Bad Movies You Love

Discussion of programming on TCM.
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moira finnie
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Re: Bad Movies You Love

Post by moira finnie »

King, I'd heard about Keefe Brasselle's later bitterness, but the guy must have had a certain brashness and faux sincerity that made him click for a little while in tinsel town. He was in a supporting role as one of the snotty society types in A Place in the Sun and appeared as a nice Jewish boy in It's a Big Country in the segment with Marjorie Main as a bigoted, bereaved mother of a soldier. Maybe he had talent. He certainly had energy and chutzpah.

It just occurred to me that Keefe Brasselle and Robert Evans should have been in a movie together in the '50s. That would have been wonderful, though oily.

BTW, both The Show of Shows & The Eddie Cantor Story are readily available on DVDs.
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Re: Bad Movies You Love

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At about 10 years old, I had a friend named Jerry. Jerry wanted to be cool. Wanted to be a tough guy. Admired by boys and girls alike. But his favorite movie was THE EDDIE CANTOR STORY! We watched it on TV, on The Early Show. Enjoyed the songs. Laughed at the antics. Had a good time. My brother and I watched it, forgot it, moved on. Jerry? Talked about it for months!

Interestingly, at that time, we had no idea who Eddie Cantor was. My mom had to tell us!

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Re: Bad Movies You Love

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RedRiver wrote:At about 10 years old, I had a friend named Jerry. Jerry wanted to be cool. Wanted to be a tough guy. Admired by boys and girls alike. But his favorite movie was THE EDDIE CANTOR STORY! We watched it on TV, on The Early Show. Enjoyed the songs. Laughed at the antics. Had a good time. My brother and I watched it, forgot it, moved on. Jerry? Talked about it for months!

Interestingly, at that time, we had no idea who Eddie Cantor was. My mom had to tell us!

"Josephina, please don't lean-a on the bell!"
HA! I still have no idea who Eddie Cantor was. And I only saw the movie yesterday! Jerry must have had a tough life. Hope he's okay now.
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Re: Bad Movies You Love

Post by JackFavell »

Oh man! Where do I begin?

I LOVED A Rage to Live. I thought it was the creme de la creme of Bad Movies We Love. Suzanne Pleshette was incredibly good, and I thought the material was better done here than in other soapers from that time... it was really pretty shocking, as these go, and I really felt for her - she had a compulsion she couldn't control. Ben G. was intense and scary as usual, but I find him a very good actor in spite of the unpleasant places he takes you. It was really refreshing to see Bradford Dillman as a nice guy... although I was expecting him to pop a blood vessel and go off the deep end at any minute. Loved the wardrobe! This one goes on my list of faves along with The Best of Everything and Peyton Place.

As for Keefe Brasselle, I was stuck like a deer in the headlights with The Eddie Cantor Story too. Once I sat down, I couldn't look away (but I wanted to). I couldn't decide whether Brasselle was spectacularly awful, or just trying with all his might not to fall off the face of the earth. It was creepily directed... the movie looked kind of like I Want to Live - as if Cantor had been a child murderer or a wife beater instead of a beloved entertainer. I think the problem with the movie was not Brasselle, but that the studio didn't really have much of a story to tell...Eddie's worst problem was that he worked too much, and that doesn't really match the shocking tone of the direction. In the end, I felt sorry for Brasselle. Marilyn Erskine, who played his wife, ion the other hand... well, let me just say that by the end I wanted to hit her. Her emotive powers consisted of a blank stare and an even blanker stare. Makin' Eyes at Me, indeed. Between them, they made me want to go watch something where the actors actually closed there eyes part of the time.

And I love Eddie Cantor.
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Re: Bad Movies You Love

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Have you met Jerry?
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Re: Bad Movies You Love

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HA!!! I caught the tail end of "A RAGE TO LIVE" one morning when I woke up with the tv on. Sorry I missed it. I love that film. And Suzanne, well...

I saw part of "THE EDDIE CANTOR STORY." Blink Eddie blink!!! I have seen this movie waaaaaaaaay back in the Million Dollar Movie days when movies played several times or the entire week. I didn't realize I knew Aline MacMahon from when I was a little kid. "Ida...Ida idolize ya..."
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Re: Bad Movies You Love

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One thing I liked about A Rage to Live - Suzanne's character was so well drawn that her supposedly "depraved" cravings seemed quite understandable. There was something almost precode about the way we saw the woman's viewpoint in this film - it made me feel a woman's sexuality was valid, even though for years the studios had subverted that notion. There's something to be said for potboilers, in that they dealt with some of the real issues women have faced throughout time. I see a direct line from the pre-code to the potboiler, even though some of the potboilers can seem simplistic at times.
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Re: Bad Movies You Love

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moira, Frank Fay and Keefe Brasselle equally creep me out.

I caught THE EDDIE CANTOR STORY -- I hadn't seen this thing in eons, and am still impressed by Aline MacMahon as Grandma Esther. As for Brasselle's performance -- :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: . I remember reading years ago that Keefe was one of the most disliked people in show biz -- can't recall the details, though.

Eddie Cantor, after seeing the film: "I didn't know my life was so boring".
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Re: Bad Movies You Love

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There's something to be said for potboilers, in that they dealt with some of the real issues women have faced throughout time.

Absolutely! Domestic issues. A movie such as this may be good. It may not be. But seldom is it boring. If I turn one on, there's little chance I'll walk away from it! From THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL to EXECUTIVE SUITE. From IMITATION OF LIFE to ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWS. Much of Otto Preminger's work, while defying the potbolier label, slides comfortably into this territory. ADVISE AND CONSENT is political intrigue. But it's more about personal scandal than policy. LAURA and ANGEL FACE are dark stories about crime. But the issues result from people's choices, mostly women's, and the consequences thereof.

Teresita!

You wake up in the middle of the night and watch the remainder of a movie? That's a real fan. That's one way to treat cine-somnia!
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Re: Bad Movies You Love

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I remember reading years ago that Keefe was one of the most disliked people in show biz -- can't recall the details, though.
Ann B. Davis talks about The Keefe Brasselle Show and more here. It provides a couple of clues as to the love for Keefe.
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Re: Bad Movies You Love

Post by Bronxgirl48 »

Thanks for providing that link, ChiO. Creepy times with Keefe! Certainly raises more questions....
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Re: Bad Movies You Love

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Hmmmm....I never really thought that ChiO would be an Ann B. Davis follower, but I did like her in that interview. She was so down-to-earth no matter what role. None of what she said about Mr. Brasselle was too surprising. Hey, at least he never put a hit on Ann. :shock:
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Re: Bad Movies You Love

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Hmmmm....I never really thought that ChiO would be an Ann B. Davis follower
Love that Bob! The Bob Cummings Show introduced me to so many favorites in addition to Robert Cummings. Ann B. Davis, Rosemary DeCamp, Dwayne Hickman, King Donovan, Lyle Talbot, Nancy Kulp and the greatest joy of them all...Joi Lansing.
Everyday people...that's what's wrong with the world. -- Morgan Morgan
I love movies. But don't get me wrong. I hate Hollywood. -- Orson Welles
Movies can only go forward in spite of the motion picture industry. -- Orson Welles
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Re: Bad Movies You Love

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:D
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