Hot summer movies

It's hot and humid here in lovely Philadelphia, and with that comes a yen to watch certain movies. Although I'm not a big fan of being out in this weather, I love movies about other people who are. Here are some tried and true favorites I've been rewatching lately.

1. Objective, Burma! - (please note that official title includes the punctuation, haha) Poor Errol Flynn. He made this movie in an attempt to help with the war effort, and the British press just chewed him up for it, feeling that he was trying to take all the glory of the Burma fight for the Americans. Although he wanted to, he was unable to serve due to health issues (recurring malaria and a heart murmur) that of course Warners would never let him admit to. However, I agree with George Tobias that I would "follow him down the mouth of a cannon." Lots of adventure, highly recommended.




2. Key Largo - Oh, Eddie G., how I adore you. I know he got tired of the gangster roles, but he is so delicious in this one. I could usually take or leave Bogart, but I love him this time. Poor Lionel Barrymore was really in a wheelchair (L.B. Mayer had the role written specifically to accomodate him) and I always wince when he takes a dive trying to sock Johnny Rocco. One of my favorite scenes is when Frank asks Rocco what he really wants out of life...Rocco isn't sure, until Frank says he just wants "more." "Yeah, that's it, I want more!" Rocco exclaims. Will he ever get enough?, Frank asks. No, Rocco says, he hasn't ever before, so he doesn't suppose he ever will. A brilliant summation of all the gangsters Robinson played.




3. Rain - I've talked about this one before; Crawford is just amazing in the role of Sadie Thompson in one of the many film adaptations of Maugham's story. The scene near the end when Walter Huston loses control still makes me jump, although I know it's coming.




4. Red Dust - I watched this one last night and I was delighted to remember how funny Harlow can be. It's not always what she says, but the way she says it. "You won't grow up to be a big strong boy like Grandpa here if you don't eat your din-din, Fred." Watch it and see if it doesn't make you chuckle, too. (The line comes at 1:10.) Gene Raymond is a little too "gee whiz" for my tastes, but in a way that makes him better for the role of the husband.

Did ya or didn't ya?

A wonderful clip on YouTube, where Pat O'Brien tells how he met James Cagney, and Cagney talks about a young boy who asked him if Rocky went yellow or not.

P.S. Also, he never said "You dirty rat."

God bless you, Sean Flynn

Hopefully, an answer at last.




Pay your respects to Sean.

Girl 27

I was originally going to talk about a few different movies in this post, but changed my mind after watching Girl 27. The story is as horrifying as I expected it to be, based on the Vanity Fair article. In brief: in 1937 Patricia Douglas answered what she thought was a casting call for an MGM western picture. Instead, she and 100+ other girls were taken out to Hal Roach's ranch to a party for MGM's salesmen, who were in town for a convention. David Ross, a salesman from Chicago, brutally raped Patricia. Neither Ross, nor anyone at MGM, ever paid for the crime in any way.

David Stenn found footage of the actual sales convention, with Louis B. Mayer telling the salesmen they can have "anything they want," (which in light of later events becomes quite chilling), and even showed a clip of Ross arriving at the convention.

I've been reading comments about the movie on IMDB, and some of the criticisms I agree with; I didn't like the use of movie clips to "illustrate" (for lack of a better word) Patricia's story, especially the cartoons. It does distract from her story, and felt like padding. People commented that the interview where Patricia talks about David Stenn (the writer, director, and interviewer) was too much, but I actually liked that part; she talked about how she's never been in love and doesn't connect with other people, then we realize how fond she is of David. Maybe it did go on a bit too long.

One note of irony: when asked shortly before he died whatever became of "that girlie who took on MGM", Eddie Mannix, Mayer's toadie, said, "We had her killed." Not only did she survive, but she had the last word.

Winter weather watching

What better way to spend the "blizzard of '09" then watching some movies I'd taped off TCM.

The Painted Veil - I thought this one would be an automic win, what with Garbo and all, but I'm rather lukewarm about it. I'm so attached to the Somerset Maugham novel that this adaptation disappointed me. I understand they need to make Garbo the heroine, but I think that could have been done without straying so very far from the novel. In its place I would recommend the 2006 version with Naomi Watts, Edward Norton, and Liev Schrieber.

Her Cardboard Lover - This movie gets a bad rap, and is often cited as the reason Norma Shearer retired from movies, but I loved it. Granted, she does go over the top a bit with all the "darling Tony!" stuff, but I kind of expect that from her. Robert Taylor was abolutely delightful with the silly bits and one liners. And who better to play the cad than George Sanders? Character actor bonus: Frank McHugh (whose character was named Chappie Champagne, how can you not love that?).

I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang - I'd taped this months ago, when Alec Baldwin was guest hosting The Essentials. (Suggestion to Robert Osbourne: maybe next time let the guest host get a few words in edgewise?) Finally got around to watching it, and promptly went and bought the DVD from Amazon when the movie was over. EGAD. Paul Muni is brilliant, and Alec Baldwin was so right to advise the viewer to make sure and stay for the final scene (which happened the way it does by accident; I love those kind of stories). The plot is very like "The Roaring Twenties," one of my favorite Cagney movies.

Next Up: Bedlam (Karloff runs the infamous insane asylum!), Never Say Goodbye, 84 Charing Cross Road, and Girl 27 (you can read that [horrifying and true] story here.)

Squeeeeeeeeeeee!

I happened to be watching TCM today (it's Michael Curtiz today, which translates, for me, into Errol Flynn day) and they ran an ad for their new Warners Archive Collection. Lots of new movies never before on DVD, they promised! And I have to say, Ted Turner has delivered. Some of my favorite movies are now on DVD, so I scooped up a bunch: Idiot's Delight, Laughing Sinners, Dance Fools Dance, Possessed, Chained, and Forsaking All Others. There's a couple others I have my eye on, but I tried to restrain myself. ;) Maybe when I win the lottery.

For Memorial Day

In honor of the holiday, I thought I'd list some of my favorite classic war movies. I haven't been watching many movies lately, hence the lack of updates, so this will have to do.

• Objective, Burma!
• Destination Tokyo
• Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo
• They Were Expendable
• Blood On The Sun
• 13 Rue Madeleine
• Mister Roberts
• Run Silent, Run Deep
• The Gallant Hours
• Europa, Europa
• Der Untergang (The Downfall)
• Sophie Scholl - Die Letzten Tage (The Final Days)
• The Fighting 69th
• Captains of the Clouds
• The Dawn Patrol
• Dive Bomber
• You, John Jones! (one reel short)

On an unrelated note, I'd also like to salute my family members who have served in the armed forces: Charles Kissinger, Jack Lehr, Richard Burroughs, Harry Maurer, and Buddy Sarvis.

IMDB's Top 10!

As I noted once before, IMDB numbers each star as part of the URL, and #1 is Mr. Fred Astaire. I was curious to see who the "top 10" would be.

1. Fred Astaire
2. Lauren Bacall
3. Brigitte Bardot
4. John Belushi (toga! toga! toga!)
5. Ingmar Bergman
6. Ingrid Bergman
7. Humphrey Bogart
8. Marlon Brando
9. Richard Burton
10. James Cagney (I was just thinking, he must be in the top 10)

I'm surprised. I never would have expected Belushi to be in the top 10. I assumed they'd start with all the "classic" stars first. I wonder how they came up with the "pecking order" in the first place.

A sensible review...

...of Gone With the Wind. I came across this on Amazon today and thought it made some good points.

Movie Poster Art

I love movie posters from the 1930's. They have a style, half photographic and half painted, that visually appeals to me. I have been tempted to buy certain posters, even when I think the movie is only so-so, just because I love the artwork. Some examples:

One of my favorite Harlow posters. Not my favorite Harlow movie.

My all time favorite Crawford poster. I thought the movie was blah. Look at that hair! And I like the script at the top.

I love the look of her face, although not the skin tone.

I love the poster and the movie in this case. Ann Sheridan is just beautiful.

A little over the top, but still gorgeous.

I just like the yellow, and the heads of the cast members.