Jack, your heart is perfect for Colin Firth, last week I caught the end of Bridget Jones Diary, why did Bridget have a dilemma about Mark Darcy. I'd never take a man who looks like he blow dries his hair over Colin Firth, even if it is Hugh Grant
On a more serious note, I saw Wages of Fear last night, it has been mentioned on the 100 films closer to death thread and I thought it was time to give it an airing. I was hampered by the subtitles which almost merged into the picture, making it frustrating, I missed some of what was being said because it was just impossible to make the words out, so the first part of the film dragged a little but once they started transporting the nitrate my hubby switched off his computer and started watching it too. I don't want to say too much because part of it's power is the suspense it creates, I guessed somewhere along the way one of the drivers was going to get it. There are memorable scenes particularly driving through the oil, some a little gruesome but it was sit on the edge of your seat type of film. I think the ending was perfect for the film but I almost wish it didn't end in that way.
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
Yesterday my father-in-law came to visit and I had promised him to show him a Classic film in the Projection Room of our builiding. I knew I had to choose a vintage musical, because he loves Jazz, Swing, Big Bands, Tap Dancing et al. His wife and my wife's half-sister joined us too -she's 23 years old- so I tried to choose something that would amuse everyone. I chose "Ziegfeld Girl" (1941) and I played it with the introduction included on the DVD. It was an excellent choice! Everyone had a great time, and the 132 minutes running time did not bother anyone. My father-in-law was in awe of the film, the stars, the studio production values (He loves Metro), the musical numbers, the plot, everything. They were mesmerized by the beauty of the girls, especially Hedy Lamarr who never looked more dreamlike than in this film. Lana and Judy looked also very beautiful and so did the rest of the chorus girls, especially the girl to whom Tony Martin sings at the beginning of "The You Stepped Out of a Dream " sequence; Is she Anya Taranda, aka Mrs. Harold Arlen? She was a doll, the only real rival to Lamarr's beauty. It is such a different experience to see this film on a big screen! My father-in-law (who's 82) was amazed at the many familiar faces in the cast: Jackie Cooper, E. E. Horton, Charles Winninger, Al Shean, Dan Dailey, Eve Arden, Tony Martin, Philip Dorn, Ian Hunter, Paul Kelly et al.I noticed he whistled both Minnie from Trinidad and You Stepped Out of Dream . He was also very pleased to see Jimmy Stewart in an early role. In all, a most exciting and pleasant experience. In terms of dramatic acting the plum role went to Turner; Stewart and Garland also had fine moments and sadly Lamarr's role was quite poorly developed and showcased; she fared much, much better under Vidor's direction in that same year's "H.M. Pulham Esq.".
Afterwards, for the sake of my dad-in-law I played some excerpts of musical numbers from "You Were Never Lovelier" (1942), featuring Rita, Fred, Xavier Cugat, Lina Romay et al: Chiu Chiu (the only original Chilean song ever to be featured in a big Hollywood Musical), Dearly Beloved, I'm Old Fashioned, You Were Never Lovelier, etc.) May I say that both Rita and Lina Romay look alluring in the film. Miss Romay displays such energy in her rendition and dancing of the beloved Chiu Chiu! And she looks beautiful in the sexy gown she wears.
.
While I'm on this computer, I have The Ziegfeld Follies on the TV for background music/noise. It's the one in color which is really just a showcase for all those stars to show off their singing, and dancing abilities.
.
Anne
***********************************************************************
* * * * * * * * What is past is prologue. * * * * * * * *
]***********************************************************************
.
Yesterday I watched A Catered Affair and I have a few questions about this one. First Debbie Reynolds is Bette Davis and Ernest Borgnine's daughter and is engaged to Rod Taylor. They have an opportunity to get married, and drive with a friend to California to switch cars or some such thing. So that's the plan. But Mom never had a wedding so she wants to give a big deal for her daughter, using the money pops has saved to buy a taxi to use for his own business in partnership with a pal. If you've never seen it, you really should because it is a great showcase for Bette. She has a crying scene that is the best I've ever seen on screen, it almost makes me cry along with her. The sobs and gulps are so real it's touching.
But, these are my questions. Again, Mom and Dad, Debbie, younger brother (about 19), and Uncle Jack all live in this apartment, barely bigger than my 1 bedroom. I ask again, do those New York apartments really exist? or have they ever? The kitchen is barely big enough for the stove, refrig, and sink, with a table for two shoved up against the wall, and it's pushing and shoving to walk behind anyone. The living room is okay but the bedroom! Just large enough to fit the double bed. My bedroom holds a queen sized bed, two dressers, an easy chair, and an entertainment unit holding my TV and recorders. These apartment from NY just slay me, are they real?
Now, as cramped as that apartment is, I can't imagine that the rent is high, so you have pop working as a taxi driver, daughter who couldn't go to college because she had to work to help out, and Uncle Jack who pays part of the rent too? The whole movie is about how broke Mom and Dad are, but how broke can they be when at least half the rent is paid by Unc and Janey?
Now, when it's just going to be a wedding breakfast for immediate family, there is a question about Uncle Jack attending. The man lives with them!!! I can't see any family saying you stay home alone while we go off to watch the daughter of the house get married. The discussion was, if we invite Uncle Jack, we have to ask Aunt Tillie, and bla, bla, bla, etc. So duh, if nobody is invited and nobody knows the exact time and day, what's the big deal about Unc attending? This is not the first time I've had these questions.
Finally, Bette decides they will give the kids a check for $500.00, but when Rod's parents come over for dinner, she ups it to $1,000.00 because Rod's Papa's talking about paying their rent for the first year. Now, Rod's apartment and his parents apartment are both similar to Debbie's parents (we get to see them), so most likely they will get something like it, in fact Papa specifies a nice little one bedroom, etc. , etc. My first (very roomy) married apartment was $50.00 a month. So by my way of thinking, Mom's original $500.00 check will pretty much pay for the first month with some left over because I can't imagine anything costing more than maybe $35.00 a month. This is part of my fun in watching classic movies, is getting down to basics like money and food, and common expenditures. i.e. Mom's first instinct of $500.00 probably made Rod's Papa think he had to top it.
Believe it or not, I love The Catered Affair. I come up with these logical questions all the time when in movies, people grumble about how broke they are. I can't help it when solutions are so obvious.
.
Anne
***********************************************************************
* * * * * * * * What is past is prologue. * * * * * * * *
]***********************************************************************
mrsl wrote:.
While I'm on this computer, I have The Ziegfeld Follies on the TV for background music/noise. It's the one in color which is really just a showcase for all those stars to show off their singing, and dancing abilities.
.
I'd like to have that one on DVD too...Appealing spectacle.
Fernando, I do envy you your audience, hubby rarely sees what I see but can appreciate a lot of the talent even if it isn't to his taste, I'd say he was the most tolerant of the adults in our respective families. Last night was unusual in that he put down his computer and started watching the film. When I watch movies I'm usually ironing or curled up on the sofa with a cat or two, very cultured my cats .
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
I think Judy looks so beautiful in Ziegfeld Girl, even with Lana and Hedy.
My dog is usually with me to watch my movies. He sleeps a lot, though.
Mrsl - I think New York rents are astronomical compared to almost anywhere in the country except for maybe L.A. but at that time I really don't know what they were.
But, these are my questions. Again, Mom and Dad, Debbie, younger brother (about 19), and Uncle Jack all live in this apartment, barely bigger than my 1 bedroom. I ask again, do those New York apartments really exist? or have they ever? The kitchen is barely big enough for the stove, refrig, and sink, with a table for two shoved up against the wall, and it's pushing and shoving to walk behind anyone. The living room is okay but the bedroom! Just large enough to fit the double bed. My bedroom holds a queen sized bed, two dressers, an easy chair, and an entertainment unit holding my TV and recorders. These apartment from NY just slay me, are they real?
They sure are -- there are thousands of apartment buildings in New York, tenement-style and otherwise, that were designed to get the highest apartment count out of the least amount of space. The rooms are small, some have no closets so that an extra room can be squeezed in, etc. One of the things I remember from my youth, when we all lived in these modest accomodations, was that some of my friends' apartments had so much inappropriately large furniture crammed in. Scaled down furniture, of the kind available in NYC now for small apartments, simply wasn't available. You were proud to be able to afford the grand mahogany six-piece bedroom suite, and by golly, you were going to jam it into your 6X11 bedroom and use it. Having to sidle in and out of rooms full of furniture was a normal everyday occurrence, and we didn't think it was funny (but we do now). And rents were not so astronomical as they are now, and many more apartments then were rent-controlled, meaning the rent could not be increased without permission from the City.
You always come through when I have questions about NY. So actually, what you said about the rents not being so high in those days, probably is in accord with my question about the parents moaning about how broke they were with both Janey and Unc Jack helping with the rent?
Anne
***********************************************************************
* * * * * * * * What is past is prologue. * * * * * * * *
]***********************************************************************
Since that was before my time, I can only assume or use other movies as my base for configuration. If you ever saw Tender Comrade, Ginger Rogers added up what the four girls all paid in rent for their 4 apartments, and it came to $87.50. Now with that, they rented a whole house! So I can't see how that apartment could rent for more than maybe $55.00. If they collected only $10.00 from each, they would only have to pay $35.00 a month, leaving them to hold less than $10.00 per week. I'm pretty sure that $37.50 to $40.00 a week was an average paycheck, so I'm just saying they couldn't have been hurting that much, and if he made even just $1.00 a day in tips,they had it made. Is there anybody out there who remembers what rents and salaries were just after WWII to about 1956?
Something else I thought of regarding The Catered Affair is the way Bette Davis seemed to have no vanity about herself, i.e. except for Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, I doubt that she ever looked worse in a movie, including Pocketful of Miracles.
Anne
***********************************************************************
* * * * * * * * What is past is prologue. * * * * * * * *
]***********************************************************************
I finally saw the remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still and, as I predicted from reviews here, it was only worth watching to stare at Keanu. He strode around impeccably shaved in a perfectly fitted suit (of course the interrogator he took it from was a 42 long) and monotoned 3 word sentences beautifully.
HA! He is a cutie... he is best when the movie makers poke a little fun at him, casting him as none too bright with a good heart. Even in his biggest hit, The Matrix, he is kind of dim. Parenthood is very good, and in The Lake House he wears a turtleneck sweater very well. He's aging nicely. I always like an actor who knows his limitations, and can pick good roles for himself thusly. And there is something to be said for being good natured. He never seems too troubled by anything. It's kind of refreshing with all the troubled stars out there that Keanu seems to be having a pretty relaxed time. Dude!
My 11 year-old had a school assignment on the 50s and asked me to help him find a signature Sci-Fi film to digest and write about. We looked at a spiffy little documentary I happened to snag on TCM called Watch the Skies, in which Lucas, Spielberg, Cameron and a few others discuss the period and genre in depth. It was a nice little piece of symmetry that the three directors were about my son Henry's age when they saw these films on their first run. I got a line on a copy of the 1958 Space Children, but at the last minute Henry decided to go with The Day the Earth Stood Still. He loved the boy's line, something like, "Gee Mister, I like you. You're a real screwball." When we inquired about the film at Blockbuster for our "movie night" [i.e. every Saturday], the three clerks behind the counter reflexively, simultaneously, and spiritedly denounced the remake at the mere mention of it. No kidding. Yikes.
My Reaves story was seeing him in Little Buddha at a repertory movie-house in my old neighborhood. It's one of the few tracts of property here in Cincinnati that has the walkabout quality of parts of old New York, Chicago, etc. I (a card-carrying Buddhist), went with an older lady Buddhist on a warm spring night. We set aside time after the show to sort of process the experience over many cigarettes and much coffee. Yum. His performance rang true for us as Gautama, completely immune to the 'DeLaurenticity' of the production. [For my money, his Buddha kick's H.B. Warner's Jesus' ass! Just kidding, no banhammer please]. IMHO, his earnestness in the playing of that role accrued him a great deal of good fortune in his career.
.
He's aging nicely. I always like an actor who knows his limitations, and can pick good roles for himself thusly. And there is something to be said for being good natured. He never seems too troubled by anything. It's kind of refreshing with all the troubled stars out there that Keanu seems to be having a pretty relaxed time. Dude!