The Silver Screen Oasis

Agreed, Steve Cochran is pretty sexy. I like the way Eddie referred to him in the intro as "the Elvis of noir". It's true, they both have that look, kind of a dark, sulkily handsome bad boy look. Bet Steve wouldn't be able to pull off any versions of "Mystery Train", though.

Steve's girlfriend shouldn't have bothered to pack, and she should have tried to exit via the hotel's back door, instead of risking the elevator. And how come he was able to openly shoot her dead, she falls down all those stairs, but Steve's still able to just get back in the elevator and exit the hotel? Guess everyone was too scared to call the cops til he left....

One more thing... I thought it was hilarious that Steve decides to leave the apartment to go finish his sandwich at the chop suey diner ! And he actually does ! I had to laugh when we see him, solemnly munching on the rest of that sandwich. Nowadays the table would have been cleared before the customer came back. I just think it's so funny, "hey, I'm still hungry, think I'll go back to that restaurant and hope my half-finished food is still there." I'm surprised Thompson didn't notice this.

Yes, I thought it was funny about the sandwich. He was so nonchalant about it. I bet he would've blown his top if the sandwich wasn't there and he would've made them make another one!

I know. I kept yelling at her, Take the stairs! Take the stairs! But, no. I thought it was funny he didn't shoot the elevator operator too, who could easily identify him. And they don't wear masks for the heists! Pretty sloppy.

It was interesting seeing a very young, slimmed down Robert Webber. Richard Egan was pretty much wasted. I doubt he had more than a half dozen lines and disappears about half way through the movie.

Dargo wrote: ↑January 29th, 2023, 6:04 pm

LawrenceA wrote: ↑January 29th, 2023, 2:12 pm
...Did the host have anything interesting to add in the intro/outro?

Lawrence, the points Eddie offered up in his wraparounds were of director Andrew L. Stone and his wife Virginia's career of working together to make this film and a few others over the years and that they preferred to work on location instead on movie sets, some of Steve Cochran's life and career and the reason for his getting the lead in this film because of his then recent notable work in the film WHITE HEAT, mentioned some info on the lives and the careers of a few of the supporting actors and actresses as well (although I was kind of surprised he didn't mention Virginia Grey's long and ill-fated romance with Clark Gable), mentioned the film's cinematography done by Carl Guthrie, and that one would be best advised to look past the stilted and pretty much needless opening sequence of the three state governors emphasizing the ol' "Crime does not pay" spiel in order to better enjoy this film.

(...as I recall, anyway)

It was interesting they had the film credits AFTER the film ended! I kept looking for them in the beginning but they never appeared! I skipped over that boring crime doesn't pay crap in the beginning. LOL.

Hibi wrote: ↑January 31st, 2023, 2:39 pm

Dargo wrote: ↑January 29th, 2023, 6:04 pm

LawrenceA wrote: ↑January 29th, 2023, 2:12 pm
...Did the host have anything interesting to add in the intro/outro?

Lawrence, the points Eddie offered up in his wraparounds were of director Andrew L. Stone and his wife Virginia's career of working together to make this film and a few others over the years and that they preferred to work on location instead on movie sets, some of Steve Cochran's life and career and the reason for his getting the lead in this film because of his then recent notable work in the film WHITE HEAT, mentioned some info on the lives and the careers of a few of the supporting actors and actresses as well (although I was kind of surprised he didn't mention Virginia Grey's long and ill-fated romance with Clark Gable), mentioned the film's cinematography done by Carl Guthrie, and that one would be best advised to look past the stilted and pretty much needless opening sequence of the three state governors emphasizing the ol' "Crime does not pay" spiel in order to better enjoy this film.

(...as I recall, anyway)

It was interesting they had the film credits AFTER the film ended! I kept looking for them in the beginning but they never appeared! I skipped over that boring crime doesn't pay crap in the beginning. LOL.

I assume the lack of film credits is related to that crime-doesn't-pay rant. I.e. this isn't a film with actors doing a fictional story, but instead a reality based morality crime-doesn't-pay message film.

jamesjazzguitar wrote: ↑January 31st, 2023, 3:27 pm

Hibi wrote: ↑January 31st, 2023, 2:39 pm

Dargo wrote: ↑January 29th, 2023, 6:04 pm

Lawrence, the points Eddie offered up in his wraparounds were of director Andrew L. Stone and his wife Virginia's career of working together to make this film and a few others over the years and that they preferred to work on location instead on movie sets, some of Steve Cochran's life and career and the reason for his getting the lead in this film because of his then recent notable work in the film WHITE HEAT, mentioned some info on the lives and the careers of a few of the supporting actors and actresses as well (although I was kind of surprised he didn't mention Virginia Grey's long and ill-fated romance with Clark Gable), mentioned the film's cinematography done by Carl Guthrie, and that one would be best advised to look past the stilted and pretty much needless opening sequence of the three state governors emphasizing the ol' "Crime does not pay" spiel in order to better enjoy this film.

(...as I recall, anyway)

It was interesting they had the film credits AFTER the film ended! I kept looking for them in the beginning but they never appeared! I skipped over that boring crime doesn't pay crap in the beginning. LOL.

I assume the lack of film credits is related to that crime-doesn't-pay rant. I.e. this isn't a film with actors doing a fictional story, but instead a reality based morality crime-doesn't-pay message film.

LOL.

Thompson wrote: ↑January 31st, 2023, 3:36 pm Now I feel a lot better! MissWonderly has made it to the other side. This is so refreshing, like washing your face after about a week or so of not washing your face.

LOL

Well, I guess that qualifies as a compliment of sorts to MissW here anyway, Thompson.

(...and am glad that you used the word "face" for your metaphor and not some other body part)

Thompson wrote: ↑January 31st, 2023, 10:44 pm And I love it when the narrator digresses, goes with that train of thought. Wonderly is really good at that, she takes you with her without making you, it’s a fine line sometimes. Millstone can set you up with an avatar Miss W if you want one. I respectfully request that you don’t have one of Katharine Hepburn.

My guess (and hope) that it will be the same as before.

Mary A ...

Thompson wrote: ↑January 31st, 2023, 10:44 pm . . . Millstone can set you up with an avatar Miss W if you want one . . .

Ready, willing, and able to lend a hand! Just sing out if you need assistance with uploading an avatar, Miss W!

Did anyone watch HANGOVER SQUARE? It was pretty good. It reminded me of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Also, I've read in recent posts Ms. Wonderly is now here but I haven't seen any posts from her as yet.

Hoganman1 wrote: ↑February 5th, 2023, 12:43 pm Did anyone watch HANGOVER SQUARE? It was pretty good. It reminded me of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Also, I've read in recent posts Ms. Wonderly is now here but I haven't seen any posts from her as yet.

I watched Hangover Square, both last night and that on-fire ending this morning. Very good film. Great for Muller to showcase a 20th Century Fox film. I'm reading the book on Gene Tierney's autobiography, Self-Portrait, in which she candidly discusses her life, career, and mental illness, which was published in 1979. She mentions the Fox 40s gals; Darnell, Bette Grable, Tierney, etc..

It is interesting to compare the actresses the major studios had under contract (e.g. Warner with Davis, Lupino, DeHavilland, and later Alexis Smith, Elenora Parker, Patrick O'Neal, etc.., and MGM with Garson, Turner, etc...) and how each studio utilized their contract actors.

After watching Hangover Square, my wife and I discussed the tragic situation of Laird Cregar. I said that Cregar's sudden death did create opportunities for another actor and my wife said "would that be Burr?". She nailed it.

HANGOVER SQUARE is an old favorite of mine. An excellent period melodrama-thriller but in my opinion it does not qualify as noir (and I have an expansive interpretation of this genre that goes beyond the hard-boiled detectives and dames scenario) For me, George Harvey Bone's obsession with Netta Longdon is not fatalistic -- he is just a very sick individual who cannot help his murderous rages.

Bronxgirl48 wrote: ↑February 5th, 2023, 1:05 pm HANGOVER SQUARE is an old favorite of mine. An excellent period melodrama-thriller but in my opinion it does not qualify as noir (and I have an expansive interpretation of this genre that goes beyond the hard-boiled detectives and dames scenario) For me, George Harvey Bone's obsession with Netta Longdon is not fatalistic -- he is just a very sick individual who cannot help his murderous rages.

George's obsession was in the completion of the concerto. That was what was fatalistic; anyone that got in the way had to be dealt with. We see that at the end. What is unrealistic is that the Doctor doesn't. I.e. if he would have let George go and perform his concerto, George would have gone quietly to a mental facility. But then we would not have had that one-for-the-books ending.

Good points, Bronxgirl and jamesjazzguitar. I relish this film for several reasons, and find the music so much a part of the intrigue. Making the setting London during Guy Fawkes Day was also a little stroke of genius. It seems with Sanders present, there is always a sinister disdain for the simple, unabashed, passions of an artist or actor set to come to blows with his characters.

Hoganman1 wrote: ↑February 5th, 2023, 12:43 pm Did anyone watch HANGOVER SQUARE? It was pretty good. It reminded me of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Also, I've read in recent posts Ms. Wonderly is now here but I haven't seen any posts from her as yet.

Hi, Hoganman;
Yup, I'm here, gravitated over a bit later than most of our TCM boards friends. Thanks for remembering me from those TCM boards--also thanks to Thompson, Dargo (?), and maybe one or two others who noticed my absence here. I guess it's a bit nice for the old ego to be noticed, but also, it sort of continues that "community" feeling we had at the TCM boards, where we all kind of knew each other, at least in an internet discussion board way.

...and I agree, Hangover Square was pretty good. More on that later.

Eddie stole my thunder declaring the ending "astounding." I think he means that in a good way. I was thinking the same thing as I watched it. I yield to the idea that a movie like this needs the The Grand Finale, whatever the genre in this case may be. It was almost a horror film. One person has already mentioned Jekyll and Hyde. Or this, do vampires like boiled blood? Do they like to lick blood off of burnt torsos or bones? if so, a marvelous opportunity. But wait, they would have to use devils instead. Sorry vampies, not this time. Cinematically, that scene is a marvel.

For such a marvelous beauty as Linda Darnell, maybe it was just me but it was weirdly difficult get a good look at her. She was either preening too much or had her head turned a side too much, or moving around too much, or simply too much distant from the camera. I had to go to google images so that I could see her clearly. Only after that did I consider the move over, although by that time she was burnt to a crisp.

Cregar played similar roles, yes? Big Guy, soft voice, sensitive, and likeable, etc. Did we ever get the origin of his maladies here? Shamefully I cannot seem to remember. Yes, noise, but I mean the first cause. The cause that a Dr (George Sanders) would be looking for. He gave a theory but I can't remember. No doubt, mumbo Jumbo and primitive to our advanced Age. I would some crackpot with wondrous strange ideas than this. Poor Mr Bone, he wouldn't have had a chance anyway. "It's better this way." "Jolly right-o good Doctor, sir."