tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5666291791703106182024-02-19T00:20:38.207-08:00Reel RevivalPriscillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06133569789015149433noreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566629179170310618.post-71166269289731627762012-08-20T10:39:00.000-07:002012-08-20T10:39:00.018-07:00For Me and My Gal (1942)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As if we needed another reminder that the age we so greatly love and admire is gone from us forever, this week marks what would have been Gene Kelly's 100th birthday. The beloved character of <i>Singin' in the Rain</i> fame, the consummate actor who was equally capable of comedy and tragedy, he whose athleticism and grandeur in dance have never met their match, has been gone from us for 16 years, but he will never leave his place in film history.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I am honored to participate in a special blogathon hosted by the Classic Movie Blog Association by reviewing <i>For Me and My Gal</i> (1942), one of a few films he made with Judy Garland and the first film in which he starred. For a full list of participants and dates, <a href="http://clamba.blogspot.com/2012/04/gene-kelly-centenarian-blogathon-august.html">visit this link from CLAMBA</a>.</span><br />
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<a href="https://encrypted-tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTGiVYf0lvEkT15ZdbMsvpLAQfokb5rFrna40IdtmVzTRhxtO-V_gDyUauq" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://encrypted-tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTGiVYf0lvEkT15ZdbMsvpLAQfokb5rFrna40IdtmVzTRhxtO-V_gDyUauq" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>For Me and My Gal </i>was a fresh break for Kelly, a Broadway actor whom David O. Selznick snatched up on contract. Moviegoers saw Kelly as a fresh face that year, but one with which they were destined to become very familiar as he took the onscreen singing and dancing world by storm. The film made for a lovely pairing with fellow screen great Judy Garland, who by then had already made a dozen or so films and perfected her delivery of the zinging one-liners that make this film, and <i>The Pirate </i>(six years later), so fun. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Like most others of its time, <i>For Me and My Gal </i>was a wartime pep piece, extolling the virtues of self-sacrifice, armed service, support to the troops, the purchase of Liberty Bonds, and the attitude that every individual, male or female, physically fit or impaired, is depended on by his country to make his own unique and valuable contribution to the war effort. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Harry and Jo try out together for the first time "For Me and My Gal"</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The film recalls another war, the Great War, and follows the development of a small time actor (Kelly) whose grand ambitions lead him both to the verge of greatness and the bitterness of disgrace. Kelly plays Vaudevillian Harry Palmer, a self-centered quick worker who initially alienates sweet-tempered angel of the stage, Jo Hayden (Garland). But Palmer is no less a salesman than an actor, and after having assessed Hayden as a top tier performer as well as "Springtime doll," cunningly wins her business partnership <i>and </i>her heart. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">George Murphy (Jimmy Metcalf) is the odd-man-out in this occasion, the all-around good guy whose feelings for Jo set him on to a life path of self-sacrifice and quiet guardianship of both Jo and Harry, whose brash, erratic behavior eventually crashes him in the pits. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jimmy Metcalf comforts Jo.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The ups and downs of the showbiz life are perpetual, but the frustrations of being stuck in the small time are nothing compared to the tragedy and drama of war. Jo's little brother is all set to become a doctor, but like other conscientious men, he decides that his studies should take a back seat to fighting alongside "the other guys" who have gone overseas to keep his country free. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The war is, of course, troubling. It is there casting a shadow over the showbiz climb to the top. It unsettles the audiences and the day-to-day routines of greasepaint and bright lights. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">But it is simple enough to push aside and forget as long as the actors can continue to make their entrances and follow their dreams. Eventually, however, the war intrudes on even this sheltered enclave. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Harry's draft notice introduces a full blown life crisis. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Harry's draft notice arrives. </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">On the brink of the Palace, the pinnacle of Vaudevillian success and the realization of all of his desires, Harry cannot contemplate his call to service as anything but the most unjust cruelty of fate. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Even his theatrical agent can do little to delay the inevitable. After two physical exam delays, Harry simply must find a solution to his problem, or risk losing the Palace, and his girl, forever to the ravages of war. And so Harry, in desperation, in thinking of himself and his dreams and the one he loves, does the unthinkable. He deliberately disables himself in order to gain the temporary reprieve which will allow him to play the Palace and marry his girl. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">His selfish act couldn't have come at a worse time. The "good" news of his draft delay comes in the moments following Jo's receipt of the worst news she could have gotten - news from the front that every sister of a uniform dreads. With one look at Harry, his injury, his elation at being delayed, Jo knows instantly the truth that condemns Harry as an ungrateful coward. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">You'll never be big time because you're small time in your heart."</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After her bitter disappointment in Harry, Jo throws herself into entertaining "our boys over there."</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">At the loss of his girl, Harry's priorities are re-prioritized. What does the Palace mean if he doesn't have Jo? What does an audience mean when the boys are dying in the trenches? Suddenly, Harry's desperation is not for the Palace, but for the "Pass" from the draft medical board, not for the costumes but the uniform. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But to his panic, Harry discovers that in "temporarily" disabling himself he has, in fact, done permanent and irreparable damage that now disqualifies him from any service. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So it is that, grudgingly, Harry enlists himself in a second class service, touring France as a mere performer. He's "in the right army but wearing the wrong uniform." But it is only within the depths of his despair that Harry finally reconciles the man he thinks he is with the man he wishes he were, and finds that true greatness comes in living a little outside of oneself, in the deep and abiding concern for others, and the arms of the one he loves. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Harry and Jo, together again.</td></tr>
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<br />Priscillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06133569789015149433noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566629179170310618.post-9615607503822475952012-05-14T12:23:00.000-07:002012-05-14T12:26:55.198-07:00"Holiday in Mexico" and "Having Voice"<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This morning I stumbled upon (thank you Facebook) an intriguing post by one of my favorite online journals, <i>The Imaginative Conservative, </i>entitled "<a href="http://www.imaginativeconservative.org/2012/05/lost-art-of-speaking.html">The Lost Art of Speaking</a>." Author Joe Sobran makes an observation having to do with our hobby in old film: that actors of the golden era, particular those legends of whom we are so fond, had not only distinctively distinguished voices, but each a dignified, dramatic <i>way </i>of speaking to match. Their craftsmanship, their "voice presence," one might say, is a thing of the era that died with them, followed today by the rise of pretty-boy-model-types who look great on screen but fail to either inspire or impress once they engage their vocal cords. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Sobran mentions the greats:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Humphrey Bogart, Edward G. Robinson, James Cagney, Spencer Tracy, John Wayne, Fredric March, Ronald Colman, Gary Cooper, James Stewart, William Powell, Cary Grant, Clark Gable, Laurence Olivier, Orson Welles, Richard Burton, Kirk Douglas, Burt Lancaster, Gregory Peck, Montgomery Clift.</span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">all of which, he says, "<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">You can't picture... without recalling how they sounded."</span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">How right he is. And yet, as I polish off a current viewing of <i>Holiday in Mexico</i>, I can't help but notice that his list misses that great baritone, Mr. Walter Pidgeon. Pidgeon's voice, as well as his polished, manly air, is displayed pleasingly in <i>Holiday, </i>a feel-good, lighthearted flick typical of the mid-forties musical.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">The plot and style are standard fare for the genre, and why shouldn't they be? What is more irresistibly charming than Walter Pidgeon as a smooth ambassador to Mexico and single parent to Jane Powell, a hopeless energetic (and, at times, romantic) teenage vocal performance genius? What could be more exceedingly cute than Roddy McDowell as the English Amassador's son who wants to be more than best friends with the American Ambassador's daughter? Who makes better music than Xavier Cugat and Jose Iturbi? What's not to like about Technicolor?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><i>Holiday in Mexico</i> is a reminder of what was once important in Hollywood, a relic of family values-based filmmaking. The aim of <i>Holiday</i> is simple, wholesome, uplifting entertainment. It not only delights our senses but ministers to our hearts. And that makes it well worth anyone's while. </span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Besides, Walter Pidgeon had a phenomenal voice. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">(photo from doctormacro.com)</span></span></div>Priscillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06133569789015149433noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566629179170310618.post-46525407569965702602012-04-28T10:45:00.000-07:002012-04-28T10:49:03.076-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Hello all!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I thought it would be fun to share a little of what I have been doing in the absence of posts. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This is going to be my grandmother's Mothers Day gift. <i>Now Voyager </i>is her favorite film. Shhh, don't tell her; it's a secret ;)</span>Priscillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06133569789015149433noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566629179170310618.post-51637547161124761502011-11-26T07:59:00.001-08:002011-11-26T09:00:56.050-08:00Six Degrees of Separation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />It is a pleasure to participate in the Six Degrees of Separation game started by Page over at <a href="http://myloveofoldhollywood.blogspot.com/">My Love of Old Hollywood</a>. I'll just recap the game so far. Page gave us two stars, Mabel Norman and Walter Matthau, and passed the torch on to Dave of <a href="http://davesclassicfilms.blogspot.com/">Dave's Classic Films</a>.<br /><br />He pointed out that Mabel Norman was in <i>Head Over Heels</i> (1922) with Adolphe Menjou. Then Becky of <a href="http://classicbeckybrainfood.blogspot.com/">ClassicBecky's Brain Food</a> gave us Adolphe Menjou in <i>Paths of Glory</i> (1957) with Kirk Douglas. Next up to bat was Dawn of <a href="http://www.dawnschickflicks.blogspot.com/">Noir and Chick Flicks</a>. She chose Kirk Douglas, in <i>Lonely are the Brave</i> (1962), with Gena Rowlands. Then the game looped back to Page, who threw in Gena Rowlands and Rock Hudson in <i>The Spiral Road </i>(1962)<br /><br />That leaves us at four degrees, and I have been chosen to present the fifth. Naturally, I wanted to link Rock Hudson to the best star ever, Doris Day. But, needing to make the game possible to complete on the next and final degree, I chose <b>Rock Hudson and Burl Ives, also in <i>The Spiral Road </i>(1962). </b><br /><br />I'm booting the sixth degree over to Vincent at <a href="http://carole-and-co.livejournal.com/">Carole & Co.</a> Wrap it up for us, Vince!<br /></span>Priscillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06133569789015149433noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566629179170310618.post-12278875899052667162011-11-25T06:31:00.001-08:002011-11-25T06:34:28.830-08:00Christmas Banner Challenge<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Kudos go to the first reader who identifies the movies, characters, and actors represented by the pictures in the Reel Revival banner. [Comment on this post] Give me all the info you can, even release dates if you know them. No Google or IMDB allowed! This is to test the latent knowledge of all you movie nuts. Honor system!</span><br />
<br />Priscillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06133569789015149433noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566629179170310618.post-13304533351451637382011-11-18T16:46:00.001-08:002011-11-18T16:48:19.548-08:00Banner feedback wantedIt's just about time for me to change the banner graphic at the top of the page, as I am accustomed to doing a few times a year. I thought that as I went into the design phase it would be nice to have some outside ideas as to what I should do with it. If you have one, comment or send me an email!Priscillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06133569789015149433noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566629179170310618.post-73929648910102370702011-11-18T16:41:00.001-08:002011-11-18T16:45:01.393-08:00Roll FilmAnd I'm back! Sorry to have been gone so long. You know how life goes, though, in cycles. Some are busier than others. Having come through a REALLY busy one, I am hoping that things will slow down at least a little for the next.<br />
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I hope you noticed that even in my break from regular posting I finished and published my essay about why Doris Day is the best star ever. I hope you will read it on the Doris Day page and tell me what you think.<br />
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With Thanksgiving and Christmas upcoming, old movie watching kicks into high gear. To add to the fun, some of us old movie bloggers will be playing a game of Six Degrees of Separation to test each others' prowess and help you discover blogs you have not yet seen. Look for our first episode coming up soon!Priscillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06133569789015149433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566629179170310618.post-31687134503533174482011-05-15T06:05:00.000-07:002011-05-15T06:05:48.237-07:00Classic Movies of 1939 Blogathon: Another Thin Man<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Today we remember 1939 as an extraordinarily action-packed year for a number of reasons. War was breaking out in Europe as Hitler made his mad dash for total domination, the American economy continued to totter on the brink of internal decay, and Hollywood was cranking out classics like tomorrow would never come. As I wrote on the subject in college, </span><br />
<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"1939 was a time of trouble and threat, danger and doubtfulness; the cinema, by contrast, was a place of safety and ease, security and confidence. It was an escape for the masses, a factory of dreams in which the cares and woes of the real world were sponged away by the faces of fictional characters played by real-time heroes. The actors were people to be esteemed; their movie conduct was to be emulated, their magnificently crafted dreams to be pursued."</span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This blogathon celebrates only a small fraction of those great films, which continue to delight today whenever and wherever audiences find them out. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s1.moviefanfare.com/uploads/2009/10/Another-thin-Man3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://s1.moviefanfare.com/uploads/2009/10/Another-thin-Man3.jpg" width="146" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An original poster<br />
advertising the film.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031047/" rel="imdb" title="Another Thin Man">Another Thin Man</a></i> was made as part of the enormously successful <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_and_Nora_Charles" rel="wikipedia" title="Nick and Nora Charles">Thin Man Series</a>, which </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">spanned 13 years with 6 movies. It capitalized on the delectable pairing of </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001635/" rel="imdb" title="William Powell">William Powell</a></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> with </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001485/" rel="imdb" title="Myrna Loy">Myrna Loy</a></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, an on-screen couple who had set American movie-going hearts on fire. </span></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The combination was truly perfect. Powell's debonairness, distinguished good looks, incomparable voice, and jolly personality with Loy's sophisticated beauty, gut-instinct comedic timing, and quick wit gave audiences a pair who appeared to be the most genuinely in love, sincerely married, and perfectly matched couple in the history of the world. Under the direction of W.S. Van Dyke (mostly) with a fantastic screen play based on top rate literature, the Thin Man Series was a masterpiece waiting to happen.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div class="zemanta-img separator zemanta-action-dragged" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:William_Powell_and_Myrna_Loy_in_Another_Thin_Man_trailer.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cropped screenshot of William Powell and Myrna..." height="153" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/40/William_Powell_and_Myrna_Loy_in_Another_Thin_Man_trailer.jpg/300px-William_Powell_and_Myrna_Loy_in_Another_Thin_Man_trailer.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; font-size: 0.8em;" width="200" /></a><span class="zemanta-img-attribution" style="clear: both; font-size: xx-small; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">Image via <a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:William_Powell_and_Myrna_Loy_in_Another_Thin_Man_trailer.jpg">Wikipedia</a></span></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This particular entry, the third in the series, is one of the best, though it would be hard to say which entry isn't one of the best. <i>Another Thin Man </i>is essentially an exercise in misdirection, expertly done. The film opens with retired-from-detecting <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_%26_Nora" rel="wikipedia" title="Nick & Nora">Nick and Nora</a> (we know how long that will last) taking an apartment in New York with new baby, Nicky Jr. As usual, it isn't long before Nick has run into both some ex-con buddies of his and another murder. In this case the murder occurs on the remote country estate to which Nora has taken Nick for a quiet weekend of business. The murdered man is Colonel MacFay, the old business partner of Nora's deceased father, and manager of her millions.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shemp Howard: what a face.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.poorwilliam.net/pix/main-marjorie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.poorwilliam.net/pix/main-marjorie.jpg" width="160" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marjorie Main: always animated.</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> A really delightfully solid supporting cast, including Marjorie Main</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> and Shemp Howard, makes up a cloud of suspects and misdirectors: blackmailers, thugs, thieves, Cuban gangsters, dangerous women, double-timers, disgruntled employees, and opportunistic family members. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Just try to guess who-dunnit in this tangled mess where evidence, testimonies, and even the camera are trying to point you in the wrong direction. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I'm not going to give the solution away. That's just no fun. But I do want to discuss some noteworthy elements of the film's composition. One of those is the lighting. This is an element of filmmaking that we don't often pay much attention to because we're looking at the actors, sets, and wardrobes. There is something about the way this film looks, however, that belies its excellence in set lighting. When Nick, Nora, Asta, and the baby are en route to the Colonel's country estate, the dampness and coldness of the setting is palpable, even though it's not raining on set. This is the result of clever lighting and film editing which, when combined with the suggestive dialogue of the characters, produces a convincing effect. Lighting is everything in black and white, much more important than it is for Technicolor. In <i>Another Thin Man </i>it is done noticeably well. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Thematically, the film is somewhat sordid. At least three people die unnatural deaths, and even the family pet meets a gruesome end. More than one throat is slit. Yet the film retains its charm because we are spared the blood and gore and graphic conversations that "entertain" us in modern television and cinema. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.liquorlocusts.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Another+Thin+Man.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://www.liquorlocusts.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Another+Thin+Man.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nick looks at a bit of evidence. <br />
His hands often held a glass<br />
of some sort. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeaWycskPuDWI4-b4MwHB2jJ4anpWvIn9y0qqgqsywFLhaACOxN4eMxgFCCO0J-gElFS2WWvmjzltn7hyphenhyphencTgFOrTMmyZTRuh_2XagBXyle-1xnJB-UWLCZNP5pgJVanahF55b7LvGyidI/s1600/Another+Thin+Man+Still+(3).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeaWycskPuDWI4-b4MwHB2jJ4anpWvIn9y0qqgqsywFLhaACOxN4eMxgFCCO0J-gElFS2WWvmjzltn7hyphenhyphencTgFOrTMmyZTRuh_2XagBXyle-1xnJB-UWLCZNP5pgJVanahF55b7LvGyidI/s200/Another+Thin+Man+Still+(3).jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nora steals the liquor cabinet keys for Nick.</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The constant reference to Nick's drinking habit is continued from the previous films, but less of his drinking is shown on-camera or made an issue of, in spite of Nora's pick-pocket theft of the liquor </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">cabinet keys from the Colonel. Picking up the slack from the lack of alcohol content in the film, however, is casual conversation about adultery. Nick is the kind of ingratiating character who wins your trust immediately, so even though he is unfailingly popular with the ladies we have no doubt that he remains faithful to Nora - not for lack of opportunity but out of preference. The other characters, however, (Nora not included) not only expect but encourage </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Nick to pursue adulterous relationships, laughingly. This is expressed on more than one occasion and, as it adds nothing to the film, becomes tedious. It is probably the movie's sole weak point. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="200" src="http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lie86m2eq51qcs4zto1_500.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="153" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The loving couple.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The emphasis on marital infidelity is contrasted by Nora's unwavering support of and loyalty to her husband, particularly when police investigators attempt to turn her against her husband by trumping up stories of his previous girlfriends. Nora is steadfast, as is Nick. The films leave you in doubt that it could ever not be that way. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Loy and Powell made such a perfect couple on-screen, in fact, that it never occurred to the public that they might not be married in real life. On one notable occasion, the booking agent at a hotel reserved a single room for the stars to share, assuming that they were indeed a happily married couple. Needless to say, other arrangements had to be made when the two stars, never married, arrived for their stay. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I wish they had been married. It would have been truly a triumph of wit and laughter and legend. Hollywood made a number of teams famous: Hudson and Day, Olivier and Leigh, Burton and Taylor, Bogie and Baby, Hepburn and Tracy. But none were as believable, natural, and right a combination as Powell and Loy. God bless them for the masterful performances they gave. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Please visit the <a href="http://clamba.blogspot.com/">Classic Movie Blog Association homepage</a> for links to more reviews of films made in 1939.</span><br />
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_c.png?x-id=21b9535d-b93e-410a-88bc-9887b2a62318" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>Priscillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06133569789015149433noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566629179170310618.post-41444895105693891922011-05-10T16:40:00.000-07:002011-05-10T16:40:12.586-07:00Starting this Sunday - The Classic Movies of 1939 Blogathon<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Starting this Sunday and running through Tuesday 36 Classic Movie Association Bloggers will present 41 reviews of some of the best films ever made, which all happen to have premiered in 1939. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My review of <i>Another Thin Man </i>will debut on Sunday, along with reviews of these well and lesser known films:</span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><div class="zemanta-img separator zemanta-action-dragged"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Anotherthinman.jpg" style="clear: right; display: block; float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Another Thin Man" height="320" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c5/Anotherthinman.jpg" style="border: none; font-size: 0.8em;" width="222" /></a><span class="zemanta-img-attribution" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; width: 226px;">Image via <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Anotherthinman.jpg">Wikipedia</a></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It’s A Wonderful World</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Women</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Wizard of Oz</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Cat and the Canary</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Charlie Chan at <place w:st="on">Treasure Island</place></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><place w:st="on"></place></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Dark Victory</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Destry Rides Again</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Dodge City</place></city></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><city w:st="on"><place w:st="on"></place></city></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Five Came Back</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Gone With the Wind</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">On Your Toes</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Return of Dr. X</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Visit the <a href="http://clamba.blogspot.com/">Classic Movie Blog Association homepage</a> for the full schedule and links to participating blogs.<br />
<span style="color: #940f04;"> </span></span></div><div><br />
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<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_c.png?x-id=a117c733-850f-4b7a-aa7a-cd402c7c4660" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>Priscillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06133569789015149433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566629179170310618.post-15409394869410366212011-04-06T08:03:00.000-07:002011-04-06T08:08:44.785-07:00Gaslight review at MovieFanFare.com<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I am pleased to announce that my review of <i>Gaslight</i> is featured at <a href="http://www.moviefanfare.com/fanfare-guests/gaslight/">moviefanfare.com</a> today as the guest blog addition. Thanks to Chris and all the readers at FanFare for welcoming my review!</span>Priscillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06133569789015149433noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566629179170310618.post-67568846903210424052011-04-03T07:23:00.000-07:002011-04-03T07:23:26.874-07:00Happy Birthday, Doris!<div class="zemanta-img separator" style="clear: right;"><a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:DorisDay1951-1952.jpg" style="clear: right; display: block; float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img alt="Doris Day an Bord der USS Juneau Lizenz: Besch..." height="320" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/DorisDay1951-1952.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial;" width="176" /></span></a><span class="zemanta-img-attribution" style="clear: both; float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right; width: 246px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">Image via <a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:DorisDay1951-1952.jpg">Wikipedia</a></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I am proud to announce the unveiling of my new dedicated <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000013/" rel="imdb" title="Doris Day">Doris Day</a> page today on her birthday. Check it out at the Doris Day tab above.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Happy Birthday, Doris! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">We love you!</span><br />
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_c.png?x-id=87edb3e3-bb5a-4e8d-aa6c-4ea4822ed34f" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; float: right;" /></span></div>Priscillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06133569789015149433noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566629179170310618.post-65851230896490501882011-04-02T18:36:00.000-07:002011-04-02T19:55:43.251-07:00Doris Day to turn 87 on Sunday, April 3rd<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My favorite film star will turn 87 tomorrow. This fantastic lady, who usually stays as far away from the spotlight as possible, has confirmed that she will "call in" to the local Monterey Bay radio station that traditionally honors her every year on her birthday with hours of music, fan calls, and tribute. This year's broadcast will be the 5th annual Doris Day Birthday Celebration, and will run from 8am-12pm Pacific Standard Time on <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">KIDD 630-AM.</span></span><br />
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<div class="zemanta-img separator zemanta-action-dragged"><a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Doris%2BDay" style="clear: right; display: block; float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Doris Day" src="http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/126/50293777.png" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; font-size: 0.8em;" /></a><span class="zemanta-img-attribution" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; width: 126px;">Cover of <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Doris%2BDay">Doris Day</a></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Ms. Day typically connects with the station at least once during that time to thank her fans (she calls them friends) and chat with the DJs. Fans are welcome to call </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">831-375-6300 to wish Ms. Day a happy birthday. </span></span> <br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It is always a delight to hear her voice and the spunky laughter that still bubbles from her ever-lovable personality. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Click <a href="http://www.dorisdaytribute.com/blog/2011/03/27/dont-miss-doris-day-live-on-ed-dickinsons-annual-radio-tribute-confirmed-for-her-birthday-on-april-3-2011">here</a> and <a href="http://www.dorisdaytribute.com/blog/2011/03/27/sampod4u-produces-series-of-pod-casts-celebrating-doris-days-birthday-on-april-3rd-2011">here</a> for more information about this broadcast.</span></span><br />
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_c.png?x-id=5d9c78ed-287d-4af9-a4c1-1a59ca496111" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>Priscillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06133569789015149433noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566629179170310618.post-34169321616567952442011-03-23T08:08:00.000-07:002011-04-02T19:55:23.798-07:00Elizabeth Taylor dead at 79<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Screen icon <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000072/" rel="imdb" title="Elizabeth Taylor">Elizabeth Taylor</a> died of congestive heart failure early this morning in Los Angeles. She was 79 years old. Though she may be gone now, certainly she will never be forgotten.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Elizabeth_Taylor_in_Giant_trailer.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="zemanta-img separator zemanta-action-dragged"><a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Elizabeth_Taylor_in_Giant_trailer.jpg" style="clear: right; display: block; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Cropped screenshot of Elizabeth Taylor from th..." height="160" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6b/Elizabeth_Taylor_in_Giant_trailer.jpg/300px-Elizabeth_Taylor_in_Giant_trailer.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; font-size: 0.8em;" width="200" /></a><span class="zemanta-img-attribution" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; width: 200px;">Image via <a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Elizabeth_Taylor_in_Giant_trailer.jpg">Wikipedia</a></span></div><br />
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<div class="zemanta-related"><h6 class="zemanta-related-title" style="font-size: 1em; margin: 1em 0 0 0;"> Related articles</h6><ul class="zemanta-article-ul"><li class="zemanta-article-ul-li"><a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-31749_162-20046144-10391698.html">Elizabeth Taylor is dead at 79</a> (cbsnews.com)</li>
</ul></div><div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_c.png?x-id=cdcb2ce1-4466-4635-b84e-2fef5092d390" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>Priscillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06133569789015149433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566629179170310618.post-53113204427491608522011-02-21T11:58:00.000-08:002011-02-21T11:58:12.061-08:00Gaslight<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">How would you do without the electric lights to which you are so accustomed? What if you had only fires and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_lighting" rel="wikipedia" title="Gas lighting">gas lights</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> to see by after sundown? Even better - or more terrifying - what if you lived in a creepy old London rowhouse with gas lights, a cruel husband, and the memory of your dead aunt, who was </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>murdered </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">there?!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This is precisely the situation that Paula (<a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000006/" rel="imdb" title="Ingrid Bergman">Ingrid Bergman</a>) finds herself in after determining to face her worst fears with her new, and mysterious, husband. The worst is yet to come, however; in the flickering light of the dimming gas, Paula is losing her mind. As she sinks into despair and misery, two men are poised on either side of her sanity: her husband trying to take her mind and a fond onlooker trying to save it.</span><br />
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<div class="zemanta-img separator zemanta-action-dragged"><a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gaslight_1944_trailer.jpg" style="clear: right; display: block; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="This screenshot shows Ingrid Bergman and Charl..." height="240" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6c/Gaslight_1944_trailer.jpg/300px-Gaslight_1944_trailer.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; font-size: 0.8em;" width="320" /></a><span class="zemanta-img-attribution" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; width: 200px;">Image via <a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gaslight_1944_trailer.jpg">Wikipedia</a></span></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The result is a fascinatingly tense film that keeps you guessing and hanging on every word. For acting it can't be matched. <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000964/" rel="imdb" title="Charles Boyer">Charles Boyer</a> nails the part of the sadistic husband who has a nefarious motive for driving his wife slowly and systematically out of her mind. He was nominated for Best Actor for this role. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Ingrid Bergman won the <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy_Award_for_Best_Actress" rel="wikipedia" title="Academy Award for Best Actress">Best Actress Oscar</a> for her performance in this film, and it was well deserved. She is at every moment believable, and in every instant sympathetic. Her performance of growing terror will draw you out to the edge of your seat. </span> <br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Angela Lansbury ("<a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086765/" rel="imdb" title="Murder, She Wrote">Murder, She Wrote</a>" and <i><a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1038728-beauty_and_the_beast" rel="rottentomatoes" title="Beauty and the Beast">Beauty and the Beast</a></i>) made her screen debut in this film and turned out such an accomplished performance that she too earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Not bad for a first outing. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Joseph Cotten plays our hero. The man who once admired Paula's aunt and now sees in Paula a deeply troubled and threatened young woman. Can he intervene soon enough to save both her life and her mind?</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Besides Bergman's win <i>Gaslight</i> scored the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;">Best Art Direction-Interior Decoration, Black-and-White Oscar and was nominated for three others:</span></span><br />
<ol><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Best Cinematography, Black-and-White</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Best Picture</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Best Writing, Screenplay</span></li>
</ol><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;">Bergman also won the Golden Globe that year for B</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">est Motion Picture Actress in this role. Even if you are not one to be swayed by awards, however (I usually don't trust 'em myself), I hope your interest is piqued enough to give this one a try. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;">George Cukor directed this film to great emotional effect, but he also succeeded in producing a film that is visually intriguing if nothing else (but it's so much else!). His use of shadow in story-telling is unique and should be noted. Keep in mind, also, that Boyer was shorter than Bergman and had, on occasion, to stand on a box to make the scenes work. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;">I hope you check this one out and come back to give your opinion. I'd love to hear what you think about it.</span></span></div><br />
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<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_c.png?x-id=be896ea8-4fb4-49f4-bc51-b114becd177f" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>Priscillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06133569789015149433noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566629179170310618.post-86578813039911391002011-01-16T19:31:00.000-08:002011-01-17T09:30:12.411-08:00CMBA Hitchcock Blogathon: The Man Who Knew Too Much<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I am honored to be taking part in the Classic Movie Blog Association's Hitchcock Blogathon - its largest blogathon yet. I'm not alone. In all there are 20 classic movie blogs covering a wide variety of Hitchcock masterpieces, staples, and lesser-known jewels; look to the bottom of this post for a full listing of all of the reviews and where they can be found. I look forward to reading each of them myself. I'm bound to learn a lot!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/17/The_man_who_knew_too_much_1934_poster.jpg/220px-The_man_who_knew_too_much_1934_poster.jpg" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">When I opened the invitation to participate in the blogathon, I didn't even have to think about which movie I would review. If you've been with this blog from the beginning, or know me personally, then you know that I adore Doris Day. <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000071/" rel="imdb" title="James Stewart">Jimmy Stewart</a> doesn't hurt either. So <i>The Man Who Knew Too Much </i>it is. Now, I've seen this film a number of times over the years, and it is one of my favorites to show friends who know nothing about Day and little about Hitchcock. But I knew that for a review of this kind I needed to watch it again and pay more attention to the details I had never focused on before. While I was at it, I figured I might as well start by viewing the original <i>Man Who Knew Too Much</i> made in Britain by Hitchcock in 1934. By <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.tcm.com/" rel="homepage" title="Turner Classic Movies">Turner Classic Movies</a>' account, this was the film that launched Hitchcock into the uninterrupted string of successes that made him world renowned. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It was a fascinating experience, mostly. The audio quality of my copy is not exactly stellar, so I'm not sure I caught more than 80% of what was said, but that could also be due to the plethora of distractions that were assailing me as I watched. Incidentally, distractions do not affect me while I am watching the 1956 version with Doris Day, but more on that later. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmV10dqi2v5YUW6y9TVRX8ozS_4Ocamy8WKt-0KtnDhM-yAFq9zifRJOw0vdQtEWG2UJWbOaEGcVMFv03KHIaZNn9Xb-4ec_clPALSql566UuHv8hZVVw8nWQt5ZE29qWU2XD9wumRAB_S/s320/the+man+who+knew+too+much+1934.jpg" width="320" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The 1934 version is notable, not so much for its story line or action, but for the performance delivered by <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000048/" rel="imdb" title="Peter Lorre">Peter Lorre</a> and the way in which Hitchcock framed the tension and suspense with dry and ironic humor interspersed throughout. As per <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000033/" rel="imdb" title="Alfred Hitchcock">Hitchcock's</a> style, this humor is subtle, mostly visual, and it is entirely up to the viewer to take it or leave it. Peter Lorre, who is legendary in his creepiness and strangeness, doesn't disappoint in his role as the spy ringmaster. As always, I found him intriguing. But much of the rest of the film fell flat for me. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The plot is this: </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A family vacationing in Switzerland is drawn into a spy caper when the wife becomes privy to the dying breaths of an operative who has uncovered an assassination plot against an important official. When their daughter is kidnapped to keep them quiet, her father and family friend go into the spy business themselves to recover her. Unfortunately, the child is a brat with whom it's hard to sympathize, and the film ends in a long shootout that lost my interest. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In my opinion, <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0540795/" rel="imdb" title="Leonard Maltin">Leonard Maltin</a> had it backwards when he said that this version was the most exciting. Apparently, Hitchcock agreed with me. As he stated in an interview:</span><br />
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<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">"Let's say that the first version was the work of a talented amateur and the second was made by a professional."</span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img height="250" src="http://www.dorisday.net/assets/images/man-who-knew-too-much-poster-new.jpg" width="320" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In 1956, the famed director was ready to begin the remake of <i>The Man Who Knew Too Much</i> he had been planning since 1941. It was the only time he ever remade one of his own films. Having recently visited Morocco himself, the wheels of Hitchcock's unmatched morbid imagination began revolved around the idea of placing the plot in precisely that part of the world. The result was a American couple sucked into the dangers and excitement of espionage in </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Marrakech, rather than a British couple drawn into similar adventure in Switzerland. The new plot involved a woman of musical talent as the wife and mother, and because of this Hitch had his mind set on Doris Day from the beginning. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The project, originally retitled <i>Into Thin Air,</i> took shape under the supervision of both Hitch and Jimmy Stewart from the production end, with John Hayes and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002136/" rel="imdb" title="Bernard Herrmann">Bernard Herrmann</a> on the scripting and musical ends. Hermann may be seen conducting the orchestra himself in the famous Royal Albert Music Hall scene at the end.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It was <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_Livingston" rel="wikipedia" title="Jay Livingston">Jay Livingston</a> and Ray Evans, however who were responsible for the Oscar-winning song that is to this day an integral part of <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000013/" rel="imdb" title="Doris Day">Doris Day's</a> image: "<a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Que_Sera%2C_Sera_%28Whatever_Will_Be%2C_Will_Be%29" rel="wikipedia" title="Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)">Que Sera, Sera</a>" (though in those days it was officially, "Whatever Will Be, Will Be"). The tune, sung with such heartfelt emotion and capability by Doris Day, remains for me one of the highlights of the film.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">According to Paramount production files, the project ended late and over-budget, but has grossed substantially more than it cost and gave Stewart and Day the never repeated opportunity of working together under the direction of one of the most brilliant and famous movie masterminds in history. The result is splendid.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Hitch's 1956 <i>Man Who Knew Too Much</i>, is, in a word, deft. It accomplishes the blend of adventure, intrigue, suspense, and humor that the earlier version hinted at but did not expertly combine. Sold by the excellent performances from all the actors involved, but particularly by Doris Day, the film not only distinguishes itself as a class act thriller, but also comes in as a fairly good musical in some respects. </span><br />
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Here's the plot if you're unfamiliar:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img height="250" src="http://sikastiara.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/the-man-who-knew-too-much.jpg" width="320" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Dr. and Mrs. Ben McKenna (Stewart and Day) are touring Morocco with their little boy Hank when they become acquainted with a mysterious Frenchman by the name of Louis Bernard. Their acquaintance is short but perplexing, with Bernard's odd and inquisitive behavior troubling Mrs. McKenna, formerly Jo Conway, the celebrated stage artist. The next day, while they are exploring the market place with a British couple they've befriended, the McKenna's are witness to Bernard's public murder, and Ben is the sole hearer of Bernard's last words. It isn't long before Hank is kidnapped and used to keep Ben silent about what Bernard told him. Ben tracks the kidnappers to London and the McKennas pursue them there. Once arrived, they decline to cooperate with Scotland Yard in fear of Hank's safety, and set off on their own to save Hank and stop an assassination attempt at the same time. The climax is a supreme combination of good music, high suspense, and dramatic accomplishment.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The film as a whole is also a telling demonstration of Hitchcock's genius and the extent to which he developed his own talents in the time between the two versions of the film (besides the general improvement in technology and methods). We see his mellow, dry humor lightly sprinkled throughout the film, deftly weaved in among the threads of tension and suspense. Particularly in the final moments Hitch seamless transitions from the emotional high of the conclusion to a very funny and similarly short moment that immediately precedes the credits.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img height="108" src="http://buttondown.mattalgren.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/man-who-knew-too-much-jimmy-stewart.jpg" width="200" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Cultural depictions and foreign language are also used to much better effect than in the first film, with the foreign setting elevated the expectation and dread of the viewer. Priceless cinematic moments in which little movements and subtle staging say much more than lines being uttered are also highlights. Watch for the scene where Ben is called away from his interrogation with the French police to take the call from the kidnappers. Pay special attention to the small movements of his fingers and those of Drayton as they make a follow-up phone call. The import of those movements and the way in which they are framed by the camera is outstanding. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In the end I always come back to the performance by Doris Day, however. The scene in which Ben gives her the news of their son's kidnapping is of Oscar calibre, in my opinion. Also impressive is the way in which she can intone such meaning and foreboding into the simplest of lines. Listen carefully when she has the following exchange with Ben early in the film:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj49_dkDy6wa0GcuFaWxJ1JcPoLexpJo2v0Enq_w6St0CfIE-cz6r8EJJAxbAoVutYCk1ywE_NOcmM28vGO4SrY9Ub3ipE1VolS7IrueWU0o71ZHYxFjNMbSvp6AJFe1rhNzVZ1WRD_6qI/s320/TheManWho56.jpg" width="320" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Ben: "What does that mean?"</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Jo: "It means that Mr. Bernard is a very mysterious man."</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Ben: "I have nothing to hide."</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Jo: "I have a feeling that Mr. Bernard has."</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Such simple words packed with such foreshadowing. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I hope you'll find time to fit this movie into your schedule soon. It's worth your while. As always your comments and feedback are welcome her at Reel Revival. Enjoy those films!</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Check out these other Hitchcock Blogathon reviews at the blogs of other Classic Movie Blog Association members:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 32px;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 32px;"><i><span style="line-height: 200%;">The Birds</span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 32px;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"> – <a href="http://classic-film-tv.blogspot.com/">Classic Film & TV Café</a> </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 32px;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 32px;"><i><span style="line-height: 200%;">Dial M for Murder</span></i><span style="line-height: 200%;"> – <a href="http://trueclassics.wordpress.com/">True Classics: The ABCs of Film</a></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 32px;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><a href="http://trueclassics.wordpress.com/"></a></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 32px;"><i><span style="color: black; line-height: 200%;">The Lady Vanishes – </span></i><span style="color: black; line-height: 200%;"><a href="http://macguffinmovies.wordpress.com/">MacGuffin Movies</a> </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 32px;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 200%;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 32px;"><i><span style="line-height: 200%;">Lifeboat</span></i><span style="line-height: 200%;"> – <a href="http://www.classicfilmboy.com/">Classicfilmboy’s Movie Paradise</a> </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 32px;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 32px;"><i><span style="line-height: 200%;">Marnie</span></i><span style="line-height: 200%;"> – <a href="http://myloveofoldhollywood.blogspot.com/">My Love of Old Hollywood</a> </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 32px;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 32px;"><i><span style="line-height: 200%;">Mr. and Mrs. Smith</span></i><span style="line-height: 200%;"> – <a href="http://community.livejournal.com/carole_and_co/">Carole & Co.</a></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 32px;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><a href="http://community.livejournal.com/carole_and_co/"></a></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 32px;"><i><span style="line-height: 200%;">North By Northwest</span></i><span style="line-height: 200%;"> – <a href="http://bettesmovieblog.blogspot.com/">Bette’s Classic Movie Blog</a> </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 32px;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 32px;"><i><span style="line-height: 200%;">Notorious</span></i><span style="line-height: 200%;"> – <a href="http://twentyfourframes.wordpress.com/">Twenty Four Frames</a></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 32px;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><a href="http://twentyfourframes.wordpress.com/"></a></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 32px;"><i><span style="line-height: 200%;">The Pleasure Garden</span></i><span style="line-height: 200%;"> – <a href="http://www.thrillingdaysofyesteryear.blogspot.com/">Thrilling Days of Yesteryear</a> </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 32px;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 32px;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><i>Rear Window</i></span><span style="line-height: 200%;"> – <a href="http://javabeanrush.blogspot.com/">Java’s Journey</a> </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 32px;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 32px;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><i>Rebecca </i></span><span style="line-height: 200%;">– <a href="http://www.classicbeckybrainfood.blogspot.com/">ClassicBecky’s Film and Literary Review</a> </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 32px;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 200%;">Rope</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 200%;"> – <a href="http://kevinsmoviecorner.blogspot.com/">Kevin’s Movie Corner</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 200%;"><a href="http://kevinsmoviecorner.blogspot.com/"></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 32px;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><i>Shadow of a Doubt </i></span><span style="line-height: 200%;">- </span><span style="color: black; line-height: 200%;"><a href="http://greatentertainersarchives.blogspot.com/">Great Entertainers Media Archive</a></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 32px;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 200%;"><a href="http://greatentertainersarchives.blogspot.com/"></a></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 200%;">The 39 Steps</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 200%;"> – <a href="http://garbolaughs.wordpress.com/">Garbo Laughs</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 200%;"><a href="http://garbolaughs.wordpress.com/"></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 200%;">Three Classic Hitchcock Killers </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 200%;">– <a href="http://eves-reel-life.blogspot.com/">The Lady Eve’s Reel Life</a></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 200%;"><a href="http://eves-reel-life.blogspot.com/"></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 200%;">Torn Curtain </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 200%;">- <a href="http://www.via-51.blogspot.com/">Via Margutta 51</a></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 200%;"><a href="http://www.via-51.blogspot.com/"></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 200%;">The Trouble with Harry</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 200%;"> – <a href="http://bitactors.blogspot.com/">Bit Part Actors</a></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 200%;"><a href="http://bitactors.blogspot.com/"></a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 200%;">Vertigo</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 200%;"> – <a href="http://dawnschickflicks.blogspot.com/">Noir and Chick Flicks</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 200%;"><a href="http://dawnschickflicks.blogspot.com/"></a></span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">The Wrong Man</span></i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"> – <a href="http://themovieprojector.blogspot.com/">The Movie Projector</a></span><br />
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_c.png?x-id=5c95a32d-bdd8-49b1-b418-07a0498754cb" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>Priscillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06133569789015149433noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566629179170310618.post-40191011839255726832011-01-12T08:14:00.000-08:002011-01-12T08:14:15.819-08:00Upcoming....<div class="zemanta-img separator" style="clear: right;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_Man_Who_Knew_Too_Much_%281956_film%29.jpg" style="clear: right; display: block; float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956 film)" height="200" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/84/The_Man_Who_Knew_Too_Much_%281956_film%29.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; font-size: 0.8em;" width="136" /></a><span class="zemanta-img-attribution" style="clear: both; float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; width: 238px;">Image via <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_Man_Who_Knew_Too_Much_%281956_film%29.jpg">Wikipedia</a></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Don't miss the <b>HITCHCOCK BLOGATHON </b>on Monday, January 17. I will be reviewing <i>The Man Who Knew Too Much </i>here at Reel Revival, and my post will link to other classic movie bloggers' reviews of such masterpieces as <i>The Lady Vanishes, Notorious, Rear Window, Rebecca, </i>and<i> Shadow of a Doubt.</i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This is the first event of its<i> </i>kind for the Classic Movie Blog Association, and it is bound to be a lot of fun. Don't miss it!</span><br />
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<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_c.png?x-id=930b8f5d-6a16-42ab-b210-97615eac83e0" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>Priscillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06133569789015149433noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566629179170310618.post-21454700234075448122010-12-24T11:48:00.000-08:002010-12-24T11:48:14.619-08:00Merry Christmas Eve!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">My schedule for the day:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">THE BISHOP'S WIFE and A CHRISTMAS CAROL!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Fun, fun, fun!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Merry Christmas everyone!</span>Priscillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06133569789015149433noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566629179170310618.post-19967619045413170092010-12-17T16:52:00.000-08:002010-12-17T16:52:32.432-08:00Five cans of paint!!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This is one movie I can feel pretty confident that most people have seen (<i>Home Alone</i>). </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What is your favorite part?</span>Priscillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06133569789015149433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566629179170310618.post-6765693628195453582010-12-16T15:29:00.000-08:002010-12-16T15:29:57.021-08:00Do your vines have tender grapes?<div class="zemanta-img separator" style="clear: right;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Our_Vines_Have_Tender_Grapes_poster.jpg" style="clear: right; display: block; float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Our Vines Have Tender Grapes" height="200" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/29/Our_Vines_Have_Tender_Grapes_poster.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; font-size: 0.8em;" width="130" /></a><span class="zemanta-img-attribution" style="clear: both; float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right; width: 300px;">Image via <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Our_Vines_Have_Tender_Grapes_poster.jpg">Wikipedia</a></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We are celebrating the fourth day of Christmas films here at ReelRevival with <i><a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037963/" rel="imdb" title="Our Vines Have Tender Grapes">Our Vines Have Tender Grapes</a></i>. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It is one of the greatest films ever made, and also has one of the best Christmas moments on film. It's a total win-win situation.</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Read my original review <a href="http://reelrevival.blogspot.com/2010/08/our-vines-have-tender-grapes.html">here</a>.</span> <br />
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_c.png?x-id=1c2d5e29-78c6-4256-b7ad-7e6ff0114fe1" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>Priscillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06133569789015149433noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566629179170310618.post-14908031159829145832010-12-15T16:58:00.000-08:002010-12-15T17:01:12.404-08:00On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me...<div class="zemanta-img separator" style="clear: right;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_Man_Who_Came_to_Dinner.jpg" style="clear: right; display: block; float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The man who Came to Dinner, film poster" height="371" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8f/The_Man_Who_Came_to_Dinner.jpg" style="border: none; font-size: 0.8em;" width="237" /></a><span class="zemanta-img-attribution" style="clear: both; float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; width: 237px;">Image via <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_Man_Who_Came_to_Dinner.jpg">Wikipedia</a></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Three Monty Woolleys? Oh dear. That's a lot of... cantankerousness, and energy, and... <i>beard.</i> If those are things you are even remotely interested in, <i>The <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033874/" rel="imdb" title="The Man Who Came to Dinner (film)">Man Who Came to Dinner</a> </i>should be satisfactory to you. In this, shall we say,<i> adventure</i>, a star-studded cast takes on a Broadway play that tops the charts in energy and action. Never a dull moment here - but please be assured, you might need to be feeling energetic yourself in order to keep up. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000012/">Bette Davis</a>, <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0792130/" rel="imdb" title="Ann Sheridan">Ann Sheridan</a>, <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002051/" rel="imdb" title="Jimmy Durante">Jimmy Durante</a>, <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000992/" rel="imdb" title="Billie Burke">Billie Burke</a>, <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0306786/" rel="imdb" title="Reginald Gardiner">Reginald Gardiner</a>, Richard Travis, and <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0926897/" rel="imdb" title="Mary Wickes">Mary Wickes</a>, all colliding with each other and <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0941253/" rel="imdb" title="Monty Woolley">Monty Woolley</a> for 112 minutes. The Great Woolley is a famous lecturer and critic who feels nothing but disdain for almost every person in the world, except his assistant, Bette Davis. He is the man who unwillingly came for dinner at the Stanley residence and never left. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Having broken his hip on the slippery stairs outside the home, the critic is at first forced to remain in the home to heal; he finds himself so enjoying meddling in (and wrecking) the lives of the family that he decides not to leave. And all of this as he prepares for a Christmas Eve radio broadcast live from the home. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Will he learn any Christmas lessons?</span> <br />
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_c.png?x-id=e95fe337-eeef-43aa-b8e8-76363c87d75f" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>Priscillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06133569789015149433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566629179170310618.post-72088963148743845642010-12-14T18:28:00.000-08:002010-12-14T18:28:10.357-08:00It's a Holiday Affair<div class="zemanta-img separator"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Holiday-Affair-Robert-Mitchum/dp/B001CW7ZYE%3FSubscriptionId%3D0G81C5DAZ03ZR9WH9X82%26tag%3Dzemanta-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB001CW7ZYE" style="clear: left; display: block; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cover of "Holiday Affair"" height="300" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51%2BsopgbfyL._SL300_.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; font-size: 0.8em;" width="246" /></a><span class="zemanta-img-attribution" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; width: 246px;">Cover of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Holiday-Affair-Robert-Mitchum/dp/B001CW7ZYE%3FSubscriptionId%3D0G81C5DAZ03ZR9WH9X82%26tag%3Dzemanta-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB001CW7ZYE">Holiday Affair</a></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What do <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000053/" rel="imdb" title="Robert Mitchum">Robert Mitchum</a>, <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001463/" rel="imdb" title="Janet Leigh">Janet Leigh</a>, and Wendall Corey have in common? A <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041473/">Holiday Affair</a> that changed each of their three lives. Janet Leigh, as Connie Ennis, is in a long-term but uncommitted relationship with <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002301/" rel="imdb" title="Carl Davis">Carl Davis</a> (Wendall Corey). </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This isn't because Carl hasn't asked her to marry him, but because she can't let go of the memory of her husband, who was killed in the war. The situation is further complicated by her son, Timmy, who isn't crazy about the idea of his mother remarrying - at least marrying Carl.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Everything changes when Connie, who is a comparison shopper, gets Steve Mason (Mitchum) fired from his job in the toy department at a large department store. From that point on they walk in and out of each other's lives more consistently than <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0930565/" rel="imdb" title="Esther Williams">Esther Williams</a> goes swimming.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The story is sweetened by little Timmy, adorably portrayed by Gordon Gebert. Timmy learns a few important Christmas lessons, including the value of friendship and loving-kindness over material things. </span><br />
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_c.png?x-id=e0c76f2e-4fb9-4f7c-9b0c-db5f779b98bb" style="border: none; float: right;" /></span></a></div>Priscillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06133569789015149433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566629179170310618.post-45897314048658668712010-12-13T18:06:00.000-08:002010-12-13T18:06:16.023-08:00The time has come for Moonlight Bay!<div class="zemanta-img separator" style="clear: right;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:On_Moonlight_Bay_poster.jpg" style="clear: right; display: block; float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="On Moonlight Bay (film)" height="233" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8c/On_Moonlight_Bay_poster.jpg" style="border: none; font-size: 0.8em;" width="300" /></a><span class="zemanta-img-attribution" style="clear: both; float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; width: 300px;">Image via <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:On_Moonlight_Bay_poster.jpg">Wikipedia</a></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Well folks, tonight we officially kick off the first of twelve days of Christmas films with <i><a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043880/" rel="imdb" title="On Moonlight Bay (film)">On Moonlight Bay</a>, </i>starring <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000013/" rel="imdb" title="Doris Day">Doris Day</a> and <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0534286/" rel="imdb" title="Gordon MacRae">Gordon MacRae</a>. The rhymes in that sentence are irresistible. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Four words. I love this movie. This is a good movie. It is fun, it is clean (thank goodness for old films), and it is spectacularly cute. And I'll tell you why.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">First, Doris Day's chemistry with the leading man is memorable. This was the third film Doris made with Gordon Macrae, and it was such a hit that Warner Bros. immediately started the wheels turning on its sequel, <i>By the Light of the Silvery Moon.</i> Day and MacRae made a great couple, not only for their stunning good looks, but also by the amazing quality of their voices. As we know, Doris Day was one of the greatest actresses to ever open her mouth on film; mixed with MacRae's majestic baritone, the sound is nearly too good to tolerate. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Second, the cast is an all-around A Team effort. Leon Ames (we'll see him again next week in <i>Meet Me in St. Louis), </i>Rosemary DeCamp, Billy Gray, Ellen Corboy, and the unforgettable Mary Wickes round out the cast of characters like a match made in heaven. Few child actors were as capable as Billy Gray, and the calibre of Ames, DeCamp, and Corboy was matched by few projects. Actually, given the build-up to production, it is a surprise to me that Warner Bros. would make such a cast investment in <i>Moonlight Bay. </i>I suspect that with gaining the rights to make these films out of the <i>Penrod </i>stories, the studio was interested in trying to replicate a little of the success <i>Meet Me in St. Louis </i>had enjoyed. If you are familiar with both movies, you will see the similarities between them. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Third, the story itself is sugary and frivolous, but it manages to work in sincere moments of joy, heartache, lesson-making, and sentiment. We see summer, fall, winter, and spring in a home where a girl grows from a tomboy to a feminine woman, while her family takes on changes of small and great significance (a new home, new neighbors, a world war) and remains remarkably the same. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Fourthly, this movie is not about Christmas, but it features some lovely Christmas moments. We get to hear two lovely Christmas songs: "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing," and "Merry Christmas All." There are lights, and snow, and angel's wings, and all of the jolly things we associate with Christmas. And Doris Day is there throughout. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What more could you need?</span><br />
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<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_c.png?x-id=d0f89f09-1c42-4fd2-87d3-d4d5108df113" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>Priscillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06133569789015149433noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566629179170310618.post-87120004504116812952010-11-28T13:43:00.000-08:002010-11-28T13:43:01.765-08:00The Twelve Days of Christmas Films movie list<div class="zemanta-img separator" style="clear: right;"><a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:500px-Xmas_tree_animated.gif" style="clear: right; display: block; float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img alt="Christmas in the post-War United States" height="300" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f9/500px-Xmas_tree_animated.gif/300px-500px-Xmas_tree_animated.gif" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; font-size: 0.8em;" width="300" /></span></a><span class="zemanta-img-attribution" style="clear: both; float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; width: 300px;"></span></div><div style="text-align: right;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Here is the full list of the films I have selected for this year's Twelve Days of Christmas Films. You will no doubt notice that some important Christmas films, like <i>The Grinch </i>and <i>Christmas in Connecticut</i> are not included. I have to save something for next year!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So I have assembled here what I hope will be a blend of the familiar and unfamiliar. Have fun trying something new this year! Also, while not every film is exclusively about Christmas, each features Christmas moments or lessons.</span><br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1. <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043880/" rel="imdb" title="On Moonlight Bay (film)">On Moonlight Bay</a> </span><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A Doris Day favorite, featuring Gordon MacRae and Mary Wickes (one of the best supporting actresses ever). The whole cast is delightful.</span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2. <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041473/" rel="imdb" title="Holiday Affair">Holiday Affair</a></span><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Splendid Robert Mitchum piece with an absolutely adorable little boy.</span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">3. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033874/">The Man Who Came to Dinner</a></span><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Hyper-actively Christmas!</span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">4. <a href="http://reelrevival.blogspot.com/2010/08/our-vines-have-tender-grapes.html">Our Vines Have Tender Grapes</a></span><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Click on the link to read my previous review.</span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">5. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099785/">Home Alone</a></span><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A must-see every year.</span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">6. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064349/">Frosty the Snow Man</a></span><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This film, featuring the voice of Jimmy Durante, is aired on CBS every year, so it will be easy for you to find. Find the schedule <a href="http://www.cbs.com/holiday_central/specials/frosty_the_snowman/">here</a>.</span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">7. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047673/">White Christmas</a></span><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Vera-Ellen, and Rosemary Clooney frolic through a white Christmas.</span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">8. <a href="http://www.blogger.com/"><span id="goog_1990909330"></span>Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer<span id="goog_1990909331"></span></a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>This one is also broadcast on CBS, but you can't wait until December if you want to catch it there. They are showing it Tuesday, Nov. 30.</i></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">9. <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037059/" rel="imdb" title="Meet Me in St. Louis">Meet Me in St. Louis</a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>You're missing out if you've never seen Judy Garland sing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" to Margaret O'Brien in this film.</i></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">10. <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039628/" rel="imdb" title="Miracle on 34th Street">Miracle on 34th Street</a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>This movie proves - in court - that Santa is real. What could be better?</i></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">11. <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039190/" rel="imdb" title="The Bishop's Wife">The Bishop's Wife</a></span><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My second favorite Christmas movie, and the one always reserved for the night before Christmas Eve. Starring Cary Grant, Loretta Young, David Niven, and outstanding supporting cast.</span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">12. <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087056/" rel="imdb" title="A Christmas Carol (1984 film)">A Christmas Carol</a> (<a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001715/" rel="imdb" title="George C. Scott">George C. Scott</a>)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Every Christmas Eve, forever and always. Simply fantastic.</i></span><br />
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<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_c.png?x-id=ee4a077f-90f4-4a1d-96d4-ff3a75fe582c" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>Priscillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06133569789015149433noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566629179170310618.post-61698409919886146972010-11-26T08:20:00.000-08:002010-11-26T08:20:02.003-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Announcing </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">The Twelve Days of Christmas Films</span></i></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Featured December 13-24 right here on Reel Revival.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Who: Everybody and anybody, these are great to watch with family!</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What: Enjoy some favorite Christmas films, and try a few you've never seen before.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">When: December 13-24</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Where: Watch the films in the comfort of your own home, then join the discussion here on Reel Revival (a few of these movies are even aired on network television every year, so you don't even have to go out and find them).</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Why: Because Christmas only comes once a year. Make merry and be jolly! Besides, there are some <i>really</i> good films on this list.</span></span></div><br />
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</span></div>Priscillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06133569789015149433noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566629179170310618.post-2194826698000446602010-11-17T18:50:00.000-08:002010-11-18T10:57:06.547-08:00High Noon<div class="zemanta-img separator" style="clear: right;"><a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gary_Cooper_in_High_Noon_1952.JPG" style="clear: right; display: block; float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cropped screenshot of Gary Cooper from the tra..." height="228" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3f/Gary_Cooper_in_High_Noon_1952.JPG/300px-Gary_Cooper_in_High_Noon_1952.JPG" style="border: none; font-size: 0.8em;" width="300" /></a><span class="zemanta-img-attribution" style="clear: both; float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; width: 300px;">Image via <a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gary_Cooper_in_High_Noon_1952.JPG">Wikipedia</a></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Recently my in-laws were visiting from the mid-West, and when we decided to watch a movie together they selected <i><a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044706/" rel="imdb" title="High Noon">High Noon</a></i>, one of the most important Westerns ever made. Before the film started I mentioned that the plot and making of this film had many parallels to Hollywood's war with Communism in the 50's. I mentioned that <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000078/" rel="imdb" title="John Wayne">John Wayne</a> hated the film, because he would not accept its premise. The subject was one familiar to me because I wrote a paper about it in my Junior year at Hillsdale College. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I think I will reproduce it here, as it contains some information I worked very hard to compile, and it will add a different texture and "voice" to the tapestry of this blog. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Here it is, entitled:</span><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">D</span></i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">o not forsake me oh my darling...</span></i><br />
<blockquote><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"The image is a classic one now: a man, haggard and alone, plodding the length of a dusty, empty street to meet almost certain death under the hot sun at high noon. Audiences loved it then, and they still love it now.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=566629179170310618#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference">[1]</span></span></a> <i>High Noon </i>is magnetic, perhaps because of its insistent rhythm (the film seems to have a heartbeat of its own), and, hate it or love it, it seems always to provoke strong responses. Two presidents, Eisenhower and Clinton, loved it so much they claimed it as their favorite movie of all-time.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=566629179170310618#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference">[2]</span></span></a> John Wayne and Howard Hawks hated it so much they made <st1:place w:st="on"><i>Rio Bravo</i></st1:place> as a retort.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=566629179170310618#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference">[3]</span></span></a> This is one of the ways in which the history of <i>High Noon</i> is representative of the history of the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">United States</st1:country-region></st1:place> in that period. Another is that the team behind <i>High Noon</i> consisted of a variety of men with starkly different political ideals, from the stoutly conservative <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0932550/" rel="imdb" title="Gary Cooper">Gary Cooper</a> to the Russian communist <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0286025/" rel="imdb" title="Carl Foreman">Carl Foreman</a>, and that the two men most responsible for the creative vision of the film, Zinnemann and Foreman, were each trying to send completely different messages to the audience. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"Released in 1952, <i>High Noon </i>starred Gary Cooper, Grace Kelly (in her first major role), Lloyd Bridges, Katy Jurado and Lon Chaney, Jr., Henry Morgan and Lee Van Cleef in minor roles. The film was produced by Stanley Kramer, directed by Fred Zinnemann and written by Carl Foreman, featuring an unforgettable soundtrack by <st1:place w:st="on">Hollywood</st1:place> great Dimitri Tiomkin. It runs for eighty-five tense black and white minutes. <i>High Noon</i> was received well by audiences, earning the eighth spot on <i>Variety</i>’s ‘Top Grossers of 1952’ taking in 3.4 million dollars in box offices across the country.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=566629179170310618#_ftn4" name="_ftnref4" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference">[4]</span></span></a> In his <i>New York Times</i> review, Bosley Crowthers strongly urged readers to experience the film’s poetic power for themselves.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=566629179170310618#_ftn5" name="_ftnref5" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference">[5]</span></span></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"The story-line is simple and powerful. An aging marshal, Will Kane, is married and planning to retire from law and order to live a quiet life with his Quaker bride, Amy, when he learns that a dreaded enemy from the past is returning on the noon train to seek his revenge. Acting on the advice of friends, he hurries out of the town, only to return under the influence of his conscience, stating, “They’re making me run. I’ve never run from anybody before.” His new bride cannot and will not support his decision to take up the gun once more, and as the marshal searches the town for an ally, he is systematically rejected by the men of the town who wish that he would “just leave” and cannot understand why is he being “so stupid”. Finally, the marshal faces his enemies alone at high noon and prevails against four ruthless gunslingers with the help of his wife, Amy, who has relented in her pacifism and taken up a gun in defense of her husband’s life. At the film’s end, Kane drops his tin star in the dust and leaves Hadleyville behind forever. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"High Noon </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">has long been the source of social analysis and cultural critique. Critics have examined the film’s supposed messages about everything from feminism, marriage, masculinity, and religion, but the most widely discussed view of <i>High Noon</i> is that the film is an allegory of <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCarthyism" rel="wikipedia" title="McCarthyism">McCarthyism</a> and the political pressure that arrested <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Hollywood</st1:place></st1:city> during the Cold War. The incumbent idea is that the film was meant as a condemnation of the blacklisting and anti-communist attitude of Hollywood agencies such as the various Screen Guilds, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and the vigorously conservative <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Alliance_for_the_Preservation_of_American_Ideals" rel="wikipedia" title="Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals">Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals</a> (MPAPAI), as well as the scrutiny directed on the entertainment industries by the <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_Un-American_Activities_Committee" rel="wikipedia" title="House Un-American Activities Committee">House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC)</a>. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"During the final war years and the close of the forties, concern over possible communist or radical subversion in all spheres of domestic life (labor, education, entertainment, etc.), sparked a nationwide effort to ferret out and deal with individuals who had ties the communist party (CPUSA) or were engaging in potentially subversive activities. In 1947 the HUAC subpoenaed and examined a number of individuals involved in the film industry, many of them screenwriters. Nineteen declared that they would not give evidence implicating other individuals, ten refused to answer any questions at all. Those ten, now known as the “Hollywood Ten”, all served time in prison as a result of their refusal and controversial invocation of the First Amendment.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=566629179170310618#_ftn6" name="_ftnref6" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference">[6]</span></span></a> Agencies like the SAG and MPAA rallied behind the HUAC, pledging to keep known and suspected Communists off of <st1:place w:st="on">Hollywood</st1:place> payrolls.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=566629179170310618#_ftn7" name="_ftnref7" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference">[7]</span></span></a> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"Initially, prominent Hollywood liberals such as Katharine Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart, Danny Kaye and John Huston spoke out against the proceedings, organizing “two national radio broadcasts, a series of…ads in the trade papers, and a highly publicized, star-studded trip to Washington, D.C…”<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=566629179170310618#_ftn8" name="_ftnref8" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference">[8]</span></span></a> But by the second wave of anti-communist pressure in Hollywood that began again in 1951, the opposition was grimly silent. Blacklisting was by then an established practice, and it came as no surprise when agencies such as the pro-McCarthy Screen Director’s Guild began requiring loyalty oaths of its members. This was the political atmosphere that <i>High Noon </i>was born of, and it had direct and substantive effects on the film and the filmmakers involved in the project; two of the three men most responsible for the ideological fabric of the finished project came under fire from a few of these agencies during production.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=566629179170310618#_ftn9" name="_ftnref9" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference">[9]</span></span></a> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"Fred Zinnemann, the director from Vienna, had already established himself as a craftsman of small independent films that focused on the stark realities of human behavior and posed a difficult or troubling question to the audience.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=566629179170310618#_ftn10" name="_ftnref10" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference">[10]</span></span></a> These qualities were the very concerns that characterized film in post-WWII <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">America</st1:place></st1:country-region>. The world was not as simple as it once seemed, and the black-and-white, happy-ending approach that carried Americans through the hardships of the World War no longer made satisfactory fare. Zinnemann, one of the best of the post-war directors because of his keen and intuitive understanding of this shift, looked at <i>High Noon</i> as an opportunity to explore the internal struggles of very human people.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=566629179170310618#_ftn11" name="_ftnref11" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference">[11]</span></span></a> To accomplish this in the film, Zinnemann made editing and filming choices that emphasized the internal struggle of Will Kane, featuring recurring close-ups of Gary Cooper’s pained face and editing the sequences in a tight formation of gritty footage: no fade outs, no color, just gritty, white skies and the swinging of the pendulum.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"Carl Foreman, the screenwriter and originally the Associate Producer under Stanley Kramer, had a vastly different intent for <i>High Noon</i>. In fact, Carl Foreman’s goal in writing the film was the very sort of thing that HUAC and the MPAPAI feared. To Foreman, <i>High Noon</i> was “a parable about <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Hollywood</st1:place></st1:city> and McCarthyism.” In an interview Foreman explicitly stated his motivation for writing <i>High Noon</i>. He saw:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">a community beginning to crumble around the edges as these high powered politicians came in…putting this community through an inquisition…and people were falling to the wayside one way or another. They were either capitulating to these gangsters…from out of town…or they were being executed by them here. And I could see my time was coming sooner or later…and I wanted to write about that. I wanted to write about the death of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Hollywood</st1:city></st1:place>. (Buhle, 421). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"When thought about from this angle, it is very easy to see exactly what Foreman </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">described playing out onscreen. But a lot of people didn’t think about it. To Foreman’s delight, some viewers were aware of the film’s message and wrote to tell him so.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=566629179170310618#_ftn12" name="_ftnref12" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference">[12]</span></span></a> But it is safe to say that most of the film audience didn’t take it that way.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=566629179170310618#_ftn13" name="_ftnref13" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference">[13]</span></span></a> Even Zinnemann claimed ignorance of the allegory.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=566629179170310618#_ftn14" name="_ftnref14" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference">[14]</span></span></a> Certainly the film would not have enjoyed such huge success if audiences had connected all of the dots. Some even chose to read the film the opposite way, that it was glorifying the stand against communism.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=566629179170310618#_ftn15" name="_ftnref15" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference">[15]</span></span></a> Although audiences in the Fifties were attracted to films that explored sobering human qualities, they were still interested in movies that entertained and inspired. <i>High Noon </i>proved to be a deeply satisfying combination of all of those traits, and that made it a legend." </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br clear="all" /> </span><br />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" /><div id="ftn1"><div class="MsoFootnoteText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=566629179170310618#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" title=""></a> <span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference">[1]</span></span> The American Film Institute’s lists of bests and greatest consistently rank <i>High Noon</i> near the top. Current rankings are: #27 of the 100 best; Will Kane is 5th best hero; <i>High Noon</i> is 20th most heart-pounding film, “Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling” is #25 best song, and Dimitri Tiomkin’s tense score is the 10th best. The full lists can be found at the American Film Institute’s site: http://connect.afi.com/site/PageServer?pagename=100yearslist.</span></div></div><div id="ftn2"><div class="MsoFootnoteText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=566629179170310618#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2" title=""></a> <span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference">[2]</span></span> Paul Buhle and Dave Wagner, <i>Radical Hollywood: The Untold Story Behind America’s Favorite Movies, </i>(<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">New York</st1:state></st1:place>: The New Press, 2002), 418.</span></div></div><div id="ftn3"><div class="MsoFootnoteText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=566629179170310618#_ftnref3" name="_ftn3" title=""></a> <span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference">[3]</span></span> Phillip Drummond, <i>High Noon, </i>(London: British Film Institute, 1997), 38. John Wayne even bragged to have been instrumental in Carl Foreman’s blacklisting and expulsion from the States. </span></div></div><div id="ftn4"><div class="MsoFootnoteText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=566629179170310618#_ftnref4" name="_ftn4" title=""></a> <span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference">[4]</span></span> Drummond, <i>High Noon, </i>43.</span></div></div><div id="ftn5"><div class="MsoFootnoteText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=566629179170310618#_ftnref5" name="_ftn5" title=""></a> <span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference">[5]</span></span> Bosley Crowthers, “High Noon”, <i>The New York Times, </i>July 25, 1952.</span></div></div><div id="ftn6"><div class="MsoFootnoteText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=566629179170310618#_ftnref6" name="_ftn6" title=""></a> <span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference">[6]</span></span> Larry Ceplair and Steven Englund, <i>The Inquisition in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Hollywood</st1:city></st1:place>: Politics in the Film Community, 1930-1960, </i>(New York: Anchor Press, 1980), 356.</span></div></div><div id="ftn7"><div class="MsoFootnoteText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=566629179170310618#_ftnref7" name="_ftn7" title=""></a> <span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference">[7]</span></span>Ceplair and Englund, <i>Inquisition, </i>445. From the Waldorf Statement: “We will not knowingly employ a Communist or a member of any party or group which advocates the overthrow of the government of the United States by force or by illegal or unconstitutional methods.”</span></div></div><div id="ftn8"><div class="MsoFootnoteText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=566629179170310618#_ftnref8" name="_ftn8" title=""></a> <span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference">[8]</span></span> Ceplair and Englund, <i>Inquisition, </i> 276-277.</span></div></div><div id="ftn9"><div class="MsoFootnoteText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=566629179170310618#_ftnref9" name="_ftn9" title=""></a> <span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference">[9]</span></span> Drummond, <i>High Noon,</i> 19. Zinnemann initially refused, but eventually agreed to sign a loyalty oath for the Screen Director’s Guild. Carl Foreman was a genuine communist and was fired from <i>High Noon</i> by the producer Stanley Kramer when he refused to cooperate with HUAC. He was then blacklisted and left for <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">England</st1:place></st1:country-region>. See Gabriel Miller, ed., <i>Fred Zinnemann Interviews,</i> (<st1:city w:st="on">Jackson</st1:city>: University Press of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Mississippi</st1:state></st1:place>, 2005), 140 and 149.</span></div></div><div id="ftn10"><div class="MsoFootnoteText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=566629179170310618#_ftnref10" name="_ftn10" title=""></a> <span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference">[10]</span></span> Miller, <i>Interviews, </i>9. “It’s a perfectly valid approach to present a problem or a question or an issue to an audience, and let them determine for themselves how they feel about it…I felt it was very important to let the audience supply their own answers.”</span></div></div><div id="ftn11"><div class="MsoFootnoteText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=566629179170310618#_ftnref11" name="_ftn11" title=""></a> <span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference">[11]</span></span> Miller, <i>Interviews, </i>35. “The theme of my films is…simply a question of conscience…It is a question of a person who has strong belief in something and who is prepared to stand up to it regardless of the consequences…Sometimes it is the conflict within the person himself, as in <i>High Noon</i>.”</span></div></div><div id="ftn12"><div class="MsoFootnoteText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=566629179170310618#_ftnref12" name="_ftn12" title=""></a> <span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference">[12]</span></span> Miller, <i>Interviews, </i>89</span></div></div><div id="ftn13"><div class="MsoFootnoteText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=566629179170310618#_ftnref13" name="_ftn13" title=""></a> <span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference">[13]</span></span> Phillip L Gianos, <i>Politics and Politicians in American Film, </i>(Westport: Praeger Publishers, 1998), 71.</span></div></div><div id="ftn14"><div class="MsoFootnoteText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=566629179170310618#_ftnref14" name="_ftn14" title=""></a> <span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference">[14]</span></span> Miller, <i>Interviews, </i>151. Zinnemann is recorded as saying, “I did not think of it in political terms. To me the film was about conscience and degrees of compromise.”</span></div></div><div id="ftn15"><div class="MsoFootnoteText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=566629179170310618#_ftnref15" name="_ftn15" title=""></a> <span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference">[15]</span></span> Drummond, 73.</span></div></div></div></blockquote><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Selected Bibliography</span></div><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Buhle, Paul and Dave Wagner. Radical Hollywood: The Untold Story Behind America’s Favorite Movies. <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">New York</st1:state></st1:place>: The New Press, 2002.</span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Ceplair, Larry and Steven Englund. The Inquisition in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Hollywood</st1:place></st1:city>: Politics in the Film Community,1930-1960. <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">New York</st1:state></st1:place>: Anchor Press, 1980. </span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Crowther, Bosley. “High Noon”. The New York Times. July 25, 1952.</span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Drummond, Phillip. High Noon. <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">London</st1:city></st1:place>: British Film Institute, 1997. </span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Gianos, Phillip L. Politics and Politicians in American Film. <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Westport</st1:city></st1:place>: Praeger Publishers, 1998.</span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Meyer, William R. The Making of the Great Westerns. <st1:state w:st="on">New York</st1:state>: <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Arlington</st1:city></st1:place> House Publishers, 1979.</span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Miller, Gabriel. ed. Fred Zinnemann: Interviews. <st1:city w:st="on">Jackson</st1:city>: University Press of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Mississippi</st1:state></st1:place>, 2005.</span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Patterson, James T. Grand Expectations: The United States, 1945-1974. <st1:state w:st="on">New York</st1:state>: <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Oxford</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype></st1:place> Press, 1996 </span></blockquote><div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_c.png?x-id=46ad3836-0560-4d41-8a00-64d8c60104a6" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>Priscillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06133569789015149433noreply@blogger.com4