The Silver Screen Oasis

BLUE ON BLUE...

[u]charliechaplinfan[/u] wrote:I've got Brute Force, I'll watch it early next week when the kids are back in school, I'm looking forward to it..

Great. Let us know what you think, if you have time Alison.

[u]MikeBSG[/u] wrote:Great comments on "Brute Force." It is a terrific movie, one of Dassin's best. One of Lancaster's best. Hume Cronin is unforgettable as Munsey.

Strong film. And Cronyn was terrifically...rotten. I won't say much more since Alison hasn't seen it, but classical music will never mean the same.

[u]mongoII[/u] wrote:Theresa, I watched "Brute Force" today and it was delicious. Fine performances, especially by Lancaster and Cronyn.

That you described this tough, sadistic, macho, testosterone-filled movie as "delicious"...makes me smile, Joe.

[u]JackFavell[/u] wrote:Oh my gosh, T, I missed this thread for a few days and I come back to find a treasure trove! ...As for Brute Force, I just loved your post! How lovely too to end on Art Smith. What a face! And yes, I would follow Burt into a drainpipe knowing there was certain death waiting for me at the end. How the heck did Sir Lancelot get into prison? He wouldn't hurt a fly.

Thanx Wendy! You cracked me up with your "...knowing there was certain death waiting for me at the end" line. As for Sir Lancelot? He didn't hurt a fly; I think he rubbed out this woman b'cuz she said she was sick and tired of his rhyming ev'ry *&%!!$!*@ sentence:


"I hate calypso music too!"

D'ohhhh!

I will let you know, kids go back to school tomorrow, it will be nice to have a bit of quiet again.

I think he rubbed out this woman b'cuz she said she was sick and tired of his rhyming ev'ry *&%!!$!*@ sentence:


"I hate calypso music too!"

D'ohhhh! [/quote]


OMG!!!!!

JackFavell wrote:OMG!!!!!

Wha'?!

O MY G!!

You just gave me the laugh of the last month! I didn't have a spit take gif, and I've been waiting to use that Hattie M. picture for the longest time. You totally cracked me up!

I got to watch Brute Force, I've only ever watched Hume Cronyn play good men before, golly gosh, he isn't at all good here, he down right as nasty as they come. It is his movie Theresa, I agree, even Burt can't pull it back and like most prison movies it gives plenty of the character actors chance to shine, Art Smith as Dr Walters, John Hoyt as Spencer, Whit Bissell as Tom, Sir Lancelot rhyming everywhere, heck did he not say one sentence without making a rhyme? I don't think so, I guess he got sentenced to talk that way the rest of his days. I love the build up in this one, all the tension building up, what a way to treat a squealer. I've never wanted someone to get his comeuppance as much as Munsy. Such a gentle sounding surname too.

I think that's why it's such an effective performance - Munsy is the bullied becoming the bully. You just know he was always picked on in school or something. He's so twisted.

Hume Cronyn the look of the man on the outside, sometimes quirky, sometimes unbelieveably niave, as in The Seventh Cross, now twisted but he very often dominates the screen, at least for me. And muscles too, they all had muscles, I don't know whether they all did a bit of weight lifting before the film was made but there wasn't an ounce of fat on them. That torture scene, very effective and the doctor, a drunkard because it's the only way he can deal with the suffering.

In some ways the doc is the most sympathetic character in the whole thing. He's got to walk between the two worlds, and he has some guilt, or maybe I mean he's not perfect, but very human. What a great cast.

I'm glad you enjoyed "Brute Force" Alison. Muscles, sadism, compromise, loyalty, hope. It's all mixed in there. I agree with you Wendy; Munsy was probably bullied as a kid...took it out on flies and frogs and little animals. Prison is the perfect place for him to work out all those sexual feelings with a captive audience. It, again, just amazes me to know that one actor can play so many different types of characters. Not just change his look, but change his persona. I don't mean to keep comparing actors of today with yesterday...but I think there really is a dearth today. Oh that won't stop me from going to the movies...but I do see the lack. I love the Doc. He does try to stand up to things...

* * * * *

FROM THE BENIGN TO THE MALEVOLENT...

In four easy steps...

I wonder if Cronyn had a hard time convincing them to cast him in those evil roles? He never wrote his memoirs did he? I'm sure they'd be fascinating.

Good question! Hey, I wonder if he ever DID write a bio. He should have...he did a lot of theatre...was married to the great Jessica Tandy. I wonder...

I wonder if he ever took any of those roles home to her. Yeeeikes! That'd be a little worse than shopping with An-----

HA!

If it was mentioned forgive me, but he was also a primary twit in "People Will Talk." He wasn't as bad as some of these roles are but you do want to step on him and squash him like a bug.

I've seen him in People Will Talk, he played a few of those roles didn't he? So refreshing to watch him in Brute Force and he's the murder know it all in Shadow of a Doubt. Did he play many roles on stage? I know Jessica did. It was a real treat to see them both as man and wife in The Seventh Cross.

Theresa, I love all those images, you captured his screen persona and transformation perfectly.