|
Post by codystarbuck on Nov 29, 2018 19:00:07 GMT -5
Yeah, I taped it off of TCM, some years back. It's not a bad film; kind of slow, and not as intriguing as it wants to be. Good story at the heart of things and a good cast; plus, it highlights a little discussed area of WW2, the seizure of the Channel Islands.
The story is based, loosely, on Eddie Chapman, who was a double agent, run by MI-5. The Triple cross Program had succeeded in rooting out all of Germany's agents in the UK (many turned themselves in ) and then turning some into double-agents, feeding disinformation to the German's, which they considered to be top quality. It was highly instrumental in the deception campaign to protect the secrecy of the Normandy landings.
Plummer did a couple of these types of things, after he had been up for James Bond. He gets to do a bit of this thing, to greater effect, in The Return of the Pink Panther, as Sir Charles Lytton, the Phantom. Quite frankly, i wouldn't have minded him instead of Roger Moore (and I liked Moore, to a point).
Brynner starred in a great spy film, The Double Man, which isn't as well known (more intrigue than an action piece).
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 29, 2018 22:38:53 GMT -5
Movies that I watched recently
On Turner Classic Movies - 6 Movies
On Friday, the 23rd ... MARK OF ZORRO, THE (1940) ... I just loved this movie, seen it a thousand times, never bored me. On Friday, the 23rd ... GUNGA DIN (1939) ... Great Movie and I've loved this adventure movie. On Sunday, the 25th ... WIZARD OF OZ, THE (1925) ... Fantastic Movie that made in 1925, Incredible and Very Entertaining! On Monday, the 26th ... GOLD DIGGERS OF 1935 (1935) ... Enjoyable Movie, and loved Dick Powell and Gloria Stewart. On Tuesday, the 27th ... LAST PICTURE SHOW, THE (1971) ... I haven't seen this movie for a long time, Starring Cybill Shepard. On Wednesday, the 28th ... FUZZY PINK NIGHTGOWN, THE (1957) ... Delightful Jane Russell Movie!
On other Channels - 5 Movies
Son of Godzilla (1967) ... 1st time in 30 years! Godzilla versus Mechagodzilla (1974) ... My Personal Favorite The Green Berets (1968) ... Loved this John Wayne Classic, enjoyable and well made. The General's Daughter (1999) ... I did not care for this movie, too intense and very graphic. The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw (1958) ... Fun Movie to watch and it's starred Kenneth More and Jayne Mansfield
On DVDs - 5 Movies
Sink the Bismarck (1960) ... After watching the Fractured Jaw, I watched this another Kenneth More Classic too. Down to Earth (1947) ... Rita Hayworth Classic, loved every bit of it. Pal Joey (1957) ... Rita Hayworth, Kim Novak, and Frank Sinatra starred in this movie, that I enjoyed very much. Blood and Sand (1941) ... Rita Hayworth, Tyrone Powers, and Linda Darnell ... what a cast! Superman the Movie (1978) ... My favorite Superman Movie of All Time ... never, ever failed me.
16 Movies in All ... one of my big week of movie watching ...
|
|
|
Post by Hoosier X on Nov 30, 2018 20:11:43 GMT -5
In November, I saw 15 movies from the "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die" list. (Well, 16 if you count Beat the Devil, but I had already seen that. It was more than I usually watch in a month. I had a 30-day free trial with Amazon Prime and I tried to watch any available films from the List before the free trial ended. Then I hurt my foot and had to spend a few days staying in bed as much as possible. I watched a few movies then. Plus, I had the house to myself during some of the week of Thanksgiving, and I fit in a few then. 1. Earth Entranced (1967) 2. The Hired Hand (1971) 3. Last Tango in Paris (1972) 4. Manilla in the Claws of Light (1975) 5. Fox and His Friends (1975) 6. The Ascent (1976) 7. Sleeping Dogs (1977) 8. Three Brothers (1981) 9. The Time to Live and the Time to Die (1985) 10. No Fear No Die (1990) 11. Romper Stomper (1992) 12. Dilwale Dalhania le Jayenge (The Brave-Hearted Will Take the Bride) (1995) 13. Abre los ojos (Open Your Eyes) (1997) 14. Pi (1998) 15. Beau Travail (1999)
|
|
|
Post by codystarbuck on Dec 1, 2018 23:16:03 GMT -5
Movies that I watched recentlyOn Turner Classic Movies - 6 Movies On Friday, the 23rd ... MARK OF ZORRO, THE (1940) ... I just loved this movie, seen it a thousand times, never bored me. On Friday, the 23rd ... GUNGA DIN (1939) ... Great Movie and I've loved this adventure movie. On Sunday, the 25th ... WIZARD OF OZ, THE (1925) ... Fantastic Movie that made in 1925, Incredible and Very Entertaining! On Monday, the 26th ... GOLD DIGGERS OF 1935 (1935) ... Enjoyable Movie, and loved Dick Powell and Gloria Stewart. On Tuesday, the 27th ... LAST PICTURE SHOW, THE (1971) ... I haven't seen this movie for a long time, Starring Cybill Shepard. On Wednesday, the 28th ... FUZZY PINK NIGHTGOWN, THE (1957) ... Delightful Jane Russell Movie! On other Channels - 5 Movies Son of Godzilla (1967) ... 1st time in 30 years! Godzilla versus Mechagodzilla (1974) ... My Personal Favorite The Green Berets (1968) ... Loved this John Wayne Classic, enjoyable and well made. The General's Daughter (1999) ... I did not care for this movie, too intense and very graphic. The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw (1958) ... Fun Movie to watch and it's starred Kenneth More and Jayne Mansfield On DVDs - 5 Movies Sink the Bismarck (1960) ... After watching the Fractured Jaw, I watched this another Kenneth More Classic too. Down to Earth (1947) ... Rita Hayworth Classic, loved every bit of it. Pal Joey (1957) ... Rita Hayworth, Kim Novak, and Frank Sinatra starred in this movie, that I enjoyed very much. Blood and Sand (1941) ... Rita Hayworth, Tyrone Powers, and Linda Darnell ... what a cast! Superman the Movie (1978) ... My favorite Superman Movie of All Time ... never, ever failed me. 16 Movies in All ... one of my big week of movie watching ... The Green Berets is a total Sgt Fury of a movie. The best criticism, aside from geographic issues, was the scene where Mike Henry gets it, and kills about a half dozen NVA soldiers, on his way to the ground. Then, he still has breath to radio the rest. The geographic criticism? They have the sun setting from the wrong direction, because they shot in the US. It is possible on a peninsula, to see the sun setting over the water, in Vietnam; but, that's not what they depict in the film. They pretty much chucked out everything from Robin Moore's book, except the title. Politically, the film ignores a ton of inconvenient facts, to deliver a WW2 actioner, set in Nam. It's a good John Wayne film; it's a terrible Vietnam War film. I love it, as a Duke film, and for some of the supporting cast (love Jim Hutton, as Peterson); but, I have to turn off my brain, every since I became an adult (and a veteran) to watch the film. A good special operations Vietnam film to see is the Australian movie, The Odd Angry Shot, which deals with soldiers of the Australian SAS,, as they go from being excited at the chance of action, to bloodied and angry at the loss, for no good purpose or viable outcome. Gives a different perspective to others of the era, like The Boys in Company C, Full Metal Jacket, or Platoon. The Aussie film was shot at the Aussie Jungle warfare training center, and has more accurate terrain, than The Green Berets did (which was largely shot at Ft Benning). Sink The Bismark is a gripping war drama, based on the book by CS Forrester (author of the Hornblower naval adventure series). It gets a bit melodramatic; but, really captures the tension of the operations to locate and attack the Bismark and its sister ships. Gunga Din is largely responsible for the presence of the Thuggee in Indian Jones and the Temple of Doom, as Spielberg and Lucas swiped heavily from that film. The film, itself, is a heck of a lot more Talbot Mundy (King of the Khyber Rifles and the Jimgrim series) than it is Kipling, that's for sure. Enjoyable, if you aren't Indian, given the rather racist depictions in the film and the brownface stuff, with Sam Jaffee. Great adventure film, if you ignore that kind of stuff and good character stuff. The Mark of Zorro is the subject of one of three movie posters that grace my computer room wall (the others are The Adv. of Robin Hood and The Three Musketeers (Richard Lester version, with Michael York, Oliver Reed, Frank Finlay, Richard Chamberlain, Raquel Welch, Christopher Lee, Charlton Heston and Faye Dunaway). They share space with a poster of NC Wyeth's cover fro the Scribner's Edition of Treasure Island, a Mike Grell sketch of robin Hood, a Joe Staton sketch of Captain Marvel, a Gray Morrow rendition of the Black terror, a Doug Rice Manhunter sketch and a Tom Lyle Sgt Strike (from the Eclipse comic Strike!) sketch. Those and my Naval commission and my commissioning photo (where I look to be about 13).
|
|
|
Post by codystarbuck on Dec 1, 2018 23:19:02 GMT -5
In November, I saw 15 movies from the "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die" list. (Well, 16 if you count Beat the Devil, but I had already seen that. It was more than I usually watch in a month. I had a 30-day free trial with Amazon Prime and I tried to watch any available films from the List before the free trial ended. Then I hurt my foot and had to spend a few days staying in bed as much as possible. I watched a few movies then. Plus, I had the house to myself during some of the week of Thanksgiving, and I fit in a few then. 1. Earth Entranced (1967) 2. The Hired Hand (1971) 3. Last Tango in Paris (1972) 4. Manilla in the Claws of Light (1975) 5. Fox and His Friends (1975) 6. The Ascent (1976) 7. Sleeping Dogs (1977) 8. Three Brothers (1981) 9. The Time to Live and the Time to Die (1985) 10. No Fear No Die (1990) 11. Romper Stomper (1992) 12. Dilwale Dalhania le Jayenge (The Brave-Hearted Will Take the Bride) (1995) 13. Abre los ojos (Open Your Eyes) (1997) 14. Pi (1998) 15. Beau Travail (1999) Romper Stomper is the only one I've seen out of that list. Shame about Daniel Pollock, who plays Davey, who committed suicide, just before the release of the film. He was really good in it.
|
|
|
Post by berkley on Dec 2, 2018 17:35:40 GMT -5
Yeah, I taped it off of TCM, some years back. It's not a bad film; kind of slow, and not as intriguing as it wants to be. Good story at the heart of things and a good cast; plus, it highlights a little discussed area of WW2, the seizure of the Channel Islands. The story is based, loosely, on Eddie Chapman, who was a double agent, run by MI-5. The Triple cross Program had succeeded in rooting out all of Germany's agents in the UK (many turned themselves in ) and then turning some into double-agents, feeding disinformation to the German's, which they considered to be top quality. It was highly instrumental in the deception campaign to protect the secrecy of the Normandy landings. Plummer did a couple of these types of things, after he had been up for James Bond. He gets to do a bit of this thing, to greater effect, in The Return of the Pink Panther, as Sir Charles Lytton, the Phantom. Quite frankly, i wouldn't have minded him instead of Roger Moore (and I liked Moore, to a point). Brynner starred in a great spy film, The Double Man, which isn't as well known (more intrigue than an action piece). I grew up seeing the Roger Moore films on tv so there's a lot of nostalgia attached to them for me. In a lot of ways they're more light-hearted comedy than serious action thrillers, though that varies from film to film - and even within the same film sometimes. None of them are really great, but the entertainment value is very high, for me.
One actor I only recently found out was up for the Bond role but of course never got it was Michael Billington the guy who played Barbara Bach's romantic partner in The Spy Who Loved Me, a Russian agent who is killed by Bond early on in the movie. From his small amount of screen time in that film I think had just the right look and screen presence for part of Bond.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 2, 2018 20:31:38 GMT -5
codystarbuck ... I understand exactly what you mean when you are talking about The Green Berets and Gunga Din. Makes sense to me and I wanted to convey that. Your comments regarding The Green Berets in italics is noteworthy and you being a veteran is truly noted for; your comments regarding turning off your brain probably a hard thing to do when watching this movie and I can understand that and I respect you for it. I love it, as a Duke film, and for some of the supporting cast (love Jim Hutton, as Peterson); but, I have to turn off my brain, every since I became an adult (and a veteran) to watch the film.
|
|
|
Post by codystarbuck on Dec 2, 2018 23:13:56 GMT -5
codystarbuck ... I understand exactly what you mean when you are talking about The Green Berets and Gunga Din. Makes sense to me and I wanted to convey that. Your comments regarding The Green Berets in italics is noteworthy and you being a veteran is truly noted for; your comments regarding turning off your brain probably a hard thing to do when watching this movie and I can understand that and I respect you for it. I love it, as a Duke film, and for some of the supporting cast (love Jim Hutton, as Peterson); but, I have to turn off my brain, every since I became an adult (and a veteran) to watch the film. I saw the film as a kid and loved it as a heroic action film. It was pretty much in the mold of the WW2 action films, of the period. It's got some fine character actors in it, like Hutton, Aldo Ray, Raymond St Jacques, Jack Soo and others; plus, tough guys like Duke, Mike Henry (one of the later era Tarzans) and Luke Askew. And, it has George Takei, dammit! David jansen does a fine job, too, as the skeptical reporter. It was only when I got older and read more about the Green Berets (including Robin Moore's book) and Vietnam operations (special forces and conventional) that I started seeing all the flaws in it, aside from being totally pro-war. I still enjoyed the film as an actioner; it's hard not to as it is filled with heroes, doing heroic things. Unfortunately, that isn't real war, even in the noblest of causes. It's like Sgt Fury, in that it is gung ho, over-the-top, superheroic commando stuff. It's a male fantasy. Nothing wrong with that, except holding it up as an example of real war. Sgt Rock and Enemy Ace were here you went for something more realistic, in comics, and, in film there were better ones. For Vietnam, it took some distance and films are still heavily politicized, even when dealing with real events (like We Were Soldiers). Vietnam was a war that just can't be simplified. Gunga Din is a similar fantasy and an old school adventure, which is why I liken it more to Talbot Mundy. Mundy was the king of adventure fiction, of the era, with The King of the Khyber Rifles and his Jumgrim series. JimGrim is one of the prototypes for Indiana Jones and RE Howard's El Borak (whose visualization, by Steranko, led to him working on conceptual paintings for Raiders of the Lost Ark). It's old school, Colonial adventure, by a group of comrades, vs an evil group. Totally ignores British colonialism in India. I sometimes think the only reason they called it Gunga-Din was that they liked the name, not the Kipling poem. There's actually a really good film, from a few years back, about Kipling and his son, Jack, played by Daniel Radcliffe, My Boy Jack. David Haig (4 Weddings and a Funeral, The Thin Blue Line tv series) plays Kipling, best buddies with King George and champion of Empire and pro-war patriotism. His son Jack, is very nearsighted and turned down by the Army on several occasions. He fakes his way through an eye test to be accepted into the army and trains to be an officer. He has to create padding under his glasses to sight hi rifle. He dies, tragically, in the war, after losing his glasses, in an assault on a machine gun nest. Kipling's wife and daughter opposed Jack's joining the army and Kipling is shattered by grief, afterwards. David Haig wrote the play the film was based upon. I don't really know about the accuracy of it; but, it has some powerful stuff in it.
|
|
|
Post by codystarbuck on Dec 2, 2018 23:27:28 GMT -5
Yeah, I taped it off of TCM, some years back. It's not a bad film; kind of slow, and not as intriguing as it wants to be. Good story at the heart of things and a good cast; plus, it highlights a little discussed area of WW2, the seizure of the Channel Islands. The story is based, loosely, on Eddie Chapman, who was a double agent, run by MI-5. The Triple cross Program had succeeded in rooting out all of Germany's agents in the UK (many turned themselves in ) and then turning some into double-agents, feeding disinformation to the German's, which they considered to be top quality. It was highly instrumental in the deception campaign to protect the secrecy of the Normandy landings. Plummer did a couple of these types of things, after he had been up for James Bond. He gets to do a bit of this thing, to greater effect, in The Return of the Pink Panther, as Sir Charles Lytton, the Phantom. Quite frankly, i wouldn't have minded him instead of Roger Moore (and I liked Moore, to a point). Brynner starred in a great spy film, The Double Man, which isn't as well known (more intrigue than an action piece). I grew up seeing the Roger Moore films on tv so there's a lot of nostalgia attached to them for me. In a lot of ways they're more light-hearted comedy than serious action thrillers, though that varies from film to film - and even within the same film sometimes. None of them are really great, but the entertainment value is very high, for me.
One actor I only recently found out was up for the Bond role but of course never got it was Michael Billington the guy who played Barbara Bach's romantic partner in The Spy Who Loved Me, a Russian agent who is killed by Bond early on in the movie. From his small amount of screen time in that film I think had just the right look and screen presence for part of Bond.
I like most of Moore's Bonds, except View to a Kill, where he is way too long in the tooth (and the plot is rather mundane) and Moonraker, which just gets plain silly (though it has moments). The others I enjoy and think For Your Eyes Only is one of the best non-Connery Bonds. Still, I liked him better as the Saint, and as Ruffus Excalibur ffolkes, in the movie ffolkes (aka Northsea Hijack), with Tony Perkins, as a terrorist. He is a more roguish character and it fits his personality more. I still think George Lazenby gets a really undeserved rep and that OHMSS is one of the best Bond films, period, and he is good for the bulk of it, with only a few bad scenes (mostly when he is disguised as the geneologist). he was very good in the action sequences (far better than any of Moore's films) and was pretty good in the romantic scenes. he also has a bit of humanity to him. His inexperience shows in scenes early on (when he resigns) and in a few spots, here and there; but, for the bulk of the film, he is great. Dalton was singled out around that time; but, would have been too young. However, in OHMSS, he probably would have been better all around, given the greater experience and acting skill. I still want to see someone do Modesty Blaise right. The Joseph Losey film is pure camp, which is fine, for camp; but, terrible for a character like Modesty. Terrence Stamp was a good choice for Willie Garvin; but, the script lets him down. The tv movie is just bland and too low budget. That thing that Tarrantino produced is done too much on the cheap, with an aneorexic actress. If they had done it in the 90s, Sean Bean would have been perfect for Willie Garvin. Monica Belucci would have been an interesting choice for Modesty. I've always also loved the Michael Caine Harry Palmer spy films, based on the Len Deighton novels. They are the anti-Bonds, greatly aided by a wry sense of humor and Guy Doleman, as Col. Ross. They are intriguing and fun. I would have also enjoyed more Derek Flint films, with James Coburn, had they kept them more like Our Man Flint, and not like In Like Flint, the sequel.
|
|
|
Post by Prince Hal on Dec 2, 2018 23:54:31 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 3, 2018 0:17:33 GMT -5
I grew up seeing the Roger Moore films on tv so there's a lot of nostalgia attached to them for me. In a lot of ways they're more light-hearted comedy than serious action thrillers, though that varies from film to film - and even within the same film sometimes. None of them are really great, but the entertainment value is very high, for me. One actor I only recently found out was up for the Bond role but of course never got it was Michael Billington the guy who played Barbara Bach's romantic partner in The Spy Who Loved Me, a Russian agent who is killed by Bond early on in the movie. From his small amount of screen time in that film I think had just the right look and screen presence for part of Bond.
I still want to see someone do Modesty Blaise right. The Joseph Losey film is pure camp, which is fine, for camp; but, terrible for a character like Modesty. Terrence Stamp was a good choice for Willie Garvin; but, the script lets him down. The tv movie is just bland and too low budget. That thing that Tarrantino produced is done too much on the cheap, with an aneorexic actress. If they had done it in the 90s, Sean Bean would have been perfect for Willie Garvin. Monica Belucci would have been an interesting choice for Modesty. I watched that film "Modesty Blaise" about 3 times in the past 5 years and I do enjoy it to extent and I find Monica Vitti an enhancing Blaise and Terence Stamp as Garvin is top notch and I do agree that the script really does no justice of his acting ability of which sadden me in this film. Dirk Bogarde as Gabriel to me had too much air time and I didn't like that one bit; Rossella Falk as Mrs. Fothergill was brilliant and should had been gotten more airtime as a nemesis to Modesty Blaise and I was kind of sad that she didn't. All the other comments were noteworthy for and I can see where you are getting at. Thanks again.
|
|
|
Post by berkley on Dec 3, 2018 4:02:38 GMT -5
I grew up seeing the Roger Moore films on tv so there's a lot of nostalgia attached to them for me. In a lot of ways they're more light-hearted comedy than serious action thrillers, though that varies from film to film - and even within the same film sometimes. None of them are really great, but the entertainment value is very high, for me.
One actor I only recently found out was up for the Bond role but of course never got it was Michael Billington the guy who played Barbara Bach's romantic partner in The Spy Who Loved Me, a Russian agent who is killed by Bond early on in the movie. From his small amount of screen time in that film I think had just the right look and screen presence for part of Bond.
I like most of Moore's Bonds, except View to a Kill, where he is way too long in the tooth (and the plot is rather mundane) and Moonraker, which just gets plain silly (though it has moments). The others I enjoy and think For Your Eyes Only is one of the best non-Connery Bonds. Still, I liked him better as the Saint, and as Ruffus Excalibur ffolkes, in the movie ffolkes (aka Northsea Hijack), with Tony Perkins, as a terrorist. He is a more roguish character and it fits his personality more. I still think George Lazenby gets a really undeserved rep and that OHMSS is one of the best Bond films, period, and he is good for the bulk of it, with only a few bad scenes (mostly when he is disguised as the geneologist). he was very good in the action sequences (far better than any of Moore's films) and was pretty good in the romantic scenes. he also has a bit of humanity to him. His inexperience shows in scenes early on (when he resigns) and in a few spots, here and there; but, for the bulk of the film, he is great. Dalton was singled out around that time; but, would have been too young. However, in OHMSS, he probably would have been better all around, given the greater experience and acting skill. I still want to see someone do Modesty Blaise right. The Joseph Losey film is pure camp, which is fine, for camp; but, terrible for a character like Modesty. Terrence Stamp was a good choice for Willie Garvin; but, the script lets him down. The tv movie is just bland and too low budget. That thing that Tarrantino produced is done too much on the cheap, with an aneorexic actress. If they had done it in the 90s, Sean Bean would have been perfect for Willie Garvin. Monica Belucci would have been an interesting choice for Modesty. I've always also loved the Michael Caine Harry Palmer spy films, based on the Len Deighton novels. They are the anti-Bonds, greatly aided by a wry sense of humor and Guy Doleman, as Col. Ross. They are intriguing and fun. I would have also enjoyed more Derek Flint films, with James Coburn, had they kept them more like Our Man Flint, and not like In Like Flint, the sequel. Yeah, I'm in the pro-Lazenby camp as well. He actually captures one aspect of the Bond of Fleming's books better than most others - a sort of dogged determination. I thought he had more or less the right look for the character as well, though some find him a little bland.
Dalton and in a different way Brosnan both seemed like they should make good Bonds on paper but for whatever reason I never found them convincing when they actually played the character on the screen. Brosnan perhaps still a bit too ostentatiously handsome and without the steely, piercing glance that helped Roger Moore come across as more than just a "pretty boy". Dalton was I thought better suited to the Errol Flynn type character he played in the Rocketeer.
I love Peter O'Donnell's Modesty Blaise books, and to a lesser extent the newspaper strip, but have not seen any of the screen adaptations. You'd think this would be the perfect time for the character to make a comeback, though I'm not sure who i'd want to see in the role among today's actresses. Tarantino is apparently a fan, which makes it all the more disappointing that he allowed his name to be associated with what was by all accounts a pretty feeble effort. If he wrote and directed a Blaise film himself I'd be more interested but I'm very much afraid he'd cast Uma Thurman or some other willowy American model type. I agree that Bellucci has the perfect look, assuming she could do the fight scenes and so on, though she doesn't really have the right accent.
|
|
|
Post by berkley on Dec 3, 2018 4:09:47 GMT -5
Forgot to add, apparently O'Donnell had Michael Caine in mind for Willie Garvin - I forget if he meant he modelled Garvin on Caine or just that he thought Caine would be the right actor for the part. I must say - though I hardly dare to disagree with the character's own creator, I don't see it myself, much as I like Caine. he doesn't have the right kind of physical presence, to my mind. Even his voice - though he has the accent - doesn't sound how I picture Garvin sounding.
Haven't seen the Flint movies for eons but loved them as a kid. The second one was a bit more jokey and fantastic, do I remember that right? I always liked James Coburn in pretty much everything I saw him in.
|
|
|
Post by brutalis on Dec 3, 2018 8:21:17 GMT -5
Tis the season as they say so while sorting out the holiday wrapping to come and cooking for the week I watched 2 seasonal treasures: Holiday Inn and White Christmas.
In Holiday Inn Astaire and Crosby make for an odd bit of friendship as Fred ol' boy is a bit of the smarmy jerk of a pal if you ask me. more worried over himself and his career than anything else when willing to "steal" away his partner's girlfriend for the sake of having a dance partner to continue his stardom. Even willing to do the very same thing to his "friend" Bing once more after drowning his misfortunes away and arriving drunk at the inn in need of his friend. Crosby is the stalwart and tired friend looking to enjoy his days and nights in only working the holiday seasons at this innovative hotel putting on shows to draw in customers who will stay at the inn celebrating and spending money. A truly entertaining movie full of Irving Berlin music and several spectacular dance numbers from Astaire. Particularly enjoy the Washington Birthday dance number with the period costuming and changing musical tempo's for the dancer's to adjust to whenever Astaire goes for the kiss. Astair'e patriotic 4th of July sequence created especially after the recent bombing of Peral Harbor is creative and fantastic.
White Christmas is just gorgeous in every way from the colors and scenes to the numbers along with the couplings: Crosby and Kaye along with Clooney and Vera-Ellen. Danny Kaye tones down his clown crafting a friendly,enthusiastic and comical partner to Bing's more somber Captain Wallace. Both of the ladies are beautiful as sister's looking to make their way in show business and finally finding their match in Crosby and Kay. This one makes you long for dark snowy nights in the hills surrounded by friends in the glorious countryside with a roaring fire, music, merriment and drinks both warm and chilled! That the four find themselves helping Bing and Danny's former General turned inn owner for the holiday's gives a great reminder of the bonds of war and true friendship. Loads of Berlin tunes again and enthusiastic fun dance sequences (pity Astaire turned it down) this classic should be a must see for everyone.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 3, 2018 9:17:29 GMT -5
Tis the season as they say so while sorting out the holiday wrapping to come and cooking for the week I watched 2 seasonal treasures: Holiday Inn and White Christmas. White Christmas is just gorgeous in every way from the colors and scenes to the numbers along with the couplings: Crosby and Kaye along with Clooney and Vera-Ellen. Danny Kaye tones down his clown crafting a friendly,enthusiastic and comical partner to Bing's more somber Captain Wallace. Both of the ladies are beautiful as sister's looking to make their way in show business and finally finding their match in Crosby and Kay. This one makes you long for dark snowy nights in the hills surrounded by friends in the glorious countryside with a roaring fire, music, merriment and drinks both warm and chilled! That the four find themselves helping Bing and Danny's former General turned inn owner for the holiday's gives a great reminder of the bonds of war and true friendship. Loads of Berlin tunes again and enthusiastic fun dance sequences (pity Astaire turned it down) this classic should be a must see for everyone. I was kind of sad to see Astaire turn down that role; I'll be seeing that movie this Friday with some friends.
|
|