanied by the great
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1ymAoUptXE">
Henry Mancini</a>
<i>(<span style="color: red;">Charade</span>;
Hatari; Breakfast at Tiffany’s;Two for the Road). </i><br />
<br />
I love screenwriter Peter Stone <i><span style="color: red;">(Charade; Who is
Killing the Great Chefs of Europe</span><span style="color: #002060;"> and</span></i><b><span style="color: #002060;">
collaborators, including Peter Stone)</span> smart</b> and snappy dialogue
brimming with memorable lines; eye-catching English locations; jazzy Henry
Mancini music infused with such exotic Middle Eastern touches as zithers and
mandolas; inventive visuals with a pop art vibe; and the beguiling Sophia Loren
in glam shoes, courtesy of foot-fetishist sugar daddy Alan Badel <i>(The Day of
the Jackal),</i> and Christian Dior clothes! What’s not to love?<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7e_7gnu0U5s/T8B0mrr-OiI/AAAAAAAABZU/GPkfowL3gng/s1600/Arabesque+1,+the+eyes+have+it.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7e_7gnu0U5s/T8B0mrr-OiI/AAAAAAAABZU/GPkfowL3gng/s320/Arabesque+1,+the+eyes+have+it.jpg" height="182" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><b><span style="background-color: #351c75; color: white;">The eyes have it, and Prof. Ragheed's<i> gonna</i>
get it!</span></b><span style="color: blue;"> </span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
If <i><span style="color: red;">Charade</span></i> was Alfred Hitchcock Lite, then
<i><span style="color: red;">Arabesque</span></i><span style="color: red;"> </span>
is Hitchcock Lite after taking a few classes in James Bond 101, including an
opening title sequence by Maurice Binder, who also did the honors for <i>Charade</i>
and most of the James Bond movies. Gregory Peck plays David Pollack, a
hieroglyphics expert Yank professor at Oxford who finds himself embroiled in
Middle Eastern intrigue while decoding the cipher (which also happens to be the
title of the Gordon Cotler novel which inspired the film, adapted by
Julian Mitchell, Stanley Price and Pierre Marton. More
about Marton in a moment) which serves as <i>Arabesque’s </i>MacGuffin.<br />
<br />
Our hero finds himself up against four Arabs who want to know what’s on the
hieroglyphic-like cipher:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Prime Minister Jena (pronounced “Yay-na” and played by
Carl Duering of <i>A Clockwork Orange),</i> who’s in England on a hush-hush
mission; </li>
<li>Nejim Beshraavi (Badel), the suave-bordering-on-unctuous shipping
magnate whose ships may be laid up for good if Jena signs a treaty promising to
use English and American tankers; </li>
<li>Yussef Kasim (Kieron Moor<span style="font-family: inherit;">e of
<a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2011/04/armageddon-outta-here-independence-day.html" target="_blank">
<i style="color: #cc0000;">Crack in the World</i></a><span style="color: #cc0000;"><i>
</i></span>
fame, among others),<i>
</i>whose penchant for then-hip lingo <i>a la</i> Edd “Kookie” Byrnes on
<i>
<a href="http://youtu.be/pqvFmAm9C5w">77 Sunset Strip</a> </i>
belies his ruthles</span>sness; and...</li>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ghAbLqzTYy8/TXpZqVaZ1wI/AAAAAAAAAGc/ENoCmcyTiwk/s1600/Arabesque_005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ghAbLqzTYy8/TXpZqVaZ1wI/AAAAAAAAAGc/ENoCmcyTiwk/s320/Arabesque_005.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="background-color: #351c75; color: white; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In any language, nobody can resist Yasmin!</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<li>Beshraavi’s beautiful,
unpredictable lover Yasmin Azir, played by the dazzling, hazel-eyed Loren. She’s
sharp, witty, and alluring as all get out in her fabulous Dior wardrobe,
including a beaded golden burnoose, plus Sophia rides horses convincingly! </li>
</ul>
<br />
John
Merivale of <i>The List of Adrian Messenger</i> fame is memorable as Sloane,
Beshraavi’s put-upon henchman, who gets a memorably tense opening scene in a
doctor’s office, and is treated as a combination lackey and punching bag for the
rest of the film. I almost—<i>only</i> almost—felt sorry for the guy. Anyway,
some of David’s new associates have no qualms about stooping to murder, and soon
the chase is on, with suspenseful scenes at the Hyde Park Zoo and Ascot. Our man
David is subjected to truth serum and knockouts, and I’m not just talking about
Loren: “Every time I listen to you, someone either hits me over the head or
tries to vaccinate me.” Poor David doesn’t know where to turn, especially since
he can never be sure whether or not he can trust the mercurial Yasmin.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uphlVfPjgAA/U4tb21EZGhI/AAAAAAAAAj8/mMt4E-LSAPw/s1600/arabesque2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uphlVfPjgAA/U4tb21EZGhI/AAAAAAAAAj8/mMt4E-LSAPw/s1600/arabesque2.gif" height="323" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="background-color: #351c75; color: white; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Kieron Moore attempts to kill Peck and Loren with a construction site.</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4qG0jk-QeOM/T8BytBbGimI/AAAAAAAABZM/cDIpSahpHPk/s1600/Arabesque,+Kieron+Moore,+I+get+clobbered+how.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4qG0jk-QeOM/T8BytBbGimI/AAAAAAAABZM/cDIpSahpHPk/s320/Arabesque,+Kieron+Moore,+I+get+clobbered+how.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="background-color: #351c75; color: white; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Kieron Moore reads the </span><i style="background-color: #351c75; color: white; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Arabesque</i><span style="background-color: #351c75; color: white; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> script: <br />"I talk like Kookie </span><span style="background-color: #351c75; color: white; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">and get knocked off </span><i style="background-color: #351c75; color: white; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">how?!"</i></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The usual ever-so-slightly wooden note in Gregory Peck’s delivery is oddly effective as he tries to loosen up and deliver witticisms in the breezy style of Cary Grant, Donen’s business partner and original choice to play David Pollack. Word has it that Grant and Loren had a steamy real-life romance while filming Houseboat, and things got complicated on account of Loren still being married to producer Carlo Ponti. In any case, it helps that those witticisms were written by none other than Charade alumnus Peter Stone under the nom de plume “Pierre Marton,” and Stanley Price as well as Julian Mitchell. Peck may not be Mr. Glib, but he’s so inherently likable (he won his Oscar for playing Atticus Finch, after all! (Ask my husband Vinnie to do his Gregory-Peck-Impersonating-Cary-Grant impersonation sometime; it’s delightful!).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0g-an4vj4WM/U4tb2nOVBmI/AAAAAAAAAkA/A7ynhEk3oR0/s1600/arabesque1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0g-an4vj4WM/U4tb2nOVBmI/AAAAAAAAAkA/A7ynhEk3oR0/s1600/arabesque1.gif" height="280" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-MeXXJquOX6Y/TXpg9Yu5WGI/AAAAAAAAAGk/1M58BvBIQk8/s1600/Arabesque%252C+Loren+and+Badel+and+shoes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="215" q6="true" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-MeXXJquOX6Y/TXpg9Yu5WGI/AAAAAAAAAGk/1M58BvBIQk8/s320/Arabesque%252C+Loren+and+Badel+and+shoes.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="background-color: #351c75; color: white; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If the shoe fits, Beshraavi will have Yasmin wear it!</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Peck seems so delighted to get an opportunity to deliver bon mots after all his
serious roles that he’s downright endearing, like a child trying out new words
for the first time. Besides, the bewitching Loren can make any guy look suave
and sexy! Co-star Alan Badel <i>(The Day of the Jackal)</i> looks like a
swarthy, polished version of Peter Sellers wearing cool shades; he virtually
steals his scenes as the suave-bordering-on-unctuous villain with a
<a href="http://youtu.be/qwBOruvRZ54">
foot fetish</a>.
Shoe lovers will swoon over the scene with Badel outfitting Loren with a roomful
of <a href="http://youtu.be/F-WAuMNSW4w">fancy
footwear and a comically/suggestively long shoehorn</a>.
Speaking of things of beauty, Director of Photography Christopher Challis <i>
(The Red Shoes; Sink the Bismarck)</i><i> </i>
is utterly dazzling and inventive; no wonder he won a BAFTA award (the British
equivalent of the Oscars), and Christian Dior got a BAFTA nomination for Loren’s
elegant costumes!<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tsbIy2vG4Ho/T8B2SgRMSyI/AAAAAAAABZc/0qlMBjy5TrA/s1600/Arabesque+10,+giddy-up+Greg+&+Sophia,+let%27s+go.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tsbIy2vG4Ho/T8B2SgRMSyI/AAAAAAAABZc/0qlMBjy5TrA/s320/Arabesque+10,+giddy-up+Greg+&+Sophia,+let%27s+go.jpg" height="135" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="background-color: #351c75; color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Giddy-up, giddy-up, let's go! Let's vanquish a foe!</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
The only thing that disappoints me about <i>Arabesque</i> is that director/producer Donen didn’t seem to like this sparkling, twist-filled adventure as much as our family and so many other movie lovers do. Specifically, he felt the script needed work. In Stephen M. Silverman’s book about Donen’s films, <i>Dancing on the Ceiling, </i>Donen is quoted as saying about <i>Arabesque,</i> “We have to make it so interesting visually that no one will think about it.” Boy, did they ever! In an article about <i>Arabesque </i><a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/67555/Arabesque/" target="_blank">on the TCM </a><a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/67555/Arabesque/articles.html">Web site,</a> Stone had said that Donen “shot it better than he ever shot any picture. Everything was shot as though it were a reflection in a Rolls-Royce headlamp.” I don’t think Donen gave himself or the movie enough credit, though. If you ask me, <i>Arabesque</i> is a perfect example of one of <b>Alfred Hitchcock’s best-known quotes:<span style="color: yellow;"> </span><span style="background-color: #0b5394; color: yellow;">“Some films are slices of life; mine are slices of cake.”</span> </b>Now that <i>Arabesque</i> is finally available on DVD<b> (</b>my own copy is part of Universal’s <i>Gregory Peck Film Collection,</i> a seven-disc DVD set that Vin bought me for Christmas 2011), I wish someone would get Donen and Loren together to do the kind of entertaining, informative commentary Donen did with the late Stone for Criterion’s special-edition <i>Charade</i> DVD, while they’re both still alive and well enough to swap stories, or perhaps even put out a whole new deluxe edition of the film!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xcJJVRah3GU/T8B6KI8Gm5I/AAAAAAAABZ0/RZ3Z9WLOTDc/s1600/Arabesque+9,+Peck,+Loren,+and+Duering+on+nice+horsies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xcJJVRah3GU/T8B6KI8Gm5I/AAAAAAAABZ0/RZ3Z9WLOTDc/s320/Arabesque+9,+Peck,+Loren,+and+Duering+on+nice+horsies.jpg" height="134" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="background-color: #351c75; color: white; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Our heroes saddle up for action! Nice horsies! </span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-78CdU_ULRWc/T8B6zFHRw_I/AAAAAAAABZ8/KnSmgnH_Itk/s1600/Arabesque+6,+that%E2%80%99s+the+ticket+to+frame+Peck+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-78CdU_ULRWc/T8B6zFHRw_I/AAAAAAAABZ8/KnSmgnH_Itk/s320/Arabesque+6,+that%E2%80%99s+the+ticket+to+frame+Peck+.jpg" height="134" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="background-color: #351c75; color: white; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">At Ascot, that's the ticket - to frame our man David Pollock for murder!</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yp_tg6IIDPw/T8B71hBwZyI/AAAAAAAABaM/aRl5SKCZ4Qs/s1600/Arabesque+8,+Peck+&+Loren,++reflections+in+two+sexy+spies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yp_tg6IIDPw/T8B71hBwZyI/AAAAAAAABaM/aRl5SKCZ4Qs/s400/Arabesque+8,+Peck+&+Loren,++reflections+in+two+sexy+spies.jpg" height="172" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="background-color: #351c75; color: white; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Reflections in two sexy spies! (Great F/X work!)</b></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GFnmcPqGxDo/T8B8qto_JPI/AAAAAAAABaU/zSAwoMi6fy4/s1600/Arabesque+2,+hieroglyphiic+fortune+cookie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GFnmcPqGxDo/T8B8qto_JPI/AAAAAAAABaU/zSAwoMi6fy4/s320/Arabesque+2,+hieroglyphiic+fortune+cookie.jpg" height="138" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="background-color: #351c75; color: white;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Odd, I don’t usually get hieroglyphics in my
fortune cookies!</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--0aoABZyUZg/T8B9cf_sBpI/AAAAAAAABac/evoI22mFjHw/s1600/Arabesque+3,+hiding+in+Yasmin%E2%80%99s+shower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--0aoABZyUZg/T8B9cf_sBpI/AAAAAAAABac/evoI22mFjHw/s320/Arabesque+3,+hiding+in+Yasmin%E2%80%99s+shower.jpg" height="136" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><b><span style="background-color: #20124d; color: white;">Double-cross Beshraavi, and you’re in for a date
with the falcon—<br />and we don’t mean George Sanders!</span></b><span style="color: blue;"> </span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mFP2IfZKwRM/T8B-ah8gSZI/AAAAAAAABak/3tPMvmulzhc/s1600/Arabesque+7,+breakfast+in+bed+with+Greg+and+Sophia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mFP2IfZKwRM/T8B-ah8gSZI/AAAAAAAABak/3tPMvmulzhc/s400/Arabesque+7,+breakfast+in+bed+with+Greg+and+Sophia.jpg" height="171" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="background-color: #351c75; color: white; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Now <i>that's</i> what I call breakfast in bed!</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Vinnie Bartiluccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12031831695722239873noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-4735323327633589802014-05-23T18:21:00.000-04:002014-05-24T01:21:23.495-04:00The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956): Que Sera Scare-a!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kHo8EBj8xho/U3_KMI9bWCI/AAAAAAAAAjg/Bd21hO22Zo0/s1600/4830.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kHo8EBj8xho/U3_KMI9bWCI/AAAAAAAAAjg/Bd21hO22Zo0/s1600/4830.jpg" height="320" width="210" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This blog post is hosted by the<b><i> Fabulous Films of the 1950s Blogathon, </i>
</b>hosted<b> </b>by the<b><i> Classic Movie Blog Association (CMBA), </i></b>
running from <b>May 22 </b>through<b> May 26,<sup> </sup>2014.<i> </i>
We hope you’ll enjoy this blast from the past!</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Today’s parents are often accused of “Helicopter Parenting,” but after the
harrowing adventure the McKenna Family endures in <b><span style="color: red;">Alfred
Hitchcock’s 1956 remake of <i>The Man Who Knew Too Much,</i></span></b> who can
blame them for being a heck of a lot clingier than usual?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As <b>
<span style="color: red;">TCM’s</span></b> Brian Cady notes, the original 1934
smash hit got Hitchcock started on a nearly unbroken string of wildly popular
suspense thrillers that made him “The Master of Suspense.”</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KNaJmT7mcR8/U3-lKoH5ppI/AAAAAAAAAiQ/7CRZw872Ua4/s1600/The+man+who+knew+too+much+1956.mkv+-+00000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KNaJmT7mcR8/U3-lKoH5ppI/AAAAAAAAAiQ/7CRZw872Ua4/s1600/The+man+who+knew+too+much+1956.mkv+-+00000.jpg" height="248" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Hitchcock's films were well known for their cymbalism...</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But Hitchcock had
never been the type to rest on his laurels. Sure, the original <i>Man Who Knew
Too Much</i> (let’s just call it <b><i>“Man,”</i></b> we’re all pals here!) was
already a classic, but Hitchcock felt his original masterpiece would be even
better with Paramount’s glorious VistaVision and the other new technologies
available at the time, making the 1956 version even better.</span><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Producer/actress/daughter Patricia Hitchcock O’Connell <i>(<span style="color: #0070c0;"><span style="color: black;">Stage
Fright</span>;</span></i><span style="color: #0070c0;"> <i><span style="color: red;"><a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2010/10/lovers-and-other-stranglers-alfred.html" target="_blank">Strangers on a Train;</a> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/Tales%20of%20the%20http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2014/04/alfred-hitchcocks-psycho-1960-theyll.html" target="_blank">Psycho;</a> <a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2010/12/rear-window-neighborhood-watching.html" target="_blank">Rear Window</a></span>)</i></span><i><span style="color: red;"> </span></i>described this
remake as taking the work of a gifted amateur, and crafting it into the skill of
a seasoned pro; we Hitch fans know how detail-oriented a director like “Hitch”
could be! What’s more, at that time, Hitchcock owed Paramount another movie,
and they felt a new <b><i>“Man”</i></b> could more easily adapt to what was then
the present day. Also, Herbert Colman, Hitchcock’s longtime Associate Editor and Producer,
had to consider that the cast and crew in Morocco had to be mindful of the
fast-approaching religious holiday of Ramadan; luckily, they made their
deadline. <i>Whew!</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And what a cast! Hitchcock had always had great actors for his stars, but I
especially liked <b><i>Man’s</i></b> great cast here:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>*Oscar-winner <span style="color: #002060;">James Stewart</span></b><span style="color: #002060;">
</span><i>(The Philadelphia Story),</i> returning to rejoin Hitchcock from his
triumphs in <i><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">Rear Window</span>; <a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-two-faces-of-vertigo.html" target="_blank">Vertigo</a>; </span></i>and </span><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="color: #0070c0;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Rope</span>;</span><br />
<b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">*Doris Day</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">,<b> </b></span></span></i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">talented singer and versatile actress in such
films as <i>Love Me or Leave Me; Pillow Talk; Calamity Jane; Midnight Lace;</i>
and TV’s <i>The Doris Day Show. </i></span><br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-33sMhld52Qs/U3-w9AmQOEI/AAAAAAAAAi8/joVAwwSK3Q4/s1600/The+man+who+knew+too+much+1956.mkv+-+00002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-33sMhld52Qs/U3-w9AmQOEI/AAAAAAAAAi8/joVAwwSK3Q4/s1600/The+man+who+knew+too+much+1956.mkv+-+00002.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Not to mention being a spy, eh, Louis?</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We meet the
McKenna Family from Indianapolis, Indiana, touring with the family on a trip to
France, and now Marrakesh, on their own little family world tour, with dad Ben
(Stewart), who’s a surgeon; and mom, Jo McKenna Conway (Day), who’d been a
popular singing star as Jo Conway before she retired from her successful musical
career to become a wife and loving mom mother to their young son Hank, played by
Christopher Olson (</span><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Bigger Than Life; The Tarnished Angels). </span><br />
<br />
</i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The McKenna Family<i>’s </i>Hitchcockian ordeal starts pronto as the family
sits in a sightseeing bus in French Morocco, watching the sights from the bus,
when suddenly the bus abruptly lurches as little Hank accidentally yanks off a
Muslim woman’s veil. Being a Muslim, her hubby isn’t the understanding type, to
the Arab’s fury! Luckily, a suave Frenchman, Louis Bernard <i>(</i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047818/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_151"><i>The
Lovers of Lisbon</i></a><i>;
Stain on the Snow</i>)
quickly<b> </b>calms the Arab, explaining to the McKennas, “The Muslim religion
allows few accidents.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The McKennas are most grateful for Louis’s help, and he
invites Jo and Ben to take the family for dinner (with a baby sitter). Louis is
both charming and inquisitive, yet he can be surprisingly vague when Jo asks
Louis things that shouldn’t be all <i>that</i> mysterious. Moreover, Jo notices
later that the angry Arab seemed pretty chummy with that Arab guy later! Jo
seems to be the worldly one in the McKenna Family; must be Jo’s show-biz
know-how. I say we deputize Jo!; the boys in the McKenna clan seem too darn
naïve! Time for a husband and wife pow-wow about Louis Bernard:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><u>Jo:</u>
“Now, what do you really
know about him?”<br /><u>Ben:</u> “What do I know about him? I know his name. We were sitting
there, we were talking.”<br /><u>Jo:</u> “You don’t know anything about this man, and he knows everything
there is to know about you.”</span></b></blockquote>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jVVk6-etF1I/U3-xT3LbvOI/AAAAAAAAAjE/svDA1Xa_SM4/s1600/MWKTM05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jVVk6-etF1I/U3-xT3LbvOI/AAAAAAAAAjE/svDA1Xa_SM4/s1600/MWKTM05.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Jo's ability to deal with her new life as a housewife</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">reaches the breaking point by the film's climax</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Jo and Ben end up laughing it off. But at dinner, while they’re giving us
viewers comedy relief as they try to figure out how to eat Morocco cuisine
without making fools of themselves, Jo notices a strange middle-aged couple, who
Jo remembers seeing them at the hotel—and here’s that strange couple again! At
last, the middle-aged English couple apologize and introduce themselves: they’re the
Draytons, Lucy (Brenda De Banzie from <i>Hobson’s Choice,</i> one of Team
Bartilucci’s favorites) and Edward (Bernard Miles, from <i>Tom Thumb; The Spy
in Black). </i>Jo is flattered to find that the Draytons are fans of hers, so
they strike up a friendship during their holiday. <i> </i>We also<i> </i>get to
see that despite the family’s overall happiness, Jo has her regrets at times,
like this scene at dinner with the Draytons:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><u>Jo:</u></b> “Broadway musical shows are not produced in Indiana. Of
course, we could live in New York. I hear the doctors aren’t starving there,
either.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><u>Ben:</u></b> “It’s not that I have any objection to working in New York,
it’s just that it’d be hard for my patients to come from Indianapolis for
treatment.</span>” </blockquote>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wIllpNjlSBM/U3-v5JjSdeI/AAAAAAAAAiw/9O9iZMXWGes/s1600/mwktm03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wIllpNjlSBM/U3-v5JjSdeI/AAAAAAAAAiw/9O9iZMXWGes/s1600/mwktm03.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I...fear...much...trouble...</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">in the...fuselage...Frederick!</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Personally, I think Jo and her New York pals should put together a cool dinner theater in Indianapolis, and Jo could sing her heart out! Everybody would win!</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Death spoils our family's holiday when a dying Arab stabbed to death before Ben's eyes turns out to be Louis! It turns out Bernard was the Marrakesh version of James Bond, and the authorities at the Deuxieme Bureau are giving the police the Hairy Eyeball (there's a lot of that going around, it seems! Can't we all just get along?). After all this<i> agita</i>, all that Ben and Jo want is to rest and get Hank…but the little tyke is nowhere to be found. In fact, all they hear from their son is a sinister voice warning they’ll never see Hank again if they bring the police and blab about the upcoming assassination--the evil kid-stealing fiends!!</span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UbZooIK-gDQ/U3-vl-o95PI/AAAAAAAAAig/72TGvwWZjOo/s1600/mwktm07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UbZooIK-gDQ/U3-vl-o95PI/AAAAAAAAAig/72TGvwWZjOo/s1600/mwktm07.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Never heard of him - what's he been in?</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The supporting cast is excellent, too, including Jo’s friends from her singing career, adding needed comic relief when Ben and Jo have to keep running in and out while trying desperately to find Hank without tipping off the ruthless villains. Our heroine Jo may have swapped the role of stage star for the even more demanding role of mother and wife, but her fans and friends are still loyal, bless them! Their puzzled show-biz friends include:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span><i>*Alan Mowbray</i></b><i> <span style="color: red;">(<a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2011/04/i-wake-up-screaming-obsession-you-are.html" target="_blank">I Wake Up Screaming</a>); </span></i><b>*Carolyn Jones:</b><i> Best Supporting Actress Oscar Nominee for <b>The Bachelor Party,</b> </i>as well as<i> </i>TV’s beloved <a href="http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0008925/">Morticia Addams</a><i> on TV’s<b> </b>The Addams Family;<span style="color: #0070c0;"><br /></span><b>*</b></i><b>Hilary Brooke</b> from <i><a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2012/06/ministry-of-fear-cake-is-lie.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Ministry of Fear</span></a>; <span style="color: #0070c0;">Road to Utopia</span>.; </i><b>*AlixTalton</b> from <i>The Deadly Mantis; Romanoff and Juliet.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Bad Guys: </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Bernard Miles <i> (Tom Thumb)</i> and Brenda de Banzie, quite versatile as duplicitous Mrs. Drayton. We also love deBanzie as a good gal in the comedy <i>Hobson’s Choice</i>, co-starring another Team B. fave, Charles Laughton. Hmm, could deBanzie be recruited to the good guys’ team after all?</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><br />Reggie Nalder, Villain: </b>The original 1934 version of
<i>The Man Who Knew
Too</i> <i>Much</i> was a tough act to follow with Peter Lorre as the evil
Abbott, but in the role of the assassin Rien, Nalder’s Death’s Head grin gave us
the willies! Nalder had been badly burned in his youth, with scars all over the
scarred lower-third of Nalder’s face, forever casting him as a villain. Nalder
had at least three different explanations for them. Whatever the true cause, it
was this disfigurement which bestowed upon him a permanent place in the annals
of film history.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GqdoNYqHQjw/U3-j_BmLsJI/AAAAAAAAAiI/lPu8UT2ZJcg/s1600/MWKTM01.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GqdoNYqHQjw/U3-j_BmLsJI/AAAAAAAAAiI/lPu8UT2ZJcg/s1600/MWKTM01.gif" height="183" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Jo sings for Hank’s life at the Embassy!</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Finally, Jo and Ben are in London, where our beleaguered but determined couple have a fighting chance of finding little Hank back safe and sound, praying and hoping all the way! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Luckily, Mrs. Drayton has a kind heart after all, and between Jo’s lovely loud voice and Hank’s whistling prowess (whistle, Hank, whistle like the wind!), they save the day in time for everyone to wake from their afternoon naps! Still, I don't think Jo and Ben will ever ask <i>any </i>couple to baby-sit for them ever again!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Bosley
Crowther of <i>The New York Times </i>praised <b><i>Man</i></b> thus: “…Mr.
Hitchcock spins a fast tale that sweeps incongruously through a taxidermist’s
shop, a cultist chapel, a foreign embassy, and the crowded concert hall. Fast,
did we say? It had better be, for the story that John Michael Hayes <i>
<span style="color: red;">(<a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2010/12/rear-window-neighborhood-watching.html" target="_blank">Rear Window</a>,</span></i><span style="color: red;"> </span>
among other Hitchcock scripts) has been revamped from the original script by Charles Bennett and D.B. Wyndham-Lewis is quite absurd, and it would be death
to leave the audience a moment to stop and think. But logic and credibility
were never were Mr. Hitchcock’s long suits. He depends upon daring deception.
And that’s what he has in this film.” Works for us, thank you!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--_GycNRPgPQ/U3_JQ7Nj8cI/AAAAAAAAAjY/TRPgUw6ex8M/s1600/mwktm02.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--_GycNRPgPQ/U3_JQ7Nj8cI/AAAAAAAAAjY/TRPgUw6ex8M/s1600/mwktm02.gif" />!</a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Possibly one of the best closing lines in film!</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
Vinnie Bartiluccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12031831695722239873noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-8413287433028958352014-05-02T20:42:00.000-04:002014-05-12T18:51:42.119-04:00There’s Always a Woman: Blondell Ambition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mzRfFivTCfY/U2QaOE80lzI/AAAAAAAAD30/fYF2nUYSqws/s1600/theres-always-a-woman.mp4+-+00007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mzRfFivTCfY/U2QaOE80lzI/AAAAAAAAD30/fYF2nUYSqws/s1600/theres-always-a-woman.mp4+-+00007.jpg" height="220" width="320" /></a></div>
<h3 style="color: #0070c0;">
<span style="background-color: yellow;"><i>The First
Romantic Comedy Blogathon</i> is hosted by <i>Backlots</i> and <i>Carole & Co. </i>from May 1st through May 4th, 2014.
Thanks for letting us play in your <br />garden!</span></h3>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4y6BWqcT60I/U2QCNuy66QI/AAAAAAAAD2g/JGxeRr_LgQg/s1600/theres-always-a-woman.mp4+-+00000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4y6BWqcT60I/U2QCNuy66QI/AAAAAAAAD2g/JGxeRr_LgQg/s1600/theres-always-a-woman.mp4+-+00000.jpg" height="275" width="400" /></a>I’ve always enjoyed screwball comedies that blend romance and comedy, and the
zanier, the better, <i>especially</i> when there’s mystery in the mix! Case in
point: Columbia Pictures’comedy-mystery<span style="color: #ffe599;"> <i><span style="background-color: #134f5c;">
</span><b><span style="background-color: #6aa84f;"><span style="background-color: #134f5c;">There’s </span><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="background-color: #ffd966;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="background-color: #134f5c;">Always A
Woman</span></span></span></span></span></b></i><span style="background-color: #ffd966;"><b><span style="background-color: #134f5c;">
(1938)</span>.</b></span></span> All the filmmakers had to say to make <i>me</i> love this movie were
three names<br />
<ol>
<li><b>Joan Blondell<a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2013/03/nightmare-alley-youve-got-power.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0b5394;"> </span></a></b><i><span style="color: #0b5394;"><a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2013/03/nightmare-alley-youve-got-power.html" target="_blank"> (Nightmare Alley;</a><span style="background-color: yellow;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: #ffd966;"><b>Three on a Match</b></span></i><span style="background-color: #ffd966;"><b> </b></span></li>
<li>Two-time Oscar-winner <b>Melvyn Douglas</b> <i>(Hud; Being There; Ninotchka).</i><br /><b><span style="color: #fff2cc;"><span style="background-color: #134f5c;"><i>(Fun Fact: </i></span></span></b>Douglas was also the grandfather of actress Illeana Douglas<i> (Dummy;</i> Martin Scorsese’s remake of <i>Cape Fear.</i> </li>
<li><b>Mary Astor</b>, Best Supporting Actress Oscar-winner for
<b><i>The Great Lie</i></b><i>;</i> <i><a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2013/05/mary-astor-blogathon-palm-beach-story.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">The Palm Beach Story)</span></a>.</i></li>
</ol>
Based on a story from <i>American Magazine</i> and directed by Alexander Hall
<i>(My Sister Eileen; The Great Lover) </i> and produced<i> </i>by<i> </i>William Perlberg <i>(Miracle on 34th Street; The Song of Bernadette), There’s Always a Woman</i> is kind of like the
wiseacre kid brother who’s really swell beneath it all. The cast includes
Frances Drake of <i>Mad Love; </i>Thurston Hall <span style="color: red; font-style: italic;"><a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2011/02/secret-life-of-walter-mitty-beautiful.html" target="_blank">(The Secret Life of Walter Mitty</a><u> </u></span>and
<i><a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2012/05/lady-on-train-singing-detective.html" target="_blank">Lady on a Train</a>). </i><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tpuKsMhnugQ/U2QCHxZFLiI/AAAAAAAAD2Y/Q1klrlKuVXE/s1600/IAAW01.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tpuKsMhnugQ/U2QCHxZFLiI/AAAAAAAAD2Y/Q1klrlKuVXE/s1600/IAAW01.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #93c47d;"><span style="color: #f9cb9c;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="background-color: #38761d;"><span style="color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sally helps Bill to root, root, root for the home team!</span></b></span></span></span></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Lh3o7a8mV4k/U2QRl3oRo1I/AAAAAAAAD3M/l4YAlmSHPg4/s1600/theres-always-a-woman.mp4+-+00005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Lh3o7a8mV4k/U2QRl3oRo1I/AAAAAAAAD3M/l4YAlmSHPg4/s1600/theres-always-a-woman.mp4+-+00005.jpg" height="275" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #fff2cc;"><span style="background-color: #134f5c;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Wow!</i> Two Reardons for the price of one! <br />What a scoop! Eat your heart out, Miss Marple!</span></span></span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g9cWTbbp47U/U2QUaXWPeRI/AAAAAAAAD3g/qQjpjSB9fP4/s1600/theres-always-a-woman.mp4+-+00006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g9cWTbbp47U/U2QUaXWPeRI/AAAAAAAAD3g/qQjpjSB9fP4/s1600/theres-always-a-woman.mp4+-+00006.jpg" height="275" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="background-color: #134f5c;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Lola Fraser wears widows' weeds well!</b></span></span></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G13hj5a2dR8/U2Q3CCt_XkI/AAAAAAAAD5E/iOL7kbaigLw/s1600/IAAM02.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G13hj5a2dR8/U2Q3CCt_XkI/AAAAAAAAD5E/iOL7kbaigLw/s1600/IAAM02.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: #134f5c;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Big owie! That's what you get for hogging Sally's credit, Bill, you bad boy!</span></span></span></b></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JjBtZDvs0pM/U2QWb7j0KYI/AAAAAAAAD3o/arK08sYNg5A/s1600/theres-always-a-woman.mp4+-+00004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JjBtZDvs0pM/U2QWb7j0KYI/AAAAAAAAD3o/arK08sYNg5A/s1600/theres-always-a-woman.mp4+-+00004.jpg" height="275" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="background-color: #134f5c;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Bill and Sally get soused soused while looking <br />for clues at the Skyline Club!<br /><i>Sally:</i> "Why didn't you pick me up?" <br /><i>Bill: </i> "I did it before, and look what happened."</span></span></span></b></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--GHb1kmX5tw/U2QLFa_PFDI/AAAAAAAAD20/LimzyNrq12E/s1600/theres-always-a-woman.mp4+-+00001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--GHb1kmX5tw/U2QLFa_PFDI/AAAAAAAAD20/LimzyNrq12E/s1600/theres-always-a-woman.mp4+-+00001.jpg" height="220" width="320" /></a></span></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="background-color: #134f5c;">What does detective Bill Reardon have that <br />William Powell doesn't have, besides Myrna Loy?<br />Clients, that's what!</span></span></b></span></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u_9Er6nSIKA/U2QrfYKAHWI/AAAAAAAAD4c/USu_kIp0L38/s1600/theres-always-a-woman.mp4+-+00009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u_9Er6nSIKA/U2QrfYKAHWI/AAAAAAAAD4c/USu_kIp0L38/s1600/theres-always-a-woman.mp4+-+00009.jpg" height="220" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="background-color: #134f5c;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"I see it all now! You and the upstairs maid. Do the old boy in, you said.<br />Elderberry wine and old lace, you said! Then, the clean getaway, <br />but you weren't smart enough, John<i>, </i>alias Johnny, alias Jack, alias Jackie!"</span></span></span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">New York City private detective Bill Reardon (Douglas) went into
business for himself, but </span><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #38761d;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: white;">perhaps more successful detectives like <i>
<b><a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2010/12/thin-man-meets-fitzwilly-team.html" target="_blank">The Thin Man's</a></b></i> Nick Charles spoiled the broth
in the Big Apple for Bill’s agency, no doubt snapping up the pricey clients that
were just out of Bill’s reach. Luckily, Bill’s former boss, the D.A. himself
(Hall) is glad to have Bill back. But Sally <b>(Blondell)</b>, Bill’s wife and
assistant, thinks she could cook up a clientele,</span> being as loving as she is sassy
and determined; what a gal! Before Sally can start closing up shop for good, in
comes Lola Fraser (Astor), a rich society matron who wants to find out if Lola’s
husband is stepping out with lovely young Anne Calhoun (Frances Drake from <i>
Mad Love;</i> <i><b><a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2014/04/its-wonderful-world-original-colbert.html" target="_blank">It’s A Wonderful World).</a></b> </i>
Sally puts The Reardon Detective Agency under new management! Then Lola’s
hubby get bumped off, and suspects galore pop up, like shifty nightclub
owner/gambler Nick Shane (Jerome Cowan from <b><i><a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-three-faces-of-maltese-falcon-part_20.html" target="_blank">The Maltese Falcon; </a>Miracle on 34<sup>th</sup> Street</i>; </b>quite a few
familiar faces here!).</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iy5Ln2rzn0Y/U2bUYryiOxI/AAAAAAAAAhY/n3pP-GSNjM8/s1600/IWAWBlondell01.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iy5Ln2rzn0Y/U2bUYryiOxI/AAAAAAAAAhY/n3pP-GSNjM8/s1600/IWAWBlondell01.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="background-color: #134f5c;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Joan Blondell's third degree didn't go as well<br />as the police would have hoped...</span></span></span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><br />
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</span></i>
</span><b>TCM’s</b>
Lorraine LoBianco reports <i>There’s Always a Woman</i> set was a family
affair, with ex-sister-in-law Connie, who’d just divorced Blondell’s brother, and then her sister Gloria Blondell a contract! No wonder Joan was happy to be at Columbia, except for just one little thing: for some reason, Warner
Bros. (where she’d worked at the time) didn’t want Blondell to wear her hair in
her signature curly ringlets hair. Luckily, director Alexander Hall gallantly made sure
he had brunettes and redheads among the actors so that Blondell would attract
all eyes.
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #0b5394;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: #0b5394;"><b>Fun Facts:</b></span></span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>There’s Always A Woman </i>also had a 1939 sequel with Douglas, <i>There’s That Woman Again.</i> This time, Virginia Bruce played Sally Reardon..</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Also, don’t blink or you’ll miss:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>A young Rita Hayworth in a brief role as a secretary!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Whitey of the Dead End Kids, a.k.a. The Bowery Boys! </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L8EpRa5-uf4/U2QdCXi-E-I/AAAAAAAAD4A/4FHKU_le1ZU/s1600/theres-always-a-woman.mp4+-+00007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L8EpRa5-uf4/U2QdCXi-E-I/AAAAAAAAD4A/4FHKU_le1ZU/s1600/theres-always-a-woman.mp4+-+00007.jpg" height="220" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="background-color: #134f5c;">Sally knows a detective must keep track of their partners<br />I bet they need more toilet paper, too!</span></b></span></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N1RE10CK1a8/U2QrnUtmSXI/AAAAAAAAD4g/0RJ9wfn9Dkk/s1600/IAAM02.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N1RE10CK1a8/U2QrnUtmSXI/AAAAAAAAD4g/0RJ9wfn9Dkk/s1600/IAAM02.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="background-color: #134f5c;"><b><i>*KLONG!*</i></b> B<b>ig owie! That'll teach Bill to hog all of Sally's credit!</b></span></span></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iTKbQjMZWJE/U2QrujtXadI/AAAAAAAAD4o/cw7gQxb07Jk/s1600/theres-always-a-woman.mp4+-+00010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iTKbQjMZWJE/U2QrujtXadI/AAAAAAAAD4o/cw7gQxb07Jk/s1600/theres-always-a-woman.mp4+-+00010.jpg" height="220" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="background-color: #134f5c;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Those kooky lovebirds solve the case, though they'll need hairbrushes afterward</b>!</span></span></span><br />
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Vinnie Bartiluccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12031831695722239873noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-38742359717535495552014-04-25T19:34:00.000-04:002014-04-27T14:49:07.133-04:00Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960): They’ll Need A Crane<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: #cc0000;"><b>This post
is hosted by the Great Villain Blogathon, hosted by Ruth of <i>Silver
Screenings;</i> Karen of <i>Shadows and Satin;</i> and Kristina of <i>Speakeasy,
</i>from April 20<sup>th</sup> through April 26<sup>th</sup><i>, 2014. </i>It’s
wicked<i> </i>fun!</b></span></span></span><i> </i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CMyRxCwhCA8/U1rn7rn8XfI/AAAAAAAAD1c/6U2r4KrEdl0/s1600/psycho-theatrical-release-poster-1960.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CMyRxCwhCA8/U1rn7rn8XfI/AAAAAAAAD1c/6U2r4KrEdl0/s1600/psycho-theatrical-release-poster-1960.jpg" height="320" width="205" /></a></div>
<br />
Poor
frustrated Marion Crane <b>(Janet Leigh</b> of <i>Touch of Evil; The Manchurian
Candidate) </i>is not a happy camper.<i> </i>She doesn’t ask for much, just
love and happiness with her hunky California sweetie Sam Loomis (<b>John Gavin</b>
of <i>Midnight Lace; Spartacus).</i><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SpCoALa8_NM/U1rIYm6OBJI/AAAAAAAADyk/D0PCmAEQz6I/s1600/incite-psycho.avi---00001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SpCoALa8_NM/U1rIYm6OBJI/AAAAAAAADyk/D0PCmAEQz6I/s1600/incite-psycho.avi---00001.jpg" height="294" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: yellow;">Jeepers, it's 15 days before Christmas already!</span></b> </span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-t6IRVW7M-DQ/U1rOVCgGWYI/AAAAAAAADzE/LyWvpQ7zggc/s1600/incite-psycho.avi+-+00003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-t6IRVW7M-DQ/U1rOVCgGWYI/AAAAAAAADzE/LyWvpQ7zggc/s1600/incite-psycho.avi+-+00003.jpg" height="176" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Those crazy kids Marion and Sam may not have money and time,<br />but they'll always have Phoenix! Here's looking at you, kids!</span></span></span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-daXnQMf7iac/U1rUYNE5BPI/AAAAAAAADzc/9X8_c4aCplc/s1600/psycho1.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-daXnQMf7iac/U1rUYNE5BPI/AAAAAAAADzc/9X8_c4aCplc/s1600/psycho1.bmp" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Caroline (Patricia Hitchcock) called to see if Teddy called! She can flirt with us anytime!</span></span><span style="background-color: yellow;"></span></span></b></td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kjVeqcbX0LI/U1rWC4cjFgI/AAAAAAAADzw/SPjhfzkf5yQ/s1600/incite-psycho.avi+-+00005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kjVeqcbX0LI/U1rWC4cjFgI/AAAAAAAADzw/SPjhfzkf5yQ/s1600/incite-psycho.avi+-+00005.jpg" height="176" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: #cc0000;">Marion is so new to crime; I hope she remembers<br />which is Bad-Girl Black or Good-Girl White!</span></span></span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vO8XiYdeYIE/U1raKUPLAZI/AAAAAAAAD0Q/g8VkdSprmOU/s1600/psycho2.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vO8XiYdeYIE/U1raKUPLAZI/AAAAAAAAD0Q/g8VkdSprmOU/s1600/psycho2.bmp" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #cc0000;">Don't spend all that $40,000 in one place!</span></span></span></b></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Much as they love each other, Marion and
Sam are both frustrated because Sam’s still slaving away for his ex-wife’s
alimony, as Sam says, “I’m tired of sweating for people who aren’t there. I
sweat to pay off my father’s debts, and he’s in his grave. I sweat to pay my
ex-wife alimony and she’s living on the other side of the world somewhere.” Marion’s
dullsville job in a Phoenix real estate company doesn’t inspire her much either,
unless you count the hot sex in cheap hotels while she and Sam have steamy sex
during their lunch hours. (Somehow, that doesn’t sound <i>that </i>bad!) Much
as Marion loves Sam and vice-versa, she longs to have a bright future of her own
with Sam, with money, romance, and happily-ever-afters, maybe even a big tuneful
finale, like that other Marion: Marian the Librarian from <b><span style="color: cyan;"><span style="background-color: #0b5394;"><i>The Music Man!</i></span></span>
(</b>Hey, if you’re gonna dream, dream big!) “I’ll lick the stamps,” Marion vows to
her sweetie. Then fate steps in for Marion when Mr. Lowery, Marion’s boss (Vaughn Taylor of<i><span style="color: red;"> <a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2013/04/team-bartilucci-double-feature-power.html" target="_blank">The Power</a></span>;</i> <i>In Cold Blood) </i>comes in
with $40,000 from one of their customers, oil lease man Tom Cassidy (<b>Frank Albertson</b>
from <i>Fury; Wake Island). </i>But like Sam, Marion is also tired of toiling for
people who aren’t there, so when Mr. Lowery asks Marion to bank Cassidy’s
dough over the weekend, Marion loses her mind, <i>er, </i>I mean, makes a bold, sudden move, and
scrams with the $40,000. It’s all in the name of love, right? Yeah, Marion,
keep thinking that way while you make your getaway, getting more paranoid at every turn while cops give you the Hairy Eyeball, fumferring all the way! Then again, hon,
it’s not too late to come to your senses and lick those stamps with Sam…<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ojL0jZoirV0/U1rYIUSAYpI/AAAAAAAAD0A/CKfkMzaMlCY/s1600/incite-psycho.avi+-+00006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ojL0jZoirV0/U1rYIUSAYpI/AAAAAAAAD0A/CKfkMzaMlCY/s1600/incite-psycho.avi+-+00006.jpg" height="176" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #cc0000;"><b><span style="color: yellow;">Hi, </span></b><span style="color: yellow;">Mr</span><b><span style="color: yellow;">. Lowery, it's just little old me, Marion, off to pick up those headache pills! Gotta run!</span></b></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m7407TzGDlk/U1rlh5VeU4I/AAAAAAAAD1Q/kpQXOKV-mWk/s1600/incite-psycho.avi+-+00009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m7407TzGDlk/U1rlh5VeU4I/AAAAAAAAD1Q/kpQXOKV-mWk/s1600/incite-psycho.avi+-+00009.jpg" height="176" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: #cc0000;">Marion made it through the rain! Now for Marion's Dinner with Norman!</span></span></span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3-dSihcn6cQ/U1rlLuxPzVI/AAAAAAAAD1I/sqGNi0d4wVc/s1600/incite-psycho.avi+-+00008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3-dSihcn6cQ/U1rlLuxPzVI/AAAAAAAAD1I/sqGNi0d4wVc/s1600/incite-psycho.avi+-+00008.jpg" height="176" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #cc0000;">Trusty umbrella service, homemade sandwiches, fresh milk; a pretty girl, taxidermyl<br />What's The Bates Motel got that Courtyard By Marriott doesn't</span></span></span></b><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #cc0000;">?</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nRxaBr6P9S8/U1rrUCaGeCI/AAAAAAAAD1o/Y3lrjAu26RU/s1600/incite-psycho.avi+-+00010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nRxaBr6P9S8/U1rrUCaGeCI/AAAAAAAAD1o/Y3lrjAu26RU/s1600/incite-psycho.avi+-+00010.jpg" height="202" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: #cc0000;">He sees you when you're peeping!</span></span></span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
At last,
Marion finds shelter at The Bates Motel. It’s clearly had better days since the
main road was washed up, but it you love stuffed birds, you’ll love it! Just
steer clear of that nice young man’s mother, Mrs. Bates. Word has it that young
Norman (played by Anthony Perkins from <i>Friendly Persuasion;</i> <i>Murder on
The Orient Express;</i> <i>Pretty Poison )</i> is rather henpecked. But maybe
we should give the old gal a little slack; after all, Mother isn’t quite herself
these days, especially when pretty young strangers drop by….<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OUvwThYgoYw/U1rIhf9BZ8I/AAAAAAAADys/v5DhQ11dpeI/s1600/Psycho2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OUvwThYgoYw/U1rIhf9BZ8I/AAAAAAAADys/v5DhQ11dpeI/s1600/Psycho2.gif" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 12.0pt;">
Stephen
Rebello’s <i>Psycho </i>commentary track mentions that some first-time viewers
felt that Marion comes across as stupid! However, I agree with Rebello that we
must keep in mind that Marion is an amateur, not at all a practiced thief;
indeed, she seems to be in some kind of fugue state, confused and troubled. As
long as Marion has our sympathy, I say give the girl a break while they still
can! <b><i>Psycho</i></b> wasn’t named on AFI’s 100 Thrills List for nothing!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JFexmDyF8co/U1rTrzsJeII/AAAAAAAADzU/32T89Up6gvk/s1600/incite-psycho.avi---00004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JFexmDyF8co/U1rTrzsJeII/AAAAAAAADzU/32T89Up6gvk/s1600/incite-psycho.avi---00004.jpg" height="283" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #cc0000;">Aren't Hitchcock's cameos fun?</span></span></span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Bernard Herrmann’s compelling score (<i>North by Northwest</i>; the Oscar-winner The <i>Devil
and Daniel Webster, a.k.a. All That Money Can Buy; <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2013/12/north-by-northwest-mad-men-and.html" target="_blank">North By Northwest</a>) </span></i>grabs you from the driving theme to those shrieking
violins! Psycho was written for strings only. Herrmann called it “his
black-and-white music.” <b><i>Fun Fact</i>: I</b>n Orson Welles’ 1958 thriller <i>
Touch of Evil,</i> young Dennis Weaver <i>(Duel;</i> TV’s <i>McCloud)</i> played
a nervous, twitchy motel manager!<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/bhhTb4SoaaU" width="420"></iframe>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(When in doubt, the answer is "C")</div>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Vinnie whips off his wig and discusses The Shower Scene</b><br />
<br />
It's possibly the most iconic scene in film, certainly in horror/suspense. It is perfection. Two and a half minutes of masterfully crafted shock. Rife with not even implied violence and nudity, but crafted so that you will <i>infer </i>violence and nudity. The knife is never seen entering flesh, indeed there are only two moments where the knife is even seen near Marion. And there's no blood - it's chocolate sauce, as everyone now knows - but it's only seen dripping into the bathwater and down the drain, but we imagine it all over poor Ms. Crane. But it's shot so fast, and so well, that persistence of vision makes you see them together almost constantly.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/joCRTHfoK28?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">The Shower Scene is SO iconic, it's been parodied<br />in the most amazing of places, from Mel Brooks'<br /><i>High Anxiety</i> to this episode of <i>Tiny Toon Adventures</i>.</span><br />
<br />
Taken out of context and watched on its own, it's still compelling. So much so that film makers have tried to match it in endless kill scenes in <i>Friday the 13th</i> and endless other horror films. But to truly understand the impact of the scene, you have to see it in the context of the film.<br />
<br />
First off, the scene breaks one of Hitch's rules - if you TELL the audience what's coming, the dread and suspense they feel will make for a far longer and more harrowing experience. But the scene comes straight outta nowhere; indeed, at this point in the film, you expect to see Marion get back in her car and go back to face the music and <i>AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!</i><br />
<br />
Take this one step further - as far as people knew, Janet Leigh was the star of the film. For her to be removed from the board had never been done before. It left the movie-goers rudderless at sea - they had no idea what was going to happen, where the story was going to go. It was that sense of being utterly out of their comfort zone that gave the moment its true shock. When Norman comes in and begins to clean up, the audience naturally assumes that he's the new hero of the film, exactly as they were supposed to. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ABx1HKFdU88/U1qoSo7jblI/AAAAAAAAAhA/b7PgQWTjIv8/s1600/Psycho1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ABx1HKFdU88/U1qoSo7jblI/AAAAAAAAAhA/b7PgQWTjIv8/s1600/Psycho1.gif" /></a></div>
And as if that's not good enough, they do the exact same shock turn again - just as you start to place emotion into Arbogast, even if you think he's the BAD guy in the movie, who's going to make life merry hell for Poor Norman and his wacky mother, in come the violins and the screaming. There's only two on-screen kills in the film, and they both come out of left field of a stadium in another state.<br />
<br />
The film is filled with left turns where you think yo know what it's about, and suddenly it isn't. You assume Marion's the main character, wrong. You assume the money is the McGuffin - wrong, it gets tossed into the trunk of the car and is never mentioned again. You think Norman is the new hero, and...well...<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/82vOLLMeOuQ" width="420"></iframe>Vinnie Bartiluccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12031831695722239873noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-65463665045778748122014-04-14T06:00:00.000-04:002014-04-17T14:22:27.381-04:00It’s A Wonderful World: The Original Colbert Report!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WaYKL02QiBQ/Tc7kYhKWOtI/AAAAAAAAAIc/uCWyg5FsL90/s1600/It%2527s+A+Wonderful+World+poster+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WaYKL02QiBQ/Tc7kYhKWOtI/AAAAAAAAAIc/uCWyg5FsL90/s1600/It%2527s+A+Wonderful+World+poster+2.jpg" j8="true" /></a></div>
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #990000;"><b>This revised version of<i> It's A Wonderful World </i>(1939)<span style="background-color: #e06666;"></span><i> </i>comes from <i>The James Stewart Blogathon! </i></b></span></span><b><span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="background-color: yellow;"> Hosted by <span class="st">The Classic Film & TV Café from April 14th to April 17, 2014! </span></span></span></b><br />
<br />
Welcome to <i>Edwina Corday's Poetry Corner! </i>Here's her poetry-chart-topping rhyme, "It's A Wonderful World":<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #674ea7; color: white;"><b>The night will be here when we are gone,<br />
Though we are gone, the stars will be here,<br />
And other throats will sing in the dawn,<br />
It’s a wonderful world, my dear</b></span><br />
<br />
Don’t rack your brain trying to remember Edwina’s lovely poem from your poetry
class; you’ll find her body of work in the Hollywood School of Poetry. Our gal
Edwina is a ditzy but soulful poetess; yes, that’s what they call her in the
comedy-adventure <i><span style="color: red;">
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5QdxzlZQ2Q" target="_blank">It’s A Wonderful World</a></span> </i>
(1939), a poetess, not a poet. And no, it’s <i>
<b><span style="background-color: red;">not</span></b></i>
Frank Capra's classic Christmas film <i>It’s A Wonderful Life, </i>though we wouldn’t
blame you for the confusion<i>;</i> more about that momentarily. I guess poets
were like that in 1939. But I digress!<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FapIiG3e1Q8/U0r-coQcq6I/AAAAAAAADxc/nxIBIOxuQsQ/s1600/IaWW02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FapIiG3e1Q8/U0r-coQcq6I/AAAAAAAADxc/nxIBIOxuQsQ/s1600/IaWW02.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;">Things aren't going well for Guy!<br />Where are Nick & Nora, and Asta when you need them? </span></span></b></span></td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Edwina is played by that luminous Oscar-winner Claudette Colbert of<b> </b><i><b>
</b><span style="color: #f1c232;"><b><span style="background-color: #0b5394;">It Happened One Night</span></b> </span></i>and <i><span style="color: red;"> </span><a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2013/05/mary-astor-blogathon-palm-beach-story.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #351c75;"></span></a><span style="color: #351c75;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" target="_blank">The Palm Beach Story</a></span></i><span style="color: #351c75;"> </span>among so many other
hits. With that title alone, you’d have every right to expect it<i> </i>to be a
wonderful screwball comedy-mystery, at the very least. It’s got heck of a
pedigree, starting with Oscar-winning director W.S. “Woody” Van Dyke, who
brought us <i>San Francisco</i> (1936) as well as Team Bartilucci favorite <i><a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2010/12/thin-man-meets-fitzwilly-team.html" target="_blank">The Thin Man</a> </i>
(1934) and several of its
sequels. The script was a collaboration between talented, versatile
screenwriters Ben Hecht and Herman J. Mankiewicz (the latter being part of the
Mankiewicz filmmaking family, including his grandson Ben Mankiewicz of
<span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/35501%7C34402/Ben-Mankiewicz-Biography.html" target="_blank">TCM</a> </span>fame), whose combined resumes included such
classics as <b><i><span style="color: #45818e;">Nothing Sacred;</span> <span style="color: #31849b;">Twentieth Century;
Dinner At Eight; Citizen Kane; The Front Page</span></i></b><span style="color: #31849b;"> </span>and its distaff<span style="color: #31849b;"> </span>remake<span style="color: #31849b;">
<b><i>His Girl Friday;</i></b> </span>and<span style="color: #31849b;"> </span>several of
Alfred Hitchcock’s best films. Now team up Claudette Colbert with a pre-Oscar
James Stewart (note that Colbert’s name appears onscreen in a larger font than
Stewart’s, since she was the bigger star at the time). It didn’t hurt that the
film’s title brought to mind the stars’ beloved previous films<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> <i>
<span style="color: #002060; font-size: 12pt;">
<b><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="background-color: #3d85c6;">It Happened One Night</span></span></b></span></i><span style="color: #ffd966;">
</span></span>and<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> <i>
<span style="color: #4f6228; font-size: 12pt;">
<b>It’s a Wonderful Life</b></span></i></span><b>
</b>(even if <i>…Life</i> took audiences quite a while to get into film fans’
hearts. I won’t lie to you, folks: we of Team Bartilucci have always found
<i>
<span style="color: #4f6228; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">It’s a Wonderful Life</span></b></span></i>
infuriating for myriad reasons! But I digress again; sorry about that!). The
action is set in both New York City and upstate New York, which is a plus for a
native New Yorker like me. Furthermore, keep in mind that 1939 was a banner
year for great movies all around! With all that going <span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">for <i>
<span style="color: #4f6228; font-size: 12pt;">
<b>It’s A Wonderful World,</b></span>
</i>
the resulting collaboration should be a real crowd-pleaser, right?</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UCr2ducI328/U0sE6FKal3I/AAAAAAAADx8/ftW1C6CgHVs/s1600/Iaww05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UCr2ducI328/U0sE6FKal3I/AAAAAAAADx8/ftW1C6CgHVs/s1600/Iaww05.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Dig that crazy Coke bottle Boy Scout disguise! </span></span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Good thing Edwina has good "Guy" sight! </span></span></span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Well…<i>almost! </i><i>
<span style="color: #4f6228; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">It’s A Wonderful World</span></span>
</i>
was watchable enough, but for much of its 86-minute running time, I found it
more amiable than actually wonderful, or laugh-out-loud funny, or nail-bitingly
suspenseful. Sure, the film has its moments, but as a whole, it didn’t truly
grab my undivided attention<b><i> until</i></b> about<b> </b><span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: #f1c232;"><b><i><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="background-color: yellow;">the last 40 minutes </span></span></i></b></span></span><b><i>, </i></b>when the joint was jumpin' with shooting, tension, and clever scheming to unmask the villains. But I’m
getting ahead of myself!<br />
<br />
Stewart plays a NYC private eye with the manly-man name of Guy Johnson. Showing
his range just as he did in <i><a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2010/12/after-thin-man-ringing-in-new-year-and.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">After the Thin Man</a></i>
(1936), Stewart’s Guy is no folksy charmer here, but a cynical tough guy who
thinks dames are dopes, and isn’t afraid to cuff ’em one if they start
squawking. If Guy tried that today, he’d be in for a lawsuit! Come to think of
it, the role of Guy was probably good practice for the darker, more
emotionally-complicated roles Stewart played under the direction of Alfred
Hitchcock and Anthony Mann in the 1950s! <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TzK7XAzBHLw/U0rICZOKESI/AAAAAAAADvQ/XHzNaX6UsGM/s1600/IaWW07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TzK7XAzBHLw/U0rICZOKESI/AAAAAAAADvQ/XHzNaX6UsGM/s1600/IaWW07.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;">Guy Kibbee as “Cap” Streeter is sapped by Edwina, </span></span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;">who thinks she’s helping and thinks she killed Cap! <i>Oy!</i></span></span></span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Guy works with his older, more seasoned partner Fred “Cap” Streeter (Guy Kibbee
from <i>Mr. Smith Goes to Washington; 42nd Street; Babbitt) </i>for a
private investigation firm called, appropriately enough, Private Inquiries.
Their biggest client is the much-married souse and tobacco heir Willie Heyward,
<i>a.k.a.</i> “Willie the Pooh” (played by Ernest Truex, great as put-upon
milquetoast types in <i><span style="color: #0070c0;">His Girl Friday; Whistling
in the Dark;</span></i> and TV’s <i>Alfred Hitchcock Presents). </i>Having
previously worked demonstrating electric belts in drugstore windows for all to
see before he became a private eye, cynical Guy is determined to hang onto his
meal ticket: “Willie the Pooh’s my dream man, and I’m gonna keep fishing him out
of manholes just as long as he keeps paying off.”<br />
<br />
Too bad Willie gets himself
framed for the murder of Dolores Gonzales (Cecilia Callejo from <i>Blood and
Sand;</i> <i>The Falcon in Mexico), </i>a “Broadway nymph” and bubble dancer in
the Sally Rand mold, who’d been all set to sue Willie for allegedly jilting
her—until Guy and New York’s Finest find Dolores murdered on the floor with the
ever-drunken Willie not knowing which end is up.<br />
<br />
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<![endif]--><b>“Willie the Pooh,” found at one of the <br />places he's been seen going around.</b></span></span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
But he brings his troubles on
himself, considering he keeps demanding to kill “wops” when he’s “snoozled,”
especially when he’s in public. Where are Nick and Nora Charles in <i>
<span style="color: red;">The Thin Man</span></i> and/or its other sequels when
you need them? The only clue to Dolores’ killer is a dime mysteriously cut in
half. Our perplexed P.I. finds him<br />
self framed by Vivian Tarbel, <i>a.k.a.</i>
the newly-minted Mrs. Heyward (Frances Drake of <i>Mad Love</i> and the 1935
version of <i>Les Miserables)</i> and her honey, Al Mallon (Sidney Blackmer, the
great character actor who’s graced everything from <i>Charlie Chan in Monte
Carlo</i> to <i>Rosemary’s Baby).</i> Before you can say “Philo Vance,” Guy is
charged with conspiracy and sentenced to a year in Sing Sing.
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
On the train to prison, Guy is handcuffed to Sergeant Koretz (Nat Pendleton, <i>
<span style="color: red;">Thin Man</span></i> alumnus and one of Team Bartilucci’s
favorite wrestlers-turned-actors), accompanied by Lieutenant Miller (Edgar
Kennedy, Mr. Slow Burn himself) as they pass the time playing poker. Guy notices
a personal ad in a nearby newspaper: “Why don’t you come to Saugerties Theater
Wednesday evening, and see your long-lost husband? HALF-A-DIME.” (For you
readers unfamiliar with upstate New York, yes, Saugerties <i>is</i> a real
town.) Guy tricks Koretz into leaving their compartment for a smoke, and <i>
*SPLASH!*</i> Guy manages a watery escape under cover of night (shouldn’t Edwina
be in bed at that hour? Surely she’d lose too much of her beauty sleep).<br />
<br />
But
our perky poetess happens to see the whole thing. Before you can say “I swear by
my eyes,” which Edwina says all through the picture<i>,</i> Guy takes Edwina
hostage, and wacky hijinks ensue. Elsewhere, in one of my favorite bits, Sgt.
Koretz tries to convince the local police that he was jumped by a mob instead of
Guy tricking him and knocking him out singlehandedly. If you ask me, Guy could
be so obnoxious sometimes, I wouldn’t have minded if someone had punched <i>his</i>
lights out! For that matter, I’d love to see where Edwina got the notion that
criminals are gallant. Maybe she’s been reading and writing <i>too much</i>
poetry? Then again, Guy isn’t always as smart as he thinks he is, either! For
instance, Edwina actually gets Guy out of a jam when they’re lost in the woods.
Boy Scout Stanley Cavendish pretends to go for help, but Edwina realizes just in
time that the scout is about to sic John Law on him! The kid isn’t even honest
about his name; it’s really Herman Plotka! If you ask me, Guy needs to brush up
his P.I. skills. Where’s Sam Spade when you need him? Stewart’s Coke-bottle
glasses disguise cracked me up!
(Fun Fact:
Herman’s name comes from Mildred Plotka, <i>a.k.a.</i> Lily Garland in the 1934
comedy <i>Twentieth Century.)</i>
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qLz8k8R-NCw/Tc7ln-gzGTI/AAAAAAAAAIk/mrG6qStRuBA/s1600/IT%2527S+A+WONDERFUL+WORLD%252C+Stewart+%2526+Colbert%252C+apple+orchard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qLz8k8R-NCw/Tc7ln-gzGTI/AAAAAAAAAIk/mrG6qStRuBA/s320/IT%2527S+A+WONDERFUL+WORLD%252C+Stewart+%2526+Colbert%252C+apple+orchard.jpg" height="320" j8="true" width="254" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #cc0000; color: white;"><b>How do you like them apples? <br />
Isn't this how Stockholm Syndrome starts?</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Bit by bit, the comedy starts to percolate as Guy and Edwina find themselves
obliged to join forces out in the wilds of upstate New York, with Edwina
alternately helping and unwittingly hindering Guy as he tries to prove his
innocence and save Willie from the electric chair. As I said, the first
two-thirds of <i>It’s A Wonderful World</i> is watchable, if not exactly
full-tilt hilarious.<br />
<br />
But.<br />
<br />
As our dear friend and fellow blogger R.A. Kerr might say, a miracle happens, as
described by my husband Vinnie: “Suddenly Claudette Colbert shifted the plot
into reverse psychology!” <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dd-BMtmEyLo/U0rz-D1DvWI/AAAAAAAADw4/l7DmFQUaNp0/s1600/Iaww06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dd-BMtmEyLo/U0rz-D1DvWI/AAAAAAAADw4/l7DmFQUaNp0/s1600/Iaww06.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #cc0000;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: white;">A guy, a poetess...romance?</span></span></b></span></td></tr>
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By some miracle, comedy and suspense suddenly blend together beautifully at the
Saugerties County Theatre’s production of the Maxwell Anderson/Laurence
Stallings play <i>What Price Glory?</i> Slowly but surely, Guy warms up to
Edwina , who’s already falling in love with Guy despite the bickering that
always seems to be expected in such situations; just ask Robert Donat and
Madeleine Carroll in <i><span style="color: #0070c0;">The 39 Steps. </span></i>
Our heroes infiltrate the theater when scene-stealing grand-dame theater
director Madame J. L. Chambers (Cecil Cunningham from the 1931 <i>Monkey
Business; The Awful Truth) </i>hires Guy as the play’s new Southern-accented
actor, “Cyril Hemingway.” <br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xh4KAl-POk0/U0sQMij9FDI/AAAAAAAADyM/4myg_UFWVS8/s1600/IaWW08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xh4KAl-POk0/U0sQMij9FDI/AAAAAAAADyM/4myg_UFWVS8/s1600/IaWW08.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Do you-all have shootin' in this play?"<br />
"Nothing but. It's the noisiest backstage since <i>Ben Hur".</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Cap comes to help Guy, only to become a human Whack-A-Mole as Edwina’s
well-meant attempts to help both men keep backfiring. I was worried that poor
Cap would be brain-damaged before this dizzy tale was over! What’s more,
Vivian’s Aussie ex turns up, unaware he’s got a target on his back, poor fella!
The stage cast within the movie’s cast (is there a scorecard in the house?)
includes Team Bartilucci favorite Hans Conried <i>(<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045464/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_137">The
5,000 Fingers of Dr. T.</a>; </i>TV’<i>s Make Room For Daddy; Fractured
Flickers);</i> as well as George Chandler (Bogart fans will remember Chandler as
nervous bartender Louis Ord in <i><span style="color: red;"><a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2011/04/dead-reckoning-if-youre-looking-for.html" target="_blank">Dead Reckoning</a>);
</span></i>as well as<i><span style="color: red;"> </span>Anchors Aweigh;</i> and
Grady Sutton, who I always remember from TV’s <i><span style="color: #002060;">Odd
Couple</span></i> episode “The Flying Felix” as Tony Randall tries lip-reading:
“I sense…much…trouble…in…the…fuselage…Frederick!”<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HVpp9lXsPWU/U0rzpWQwRGI/AAAAAAAADwc/CtMyNz0ynCY/s1600/IaWW10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HVpp9lXsPWU/U0rzpWQwRGI/AAAAAAAADwc/CtMyNz0ynCY/s1600/IaWW10.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><i>CATFIGHT!!!</i></span></span></span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
All kidding aside, there’s genuine suspense in the urgently-whispered
conversation between Cap and Guy as we’re reminded that Willie’s life is at
stake. There’s even a nifty little catfight between Edwina and Vivian at the
end!<br />
Leading man Stewart was under contract to MGM at the time, but the studio never
seemed to know how to exploit his talents until other studios led the way for
them. A 1937 loan-out to Columbia for Frank Capra's <i>You Can't Take It With
You</i> had proven his skill at folksy comedy, which explains Stewart’s casting
in this screwball farce. But his fans at the time were horrified to see him
playing a cynical, chauvinistic private eye who at one point even slugs his
leading lady!<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uKvJwM4wV3Q/Tc7nPaZUZ6I/AAAAAAAAAIo/bNs9ik5eaR8/s1600/It%2527s_a_Wonderful_World_1939+poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uKvJwM4wV3Q/Tc7nPaZUZ6I/AAAAAAAAAIo/bNs9ik5eaR8/s1600/It%2527s_a_Wonderful_World_1939+poster.jpg" j8="true" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/1460/It-s-a-Wonderful-World/articles.html">As Frank Miller explains in his article on the TCM Web site,</a> “Claudette Colbert had looked forward to getting MGM’s legendary glamour
treatment. However, her hopes
<span style="color: #4f6228;">“were dashed when director W.S. Van Dyke was
assigned to the picture. Although he had helped create the screwball genre as
director of <i>The Thin Man</i> in 1934, he was popular with studio head Louis
B. Mayer mainly because he worked quickly, earning the nickname ‘One-Take
Woody.’ His female star was appalled at how quickly he threw the film together,
being used to the more leisurely pace at her home studio, Paramount, where great
care was always taken to showcase her beauty.”</span> Anyway, Colbert got more
opportunities for glamour roles at MGM in films like <i>The Secret Heart (1946).</i><br />
<i>
</i><br />
Although <i><span style="color: red;">It's a Wonderful World</span></i> got some
good reviews, particularly from Hecht fan Otis Ferguson in <i>The New Republic</i>,
it was mostly dismissed by critics for having too many cheap laughs. Writing for
the <i>New York Times</i>, Frank Nugent complained, “Ben Hecht must have sent
out native beaters with tom-toms and slapsticks to drive stray gags from miles
around into the Metro corral for It's a Wonderful World....The comedy is almost
too strenuous for relaxation." After only three years as an MGM producer, Frank
Davis would return to writing after this picture, scoring some of his biggest
successes with his scripts for <i>A Tree Grows in Brooklyn</i> (1945) and <i>The
Train</i> (1964). Before that, however, he would issue his own rather prophetic
assessment of the production: “The studio should have known that Jimmy Stewart
would never do any of those unconvincing things. However, I predict that his
next film, <i>Mr. Smith Goes to Washington</i> [1939], will more than make up.”
And how!Vinnie Bartiluccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12031831695722239873noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-27417384411003662032014-04-12T16:05:00.000-04:002014-04-12T16:16:27.542-04:00Witness for the Prosecution: Jury of the Peerless!<span style="color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: #0b5394;"><b>This revised version
of<i> Witness for the Prosecution </i>is hosted by the<i> Diamond & Gold
Blogathon, </i>hosted<i> </i>by<i> Caftan Woman </i>and <i>Wide Screen
World. </i>Enjoy</b>!</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-jyba5qtBjyw/TXD9BIDQOAI/AAAAAAAAAGM/R06iQrvmNtA/s1600/Electrifying+Witness+Prosecution+Hot+Clinch+poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-jyba5qtBjyw/TXD9BIDQOAI/AAAAAAAAAGM/R06iQrvmNtA/s1600/Electrifying+Witness+Prosecution+Hot+Clinch+poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" l6="true" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-jyba5qtBjyw/TXD9BIDQOAI/AAAAAAAAAGM/R06iQrvmNtA/s320/Electrifying+Witness+Prosecution+Hot+Clinch+poster.jpg" width="320" /></a><i><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deW1WD_iFpk">Witness for the Prosecution</a> <b>(WftP)</b></i>, another one of my all-time favorite movies,<b> </b>sizzles, sparkles, and surprises from its opening credits in the Old Bailey, to its rollercoaster twists and turns, to its jaw-dropping climax. In fact, one of the things I love about the plot twists of this 1957 thriller is that they play fair with the audience, unlike so many films that don’t care if a twist doesn’t make a lick of sense as long as viewers get a momentary shock, however cheap and sloppily executed. The Billy Wilder Touch adds cynical wit to his sparkling adaptation of Dame Agatha Christie's suspenseful, internationally-beloved courtroom drama with some of the best lines in a Wilder movie since <a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2011/07/double-indemnity-secret-life-of-walter.html"><i>Double Indemnity</i></a>, thanks to writers Wilder, Harry Kurnitz, and Larry Marcus. Sir Wilfrid’s query about the features of defendant Leonard Vole’s eggbeater,<b> </b><span style="background-color: #f1c232;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><b>"Is that really desirable?"</b></span></span> has become a catchphrase in our household, as well as <a href="http://itrd.blogspot.com/2011/02/looks-like-ill-have-to-buy-white-album.html">the title of one of Team Bartilucci's blogs.</a> Indeed, the only thing keeping me from putting <b><i>WftP</i></b> on my list of “Best Alfred Hitchcock Movies That Hitchcock <i>Never</i> Made” is the fact that even Hitchcock himself admitted that courtroom dramas weren’t among his considerable strengths or interests.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wMI02EyWyLo/Tvo2fxE6uWI/AAAAAAAAA6o/7MCjhWWhMmk/s1600/Witness+for+the+Prosecution%252C+Lanchester+and+Laughton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wMI02EyWyLo/Tvo2fxE6uWI/AAAAAAAAA6o/7MCjhWWhMmk/s1600/Witness+for+the+Prosecution%252C+Lanchester+and+Laughton.jpg" height="271" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="background-color: #351c75;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="background-color: #990000; color: white;">Miss Plimsoll, won't you join me </span><br style="color: white;" /><span style="background-color: #990000; color: white;">in a duet of "Baby, It's Cold Outside"? </span></b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EhoSr2UQyQI/U0l2gNp4d_I/AAAAAAAADsQ/P8poQ1GlfXw/s1600/WftP01.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EhoSr2UQyQI/U0l2gNp4d_I/AAAAAAAADsQ/P8poQ1GlfXw/s1600/WftP01.gif" height="235" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Not sure you can trust your client? </span></span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="background-color: #990000; color: white;">Sir Wilfrid's Monocole Test Never fails</span></b>!</span></span></span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ksAxLMqL4bY/U0mC-C4OaPI/AAAAAAAADsk/FVfIJv4JpM0/s1600/WftP01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ksAxLMqL4bY/U0mC-C4OaPI/AAAAAAAADsk/FVfIJv4JpM0/s1600/WftP01.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;">Sir Wilfrid Robarts comes home, recovering from his "teeny-weeny heart attack" as nurse Miss Plimsoll reveals he wasn't released, he was expelled -- conduct unbecoming a cardiac patient! <br />(Sir Wilfrid to Miss Plimsoll: "Put these in water, blabbermouth")</span></span></b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Talk about powerhouse
stars! The versatile Charles Laughton (his many great roles include his
Oscar-winning <i>The Private Life of Henry VIII; Hobson’s Choice; <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-big-clock-1948-beware-boss-from-hell.html" target="_blank">The Big Clock</a>)</span></i> plays Sir Wilfrid Robarts, <i>a.k.a.</i>
“Wilfrid the Fox,” a brilliant veteran barrister who won’t let his cardiac
health issues stand in the way of helping a client beat a murder rap riddled
with circumstantial evidence. This adds extra suspense during the trial as we
in the audience nervously wonder if Sir Wilfrid will keel over with a heart
attack from the strain of it all! Laughton’s real-life wife Elsa Lanchester is
a delightful foil for him as chipper yet no-nonsense nurse Miss Plimsoll.
Laughton and Lanchester shine in the most engaging performances of their
careers, garnering well-deserved Oscar nominations! (<b><i>WftP</i></b> also
earned nominations for Best Picture, Billy Wilder’s direction, Daniel Mandell’s
editing, and Gordon Sawyer’s sound recording, but it was <i>The Bridge on the
River Kwai’s </i>year; sorry, guys!) The comic sparring chemistry between Sir Wilfrid and
Miss Plimsoll, and the playful warmth and understanding that grows between
them by movie’s end, had my husband Vinnie opining that if another movie was
made featuring these characters, Miss Plimsoll would probably end up as Mrs.
Robarts before it was over. What a delightful series that could have been, kind
of like a British <i>Thin Man</i> (okay, so Laughton was chubby; it makes him
cuddly!) with Sir Wilfrid being the eager crime-stopper and Miss Plimsoll
making a show of tut-tutting until she finally goes along with Wilfrid the
Fox’s schemes with a smile!<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-LGbIBU0BeY4/TXEFcYYusmI/AAAAAAAAAGU/xw6qFSU7Tlk/s1600/Witness+Prosecution+50+Years+poster%252C+blog+post.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" l6="true" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-LGbIBU0BeY4/TXEFcYYusmI/AAAAAAAAAGU/xw6qFSU7Tlk/s400/Witness+Prosecution+50+Years+poster%252C+blog+post.jpg" width="171" /></a><br />
Back to the plot: Even though Sir Wilfrid’s friends and colleagues keep
telling him to relax and take it easy after his heart attack, he can’t resist
taking the case of a new client who needs help, but quick! Sir Wilfrid’s
new client is Leonard Vole (Tyrone Power of <i>The Razor’s Edge; The Black
Swan; <a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2013/03/nightmare-alley-youve-got-power.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Nightmare Alley</span></a>)</i><b>.</b><span style="color: red;"> </span>Look up “Vole” in the dictionary, and you’ll
see how clever his name is.) Leonard is an unemployed but affable
inventor, the kind of fella you can’t help liking, especially when a lonely
widow like Mrs. French needs a friend, especially if he’s younger than Mrs.
French and they’ve both got time on their hands—a <i>real</i> lady-killer,
perhaps? Leonard has been accused of murdering Emily Jane French, the
kind of older woman who often has too much time on her hands, or as the French
say, “Women of a certain age.” Was Mrs. French killed by a burglar, as Leonard
insists? Or was it, as Mr. Meyers (Torin Thatcher from <i>The Fallen
Idol; Major Barbara)</i> sardonically suggests the culprits are all random
burglars and/or burglaresses. The luckless Mrs. French is played by one
of Team Bartilucci's favorite character actresses, Norma Varden (from <a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2012/02/glass-key-littlest-gumshoe.html" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: red;">The Glass Key;</span></i></a> Alfred Hitchcock’s <a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2010/10/lovers-and-other-stranglers-alfred.html" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: red;">Strangers on a Train</span></i>)</a>. Varden and Power work
together beautifully in their scenes, portraying Mrs. French’s sweet-natured
longing as funny and poignant at the same time.
<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-arZQ7OOy9a8/Tvo58O8rpuI/AAAAAAAAA7k/qbd6Lv04jCU/s1600/Witness+for+the+Prosecution%252C+Power+and+Dietrich+in+court.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-arZQ7OOy9a8/Tvo58O8rpuI/AAAAAAAAA7k/qbd6Lv04jCU/s1600/Witness+for+the+Prosecution%252C+Power+and+Dietrich+in+court.jpg" height="310" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="background-color: #990000; color: white;">Christine Vole: Hostile Hottie Witness!</span></b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9D9UC0MoQbI/U0mXpl-TrSI/AAAAAAAADuc/YbpRxhUJxB8/s1600/WftP02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9D9UC0MoQbI/U0mXpl-TrSI/AAAAAAAADuc/YbpRxhUJxB8/s1600/WftP02.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="background-color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Busted! </i>Sir Wilfrid's nurse,, Miss Plimsoll <br />already knows where the bodies, er, cigars, are hidden! </span></span></span></b><i><br /></i></td></tr>
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<br />
<br />
Speaking
of beautiful, Marlene Dietrich is absolutely mesmerizing in both looks and
acting talent as Leonard’s war bride Christine, she of the duplicitous tactics,
malleable marriage contract, and unshakable alibi <i>against </i>the gobsmacked
Leonard! Is Christine truly the ultimate bitch, or is there more to her
agenda? The entertaining flashbacks that Wilder and company deftly weave
throughout the film to give it more verve and movement works beautifully,
especially in Christine and Leonard’s sexy
meet-cute/fall-in-love/dig-those-legs scenes, in and out of flashbacks. Dietrich and Power are dynamic in
their scenes, whether it’s love or hate or payback time! It's a shame
Dietrich’s brilliant, multifaceted performance wasn't nominated for an Oscar as
well, on account of the producers not wanting to spoil a certain crucial
surprise twist! Tyrone Power's usual ever-so-slightly wooden delivery actually
serves him well as defendant Leonard Vole; somehow it adds to his air of
feckless innocence. Veteran character actors Henry Daniell <i>(The Great Dictator),</i> John Williams <i>(<a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2011/07/tale-of-two-dials.html" target="_blank">Dial M for Murder</a>),</i> Ian
Wolfe <i>(Rebel Without A Cause; Red</i> , and Torin Thatcher provide able support, too, with original Broadway
cast member Una O'Connor <i>(The Invisible Man; Bride of Frankenstein)</i>
stealing her scenes as Mrs. French's loyal Scottish housekeeper Janet
MacKenzie, who’s suspicious and “antag’nistic” to the beleaguered Leonard.
Sadly, <b><i>WftP </i></b>was O’Connor’s final film before her death in
1959, but what a memorable swansong it was. In our household, "Is that
really desirable?" has become a catchphrase (as well as the title of one
of Team Bartilucci’s blogs: <a href="http://itrd.blogspot.com/">http://itrd.blogspot.com</a> ), along with many other gems from the mouths of star
Laughton and the rest of the sterling cast! :-) <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W6mOj7Dz5SE/U0mQxydJLMI/AAAAAAAADtQ/bjjraADYqR8/s1600/wFTp03.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W6mOj7Dz5SE/U0mQxydJLMI/AAAAAAAADtQ/bjjraADYqR8/s1600/wFTp03.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Another satisfied customer from Leonard Vole, Inventor!</span></span></span></b><br />
<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-shZUeaOhVCE/U0mSLzs2Q3I/AAAAAAAADtc/KwY4CrYAsa0/s1600/WftP03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-shZUeaOhVCE/U0mSLzs2Q3I/AAAAAAAADtc/KwY4CrYAsa0/s1600/WftP03.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #990000;">What kind of person was the late Mrs. Emily Jane French?<br />What breed? A lady with a perky hat on, thanks to her new best buddy Leonard Vole!<br />Just make sure she doesn't go to dinner parties with Alfred Hitchcock!</span></span></span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Maybe it’s a British thing, but I was struck by how people took Sir Wilfrid’s
cantankerous side in stride. It’s a refreshing change from what my
husband Vinnie calls “gas-permeable people” whose overly-fragile feelings are
crushed by any response that’s less than 100% sweet and sensitive. I love how
nobody takes Sir Wilfrid’s cranky pronouncements to heart, including Miss
Plimsoll, who gives as good as she gets, like when she reveals she knows all
about the cigars hidden in his cane (not to mention the brandy he’s squirreled
away).<br />
<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BzuXn8tLnto/U0mOgQuGp8I/AAAAAAAADtE/RaZGtgK8Uwk/s1600/WftP04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BzuXn8tLnto/U0mOgQuGp8I/AAAAAAAADtE/RaZGtgK8Uwk/s1600/WftP04.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">No disrespect to Mrs. French, but Christine Vole rocks that hat way better!</span></span></span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
I promised Vinnie I’d carry on the tradition of not revealing the surprise
ending of <b><i>WftP</i></b> (I won’t blab!) Here’s the filmmakers word
of warning:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="background-color: #990000; color: white;">“Notice! To preserve the secret of the surprise ending, patrons are advised <i>NOT</i> to take their seats during the last few minutes of </span><i><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #990000;">Witness for the Prosecution.”</span></span></i></b></span></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">While you’re at it, don’t blab to your friends, either! I’ll only say I'd have paid good money to see the sequel that the ending implies. The film’s suspenseful surprises were so zealously guarded that when </span><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><i>WftP</i></b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> was shown in London for a Royal Command Performance, even the Royal Family had to promise beforehand not to reveal the surprise ending to anyone else!</span><br />
<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UCGOS6M6cxw/U0llRFvNklI/AAAAAAAADrs/RBsrS8tQ8bM/s1600/WftP02.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UCGOS6M6cxw/U0llRFvNklI/AAAAAAAADrs/RBsrS8tQ8bM/s1600/WftP02.gif" /></a></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JF64lcPzi4Q/TXEFOfkEfNI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/HwYxz75fgcQ/s1600/600full-witness-for-the-prosecution-screenshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" l6="true" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JF64lcPzi4Q/TXEFOfkEfNI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/HwYxz75fgcQ/s320/600full-witness-for-the-prosecution-screenshot.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="background-color: #351c75; color: white;">Looks like Leonard doesn't have a leg to stand on, </span><br style="background-color: #351c75; color: white;" /><span style="background-color: #351c75; color: white;">but Christine sure does!</span></b></span><br />
<b><span style="background-color: #351c75; color: white;"><br /></span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-tEVMzI5Ybtc/TXEGLFI-eTI/AAAAAAAAAGY/yeNigzI0T-E/s1600/Saul+Bass-Like+Witness+Prosecution+poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<img border="0" height="400" l6="true" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-tEVMzI5Ybtc/TXEGLFI-eTI/AAAAAAAAAGY/yeNigzI0T-E/s400/Saul+Bass-Like+Witness+Prosecution+poster.jpg" width="296" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="background-color: #cc0000;"> Hear Sir Charles Laughton and Elsa Lanchester in their romantic duet, <br />Baby, It's Cold Outside"!</span></span></b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/CJ5UIuAa0eM" width="420"></iframe>
Vinnie Bartiluccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12031831695722239873noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-22896574221285348132014-03-16T17:44:00.002-04:002014-03-28T17:55:25.779-04:00The Big Clock (1948): Beware the Boss from HELL!<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><b><span style="background-color: #f1c232;">This post is part of the Sleuthathon, hosted by Fritzi Kramer of <i>Movies, Silently, </i>from March 16th through March 17th, 2014. Don your deerstalkers and have a great time!</span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">
</span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lX-dZPA5C2w/UyYB4MtNVnI/AAAAAAAADmQ/eEhhxRFcucg/s1600/TBC01.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lX-dZPA5C2w/UyYB4MtNVnI/AAAAAAAADmQ/eEhhxRFcucg/s1600/TBC01.gif" height="246" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: yellow;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ironically, this is <i>NOT</i> a scene from </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>The Lost Weekend!</i></span></b></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bwMBfXqH024/UyYg5Moiq2I/AAAAAAAADo0/oDuWzIQUUzk/s1600/1948+The+Big+Clock+Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bwMBfXqH024/UyYg5Moiq2I/AAAAAAAADo0/oDuWzIQUUzk/s1600/1948+The+Big+Clock+Poster.jpg" height="400" width="208" /></a></div>
Paramount’s 1948 thriller<b><i> The Big Clock (TBC),</i></b> based on
poet/novelist Kenneth Fearing’s 1946 suspense novel, is not only a riveting
hunted-man story with a fresh twist, but also a cautionary tale about what can
happen if you let your job dictate your life:<br />
<ol>
<li>You’ll miss
your own honeymoon, as well as every family vacation.</li>
<li>Your marriage
will suffer as your loving, understanding wife and child start to lose faith in
you, along with your endless excuses, as your family life erodes.</li>
<li>What am I
saying? Family life? <i>What</i> family life? Kiss it goodbye!</li>
<li>Worst of all,
when your obsessive, <i>uber</i>-controlling Boss From Hell kills someone in a
fit of rage, you just might find <i>yourself </i>suspected of the crime!</li>
</ol>
<pstyle text-autospace:none=""><pstyle margin-bottom:12.0pt="" text-autospace:none=""><pstyle -.25in="" .5in="" 0in="" 12.0pt="" margin-bottom:="" margin-left:="" margin-right:="" margin-top:="" none="" text-autospace:="" text-indent:="">
<br />
Happily, in real life, <b><i>TBC</i></b> was a family affair, with director John
Farrow <i>(Five Came Back; <a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2011/12/his-kind-of-woman-face-music.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">His Kind of Woman)</span></a></i>
working with his real-life wife Maureen O’Sullivan <i>(<span style="color: red;">The Thin Man;</span> Tarzan the Ape Man</i> and its many sequels). Last but far
from least, Farrow cast the real-life husband-and-wife team of Charles Laughton
and Elsa Lanchester, who<i> </i>also teamed up for<i><span style="color: red;">
<a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2011/03/witness-for-prosecution-jury-of.html" target="_blank">Witness for the Prosecution</a></span></i>, the latter earning Oscar nominations for
both Charles and Elsa!<b><i> </i></b>It’s even a reunion of sorts for star Ray
Milland and composer Victor Young, who brought us the 1944 chiller <i>The
Uninvited, </i>also starring Milland; who could forget the beautiful<i> “Stella
by Starlight,” </i>as well<i> </i>as the delightful <i>Road to Morocco? </i>
</pstyle></pstyle></pstyle><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EYRUlmak2Es/UyXThnWVkAI/AAAAAAAADjI/S10c7zqipVA/s1600/TBC02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EYRUlmak2Es/UyXThnWVkAI/AAAAAAAADjI/S10c7zqipVA/s1600/TBC02.jpg" height="284" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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</xml><![endif]--><b><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Poor George! Maybe
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cnE5WCQaWmc/UyXe43vbCZI/AAAAAAAADjY/4vaIomJ8W8s/s1600/Big+Clock+-+00001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cnE5WCQaWmc/UyXe43vbCZI/AAAAAAAADjY/4vaIomJ8W8s/s1600/Big+Clock+-+00001.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;">Stop the presses! <br />Overworked George </span></span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;">Stroud<br />tells boss where to get off: Wheeling, West Virginia!</span></span></span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-guXUc7M8Vd0/UyXz6Chk5II/AAAAAAAADlI/E5-r3RyEKXo/s1600/TBC01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-guXUc7M8Vd0/UyXz6Chk5II/AAAAAAAADlI/E5-r3RyEKXo/s1600/TBC01.jpg" height="231" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Noel Neill of <i>The Adventures of Superman</i> wishes<br />she could fly up, up, and away from fresh elevator operators!</span></span></span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X1DewCw9fRY/UyX3Hgq3IOI/AAAAAAAADlc/ShSlA5jOKu0/s1600/TBC03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X1DewCw9fRY/UyX3Hgq3IOI/AAAAAAAADlc/ShSlA5jOKu0/s1600/TBC03.jpg" height="235" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Janoth Publication's big clock: The Hands of Fate</span></span></span></b><span style="color: #351c75;">!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5dGIkDgL20o/UyX5ZchlcVI/AAAAAAAADlw/xObbvjRiaug/s1600/Big+Clock+-+00017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5dGIkDgL20o/UyX5ZchlcVI/AAAAAAAADlw/xObbvjRiaug/s1600/Big+Clock+-+00017.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Georgette, it's not what you think! <br />We're singing along with Pauline to "Do-Re-Me!"</span></b></span></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<pstyle text-autospace:none=""><pstyle margin-bottom:12.0pt="" text-autospace:none=""><pstyle -.25in="" .5in="" 0in="" 12.0pt="" margin-bottom:="" margin-left:="" margin-right:="" margin-top:="" none="" text-autospace:="" text-indent:=""><pstyle text-autospace:none=""><pstyle text-autospace:none="">Set in NYC (in 1948,that was present-day),
<b><i>TBC</i></b> introduces us to George Stroud (Milland), letting us in on our
anxious hero’s innermost thoughts as he hides in the giant clock in the Janoth
Publications lobby at night. George works for a huge Time-Warner/Henry
Luce-style publishing company. Director of Photography John F.Seitz <i>(<span style="color: red;"><a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2011/07/double-indemnity-secret-life-of-walter.html" target="_blank">Double Indemnity</a>; <a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2011/02/lost-weekend-goes-cold-turkey-ones-too.html" target="_blank">The Lost Weekend</a>)</span></i><span style="color: red;"> </span>works
superbly in the film’s “docu-noir” style, with Edith Head’s costume design
always a pleasure to see. In flashbacks, we see that despite being married for
seven years, George and his lovely and charming wife Georgette (O’Sullivan) have
never had a honeymoon. We also learn that the head man at Janoth Publications,
Earl Janoth<span style="color: red;"><i> </i></span> (Laughton), hired George after he cracked a major murder
case on his old newspaper in Wheeling, WV, and control-freak Janoth hasn’t given
George a day off since, always snatching the Stroud family’s vacations from
under them at the very last minute. Adorably enough, George and Georgette have
a young son, George Jr. With the prestige and great salary Crimeways<i><span style="font-variant: small-caps;">
</span></i>affords him, George has always been reluctant to say “No” to Janoth,
especially since Janoth does <i>NOT </i>take “No!” for an answer. However, our
hero is getting fed up, big-time! So is Georgette, who sadly notes, “Sometimes
I think you married that magazine instead of me…Little George hardly knows
you...We’re like two strangers sharing an apartment.” George and Georgette do
their best to get as much family time as possible under the circumstances;
perhaps that’s why the Stroud family’s names are all in various versions of the
name “George”— papa George, mama Georgette, and son George Jr., sometimes even
just calling each other “George” just for the heck of it. At least it helps the
family to keep track of each other! You have to wonder how George and Georgette
even got time to <i>start </i>a family! </pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q565_LmXjqk/UyXhTDOUrJI/AAAAAAAADj0/MHpxgQ7kG1w/s1600/Big+Clock+-+00006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q565_LmXjqk/UyXhTDOUrJI/AAAAAAAADj0/MHpxgQ7kG1w/s1600/Big+Clock+-+00006.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;"><b><span style="background-color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Louise Paterson tries to get her painting back, only to find she's in a bidding war! </span></span></b></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j1WNg3V4ZTg/UyX9-HxkgiI/AAAAAAAADl8/q9NF4oxoTno/s1600/Big+Clock+-+00003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j1WNg3V4ZTg/UyX9-HxkgiI/AAAAAAAADl8/q9NF4oxoTno/s1600/Big+Clock+-+00003.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;">Meet Pauline York, Janoth's mistress, an aspiring singer.<br /> Is she tired of singing for her supper, or does she have a veiled agenda?</span></span></b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Time really is money in Earl Janoth’s tight, suffocating world; for instance,
this phone conversation between Janoth’s right-hand man Steve Hagen (George
Macready from <i>Gilda; Paths of Glory; My Name is Julia Ross</i>): <b>
<span style="color: #0070c0;">“On the fourth floor, in the broom closet, a bulb
has been burning for several days. Find the man responsible, dock his pay.”</span></b>
I know we’re all trying to conserve energy (even back in the 1940s), but Janoth
doesn’t have to be a tyrant about it! In this sharp, twisty manhunt thriller,
the renowned mystery writer Jonathan Latimer <i><span style="color: red;">(<a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2012/02/glass-key-littlest-gumshoe.html" target="_blank">The Glass Key</a>;</span></i> <i>They Won’t Believe Me;</i> TV’s <i>Perry Mason)</i> had
ably adapted Fearing’s novel for the silver screen, with its blend of suspense,
urban cynicism, and smart, snappy dialogue virtually intact. I also find it
intriguing that everything at Janoth Publications seems to be carved in stone,
all cold and unyielding. George does make big money at Janoth Publications,and
it’s always cool to work in the big city, but I’ve also known people like
George, who have grueling hours and no time to themselves, to the detriment of
their family lives, with some co-workers even getting divorces from the pressure.<br />
<br />
<pstyle text-autospace:none=""><pstyle margin-bottom:12.0pt="" text-autospace:none=""><pstyle -.25in="" .5in="" 0in="" 12.0pt="" margin-bottom:="" margin-left:="" margin-right:="" margin-top:="" none="" text-autospace:="" text-indent:=""><pstyle text-autospace:none=""><pstyle text-autospace:none=""><pstyle text-autospace:none="">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--f1okluDcPg/UyYEorwEQjI/AAAAAAAADmg/_rp2H0X0K8E/s1600/Big+Clock+-+00005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--f1okluDcPg/UyYEorwEQjI/AAAAAAAADmg/_rp2H0X0K8E/s1600/Big+Clock+-+00005.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;">Check out the Crimeways Clue Chart! That'll fix those no-goodniks!</span></span></span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I happen to
love both the novel and the Paramount movie version of <i>The Big Clock</i>.
The book is more gritty and complex, but there’s also plenty of wry humor in
it, too. For example, in Kenneth Fearing’s<b> novel</b>, the Strouds actually have a
little daughter, Georgia. My husband Vinnie and I always get a kick out of the
scenes with the Stroud family at breakfast; they always crack us up, because
they remind us of our own goofy yet loving family life (not to put the whammy on
it! We’re great believers in not taking our happiness for granted). For
instance, here’s the Stroud family at breakfast in the novel, starting with papa
George:</pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle><br />
<br />
<pstyle text-autospace:none=""><pstyle margin-bottom:12.0pt="" text-autospace:none=""><pstyle -.25in="" .5in="" 0in="" 12.0pt="" margin-bottom:="" margin-left:="" margin-right:="" margin-top:="" none="" text-autospace:="" text-indent:=""><pstyle text-autospace:none=""><pstyle text-autospace:none=""><pstyle text-autospace:none=""><pstyle text-autospace:none=""><pstyle text-autospace:none="">
<pstyle text-autospace:none=""><b>
<span style="color: #0070c0;">“Orange juice,” I said,
drinking mine. “These oranges just told me they came from Florida. <br />
<br />
My daughter gave me a glance of startled faith. “I didn’t hear anything,” she
said.”<br />
<br />
“You didn’t? One of them said they all came from a big ranch near
Jacksonville….”</span></b></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle><br />
<br />
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<pstyle text-autospace:none="">
<span style="color: #0070c0;">
</span>Here’s
my own favorite Georgia Breakfast Bit Breakfast scene from the novel, where
George regales us with <b>The Adventures of Cynthia!</b> She’s…<span style="color: #0070c0;"><br />
<br />
<b>“…about five, I think. Or maybe it was seven… (she) also had a habit of
kicking her feet against the table whenever she ate. Day after day, week in
and week out, year after year, she kicked it and kicked it. Then one fine day
the table said, ‘I’m getting pretty tired of this, and with that it pulled back
its leg, and <i>whango,</i> it booted Cynthia clear out of the window. Was she
surprised.”<br />
<br />
This one was a complete success. Georgia’s feet pounded in double-time, and she
upset what was left of her milk…”</b></span></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle><br />
<br />
<pstyle text-autospace:none=""><pstyle margin-bottom:12.0pt="" text-autospace:none=""><pstyle -.25in="" .5in="" 0in="" 12.0pt="" margin-bottom:="" margin-left:="" margin-right:="" margin-top:="" none="" text-autospace:="" text-indent:=""><pstyle text-autospace:none=""><pstyle text-autospace:none=""><pstyle text-autospace:none=""><pstyle text-autospace:none=""><pstyle text-autospace:none=""><pstyle text-autospace:none=""><pstyle text-autospace:none=""><pstyle text-autospace:none="">
<pstyle margin-bottom:12.0pt="" text-autospace:none="">
Some of the
film’s grittier elements were softened a bit in the 1948 film version, probably
for the Breen Office’s sake. For instance, Janoth and Pauline’s fight in the film results
from infidelity between Janoth and his mistress and possible aspiring
blackmailer Pauline York (played by radio actor-turned-film star Rita Johnson
from <i>Here Comes Mr. Jordan;</i> <i>Sleep, My Love;</i> Billy Wilder’s <i>The
Major and the Minor. </i>The film is as gripping as the book, sometimes more so. In Fearing’s novel, our
hero George Stroud talks about the “big clock” which inevitably runs our lives
no matter what: <br />
<span style="background-color: #38761d;"><br />
<span style="color: yellow;"><b>“Sometimes the hands of the clock actually raced, and at other times they
hardly moved at all. But that made no difference to the big clock…all other
watches have to be set by the big one, which is even more powerful than the
calendar, and to which one automatically adjusts his entire life…”</b>
</span></span></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle><br />
<br />
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<pstyle text-autospace:none="">
Keeping in
mind that film is, of course, a visual medium, the “big clock” metaphor becomes
a literal big clock — a huge clock/globe that can tell you the time anywhere in
the world — and lots of little clocks sprinkled all over the headquarters of
Janoth Publications, a Henry Luce/Time-Warner style magazine empire whose
periodicals include ace editor George’s magazine<i> Crimeways</i> <i><span style="font-variant: small-caps;">,</span></i> as well as <i>
Airways;</i> <i>Newsways</i>; <i>Sportways;</i> <i>Styleways</i>; etc. in the
1948 film version. Janoth and Pauline’s fight in
the film was the result of infidelity, but in the novel, their affair ends in
murder when each accuses the other of being a closeted gay (keep in mind this
was 1946). </pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6BwlhzTQZY4/UyYIljLw_nI/AAAAAAAADnE/jVueA_4V-FE/s1600/Big+Clock+-+00008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6BwlhzTQZY4/UyYIljLw_nI/AAAAAAAADnE/jVueA_4V-FE/s1600/Big+Clock+-+00008.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;"><b><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Georgette, darling, I was desolate! Thank goodness<br />this was the film version so I couldn't get into <i>worse</i> trouble!"</span></span></b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s5nUCgDFOvU/UyYItoNIalI/AAAAAAAADnM/PANhYCCAkA0/s1600/Big+Clock+-+00018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s5nUCgDFOvU/UyYItoNIalI/AAAAAAAADnM/PANhYCCAkA0/s1600/Big+Clock+-+00018.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;">George and Georgette better enjoy his firing while they can,<br />before George has to clear himself, by George!</span></span></span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2cf7Ub5dv-A/UyYMK96s-2I/AAAAAAAADnY/oHMU-tL_UMk/s1600/Big+Clock+-+00009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2cf7Ub5dv-A/UyYMK96s-2I/AAAAAAAADnY/oHMU-tL_UMk/s1600/Big+Clock+-+00009.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Henchman Bill doesn't talk much, but I bet he's thinking:<br />"Life is too short to massage this jerk! I'm joining the Army"!</span></span></span></b></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c5DL4mAJNwc/UyYGlW2AE3I/AAAAAAAADm4/WA8rufu4XaU/s1600/Big+Clock+-+00007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c5DL4mAJNwc/UyYGlW2AE3I/AAAAAAAADm4/WA8rufu4XaU/s1600/Big+Clock+-+00007.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;">What's this? A sundial, used for a shady purpose!</span></span></span></b></td></tr>
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It’s not all family fun and games when Earl Janoth’s mistress, Pauline York (Rita
Johnson<i> of The Major and the Minor; Sleep, My Love; Susan Slept Here)</i>
overhears George justifiably bellyaching to Janoth’s right hand man, Steve Hagen
(George Macready from <i>Gilda; Paths of Glory; My Name is Julia Ross)</i> about
his treatment at Janoth’s hands. At the Van Barth bar, Pauline tries to involve
George in a blackmail scheme targeting Janoth, but George isn’t interested,
though he <i>does</i> finally stand up to Janoth, getting himself fired and
blackballed, and drowns his sorrows at the bar with Pauline, only to realize too
late that he missed his train, with his disappointed family already heading to
West Virginia without him. It’s <i>The Lost Weekend</i>
time as the tipsy George and Pauline go on a bar crawl all over the East Side of
Manhattan, hunting for green clocks to spite Janoth on behalf of a colleague who
was fired for wanting to use red ink. Sheesh, Ray Milland’s characters really
need to knock off the booze! Didn’t Ray Milland learn anything from <i>The Lost
Weekend?<span style="color: red;"> </span></i>George and Pauline drop by Burt’s
Place (Frank Orth from<i><span style="color: red;">; <a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2011/12/have-yourself-sf-film-noir-christmas_1458.html" target="_blank">Lady in the Lake</a>; <a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2013/02/wonder-man-potato-salad-days.html" target="_blank">Wonder Man</a>,
</span></i>and of course, <i>The Lost Weekend),</i> where you can find anything
from a bubble to a sundial, in keeping with the time theme. The tipsy George
and Pauline keep the sundial as a souvenir. George is also lucky enough to get
a painting by George’s favorite artist, Louise Patterson (Lanchester) . Of
course, she’d probably appreciate it more if George hadn’t taken it from her in
an impromptu auction, as she huffs, “It’s a pity the wrong people have money!”<br />
<br />
In Fearing’s <b>novel</b>, Janoth’s mistress is Pauline Delos. Janoth and
Pauline have a far more heated quarrel in this version, starting with sex
between George and Pauline, which they’d apparently been doing for some time!
For people who are always swamped, they always seem to find time to be frisky!
Anyway, one night, after a visit to Pauline’s pad, Janoth spots George in the
shadows; fortunately, he couldn’t actually see George clearly. This time,
Janoth and Pauline have a far more heated argument in the novel as they each
draw first blood. Compare and contrast each version:<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #002060;">The Movie Version:</span></b><span style="color: #002060;"><br />
<b><i>Janoth:</i></b> “At least this time he wears a clean shirt.”<br />
<br />
<b><u>Pauline:</u></b> “Are you bringing that up again? Throwing that cab
driver in my face? You never forget him, do you?”<br />
<b><u>Janoth</u></b><u>: </u>“No. Do you?”<br />
<b><u>Pauline:</u></b> “No, you cheap imitation Napolean! <br />
<b><u>Janoth:</u></b> “And you don’t forget the bellboy or the lifeguard last
summer, or the tout at Saratoga, and who knows how many others? You don’t
forget any of them, including the one to come.”</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">George leads the Crimeways manhunt for "Jefferson Randolph," with ace investigator Bert Finch!<br />He saved us all from <i>The Thing from Another World,</i> for goodness' sake!</span></span></span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Pauline:</span></b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> “Do you think you could
make any woman happy? Have you lived this long without knowing that everybody
laughs at ya behind your back? You’d be You’d be pathetic if you weren’t so
disgusting!” <i>(Ouch!)</i></span><pstyle text-autospace:none=""><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br />
</span><br />
<b><span style="color: red;">The Novel’s Version <br />
(Prepare for swear words and adult situations!)</span></b> <br />
<br />
<span style="color: #c00000;">“At least this time, it’s a man.”</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="color: #c00000;">“Are you bringing that thing up again? Throwing
Alice in my face?...You talk. You, of all people….What about you and Steve
Hagen?...Do you think I’m blind? Did I ever see you two together when you
weren’t camping?...As if you weren’t married to that guy, all your life…Go on,
you son of a bitch, try to act surprised.”<br />
</span><br />
Well, Pauline is surprised, all right—dead surprised when Janoth loses it,
killing Pauline in a fit of rage! <i>Whango</i>—was Pauline ever surprised!
Which just goes to show that booze, adultery, and vicious insults are no way to
go through life, kids! In the film version, George and Pauline’s relationship
in the film ends as fast as it starts, with him waking up fully-clothed on her
couch after their pub crawl. Seeing Janoth’s car on the street, Pauline hustles
the dazed George out the door. Alas, Janoth is outside waiting for his turn with
the sly blonde. Though he doesn’t see George’s face as he slips out of sight,
Janoth still suspects the worst. He lets Pauline have it, bludgeoning her with
the heavy sundial, killing her instantly. The tight close-ups on the quarreling
lovers’ angry faces, especially Janoth’s; nobody’s jowls quiver like Charles
Laughton’s! In any case, these scene adds enough intensity to make up for the
bowdlerized argument before the murder. <br />
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The desperate but wily Janoth gets a brainwave: he’ll have Steve rig the clues
to misdirect suspicion, and he’ll recruit the crack staff of <i>
<span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Crimeways</span></i> to track down the
culprit, catching a killer and boosting magazine sales at the same time—and who
better to lead the manhunt than our own George Stroud! George can’t turn Janoth
down this time; by leading the investigation, he can help to save himself do
with some clever misdirection, buying time for our hero to find the real killer
as the tension mounts ; George is actually doing double duty as both cat <i>and</i>
mouse! If George doesn’t deserve a huge bonus if he escapes this nightmare, I
don’t know who does! Fans of TV’s Harry Morgan of M*A*S*H fame will get a
swell change of pace as a superbly sinister henchman!<br />
<br />
On a bittersweet note, Rita Johnson didn’t quite live happily ever after. In a
twist of fate, Rita was seriously injured at a beauty parlor when a 40-pound
hood which apparently frequently fell to the floor frequently. Nowadays, she’d
lawyer up and sue those dopes! There were also rumors that Rita’s then-beau,
Broderick Crawford (who went on to win an Oscar for <i>All The King’s Men) </i>
had roughed her up, but there was no proof. Rita managed to get supporting
roles, but she was never really the same, and she died at the age of 52.To
borrow a line from <i><span style="color: red;"><a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2013/12/north-by-northwest-mad-men-and.html" target="_blank">North by Northwest</a>,</span></i>
it’s so horribly sad, how is it I feel like laughing?<br />
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<span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
<a href="https://lareviewofbooks.org/essay/the-booby-trapped-life-of-rita-johnson" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; text-underline: single;">
https://lareviewofbooks.org/essay/the-booby-trapped-life-of-rita-johnson</a>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N7040-6RbvY/UyYS5b3s9AI/AAAAAAAADn8/2ytCYWkG7xM/s1600/Big+Clock+-+00011.jpg" height="300" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">R.I.P. to Pauline York, would-be blackmailer. The cleaning lady isn't gonna like this!</span></span></span></b></td></tr>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N7040-6RbvY/UyYS5b3s9AI/AAAAAAAADn8/2ytCYWkG7xM/s1600/Big+Clock+-+00011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;">Louise Patterson: "I think I've captured this mood rather successfully, don't you?<br />(Actual dialogue from the film as George is aided and abbetted by Louise!)</span></span></span></b></td></tr>
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<br /><pstyle text-autospace:none=""><pstyle text-autospace:none="">Check out <i>
The Los Angeles</i> <i>Review of</i> <i>Books</i> for more on “The Booby-Trapped
Life of Rita Johnson” by Matt Weinstock (August 13, 2013).” </pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;">Leave it to a radio actor to help George save his bacon!<br />(Lloyd Corrigan is one of Team Bartilucci's favorite character actors!)</span></span></span></b></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Baby, you're the greatest! Wheeling, West Virginia, <br />we're going home, for keeps!</b></span></span></span></td></tr>
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<br /><br />Milland’s
superb performance balances suavity, sympathy, and desperation. He and
O’Sullivan ring true as a loving couple whose relationship is being sorely
tested. Laughton is marvelously odious and sadistic with a pathetic
undercurrent. Macready makes a stylishly devious right-hand man. The supporting
cast includes a silent, sinister young Harry Morgan as a masseur-cum-henchman.
I was delighted to see one of our favorite character actors, Douglas Spencer of
<i>Double Indemnity </i><a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2011/07/happy-anniversary-you-things-from.html" target="_blank">and The Thing from Another World </a>as <i>
<span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Crimeways</span></i><span style="font-variant: small-caps;">
</span>reporter Bert Finch (not to be confused with Burt from Burt’s Place,
played by Frank Orth); and the ever-jolly Lloyd Corrigan (the <i>Boston Blackie</i>
films; <i>It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World;</i> <i>The Manchurian Candidate)</i>
played Burt’s pal, a radio actor of a thousand guises, including the<i> faux</i>
suspect known only as “Jefferson Randolph.” <b><i>TBC </i></b>has been reworked
twice, as<b> </b>1987’s <i><span style="font-variant: small-caps;">No Way Out
</span></i>and 2003’s <i><span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Out of Time.</span>
</i>They’re both fun movies, but <b><i>TBC</i></b> is still my favorite version
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<pstyle text-autospace:none=""><pstyle margin-bottom:12.0pt="" text-autospace:none=""><pstyle -.25in="" .5in="" 0in="" 12.0pt="" margin-bottom:="" margin-left:="" margin-right:="" margin-top:="" none="" text-autospace:="" text-indent:=""><pstyle text-autospace:none=""><pstyle text-autospace:none=""><pstyle text-autospace:none=""><pstyle text-autospace:none=""><pstyle text-autospace:none=""><pstyle text-autospace:none=""><pstyle text-autospace:none=""><pstyle text-autospace:none=""><pstyle margin-bottom:12.0pt="" text-autospace:none=""><pstyle text-autospace:none=""><pstyle text-autospace:none=""><pstyle text-autospace:none=""><pstyle text-autospace:none=""><pstyle text-autospace:none=""><pstyle text-autospace:none=""><pstyle text-autospace:none=""><pstyle text-autospace:none=""><pstyle text-autospace:none=""><pstyle text-autospace:none=""><pstyle text-autospace:none="">
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<br /> </span></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle></pstyle>DorianTBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01357778472575080022noreply@blogger.com32