Summer Under the Stars: August 2012 Schedule

[Rita Hayworth]

CineMaven, thanks for those pictures of Ava ... my belated post ... nice arrangement too.

[Vecchiolarry]

Hi,

My goodness - the beautious Ava and then the gorgeous Dorothy - where is a sweet innocent guy like I to look!!!! Next question - what is he to do???? What a quandry (I almost spelled quandry wrong - and I'm not dislexic!!).............. Is that how one spells dislexic????
Oi vey!! - and I'm not even Jewish........

And dear Anne, I'm one who is not angry with you or even mildly annoyed.... I'll always have your back....

Larry

[Sue Sue Applegate]

Cinemaven, delightful Ava montage! Thanks!

[JackFavell]

I watched the beginning of the first James Caan film, The Glory Guys, this morning, only because in the opening credits it said the script was by Peckinpah.

I loved the first twenty minutes, it was pretty rousing, like a Ford film with a sixties slant, but had to stop watching to get Alice off to school. It had a great opening sequence and looked like it was going to be paced well. I've never heard of Arnold Laven, but he seems to have been a popular TV director. He definitely piqued my interest, although it was probably Peckinpah's unique vision of the west and the army that kept me riveted, plus a healthy dose of suspense injected right away:

A group of goofy tenderfoots enlist in the army for no very good reasons, and are to become a crack regiment within a month, when they will have their first battle. The captain must whip them into shape or else they'll all be cannon fodder. The surprise twist is that he knows that the general, played by oily Andrew Duggan, has wiped out a regiment before as bait in order to lure the enemy into his trap... will these green soldiers survive?

I've come to think of Peckinpah as maybe even a greater screenwriter than he was a director.... but perhaps that's because he didn't have a huge run of films to his directing credit. He certainly knows how to get your attention, and he has this fatalistic spin on things that I love. Laven certainly didn't do anything wrong in the little bit I saw. Peck started shooting but was replaced by Laven who finished the film. I'll have to rent this one now to find out how it turns out cause it's now driving me mad wondering what was going to happen.

[CineMaven]

Cinemaven, delightful Ava montage! Thanks!

You're welcome Sue by two.

I have to add my appreciation of Charley Grapewin in Johnny Apollo. He's just fantastic in this film! but then, he's fantastic in anything he ever did. I think the reason we all noticed him in Johnny A was that it was a huge step away from those hicks and crazy grandpas that Grapewin made super real. His mannerisms and stupendous talent for filling out his characterizations of various old coots with fidgeting or other addle-pated business makes you sometimes forget he was an actor. I swear if someone said to me that Grapewin was actually senile the whole time he was working, I would believe them, that's the strength of his performances.

THE COOT WAS A HOOT!

Either Charley Grapewin is alive and well...



...or he was paying homage to James Stewart's role in "HARVEY." I will never see Clint...or chairs the same way ever again.

When I heard a broadcaster liken his appearance to a Morey Amsterdam skit, I finally got my sense of humor back.

[mrsl]

Jack F:

I understand you don't care for James Caan because of the ones I don't like and never expect everyone to like who I do. But, it's too bad if you didn't stay on to see Another Man, Another Chance with Caan and Geneviev Bujold about a photographers' widow and a widower trying to make a fresh start in the old west. You know I LOVE subtitles, but I sat through these in the first half because I was really hooked on the film from the very beginning. It's quite unique in it's story and how both back stories are illustrated. If you didn't see it, or never watched it, you really should try it. Alas . . . it will be years before I watch another Clint Eastwood movie even though until last night I loved him from his Rowdy Yates days but, so goes the world -- It's a cruel, cruel world!!!
.

[JackFavell]

I'm sorry, Anne, I don't think I ever said I didn't like James Caan. I actually do like him, so I'm sorry if I gave that impression. Many say that he is the most underrated and best actor around today.

[Sue Sue Applegate]

Jackie, The Glory Guys is considered to be a veiled version of the events leading up to Custer's Last Stand with Andrew Duggan playing the part of Custer as General McCabe, smoldering Tom Tryon as Demas Herrod is a composite of some of the officers who opposed Custer's command, and sexy Harve Presnell played the scout.

Tryon was an artist and he actually drew the sketch of Senta Berger used in the film.

Jeanne Cooper, mother of L.A.Law's Corbin Bernson, was appropriately snippy as Mrs. McCabe, and a precursor to her Young and the Restless' Mrs. Chancellor.

I enjoy this film so much because I love seeing a beautiful woman (Senta Berger) being fought over by two good-lookin' men. It reminds me of my college days!

[Rita Hayworth]

Jackie, The Glory Guys is considered to be a veiled version of the events leading up to Custer's Last Stand with Andrew Duggan playing the part of Custer as General McCabe, smoldering Tom Tryon as Demas Herrod is a composite of some of the officers who opposed Custer's command, and sexy Harve Presnell played the scout.

Tryon was an artist and he actually drew the sketch of Senta Berger used in the film.

Jeanne Cooper, mother of L.A.Law's Corbin Bernson, was appropriately snippy as Mrs. McCabe, and a precursor to her Young and the Restless' Mrs. Chancellor.

I enjoy this film so much because I love seeing a beautiful woman (Senta Berger) being fought over by two good-lookin' men. It reminds me of my college days!

Senta Berger is one of my favorites ... and I love The Glory Guys too.

[mrsl]

.
Hey JF:

I'm the one who's sorry. I must have mixed you up with someone else. I know one of us said he/she didn't like James. I think it was when I said I would love to see a movie with both father and son. His son has so many of his mannerisms. Anyway, have you seen the movie I was talking about? What did you think of it?
.

[JackFavell]

I didn't see it, Anne, but I will definitely make it a point to watch when this one comes up again! Thanks for the tip!

[JackFavell]

Sue Sue,

At first I thought Tom Tryon was Patrick Wayne, who I also find terribly underrated and terribly good looking. I haven't seen too many of Tryon's movies, but in this one you could see he was a good actor, carrying the weight of the world on his good looking, broad shoulders.

I thought that was Jeanne Cooper! I wasn't sure and meant to go look up the cast list but didn't, so thanks for the info.

I think the Custer story is one of the most fascinating parts of American history, not the least part being how the viewpoint of it has changed over time. Thanks for weighing in on the film, I thought maybe I was the only one who was up at 6 to see it!

[Sue Sue Applegate]

Jackie, it's one of my faves. James Caan is also part of the comic relief. Can you believe it?

[JackFavell]

He was pretty hilarious in the parts I saw!Very broad Irish, with a twinkle in his eyes. He's also really funny in the more recent movie Elf. His reactions to Will Farrell are priceless.