John Ford

[MissGoddess]

If you have the money, one of the original "galley proofs" of Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath
is coming up for auction, along with numerous other personal effects from the writer's
Manhattan apartment. Included in the offerings are some unpublished works that
Steinbeck was developing for movie adaptations. I found that particularly interesting,
that a novelist would be so geared to thinking in terms of what was produceable for
the screen.

You can read the press release about the auction here:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/art ... wD9GCG40O0

[JackFavell]

The idea of actually curling up in Steinbeck's leather chair, poring over the contents of his memento box, while the globe spins nearby, makes me drool. I feel like I can actually see the man in his home environs. The other thing that most made me drool in that article was the idea of Henry Fonda playing Don Quixote. Wow. What that could have been.

[MissGoddess]

The idea of actually curling up in Steinbeck's leather chair, poring over the contents of his memento box, while the globe spins nearby, makes me drool. I feel like I can actually see the man in his home environs. The other thing that most made me drool in that article was the idea of Henry Fonda playing Don Quixote. Wow. What that could have been.

I wish the whole place, or one of the rooms that had most of his stuff, could be bought and displayed, lock, stock and barrel, in a museum.
I hope the buyers make the stuff available to scholars at least, as the article suggested.
When they named his pipe and personal things like that, like you, I could see him in his study,
writing, puffing and spinning out ideas.

I wonder if Fonda knew about the Quixote project?

One of the sad things about all the modern ways of communicating and writing,
is that how do you leave those things behind? How do you trace your past
if everything is in "cyberspace"? Strange.

[JackFavell]

You are so right about that - how cold and clinical it all will seem, and worse - generic.

I remember being stunned at the space that E.B. White used to write in - it is literally a one room shack, with a window. nothing else. But that is part of the person - the things they choose to surround themselves with when they are writing (or the things they choose NOT to surround themselves with).












Robinson Jeffers

[MissGoddess]

How interesting: writers at work!

I LOVE Robinson Jeffreys' space! It looks like a castle room! And I don't
even know who Robinson Jeffreys is.

Coincidentally, earlier today I watched an episode of "The Dick Van Dyke Show"
where Rob (DVD) is trying to finish a novel and he is constantly finding excuses
to distract himself from the work. He even goes up to a cabin in the woods,
thinking it's the "ideal" space to get it done---no distractions---but he just ends up
fooling around. It's so funny.

[JackFavell]

I meant to type Robinson Jeffers. Sorry bout that. I didn't even realize that I typed it wrong.

I love Rob! I mean Rob Petrie! Is that the one where he comes back with a one-man sketch, in which he stabs himself in the hand with a letter opener or pen, gets a wastebasket stuck on his foot or maybe he sets it on fire? And such stuff? That is one of my absolute FAVORITE episodes. I remember it from when I was a kid... I hope it was the same one, because it literally had me rolling on the floor, laughing.

[MissGoddess]

I meant to type Robinson Jeffers. Sorry bout that. I didn't even realize that I typed it wrong.

Oh Jackie, I'm sorry to betray a sorry ignorance, but I don't know who Robinson Jeffers is either!

I love Rob! I mean Rob Petrie! Is that the one where he comes back with a one-man sketch, in which he stabs himself in the hand with a letter opener or pen, gets a wastebasket stuck on his foot or maybe he sets it on fire? And such stuff? That is one of my absolute FAVORITE episodes. I remember it from when I was a kid... I hope it was the same one, because it literally had me rolling on the floor, laughing.

I love Rob, too. He is absolutely the most adorable thing.

Actually, the episode you're thinking of is from the Season 1, with dear old Jay C. Flippen guest starring. Jay "inspires" Rob
to write a sketch about the anatomy of humor, especially how people laugh at pain. That's when he proceeds with this
monologue full of hilarious pratfalls and other physical comedy showing how he hurts himself through clumsiness, etc. It's
a masterful demonstration of physical comedy.

The one I am writing about is from the last season. Rob's friend has just published a novel
and Rob is so envious of the accomplishment, he determines to finish is own unfinished novel, finally ending up
at a lonely cabin thinking it's the only way he'll get any work done. He starts playing with a cowboy hat, guns and belt,
a paddle ball, he builds a waste paper basket, talks to himself (scares off the handyman with that, ha). Everything
but writing. It's too funny and if you're interested, it's here at IMDb.com:

http://www.imdb.com/video/hulu/vi4188341273/

This is the episode I believe you were thinking of:

http://www.imdb.com/video/hulu/vi1975582745/

[JackFavell]

Awesome! I am having a great time watching all these old TV shows. I forgot what it was like to see something good on TV besides TCM. Thansk for the links.... (although I am supposed to be watching Tumbleweeds!)

Palladin reminded me so much of some of the other great old shows I liked. Ones with real writing.... I dearly wish they would put out "The Millionaire" on dvd. It was a really cool show based on If I had a Million.... how people reacted to getting money. It was just great, each week was a different "short story".

[MissGoddess]

I never heard of "The Millionaire", either. Sounds like a great premise.
Fortunately, more and more series that I never figured would see the light of
day are coming to DVD. Maybe there is more interest in the TV shows than in
some of the features, so companies are willing to invest in them. I know they
sure seem to go WAY up in price once they are out of print. I am still waiting
to get a decent price on the last season of The Twilight Zone. Right now
its price is...in the Twilight Zone!

The writing is what really stands out in those old shows. Some of it is
just as good as anything you'd find on the big screen. Glad you are
enjoying Palladin, the "knight without armor in a savage land."

[JackFavell]

HGWT is awesome. I don't know how I could have missed it all these years.

[MissGoddess]

I've only discovered it, really, since it came recently to Encore Westerns. I saw a few episodes a year
or two ago, but I guess I wasn't in the mood at the time to really pay attention to their quality.
Now I'm a real fan and try never to miss an episode. And FYI, there's a lovely episode with Vickie Mac,
I think it's even directed by his son, Andrew. It's one of the last things Victor ever did. He plays,
appropriately, an aging boxer.

[JackFavell]

Oh! I had no idea he was on it! I will have to look for it! Thanks for the tip. You know how I love that charming rascally fellow - he's another "big lug".

[movieman1957]

Victor McLaglen is in a first season episode on "HGWT" that I am pretty sure his son Andrew directed. Andrew seems to have directed most of these shows through at least the first two seasons. I saw one this morning that Boone directed. It is a good show. Instant viewing on Netflix for most of them too.

[JackFavell]

You know, I much prefer Andrew MacLaglen as a TV director - I have said before that I didn't like him, but I was wrong. Now that I have seen his TV stuff, I do find him more and more interesting.

[MissGoddess]

Wonderful article here on Francis Ford's presence in his brother's films. I was so happy
to finally read someone take a positive view of his wonderful, "silent movie" characterizations,
which were never to me in any way "demeaning" as so many have averred. The writer makes
very interesting comparisons between Francis' appearances and Hitchcock's "cameos":

http://sensesofcinema.cmail3.com/t/y/l/bhrod/obhjdjhr/x

I especially appreciate the example detailed from Young Mr Lincoln, because upon my last viewing
when it aired Friday on TCM, for the first time I really noticed Francis' unusual placement in the
very scene the writer analyzes. And i've always loved the juror examination by Lincoln. Imagine,
this comical fellow used to PLAY Lincoln in his own movies!