tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47296481444763966412024-02-19T01:22:50.517-05:00Dave's Classic FilmsThis spot is going to be about all the films I own and love to watch. If you're interested in classic films, serials, and shorts from silents up through the 40s and 50s, and classic TV, keep visiting and posting your comments. I might also be writing about some newer releases now and then, like remakes, but the focus will be on the classics.Dave the Movie Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706646923615786483noreply@blogger.comBlogger82125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729648144476396641.post-30497238705863076022012-09-23T15:06:00.002-04:002012-09-23T15:16:27.964-04:00Please Stand By ...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hi kids ... Sorry about the lack of postings but I'm sure you all know how life can throw you a curve every now and then. So now that the summer is over and some of the leaves are already starting to abandon the trees, hopefully things will start to settle down.<br />
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So after having to purchase a new vehicle ...<br />
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And having to do some unexpected remodeling due to some storm damage (I have a great crew helping with the rebuilding) ...<br />
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And after recently having surgery on my hand, I'm typing very slowly (needless to say I was never one to really burn up the keyboard in the first place). But at least I had some great doctors ...<br />
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I should be able to get back to posting about and watching my beloved classic films very soon. I'm even thinking about maybe starting a "Name That Short" game.<br />
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So stay tuned guys and as always ... Thanks for visiting!!!Dave the Movie Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706646923615786483noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729648144476396641.post-24095312999010200992012-07-07T21:19:00.000-04:002012-07-07T21:27:49.297-04:00Abandon Ship (1957)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hi Kids, this is my entry for "The Best Hitchcock Films Hitchcock Never Made" blogathon sponsored by Dorian at <a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/">Tales of the Easily Distracted</a> and Becky at <a href="http://classicbeckybrainfood.blogspot.com/">ClassicBecky's Brainfood</a>. <br />
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<em><a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/16168/Abandon-Ship/">Abandon Ship</a></em> aka <em>Seven Seas Away</em>/<em>Seven Waves Away</em> stars <a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/154785%7C149199/Tyrone-Power/">Tyrone Power</a>, <a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/212401%7C104025/Mai-Zetterling/">Mai Zetterling</a>, <a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/141808%7C99945/Lloyd-Nolan/">Lloyd Nolan</a> and costars <a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/20469%7C142356/Stephen-Boyd/">Stephen Boyd</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0514263/">Moira Lister</a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0371687/">James Hayter</a>. It was released by Columbia Pictures, written and directed by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0757940/">Richard Sale</a>, produced by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0805981/">John R. Sloan</a> (and co-produced by an uncredited Tyrone Power), with music by Sir Arthur Bliss.<br />
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From the opening credits and a harmonica solo playing a lonely little seafaring tune this film grabs you and just does not let go. While the credits are still rolling we're shown the setting for the entire film, a vast expanse of open ocean. Slowly becoming visible through the thick fog we see a derelict World War II mine bobbing up and down in the waves. The mine drifts closer and closer, slowly, until it's filling the entire screen. Then an explosion, alarms, chaos, screams, smoke, fire and the final order to abandon ship. All this and we're less than two minutes into the film.<br />
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The narrator informs us that the ship, the "S.S. Crescent Star", was on it's first leg of an around-the-world cruise in the south Atlantic when it exploded and sank in seven minutes with 1,156 souls aboard at the "moment of disaster". In those seven minutes 1,119 perished. If you survive you begin to notice there is more wreckage than people, Then if you are still able you begin to notice two things. You become aware of the living ... you become aware of the dead.<br />
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With the ship unable to launch any lifeboats the captain's shore boat is the only refuge for the desperate survivors of the disaster. Shocked and injured survivors cling to floating debris as they helplessly wait to be rescued. A dying captain's final words to his next in command help set the scenario for the remainder of the film -- "Save as many as you can ...".<br />
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So the story begins to unfold. Twenty-seven people in, and clinging to, a boat intended for nine. Faced with having to make one agonizing, and mostly unpopular, decision after another Alec Holmes (Power) assumes command of the craft and the survivors. One of the first orders he gives is to allow a dog to stay aboard instead of letting one of the survivors in the sea come aboard. When someone objects to his decision he matter-of-factly states the reasoning behind his decision -- "We can't eat you."<br />
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As Holmes takes inventory of the supplies and the injured, nurse Julie White (Zetterling) tries to attend to those who need immediate attention. With the boat constantly on the verge of capsizing, and 1,500 miles from the nearest land, Mr. Holmes orders alternating shifts of people to take their turn in the boat and in the sea. The group is then confronted with even more bad news. No S.O.S. was ever sent, the equipment was damaged in the explosion and there was not enough time to send a distress call. The only thing Holmes can do is set a course for the nearest land.<br />
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After a conversation with Kelly (Nolan), one of the injured survivors and a ship's officer who's trying to give Mr. Holmes some friendly but very sobering advice, he soon realizes that he may have to do the unthinkable, or more like the unimaginable, and cast some of the survivors adrift in order to give the others a chance to survive.<br />
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As tempers begin to flare and ideals, morals, and personalities conflict, Holmes has more than enough problems to deal with. But still, other challenges arise. Sharks, storms, and just hopelessness in general seem to plague the survivors with every attempt at making any progress towards being rescued. When one of the survivors, Mr. Cane (Moultrie Kelsall), suggests that the group get to know a little bit about each other to pass the time, Kelly advises Holmes again -- "Don't get to know them too well ...". Kelly is fully aware, and I think Holmes is too by this point, that the time has come for a very serious command decision to be made.<br />
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Glancing down at the ring that was passed down to him by the captain, and surveying the situation confronting him, with two words -- "it's time" -- Holmes gives the command decision (at gunpoint) that no one in their lifetime would think they would ever have to make. Even to the extreme of separating a child from his parents. As the castaways disappear in the swells of the rising ocean waves the gradually decreasing number of survivors in the boat prepare for a pending rescue without knowing if it will be hours, days, or weeks away.<br />
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Some of the dialogue in the film seems to be dubbed, probably do to production issues. Most of the scenes were filmed in a large tank and between the wave machines and wind machines it must have been difficult to actually hear the cast speaking their lines. But the combination of acting talent and the musical score used to punctuate the peak dramatic scenes make this film a roller coaster ride with the suspense and anxiety at some points building to an almost intolerable level.<br />
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Add an ending that will leave most viewers shaking their heads in disbelief, <em>Abandon Ship</em> is one of those films that once watched, has such an impact on the viewer that it will never be forgotten. I have no problem saying that this rates as one of the best films I've ever seen. <br />
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This film is based on the true story of the <i sb_id="ms__id2418"><strong>William Brown</strong></i> which was an American ship that sank in 1841 in which a crew member named Alexander Holmes forced some survivors out of an overcrowded lifeboat.<br />
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Similar in theme to Hitchcock's <em><a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/81373/Lifeboat/">Lifeboat</a></em> (1944) this film portrays a much darker and realistic tone. I know Hitchcock is the "master of suspense". But as I said this film is relentless in its storytelling from its opening credits to its final thought provoking question. And it's most definitely not for the faint of heart. "Why are the wicked always so strong?".Dave the Movie Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706646923615786483noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729648144476396641.post-13222378965837464392012-06-14T21:52:00.000-04:002012-06-14T21:52:36.135-04:00Lost In Space -- Season One, Episodes 16-17, The Keeper -- Original Air Date - January 12th and 19th, 1966<div>
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This <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058824/">Lost In Space</a></i> episode titled <em><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0636229/">The Keeper</a></em> (the only two-part episode of the series) stars <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0930713/">Guy Williams</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001478/">June Lockhart</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0323813/">Mark Goddard</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0471549/">Marta Kristen</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0612621/">Bill Mumy</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0142145/">Angela Cartwright</a>, and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0364893/">Jonathan Harris</a>. It's written by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0805340/">Barney Slater</a>, directed by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0553077/">Sobey Martin</a>, and the special guest star for this episode and playing the title character is <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0719692/">Michael Rennie</a>. The series was created and produced by the "master of disaster" <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000740/">Irwin Allen</a> and filmed by 20th Century-Fox Television.<br />
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Stranded on a barren alien planet the space family Robinson is working on an irrigation project. Dr. Smith (Harris), Will (Mumy), and the robot are busy (well, the robot is busy) digging a drainage ditch for the pipe when Dr. Smith is suddenly "summoned" by a mysterious force which leads him away from the others. As Will runs back to the ship for help, Dr. Smith quickly finds himself trapped in a large cage and we catch our first glimpse of the Keeper (Rennie).</div>
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The Keeper is sort of an intergalactic "Noah" who travels around "collecting the creatures of the universe, two of every kind". What the Robinson's don't know is that the Keeper plans to "collect" two of the "earth creatures" to add to his menagerie. Major West (Goddard) seems to sense that the visitor is up to no good right from the start because "he looked at them like they were some sort of insect". Shortly thereafter he propositions Don and Judy (Kristen) in an attempt to get them to leave with him as two of his new "specimens". Of course they refuse. The Keeper then, with the help of Dr. Smith, turns his attention to trying to capture Will and Penny (Cartwright). </div>
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Also, leading into part two of the episode, while attempting to steal the Keeper's spaceship, Smith accidentally releases all of the animals from their cages. So now, not only do the Robinson's have a potential kidnapper to contend with, they're also trapped inside the Jupiter II by all the dangerous creatures that are now loose on the planet. The Keeper offers to return all the creatures to their cages on one condition -- That the Robinson's handover Will and Penny.<br />
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Even with the fairly talented cast of regulars Rennie manages to dominate every scene he's in with his screen presence, mannerisms, and perfect diction. I haven't seen him in many villain roles but he plays this one very well. Not many people can pull off being menacing, condescending, and polite all at the same time. Rennie does it effortlessly.<br />
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I also enjoyed watching the unaired pilot episode <em>No Place To Hide </em>which used the same Theremin score composed by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002136/">Bernard Herrmann</a> that was also used in the film <em><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043456/">The Day The Earth Stood Still</a> </em>(1951),<em> </em>that ironically also starred Michael Rennie<em>. </em>In <em>No Place To Hide</em> neither the robot nor Dr. Smith were part of the cast. And the story consisted of a compilation of scenes from episodes one, three, four, and five. Of course we all know that Dr. Smith was actually working as a saboteur for a clandestine organization, when he was trapped on board the Jupiter II as it lifted off from earth. And he was a thorn in the side of the space travelers right from the beginning. The verbal exchanges between Smith and Major West, as well as those between Smith and the robot are priceless. </div>
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Ah, the innocence of youth. I remember watching <em>Lost In Space</em> as a kid and wishing I could be with those folks on their unbelievable voyage through the galaxy. I just loved it. I don't know if I can say that I'm loving it now. Let's just say I still really, really like it. Of course as an adult you notice the props and the costumes and the sets look a little (okay, a lot) cheaper than they did back then. But all the actors do a really nice job as an ensemble, interacting and playing off of each other. <br />
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I noticed a couple of little continuity errors that I never seemed to pick up on before. About ten minutes into part one the Keeper plants his staff in the ground before walking over to meet the Robinson's. When he turns around to walk back to it, he already has the staff in his left hand. You can just catch a glimpse of it as he's turning to walk away. Also about a half hour into part two, when the creature in the pit grabs the Keeper by the throat you can briefly see a flash of wire or fishing line used to control the creature's arm and claw.</div>
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I pretty much immersed myself in the series again from start to finish after getting a pretty good deal on, and purchasing seasons two and three. So after blasting off with the crew in the futuristic year of 1997, traveling around the galaxy, surviving various planetary collisions and explosions, withstanding cataclysmic meteorological conditions, crossing paths with mostly hostile alien lifeforms, and all the while listening to Dr. Smith's incessant moaning and groaning (I would have cast him adrift before the end of the first season, but of course the show wouldn't have been the same) I have come to the conclusion (as I most often do) that season one offers the best selection of episodes. Again, I don't think it's just the black-and-white vs.color thing (then again maybe it is). The storylines just got a little too crazy. For whatever reason the show gradually begins a downhill slide after the first season, until it's tumbling end-over-end totally out of control with far too many "Oh, come on ..." moments for my liking by the end of season three.<br />
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It was fun to see all the famous guest stars that turned up on the show. Some I don't think I was familiar with at the time, but would come to know from my continued television and classic film viewing. Some of the more famous names besides Rennie included - Warren Oates, John Carradine, Hans Conried, Fritz Feld, Ted Cassidy, Marcel Hillaire, Al Lewis, Sherry Jackson, and many, many, many others.<br />
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So in case anyone was wondering where I've been, now you know. 83 episodes later and just catching up with some long "lost" friends ... (Yes, I did hear a collective groan)</div>Dave the Movie Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706646923615786483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729648144476396641.post-2479004812335961302012-05-16T22:41:00.000-04:002012-05-16T22:41:21.489-04:00Night Must Fall (1937)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<em><a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/15177/Night-Must-Fall/">Night Must Fall</a></em> is based on the play by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0930539/">Emlyn Williams</a>, directed by <a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/191735%7C130458/Richard-Thorpe/">Richard Thorpe</a>, produced by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0834898/">Hunt Stromberg</a>, and stars <a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/134372%7C132303/Robert-Montgomery/">Robert Montgomery</a>, <a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/167490%7C135102/Rosalind-Russell/">Rosalind Russell</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0926599/">Dame May Whitty</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0550701/">Alan Marshal</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0869428/">Merle Tottenham</a>, and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0365692/">Kathleen Harrison</a>, with a brief appearance by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0166974/">E.E. Clive</a>.<br />
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The film takes place in the English countryside at the cottage of a somewhat wealthy old woman named Mrs. Bramson (Whitty), an invalid who lives there with her niece Olivia (Russell) who also happens to be employed by the dowager. For some reason Bramson is cranky and verbally abusive towards Olivia. So of course Olivia resents the old woman's attitude and feels trapped and bored with her position so she acts less than kindly towards her. <br />
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As the story begins police and some of the townsfolk are executing a search for a missing local woman. It's a small community so word of the disappearance as well as gossip about the woman travels quickly.<br />
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Mrs. Bramson discovers that someone has attempted to hide some pieces of broken china in one of her flowerbeds. She soon realizes that it was her maid Dora (Tottenham) that was responsible and confronts her about it. The maid explains that she hasn't been herself since meeting her new boyfriend, who she plans to marry but can't get him to actually commit to a date. Dora asks Bramson if she could speak to him on her behalf and the old woman acknowledges that she'll " deal with him ".<br />
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At this point we meet Danny (Montgomery) or "Babyface" as the girls like to call him. Much to Olivia's dismay Danny spins a few tales and charms the old woman into giving him a job as her companion, she even allows him live in the cottage. Olivia immediately becomes suspicious of Danny when the missing woman's body turns up (with the head missing) and Danny moves into the cottage with his luggage, one piece of which is a large hatbox. <br />
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The rest of the film is very suspenseful as Danny waits for an opportunity to gain access to the old woman's safe and steal her money, and Olivia is first repulsed by, then finds herself becoming strangely attracted to the charming rogue. All the while trying to determine whether he is responsible for, or even capable of committing the recent murder. Time after time our attention is drawn back to the mysterious hatbox and its possible grisly contents.<br />
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Great acting by all the stars makes this a really fun film to watch. As I'm writing this I'm discovering that I'm a bigger Robert Montgomery fan than I realized. If I notice his name in the credits of a film, I'll watch it even if it's not one of my favorite genres knowing that he's going to do a great job, he always does. Montgomery was actually nominated for the Academy Award for "Best Actor" for his performance, and Whitty was nominated for "Best Supporting Actress". Both actors do an outstanding job, and Russell's gradual transformation from mild-mannered to sizzling is fantastic.<br />
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Montgomery is very convincing as the smooth-talking, disturbed, pathological liar Danny and as the story progresses we discover more and more about the character's background. I felt kind of bad for Olivia as she slowly but surely gets lured out of her shell by Danny's charm and almost poetic ramblings and finds herself drifting away from her boring, rich boyfriend Justin (Marshal) towards Danny even though she's knows how potentially dangerous he is. She just seems to be totally bored with her life as it is and just craves some excitement. There's a great scene that takes place in the kitchen when the two happen to meet up in the middle of the night. You can feel the chemistry between the two characters and the scene will bring you to the edge of your seat.<br />
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Whitty dominates every scene that she's in. The ending is almost unbearable when she finds herself alone and vulnerable after seemingly having total control over everyone for the majority of the film. There's also some pretty good dark humor courtesy of the cook (Harrison) that helps to lighten up the mood a bit now and then. The sets are very nicely designed and very detailed, especially the rooms in the cottage where most of the film takes place.<br />
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If you're a Hitchcock fan you'll probably enjoy this film. There's not much action. but there are extra helpings of tension and suspense to go around.Dave the Movie Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706646923615786483noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729648144476396641.post-79795113660520437122012-04-30T20:33:00.001-04:002012-05-01T19:14:00.666-04:00Dial 1119 (1950)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<em><strong><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042397/">Dial 1119</a></strong></em> is directed by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0562388/">Gerald Mayer</a>, produced by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0326371/">Richard Goldstone</a> and stars <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0860471/">Marshall Thompson</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/find?q=Virginia+Field&s=all">Virginia Field</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0454448/">Andrea King</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0505249/">Sam Levene</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000748/">Leon Ames</a>, and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002016/">William Conrad</a>. And keep an eye out for an uncredited <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0082511/">Barbara Billingsley</a> who shows up on screen for about a minute as Dorothy, the newspaper editor's secretary. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0681608/">Paul Picerni</a> appears briefly as a police interpreter, and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0128326/">Frank Cady</a> has a brief appearance as one of the pedestrians on the street.<br />
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The story is straightforward and piques your interest right from the start. Gunther Wyckoff (played very convincingly by Marshall Thompson) is a troubled young man who escapes from a mental asylum in order to track down and seek revenge on the doctor (Levene) responsible for his being locked up. He manages to board a bus for Terminal City but begins to attract some unwanted attention due to his odd behavior.<br />
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When the bus pulls into a station for a brief rest stop Wyckoff steals the driver's pistol (when the driver leaves the bus unattended with the pistol stuck in the sun visor). When the driver confronts him about it, he shoots him down in cold blood and manages to slip away in the confusion. Wyckoff locates the residence of the psychiatrist responsible for having him committed. But when he finds he's not at home he becomes increasingly more agitated. While waiting for the doctor to return the psychopath takes refuge in a bar down the street. From this vantage point the killer can see the doctor's home and be ready for him when he returns.<br />
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The bar itself is a home for quite a cast of characters. There's a barfly (Field) whose just out to drink and have a good time, an older man (Ames) who tries in vane to sweet talk a younger woman (King) into running away with him, a disgruntled newspaper reporter (James Bell), a grumpy bartender (Conrad), and a young man (Keefe Brasselle) who works at the bar who's anxiously awaiting news of the birth of his first child.<br />
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When the police broadcast a television bulletin about the killing of the bus driver and a description of the killer, the bartender who was the only one to notice the broadcast unsuccessfully tries to call the police, and the psycho ends up locking the door and holding everyone in the bar hostage. For the remainder of the film the bar patrons try to reason with the killer. And the police outside try to negotiate for the hostage's release.<br />
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As in any well put together noir film the tension builds and builds as the killer gives the police an ultimatum -- locate and deliver the doctor to the bar within twenty-five minutes or the hostages die. In the meantime, the crowd gathers outside on the street and the frenzy grows as the local media outlet broadcasts events as they happen trying to capitalize on the situation unfolding before them (reminiscent of <em>Ace In The Hole, </em>1951).<br />
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There are quite a few exchanges between Dr. Farnum and police captain Kiever (Richard Rober) mostly because the captain believes that Wyckoff should have received the death penalty for a previous murder instead of of being institutionalized. Dr. Farnum finds he must make a tough choice -- keep his distance as ordered by the police chief and let the cops continue to negotiate with the killer, or sacrifice himself and face the the killer in an attempt to free hostages.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyUejMO0P0GAP84IEtVVh-GPqSIugBNlFyQZJiErmIjXYFkyr1Ra0daBR5Ze5B05XKxXOiLGDaOg_Bwc4ii_J4lEwl70WdTcywi40SQize5JGHHsTM57eI-D_L0BtQZiK4zbAsFbJuBQ/s1600/d1119e.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyUejMO0P0GAP84IEtVVh-GPqSIugBNlFyQZJiErmIjXYFkyr1Ra0daBR5Ze5B05XKxXOiLGDaOg_Bwc4ii_J4lEwl70WdTcywi40SQize5JGHHsTM57eI-D_L0BtQZiK4zbAsFbJuBQ/s320/d1119e.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Overall I thought this was a pretty good film, especially for one of MGM's first B-movie attempts. It's not exactly an edge-of-your-seat, nail-biter, but it has some pretty tense moments mostly because of the Wyckoff character's unpredictable nature. Thompson plays the part very well exuding lots of sweat while remaining disturbingly calm with a noticeable tinge of nervousness below the surface. The interaction amongst the patrons in the bar, and the exchanges between the hostages and the killer during the standoff help to keep the film moving along. With a running time of about 75 minutes it's not too tough to sit through.<br />
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I enjoyed the portrayal of the broadcasting company's (WKYL?) attempt to cover the story for one of the newest media inventions of the time - the television. Even the bar has a large flatscreen television ("fourteen-hundred bucks installed, push-button picture control, reflected image, 3x4 foot screen"). That "fourteen-hundred bucks" would probably equal about ten thousand dollars today.<br />
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This is a pretty good noir film with an interesting twist at the end. Great cinematography by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0900944/">Paul Vogel</a> keeps all the visuals crystal clear while still preserving the dark foreboding noir world that so many us of have come to love.Dave the Movie Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706646923615786483noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729648144476396641.post-90236033897273980422012-04-18T21:52:00.005-04:002012-04-18T21:59:07.610-04:00Round Six of Classic Film: Six Degrees of Separation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYlwYOQGzr9DZ-fWKOyJ18oCVcAnDqBhoqVdVLi7gqzKlf-I4lARf9gFiVNRHOnRIJL2XToH-HK5nH3i1PYrvNtihKMfUHds77UTmlfjSbveyxv4tRfH7NIlgjL8F2eabOgaGEbCrX6Q/s1600/RCA_Indian_Head_test_pattern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" qda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYlwYOQGzr9DZ-fWKOyJ18oCVcAnDqBhoqVdVLi7gqzKlf-I4lARf9gFiVNRHOnRIJL2XToH-HK5nH3i1PYrvNtihKMfUHds77UTmlfjSbveyxv4tRfH7NIlgjL8F2eabOgaGEbCrX6Q/s1600/RCA_Indian_Head_test_pattern.jpg" /></a></div>Sorry about the hold up in the game kids, but I've been experiencing some technical difficulties.<br />
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But without any further delay (hopefully) here we go ...<br />
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Kim over at<span style="color: black;"> </span><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://1001moviesblog.blogspot.com/2012/04/six-degrees-of-separation-round-6.html">1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die</a></span> started Round Six (or was it Seven) of Classic Film: Six Degrees of Separation. She chose <strong>Gloria Swanson</strong> and <strong>Catherine Deneuve</strong> to be connected in this round.<br />
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My buddy Page over at <a href="http://myloveofoldhollywood.blogspot.com/2012/04/classic-film-six-degrees-of-separation.html">My Love of Old Hollywood</a> chose <strong>Gloria Swanson</strong> who was in <strong><em>Sadie Thompson</em></strong> (1928) with <strong>Lionel Barrymore</strong> and then passed the game on to me. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil7Vfakxg8bNw41eVp3spPb88KxZvSbGHEMThZK69AG5RZ4LEo6X9lutRewCi2KQn9WeUFM9aVhFXZWID5voGSAzGyB64HZ6uZAsb-IiLaAlWM59Ulq84uY3r2Xhz1ABa99c3WB-tutQ/s1600/you-cant-take-it-with-you.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" qda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil7Vfakxg8bNw41eVp3spPb88KxZvSbGHEMThZK69AG5RZ4LEo6X9lutRewCi2KQn9WeUFM9aVhFXZWID5voGSAzGyB64HZ6uZAsb-IiLaAlWM59Ulq84uY3r2Xhz1ABa99c3WB-tutQ/s320/you-cant-take-it-with-you.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>So I'm going to choose <strong>Lionel Barrymore</strong> who was in <strong><em>You Can't Take It With You</em></strong> (1938) with <strong>James Stewart</strong>.<br />
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And now I'll pass the game on over to Monty at <span style="color: black;"><a href="http://poohtiger-allgoodthings.blogspot.com/">All Good Things</a></span> who, unlike me, is always paying attention. Good luck Monty and on with the game.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Dave the Movie Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706646923615786483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729648144476396641.post-64981939960000537162012-03-30T22:56:00.000-04:002012-03-30T22:56:59.516-04:00Superman and the Mole-Men (1951)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2d4NYKE3BabRuRu1EdUDBzU_YYNPhSjIB4WGtNNAF_yYaTZjalGAJlR7VAxDCWjSRHo9QXx7jzZR_D3Nwaal_u16TTNpS-kAWaOuK_VFO3uuk7jJlFdI8CAl8yadylEShfzITWwKIhg/s1600/smm1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" dea="true" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2d4NYKE3BabRuRu1EdUDBzU_YYNPhSjIB4WGtNNAF_yYaTZjalGAJlR7VAxDCWjSRHo9QXx7jzZR_D3Nwaal_u16TTNpS-kAWaOuK_VFO3uuk7jJlFdI8CAl8yadylEShfzITWwKIhg/s320/smm1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044091/">Superman and the Mole-Men</a></i> stars <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001660/">George Reeves</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0167659/">Phyllis Coates</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0179786/">Jeff Corey</a>, and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0715748/">Walter Reed</a>. It was released by Lippert Pictures Inc., produced by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0765036/">Barney A. Sarecky</a>, directed by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0794793/">Lee Sholem</a>, and the screenplay was written by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0561804/">Robert Maxwell</a>. Superman "fights his never-ending fight against the forces of evil" as he masquerades as Clark Kent "a mild-mannered reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper". And Reeves looks every bit the part of Superman, "the valiant defender of truth, justice, and the American way" as he strikes a patriotic pose with cape and 48 star flag waving in the breeze behind him as the intro to the feature begins.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhodxWuyQ2RkCShMi30qIZufG_MAs7ASsTzWeSK0Xj-jRKLhzci6z09m-wXhmH3GVN_tOPc3MmAJoLpHTU341hSbjQsA75irpSWLvnlJkA-r90azaYqE2l0IDYiUmPXkdg6eBIR7Hv7Gg/s1600/smm2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dea="true" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhodxWuyQ2RkCShMi30qIZufG_MAs7ASsTzWeSK0Xj-jRKLhzci6z09m-wXhmH3GVN_tOPc3MmAJoLpHTU341hSbjQsA75irpSWLvnlJkA-r90azaYqE2l0IDYiUmPXkdg6eBIR7Hv7Gg/s320/smm2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The story takes place in the small town of Silsby, population 1430, and "home of the world's deepest oil well". As reporters Clark Kent (Reeves) and Lois Lane (Coates) arrive the oil workers are actually abandoning the rig after drilling down to a depth of 32,740 feet, about six miles down. Right away the two reporters smell a story brewing and decide to stick around and see what happens. Later on that evening two small creatures emerge from the drill shaft from deep in the bowels of the Earth and begin to explore the surrounding area and then make their way into town where they're not exactly welcomed with open arms. Lois catches a glimpse of the creatures and cuts loose with a scream that would make Fay Wray jealous (well, maybe not jealous, but it was a pretty good scream).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirrSRqyoaWu4HxuYZhlQzUQap10Cn1KXpWxHb4cPGf12J8t-HcDu7n14cvi0gDjSEECSUONP6nAcOB1zNnd3jP6hTPm2q2uSskbe6fieYPXgUJ3SV3LLHOA443iGMD_aGMkqOUf8-ZBg/s1600/smm3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" dea="true" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirrSRqyoaWu4HxuYZhlQzUQap10Cn1KXpWxHb4cPGf12J8t-HcDu7n14cvi0gDjSEECSUONP6nAcOB1zNnd3jP6hTPm2q2uSskbe6fieYPXgUJ3SV3LLHOA443iGMD_aGMkqOUf8-ZBg/s320/smm3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Corrigan (Reed) the foreman of the drilling crew fills Kent in as to why he's discontinuing the operation. He explains to Clark that soil samples were taken from various depths as the crew was drilling and he happened to notice that the samples emitted an eerie glow and was afraid that if the drilling continued it would put the men in danger. He said "that at 32,600 feet the drill broke through and seemed to be hanging in mid-air as if they'd gone through the last solid layer of the Earth". Some microscopic life forms were also found at that depth bringing Kent to the conclusion that "there may be other forms of life down there that are more highly developed". As the two men leave for town they notice that everything the creatures touched had the same strange glow as the soil samples, making them think that the visitors might be radioactive.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqoghaGif2e5ywIRJoQWvsCdBz3vel_i8HyF4cxbCFwUR8Ixv5oDtuvEA3nNYND3udLyM28JY-9lv_34LupAwF74oTgbVCR-PTfSecse8vMCVRo0li_ckM2FAVb_bkeTI7rpKnD6StgQ/s1600/smm4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dea="true" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqoghaGif2e5ywIRJoQWvsCdBz3vel_i8HyF4cxbCFwUR8Ixv5oDtuvEA3nNYND3udLyM28JY-9lv_34LupAwF74oTgbVCR-PTfSecse8vMCVRo0li_ckM2FAVb_bkeTI7rpKnD6StgQ/s320/smm4.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The little creatures visit a young girl and then get scared off by the mother's screams (this was a pretty good scream too). This in turn gets the townsfolk stirred up because they think that the little invaders were trying to hurt the girl. One of the residents Luke Benson (Jeff Corey), a local troublemaker, takes charge and organizes an armed mob that begin searching the town looking for the intruders. When one of the creatures is shot, the other escapes after a very long chase around the outskirts of town. He returns to the drilling area and retreats down the shaft only to return with more of the creatures, who this time bring with them a deadly weapon and are ready to do battle with the lynch mob and the town. It's up to Superman to take control of the situation, take on the mob, and send the monsters back where they belong.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi84I0H8ybCsC_JWSK1S7XzdH2EyR2w9UAxhu27P_ftsMyifzgPkbV-MQ1Axv23-8A92ruwUeT2X2Acy8qq3Sm2fhWER7IlnvRXX2G2QjmaOb3wguM-2wfcL6ipOX_VRm23Qf3v9J1Nqw/s1600/smm5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" dea="true" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi84I0H8ybCsC_JWSK1S7XzdH2EyR2w9UAxhu27P_ftsMyifzgPkbV-MQ1Axv23-8A92ruwUeT2X2Acy8qq3Sm2fhWER7IlnvRXX2G2QjmaOb3wguM-2wfcL6ipOX_VRm23Qf3v9J1Nqw/s320/smm5.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Like many of the first season episodes this "feature" has a very dark and gritty overtone. Almost to the point of being geared for a more adult audience than to the younger folks who would have listened to the Superman radio shows and who would have frequented the Superman serials starring <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001906/">Kirk Alyn</a> that were shown in the theaters. In this feature the Lois Lane character is more of a tough, hardcore news reporter than the dizzy, clumsy female found in the previous versions of Superman. Here we see that Lane has no problem kicking or throwing a punch or two to try to get herself out of a jam. Same thing goes for Clark Kent. Reeves portrays Kent as more of a noirish type hard-as-nails newspaper man than the bumbling and borderline goofball roles of his predecessors. The Superman character is a little more stern and no-nonsense. Alyn was kind of tough as "the man of steel" in the 40's (check out my previous post <a href="http://davesclassicfilms.blogspot.com/2011/07/superman-1948.html">here</a> if you haven't already read it), but I think Reeves has him beat hands down, at least in the earlier episodes of the series. I hadn't watched this in a while and as it started I was thinking to myself, how could they forget to list Jack Larson in the credits. Larson of course starred as Jimmy Olsen in the rest of the series but he actually doesn't appear in this feature.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyf1XgMJwYlcq9YPjb0EJkiMyrcAhryCOFFmMFggfEjaUF_N_qkAcJ0aLCmv_z1oFTA2oj_X6w7SFfr-IOyWxQwMpEYNs1raBQoHXkijJQ5Co4CJ1sBJSO3tFotBJvkVCGEqvJVJXPDg/s1600/smm6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dea="true" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyf1XgMJwYlcq9YPjb0EJkiMyrcAhryCOFFmMFggfEjaUF_N_qkAcJ0aLCmv_z1oFTA2oj_X6w7SFfr-IOyWxQwMpEYNs1raBQoHXkijJQ5Co4CJ1sBJSO3tFotBJvkVCGEqvJVJXPDg/s320/smm6.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Except for one brief and partially animated flying scene Superman is pretty much grounded except for the quick takeoff and landing sequences. We don't actually see Superman soaring through the air as we see in the later episodes. And these takeoff and landing clips seem to utilize wires or a sort of harness to get Reeves into the air and back on the ground instead of the more familiar springboard that sent him flying out of a window or through a doorway. The wire special effects are pretty good as they allow Superman to rise up into the air leaving a little swirling vortex of papers and dust in his wake. There is one really well filmed scene (probably some sort of crane shot) from Superman's point of view looking down as he flies over and ahead of the armed mob. I would have liked to have seen more views from that perspective.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiReIvg_nAVrnk0VWQEGHiCdh9gd9kxlaN5vqj0sCsiXIdA5TKkujFItjEUfWk7wxEEo-XikIxgEygac40Hr8EMyaFl2jyxVT6UUKHrtr4ytRkNZs55VLwmDdRooOqMMyyKNbt2FvHltw/s1600/smm7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" dea="true" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiReIvg_nAVrnk0VWQEGHiCdh9gd9kxlaN5vqj0sCsiXIdA5TKkujFItjEUfWk7wxEEo-XikIxgEygac40Hr8EMyaFl2jyxVT6UUKHrtr4ytRkNZs55VLwmDdRooOqMMyyKNbt2FvHltw/s320/smm7.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The creature costumes are low budget all the way with the pretty obvious bald-cap headpieces and furry suits with a visible zipper up the back. One chase scene where one of the creatures is being pursued across the countryside is a little dragged out, but other than that there's some pretty good action and drama. With a running time of 58 minutes I guess it's kind of a stretch to call this a full length feature. Later on it was made into a two-part episode titled <i>The Unknown People</i>.<br />
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In some of the DVD commentaries <u>Superman: Serial to Cereal</u> author Gary Grossman stated that "<em>The Adventures of Superman</em> television series began with <em>Superman and the Mole-Men</em>, which was originally made to promote the TV show". DC Comics historian Allan Asherman says that "what writer Robert Maxwell wanted was an extension of the Superman radio show". And Leonard Maltin mirrored my sentiments exactly. When I hear the name Superman, the first person I think of is George Reeves.<br />
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A great feature that paved the way for a great television series that followed. But, I'm pretty sure all you kids already knew that ...Dave the Movie Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706646923615786483noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729648144476396641.post-63165108189570140102012-03-22T21:43:00.000-04:002012-03-22T21:43:52.722-04:007X7 Link Award<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8vvhj4zfsgeY9QxSd7bsfkF_T-OUBeQ69C136txZ4OTJLcK0uK3cyOggVJ-gQKjCQhyphenhyphenlfndGpyje9JjPH3WrGP0UfVpoF8r4Vq4ZeJFfvKVR0Bm938MWEk7xBuqTItnKRNGDLHgo58A/s1600/7x7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8vvhj4zfsgeY9QxSd7bsfkF_T-OUBeQ69C136txZ4OTJLcK0uK3cyOggVJ-gQKjCQhyphenhyphenlfndGpyje9JjPH3WrGP0UfVpoF8r4Vq4ZeJFfvKVR0Bm938MWEk7xBuqTItnKRNGDLHgo58A/s1600/7x7.jpg" /></a></div>I'm not really big on awards and such things, but it's nice to be recognized by folks who read your work. After all, a certain amount of time and effort is involved in putting up a half-way decent blog post. So anyway, I'll continue to do my best and hopefully people will keep stopping by my page. As for the questions ...<br />
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One thing that no one knows about me -- I secretly LOVE Disco music (I guess it's not a secret anymore!)<br />
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Most Beautiful Piece -- Beautiful??? I think I'll pass on this one.<br />
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Most Helpful Piece -- Helpful??? Pass ... (why am I getting this award again) LOL<br />
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Most Popular Piece -- I think my post on <em><a href="http://davesclassicfilms.blogspot.com/2011/05/on-screen-thing-from-another-world-1951.html">The Thing From Another World</a></em> had the most page views, probably due to the recently released remake. Although I didn't know anything about the new film at the time, honest ...<br />
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Most Controversial Piece -- I think my <em><a href="http://davesclassicfilms.blogspot.com/2011/06/song-of-south-1946.html">Song Of The South</a></em> post might have been the most controversial. I didn't get any blog postings on it, but I did get quite a few emails after the fact.<br />
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Most Underrated Piece -- Hmmmm ... See "Most Helpful", and "Most Beautiful" ...<br />
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Most Pride-Worthy Piece -- Probably my last post on <em><a href="http://davesclassicfilms.blogspot.com/2012/03/scarface-1932.html">Scarface</a></em> (1932) because it marked my one year of blogging.<br />
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As far as nominating 7 more blogs, I don't think I can single out 7 of the many blogs that I enjoy reading. So what I want to do is recognize all the admins of the CMBA for all their hard work keeping all of the rest of us in line ... Congrats kids!!! ...Dave the Movie Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706646923615786483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729648144476396641.post-57379013687588676182012-03-16T22:46:00.000-04:002012-03-16T22:46:31.940-04:00Scarface (1932)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Z4WeB0WhDkBc2gyyGLkW9omJdRzgtzAZttc-ofis0BZ1-q-gXcWfCapYYvZ8AZZNSUi3YfHWq7TFWEMuWQLfW1UmycKo7yngYudUyjiq1RInScKuyNzZN3W5VHkqTMWpfgBE355F-w/s1600/sfapplause.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Z4WeB0WhDkBc2gyyGLkW9omJdRzgtzAZttc-ofis0BZ1-q-gXcWfCapYYvZ8AZZNSUi3YfHWq7TFWEMuWQLfW1UmycKo7yngYudUyjiq1RInScKuyNzZN3W5VHkqTMWpfgBE355F-w/s320/sfapplause.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>First of all, I'd like to say that this past week marked the first anniversary of my first blog posting. I'd like to thank everyone who has visited my little corner of the Internet, and also thank everyone for their support, kind words, and comments. It's been a lot of fun and hopefully, like a fine wine, the blog has gotten better with age. I'm looking forward to continuing for as long as I can. So now that I've bored you kids with this long-winded sentimentalism, let's start the next year off with a rousing gangster film.<br />
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<a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/89192/Scarface/"><em>Scarface</em></a> stars <a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/137331%7C122175/Paul-Muni/">Paul Muni</a>, <a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/157085%7C59266/George-Raft/">George Raft</a>, <a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/98720%7C23591/Boris-Karloff/">Boris Karloff</a>, <a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/54985%7C13243/Ann-Dvorak/">Ann Dvorak</a>, and <a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/135730%7C91952/Karen-Morley/">Karen Morley</a>. The film was released by United Artists and based on the novel by Armitage Trail. The film was directed by <a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/83089%7C71302/Howard-Hawks/">Howard Hawks</a>, produced by <a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/90443%7C71315/Howard-Hughes/">Howard Hughes</a> and the screenplay was written by <a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/83910%7C18760/Ben-Hecht/">Ben Hecht</a>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv4NsoHjpSY7toR-_As_k1glze1bBsABSQoHwoEXKK53M2AHNOymfaqkFXYsvX7wEurIGgKaMrUgOya36LLwds8AE4BuqyFSjHLTpS7DBybYBUoYa_jdOrwAy9y0dT5q-d1izX1S4hSg/s1600/sf1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv4NsoHjpSY7toR-_As_k1glze1bBsABSQoHwoEXKK53M2AHNOymfaqkFXYsvX7wEurIGgKaMrUgOya36LLwds8AE4BuqyFSjHLTpS7DBybYBUoYa_jdOrwAy9y0dT5q-d1izX1S4hSg/s320/sf1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The overall mood of the film is very dark as it chronicles the violent rise, and eventual fall, of a Capone-like Chicago gangster. The story begins as gang boss Johnny Lovo (<a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/1577436%7C119682/Osgood-Perkins/">Osgood Perkins</a>) persuades rival gangster Tony Camonte (Muni) to make a hit on his own boss, Big Louie Costillo (<a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/197861%7C67304/Harry-Vejar/filmography.html">Harry J. Vejar</a>), who he's supposed to be protecting. Tony is seen only in shadow and silhouette and happily whistling a tune as he calmly walks up to Big Louie and "plugs him" several times. The scene briefly reminded me of the Peter Lorre character in "M" (1931) who whistles while he stalks his victims. In return Lovo promises Tony "a piece of the action" and he also becomes Johnny's second in command. Camonte is cocky and vicious, sometimes humorous, but most of the time a psychotic thug who lives by only one rule -- "Do it first, do it yourself, and keep on doing it".<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnZUZ0wqalKn4wNiPRTKaT7xiIw3pV7Eu__buSJZrY0AvFvWbbdhWezmWPzsmAP3fiJH4-cnqlEIJzKKxDKbbJU51IHQJ7T_NikQryhDxAHjiI3DX6v5fYE2Ph1qC4Jt900ZlK2AD6ow/s1600/sf2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnZUZ0wqalKn4wNiPRTKaT7xiIw3pV7Eu__buSJZrY0AvFvWbbdhWezmWPzsmAP3fiJH4-cnqlEIJzKKxDKbbJU51IHQJ7T_NikQryhDxAHjiI3DX6v5fYE2Ph1qC4Jt900ZlK2AD6ow/s320/sf2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>We're officially introduced to the Camonte character and his sidekick Guino "Little Boy" Rinaldo (Raft) as the police round up suspects in the Costillo murder case. We see Camonte's total disrespect for the law when he strikes a match on the sergeant's badge to light a cigarette. He kills and strong arms his way up the criminal ladder even making a play for Lovo's "girlfriend" Poppy (Morley) who's had her eye on Tony as well. Success has its drawbacks and a rival gangster named Gaffney (Karloff) plans a hit on Camonte to prevent him from taking over any more territory. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhgnTzYwTiVSJqBNKEVVDV-nn5asutVLALixrMGrdRjOZtEyWNXuoOgiwOojVC4iFT_jGPOMPDuHcoUyGjG8WlIY9euC5Oa4dx7ZDy0JflyiCKJee331U7nql3Acst5CHEL3an-8_-lA/s1600/sf3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhgnTzYwTiVSJqBNKEVVDV-nn5asutVLALixrMGrdRjOZtEyWNXuoOgiwOojVC4iFT_jGPOMPDuHcoUyGjG8WlIY9euC5Oa4dx7ZDy0JflyiCKJee331U7nql3Acst5CHEL3an-8_-lA/s320/sf3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Gaffney's planning to use a new "persuader" to cut Tony down to size -- a submachine gun that fires "three hundred slugs a minute". The gangs exchange hits and the war between the rivals escalates. Tony catches his sister (Dvorak) with his sidekick "Little Boy" which gives the ending of the film a little unexpected twist. I actually viewed the alternate ending for the film and both endings were both pretty good so it's a toss up for me as to which one was better. Let me just say that justice was served, but in two different ways.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP1ReGHXuv62l48aYQ7gEQXWr-UecES7A4tVy_A127e97kOzDiAAel2pwqzd9QB0-jLdobXB6shiibwAM5XmDBWrJQkxxROo-uW7MXlyMkpoyMcJOOEoQ5hnHB7m9qeAZj5dVwSkXHXA/s1600/sf4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP1ReGHXuv62l48aYQ7gEQXWr-UecES7A4tVy_A127e97kOzDiAAel2pwqzd9QB0-jLdobXB6shiibwAM5XmDBWrJQkxxROo-uW7MXlyMkpoyMcJOOEoQ5hnHB7m9qeAZj5dVwSkXHXA/s320/sf4.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>This film actually excels at proving the point that I've tried to make on quite a few occasions, that film makers can get their message across without the need of excessive graphic and gratuitous violence and language. The film is violent but pretty tame compared to today's standards. Some viewers believe there's some sort of incestuous affair between Tony and his sister Cesca. I don't really see it that way. I see it more as an immigrant family's siblings trying to keep each other safe in a new land. Tony's affection for his sister does seem a little extreme, but I personally don't see anything that hints at incest. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpY9tbcQVlwEXo4vSV42VrdG4mFosBXJ_J_5KNLtBa_L3wjdeqeeFjpK2RUEpd5RQgipLnROLpLDPCIDLa2UjNidDNR1oUiOLauV29hurSkrQcOIVtT9zotiDUd5xtqDOz4xVhkKuTTg/s1600/sf5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpY9tbcQVlwEXo4vSV42VrdG4mFosBXJ_J_5KNLtBa_L3wjdeqeeFjpK2RUEpd5RQgipLnROLpLDPCIDLa2UjNidDNR1oUiOLauV29hurSkrQcOIVtT9zotiDUd5xtqDOz4xVhkKuTTg/s320/sf5.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Muni was incredible and really seemed to be enjoying himself, while Dvorak and Morley are both beautiful and great supporting players. George Raft looks very comfortable in the type of role he would play many more times. Karloff was pretty good and looked the part, but his voice just didn't seem to fit. Every time I heard Karloff's voice I thought "horror" not "gangster". Typecast? Yeah ... pretty much. He was just really good in horror films. Karloff appeared in <em>Scarface</em> only one year after his role as "The Monster" in <em>Frankenstein</em> (1931).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgosnOU3er0-eHl77aSH9L38_86tFI1rxCeEJmL1FXuxVt2844LoLCt9iraT2jCNBgILAix-mESfU9M2oJ67FgCIaG2-DDqQgvCgL6TLrYm0mMXm3aQ_aSyGl4iPuYkgidSCIqYtrPYyQ/s1600/sf6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgosnOU3er0-eHl77aSH9L38_86tFI1rxCeEJmL1FXuxVt2844LoLCt9iraT2jCNBgILAix-mESfU9M2oJ67FgCIaG2-DDqQgvCgL6TLrYm0mMXm3aQ_aSyGl4iPuYkgidSCIqYtrPYyQ/s320/sf6.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>According to TCM's film oracle Robert Osborne, the film is of course based on the legendary crime boss of the day Al Capone. When the film started production a couple of Capone's "associates" visited writer Ben Hecht and asked him if he "really thought it was wise to write a script about Capone". Hecht being a newspaper man from Chicago wasn't intimidated by the henchmen and actually convinced them to become consultants. The creators of the film also had difficulty getting past the censors because of the violence, and the censorship boards thought that the film "glorified gangsters" (when in fact it was supposed to be an anti-gangster film) and they demanded several changes including the alternate ending. Howard Hughes who had put a lot of his own money into the film ended up releasing it in states where the censors were a little more lenient. The result -- very long lines at the box office.<br />
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Excellent film, don't miss it ...Dave the Movie Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706646923615786483noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729648144476396641.post-10863313530023484492012-02-29T20:54:00.000-05:002012-02-29T20:54:18.016-05:00The Outer Limits - Season One, Episode Twenty-Nine - A Feasibility Study - Original Air Date, April 13, 1964<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjymGFYNAqohYo78hrZ5tCnFIAmJ0IpRAX11sPHx2OvEy6v7bx003LZV3FBfvt0PdTB9_JsBngs4YL462YqyKMFuJUC14gdYheUioqIiKsvDd5p0WN7afRjK6Mkp4HOlDnfEXMUdqM6cA/s1600/oltitle.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjymGFYNAqohYo78hrZ5tCnFIAmJ0IpRAX11sPHx2OvEy6v7bx003LZV3FBfvt0PdTB9_JsBngs4YL462YqyKMFuJUC14gdYheUioqIiKsvDd5p0WN7afRjK6Mkp4HOlDnfEXMUdqM6cA/s320/oltitle.JPG" uda="true" width="320" /></a></div>"There is nothing wrong with your television set ..."<br />
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I was pretty certain I had seen every original Outer Limits episode, but for some reason this title didn't bring any images to mind. But I do have to admit that this is one of the creepiest episodes of <em><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056777/">The Outer Limits</a></em> that I've seen. This episode stars <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0910737/">Sam Wanamaker</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0522401/">Phyllis Love</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0887696/">Joyce Van Patten</a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0649055/">David Opatoshu</a>. It's produced and written by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0825010/">Joseph Stefano</a> and directed by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005738/">Byron Haskin</a>, with music by Dominic Frontiere.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJgCmF6-JwK3AhlWDxgiy949Xqf1s8sTGzbUyZBLUy1MTKqZSA63UZTLs8HhEalHBQzjjAvhewBl7lweKHAdNWzkk-kVILr6gBL1G6WIP7i2zQdnHlrKRRmoMJgKQWfLH95KZO0XRpeQ/s1600/ol1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJgCmF6-JwK3AhlWDxgiy949Xqf1s8sTGzbUyZBLUy1MTKqZSA63UZTLs8HhEalHBQzjjAvhewBl7lweKHAdNWzkk-kVILr6gBL1G6WIP7i2zQdnHlrKRRmoMJgKQWfLH95KZO0XRpeQ/s320/ol1.JPG" uda="true" width="320" /></a></div>The story begins as an alien spaceship enters the Earth's orbit and teleports an entire neighborhood to the alien's home planet "Luminos" in order to conduct an experiment. The "Luminoids" are seeking new civilizations to serve as slave labor for their planet. If the experiment is successful, the entire population of the planet is doomed to be enslaved.<br />
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Ralph Cashman (Opatoshu) starts his day with a shot of booze and half a pretzel, and it's off to the office (I think it's actually Sunday) to put in a few hours of work. After stepping outside for the morning paper, his wife Rhea (Van Patten) tells him about a strange mist outside. What they don't know is that the mysterious mist and the ominous cloud filled sky that blocks out most of the sunlight conceal strange beings from another planet who are observing the humans. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZhJpmX6HJrU406qyJWnzsVeAWD4QBwPbbgw1mKCakH3l4XmHi9fqwNK9SpRM2bjELZSHPL6OHJ1r2Np4x2H9fw7I1JnH_uNxPt_5QyoLbnK9NyWTWnqff7k_2BeHdvoCRHI_WrhT8LQ/s1600/ol2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZhJpmX6HJrU406qyJWnzsVeAWD4QBwPbbgw1mKCakH3l4XmHi9fqwNK9SpRM2bjELZSHPL6OHJ1r2Np4x2H9fw7I1JnH_uNxPt_5QyoLbnK9NyWTWnqff7k_2BeHdvoCRHI_WrhT8LQ/s320/ol2.JPG" uda="true" width="320" /></a></div>Ralph notices his neighbor, Dr. Simon Holm (Wanamaker), having some car trouble and offers to give him a ride into town and drop him off at church. Ralph sends his wife over to check out the engine problem ("She's one of those housewives who can fix anything") and she quickly discovers the reason. Ralph drops Holm off and drives into the mist but stops when the visibility becomes too bad to continue. And in true classic sci-fi style, when things start to go wrong, instead of staying in the relative safety of the vehicle he exits the auto and stumbles into the choking cloud to be pursued by the alien creatures.<br />
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When Simon changes his mind about going to church and returns to his house and his wife Andrea (Love), they encounter one of the strange beings. After realizing what's happening the humans gather together in a church to make a final stand against the alien threat.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7cFH1LQ9du9eC35ZEepd3hSMcy1nFk7WiwF12ghFx2XltBuro9hu06-ZbBBnkT8l-JvPu2iUaqU8ieS3gtPxwd3XlzqxNyhTjVGLvnWXWV3pB_jn4ZqfMxxnqwxjBt8G7sm0UAFWTow/s1600/ol3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7cFH1LQ9du9eC35ZEepd3hSMcy1nFk7WiwF12ghFx2XltBuro9hu06-ZbBBnkT8l-JvPu2iUaqU8ieS3gtPxwd3XlzqxNyhTjVGLvnWXWV3pB_jn4ZqfMxxnqwxjBt8G7sm0UAFWTow/s320/ol3.JPG" uda="true" width="320" /></a></div>With special effects similar to those of a low budget sci-fi film (including a spaceship that looks like a salt shaker on steroids), but probably very costly for a television series at that time, the sets and costumes though relatively cheap looking are very effective. The director's use of lighting and camera angles give the episode a kind of nightmarish quality that sticks with you.<br />
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Lots of people try to compare <em>The Outer Limits</em> with <em>The Twilight Zone</em>, and some prefer one over the other. I sat here for a while and tried to decide which I liked better and it's really a tough call. I can't really say one series is better than the other. They both have some remarkable episodes. <em>The Outer Limits</em> has some stand-out episodes like <em>The Sixth Finger, </em> <em>I, Robot</em> and <em>The Zanti Misfits</em>. While <em>The Twilight Zone</em> has classic episodes like <em>The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street, The Shelter,</em> and <em>Nightmare at 20,000 Feet</em>. And both series have a few episodes that maybe just aren't as fun or entertaining to watch (I'm trying to refrain from using the word <em>bad </em>because I don't think either series has any really bad episodes). Both have incredible writers and storylines and both have pretty good special effects. Please feel free to leave some comments and let me know which series you prefer, and the titles of some of your favorite episodes ...<br />
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"Feasibility study ended ... Abduction of human race ? ..." You'll have to watch and find out.<br />
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Control of your viewing device has now been returned to you ...Dave the Movie Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706646923615786483noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729648144476396641.post-13170866205597278442012-02-19T16:32:00.000-05:002012-02-19T16:32:04.174-05:00The Dick Van Dyke Show - The Sick Boy and the Sitter - Season One, Episode One - First Aired, October 3, 1961<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPcuwx8KIHtOdTEcvkwNfD9ZZUMhBBoJsQX2K3JNIR1xa-GTOPBiQGsuWn-Eax33R0krJf0FkqCjNnLPuIPMS_eqvTlijnK3-Mx0tftESZmUrrl5sHoJifbm9k107Ylthwd3UgaPbLIg/s1600/dvd1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPcuwx8KIHtOdTEcvkwNfD9ZZUMhBBoJsQX2K3JNIR1xa-GTOPBiQGsuWn-Eax33R0krJf0FkqCjNnLPuIPMS_eqvTlijnK3-Mx0tftESZmUrrl5sHoJifbm9k107Ylthwd3UgaPbLIg/s320/dvd1.JPG" width="320" yda="true" /></a></div>You can see the chemistry, you can feel it, and it just gets better and better. <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054533/">The Dick Van Dyke Show</a></i> is quite possibly one of the best television sitcoms ever ... Ever !!! ... And I say this with no qualms or trepidations. <br />
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This episode stars <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001813/">Dick Van Dyke</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001546/">Mary Tyler Moore</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0547300/">Rose Marie</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0025440/">Morey Amsterdam</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0558667/">Larry Matthews</a>, and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0212586/">Richard Deacon</a>, and was written by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005348/">Carl Reiner</a>, directed by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0502766/">Sheldon Leonard</a>, with makeup by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0339278/">Lee Greenway</a> (The Andy Griffith Show). With a lineup like that, how can you go wrong?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtXSJoj9Ur49-7RwaaVn8JfTE1aYeLXZnRzZlqc4LFCheVn7VDFqQYuRmRwB8wgefYagQNJ56dSYkRV6H9XTUXpbJxFgnNGjt1aZ5jIUIkfRpOzDCo5GhhLQs8yy-x23Jh-5cZvNDS4w/s1600/dvd2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtXSJoj9Ur49-7RwaaVn8JfTE1aYeLXZnRzZlqc4LFCheVn7VDFqQYuRmRwB8wgefYagQNJ56dSYkRV6H9XTUXpbJxFgnNGjt1aZ5jIUIkfRpOzDCo5GhhLQs8yy-x23Jh-5cZvNDS4w/s320/dvd2.JPG" width="320" yda="true" /></a></div>The show begins as Ritchie (Matthews) gets sent home from a neighbor's house when one of his little friends comes down with a slight fever. Laura being the loving mother that she is becomes concerned and decides to call a doctor. In the meantime, Rob (Van Dyke) is busy at work with Sally (Marie) and Buddy (Amsterdam) trying to come up with an ending to the week's show.<br />
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It's a typical day at the office as the trio bounce jokes off one another and Buddy exchanges insults with the show's producer Mel Cooley (Deacon). The jokes that the staff dismiss as being "not funny" are actually some of the funniest of the episode. Mel invites the staff to a fancy dinner party at the Alan Brady residence. Rob accepts the invitation not knowing what's in store for him when he gets home.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNDMI87W6PNRCwQNpXuN_mETYq6KtyUeIf9HW5CMlRaGZuzFTYsmaLDlt2NU2M6gyStZNPHnc2x3I_nqR-xbWifYj8b8TgpjikqD3VuxYvihwPLSG-f7kB756psUSG9S9GbkIYaJEsZA/s1600/dvd3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNDMI87W6PNRCwQNpXuN_mETYq6KtyUeIf9HW5CMlRaGZuzFTYsmaLDlt2NU2M6gyStZNPHnc2x3I_nqR-xbWifYj8b8TgpjikqD3VuxYvihwPLSG-f7kB756psUSG9S9GbkIYaJEsZA/s320/dvd3.JPG" width="320" yda="true" /></a></div>When Rob does get home and tells Laura about the party, he finds out that Ritchie is sick and now Rob is torn between his responsibility to his job and being a responsible parent, with Laura trying to emphasize the latter. The two negotiate a deal, call the girl next door over to babysit, and it's off to Alan Brady's house for the party. After a while when Rob and Laura attempt to leave the party, Mel gets Rob, Sally, and Buddy to entertain the guests while Alan is tied up with a phone call. Needless to say Laura is not pleased and just wants to get home to her sick child.<br />
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Is it just me, or does everyone else seem to get drawn into the show and forget that they're actually watching a sitcom? The characters just seem so real and comfortable with each other. It's not often that you find a show that's has that kind of chemistry right from the first episode. Usually it takes a few shows for the cast to build up a good head of steam.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXgAiuVLPur3uUQSexZpi0dj9GL-6EPARZvln9a9fgvQKIE5u6Lg4C2iMvyjS08TmOX2UFvqWzmD1CelJRWs777zdeUDi8WRJJDuwIt97-IS37JB5MqsC5VLeNavTzcEgGjNOwpzjNTQ/s1600/dvd4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXgAiuVLPur3uUQSexZpi0dj9GL-6EPARZvln9a9fgvQKIE5u6Lg4C2iMvyjS08TmOX2UFvqWzmD1CelJRWs777zdeUDi8WRJJDuwIt97-IS37JB5MqsC5VLeNavTzcEgGjNOwpzjNTQ/s320/dvd4.JPG" width="320" yda="true" /></a></div> And as far as jokes are concerned, there are lots of them. They come at you almost as fast as they do in a Marx Brothers film. While you're busy laughing at one joke a couple more might sneak by you. I think every episode of every season is worth watching (even <em>The Twizzle</em>, S1, Ep23).<br />
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Just about every cast member either had or continued to have a very successful career on stage, in film, or on television.<br />
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This is just more great classic TV entertainment. They really don't make them like this anymore.Dave the Movie Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706646923615786483noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729648144476396641.post-38915584314879364712012-02-09T23:18:00.002-05:002012-02-17T14:26:31.094-05:00The Andy Griffith Show - Season Four, Episode Two - The Haunted House - First Aired October 7, 1963<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhHzvhrBiOucbWwyhM496-JiEQrEuhjIOx3sxMZrc9P0jLnokyjrp9TLz2kgqR0X1TJUWRncJZG3qSzqjlZHLg-Zbv49cPKOHPcWbKf1IhPDgyOy5qmNqpgoBp6Gu5-McB7o_hr0Jp-g/s1600/ag1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242px" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhHzvhrBiOucbWwyhM496-JiEQrEuhjIOx3sxMZrc9P0jLnokyjrp9TLz2kgqR0X1TJUWRncJZG3qSzqjlZHLg-Zbv49cPKOHPcWbKf1IhPDgyOy5qmNqpgoBp6Gu5-McB7o_hr0Jp-g/s320/ag1.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div>This is one of my favorite episodes of <em><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053479/">The Andy Griffith Show</a></em>. This episode, as many others do, stars <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0341431/">Andy Griffith</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000165/">Ronny Howard</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0461455/">Don Knotts</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001561/">Jim Nabors</a> and also costars <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0808401/">Hal Smith</a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0656980/">Nestor Paiva</a>. This episode was directed by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0068691/">Earl Bellamy</a>, produced by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0747826/">Aaron Ruben</a> and the makeup was done by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0339278/">Lee Greenway</a>. It was filmed at Desilu Studios and the executive producer was <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0502766/">Sheldon Leonard</a>.<br />
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The story starts as Opie (Howard) and Arnold (Ronnie Dapo) are walking along talking about baseball. The two stop on the street and Arnold attempts to demonstrate his curveball and pitches the ball to Opie who swings and hits the ball through a window in the old Rimshaw house, a supposedly haunted house in town. When they walk up to the house to try to get the ball some noises scare the kids away and they run right to the courthouse to tell Andy (Griffith) what happened. Opie tells Andy that "the house is full of ghosts". Arnold helps Opie describe what happened ("they went Oooooooo"). Even Otis the town drunk (Hal Smith) thinks everyone should stay away from the house because of the strange stories. Of course Andy and Barney try to assure everyone that there's no such things as ghosts.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzScIhR1Y7VwmQ_dvxP0l1624OEk928y7KkkBHzH0IP3ITICSF1IvHleM-PgD8mTh_AuaIZ9ZGD_BfzcBovCxwdl6wyBGTVIOItCCJbrhc84S8rQTs_0OnZp-xMBBxE5EdS5fWcnnJxQ/s1600/ag2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242px" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzScIhR1Y7VwmQ_dvxP0l1624OEk928y7KkkBHzH0IP3ITICSF1IvHleM-PgD8mTh_AuaIZ9ZGD_BfzcBovCxwdl6wyBGTVIOItCCJbrhc84S8rQTs_0OnZp-xMBBxE5EdS5fWcnnJxQ/s320/ag2.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div>When the kids ask about the ball Andy decides to send Barney up to the house to retrieve it. Of course Barney's not too happy about the idea so he recruits/tricks Gomer (Nabors) into going with him ("That way both of us can show'em there's nothing to be afraid of"). Barney and Gomer get scared away just like the kids did, so it's Andy to the rescue as he accompanies Barney and Gomer back to the house. <br />
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This is when the laughs really start. Andy, with Barney and Gomer literally stuck to him like glue go into the house looking for the baseball, and then begin an investigation when Andy finds a few clues that make him think that maybe all the activity in the house isn't related to the supernatural. While the trio start to look around and then get separated at one point there are a lot of really funny moments. One of my favorites scenes begins when Barney and Gomer find a painting over the fireplace that prompts the following exchange:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho8SzBuZOuSVRSX1R0hogZ891vj0-ZYjhX7ciw9lEr4A8gZ-iIZkBPPHNPrrkybHa47RSd4FFQXOxwunyZBw20ZbwhyU40Nf1zNAfMdfqv1UL1ZXYDrtuzgnVBUtAOxez3N5w9dINRUw/s1600/ag3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241px" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho8SzBuZOuSVRSX1R0hogZ891vj0-ZYjhX7ciw9lEr4A8gZ-iIZkBPPHNPrrkybHa47RSd4FFQXOxwunyZBw20ZbwhyU40Nf1zNAfMdfqv1UL1ZXYDrtuzgnVBUtAOxez3N5w9dINRUw/s320/ag3.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div>Barney: "That's old man Rimshaw himself"<br />
Gomer: "Rimshaw? Ain't he the one that put chains on his hired man... and then done away with him??<br />
Barney: "With an axe"<br />
Gomer: "An axe !! Shazam ..."<br />
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It just cracks me up me every single time I watch it. I don't think there are many people better at acting scared than Don Knotts and Jim Nabors. As a matter of fact, you'll be hard pressed to find a more talented and beloved cast from any series in television history (I know, I know, there might be a couple).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPn-6eUz6v-Eu_9ZA8shu1TirBu8eSObZFaUpHO2k2nZHPPuMPpzIhohLooX13HbBJdhjLkNBjH_iw-jxi9by9J50ONSwsC_HoU2i1orPgJBwzL9Hzz5DdbI-Dca15K1IrftJOLI3lEg/s1600/ag4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243px" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPn-6eUz6v-Eu_9ZA8shu1TirBu8eSObZFaUpHO2k2nZHPPuMPpzIhohLooX13HbBJdhjLkNBjH_iw-jxi9by9J50ONSwsC_HoU2i1orPgJBwzL9Hzz5DdbI-Dca15K1IrftJOLI3lEg/s320/ag4.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div>The final two or three seasons (color episodes) didn't seem to entertain me as much as the previous seasons did due to the changes in the cast, or maybe it was that I was just so used to watching the show in black and white, or the storylines just seeming to get a little silly at some points. Any episode in the series is still fun to watch, but like many other television shows there are some episodes that standout in your mind. For me, <em><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0512583/">The Haunted House</a></em> is one of those episodes. <br />
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Here's a little info about some of the folks involved with the show. Hal Smith's voice was featured in many animated shows and feature films including the voice of Phillipe from <em>Beauty And The Beast</em> (1991), and he was also the voice of Owl in the <em>Winnie The Pooh</em> cartoons. Earl Bellamy directed over 1,600 episodes of television in his career (info courtesy of IMDB.com). If I remember correctly, I believe during one of the <em>Andy Griffith Show</em> reunion episodes Andy stated that Lee Greenway (makeup) was a banjo player in one of the episodes featuring the "Darling family", who were played by The Dillards, a bluegrass group. Sheldon Leonard was a great producer/director/actor and was involved with and appeared on <em>The</em> <em>Danny Thomas Show </em>(1953-1963) and <em>The Dick Van Dyke Show </em>(1961-1966) as well as appearing in many films throughout his career, usually as a gangster or underworld character.<br />
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Once again this is great, wholesome, family entertainment and a must have episode for collectors and fans of the series.Dave the Movie Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706646923615786483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729648144476396641.post-66737692877940899062012-01-25T22:31:00.001-05:002012-02-09T13:54:40.332-05:00Ma And Pa Kettle (1949)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvIcGMf2nH_kk0REL9x94kmAcLlY2RWdnAsmUFKAc-FYKxmbNr8lm2dWkVHNLbwliCvI4HLda3H0psS_8uUTCZPe504FnS_spqO7Iu5I8CP9gIb39C87szBlvTYy9du16kEVZ0dOnUUA/s1600/mpk1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="240px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvIcGMf2nH_kk0REL9x94kmAcLlY2RWdnAsmUFKAc-FYKxmbNr8lm2dWkVHNLbwliCvI4HLda3H0psS_8uUTCZPe504FnS_spqO7Iu5I8CP9gIb39C87szBlvTYy9du16kEVZ0dOnUUA/s320/mpk1.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><em><a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/82219/Ma-and-Pa-Kettle/">Ma and Pa Kettle</a></em> is a great family film about a very unique family. This was the second film appearance of the characters after their first unforgettable, incidental supporting character roles in the <em><a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/73925/The-Egg-and-I/">The Egg And I</a></em> (1947) starring Claudette Colbert and Fred MacMurray. Released by Universal-International Pictures this film stars <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0537685/">Marjorie Main</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0452939/">Percy Kilbride</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0519160/">Richard Long</a>, and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0709649/">Meg Randall</a>. It was directed by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006943/">Charles Lamont</a>, produced by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0326259/">Leonard Goldstein</a>, and the music was arranged and directed by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0777706/">Milton Schwartzwald</a>. That first film appearance spawned a whole series of films featuring the Kettle family.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAIl82mAeCeeS7aToH9c1PQRqxa6weLcnlGtKBwQAQfWJwIShrhhgutRTl-iKzEAALGZHbvyO7CRJtUrWIpXXYMpGs_4Eh8WmbQ2zd9eujVeeAOK5WQxOoRd1-Me0bUnRV4zZZZeyu8A/s1600/mpk2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="238px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAIl82mAeCeeS7aToH9c1PQRqxa6weLcnlGtKBwQAQfWJwIShrhhgutRTl-iKzEAALGZHbvyO7CRJtUrWIpXXYMpGs_4Eh8WmbQ2zd9eujVeeAOK5WQxOoRd1-Me0bUnRV4zZZZeyu8A/s320/mpk2.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div>The story begins as the Cape Flattery city council tries to condemn the Kettle residence because it's an eyesore and has a yard "like the city dump". Ma (Main) already has her hands full taking care of Pa (Kilbride) and her fourteen "or was it fifteen" kids when they get a telegram notifying them that Pa has won a contest and that the grand prize is a new "prefabricated model house of the future", completely furnished. This is a lot more than they bargained for because all Pa was trying to do was to get a new tobacco pouch for entering the contest. For the duration of the film the Kettle's run into one snag after another trying to get accustomed to their new surroundings. Their son Tom (Long) is returning home from college and helps his folks try to settle in to their new accommodations. This fish-out-of-water scenario could very well have been an inspiration for the <em>Beverly Hillbillies</em> television series.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhilUXhj42Es5L92yI1NYtI2UC8ZgFRXf1H20KlMZ8PUX5RLpvCvWArJl6laeC7oQdpgMfyrrIYzNVrq-olwxbu_qOy8ZnFea7VqyCTOFgH2-QEF2sq0Pv7ONH_iUdMklmSeJQrotseQ/s1600/mpk3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="239px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhilUXhj42Es5L92yI1NYtI2UC8ZgFRXf1H20KlMZ8PUX5RLpvCvWArJl6laeC7oQdpgMfyrrIYzNVrq-olwxbu_qOy8ZnFea7VqyCTOFgH2-QEF2sq0Pv7ONH_iUdMklmSeJQrotseQ/s320/mpk3.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div>In a little side story in the film Tom meets a young woman (Randall) on the train ride home from school who just happens to be writing a magazine article on "the importance of hygiene in the home" and decides to include the Kettle's change in lifestyle as part of her series of stories. Of course Tom doesn't tell her that he's related to the Kettle's because he's trying to impress her. But Kim shows up for the ceremony at the new house and discovers Tom's secret and ends up becoming very fond of him and his family and tries to help out. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmjHWvySJeHGQKjifOTkcZVmi31jTzmfozk8Cx14D3KMnpvXJKkI6_azRX74gw6g6Jd9uH-miGH9pEGMuffKtcajoAQOzuZIJm1u1YJFk-UWJERTRDTHARAe-htxMfkbCMlGFpvqX5hw/s1600/mpk4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="240px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmjHWvySJeHGQKjifOTkcZVmi31jTzmfozk8Cx14D3KMnpvXJKkI6_azRX74gw6g6Jd9uH-miGH9pEGMuffKtcajoAQOzuZIJm1u1YJFk-UWJERTRDTHARAe-htxMfkbCMlGFpvqX5hw/s320/mpk4.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div>The new home is a complete contrast to their plain and simple rustic lifestyle. Watching them trying to get used to using push-button "futuristic" gadgets, including a large flat-screen television which was quite a luxury at that time, is a riot. The Ma and Pa characters seem to compliment each other perfectly. Pa has a kind of lackadaisical approach to life. He's lazy but means well, and delivers his lines with slow deadpan perfection. Ma is loud, rambunctious and does pretty much all of the work around the house. <br />
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Of course this film has some controversy surrounding it. Rumor has it that Betty MacDonald, the writer and creator of the Kettle characters was sued at some point because people were upset that the characters were portrayed in a less than dignified and flattering fashion. There was also some controversy regarding having Caucasian actors portraying Pa's Native American buddies Crowbar and Geoduck in various films throughout the series.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3-xMFmH_JVBKHPrercRejXOTf9xJQRb_QuLMxjRMRjERQEGAJe1F3ISVOi9uD19RxbLkDBj4e8gEZJEaKm3ttqMbReGA0uF_ezVWBj5pMhjIjoAw_USK5nSGi_ev8a53lVe-Zdpt7cQ/s1600/mpk5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="239px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3-xMFmH_JVBKHPrercRejXOTf9xJQRb_QuLMxjRMRjERQEGAJe1F3ISVOi9uD19RxbLkDBj4e8gEZJEaKm3ttqMbReGA0uF_ezVWBj5pMhjIjoAw_USK5nSGi_ev8a53lVe-Zdpt7cQ/s320/mpk5.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div>Unfortunately Kilbride became ill while filming <em>Ma And Pa Kettle At Waikiki</em> (1955) so he didn't appear in the last two films in the series. The Pa character was completely absent from the film <em>The Kettle's In The Ozarks</em> (1956), and was replaced by Parker Fennelly in the final film <em>The Kettles On Old MacDonald's Farm</em> (1957).<br />
One of the good things about this film is that it brings back many of the townsfolk from <em>The Egg And I</em> , like the eccentric widow who likes to take trips with her "husband" Albert, and the town busybody Birdie (Esther Dale) and her mother (Isabel O'Madigan), as well as traveling salesman Smilin' Billy Reed (Emery Parnell) who tends to speak in rhyme.<br />
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It's not one of the most sophisticated films you'll ever see, but good, solid, clean family entertainment. So take a seat, relax, and spend some time visiting with the Kettle clan. It's a visit you won't soon forget.Dave the Movie Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706646923615786483noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729648144476396641.post-34106283265692443322012-01-20T22:33:00.000-05:002012-01-20T22:33:34.292-05:00Cat-Women Of The Moon (1953)<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS8RJhESjmBxBWcv8NYG9Va3rIX7rpDKK2RBgSYjsUbkibOBw6i41Nr3_z6NRxnWXEvTGhPdSesUkJ84v89KAMN8c30b4UK7l09kEH6fAt9wuQ_YeVGiXGN9jYv1q7-6C6hS-9Od6arQ/s1600/cotm1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nfa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS8RJhESjmBxBWcv8NYG9Va3rIX7rpDKK2RBgSYjsUbkibOBw6i41Nr3_z6NRxnWXEvTGhPdSesUkJ84v89KAMN8c30b4UK7l09kEH6fAt9wuQ_YeVGiXGN9jYv1q7-6C6hS-9Od6arQ/s320/cotm1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045609/">Cat-Women Of The Moon</a></i> is directed by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0385227/">Arthur Hilton</a>, produced by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0956545/">Al Zimbalist</a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0704896/">Jack Rabin</a>, and stars <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0876211/">Sonny Tufts</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0430460/">Victor Jory</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0934798/">Marie Windsor</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0681055/">William Phipps</a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0288830/">Douglas Fowley</a>. The music is composed and directed by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000930/">Elmer Bernstien</a>.</div><div></div><div><br />
The film begins with a brief narration about man's exploration of the stars and then quickly cuts to a rocket blasting off and the crew inside evidently suffering from the strain and G-forces of the liftoff (either that or maybe it was a bad meal). Outside the window we see some stock footage of the view from early spacecraft entering orbit with the earth spinning off into the distance below. The control center frantically tries to contact the space ship numerous times as it speeds away from the earth and the crew slowly regains the ability to get out of their cots and move about the ship. The voice from the control center is actually kind of funny at times, I'm not sure if it was intentional or not. Once everyone is up and about the first thing Helen (Windsor) does is get out a compact and comb to fix her hair.</div><div><br />
</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAH3iLnaNZvqLhZOq0O6EsPJUnsUspgWiipiv0NdsnAOjfepCzlMmQi7ALWeqYzKUP3cgHwMEKNUsOqkXDfISYDsEK2uPtGQ79s7F1RXjFNGOdJ0QM_cDfdfGwgWKI2OFJ4agRR3A0lg/s1600/cotm2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nfa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAH3iLnaNZvqLhZOq0O6EsPJUnsUspgWiipiv0NdsnAOjfepCzlMmQi7ALWeqYzKUP3cgHwMEKNUsOqkXDfISYDsEK2uPtGQ79s7F1RXjFNGOdJ0QM_cDfdfGwgWKI2OFJ4agRR3A0lg/s320/cotm2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The crew settles into their 50's style metal frame swivel desk chairs for their long journey ahead. A brief encounter with a meteor temporarily shakes things up, but a short time later and without much effort the craft lands on the moon, Helen seems to have some sort of telepathic connection to the female inhabitants on the moon which she uses to guide them to a specific landing area. The crew exits their ship and after a quick exploration of the area around the landing site they find a cave with life sustaining atmosphere and gravity. Now with breathable oxygen available the team sheds their space suits and continues onward to discover the buildings of an ancient civilization. Of course the inhabitants of the city are beautiful women in skintight outfits just as you would find on any other planet. The cat-women tempt the travelers with food and drink and their female charm in an attempt to seduce the men and gain access to their spaceship. </div><div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLGOqLFjqfAZqWHf8A-jlsgpORIAOEO4rObU4_bndZcVv-Oe6VUOlgC519iS7gJeHUcbLCc6L8alOyNXCBTl9A7oQkzM0juWhMZPK3y2pDhjiZGeZw6Q217Bdu9kXMJjtsMU7ZwTAA0g/s1600/cotm3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" nfa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLGOqLFjqfAZqWHf8A-jlsgpORIAOEO4rObU4_bndZcVv-Oe6VUOlgC519iS7gJeHUcbLCc6L8alOyNXCBTl9A7oQkzM0juWhMZPK3y2pDhjiZGeZw6Q217Bdu9kXMJjtsMU7ZwTAA0g/s320/cotm3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Viewers will recognize most of the supporting players from appearances elsewhere. Douglas Fowley who played "Walters, the engineer" had the role of "Kipp" in the film <em>Battleground </em>(1949), Bill Phipps who played "Doug, the radio operator" had a small part in the <em>The War Of The Worlds</em> (1953), Victor Jory who starred as "Kip, the copilot" appeared in many films, serials, and television shows throughout his long career. Sonny Tufts who starred as "Commander Grainger, leader of the expedition" starred in numerous films through the 40's and 50's and then did some television spots in the 60's after his film career was tainted by a few off screen incidents in Hollywood. Marie Windsor who played "Helen, the navigator" did pretty well for herself in the "film noir" genre. And all the lovely cat-women were played by "The Hollywood Covergirls" - Carol Brewster, Betty Arlen, Suzann Alexander, Roxann Delman, Ellye Marshall and Judy Walsh.</div><div></div><div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipFvUkTDwGrGqV_XEHMeqyElRkllWTll9BER-CWRjOnyEO5jsr38vUs0sgjSUESZa_n2KsKWSwCGmHH77GRMoq4_IY2VyVB1GJfpHK4u2wIyl_QDPN_KZgUMWVfeoL-89GF41mR5ZfwQ/s1600/cotm4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" nfa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipFvUkTDwGrGqV_XEHMeqyElRkllWTll9BER-CWRjOnyEO5jsr38vUs0sgjSUESZa_n2KsKWSwCGmHH77GRMoq4_IY2VyVB1GJfpHK4u2wIyl_QDPN_KZgUMWVfeoL-89GF41mR5ZfwQ/s320/cotm4.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Keeping the production budget to a minimum is pretty obvious judging from the sets and costumes, and the film is pretty standard 50's B-film/science fiction fare. It's a fun film to watch though as long as you don't have any great expectations. And it has a pretty standard ending that you can see coming from a mile away. With a running time of about 64 minutes the film will be over before you know it (for some folks maybe that's a good thing). Seriously, it's really not that bad, especially if you're a fan of the "50s sci-fi films with hot alien women" genre. And you'll probably get a few laughs from the dialogue that gets tossed back and forth.<br />
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I've definitely seen worse and I do see myself watching <em>Cat-Women Of The Moon </em>again at some point.</div>Dave the Movie Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706646923615786483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729648144476396641.post-73383930586417351652012-01-09T20:27:00.001-05:002012-01-10T08:52:56.857-05:00Gaslight (1940)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7PY1dpZgef6aU-4oL8ICG0v4KESF6Qj1zRGd9vgPpbg67EcOz4QlbDFA2-c41Ssb2j9ZGNjBTlCgH0-RDIDTphGuTq0MPe-8cjCSo9BeUCCQ02QKQ76GL6MqE_waaxXkmMswmqAqRyg/s1600/gaslight.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243px" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7PY1dpZgef6aU-4oL8ICG0v4KESF6Qj1zRGd9vgPpbg67EcOz4QlbDFA2-c41Ssb2j9ZGNjBTlCgH0-RDIDTphGuTq0MPe-8cjCSo9BeUCCQ02QKQ76GL6MqE_waaxXkmMswmqAqRyg/s320/gaslight.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><em><a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/76014/Gaslight/">Gaslight</a></em> is based on the stage play <em>Angel Street</em> by Patrick Hamilton, was released by British National Films Ltd., filmed at D&P Studios Ltd., and stars <a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/200612%7C14572/Anton-Walbrook/">Anton Walbrook</a>, <a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/210133%7C38211/Diana-Wynyard/">Diana Wynyard</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0678693/">Frank Pettingell</a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0179451/">Cathleen Cordell</a>. The film is directed by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0225555/">Thorold Dickinson</a> and produced by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0179825/">John Corfield</a>.<br />
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The story takes place in London and begins at No. 12, Pimlico Square with the murder of an elderly woman followed by a frantic search of the house by an unknown person searching for an unknown item or items. A short time later we find that the items in question are some valuable rubies which are reported missing.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDBliyX_I_-gBHxYhr29e4XAN9y4MNjpvYlqTOOFOefs0dQ9j6g47CLREsb1BPOHhFzyci8pdsoSsz9pcwRfkmM-fTFk3fbHMIpHIDKaVJNFiRMWjEfz8IJswuMCEhAtwfpAp0zgd1yQ/s1600/gaslight1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239px" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDBliyX_I_-gBHxYhr29e4XAN9y4MNjpvYlqTOOFOefs0dQ9j6g47CLREsb1BPOHhFzyci8pdsoSsz9pcwRfkmM-fTFk3fbHMIpHIDKaVJNFiRMWjEfz8IJswuMCEhAtwfpAp0zgd1yQ/s320/gaslight1.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div>Years later we see that the same residence where the dreadful murder took place is now being inhabited by a young couple, Paul Mallen (Walbrook) an overbearing and controlling husband, and his wife Bella (Wynyard) who is recovering from a breakdown. Mr. Rough (Pettingell) a retired police officer becomes suspicious when he believes he recognizes the man as the nephew of Alice Barlow, the woman who was murdered in the house twenty years earlier. The case was never solved, and this has bothered Mr. Rough all these years because he had originally worked on the case.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5pNnilsKq1J3A-FSVx3xoJKV1-Swew459im0XRTRn3jV7WKtb7bWwP3gnFWbHtOG9aHHWbM6ZRzfX7GGWjFS1EbXMyI4ufxxIEQoAJ-t8IlJnzmPfU3NLvxWB6IUPSK5iYhXuIs3S-g/s1600/gaslight2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239px" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5pNnilsKq1J3A-FSVx3xoJKV1-Swew459im0XRTRn3jV7WKtb7bWwP3gnFWbHtOG9aHHWbM6ZRzfX7GGWjFS1EbXMyI4ufxxIEQoAJ-t8IlJnzmPfU3NLvxWB6IUPSK5iYhXuIs3S-g/s320/gaslight2.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div>This film follows the same basic storyline as the remake although the character names are a little different. A man tries to conceal a deep dark secret as his wife struggles against his efforts to drive her mad, and finds herself drifting between reality and insanity. Of course like everyone else I'm probably spoiled by the repeated viewings of the superior 1944 remake starring Ingrid Bergman, who won an Oscar for her part, Charles Boyer, and Angela Lansbury who was nominated for an Oscar in her debut film at only 17 years old.<br />
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Much of the dialogue is the same in both films, and the camera angles and interior set designs are very similar. The scene in the music hall featuring the "can-can" dancers is amazing. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ae_VjIrvIPjHF1lDlxgfqIVXLsm5BMl9Iqf3O2S1vsEIt0xTyhcW14VKRBKEOoClQ1BMoB8-060nb3LG6KNa7Cr8QIDD1nIMCJIpsGiHH-r5THVCeu8GD6P0hhPrC7g0Edu_zmmdTg/s1600/gaslight3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241px" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ae_VjIrvIPjHF1lDlxgfqIVXLsm5BMl9Iqf3O2S1vsEIt0xTyhcW14VKRBKEOoClQ1BMoB8-060nb3LG6KNa7Cr8QIDD1nIMCJIpsGiHH-r5THVCeu8GD6P0hhPrC7g0Edu_zmmdTg/s320/gaslight3.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div>Diana Wynyard is lovely but seems to be missing the more fragile and naive quality that Bergman brought to the part. Ms. Bergman actually spent time observing the mannerisms and habits of a female resident of an asylum as she researched her role. Walbrook does a nice job as the cold, calculating and verbally abusive husband. And Cordell's portrayal of the maid Nancy is very good, though I prefer Lansbury's more cocky portrayal of the maid. But Bergman's grace and Boyer's growl are sorely missed.<br />
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There are some pretty good British suspense films out there but to me, this one falls just a little short. I find this version slightly less dramatic and the acting a little stiff at times. A pretty good musical score helps to drive the film which does have its moments. It's definitely worth a viewing if you haven't seen it yet and have an hour and a half to kill. But if you're looking for some real drama, stick with the more memorable, moody, and atmospheric film from 1944 directed by one of film's great directors George Cukor.Dave the Movie Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706646923615786483noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729648144476396641.post-4385825448494170392011-12-23T12:36:00.000-05:002011-12-23T12:36:27.834-05:00These Amazing Shadows - The Movies That Make America (2011)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKxvbRXtyqeFM0dIZVs1ioezR9LJxBsV4AdtfcHVJt3HLNB9-SBKudzZGXpBoQNiajwbx37eCMVXQlZIRn2Sgx32aevBmy_MNijMqrs5G8r7iBDn5z3MoEaJNykhkM_5VcVbu1zHoaCg/s1600/tas1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246px" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKxvbRXtyqeFM0dIZVs1ioezR9LJxBsV4AdtfcHVJt3HLNB9-SBKudzZGXpBoQNiajwbx37eCMVXQlZIRn2Sgx32aevBmy_MNijMqrs5G8r7iBDn5z3MoEaJNykhkM_5VcVbu1zHoaCg/s320/tas1.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div>I was a little hesitant (just a little) about watching <em>These Amazing Shadows</em>, hoping that it wasn't going to be just another vehicle for a collection of classic film clips. Directed by <a href="http://www.theseamazingshadows.com/filmmakers.html#">Paul Mariano</a> and <a href="http://www.theseamazingshadows.com/filmmakers.html#">Kurt Norton</a>, and produced by Mariano, Norton, and <a href="http://www.theseamazingshadows.com/filmmakers.html#">Christine O'Malley</a>, <em><a href="http://www.theseamazingshadows.com/">These Amazing Shadows - The Movies That Make America</a></em> is an impressive documentary about <a href="http://www.loc.gov/film/filmnfr.html">The National Film Registry</a>, film preservation, and why film is important to so many people. The film also demonstrates the influence that film has had on actors, directors, filmmakers, and the rest of our society.<br />
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Congress established the registry in 1988 in response to a collective cry of foul after media mogul Ted Turner purchased the MGM film library and began to ruffle the feathers of many classic film fans as he started colorizing many of our beloved favorite films. There is actually a clip of Turner pompously proclaiming that "the last time I checked, they were my films ... I'm workin' on my films". Even Hollywood stars began to protest. <a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/184696%7C78233/James-Stewart/">James Stewart</a> made a trip to Washington to express his concern about the issue. Speaking about the film colorization process he stated "I feel they're being tampered with and I want to speak out against this". <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000095/">Woody Allen</a> was another celebrity who spoke in front of Congress opposing Turner's actions.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgEWFE8_EJHINko5jbeYZhVNgAhFETmWtWXmrrXFJmJCYuh7P-cYT7Q9PqPpwq8fcBBecExvSJ6h9p06C9LfXROSzJyspJtxowp_8BKwv8qfwmnsPhoXJx50jTvJNyMcxY0mV1Nzso4Q/s1600/tas3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212px" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgEWFE8_EJHINko5jbeYZhVNgAhFETmWtWXmrrXFJmJCYuh7P-cYT7Q9PqPpwq8fcBBecExvSJ6h9p06C9LfXROSzJyspJtxowp_8BKwv8qfwmnsPhoXJx50jTvJNyMcxY0mV1Nzso4Q/s320/tas3.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div>The importance of restoring these films is so that we can continue to enjoy and learn from them. There are scenes from many classic films, shorts, documentaries, propaganda films, home movies, and cartoons that have had a significant and lasting impression on popular culture and display technical advances and historical significance. For myself it was like a highlight reel of my own personal DVD collection. <br />
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Some of the clips included are scenes from <em>The Wizard Of Oz</em> (1939), <em>The Maltese Falcon</em> (1941), <em>Duck Amuck</em> (1953), <em>Invasion Of The Bodysnatchers</em> (1956), <em>What's Opera, Doc</em> (1957), the <em>Zapruder Film</em> of the Kennedy assassination (1963), <em>2001: A Space Odyssey</em> (1968), and more recent films added to the registry including <em>Blade Runner</em> (1982), <em>Star Wars</em> (1977), and many others. According to information provided by ITVS and Independent Lens "the oldest film on the registry is <em>Newark Athlete</em> (1891) and the most recent is <em>Fargo</em> (1996).<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhStzOQ6ImZEj57MPGyG-ZaEcOCanAUxPUQIXtlcetbeTGuAns3FEhx8Pz4wljrIdmVPNX4r6a1nYqHJY5ZjeD9mFwp2dKI-zcV-IxFwcHY41xf8Jl-FRJnzk5JmkTgoEA9N13e0zngcA/s1600/tas4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="153px" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhStzOQ6ImZEj57MPGyG-ZaEcOCanAUxPUQIXtlcetbeTGuAns3FEhx8Pz4wljrIdmVPNX4r6a1nYqHJY5ZjeD9mFwp2dKI-zcV-IxFwcHY41xf8Jl-FRJnzk5JmkTgoEA9N13e0zngcA/s320/tas4.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
There are numerous interviews with film experts, historians, archivists, directors, and actors throughout the documentary who explain how certain films inspired them or set them on their career path, as well as interviews with individuals who have had a direct input as to which films should be nominated and why they thought them relevant.<br />
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There are numerous powerful images and memorable video clips of titles chosen to be included in the National Film Registry. I wasn't familiar with all the titles included in the film, but after seeing them I can see how every single one of them would leave a lasting impression on the viewer in one way or another. Some comparisons of original and restored footage makes one appreciate the time and effort that's put into restoring these films.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_EIq7JKCPkcK3n_sa-H6cUZXP1UBmLKlY4TE4Hdv9PepirLra6ZTJrr6heXbJ2GkjuxBsJck9OgIJ9SU02V-a0gu8-QImg-Tc0-T7lzpAiwoqRX_kSNJh9tg3yCjroruFfL6hf2PyUg/s1600/tas2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181px" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_EIq7JKCPkcK3n_sa-H6cUZXP1UBmLKlY4TE4Hdv9PepirLra6ZTJrr6heXbJ2GkjuxBsJck9OgIJ9SU02V-a0gu8-QImg-Tc0-T7lzpAiwoqRX_kSNJh9tg3yCjroruFfL6hf2PyUg/s320/tas2.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div> In the documentary actor/director <a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/159781%7C131167/Rob-Reiner/">Rob Reiner</a> discusses <em>It's A Wonderful Life </em>(1946) and how it's "a film that celebrates the value of life". <a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/178458%7C0/John-Singleton/">John Singleton</a> director of <em>Boyz n the Hood</em> (1991) makes a great point when he says that "Film is a reflection of the times we live in, good or bad". Actor <a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/188463%7C59514/George-Takei/">George Takei</a> of <em>Star Trek</em> (1966-68) fame relates his own personal recollections and experiences in relation to the cultural impact of film.<br />
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This is a great documentary with some really fun, entertaining, and memorable moments. It's not just for classic film fans, but for anyone who is interested in and appreciates any genre of film.<br />
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<em>These Amazing Shadows</em> premieres on <em><a href="http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/">Independent Lens</a> </em>on Thursday December 29, 2011 at 10 PM (check your local listings and PBS stations).<br />
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DVD, promotional materials, and images courtesy of ITVS and Independent Lens. Special thanks to Abbe Harris and Cara White for their help with the promotional stuff.Dave the Movie Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706646923615786483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729648144476396641.post-30027994409907215442011-12-05T21:09:00.001-05:002012-01-09T20:31:13.952-05:00Superman aka "The Mad Scientist" (1941)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC4UkEXtfZKUJtiAWuz04hM5HOSXaQ6yCTTVusjh0XGdSxLyORbzYSWWig1V9aluuh11qUozCVTQFUTglCawnApqBePdxh0y9FQkR7hk5Csq1Pv_hbzJzEO3K2SQSqrGr1WbRLPgX7Rg/s1600/superman1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC4UkEXtfZKUJtiAWuz04hM5HOSXaQ6yCTTVusjh0XGdSxLyORbzYSWWig1V9aluuh11qUozCVTQFUTglCawnApqBePdxh0y9FQkR7hk5Csq1Pv_hbzJzEO3K2SQSqrGr1WbRLPgX7Rg/s320/superman1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>"Up in the sky ... Look ... It's a bird ... It's a plane ... It's Superman ... "In the endless reaches of the universe there once existed a planet known as Krypton, a planet that burned like a green star in the distant heavens ... With this opening statement we are introduced to the "man of steel" in the first moving picture appearance of one of our favorite superheroes.<br />
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Nominated for an Oscar for "Best Animated Short Subject" in 1942, but beaten out by Disney's <i>Lend a Paw,</i> this beautifully drawn short released by Paramount and shown in Technicolor, was produced by Max Fleischer, and directed by his brother Dave Fleischer. It's based on the Superman comic strip created by Jerome Siegel and Joe Shuster, and as seen in <u>Action Comics</u> and <u>Superman Magazine</u>. Unlike other versions of the story of Superman, in this episode we learn that after crashing on Earth the last survivor of the planet Krypton was found by a passing motorist who took the uninjured child to an orphanage, where as he grew up he found he was possessed by amazing physical powers.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnWch1SBu4epex-JpI0Xt8kwEikRGoABVniK-IW_Iwo8SCsmATOGxOdiIXWHuVnA77n3vEQUZuXay1vaL26UZV5UK97NafU_I1FcKhdm_I0G1i5ewkX2mn3ZCyMmYBKvF4epcP50GEfA/s1600/superman2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnWch1SBu4epex-JpI0Xt8kwEikRGoABVniK-IW_Iwo8SCsmATOGxOdiIXWHuVnA77n3vEQUZuXay1vaL26UZV5UK97NafU_I1FcKhdm_I0G1i5ewkX2mn3ZCyMmYBKvF4epcP50GEfA/s320/superman2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>When a mad scientist uses an "Electrothanasia ray" to destroy buildings and bridges and pretty much just terrorize the civilian population in general, it's Superman to the rescue to save the world and protect Lois Lane as she tries to scoop Clark Kent on the story. <br />
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As the series of shorts progresses you can see how the animation process was honed and developed over time. As each short was released the drawings seem a bit cleaner and backgrounds more detailed. <br />
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I always seem to find something in films or shorts to pick on. In this short, after Kent changes into Superman he sticks his head out of the doorway of the stockroom to peek down the hallway, when I'm assuming he could have just used his X-ray vision to look through the wall to see if anyone was around, but that's just me throwing a wrench into the works. Don't forget, I'm not trashing the short. I just seem to pick up on the strangest things.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHYweFCeGj8ntgVJSbYKhbpco9ZSocCADzOSfqcmHwQvPTnXZkMfWLGumnNIaDoz-EfMq5X6eXqFJ2fMj1glj-sA_kNcQ90RvfqOHsGso8bFkYktBYMPKrmozEHgj7RBOWG_hWPJ6j8w/s1600/superman3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHYweFCeGj8ntgVJSbYKhbpco9ZSocCADzOSfqcmHwQvPTnXZkMfWLGumnNIaDoz-EfMq5X6eXqFJ2fMj1glj-sA_kNcQ90RvfqOHsGso8bFkYktBYMPKrmozEHgj7RBOWG_hWPJ6j8w/s320/superman3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>According to <u>The Super Guide To The Fleischer Superman Cartoons</u> written by Russ May, these cartoons were originally released monthly in theaters from September 9th 1941, to July 30th, 1943. "Paramount obtained permission to make a series of cartoons based on the comic strip. The pilot cost $50,000. This is three times what the Fleischer "Popeye" cartoons of that time cost. Subsequent cartoons in the series had a budget of $30,000. And the cost for all 17 of the "Superman" cartoons was $530,000."<br />
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The voices for the characters were provided by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0172872/">Clayton "Bud" Collyer</a> (Clark Kent/Superman), <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0018510/">Joan Alexander</a> (Lois Lane), and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0065159/">Jackson Beck</a> (Narrator/Perry White) but the names were never shown in the credits.<br />
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Unlike other serials you won't have any problem watching multiple episodes in one sitting as each is an individual adventure rather than a continuing storyline. With 17 cartoons in total for the series, and with a running time between 8 to 10 minutes each, this episode is the first one in the series. Overall this a great collection of animated shorts to watch. A must see for fans of the early days of animation or admirers of the Superman character.Dave the Movie Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706646923615786483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729648144476396641.post-65536846713000721552011-11-28T20:05:00.000-05:002011-11-28T20:05:23.860-05:00Dick Tracy's G-Men (1939)<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhch8AeCwBAPTIkj2GBZE1qN4rOKq1RtQZJ8gAWcVCj9EypUbFlYPoBDV55oqML5hxux4TlI81Ytu7gQdJ3QqHWAH4_W2Jjywr7Ic20f9pRIXLzNuMW3FSR9eSMrjlRWgKuIaSAjZpWzA/s1600/dtgmen1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhch8AeCwBAPTIkj2GBZE1qN4rOKq1RtQZJ8gAWcVCj9EypUbFlYPoBDV55oqML5hxux4TlI81Ytu7gQdJ3QqHWAH4_W2Jjywr7Ic20f9pRIXLzNuMW3FSR9eSMrjlRWgKuIaSAjZpWzA/s320/dtgmen1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Released by Republic Pictures <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031230/">Dick Tracy's G-Men</a></i> is 15 chapters of thrills and excitement directed by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0936823/">William Witney</a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0257638/">John English</a>, and stars <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0126049/">Ralph Byrd</a> as the fearless square-jawed crime fighter, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0681635/">Irving Pichel</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0669396/">Ted Pearson</a>, and <a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/96480%7C81471/Jennifer-Jones/">Phylis Isley</a> (aka <a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/96480%7C81471/Jennifer-Jones/">Jennifer Jones</a>). The musical score is by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006163/">William Lava</a>, and the serial is based on the cartoon strip by Chester Gould.<br />
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Zarnoff (Pichel) the "International Master Spy" is captured by Dick Tracy and the FBI and is imprisoned and sentenced to death. But when he is able to escape the gas chamber, Zarnoff vows revenge on Dick Tracy and the government. Some of the dastardly acts committed by Zarnoff include attempts to sabotage an ammunition convoy and assassination attempts on foreign dignitaries, to smuggling and selling government secrets. All the while Zarnoff manages to stay barely one step ahead of Tracy and his G-Men who are in hot pursuit.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmah5Pa0fyJXdyPLRn4lJkFn2sbu0gsnzapdAeRBiWcVkrGvr3eTkUpkXK7U1k5_VVmUeaK1Q9orZWsnEzA-r-clMp7yhjCVMd4vtsK5seGgzgKRiygDqAOcTeMEROkRLTaKCQcKf70A/s1600/dtgmen2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmah5Pa0fyJXdyPLRn4lJkFn2sbu0gsnzapdAeRBiWcVkrGvr3eTkUpkXK7U1k5_VVmUeaK1Q9orZWsnEzA-r-clMp7yhjCVMd4vtsK5seGgzgKRiygDqAOcTeMEROkRLTaKCQcKf70A/s320/dtgmen2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The serial does have a few of those "you've got to be kidding me" moments. Like when Tracy ends up in the water somehow and then manages to climb out with his hair still wet but his clothes pretty dry. You would figure being in an international spy ring that when you were at your hideout you would at least lock the windows, but Tracy climbs right in and then uses their phone to call for backup. Tracy cleverly escapes being bound and gagged with the aid of a cigarette lighter. He also manages to survive a vault full of poison gas without even so much as a headache. One of the last chapters of the serial is shown as a sort of re-cap of everything that's happened up to that point, in case the viewer has stretched their viewing over a period of time long enough to forget what's previously transpired.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQJsCMhrvhuWGWFlutmc4AfwuOkLuxMKrKTTjF4cfXS4AKUhDry7zQnK3iSG4QhduF6Sdss3CHMhD3B84jUxwspx-2NzyiPprjvSMTAQT51eNzl2avkIA2jxxkgp2jNG4PtztFR5TpAQ/s1600/dtgmenzep.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQJsCMhrvhuWGWFlutmc4AfwuOkLuxMKrKTTjF4cfXS4AKUhDry7zQnK3iSG4QhduF6Sdss3CHMhD3B84jUxwspx-2NzyiPprjvSMTAQT51eNzl2avkIA2jxxkgp2jNG4PtztFR5TpAQ/s320/dtgmenzep.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>But, I guess you have to take the bad with the good. And with over four hours of viewing time, you're not expected to be on the edge of your seat for every single minute. I find it's always better to watch these serials in small doses as they were intended, because for some viewers, watching them for long periods they become kind of repetitious. The villains are always concocting some sort of devious plan for dispatching Dick Tracy, but they always act surprised when he shows up time after time. Dick Tracy was also almost killed in the Hindenburg explosion when Zarnoff, not to be confused with Dr. Zorka from <em>The Phantom Creeps</em>,<em> </em>manages to blow up the dirigible again. And as I always say, serials always seem have the best dressed thugs and gangsters - always dressed in suits, ties, and fedoras.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAqIUA_U19P8H24RcqiHHC9bE4dSGIxjRtZzOxTa6gQKIuDNEvOnnqU3EGnlzqvApLsiPDC4gERSZkuf34DIXiUcoly41ZqXQxdPNY2TGjjqoeDLXjfCE6RsMMgg_fvwnsKQYlM8cJHQ/s1600/dtgmendtgwen.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAqIUA_U19P8H24RcqiHHC9bE4dSGIxjRtZzOxTa6gQKIuDNEvOnnqU3EGnlzqvApLsiPDC4gERSZkuf34DIXiUcoly41ZqXQxdPNY2TGjjqoeDLXjfCE6RsMMgg_fvwnsKQYlM8cJHQ/s320/dtgmendtgwen.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> The ending was a little unexpected, but as Tracy says "in one way or the other they always get it".<br />
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Ralph Byrd does another nice job as Tracy, and Pearson is solid as Tracy's partner Steve Lockwood. Pichel puts in a strong performance as Zarnoff, a villain who's cunning and evil. Isley/Jones has a small part as Gwen, Tracy's secretary, but does a good job making phone calls and getting the sandwiches etc. I thought the name William Lava looked familiar in the credits. He was very a prolific composer in his own right, but also collaborated with other top names such as Henry Mancini, Franz Waxman, and Max Steiner.<br />
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Really nice transfer on the DVDs from VCI Entertainment, great image quality and sound. Overall a pretty good serial with lots of excitement and only a few eye-rolling moments.</div>Dave the Movie Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706646923615786483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729648144476396641.post-48903101574011931942011-11-25T22:17:00.001-05:002011-11-25T22:27:01.705-05:00Six Degrees of Classic Film -- Round One<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM2rOogd15qsCBQqRHSsPBX0IpjZ4m7B0cHUH9cG4_ObHx1cKgSYGiPFy0r4eI09zZQAwljR99PuuRCe9C8WKf_VeL0flXW8ZOPUF5fUX4apDCpu4oqu9OeOcQD0zu0KdvtjYlQDjJhg/s1600/6degreesofclassicfilmslogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM2rOogd15qsCBQqRHSsPBX0IpjZ4m7B0cHUH9cG4_ObHx1cKgSYGiPFy0r4eI09zZQAwljR99PuuRCe9C8WKf_VeL0flXW8ZOPUF5fUX4apDCpu4oqu9OeOcQD0zu0KdvtjYlQDjJhg/s320/6degreesofclassicfilmslogo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Thanks <a href="http://myloveofoldhollywood.blogspot.com/2011/11/classic-film-six-degrees-of-separation.html">Page</a> -<br />
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Mabel Normand was in <em>Head Over Heels</em> (1922) with Adolphe Menjou.<br />
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Next person up - Becky at <a href="http://classicbeckybrainfood.blogspot.com/">ClassicBecky's Brain Food</a>Dave the Movie Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706646923615786483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729648144476396641.post-83943923603774769402011-11-09T21:12:00.002-05:002012-01-09T20:35:56.439-05:00The Cheat (1931)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCj8q6RMy7EYQFba98cGtkciSU_zUhzrZrmwUNlzULTuJeUGsnxK7R4gsWk0fxJm9_Ri0TobA-ioRMY7htnPdIG8i3_osM0uenBiD3ddbw0c5s2CJpdREg0wgCGDiAI4Lcd4FTHSFlng/s1600/thecheat1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCj8q6RMy7EYQFba98cGtkciSU_zUhzrZrmwUNlzULTuJeUGsnxK7R4gsWk0fxJm9_Ri0TobA-ioRMY7htnPdIG8i3_osM0uenBiD3ddbw0c5s2CJpdREg0wgCGDiAI4Lcd4FTHSFlng/s320/thecheat1.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
I haven't watched many of Tallulah Bankhead's films, and never really thought of her as a pre-code glamour gal, but after viewing <em><a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/70718/The-Cheat/">The Cheat</a></em> I see her in a very different light. The is the third time the story was filmed, after the 1915 and 1923 versions. This version was directed by <a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/130%7C58105/George-Abbott/">George Abbott</a> and stars <a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/9220%7C144384/Tallulah-Bankhead/">Tallulah Bankhead</a>, <a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/152145%7C73331/Irving-Pichel/">Irving Pichel</a>, and <a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/184053%7C67734/Harvey-Stephens/">Harvey Stephens</a>. When Elsa Carlyle (Bankhead) foolishly gambles away $10,000 on a hunch she uses a charity's money to replace her losses. Her husband Jeffrey (Stephens) is constantly scolding her because of her extravagant spending, so when he refuses to invest in a supposed "sure thing" tip on the stock market Elsa takes cash from their safe at home and invests the money herself. The "sure thing" turns out to be a flop, so now she is in deep trouble.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5YiJR2Q6nk18PKNQaqfMdI-ngvq7mG1PHeFNfi_v1lt-hvsn5NUk1o8YZrbY7ATl5OVrAodaLQTZNc0u52ZaztssrtbafCnMfV0V9SIZKsjpt2SVxuuIVf6V3HuLQTfDtiZ2QUTTm2w/s1600/thecheat2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5YiJR2Q6nk18PKNQaqfMdI-ngvq7mG1PHeFNfi_v1lt-hvsn5NUk1o8YZrbY7ATl5OVrAodaLQTZNc0u52ZaztssrtbafCnMfV0V9SIZKsjpt2SVxuuIVf6V3HuLQTfDtiZ2QUTTm2w/s320/thecheat2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Elsa reluctantly accepts an expensive oriental gown from art collector Hardy Livingstone (Pichel), and figures that he'll only want one thing in return for the gift but tries to act naive. When she loses her investment money and is embarrassed to tell her husband, she has no choice but to try to get the money from Livingstone because she knows he would do anything to have her. He offers to replace the cash if she "would only be a little nicer" to him. <br />
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When her husband secures a deal at work, he tells her that they're rich and offers to payoff her debts. Elsa now thinks her troubles are over but they are really only beginning. When the time comes to pay off the slime-ball, money won't satisfy him. As a sort of fetish, Livingstone has small dolls made up to resemble his female conquests, as sort of trophies, and he won't be satisfied until he adds Elsa to his collection.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Ert7_NH4EJV6vau0xN2VlOs4pNGHxNEjDvUPr3y969ahVkzSCQoA684eYch5_3JxRGpXAkHVvV2PXwWziVTMN735NEnLJG_fTBzZ6P5zg_WhZfXY-TVWwFzlX-cqpjxW1AsY6bLJRA/s1600/thecheat3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Ert7_NH4EJV6vau0xN2VlOs4pNGHxNEjDvUPr3y969ahVkzSCQoA684eYch5_3JxRGpXAkHVvV2PXwWziVTMN735NEnLJG_fTBzZ6P5zg_WhZfXY-TVWwFzlX-cqpjxW1AsY6bLJRA/s320/thecheat3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>When he reveals his intentions to her she resists, they scuffle, a shot rings out, and the swine hits the ground (sorry I got a little carried away). A brief courtroom drama ensues and results in a riot. And that's about as close as I'll get to revealing the ending. <br />
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Director George Abbott directed three other films in 1931, <em>Secrets of a Secretary</em> with Claudette Colbert, <em>Stolen Heaven</em> with Nancy Carroll, and <em>My Sin</em> with Bankhead and Fredric March. Pichel starred as Fagin in the 1933 film version of <em>Oliver Twist</em> and appeared in many other films. He also directed many films including <em>The Most Dangerous Game </em>(1932) and the science fiction classic <em>Destination Moon </em>(1950). <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGnxoW8CW0qElmxKh1TFFbcOlxIi_Mo4ZJzGW8amBq7oAjWNhr0QVqeWS36xfzv1ZLFT8GyRZ4S8Hmz1FNqwBACAVRnh-HZj1oVTmkjQC0q0iIOtvCI1LoRoyFQSs5swU_qXHoRK06gw/s1600/thecheat4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGnxoW8CW0qElmxKh1TFFbcOlxIi_Mo4ZJzGW8amBq7oAjWNhr0QVqeWS36xfzv1ZLFT8GyRZ4S8Hmz1FNqwBACAVRnh-HZj1oVTmkjQC0q0iIOtvCI1LoRoyFQSs5swU_qXHoRK06gw/s320/thecheat4.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Pichel does a nice job in the film. Stephens is rock solid as the loving husband. Bankhead is cute, but I can think of a few other pre-code cuties that I also enjoy watching. Of course the the film has references to drug use, sex, infidelity, etc. Everyone knows that in these pre-code films morals and political correctness go right out the window, so I'll refrain from giving my usual "view in the context ..." speech.<br />
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With a running time of about 68 minutes it goes by pretty quickly, and a good thing too because I don't think I could have taken much more of that scumbag casanova.<br />
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Overall a pretty good film with a nice twist at the end. So if you have an hour or so to kill, check it out ... I think you'll enjoy it ...Dave the Movie Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706646923615786483noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729648144476396641.post-14896104482317286222011-11-06T19:14:00.000-05:002011-11-06T19:14:26.845-05:00The General (1926)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_8nX-czOLaEzhTTURQm671zW7_IBzWe3sgOyb_kziaretpaiGyPa6clKfqVbTG-ZZo3kZkK80Ck_ekAZ-m2aiWhdtttQ1VaSt9gY7XMJyLhoY-9RSTWu-44rMa6rn0dkUoDvDQFZbgw/s1600/bkgeneral.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_8nX-czOLaEzhTTURQm671zW7_IBzWe3sgOyb_kziaretpaiGyPa6clKfqVbTG-ZZo3kZkK80Ck_ekAZ-m2aiWhdtttQ1VaSt9gY7XMJyLhoY-9RSTWu-44rMa6rn0dkUoDvDQFZbgw/s320/bkgeneral.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>This film is a masterpiece, and one of the best and funniest films I have ever seen. <em><a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/326469/The-General/">The General</a></em> was directed by <a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/99741%7C25179/Buster-Keaton/">Buster Keaton</a> and <a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/24054%7C33429/Clyde-Bruckman/">Clyde Bruckman</a>, and stars Buster Keaton, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0533045/">Marion Mack</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0444172/">Joe Keaton</a> (Buster's dad), Glen Cavender, and Jim Farley. From making the viewer empathize with the characters, to the thrilling chase scenes, to the some of the funniest moments ever filmed <em>The General</em> has everything. Every stunt Keaton performs is better than the one before it, and his fascination with trains is evident and the focal point of the entire feature. I think the attention to detail as well as the chemistry between the main characters is what makes the film so great.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR3PS4h-IpQJIG_ntKboMeTFexxYloyIWWI0jp3vb5KxGevrswpbjsZT2-d_bwo21bW0d32StNYRgxfokViI8GFuhAgHEtfFJkumoF4HDXogN6nibcXunQYJqKgPBfp__doEP7iJHdyQ/s1600/bkgeneral1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR3PS4h-IpQJIG_ntKboMeTFexxYloyIWWI0jp3vb5KxGevrswpbjsZT2-d_bwo21bW0d32StNYRgxfokViI8GFuhAgHEtfFJkumoF4HDXogN6nibcXunQYJqKgPBfp__doEP7iJHdyQ/s320/bkgeneral1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The story begins at the start of the Civil War. Johnnie Gray (Keaton) tries to enlist as a soldier in the Confederate army. He gets turned down but not because the army doesn't want him, but because they think he'll be more valuable to them in his current job as an engineer. Of course they don't explain this to Johnnie so he, and everyone else including his girl, think he didn't join because he was unfit or that he was a coward.<br />
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When Johnnie's train is stolen by Union spies the fun begins as he tries to track down his missing locomotive, and his beloved Annabelle (Mack) who was kidnapped while she just happened to be on the train at the time it was taken. From this point on the film becomes a showcase for Keaton's many talents whether they are his directorial skills, physical stunts, or his slapstick gags and routines.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO40nFB1zxvXpzYuVRN0Jzllb21Nvk9VFLTzLSLVygD67WMRk5Fda9dkDhBKv14f51C2-jZ2lWfJRLuLxuDV93rUjJFcrAuDjzKsDkrf6ox42d40RxvmebkGAJPUfBFH07pnb-A5sNMw/s1600/bkgeneralbkmm.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO40nFB1zxvXpzYuVRN0Jzllb21Nvk9VFLTzLSLVygD67WMRk5Fda9dkDhBKv14f51C2-jZ2lWfJRLuLxuDV93rUjJFcrAuDjzKsDkrf6ox42d40RxvmebkGAJPUfBFH07pnb-A5sNMw/s320/bkgeneralbkmm.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Marion Mack is adorable, I would love to have her for a sweetheart, and I think she plays the role of the dizzy girlfriend really well. I personally think she steals some of Buster's thunder in some of the scenes she shares with him. One great scene has Johnnie Gray and Annabelle being chased by the Union army. While Johnnie has his hands full trying to stay ahead of the enemy, Annabelle picks up a broom and decides to tidy up the engine a bit. Keaton's reaction is priceless. <br />
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The stunts are unbelievable. I imagine the film must have been fairly costly to make due to the lavish scenery, props, and cinematography.<br />
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The score by composer <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004592/">Robert Israel</a> does just what it should, it enhances every single scene. Overall, what an incredible film. I actually ended up watching this a few times over the past couple of days, and to be honest with you, I would have no problem sitting through it again. For anyone who isn't familiar with Keaton's work this is a great film to start out with. And for Keaton fans, just sit down and enjoy the magic one more time ...Dave the Movie Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706646923615786483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729648144476396641.post-24484194290794765392011-10-26T20:48:00.000-04:002011-10-26T20:48:52.708-04:00The Haunted House (1921)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0RFbEuLAZOOk3K0pl-BL_gsLQMEHswOgPRN91PbzsRKQJQQLuIy61-jw8xY0iUNAE5305DyVkZUCevgfPmtsXVFPY2LqN6D-EZt3YTTrNiZC5zli3bdbJybCVbchkBTEt6qPluxy7YQ/s1600/bk+devil.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0RFbEuLAZOOk3K0pl-BL_gsLQMEHswOgPRN91PbzsRKQJQQLuIy61-jw8xY0iUNAE5305DyVkZUCevgfPmtsXVFPY2LqN6D-EZt3YTTrNiZC5zli3bdbJybCVbchkBTEt6qPluxy7YQ/s320/bk+devil.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><em><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0012255/">The Haunted House</a></em> is a hilarious short directed by <a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/35685%7C45158/Edward-F-Cline/">Edward F. Cline</a> and <a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/99741%7C25179/Buster-Keaton/">Buster Keaton</a>, written by Edward F. Cline and Buster Keaton, and produced by <a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/171362%7C89938/Joseph-M-Schenck/">Joseph M. Schenck</a>. The short stars Buster Keaton (of course), <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0289295/">Virginia Fox</a>, and frequent Keaton antagonist "Big" <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0731247/">Joe Roberts</a>. It also costars Edward F. Cline (as one of the bank customers), Dorothy Cassil, and <a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/1481267%7C116318/Natalie-Talmadge/">Natalie Talmadge</a> (she's the girl who faints in the bank) who would become Keaton's wife.<br />
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A bank teller (Keaton) manages to get out of one sticky situation only to find himself in another as he foils a bank robbery and ends up in a "haunted house" which ends up being the bank robbers hideout. Keaton, who's now mistaken for one of the bank robbers/counterfeiters, hides out in the house with a troupe of performers (in full costume) who were booed and chased off the stage of a local theater. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0MGGOK0SXN1WXrPIctWXXtZxO0Ja81tvKJXVQg4ft9al0byDUCqkl1jDbTV71XnS2BYp3QtMmDxSE1MhweWlHO53_5pAZHsYBaA5hShXvTykOIoZTfDvXlcNz5LQqCtFhvUURCYMRVA/s1600/bk+skeletons.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0MGGOK0SXN1WXrPIctWXXtZxO0Ja81tvKJXVQg4ft9al0byDUCqkl1jDbTV71XnS2BYp3QtMmDxSE1MhweWlHO53_5pAZHsYBaA5hShXvTykOIoZTfDvXlcNz5LQqCtFhvUURCYMRVA/s320/bk+skeletons.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The house is actually rigged with trick gadgets to scare off anyone, especially the police, who happens to stumble upon the hideout. But Buster doesn't know this and it takes him a little while to catch on. And when he does he catches the crooks, saves the girl, and saves the day. He does have a slight problem negotiating a stairway to heaven, but everything turns out okay in the end. Great two-reeler, and lots of fun.<br />
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Eddie Cline started out as one of the Keystone Cops and also directed several W.C. Fields films. Joseph Schenck was fairly successful in his career producing films and shorts for Keaton and others, as well as his own wife Norma Talmadge (Keaton's sister-in-law). Virginia Fox appeared in some of Max Sennet's comedy shorts, and Joe Roberts frequently appeared as a villain in other Keaton films.<br />
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Check out <a href="http://busterstuff.com/">busterstuff.com</a> for some pretty cool collectibles and stuff.Dave the Movie Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706646923615786483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729648144476396641.post-51244993101919920392011-10-21T22:26:00.000-04:002011-10-21T22:26:09.336-04:00Haunted Spooks (1920)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnuwW7kvabksO_DspkK2gTZuBGOgDc-jEAn0fzf3K0GVqEtDMNo8IXOyw9PXwcp5qOrf8X7O3FmlaxWRsIu9Vx5uLDlcLXbSXKoiX-AQdUkSpgt-yIccnuPkWIN9SaNeNrGCxmUvaOJw/s1600/hl1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" rda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnuwW7kvabksO_DspkK2gTZuBGOgDc-jEAn0fzf3K0GVqEtDMNo8IXOyw9PXwcp5qOrf8X7O3FmlaxWRsIu9Vx5uLDlcLXbSXKoiX-AQdUkSpgt-yIccnuPkWIN9SaNeNrGCxmUvaOJw/s320/hl1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><em><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0011263/">Haunted Spooks</a> </em>is directed by <a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/162500%7C65097/Hal-Roach/">Hal Roach</a>, and stars <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0516001/">Harold Lloyd</a> as the boy,<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0205192/"> Mildred Davis</a> as the girl, and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0397907/">Wallace Howe</a> as the uncle. It also has some beautiful title card artwork by Harley Walker and the music is composed, arranged, and conducted by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004592/">Robert Israel</a> and performed by The Robert Israel Orchestra (Europe). <br />
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In the story a Southern gentleman has died "for the first time", and his estate goes to his grand-daughter and her husband provided they live in the family mansion for one year. Otherwise the girl's uncle inherits everything. There's only one problem - the girl isn't married. This already sounds like a recipe for disaster. There aren't many chills but plenty of laughs when you throw Harold Lloyd into the mix in this classic short by one of the silent era's comedy masters. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW2VQ2ldO-aD1zSQNQ0X55GwiWADkkT9yDAKXconMuWWQ8Qa4hSJvXPwov-swEiIZ6gfVGEHb5NJ1pv-_Rwx2kWrSbhzTFf28XB-3kPmVeHJt1vMIqEoZzxEArOfgHxxfSepYdXYBIjw/s1600/hl2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" rda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW2VQ2ldO-aD1zSQNQ0X55GwiWADkkT9yDAKXconMuWWQ8Qa4hSJvXPwov-swEiIZ6gfVGEHb5NJ1pv-_Rwx2kWrSbhzTFf28XB-3kPmVeHJt1vMIqEoZzxEArOfgHxxfSepYdXYBIjw/s320/hl2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>According to the commentary by Suzanne Lloyd, Annette D'Agostino Lloyd, and Richard Correll this short was filmed from August 19th through August 23rd 1919, and then from January 5th through January 25th 1920, because of an accident Harold Lloyd had during filming. The accident with a bomb mistaken for a prop resulted in the loss of the thumb and index finger of his right hand and some serious burns to his face and right eye. This is the first short in which you'll notice Lloyd uses a prosthetic right hand due to some of the scenes being filmed before and then after his accident.<br />
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There is some political incorrectness that some viewers might take exception to, but as always these shorts need to be viewed in the context of the times they were produced in. Dave the Movie Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706646923615786483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729648144476396641.post-54268647298497113192011-10-14T23:06:00.000-04:002011-10-14T23:06:18.305-04:00The Old Dark House (1932)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1P3GKozlzm5WzRsEsu6m9HD2YwjtKqwIfZ_ehlbFYCGJ2Nx3T0bsGTkn_ohcCWMxl76i-JGpb2e_BTQGLpAMegJX8WFP44k-YAMpdJGAYFytnUVPbcLD0gjleZ9D0ZeGRexSmEA3tlw/s1600/odh.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1P3GKozlzm5WzRsEsu6m9HD2YwjtKqwIfZ_ehlbFYCGJ2Nx3T0bsGTkn_ohcCWMxl76i-JGpb2e_BTQGLpAMegJX8WFP44k-YAMpdJGAYFytnUVPbcLD0gjleZ9D0ZeGRexSmEA3tlw/s320/odh.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Imagine being stranded out in the middle of nowhere on a dark rainy night unable to continue on your journey. Luckily you're able to find shelter in a charming old home with a loving family that agree to put you and your fellow travelers up for the night. This is totally not what happens in <a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/85479/The-Old-Dark-House/"><em>The Old Dark House</em></a>, except for the being stranded part.<br />
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The film was directed by the great <a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/204821%7C78327/James-Whale/">James Whale</a> and boasts a stellar cast including <a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/52475%7C110898/Melvyn-Douglas/">Melvyn Douglas</a>, <a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/109397%7C29625/Charles-Laughton/">Charles Laughton</a>, <a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/186253%7C62548/Gloria-Stuart/">Gloria Stuart</a>, <a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/124399%7C128219/Raymond-Massey/">Raymond Massey</a>, <a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/190776%7C48685/Ernest-Thesiger/">Ernest Thesiger</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0093988/">Lillian Bond</a>, <a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/134675%7C49858/Eva-Moore/">Eva Moore</a>, and <a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/98720%7C23591/Boris-Karloff/">Boris Karloff</a>. Whale seemed very comfortable churning out horror films for Universal, but he was also involved with many other films including <em>Waterloo Bridge</em> (1931), <em>Show Boat</em> (1936), and <em>The Man in the Iron Mask</em> (1939).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8czeJiRcahMj7la8lgVlbITLCLsNFxxFb8AADXzIsh-OwM6cbRrGcfRD5XdLBq_YGjt1oAxpQNv2SAds_tLo06vwQwvvzRDeIxb9ESgacKL9pD_iJx1Ei8Lf1OXKTQe2SltXJ9e52Sg/s1600/odh1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8czeJiRcahMj7la8lgVlbITLCLsNFxxFb8AADXzIsh-OwM6cbRrGcfRD5XdLBq_YGjt1oAxpQNv2SAds_tLo06vwQwvvzRDeIxb9ESgacKL9pD_iJx1Ei8Lf1OXKTQe2SltXJ9e52Sg/s320/odh1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The film begins with the Wavertons, a bickering couple (Massey and Stuart) traveling across the countryside with their wisecracking traveling companion Penderel (Douglas) on a rain-soaked, stormy evening. When the road they're on gets washed out by the storm they notice lights burning in an ominous looking house up ahead and decide to try to stop and seek shelter. After being greeted at the door by Morgan (Karloff), a scar-faced mumbling butler, the trio enter the house and meet the eccentric owners Horace and Rebecca Femm (Thesiger and Moore).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB0AsISDTpoLQE-Zzf_eC9cA-Jxp_WYXp6I1n0NyxktYLap21AECygJHpMzFLJq7yqMgdZ54pAdkqTgHUKnYFTzIaAZGN0P2g_09D83e4H_jEUwPIapoKVQNrCJSK6nZflQB64UdQjsQ/s1600/odh2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB0AsISDTpoLQE-Zzf_eC9cA-Jxp_WYXp6I1n0NyxktYLap21AECygJHpMzFLJq7yqMgdZ54pAdkqTgHUKnYFTzIaAZGN0P2g_09D83e4H_jEUwPIapoKVQNrCJSK6nZflQB64UdQjsQ/s320/odh2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Another pair of unsuspecting travelers (Laughton and Bond) arrive and are reluctantly allowed to spend the night. As the storm rages outside and the travelers try to settle in, they find that the house and the Femms have a long, sordid and questionable past. As everyone tries to get better acquainted with each other, and they begin to explore the house, they find mystery and danger at every turn. Mrs. Waverton is attacked by the drunken brute of a butler, and a locked and bolted door at the top of the stairs conceals behind it a dark secret that the Femm family keep hidden away from all outsiders.<br />
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Great sets, special effects, and the wonderful use of lighting and shadows are what you would expect from the meticulous direction of James Whale. Everyone in the cast is outstanding. This is a fantastic dark comedy and a must see for any Universal horror fans.Dave the Movie Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706646923615786483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729648144476396641.post-66142070209726190882011-10-07T21:37:00.000-04:002011-10-07T21:37:29.934-04:00Frankenstein (1910)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvYFAZScz91N0pwHVwTwKXdgl7z_Chyphenhyphen3LB4fmj4RM5u5Js_WobMMC9LcYEM3_9tewCipC6pF2Wjf8ADv0nEUHntJ6RnAWkPk8q0PQX9IatgehUX6udJ72t5ku1O8kwPCGiFQIk4Whdow/s1600/frankietitle1910.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="174" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvYFAZScz91N0pwHVwTwKXdgl7z_Chyphenhyphen3LB4fmj4RM5u5Js_WobMMC9LcYEM3_9tewCipC6pF2Wjf8ADv0nEUHntJ6RnAWkPk8q0PQX9IatgehUX6udJ72t5ku1O8kwPCGiFQIk4Whdow/s320/frankietitle1910.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>For anyone who hasn't seen this version of Mary Shelley's 1818 classic novel, <em><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0001223/">Frankenstein</a></em> is worth checking out. The running time is only a little over 12 minutes. The image is a little rough in spots but overall very viewable. Produced by Edison Studios in 1910 (Edison himself actually had nothing to do with the film), and directed by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0205986/">J. Searle Dawley</a>, this was the first screen adaptation of the novel. It stars <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0680232/">Augustus Phillips</a> as Frankenstein, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0298301/">Mary Fuller</a> as Elizabeth, and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0644728/">Charles Ogle</a> as the monster. Ogle must have been a pretty busy guy (almost as busy as <a href="http://www.imdb.com/find?s=all&q=William+Schallert">William Schallert</a>) as he appeared in over 300 films and shorts (mostly shorts) in his career.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0XtK2CqwG2728qqAV0TZiW2dPLrIr4_Ndwqu_N6u_sovprKDfOlr016ql6af7tHVgK6r40t2hnO91U7ogPpfjG_uxSjeWwrJncRr5VDwgcXXqzppovDfSZkOmwZUn0F5gSwprGzFFkA/s1600/frankie3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="233" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0XtK2CqwG2728qqAV0TZiW2dPLrIr4_Ndwqu_N6u_sovprKDfOlr016ql6af7tHVgK6r40t2hnO91U7ogPpfjG_uxSjeWwrJncRr5VDwgcXXqzppovDfSZkOmwZUn0F5gSwprGzFFkA/s320/frankie3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I find it funny that instead of using lightning and electricity to create the monster, Frankenstein just mixes him up in a big bowl like a cake. And throwing the film into reverse, the monster is "created" out of the flames to wreak havoc on the good doctor and any innocent bystanders. There are plenty of uber-dramatic and over-exaggerated gestures for one and all. <br />
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All kidding aside, take a few minutes and check it out.<br />
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See it <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcLxsOJK9bs">here</a> on YouTube. Or <a href="http://www.archive.org/details/FrankensteinfullMovie">here</a> on Archive.org.Dave the Movie Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706646923615786483noreply@blogger.com0