Bad Movies You Love

[ChiO]

Okay, alright, I thought we were all friends here. There's the TCM schedule a couple of months back. I see Edward Dmytryk. Oh, some misses, but some wonderful hits. Susan Hayward? Oh, come on, take a chance. Let's schedule this for recording. You should know that's my thinking. Friends look after friends.

SO WHY DIDN'T ANYONE WARN ME?

Good grief. Right from the start...smarmy Jack Jones with a smarmy Title Theme Song. Then the credits with an incredible array of marvelous, but over-the-hill, actors (I may never forgive you George Macready) plus never-weres Joey Heatherton? Mike Connors?). And that was the best part.

When Whit Bissell (and, goodness knows, I love him) is, with no tongue in cheek, the absolute unequivocal highlight of a movie, well....

There's Camp, there's "Bad Movies You Love" and then there's No Socially Redeeming Value (Bingo! This is Exhibit A.).

Excuse me. I have to go watch some Larry Cohen, Joe Sarno and Jean Yarbrough movies to get the Bad Taste out of my eyes.

[moira finnie]

SO WHY DIDN'T ANYONE WARN ME?

Okay, but ChiO, you did see the title on this thread was BAD MOVIES You Love, right?

(I may never forgive you George Macready)

Um, buddy, I hate to break it to you and I know you like George, who studied under Richard Boleslawski and had a heckuva career starving while working on stage with the likes of Katherine Cornell, but except for a few films he made with Joseph Lewis and Stanley Kubrick and the like--despite his great moments of weirdness in Gilda and all--his Hollywood career was really a slalom ride to hackdom. He was a hack with style, mind you, but for every Paths of Glory there were at least five more movies of the caliber of The Alligator People and, well, Where Love Has Gone.

Of course, Macready's career was actually enviable compared to most actors.

He had a great voice, that Death's Head and a capacity for communicating malevolence and something twisted, but the man may have been in far worse movies than our mutual pal, Whit Bissell. Besides, Macready rounded out the high profile part of his career on the television version of Peyton Place, for pity's sake.

What's this "Socially Redeeming Value" you mention?

[MissGoddess]

Death's head??? Death's Head??? hahahahahahahaah!!! Oh, how cruel, Moira. But I laughed!

[ChiO]

Moira wrote:
Okay, but ChiO, you did see the title on this thread was BAD MOVIES You Love, right?

Sure. But I didn't see the references here until it was too late. And the thread states, quite specifically, blatantly, overtly and with malice aforethought with intent to mislead, "Love". So what's to love?

And did I just read a veiled criticism of THE ALLIGATOR PEOPLE? By the beloved director of BROADWAY this and BROADWAY that?

[MissGoddess]

Count me as a fan of Alligator People! I don't know why, but I can't turn away if this movie is on (it frequently turns up on the Fox Movie Channel).

[klondike]

And did I just read a veiled criticism of THE ALLIGATOR PEOPLE?

Heaven forfend!
Why, without her stunning performance therein, Bev Garland could never have won that juicy gig on "My Three Sons"!

[MissGoddess]

And did I just read a veiled criticism of THE ALLIGATOR PEOPLE?

Heaven forfend!
Why, without her stunning performance therein, Bev Garland could never have won that juicy gig on "My Three Sons"!

In my childish eyes, I used to think she was so lovely on that show. I also loved "Cindy".

[moira finnie]

Is it more amazing that, per Dmytryk's autobiography, the studio bosses thought Where Love Has Gone was going to be a huge hit?

You mean it wasn't a big hit??

[JackFavell]

Susan Hayward, Peter Finch, and Diane Cilento give excellent performances, although not in this film!

They couldn't have been any worse than Diane Baker in her big crying scene from Stolen Hours - when she found out that Davis.....ooops, I mean Hayward only had a few months to live. And I LIKE Diane Baker a lot. Just not here.

I don't know why, but I really like this morning's good-natured Captain Fury - even with the bad painted-on-the-walls furniture and the cheesy sets, phony rear projection when the guys are riding their horses, and the fact that absolutely no one gets shot or even maimed until near the end of the movie. Maybe it has to do with the charming performances of Brian Aherne (I swear, this is the only movie with him as leading man that I really enjoy), Victor MacLaglen (he's wonderful), Paul Lukas (he's positively brilliant), and John Carradine (no theatrics at ALL). It plays like a 1934 movie, but it was made in 1939. Hard to believe that audiences could be so gullible in that year.

[moira finnie]

I love Captain Fury and would never call it a bad movie--but I love your description of it looking like a 1934 movie that just happened to be made five years later? The marvelous cast is what made it better.

If this is the only movie you like Brian Aherne in as a leading man does that mean you don't like The Song of Songs (1933), Beloved Enemy (1936), Vigil in the Night (1939), or First Comes Courage (1943)? I've always wanted to see him in the 1934 version of The Constant Nymph and The Fountain (1934) some time.

You might like this sample of The Song of Songs:
[youtube][/youtube]

[JackFavell]

I'm embarrassed to admit that I have never seen most of those movies. Song of Songs I saw yrs ago, and cannot remember anything about it - but I know I liked Marlene.

Beloved Enemy I do like - I forgot about it. But mostly Aherne has always struck me as a little too bland to be so full of himself.

I really love Captain Fury though. Somehow, it all works for me, even Aherne's personality, in spite of some major drawbacks in budget. And maybe it doesn't belong in the "bad movie" thread... there are no real howlingly funny gaffs or ultra serious acting here.

[MissGoddess]

I wanted to see Captain Fury, if I could have stayed home, just for Vicky Mac.

Here he is, getting prettied up for his big scene:

[JackFavell]

Hey! Thanks! Oooh, he looks more serious in the makeup chair than he ever did in the movies.

[Rita Hayworth]

Hey, Guys, having just posted over in the Uninvited thread, I'm reminded of another film so howlingly bad, it's fun, fun, fun!
Remember X - The Man with the X-Ray Eyes ?
Talk about your live-action comic books! And Milland takes it all so seriously - everybody else on the screen have half a smirk going on in most scenes, but not Ray - he's treating it like Shakespeare, and giving it his all . . and man, this one's got it all - a secret science breakthrough gone askew, rampant voyeurism, the hovering threat of alcoholism & suicidal behavior, overtones of religious fervor & post-modern isolationism, accelerating paranoia, inspirationally horrid wardrobe . . and it's all filmed like the cameras were on a weekend rental!

I have a Confession to all members of the SSO - Klondike reminded me of this movie - I'm reminded of another film so howlingly bad its fun, fun, fun! - I happen to OWN a copy of this movie on DVD - its made in Europe and I picked up a copy of this movie while vacationing in New York City at a shop and took it home because I like Ray Milland as an Actor and seen about half of dozen movies in his career.

i watched this movie with an open mind ...

A GOOD ACTOR DID HIS ALL - IN A VERY BAD MOVIE .... Klondike your description is so right on - I know you are one of 4 Moderators of SSO - you and I think alike regarding this VERY BAD MOVIE ... I like to watch it for kicks to see how horrible this movie really is and thinking about watching again sometimes in the near future when I'm home all day with a cold, fever, and I'm downright physically miserable. Maybe this movie might cheer me up ... Man - Klondike you and I think alike concerning Ray Milland's movie - The Man with X-Ray Eyes!