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Post by berkley on May 1, 2023 23:41:51 GMT -5
I'm trying to see all the Anita Ekberg movies I've never seen before and tonight it was Zarak (1957), directed by Terence Young, known for doing some of the best the Bond films a few years later. It trued out to be a pretty good adventure yarn set in 19th Century British India, though apparently based on a more contemporary historical personality who sounds pretty interesting according to the wikipedia write-up. Anita Ekberg isn't in it all that much but she looks incredible and she does get to do a sexy "dance" that is more like a series of poses from a Playboy photo-shoot. Next up will be Back from Eternity (1956), which I just discovered is available on archive.org .
I've been seeing too many classics lately to talk about all of them but last night I watched 42nd Street (1933) for the first time in many years. I was surprised how much I remembered once I got into it but I've probably seen it more than once or twice, though it's been a while. I really liked George Brent as the boyfriend left behind by his more successful partner and Warren Baxter as the driven director/producer, and even Dick Powell, who sometimes rubs me the wrong way, I found likeable in this one. But the girls are the real stars - Ruby Keeler, Ginger Rogers, Una Merkel, Bebe Daniels - and the music and dance numbers are the highlights, with three of the songs all-time classics: You're Getting to be a Habit With Me, Shuffle Off to Buffalo, and of course the title song, which I felt like I could have kept listening to forever. One of my favourite musicals.
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Post by Hoosier X on May 2, 2023 5:08:01 GMT -5
42nd Street is one of the reasons that 1933 is my favorite year for the movies. I’ve seen it a bunch of times, but not lately.
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Post by berkley on May 2, 2023 11:05:28 GMT -5
42nd Street is one of the reasons that 1933 is my favorite year for the movies. I’ve seen it a bunch of times, but not lately.
I can see what you mean, as I've been watching a few from 1930-33 lately and still have a few more to go if I can find them.
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Post by Hoosier X on May 2, 2023 13:18:27 GMT -5
King Kong Duck Soup Footlight Parade 42nd Street Design for Living Alice in Wonderland Baby Face Bombshell Dancing Lady Dinner at Eight The Invisible Man The Testament of Dr. Mabuse Queen Christina The Bitter Tea of General Yen Flying Down to Rio
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Post by berkley on May 2, 2023 16:32:38 GMT -5
King Kong Duck Soup Footlight Parade 42nd Street Design for Living Alice in Wonderland Baby Face Bombshell Dancing Lady Dinner at Eight The Invisible Man The Testament of Dr. Mabuse Queen Christina The Bitter Tea of General Yen Flying Down to Rio
Thanks, I was just going to ask for your 1933 list. I won't get to all of those this time around but besides the ones I've already seen (King Kong, Duck Soup, 42nd Street) there are at least three or four others that I hope to get to later this month when I do more 1930s movies, perhaps more, after I look up some of the titles I don't recognise immediately.
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Post by Hoosier X on May 2, 2023 17:42:36 GMT -5
I can’t believe I forgot Sons of the Desert!
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Post by berkley on May 2, 2023 17:50:27 GMT -5
I can’t believe I forgot Sons of the Desert!
That's one of the ones I'm planning to watch.
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Post by Deleted on May 3, 2023 7:54:25 GMT -5
I realized last night that I had never watched 1957's Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, and when I looked up the info and saw it was Kirk Douglas who played Doc Holliday, I was scratching my head even further how I had let this happen. I looked up the DVD on Amazon and it told me I bought it already in 2019, and my confusion continued to grow as obviously I had thought about this before but had no memory of actually watching it. Sure enough though, I found the DVD in a case in storage (actually my wife did, I'm next to useless in this regard), and we got to watch it last night.
This is one of those odd scenarios where a more modern movie is my reference point against which similar films are judged (usually it's very much the opposite), and that film is 1993's Tombstone. Both films of course have numerous historical inaccuracies which I can forgive in the spirit of entertaining film-making, and even the events covered in both don't directly overlap with Gunfight covering the Dodge City events and then proceeding to Tombstone, whereas the Tombstone film starts right in Tombstone.
I'll preface with my love of Tombstone, when you have Sam Elliott and Kurt Russell as two of the Earp brothers, and then Val Kilmer's perhaps career-topping performance as Doc, that alone was formidable acting talent. But then the casting and performances of some of the "Cowboys", oh my, they still give me chills to this day. Powers Boothe as Curly Bill (his performance was REALLY strong), Stephen Lang as Ike Clanton, Thomas Haden Church with a bit of a breakout performance as Billy Clanton (I only knew him from Wings prior to this!), and Michael Biehn as a very intense and crazy Johnny Ringo who was the perfect counter to Kilmer's Holliday.
So back on Gunfight. Completely different animal, and with 36 years separation between the films, that's to be expected. But there was still a more "quiet intensity" I found in the performances, which gave it a weight of it's own kind and I found the film overall enjoyable. Burt Lancaster in particular impressed me as Wyatt, in this performance he is the "straight shooting" (no pun intended) law enforcer, calm and in control in most situations but not without some rough edges at times that seem to fit the setting and situations. His tall stature I think cut the right image for this as well. Kirk Douglas was himself as usual and was great casting for the role in that regard. If anything he may have been just a tad more tame than I expected, but usually that was to project drama/tragedy in key moments and overall I think he did nicely. Lancaster and Douglas had a good chemistry in this, and they were never quite as "close" friends as the characters are portrayed in Tombstone, but I think it leant itself to a little more realism as well, and when they do have moments of trust and support for each other, they come through very poignantly.
As I mentioned, the eras covered were a little different, and Gunfight portays Wyatt's courtship of the character Laura. Rhonda Fleming does a terrific job, she is strong and spunky, and I found this performance and storyline more interesting and entertaining than Tombstone covering his romance with Josephine with Mattie's health declining. Even though Gunfight does again cover some of Tombstone era, this part is not addressed and they depict him still in love with Laura (again, historical liberties taken).
The bad guys are overall flatter in Gunfight than Tombstone, this is again where I think Tombstone particularly shined. But considering it was 1957, they were fine overall for the tone of the movie. Gunfight also makes the gunfight at the O.K. Corrall the culminating event (including some deaths that did not actually occur at that point), whereas Tombstone depicts the events of the aftermath. Also of note, it was fun seeing a young Dennis Hopper as Billy Clanton and DeForest Kelley as Morgan Earp in Gunfight.
I think overall Gunfight is solid 50's fare, I would actually probably rewatch this one a little more than Tombstone because I tend to like somewhat lighter/classic movies (not that it is fluff by any means, there is certainly some real drama and action involved). But fun to line that up a little in my mind, it's such a well-known bit of old West lore and I enjoy seeing different creative treatments.
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Post by Prince Hal on May 3, 2023 9:53:57 GMT -5
@jaska, nice job comparing "Tombstone" and "OK Corral."
I like them both as well. "OK Corral" is certainly more subdued - to say the least - and so late 50s in its attempt at a realistic, psychological approach to the characters, than "Tombstone," which applies the Bruckheimer treatment to Westerns, but is also eminently more quotable.
I'm guessing you've probably seen John Ford's "My Darling Clementine" (1946), with Henry Fonda, Ward Bond and Tim Holt as the Earps, Victor Mature as Doc and Walter Brenna of all people, as the despicable Pa Clanton. If you haven't, please check it out. Also historically inaccurate, but appropriately spare and dusty in its look and quiet, especially compared to the overblown histrionics of "Tombstone." (Which, don't get me wrong, is one of the movie's charm.)
You'll also see the origin of Kurt Russell's balancing act in "Tombstone." (At 35 seconds.)
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Post by codystarbuck on May 3, 2023 15:19:59 GMT -5
I realized last night that I had never watched 1957's Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, and when I looked up the info and saw it was Kirk Douglas who played Doc Holliday, I was scratching my head even further how I had let this happen. I looked up the DVD on Amazon and it told me I bought it already in 2019, and my confusion continued to grow as obviously I had thought about this before but had no memory of actually watching it. Sure enough though, I found the DVD in a case in storage (actually my wife did, I'm next to useless in this regard), and we got to watch it last night. This is one of those odd scenarios where a more modern movie is my reference point against which similar films are judged (usually it's very much the opposite), and that film is 1993's Tombstone. Both films of course have numerous historical inaccuracies which I can forgive in the spirit of entertaining film-making, and even the events covered in both don't directly overlap with Gunfight covering the Dodge City events and then proceeding to Tombstone, whereas the Tombstone film starts right in Tombstone. I'll preface with my love of Tombstone, when you have Sam Elliott and Kurt Russell as two of the Earp brothers, and then Val Kilmer's perhaps career-topping performance as Doc, that alone was formidable acting talent. But then the casting and performances of some of the "Cowboys", oh my, they still give me chills to this day. Powers Boothe as Curly Bill (his performance was REALLY strong), Stephen Lang as Ike Clanton, Thomas Haden Church with a bit of a breakout performance as Billy Clanton (I only knew him from Wings prior to this!), and Michael Biehn as a very intense and crazy Johnny Ringo who was the perfect counter to Kilmer's Holliday. So back on Gunfight. Completely different animal, and with 36 years separation between the films, that's to be expected. But there was still a more "quiet intensity" I found in the performances, which gave it a weight of it's own kind and I found the film overall enjoyable. Burt Lancaster in particular impressed me as Wyatt, in this performance he is the "straight shooting" (no pun intended) law enforcer, calm and in control in most situations but not without some rough edges at times that seem to fit the setting and situations. His tall stature I think cut the right image for this as well. Kurt Douglas was himself as usual and was great casting for the role in that regard. If anything he may have been just a tad more tame than I expected, but usually that was to project drama/tragedy in key moments and overall I think he did nicely. Lancaster and Douglas had a good chemistry in this, and they were never quite as "close" friends as the characters are portrayed in Tombstone, but I think it leant itself to a little more realism as well, and when they do have moments of trust and support for each other, they come through very poignantly. As I mentioned, the eras covered were a little different, and Gunfight portays Wyatt's courtship of the character Laura. Rhonda Fleming does a terrific job, she is strong and spunky, and I found this performance and storyline more interesting and entertaining than Tombstone covering his romance with Josephine with Mattie's health declining. Even though Gunfight does again cover some of Tombstone era, this part is not addressed and they depict him still in love with Laura (again, historical liberties taken). The bad guys are overall flatter in Gunfight than Tombstone, this is again where I think Tombstone particularly shined. But considering it was 1957, they were fine overall for the tone of the movie. Gunfight also makes the gunfight at the O.K. Corrall the culminating event (including some deaths that did not actually occur at that point), whereas Tombstone depicts the events of the aftermath. Also of note, it was fun seeing a young Dennis Hopper as Billy Clanton and DeForest Kelley as Morgan Earp in Gunfight. I think overall Gunfight is solid 50's fare, I would actually probably rewatch this one a little more than Tombstone because I tend to like somewhat lighter/classic movies (not that it is fluff by any means, there is certainly some real drama and action involved). But fun to line that up a little in my mind, it's such a well-known bit of old West lore and I enjoy seeing different creative treatments. Two Earp Brothers? Poor Morgan! Poor Bill Paxton!
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Post by Hoosier X on May 3, 2023 15:38:49 GMT -5
Wyatt Earp! He makes me burp!
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Post by codystarbuck on May 3, 2023 15:48:17 GMT -5
I've watched all 3 and each reflects its era and the approach of said era, but also the sensibilities of the filmmaker. Tombstone did more research of real people (Kevin Jarre originated, wrote and started directing, before he was fired and replaced with Cosmatos) and events; but the finished film still misses the main point of the whole historical episode. It was a political battle between Republicans (the Earps) and Democrats (Sheriff Charles Shibell, Deputy Sheriff Johnny Beehan, Ike Clanton and the rest of the Cowboys) as well as that between the interests of the Tombstone residents and those of the rural ranchers of Pima County. None of the films accurately depict how Wyatt Erp and his brothers usually carried their pistols.....in their waistband or in coat pockets. I have read that Wyatt actually had special pockets sewn into his suit coat, to carry his Smith & Wesson Model 3 .44 American cal pistol..... Note it is significantly different than the Colts and Remingtons you mostly see in the films. Hollywood is largely responsible for imprinting the image of the Colt Single Action Army model, aka The Peacemaker, as the weapon of the Old West (though it was a massive seller in the era and carried by the US Army, until 1892). Jesse James also carried one, as the model was made famous by Maj George Schofield, during the Civil War, as it met the needs of a cavalry pistol (top break for easy reloading). Of course, the John Ford film was Col Potter's favorite film....
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Post by Hoosier X on May 3, 2023 15:49:13 GMT -5
Don’t forget Tombstone: The Town Too Tough To Die (1942) with Richard Dix as Wyatt Earp and Kent Taylor as Doc Holliday. Also, Frances Gifford!
I saw this a few months ago, and I remember liking it a lot, but I don’t remember if I liked it because it was good or because it was bad! It’s sometimes hard to tell the difference in old movies.
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Post by Slam_Bradley on May 3, 2023 15:51:08 GMT -5
I love Tombstone, but I 100% have to turn my brain off before I watch it. All the various Earp movies are just soooo bad at the history. But Tombstone has so many great performances.
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Post by Deleted on May 3, 2023 15:52:13 GMT -5
I'm guessing you've probably seen John Ford's "My Darling Clementine" (1946), with Henry Fonda, Ward Bond and Tim Holt as the Earps, Victor Mature as Doc and Walter Brenna of all people, as the despicable Pa Clanton. If you haven't, please check it out. Also historically inaccurate, but appropriately spare and dusty in its look and quiet, especially compared to the overblown histrionics of "Tombstone." (Which, don't get me wrong, is one of the movie's charm.) Thanks PH, I actually haven't seen it and am ordering it up now, looking forward to it! Poor Morgan! Poor Bill Paxton! I know, I did slight Paxton here a bit. As I was thinking about the names to highlight for their performances, I thought Bill did fine, but several others really just nailed their roles in particularly memorable ways for me.
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