Interesting. My on-screen guide provides the season and episode information almost always. Sometimes it doesn't match IMDb's data, though, but that's usually on British shows, or sometimes on M*A*S*H, when they had the odd hour-long episode that's chopped into two episodes for syndication.
The old guide just gave the year of the TV show, so one couldn't be sure which
season it was from. Not really that important to know, but it's nice to be able
to have the info. LITBeaver made it easy because each season had a different opening.
I am totally with you on AMERICAN BEAUTY.
I didn't see it when it was in theaters, but when I did see it, I was like YUCK!
I gave the movie a half star on Letterboxd.
Good for you for giving it half a star on Letterboxd. I think I gave it 1 and a half, mostly because I did like Annette Bening's perfromance in spite of the rest. I've always been lousy at rating films though, rating too high, etc. I hope you don't mind, but I went searching for you on Letterboxd (among all the people who gave American Beauty half a star), and I think I gave you a follow over there just now. I hope you don't mind (Meanwhile my account over there is a mess because there are hundreds of films I still have to track down and log, since I got out of the habit last year)
I don't mind the follow on Letterboxd at all. I followed you as well and posted a comment on one of your reviews.
I had an earlier account there, but it was linked to an email address I no longer have and I kind of wanted to start fresh anyway.
I also tend to have high ratings, probably because I mostly rate movies that I like (so 4 or 5 star ratings).
AMERICAN BEAUTY was definitely an exception.
I watched that one expecting to love it because of Sam Menes's stage work (he directed the revivals of CABARET and OLIVER! in the 1990s and I love those cast recordings).
But I really, really *hated* AMERICAN BEAUTY, probably more than I would have if I wasn't expecting to like it.
And I commented you back on that review. Glad to have you as a new friend over there....
Anyway, I think with American Beauty, I think much of my general distaste with it had to deal with the subject matter and also the way that I didn't feel that there was any real fondness for any of the characters in the plot handling. Now, Sam Mendes has proven himself to be a good director on movies since like Road to Perdition and 1917, but it just didn't work here. And yet, it was thought of as a new cinematic masterpiece by many in 1999.... which seems especially odd given that the caustic script was written by an ex-sitcom writer at a time when TV was largely mentioned dismissively (the writer had worked on Grace Under Fire and Cybill). It's probably that inflated reputation as well that increased my displeasure. I wrote a review about it a while back....
Hibi wrote: ↑April 30th, 2024, 9:06 am
LOL! Hopper was good casting as Drake. I don't think he could've carried the show as Perry. I don't think it would've been the long running hit it became. Perry needed someone with gravitas. "Star Quality". Burr had it. Hopper was a good supporting actor.
I never realized they ever showed Gertie! Blink, I guess, and you miss her. I'll be watching for her appearances now! I don't think my cable lists the year of the tv episodes. I know it does for movies. I'll have to check next time. Also has the main cast list and pictures (often different than how they appear in the film or episode!)
He was terrific as Drake. Of course we're so used to seeing him that way it's hard
to imagine him as Perry. I can't remember Perry wearing anything other than a dark
suit, whereas Paul had more jazzy ones.
Considering how few people actually come to Perry's office over the course of an
episode Gertie must have had it easy. And she was a pretty blonde with big eyes
a la Bette Davis. I read she was once a stand-in on a Bette Davis movie.
I'm having so much fun getting into my pjs to watch AHP late at night with a yummy
snack at hand. Good evening.
Hibi wrote: ↑April 30th, 2024, 9:06 am
LOL! Hopper was good casting as Drake. I don't think he could've carried the show as Perry. I don't think it would've been the long running hit it became. Perry needed someone with gravitas. "Star Quality". Burr had it. Hopper was a good supporting actor.
I never realized they ever showed Gertie! Blink, I guess, and you miss her. I'll be watching for her appearances now! I don't think my cable lists the year of the tv episodes. I know it does for movies. I'll have to check next time. Also has the main cast list and pictures (often different than how they appear in the film or episode!)
He was terrific as Drake. Of course we're so used to seeing him that way it's hard
to imagine him as Perry. I can't remember Perry wearing anything other than a dark
suit, whereas Paul had more jazzy ones.
Considering how few people actually come to Perry's office over the course of an
episode Gertie must have had it easy. And she was a pretty blonde with big eyes
a la Bette Davis. I read she was once a stand-in on a Bette Davis movie.
I'm having so much fun getting into my pjs to watch AHP late at night with a yummy
snack at hand. Good evening.
I didn't know she was a stand in for Bette Davis. What was her name? I hope I see her soon. I'm intrigued.
Hibi wrote: ↑April 30th, 2024, 9:06 am
LOL! Hopper was good casting as Drake. I don't think he could've carried the show as Perry. I don't think it would've been the long running hit it became. Perry needed someone with gravitas. "Star Quality". Burr had it. Hopper was a good supporting actor.
I never realized they ever showed Gertie! Blink, I guess, and you miss her. I'll be watching for her appearances now! I don't think my cable lists the year of the tv episodes. I know it does for movies. I'll have to check next time. Also has the main cast list and pictures (often different than how they appear in the film or episode!)
He was terrific as Drake. Of course we're so used to seeing him that way it's hard
to imagine him as Perry. I can't remember Perry wearing anything other than a dark
suit, whereas Paul had more jazzy ones.
Considering how few people actually come to Perry's office over the course of an
episode Gertie must have had it easy. And she was a pretty blonde with big eyes
a la Bette Davis. I read she was once a stand-in on a Bette Davis movie.
I'm having so much fun getting into my pjs to watch AHP late at night with a yummy
snack at hand. Good evening.
I didn't know she was a stand in for Bette Davis. What was her name? I hope I see her soon. I'm intrigued.
Connie Cezon. I first knew her from watching Three Stooges as a kid. She was in several of the 1950s episodes. They used her as a stand in and double for the film where Bette Davis played twin sisters (Dead Ringer)
This is the one episode I remember well (well, it's two episodes, because they remade it, replacing Shemp with Joe), mainly because of the line she delivers: "I knew you were coming so I baked a cake."
Have reached the point where I am no longer sure why I have any given movie in my watch lists. This one had to be either the desire to watch Janet Leigh or Robert Ryan. I went in cold, with no idea of what to expect plot-wise. Did know a bit of these actor’s work.
Act of Violence (1949)
Outstanding first scene. A silent character preparing to do something. On the characters face, pure determination.
After the first ten minutes or so, was positive that I could predict exactly how the movie would unfold. Who would do what, why they would do it, and how things would conclude.
Was not even close. Did not mind at all because the writing was so good.
What I like about the roles that I have seen Leigh do, is that she played women that were written to be more assertive than usual for movies of the time. Nothing against the submissive girlfriend/wife type or the aggressive femme fatale-enjoy those too. But Leigh's characters were less cliché and more interesting, at least for me.
Have seen Ryan act in half a dozen movies. Only one of those roles was as a decent human being. So, no surprise that in this picture he is not so nice. His character has a singular goal, and it eats at him constantly. The brief time he shows true happiness would horrify most people. It is Ryan’s best performance that I have seen so far.
Van Heflin had the third lead in the picture. The man he played was subject to a lot of emotional trauma and indecision. Saw that Heflin usually performed as a supporting character, so I assume that those experiences helped him navigate all the ups and downs of his role in this movie.
Finally, there is Mary Astor. The first few times I watched her in movies, I just did not like her work. And I can’t really say why. Was it the characters she played, or was it her performances? I’ll never know. But this is the second time in a row I thought she was special. And those two roles could not have been more different from each other. In this movie she plays a world-weary woman with questionable morals. But the character also cannot help being kind to a stranger. The movie would have been a much lesser one without Astor’s work.
The camera work and lighting in this black and white picture are excellent as well. For example, there is a well-lit scene between two people where a lie is told. After it is told, the person who is lied to moves into shadow while the liar remains in the light.
The photo below has no relation to the movie. It’s just a really beautiful early portrait of Astor.
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Speaking of, I can't help but take interest in the fact that over the course of the seasons, numerous PERRY MASON episodes feature bit parts for lean, boyish, handsome, YOUNGblondeMEN- there's even a dim-witted INTERN(?)/LEGAL STUDENT working with PERRY in a fe wepisodes who, while he is adorable, absolutely throws the brakes on every episode in which he appears because the show then becomes "MR. MASON'S WORLD" for about 3-5 minutes while DADDY PERRY dryly explains at length to LEGAL EAGLE KEN DOLL various aspects of the legal process. (and he usually has NO ATTACHMENT AT ALL to the plot of the episode)
I know they were tossing a treat to RAY, and to be fair, he deserved it.
He was terrific as Drake. Of course we're so used to seeing him that way it's hard
to imagine him as Perry. I can't remember Perry wearing anything other than a dark
suit, whereas Paul had more jazzy ones.
Considering how few people actually come to Perry's office over the course of an
episode Gertie must have had it easy. And she was a pretty blonde with big eyes
a la Bette Davis. I read she was once a stand-in on a Bette Davis movie.
I'm having so much fun getting into my pjs to watch AHP late at night with a yummy
snack at hand. Good evening.
I didn't know she was a stand in for Bette Davis. What was her name? I hope I see her soon. I'm intrigued.
Connie Cezon. I first knew her from watching Three Stooges as a kid. She was in several of the 1950s episodes. They used her as a stand in and double for the film where Bette Davis played twin sisters (Dead Ringer)
This is the one episode I remember well (well, it's two episodes, because they remade it, replacing Shemp with Joe), mainly because of the line she delivers: "I knew you were coming so I baked a cake."
OH, HER!!!! Yes, I'm familiar with her due to the Stooges shorts. Thanks. I didn't realize she was the double in Dead Ringer all these years.
Lorna wrote: ↑May 1st, 2024, 7:52 am
OMG!
GERTIE was CUTE as A BUTTON!
(Not that PERRY would've noticed)
Speaking of, I can't help but take interest in the fact that over the course of the seasons, numerous PERRY MASON episodes feature bit parts for lean, boyish, handsome, YOUNGblondeMEN- there's even a dim-witted INTERN(?)/LEGAL STUDENT working with PERRY in a fe wepisodes who, while he is adorable, absolutely throws the brakes on every episode in which he appears because the show then becomes "MR. MASON'S WORLD" for about 3-5 minutes while DADDY PERRY dryly explains at length to LEGAL EAGLE KEN DOLL various aspects of the legal process. (and he usually has NO ATTACHMENT AT ALL to the plot of the episode)
I know they were tossing a treat to RAY, and to be fair, he deserved it.
He worked hard.
LOL. Yeah, I remember that young apprentice or whatever he was. Maybe they were trying for a spin off? There were a lot of young, handsome actors, but a lot of old, ugly ones too! A lot of older Hollywood types appeared also (not big stars, but people like Fay Ray; Colleen Gray; Marie Windsor etc.)
Hibi wrote: ↑May 1st, 2024, 8:26 am
LOL. Yeah, I remember that young apprentice or whatever he was. Maybe they were trying for a spin off? There were a lot of young, handsome actors, but a lot of old, ugly ones too! A lot of older Hollywood types appeared also (not big stars, but people like Fay Ray; Colleen Gray; Marie Windsor etc.)
there's just no way, the guy had NO charisma.
there were also some extremely good-looking women who showed up along the way, whoever ran HAIR AND MAKE-UP on PERRY MASON was nothing like THE ABSOLUTE MONSTER who did MsW.
MONTE MARKHAM- who was REALLY CUTE played PERRY in THE NEW PERRY MASON some time in the 1970's, but it went over about as well as MRS. COLUMBO.
The young man in a few of the stories is probably Jackson, a law clerk who is mentioned in a few of the novels. Jackson has no personality in the books, so it's not surprising he is rarely used in the series.
I agree that the hairstyles are usually becoming. We're past the helmet hair and sausage roll curls of the 1940s and not yet into the bouffant era.
Hibi wrote: ↑May 1st, 2024, 8:26 am
LOL. Yeah, I remember that young apprentice or whatever he was. Maybe they were trying for a spin off? There were a lot of young, handsome actors, but a lot of old, ugly ones too! A lot of older Hollywood types appeared also (not big stars, but people like Fay Ray; Colleen Gray; Marie Windsor etc.)
there's just no way, the guy had NO charisma.
there were also some extremely good-looking women who showed up along the way, whoever ran HAIR AND MAKE-UP on PERRY MASON was nothing like THE ABSOLUTE MONSTER who did MsW.
MONTE MARKHAM- who was REALLY CUTE played PERRY in THE NEW PERRY MASON some time in the 1970's, but it went over about as well as MRS. COLUMBO.
True, but he was nice to look at! . I vaguely remember the remake. Never watched it though. Did they have the same characters? (Della etc.) Perry had a variety of wigs/hairstyles in the series. Some good some not so. (Not Perry himself, I mean the cast!!!)
I think I came across the worst wig in MSW history awhile ago. That teased platinum blonde monstrosity in "Tainted Lady" I think it was. The actress only had one scene (thankfully). Playing some bimbo trying to impress Jessica with her caviar snacks; a past friend of the "Tainted Lady" (Dee Wallace Stone). Seriously, the wig was twice as big as her face!!!!
Glad to have you as a new friend over there....
. I vaguely remember the remake. Never watched it though. Did they have the same characters? (Della etc.) Perry had a variety of wigs/hairstyles in the series. Some good some not so. (Not Perry himself, I mean the cast!!!)