Great Directors Theme of the Month on TCM in May

[charliechaplinfan]

I caught Red Beard recently, I thought it a pretty amazing film.

[MissGoddess]

6/12
Nightfall (1957)
The Fearmakers (1958)

Anyone else want to discuss these, or talk about their own choices?

I'm hoping to record The Fearmakers, I've never seen that one. I have recorded Human Desire
and Hangmen Also Die. The latter I just caught a few glimpses of as I got ready for work. It
looks VERY what I think of as "Fritz Langian", ha! I was surprised by its length for a film of
this period.

Somehow I can't imagine Brian Donlevy in a Lang film.

[ChiO]

Alison asked:

Does anyone know of a good book that covers directors from cinema's inception to the 1960's?

The reference book that I keep handy is The St. James Film Directors Encyclopedia (Andrew Sarris, ed.) (Visible Ink Press, 1998). It covers about 200 directors, from Louis Lumiere and Georges Melies to Quentin Tarantino and Tim Burton (or, Chantal Akerman to Fred Zinnemann if one is alphabetically inclined). Obviously, it will not have some that you may be interested in, but it's handy for most of the major directors. There is a one-and-a-half to two page essay on each director (various authors, but usually each author is sympathetic to his or her subject) generally discussing recurring themes and his or her importance in film, some standard personal data (e.g., nationality, birth, death, education), a filmography of films directed, and a filmography of films involved in other than as director. If, however, you're looking for a book that covers the chronological history of film with a focus on directors, this isn't the book.

[Dewey1960]

Mr. Ark mentioned:
6/12
Nightfall (1957)
The Fearmakers (1958)

Well, Thursdsay, June 12 certainly is a red-letter day for me, as it spotlights eight films from my second favorite director, Jacques Tourneur. NIGHTFALL, from a novel by noir specialist David Goodis, is a smoothly stylish noir mystery starring Aldo Ray, Anne Bancroft and Brian Keith. With silky cinematography by the great Burnett Guffey, this picture shimmers along quite luminously. It's a fairly convoluted story about stolen money and mistaken identities, but as with many terrific noir films, getting there is half the fun. THE FEARMAKERS is quite unusual, a cold-war noir that involves brainwashing and subversive criminal behavior in our nation's capital. Dana Andrews stars and it's a wholly engrossing film; highly recommended. BERLIN EXPRESS is a much better than average RKO post-war espionage story with strong performances from Merle Oberon and Robert Ryan. Excellent location photography doesn't hurt, either. Not much left to say about OUT OF THE PAST that hasn't been uttered already (especially by me!) CURSE OF THE DEMON is a remarkably unsettling modern day horror film (Dana Andrews again) which only seems to get better with each successive viewing. The day winds up with Tourneur's trio of horror/mysteries he did for producer Val Lewton. THE LEOPARD MAN (from a novel by Cornell Woolrich) is my personal favorite of the three, but I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE and CAT PEOPLE are both pretty darn great, too. All in all, eight fine choices by TCM and an apt tribute to one of Hollywood's premiere visual stylists!

[Mr. Arkadin]

I will pencil in Berlin Express. Thanks for the info Mr. D.

[ziggy 6708]

thanks for the heads-up, will set recorder

[ChiO]

The 12th is going to be my favorite day of the month because it features my 3rd favorite director, Jacques Tourneur. But since no thread is complete without requisite whining, I do wish that instead of some of the readily available Lewton movies, a couple of his Westerns could have been shown: CANYON PASSAGE, WICHITA, STRANGER ON HORSEBACK, GREAT DAY IN THE MORNING or -- the never-can-be-seen-too-many-times -- STARS IN MY CROWN.

I'm hoping to record TIMBUKTU, the one film of his being shown that I've never seen. Is that disappointment in the making?

[charliechaplinfan]

That book sounds just what I'm after, thanks Chio

[MissGoddess]

I just looked at about two minutes of The Fearmakers, which I HOPE is being recorded at home but I
never can be sure with my equipment----it has a mind of its own. From what I saw, though, it reminds
me a little bit of The Manchurian Candidate. I sure hope I get this recorded.

[moira finnie]

I recorded The Fearmakers and Berlin Express. I haven't seen The Fearmakers before, but I'm eager to see Dana Andrews in this Jacques Tourneur movie. Btw, if anyone hasn't seen Curse of the Demon scheduled for later today on TCM, you might be pleasantly surprised at the imaginative way that the director used Andrews sometimes fragile "straight arrow" mien and made a movie with intelligent flair on a budget. It's always a plus to see Peggy Cummins (even if only one role in her career in Gun Crazy matched her talent). Niall MacGinnis suggests far more depth of character than his role presents. Overall, I don't think that movie was scary, but had a sort of lingering creepiness. It's funny, but I can only watch Dana Andrews in movies up until around 1967, when apparently only stuff like Hot Rods to Hell was being offered him, (watching that one makes me sad for him, Jeanne Crain and John Brahm)!


I haven't seen Berlin Express (1947) in many years, though I have a real weakness for any of the movies made in post-war Germany. The fact that it has a decent role for Robert Ryan and features many good character actors is appealing too. Anyone else recording these?

At the rate I'm going this month between Bergman, Kurosawa and Tourneur, among many others, I will have to figure out a way to watch one of each of the director's movies practically every night from now until Christmas.

For some reason, I never have time or the inclination to watch during the day. Could be chasing a buck and real life just seem more important in the daylight!

[MissGoddess]

I saw Berlin Express a couple of years ago and was disappointed in it. I think I need to give
it another chance because I don't know why it didn't excite me or why I found it rather
a bore and Ryan not given nearly enough to do. In fact, I think he disappears for a good
chunk of time toward the end. I didn't care much for Curse of the Demon, either, but then
I can't handle movies about satanism. However, The Fearmakers does look
the most promising, I hope to watch it tonight.

[Ollie]

I've enjoyed all of these and just had a chance to enjoy FEARMAKERS. The recorders worked well so if there any failures out there, it's covered.

[MissGoddess]

I've enjoyed all of these and just had a chance to enjoy FEARMAKERS. The recorders worked well so if there any failures out there, it's covered.

Whew!! Thank you, Ollie, that is a relief to know. My TV/DVD-Recorder system has been really weird
lately so I can never be sure I'll get a recording.

[moira finnie]

I know what you mean about movies with satanism as a theme, Miss G.

To me, they can often be quite disturbing, and most of that sort, starting with Rosemary's Baby on through The Exorcist and more recent times are completely unwatchable for me. I worry that today's movies treat it like any other story element, without considering any of the ramifications of the effect this could have on younger people who don't understand the nature of evil or have any spiritual context to understand these stories historically. I realize that this is different for many people, but that's just how I feel.

I guess if I saw Curse of the Demon as a child or teen, I would have been terrified. Having only encountered it a year ago or so, it doesn't seem to have affected me much, but I liked certain aspects of the storytelling such as the arrival of a sudden wind and the use of silence, darkness and light. I was also more concerned about Dana's character who seemed to be drinking in every scene than I was the ideas that Niall MacGinnis was spouting.

Sorry to take this thread off-topic, but I think you make an excellent point.

[MissGoddess]

Hi Moira!

I'm too big of a "baby" myself EVER to sit thru Rosemary's Baby again---that has to be one of the most
terrifying movies ever. And I know people that live there in that building!! Freaky!!

Interesting observation about Dana's drinking in Curse...wow, I hadn't noticed that but totally coincidentally
I noticed in my brief look at The Fearmakers today that Dana lit no less than five cigarettes in about six minutes
of screentime. He had Bette Davis beat by a mile, poor guy! But what a fabulous face for the movies he has;
I just love watching his expressions cascade across his mug.

This sounds really strange but the way he uses facical expressions reminds me alot of Gable. Bogart, too---just a
flicker of an eyebrow or lowering of the eyelids or furrowing of the brow and right away you just knew what they
were "thinking", lol. I love that.