The Silver Screen Oasis

Very happy to see LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT on the schedule. Unfortunately SUMMERTIME isn't.

Bronxgirl48 wrote: ↑June 2nd, 2023, 7:10 pm Very happy to see LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT on the schedule. Unfortunately SUMMERTIME isn't.

Arthur Laurents' play, The Time of the Cuckoo, became Summertime, and was also musicalized as Do I Hear a Waltz, by Richard Rodgers and Stephen Sondheim. In one of his autobiographies, interspersed among the many affairs and pick-ups he describes, he stated that the character of the American secretary Leona/Jane (played by Shirley Booth, Katharine Hepburn, and Elizabeth Allen in the three different versions of the property) was based on himself and what he was going through at the time he and Farley Granger were touring in Europe, and specifically, Venice. Many of Laurents' scripts have some autobiographical basis.

He didn't appreciate what David Lean did to his property on film. Though he was friends with Hepburn (and Booth), he felt Shirley Booth better fit the character of a midwestern secretary on a budget tour in Europe. He felt Hepburn came across as a bit too sophisticated in manner, dress and props (he specifically points out that in the play Leona carries a cheap camera, while in the film, Jane has an expensive movie camera.)

It would have been interesting to see how a Shirley Booth film would have panned out, but it almost certainly would not have been directed by David Lean, I'm sure. Even so, the result that we have is a picture postcard/travelog for Venice, warts (the filthy canals) and all.

Great informative post, txfilmfan!

I love David Lean's version and have no problem with Kate in the role as her screen persona is usually very convincingly prim and proper, even if it is more of a Yankee sensibility than middle America.

speedracer5 wrote: ↑June 2nd, 2023, 10:22 am I have been to Cottage Grove. Though I don't know if I've seen the Buster Keaton mural, though I know it is there. I've been to Shaniko too! I'm looking at this Wikipedia article about Ghost towns, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_g ... _in_Oregon, because I couldn't remember what the one was called that we went to. It was "Golden" down in Southern Oregon. But looking at this list, I've been to many more, because I didn't realize they were ghost towns. Lol.

Christopher Strong is good. I really enjoyed watching it. Though I am a fan of Katharine Hepburn. If you like Colin Clive, you should see "History is Made at Night" if you haven't seen it already.

I will have to check out Golden next time I am down that way!

Today I was finally able to watch Christopher Strong, but I did not really care for it to be honest. It was a bit too melodramatic for my taste and having only romance as a theme was not enough to keep my interest. The age differences between the characters was a bit weird as well.

I have not yet seen History is Made at Night, but I have been wanting to see it. Just now I found it on YouTube, so I will have to watch it soon!

norfious wrote: ↑June 4th, 2023, 10:05 pm

speedracer5 wrote: ↑June 2nd, 2023, 10:22 am I have been to Cottage Grove. Though I don't know if I've seen the Buster Keaton mural, though I know it is there. I've been to Shaniko too! I'm looking at this Wikipedia article about Ghost towns, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_g ... _in_Oregon, because I couldn't remember what the one was called that we went to. It was "Golden" down in Southern Oregon. But looking at this list, I've been to many more, because I didn't realize they were ghost towns. Lol.

Christopher Strong is good. I really enjoyed watching it. Though I am a fan of Katharine Hepburn. If you like Colin Clive, you should see "History is Made at Night" if you haven't seen it already.

I will have to check out Golden next time I am down that way!

Today I was finally able to watch Christopher Strong, but I did not really care for it to be honest. It was a bit too melodramatic for my taste and having only romance as a theme was not enough to keep my interest. The age differences between the characters was a bit weird as well.

I have not yet seen History is Made at Night, but I have been wanting to see it. Just now I found it on YouTube, so I will have to watch it soon!

History is Made at Night is a very good United Artist film Jean Arthur made while still under contract with Columbia.

Per Wiki: The film has been noted by critics for its blending of genres, including comedy, drama, and romance, as well as introducing elements of suspense and disaster films in its final act.

I have seen the film a few times and hope TCM shows it again. Solid all around with great chemistry between Arthur and Boyer.