I Just Watched...

[Allhallowsday]

TILL (2022) I finally got to see all of it. Tears ran down my face. The script was superior, particularly dramatizing the candy store incident. They made it what it must have been. An expected charmer flattering a pretty lady, quite innocently. That story alone has been practically turned into smut by history and word of mouth. Powerful performances.

[Allhallowsday]

...THE THREE MUSKETEERS (1973)...
... Huge favourite of mine. It has always seemed to me that the cast was having a real blast performing in it.

And then they sued the Producer, having been paid for one movie, not two... and changed the rules.

[BagelOnAPlate]

...THE THREE MUSKETEERS (1973)...
... Huge favourite of mine. It has always seemed to me that the cast was having a real blast performing in it.

And then they sued the Producer, having been paid for one movie, not two... and changed the rules.

Yes, and this led to the Screen Actors Guild including what came to be known as a "Salkind clause" in actors' contracts.
Named after Alexander, Ilya, and Michael Salkin (the producers of The Three Musketeers and The Four Musketeers), the clause requires producers to state how many movies are being produced during a shoot and requires that actors be paid for each movie even if the decision to release multiple movies is made after the shoot is completed.

[Cinemaspeak59]

Dames (1934) Oh, those WB depression-era musicals. Hugh Herbert plays Ezra Ounce, a prude, super rich, who uses his wealth to create a movement called The Elevation of American Morals. Since he’s in New York City, heavy lifting is required. Standing in the way are Joan Blondell, Dick Powell, and Ruby Keeler, who plan a Broadway show, the kind of thing Mr. Ounce hates. A lot of fun, and very funny.

[jamesjazzguitar]

Dames (1934) Oh, those WB depression-era musicals. Hugh Herbert plays Ezra Ounce, a prude, super rich, who uses his wealth to create a movement called The Elevation of American Morals. Since he’s in New York City, heavy lifting is required. Standing in the way are Joan Blondell, Dick Powell, and Ruby Keeler, who plan a Broadway show, the kind of thing Mr. Ounce hates. A lot of fun, and very funny.

Dames was the last of 3 films featuring Blondell, Powell and Keeler, with Gold Diggers of 1933, followed by Footlight Parade. All 3 films were released within 15 months. All 3 films are highly entertaining.

PS: Dames doesn't have a high-profile male lead unlike the other two; Gold Diggers of 1933 with Waren William, and Footlight Parade with James Cagney.

[Bronxgirl48]

The Safecracker(1958) is one worth watching. Is it a great film? Nope. A pretty good one. Yep.

The structure of the movie is a bit different. It's basically two very different and separate stories linked by a single character.

The first story is about a safecracker(surprise surprise). It's a pretty typical plot, nothing exceptional. I won't describe the second story because it would take away from the novelty of the whole thing if you have not heard of or seen it before. Suffice it to say that it's the better of the two plots in my opinion.

Ray Milland is the safecracker and link driving the movie. Thought he was really good, save for one small scene where he couldn't quite pull off a certain attitude called for. It's a minor fault.

Jeanette Sterke plays what I would call a humble heroine in the second story. She comes across as a warm yet weary woman. Well done.

The rest of the male cast members were all known British character actors from what I can determine. Need to mention two of them in particular.

Barry Jones appears in the first story as a man willing to break the law, but not suffer the consequences.
He also played the part of Mr. Lundie in the movie Brigadoon, one of my all time favourite movie characters.

Bernard Fox as one of Milland's compatriots in the second story. It's not a big role, but he does a decent job with it. I mention Fox in particular because he featured in a couple of 60's tv comedies in America when I was a child. I really didn't enjoy those characters, actually found them irritating. Too silly, even for a little boy.
Even so, I just found out he was in Titanic (1997). Having never seen that film, I hope it was a good role for him.

To wrap things up here, I should mention The Safecracker has some unexpected light humour at times, and it's well placed.

"Calling Dr. Bombay, come right away!" (I'm still a Bewitched fan, lol)

Seriously though, I also love Barry Jones as Mr. Lundie in BRIGADOON -- he represents and beautifully articulates the heart of its timeless story.

[Detective Jim McLeod]

Paper Lion (1968) TCM- 6/10

Writer George Plimpton (Alan Alda) wants to write about football by trying out as quarterback in the Detroit Lions training camp.

I had seen this before, but not in many years. It was a fairly entertaining film though it helps if you are a football fan (which I am, Go Giants!) Alda gives a good performance and his interactions with the real life players are some of the best moments. The final scene where Plimpton gets to run a few plays in a pre season game goes on a bit long but when Plimpton joins in, it is amusing and pretty realistic.

Some interesting trivia on this- In an interview many years later, Alda said he learned to throw the ball 50 yards and connect with a receiver, however he could only do it once and would spend all night with his arm being iced. Alda become friends with Alex Karras, one of the real life Detroit Lions in the film. Karras would later reunite with Alda with a guest role on M*A*S*H.
As for the real life Plimpton, he would later do a TV special where he played quarterback for the Baltimore Colts in a pre season game for a couple of plays. The opponent was the Detroit Lions and Alex Karras was playing defense. In one play Karras smacked Plimpton on the side of his helmet. He was penalized 15 yards so Plimpton was actually able to gain yardage for the only time.
EDIT- I just watched that Plimpton special on Youtube again and my memory was off (52 years since I have seen it!) it was another player who committed the foul, not Karras.

[Allhallowsday]

SINCE YOU WENT AWAY (1944) I love this movie and have seen it numerous times. Nonetheless, it's sexist, predictable with lots of tropes and corny, corny, corny. HATTIE McDANIEL as wise but unschooled Fidelia is the most entertaining, pegged in her part as always.

[Allhallowsday]

THE ANGEL WORE RED (1960) Interesting, but not great, I love both AVA GARDENER and DIRK BOGARDE, I had to watch. I was surprised to see VITTORIO DE SICA who I hadn't realized acted as well; He seems all wrong for the part. Implausible and with spotty acting, I think if I get the chance to look at this again, I will.

[TikiSoo]

SINCE YOU WENT AWAY (1944) I love this movie and have seen it numerous times. Nonetheless, it's sexist, predictable with lots of tropes and corny, corny, corny.

Sure it's corny, but I like it a lot too. I thought it was a great transition part for Shirley Temple. I bet for many fans of the day, seeing the little moppet becoming a teen was pretty fun and think she transitioned well through her career.

Don't know why it stuck in my brain, but I often use "Wetukit" in conversation and no one knows what I'm talking about.

[Allhallowsday]

...Sure it's corny, but I like it a lot too. I thought it was a great transition part for Shirley Temple. I bet for many fans of the day, seeing the little moppet becoming a teen was pretty fun and think she transitioned well through her career.

Don't know why it stuck in my brain, but I often use "Wetukit" in conversation and no one knows what I'm talking about.

SHIRLEY is a top reason I love this movie.

[Cinemaspeak59]

Fools for Scandal (1938) Carole Lombard’s character is a little closer to her Lily Garland in Twentieth Century. Carole plays an actress fending off the amorous pursuits of two men (Fernand Gravet and Ralph Bellamy). The script drops enough hints she may not be in love with either of them, but for a romantic comedy, that won’t do. Some jokes fall flat, but there are enough good scenes to recommend it.

[jamesjazzguitar]

Fools for Scandal (1938) Carole Lombard’s character is a little closer to her Lily Garland in Twentieth Century. Carole plays an actress fending off the amorous pursuits of two men (Fernand Gravet and Ralph Bellamy). The script drops enough hints she may not be in love with either of them, but for a romantic comedy, that won’t do. Some jokes fall flat, but there are enough good scenes to recommend it.

Fools for Scandal was the first film Lombard did after her contract with Paramount expired. Warner Bros is the production company. I think WB was trying to recreate some of the magic of the Paramount Lombard screwball comedies, but this film falls flat and was the last of its kind for Lombard.

Lombard next 4 films after Fools for Scandal were dramas, ending her career (tragically), with two odd comedies (odd being one is directed by Hitchcock and the other is a set in Poland wartime comedies that centers around Nazis)