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Post by Hoosier X on Feb 21, 2017 0:47:50 GMT -5
A musical can be fun and uplifting when it clicks, silly or wretched when it doesn't. Finian's Rainbow (1968) with Fred Astaire, Petula Clark, Keenan Wynn, Tommy Steele and Al Freeman Jr falls in to the silly section for me. Astaire and Clark are father and daughter who left Ireland and come to an integrated southern backwoods poor village. Along with their phony Irish brogue they possess a stolen pot of gold from the Leprechauns. The gold pot can grant wishes, such as turning the racist governor of that state into a black man. Al Freeman Jr plays a botanist trying to invent homegrown mentholated tobacco. Tommy Steele is an annoying Leprechaun who is intent on getting the gold back Fred Astaire was 68 years old when this was filmed and for that age I applaud him for still being on his feet but obviously he has lost a few steps. It's the last musical he would try to dance in. I was unaware of any of the songs in this musical and for good reason-they are forgettable. Francis Ford Coppola was the director. That's right. Let's just say, visually, it's not as interesting as The Godfather and needs to sleep with the fishes Finian's Rainbow-Lots of Blarney I might like it. It sounds weird enough. And I have a soft spot in my part-Irish heart for Irish stereotypes and bad brogues. For example, I love Shirley Temple's accent (such as it is) in The Story of Seabiscuit.
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Post by Pharozonk on Feb 21, 2017 15:26:47 GMT -5
Take a shot every time someone bangs their head on something in this movie.
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Post by Hoosier X on Feb 21, 2017 19:56:54 GMT -5
Take a shot every time someone bangs their head on something in this movie. I've heard of it. I can't believe I've never seen it. I love this stuff. No, I had to watch The Magnificent Yankee (1950) last night just because Louis Calhern was nominated for Best Actor. It's a heckuva lot better than you'd expect from the synopsis. It helps a lot that it's less than 90 minutes.
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Feb 21, 2017 22:23:40 GMT -5
No, I had to watch The Magnificent Yankee (1950) last night It's being remade with Derek Jeter
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Post by Prince Hal on Feb 22, 2017 10:33:02 GMT -5
No, I had to watch The Magnificent Yankee (1950) last night It's being remade with Derek JeterThought he'd be the Magnificent Yank er. I'll be here till next Tuesday. Try the veal.. and be nice to the waitresses.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 23, 2017 0:11:57 GMT -5
I just saw The Pink Panther Strikes Again tonight on Television and it's one of those movies that really cracks you up and it's was simply one of the funniest movies that I've seen in my lifetime and I haven't seen this in years, really years and it's still holds up in the funny bone business. I just find it amusing, crazy, and dead people falling like crazy, and dangerous situations, gorgeous lady by the name of Olga, and everything else in the between and that Castle Scene was really fit the hoot and driving former Chief Inspector mad. I just was cracking up from the beginning to end and I did not realize how fast this movie holds up from time to time. The End of this nutty movie is quite memorable and I've haven't seen it for a very long time and it was crazy when Cato entered the picture to make this movie a laugh riot to the end. Couple of sexy scenes that made me laughed tonight with Peter Sellers and Lesley Anne Down. Film in 1976.
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Feb 23, 2017 1:39:08 GMT -5
Two extremely impressive films watched last night
A Raisin In The Sun (1961) Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee, Claudia McNeil
Poitier plays a 35 year old chauffeur living in a Chicago tenement. He is desperate to get some money together so he can become partners with friends and open a liquor store. The depression that engulfs him of having such a subservient job is ruining his marriage (with Ruby Dee). The small apartment is shared with his mother (McNeil), sister and young son. His father had passed away months ago and a check made out to his mother from a life insurance policy is expected for the amount of $10,000. His mother is a very religious lady and is opposed to the idea of the family's involvement with liquor
Adapted from a stage play, the acting is powerful from the start and continues to build. It's stage origins is apparent since 98% of the film takes place within the small apartment. Poitier as usual is a consummate actor but the big surprise is Claudia McNeil as the matron.
Simply a movie that must be seen
The Private Life Of Henry VIII (1933) Charles Laughton, Robert Donat, Merle Oberon, Wendy Barrie, Elsa Lanchester, Binnie Barnes
The six wives of Henry VIII, as one by one they are disposed of in different reasons for different ways
I was so impresses with Laughton the other week for his Ruggles Of Red Gap and once again he bowls me over with this portrayal. Also copped Laughton with an Oscar.Director Alexander Korda is at the top of his game and the film has many light-hearted touches. The banquet scene with Laughton devouring his chicken is a classic and for the rest of his life he was often served free chicken without utensils at restaurants
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Feb 24, 2017 5:13:07 GMT -5
My weekly excursion to the library has netted the following DVDs
Prelude To Murder (1946) Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce- Final Rathbone Sherlock Holmes Private Lives (1931) Norma Shearer, Robert Montgomery- Pre-Code saucy comedy Palooka (1934) Jimmie Durante, Lupe Velez-A film adaptation of the Joe Palooka boxing comic strip Peeper (1976) Michael Caine, Natalie Wood -Comedy/mystery with Caine as a private eye Pinky (1949) Jeanne Crain,Ethel Barrymore-Very early movie on racial relationships with a light skinned African American dating a white man who does not know her background Purple Plain (1954) Gregory Peck-WWII drama Password Is Courage (1962) Dirk Bogarde-true story about a planned escape from a WWII German POW camp Pandora & The Flying Dutchman (1951) Ava Gardner, James Mason- Romantic Fantasy with a nightclub singer falling in love with a mysterious ship's captain
As you might have noticed I'm going through the library shelves in alphabetical order. Musicals are in a seperate section and I pick 1 per week. This week It's Always Fair Weather with Gene (Don't Call Me Grace) Kelly, Cyd Charisse and Dan Dailey
And a new release documentary on the rock band Oasis titled Oasis Supersonic
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Post by Pharozonk on Feb 24, 2017 8:26:00 GMT -5
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Post by Prince Hal on Feb 24, 2017 10:15:28 GMT -5
My weekly excursion to the library has netted the following DVDs Prelude To Murder (1946) Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce- Final Rathbone Sherlock Holmes Private Lives (1931) Norma Shearer, Robert Montgomery- Pre-Code saucy comedy Palooka (1934) Jimmie Durante, Lupe Velez-A film adaptation of the Joe Palooka boxing comic strip Peeper (1976) Michael Caine, Natalie Wood -Comedy/mystery with Caine as a private eye Pinky (1949) Jeanne Crain,Ethel Barrymore-Very early movie on racial relationships with a light skinned African American dating a white man who does not know her background Purple Plain (1954) Gregory Peck-WWII drama Password Is Courage (1962) Dirk Bogarde-true story about a planned escape from a WWII German POW camp Pandora & The Flying Dutchman (1951) Ava Gardner, James Mason- Romantic Fantasy with a nightclub singer falling in love with a mysterious ship's captain As you might have noticed I'm going through the library shelves in alphabetical order. Musicals are in a seperate section and I pick 1 per week. This week It's Always Fair Weather with Gene (Don't Call Me Grace) Kelly, Cyd Charisse and Dan Dailey And a new releases documentary on the rock rock Oasis titles Oasis Supersonic I'd never heard of Prelude to Murder, and found this great nugget of trivia when I looked it up: " Dressed to Kill is the fourteenth and final Sherlock Holmes film that Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce made together. The original script by Frank Gruber was titled Prelude to Murder. Leonard Lee reworked the script, and eventually it was retitled Dressed to Kill. The rather cryptic title refers not to Sherlock Holmes, but to the film's femme fatale, Hilda Courtney. Ironically, although she is "dressed to kill," she does no killing herself, leaving the killing to her henchmen. Released in the summer of 1946, in the United Kingdom the film had a much better title: Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Code." www.basilrathbone.net/films/shdressedtokill/
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Feb 24, 2017 10:24:15 GMT -5
My weekly excursion to the library has netted the following DVDs Prelude To Murder (1946) Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce- Final Rathbone Sherlock Holmes Private Lives (1931) Norma Shearer, Robert Montgomery- Pre-Code saucy comedy Palooka (1934) Jimmie Durante, Lupe Velez-A film adaptation of the Joe Palooka boxing comic strip Peeper (1976) Michael Caine, Natalie Wood -Comedy/mystery with Caine as a private eye Pinky (1949) Jeanne Crain,Ethel Barrymore-Very early movie on racial relationships with a light skinned African American dating a white man who does not know her background Purple Plain (1954) Gregory Peck-WWII drama Password Is Courage (1962) Dirk Bogarde-true story about a planned escape from a WWII German POW camp Pandora & The Flying Dutchman (1951) Ava Gardner, James Mason- Romantic Fantasy with a nightclub singer falling in love with a mysterious ship's captain As you might have noticed I'm going through the library shelves in alphabetical order. Musicals are in a seperate section and I pick 1 per week. This week It's Always Fair Weather with Gene (Don't Call Me Grace) Kelly, Cyd Charisse and Dan Dailey And a new releases documentary on the rock rock Oasis titles Oasis Supersonic I'd never heard of Prelude to Murder, and found this great nugget of trivia when I looked it up: " Dressed to Kill is the fourteenth and final Sherlock Holmes film that Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce made together. The original script by Frank Gruber was titled Prelude to Murder. Leonard Lee reworked the script, and eventually it was retitled Dressed to Kill. The rather cryptic title refers not to Sherlock Holmes, but to the film's femme fatale, Hilda Courtney. Ironically, although she is "dressed to kill," she does no killing herself, leaving the killing to her henchmen. Released in the summer of 1946, in the United Kingdom the film had a much better title: Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Code." www.basilrathbone.net/films/shdressedtokill/Great catch Prince. The DVD makes no mention that Prelude To Murder was an alternate title. On top of that, I had seen Dressed To Kill a few years ago. So now, since it's in my house on loan, not only do I need to decide if I want to watch it again but I also need to decide if I should watch the original b&w or colorized version.
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Post by Prince Hal on Feb 24, 2017 10:29:36 GMT -5
I'd never heard of Prelude to Murder, and found this great nugget of trivia when I looked it up: " Dressed to Kill is the fourteenth and final Sherlock Holmes film that Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce made together. The original script by Frank Gruber was titled Prelude to Murder. Leonard Lee reworked the script, and eventually it was retitled Dressed to Kill. The rather cryptic title refers not to Sherlock Holmes, but to the film's femme fatale, Hilda Courtney. Ironically, although she is "dressed to kill," she does no killing herself, leaving the killing to her henchmen. Released in the summer of 1946, in the United Kingdom the film had a much better title: Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Code." www.basilrathbone.net/films/shdressedtokill/Great catch Prince. The DVD makes no mention that Prelude To Murder was an alternate title. On top of that, I had seen Dressed To Kill a few years ago. So now, since it's in my house on loan, not only do I need to decide if I want to watch it again but I also need to decide if I should watch the original b&w or colorized version. Yeah, I was delighted that there might be a Rathbone-Bruce Holmes I hadn't seen, too. I vote you rewatch it, but only in delicious black and white.
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Feb 24, 2017 10:51:42 GMT -5
If I re-watch it, after only a few years, I might choose (don't shoot me please) color this time so that it's something new to it I mention the Lincoln Center Of The Preforming Arts Library often on this thread and thought I'd post some pictures of it Here's a nice shot of it's main plaza at night with the iconic fountain Past the fountain, to the right of the building in the rear is the library site The library has 4 levels. The bottom is the auditorium for lectures. The main floor is the check-out desk and exhibition rooms which change every month. 2nd floor is the circulating library for movies, CDs and books as well as computer stations. Top floor is the archive rooms where you can request to view or listen to material that cannot be taken out of the library To give you an idea of the breadth of their available circulating inventory take a look at this This would be the book aisles. They have about 20 aisles of that. Only books and biographies of performing art subjects. They also have a few aisles for sheet music and folios. The same shelving units are used for DVDs except there are 7 levels. 5 aisles for DVDs. They have about 8 aisles for CDs. They even have a section for movies on videotape I've been going here weekly for about 2 years now and I don't think I'll ever run out of things to take home. Plus a regular library across the street, a fine surrounding neighborhood, occasional free concerts in the plaza and a few blocks from Central Park
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Post by Prince Hal on Feb 24, 2017 10:59:46 GMT -5
If I re-watch it, after only a few years, I might choose (don't shoot me please) color this time so that it's something new to it I mention the Lincoln Center Of The Preforming Arts Library often on this thread and thought I'd post some pictures of it Here's a nice shot of it's main plaza at night with the iconic fountain Past the fountain, to the right of the building in the rear is the library site The library has 4 levels. The bottom is the auditorium for lectures. The main floor is the check-out desk and exhibition rooms which change every month. 2nd floor is the circulating library for movies, CDs and books as well as computer stations. Top floor is the archive rooms where you can request to view or listen to material that cannot be taken out of the library To give you an idea of the breadth of their available circulating inventory take a look at this This would be the book aisles. They have about 20 aisles of that. Only books and biographies of performing art subjects. They also have a few aisles for sheet music and folios. The same shelving units are used for DVDs except there are 7 levels. 5 aisles for DVDs. They have about 8 aisles for CDs. They even have a section for movies on videotape I've been going here weekly for about 2 years now and I don't think I'll ever run out of things to take home. Plus a regular library across the street, a fine surrounding neighborhood, occasional free concerts in the plaza and a few blocks from Central Park What's the emoticon for envy? Used to go there every year in college to see The Nutcracker. Last time there saw War Horse.
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Feb 24, 2017 11:12:55 GMT -5
Let's turn Prince 50 Shades Of Green with Envy A good view of one aisle DVD shelving Outside, in front of the library is a smaller plaza with a reflecting pool and plenty of seating and shady trees that's wonderful to relax during the warm months
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