WHAT FILMS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

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JackFavell
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Re: WHAT FILMS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

Post by JackFavell »

I'm so glad you loved The Maggie, Alison! This one went right into my heart, and up onto my top ten list.

What I especially liked about it was that Douglas wasn't a completely evil man, he had his problems too and one could consider him to be the protagonist. He's very sympathetic by the end. I love the way the old man just keeps plugging away at things at his own pace, it's really a lesson about how life should be lived, we could use it in our day and age. Finally Douglas is simply worn down, his big business bullishness is no match for the wheedling idleness of MacKenzie, lol. It's a truly beautiful movie, and I actually think it may be Douglas' finest performance, and that is saying a lot. He's such a favorite of mine, I think he's the quintessential 50's actor.
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movieman1957
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Re: WHAT FILMS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

Post by movieman1957 »

My weekend away was cancelled so I'm hoping to get to "The Maggie" this weekend. I've still many things going on this week. It sits on my piano as a reminder.
Chris

"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana."
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JackFavell
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Re: WHAT FILMS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

Post by JackFavell »

Awww, I'm sorry you couldn't get away for the weekend, Chris! I hope you like the movie.
RedRiver
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Re: WHAT FILMS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

Post by RedRiver »

My goodness! I really don't know SAFE IN HELL. I bet I'd like it. "Tinker, Tailor" didn't even work for me as a book. In fact, I didn't finish it! John LeCarre is not for everybody.
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charliechaplinfan
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Re: WHAT FILMS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

Post by charliechaplinfan »

I'm sorry you couldn't go away Chris but The Maggie should warm the spirit anyway.

We could all learn that lesson, we're all guilty at living life too fast at times and not enjoying every day. This was made in the 50s, the message is so pertinent today, I'm thinking this would go well with Local Hero, a film Chris keeps telling me to watch. There's so many funny moments in the film, Paul Douglas's character is never less than reasonable, from the moment he appears, he's kind with his hapless PA and goes about tracing his belongings in a cat and mouse type of way, of course it gets the captain fired up, second and third guessing. Everything he says is reasonable and he is right but away from land he just can't take charge no matter how he tries. Great reaction shot when he's bought the Maggie, I felt a myriad of emotions in that shot.

I was looking up about Paul Douglas, he died far too young in 1959 and was originally going to play Mr Sheldrake in The Apartment. A great actor and superb in The Maggie.
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
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JackFavell
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Re: WHAT FILMS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

Post by JackFavell »

I thought of Local Hero too, Alison... I guess the comparison is inevitable. Douglas really pulls this movie up higher than I think it might have been with any other actor, he's so able to convey conflicting emotions. I think you see him hit the boiling point, but then you feel so for him with his wife that you can't hate him. The captain could also be seen as an irritant, but as you say, you are firmly on their side from the beginning. I felt so sorry for the PA, he really didn't have a clue did he?
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charliechaplinfan
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Re: WHAT FILMS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

Post by charliechaplinfan »

He was the archetypal bumbling idiot wasn't he? Very English man in the city of London, even if it was in Glasgow, an upperclass twit. I'm going to have to watch Local Hero now. I love the location work on The Maggie, I hope they all had a ball making it, it looked fun.

I carried on watching some more Spencer Tracy movies today, this time it was Desk Set which I think is one of the least known of the Tracy/Hepburn movies, it's a frothy comedy, in glaring colour, I do like the glaring colours of the 50s, especially when it gains access to the day to day and in this case a research office. Hepburn runs the research office, she has a great rapport with her girls, especially Peg, a woman of the same age played by Joan Blondell, lovely to see her in a film like this, man mad and lonely but a heart of gold. Tracy is employed as a time and management engineer, he's built a computer called Emeric who replaces the girls, he's also built one for payroll, he hangs around the office doing time and management research, sticking his nose in, especially in Kate's romance with Mike/Gig Young, a man who's kept her dangling for 7 years. Some funny moments, Spence naming Santa's reindeer, Joan and Kate getting drunk on champagne and Gig Young bursting in on a robe clad Spence in Kate's apartment. I liked this far better than Pat and Mike.
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
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JackFavell
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Re: WHAT FILMS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

Post by JackFavell »

I think Desk Set is my absolute favorite, not the best, certainly, but it has the charm of being ultra modern for the time and so antiquated now. Blondell is a love in this as always. Also really REALLY like Neva Patterson as Emerac's babysitter.
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charliechaplinfan
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Re: WHAT FILMS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

Post by charliechaplinfan »

Yes, Neva Patterson reminds me so much of Lillith from Frazier, she's great. I don't think Desk Set was a big hit at the time but it plays well, it's message is still as relevant. I loved the scene on the roof with the sandwiches when he was asking Kate test questions, fantastic bit of work between two greats.
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
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Re: WHAT FILMS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

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ImageImage
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JackFavell
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Re: WHAT FILMS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

Post by JackFavell »

You and me, T!!!
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CineMaven
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Re: WHAT FILMS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

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Ha!!! That's why I did it. :D
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movieman1957
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Re: WHAT FILMS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

Post by movieman1957 »

Just finished watching James Garner and Eva Marie Saint with Rod Taylor in "36 Hours." The story is a bit over the top as Garner is American Major captured just before the D-Day invasion. He is taken to a "U.S. Army" hospital that has been set up by the Germans as a front for finding information out from "guests." Elaborate detail and some deceit is used to find out details about the invasion. But who is the one putting one over on the other.

Once you buy into the premise of it the drama moves on pretty well. Mostly it is mind games to better the other as they try and figure out who is telling the truth and what it all means. Later in the film it loses a little steam but it was worth watching for me. No action to speak of here as this more a drama than anything.

Another film I had never heard of but stumbled on. Good performances all around. Taylor plays Nazi doctor who is not all business. Saint plays Jewish woman recruited for the "game" in exchange for getting out of a concentration camp. Short appearance from John Banner from "Hogan's Heroes" near the end brings a little levity to the proceedings.
Chris

"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana."
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Re: WHAT FILMS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

Post by MikeBSG »

Tonight I watched "Tall in the Saddle" (1944).

I had never seen this John Wayne movie before, and I loved it. The movie zips along like greased lightning; the chemistry between Wayne and Gabby Hayes is first rate; there are plenty of villains, and the movie is surprisingly stylish. (I'd almost say that there is a noir atmosphere to some scenes.) Ella Raines is the tomboyish heroine who falls for Wayne, and I have to say I was more taken with here here than in the films she is more famous for. Her firelit scene with Wayne in a cabin was pretty hot stuff.

In short, this was a real delight.
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JackFavell
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Re: WHAT FILMS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

Post by JackFavell »

Ooh Tall in the Saddle is great! How nice to be able to watch it for the first time!


36 Hours sounds pretty good Chris! I love James Garner, I wish he had come up earlier in the classic era so we would have had twice as many movies with him in them. Sometimes it seems like they didn't quite know what to do with him, he's all over the map with his films, action adventure, war, mind game type movies, comedies.... he's good in everything.
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