WHAT FILMS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

[charliechaplinfan]

It's a while since I've watched Stagecoach, it's one of my favorite of Ford's films, I hadn't noticed the similarity to Dr Caligari but I have noticed how when I watch films I've seen previously with my added viewing experience, I do see other influences in some fo the staging.

I love your avatar Moira, it's Flynn at his most handsome.

[Libertine]

I've seen two movies with one of my favorites: Daniel Auteuil. They're no classic movies, but, well, I will post them anyway.

Le placard (The Closet) - It's my favorite Auteuil movie. Well, yes, I am a person who loves comedies. And this one is so funny, though it's Gerard Depardieu who gets the most laughs.

Palace - Claude Brasseur has the leading part. Auteuil plays his brother. The movie is set during the 2nd WW. It's not bad, I liked it.

[MikeBSG]

I think Lordsburg is meant to be a pretty dark and run down place, all the better for Dallas and the Ringo Kid to ride away from.

While Ford never exactly made a canonical film noir, "The Informer" (1936) is deeply influenced by "M". I guess there is a lot of expressionism in "the Fugitive" (1947) (about a fugitive Catholic priest in revolutionary Mexico) as well, although I've never seen it.

[moira finnie]

I think Lordsburg is meant to be a pretty dark and run down place, all the better for Dallas and the Ringo Kid to ride away from.

While Ford never exactly made a canonical film noir, "The Informer" (1936) is deeply influenced by "M". I guess there is a lot of expressionism in "the Fugitive" (1947) (about a fugitive Catholic priest in revolutionary Mexico) as well, although I've never seen it.

I believe that when Ford was working at Fox in the late '20s he was deeply influenced by F.W. Murnau, who caused him to re-evaluate his approach to film. The visual grace Ford absorbed from Murnau helped the young director to hone his own already recognizable way of lighting and framing shots; showing up soon in his work in Hangman's House (1928) and Four Sons (1948) and running through all his work to some extent. I think you might find The Fugitive (1947) interesting, Mike. Mexican Gabriel Figueroa was the cinematographer who helped to give the film a magisterial, painterly quality, which is, frankly, one of the best things about the sometimes ponderous movie--despite all the talented people involved in the production. (I am very fond of La Perla (1947) and Los Olivados (1950), both photographed by Figueroa too).

[JackFavell]

Thank you, Moira for mentioning Murnau, the Germans, and expressionism in Stagecoach.

This was one of those Ford movies that I never really "got" (if you ever "get" a movie) until last year, when I suddenly had the same burst of inspiration that you did. There is some incredible lighting in Stagecoach, mainly in the cantina during the birthing, the following love scenes with Trevor and Wayne, then as Dallas goes back home across the bridge to the bad side of town. That along with the skewed perspectives during the Lordsburg gun battle, it gives the film a very, very German feel. It helped me so much to appreciate this western, though maybe in a different way.

[moira finnie]

The turn of this discussion today makes me wish we could all see the silent Upstream (1927) together. The recently restored John Ford film was full of framing devices and unexpected humor, without much of Ford's usual roughouse humor necessarily, but more gentle satire and light appreciation for the hardy souls who pursue a life on the stage. He was playing with ways to convey the actor's self-perception (and delusions of grandeur) and showed it visually. It was such fun and so unlike most of his ot her movies. If it is being shown at a school or archive near you, please go. I think many of you might like it so much.

[Fossy]

Slander (1957)

Starred Van Johnson, Ann Blyth and Steve Cochran.

H.R. Manley, (Steve Cochran) is the editor of a magazine which smears the names of people in the news. He finds that Children`s entertainer Scott Martin (Van Johnson) was convicted of a felony as a young man.

The story is published and his young son Joey is persecuted at school. Joey is run down and killed while fleeing his tormentors. H.R.`s mother shoots her son because she can no longer endure the persecution.

This was a typical Steve Cochran performance as a “suave bad guy”, and I think perhaps one of his best.

This was perhaps one of the most moving films I have seen.

The magazine is reminiscent of the now defunct Melbourne Truth, a newspaper which besmirched reputations.

[Fossy]

Around The World In 80 Days (1956)

Starring David Niven as Phileas Fogg, and Cantinflas as his valet Passepatout. Three hours of pure pleasure as Phileas travels around the world in eighty days. And as usual David Niven is about as romantic as a dead fish, even if he and Princess Aouda (Shirley MacLaine) did profess their love at the end.


The film featured cameos of who`s who in Hollywood.

[Gary J.]

I find it hard to believe that S.J. Perelman contributed to the script and I only laughed out loud once (something to do with Fogg's card playing obsession). Read Perelman's account on the making of that film - now that's 3 hours of pure pleasure!

[charliechaplinfan]

I watched September Affair today, starring Joan Fontaine and Joseph Cotten. Never in many films have I ever viewed Joseph Cotten as leading man lover type, to me he's always nice dependable guy (apart from Shadow of a Doubt, an underrated actor often, in September Affair he does play a convincing lover, he's attractive and I can understand Joan Fontaine's willingness to throw up everything and live with him. This is a good thing because the plot is a little unbelievable, they miss a plane which then crashes killing all onboard so they give up their old lives to be together (Cotten being married to the lovely Jessica Tandy) A chance to see Francoise Rosay in a supporting role, things revolve themselves in the end but not before we have been treated to two famous melodies, September Song sung here by Walter Huston, an unusual rendition, one I've not heard before but one I'd like to listen to again. The other tune that interweaves around the plot is Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto, like in Brief Encounter, Fontaine is a concert pianist which gives us an excuse for listening again and again. I'm not sure Joan Fontaine as a big range but I always like watching her.

[Rita Hayworth]

Saw Four Films in Vancouver B.C.

1) Frankenstein - Boris Karloff Classic on TCM - a legendary classic early Monday Morning.
2) They Died with their Boots On - TCM either Tuesday AM starring Errol Flynn and Olivia DeHavilland - a grand movie regarding the life of General George Armstrong Custer.

On Wednesday Night - Went to see two James Stewart's movie at a local theater they are:
3) Winchester 73 - 1950
4) Bend of the River - 1952

They are both excellent James Stewart's Westerns ... I've seen Winchester 73 before and its been over 15-20 years of the last time that I seen it; and its still remains a classic Stewart's Western. Bend of the River was the first time that I seen it and its quite compelling and this movie has great music score, good photography, and the acting was well rounded. I enjoyed it immensely.

I seen these two movies last night and they had a film discussion afterwards and its was great hearing different views on these two movies. Many moviegoers there trashed - Bend of the River because they felt it was boring and too drag on. I was quite about that - because I love Bend of the River because it was one of James Stewart's better Westerns. The film discussion lasted about an hour and despite the trashing - everyone loved Winchester 73 better because its all about the prized rifle that rightfully owned by Stewart's character - Lin McAdam.

I was surprised seeing Rock Hudson in this movie ... and I don't recall him at all ... he did an excellent job in this movie.

[charliechaplinfan]

I've spent the morning watching Lifeboat one of Hitchcock's lesser works, according to some and as such I wasn't expecting to be so taken in by the whole story. I absolutely loved it and would immediately move it up Hitchcock's cannon of films, it has some differences from some of his later works but is it all that different/ We're still dealing with a villan, who does an heroic deed, clouding judgement about him. Also he deals with reactions, the reactions of the other people in the boat to the German skipper. He layers his story so only a bit comes out at a time, characters aren't always what they seem, judgements made to rashly can end up being regretted.

There are some great scenes, when they learn the truth about the dying Gus and the water that the skipper has only for himself, it's the nurse who snaps the first, first thinking the others restrain her, it becomes obvious that they have advanced as a pack to deliver their sentence. A similar scene earlier on, again back to the camera is when Gus is operated on. Most of Hitchcock's film takes palce in the boat, with no back drop or little back drop. The scenes where they are being thrown about on the sea, somehow Hitchcock manages to convey how little the boat is and how powerful the sea is.

Hitchcock said that what he was trying to say with this film was that the Germans were united, they were all going in the same direction, the master race whereas the allies were divided albeit democracies, this is what he was trying to say with the people in the boat. The communist, the businessman who has right wing tendencies and assumes command, the navigator, the seaman, the black steward, the nurse and the journalist and none of them can agree for the good of all, in fact they give over command to Willy the German. The cast is wonderful, Tallulah, larger than life and playing to how I imagine Tallulah to have been, Walter Slezak, wonderful, slimy as Willy. John Hodiak, I've never quite found him attractive but here he's very appealing, Hume Cronyn gives a sensitive portrayal, William Bendix a brave one, Mary Anderson, in some way the most reasonable until pushed by Gus's death, Henry Hull finally gets redeemed and Canada Lee is touching.

It reminded me so much of books we used to disect at school, discussing motivation and plot points. How I wish we could have disected a film like this.

[Rita Hayworth]

charliechaplinfan,

I'm very, very impressed with your write up on Lifeboat - that Alfred Hitchcock made in his legendary career. You nailed it perfectly. Your thoughts on this movie is so wonderfully written that I was in awe of how well you put together the plot of this movie with your profound insights!

This is one of my favorite Alfred Hitchcock's movies and I for one; enjoyed every minute of it. I saw this movie when I was in College (for the 1st time) and our class spent the whole week talking about it and we never ran out of material to talk about it because its has so many meanings and this movie makes you think about life in a different perspective that you might not account for.

Allison, again ... great job on the write up ... I enjoyed it immensely :!: