The Silver Screen Oasis

Interesting you mentioning fish in connection with Troy; I've always thought, and stated so, that Merle was really THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON, not Ricou Browning, lol. I mean, I swear Donahue looks just like him/it in the face. And in MY BLOOD RUNS COLD, he even talks to Joey about taking her to a sea cave! I WAS A TEENAGE AMPHIBIAN.

That fishy resemblance never occurred to me before but now that you mention it, this is so true, esp. When he doesn't close his mouth.

I've just got to see THE HAPPENING. With a cast that includes Oscar Homolka and Milton Berle, who could resist?

What, you haven't seen it yet? It even has Martha Hyer as a mob wife. And if you ever wondered what happened to Faye Dunaway and George Maharis' careers, this movie could be one of the answers.

Did you see A WALK IN THE SPRING RAIN? Although he fits into the "farmer" role, I can't think of a less likely trio than Tony, Ingrid Bergman, and Fritz Weaver plunked down and going through Life Changes in -- where was it? -- Tennessee or I think Arkansas. Quinn with a Southern accent, not too authentic. And I can never tear myself away from Fritz Weaver's facial mole. Like Joey Heatherton's lower lip, it definitely has a life of its own.

Oh, we had quite a discussion of A Walk in the Spring Rain some time ago on this site here. I still can't fathom how Ingrid could EVER be married to Fritz Weaver (even if Bergman was married to a dentist in real life for several years). Your pointed remarks in general are starting to make me think we should think about setting up an Anthony Quinn Wing in our Temple of Bad Movies We Love....along with a Grotto of Remembrance for Troy Donahue, The Anthony Franciosa Annex, and The Keefe Brasselle Closet.

Could we also include a Rod Steiger Alcove?

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Thanks for the SPRING RAIN link. You're so right about Fritz and Victor Lazlo, lol. By the way, back in the day I used to confuse Weaver with John Anderson as well as Arthur Hill. I wonder if Ingrid took the CACTUS FLOWER role because she was married to that dentist husband.

Martha Hyer as a mob wife, I don't know. All I can think of with her is that crooked, cynical smile, but it never seems to be connected to a character with any identifiable human characteristics.

Bronxgirl48 wrote:Could we also include a Rod Steiger Alcove?

Oh, sure! Poor Rod is another one who always swung for the fences, even when the script was horrendous or his interpretation was a "tad" misguided. Usually, he's either a fine ensemble player (Doctor Zhivago, The Big Knife, etc.), really brilliant (The Pawnbroker, On the Waterfront, In the Heat of the Night, et al) or so wince-worthy he's hard to watch (your pick).

BTW, shouldn't we be making a blueprint for another actor whose career swung along another yin-yang pendulum? I think that we might find a few acolytes to worship at The Richard Burton Crevasse of Crap? After all, the same guy who was riveting in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Equus, and The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, also made some real whoppers (99% of the stuff with Liz, and my fave, The Bramble Bush, among far too many others).


BTW, I stuck with Two on a Guillotine all the way through (okay, I fast-forwarded through the love scenes between Connie and Dean Jones...they were icky). I kept waiting for Cesar Romero to show up again--what a gyp! He was hardly in it. I forgot how slick and breezy Dean "Under the Yum Yum Tree" Jones could be before he got religion, and Connie, well....I think I have said enough about Ms. Stevens' thespian skills in past remarks about Susan Slade and Parrish. Cesar really deserved more, don't you think?


And Connie Gilchrist should have been in the whole movie, not just a few mingy scenes. Near the beginning the movie looked pretty good to me when they read the will at The Hollywood Bowl (how did they arrange that one?)--and the divinely icy John Hoyt was the lawyer executing the will! Even Mr. Hoyt never showed up again. Grrrr.....

Yes, you've got to zig-zag through Rod's career to find the diamonds, lol. (I actually think he's the best thing in DR. ZHIVAGO)

As for Richard...I cringe whenever I see him with that turban in THE RAINS OF RANCHIPUR. Poor guy can't carry it off like Tyrone Power. And then there are all those EXORCIST 254 sequels and the other horror bilge. I do love him in 1984, however -- a chillingly nuanced performance. Sometimes I get THE BRAMBLE BUSH confused with THE SANDPIPER. Isn't he a man of the cloth in both?

I'm so upset -- my VCR recorder has been on the fritz (weaver) and dad blast it, I missed TWO ON A GUILLOTINE. It's not on YouTube.

moira, please tell me you and others have talked about THE CROWDED SKY. Oh...my...God, where has this BEEN all my life? I'm in LURV!!!!! From Rhonda Fleming (after telling boyfriend Efrem she's expecting the pitter-patter of little feet) purring to him "I wonder why I like banana splits? Is it the mix of flavors, or could it be something.....Freudian?" to Keenan Wynn mouthing the Lord's Prayer, I've got to rate this as one of the best Bad Movies To Love ever!

If you like THE CROWDED SKY, please don't miss ZERO HOUR on TCM at 8pm (ET) tonight, May 13th. It inspired AIRPLANE so you know it's good.

moira, I didn't check the TCM Wed. schedule for today, unfortunately. Otherwise you know I would have been there for ZERO HOUR. Darn it all!

ZERO HOUR isn't on YouTube; only the trailer. All it needed was Linda Darnell and "Otto" smoking their cigarettes, lol.

Well, when I finally had time to join Two On a Guillotine, I had just missed Connie Gilchrist, and yes, she should have been in it till the end.

When Connie Stevens fell on the floor in that peignoir, I kept hoping that it was about to turn camp, and then Cesar Romero would segue into a quasi-Joker character, and that would save this turkey leg of a fouled up feast.

I was cracking up laughing at that crazy dream sequence with the rabbit. Was I the only one? That must be the most hysterically off-target dream sequence since Pam conjured up a whole season on Dallas.

It really was a bad movie that I loved. Almost in the Slightly Scarlet category, but not quite.

Well, ZERO HOUR is a blast - especially if you've first seen AIRPLANE! The Zuckers shamelessly ripped it off.

What's even more hilarious is its version of Winnipeg. Lived in the city for all my life and what's shown on the screen sure ain't anything I'm familiar with.

Howard Hawks once said something to the effect that you have to show the geography to the audience because they won't know it.

While watching Sterling Hayden's Two To Tulara (1958), I was struck by the fact that the Pyramid of the Sun from the archaelogical site of Teotihuacan in Mexico seems to be nestled next to the "Pacific. "The closest beach to the pyramid, however, was about 4-5 hour drive from any beach back in 1958, and is closest to the Gulf of Mexico, not the Pacific.

Also the cemetery featured looks much more like one I visited in the Yucatan. The location shoot is just listed as Mexico in the IMDB reference.

No matter the geography. Sterling Hayden always looks good.

I saw "Zero Hour" years ago and thought it fun just because of "Airplane." It never stood a chance if you on;y see it as a source of "Airplane." I am looking forward to seeing it with my daughter.

Sue Sue Applegate wrote: I was cracking up laughing at that crazy dream sequence with the rabbit. Was I the only one? That must be the most hysterically off-target dream sequence since Pam conjured up a whole season on Dallas.

It really was a bad movie that I loved. Almost in the Slightly Scarlet category, but not quite.

The dream when Connie kept pounding on Cesar's glass coffin--and then saw herself inside was probably meant to be an arty touch, but what a howler. Now you've made me want to see all of SLIGHTLY SCARLET. I think I've seen bits and pieces only.

So glad you enjoyed ZERO HOUR, Patrick and Chris. I actually thought that Sterling Hayden was the LEAST embarrassing actor in there. Poor Dana had that glazed look he wore during his darkest years, though remarkably some directors (Fritz Lang, Jaccques Tourneur) found a way to use the poor man's affliction for the purposes of movies such as Beyond a Reasonable Doubt, While the City Sleeps, Curse of the Demon, and The Fearmakers. Unfortunately, he looked to me as though he might be on the edge of having a real panic attack during much of ZERO HOUR.

I hope you get to see this movie someday, Bronxie. Heads up: ICE FOLLIES OF 1939 is on TCM on Wednesday, May 20@ 1:45pm (ET). You haven't lived until you have seen Jimmy Stewart & Lee Ayres in tights on ice. See if you can tell if Joan Crawford actually skates in this movie. I tend to think it might be her hardworking stand-up in most shots.

moira finnie wrote:
Heads up: ICE FOLLIES OF 1939 is on TCM on Wednesday, May 20@ 1:45pm (ET). You haven't lived until you have seen Jimmy Stewart & Lee Ayres in tights on ice. See if you can tell if Joan Crawford actually skates in this movie. I tend to think it might be her hardworking stand-up in most shots.

Jimmy Stewart in Tights! ... This is one movie that I don't want to miss!

Yes, moira, I'm desperately hoping ZERO HOUR shows up again....

As for ICE FOLLIES OF 1939, lol, I've never had the, uh, pleasure, but always remember it as obviously the film Faye-as-Joanie in MOMMIE DEAREST is getting ready for at 4 a.m., doing her icy morning ablutions at sink and shower; then, IIRC, putting on ice-skates in the limousine. (talk about multi-tasking)

Lew Aryes is a sweet-pea fave of mine, but I don't think I'd be ready for him in tights. As for Jimmy, I'm laughing just thinking about it.

Kingrat's delightful take on the loopy Ice Follies of 1939 is found here:

http://silverscreenoasis.com/oasis3/vie ... &start=795