The Q & A with Steve Hayes, Tired Old Queen of the Movies 10-22 10-23

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Re: The Q & A with Steve Hayes, Tired Old Queen of the Movies 10-22 10-23

Post by Professional Tourist »

Thanks for the reply, Mr. Hayes -- I understand your point of view completely. I find MO rather unbelievable myself, and highly melodramatic. But I actually like "the pious air of self sacrifice" :lol: , the christian themes, and the 'split' characters, as well as the subtexts (that I perceive). I think that, although MO wants to be entertaining, it's more focused on its message and does get pretty heavy. I like that about it, and find it more substantial than ATHA -- which I enjoy too, and do find to be more realistic as you mentioned, and Hudson definitely sexier. :D Cheers.
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Re: The Q & A with Steve Hayes, Tired Old Queen of the Movies 10-22 10-23

Post by Sue Sue Applegate »

Great questions, comments and photos, PT! :D

Steve, one of my favorite cinematogrphers is Jack Cardiff. He's worked with so many actors and directors and makes even the scenery more beautiful. Do you have any special film treasures featuring his talents?
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Re: The Q & A with Steve Hayes, Tired Old Queen of the Movies 10-22 10-23

Post by Steve Hayes »

Dear Sue Sue; You asked me what movies affected me when I first saw them on the big screen? I moved to New York on Labor Day of 1976. I was walking around my neighborhood, turned a corner and there was The Thalia theatre with a double bill of "Laura" and "All About Eve"! I stayed all day! I watched "laura" three times and "Eve" twice. Bowled me over!! It never occured to me that there were actual theatres that did nothing but screen the classics. I knew I'd moved to the right place. Also, VERTIGO on the big screen drove me crazy. It's always been my favorite film and it's unbelievably beautiful with that rich Bernard Herrmann score swirling around you. Fabulous!!!
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Re: The Q & A with Steve Hayes, Tired Old Queen of the Movies 10-22 10-23

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Dear Sue Sue; Who is better and what isn't better for being photographed by Jack Cardiff? What that man did with Technicolor is astounding, especially his three with Michael Powell and Emeric Pressberger. "Black Narcissus is mesmerizing. Every shot is a painting. I can never get over how staggeringly beautiful it is. And the way he photographs brilliant Kathleen Byron...who should have had the supporting Oscar for her performance as Sister Ruth...is a class in itself on how to heighten an already electrifying performance through color cinematography. He sets the mood for her every step. Even she admitted in that wonderful documentary on him, that he practically did all the work. His work in "Stairway To Heaven" is so etherial and in "The Red Shoes" he makes gorgeous Moira Shearer's hair as fascinating as her ballet slippers. I think he was almost a surrealist in these three films and of course he was inspired by Powell's visionary direction. It's a situation of a collaborative whirlpool of creative genius each at their peak. Thank God for the Criterion Collection which keeps them all as they should be and brings them to vivid life again. I'm also fond of his work with two Ava Gardner films; "Pandora and the Flying Dutchman" and "The Barefoot Contessa", once again he weaves a spell by lovingly and gorgeously photographing Ava Gardner at the height of her spectacular beauty. I loved his direction of 'Son's and Lovers" , so true to the novel in look, mood and casting and the best version of a Lawrence novel this side of "Women In Love". I wish he'd directed more. Finally there's one of my personal favorites "Death On The Nile", my favorite of the all-star Agatha Christie movie mysteries. The color is so rich and his photography of the Eygptian locales makes you want to hop a plane immediately. He also sets a subtle and sinister mood, even in the daylight, to quote another Christie title there is always; 'Evil Under The Sun"...which he didn't shoot, unfortunately...obviously, he's a master and every cinematographer owes him a debt, since he was the first to break Natale Kalmus's hold on Technicolor usage and by being a rebel and experimenting in "Black Narcissus", show the world what the subtle use of color could do.
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Re: The Q & A with Steve Hayes, Tired Old Queen of the Movies 10-22 10-23

Post by Sue Sue Applegate »

Thank you, Steve. I've enjoyed many aspects of all those films you mention.

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Ava Gardner in Pandora and the Flying Dutchman photographed by Jack Cardiff...
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Kathleen Byron in Black Narcissus...

I saw Pandora and the Flying Dutchman introduced by Angela Allen, who worked with John Huston and Carol Reed, at the TCM Film Festival, and it seemed to me that the cinematography was almost a character itself. Cardiff's camera seemed to capture images on film that the naked eye would never notice in such intricate detail.

More on Angela Allen: http://guru.bafta.org/angela-allen-interview

Some indelible performances on film, however, don't seem to focus on the lush gorgeousness of an expensive contract player, but on lesser characters on whose actions pivot an entire plot. Can you share with us some of your favorite character actors and actresses?
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Re: The Q & A with Steve Hayes, Tired Old Queen of the Movies 10-22 10-23

Post by Mrs. Osborne »

Steve

Do you agree that sci-fi movies of the 1950's were so much better than the big budget CGI movies of today?
Some say that Spielberg and Lucas ruined the movie industry.....


Yours,
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Re: The Q & A with Steve Hayes, Tired Old Queen of the Movies 10-22 10-23

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Dear Mrs. O - I love the 50's sci/fi films because they didn't have CGI and had to use their imaginations to get things across. It was the era of legendary stop action animation artist Ray Harryhausen and his efforts in the genre; "The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms", "It Came From Beneath The Sea", "Earth Versus The Flying Saucers" and "Twenty Million Miles To Earth", set the tone and laid the way for countless sci-fi /horror films to follow. A student and collaborator of Willis O'Brien (The Black Scorpion") who did "King Kong", they worked together on "Mighty Joe Young" and both went off on their own, with Harryhausen perfecting the technique with each subsequent film. Howard Hawks got into the genre with his innovative "The Thing", where he and director Christian Nyby, had his terrific cast do overlapping dialogue, which made everything seem more real and completely natural.Gordon Douglas's "THEM!" at Warners was brilliantly acted as well and had huge animated ants, that may seem relatively tame by today's standards, but were remarakble and quite frightening at the time. As usual though, Universal cornered the market in the genre by giving movies one of the greatest monsters in movie history, The Gill Man in "The Creature Form the Black Lagoon".

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The Gill Man (on land, portrayed by Ben Chapman; in water, portrayed by Ricou Browning)

The old Beauty and the Beast theme came in handy again and the innovative suit and brilliant pacing and direction of Jack Arnold created a film that's not only works as an amazing monster movie, but a suspense classic as well. He filmed many of the scariest scenes outside in broad daylight and the underwater cinematography is breathtakingly as well as sinister. Arnold went on to direct the sequel "Revenge Of The Creature" as well as "Tarantula!", "The Monster On The Campus" "It Came From Outer Space" and the classic "The Incredible Shrinking Man." One of the greatest assets of all the films I've mentioned was in the casting. They all had soild actors who took everything seriously and because they did, so did we. The only comparable pictures in the last few decades to my mind have been; Hitchcock's "The Birds", "Jaws", the remake of "Invasion Of The Body Snatchers" , Ridely Scott's "Alien" the next classic monster and James Cameron's sequal "Aliens". Once they made the Alien into a CGI monster, it lost alot of it's heart. Love me some '50's sci/fi ! Happy Halloween!!!
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Re: The Q & A with Steve Hayes, Tired Old Queen of the Movies 10-22 10-23

Post by Mrs. Osborne »

Steve!

OH YEAH love me some Jack Arnold!!!

ok let's take the gloves - and the garters off. Let's talk about SEX.
Who was sexy in movies?

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Re: The Q & A with Steve Hayes, Tired Old Queen of the Movies 10-22 10-23

Post by Steve Hayes »

Dear, Darlin' Mrs. O- HOORAY!!! Lets do talk about sex. Who is and who's not sexy in the movies. One of the things that's always interested me is that it's a topic that everyone happily differs on. For me, it's never been a case of who is or isn't sexy, but rather, who could I imagine actually having sex with? So many to the classic celluloid gods and goddesses had images created by those amazing photographers George Hurrell, Clarence Sinclair Bull or Lazlo Willinger and there they were, frozen in time, air brushed to death, glamour personified and not quite human. Sexiness isn't nessessarily about the look, but rarther the attitude the actor/actress projects. Jean Harlow and Dietrich were known as the Sex Goddesses of the '30's, but I never found them remotely sexy, simply glamourous, despite their many lovers.

Bette, Joan and Barbara Stanwyck were huge stars, though I could never imagine them in bed. All three too dominating.

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For me, sexy actresses are: Carole Lombard: soooo sexy! You just know she'd be a saucy riot in bed. Loretta Young: this may come as a surprise, but watch how sexy she is with every one of her co-stars. For example, when she kisses Alan Ladd, she really kisses him. When she finally kisses Joseph Cotton in the chicken coup at the end of "The Farmer's Daughter" it's so hot!

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Gene Tierney, slinky, sophisticated, and yet slightly vulnerable. Like a cat.
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Linda Darnell and Ava Gardner... both smoldering girls from the wrong side of the tracks, not afraid of anything. In a word, "Wow".
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Lana Turner...Nope. Too laquered. Audrey Hepburn...Nope. Too sweet. Judy Garland...lots of laughs and probably some surprises. Grace Kelly...down and dirty and fun. Nothing like her austere image. ACTORS: Tyrone Power. I have always LOVED him. I could bury my face happily anywhere in Ty Power. Cary Grant and Errol Flynn- Easy, fun and with that mischevious twinkle . James Dean - insolent, cocky, naughty and unpredictable...in short, a hottie! Rock Hudson - Who wouldn't wann be wrapped in the big arms of the Rock? I mean, in the end, what more can I say? It's ROCK HUDSON!

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Clark Gable - I love his wry, confident mascilinity and that killer smile that says to every leading lady, "Ok, play it you're way, but we'll end up in bed before you know it."

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Robert Mitchum and Richard Widmark- Both laconic, sexy and slightly menacing. Mitchum would have me at "Hello'." Dana Andrews- Confident, gentle, yet direct and what a kisser! Kirk Douglas - a lion between the sheets. Paul Newman - Boyish, hot and self-confident. Lee Marvin - Trouble...any time.

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Redford - I get giddy everytime I look at him. I met him once and just stood there staring at him with my mouth open, he wasso gorgeous and such a star. Of today's stars Brad Pitt, Viggo Mortensen and Ed Harris still get my vote. And of the women; Michelle Pfeiffer, Charlize Theron, Julianne Moore and Renee Zellweiger...I know, but she's funny, cute and smart. I fell in love with her in "Jerry McGuire", "Nurse Betty" and "Bridget Jone's Diary". Sexy is in the eye of the beholder...with many of the above, I wish I could behold a little closer.
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Re: The Q & A with Steve Hayes, Tired Old Queen of the Movies 10-22 10-23

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Thanks for you comments on what "sexy" means to you, Steve! Mrs. O, a probing question!

Here are some of my choices....

Steve Forrest...

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Gary Cooper...

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John Payne...

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Sean Connery...

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And blatantly beefcake Sam Elliott...

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Re: The Q & A with Steve Hayes, Tired Old Queen of the Movies 10-22 10-23

Post by Professional Tourist »

Yes, I agree with a lot of what has been posted. :)

I would add, for the men: Claude Rains and Paul Henreid.

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For the women, Agnes Moorehead (natch) and Greer Garson.

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Re: The Q & A with Steve Hayes, Tired Old Queen of the Movies 10-22 10-23

Post by Sue Sue Applegate »

Good ones, PT!

Steve, do you have any particularly nasty Oscar snubs you'd like to share with us?
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Re: The Q & A with Steve Hayes, Tired Old Queen of the Movies 10-22 10-23

Post by Mrs. Osborne »

and I'd like to know what movie composers you like....

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Re: The Q & A with Steve Hayes, Tired Old Queen of the Movies 10-22 10-23

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Oh Sue, Sue, Nasty Oscar snubs. First and foremost, Tony Perkins in 'Psycho" and Robert Walker for "Stangers On A Train". Not even a nomination!!! Many more from Hitchcock movies; Thelma Ritter in "Rear Window", Madame Leopoldine Konstantin from "Notorious", Patricia Collinge from "Shadow Of A Doubt", Tallulah Bankhead and Walter Slezak from "Lifeboat" and of course, Kim Novak in "Vertigo". Other non -Hitchcock snubs that come to mind are; Agnes Moorehead in "Dark Passage", Gene Tierney in "The Razor's Edge", Angela Lansbury in "Death On The Nile", William Powell in 'Libeled Lady", Carole Lombard in "Nothing Sacred", Margaret Hamilton in "The Wizard Of Oz"...unbelieveable that she wasn't even nominated!
Also: Frederic March in "Executive Suite", Montgomery Clift in "Red River" and Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway both should have won for "Chinatown". Also, THEY NEVER GAVE HITCHCOCK A COMPETATIIVE OSCAR. FOR SHAME!!!!! Horrendous over sight!
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Re: The Q & A with Steve Hayes, Tired Old Queen of the Movies 10-22 10-23

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Dear Mrs. O- Since I only listen to soundtracks, I'm delighted you asked which composers I like/love/listen to? Bernard Herrmann, anything and everything I can get my hands on. Besides his legendary work for Hitchcock, I love his scores at Fox and RKO in the '40's & '50's; "The Man In The Grey Flannel Suit","The Day The Earth Stood Still", "Garden Of Evil", "Prince Of Players", "The Snows Of Kilimanjaro", "King Of The Khyber Rifles" and his hauntingly lovely score for "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir". I'm also a fan of his rousing score for Nicholas Ray's "On Dangerous Ground". I'm very fond of David Raksin I could listen to "The Bad and The Beautiful" every day...wait, I do!... Of course I love "Laura", his music for "Forever Amber" is the best thing in the movie and I like his saucy score for Minnelli's "Two Weeks In Another Town". Franz Waxman's "Peyton Place, "The Paradine Case" and "Sunset Blvd" are gorgeous. Dimitri Tiomkin's "The High and The Mighty", "Friendly Persuasion" and his tender and majestic score for Howard Hawks "The Big Sky". are without a doubt masterpieces. Even his score for "The Thing" is fabulous! Elmer Bernstein's "To Kill A Mockingbird" should have won the Oscar that year, as well as his later scores for "The Carpetbaggers", "The Grifters" and "Far From Heaven". Max Steiner's "Gone With The Wind", "The Letter", Now, Voyager and "The Fountainhead" are classic as are Korngold's "Adventures Of Robin Hood", "King's Row" and "The Private Lives Of Elizabeth and Essex." Alfred Newman's "Song Of Bernadette", Johnny Green's "Raintree County", Leonard Rosenman's "East Of Eden", Alex North's "A Streetcar Named Desire", Bronislau Kaper's "Home From The Hill", and Jerome Moross's score for "The Big Country are great favorites. Jerry Goldsmith's scores for "The Boys From Brazil" and "Alien" are loves of mine. Love, love, love my film scores!
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