The Silver Screen Oasis

Smoking Anne Francis.




Just because.

My first real love. Before Audrey, before Emma Peel, there was Honey West.

Smokin' alright.

[quote="charliechaplinfan"]Barbara Stanwyck made some diverse films at this point in her career. I know what you mean about John Lund, I felt the same.

Lovely performance from Jane Cowl in NO MAN OF HER OWN as John Lund's mother.
John Lund, such a good leading man in this and A FOREIGN AFFAIR.
Lyle Bettger surely in the top ten of Hollywood heavies.

Vienna's Classic Hollywood. http://dancinglady39.wordpress.com

I love Ella Raines in IMPACT. And a a good part for Brian Donlevy as a loving husband deceived by his wife, Helen Walker.
A good little thriller

DESPERATE is a good little thriller and a starring role for Steve Brodie who played a lot of supporting roles including one of my favorites, ARMORED CAR ROBBERY.
Amazing that Raymond Burr, always the menacing heavy, managed to turn into a leading man in the one and only PERRY MASON.

Love I*M*P*A*C*T and No Man of Her Own. I really liked Brian Donlevy in the first one, he's marvelous, not playing any of his standard roles, but instead a loving husband and businessman. Ella's awesome, but Helen Walker takes the prize in this one. As for John Lund, I love him in NMOHO, but really dislike him in A Foreign Affair.

IMPACT deserves to be better known. I, myself, saw it for the first time a few years ago. It's a mature, thoughtful thriller.

I was totally surprised by both IMPACT and No Man of Her Own. I wasn't expecting much from either, especially because I didn't care for John Lund. Both movies really got to me. I loved the suspense in NMOHO, and I really wanted to see what Donlevy was going to do in IMPACT.

At least some of us appreciate Donlevy's acting. The man himself said, "I think I stink!"

I was always surprised by Donlevy's low opinion of his acting ability. From "Barbary Coast" onward I enjoyed his special brand of villainy. He was such a hateful character in pix such as "In Old Chicago", "Jesse James" and especially "Beau Geste". Then he could do a completely convincing turn-around and portray a quintessential heroic good guy in a film like "Wake Island". I've always thought very highly of Brian Donlevy and relish each opportunity I have to see him onscreen.

I agree, Donlevy is a terrific villain, but as good as he is, I think he's even better in the movies where he is either a victim of circumstance, like in IMPACT, or just mug from the wrong side of the tracks, like in The Glass Key or The Great McGinty. He's so likable in that film, you would never guess in a million years he was Sergeant Markoff.

Oh yes! You know, it's kind of an amazing career that Donlevy had. I can't imagine any other actor who was so hated in some movies, who could show such warmth and humor in others. He can be so touching that you cry over his character, and come back the next film and you hiss and boo him.

I'm a Brian Donlevy fan but I kind of don't know it. ( So many stars...so little brains I have; like I've said, the bench was soooo deep back then. ) After seeing him during the recent Preston Sturges marathon in "THE GREAT McGINTY" I really warmed to him; he was willing to look silly and foolish. I got the feeling that he relished acting...that he just liked to act and be a part of it all. ( He said he stinks? Brian's too hard on himself. ) He just weaved himself into the fabric of a story so well you might not know he's there unless he's blazing the screen in a part like he had in "BEAU GESTE." Not to stand out...but to be part of the story. We don't have a lot of villains today. Ev'rybody wants to be a Hero. What I mean is we don't have a lot of actors today who WANT to play the villain. And very few who can pull off being a villain AND a hero and make the public believe them in both roles.

...Besides, I always thought he was dashingly handsome with a profile like an Arrow Shirt man. Neil Hamilton...eat your heart out! You too Lyle Talbot!! And you as well Lionel Atwill!!