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Posted: August 29th, 2008, 5:41 pm
by klondike
Mr. Arkadin wrote:I also have not seen anyone mention Inferno (1953). Made in 3D, Ryan is left to die in the desert by his wife and her lover. Interesting film because it depends totally on RR to carry the desert scenes and make the film believable.
Arkadin, hat's off to you for remembering this particular little film!
Let me add: little, but powerful!
Easily one of my favorite, cheap li'l "sleeper" films, . . don't downgrade or pre-judge it, though: it's got some real muscle!
Especially fine, besides other recommendations, as a fitting denoument to the career of wonderful character actor Henry Hull, who among another assignments was as critical to enlivening the first quarter of The Fountainhead, as he was to fleshing out the final quarter of Inferno.
Beyond question, though, it was Robert Ryan who compelled the viewers to hang-in, and watch him defy the stereotype of character & situation.
Think you know how it all wraps up?
Don't bet on it! :shock:

Posted: August 29th, 2008, 6:57 pm
by mookryan
nightwalker -

Thanx for mentioning Billy Budd - also one of my favorites - the very last scene between Ryan and Terrance Stamp always breaks me up - it's almost unbearable to watch, because there's something about the way he plays that scene that is SO close to the way he really was. Hard to watch (not to mention the fact that, sometimes when he was REALLY mad at me, he'd put on his "Claggart" voice!)

Nobody has mentioned The Iceman Cometh - which I also love, and is also incredibly hard to watch because it was filmed so close to the end of his life.

Posted: August 29th, 2008, 7:39 pm
by MissGoddess
Unfortunately, I've never seen Billy Budd, The Iceman Cometh or Inferno. But I will look for all of them to see if they are available.

Posted: August 29th, 2008, 8:20 pm
by Mr. Arkadin
mookryan wrote:Nobody has mentioned The Iceman Cometh - which I also love, and is also incredibly hard to watch because it was filmed so close to the end of his life.
I've seen this play/film with other actors, but was unaware there was a version made by your father. You've really piqued my interest now. 8)

Posted: August 29th, 2008, 8:26 pm
by Mr. Arkadin
It's available, great cast too!

http://tinyurl.com/65e9vd

Posted: August 29th, 2008, 8:41 pm
by mookryan
Iceman is INTENSE - amazing cast - directed by John Frankenheimer ... only problem with it that I have is the casting of Lee Marvin in the role of Hickey ... it should have been Jason Robards.

I just took a look at the Amazon listing and found this touching quote from someone named "Joey D - Brooklyn New York" who reviewed the film:

"His (Fredric March's) work here is fully shaded and from an aesthetic viewpoint, a joy to watch. But even his performance is not the outstanding one in the picture. That honor goes to Robert Ryan. ROBERT RYAN??!!??!! Always a solid performer, whether playing the hard-bitten good guy or the hard-bitten bad guy (usually), there is nothing in his canon of work that will prepare you for the magnitude or the depth of his performance here. Who knew there was a giant, and I do mean GIANT, talent lurking in that lean boxer frame. It will make you angry, and sad, that his talent was barely scratched in all those movies. But it is ultimately a blessing that in this, his last film, he was able to get a role that would utilize his full range as an actor."

Really nice (although "Joey D." shouldn't be THAT surprised!) - I wouldn't have seen that review if I hadn't clicked on Mr. Arkadin's
link - thanks!

Posted: August 29th, 2008, 8:46 pm
by Sue Sue Applegate
Dear Lisa,

Thank you so much for visiting the Silver Screen Oasis. We are very privileged to have you share your memories.

Robert Ryan was a name we often heard in our household because it was often stated by my Mom that my Dad looked like "that big movie star, Robert Ryan."

So we all knew who your father was in our household, and we enjoyed
many of his movies. I appreciate that you shared your time with us here.

Sincerely,
Christy

Posted: August 29th, 2008, 10:11 pm
by MissGoddess
Mr. Arkadin wrote:It's available, great cast too!

http://tinyurl.com/65e9vd
Thank you, Joel---I've Netflixed this and it's at the top of my "queue".

Posted: August 29th, 2008, 11:11 pm
by Mr. Arkadin
klondike wrote:
Mr. Arkadin wrote:I also have not seen anyone mention Inferno (1953). Made in 3D, Ryan is left to die in the desert by his wife and her lover. Interesting film because it depends totally on RR to carry the desert scenes and make the film believable.
Arkadin, hat's off to you for remembering this particular little film!
Let me add: little, but powerful!
Easily one of my favorite, cheap li'l "sleeper" films, . . don't downgrade or pre-judge it, though: it's got some real muscle!
Especially fine, besides other recommendations, as a fitting denoument to the career of wonderful character actor Henry Hull, who among another assignments was as critical to enlivening the first quarter of The Fountainhead, as he was to fleshing out the final quarter of Inferno.
Beyond question, though, it was Robert Ryan who compelled the viewers to hang-in, and watch him defy the stereotype of character & situation.
Think you know how it all wraps up?
Don't bet on it! :shock:
Henry Hull was great in The Fountainhead as well as here. I wish this film was in print or that TCM could show it. One of the the things that is unique about the movie is it was shot in 3D. Critics have spoken about how 3D was used here, not in a popping out of the frame type effect, but to make the desert look more expansive and dense. While many films view just fine at home, this one would be great for theater showing (if only we could round up some of those cardboard glasses!).

Posted: August 30th, 2008, 1:13 am
by mookryan
This week has really flown by, I’ve been having a wonderful time, and wish I’d had more time to really get into some of the great questions and comments everyone’s been tossing my way. After an aggravating day at work today, I’m pretty beat – but really want to respond to a post from Moira ...

My dad was crazy about Shakespeare and Eugene O'Neill (who I recently learned from a Google search "was born in a Broadway hotel room in Times Square. The site is now a Starbucks" ... that's sort of depressing!)
... and having the opportunity to perform in Coriolanus in the early 50's- working with John Houseman (they became great friends) - was a huge deal for him ... as was working with Hepburn in Anthony and Cleopatra.

I was very much around that summer, and have some pretty funny stories (Hepburn weirdness, backstage hijinx, crazy actors) ... which I'm too tired to do justice to right now ... I'll just have to post some of this stuff in some other forum at some later date!

He was responsible for a fantastic off Broadway production of Long Day's Journey Into Night that he starred in with Geraldine Fitzgerald ... that was a dream come true for him ... as was starring in Long Day's Journey AND Othello (on alternating nights - which is pretty mind-boggling) at the Nottingham Repertory Theatre in 1967.

I remembered earlier today that I have a letter he wrote me from Nottingham - which is probably the only letter I still have from him.
I decided when I got home tonight to try to scan it and post it.

Image

Image

Image

Posted: August 30th, 2008, 6:34 am
by moira finnie
Hi Lisa,
Thank you for all your wonderful answers to our queries this week, and especially for sharing your father's endearing and funny letter to you from the U.K. You can almost hear his voice when reading it.

It's been splendid having you here this week. If you have time in the future I hope that you'll remember that all of us would love for you to drop by anytime in any thread to share your thoughts on any topic. The welcome mat is out for you.

Here's a lovely little video tribute to your Dad from someone on youtube who apparently shared your father's belief that he should've played more romantic roles:
[youtube][/youtube]

Posted: August 30th, 2008, 7:05 am
by klondike
Lisa;

Please allow me to squeeze through, quickly, just one more time as we reluctantly, and a little sadly, close the door on this thread, and express that even beyond all discussions of your Dad's fascinating career & contributions, it's also been a distinct pleasure getting to know you; I think it fair to say that you've impressed all of us with your wit & warmth & intellect & humor!
I think it's also safe to say that we'd all really like you to drop back in whenever you find time in your schedule; your perspective on cinema is quite unique, Lisa, and if there's one thing we're just wild about in our fellow members here at SSO, it's diversity!
So take care, Mooks, and don't be a stranger! :wink:

Posted: August 30th, 2008, 7:34 am
by Dewey1960
Lisa, thanks for being here!

Posted: August 30th, 2008, 10:38 am
by knitwit45
Thanks for sharing a bit of your Dad with all of us, Lisa. We are all the richer for it. Please come back!

Nancy

Posted: August 30th, 2008, 10:48 am
by mookryan
Thanks Klondike (and Moira and Dewey and Nancy and everyone else!)

Silver Screen is going to have a hard time getting rid of me! ... so much stuff got stirred up in me over the course of the week ... so many memories that I hadn't accessed in ages ... and I was trying to dig deeper (as more memories started flooding in) rather than just skimming along the surface ... but unfortunately I was also feeling totally worn out from my day job by the end of the week to be even semi-coherent! I don't know if this post will be posted (since it's now past my expiration date)
... but I'll be back, in other threads ... hopefully not just yammering on and on about ME! It went by too fast, and I didn't even get around to
telling my Howard Hughes story! :wink: