The Silver Screen Oasis

Thanks guys, I've struggled along for nearly 3 years now and this darn thing morphs and changes all the time. Many people have it worse, the word blindness is particularly bad on the computer, probably the back lighting, book reading is a bit better, yet I can knit and crochet, what's that all about?

Volume, I always remember my Dad saying when we were little that all he wanted for Christmas was some peace and quiet, I used to wonder why, now I know. Even if I was well the noise can be overbearing. Children will be children, dogs will be dogs and parents, especially of the male variety will shout.

I must make a special effort to watch a George Raft movie, I've missed him. Nobody plays a gangster like him, not even Cagney.

I have a little trouble seeing words too, Allison. As far as I know, I don't have a particular condition. I'm just getting old!

I have zero tolerance for loud noises. And it's gotten worse as I age. Especially high-pitched sounds . . . like a baby screaming. Just puts my nerves on edge. What really bugs me is my wife always wants the volume increased on whatever television show we might be watching. It usually ends up at such a loud, irritating pitch that I have to walk away for quiet. I've always had this noise sensitivity but it has gotten worse with age.

As for my vision . . . have considered laser surgery to cure my myopia (that I've had all my life) but my eye doctor advises against it. He says he could have it done for free but would never do it. I do know a very good friend of ours had it done just at the beginning of its popularity and now has been experiencing some specific vision problems. Think the procedure has improved since then . . . but it is the eye.

Is your condition a correctable problem, Alison?

Yeah, I've fallen behind in my George Raft movie watching. Getting a yen to see INVISIBLE STRIPES again. I consider that my favorite Raft pic.

I wish I could help Alison. It must be so frustrating. I'll admit that I have my days where the sound of Alice jumping around with the dog drives me wild.

Stone, I totally understand the battle of the remote and especially the volume control. I've only just figured out why we keep having this problem ourselves. Andrew sits directly in front of the TV, across the room, on his "throne" or comfy chair. It's the prime spot. Alice and I sit toward the side of the TV, which is inside an armoire and set back about 4 inches. Our TV is rather new, a flat screen, and I think the sound doesn't flare out at the sides on this set, the speaker just faces front. Andrew is always turning the sound down, and then we can't hear it. I've noticed a really huge difference, volume-wise, walking between his spot directly in front of the TV and ours over at the couch. I figure that if he gets the prime spot, he's got to pay for it by letting us turn up the volume a little. We try not to overdo it, for dad needs his sleep... and in front of the TV is usually where he gets it.

What I find curious, Wendy, is why my wife needs the volume on the TV turned up to an irritating level up yet if I mutter something from the next room, she hears me perfectly. Do some people just prefer loud, jarring sounds? Remember years ago actually walking out of POLTERGEIST because, to me, the projectionist had the volume cranked well beyond the comfort level and I wasn't about to put myself through an endurance test.

You all finally wore me down. With nearly 1000 posts on a thread that has an actor at its core that I've seen only a handful of films and know less about personally I have started to read. (Shoot, I don't even think the John Wayne thread has this much activity.)

I'll catch up one of these days. Carry on.

Yes, movieman, it does seem at certain points this thread took on a life of it's own. I'll reserve my future postings for the subject at hand. Heck, poor George got neglected in life and now we're doing it to him here. We bad.

I've done that before too Stone, left the theater because the sound was too high.

OK, Back to George! In They Drive By Night, what would have happened had BOGIE gotten involved with Ida Lupino? Which one of them would have gone off their rocker first?

What's funny, Wendy is how in later years fourth-billed Bogie looked to overtake "star" Raft in the movie.

Bogie had virtually nothing to do with Ida in THEY DRIVE BY NIGHT. Yet check out the videobox of the movie:



Raft has literally taken a backseat to his co-star. Ouch!

As for Bogie and Lupino'scharacters actually getting involved in the movie - well, don't want to sound cruel but that would almost be a reflection of Bogart's real life with wife Mayo. A case of art imitating life even.

Ha! That video box is AWFUL! Some poor schmo in the art department must've sweated long hours to get Ida and Bogie together like that.

I know. I hate it. I remember when I saw it in a video store some years ago (back in the day when they still sold VHS movies). I think my jaw dropped. And why is Bogie dressed smartly in a clean suit while George is in his dirty trucker outfit?

And btw: Where is the truck?!

And George is in the BACK SEAT. Sheesh.

Well . . . that is sadly prophetic. After George's flubs at Warners he did take a back seat to Bogie.

I didn't mean anything by it Stone. (My apologies if it came off as criticism.) It just struck me that this thread was so popular and that I have been missing something. I think it's great it has been so popular. It's my lack of vision not to have really read it before now. If anything I'm more embarrassed by my absence.

I had never seen that video box picture from They Drive By Night. How desperate. An insult to all concerned.