WHAT FILMS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

[RedRiver]

Sometimes what DOESN'T happen is the saddest part of a story. There's a sense of emptiness.

[JackFavell]

Well, you said it better than I did in one sentence!

I think they spent so long living rather separate lives during the day that they simply couldn't connect with one another once they spent time together. Fran wanted excitement and Sam thought that every day was exciting. It was probably fine when he came home at night, it gave her something to look forward to... but now he's here every day! WHAT NOW? He becomes provincial in her eyes, and she becomes shallow in his.

[RedRiver]

During the intermission, the manager of the theater went to everyone in the audience and begged them to stay and see "Dodsworth."

Wow! That's a movie theater, Mike BSG. If only there were more venues, more managers, like that one. Many is the time I've considered volunteering to do this. They don't have to pay me. Just let me encourage people to enjoy the movie!

[feaito]

I love the whole movie, all the characters, but in the last few years, I've come to understand Fran just a bit better than I did before. I used to despise her. Now I really feel some empathy for her. I do think that her feelings had been building up for a long time, while she waited for Dodsworth to retire so she could have her chance at the limelight. Her expectation was that now it would be her turn to have fun, to have an adoring husband who wanted to revel in the fancy living she wanted for a change, rather than following his fairly spartan regimen anymore. Marching to his drum all those years might have been difficult, despite the perks of being a businessman's wife. I think that she was a dutiful if not warm mother and wife, and she felt that maybe it was her turn to have her own fun after years of putting it off as many wives and mothers do, Sam had the place of importance all these years. I'[m not saying that she's right, or that I have marriage problems, just that I can see something in her that I can relate to. Unfortunately, she and Sam were already heading for something different the moment they left for vacation. Sam was lost without work, and really couldn''t understand the vapidity of that social swirl Fran was so besotted with. He needed something to take his time. Something meaningful.

All couples I think go through times like these, where their wants are at odds.... at least I think so. But hopefully, we are able to compromise and work it out with understanding and love. It's not always easy and sometimes we find we don't know our spouses at all. If there's enough caring, we can get to know them all over again. If not, we drift apart further. I think the brilliance of Dodsworth is showing a dysfunctional relationship between two unsuited people who never really knew one another. It doesn't any punches.

Maybe we need Dodsworth's prequel to empathize more with Fran and understand her motives

[MikeBSG]

Today I watched "The Young Lions" (1958) directed by Edward Dmytryk.

I really liked this one. I knew it was a long movie, but I was surprised to see it was nearly three hours, because it really held my interest throughout. I really liked Brando's performance here, but I have to say that all the performances were terrific. (I guess I did take a while to warm up to Clift, but if he started slow with me, I really came around later on.) I guess this was Dean Martin's first serious role. I also liked Hope Lange out of the supporting cast as the woman who falls for Clift. (I thought the scene in which Lange's father takes Clift for a walk around his New England town was marvelously done, worthy of Capra.)

The film did a marvelous job of juggling the various parts of this WWII story, shifting between continents and major characters who would not meet until the last five minutes of the film. There was one clunky, subtle as a thumb, title card to set a scene, but I think the film could have done without that and the audience would not have been lost.

[RedRiver]

To think, with one typo it becomes...THE YOUNG LOINS!

[charliechaplinfan]

it's interesting, I came to Young Lions a massive Brando fan, I left it an even bigger Clift fan, I loved his performance, Brando's is good too. It's been too long since I saw this movie, what also struck me is Dean Martin wasn't at all lost sandwiched between those two guys, he was really good too.

[charliechaplinfan]

I watched Inferno yesterday with Robert Ryan and Rhonda Fleming, Ryan looked quite grizzled, even before he began his adventure in the desert and I had the feeling if anyone could survive this he could. How cold was Rhonda? I expected her to do the dirty on her new guy as well, a good example of a movie that fits into 90 minutes perfectly and doesn't have a lag in the storyline.

[RedRiver]

I fell for this psychological punch in the gut when I was about ten years old. Watched it on a black and white TV. Never saw it in color until many years later. This film is exciting, suspenseful, character driven. That Rhonda! What a b...never mind! My favorite character is the rattlesnake! Go away, for God's sake! Stop terrorizing this man. Dependable Robert Ryan is good as always. His committed acting brings believability to the story, as it always does.

This is an example of a movie that makes no pretense at greatness; not like the truly splendid crime dramas do. It's not OUT OF THE PAST; not WHITE HEAT. But it's just so much fun! You root for the hero; despise the villains. And the snake! You can't take your eyes off the story, all the while recognizing that "lack of greatness." There are a lot of classic era movies like this. Sometimes they're more fun than the big winners!

[CineMaven]

Wendy - I really enjoyed your post on "DODSWORTH."

Relationships aren't easy, but if both parties want it, it's worth fighting for.

[RedRiver]

Unless one of them is Rhonda Fleming!

[Rita Hayworth]

it's interesting, I came to Young Lions a massive Brando fan, I left it an even bigger Clift fan, I loved his performance, Brando's is good too. It's been too long since I saw this movie, what also struck me is Dean Martin wasn't at all lost sandwiched between those two guys, he was really good too.

Allison ... Dean Martin was extremely good in this movie and I was surprised to see him a Brando film too. I do like this movie and believe me ... I would love to see it someday soon.

[Vecchiolarry]

Hi,

Rhonda Fleming in real life is a very charitable lady and on the Boards of several institutions dealing with medical and life relief causes.

The lady must now be in her late 80's but I'm told still is "a looker".....
I would award her a Hersholt Humanitarian Award, if I had my way.

Larry

[Uncle Stevie]

TCM just played Take Me Out To The Ballgame followed by Anchors Away both films paired Gene Kelly with Frank Sinatra. While Esther Williams was in the ballgame movie and Gene Kelly was in both movies Kathryn Grayson was in Anchors Away. Frank Sinatra and Kathryn Grayson were also paired in It Happened In Brooklyn which played the other night. all films entertained me well.