I Just Watched...

[dianedebuda]

Congrats, Lomm. May there be many happy years of classic movie viewing ahead of you.

[Detective Jim McLeod]

The Grass Is Greener (1960)

I had seen this many years ago but can't recall much. In the book "The Films Of Cary Grant" this got some very bad reviews at the time.

The Hollywood Reporter called it "one of the year's most disappointing films"

The Commonweal said "the best thing about The Grass Is Greener is it's title." The critic also said "Brighter than the dialogue is the musical score stemming from Noel Coward songs. It's too bad Coward couldn't have written the wisecracks too."

[TikiSoo]

Jason Robards, father of Jason Robards, Jr. It's confusing to us because the son is better known than his father.

Ah, thank you for that clarification.
I was thinking it was a "Voice over" because it sounded exactly like Jason Robards (Jr's) voice. As is the case with many family members-they can sound very much alike.
My voice is often mistaken on the phone for my Mother's by relatives.

[Belle]

"Pimpernel Smith", 1941, Anatole de Grunwald/Leslie Howard, starring Leslie Howard. Not a bad little film about the war. Howard always seemed old to me in every film he made!!

[Belle]

"Jane Eyre", 1943, Robert Stevenson (director) Bernard Herrmann (score). Joan Fontaine, Orson Welles, Peggy Ann Garner, Margaret O'Brien, Elizabeth Taylor.

It's been years since I've seen this film and a nice restoration is available. Herrmann's music is the best part of the film and there were more than shades of "Citizen Kane" in its brooding, gothic atmospherics. But I'm afraid I just laughed at the complete over-acting of Orson Welles; his performance was risible. And Joan Fontaine as the simpering and solicitous Jane wasn't much better. The film did a disservice to a well-written novel which had many layers of complexity.

[Belle]

"Carousel", 1955. The Rodgers & Hammerstein musical. Gordon MacRae, Shirley Jones director Henry King. A glorious restoration of image and sound.

A scene of particular note in this beautiful film - not to be compared with the absolutely astonishing ballet segment - is "When The Children are Asleep", here at 1:10:27. The scene is a perfect synthesis of image and music; the gliding of the sailboats moving together in a graceful dance, accompanied by this wonderful song. Perfection. And very powerfully emotive, back projection and all!!

I saw this film when I was a child not yet 10, on the big screen in Cinemascope 55, and I was absolutely brought to my knees. Even then. My love affair with film had formally begun; according to memory. (Actually it was probably much earlier with "The King and I".)

[TikiSoo]

"Carousel", 1955.
I saw this film when I was a child not yet 10, on the big screen in Cinemascope 55, and I was absolutely brought to my knees. Even then. My love affair with film had formally begun

Wow really? I must be a real puddinhead- I didn't get this movie at ALL!

Shirley Jones is one of my very favorite actor/singers, as is Gordon MacRae & Cameron Mitchell...and as many of you know, my job is restoring carousels -why WOULDN'T I love this?
When I saw it for the first time maybe 10 years ago, was dumbfounded by the plot; a womanizer's spirit haunts his daughter to warn her from men like himself? Oy.
I usually love fantasies with ghosts/spirits/angels, but no heart strings were pulled, I only found it weird. Sure, Shirley Jones is gorgeous & I love her performance, but just hated this story.

The only redeeming factor (for me) was the revelation of seeing the ride operator singing along with the band organ. I never imagined that, but bet it's historically correct- working on the ride for hours upon hours, you can't help singing along when hearing a familiar song play. Luckily, I work when the ride is closed

OK Belle, since you were so impressed, I'm going to give it another whirl- hope I like it better second time around.

[Belle]

The film is actually based on a serious play, "Liliom" by Ferenc Molnar (Hungarian-American playwright) and it has been transposed to serious cinema a few times before and, of course, the stage was its original home. There was always darkness in the Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals; domestic violence, bullying and exclusion in "Carousel", racism in "South Pacific", racism, authoritarianism and sexism in "The King and I" and cruelty and violence in 'Oklahoma". (Barbara Ruick - who played Julie Jordan's friend in the film, died prematurely at the age of 41 from a cerebral anuerysm. She was married to composer John Williams at the time of her death.) "Carousel" uses the archaic plot device of the deus ex machina.

Here's a Wiki entry about the play "Liliom":

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liliom

Though "Carousel" made generally poor use of Cinemascope 55 (according to Shirley Jones) director Henry King is responsible for that as he simply didn't know how to fill that large screen. The film was shot on standard 35mm and also in Cinemascope 55 contiguously. Sinatra was offered the role of Billy Bigalow but he wouldn't take it as he didn't want to shoot every single scene twice. Apparently.

The ballet sequence between Susan Luckey and Jacques D'Amboise (from the NY City ballet) is just beautiful. I think it's the highlight of the film and, of course, three of the four R&H musicals put onto film have extended ballet sequences in them. Of all of them, the "Small House of Uncle Thomas" from "The King and I", choreographed by Jerome Robbins, is an unqualified masterpiece.

[Allhallowsday]

THE SERPENT OF THE NILE (1953)



Starring RHONDA FLEMING WILLIAM LUNDIGAN RAYMOND BURR MICHAEL ANSARA ...and JULIE NEWMAR !!! When Julie was brought into the "throne room" (she has no lines) painted GOLD ...I recognized her right away! As described in WONG FOO - truly statuesque!!!

WILLIAM CASTLE directed... (uh-oh) and it is LOW RENT. Deepo cheapo. REEL GAH - BAJ. Can't wait to see it again (with long term planning).

[jamesjazzguitar]

Watched the noir Side Street (1950) last night on MOVIES noir Thursday. I have seen the film before, and I find it to be a really solid noir.

Farley Granger and Cathy O'Donnell are re-teamed after their fine performance in another first-rate noir, the Nick Ray film, They Live by Night. These two have really great chemistry. Here O'Donnell doesn't have as well scripted of a role as she had in They Live by Night, since most of the focus is on Granger.

Side Street is directed by Anthony Mann. One of the best MGM noir films.

[Allhallowsday]

...Wow really? I must be a real puddinhead- I didn't get this movie at ALL!

Shirley Jones is one of my very favorite actor/singers, as is Gordon MacRae & Cameron Mitchell...and as many of you know, my job is restoring carousels -why WOULDN'T I love this?
When I saw it for the first time maybe 10 years ago, was dumbfounded by the plot; a womanizer's spirit haunts his daughter to warn her from men like himself? Oy.
I usually love fantasies with ghosts/spirits/angels, but no heart strings were pulled, I only found it weird. Sure, Shirley Jones is gorgeous & I love her performance, but just hated this story.

The only redeeming factor (for me) was the revelation of seeing the ride operator singing along with the band organ. I never imagined that, but bet it's historically correct- working on the ride for hours upon hours, you can't help singing along when hearing a familiar song play. Luckily, I work when the ride is closed ...

I myself generally don't care for Musicals, and CAROUSEL is not an exception. I also dislike the story. However, when music is great, I can always listen to it and I've owned the soundtrack on CD for a very long time. Best recording of that beautiful musical I've heard.

[txfilmfan]

Carousel's story problem aside, it's one of my favorite scores. The "bench scene" which weaves in and out of dialogue and song is something that hasn't really been equaled since (it's the scene with If I Loved You) in musicals. South Pacific's Twin Soliloquies comes close, but is much shorter and leads into Some Enchanted Evening. The opening scene with the Carousel Waltz is also something to see, especially the 93/94 West End/Broadway production, where a telescoping/umbrella-like carousel top appears on stage just as the song climaxes.

A lot of Americans don't know that a Carousel song was adopted by an English football (soccer) club (Liverpool FC) and the fans sing it in unison. The song? You'll Never Walk Alone.

Here's the 1993 West End opening. The video is 90s era, and was surreptitiously (and illegally) shot by an audience member. Patti Lupone wasn't around to snatch the camcorder out of their hands! The carousel appears right around the 5 minute mark.



The production transferred to New York in 1994, and here is that production (entire production). Once again this was shot by audience members, but someone has taken the time to edit pieces from different performances/audience members. This tempo is closer to what I'm used to. The London tempo seemed a bit fast. The carousel shows up here around the 5:30 mark.

The NY production introduced the world to Audra McDonald. It wasn't her first Broadway show (she was a replacement in a show a couple years earlier), but she shines in this production and won the first of her six Tonys (so far) with it.

[Masha]

How to Plan an Orgy in a Small Town (2015)

A young woman attempting to express physical love with the young man whom she loves deeply is caught mid-debauchery, publicly shamed and forced to flee in her undies. She returns to the town years later only to attend her mother's funeral.

I have loved Jewel Staite since she was the genius airheaded pixie on: Firefly (2002). She was quite perfect also in her role as a very serious, no-nonsense and conscientious doctor on: Stargate: Atlantis (2005). She is the reason I watched this movie. I had hoped to see that her range extended to nearly normal characters.

I believe that this movie is in tone, production values and complexity of plot identical to: Lifetime and: Hallmark movies. I can not state this categorically because I have never watched one of those in full but I feel it is a safe assumption based on the reputation of those movies and accidently tuning in to one by chance. The only difference between this movie and those is frequent use of the: f-word and a parade of men's derrières.

This movie would have been a fun little sex comedy if it had been given a decent script, more attractive men and a director with wit and insight.

5.2/10

It is available for viewing for free with commercials on: TubiTV.

[Belle]

Carousel's story problem aside, it's one of my favorite scores. The "bench scene" which weaves in and out of dialogue and song is something that hasn't really been equaled since (it's the scene with If I Loved You) in musicals. South Pacific's Twin Soliloquies comes close, but is much shorter and leads into Some Enchanted Evening. The opening scene with the Carousel Waltz is also something to see, especially the 93/94 West End/Broadway production, where a telescoping/umbrella-like carousel top appears on stage just as the song climaxes.

A lot of Americans don't know that a Carousel song was adopted by an English football (soccer) club (Liverpool FC) and the fans sing it in unison. The song? You'll Never Walk Alone.

Here's the 1993 West End opening. The video is 90s era, and was surreptitiously (and illegally) shot by an audience member. Patti Lupone wasn't around to snatch the camcorder out of their hands! The carousel appears right around the 5 minute mark.



The production transferred to New York in 1994, and here is that production (entire production). Once again this was shot by audience members, but someone has taken the time to edit pieces from different performances/audience members. This tempo is closer to what I'm used to. The London tempo seemed a bit fast. The carousel shows up here around the 5:30 mark.

The NY production introduced the world to Audra McDonald. It wasn't her first Broadway show (she was a replacement in a show a couple years earlier), but she shines in this production and won the first of her six Tonys (so far) with it.

Interesting to hear about those stage productions and I love Audra McDonald; just wonderful. I don't have a problem with the story at all since, as I said, it's based on a pre-existing text. The score is exquisite and I think it stands alongside "Oklahoma", as their two finest works. Not so fussed on "The King and I", except for the outstanding Jerome Robbins ballet sequence. "South Pacific" was too eclectic for me; I didn't know whether I was watching musical comedy ("Honey Bun") or Opera ("Some Enchanted Evening"/Twin Soliloquies) or Stephen Sondheim ("You've got to be taught") or operetta ('Bali Hai') or Meredith Wilson ("There is Nothing Like a Dame").